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[Mariposa79]

And he's from OHIO?! Corn and Open Spaces sure did him good..


One evening, I was setting up the table for dinner. Previews for "You're the One" came on the TFC channel, they were starting to show it in parts of San Francisco and San Diego. I was like, " Yay! I love Filipino American movies! Just like the movie " Debut or Adobo." Somehow I thought that " You're the One" was some kind of Filipino Independant Film. Sadly, the movie it was coming out here when I am leaving for the Phillipines. Never knowing, lead actor became the biggest phenomenon there. It had me running a race against time and knowing that there was something bigger was watching over me. All I wanted was some rest and relaxation. A chance to be on my own and make my parents proud by living the life from where they grew up. A life without Wifi, Jamba Juice , working hot water, working toilets, and central air condition.

Two days into my trip, I was stuck through a typhoon, brown outs and got attacked by flies and mosquitoes. I never realized that I could be such a germ and bug a phobic. I was hauling sanitizer wipes, bleach wipes, and Avon's skin so soft.
I could hear my brother's voice in my head. " Liza! You don't need all that!" Ironically, he was laughing at me because I was complaining of the bites I got and the fear of illness that these blood suckers carry. Vanessa and her friend came to visit us in Olongapo City. We stayed at the Marina Hotel at Subic Bay. Belle brought her DVD player and a the pirated version of " You're the One." After we ate, danced and listened to live bands at Pier One. We watched the movie at the hotel.
" Who's that?" I asked Belle.
" Sam Milby." she responded.
" He reminds me of a Filipino version of Freddie Prinze Jr. He's hot."
Joyce ( Vanessa friend) jumped in, " I saw him once. He came to my gym at GreenHills."
" Lucky." I told her.
" Have you heard his album? It's pretty good."
He sings too !? This I got to see.
Towards the end of the week, I went to see my father's side of family in Dagupan. We passed by SM Pampanga and Sam was going to be there. He was there promoting " "Maging Sino Ka Man" (Where are you now?)his telesyre/telenovia/soap opera with John Llyod Cruz, Anne Curtis, and Bea Alonzo. No fair I am going to Pangasinan. Here's funny part. I stayed in that area visiting the sites and cities such as Baguio. The moment I left Pangasinan, Sam came to Dagupan for another mall show.

Before my parents went home and left me behind. ( Actually, I stayed to accompany Belle to her interview at the US Embassy.) We went to SM Pampanga in San Fernando.
" Liza, Look!" Belle pointed out as we passed by Bench . It was Sam's Poster Ad for the store.
" It's just an infatuation. I don't know the guy." I wasn't even looking where I was going. My eyes were on that poster. I slammed into a telemarketer trying to sell investments and insurance. To apologize, I sat through their two hour presentation trying to sell insurance and investments. I tried to be technical and philosophical, they can't take no for an answer. Here were my answers.
" I don't live here! I am a struggling student! I have too much credit cards! I am on vacation! Que? Hablan espanol? Sign languages, ' I am deaf I don't understand.'
I maybe an heiress to a california real estate empire but the money isn't mine yet. I am running on what I got for my vacation. They made me write an essay about my dream and goals were. They left me alone and I was into my writing. Like a lion stalking its prey. They popped out of nowhere. That scared the bejesus out of me.
" What are you doing? How old are you? Do you have a boyfriend? Hey we have a single representative? Are you from America?"
I felt like saying, " Hey! See this table that I am sitting in? This is my bubble and you are BURSTING IT !! So, take a couple of steps back and I will let you know when I am done here." Instead, I politely asked them to give me time.
I tried to sneak out. My foot was out the door and I realized, ' Holy Cow! They have my credit card and they snapped a picture of me!'
In the end, I got a free clock.

So it begins..........

