Reposting my article on weight loss and accepting your body here…
ISSUE TOPIC: Body Issues, Weight Loss, Accepting Yourself
AS SEEN ON: YOUNG STAR (The Philippine Star) - January 20, 2012 issue
For the full article, click on - EVERY BODY IS BEAUTIFUL
Follow me on Twitter - @imcalledtoffee
For reactions or suggestions, email toff@9workstheatrical.com
PHOTOS BY JOSEPH PASCUAL
SHOT AT DAYLIGHT STUDIOS, CUBAO X
PRODUCED BY KAREN BOLILIA
Yes I’m back in Manila. And my last day in New York was bittersweet in every way. I actually took a moment by Broadway (not Times Square but the one in SoHo), stood outside the Urban Outfitters store, facing the New York skyline, and I started bawling. I couldn’t believe I was departing my beloved city. I felt the energy in my body rapidly depleting and my heart strings getting tugged in all directions. Like I was on death row, and my time was up.
Yes, I know it’s sojourn. And by sojourn, it means it’ll probably end at some point. But this trip was different. It is quite possibly my last New York trip as a tourist before I move there again to study for a prolonged period of time, as a local. And they say New York changes when you’re immersed in the hustle of the City 24/7. It’s not the same. I don’t know how true that is but if and when I move there next year, I promise despite my requirements and everything that I have to do, I’ll always make time for NYC.
BREAKFAST: NONE
LUNCH: NONE
MERIENDA: 6 pcs. Bonchon Wings + Half Cup of White Rice
DINNER: Angus Burger from Minetta Tavern + Fries + Half a Chocolate Crepe + Chocolate Souffle
SIGHTS AND SOUNDS:
On my second to the last day in NYC, I headed to Brooklyn to check out the only 2-year MFA in Directing Course that I could find in New York which they were offering at Brooklyn College. Sa kaka-hipster ko, ‘yan tuloy, ang ending ng pelikula ko, possibly in Brooklyn. haha. although, i’ll apply for the more prestigious 3-year courses din. Yale, Columbia, and the likes. Cross the bridge when I get there diba. Though if I choose Brooklyn, well yes, i’ll always have to cross the bridge anyway. Or wait, what if I live there? Yun na… hipster na kung hipster.
Si Mamang
Ever wondered what was at the end of those tracks? Of course it had to end in Brooklyn. Of course i had to end in Brooklyn. Haha.
Saw Asuncion later that night. And I actually bumped into my friends Oliver and Carlo Orosa who were also watching the show that night. Fantastic! Read my review here
Me w/ Justin Bartha. OH EM
Oliver and Carlo
Proceeded to Sixty Thompson after where I had a tiny fete with some friends who could make it out that night. The weather had been God awful that day. Raining, and the winds were so strong it kept turning my weak umbrella upside down. Catchup and all, then after Raymond and I made pasyal West Village / SoHo area looking for dessert. I ended up grabbing a Rice Krispie treat after we check out this magazine place. Handed him the stuff I brought for Pao, and, scene. WAH, last day in NYC. Di ko talaga kinaya
So Monday marked the start of my last minute school hopping before leaving New York two days later. Did an interview for Young Star in the morning where my friend Enzo tagged along, then met up with Stacy for Ramen after. Then Stacy and I made pasyal around Midtown while looking for my first University Tour stop. Well, apparently it was the wrong campus. Right school, wrong campus. FAIL.
As we parted ways, I headed first to the NEW SCHOOL OF DRAMA where they were very kind and accommodating to me, considering I didn’t even schedule an appointment. Got the tour and it kind of excited me just being there and that they were so interested in me. Afterwards, I checked out the BARROW GROUP and based on my experience, well, it’s a no-no. Jared put it best with regards to choosing a school in which to take your masters… “Ok so did you want to go to La Salle for College kasi 3 years lang sila?” Me, being a diehard Atenean, “Ummm no, siyempre Ateneo.”
