Showing posts with label 00s. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 00s. Show all posts
back when they were (already cute but) not yet so glamorous: part 1
back when cylons were metallic and starbuck was male
Images from Battlestar Wiki.
[Spoilers up ahead]
When I was a kid, I watched Battlestar Galactica reruns every Tuesday night on Channel 4. It was wholesome sci-fi series for the whole family.
Though I have a vague recollection of the original BSG (now referred to as "The Original Series", or T.O.S.), I remember enjoying it. I recall there was a mothership of sorts called a battlestar and it was named the Galactica. There were two male lead pilots; their aircraft were called Vipers which came in Viper Squadrons. I remember Apollo, Starbuck, Adama, Dillon, Troy and Boomer. There was a kid named Boxey and his robot bear/dog. The bad guys were walking metallic beings called Cylons with cool, moving red-light eye visors; the humans called them "toasters". I remember that the survivors from Caprica eventually made it to Earth and interacted with modern-day earthlings.
In 2003 I heard about a remake of Battlestar and I was thrilled; I hoped whoever was working on it didn't botch it. At that time we didn't have cable or satellite TV at our place so we had to wait for a (pirated) DVD.
Well it wasn't a botched job at all; it turned out to be spectacular and stimulating. Really good stuff.
But I lost interest halfway through the second season, around the time they had a squalid settlement in New Caprica.
Though it was an amazing series, I felt like it was too far a stretch from the original Battlestar Galactica that it shoudn't have used that same title. I felt duped into thinking it was a remake; it kinda just used the same title to trick people familiar with the original series into watching it. All the original names and terminology were in there, but it was a whole different reconstruction.
Later I heard that the new BSG was called Re-imagined. It's not a remake.
And by the way - I noted it was no longer entirely wholesome family viewing; there were a lot of bits in there that weren't exactly for kids.
I couldn't entirely enjoy it at first, since I struggled to wrap my mind around the re-imagining that the characters they called Starbuck and Boomer were female, that Baltar was an awkward but cute scientist-politician, and that Cylons were sexy, cell-based organisms, one of whom had a romantic psychic connection with Dr. Baltar. Periodically I would ask questions in my head such as, To what purpose do these Cylons have to be smoldering eye-candy?, Who are all these unfamiliar characters?, and, Where is Boxey and his robotic bear/dog?
The Hubby does not remember the original BSG series at all, so he wasn't obsessively making mental references to it in his head, so he truly, thoroughly enjoyed this new BSG without being distracted by the deconstruction of childhood memories.
Just a couple of weeks ago, I managed to forgive the new BSG for betraying me, and I joined the Hubby in a Season 1 to 4 marathon.
Uh, well, not exactly. The Hubby watched all four seasons while I sat in to point out how it misused the original title.
But I must admit, it's great stuff - it still really got me curious and entertained. I just had to shut down all the fond memories of the original BSG and embrace the re-imagined series. I had to constantly remind myself it's a re-imagining.
Okay, it's a re-imagining, that makes sense.
The hot, humanoid Cylons were actually a good idea.
Those humanoid Cylons create more depth and complexity to the story - so it's forgivable. But then there was too much complexity and subplots than I could care for (It's not that I couldn't follow; I guess I still kept looking for echoes of the original plot - which would have been crap now, I realize).
I just missed seeing those vintage metallic Cylons; they're like BSG icons. Memories of BSG TOS often conjured up images of those walking trash cans that lit up like Knight Rider's car.
The first time I watched the re-imagines series a few years ago, I started to brew the dislike when it was suggested that Boomer was one of the toaster baddies. I trusted that the story would redeem itself, so I watched on.
Watching on, I found that the words" toaster" and "baddie" didn't really fit, since she was neither made of metal, nor such a baddie.
T.O.S. Boomer was a dude; he was one of the main viper pilots with easy-recall names.
The new Boomer is a pretty Asian chick with multiple copies.
Well, let's face it - nowadays the name "Boomer" is hardly fitting for a badass male fighter pilot since it's been used on dogs a lot, so might as well make it a lady's call sign.
I could take that the new Boomer was a pretty Asian chick. I was just always distracted whenever her face came on screen because she had certain angles that made her look ugly, and I kept trying to find the angle that made her look really cute. So imagine my horror when several of her appeared at the same time.
Anyway.
In the big picture, the story seemed to of revolve more around Cylons; the human survival part was more like a subplot. Which isn't so bad, really.
And heh, Commander Tigh turned out to be a Cylon too. I didn't like that either, but I watched on.
Well, I guess a Cylon XO is not as bad as the suggestion that Starbuck was this mysterious otherworldy creature who happened to be married to another cylon. That kinda felt like a convenient copout resolution
About Starbuck. I actually liked that the Starbuck character was a woman. That was brilliant - placing strong women characters in an originally male-dominated story. The top gun happened to be a cocky, attractive blonde woman with flat hair.
I just thought that Kara Thrace's awkward "thing" with Apollo was cliche-ic and near-revolting. Ah, well. At least they weren't both male.
The original BSG's Starbuck was played by the guy who played Faceman in The A-Team, a.k.a. Dirk Benedict.
Yes, Starbuck was a man - a cocky, attractive, blonde womanizer. A very straight man by the way, and he did not have a thing for his best friend Apollo.
BSG 1978 centered on the adventures of Starbuck and Apollo. BSG 1980 centered on two other pilots, Dillon and Troy (Troy was the grown-up Boxey), but Starbuck was still in the story.
I like the new Apollo, a.k.a. Lee Adama, mostly because he's gorgeous.
The original Apollo wasn't so bad though.
The actor who played Apollo in the 1978-79 BSG, Richard Hatch, also happens to play a new character, Tom Zarek in the re-imagined series. Nice touch.
And well, there was a character in the re-imagined series named Boxey , though he was only in one episode, and he didn't have a pet robot bear-dog.
I also tried watching Caprica, an offshoot / precursor of the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica series. I ... really ... can't say I enjoyed it. I fell asleep seeing the Pilot episode and simply refuse to follow it through.
.
[Spoilers up ahead]
When I was a kid, I watched Battlestar Galactica reruns every Tuesday night on Channel 4. It was wholesome sci-fi series for the whole family.
Though I have a vague recollection of the original BSG (now referred to as "The Original Series", or T.O.S.), I remember enjoying it. I recall there was a mothership of sorts called a battlestar and it was named the Galactica. There were two male lead pilots; their aircraft were called Vipers which came in Viper Squadrons. I remember Apollo, Starbuck, Adama, Dillon, Troy and Boomer. There was a kid named Boxey and his robot bear/dog. The bad guys were walking metallic beings called Cylons with cool, moving red-light eye visors; the humans called them "toasters". I remember that the survivors from Caprica eventually made it to Earth and interacted with modern-day earthlings.
In 2003 I heard about a remake of Battlestar and I was thrilled; I hoped whoever was working on it didn't botch it. At that time we didn't have cable or satellite TV at our place so we had to wait for a (pirated) DVD.
Well it wasn't a botched job at all; it turned out to be spectacular and stimulating. Really good stuff.
But I lost interest halfway through the second season, around the time they had a squalid settlement in New Caprica.
Though it was an amazing series, I felt like it was too far a stretch from the original Battlestar Galactica that it shoudn't have used that same title. I felt duped into thinking it was a remake; it kinda just used the same title to trick people familiar with the original series into watching it. All the original names and terminology were in there, but it was a whole different reconstruction.
Later I heard that the new BSG was called Re-imagined. It's not a remake.
And by the way - I noted it was no longer entirely wholesome family viewing; there were a lot of bits in there that weren't exactly for kids.
I couldn't entirely enjoy it at first, since I struggled to wrap my mind around the re-imagining that the characters they called Starbuck and Boomer were female, that Baltar was an awkward but cute scientist-politician, and that Cylons were sexy, cell-based organisms, one of whom had a romantic psychic connection with Dr. Baltar. Periodically I would ask questions in my head such as, To what purpose do these Cylons have to be smoldering eye-candy?, Who are all these unfamiliar characters?, and, Where is Boxey and his robotic bear/dog?
The Hubby does not remember the original BSG series at all, so he wasn't obsessively making mental references to it in his head, so he truly, thoroughly enjoyed this new BSG without being distracted by the deconstruction of childhood memories.
Just a couple of weeks ago, I managed to forgive the new BSG for betraying me, and I joined the Hubby in a Season 1 to 4 marathon.
Uh, well, not exactly. The Hubby watched all four seasons while I sat in to point out how it misused the original title.
But I must admit, it's great stuff - it still really got me curious and entertained. I just had to shut down all the fond memories of the original BSG and embrace the re-imagined series. I had to constantly remind myself it's a re-imagining.
Okay, it's a re-imagining, that makes sense.
The hot, humanoid Cylons were actually a good idea.Those humanoid Cylons create more depth and complexity to the story - so it's forgivable. But then there was too much complexity and subplots than I could care for (It's not that I couldn't follow; I guess I still kept looking for echoes of the original plot - which would have been crap now, I realize).
I just missed seeing those vintage metallic Cylons; they're like BSG icons. Memories of BSG TOS often conjured up images of those walking trash cans that lit up like Knight Rider's car.
The first time I watched the re-imagines series a few years ago, I started to brew the dislike when it was suggested that Boomer was one of the toaster baddies. I trusted that the story would redeem itself, so I watched on.Watching on, I found that the words" toaster" and "baddie" didn't really fit, since she was neither made of metal, nor such a baddie.
T.O.S. Boomer was a dude; he was one of the main viper pilots with easy-recall names.The new Boomer is a pretty Asian chick with multiple copies.
Well, let's face it - nowadays the name "Boomer" is hardly fitting for a badass male fighter pilot since it's been used on dogs a lot, so might as well make it a lady's call sign.
