Footballers and their WAGs

© Joselito Briones

I woke up with so much pain on my left foot. At first I thought it was just because I walked too much yesterday. Then I started thinking. I had the same intense pain yesterday also, but not for long, when someone in Oxford street, always a crowded place, accidenttally walked onto the outer side of my left foot, exactly where it hurts now. I didn't think of it much yesterday as the pain went away after a few minutes, but today it hurts like hell. Lesson learned: in a city where most men's preoccupation is football and some of whose feet are trained to be strong enough as lethal weapon, DO NOT let anyone's foot anywhere near you.

Having said that, I'm on a holiday and I've got things to do, so walk I did. After several attempts, I found a way of limping that didn't cause too much pain, as long as I don't walk too long or too fast.

In the afternoon, as Wil suggested, I went to Carnaby street to see one of his favorite reality tv shows, "WAGs Boutique", being filmed. It's amazing how with one cameraman and an assistant, and plenty of people with enormous ego, a popular tv show can be made. They all looked like they're just playing a game. Maybe they are. That people are actually watching the show is an enormous credit to human fascination over celebrity, even non-celebrities trying to graduate to B-lister status, and their appendages, are actually watched. And no, I didn't know what a WAG was either, until today - Wives And Girlfriends of footies (football players).

Cassie Sumner, one of the wag contestants, is pictured above with what seems to be this week's task (selling something to drag queens?). It's debated whether or not she even belongs to the show, as Michael Essien of Chelsea, denies ever having her as his girlfriend.


© Joselito Briones

Pictured above is Michaela Henderson-Thynne, girlfriend of Stewart Downing of Middlesbrough F.C.. She's a law student, but Wil says she actually comes out as the ditziest among the wags.



© Joselito Briones

It's a good thing I didn't stay long watching, else I'd have missed the magical early evening light in the city, the deep blue of the sky washing over the white trimmings of brick facades, perfectly framing the golden glow of interior lamps. When it got completely dark I went back to National Portrait Gallery and studied portraits of celebrities of the real kind - from royalties to fashion icons - resting assured that no one here will kick my foot.


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Confessions Revisited

© Joselito Briones

Right after confessing to me that he has designed a lighting set up in in the living room, which he proudly refers to as "beer garden look" (pertaining to the seedy places in the Philippines where people get drunk and gawk at strippers, not the European establishments dedicated to their beloved refreshment - photo above is of one of the decorations), and showing it to me, Wil and I watched the DVD of the confessions tour, which we saw live in Amsterdam late last year. Everything was enhanced tenfolds: the good parts looked so much better, the choreography, the movement of the dancers, facial expressions lost on the stage from where we sat. Even at the concert it was obvious she had a great videographer, and it showed even more so in the videos.

Unfortunately, the failures also became more visible. And interestingly enough the details of the manipulation of the audience are also now very much visible. Where she succeeded, it's amazing how much she can solicit from the audience, when she failed, it made me want to just click the fast forward button. One of the most interesting things in the extras is finding out that the awesome freerunner from the James Bond movie, Sebastien Foucan, was involved in the choreography, and Wil's favorite back-up dancer, Daniel "Cloud" Campos, whom he told me was part-Filipino, was also highlighted.


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Valentine's day dinner

© Joselito Briones

Poor Jerome. He should've known better than to bring his Valentine's Day present for Ronnie to Wil's. Upon greeting Jerome at the door, Wil immediately asked if the flowers that Jerome was carrying was for him. Wil being the host and Jerome the guest, there was really nothing else for him to say but yes, indeed he bought the flowers for Wil. Upon hearing the commotion at the door, I took a peek. When Jerome saw that I saw him giving the flowers to Wil, he was forced to give me something too, to be fair. He handed me the box of chocolates he was holding. Good thing he still had one more thing in his hands, a bottle of pink champagne from Brüt, which he immediately handed to Ronnie, the intended recipient of all three presents, in case somebody else turns up to greet him at the door and he'd have to give up the champagne to somebody else, too.


© Joselito Briones

On the menu tonight was roast leg of lamb, and honeycomb cannelloni with tomato and mushroom ragu, which Wil prepared while Ronnie and I watched (photo, above).

He had to return to the grocery store a couple of times, having forgotten some rather key ingredients (for a dish that's basically cannelloni in tomato-based sauce, he forgot to buy both cannelloni and tomato).


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