Stretching the limits...

Be aware of wonder. Live a balanced life - learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some. (Robert Fulghum, author of the book All I really need to know I learned in Kindergarten.)

Once upon a time, in the land beyond, beyond, lived a boy named Xian who did not believe he could dance or sing. He knew music and played it in many instruments; name it, and he knew how;  except when you ask him to include his voice box and  body in the equation,  or so,  he said.  

Xian had grand ambitions.  He flew to the Philippines from the Land  of Milk and Honey to finish school and play College and, hopefully, Professional  Basketball like his Dad.  

There was some glitch.  This boy, now a man,  switched gears.  He entered  Philippine show business instead where singing and dancing are required skills; after all, the place  is known for its love for music; where a Karaoke machine is part of the furniture and where everyone is a wannabe singer and/or dancer; even its Presidents, Military Generals, Government officials  sing and dance. 

Life  is indeed exciting!  It does not allow complacency. Just when one thinks one is on the  right road, it throws a curve ball.  

   

What to do?  Stretch the limits of one's capabilities, that's what. It turned out,  Xian's  heartstrings  also got stretched.  Love or deep friendship with a girl-woman was formed along the road to success.

                                 

Credit Xian for true grit.  Once, he said  his  singing would just ruin the song; now, he is a Star Records  Recording Artist with an album that just went Gold and  is now shooting for Platinum.  





                          CTO - "Hindi, hindi ako kumakanta..."- Xian Lim.

                                                         Year 2009

Xian has confessed that he has never finished a composition.  He started a number but never got around to come up with a finished product. 

In the first months of taping My Binondo Girl, inspired by some undisclosed strong emotion, Xian surprised Kim  with  a song, Ako'y Sayo Lamang (I'm Solely Yours) which he composed and dedicated  to her.  This bowled Kim over, prompting her to say, "...sa lyrics pa lang pinapifeel  na nya (Xian) ang respeto nya sa akin... ang dapat kung maramdaman as a girl..." or the song's lyrics struck her with the respect that Xian has for her and moved her to feel how she should feel as a girl getting such adulation from him".

                            

                                 CTO - KrisTV interview - 12-08-11

                     Kim on Xian - re the song Ako'y sayo lamang -2:10 to 2:27

Ako'y Sayo Lamang  embodied the angst and longing of a man for the heart of his loved one, pledging loyalty, love and devotion. The song so impressed management that they used it as a themesong for My Binondo Girl.   The Xian who never finished a composition, now has Ako'y Sayo Lamang; the same Xian who felt he did not have the voice has now recorded a song, his own composition.  Grit, true grit.

                                  CTO - Ako'y Sayo Lamang

.                                                      Year 2011

I only learned of this new composition of Xian, Iibigan Kita, when it played while I was watching Aryana.  I hardly recognized the voice since it was on a higher pitch but the melody and the lyrics were beautiful and haunting.  Iibigan Kita could become a hit given enough playtime.   I have not heard its full version; could it be a track for another album?  I saw an Instagram photo of  Xian  aptly captioning his serious look while in the process of  composing a song  at a music studio.  How he could have finished it and recorded it within that week amazes me no end.

CTO- Iibigin Kita - Composed and performed by Xian Lim.

                                                   Year 2012

In October, 2011, when My Binondo Girl was on its third month of airing, Kim and Xian sat down for a Live Chat with fans where questions were read off from the screen by host Chesca Litton.  Much as he tried, Xian could not persuade Kim to play the guitar and sing.  

When asked if he had a song  for Kim, he laughingly said he had two and proceeded to sing one of them,When You Say Nothing at All. Confident and smiling he sang the refrain and appeared to really enjoy  Kim's teasing comments.  Xian's demeanor here  is a far cry from when he resisted singing along with his piano playing in 2009. 

                                 CTO- When you say nothing at all...

                                    Xian's song for Kim - October, 2011


July 11, 2012 is a milestone for Xian. His joint fangroup with Kim called  KimXis celebrated his 23rd birthday a day early that day.  This was the 3rd of a series of birthday parties for him with many more to come.   


Kim  was in Cebu taping for Ina, Kapatid, Anak and missed the two prior celebrations. When Kim showed herself  at the event, Xian's face lit up and gave Kim an unexpected hug. Kim also joined Xian in singing When You Say Nothing At All.


                                  CTO - When you say nothing at all. 