You know, there's this saying where you don't noticed anything until it got your attention and then you noticed. Well, Sam is freaking everywhere! From advertisements, commercials, and movie promotions. Haha! This guy. He such a commerical pimp. I was watching youtube while Belle was printing her paper requirements for the US Embassy interview. The way he runs away and hides when he saw his videos on his ice skating days on Pinoy Big Brother, the way he how he talks about motocross and his days back in Ohio. Being an guitarist in a band. ( 80's ROCK! WOO!) The way he jokes about the tiniest little things either about himself, his costars or that Louis Vuitton ring that was stuck on his finger or the way how he rocks that guitar. The way how he tries to learn tagalog by learning the song Pinoy Ako( I am Filipino).My favorite thing about him how he talks about his walk on Sharon, going to church and he mentions GOD in various parts of magazine interviews. He manages to keep that good clean boy next door image. No wonder why the country is smitten by him. Don't forget to mention lucky. Even though, he is still learning Tagalog. His lines are mostly in English. Man, the producers must have love him. I remember one movie with Sandara Park and all through out her lines were, " SLOWLY! I DON'T UNDERSTAND! WHAT?, SPEAK ENGLISH." I had to admit about that, it was pure genius to have only four lines that was repeatedly over and over again.

The Opportunity of a Lifetime -
" Vane met Sam." She said.
" What? How come you didn't tell me?" I responded to Belle.
" I did. She even took a picture with him"
" Liar! " as I laughed. " Girl, don't you play me." Trying to shake my head like a soul sister.
" Honest, It's in her profile in Friendster."
She opened her laptop and got online to look for the picture. But it wasn't posted in her profile. It wasn't until my trip to Manila when I got to talk to Vane.
Belle said that one of Vane's friends is a friend of Sams. The two sister talk among themselves in tagalog. I was trying to catch on what they are saying, suddenly the word ASAP came up. We had our lunch. As Belle was ordering, I was upstairs talking with Vane. I asked her questions about Sam just to humor me.
" Is he nice?"
" Yes." she said
" Is he charming?"
" Yes."
" Is he tall ?"
" Sort of. "
" I am so envious of you. Wish I was there. "
" I even got the picture to prove it. " Then Vane said, " Want to meet him?"
Three degrees of separation is what Brian Herzlinger would say in his documentary movie , " My Date with Drew." This was mines.
" God willingly if this can happen. " I told Vane.
Well, Phillipines is small. It's not like the US where it's hard to find Justin Timberlake, or Jake Gyllenhal or Will Vilderama. How hard can it be? ( Now, it's your cue to laugh knowing how naive I am.) But I refused to fall into false hopes.
Couple days later, Vanessa emailed her picture with Sam.

Gasp! I texted Vane, " Let's do this! "
" Let me check out his schedule. I am going to make it happen before you leave home. I know that this a dream of yours."
Oh my gosh! I am going to meet Sam Milby! Am I going to sit and chat with him ? What I am going to say or talk about? Shall I do my Wayne Campbell questionnaire ? Knowing that he's part American, I will ask questions like, " Did you get dual citizenship? What did you do to prevent mosquitoes from eating you alive? In every era the younger generation is getting worse than the last. As an artist, what would do to save the future generation? All of a sudden something hit me like lightening. " Talk about God's gifts and the effect that he has on the media." It was God's word from me to him. I wrote it down on a piece of paper and the words just flowed. It was like an angel grabbed my hand and I started to write. " This is a lot God. Are you sure? and Are you positive that I will be able to deliver this message? These words are strong. Is it too much for him to handle?"
" The seed is the word of God." Luke 8:11, " But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance." Luke 8:15.
My best friend Michelle prayed for me to be a good witness to people. Through out my trip, I was revealed on a lot of things and seen things that are so unexplainable. My faith is stronger than ever.

