Asia Cosplay Meet 2015

Rushing to Sto. Domingo Church yesterday to meet up with a fellow volunteer-turned close friend after a quick lunch with new friends, I found myself asking why on earth I let myself be invited to attend the Cosplay Meet in Intramuros. Oh well, that in itself is justification enough. It's highly unusual to have such an event take place within the historic walled city and it's enough to pique my curiosity.

But then it's raining. Somewhere in the north and in parts of Southern Luzon, typhoon Lando must be unleashing terror, bringing rains to Metro Manila in the process. And on a weekend. Could have been a perfect time to stay at home and read since JM just lent me a copy of the coffee table book Pasig: River of Life and also a dear professor lent me a book authored by Noam Chomsky, that intellectual giant who's famous for his anti-US policies.

"Hakune Miku" applying makeup on "Light Yagami"

But oh well, I already said yes to R. And I also would like to see the potential of Intramuros to hold such an event. We all know the place to be historic and maybe, just maybe, the event will be an added boost to make it more attractive to the younger generation. And it's been a loooong time since my last cosplay event and that last time, I exited in less than an hour after entering.

It was raining when we got there. R and I were targeting to leave at around 6PM but the event dragged on until 10PM. I should have known. I badly wanted to go home to read books and I'm worried about getting the coffee table book in bad condition in case it gets wet.

Magic Knight Rayearth cosplayers

And there wasn't much food choices around. People get free yakisoba and Mr. Chips and that's it. We had to go to nearby Cioccolata Churros Café at Bayleaf Hotel for some coffee. Not that I am a coffee drinker but I needed the extra energy boost to last me until 10PM. While there we discussed about the usual stuffs--- volunteer projects, government projects, financial problems (yes, this is a recurring issue LOL), and also academic work. I often tell him how frustrated I am that I can't seem to get a decent scholarship that will take care of my expenses so I can focus on my acads and social work/ volunteer work.

I thought they were going to win...

cuties at the event: Fuu was nowhere to be found though :(

Around 7PM we went back to Baluarte de Dilao. There were band performances and they were really good. I did a recording of some of them. I especially love Zenshin Aru Nomi. Yes they cuss and curse while onstage but in a funny way because there's a problem with the sound system. Nevertheless, they were a joy to watch as they rocked the night with songs from Beck.

I couldn't resist, pardon my love for cannons!

Natsuyasumi rocked the night with a favorite song from Hunter X Hunter: Ohayou. Now something that someone from my generation can relate to. LOL Deep inside I was wishing so hard for some band to play Do You Feel Like I Feel, also from HXH.

Observations:

1. The organizers were not able to fully take advantage of Baluarte de Dilao. It was a very good place for open concerts and they should have jumped on that to hold singing contests and/or battle of the bands.

2. Weather forecasts have been very accurate in saying that it will rain almost the whole day. Tents were set up not for the attendees but for the sound system and various booths. Not all attendees are okay with getting wet... and sick later on. And the chairs were all wet so we were all reluctant to sit on them. [In short, organizers failed to consider what attendees need to have an enjoyable time.]

3. Only junk food is served inside. Free Mr. Chips, yet no free drinks. [Maybe I''m a little bit too demanding but normally free drinks are in tandem with free food, right?]

4. The event didn't seem to be marketed enough as I only heard about it a few days ago. There were very few people, and methinks the event is a flop because of the meager attendance. I should be happy with that because it made moving around so much easier but then there were also very few cosplayers. Take note, as Asia Cosplay Meet 2015, this is supposedly a big event.

5. Setting the time fro 2PM to 10PM is not a good idea. We arrived at 3PM and stayed until the end but there was not much going on because of the rain. Methinks four hours would have been sufficient. And I could have gone off around Intramuros and visit my favorite places there.

6. The sound system sucked. It's sad to see such talented bands and singers having had to endure performing with such bad sound system. This got fixed only in the end.

awarding

7. One cosplayer stormed out in rage, claiming that the whole cosplay thing is a big joke. I don't know if there is truth to what he says about the winner being close with the organizers but then again, such attitude should not be tolerated in a public event as it definitely puts people in an awkward situation and ruins the night. [It's my first time to witness something like that and I was shocked beyond words.]

8. Questioning the criteria and asking for an explanation on the judging process, which one cosplayer did, is I think the more sensible move. (In relation to #7.)