                                 Xian's duet with Kim July 11, 2012.

Kim who always turned down  any attempt to make her sing with Xian except when  she had to do it in a production number; this time,  graciously and playfully sang the song meant for her .  Xian, in turn,  suddenly became "deaf and dumb"at the sight of Kim singing; he could not place whether it was in the Key of C and inconveniently forgot its lyrics or maybe he had to stop in the middle of the song,  just emotionally overwhelmed.  Happiness was written in their faces!


Where Xian's capabilities were stretched with every curve ball thrown at him;  here Xian's heart got stretched with the oh so shy but oh so playful Kimberly Sue Yap Chiu singing along with him in front of fans, friends and family.  


"When the heart is full, the mouth cannot speak", ran true for Xian that moment. Xian turned the tables on Kim.  Xian was now the one whom Kim could say to:  "When you say nothing at all..."


Kim and Xian stretched hearts' limits that day! I love the Tagalog term for it--PORDALAB.    A day full of love's revelations.  Friendship is the word used , I forgot. Friendship at its best or friendship, stretched!  


Kim's presence at Xian's party after a tiring trip from Cebu spoke volumes.  This is a "salmon" experience for Kim for Xian!  Oh, what a day!

            CTO - Loving gaze...from the celebrant directed at his special friend.

                                 Kim and Xian - July 11, 2012

                             "When You Say Nothing At All"

It's amazing
How you can speak
Right to my heart
Without saying a word,
You can light up the dark
Try as I may
I could never explain
What I hear when
You don't say a thing

[CHORUS:]
The smile on your face
Lets me know
That you need me
There's a truth
In your eyes
Saying you'll never leave me
The touch of your hand says
You'll catch me
Whenever I fall
You say it best
When you say
Nothing at all

All day long
I can hear people
Talking out loud
But when you hold me near
You drown out the crowd
(The crowd)
Try as they may
They could never define
What's been said
Between your
Heart and mine

[Repeat chorus twice]

(You say it best
When you say
Nothing at all
You say it best
When you say
Nothing at all)

The smile on your face
The truth in your eyes
The touch of your hand
Let's me know
That you need me

[Repeat chorus]

(You say it best
When you say
Nothing at all
You say it best
When you say
Nothing at all)

The smile on your face
The truth in your eyes
The touch of your hand
Let's me know
That you need me

(You say it best
When you say
Nothing at all
You say it best
When you say
Nothing at all)

I can only wonder why and could only venture a guess.  Xian is so used to Kim saying no to any suggestion for her to sing with him off work that the sight of Kim singing the song he so identifies with her was too much for his heart to take.  This was a victory of sorts for him which stopped him at his tracks and left him dumbstruck and perhaps like me also must have left Kim wondering what got into  the singer who is Xian.  Let us just lay it to rest.  Xian says it succinctly, "No one can define it."

There is another  thing Xian has to master--DANCING; and this is what Xian says in his determined go-at-it fashion:  

XianLimm

                                                       XIAN LIM ‏@XianLimm

                                            CTO           Dance workshop oh yeaaah 

                                  Xian on Instagram self-photo. 7-18-12

                                                                            

                    CTO -  The Dance Move.  ASAP - 7-15-12. 

                  CTO - ASAP Production No. - Kim and Xian, FINALLY!

Fan video.  Xian ASAP Birthday Celebration 7-15-12

Actor/Model/Singer/ RECORDING ARTIST/Songwriter/Composer/Pianist/ Lover/Super Hero.  This is how Xian labels himself on his  Twitter:    

To be a modern-day Renaissance Man is the goal, looks like.  Xian has not included the areas that he, perhaps, still has to work on - Host, Basketball player, Dancer.  In time.  In God's time.   

A man of true grit, Xian is!  There is no doubt that given how he has gone from a non-singer to a full-fledged singer/recording artist; I have no doubt at all that Xian , in time,  will be the Dancer he hopes to be!  

While Xian is bending himself backward, literally and figuratively, with dance moves; Kim also stretches her capacities co-starring with no less than multi-awarded actress, Vilma Santos or Gov. Vi in the horror story, The Healing. 

Gov. Vi is celebrating her 50 years in the business this year and chose to star in  a horror movie with Direk Chito Rono.  Vilma Santos' last movie was In My Life, made in 2009 with John Lloyd Cruz and son Luis Manzano. 

