For the past few weeks I’ve been addicted to XFACTOR 2009, and I’m glad that JOE McElderry, who is one of my strongest bets (Stacey Solomon, Miss Frank), won the competition.

I actually love the whole batch, and so let me share to you my favorite performances in this season.

Let me start with my favorite group, MISS FRANK

Another favorite performance is Lloyd Daniels with his new look and confidence (nice falsetto at the end part)

Truly one of the best performances in this season, here’s Danyl Johnson

Perhaps the strongest vocals among the girls, Rachelle looked and sounded fabulous in her performance of Tina Turner’s Proud Mary.

This song became an instant favorite of mine after watching this performance of Jamie Archer. I realized how beautifully written this song is. Bow to Roy Orbison.

No doubt, Olly Murs is the best performer in the group. Every performance he had was electrifying, and this performance of his particularly rocks really hard!

My Darling Stacey is such a revelation. From a shy single mom with zero performing experience to a stunning Diva. This performance gave me goosebumps, and as what Louis said, it’s not easy to sing a Freddie Mercury song.

This song also became another favorite of mine after watching this performance by Stacey…

The best duet in the show, here’s pretty Stacey and Mr. Cool Guy, Michael Buble singing my favorite song.

Joe Mcelderry… what can I say? He touches everybody’s heart when he sings. He deserved to win the show. Here are my favorite performances of little Joe.

showing he can handle a “Whitney Houston” song.

Showing so much honesty in his voice, here’s Joe giving more weight to what seemed to be an easy song. Four judges standing again.

This made me remember a very important person in my life. (sniff sniff)

MY TOP FAVORITE PERFORMANCE of Joe. Goosebumps!!! FOUR JUDGES STANDING!

I really enjoyed this season! I hope they’ll have even better contestants next year.

(Kaycy of YATTA and SPA)

No waiting anytime… Is this the sign?!

I remember one night I asked God for a sign so I can make the biggest decision of my life now: to move out of here, or to stay and wait. One time I passed by Silliman High School and got annoyed with a car parked in front of that sign (no waiting anytime), then a young girl hopped into the car then it left. Then yesterday, with Edsel, I passed by that sign again and remembered that incident. Suddenly an idea came to me. Since I have a friend’s camera with me, I thought of taking a photo of Edsel below that sign acting like she’s waiting for someone. But Edsel’s really not into photo shoots so I told her to take a photo of me. However, coincidentally I saw Kaycy on her way to SU High School so I asked her to pose.

Anyway, while uploading this photo on facebook, I looked at the sign really closely. I was amused. Then I thought of that night I was asking God for a sign. Could this be the sign? Well, it is very literal, but who knows?

On my birthday last year, I made a list of the things I thought I needed to do or achieve before I turn 2* this year. I checked the list again today, and dang! I have 2 months to do or achieve at least one in the list. Yes, I have accomplished… none so far.

HELP!

“In Our Darkest Hour
In My Deepest Despair
Will You Still Care?
Will You Be There?
In My Trials
And My Tripulations
Through Our Doubts
And Frustrations
In My Violence
In My Turbulence
Through My Fear
And My Confessions
In My Anguish And My Pain
Through My Joy And My Sorrow
In The Promise Of Another Tomorrow
I’ll Never Let You Part
For You’re Always In My Heart.”
- Michael Jackson, Will You Be There (Free Willy)

Goodbye MJ. You’ve been a great part of my life. My childhood was filled with your music. You will be missed.The issues against you can never defeat the honesty of your songs. Perhaps you’re right. “They don’t really care about us”.

R.I.P. Michael Jackson

What kind of sickness is this?

I’m a “WELL” man as most of my friends often say.  Whatever it means, it just originated from my friends’ reaction everytime I say “things would run well when you think it would benefit the majority”.

Well, I’m sick… that’s according to those people who think I’m stupid to leave the luxurious kind of life I had.

