Roadgasmic... and the night I felt like a drunken college chick

 

Last night, we held an event for one of our clients. The image you see above is our invite for the event. It was my first time to be the writer for an activity like this. I'm really more used to traditional advertising (TVCs, Radio Commercials, Print). 

So I wrote the script and some other things. That was fine. One thing I never expected though was the HUGE PRESSURE that I'd get come crunch time. In the planning stages, no one really told me what I actually had to do when event day comes, probably because they knew I'd get nervous and almost black out. 

The thing is... when you are the writer, the script is yours. Everyone will be following whatever you say, because you made it and by the time you're done with it you've already mastered how everything will go. Having said that, when event day comes... Who's to brief everyone with their lines and the entire program flow? Who's to talk to the host and explain everything to him? Yup, that was ME.

One well-known fact about me: I shake uncontrollably when I get stage fright. Okay, technically I didn't really go on stage, but a huge weight was dropped on my shoulder so that counts. Needless to say, before everything started, I was a nervous shaking wreck! It's very noticeable and funny to look at, that all my friends laugh at me whenever it happens. No worries, I just laugh along... it's hard not to.

So, before the program kicked off, what I did was... went straight to the bar, took about 5 shots of different alcoholic drinks! What's funny is that the host, Mr. Rovilson Fernandez of the Amazing Race Asia fame, (who I LOVE... but more on that later) seemed a little nervous too, so we took the shots together. The shots helped a lot. It calmed me and gave me a devil-may-care attitude. "F*** this, let's just get this over with!". I kept thinking that, as they say, sometimes the best things happen when something goes off the rail.

To cut to the chase, all went superb... It definitely helped that I had a host as quick-witted and charming as Rovilson, because when he felt he needed to (especially when something did not go as it was originally planned), he did a great great adlib (he's a writer too, and that helped A LOT)! I stayed backstage the whole time, feeding him the lines, writing on the cue cards... (btw, even my handwriting was shaky) so I didn't really see what was happening on stage and how the crowd reacted to the program. But everything went so well (based on my co-workers' observations), and the guests seemed to be really enjoying themselves.

When the program ended, and by the time our entertainer was doing their closing number, PARA AKONG NABUNUTAN NG TINIK. I was relieved! So I got out and went to the bar again and DRANK LIKE THERE'S NO TOMORROW. Iba-iba... Halo-halo! I got home drunk as a skunk and embarrassed myself in front of a lot of people. I won't go into details anymore. Partly because it was so unlikely of me, and also because I don't even remember what happened.

About Rovilson, yeah I said it... I love him! He's an amazing host, and actually helped me a lot too by giving me tips on how things can go smoother. Although I didn't tell him, I could tell that he sensed I was new to this sort of thing. I didn't tell him that that was my first time, because I didn't want to make him more nervous than how he already was. Also, I didn't want to look like an idiot. So now, I'm campaigning for him to be an endorser for any client we have that would take him. I'm serious. I love the guy!