More Stills from "The Performance"

They Made Me Sing at Cafe La Carmela.

It's past midnight and I can't go to sleep. Why? Because my mind kept replaying what happened at Cafe La Carmela. It was probably the craziest thing that's happened to me since I turned 23...and that's only 2 weeks ago.

Crazy! I wasn't prepared for something like this. Last month, I blogged about the 23 things I'd like to do when I turn 23. Number 3 was "Sing a great song in front of an audience." While it wasn't how I envisioned it to be, I still did it. I sang. I sang in front of my officemates and in front of other people I don't know while we were having a birthday dinner celebration for Ms. Joy. I told them I didn't want to do it but my officemates still gave my name to the band.

So when I heard them call my name up on stage, my heart was certainly pounding. I could feel it as if it wants to beat out of my chest. The feeling was terrible. There I was up on stage with my mind absolutely blank. Literally. They asked me what I was going to sing, and I kept telling them, "I don't know." They were throwing random song titles, unfortunately, though I know the song, I couldn't remember the lyrics. It happens when I'm being FORCED to perform in front of a live audience without my knowledge. All of a sudden, the keyboardist started playing the melody of "Through the Fire" -- which made it harder for me because he was playing the original version of the song, while I got used to singing Renee Olstead's version of the Chaka Khan song. Before I knew it, lyrics were come out of my lips...

I look in your eyes and I can see

You love so dangerously

But you're not trusting your heart to anyone...

Hooboy! I am so going to kill my officemates for this! My heart was pounding like crazy. I wanted to leave. But I kept singing, making sure I wouldn't sing out of tune, although I'm sure I had some off-key moments. After the song, I immediately stepped down from the stage and went back to my seat. I could still feel my knees trembling from the nerve-wrecking "performance," if I could call it that. Yes, there's a video. My officemate recorded my stint while I was singing up on stage. But rest assured, no one's ever going to see it. Over my dead body!

Do I cross number 3 out of my list? The verdict: No. First of all, it's not what I wanted to sing. Secondly, it wasn't the song I had in mind when I thought about singing in front of people. So yes, there will be a next time to sing in front of an audience. When that will be, I can't tell yet. But for sure, there will be. And by then, I will be ready and I will be singing with the people I want to be there to hear it.

Hopefully, I can finally rest.

Until next time,

The Oddest Francisco Family Gathering...Yet.

My Tito Bert just arrived two days ago from Canada to visit Lola Bait who’s going to celebrate her 90th birthday on March 14. So when we were on our way to Parañaque for our family gathering, I anticipated we will be talking about Tito Bert’s birthday on Thursday, Lola’s birthday on Saturday, and about my cousin Ate Chrissy’s upcoming wedding in July.

But I was so wrong! Though the discussion about the birthday celebrations and the wedding came up, the day was mostly about my relatives asking me the question I feared to answer. I wouldn’t call it torture...but it did feel like I’ve done something that was out of the ordinary.

Conversation # 1: With Tita Estie
Tita: Ano Margie, may boyfriend ka na ba?
Margie: Wala po.
Tita: Marami bang lalake sa inyo?
Margie: Meron naman po, sa IT department.
Tita: O, eh di pumunta ka dun sa IT.
Margie: Same office po kami. May kasama naman po akong lalake sa office.
Tita: Ganun? Eh di mabuti. Bakit? Wala ka ba magustuhan?
Margie: Tita naman, trabaho po.
Tita: Ano ka ba? Ok lang mag-boyfriend...kaya magpaligaw ka na.

Conversation # 2: With Tito Bert
Tito: Ano na ba ang balita sayo?
Margie: Nagtratrabaho na po ako. Eto po yung magazine namin o. (sabay labas ng InFlight)
Tito: Aba, eh di nakakapunta ka kung saan-saan.
Margie: Opo.
Tito: Mabuti naman kung ganun. Eh may nakilala ka na ba?
Margie: Po?
Tito: Manliligaw? Boyfriend?
Margie: Naku, Tito, wala pa po. Wala pang nagkakamaling manligaw. Hehehe...
Tito: Nagpapakipot ka ata eh. Ang mga pinsan mo may mga boyfriend at girlfriend na. Ate Chrissy mo, ikakasal na, 29 na yun.
Margie: Eh Tito, mag-23 pa lang naman po ako sa April.
Tito: Baka naman ayaw mo magpaligaw. Imposible naman wala ka pa nakikilala.
Margie: Tito...si Papa nga po, hindi ako pine-pressure eh.
Tito: Tahimik lang yan si Nany pero maniwala ka sa’kin, gusto na rin nya magka-boyfriend ka. Ganyan ako sa Ate Chrissy mo.

Conversation # 3: With Lola (talking in Spanish; translated in Tagalog)
Lola: Malapit ka nap ala mag-birthday ano?
Margie: Opo, 23 na po next month
Lola: May boyfriend ka na ba?
Margie: Naku Lola, wala pa po. Hindi ko pa po iniintindi yun.
Lola: Alam mo ba? Kami ng lolo mo, nung kinasal, 23 ako tapos lolo mo 27. Wala man lang ba nanliligaw sayo?
Margie: Lola naman, nakakapressure naman yung sinabi nyo.
Lola: Ang ibig sabihin ko lang, bakit di ka pa magpaligaw?

OH. MY. GOSH.

I never would have thought I would be hearing these things from them.

Why? Why is it that all of a sudden everybody’s interested in my non-existent love life?