High

The last time I ever performed in front of a crowd was over four years ago. That was when I worked for the Metro Manila Skyway, and I was the perennial event host during my tenure. That included the company Christmas party. In 2002, I sang "The Nearness of You" as the opening number. The venue had a lounge-y feel to it, so it felt right.

Why did I do it? Well, when I host an event, I hardly eat. And that means I barely take advantage of the buffet table. I only eat after the event, but my appetite would be spoiled by then due to fatigue. Plus, my personal ethics prevent me from participating in the raffle. Hence, I'd tell management: allow me to sing, since I won't be able to eat or win anything anyway. Thankfully, I haven't given anyone indigestion.

For my second Christmas party at Summit, I volunteered to participate in the traditional inter-department talent competition. For those who work in large corporations, you know what this is all about--creating your "gimmick," rehearsing during lunch hour or after work, and fussing over your production values. In secret, of course. There were four departments in competition: the Publishers' Group, Production, Jobstreet, and Editorial (that's us).

So, I sang. I asked Vince de Jesus to transpose Tom Jones' version of "Kiss," (sobrang tenkyu, Vince!) while the others worked on choreography to the tune of Tone Loc's "Wild Thing" and The Bangles' "Walk Like an Egyptian." Tisha was our choreographer, seasoned from her cheerdancing experience at the Ateneo.

It was a great high, being part of a large group of eager co-workers, from editors-in-chief to ed assistants of different magazines, with all of us feeling the backstage jitters and the after-performance euphoria. We won the competition, and the prize money was enough to recoup the expenses.

Just today, our training director approached me and said, "Carlo, your market value increased, but it's the wrong market."

Heheheheh.