Saturday, May 28, 2011

Soon to be Celebrities?

This happened few months ago. After getting extremely full at Cookies and Crumbs, we ended up with a photoshoot at the New Government Center. The original plan was just to make our load a little lighter so we decided to take little steps off to NGC. At night, the place seemed busier than at daytime. Many played frisbee so we cautiosly looked around making sure our way was clear and safe. There were night joggers. Kids ran after one another in utter gladness. The place is a picture of people who are happy, carefree, and relaxed. Madam Razelle brought her Nikon SLR so we choreographed ourselves as if we were celebrities who just finished shooting a movie and we have now come to a point where we need a poster for publicity. Hahaha. We tried to make our movie posters diverse. One I think is a romantic comedy movie. One is a heavy drama. The other one could fall under fantasy or comedy. Hahaha. Is it a successful attempt or we better head our way back to the brewery? lol...





Friday, May 27, 2011

Riverside TMC Meeting of the Minds

Presenting to you the movers of my beloved Riverside Toastmasters Club in Bacolod City. This was during the execom meeting last May 26, 2011 at Herom's Place called to nominate the club officers for Toastmaster Year 2011-2012. From l-r. TM Lorna Espartero is the only toastmaster in Division D so far to become President, Area Governor, and Divison Governor. year after year. It was aptly described as meteoric. Next to her is TM Glory Hernia. She is the incumbent Area 33 Governor. She owns Herom's Place. She is Outstanding Area Governor for three consective quarters of District 75.  Then Mario Pao. He is the first Divsion D Governor. An accomplished CPA-Lawyer. Toto Frias is a past president of the club in 1990. Until now he takes care of the club. His love for Riverside is undoubtedly pure and sincere. And yours truly, the incumbent president. During my term I made the club, President's Distinguished Club, the highest recogniton a club can achieve. Then Jess Quiatchon, a 2-time past president of the club. He is the incoming Area 33 governor.

National Games 2011

Rachelle Ann Daquis - UAAP 71 Best Player.



The NCR Team

The National Games 2011 is in preparation for the 26th (SEA) Southeast Asian Games to be held in Jakarta, Indonesia. Bacolod City, Talisay City, Silay City, and Bago City of Negros Occidental are the venues of the different events.

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Before Friendster Exits the WWW

Remember testimonials? I thought of posting them here (in toto - a disclaimer? lol).

Marijo Cypril2006-05-09T16:41:49Z
It's your birthday today! Happy, happy birthday! I promised I'd add a testimonial once I discover something new about him. Here goes....he is a person who has a song for every line that you say....he is a very good volleyball player, grabeh maluoy lang ka sa iya kadula, .... he likes nature trekking.... he is one person who is very open to learning new things, he humbly acknowledges it if there is anything that he doesn't know, he loves his little brothers, he likes the songs: Knees to the Earth (Wonderful Saviour) and Above All, undeniably, a gifted and talented child of God. What's more, he is not only gifted but he uses his giftedness to be a gift to others. You are a blessing! Press on! God loves you, no doubt about that. Happy birthday again!Thank God and enjoy life!

Marijo Cypril2006-04-05T17:20:20Z
Hi Jay! At last makawrite nako testimonial for you. Jay--according to the order of my discoveries about him.hehehe ehem....physically attractive, in short, gwapo, nindot ug smile, he is a college instructor, he can dance although iya ideny but i already sam him dance pandanggo,hehehe, he opens up easily, like mushare dayon cya unsa nahitabo sa iya day ug sa iya ideas, so fun to be with, i was never bored when i was with him, maayo mudala conversations, very intelligent--chemist gud, he is good in english, grabeH, he writes well bisan la pa ko kabasa iya nawrite kbalo ko, he sings well but i need to hear it jud na nakamicrophone,most important--he is a good person, he has a strong relationship with the Lord, firm but gentle and dali ra pakataw-on hehehe, naa pud diay cya good sense of humor. Till here lang sa, once i get to know him more, ako lang iupdate. God bless you always. Padayon ta with the Lord ha!No retreat, no surrender. walang iwanan! take care!

