Excellance 2010- Host

Another belated entry! The Institute of Communication of Letran College always holds an Excellance Awards Night every end of a school year. The Excellance event last 2010 was on March 20. There are always five hosts, one of each communication courses and I was chosen from the female Journalism students. 


It was my first time to host an event-- and a grand one I might add. We had one week of rehearsals and I have to say, it was very organized. We had our scripts or dummy cards, so we need not improvise. I really had a lot of fun in practice and most of our audience always cheered for me when I'm up. I was a tad nervous for the event that I might foul up by talking too fast or stammering, so I practiced my lines every night of the week. I guess I practiced so hard that I kind of memorized my lines already. It was pretty cool that I memorized my lines and I didn't have to read my cards all the time during rehearsals.  


There was another thing that worried me though, we had to wear a gown. I was really bummed by the idea because I'm not used to wearing gowns, I usually wear cocktail dresses and I own loads of them. I had the impression that gowns were uncomfortable and only worn on weddings. Lol. So I always envision it as a frumpy, unstylish, ball gown because I was always handed that type of gown in weddings. I was also disappointed because I had already chosen a dress for the event. Oh shoot, so I asked my mom about a gown and it was a good thing that she has one. I just didn't like her gown because it was too frumpy. If I had known back then, I would shop for stylish, lean gowns. And oh my gosh, it was so difficult to dress in the gown! 


So the event finally came and I was already getting myself ready in the afternoon at a salon nearby. I also made sure that I didn't drink a lot so I won't have to pee. I tell you, it's really hard to get in and out of the gown! But anyway, good thing my make up was pretty. So after make up, I went back home (which was like 1-2 minutes from the salon) and I wore my six-inch platform stripperish stilettos. lol. But you can barely see the shoes under the gown. It was already 4 p.m. and the call time for hosts was 5, so I already went to Dusit Thani Hotel in Makati. 


I didn't eat the whole night, prolly because I was a bit nervous for the hosting. When the event finally took off, I did my hosting and I think I did a good job. I didn't stammer, I made sure I didn't talk fast, and most importantly, I didn't fall on or off the stage! We had to climb up and down the stage a number of times as hosts; I was really careful with my six-inch stilettos and my very long, overflowing gown! 


I was also nominated for an award that night: Best in Spanish. Too bad I didn't win; I should have given my best when I was still in our Spanish class-- I could have won the award hands down! But back to the hosting, it was a wonderful experience and it was a magical night. I even got to see my friends after the event and had a few photos with them. I think it was my best Excellance experience yet. Yep, 2010 was a good year for me-- except for the nasty scar I got in September. Anyway, this was a night to remember and below are a few photos from the event. PS. I'm glad I survived the night with 7 hours of standing up with 6-inch stilettos and not peeing!

With Ronnie and Josh!

With John & Edward

September '80s dance!

On the Floor hip hop dance

'80s medley dance!

Here's a belated entry for September! It all started when I received a text from one of my best friends, Princess. She invited me to join them for a dance number at a surprise party for her brother. Achi Janice planned the whole shebang. At first I was excited, and then worried at the same time if I can still learn the choreography fast enough, and if I can still dance. lol. I haven't danced for a very long time, and I'm not that gifted with dancing even though I love to dance. So then I texted Cherry and asked her if she was going to join. She said she would and she cajoled me, so that's when the rehearsals started. The party was in three weeks so we rehearsed almost every day of the week. Our first dance was hip hop with "On The Floor" music by J.Lo. I really had a blast with the practice; it feels good to sweat my butt off! And I really enjoyed our practices because I get to see my best friends again, plus achi Janice and achi Kristel and the "girls"-- boy were the girls a lot of fun!


Those three weeks were such fun for me; our practices were at nights after their work and after my classes. Our "On the Floor" hip hop dance was finished in one week, so we learned another hip hop, "Teach me how to dougie"-- it was fun and easy! Then after two weeks, we found out that we still have an '80s medley. We actually practiced the '80s medley dance for about a week only; can't believe we managed to learn all that! haha!


The surprise party was an '80s theme one so I prepared an '80s outfit at the last minute-- good thing my mom helped me out on that one with her old clothes! So, the party was on September 25 and it was a wonderful night. Unfortunately I didn't get to join their '90s dance for this month! Damn! But here are the photos of the '80s party and dance stills!

Before the hip hop dance

Before the hip hop-- with the GIRLS!

Strutting on the runway-- intro of our hip hop number!

On the Floor number!

Our '80s outfit!

'80s costume winners!