Unfortunately, Sam left for the US tour from October 27th to the first week of November.
We decided to go to the taping of ASAP the week after. That was the plan.
During that time. We went to visit Pinoy Dream Academy Shop right across the street from ABS-CBN. It was weird, it was like some kind of alternate universe standing outside of the studios. It reminded me standing outside of the rehearsal halls for Disney when I used to perform " Flashbacks" or when I used to walk backstage to get to work at the park.
" Look, there's Sam!" cried out my driver
@_@" Ha. Ha very funny. He's not here." I told him. Omg! If it was. I would be so embarassed by having Ferdz blurting out like that. Please don't let it be another Pierce Brosnan incident. It was cool we get to see the Pinoy Big Brother House and the stage for the Pinoy Dream Academy. To be honest, the stage is so small! It's like the half of a basketball court. It's looks so huge on television. Did they computer generate the audience and the space ?
Belle bought a surprise for me, " Liza. Look what I got for you." Awe, my sister in law loves me. She bought me gifts. It was a coffee thermal cup and a magazine. It Metro HiM and Sam was on the cover. I refused to become a-phillic person and start plastering posters on my wall. Belle flipped to the "Vogue fashion photos" and to the story " Entertainment's New Royal."
" You are absolutely prime evil." I said as she showed me the pictures.
" Sam or me?" she asked
" You! For buying this magazine!"
" You want me to take it back ?"
Like a little girl I took it from her hands, " No mine."
Belle laughs, " Oysus."( Jesus)
On the ride back home to Olongapo City, I was reading the literary composition. There was this sequined jacket on one of the models that posed with Sam. Her name was Bubbles.
" Bubbles?" I said out loud. " Isn't that the name of Michael Jackson's monkey?"
" It's Mr.Peepers." said Ferdz my driver.
" No. Mr. Peepers is Chris Katan's character in SNL."
The people in the van didn't know what was SNL was. I explained to them, "It's where all the comedian greats originated from a variety show that goes on late Saturday Night in the States. " I would love to write for that show and be in it if I am lucky. Hey, it could happen. I am willing to break the color barriers in this country. Rob Schneider said, " He wanted more Filipinos in Hollywood." Hint..Hint Mr. Milby ! You got what it takes! Hint! Hint! Apl.De.Ap (Black Eyes Peas) is created Jeepney records to look for Filipino artists and be able market music world wide.

The Dream...

Dreams are dreams to some people. I took psychology just to study the subconscious mind, why it happens and the motives of why it happens. All the scientific facts of R.E.M and the Sigman Freud theory. In the bible, Joseph was given the gift of interpreting dreams from God. With his gift Joseph was able to save the land of Egypt and became the Pharoah's right hand man. Just like Joseph, I take them seriously because God talks to me and shown me things in them. Sometimes that they are about people, warnings and sometimes they are about the end of times.
Here's my dream.....

I dreamt that I was walking down the halls inside the studios of ABS-CBN. Sam passed me from behind and I didn't even noticed him walk by me. Some studio worker asked me, if I would want to meet up with him at his dressing room. That person lead me there and I could tell that he was there. Just as I was about to touch that handle or knob.
I woke up.
I told Belle about the dream. " Ano ba yan? Sayang!"( What is that? It's a waste)
" I know that door won't open! I woke up with Ferdz phone ringing! If that phone hadn't
rung! Who knows what would have happened!"
I'd say ultimate chaos, where stars collide into a beautiful oblivion.

Little that I know. It was a little warning sign and I threw that dream away because it wasn't from God. But it was. That afternoon, we were ready to go home after shopping at Glorietta, Makati. Belle was talking to her husband ( my brother) on the phone and I was struggling to open the car adapter for my Ipod. Strange vapors started coming out from the vents of the van.
" Ferdz ! The van is smoking!"
' Smoking? It more looks like ice vapors after opening the freezer. It's the AC. ' I thought. Suddenly, the van died. Ferdz and Belle ran out of the van and left me sitting there in the front seat looking out into space, twiddling my thumbs, still struggling to open that package for the car adapter. ' Thanks guys when the boat is sinking. Don't expect me throwing that life jacket anytime soon.'
" Liza! Get out of the van!" cried Belle.
I got out of the van and the van was leaking antifreeze and water from the bottom body pan. Through Belle's phone, I heard my brother " Give that phone to that girl. I want to talk to her." he yelled so angrily. Belle gave me her cell.
" Hello?"
" How come you didn't leave at eight in the morning like I told you too?"
Well hum. hmmm..Let me guess...Yesterday there was the whole color coding thing, I didn't want Ferz , Belle and me baking in the van until 7 p.m. So I extended my stay and they charged me full price at the hotel. It wasn't worth it to just leave after seven. I am getting my full money's worth. Aye! Sarap ang tulog! We got up the but crack in the morning just to go to the US Embassy for the interview the day before. My Kuya knew about it too and he was okay with it.
" Belle wanted to get parts for your computer so we went."
" Screw the computer!"
" Well, we never expected this to happen. Which is better? Being in the city or being stuck at a countryside?"
" Do you know how much the parts run in Manila? It's better to buy parts in Pampanga."
" How in the heck should I know that? It's been two years since the last time I've been here.l Do you expect me to be psychic?"
Suddenly, my brother said, " Don't take that van to Manila anymore!"
' Noooooo!' my mind screamed. You said, ' Don't go to Manila by myself without Belle or Ferdz as my body guard and driver. That means. That I can't go at all.'
I couldn't take it anymore. I gave the phone to Ferdz to explained what happened. I heard grumbles through that phone. So it turns out the electrical wiring is messed up along with the thermostat , hose that connects to the radiator and the belt. It was a constant struggle going back to Olongapo. No ACs. No radio. And I was going to DJ too with the adapter I bought. I could feel the engine struggling to move. If there was traffic the vehicle would die. I saw the upcoming traffic ahead.
I yelled out and slapped my hand on the dashboard. " I place the blood of Jesus to get us home and safely." Basically, the van was kept alive and was running on prayer. It kept on stopping. Even though, there wasn't any tow trucks or triple A. I was surprised on how many people that are willing to help. You really don't get that much good samaritans in the states. It wasn't until we are almost home.
" Sorry. Liza." said Belle. " No van. No ASAP. No Sam."
From that moment I knew, it was the dream. Heartbroken, I accepted it. But I was glad that I made it back.