Naomi2005-11-22T01:03:52Z
SI jay cris, ang dakilang chemist, ako cya amigo sa SU. Si jay cris, maayo kaau mo-tuon, pero dili cya katong type na walay pleasure..maglantaw pud na ug cine, mag-laag na bisag cya ra usa. asa man ka ana. bisag lisod kaau iya course, bahala na, basta malingaw pud cya.Jay, hope to c u soon, and if magkita ta, libre ha...hehe basin ug magkta ta, minyo na ka.haha joke lang po.=)(wala pa man mi ani ga-away, if mag-away ambot lang kaha!)GODSPEED MY FRIEND!

r_o^ s_e**2005-11-01T10:23:55Z
haLo jay! miz u na gud..well hir s my testi na..lu-od pd dayon ni...5 things why i love him..hehehe!1. he loves God 2. he loves his families 3. he loves his friends 4. he makes every person happy 5. he let me see d world w/ hope..char! in addition: he loves singing ... he drinks ( u taught me jay on dat ) he s our salutatorian. he s alredi a chemist! gosh! presently teaching na ni xa sa cebu d nicest thing bout him s dat wala jd dull moments everytym im w/ him kapamilya namo..  hey! as wat rea said "Napundo nako sa amu"...asa naman mo duwa oi...miz u guys na jud! hope 2 c u soon... laag na pud nya ta cebu f naa nata wawart..( kaw sa taya jay kay naa nka worK) seriously, thanks 4 everything...as in jud! esp dos tyms i was so down...u reli listened to ol my sentiments...  i hope 2 c u soon & jamming na pd ta.. u take care always...love yaH!!!!

Jack2004-10-05T09:26:03Z
c jay cris... i met him thru a friend and i can say that he's kinda nice nmn.  maganda dw boses nya sbi ni jonafe kya lng plging umiiwas kpg inaaya nming kumanta! hehehe! joke lng cris.. anyways, i understand nmn kc i know  bc cia sa studies nya especially nw finals week. Jay, bsta i will stil wait for you sa haws ok? Hihintayin k nmin ni jona! Ingat ka lagi and stay sweet! c yah! ciao!

Shirley2004-09-01T12:31:36Z
ohhhhh si Jay????very fun to be with..as in grabe pud iya energy,,,kusog kau iya voice...and speaking of voice naa ni siyay gitaguan which is his golden voice....basin daw makawat...and you know guys grabe iya confident, and hes gwapo daw, people said..tuo ba ka Jay?????Siguro coz he's tall,smart, intelligent, friendly,confident and has a very good sense of humor....basta ask na lang he's other friends about how he looks.For me he's cute(ehmmmmmmmm......)

Honey Lou2004-06-22T03:12:54Z
Hi Jay!!! Grabe, jay is such a wonderful person "kuno." He is always full of energy. You know when he comes because you can hear his voice from A/S to the Science complex. (heheheh) Peace kid!!!!!!!! Jay is very talented and very  intelligent. Master in all Chemistry subjects and not only that, he is also master in physics, mathematics and his favorite..... singing!!!! He has a < golden voice "kuno" and I know he has a  future in singing. But his field is in Chemistry... and I  can already see him in big factories  making his new discovery of anything and everything!!!!!!!

