Notes on BIFF 2009 (Part Dos)

I spent the afternoon and evening inside the cinema today. I watched three films, two of them are from the Philippines.

OK, let's get this out of the way... the third film is from Pedro Almodovar. Broken Embraces is a typical Almodovar film, which I think is definitely a good thing. Penelope Cruz is, as always, magnificent. Reviews of the film are available in Rotten Tomatoes.

So let's now go to the Pinoy films I saw in this festival.

There were about twenty people inside the cinema at the start of Imburnal (Sewer). By the time it ended I counted only ten audience members. The movie has no clear story line nor plot. Rather, it takes what I call snapshots of the life of the people in the slums.

Sherad Anthony Sanchez's 3.5-hour film was shot in some slum in Davao City and the dialogue is in Bisaya, the first film I've seen in that language. Nice!

(Note: I talked to Sherad after the screening. He's also from Davao.)

Things I liked about the movie... The language is rich and effectively captures the nuances of how real people speak. It helps that the actors were amateurs and actually live in the same slum where the movie was shot, hence there's a rawness to the dialogues. Sanchez also has gift in composing images that give viewers a better sense of the place: squalor, stench, filth, and all. The setting is definitely the main character of the movie.

Things I did not like about the movie... It was overwrought, indulgent, and way too experimental to be palatable to most people. I had the impression that the scenes were extended to test the viewers' patience.

The movie's also replete with what seems like tricks that only serve as distractions. For instance, there's a ten minute sequence in which the screen is completely blank and all the viewers get is the musical score. For ten bloody minutes.

Many of the scenes also do not make sense, although as I said, there's a certain poetry and dreamy quality to them. I really wish though the director had better control of his material so he could have given a much tighter movie.

Having said that, I still like the film for its inventiveness in telling an otherwise typical story (Dios Mio, how many Filipino slum movies do we need ba, aber?).

Speaking of slum movies, there definitely was a lot of that in Manila, the work of emerging Filipino film-makers Adolfo Alix Jr and Raya Martin. Each director was responsible for a 45-minute short that composed the movie. Supposedly they were paying tribute to two great Filipino movie classics: Ishmael Bernal's Manila By Night and Lino Brocka's Jaguar.

Among the Filipino films I saw in this year's festival, I had the least affection for Manila. I don't know, it is not just that engaging enough despite Piolo Pascual. Hahaha. I honestly do not have much to say about the film. It's rather forgettable.

So let's move on.

Today I also saw Raya Martin's Independencia, a tale of a family hiding in a thick jungle during America's occupation of the Philippines.

(Note: A member of the audience was COMPLETELY incredulous that the Philippines was an American colony for forty-nine years.)

The film is unique in magically creating its setting and mood. It's like watching a theater performance. The backdrop is painted and the lighting is controlled. The cinematography is definitely top notch. I think I read somewhere that nearly the entire film was shot in the studio. Save for the movie's last scene, it was shot entirely in black and white to evoke an aged texture.

Also, the characters speak "old Tagalog" (for lack of a better term), hence giving the movie a theater feel to it, as mentioned.

Except for the technical merits of the movie, I honestly feel that the movie is not gripping enough, with the mediocre acting of Sid Lucero and Asunta de Rossi not helping at all.

What was most gripping for me was Kinatay (Butchered), the film that won Brilliante Mendoza the best director nod in this year's Cannes Film Festival, definitely not a simple feat. I love, love this film and after watching Tirador (Slingshot) and Serbis (Service), I'm totally a Mendoza fan already.

(Note: I bumped into him in Paragon yesterday and we had a 20-second chit chat. Yun lang.)

Apparently the film divided the critics in Cannes; one of them even said it is unwatchable (see Rotten Tomatoes reviews here).

It also repulsed a good number of viewers as the movie deals with a police operation that involves body parts and sharp objects. (How difficult was that to write!). It definitely made me queasy but I left the theater thinking of the gore and dismembered limbs least of all.