Facebook Event Page

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After that, we headed to our favorite bulalohan in Welcome. He paid for my bulalo because he lost in a challenge with me. Yay for free food! :)

Asian Youth Jazz Orchestra Concert: Meralco Theater

The rest of the year, I have decided, shall be allotted to cultivating appreciation for the arts, both visual and performing. Just as I was looking around for a concert to attend, I chanced upon the AYJO concert to be held in Meralco Theater on Sept. 26. I immediately signed up for free tickets.

Since not many are fond of jazz music especially nowadays when people would rather listen... God knows what people listen to these days. I have given up trying to comprehend the musical zeitgeist of a generation.

It was no surprise that I wasn't able to have company that night. It was a rather welcome opportunity to spend time with myself since the afternoon that day, I hung out with a man who just befriended me recently. He was soft-spoken yet he talked a great deal about himself in our first "getting to know each other" date. [Let it be known that every engagement with humans to me is a date, even my food trips with my sisters!] Happy to finally experience the P200 lunch buffet at Likha Diwa, his treat. That Saturday was British buffet. As expected, the dishes are healthy and not thoroughly bland, thank God for that.

This year I traded yet another dice game activity for music as I did last year. Not my fault when I have identified music as one essential part of my being, a component I cannot live without. Never mind the freebies; when my soul craves, even the tummy is bound to lose. 

I first rushed to Robinsons Galleria for a quick dinner. Since I'm on tight budget [as always], I opted for a Korean bento of beef stew, chap chae, rice, dilis, tamago, and fried whatever. All that for just below P150. Pretty affordable and it's already a complete meal in itself.

dinner before the concert

The AYJO is composed of really talented and fun-loving high-spirited jazz-playing young musicians. No words can express how much I enjoyed the concert. It was a brilliant project to gather outstanding young musicians in Japan and Southeast Asia, musicians who are not afraid to show their funny side onstage in between performances. [Note that five Filipinos took part in this concert.] Where else can you see someone who suddenly breaks out in loud laughter as his fellow musician was making jokes? Where else can you see musicians to wield their instruments as if they were weapons? [I found Japanese tuba player Masahiro Yoshioka quite endearing, posing with his tuba as if it were a cannon.]

before the orchestra members occupied the stage

 In almost all of the performances, I couldn't keep my eyes off Japanese drummer Fumihiro Ibuki. He looks like a nerd [I hope he doesn't chance upon this blog], but when he plays the drums, it's as if he's one with it. He reminds me of the drummer [whoever he was] in Rama Hari in 2012, which unfortunately I wasn't able to dedicate a blog entry to, but just mentioned in passing HERE. Effortless, so natural. Not to mention his high energy, having sustained the momentum for long. [Or I might just suck at playing because I tire easily...] Also an eye-catcher was the beautiful Nagisa Uchida from Japan who plays the vibraphone and whose clear cool voice filled the theater in the latter part. I was speechless! [So now, I'm all the more inspired to level up.]

some metal art inside Meralco Theater

some metal art inside Meralco Theater

Programme:

1. Opening "Wild Man Blues" (composed by Jelly Roll Morton and arranged by Osamu Matsumoto)

2. Monk's Walking (composed by Mayuko Katakura and arranged by Osamu Matsumoto)

3. Toshi (Seeing Through) (composed by Jelly Roll Morton and arranged by Osamu Matsumoto)

4. Milky Way in the Moment (composed and arranged by Yoshihiko Katori)

5. Merlot (composed by Mariko Maeda and arranged by Osamu Matsumoto)

6. Gone are the Days (composed by Xu Kai Xiang Rit and arranged by Osamu Matsumoto)

7. Second Country (composed by Yuri Kishimoto and arranged by Osamu Matsumoto)

8. Tourist Point of View (from Far East Suit) (composed by Duke Ellington and arranged by Osamu Matsumoto)

9. Isfahan (from Far East Suit) (composed by Duke Ellington and arranged by Osamu Matsumoto)

10. Blue Pepper (from Far East Suit) (composed by Duke Ellington and arranged by Osamu Matsumoto)

11. Yesterday Among the Flow of Time (composed and arranged by Osamu Matsumoto)

As special bonus, Filipino and Malaysian percussionists Jacques Dufourt and Muhammad Abdul Karim B. Ahmad Zafiruddin had a percussions showdown. They were such a joy to watch

2015 Christmas Wishlist

It's October and I have yet to clear my backlogs. Anyhow, at this very moment I am taking a break from playing cheesy Air Supply songs on violin and thinking about how much I would want a new violin, I decided to blog a bit.