I could take that the new Boomer was a pretty Asian chick. I was just always distracted whenever her face came on screen because she had certain angles that made her look ugly, and I kept trying to find the angle that made her look really cute. So imagine my horror when several of her appeared at the same time.
Anyway.
In the big picture, the story seemed to of revolve more around Cylons; the human survival part was more like a subplot. Which isn't so bad, really.
And heh, Commander Tigh turned out to be a Cylon too. I didn't like that either, but I watched on.Well, I guess a Cylon XO is not as bad as the suggestion that Starbuck was this mysterious otherworldy creature who happened to be married to another cylon. That kinda felt like a convenient copout resolution
About Starbuck. I actually liked that the Starbuck character was a woman. That was brilliant - placing strong women characters in an originally male-dominated story. The top gun happened to be a cocky, attractive blonde woman with flat hair.I just thought that Kara Thrace's awkward "thing" with Apollo was cliche-ic and near-revolting. Ah, well. At least they weren't both male.
The original BSG's Starbuck was played by the guy who played Faceman in The A-Team, a.k.a. Dirk Benedict.Yes, Starbuck was a man - a cocky, attractive, blonde womanizer. A very straight man by the way, and he did not have a thing for his best friend Apollo.
BSG 1978 centered on the adventures of Starbuck and Apollo. BSG 1980 centered on two other pilots, Dillon and Troy (Troy was the grown-up Boxey), but Starbuck was still in the story.
I like the new Apollo, a.k.a. Lee Adama, mostly because he's gorgeous.
The original Apollo wasn't so bad though.
The actor who played Apollo in the 1978-79 BSG, Richard Hatch, also happens to play a new character, Tom Zarek in the re-imagined series. Nice touch.And well, there was a character in the re-imagined series named Boxey , though he was only in one episode, and he didn't have a pet robot bear-dog.
I also tried watching Caprica, an offshoot / precursor of the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica series. I ... really ... can't say I enjoyed it. I fell asleep seeing the Pilot episode and simply refuse to follow it through.
.
back when courteney cox didn't play a cougar
I happened to borrow a couple of DVDs from my sister-in-law and I checked out the first season of a newly-popular comedy series, Cougar Town.
Courteney Cox stars as recently-divorced mom Jules Cobb who is trying to live her twenties in her fourties. I don't see it becoming a pop-culture phenomenon anytime soon, but it's cute, easy-to-swallow, relatively-wholesome entertainment.
Speaking of pop-culture phenomena, Courteney has managed to hitch herself to a socio-cultural landmark for the third straight decade (more on this later). The landmark I refer to isn't the series itself though. I mean cougars.
Cougars - or women in their fourties and above who prefer dating much younger men - have been around for centuries of course, but it was only some years ago that the word was coined and absorbed by the general populace. Since the Demi-Ashton tandem made waves, and after SATC's Samantha (Kim Catrall) played the "older girlfriend" role so glamorously, cougar-hood has been celebrated.
When I first saw the Cougar Town commercials, I thought, Is Courteney really that old? she couldn't be! It seemed only yesterday that she played a perky twentysomething in that other comedy series she was in.
I asked IMDB just to be sure and learned that she was in fact born in 1964.
... Which leads me to that earlier time she was identified with a huge wave of pop culture.
We best remember Courteney Cox as neat-freak ex-fatty chef, Monica Geller-Bing in F*R*I*E*N*D*S. The series was so big in the '90s that each of the friends, though previously virtually unknown, shot to stardom within the first season.
Courteney's first claim to fame though was in the '80s. I'll get to this in a second.
In the umpteenth episode of Cougar Town, Jules' teenage son Travis leafs through Jules' high school yearbook, circa 1987. He calls her attention to one photo and asks, "Is that you dancing with Bruce Springsteen?"
I recognized the said "yearbook photo" as an actual still from Bruce Springsteen's video, Dancing In the Dark, featuring a fresh-faced, 19 year-old Courteney.
I'm not too crazy about the hair, the clothes or the dance step (but yes kids, that used to be cool), though she really was cute.
Dancing In the Dark used to be one of the few music videos that rotated on Video Hit Parade in those years before MTV made it to Manila. All kids at that time were familiar with the image of a sleeve-rolling, arm-pumping Springsteen bathing in stage lights.
She was also in that corny He-Man movie by the way.
Masters of the Universe (1987), starring Dolf Lundgren as He-Man.
So okay, she wasn't exactly a nobody when she came on FRIENDS.
I realize I kinda grew up with her - acquainting myself with pop-rock videos as a kid, hanging out with her and her FRIENDS. when I was a teen. And now that I'm in that chapter of my life that I feel not-so-young-anymore, I'm laughing at my own "where did all the years go" insanity as reflected somewhat in her Jules role (but not the Cougar-prowling part). I'm not a fan of hers but I'm enjoying a Courteney fix this weekend.
Courteney Cox stars as recently-divorced mom Jules Cobb who is trying to live her twenties in her fourties. I don't see it becoming a pop-culture phenomenon anytime soon, but it's cute, easy-to-swallow, relatively-wholesome entertainment.
Speaking of pop-culture phenomena, Courteney has managed to hitch herself to a socio-cultural landmark for the third straight decade (more on this later). The landmark I refer to isn't the series itself though. I mean cougars.
Cougars - or women in their fourties and above who prefer dating much younger men - have been around for centuries of course, but it was only some years ago that the word was coined and absorbed by the general populace. Since the Demi-Ashton tandem made waves, and after SATC's Samantha (Kim Catrall) played the "older girlfriend" role so glamorously, cougar-hood has been celebrated.
When I first saw the Cougar Town commercials, I thought, Is Courteney really that old? she couldn't be! It seemed only yesterday that she played a perky twentysomething in that other comedy series she was in.
I asked IMDB just to be sure and learned that she was in fact born in 1964.
... Which leads me to that earlier time she was identified with a huge wave of pop culture.
We best remember Courteney Cox as neat-freak ex-fatty chef, Monica Geller-Bing in F*R*I*E*N*D*S. The series was so big in the '90s that each of the friends, though previously virtually unknown, shot to stardom within the first season.
Courteney's first claim to fame though was in the '80s. I'll get to this in a second.
In the umpteenth episode of Cougar Town, Jules' teenage son Travis leafs through Jules' high school yearbook, circa 1987. He calls her attention to one photo and asks, "Is that you dancing with Bruce Springsteen?"
I recognized the said "yearbook photo" as an actual still from Bruce Springsteen's video, Dancing In the Dark, featuring a fresh-faced, 19 year-old Courteney.
I'm not too crazy about the hair, the clothes or the dance step (but yes kids, that used to be cool), though she really was cute.
Dancing In the Dark used to be one of the few music videos that rotated on Video Hit Parade in those years before MTV made it to Manila. All kids at that time were familiar with the image of a sleeve-rolling, arm-pumping Springsteen bathing in stage lights.
She was also in that corny He-Man movie by the way.
Masters of the Universe (1987), starring Dolf Lundgren as He-Man.
So okay, she wasn't exactly a nobody when she came on FRIENDS.
I realize I kinda grew up with her - acquainting myself with pop-rock videos as a kid, hanging out with her and her FRIENDS. when I was a teen. And now that I'm in that chapter of my life that I feel not-so-young-anymore, I'm laughing at my own "where did all the years go" insanity as reflected somewhat in her Jules role (but not the Cougar-prowling part). I'm not a fan of hers but I'm enjoying a Courteney fix this weekend.
back when lindsay was cute and sober
Lindsay Lohan's been on the news again lately. Once more, we see her face plastered all over websites and tabloids - a blonde, haggard version of her, sobbing poiselessly over being sentenced to 90 days in jail for violating her alcohol ban.
Sigh. She's such a beautiful, talented person. She's quite likeable as an actress, though not really much of a role model. It's sad what happened to LiLo, but I'm not entirely sorry for her; this sort of thing might just be what she needs to clean up.
Before she acquired this dazed, washed-up bad girl image ...
... she was this cute child actress who, from an early age, was obviously of the material to be a big star.
I first saw her in a Disney remake of The Parent Trap (1998), where she convincingly played the role of twins Annie and Halley. That young, she was already a good actress. And one of her was much, much more endearing, more talented than two Olsens (who were also busy being celebrities at that time).
The world saw her next all grown up in another Disney remake, Freaky Friday (2004). She was, for a while, a refreshingly wholesome teen; gorgeous, sexy and who cared if she had freckles. From there she went on to the A-List. She was juggling movies, music recordings, TV guestings and lawsuits against her father.
Then we witnessed her slowly go off the edge. Her misbehavior. Her failed lesbian relationship. Her varous wardrobe malfunctions and numerous times she forgot to put on her underwear and proudly (maybe drunkenly) flashed the paparazzi. We don't really know how stressful life is for the likes of her, so we aren't really in a position to judge her, but we do get a really bad picture of her from the Media.
It's a a pattern, they say, among former child stars. A lot of them have wasted away and disintegrated - but there are a few who've made a graceful comeback, like Drew Barrymore or Wynonah Ryder. I'm not about to dismiss Lindsay as a wasted has-been; I can totally imagine her rising phoenix-style. Who knows, right?
.
Sigh. She's such a beautiful, talented person. She's quite likeable as an actress, though not really much of a role model. It's sad what happened to LiLo, but I'm not entirely sorry for her; this sort of thing might just be what she needs to clean up.
Before she acquired this dazed, washed-up bad girl image ...
... she was this cute child actress who, from an early age, was obviously of the material to be a big star.
I first saw her in a Disney remake of The Parent Trap (1998), where she convincingly played the role of twins Annie and Halley. That young, she was already a good actress. And one of her was much, much more endearing, more talented than two Olsens (who were also busy being celebrities at that time).
The world saw her next all grown up in another Disney remake, Freaky Friday (2004). She was, for a while, a refreshingly wholesome teen; gorgeous, sexy and who cared if she had freckles. From there she went on to the A-List. She was juggling movies, music recordings, TV guestings and lawsuits against her father.