The movie excels in going inside the mind of a police trainee (the adorable Coco Martin), his terror and moral dilemma especially. Adroitly using shadows and shaky shots, Mendoza also builds the fear of the audience particularly the scenes inside the van in which he takes us on a ride inside an oppressive and evil atmosphere. In that extended sequence, the feeling that something terrible and cruel is about to happen just mounted and mounted.

Cut to the house where they brought the prostitute. This particular part of the movie is way beyond horrifying, and here Mendoza went nearly all out. I squirmed in my seat together with the rest of the viewers.

But then, Mendoza's films have always been about delivering a strong punch in the viewers' stomach. He is not known for restraint, is he? He likes shoving reality in your face the way that Tirador and Serbis are; and Kinatay is obviously not different. (I still like Serbis the most among his films, though.)

Imburnal, Independencia, and Aurora are competing in the Southeast Asian Competition for the festival. (I don't have time to catch Aurora though.) Last year, Serbis and Jay won awards. Here's hoping that the Philippines will bag some this year.

Notes on BIFF 2009 (Part Uno)

I spent much of my weekend inside the darkness of the cinema for the Bangkok International Film Festival 2009.

I have seen only a handful coz there's just way too many good movies for the festival's short six-day run. I painstakingly organized my schedule for the movies I felt I NEED to catch like I was running in the Olympics or something.

I prioritized watching the Pinoy films, around five of them this year, but for this post I'd quickly comment on the non-Pinoy ones I've seen so far.

Xavier Dolan was only 20 years old when he directed the heartwarming I Killed My Mother. Not only did he direct it but he also wrote and starred in this supposedly semi-autobiographical tale of a boy's relationship with his mother as a rebellious sixteen-year old. Something perhaps many of us could relate to?

I was initially shocked with Hubert Minel's (Xavier Dolan) strong and foul language in his recurrent yelling-fest with his mother, played by the amazing Anne Dorval. However, it turns out that what they have is a truly love-hate relationship common to kids of his age (albeit, I believe the fights may not always be that intense).

At once poignant and at the same time amusing, the movie received three honors in this year's Cannes Film Festival and is also Canada's entry to next year's Oscars.

Another Cannes winner this year is Antichrist (Best Actress for Charlotte Gainsbourg). Lars von Trier's latest offering created a buzz in the aforementioned festival for its explicitly violent content, which Bangkok's audience also met with gasps and ewwws in unison (at least in the screening I attended).

The movie deals with a couple's grief over the loss of their son and their retreat to a cabin in the woods where the husband (Willem Dafoe), who is a psychotherapist, tries to treat his wife. The forest seems to haunt them, which rather than bringing the couple together only provoked them instead to attack each other.

The movie is graphically brutal, but more than the violence, what is more disturbing for me is how to tie all the themes together. There's its aspect of nature's brutality interspersed with intense sexual desire.

Many critics howled over Antichrist's supposed misogyny. On the other hand I thought the film is feminist. Well, whatever he wishes to convey, Lars von Trier succeeds in yet again coming up with a very provocative work.

My favorite film so far is the documentary Burma VJ by Anders Ostergaard. The film chronicles the dangerous work of a set of Burmese video reporters who stealthily covered the now famous Saffron Revolution in late 2007.

The reporters were entrenched into the protests led by Buddhist monks, perhaps one of the largest anti-government demonstrations the country has seen since the 1980s. These valuable footage were then sent to the Democratic Voice of Burma headquarters in Oslo and was the main source of the images that the world saw on every major news organization.

See the trailer below.

The courage of the reporters were undoubtedly heroic but more than anything else, the documentary shows the escalating resolve of the Burmese to fight against the decades-old repressive junta. I had to hold back my tears in many sections of the movie. It's quite tempting to cheer for these people if not for the fact that we all know how things eventually turned out.

This is definitely an important documentary that would hopefully entice more people outside of Burma to step-up their advocacy for political reforms in the said country.

To wrap this up, I just want to note that I have seen two Filipino films so far and in the coming days will need to watch three more. I shall share my impressions on these films in a separate post. Also, tomorrow I'm looking forward to catching Broken Embraces, Pedro Almodovar's latest masterpiece (I hope it is).

You Had Me on the First Line

My good friend Heidi, the ONE from Cagayan de Oro and not Bangkok, (blog) tagged me in a post about the first lines or sentences of her favorite books.

