Alanis

Alanis Morissette

I went to Alanis Morissette's Can't Not Tour Live in Manila gig as a favor to a reviewer friend. It was also for free so why not? But upon noticing the predominantly young people outside the venue, I had an afterthought. Honestly, I could've backed-out right there and then. I think we're out of place.

It was the 90's. It was the decade of grunge, Lilith Fair and angst ridden songs. My kind of music is already passe if we were to base it on the poorly attended A Spanner in the Works tour by Rod Stewart held just a few months earlier.

Needless to say, I stayed and it turned out to be the right decision. Besides, I didn't want to deprive my friend of his concert review.

Inside the big dome, it was hot and humid. The audience bristling in anticipation. And when the Canadian lass came out to almost no fanfare with locks swirling clad simply in shirts and denims on a sparse stage, the crowd erupted!

I felt the ground shook as the fans stomped in unison to the intro of "Hand in My Pocket," fist pumped to "You Ought to Know," (surprisingly even the males) turned somber singing along to "Ironic" and reflective all throughout "Head Over Feet."

Everyone it seems, except me, knew the words to all of her songs even that so-called hidden track in her album sung acapella.

When Alanis broke into the Beatles' "Happiness is a Warm Gun" for the encore, I smiled sheepishly like a young boy and said "She's an old soul after all!"

The following day after work, I went straight to the nearest record bar to snag a copy of Jagged Little Pill.

Talk about hang-over or to be more precise, impact.

No, Alanis Morissette didn't possess the elegance of Stevie Nicks, the towering presence of Chrissie Hynde, the iconic stature of fellow Canadian Joni Mitchell and the mystic of Grace Slick but at the height of her popularity, she was nearly as good as the aforementioned legendary rock goddesses.

Neil

One night, dad arrived with some new cassette tapes.

"For you," he proudly said as he handed over a shrink wrapped audio cassette tape.

Holy cow, Neil Diamond's 20 Golden Greats!

There's our man clutching the microphone, his right arm raised up to the heavens like some TV evangelist!

I said "What?"

Back then, I considered the guy a "baduy" crooner who appealed mostly to bored housewives and widows a la Barry Manilow.

That awful duet of his with Barbra Streisand? It still makes me cringe after all these years.

But I have to admit, the guy's a born showman. Like Elvis, he's got that deep baritone, sideburns, jumpsuits and flair for the dramatics. No wonder dad dug him instantly.

My favorite Neil Diamond tune? If you've seen Pulp Fiction, you'll know it right away.

Smokin'

I can quit you baby!

I started to smoke at the tender age of seventeen. Yup, I was barely out of high school and puberty.

Back then, a stick of my brand can be had for a measly twenty five centavos.

It was 1983.

Together with my grandparents, we moved in to an unfinished duplex house in the middle of that same year.

An uncle who grew up in Manila and just a few years older than me detested the fact that he'll be living in some barrio from then on. Maybe for many years or maybe for the rest of his life. Who knows?

The same barrio where you have the streets practically deserted by nine o'clock in the evening.

Aside from a handful of "barangay tanods" chatting while patrolling the streets, all you could hear are the chirping of crickets and the roar of motorcycles passing by intermittently. 

My uncle and I would reminisce and talk about a lot of things just to kill time because the days seemed longer and the nights endless.

He was also the one who taught me how to be a cowboy. If you're familiar with a particular commercial in the 80's, you'll catch my drift. The first time I dragged those fumes, there was a head rush. "Don't worry, it'll wear out later." he said.

But I never blamed him for introducing me to this vice. It's a rite of passage.

Back in my college days, cigarette vendors were allowed inside the campus. I mean they were practically everywhere - the catwalks, beside the cafeteria, in the front gates and along the corridors.

Times were different then. Smoking was still cool. Malls, movie houses and joints like McDonald's and Dunkin' Donuts used to have smoking sections.

As the years passed, the coolness that was once associated with this vice steadily dissipated. The medical profession became more aggressive in their anti-smoking drive and bombarded the media, both print and broadcast the dangers and perils of lighting it up.

Soon, the advertising community would also join the fray. Business establishments such as malls and restaurants gradually banned smoking inside their premises.

If you want to take a puff, you have to step outside. Well, it's not really humiliating but you somehow feel isolated, like you're stricken with some kind of a contagious disease or something.

In 2013, the sin tax measure was approved. The result? Unprecedented price increase on all cigarette brands.

The way things stand, it ain't gonna get cheaper. The vice will literally burn a hole in my pocket in the days to come.

Health wise, it's a no-brainer. The many years inhaling all those harmful smoke surely must have taken a toll now on this aging body.

Time to quit.

That's the hardest part.

Phenom Out

Alyssa Valdez

Every little thing she does is magical in the eyes of her many followers or even detractors.

Whenever she's on the service line, there's this unmistakable roar of the crowd reverberating in the confines of the playing venue.

Every time she would soar for a hit, the crowd goes wild in anticipation more so if it's a successful spike.

One time, she wiped her sweat off with her jersey accidentally revealing those abs and the crowd went nuts.

She's mobbed every time she's headed to the dugout, the team bus or her car.

That's how popular the young Batangueña wearing Ateneo De Manila University Lady Eagles' jersey number 2 is. She's undoubtedly the face of Philippine volleyball today.

Perhaps it's the demeanor inside and outside the court that has endeared her more to her countless fans.

Perhaps it's her quiet and unassuming ways.

Perhaps it's because of her being a clutch player. The type who won't shy away during crunch time. Like Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Lebron James and Steph Curry in the NBA, she won't hesitate to take over during the crucial stages of a match.

Her attacking skills is unrivaled on Philippine shores. She has proven that time and again even in international competitions - the Asian Under 23 held here and the SEA Games in Singapore.

The last UAAP match she played however, was not the most fitting of finales after her school relinquished the crown to their bitter arch-rivals.

No three-peat. No championship send-off. No storybook ending.

Still, she went out swinging up to the last point like a true western gunslinger. She was in tears but didn't look defeated.

She held center court, made the rounds of the venue, did her own lap of champions, hugged the victors and waved to thousands of supporters amidst a deafening cheer.

She then gathered her teammates for what would be the last time, assured each and everyone there's nothing to be ashamed of as they gladly wore that hard-earned silver medal.

Five seasons, two championships, three runner-up finishes, three MVP plums and a host of other individual accolades later, her collegiate career is done.

Phenom out.

Take a bow Alyssa Valdez!