Race against time

I plopped my body on the cold wooden floor laying there as if someone knocked me out. I looked at my arm and there was another bug bite. It was a flea bite and they got so creative. The bite was a form of a mickey mouse head.
My sister in law came into the room." My visa has been processed!"
Bilis! We were expecting to at least two to three more weeks. It took about a week.
" Sam is back in the Phillipines. He's performing at the Circle Club in Manila this Saturday Night."
Uh? Problem? The van? Hello? She read my mind. " If the van gets fixed on time." she continued.
The van didn't get fixed but I returned to Manila one last time. Belle and I commuted back and we got our plane tickets back to LA. We were buying pasalubong for our friends and family at the Robinsons Center.
Vane joined us for lunch. " Sayang si Sam." (It's a waste with Sam) She said.
" I need more time!" I yelled out. " How tall is he?" I ask Vane. I pointed out to every guy that passed us. " Is he that tall? or is he that tall? What about that height?"
Belle jumped in, " He's my height."
" Eh?!" I gave her the look. " How would you know?"
" I saw him at a mall show for Pinoy Big Brother." she replied.
Gee, Belle and now you're telling me. If he's her height then Toni, Bea, and Anne are shorter than me. He looks tall though. I refused to believe.5''9? Brown eyes? Smile like a sunrise? I have to witness it for myself. One day.

Home to Los Angeles...

As the plane took off from Manila going to Korea. I sat there on what could have been and why things happened. Two days earlier, I was at a carnival and my phone plummet into the ground from the roller coaster. My pictures of my trip was destroyed. Imagine if I did met him and it got destroyed. I would never live with myself but then again it was the day where I was supposed to go to ASAP. Somehow, I didn't go empty handed. My sister in law is going home with me. Finally my Kuya (big brother) and her get to be together after many months of separation. I had the chance to stay but my Kuya couldn't wait. I totally understand. I realized that through out my vacation that God was watching over me and knew what was best for me. It just wasn't the right time. At least he accepted me on his Myspace. ( Hopefully that is the real him) Close enough. But it's nothing compared meeting the real Mcoy. I sat in my mom's chair at her office. One of my coworkers came in and ask how was my trip. I got to interact with dolphins, go to Baguio, scuba dive off Subic Bay, horseback ride, taught my nieces how to swim, and got chased down by a water buffalo. I wanted to stay .I wasn't able to surf off of La Union, Pangasinan, or gimmick at Club 5 or go on Wowwowee or met Sam.
" Meeting Sam would have been the icing on the cake."
" The whole dessert along with the side of Coldstone ice cream."
" Why didn't you call me? My aunt is the talent coordinator for ASAP. She would have hooked you up to meet with Sam."
Oh. There it goes again. The " Three Degrees of Separation". " Why didn't you tell me?"
" I didn't know that you wanted to go to ASAP."
Thanks Ricky but I am here in Los Angeles and he's at the other side of the world.
Just when I think that's safe from the commercials, and billboards. Sam is all over the Filipino newstands at SeaFood City.
Sigh.. Sam there is no escape from you and if you're reading this. It would have been such a great honor to have met you. I give you mad respect as an Filipino American to have made it in the Phillipines. I hope that your career will take you far into the Hollywood circle.