I really do not have a canon to call my own, which maybe I should get down to listing already for the sake of documentation. For this list I just quickly pulled out the titles of the books that first came to mind. I limit this list to novels coz they're what I mainly read (until about three years ago).

With the help of the internet (mainly Amazon.com), I was able to find the first sentences of some of my favorite books.

Hope these first lines inspire you to read the books further.

In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I've been turning over in my mind ever since.
- F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

A story has no beginning or end; arbitrarily one chooses that moment of experience from which to look back or from which to look ahead.
- Graham Greene, The End of the Affair

Ten days after the war ended, my sister Laura drove a car off a bridge.
- Margaret Atwood , The Blind Assassin

It was love at first sight.
- Joseph Heller, Catch-22

My name is Kathy H.
- Kazuo Ishiguro, Never Let Me Go

May in Ayemenem is a hot, brooding month.
- Arundhati Roy, The God of Small Things

She hurries from the house, wearing a coat too heavy for the weather.
- Michael Cunningham, The Hours

I'm not tagging anyone. So please feel free to write your own list and share it with us.

** Edit:

Thanks Fuchsiaboy (post) and Lyka Bergen (post) for also sharing with us the first lines of your favorite books. Mga mareh, sunod na sa uso!!! Dali!!!

Yun lang.

Poetry by Don Protasio

Major orgasms tonight. And I mean MAYJAY!

I received a loot from the Grand Dame of Siem Reap, Fuchsiaboy ITSELF. It came in this pretty little black bag from Donita's shop called Poetry (see shop's own blog in this link).

Let's look at the smaller items first.

Pink leather bracelet by Don Protasio

Neck-piece with pendant by Don Protasio

Ukay-ukay shirt in shimmery and see-through fabric (I forgot the brand... something Gay)

Reworked top from a vintage shirt by Don Protasio. Love, love, love eeeeet!

Utong altert. See-through sweater by Don Protasio. I died.

Thanks dahling!!!

Thanks for the multiple orgasms.

P.S. Donita, pasabi pala ni Ryan, sa Lunes na raw sya papasok kase he's extending his stay here in BangCock.

P.P.S. Attention Kiel Estrella... iheychu! Hahaha. Why did you make pansin pa my belly? Hmp. Yes, it's a bloody belly coz I just came back from McDonald's when I took those pics last night. It's not fat, it's called bloating. Hmp. And one more... hmp.

Bangkok's Scala

One of my favorite hang-outs in Bangkok is the Scala theater in Siam Square. Liwayway, Bubbles, and I usually watch movies there instead of going to the mall. It's less crowded in Scala and the movies are cheaper by 60 baht.

While waiting for a movie in the lobby one night, I closely inspected the tableau that rests on top of the entrance of the theater. The sculptured piece is a long series of scenes of Asian cultural expressions (music, dance, architecture) and I thought the style looked rather familiar.

I thought it had a Filipino touch to it, something I've seen in one of the facades of a building along EDSA in the Pasay part, near the Trader's Hotel. Is it the Coconut Hotel or Copacabana or something? (Can someone here help me ID that building?)

I went to other end of the sculpture (I honestly don't know the proper term for it) and my hunch was proven correct that it was designed by a Filipino. It indicated that it was designed by Ver Manipol and was executed by Fed Tagala. A Google search of Manipol hardly showed anything except that he has an office in BKK and that he also did the reliefs of the Holy Redeemer Church in Soi Ruamrudee (see this link).

The wall relief is only one of the many treasures of Scala, a part of the Apex group of cinemas. The term supposedly means "stairs" and I wonder if it is named after the La Scala opera house in Milan, after all there's also a cluster of cinemas called the Lido just nearby.

Located in the heart of a bustling commercial area (pretty much across Siam Discovery, Siam Center, and Siam Paragon), the cinema was built in 1967 by Chira Silpakanok (source: BK Magazine).

The building is truly an architectural centerpiece that must have seemed more grand in its prime years. Nonetheless, today it still stands a remarkable example of an architectural style of that era (perhaps some branch of modern architecture?) .