-mawmaw-2004-06-21T11:11:24Z
mmmmmm....c jai? ay if u only know him.he wud sing all the time ay hehehe not all the time pro pagmagkuyog mi wla jud oras na d na sya mo kanta..ana cya mas tsada sya og voice nko??  hhmmmmmm... pro dli jud ko reklamo kung muana sya mas bright sya nko..hehehe..btaw its true..especially sa chem laliman ka, TRES above ang grado nya mam pol ang titser..whew!!  not only in chem but also in almost all subjects..hes not only intelligent diay gwapo sad na sya..ay tanawa d ba taas kau og nose..pag makit.an gani mi  maglakw kmi duha kuyog ana dayon ng  makakita.."imo uyab to gwapo na taas og ilong?" ana pud ko "waaaaaattttt? helo?  c jai?" hehehehe...btaw jai..tanx for being a good friend..a

Leonora2004-04-19T09:23:00Z
He is such a good buddy!!!!!!!!!!!!! Full of joke, joke, jokes....plus the  great bonus, grabeeee he sings so well, especially the song "KAILAN KAYA..." but unfortunately he's trying to memorize the complete lyrics yet, he!he! he!. At first you may find him so high,  na as if di cya mareach....but actually  he's an approachable one. He's a person with sense, he could be your  teacher...your brother and your true friend. Friend na as in can be your  undying textmate too. He will really  send you messages that would touch your life and will make you smile all day long...Nakakainspire cyang tao, he's fun of experiencing something new and  he almost questions everything. Great learner d ba??? Well...talking about his physical features, d naman nakakalau sa inangkin nyang pic.Tall,smart and handsome  talaga!!!honestly speaking yan ha. I  think talaga many girls will be running after him. hoping lang na he will not  run from them,ha!ha!ha!

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

THE BEAUTIFUL COSTA AGUADA


Costa Aguada is in Inampulugan Island, Guimaras. According to our lady guide, it is called as such because it is the largest among the islets in the area, thus Inampulugan or "ina ng mga pulo". From Bacolod City we travelled to Pulupandan to sail on board a relatively large pump boat. The trip took around 45 minutes. The waves were a little obedient and I thank God for it. We just left the shoreline in this picture.
Cruising the pristine blue waters, we passed by an island with a crocodile shape, thus it got its name, Crocodile Island.

This is already Inampulugan Island.

This is Costa Aguada's frontal view. We have just docked in their private small port with a narrow bridge made of bamboo. It felt good walking on it as you wander your eyes around this newfound paradise.


Here we stand in the sands of Costa Aguada. From l-r: the author, Lee Baguio, Bambi Asia, and Jorana. After that pose, we were greeted warmly by their staff with necklace made of bamboo leaves while others were singing with the traditional guitar as accompaniment. Very very hospitable staff.






Costa Aguada has rotations in power supply. That means, you have to monitor the battery life of your gadgets. Signal is very very limited. Sometimes none at all. Definitely no wifi signal.  






The Turtle Park. The umbrella is not a prop. It really rained. Pag-asa declared there was storm signal # 1. Thus the Pawikans did not show up. Not even with hand claps. Not even with a bamboo pole.


The whole cast. From l-r: the author, Jorana, little Bambi, Lee Baguio, Bambi, Joeben

Sunday, May 15, 2011

"It's so Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday"




From l-r; Jay Famoso, Lee Baguio, Bambi Asia, Bobby Eusebio



Lee Baguio. Lee is a girl. Let me make it clear first because most of the time the name Lee goes with men. She wore an immaculate white top in the picture. She smiled. All of us did. But I think that is mainly because cameras have that commanding power to make their subjects, at least when they are prepared, pose with a contagious smile. When I see people taking pictures of themselves, I also smile. The pictures above were taken at Bacolod-Silay Airport. That was yesterday, May 15. All her bags were packed and she was ready to fly to her new destination, FOR GOOD, in Manila. And I realized that the airport could be the happiest or saddest place on Earth. Happiest when it makes a connection between individuals being separated by a certain distance. Saddest when it becomes an avenue for departures, such as yesterday, where people for whatever reason, when their time is up, would prove that life is a constant change.

I cannot exactly remember the time and place that we were introduced. I just knew that the Plant has a new Plant Logistics Head in the person of Lee Baguio. Fast forward we became friends and since we are both single, people in the Plant turned their heads, rolled their eyeballs, raised their eyebrows, when they spot us together - First Friday Mass, Beerparks, etc. At some point, we were the talk of the town. Hehehe.

