mixed emotions

As I write this, Boboy and wife Bong, Betta and Butch (APO’s managers and friends since high school) are waiting for their flight to go back to Manila. Danny left after the Sydney show since he had stuff to attend to.

I’ve had quite a schedule since last week.

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Flew out of Sydney to Melbourne wednesday last week to join Danny and Boboy for the Kumustahan Tour which started there last friday. The concert was so much fun. At the very least it warmed our tropical hearts and that of the audience that showed up at the grand Hamer hall in this charming city with neurotic weather. Flew out early the next day to return to Sydney to do the Saturday show at tha Capitol theater.

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After four and a half months of not seeing my friends and performing with them, it was quite a treat. That’s really understating it–it was a feast! We were bonded, synched, melded on and off stage and it showed and glowed. We used to have a saying years ago when Michael Jordan and the Bulls reigned supreme in the NBA. Whenever we had a great performance, we would say to each other that ‘we were the Bulls tonight!’ Our shows in Melbourne and Sydney seemed like it to us. It’s great to reap 37 years of friendship and team work and be able to invoke the ‘zone experience’ when we want it.

It was also good to catch up with my friends and reconnect where we left off. We had long heart-to-heart talks. It was quite an eye-opener for them to stay at our place and see me doing chores, driving them (on the ‘wrong’ side of the road at that!) and seeing how our family life has settled in here in this foreign place.

On my end, I must confess that a double whammy bout of nostalgia and homesickness hit me quite hard which got me depressed sort of. I felt I was missing a lot by not being with friends and being home. And even if I know I will be joining them in a few days for shows in Manila, I already feel equally bad about leaving my family behind here in Sydney. It’s a quandary most Filipinos, including Rizal during his time must have felt.

Dalawang daigdig, magkaibang pampang
Pinaghihiwalay ang kambal kong buhay
Kung maari lang sana’y magtayo ng tulay
At sa bawa’t isa ako ay manirahan
Lupang tinubua’y hindi naiiwan
Ano mang paglimot hindi matutunan
Laging nakalanghap sa lupang katawan
Kahit naroroon sa malayong bayan
Laging umiihip ang hanging amihan
Laging dumaraing ang dating kundiman

-a song from “Bayani”, a musical on Jose Rizal I made years ago with Bienvenido Lumbera. Thanks Monica (my niece) for putting this in your blog. Yours and my feelings exactly.

I was quite happy settling in before all this. But since I know there will be more occasions such as these in the future where I will be going in and out of Sydney to Manila and other places, I may as well just get used to this roller coaster emotional ride.


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Been receiving packages here and there from long time friends, new ones I’ve met on the net, and even newer friends I just met here in Sydney. To all of you, salamat. I will have time soon to digest all the music, CDs, and food (thanks Sachiko) in the next few days.

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Aside from concerts in Manila and the Kumustahan leg of the tour in Guam and Saipan, one of the reasons I will be going back to Manila is because of a new CD that’s just been out. It’s a tribute to APO hits as done by the current bands. It’s an exciting, eclectic mix of styles that these young artists used to come up with this 18 song collection. From what I gather, it’s been getting massive airplay in Manila. This thrills us no end of course, knowing that the young are going gaga over our music. Try to score a copy. You’ll love some of the versions. Together with their takes is another CD containing the original versions by us. It’s a collector’s item.