I know that?s some pass? question to ask but I can?t think of anything for an introduction lead. Haha. It?s been a while since I last wrote some creative writing and somehow I feel like I?ve already forgotten how to write anything ?news-worthy? or interesting enough to read. Ugh. Memories of my journalism classes, the doom of the inverted triangle writing? T-T
But since this isn?t some literary creative writing but a personal blog/journal, I shall write according to my own conventional ways. XD
Ahh. Beating around the bush is what I?m really good at. How do I say this.. I ought to write something about what the special events that transpired in my life last time.
To be exact, it was on the eve of Kiyan?s birthday? August 11, 2012.
I just got home at about exactly 12 am from university. I got home so damn late because I waited for my downloads to finish in the computer shop I went to. I also posted a birthday queue for Kiyan?s birthday in tumblr, so I had no choice but to go home late. As usual, my dad?s pissed that I got home late. Oh well, not that it matters to me anymore.
Along the way while walking, I was struck by a sudden urge to tune in to radio. I was listening to my mp3, playing my usual playlist when I suddenly remembered Papa Jack. So without adieu I tuned my mp3 to radio mode and played 90.7. And a great coincidence that he?s already had his caller there. His segment is called TLC or True Love Confessions. It goes like this, a caller will confess or talk about love problems and Papa Jack, as he?d always do, sarcastically comment and give his opinions, and help the other side over the phone (or so that?s what I think XD). That?s why I like about Papa Jack, he?s very frank, he?s tactless, his words hurt and stab like a knife but they have a deep meaning. Although he sometimes makes fun of the situation at first, when he talks seriously you can only agree to him.
The caller was a guy called Ken who talked about his problems with his ex-girlfriend and the mother of his child. Apparently, because he?s a jerk and a sick bastard, he hurt his ex-girlfriend so many times when they were still together. Now, his ex got herself a new guy and she doesn?t allow Ken to see their child. That wounded Ken?s male pride, not able to see his son he loves so much and all. He knows it might be impossible for them to patch things up and be together again with his ex-girlfriend, so he just wants his role as the father to his child. So to make the long story short, as Papa Jack emphasized, it was all about male ego.
After that and the heated exchange of words Papa Jack and the Ken had, things settled down. Papa Jack even commended how Ken learned his mistakes and ?grew up? from their conversation. In other words, Papa Jack helped him so much to understand that he is only human, imperfect and with faults.
After the call, it was time for Papa Jack to read the audience-listeners? comments and opinions. This was where I got my shock. Papa Jack read a text message from a certain Kuya Jeff. It was something like ?mali yung tin number? that was texted. As always, Papa Jack went off with his usual jokes and all. It was surprising that he sounded close to Kuya Jeff.
Yeah. I was surprised, because I know who the ?Kuya Jeff? was.
Kuya Jeff, or Jefferson Seril Utanes is a veteran Filipino dubber/voice actor. His most notable roles in Filipino dubbing are Son Goku of Dragon Ball Z/GT, Yami Yuigi of Yu-gi-oh!, Michael of It Started with a Kiss, and Nakatsu of Hana Kimi to name a few. He?s quite popular in the field of dubbing as I said earlier, he?s a veteran. He was even featured in one episode of Korina Sanchez? Rated K. He?s even called ?the man with 75 voices?.
So how do I know him? It?s because I am his fan. You know I started being a seiyuu fan because of Filipino dubbers, right? Kuya Jeff was one of the first Filipino dubbers I?ve been a fan of ever since. I started to have interests in Filipino dubbers way back in high school when I was watching the cable channel HERO TV. They put names of dubbers in the ending song of anime shows and I would write down the names on my notebook. I began to be keen about the voices when I saw some of the times in other anime shows, like Jefferson Utanes? name was in Yakitate! Japan and also in Yu-gi-oh! so it means he dubbed both the shows. It was simple logic. Then, I even made a list of Filipino dubbers and their anime roles.
Of course I was curious on how they look like. Thankfully, there was this segment in HERO TV called ?Dubber?s Cut?. It featured the dubbers of the anime show in the channel, and showed them dubbing in action. It really caught my interest like ?ahhh? so that?s how they look like..? and I would always wait for that segment to show every time I watch the channel. Because of that, I?ve learned so many things about Filipino dubbers.
But that wasn?t enough. Being the smitten fangirl that I was, I indulged myself more and more with the Filipino dubbers. Friendster at that time was the widely-used social networking site, and I used that to gather more information. I searched up the names of the dubbers and added them as a friend. In short, through Friendster, I got to be ?friends? with them.
Kuya Jeff was the very first one I have been friends with. Friendster comments and testimonials were very popular back then and I sent him a lot of those before. Then, I gathered all my courage and thickened my skin (like literally, kinapalan ko na talaga mukha ko XD) and sent him a personal message. I couldn?t believe what happened next, he replied to my message and gods how happy I was then. After that, we exchanged a lot of messages. I asked him mostly about his works, his roles that I liked, and told him how so much I was a fan.
At dahil nga makapal ang mukha ko, I also asked for his cellphone number.
Yes. Ang kapal ko no? OTL
I couldn?t believe though that he would give me his personal cellphone number so I was beyond shocked. I felt like I wanted to die a thousand deaths from so much happiness. That started the text mates moments I had with him and surprisingly, he replied to my text messages always. Grabe. Yung feeling na ang saya-saya mo because you got to exchange text messages with someone you are a fan of? So very much gratifying! Masipag magreply si Kuya Jeff, so always always I would text him. I got to know him more because of that, like when he was having work he would tell me, his future works or the shows he would dub, everything. Hindi pa man pinapalabas, alam ko na kung anong mga shows ang i-da-dub niya. Of course, his personal life and about his family too since he?s already married and have two kids. I treasured everything. It was a once in a lifetime experience kasi di ba? I would tell about him to my family and friends, and of course I was so proud of that.
