Christmas get-together with Q, ABS, mag and manga people. Marina Seafood Resto for grub, Starbucks for coffee. Dec 5-6, 2009.
Showing posts with label p3. Show all posts
Showing posts with label p3. Show all posts
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Q Christmas Get-together 2009
Christmas get-together with Q, ABS, mag and manga people. Marina Seafood Resto for grub, Starbucks for coffee. Dec 5-6, 2009.
Monday, June 22, 2009
German Cut: Vis-a-vis
This is the second in a series of posts chronicling my quest to go out of the country for the first time. My first post regarding this is here: http://gorilla.multiply.com/journal/item/322. It was about my passport. This is about the VISA.
I had to take the long walk from the Language Center to the Embassy. It was hot out. Maybe that explains why I'm now deliriously running a fever. It's either that or the ZONROX I almost swallowed yesterday or the copious amounts of Elmer's Glue I huffed in high school have all come back to haunt me.
Seems there was something wrong with my VISA photo. Seems my passport photo with blue background won't do. The VISA photo had to have a white or light background. I had the photos taken at a photo place in SM Southmall the day before so I wasn't expecting any trouble.
Ma'am Lorie had asked me to personally hand-carry the photos to Ma'am Sherry just to make sure it gets to be included in my papers.
The embassy was located a couple of stone's throws away from the Languager Center (think 5 to 10 olympic javelin throws). It was at the 24th floor of one of the buildings in Makati. The place was well lit and had decent airconditioning. The wait was tedious, definitely nothing to write home about, though. I had been waiting for about 30 minutes for counter 4 to open when my number came up over the PA system.
His name was Derrick. He was wearing a tight green shirt. From what I can see, it was nippy at his side of the bulletproof glass which separated applicant from Embassy staff. The counter had a one-way drawer which is only open from either side of the glass. It's either open on your side, or his side only. You drop your documents, he pulls a lever to close the drawer and it opens on his side. Viola! Your documents are at his perusal. The drawer openned at my side and he instructed me to drop in my photos.
"What's your name?" he asked. I answered. "And your birthday?" I answered again.
After a couple of seconds of fiddling with the keyboard he looks at me and says, "We have no record of your VISA application with us. Are you sure you submitted it already?"
I explained to him that Ma'am Lorie of the Language Center had asked me to personally hand-carry the photos to Ma'am Sherry.
"Why are you coursing your application through the Language Center?" he asked, obviously peeved. "If it's a VISA application it should be coursed directly here, at the Embassy." I could only nod.
"Do you know where the word VISA comes from?" he asked. "It's from the french word vis-à-vis which literally means 'face to face'," he said as one of his eyebrows started to raise. So did one of mine. "It's the government's way of seeing you face-to-face, an agreement or contract of trust that you won't do anything stupid in our country," he opined. "But," I started to butt in, "I'm going to Germany, not France." He paused... "Sabagay."
He dropped a piece of paper into his side of the drawer then pulled a lever. I took that paper when the drawer opened at my side. "Write your name, please. Sit down for a moment, I'll ask Ma'am Sherry about this."
After a few minutes he returned.
"Is this really you?" he asked, looking intently at my VISA photo. I nodded. "It doesn't look like you." I executed my patented smile. "Ahhh.... It is you."
After writing down some notes he looked at me again with a questioning look. "Aren't you Cody Havoline of the P3 boyband of the 90's?" he asked. I nodded again. "Boy, were you guys good. Walang panama sina David Archuleta at Adam Glambert sa inyo kung noon sila sumikat at nakipagsabayan sa inyo." I could only smile.
"How are the others?" he queried.
"Well, Brad Barbula and Dodong Diesel are now married. Not to each other, though," I said, starting to reminisce the good ole times. "Saver, the wonder dog, our front act, died some time ago. We miss him. Our biggest fan Roger still keeps a blog about our exploits somewhere. And Vince Valvolene, formerly Ryan Rev-X, is still out there, still his old philandering self. He's never been the same since that incident with the Music Mag Source reporter Rafael Anthony Saguid."