Then he said, “So there you go. Choose the best school. Masters is an essential component of our lives post-College. You have to invest in the best.” Jared, whatta Yoda. He put everything in perspective.
Afterwards, I did a little shopping then I ate (by myself) in PUBLIC where my cousin Ajja is one of the sous chefs. And she kept giving me all these amazing compli dishes. Catch is, I was alone. OMG. grabeng babuyan islands na naman. Met Jared and Jeremiah at Bourbon Street afterwards and to perfectly end my day, we saw Matthew Broderick on a bicycle parked by the pedestrian and talking to some people before he ultimately rode off. That’s New York for you. There’s a surprise waiting in every corner.
Jeremiah and Jared
Matthew Broderick speeds off! I love him!
BREAKFAST: NONE
LUNCH (PRE-INTERVIEW): Eggnog Latte + Rice Krispie Treat
LUNCH (POST-INTERVIEW): The Large Meat Combo Ramen
DINNER (AT PUBLIC): Sea Bass + Anchovies on Rye + Grilled Scallop + Beef Brisket + Brussel Sprouts (OMG EXAG, ANG SARAP) + 2 Glasses of Champagne
ALCOHOL: 2 Hurricanes at Bourbon Street
Ok so yes, sorry Broadway, I haven’t been seeing much of you. But when Sunday hit, I wasn’t about to miss an opportunity to catch a matinee show. Oh wait, I woke up at 3pm and the matinee is at 2. Crap, so I missed out - again. Was running late for my meet-up with Oliver, and I had to sort of pack my door-to-door for this trip; TRAVELER’S NOTE: you’re only allowed 50 pounds on Cathay Economy; ergo, pasalubongs, magazines, and the sort - door to door it with JOHNNY AIR. handiest thing ever. even my dirty laundry, pina door-to-door ko na.
So I had a date with Nanay Marites who used to work for us in Manila. She is now based in NYC. We headed to Broadway together to catch Twilight at 7pm. But not before I had coffee with my friend Oliver who is taking his Masters in PR in NYU. and guess who we bumped into? Kami na!
STARSTRUCK SURREAL MOMENT. she is the broadway diva of all broadway divas. and she was so nice to indulge in a photograph. the other one, si Elaine Paige doesn’t take photos daw. feeling naman niya.
Anyway, so we watched the movie, ok naman I liked it, and paglabas namin sa Times Square, halos walang tao sa 42nd street - which was weird and unusual on a Sunday night. then all these cops were escorting us towards the end of the street. restaurants were cordoned off. police squads everywhere. woah, anyare? ok so apparently, may inaresto. we were watching by the sidelines and yes true enough, someone was being manhandled into a police car. and the guy was making a ruckus that drew more attention to him. mga chismosa naman kami.
anyway, nanay marites and i had chicken rice after, then she went with me uptown to get the CD of photos from the Young Star shoot, then when I went home, biglang manoy ipe just arrived and he wanted to get a drink. So sinamahan ko naman siya? we hit all the bars along thompson street. around 3 or 4. then we ended up settling in sixty thompson. very member’s only yung dating - which is where i had my despedida too. FUN FAMILY DAY.
prepare for vanity
when in doubt, let’s gucci pout. chart
BREAKFAST: NONE
LUNCH: NONE
DINNER: popcorn + corndogs in the movie house + shared in a chicken rice combo platter
MIDNIGHT SNACK: fries
So we did a photo shoot today for Young Star. Yep, a Young Star photo shoot in New York City. IBANG LEVEL. I can’t reveal the details just yet. But stay tuned for it in the pages of Young Star. It’s another crazy exciting one! Hung out afterwards with New York peeps, and had the most incredible fish tacos. Also helped Harvey with buying (and carrying) this TV stand he bought to his new apartment in SoHo. Then met up with Manoy Ipe and Ate Leslie for dinner. Fun Fun.