I was in high school back then, a third year, I guess? And now I?m already a fourth year college student. It was already five years, wow. Though di na kami gaano nakakatext sa isa?t-isa since I know he?s busy with work (and I am too), I would just send him quotes and he would reply back a quote or a thank you. Ganun lang. But I know we are still friends.
I don?t watch the television anymore (since sira ang cable namin. Ugh.) so I don?t know anything about the animes shown in HERO TV nor the current Koreanovelas shown in GMA or ABS-CBN. And although I?m more into Japanese seiyuu now, I still remain a faithful Filipino dubber fan.
And now to get to the main point, after I?ve heard Papa Jack mentioned Kuya Jeff?s name, I started typing down a message I would send to Kuya Jeff. It goes like this: ?Nakikinig din po pala kayo kay Papa Jack, I heard him mentioned you earlier. ?? and off I sent it to his number.
After a few minutes, I felt my cellphone vibrate (I set it on silent-vibrate mode so it wouldn?t disturb anyone sleeping). I wasn?t expecting a reply since it was already almost 2 am in the morning and I felt kinda sleepy so I lazily looked at what was the vibrate for. Only to be shocked first thing in that fateful morning. On the phone?s screen showed Kuya Jeff?s caller ID in an incoming call. I had to blink many times and stared at the screen before I could digest what it was. Reluctantly, I pushed the answer button thinking Kuya Jeff might have accidentally pushed the CALL button when he read my message. That was what I assumed so I let a few seconds pass before I answered with a stammering ?H-hello po, g-good evening??? and boy how I died when I heard Kuya Jeff?s voice! He replied over the phone: ?Ah yes? is this *insert my real name here LOL*??
Me: Y-yes po. H-hello po. G-good evening po.
Hahaha! I was really stammering like crazy and my tongue got all tied and twisted. I croaked too! Ahh~ so embarrassing! *facepalm*
Then he did most of the talk, like how he was, in reality, close friends with Papa Jack and that he was even his students before in a workshop at PUP, how Papa Jack is as radio dj, how Papa Jack sounded the same as Kuya Jeff in some way, how a funny person Papa Jack is in real life, that it was the first time that night Papa Jack called him Kuya Jeff by name on air since he addresses him Son Goku most of the time. He even said that he finds listening to Papa Jack fun and he learns from him too. He also talked about that night?s caller (Ken) and gave his opinions about the conversation. Everything!
I didn?t want to speak anymore because I was so awestruck on how my favorite dubber?s voice sounded like over the phone but I had to keep the conversation going. Stuttering, I told him that I never expected that he also listens to Papa Jack?s program, that he would call me, and that I was too much overjoyed to hear his voice over the phone. Kuya Jeff also apologized that his voice sounded kind of strained since he had worked all day and dubbed consecutive episodes of Fish Hook (a children?s show in TV5) and he was just on his way home. I asked him if they got flooded from last time?s raining but thankfully they weren?t since they?re living in Antipolo. And considering how late the time was, I was so much in joy that he had given me his time to call and chat. What?s more fun was that I got to hear him change the range of his voice. Ahhh? voice acting.. *______*
Then he also talked about the re-dubbing of It Started with a Kiss. I kind of knew that GMA 7 shows ISWAK but I never knew it was re-dubbed. I hadn?t watched the re-dubbed version so I don?t know how the dubbing goes like. Kuya Jeff said he was kind of disappointed with the outcome of the re-dubbed version (and since he was the first voice of Michael, I can only agree and be biased XD). He also mentioned that Michiko Tiongson as the voice of Jeanie was really ?swak at bumagay talaga? for the role. Of course I agreed, since Michiko?s voice was one of my favorite female voice. XD I also didn?t know that programs could get re-dubbed so Kuya Jeff explained it to me that when a company?s contract expired, another company could get the license to re-dub a show.
We talked (or rather, he talked) about many other things I already forgot what they were (damn it) but the main idea is that I got to talk to him more than anything else. Time ticked so fast and when the moment came that we had to end the conversation, I reluctantly bid my thank you?s and goodbye. In my heart I didn?t want to end the phone call yet, but since Kuya Jeff said he was already in front of his house and considering it was almost 2:30 am, I had to say good bye =?< We bid our good byes and I repeatedly expressed my gratitude for him.
END CALL.
I was staring at my cellphone?s screen until the backlight when out. Still, I couldn?t believe that I just had a phone conversation with Kuya Jeff. It sounded really informal, we talked casually and like it was just a normal friend?s talk. Wow. Just wow. My heartbeat went 200 per seconds and I wanted to bang my head on the nearest wall beside me. XD
I had a hard time believing I just got a phone call from Kuya Jeff. I never knew he would even call me!
The phone call went for 12 minutes and 41 seconds.
OTL
And being the starstruck fan that I was, I couldn?t help but to type in a GM to my contacts saying that I just had a phone conversation with Kuya Jeff. I was more than happy and proud; I was literally dancing in bliss.
It was such rare chance to talk to someone you are a fan of, right? Omigods I want to die asdfghjkl;! was what I thought. Heck! ASDFGHJKL;!
And so that was what happened to me last Friday night errr Saturday morning. Forever I will remember it.
*cries in happiness* OTL
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.