The facade is rather unpretentious; in fact, as seen in the photo above, the marquee still uses those letter cut-outs. Marble floors greet you at the entrance and a sweeping twin staircase leads you to the main lobby. Hovering above the staircase is a gigantic chandelier made up of a cascade of glass orbs. The main lobby is a forest of tall columns that spread towards a canopy of golden light fixtures. You buy your ticket from a wooden booth where they still tear and stamp your ticket stub (yes, sans computers).

While waiting for your movie to start, you can settle in the sitting area amidst a backdrop of tall, exquisite wood carvings. Going inside the actual screening hall, ushers in yellow coats part the heavy curtains that open to the 800-seater cinema. The seats are comfortably tiny and they do not swallow you in a mass of cushion.

After more than forty years the Scala has obviously aged. There's a rather stuffy smell inside the cinema and in most cases less than half of the seats are occupied.

Nonetheless, because of its enduring grandeur I attach a sense of nostalgia to the Scala. It's always nice to bask in its unique and inviting charm, which definitely gives reason enough for my amigas and me to keep on going back.

The Men of London

The fashionista pack has moved to London for the city's fashion week. And these highly mobile worshipers of fashion are closely observed by street-style photographers, who then never fail to churn out inspiring images of the scene outside the shows.

If any one of you is following these sites (there are dozens and dozens of them and a good sampling can be found on my sidebar called "Streetstyle Blogs"), there had been amazing street-style shots including that of Filipino blogger Bryanboy, who was featured in Altamira and Facehunter in New York.

Byranboy in Altamira (see post here).

Anyway, forward several days to London... look what I found in two of the most notable street-style blogs around...

How very striking these men are, no?

From the Sartorialist.

From Stylesightings.

Let's see what Milan street-style has to offer. That's next week.

Fucks and Figures

Is there something sick with the fact that at this very moment I have a black notebook right before me that has a list of the men I've slept with?

Does anybody else do this? Can someone please tell me I'm like, I don't know, normal?

Wait, I actually know one who does the same. My friend even has his list in Excel, color coded, and annotated (you know who you are!!!).

On the other hand, my list, with the heading Kalalakihan (men), is just in this humble notebook, hand-written.

You might ask why I bother listing the men I slept with. Well, I'm a manic "documenter". I keep movie tickets, park tickets, boarding passes, bus tickets, receipts, and I list pretty much everything that comes to mind (books, movies, things to buy, things to NOT buy, galleries visited, plays watched, clothes worn this week, etc.).

So it is definitely natural for me to have a list of my sex partners, di ba? Why should I exempt it, aber? It's purely documentation.

I actually transferred the list from a smaller notebook last weekend, and I was reminded then that, hmmmm, it's a good material for a blog entry.

And it also happened that this afternoon, for some reason I could not remember now, Fuchsiaboy suggested that I might as well list these men. I told him that such list exists and a post shall be written about it.

So Donita Rosemary "Baby" Arenas, here it is.

(Gosh, someone tell me to stop this entry right now.)

Without further talak, let's go to the numbers...

Total number of men I've slept with: 36

It wasn't difficult at all to remember these men when I started this list about a couple of years ago. There wasn't that many. I must've have missed three people or so, but this is as far as I can recollect

But I certainly could not remember all of their names. That is simply not possible (as a friend once declared: Who bothers with names these days?).

But the majority of them have names. For those I can't recall I simply call them with nicknames, such as: Sugar (coz he has some sugarcane plantation in Bukidnon), Dishwasher (obvious!), Waiter (again, obvious!), and so on.

I also listed them in chronological order as much as possible and it appeared that of the 36, I slept with only 11 men in the Philippines (but not necessarily all were Filipinos).

Talking of nationalities, I've slept with 10 Filipinos, which had been surpassed by Thais at 13.

More interesting for me, however, is that out of the 36, only 7 of those guys had a repeat performance (that means I slept with them at least twice). Which makes all the other 29 as one-night stands.

Such a record to be totally proud of. NOT!

Gosh, that confirms what I slut I am! But we all know that.

Now let's talk about frequency. From the first time I was sexually active, I've had sex with only 11 men within a six-year period (that's before I moved to Thailand).

