Not according to plan

I've been taking leaves while making preparations for my relocation to the US. But since this week is my very last full week, I wanted to make it a point not to miss a day.

Unfortunately, my little boy had an accident and we needed to rush him to the hospital Tuesday night, then we had a couple of tests done in the morning. So I ended up missing work.

Fortunately, it turned out to be nothing to worry too much about. Unfortunately, my on-air plans were shot. But that's life when you have kids. Not every thing goes according to plan.

Well, at least I still have my last weekday show today and my two upcoming specials of The Blend to look forward to.

My farewell tour

Today marks the beginning of the end for me at Jam 88.3. It will be my last Monday on air, the beginning of my final full week on air.

After I wrap-up my last weekday show on Thursday, I still have two editions of The Blend to do (March 1 & 8), then that will be it.

When I began planning my departure, these were all just dates on a calendar. Now, the finality of it is beginning to sink in.

Part of me is happy that I'll be on my resignation leave already, since I'll have more time for preparations. There's still so much we have to do.

I'm also feeling very sad since I've been with Jam from the launch in 2003, plus Radio has been part of my life for the past 8 years.

I can't wait for this to be over. The time nearing the very end is often more difficult to deal with than the end itself.

Not why I'm leaving

Over the past few months, there have been several political developments in our country that many people would consider downright outrageous. It has come to the point where citizens are talking about another "revolution" and maybe even snap elections.

I just want to the record straight and say that, even though the situation here in the Philippines looks bad and some people feel like there's not much hope in sight, this is not the reason why my family and I are relocating to the US.

There are many reasons to why I have to move back, the main ones are family-related. I haven't had much time lately to blog, but I'll try to get into it sometime soon. Right now, I just don't want people to think I'm one of those who has given up on the Philippines.

Making up for a forgotten anniversary

I've been so darn occupied lately, with preparing for my family's move to the US, that I completely forgot the 3rd anniversary of my a cappella show "The Blend".

Last year I had a cappella groups come in and perform live on the show, for a whole hour each, but I don't think I have time to arrange something like that.

Aids (of the Bystanders), who has been dropping in during the show to help me out, has suggested that I do a musical special before I go. That got my imagination going.

For my last 3 shows, I plan to do musical specials. Here they are:

Feb 16: RnB Special*

Mar 01: Beatles Special*

Mar 08: All of my personal favorite a cappella songs


*Since making the entire 3 hours of The Blend RnB or Beatles will be off-formate for Jam, I'll probably have a 50-50 split (Half-RnB half-Jam, and half-Beatles and half-Jam.)

I hope people like my last shows. :)

Fading away

Many people would choose for things to end quickly, rather than drag it out. Sort of like in dying, they fear the pain of fading away slowly. Somehow, in the same way, I feel my stint in Philippine Radio is ending the slow painful way.

I've been do darn busy preparing for our big move to the US, that I haven't had much time to concentrate on the quality of my weekday show. There's just so many things that I have to take care of, that I've even had to take a couple of days of leave here and there.

I like my weekday shows to be feature-filled and full of info. Lately I've felt like I'm cheating listeners since I haven't had much time for research and all that. Hopefully they'll remember my show for the content that it usually had, and not it's state near the end.

Pretty Man?

Since I'm relocating soon to the States, my wife and I are spending on things here that are more expensive over there. The other day we went shopping for a bunch of clothes and had some medical procedures done.

I felt like Julia Roberts in "Pretty Woman" going around stores all over Glorietta trying on everything and buying things left and right. Shopping really is not my thing. But my wife got a kick out of it, even joking that she was Richard Gere I was her "Pretty Man".

That afternoon we went to our appointment at my HMO's clinic, to have moles removed and warts cauterized. I had two small moles removed from my face, and a couple dozen warts removed - some were microscopic. (I didn't even know they were there).

At the end of the day, I was just like Frankenstein. I was exhausted, and moaning instead of speaking. Plus, I had scabs and stitches on my face. Not a "Pretty Man". Not even by a long shot.