Friday, September 05, 2008 Oktoberfest kicks off today By Roger Serna Sounds and images
GUESS what woke me up from drowsiness early Monday morning?
Two Christmas songs simultaneously playing courtesy of two giant network’s early morning programs that my two neighbors were watching. More songs followed from the radio sets of other households.
It’s still a long way to go before Christmas but the country’s media outlets are paving the way for us to live up to the tag of “having the longest yuletide season worldwide.”
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Before the most anticipated time of the year comes, though, we still have to pass through three months, which have their own highlights as well. In Cebu, the Press Freedom Week takes center stage on the last week of September.
It’s when employees from competing media outlets come together and, even for just a few days, place competition in the backseat just to bond with each other in several activities within the celebration.
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San Miguel Oktoberfest Siento Bente (SMOSB) kicks off today in Lapu-Lapu City simultaneously with those in Iloilo, Davao, Olongapo and Sta. Rosa City.
This coincides with two attempts by San Miguel Pale Pilsen to snatch two world records: that of the most number of people toasting and the longest beer bar, happening all over Ortigas Center in Mandaluyong City complete with four stages to accommodate around 40 of the country’s sought-after bands to entertain the anticipated crowd.
SMOSB is also an attempt at a world record, that of being the longest Oktoberfest celebration lasting 120 days, thus the name of the event. It will be more exciting if we become part and parcel of the record-setting events.
What do you think?
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So the so-called Cebuano/Visayan text votes and the perceived diehard texters are not products of the imagination, after all.
Cebuano Pinoy Dream Academy Season II scholar Van Louelle Pojas has been included in the Top 6, thanks to your votes.
Van’s close friend Hansen Nichols was dropped from the list for having garnered a lower percentage of text votes. But the support for Van does not end there, mind you, faithful and loyal Visayan texters.
Van’s handler Mario Colmenares immediately texted me to help seek further support for Van until the final stretch of the reality show on Sept. 13 (the awarding is on the 14th).
So, Visayan texters, the texting task goes on!
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The recent tragic incident involving a C-130 airplane brought to mind the first time I experienced flying. You got it right! It was onboard a C-130 plane some 26 years or so ago that I first tasted the joy of riding an aircraft.
I said “joy” because unlike others who narrated their nerve wracking first experience, mine was the opposite as I was with a group of 32 people, all members of the Southwestern University Dance Troupe. They were tasked to represent the region in the then Army Reserve Command Day held every Sept. 1.
We were in a very jovial mood, eating bam-i and sliced bread with our bare hands while sitting on the aircraft’s floor even as the engines were already running full blast.
Being mostly first-time flyers, we did not anticipate what happens when an aircraft takes off. So all of us, except for a few who were lucky to grab the seats at the side, were flat on our backs when the aircraft took off (much to our surprise and delight, of course).
The whole trip was very enjoyable despite the fact that we had to shout and strain our eardrums so that conversation could go on until touch down in the then Villamor Air Base. The event, which we were supposed to participate, was cancelled after a week of rehearsals because of a red alert situation in Manila.
With heavy hearts we again boarded a C-130 for home. We had a brief stopover in Samar to unload some wooden boxes which we sat on during the return flight. It was in Samar that we learned those boxes were coffins containing the bodies of soldiers.
We had to make the sign of the cross in awe from what we learned. An hour after we were back at the then Mactan Air Base not expecting that the experience will cling to our minds for a long time.
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Let me congratulate (belated it may be) the famous (o-ha!) Knapsack Dancers (led by Cinbeth Orellano whom I love to call the Eternal Ms. Cebu), which celebrated its 15th anniversary last Sunday with a program at the SM City Cebu Entertainment Plaza.
The celebration was graced by famous personalities who had in one way or another been part of the Knapsack’s long and fruitful career in the entertainment scene. More power, dear friends!