We clicked because we have one thing in common. We are videoki addicts. She certainly has the right. Oops, did I see a face in diagreement? Fact # 1, Lee is from Bohol. Fact # 2, she is a former member of the world-renowned Loboc Children's Choir. Convinced? Wait. Although according to her, her fascination for singing did not get enough support from her mother. Again, because according to her, her sister sings better, so she just plays the piano instead, while Sister Charito belts out. This one, I still have to find out. This is what she would like me to believe.

I made use of her musicality in my dogged effort to sing in public. To say the least I have her vote of confidence. When I joined my second SMB idol, she persistently coached me. And that ranged from the selection of my contest piece where it took us quite sometime to having nightly practice in her beautiful house at Bethany Court, to sponsoring my dinner with deep-fried Spam, Pork and Beans, Iced tea, bananas, and red wine. To think, her department was also sending a contestant in that same contest. Friendship indeed knows no departmental biases and affiliations. Moreover, when I sang for the first time in a wedding, she was again my coach, and she even went to the church to make hand gestures making sure I am in synch with the music.

Both of us relish the combo of Red horse beer and live acoustic music. So that makes us frequent MO2. Her favorite band is the Lightgauge band and how she adores their guitarist. And how she dislikes the band after them. Hehehe. There was even a time when the female lead vocalist remarked to her, "Your face is familiar!" And she became famous that night. Her favorite songs? I can name three. These three songs will never be missed in her many performances. First - "Get Here". This one caught my attention when she sang this during a Friday Beerpark session. Second - "Almost Over You". I had my jaw dropped when she sang this at Siberia. What to blame? Redhorse beer. Five bottles of Redhorse make her Sheena Easton. Third - "Bukas na lang kita mamahalin". With seven bottles, Sheena Easton transforms to Lani Misalucha. Bottomline, Redhorse is her fuel to belting.

I am so thankful I have found a true friend in you. Thank you LRB. "It's so hard to say goodbye to yesterday". The hundred drinking sessions that we had when life throws us lemons when we want apples; the melodramatic movies we have watched together where you drowned youself in tears; the early morning jog at the new government center even though one morning I did not show up; your extremely loud screams during badminton games at Eastside; the joyride to Silay even though your still polishing your driving; the videoki sessions where we are happiest at Siberia and MO2, singing like its our last; the unplanned out-of-town escapades; the acapella singing, sometimes flat, in your house at Bethany with red wine that woke up your neighbor. When I remember them, it makes a little twist in my heart, knowing that, although it may happen again, the chances are very slim. Thank you. I am so happy that I shared them with you. I am happy that life led us to a common path in Bacolod. Thank you.

Meeting the Toastmasters' International Pres-Elect, DTM Michael Notaro in Bacolod City

From l-r: CC Jay Famoso - Pres. of Riverside TMC; ACB Glory Hernia - Area 33 Governor; ACS Mhel Sillador - Div D Governor; DTM Michael Notaro; DTM Wilson Lee - District 75 Governor; ACB Jam Grandea - Past Area 33 Governor

A day before the 2011 District Convention, International President-Elect DTM Michael Notaro visited Bacolod. He wanted to visit Division D (Western Visayas) which ranked number 1 in District 75 which by the way is already President's Distinguished Division.

The joint Division meeting was held at Phil-Hawaiian Company, the home of Kauwagan Toastmasters Club led by their President, TM Ivy Marquez.

The toastmaster of the day was TM Joan Cristales. By the way TM Joan is a male species from the host club. TM Leandro of FFTMC was the jokemaster because he is a 2-time national champion in Humorous Speech Category. This is something I would like to try someday. The wordmaster was TM Celsa Perez from Barangay TMC. She is the incoming President of the second oldest club in the Philippines which turned 50 this year. Facilitating the table topics session was TM Emily Go-Villanueva of FFTMC. The general evaluator was DTM Greg Vallejera and the over-all incharge of the program was DTM Ro Leonora.