Then we witnessed her slowly go off the edge. Her misbehavior. Her failed lesbian relationship. Her varous wardrobe malfunctions and numerous times she forgot to put on her underwear and proudly (maybe drunkenly) flashed the paparazzi. We don't really know how stressful life is for the likes of her, so we aren't really in a position to judge her, but we do get a really bad picture of her from the Media.
It's a a pattern, they say, among former child stars. A lot of them have wasted away and disintegrated - but there are a few who've made a graceful comeback, like Drew Barrymore or Wynonah Ryder. I'm not about to dismiss Lindsay as a wasted has-been; I can totally imagine her rising phoenix-style. Who knows, right?
.
friday film:
before sunrise (1995) / before sunset (2004)
Before Sunrise (1995)
Before Sunset (2004)
Ethan Hawke * Julie Delpy
Directed by Richard Linklater
Before Sunset (2004)
Ethan Hawke * Julie Delpy
Directed by Richard Linklater
These are two movies I love so much, I decided to watch them at least once every year.
Before Sunrise was released in 1995. It was a day in the life of American guy Jesse and French girl Celine, young strangers who met in a train and went on a "whim-date" in Vienna. Their unexpectedly meaningful time lasted only until the morning, when each of them parted ways on their trips home. Each one left with a piece of the other.
Before Sunset was filmed and released nine years later, featuring the same two characters, also set nine years later. Jesse and Celine bump into each other again in Paris - all grown up, i.e., less romantic, less idealistic, more cynical due to the seasoning of age and experience. They had only a little over an hour to spend with each other since Jesse had to fly back to the US in a while. As they caught each other up on what happened in the past nine years, they revealed that their previous and only other encounter was a landmark in both their lives.
In the time before Facebook, it was next to impossible to find people you've been estranged from - particularly a beautiful stranger you serendipitously meet in a foreign land - and especially so if the only thing you have to go by is a first name. These stories play on the what ifs that so many people are familiar with - what ifs concerning chance encounters and the one that got away.
They aren't your usual romantic flicks, by the way. For one thing, they don't have the usual gush-and-shudder cues, and there are no i love yous. They quite "feel" like art films because of the pregnant silences and the long, philosophical, tartly humorous [but no-nonsense] dialogs.
The scripts have a singular basic, linear plot - it's just two people talking while walking around. But the viewer's interest is captured by the intelligent exchange between Jesse and Celine, as well as the things that they didn't say. Both Hawke and Delpy were excellent at the non-verbals.
Ethan Hawke has always been one of my favorite drama actors since I saw him in Dead Poets' Society around two decades ago (I love how he does facial expressions, especially that yearning-pining thing he does with his eyes). He was pretty hot stuff back in the '90s and did a couple of youth-oriented movies; he's practically a Gen X mascot. He's gotten quite skinny and wrinkled up lately (which is very apparent in Before Sunset - the lines on his forehead and around his eyes kinda suggest he's done a lot of worrying or has not invested in a good moisturizer). He's not as good-looking as he used to be, but he's still quite attractive.
Delpy and Hawke in "Sunset"Photo from here.
By the way, it's so hard to admit that that haircut used to be cool. Most guys looked like that in the '90s,
Got it here.And watching Ethan as Jesse reminded me of how guys used to tuck their shirts into high-waisted jeans (I mean, if they weren't into the low-waist thing). They completed the look with sneakers or sandals worn with socks. But seeing it now makes me gag.
Julie as Celine wore a long, casual, spag-strapped dress with a plain shirt underneath - which is sooo markedly '90s too. She even threw over that ratty-looking, button-down long-sleeved plaid shirt a la Seattle grunge band that wouldn't normally go with a dress.
Image from here. It looks ludicrous now, but that actually used to make sense. That's how we used to dress, and yes, that was absolutely cool. It is now considered ugly to wear a shirt under a sleeveless dress because the in thing is to show off your shoulders. And to wear a plaid dishtowel is a crime.
[SPOiLERS HERE] Sometime during their all-night conversation in Sunrise, Celine and Jesse agreed to preserve the mystery of their chance encounter by not keeping in touch. But then they seemed to have developed some sort of attraction, and at the very last moment, just before Celine's train departed, each of them confessed that they wanted to see the other again. I don't know how or why anyone in a similar situation would not consider getting the other's phone number. Instead they came up with a not-so-simple plan of meeting again the next year. Naturally, that open-ended goodbye was more romantic and mysterious - and gave a premise for a sequel. The sequel in turn fed on the heartbreak of the second date that didn't happen.
I was thinking that if that first movie was set in 2010, that whole conundrum could be more easily avoided with today's social networking sites. If Jesse didn't have time to produce a pen and paper to get her number, Celine could have just given Jesse her last name and said in her cute little French accent, "Search for me in FB, s'il vous plait," and there, problem solved. It would have then been easier to give each other a chance. But of course there wouldn't be anything tortured and dramatic enough for a second movie, hahaha.
I know some real people who have used FB to find the one that got away, or an ex from an abruptly-ended relationship - not really to try date again, but mostly just to get some closure, apologize, forgive, explain what really happened and so on. Wait ... coming to think of it, I do know a guy who tried to have a long distance relationship with the one who got away, relying on FB to contact her. Like Jesse and Celine's, it was a last-minute thing that sparked just before the girl had to move to another continent. It didn't work out, but at least they don't have to grow old suffering those what ifs, because they were actually able to give each other a try.
Anyway. I don't really know how to wrap this entry up, so lemme just end with this:
The not-so-moral lessons of this story are:
- Have a Facebook account because that's how people connect these days. If you don't have time to get a person's number, a last name may do fine unless it's a really common name.
- Take good care of your body because you may not be half as cute as you were when you were a young adult.
- Don't fall in love with random beautiful people in a train crossing Europe because it will end up in heartbreak.
- Do grab your opportunities as they come by because they may not happen again until after nine years, and by then it may be wrong for you to.
back when i went to school with the kamikazee guys
Kakakita ko lang sa kanila sa game show kaninang umaga. Tapos nakita ko sila ulet sa commercial. Tapos narinig ko ang kanta nila sa kinainan kong restaurant. Tapos, pag-uwi ko, nag-check ako ng Facebook at sinendan nila ako link para sa bago nilang music video.
Sikat na talaga sila ngayon, at big-time na sila. Who would have thought?
Dati kasi, mga kaeskwela ko sila.
1999 noon, nung na-form yung banda nila. Hindi ko alam kung paano, basta nalaman ko na lang na may banda na yung magkakaibigan. Sa UP Fine Arts kasi, bisyo ng mga estudyante doon gumawa ng banda. Araw-araw yata may bagong bandang nabubuo (Bisyo din namin ang mag-jamming at magsulat ng kanta during class hours, at mag-drawing ng kung-anu-ano sa pader, dahil madalas nawawala ang mga guro).
Isang araw sa computer lab, gumagawa ako ng plate ko sa Photoshop 5. Photoshop 5 pa lang noon. Nasa kaliwa ko ang kaibigan kong si Larry, at nasa kanan ko ang kaibigan niyang si Puto, tumitingin ng porno (hindi ko kini-criticize ang gawain niyang yun, kinukwento ko lang). Yung porno dala niya sa diskette; wala pang portable USB noon. Hindi ko maalala kung kaklase talaga namin si Puto or kung nakikigamit lang siya ng computer, basta alam ko kaibigan siya ni Larry (Sa College of Payn Arts kasi, iniiwan-iwan lang kami ng mga teacher, at libre kaming gumala-gala at lumabas-pasok sa klase nang may klase, kahit during class hours. Normal lang noon na may kasama ka sa classroom na hindi namin kaklase).
Sa araw na yun, biglang may pumasok na maingay at nakipagkwentuhan. Nandun lang sila sa tabi ko, at mga kakilala ko naman sila, so medyo mahirap na hindi sumali.
Si Roel pala yung dumating, ka-batch namin. May dala siyang drawing na pinagkakaguluhan - mga caricature ito ng iba pa naming mga ka-batch, kasama si Puto. Tinignan ko yung drawing - makulay at mahusay ang pagkakaguhit, parang pang-jacket ng demo CD. "May bagong banda na naman?," sabi ko.
Kuhang-kuha yung mga itsura nila, makikilala mo talaga yung mga taong naka-drawing, lalo na si Puto kasi kulay pula na may stripes yung buhok. Nakilala ko rin ang mga mukha nina Led at Hec. Kasama rin doon sina Allan at Jomal, na noon ay may iba pang banda. Ang tawag sa bagong grupo ay Kamikazee Kornflakes (obviously, gusto nila ang grupong Korn); nu metal yata ang trip nila.
Sa dinami-dami ng mga banda sa amin noon, hindi ko akalain na tatagal at sisikat ang bagong banda nilang yon.
Naka-ilang gig ang Kamikazee Kornflakes, pasama-sama lang noong una sa Parokya ni Edgar na sikat na sikat na by that time. Dinadala sila ng Parokya sa mga gig, dahil ayon kay Hec, "tuwang-tuwa" daw sa kanila si Chito (vocalist ng Parokya, na isa rin naming kaeskwela). Doon sila unti-unting nakilala at nagkapangalan.
Si Hec: Ang original na vocalist
Wala masyadong nakakaalam, at hindi ko alam kung may nakakaalala pa na ang unang vocalist ng Kamikazee Kornflakes ay si Hector. Ibang-iba siya sa kasalukuyang vocalist na si Jay. Medyo pa-poging athlete ang dating ni Hec, habang si Jay naman rocker na rocker na may artist effect. Pero pareho silang makulit na may bastos na humor.
Kinailangan iwanan ni Hec ang banda noong 2000, kasi graduating daw siya. Medyo hindi ko yun ma-gets, kasi lahat naman sila graduating 'nun.