"So what have you been up to lately?" he asked as he propped his chin on his hands.
"Well, I'm still doing stuff for the Bipolar Bears and Behind the Crimson Door. The Bipolar Bears will be releasing Nocturnal Journal any time soon." A deafening buzzer jolted both of us back to reality. His supervisor, as it turned out it was Ma'am Sherry, started to approach. After looking at Derrick's monitor she looked at me and smiled. "Oh, it's Sir Cody." She looked at Derrick, "Make sure his papers go through. His visit to our country will definitely be a feather in the cap for international relations," she said, smiled and walked away.
"Can I ask about quarantine? Will we be quarantined when we get there?" I started to ask. "Coz it seems that when I return I'd have to go on self-quarantine for a week." Derrick looked at me then answered, without even batting an eyelash, "C'mon, A(H1N1) is just a simple flu which has you squealing like a pig when your fever reaches 40 degrees. I don't think you have anything to worry about. You filipinos just have a way of being overacting sometimes." He did some encoding for a while then paused.
"Okay sir, I think your papers will be in order some time soon. Just leave these photos with me," he assured. "Thank you," I said, gratefully.
"Oh, by the way," Derrick said over the PA system as I was walking away. "Do you have an extra photo?" I was fumbling through my pockets as I made my way back to the counter. "My niece is a big fan of yours. Can you sign it for her?"
"How old is your niece?" I asked. "She's 42," he answered. "Actually I'm a bit confused if she's my niece or my aunt or both." Oooookay... Too much information...
I gladly signed one of my extra photos and dropped it in the counter drawer. "Do you have another one? I'd like to have one for my own, bragging rights, you know," he asked coyly.
I fished out another photo and signed it for him. It had a simple message: Derrick, hope our paths will cross again. With Love, Cody Havoline. P3.
I smiled, dropped it into the drawer too and made my way out of the embassy as I saw Derrick neatly tucking away my photo in his wallet.
Good times.
I wonder what Germany has in store for me.
I had to take the long walk from the Language Center to the Embassy. It was hot out. Maybe that explains why I'm now deliriously running a fever. It's either that or the ZONROX I almost swallowed yesterday or the copious amounts of Elmer's Glue I huffed in high school have all come back to haunt me.
Seems there was something wrong with my VISA photo. Seems my passport photo with blue background won't do. The VISA photo had to have a white or light background. I had the photos taken at a photo place in SM Southmall the day before so I wasn't expecting any trouble.
Ma'am Lorie had asked me to personally hand-carry the photos to Ma'am Sherry just to make sure it gets to be included in my papers.
The embassy was located a couple of stone's throws away from the Languager Center (think 5 to 10 olympic javelin throws). It was at the 24th floor of one of the buildings in Makati. The place was well lit and had decent airconditioning. The wait was tedious, definitely nothing to write home about, though. I had been waiting for about 30 minutes for counter 4 to open when my number came up over the PA system.
His name was Derrick. He was wearing a tight green shirt. From what I can see, it was nippy at his side of the bulletproof glass which separated applicant from Embassy staff. The counter had a one-way drawer which is only open from either side of the glass. It's either open on your side, or his side only. You drop your documents, he pulls a lever to close the drawer and it opens on his side. Viola! Your documents are at his perusal. The drawer openned at my side and he instructed me to drop in my photos.
"What's your name?" he asked. I answered. "And your birthday?" I answered again.
After a couple of seconds of fiddling with the keyboard he looks at me and says, "We have no record of your VISA application with us. Are you sure you submitted it already?"
I explained to him that Ma'am Lorie of the Language Center had asked me to personally hand-carry the photos to Ma'am Sherry.
"Why are you coursing your application through the Language Center?" he asked, obviously peeved. "If it's a VISA application it should be coursed directly here, at the Embassy." I could only nod.