Contrast that with 27 men within the past two years. I clearly found the whore in me when I arrived in BangCock.

In fact, within May and December 2008 (eight months) I slept with 17 men (compared with just 11 men within six years in the Philippines).

However, as for my record in 2009, the Czarina of Penang only has this to say: Dios mio, mas maraming bagyo pa ang sumalanta sa Pilipinas sa taong 'to!

(Roughly translating to: My God, more typhoons have ravaged the Philippines this year!)

How many typhoons have we had ba? Ask PAG-ASA.

Lady Gaga in Talk Asia

All excerpts below are from an accompanying article on CNN.com, which says that apparently Lady Gaga had to be "pacified" from practically walking away from the interview.

The full article is found here.

Part Uno

"I'm sort of a musical pop music misfit," she said in her slow New York drawl, and "a relentless bitch" in response to how she had got to the top of the music industry.



Part Dos

She claims Lady Gaga is not a persona and it seems she is committed to living as closely to the wild fantasy shown in her videos. More at home on the stage than in the interview chair --"We could sit here and talk, but you will never know who I am unless you see me live" -- even Gaga's faithful make-up artist (in attendance throughout the interview) thought she was crazy because she sleeps in her wigs.

Was it to keep the persona up, stay in character? No, "I just like wigs," she said with an unintentional comic deadpan.



Part Tres

Composure regained, "You can ask me about scrutiny, but I'd prefer if you didn't..." Gaga said.

Must-Watch: 100

I just finished watching 100, a Filipino indie film written and directed by Chris Martinez (released in 2008). I heard so much buzz about it, partly because of its triumph at the 2008 Cinemalaya Film Festival, and had been looking forward to watch it since forever.

Fortunately someone lent me his copy (thanks, your highness... I swear babalik sya ng Las Islas).

Take a peek at its rather crappy trailer...

*** Spoilers ahead... many of them. ***

100 is the story of Joyce (portrayed to perfection by Mylene Dizon), who learns she has cancer but refuses to get treatment. Instead, she devotes the last three months of her life (hence, one hundred days) to prepare for her death, starting with listing in yellow post-its the things she needs to accomplish before she dies.

She selects her coffin and funeral dress, and even manages to prepare a sound-track and powerpoint presentation for her wake.

She also indulges in random pleasures like eating ice cream, skinny-dipping, and kissing a stranger. She even goes on a Vilma Santos movie marathon with her best-friend Ruby (given to life by the genius that is Eugene Domingo).

The heaviest of her tasks, however, is telling her loved ones about her impending death.

One of the most poignant scenes of the movie is when she finally tells her mom about her illness. Her mom, played by the divine Tessie Tomas, is obviously disappointed of the late notice and remarks: "Huwag mong alisin ang karapatan kong mag-alala, mag-alaga, mag-wala."

Her mom thus takes over and adds more post-its to her list of things-to-do such as a pilgrimage to the Virgin of Manaoag, trying Chinese herbal medicine, and flushing down the toilet Joyce's pack of cigarettes and stock of coffee.


*** Spoilers end here. ***

Did I mention that the acting is superior?

The film could have easily fallen into the cliches of movies of its kind, but it chooses instead to stay light-hearted and playful, at times just hysterical.

Oh, the acting is just incredible. Did I say that already?... The acting is breathtaking, just in case you missed the point.

Now this is one of the few Filipino films that is devoid of histrionics and melodrama, thanks to the savvy writing by Martinez who instead chooses to keep the film tender and truly enjoyable. I swear I laughed more than a dozen times for what seems like a morbid film.

Speaking of Filipino films, Kinatay, Manila, Imburnal, and Indepencia are screening in the 2009 Bangkok International Film Festival, which will run from the 24th to the 30th of September.

Now I could not help feeling stoked!!!

These are truly remarkable Filipino films, perhaps some of the most outstanding outputs of Filipino filmmakers this year. Kinatay won Best Director in Cannes this year and Manila was screened at the same festival. Filipino cinema appears to have a bright future, no?

So mga bading, supportahan natin ang sineng Pilipino. Keri? Keri!