Some time ago, tinanong ko si Hec kung pinangsisisihan niyang iniwan niya ang Kamikazee ngayong sikat na sila. Ang sabi niya, hindi daw talaga. Hindi niya siguro type ang rock-and-roll lifestyle.
Nothing against Hec, pero mukhang masmabuti na naging vocalist nila si Jay. Napaka kuwela at napakaharot kasi ni Jay, bagay na bagay na frontman, at siya talaga ang nagdadala sa banda.
Si Jay
Noong mga freshman kami, akala naming lahat na schoolmate namin yung kulot na maloko na laging naka-tight fit na T-shirt at bell-bottom jeans. Inisip namin na taga-doon siya sa ibang block; akala naman ng ibang block taga-amin siya. Yun pala, ni hindi namin siya ka-eskwela. Nakiki-tambay lang pala siya sa college namin pag tapos na ang klase niya. Malupit talaga ang tambay hours niya para akalain namin na studyante siya doon. Nakiki-gawa pa nga siya ng mga plates namin.
Una ko siyang nakilala 'nung first year first sem, sa street-painting contest na sponsored ng isang sorority. Ka-team ko ang tatlo sa mga ka-block ko, at katabi namin sa kalsada ang mga taga-Industrial Design block na bitbit si Jay. May dala siyang alagang lizard na tinali niya sa poste sa tabi ng daan (namatay din noong gabing iyon; natapakan). Ang team nila ang nanalo ng Third Place dahil nilalandi nila yung mga sorority girls.
May negosyo si Jay noon na buy-and-sell ng mga exotic pets (ahas, sawa, daga, lizard, iguana, etc). Bibili siya sa Cartimar, tapos ibebenta niya sa school - so panay ang baon niya ng kung-anu-anong hayop.
May kwentong barbero siya nung minsan na bumili siya ng ahas sa Cartimar, pati ng daga at sisiw na ipapakain sana sa ahas. Nag-tricycle daw siya papunta sa sakayan. Pagbaba daw niya ng trycicle, wala na yung sisiw. Tumawag siya ng taxi at sumakay. Pagbaba, daga na lang ang dala niya at may kawawang driver na may ahas sa taxi.
Dahil madalas siyang may dalang iguana, tinawag ko siyang "Iguana Jay", para ma-differentiate siya sa ibang mga Jay ang pangalan; ang dami kasi nilang Jay sa FA noon.
Mas bumenta ang isa pang nickname na binigay ko sa kanya: "Jay Becklog". Madalas niya kasing suot ang white T-shirt na pininturahan niya ng malaking oblong at ni-label na becklog.
Tinawag ko siyang Beck for short. Tinawag niya naman akong Goth kasi mukha daw akong mangangain ng bata.
'Nung third year na kami, nag-enroll na siya sa ibang school, so bihira na namin siyang makita, pero nag-stay in touch pa rin siya sa amin.
Si Led at Si Puto
Hindi ko sila actually naging kaibigan , pero kilala ko sila dahil ka-college ko sila. Madalas ko silang makita at maka-tambay dahil kabarkada sila ng mga kaibigan ko. Madalas din silang dumadalaw sa classroom namin.
Si Puto noon pa may reputation na kwela. Jason ang totoo niyang pangalan, pero nagsimulang tawagin siyang "Puto" noong Summer Art Workshop (bago mag-first year). Medyo feeling chicano sila noon eh.
Si Led naman, reputation niya pogi boy. Medyo heartthrob siya na iniiyakan ng isang kaklase ko dahil may girlfriend siya na super ganda. Clean-cut siya noon at wala pa siyang mga tattoo o hikaw. Led Zepplin ang totoo niyang pangalan, mula sa sikat na banda noong taong ipinanganak siya (Sa pagkakaalam ko, silang lahat ng mga kapatid niya, ipinangalan sa mga rock artist. Astig din kasi ang tatay niya, isang sikat na photographer).
Si Jomal
Si Jomal naging ka-batch namin dahil sa isang sadistang Prof na ayaw siyang patawarin sa isang subject. Naging kaklase ko siya sa subject na yun. Bago ko siya nakilala, nakikita ko lang sila ng barkada niya na patambay-tambay at nag-iingay. Tawag sa kanila ng higher batch, "Istorboys", dahil super kulit nila at nakaka-istorbo during class hours. Tumino lang sila nung isa-isa na silang nagkaroon ng mga girlfriend na super ganda.
Nung nakilala ko si Jomal, mabait naman pala, at sensitive din. At lalo akong natuwa sa kaniya nung binara niya yung class kupal namin.
Naging supplier ako ni Jomal ng styling gel (wala pang hair wax o clay noon). Nung college kasi, pareho kami ng hairstyle - super ikli na kailangan lagyan ng gel. Nag-iiwan ako ng supply ng gel sa locker (yung cheap lang na brand, para hindi nakakapanghinayang kung may humingi). Nung nalaman ni Jomal na may gel ako sa locker, hindi na siya nagbaon ng sarili niya at humihingi na lang sa akin.
Nung 1999 nag-decide ako mag-quit sa paninigarilyo dahil gusto kong mamuhay nang kalugod-lugod sa Diyos (yehehesssss!). Hindi ko pa alam noon na last yosi ever ko na yon nung July 1999, sa back-to-school concert sa College of Fine Arts. Ang kahuli-hulihang yosi ko, nanggaling kay Jomal. Ang buhay estudyante, medyo tag-hirap, so medyo share-share din ang mga magkakaibigan sa bisyo; karaniwan lang sa amin ang nagshe-share ng yosi (kung ngayong mga can-afford na kami at babalik-tanawin namin ang pagsasalo ng dalawa o tatlong tao sa isang sigarilyo, medyo kadiri pala, haha). Nung gabing yon, ilan kaming nanonood ng programa mula sa likod ng studio, nakaupo sa kahoy na hindi dapat inuupuan. Tinabihan ako ni Jomal at nakipagkwentuhan. Naglabas siya ng yosi at sinindihan, at inabot niya sa akin. Huling yosi na niya iyon para sa gabi, at huling yosi ko na para sa buong buhay ko. Kung tutuusin hindi naman kami ganun ka-close pero dahil lang doon hindi ko siya makakalimutan.
Si Allan
Wala pang mga tatoo si Allan noon, pero astig na siya. Hindi pa siya skinhead, in fact long hair siya noon. Yung buhok niya kinaiinggitan ng mga babae dahil super-straight na parang ni-rebond, pwedeng pang-shampoo commercial. Nakilala siya sa college namin bilang mahusay na drummer; marami siyang mga banda, kabilang na ang ilang death metal band, at isang showband.
Si Allan, a.k.a. Bords, never ko naging kaklase, pero madalas ko siyang ka-tambay at kainuman noon, at nakakasama sa mga out-of town barkada gimmick. For some reason, madalas kaming nag-aaway ni Allan - pero mabilis rin naman kaming pinagbabati ng iba pa naming kaibigan. Sa kanya ko unang narinig yung mga salitang "Nakakalalake ka na ha!", dahil yun yung lagi niyang sinasabi sakin kung gusto niya akong suntukin dahil sa pikon pero alam niyang hindi dapat siya pumapatol sa babae. Merong isang beses na ako ang nanuntok sa kanya; buti na lang gentleman siya at nag-walk-out na lang. Pero nakakatakot actually kaaway si Allan kung lalaki ka, kasi ang laki niyang tao at sanay siya sa away-kanto. Na-witness ko na siyang mambugbog ng upperclassman - as in, bugbog.
Naalala ko pa yung isa sa mga away naming saksakan ng babaw, naganap nung first sem ng second year. Seryosong pikunan, pero comedy ang kinalabasan:
Allan: (Nag-drawing ng truck para sa isang plate; kinulayan ito ng yellow-green at violet)
Me: Ayus yan ah, parang Constructicon.
Allan: (Gulat) Alam mo yun?
Me: Oo naman. Nanood naman ako ng TransFormers nung bata ako 'no. Diba kalaban nila yung Dinobots? Anim sila, tapos fino-form nila si Devastator. "I. Am. Devastator!"
Allan: Lima lang sila.
Me: Anim.
Allan: Lima!
Me: Anim kaya no!
Allan: P*#@, lima lang! Shut up! Hindi mo alam yun dahil babae ka at puro Rainbow Brite at Care Bear lang ang alam mo!
Buti na lang na sumingit ang classmate namin na si Ace (na isa na ngayong direktor, at siyang nag-direct ng ilan sa mga video ng Kamikazee) at sinabing, "Anim. Isa pa yung sa ulo!" Eh di tama ako. Ako naman diniin ko pa.
Last year lang, nagka-reunion kaming magkakaeskwela. Naalala namin ni Allan na panay ang away namin noon, pero hindi na namin maalala kung ano ang mga pinag-aawayan namin. Ang naaalala ko, madalas na ko ang may kasalanan ... kung iisipin, maldita nga yata talaga ako at marami akong mga nakaaway na ka-eskwela, pati na mga guro. hee hee hee :p Buti na lang mature na kami ngayon at tinawanan na lang namin ang mga bagay na yon.
Pagkatapos ng college, hindi na ako nakapag-stay in touch kahit kanino, maliban na lang nung nagkaroon na ng mga social networking sites. Nakita ko na lang isang araw sa Myx ang isang live performance nila ng Chinelas. Nakilala ko agad si Jay noong nakita ko siya sa TV, bago ko pa man nakita yung nakalagay na Kamikazee sa ibaba ng frame. Nagtaka ako kung bakit Kamikazee na lang at nawala ang Kornflakes. Nagtaka rin ako kung anong nangyari kay Hec, pero naliwanagan rin ako nung mag-lunch kami nina Hec at Larry isang araw sa Makati noong 2003.