None in my wishlist has been realized so far except for the art materials which I wanted a few years ago and which I also put in my wishlist in the office secret Santa gift-giving activity. As if people would go to great lengths to get what I really want. Thinking about what to want for Christmas is very hard for me.

Since lately I have been more focused on music, I would very much want to have music-related stuffs for Christmas. Those and going to theaters, museums, and maybe a long travel to think things through before the year ends.

1. Tickets to concerts and musicals

 Next year, Les Misérables will be staged here in Manila. I'm saving up for that but it would be really reaaly cool to have my ticket for free.

2. Movie dates

  While I am the type who prefers to go solo when watching movies, it would be nice to have someone to watch Le Petit Prince with. It just so happens that it will be in theaters within my birthday week this year. 

3. Food trips

  My sisters and close friends know fully well how much I love food and how adventurous I am when it comes to food. Going on an all expense paid good trip is an excellent way to make a girl happy. Whoever said that diamonds are a girl's best friend is a liar. The best way to a girl's heart is through the stomach. Always.

4. Long walks

  It's a real pity we do not have that many parks here so this poor hyperactive girl finds it hard to release extra energy. While I do walk on roads, I couldn't enjoy as much because of the pollution. Ugh!

And no, walking in malls is not my cup of tea. I easily get bored seeing all the merchandise on sale which we humans really do not have a need for anyay. [*curses consumerism]

5. The Mind Museum

I've been wanting to go. I did get to visit one time in August but only at the lobby to attend a talk on the origins of the universe. However, I can't seem to afford the ticket.

6. CDs

  Of musical giants. For the longest time I have been listening to sax, mostly by Kenny G. It's hard to find violin music so I might as well put that on my list.

7. Musical instruments

  I'd like something to add to my winds collection. Probably a harmonica or a clarinet. Or maybe a sax? But saxophones are way too expensive. Sigh!

8. Travels

  This girl is itching to travel but is on hiatus for now. I'm saving up for sometjing important so I'm holding my money tight. So it would be lovely to get a free trip again before the year ends. Wanna go to the beach to contemplate about life, love, loss, death, and redemption. Or about the origins of the universe. Or how we can achieve world peace...

9. Books

  Ah this girl's best friend. I'd like some intelligent books on history. I like books focused on lesser known heroes and/or intellectuals. Or books on music. Or perhaps books on crazy ideas. Would appreciate books on dating, too. I am seeing the wisdom in a friend's suggestion to read up on dating only now... because that's where I fare poorly.

10. The wisdom to guide me every step of the way, the courage to enable me to do the things I should do, and the strength to carry on doing what I need to do.

Last but not the least, a chance to throw it all to the winds again--- my dreams, my frustrations, my sorrows, my joys. I want to empty myself and start anew.

Busy September

Every year, whenever August is about to end, I would always condition myself for the following month. September has always been a busy month for me. It's also my favorite month of the year, not because it is the beginning of the BER months (and I would always create my wishlist this early only to modify it in the succeeding months), but mainly because of the Mid-Autumn Festival. This special day actually falls on the 15th of the eighth month of the lunar calendar and the equivalent date in the solar calendar is almost always within the month of September.

Because of the festival, two weekends would be reserved for family and friends. I love the dice games that accompany this special day. These dice games are played after a meal at some Chinese restaurant. I also look forward to raffle games where prizes may include flaky hopia (the ones I love most) and cash prizes. Add to that the fact that during the whole 19 years of my schooling I have been a consistent honor student so I would get additional cash prize, (which I would later partially surrender to my parents. Boo!) which they call as scholarship award. Of course it's not enough to cover even a semester's tuition fees but at least I got motivated to do well in school because I was always after the money to buy books.

This year is different. September 13 just had so many events that I wanted to attend. (Enough reason for me to write a separate entry on what I did yesterday.) I was invited to two gatherings cum dice games but since it's an annual event anyway, I chose to decline so I could attend the Wikimedia-sponsored Santa Ana walk where I got to meet really interesting people with LOTS of stories to tell. I had to leave early though to rush to Makati for Chino Gutierrez's concert where I think I was the only female adult in casual clothes because I didn't bother to bring a dress with me as my bag was already full of stuffs required for the whole day walking activity and also of freebies we got from SMART Communications.