I Heart Joseph Altuzarra

If you're not aware that Fashion Week (yes, in capital letters) has kicked off in New York, then honey, you must've been living inside a cave. Shame on you, bitch.

I mean, what can be more important than Fashion Week, aber?

Anyway, since mid last week my eyes are almost falling out of their sockets from looking at numerous catwalk pictures and watching videos posted all over Style.com, Women's Wear Daily, and New York Magazine.

Gosh, gosh, gosh, I feel like I'm in heaven.

The collections I love so far are Alexander Wang, L.A.M.B., Marc Jacobs, and Carlos Miele. That's really a lopsided assessment coz I simply don't have the time nor the energy to browse through all the collections.

Alexander Wang

L.A.M.B.

Marc Jacobs

Carlos Miele

Besides, there are still dozens and dozens of new models' names and faces I need to memorize before this week ends.

I swear I'm overwhelmed at times. The deluge of information is just too much, I can hardly keep up. And that's just New York! There's still more to come when the Fashion Week coverage moves to London, Milan, and Paris. I can't wait!!!

Thank God for Twitter, I can closely follow insiders' scoops of some of the backstage frenzy, front-row gossip, and the crazy after-parties.

I have to mention that the blog coverage is also pretty comprehensive, thank God. (You can check my links list titled "Blogs with Style" on the right bar.) In fact, I initially planned not to bother writing about Fashion Week this season coz the coverage by bloggers alone is already all over the place.

But then, please allow me to make an exception.

The point of this post is really to introduce you guys to this piece of a man called Joseph Altuzarra, whose New York Magazine video I found on Women Management's blog.

Joseph Altuzarra is an up and coming designer under the label Altuzarra. I think this is only his third season.

It would be a lie if I tell you I've been following him. I have not previously heard of him either, although he seems to have quite a good resume. When I checked his designs, I really like them. Very, very promising.

But no, I'm mainly creaming my silk panties over how gorgeous he is, non? I want to have his babies, pronto.

He is a welcome addition to the crop of uber hot designers like Marc Jacobs, Tom Ford, Alexander Wang, Zac Posen, Olivier Theyskens, and the duo Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough of Proenza Schouler.

Oh, let's not wait any longer, shall we? Go watch the video below.

You can check his profile on this link from New York Times and his Spring/Summer 2010 collection on Style.com.

Photo Credits: Style.com and WWD.

Muse

OMG, the prints are out. I'm talking about my updated portfolio, which is just in time for the fashion weeks in London, Milan, and Paris. Too bad they did not make in time for New York, but there's always next season.

As mentioned in the previous post, the Czarina of Penang was instrumental (instrumental daw oh!) in my latest photos.

But before we see them, allow me to pull out some pictures from the archives to remind you about something...

Yeah, these pictures were taken by the Czarina of Penang in the now infamous shoots in Penang and Laos last year. Gosh, remember how even Vogue Italia practically stole our concept (see the controversial story here)?

I know, I know, I'm now like the official muse of the Czarina of Penang!!!

We do have a special collaboration all the time. All he needs to say is:

"Bayot, i-werq mo nga yang (insert location/item here, i.e. hagdan, bato, pinto, puntod, palanggana, bangka, dildo, kama, pusa, aso, kalabaw, etc.). Now. Na."

Such few words to change fashion photography fowevah, non? So without missing a beat, I'm werqing whatever I was told to werq, no questions asked even if I have to bleed to death.

Anyway, I've said enough... let's just take a look at the pictures already. Keri? Keri!

Let me also credit the wonderful people who provided the very, very expensive (not to mention exclusive) items for this mayhay editorial:

Hat - Khao San Road
Shirt - Chatuchak Soi 17 Section 13 Stall 22
Pekpek shorts - Khao San Road, with an uber cute Burmese owner
Sun glasses - Khao San Road, in front of the Indian tailor
Watch - Iloilo tabuan (pasalubong from Donita)
Silver bracelet - Chiang Mai evening market
Rubber bangles - Surigao public market
Cork necklace - pasalubong of Don Protasio aka Fuchsiaboy the Empress of Siem Reap
Shoes - Castro

Oh, by the way... look who has a new signature pose?