Was feeling really exhausted (and rather sick) that night. But I dragged my ass out of bed to join the Pinoys in Sub-Mercer. WILD NIGHT.
BREAKFAST: NONE
LUNCH: NONE
MERIENDA: FISH TACOS x NACHOS + Water
DINNER: Fruity Pebble Treat + Pita w/ Curry + Shrimp Fritter + Beef Brisket
SIGHTS AND SOUNDS
Oh wow, I saw the most incredible show on Broadway (or Off-Broadway for that matter). SLEEP NO MORE. You’ve probably seen it on Gossip Girl. They used it for their Halloween Episode. I was supposed to catch it with Nikki last May but alas, tickets were sold out. Thankfully we were able to get some for the Black Friday performance. Unbelievable. Incredible. It was an immersive kind of theater where you walk through 100 rooms spread across 6 floors. A film noir world of Macbeth set in the 1920s simulated for you, the audience member, and you are compelled to explore. You have to don a Venetian mask to indicate your an audience member. No talking. No touching of the actors; other than that, everything is kinetic. You can touch and smell and experience the show as though you were actually part of the story. If there is a library, you can unhinge a book and browse through it. If an actor is reading a letter, you can peer over his or her shoulder, and read along as well. If an actor dashes off, you run after him or her if you’re curious to unravel his or her part of the story. AMAZING.
Will write a review of it for my other blog, THEATERATI. stay tuned.
Also caught Seminar with Alan Rickman. Cool that it’s playing at the theater across the theater in which How to Succeed in Business is playing in which stars Daniel Radcliffe. Kahit sa Broadway, nagtatagpo pa rin si Snape at si Harry Potter.
And of course, before that, I was still taking advantage of the Black Friday sale and went all out. Kelan pa ako bibili? Kung full-price? Excuse the vanity. Nagpapaka-feeling lang…
BREAKFAST: NONE
LUNCH: NONE
MERIENDA: Bouchon Bakery Cookie + Pistachio Macaroon
DINNER: Yoshinoya Beef Bow
SLEEP NO MORE COCKTAILS: 3 Glasses of Champagne
Wrote a column about this for The Philippine Star
Click the link to my other blog CHASING TOFF —-> HOME AWAY FROM HOME
So I met up with the New York gang and we had a sumptuous turkey feast. Potato Gratin, 5 Different Flavors of Ice Cream, Turkey w/ Stuffing and Sides. The meal was delicious to say the least, and it was great to be in good company with Pinoys who share the same fervor for family.
Afterwards, I met up with Jared at Macy’s and we tore up the Black Friday Sale. Jared left early, but Andrew stayed and we were shopping ‘til 6 in the morning. Insane. Great deals - and hey everything is discounted. Can’t get any better than that.
pagoda tragedy
I aslo had a New Yorker moment in H&M. I realized you get tough in this city. Someone was trying to steal from my pile of clothes and I totally scared them off. Like verbal assault. Haha. What 3 weeks can do to me. Imagine if I live here for like 3 years.
BREAKFAST: NONE
LUNCH: NONE
DINNER: Haagen Dazs Pistachio, Cookie Dough, Coffee + Turkey + Potato Gratin + PLUS PLUS
EARLY MORNING: Tall Eggnog Latte
What I loved about this New York trip was that a lot of my friends from Manila happened to be in New York at the same time. Found NYC buddies in the likes of Joe and Paolo, Stacy had been in town with our friend Melody, and today, Raymond flew in from Manila. That afternoon, we were able to get compli tickets to Lysistrata Jones which was hilarious - a stark contrast to last night’s Follies. Don’t expect poignancy. The piece camps it up and they’re not ashamed of it. I’m not sure though if it’s funny enough a la Book of Mormon or Avenue Q that it will stay on Broadway for at least a year. But I wish them well.