There were two prepared speakers. The first speaker was CC Juliana Carbon of Sparkle TMC and she was evaluated by DTM Michael Notaro. The second prepared speaker was CC Jane Patrimonio of Kauswagan TMC and I was her evaluator. Realization. It is very difficult to speak after an International President.

Friday, May 13, 2011

Bring In the Microphone

“Ladies and gentlemen, LIVE at the Araneta Coliseum, let us welcome Jay Famoso”.

That is my greatest dream!

If you are a friend, you will know that choosing between dinner at Chalet and karaoke at Café Breizh is not a problem at all. If I am sick and you invite me to go out, my answer is “No, I have fever”. But if you invite me for karaoke, I will be there in five minutes or even less.

My ultimate dream is to see myself in a poster that says, Jay Live in Araneta, or Jay meets the Maestro Ryan Cayabyab, or Jay Sings Canseco! Alright, you can call me a dreamer but isn’t it that dreams begin with a dreamer? I dream that one day, I will face the big crowd, around 20,000 people and I will tell them, “Good evening Araneta”. That one day, I will stand beside the grand piano of Mr. Ryan Cayabyab, singing, “You are the song playing so softly in my heart.” Fellow toastmasters call me a hopeless case, but no matter what, music and I are inseparable.

My fascination for music started when I was 5. Although it bothered me, why my parents did not show some attention when I sing! To give you a better picture of how it was, when I sing on one side, they will just pass by on me and continue doing their own business! In simple terms, we were in our own different worlds! One of these days, I might as well deliver this speech in front of them. What would be their reaction?  I wonder!

 Two years ago, when Gov Cherrie made me choose between competing in table topics or singing contest, without hesitation, I said, I will sing! This was in the Midyear Convention in Antipolo City where there were seven of us, bold and shameless, and out of the seven I placed seventh. But wait, its not yet over! I said, life must go on! For as long as I will pay my toastmaster dues, I can always attend the next midyear convention and probably sing! Thanks to Gov Mhel. It happened again. This time, it was at Cagayan de Oro! Thanks to the judges, my ranking improved! From being the last, I now placed fourth among 10 contestants! I said what an achievement! Who knows, in the next convention, I will be the champion! You’ll never know! So, to the next Division D Governor, please make me sing in the next midyear convention!

I know three persons who nailed the inspiration to me. Woody Allen flunked motion picture production and English at New York University. Now, he is an Academy Award-winning writer, producer, and director. Thomas Edison. He failed more than 2000 times before he perfected the light bulb. General Douglas Macarthur. He was turned down twice when he applied at West Point. On the third attempt he was accepted and now part of our history!

To date I have joined, 4 singing contests! To date, I have no trophies for singing!  But quitting should never be one of my options because the quitter never wins and the winner never quits. According to Calvin Coolidge, nothing in this world can take persistence its place. Genius will not. Unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Talent will not. A lot of unsuccessful men have talent. Education will not. Our world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence alone is omnipotent. If you fail, learn from it, and do it again. If you fail again, learn from the first and second failures, and do it again. If you fail the third time, learn from the first, second, and third failures, and do it again. You are not a fool doing things over again if you do not repeat the same mistakes. 

I may have failed in four singing contests but that’s very far from the 2000 failures of Thomas Edison! So why quit? If I do the math I still have 1996 singing contests to loose in order to be at par with the greatest inventor of all time!

As the song goes, “I’ll be there someday, I will go the distance. I will find my way, if I can be strong. I know every mile, will be worth my while. When I go the distance I’ll be right where I belong!”

This is my stage where my dream will soon come true. And this will be the same stage where you have witnessed how a dream can be so powerful. For Sir Winston Churchill said, “Never give in. Never, never, never, give in.”