don't call it a comeback
vanessa asked me to teach a hip hop dance routine to an afterschool city youth group. it's for a program she coordinates called eskwela kultura, a segment of filam arts.

"dude, just say 'yes' and make my weekend relaxing."

ok, it's been yeeeeeeeeeeeeears (imagine me saying it like that) since i have done choreography. i mean, not since i dated my ex who was a professional dancer (well, maybe a couple of years, just for fun) have i even made a routine. i just took up freestyle dancing recently, when i bumped into an old dance mentor and he told me about some underground dance spots and that all the old heads are out.

AAAAAAAAND... not only do i have to teach hip hop but i gotta implement traditional pilipino moves, "funkdify" them (see, i used a term that dated myself), and teach it to them. so not only do i have to make up eight counts, i gotta go bust out some old ass PCN tapes and remind myself some dances. (i can name some muslim and igorot dances in the top of my head right now)

so...

it's for the kids

it's for a good cause

it's money


fugg man... call me "come back kid"? we shall see


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i was also asked to lay some vocals down

my friend who is a producer attended this event that i co-produced and co-hosted. that was the second time he heard me sing and like it enough to ask me if i was interested in laying down some vocals to his tracks.

hell fucking yea!!!!

we shall see


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the new issue of "word is bond" is out now. so i heard. that is the journal that recently published my poem. it's cool cuz nommo is coming up and i am going to read it there. been a minute since i read something new.

been writing more. it's fun. i don't put that pressure on me like i did before. what i did is that is started writing vignettes for my screenplay. and my one woman show. muahahahahahaha! beware! don't do anything silly around me cuz i may have to write about it. that is the ups and downs of being friends with an artist.

we shall see

transitions

blessings are all around me. this year three babies have been born in my circle of friends (two of them are twins). now three more sistas in bc are expecting. (not to mention, two more sistas got married and another one shall be married by the end of the year). two got promoted. one is returning grad school. one started writing her play. another is taking a chance and making shit happen for her long time dream to come through.

so i took a break from my series of paintings on domestic violence, and painted canvases commemorating the women in my life, their future seeds, the healing of their hearts, and the empowerment they give me just by being in my circle.



this is belle. her and my morton brother (ha! remember that?) are expecting their first child. 405 and the 5 connects in san diego, where she is from. but the both lead to los angeles, where she finally settled and found caine.



this is just a small preview on the painting i am doing of vanessa. if you know v like i do, then you know how notorious she is with smoking. she works in the harsh world of arts non-profit, so you can understand the stress she goes through on the daily.


in solidarity, i pledged to be "pregnant" with them, meaning, no drinking, no smoking, no caffiene, no coffee, nothing.

and i lasted for two days.

man that shit is hard. but then again, i am not carrying a child so it is easier for me to be lenient on myself.

due to popular demand...

here are pics from the wedding. it was a truly beautiful beautiful event and i was glad to be able to witness their meeting, their courtship, to their wedding. here's to more years to come.... AND LOTS OF BABIES =)



this is the bride, cristy aka dj.



this is me with my van helsing hair do. wow, my head is huge compared to dj's



and this is the dress that makes me look like the queen of all hershey kisses. bustier + corset= my boobies squeezed till they are shelf for someone's beer stien. "can't breeeeeathe"



the cutest couple! so, i promised myself i wouldn't cry. but when don saw dj walking down the aisle, he started tearing. then dj's sister started crying. and then i started tearing, not crying. and dj whispers to don "man up to me, babe"



the cake topper... nuff said



the cake..mmmmmmm



this is christel and arnie. i will be in their wedding... IN HAWAII!!!! AAAAH YEAAA!



did i mention there was an open bar? yea, that is elvin from room to improv



awwwww, the old roommate and the college buddy



cristie from college.. notice my hair is slowly dreading up due to all the hairspray. needless to say, my hair was mad at me and decided to reclaim herself



in fact, the whole wedding was like a college reunion for me



the first dance



father/daughter dance. notice the tissue in hand...



crazy smitten productions. come to think of it... hey, kat! when are we producing a show again???



belle and caine... and baby in the womb!!!! yeaaaay, i am an auntie



cake cutting.. which means...



don is scheming...



and dj is protesting...



and they managed to feed each other cake without wearing it. though it was painfully tense...



i don't know what he did to make her jump... hehhehe



faith... raising the roof and drink in hand. apparently, she is too busy to catch any bouquet.. hehehe...



faith and b =)



carlo and me before



and then us AFTER the photographer has left. sorry, my shoes and corset were killing me. and i wanted to dance. and so did he...

ps...

i was outside, on the deck, over looking a field of trees, with my friend's laptop. i am a big believer of wireless internet. wow...

neural transmissions in motion with tympanic heart bumps
it's the afternoon after dj and don's wedding. i am still groggy from the late night talks with dj's sister cindy, the midnight raids of fridges, the constant running of wedding errands, and then finally, the actual wedding day. a whole day of hairdressers, make up artists, squeezing in corsets and bustiers, photographers, wedding planner's loving barks, and family galore.

while dj and don had a magical night, it was a college reunion for me. they got me to do tequila shots. had to kick back on the alcohol cuz i don't want to be THAT kind of bridesmaid.


but 7 month old kayla kept me sober.

after the photographer left, i changed in a more comfortable outfit, west coast hip hop bgirl. then i grabbed kayla and we danced, introducing her to pharoah monch, mos def, and salt n peppa... yes, salt n peppa.


now i am in lafayette, a little bougie suburb outside of san francisco. we are getting ready for my kuya's bday party. they live in this fatty house on a hill. i felt i was in the way so i retreated in their office. his gf gave me the duty of stuffing a curious george bush pinata with liquor candy.

soooo... yea... life is good. i got the new les nubiennes playing, my peet's coffee with soy, and a stuffed pinata next to me.

more pics to come...