Hope hope hope… A friend reminded me of my name… I got to be who I am.

DECISIONS…………. DECIDE HOPE…. DECIDE.

Do I need a bad day for me to remember my blog?

It’s true. To whom much is given much is expected, but some people are just too selfish while some are almost willing to give everything even their lives just for this country called Philippines and for this planet called Earth.

The system really sucks. It’s like a cancer that keeps on growing, and it seems like nobody wants to find the cure.

Everybody is wishing for silence… not peace.

I wrote this song after I met this 6-year-old boy from a fisherfolk community in San Isidro, Bais. I stayed at their place during our exposure trip there. I got to know his grandparents (his parents were not there), his life story, and his struggles as a young boy. They all reflect in the eyes of Kuya Louie. His story inspired me to make this song, and this has become very special to me. I will post the song here soon as we finish recording and arranging it.

KUYA LOUIE

I

Kuya Louie be strong

Nanay’s getting weak and tatay’s not home

I know you’re lonely longing for mama’s love

and I know you are waiting for papa to say “I will rescue you”

Chorus

Let your tears dry up like salt

And remember the flavor it gives to your past

Wear a smile, face the sunrise

Keep your hopes in your hands and pray

II

Kuya Louie be strong

Tomorrow the storm is gone and the sea will be calm

Soon the wind will kiss the sand and your prints of sadness will be gone

The world’s not cruel, it’s just them

They who pretend to be your friends

(repeat chorus)

I miss blogging na jud!!!! Haist… Sorry sa mga sige ug visit dinhi then walay makitang bag-o. I’m just really busy, but please be happy for me because I’m really enjoying my life now. As what I tell my friends now, “I’m broke but I’m happy. I’m poor but I’m kind. I’m tall and I’m healthy.. yeah yeah!!” LOL!! Thanks to Alanis for giving me a theme song.

Anyway, I’m busy with community theater now. I’m with a group called Youth Advocates Through Theater Arts. Yeah, theater, my addiction. But this one’s different, and we call it COMMUNITY theater because we don’t perform just for fame and money, but to promote our advocacy: mainly on environmental awareness, gender issues, violence against women and children, a little bit of Philippine history, and many more.

Here are some photos of the group. I hope you can all watch our shows one of these days.

I wrote this an hour ago on my way back to Dumaguete. Hmmm… just a short drama.

Sa Unahan… Dulom

Mga balahibo nga nagkatag

ibabaw sa yutang miturok

sa tunga sa lapad nga kadagatan

Sa walang dapit,

dilaab sa bulawan nga sa dili madugay

kaunon sa kangitngit

Sa ubos, mga bula nga nagpungasi

mga shagit sa matag halok

sa dakong puthaw nga naglawig

Sa tuo, bag-ong kinabuhi

gi-agak sa mga malig-ong braso,

gikidlapan…

ug mitumaw ang usa ka imahe

nga magahulagway sa mga panghitabo

Sa unahan…

hanap, ngitnit, dag-om,

dulom nga kapaingnan

1. My real name is Earnest Hope Lumayag Tinambacan

2. I’m a PastorS’ kid (oh yes, both my ma and pa)

3. My mama is from Bindoy (Neg. Or.), my papa is from Dipolog City (Zam. Del norte), my brother was
born in Calamba (Mis. Occ.), while I am from Oroquieta City (Mis. Occ.). Cool noh?

4. I studied prep in Oroquieta, and then my mama was my teacher in Kindergarten 2 in Lopez Jaena (Mis. Occ.). In elementary, from Grades 1-4, I studied still in Lopez Jaena, from Grades 5-6 until 1st year and 2nd year High school I studied in Jimenez (Mis. Occ.), and then from 3rd year to 4th year back in Oroquieta City. Exhausting, right? Pag pastors’ kid pa mo! Hahaha

5. I met a terrible accident when I was 2 years old. I burned an important organ of my digestive system.

6. I don’t have that organ anymore. The doctors had to cut and replace it with something else.

7. I love singing contests because I was an “amateurista” too. As a kid, I used to sing Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, and Diana Ross songs in different singing competitions. I’ve lost, won 3rd place in barangay/purok level, won 2nd place in town level, and won as grand champion in city level. Weird noh???