A huge challenge for Kim, only in her 6th  year in showbiz, personally chosen by Gov. Vi herself to portray  the enviable role she plays as pro/antagonist in the movie, The Healing.  In this movie, Kim undergoes a major stretch, both in personal capacities and in the choice of film genre, top-calibre co-actors and director. She herself requested Kim Chiu to co-star with her. “When I did a TV special kasi for ABS na may workshop, Kim played my role in ‘Dolzura Cortez’ and I remembered that when they asked me kung sino ang gusto kong makasama, siya pinili ko.”
Samantala, maganda rin ang mga statements ni Kim Chiu tungkol sa pelikula at kay ate Vi. “When my handler told me my next movie is with Gov. Vi, yes ako agad, I didn’t ask for details anymore like what’s the story, what’s my role,” she says. “Basta ’di ko mapalalampas ang chance to work with her. But it turned out maganda ang role ko. In the story, my dad, played by Mark Gil, was once married to Gov. Vi and they have a son, si Martin del Rosario. Ako naman, anak kay Carmi Martin. Nagkaroon ako ng malubhang sakit and Gov. Vi takes me to a faith healer, Daria Ramirez, without knowing na mas mapapahamak lang pala ako. Doon sa trailer, you’d see me na humahaba ang leeg at natu-twist ang ulo ko. That’s one of the scary scenes in the movie. Makikita n’yo rin ako na hinahabol ang sarili ko. Intriguing, ’di ba? Naging dalawa ako!” Gov. Vilma Santos, Kim Chiu perfect tandem sa ‘The Healing’
by Maurirat/Cesar Pambid Jul 17, 2012 2:42pm HKT

The Healing is megged by multiawarded film writer/director  Direk Chito Rono, whose works include Feng Shui, Sukob, Dekada 70, Bata, bata...paano ka Ginawa, etc.(more than 30 quality films) winning Best Director for the Metro Manila Film Festival twice for Yamashita: The Tiger's Treasure (2001) and Nasaan ang Puso (1997).   

                                 CTO - The Healing- Official Trailer

The Healing, a movie,  so worthy to be watched for its storyline, quality stars, support and director  will be in  theatres nationwide,  starting Wednesday, July 25, 2012.  

If Xian stretched his capabilities including ligaments at his dance workshop; Kim stretched her neck (looking literally in the movie); turning her aversion for horror stories into perhaps an accepted genre for her to undertake again and to watch in the future.  The Healing, the movie, healing her "phobia" of horror stories, hopefully.  

True Grit, a trait both Kim and Xian possess. What a grace from God! God is good all the time!

 I love the definition of GRIT  that Wikipedia gives:

*"Grit is defined as “perseverance and passion for long-term goals.”  Specifically, those individuals who were deemed more successful and influential than their contemporary counterparts typically possessed traits above and beyond that of normal ability

While ability was still critically important, these individuals also possessed “zeal” and “persistence of motive and effort.” Grit is conceptualized as a stable trait that does not require immediate positive feedback.

 Individuals high in Grit are able to maintain their determination and motivation over long periods of time despite experiences with failure and adversity. Their passion and commitment towards the long-term objective is the overriding factor that provides the stamina required to “stay the course” amid challenges and set-backs. Essentially, the Grittier person is focused on winning the marathon, not the sprint.  (Wikipedia)*

In life, love and work,  it appears Xian Lim is bent on "winning the marathon not the sprint" and is not also concerned with "immediate positive feedback".  Like Kim, he aims for "taking it slow, no rush". 

                                 You'll Never Walk Alone

                                 Performed by Celtic Woman
                               
To Kim and Xian's detractors, what a rough time will they have with the two--both are God fearing, loving and innately good; have strong family support, possess  genuine talent; are persevering and have great passion for and  commitment to their work; they also easily forgive hurts; and most of all, they have each other, covering each other's backs; barricaded by  a strong fan base, individually and jointly;  on top of being  young and really  good-looking and have sizzling chemistry as the nation's Hottest Loveteam; Kim and Xian also  have such tremendous mass appeal, individually and with each other and convinced that God is  on their side! If God is on their side, who can be against them?  Praise God and give Him thanks always!


      CTO - Kim and Xian...Keep on keeping on!

Ability plus, plus!!    Kim and Xian, keep on shining!  May God continue to bless, guide and protect you, in Jesus' Name. Amen. We , your fans, are here for you too. Nandito lang din kami!






                                                   -o0o-