I'm so tired of jumping shots already, a lot of other people have copied the pose from me. Right, Kiel? (Peace, mareh!)

My new signature pose is the "lambitin sa hagdan pose". It's so original and inspired. Perfect for social climbers like moi, di ba?

Again, super thanks to the Czarina of Penang for what was yet another ferosha work. I'm super humbled, I swear.

Gosh, can I like expect our concept to be copied by Vogue Paris? I would not be surprised.

That's all, bitches.

The Czarina of Penang Runs to BKK

Dios mio, kapagod the weekend tawas (for the kili-kili)...

As mentioned in a previous post, THE Czarina of Penang sneaked into BangCock for three days. He arrived last Friday and left this afternoon. The Czarina is actually on a run from the Malaysian immigration bureau (read: visa run ito).

Well, needless to say, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) had to send their best person to show the Czarina of Penang around the City of Angels. Yeah, that best person is me no less. *Blush.*

So on his first evening here he was given a grand welcome by top BangCock celebrities Bubbles and Liawayway. Us four girls had a drink at Lang Suan. We tried our best to maintain our finesse as we drooled over the many exquisite male species surrounding us. More drooling happened when we ended up in the Silom gayborhood.

Oh, you should commend us for our self-restraint. Now let's say this together... CHOOOZ!

The next day, I brought the Czarina to the Golden Mount where we had a 360-degree view of the Rattanakosin Island neighborhood. The Czarina nearly broke his knees climbing the tall temple. And then he also nearly broke his frail back from too much crouching and kneeling all in the name of a good photo.

From there we hopped on one of those long-tail boats that traversed a foul-smelling, yet charming, canal in downtown Bangkok. We eventually found ourselves in major tourist trap MBK where we had lunch with Heidi and Hye Kim Park.

Crossing over to the Bangkok Arts and Culture Centre, we met met Bubbles and explored the recent exhibit, which was about motherhood (I did not read enough of the captions).

Goodness, it was utong (nipples) galore!!!

Shout out to Lyka Bergen at this point. Tse!

Going back... of course Bubbles werqed the art pieces... or wait, he is an art piece himself, no?

In the evening, the Czarina and I had to step into our couture gowns for Lea Salonga's concert with the Bangkok Symphony Orchestra. Her brother Gerard Salonga was the conductor. See Lea Salonga's Wikipedia entry here.

The Czarina and I were surprised to see the humongous Queen Sirikit Convention Centre fully packed. There were of course gazillions of Filipinos in the crowd.

It was a dream come true to watch Lea, my first time in fact.

At the start of the concert she said that she just came out from a hospital in Bangkok where she was treated for a serious case of tonsillitis and some kind of throat or respiratory infection.

Nonetheless, she managed to deliver a goosebumps-inducing performance of popular Disney songs and pieces from Broadway and West End musicals. The crowd was on its feet when she finished a haunting rendition of "I Dream a Dream" from Les Miserables.

Interestingly enough, she invited a male audience member to sing "A Whole New World" (from Aladdin) with her. Eventually four men ended up on the stage with her, two Thais and two Pinoys.

The Czarina and I laughed at the idea of doing a karaoke session with the Bangkok Symphony Orchestra. Good gawd, now we know who to invite on our next birthday parties, no?

Apres the concert, the Czarina and I rushed to the Moon Bar at the Banyan Tree to meet Neomie Lenoir, his BF Chutima Durongdej, and a number of his friends for some "farewell drinks". Neomie has finished his internship and is going back to France tomorrow.

From Banyan Tree we moved to Silom for yet another night of dancing squeezed between the ravishing men of BangCock.

I will end this report with a note to Czarina...

Gagah kah, di pa tayo tapos sa processing eh nang-iwan kah nah. Tseh!

Khop khum maak kha for the latest additions to my modeling portfolio. Asus!

And please don't forget to fill out the Tourism Authority of Thailand feedback form because my promotion rests on that. Hope you had a wonderful time in the Land of Smiles and see you again soon, mare.

(All photos in this post are by the Czarina of Penang.)