Nung nag-aaral pa kami sa UP, nakahingi ako ng mga drawing mula sa mga ka-eskwela ko. Remembrance kuno, pero pagkatapos ng ilang taon tinapon ko rin noong nagligpit ako ng bahay. Kung alam ko lang na sisikat sila, sana hindi ko na lang tinapon para may collectors' item kunwari ako. Hindi ko naman kasi naisip na ang isang banda 'yon na basta-basta lang binuo ng ilang mga magkakaibigan ay papatok sa masa balang araw.
Sikat na talaga sila ngayon, at big-time na sila. Who would have thought?
Dati kasi, mga kaeskwela ko sila.
1999 noon, nung na-form yung banda nila. Hindi ko alam kung paano, basta nalaman ko na lang na may banda na yung magkakaibigan. Sa UP Fine Arts kasi, bisyo ng mga estudyante doon gumawa ng banda. Araw-araw yata may bagong bandang nabubuo (Bisyo din namin ang mag-jamming at magsulat ng kanta during class hours, at mag-drawing ng kung-anu-ano sa pader, dahil madalas nawawala ang mga guro).
Isang araw sa computer lab, gumagawa ako ng plate ko sa Photoshop 5. Photoshop 5 pa lang noon. Nasa kaliwa ko ang kaibigan kong si Larry, at nasa kanan ko ang kaibigan niyang si Puto, tumitingin ng porno (hindi ko kini-criticize ang gawain niyang yun, kinukwento ko lang). Yung porno dala niya sa diskette; wala pang portable USB noon. Hindi ko maalala kung kaklase talaga namin si Puto or kung nakikigamit lang siya ng computer, basta alam ko kaibigan siya ni Larry (Sa College of Payn Arts kasi, iniiwan-iwan lang kami ng mga teacher, at libre kaming gumala-gala at lumabas-pasok sa klase nang may klase, kahit during class hours. Normal lang noon na may kasama ka sa classroom na hindi namin kaklase).
Sa araw na yun, biglang may pumasok na maingay at nakipagkwentuhan. Nandun lang sila sa tabi ko, at mga kakilala ko naman sila, so medyo mahirap na hindi sumali.
Si Roel pala yung dumating, ka-batch namin. May dala siyang drawing na pinagkakaguluhan - mga caricature ito ng iba pa naming mga ka-batch, kasama si Puto. Tinignan ko yung drawing - makulay at mahusay ang pagkakaguhit, parang pang-jacket ng demo CD. "May bagong banda na naman?," sabi ko.
Kuhang-kuha yung mga itsura nila, makikilala mo talaga yung mga taong naka-drawing, lalo na si Puto kasi kulay pula na may stripes yung buhok. Nakilala ko rin ang mga mukha nina Led at Hec. Kasama rin doon sina Allan at Jomal, na noon ay may iba pang banda. Ang tawag sa bagong grupo ay Kamikazee Kornflakes (obviously, gusto nila ang grupong Korn); nu metal yata ang trip nila.
Sa dinami-dami ng mga banda sa amin noon, hindi ko akalain na tatagal at sisikat ang bagong banda nilang yon.
Naka-ilang gig ang Kamikazee Kornflakes, pasama-sama lang noong una sa Parokya ni Edgar na sikat na sikat na by that time. Dinadala sila ng Parokya sa mga gig, dahil ayon kay Hec, "tuwang-tuwa" daw sa kanila si Chito (vocalist ng Parokya, na isa rin naming kaeskwela). Doon sila unti-unting nakilala at nagkapangalan.
Si Hec: Ang original na vocalist
Wala masyadong nakakaalam, at hindi ko alam kung may nakakaalala pa na ang unang vocalist ng Kamikazee Kornflakes ay si Hector. Ibang-iba siya sa kasalukuyang vocalist na si Jay. Medyo pa-poging athlete ang dating ni Hec, habang si Jay naman rocker na rocker na may artist effect. Pero pareho silang makulit na may bastos na humor.
Kinailangan iwanan ni Hec ang banda noong 2000, kasi graduating daw siya. Medyo hindi ko yun ma-gets, kasi lahat naman sila graduating 'nun.
Some time ago, tinanong ko si Hec kung pinangsisisihan niyang iniwan niya ang Kamikazee ngayong sikat na sila. Ang sabi niya, hindi daw talaga. Hindi niya siguro type ang rock-and-roll lifestyle.
Nothing against Hec, pero mukhang masmabuti na naging vocalist nila si Jay. Napaka kuwela at napakaharot kasi ni Jay, bagay na bagay na frontman, at siya talaga ang nagdadala sa banda.
Si Jay
Noong mga freshman kami, akala naming lahat na schoolmate namin yung kulot na maloko na laging naka-tight fit na T-shirt at bell-bottom jeans. Inisip namin na taga-doon siya sa ibang block; akala naman ng ibang block taga-amin siya. Yun pala, ni hindi namin siya ka-eskwela. Nakiki-tambay lang pala siya sa college namin pag tapos na ang klase niya. Malupit talaga ang tambay hours niya para akalain namin na studyante siya doon. Nakiki-gawa pa nga siya ng mga plates namin.
Una ko siyang nakilala 'nung first year first sem, sa street-painting contest na sponsored ng isang sorority. Ka-team ko ang tatlo sa mga ka-block ko, at katabi namin sa kalsada ang mga taga-Industrial Design block na bitbit si Jay. May dala siyang alagang lizard na tinali niya sa poste sa tabi ng daan (namatay din noong gabing iyon; natapakan). Ang team nila ang nanalo ng Third Place dahil nilalandi nila yung mga sorority girls.
May negosyo si Jay noon na buy-and-sell ng mga exotic pets (ahas, sawa, daga, lizard, iguana, etc). Bibili siya sa Cartimar, tapos ibebenta niya sa school - so panay ang baon niya ng kung-anu-anong hayop.
May kwentong barbero siya nung minsan na bumili siya ng ahas sa Cartimar, pati ng daga at sisiw na ipapakain sana sa ahas. Nag-tricycle daw siya papunta sa sakayan. Pagbaba daw niya ng trycicle, wala na yung sisiw. Tumawag siya ng taxi at sumakay. Pagbaba, daga na lang ang dala niya at may kawawang driver na may ahas sa taxi.
Dahil madalas siyang may dalang iguana, tinawag ko siyang "Iguana Jay", para ma-differentiate siya sa ibang mga Jay ang pangalan; ang dami kasi nilang Jay sa FA noon.
Mas bumenta ang isa pang nickname na binigay ko sa kanya: "Jay Becklog". Madalas niya kasing suot ang white T-shirt na pininturahan niya ng malaking oblong at ni-label na becklog.
Tinawag ko siyang Beck for short. Tinawag niya naman akong Goth kasi mukha daw akong mangangain ng bata.
'Nung third year na kami, nag-enroll na siya sa ibang school, so bihira na namin siyang makita, pero nag-stay in touch pa rin siya sa amin.
Si Led at Si Puto
Hindi ko sila actually naging kaibigan , pero kilala ko sila dahil ka-college ko sila. Madalas ko silang makita at maka-tambay dahil kabarkada sila ng mga kaibigan ko. Madalas din silang dumadalaw sa classroom namin.
Si Puto noon pa may reputation na kwela. Jason ang totoo niyang pangalan, pero nagsimulang tawagin siyang "Puto" noong Summer Art Workshop (bago mag-first year). Medyo feeling chicano sila noon eh.
Si Led naman, reputation niya pogi boy. Medyo heartthrob siya na iniiyakan ng isang kaklase ko dahil may girlfriend siya na super ganda. Clean-cut siya noon at wala pa siyang mga tattoo o hikaw. Led Zepplin ang totoo niyang pangalan, mula sa sikat na banda noong taong ipinanganak siya (Sa pagkakaalam ko, silang lahat ng mga kapatid niya, ipinangalan sa mga rock artist. Astig din kasi ang tatay niya, isang sikat na photographer).
Si Jomal
Si Jomal naging ka-batch namin dahil sa isang sadistang Prof na ayaw siyang patawarin sa isang subject. Naging kaklase ko siya sa subject na yun. Bago ko siya nakilala, nakikita ko lang sila ng barkada niya na patambay-tambay at nag-iingay. Tawag sa kanila ng higher batch, "Istorboys", dahil super kulit nila at nakaka-istorbo during class hours. Tumino lang sila nung isa-isa na silang nagkaroon ng mga girlfriend na super ganda.
Nung nakilala ko si Jomal, mabait naman pala, at sensitive din. At lalo akong natuwa sa kaniya nung binara niya yung class kupal namin.
Naging supplier ako ni Jomal ng styling gel (wala pang hair wax o clay noon). Nung college kasi, pareho kami ng hairstyle - super ikli na kailangan lagyan ng gel. Nag-iiwan ako ng supply ng gel sa locker (yung cheap lang na brand, para hindi nakakapanghinayang kung may humingi). Nung nalaman ni Jomal na may gel ako sa locker, hindi na siya nagbaon ng sarili niya at humihingi na lang sa akin.
Nung 1999 nag-decide ako mag-quit sa paninigarilyo dahil gusto kong mamuhay nang kalugod-lugod sa Diyos (yehehesssss!). Hindi ko pa alam noon na last yosi ever ko na yon nung July 1999, sa back-to-school concert sa College of Fine Arts. Ang kahuli-hulihang yosi ko, nanggaling kay Jomal. Ang buhay estudyante, medyo tag-hirap, so medyo share-share din ang mga magkakaibigan sa bisyo; karaniwan lang sa amin ang nagshe-share ng yosi (kung ngayong mga can-afford na kami at babalik-tanawin namin ang pagsasalo ng dalawa o tatlong tao sa isang sigarilyo, medyo kadiri pala, haha). Nung gabing yon, ilan kaming nanonood ng programa mula sa likod ng studio, nakaupo sa kahoy na hindi dapat inuupuan. Tinabihan ako ni Jomal at nakipagkwentuhan. Naglabas siya ng yosi at sinindihan, at inabot niya sa akin. Huling yosi na niya iyon para sa gabi, at huling yosi ko na para sa buong buhay ko. Kung tutuusin hindi naman kami ganun ka-close pero dahil lang doon hindi ko siya makakalimutan.
