"Akala nyu kayo lang ang may picture kasama parents nyu :)) hahahaha ma pa this is for you and i hope that you are proud of me :))" - Kevin Villanueva (photo taken from his instragram account)

Admittedly, at many times I was jealous of how free Kebong was in my own perspective - being able to go out of town, stay up late at bars and do anything he wants without parents and/or guardians to scold and ground him. But then my mom told me about this touching photo of him that turned the picture upside down (figuratively). This made me realize how lucky I am, and how I should appreciate every little thing in my life - because he (Kebong) did so even in the absence of his parents; he loved and valued family, he saw things in a different perspective, he saw the glass half full and unceasingly strive to reach his goals.

Kevin, I know all these are pretty overwhelming, nevertheless I will never stop telling you that you all deserve these - this actually may be the graduation gift you get from your mom and dad, for all the hardships you went through, for triumphantly achieving your dream(s) and for continuously inspiring people. I know that your parents, despite their absence in flesh, are very much proud of you. You have become the person they wanted you to be. You are, by far the greatest representation of The Script's "The Man Who Can't Be Moved".

A slow clap for you, Kebong! *winks*

It has been a while again since my last post, and the reason behind it is already pretty obvious.
These past few days have become so overwhelming that I didn't even knew it was happening, it was as if I was in a trance, a dream I have dreamed a long time ago.

At last, I am now a graduate. After 15 long years of my academic journey, it has finally come to an end. All the sleepless nights, headaches in memorizing dates for my history subjects, elements for chemistry and formulas for algebra and physics. The endless lines of codes in programming electives, a bucketful of technical terms in network and system electives and the heart-stopping thesis are all part now of a wonderful memory of my days as a student.

And of course, these will not all be possible without the grace and guidance of our Lord whom I am very much grateful. To my parents, mom Raquel and dad Russell who have supported me morally, spiritually, emotionally and of course financially throughout my education, loved me unconditionally, accepted and  understands me for who I am, my gratitude and love for you both is endless. To my teachers, mentors and professors who have not only treated me as a student, but as a friend and as a son - thank you for teaching me not only about what's on the syllabus but also the life's lessons. To my friends from kindergarten to college, Mean Girls: the best girl friends I have, to my colleagues and acquaintances, your mere existence gave a lot of thrill during my course of stay in the school, thank you. To the awesome food in the cafeteria served by the best cooks in the Colegio, I will never forget you (the ham sandwiches and Mang George's chicken). The list could go on and on and on, this post isn't even enough to show how thankful I am for having these people around me, who made my everyday a joyous one and made me feel loved, again thank you.

Lastly to my Alma Maters; Ususan Elementary School (UES), Pateros Catholic School (PCS) and Colegio de San Juan de Letran (CSJL) - thank you for molding me into the person I wanted to be. I will make you proud!

My graduation might have put an end to my academic life as a student, yet it also marked the beginning of my life, now as an equipped and grown-up man ready to take on the challenges of life and work (or am I, really?). All the lessons and learning, experiences and sufferings, joys and pains will all be remembered and be put into good use.

Now, it's time to take this up a notch.

I am now ready for you, world!

One of '60s most beautiful actresses, Audrey Hepburn.

One of my obsession as I age is vintage stuff - clothes, jewelries, accessories, design, bags, photographs, art, music and movies. And as I was browsing a blog about the golden era of Hollywood, I came across a stunning, adorable young lady...
And Audrey, Audrey Hepburn was her name.

Born Audrey Kathleen Ruston on May 4,1929 in Brussels, she was recognized as both a film and fashion icon and was active during Hollywood's Golden Age. Roman Holiday, Sabrina, The Nun's Story, Breakfast at Tiffany's, Charade, My Fair Lady and Wait Until Dark are some of the successful films she made during her life as an actress. During her old age, Audrey dedicated her life to UNICEF where she worked and helped the disadvantaged communities in Africa, South America and Asia between 1988 and 1992. She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in recognition of her work as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in late 1992. A month later, aged 63, Audrey died of appendiceal cancer at her home in Switzerland in early 1993.

It's pretty obvious that Audrey's beauty is jaw-dropping, but behind those doll eyes, luscious lips, delicious jaw and elegance lies a heart of gold which makes her who she is.

I personally admire her because she's not like everyone in the showbusiness. It's common for people in the limelight experiencing fame, glamour and money to act like one, and more. Some were addicted to drugs, indulged in too much gambling, committed crimes even! But not her.

Well you can say that everybody has their imperfections but I'm all in awe with how Audrey spent her lifetime. She used her fame to help, and she used it well. It's a lifetime spent worthily.

I too, hope that when I reach that position I dream of, will not forget where I came from and where I will end up. Maximize my strength and use my resources to give aid others, following one of Audrey's words herself...

... But Broadway.

Since the 1900s, Broadway's become more than a mere street but a trophy for fashion, entertainment, and the arts. Luckily, up until now, the Broadway scene - musicals, play, theater and acts are still being preserved, enriched and improved for the next generations to see.

Disney's films and musicals were part of my magical childhood that I will always be thankful for. All the lovely melody of the prince and princesses singing alongside with the animals who are surprisingly humming and dancing simultaneously, all contributed to my dream of becoming a star...

Well, of course we all dreamed of being up in the stage, singing and entertaining everyone. Until we grow up. Yeah, I have actually lost my grip of that dream - mostly because now I'm too shy to sing and move and of course, I find it impossible now.

From my young elementary days, to high school and even the first years in college, I have been a part of the school choir which basically and fundamentally helped me learn about music. It taught me how to sing beyond the mere uttering of the lyrics, read notes, play instruments and keenly listen, not just hear the sound of the music. Unfortunately, I grew up and got busy. And to cut the story short I have stopped singing. I still know how to, but it's not the same unlike before.

Good thing, there's Glee! (Boy, that escalated quickly!) Well, I'm actually thankful for being introduced in such a dreamy and wonderful TV series which made me dream again. All the characters: Rachel, Finn, Kurt, Mercedes, Santana, Artie and the rest of them complimented each other very well which made the series really fun! Some people hate the jolly setting and how every single cue the actors have to sing and dance, and I must admit it's kind of weird if it would be in real life but I find it amusing and lively that's why I kept up with the pace of the story as it reached its 4th season. Imagine a production just like the High School Musical to actually survive the competition amidst giant series like The Walking Dead and The Vampire Diaries for example.

New York, Broadway, stage lights, musical score, script, props, costumes, everything... It makes theater like a fairy tale where you can be who you want to be, sing whenever you want, make your dream come true and have a happy ever after. Thanks to Glee, it have woken up my senses into getting back on track; to dream and chase it until it comes true. Who knows one day I might be a part of The Phantom of the Opera or Miss Saigon, perhaps Les Miserables or be a part of the Glee itself! Dreams are free, you know.

Dreams are like stars... Yeah, I know you must have heard that quote a thousand times. Well, let's put it this way: Dreams are like trains, if you don't chase it you won't be able to get to your destination. Did it make sense? I don't know, what I know is that you just have to keep on dreaming, and do everything to reach it because dreams will always be dreams until you turn them into reality. (Please don't count how many times I used the word 'dreams'.)

Till my next entry!

Laters,
Charlie Tango :-)