HALO-HALO: My Gossip Column
By Raïssa Robles
I got this text from a pissed-off theater-goer:
2 senators in full view of entire theater escorted to seats in the middle of a performance of Lisa Macuja farewell performance at aliw theater Friday oct 7.
My curiosity was instantly piqued because not many Filipinos go out of their way to watch ballet on a Friday evening – especially a full-length classical ballet. That’s usually not how Filipinos want to spend their TGIF moment.
Still, several hundred fans of prima ballerina Lisa Macuja braved the traffic to view her dancing Odette and Odile for the very last time. But just as they were being drawn deep, deep into the the magical mood of theater, one and then two figures were seen walking at the edge of the light.
They were definitely not part of choreography. In the dim light, their silhouettes were unmistakable.
“Isn’t that —”
“And that’s —-” the audience murmured.
Lisa Macuja dances Odile in 'Swan Lake' - from her Faceb0ok page
The presence of the two senators was a surprise to my source who saw the duo. I agreed with my source. Swan Lake was not something that would pop in your mind when you think of the two.
What got the audience was that the two lawmakers violated a cardinal rule in theater-going – at least in big stage performances abroad. When late, one has to wait for an intermission before being ushered in.
“They cannot do that. Just walk in in the middle of something,” my source said.
“If somebody walks in in the middle of a performance, it’s not nice,” my source sniffed.
But I told my source it was the fault of the ushers who let them in. It’s the wang-wang mentality embedded in Philippine culture to accommodate the wealthy and the powerful always.
True, my source said, but those two should have known better.
Ever the trooper, Lisa Macuja did not skip a step despite the rude interruption. Or maybe she just didn’t see.
However, she hinted on her Facebook page that she did not enjoy her Friday performance as much as her next one. She wrote:
My 2nd performance of Odette/Odile yesterday was more fun to dance. I really felt more comfortable and certainly enjoyed the performance. One more on Oct. 15 at 5pm. But first, onward to the House of Congress today!
I nagged my source to tell me who the senators were.
Oh my.
My source said:
Miriam and Trillanes.
“What’s that? Mother and son?” someone else to whom I told the anecdote said.
Did you know that at the Department of Foreign Affairs, junior officers are encouraged to take foreign language courses.
Recently, the number of those who wanted to take up Mandarin was quite big, so the DFA decided to halve the class. One half still took Mandarin, but the other half was made to take Arabic.
Mandarin to Arabic, hmmm. Okay, both use squiggly writing.
With Christmas fast approaching, female reporters in one newspaper are wondering what Christmas greetings will surprise them in their e-mail.
You see, one of their male editors had sent them a photo of himself clad in nothing but swimming trunks.
Maybe it was his way of singing “Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells. Jingle all the way!”
Political Jaywalker says
Proof that money can’t buy class and high position in life does not guarantee one will automatically have class when they are lacking in the first place, LOL….. Perhaps we can blame the ushers for their feudal mindset in pleasing the powers that be but then again people who are in the know should be more considerate to others. But then again how can they when most of their life they are narcissistic and staying in power makes it a necessity to be a narcissist even more.
Rallie F. Cruz says
Carrying a title in the Philippines especially like that of a being senator or congressman who seem to lose respect even to protocols have become common.
These are the politicians who in the campaign trails tell the people that they are Filipino Servants and once elected, automatically becomes a lord with stupid entourage of so called body guards, barring those who elected them to even come near.(with exception of course if the guest is the one who contributed a bigger sum for his win).
This also reminded me of the late Cory Aquino, then President, who by call of duty as a witness to a case in court told the press, she is going there as an ordinary citizen. To my dismay, she was not treated well in court as if it was an open season yet she never used her power to retaliate and continue to reply to all the insulting questions with humility.
In another instant, it was then the turn of Mrs. Imelda Marcos to stand witness to their own trials,entering the court pompously that even the Court Judge need to stand to pay her respect to the First Lady. And you just have to see how the questions were raised to her as if it was orchestrated that questions were thrown to her with caution not to irritate her.
So, back to the topic, the senators who believe they are in power to make laws, orders and protocols thought they also have the right to break it anywhere and everywhere.
BFD says
This only shows how deep the fear is embedded in the Filipino psyche for the Marcoses….
Rochie says
i was hoping you would write about the wedding of your friends steve and pia mago. that would make this halo-halo better than chowking’s. hehehe
The EQualizer says
Sonny Trillanes was much better off while in stockade.Principled and brave.Now he is silent in the company of tradpols in the Senate.He is ranked so low among the senators in the EQ Poll on 10 best senators.
nona says
you elect peasants so what do you expect.
it would never happen at covent garden – thats the home of civilised ballet and audiences.
pearls before swine and no doubt someone else was paying for their tickets.
if they were paying they would have been on time, or been sufficiently educated to know the etiquette.
and noone had the cojones to complain or throw them out.
i had a congressman ejected from a restaurant recently for raucous behaviour. he didnt like it but he was so drunk it was embarrasing to all and nobody did anything. i did and kept the video for future evidence in case i ever needed it.
raissa says
Want to send me a copy of the video?
[email protected]
Thanks.
nanie geronimo says
To the two senators – Oedipus complex
To the second – Talk in tongues
To the third – maliit na bagay para pagusapan!
Rallie F. Cruz says
To the third- maliit na bagay may be right but the message for being bare could be, “I am an empty tree waiting to be filled up to become a Christmas Tree” .