Afterwards, we made pasyal in Times Square but not before getting Crumbs Cupcakes. I really love that hidden layer of cream in the cake. Headed to the Renaissance Bar atop Times Square (my newest discovery c/o Krista) and admired the view. Then finally met up with my dear friend Sab who has been based in New York for quite some time. She works at the U.N. Even if it was brief, I super appreciated that she came out of her lungga ‘coz apparently, she has become New York’s elusive unicorn. Even the NY gang hasn’t been seeing much of her. Feeling ko ganyan din ako when I move here and do my directing thing. We walked up to First Av to continue our chat en route to their dinner, in which case, I took the subway back to West Village.
For dinner, I met my friends Meynard, Ham and Steven at Union Square. We were supposed to eat at Max Brenner. According to Tita Chona, the place is really good and better than the one in Manila. Unfortunately, it was full so we ended up in a barbecue place nearby where we ordered the biggest and most whopping grill combo - steaks, ribs, sausages, you name it. I ate a little bit too much (what’s new?), then we joined my Pinoy friends afterwards in some 1st Avenue bar. Place was pretty packed and I myself was getting claustrophobic. We ended up doing our own thing at a bar down the street. Fun catching up. NYETA, nasukahan ako ng konti while I was smoking outside the bar. Got some in the back of my shoe. ANO BA! Well, that’s New York for you.
BREAKFAST: NONE
LUNCH: Kitkat + Cookies and Cream Cupcake from Crumbs
MERIENDA: Nachos w/ Artichoke Dip + Proseco
DINNER: Mac and Cheese w/ Gruyere + Grill Combo (Ribs, Steaks, etc) + 2 Glasses of Proseco
ALCOHOL: 3 Bottles of Corona
Spent the whole day finishing my column for Young Star, then rushed to 45th and Broadway for Follies which I caught with Jared and his two uncles.
Amazing piece of material and the staging was incredible =) This Stephen Sondheim opus is basically about Follies showgirls (you know, those perfect specimens of a human being who’d appear in the Ziegfeld Follies revue by Florence Ziegfeld back in the Vaudeville era. Think of them as the Rockettes of the 20s). Their old selves reunite at a crumbling Broadway theater. The Follies had aged in the likes of Bernadette Peters, Elaine Paige, and Jane Maxwell but the wounds and scars are as fresh as they were many years ago.
I loved how their conflicts today are juxtaposed with the conflicts of their pasts. There would be fully-decked showgirls in gala outfits entering the stage as faint memories of the actors during their time with the Follies, some of the showgirls looming by the second or third level of the three-tiered set. Sometimes, they would walk adjacent or side by side with their representations today. And the songs were just amazing! Losing My Mind, Broadway Baby, the list goes on. I highly recommend this musical revival if you happen to be in the Big Apple.
Bumped into Ben Chan, Miguel Pastor, and their whole posse as well. Ben was like, “Toff, aren’t you a little too young for this musical?” Haha. good point Ben. Unfortunately, I’m a theaterati who watches everything from Sondheim to Spider-man - in which case we both agreed that the latter was lacking in imagination and substance to say the least.
Jared and I had crappy pizza in the crappy weather afterwards but since it had been my first meal of the day, we ended up having Thai food as well. All in all, good day.
BREAKFAST: NONE
LUNCH: NONE
DINNER: Kitkat + Crappy Pizza + Phad Thai + Spring Roll + Spicy Crispy Beef + White Rice
ANOTHER MUSICAL TO LOOK FORWARD TO (AS IN) - PORGY AND BESS
The musical stars Audra Mcdonald ! She is incredible. You might remember her from Private Practice!
Hi! I'm Toff and I'm trying to lose weight... again. I started this weight-loss blog called 2000 and Thin last year by chronicling everything I ate, my weight, exercise, etc. (http://chasingtoff.blogspot.com). But as soon as I achieved my goal, I let myself go, got complacent, ate and drank shitloads, so here I am - back to where I started. I started 2000 and Thin at 225 pounds. I slimmed down to 180, and now I'm 205. It's time to get healthy again. 2000 and Thinner!