Si Allan
Wala pang mga tatoo si Allan noon, pero astig na siya. Hindi pa siya skinhead, in fact long hair siya noon. Yung buhok niya kinaiinggitan ng mga babae dahil super-straight na parang ni-rebond, pwedeng pang-shampoo commercial. Nakilala siya sa college namin bilang mahusay na drummer; marami siyang mga banda, kabilang na ang ilang death metal band, at isang showband.
Si Allan, a.k.a. Bords, never ko naging kaklase, pero madalas ko siyang ka-tambay at kainuman noon, at nakakasama sa mga out-of town barkada gimmick. For some reason, madalas kaming nag-aaway ni Allan - pero mabilis rin naman kaming pinagbabati ng iba pa naming kaibigan. Sa kanya ko unang narinig yung mga salitang "Nakakalalake ka na ha!", dahil yun yung lagi niyang sinasabi sakin kung gusto niya akong suntukin dahil sa pikon pero alam niyang hindi dapat siya pumapatol sa babae. Merong isang beses na ako ang nanuntok sa kanya; buti na lang gentleman siya at nag-walk-out na lang. Pero nakakatakot actually kaaway si Allan kung lalaki ka, kasi ang laki niyang tao at sanay siya sa away-kanto. Na-witness ko na siyang mambugbog ng upperclassman - as in, bugbog.
Naalala ko pa yung isa sa mga away naming saksakan ng babaw, naganap nung first sem ng second year. Seryosong pikunan, pero comedy ang kinalabasan:
Allan: (Nag-drawing ng truck para sa isang plate; kinulayan ito ng yellow-green at violet)
Me: Ayus yan ah, parang Constructicon.
Allan: (Gulat) Alam mo yun?
Me: Oo naman. Nanood naman ako ng TransFormers nung bata ako 'no. Diba kalaban nila yung Dinobots? Anim sila, tapos fino-form nila si Devastator. "I. Am. Devastator!"
Allan: Lima lang sila.
Me: Anim.
Allan: Lima!
Me: Anim kaya no!
Allan: P*#@, lima lang! Shut up! Hindi mo alam yun dahil babae ka at puro Rainbow Brite at Care Bear lang ang alam mo!
Buti na lang na sumingit ang classmate namin na si Ace (na isa na ngayong direktor, at siyang nag-direct ng ilan sa mga video ng Kamikazee) at sinabing, "Anim. Isa pa yung sa ulo!" Eh di tama ako. Ako naman diniin ko pa.
Last year lang, nagka-reunion kaming magkakaeskwela. Naalala namin ni Allan na panay ang away namin noon, pero hindi na namin maalala kung ano ang mga pinag-aawayan namin. Ang naaalala ko, madalas na ko ang may kasalanan ... kung iisipin, maldita nga yata talaga ako at marami akong mga nakaaway na ka-eskwela, pati na mga guro. hee hee hee :p Buti na lang mature na kami ngayon at tinawanan na lang namin ang mga bagay na yon.
Pagkatapos ng college, hindi na ako nakapag-stay in touch kahit kanino, maliban na lang nung nagkaroon na ng mga social networking sites. Nakita ko na lang isang araw sa Myx ang isang live performance nila ng Chinelas. Nakilala ko agad si Jay noong nakita ko siya sa TV, bago ko pa man nakita yung nakalagay na Kamikazee sa ibaba ng frame. Nagtaka ako kung bakit Kamikazee na lang at nawala ang Kornflakes. Nagtaka rin ako kung anong nangyari kay Hec, pero naliwanagan rin ako nung mag-lunch kami nina Hec at Larry isang araw sa Makati noong 2003.
Nung nag-aaral pa kami sa UP, nakahingi ako ng mga drawing mula sa mga ka-eskwela ko. Remembrance kuno, pero pagkatapos ng ilang taon tinapon ko rin noong nagligpit ako ng bahay. Kung alam ko lang na sisikat sila, sana hindi ko na lang tinapon para may collectors' item kunwari ako. Hindi ko naman kasi naisip na ang isang banda 'yon na basta-basta lang binuo ng ilang mga magkakaibigan ay papatok sa masa balang araw.
back when rivermaya was a sellout band
In a segment of last night's news, a reporter interviewed celebrities for their opinions on a COMELEC proposal to basically ban entertainers from endorsing candidates for the upcoming elections. In a brief snippette were a few members of the rock band Rivermaya - endorsers of presidentiable Gibo Teodoro and performers of his campaign jingle. I caught a glimpse of guitarist Mike Elgar and couldn't help noticing that he still looks a lot like he used to in high school.
I also couldn't help notice that the band called Rivermaya is an immensely different reincarnation of the band that was born sometime in the early nineties. Aside from the member overhaul, they kinda even have an all-new sound and overall personality.
I never was a fan of Rivermaya. I always found their songs ... er... too ... mainstream. The lyrics are clever (but not brilliant), their music kinda lacks edge and personality, like they were the kind of band that was afraid to experiment or go too extreme because it's all about producing something entirely "sellable". I don't know for sure of course; it's all just my opinion. "Rivermaya has always been a sellout kind of band," some stranger told me once in retrospect. And yeah, one could say they were good artists in a mainstream, pop-rock, sellout kind of way.
It was 1994 when Rivermaya's first single Ulan, was first (over)played. I was a sixteen-year-old high school junior then.
Ulan was an almost-instant crowd favorite; it gained the band A-list status and was the first of many hits. Bamboo was on vocals, Perf De Castro on guitars, Mark Escueta on drums, Rico Blanco and Nathan Azarcon somewhere in there. Those guys were all under twenty years old when they became famous.
One interesting trivial tidbit that people must have forgotten is that the young Bamboo used to have long hair (Whenever I saw him on television, I would always remark that that look just didn't work for him; his hair was always was too flat and greasy-looking. And with that big mouth and those puffy eyes he was plain UGLY. He's a lot less upsetting now that he's bald).
At that time, Michael Elgar was a senior at ADMU High, already acknowledged by his peers as a guitar demigod and band-competition winner. (If I remember correctly, he had a band called Elgy's Blueberry Juice then ... and he had another called Black Roses in his elementary days. I never knew him personally, but ever since grade school, he was the kind of guy that girls knew about. And oh - he had braces back then). Not yet the rock star we know him to be today, he was then just one among the sea of fans of Bamboo et al.
Rivermaya remained one of the country's most popular bands through the '90s. Their singles were played massively to the point of easy recall. They weren't only on the radio and music videos; their songs were used as commercial jingles, movie soundtracks and cover band performances.
As much as I disliked their music, you gotta admit they made for good soundtrack. In a project for Electronic Media class back in college, my groupmates and I included Hinahanap-hanap Kita in a "romantic comedy" short we produced (And a bit more trivia: among my groupmates were Paolo of Moonstar '88 [then called Orphan Lily] and his missus Mara, Monsterbot's Karl and direk Avid. Our lead actor for that video was then-CFA-tambay now famous as Kamikazee's Jay).
At the turn of the century, Bamboo disappeared from the band and Rico Blanco took over as frontman (by then, Perf De Castro had already long dropped out and formed a flopped band called Triaxis; I vaguely remember it for cheesy, jologish, mid-'90s rock ballads in Filipino).
With Rico Blanco at the helm, the band seemed to have developed a more distinct personality and maybe a bit more sex appeal. Some people would have argued that Bamboo's departure made the band tank, but the way I see it, it just made them a bit less mainstream - which isn't exactly bad if you think about it. I.m.h.o., the Rico Blanco songs were more brilliant than the Bamboo ones. Bamboo may have been the more spirited performer, but Rico was the artist. Besides, it's more fun to watch a sexier, more attractive frontman. Bamboo just couldn't rock the shirtless look.
Meanwhile, Bamboo formed his own band named after himself, which I think was equally if not more successful.
I think Mike Elgar became the new lead guitarist around the time that Rico Blanco moved up front. Like i said, I never was a fan of the band and I don't follow them, so I didn't really notice. I just spotted him on television one day - Uy, si Mike Elgar yung bagong gitarista?! It was easy to recognize him because like I said, he still looks pretty much the same as he did in high school.
I remember catching the closing act for MTV Pilipinas on the telly (I don't quite remember what year; it was the one in which Pepe Smith was souped up as usual and was "improvising" onstage) - a few of the country's top rock icons came together for a smashing performance. Mike Elgar performed a guitar duet side-by-side with Francis Reyes of The Dawn. The Francis Reyes. I was just amused at seeing an 80's guitar titan with a "younger" star. Reyes was the inspiration and aspiration of guitarists of our generation from when we were kids; I'm quite sure Elgar used to dream about meeting him, and now happened to play on the same platform as him. Kinda reminds me of that Mark Wahlberg rockstar movie whatzitcalled - of how a former fan could play in the band he admired in his youth. Elgy is now an icon of sorts himself, prolly the new Francis Reyes of this generation.
Also amusing is how Rivermaya seemed to have done the reverse of what most bands from the '90s did. While most crossed over from the alternative scene and sold out into the mainstream, Rivermaya went from mainstream into a sort of alternative. Not entirely of course - they're clearly still holding up a certain sellable quality. And speaking of sellable, I also notice they're now more of a "pogi band" - stylish duds and tons of hair product, far from the unkempt look and slouchy clothes the original group donned in the mid-'90s.
I also couldn't help notice that the band called Rivermaya is an immensely different reincarnation of the band that was born sometime in the early nineties. Aside from the member overhaul, they kinda even have an all-new sound and overall personality.