"Do you know where the word VISA comes from?" he asked. "It's from the french word vis-à-vis which literally means 'face to face'," he said as one of his eyebrows started to raise. So did one of mine. "It's the government's way of seeing you face-to-face, an agreement or contract of trust that you won't do anything stupid in our country," he opined. "But," I started to butt in, "I'm going to Germany, not France." He paused... "Sabagay."
He dropped a piece of paper into his side of the drawer then pulled a lever. I took that paper when the drawer opened at my side. "Write your name, please. Sit down for a moment, I'll ask Ma'am Sherry about this."
After a few minutes he returned.
"Is this really you?" he asked, looking intently at my VISA photo. I nodded. "It doesn't look like you." I executed my patented smile. "Ahhh.... It is you."
After writing down some notes he looked at me again with a questioning look. "Aren't you Cody Havoline of the P3 boyband of the 90's?" he asked. I nodded again. "Boy, were you guys good. Walang panama sina David Archuleta at Adam Glambert sa inyo kung noon sila sumikat at nakipagsabayan sa inyo." I could only smile.
"How are the others?" he queried.
"Well, Brad Barbula and Dodong Diesel are now married. Not to each other, though," I said, starting to reminisce the good ole times. "Saver, the wonder dog, our front act, died some time ago. We miss him. Our biggest fan Roger still keeps a blog about our exploits somewhere. And Vince Valvolene, formerly Ryan Rev-X, is still out there, still his old philandering self. He's never been the same since that incident with the Music Mag Source reporter Rafael Anthony Saguid."
"So what have you been up to lately?" he asked as he propped his chin on his hands.
"Well, I'm still doing stuff for the Bipolar Bears and Behind the Crimson Door. The Bipolar Bears will be releasing Nocturnal Journal any time soon." A deafening buzzer jolted both of us back to reality. His supervisor, as it turned out it was Ma'am Sherry, started to approach. After looking at Derrick's monitor she looked at me and smiled. "Oh, it's Sir Cody." She looked at Derrick, "Make sure his papers go through. His visit to our country will definitely be a feather in the cap for international relations," she said, smiled and walked away.
"Can I ask about quarantine? Will we be quarantined when we get there?" I started to ask. "Coz it seems that when I return I'd have to go on self-quarantine for a week." Derrick looked at me then answered, without even batting an eyelash, "C'mon, A(H1N1) is just a simple flu which has you squealing like a pig when your fever reaches 40 degrees. I don't think you have anything to worry about. You filipinos just have a way of being overacting sometimes." He did some encoding for a while then paused.
"Okay sir, I think your papers will be in order some time soon. Just leave these photos with me," he assured. "Thank you," I said, gratefully.
"Oh, by the way," Derrick said over the PA system as I was walking away. "Do you have an extra photo?" I was fumbling through my pockets as I made my way back to the counter. "My niece is a big fan of yours. Can you sign it for her?"
"How old is your niece?" I asked. "She's 42," he answered. "Actually I'm a bit confused if she's my niece or my aunt or both." Oooookay... Too much information...
I gladly signed one of my extra photos and dropped it in the counter drawer. "Do you have another one? I'd like to have one for my own, bragging rights, you know," he asked coyly.
I fished out another photo and signed it for him. It had a simple message: Derrick, hope our paths will cross again. With Love, Cody Havoline. P3.
I smiled, dropped it into the drawer too and made my way out of the embassy as I saw Derrick neatly tucking away my photo in his wallet.
Good times.
I wonder what Germany has in store for me.
Monday, April 6, 2009
P3 at the Park
The old P3 boyband, Questor, ABS-CBN and manga peeps met again for a late lunch and early merienda this April 6, 2009. We ate ice cream at elfav and ate merienda at Kopi Roti (yup, in that order). Both are at Pergola, BF Parañaque, Phase 1.
Elfav has a nice concept of having board games at the tables to while away the time. I took a liking to the magnetic monkey-flip dartboard (I did my grades using this while waiting for the ice cream).
The P3 boys couldn't resist, we struck a pose at the mini-park. If we had another album cover, this would be it.