After '80s dance!

At home!

Short fuse

Lately I noticed that I've become more hot-tempered. I tried to suppress my temper but I guess it keeps taking over me. Do I need anger management? Not the kind of therapy that Dr. Rydell offers-- I would go bonkers if I would go through what Dave Buznik did in the movie.


Back in my teen years when everything was experimental and when every weird phase was considered as a rational excuse of being a teenager, whenever I got furious I resorted to punch things or disarranging properly-placed stuff by throwing or shoving them off. I also punched the wall, but of course, I made sure I wore boxing gloves first. I also tried to diffuse my anger through writing. I scribbled a lot of nonsense angry emotions shit on a piece of paper-- and threw it away afterwards. Yeah, I was easily driven to the edge back then. Now, I try to be mature. I still slam the door occasionally-- but not as hard as I used to. lol. I'm just joshing.


If I were a dude, I would definitely join a fight club... especially one as awesome as Tyler Durden's. Nothing like blood, sweat, and my manhood strength pulsing through my veins to make me feel more liberated than ever. Manhood pride can easily make you feel free from the ball and chain of the tribulations that life gives you. Anyway, back to the issue.


Consequences are always feared when rash actions/reactions are made. Another thing I need to acquire is patience-- in everything. Thanks to my good friend, John, I realized that I have no patience. I thought I just have the habit of wanting to get my tasks done immediately for the day. I abhor waiting-- I think it's a waste of time. But yeah, I was wrong. I recently watched an episode of a certain show, wherein the character made a habit of saying YES to every opportunity that comes his way-- I might try that. Which reminds me, there's a film (Yes, Man) about it. I'll let you know how things will turn out soon... provided if I give blogging a try one more time.

Manila Bulletin Newsroom

There we stood like little tykes, completely and utterly oblivious as we enter another realm that may seem to strike familiarity but still, quite new to us. Like intimidated kids, we tried to stick as closely as possible to our guide—our esteemed professor aka. the Technews editor of the Manila Bulletin.

Everybody was on the go in the editorial section of MB; we were cautious so as not to interfere with the work process of the editors. We were asked to observe inside the newsroom. I actually had no idea at the time how a broadsheet was created. All newspapers start with a dummy. The dummy comes from the advertising department, and then it goes to the editorial department for printing.

The editorial department has a variety of sections from business agenda, business, universities, to motoring, sports. The managing editor, Fil Sionil, is the one holding the reigns. She does not spend her time sitting behind the desk; she walks around and supervises the section editors… or everyone actually.  

The editors decide on which stories to include in a newspaper. Each editor is assigned to a particular page and then they edit it and save their file or “slugs” with a specific file name in the network computer, and then they send it to the layout artists. The managing editor also sends slugs and floaters to the layout artists.

Apparently, the layout department is said to be at the bottom of the ladder, but perhaps what Konstantin Stanislavsky once said, “there are no small parts, only small actors”, may be applicable to this situation in a media-profession sense. Most big shots start off at rock bottom and later on climb their way to a Mount Everest of fortune—one that is every greedy person’s dream.

So the layout department hands over the dummy to the proofreaders, which is delivered by the copy boy. After proofreading, it is returned to the layout artist once more to do a negative, which would only take about five minutes and then it’s off to the printers. At times, the chief photographer would discuss with a specific layout artist on which photo would be used for the front page. The layout artists also decide which sentences to cut out, if the exceeding sentences are few; should the exceeding sentences be many, the slug will be sent to the editor and s/he will be the one to revise.

Since the dawn of technology, the newsroom of today differs greatly from the times before. The technologies used in newsrooms today are television and internet radio for monitoring news. Wire stories are bought from Reuters, AFP (Agence France-Presse), AP (Associated Press), and etc. through the internet. High-technology printers are also of great use to the newsroom. Cameras like Nikon D7000 and Canon EOS 5D Mark II put cameras like Thornton Pickard single lens reflex camera and Sanderson hand/stand bellows camera to shame. Cellular phones are now also used to transmit news stories to editors. Phones that have internet like Blackberry or Android phones are what many journalists are currently using. Reporters also send their news stories through email (electronic mail) via internet.

Where have all the typesetters gone? Back then, newsrooms are usually a noisy place, we were expecting that when we were about to enter the editorial section. It was surprising that the room was quiet; the editors rarely spoke with each other because they exchange or send their slugs by saving them in their computer network. Technology was definitely an influential aid to the media. A news report on a press conference is done even before the actual press con is to finish. Nowadays, news travel faster than a bullet train does.