I never was a fan of Rivermaya. I always found their songs ... er... too ... mainstream. The lyrics are clever (but not brilliant), their music kinda lacks edge and personality, like they were the kind of band that was afraid to experiment or go too extreme because it's all about producing something entirely "sellable". I don't know for sure of course; it's all just my opinion. "Rivermaya has always been a sellout kind of band," some stranger told me once in retrospect. And yeah, one could say they were good artists in a mainstream, pop-rock, sellout kind of way.
It was 1994 when Rivermaya's first single Ulan, was first (over)played. I was a sixteen-year-old high school junior then.
Ulan was an almost-instant crowd favorite; it gained the band A-list status and was the first of many hits. Bamboo was on vocals, Perf De Castro on guitars, Mark Escueta on drums, Rico Blanco and Nathan Azarcon somewhere in there. Those guys were all under twenty years old when they became famous.
One interesting trivial tidbit that people must have forgotten is that the young Bamboo used to have long hair (Whenever I saw him on television, I would always remark that that look just didn't work for him; his hair was always was too flat and greasy-looking. And with that big mouth and those puffy eyes he was plain UGLY. He's a lot less upsetting now that he's bald).At that time, Michael Elgar was a senior at ADMU High, already acknowledged by his peers as a guitar demigod and band-competition winner. (If I remember correctly, he had a band called Elgy's Blueberry Juice then ... and he had another called Black Roses in his elementary days. I never knew him personally, but ever since grade school, he was the kind of guy that girls knew about. And oh - he had braces back then). Not yet the rock star we know him to be today, he was then just one among the sea of fans of Bamboo et al.
Rivermaya remained one of the country's most popular bands through the '90s. Their singles were played massively to the point of easy recall. They weren't only on the radio and music videos; their songs were used as commercial jingles, movie soundtracks and cover band performances.
As much as I disliked their music, you gotta admit they made for good soundtrack. In a project for Electronic Media class back in college, my groupmates and I included Hinahanap-hanap Kita in a "romantic comedy" short we produced (And a bit more trivia: among my groupmates were Paolo of Moonstar '88 [then called Orphan Lily] and his missus Mara, Monsterbot's Karl and direk Avid. Our lead actor for that video was then-CFA-tambay now famous as Kamikazee's Jay).
At the turn of the century, Bamboo disappeared from the band and Rico Blanco took over as frontman (by then, Perf De Castro had already long dropped out and formed a flopped band called Triaxis; I vaguely remember it for cheesy, jologish, mid-'90s rock ballads in Filipino).
With Rico Blanco at the helm, the band seemed to have developed a more distinct personality and maybe a bit more sex appeal. Some people would have argued that Bamboo's departure made the band tank, but the way I see it, it just made them a bit less mainstream - which isn't exactly bad if you think about it. I.m.h.o., the Rico Blanco songs were more brilliant than the Bamboo ones. Bamboo may have been the more spirited performer, but Rico was the artist. Besides, it's more fun to watch a sexier, more attractive frontman. Bamboo just couldn't rock the shirtless look.
Meanwhile, Bamboo formed his own band named after himself, which I think was equally if not more successful.
I think Mike Elgar became the new lead guitarist around the time that Rico Blanco moved up front. Like i said, I never was a fan of the band and I don't follow them, so I didn't really notice. I just spotted him on television one day - Uy, si Mike Elgar yung bagong gitarista?! It was easy to recognize him because like I said, he still looks pretty much the same as he did in high school.
I remember catching the closing act for MTV Pilipinas on the telly (I don't quite remember what year; it was the one in which Pepe Smith was souped up as usual and was "improvising" onstage) - a few of the country's top rock icons came together for a smashing performance. Mike Elgar performed a guitar duet side-by-side with Francis Reyes of The Dawn. The Francis Reyes. I was just amused at seeing an 80's guitar titan with a "younger" star. Reyes was the inspiration and aspiration of guitarists of our generation from when we were kids; I'm quite sure Elgar used to dream about meeting him, and now happened to play on the same platform as him. Kinda reminds me of that Mark Wahlberg rockstar movie whatzitcalled - of how a former fan could play in the band he admired in his youth. Elgy is now an icon of sorts himself, prolly the new Francis Reyes of this generation.
Also amusing is how Rivermaya seemed to have done the reverse of what most bands from the '90s did. While most crossed over from the alternative scene and sold out into the mainstream, Rivermaya went from mainstream into a sort of alternative. Not entirely of course - they're clearly still holding up a certain sellable quality. And speaking of sellable, I also notice they're now more of a "pogi band" - stylish duds and tons of hair product, far from the unkempt look and slouchy clothes the original group donned in the mid-'90s.
back when parokya was young
Another entry in Taglish.
Kung tama ang pagkakaalala ko, March 1994 noon; patapos na ang schoolyear. Ang graduating batch ng Ateneo de Manila High School ay nagra-wrap up na ng kanilang apat na taon sa high school -- ilang linggo ng grad practice, clearance at iba't ibang non-academic activities na pampalubag-loob. Isang hapon, nagtipon-tipon ang mga studyante sa High School Covered Courts* para sa isang event. Sa kalagitnaan ng programa, may pumanik sa stage na banda: ilang mga magkakalase mula sa graduating batch.
*Oo, may S talaga yun.
Sinimulan nilang tugtugin ang Creep* ng Radiohead. Nakilala ng mga mag-aaral ang tugtog, at nag-cheer sila. Pero nang kumakanta na ang vocalist, iba yata ang lyrics - ha, tagalog? Kumanta siya tungkol sa craving niya para sa siopao na special. Ang kanta nilang ito ay hindi Creep, kundi Trip ang pamagat.
* Ang Creep ay isang kantang noise-rock na sikat na sikat na sikat na sikat to the point of rocker anthem noong mga araw na 'yon
Trip nga talaga - laugh trip. Ang galing ng wording, at saka ang kulit - in a really good way.
Nagpakilala nga pala ang banda: "Kami ang ... Parokya Ni Edgar!"
Hindi pa actually Parokya Ni Edgar ang pangalan nila at that time, kundi Comic Relief - kasi nga, pang-comic relief ang mga novelty rock songs nila. Ang phrase na "Parokya Ni Edgar" ay isang inside joke ng section nila. Isa itong impromptu smart-aleck answer ng classmate nila noong tinatalakay sa Filipino class ang El Filibusterismo ni Jose Rizal.
"Saan (blah blah blah) si Crisostomo Ibarra?," tanong ni Teacher.
Ang sagot ng nagulantang na estudyante, "Sa ... parokya ni Edgar!"* **
* Ang ibig sabihin ng parokya ay "parish" o "parish church". Kung sino si Edgar, hindi ko alam.
** Ang estudyanteng iyon ay ang kaklase nilang nagngangalang Bambi Cuna (info provided by Chito).
Obviously, benta. So nung ini-introduce nila ang mga sarili sa programang 'yon sa Ateneo High, bigla na lang nasabi ang phrase / inside joke na ang mga ka-section lang nila ang makaka-get. At mula noon, dumikit na ang bago nilang pangalan.
"Our next song is a song by a blonde nun,"* sabi nila . At saka tinugtog nila ang What's Up ng 4 Non-Blondes.
* Siyempre mga ingglisero pa, Atenista pa sila nun eh.
Tinugtog din nila ang Nanakaw Ang Wallet Ko, na version nila ng Knocking On Heaven's Door ng Guns n' Roses / Bob Dylan. Patok na patok sila sa mga ka-eskwela nila dahil sa kakwelahan.
Pagkagraduate, bumenta din sila sa ibang tao. Ang iba sa kanila nag-college sa Ateneo, ang iba nag-UP*, at tinuloy ng ilan ang pagba-banda. Eventually nawala sa Parokya ang dalawang original members nito from Ateneo high, pero nag-merge naman sila sa mga dating member ng bandang Looney Tunes. Na-form ang Parokya na kilala natin ngayon:
Chito Miranda on lead vocals
Darius Semana on lead guitar
Gab Chee Kee on rhythm
Buwi Meneses on bass
Dindin Moreno on drums
Vinci Montaner ... ano nga ba siya?
* UP: University of the Philippines. Naging kaklase ko si Chito sa College of Fine Arts. Si Vinci naging kaklase ko sa GE 'nung freshman (sa isang subject kung saan marami kaming binagsak ng walanhiyang prof); naalala ko lang sa kanya ay pogi siya noon at napapag-initan ng prof na mukhang manyak. Madalas kong nakikita ang Parokya boys sa CFA, lalo na kung may tugtog sila sa UP, which is madalas mangyari. Minsang naka-tambay ko sila sa tindahan ni Manang Babes.
Kahit wala pa silang album noon, sikat na sikat sila sa mga nagpapaka-rocker na suki ng Club Dredd* at Mayrics**. Alam ng mga fans ang mga kanta tulad ng Cooking ng Ina Mo, Chikinini (spoof ng Banal na Aso / Santong Kabayo ng Yano) at Pangarap Ko sa Buhay.
* Oo nga pala - nasa Km 19 Edsa pa ang Dredd noon. At ni wala pang Eastwood.
** Sazi's na ngayon ang Mayrics.
1995, sumikat ang kanta nilang Buloy - una sa NU 107 at humawa na sa ibang mga station - at noon sila nakilala sa radyo ng mga taong hindi alam kung ano ang Km 19. Ang Buloy ay tungkol sa totoong tao na na-kainuman nila sa Gulod*. Hindi yata nila alam ang totoong pangalan niya, basta ang tawag lang nila sa kaniya ay "Buloy". Hindi daw talaga siya nag-suicide nung una, pero pinatay nila siya dun sa kanta. Later on naging totohanan na ang suicide niya.