From left: (standing) Bebert (aka Dodong Diesel), Kenneth (aka Vince Valvolene, formerly Ryan Rev-X),
and Olan (aka Brad Barbula). Seated: Igor (aka Cody Havoline)
Cherry had a bum toe, OJTs dropped foamboards on it. And in the absence / in lieu of Fafa Nick, we're getting Patty to do some management work for us.
Till next time, guys.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
A Boyband Dec 13
From the official P3 press release: It's time for the P3 reunion! The staff of Bitter Gourd Talent Management and the boys of P3--Vince Valvolene aka Ryan Rev-X, Dodong "Diether" Diesel, Brad Barbula and Cody Havoline--who still looked hot and hunky (cough) met up for their annual Christmas dinner. The band may have broken up but the boys promise to make their comeback soon. Here's a shout out to our former manager Nick B. who is now in New Zealand. Nick! Wish you were here! Note: Just an annual get-together of a bunch of friends who write, edit and draw for different magazines and manga publications here and abroad. Yes, sad to say, there really is a virtual boyband called P3.
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Bam and Olan's Wedding
We've always had this running joke that when Bambi gets married, Cecil wears a dress, Cherry wears heels and they all wear make up then the world is definitely going to end. The end of the world came last October 19, 2007. O_o;; Expect fire and brimstone any time soon.
Cherry, Bambi and Cecil are my friends in the publishing industry. They never wear dresses or make up or heels. So this really is a very special and once in a lifetime day.
So weird seeing Cherry, a showbiz magazine editor, wearing heels! So confusing seeing Cecil in a dress! And I never thought Bambi would marry! Only Olan could change her mind. Sigh, it's love. :D Bambi and Olan are also my bosses in the manga lettering industry.
The P3 minus Brad Barbula. The P3 are: From left to right: Bebert Lacuna (aka Dodong Diesel), Igor Cabbab (aka Cody Havoline), Kenneth Fadri (aka Ryan Rev-X) and Roland Amago (aka Brad Barbula, the groom, not in photo).
So nice to see my fellow P3 boyband-mates Bebert and Kenneth again. Yes, I belong to a virtual boyband called P3, go figure (or vomit, whichever comes first). Actually I'm also involved with a virtual band, the Bipolar Bears. Jeez, everything virtual! (it's okay, I'm virtually insane anyway.)
I was the emcee for the reception. Bambi and Olan gifted me with a copy of the first volume of their first international relase manga Moonlight Meow. :D Thanks guys. Have a happy honeymoon! Sorry for the late submissions, tee hee, hee.
The P3 would like to thanks Donna, Dodong Diesel's personal masseuse and badminton partner, and Chris Pineda, the P3's official vet, whenever any of them need to be spayed or neutered.
Bam and Olan's Wedding
Cherry, Bambi and Cecil are my friends in the publishing industry. They never wear dresses or make up or heels. So this really is a very special and once in a lifetime day.
So weird seeing Cherry, a showbiz magazine editor, wearing heels! So confusing seeing Cecil in a dress! And I never thought Bambi would marry! Only Olan could change her mind. Sigh, it's love. :D Bambi and Olan are also my bosses in the manga lettering industry.
The P3 minus Brad Barbula. The P3 are: From left to right: Bebert Lacuna (aka Dodong Diesel), Igor Cabbab (aka Cody Havoline), Kenneth Fadri (aka Ryan Rev-X) and Roland Amago (aka Brad Barbula, the groom, not in photo).
So nice to see my fellow P3 boyband-mates Bebert and Kenneth again. Yes, I belong to a virtual boyband called P3, go figure (or vomit, whichever comes first). Actually I'm also involved with a virtual band, the Bipolar Bears. Jeez, everything virtual! (it's okay, I'm virtually insane anyway.)
I was the emcee for the reception. Bambi and Olan gifted me with a copy of the first volume of their first international relase manga Moonlight Meow. :D Thanks guys. Have a happy honeymoon! Sorry for the late submissions, tee hee, hee.
Bam and Olan's Wedding
San Antonio de Padua and The Shanghai Garden, Paranaque
October 19, 2007
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