8. My ultimate winning piece was “May Bukas Pa”, which is recently the theme song of a new Kapamilya teleserye. Well, I still think my version was better. Bleh!!!!!! Hehehe! Both my ma and pa were my trainers, but most of the time it’s my papa who accompanies me to competitions.

9. My father once warned me that if I stop singing in Church, God will take my talent from me. I was stubborn and refused to sing in Sunday services, and so when my voice started to change (from boy soprano to Bass 2), I cried from regret.

10. I thank the Silliman University Men’s Glee Club for saving my voice. If not because of the club, I wouldn’t know the reason why God gave me such very low voice (now I miss our team of power basses).

11. In High School, most of my friends were “the crazies” and “the singers”. Or isn’t it the same in college? Hahaha!

12. I started writing songs when I was 13, but I was already 15 when I started to join songwriting contests. Of course I’ve tried losing, then I won 3rd place, then second, then champion. Why is it always like that? Hehehehehe!

13. In elementary and High School, I was “lampayatot” (small, skinny, and weak), so in theater performances I was always the “youngest son”. However, since college, I’ve been portraying an old man: a monk in The King and I, Don Quixote in Man of La Mancha, then Lolo Bastruk in Kikay Kalaykay, and soon I’ll be playing a Spanish General.

14. I wish I was as talented as Chris Cornell in writing songs, and I also dream of having his voice. Way too ambitious.

15. In elementary, I was the folkdance king. Tarararan tantantan tararantan! LOL!!!

16. I started performing in march rallies when I was 12 years old. That’s how early I understood the poor people’s struggles.

17. I always find snakes fascinating. Maybe because of my mama’s story that I have a twin snake. She said that a preggy snake kept on following her when she was pregnant with me: in her mini-library (behind the books), at the door, in her room, and she almost had miscarriage when she accidentally stepped on it. Just few days before she went into labor, they found snake eggs inside a dry bamboo stem, and when I was born, she saw a baby snake in the trashcan next to her bed in the hospital. When I was a kid, I always see a snake on my birthday. One time, I saw it eating our neighbors chicken. Hmmmm… Celebrating? Well, if ever it’s true, I wish the snake is still alive.

18. My all-time favorite pinoy music video is that of Kyla’s “hanggang ngayon” (it’s also my favorite OPM song). I love it being emotionally creepy (what?). And I later realized that the dead guy in the bathtub on that video was Jamir Garcia of Slapshock, and I learned that he also wrote several hiphop songs for Kyla.

19. I once dreamed of being a professional back-up singer. Well, libreng mangarap.

20. I’m interested in weird musicians like Bjork, Jeff Buckley, Jim Morisson, Janis Joplin and her “daughter” Amanda Overmyer, Michael Jackson, and even Amy Winehouse.

21. I am interested in indie films, indie bands, and indie artists (even dream of becoming one, ambisyoso talaga).

22. I’m in a band called Jobas Witness, and we cover Radioactive Sago songs. I’ve always been a fan of Radioactive Sago especially their lead vox Lourd de Veyra (who is by the way a Palanca multi-awardee), and I was so happy when I met them in 2005. It is also cool to note that Lourd’s real name is Lourd Ernest, and I am Earnest Hope. Hehehehe! I-connect jud.

23. I don’t go out of the apartment without my notebook and pen.

24. I am nocturnal and I can spend one whole night with my notebook and pen and bottles of red horse. I’m also a moon lover, to the extent that I made a song about it.

25. I can sleep for hours in a sitting position. I even snore. Ngorkkk!!!!!!!!!!!