* Gulod : tambayan / inuman place sa loob ng UP Diliman Campus; nawala na ito nung 1999
Iilan lang sila na novelty rock acts* - marami kasi noon ang grunge / post-grunge, alternative at metal - kaya medyo naiiba sila sa karaniwang style noon. Pero ang pinakaka kakaiba sa Parokya ay ang husay nilang mag-entertain gamit ang kakulitan (at minsan, kabastusan). Ang maganda pa sa kanila, hindi sila nagpapa-cute tulad ng ibang mga banda na may pa image-image pa. Medyo jologs ang dating nila kung minsan, pero hindi baduy kasi intelihente yung humor nila, hindi slapstick. Nakakatawa kapag nagtanggal ng T-shirt si Chito - patpatin pa ang katawan niya noon, yun nga ang nakakatawa eh. Kung minsan may pekeng tattoo pa na naka-pentel pen lang (wala pa silang mga tunay na tatoo noon).
* Novelty Rock : Rock ang music, pero kakulitan ang lyrics. Ang iba pang novelty rock acts noon ay Grin Department, Tungaw at Ciudad. Pero angat talaga ang Paroyka. Wala pang Kamikazee noon.
Kaya nga nanalo sila sa NU Rock Awards ng Best Live Act noong 1996.
Sila din ang Best New Artist nung taong yon. Official na "recording artist" na sila dahil lumabas na ang unang album nila na Khangkhungkhernitz. Nandun siyempre sa album na 'yon ang mga kantang nabanggit, pwera ang Chikinini, dahil hindi pumayag ang Yano. *
* Medyo mayabang pa ang Yano noon kasi sikat pa sila na pinoy alternative band. Nung 2003, binigyan na rin ng permiso ang Parokya i-record ang Chikinini at isama sa album na Bigotilyo. Nalaos na kasi ang Yano, at sikat na sikat ang Parokya. Mas big-time pa ang Parokya kesa sa kung ano man ang inabot ng Yano.
Lagpas isang dekada nang sikat ang Parokya - nagkaroon na sila ng sampung album, at parang parami pa rin nang parami ang fans nila - at hindi pa sila naluluma. Maganda kasi sa kanila, bukod sa magaling sila tumugtog at magsulat ng lyrics, hindi sila natatali sa genre, at hindi sila takot mag-experiment. Kaya nga nagugustuhan sila ng maraming tao - whether bata o matanda, jologs or soyalin, simpleng tao o inggliserong Atenista level. Patunay dito ang lagpas 10 na panalo at lagpas 20 na nomination mula sa NU Rock Awards, MTV, Awit Awards, MYX at iba pa.
Kung tama ang pagkakaalala ko, March 1994 noon; patapos na ang schoolyear. Ang graduating batch ng Ateneo de Manila High School ay nagra-wrap up na ng kanilang apat na taon sa high school -- ilang linggo ng grad practice, clearance at iba't ibang non-academic activities na pampalubag-loob. Isang hapon, nagtipon-tipon ang mga studyante sa High School Covered Courts* para sa isang event. Sa kalagitnaan ng programa, may pumanik sa stage na banda: ilang mga magkakalase mula sa graduating batch.
*Oo, may S talaga yun.
Sinimulan nilang tugtugin ang Creep* ng Radiohead. Nakilala ng mga mag-aaral ang tugtog, at nag-cheer sila. Pero nang kumakanta na ang vocalist, iba yata ang lyrics - ha, tagalog? Kumanta siya tungkol sa craving niya para sa siopao na special. Ang kanta nilang ito ay hindi Creep, kundi Trip ang pamagat.
* Ang Creep ay isang kantang noise-rock na sikat na sikat na sikat na sikat to the point of rocker anthem noong mga araw na 'yon
Trip nga talaga - laugh trip. Ang galing ng wording, at saka ang kulit - in a really good way.
Nagpakilala nga pala ang banda: "Kami ang ... Parokya Ni Edgar!"
Hindi pa actually Parokya Ni Edgar ang pangalan nila at that time, kundi Comic Relief - kasi nga, pang-comic relief ang mga novelty rock songs nila. Ang phrase na "Parokya Ni Edgar" ay isang inside joke ng section nila. Isa itong impromptu smart-aleck answer ng classmate nila noong tinatalakay sa Filipino class ang El Filibusterismo ni Jose Rizal.
"Saan (blah blah blah) si Crisostomo Ibarra?," tanong ni Teacher.
Ang sagot ng nagulantang na estudyante, "Sa ... parokya ni Edgar!"* **
* Ang ibig sabihin ng parokya ay "parish" o "parish church". Kung sino si Edgar, hindi ko alam.
** Ang estudyanteng iyon ay ang kaklase nilang nagngangalang Bambi Cuna (info provided by Chito).
Obviously, benta. So nung ini-introduce nila ang mga sarili sa programang 'yon sa Ateneo High, bigla na lang nasabi ang phrase / inside joke na ang mga ka-section lang nila ang makaka-get. At mula noon, dumikit na ang bago nilang pangalan.
"Our next song is a song by a blonde nun,"* sabi nila . At saka tinugtog nila ang What's Up ng 4 Non-Blondes.
* Siyempre mga ingglisero pa, Atenista pa sila nun eh.
Tinugtog din nila ang Nanakaw Ang Wallet Ko, na version nila ng Knocking On Heaven's Door ng Guns n' Roses / Bob Dylan. Patok na patok sila sa mga ka-eskwela nila dahil sa kakwelahan.
Pagkagraduate, bumenta din sila sa ibang tao. Ang iba sa kanila nag-college sa Ateneo, ang iba nag-UP*, at tinuloy ng ilan ang pagba-banda. Eventually nawala sa Parokya ang dalawang original members nito from Ateneo high, pero nag-merge naman sila sa mga dating member ng bandang Looney Tunes. Na-form ang Parokya na kilala natin ngayon:
Chito Miranda on lead vocals
Darius Semana on lead guitar
Gab Chee Kee on rhythm
Buwi Meneses on bass
Dindin Moreno on drums
Vinci Montaner ... ano nga ba siya?
* UP: University of the Philippines. Naging kaklase ko si Chito sa College of Fine Arts. Si Vinci naging kaklase ko sa GE 'nung freshman (sa isang subject kung saan marami kaming binagsak ng walanhiyang prof); naalala ko lang sa kanya ay pogi siya noon at napapag-initan ng prof na mukhang manyak. Madalas kong nakikita ang Parokya boys sa CFA, lalo na kung may tugtog sila sa UP, which is madalas mangyari. Minsang naka-tambay ko sila sa tindahan ni Manang Babes.
Kahit wala pa silang album noon, sikat na sikat sila sa mga nagpapaka-rocker na suki ng Club Dredd* at Mayrics**. Alam ng mga fans ang mga kanta tulad ng Cooking ng Ina Mo, Chikinini (spoof ng Banal na Aso / Santong Kabayo ng Yano) at Pangarap Ko sa Buhay.
* Oo nga pala - nasa Km 19 Edsa pa ang Dredd noon. At ni wala pang Eastwood.
** Sazi's na ngayon ang Mayrics.
1995, sumikat ang kanta nilang Buloy - una sa NU 107 at humawa na sa ibang mga station - at noon sila nakilala sa radyo ng mga taong hindi alam kung ano ang Km 19. Ang Buloy ay tungkol sa totoong tao na na-kainuman nila sa Gulod*. Hindi yata nila alam ang totoong pangalan niya, basta ang tawag lang nila sa kaniya ay "Buloy". Hindi daw talaga siya nag-suicide nung una, pero pinatay nila siya dun sa kanta. Later on naging totohanan na ang suicide niya.* Gulod : tambayan / inuman place sa loob ng UP Diliman Campus; nawala na ito nung 1999
Iilan lang sila na novelty rock acts* - marami kasi noon ang grunge / post-grunge, alternative at metal - kaya medyo naiiba sila sa karaniwang style noon. Pero ang pinakaka kakaiba sa Parokya ay ang husay nilang mag-entertain gamit ang kakulitan (at minsan, kabastusan). Ang maganda pa sa kanila, hindi sila nagpapa-cute tulad ng ibang mga banda na may pa image-image pa. Medyo jologs ang dating nila kung minsan, pero hindi baduy kasi intelihente yung humor nila, hindi slapstick. Nakakatawa kapag nagtanggal ng T-shirt si Chito - patpatin pa ang katawan niya noon, yun nga ang nakakatawa eh. Kung minsan may pekeng tattoo pa na naka-pentel pen lang (wala pa silang mga tunay na tatoo noon).
* Novelty Rock : Rock ang music, pero kakulitan ang lyrics. Ang iba pang novelty rock acts noon ay Grin Department, Tungaw at Ciudad. Pero angat talaga ang Paroyka. Wala pang Kamikazee noon.
Kaya nga nanalo sila sa NU Rock Awards ng Best Live Act noong 1996.
Sila din ang Best New Artist nung taong yon. Official na "recording artist" na sila dahil lumabas na ang unang album nila na Khangkhungkhernitz. Nandun siyempre sa album na 'yon ang mga kantang nabanggit, pwera ang Chikinini, dahil hindi pumayag ang Yano. *
* Medyo mayabang pa ang Yano noon kasi sikat pa sila na pinoy alternative band. Nung 2003, binigyan na rin ng permiso ang Parokya i-record ang Chikinini at isama sa album na Bigotilyo. Nalaos na kasi ang Yano, at sikat na sikat ang Parokya. Mas big-time pa ang Parokya kesa sa kung ano man ang inabot ng Yano.
Lagpas isang dekada nang sikat ang Parokya - nagkaroon na sila ng sampung album, at parang parami pa rin nang parami ang fans nila - at hindi pa sila naluluma. Maganda kasi sa kanila, bukod sa magaling sila tumugtog at magsulat ng lyrics, hindi sila natatali sa genre, at hindi sila takot mag-experiment. Kaya nga nagugustuhan sila ng maraming tao - whether bata o matanda, jologs or soyalin, simpleng tao o inggliserong Atenista level. Patunay dito ang lagpas 10 na panalo at lagpas 20 na nomination mula sa NU Rock Awards, MTV, Awit Awards, MYX at iba pa.
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