I got home really late last night and commuting was such a pain because it rained. Somewhere in the Philippines, typhoon Luis must have landed. However I couldn't help but smile at the thought that at least I finally had the courage to talk to a former prof in UP and to my erstwhile classmate who do not even knew of my existence until last night. That said, I don't expect him to remember me if ever we get to meet again should he have a concert here in the future. My only wish is that he keeps on getting better and better at violin because he now serves as an inspiration to me especially now that I'm learning how to play the instrument he mastered at a young age.

So now I think I'll stay at home the whole day and try to at least get substantial work done for my paper presentation next week. I'll just have to build on and update one archaeology-related paper I submitted as class requirement two years ago and I'm good to go.

Busy September indeed. Sometimes I just want to sleep through it all and have someone wake me up when September ends. #Greenday

December

The last month of the year 2013 was spent without any travel to far away place. My officemates and I had planned to spend Christmas eve in Pangasinan but it did not push through. And we had planned to spend our first Christmas eve away from our families and in an island where we would camp and cook our own food.

December is one month I dread the most. I always get depressed on the last few days of November which usually lasts until the early part of January. I dread my birthday. I dread Christmas. I dread New Year's Eve. Maybe it's because my mind always withdraws back to the past, waxing nostalgic about my childhood, my highschool life (which I considered the happiest phase of my life because of my innocence and naiveté), my fall-after-enlightenment in college, my turbulent post-college years... The last days of November would always urge me to open my diaries, where I recorded most of my teenage years. It's both amazing and weird at the same time how I was able to write that much back then and how I even had the time to record SMS to me by people who mattered a lot then. And I am thankful that the younger me was that addicted to keep memories for posterity's sake so it's easier to see where I went wrong in some aspects of my life.

December 2013's important highlights:
1. Lots of food trips but the ones I enjoyed most were the ones with my highschool friends and the one with my ex-officemates. I'm glad to be reconnecting with those people. It's very seldom when I meet people whom I truly care for. (Being nice to everyone doesn't mean I truly care for everyone.)

2. I won a scholarship to a learning institution and might be studying again anytime soon but there are no definite plans yet.

3. Attended Handel's "Messiah": A Christmas Concert at UP Theater and was treated to a night full of wonderful music. I especially loved the UP Madrigal Singers for their extraordinary skills in mimicking animal sounds. Really wow! (On the downside, I was reminded of how I was discouraged to continue my music lessons... I could have been a musician... Boo!)

4. Shopped for clothes. The last time I did so was in December of 2012. I very rarely shop unless needed. My wardrobe looks pitiful compared to my sisters'. Also, that day was another sisterly date. I just love eating out with my sisters (coz they're always the ones to foot the bill...)

5. First time to interact with the Heritage Conservation Society-Youth (HCS-Y). I found the people really knowledgeable and very friendly. I might consider volunteering more. The project was to tour students from UP Visayas who are currently staying in UP Diliman following the disasters in the region. We visited Fort Santiago, Manila Cathedral, San Agustin, Manila Collectibles, Casa Manila, and National Museum Art Gallery.

6. Disposed a lot of useless things from the shelves in our bedroom. Less trash, more useful space, which means, I can finally have space for my books. (Don't tell my sisters!!!)

August 2013

So last month Metro Manila experienced nature's fury once again when typhoon Maring entered, causing four consecutive days of work-from-home mode and annex that to the weekend and one gets 6 days outside the office. Those days I still thought like a student, I didn't want to wake up early because I knew there would be no classes. I often forget I'm no longer a student jejeje. ^.^'

August this year saw me trying out new restaurants and I just realized that my blog is slowly looking like a food blog. While I don't mind sharing my food adventures on the internet, I'm not really interested in creating my own food blog.

But I do consider having my own travel blog and hopefully get contacted by airlines for free tickets in exchange for writing about my travels. One book which greatly inspired me to go to where average men fear to tread is Gerard Helferich's Humboldt's Cosmos which I read a few years back. (Pardon my slight digression but I cannot help but write something about this wonderful biographical book which narates key events in Alexander Humboldt's life and I was particularly interested in his navigation of the Amazon basin for science.) At present, I am reading a wonderful book by American journalist Peter Hessler. Oracle Bones: A Journey Through Time in China is combination of travelogue, observation of present day culture, and historical connections to the present. It's quite interesting to see how Americans perceive Chinese culture while being immersed. Also, I'm curious as to how he navigates through chaotic China which is known for its anti-western stance. (I might write about this book after I finish reading it.)

The biggest moment of August 2013 was the Linkin Park concert. It was my first rock concert. I admit that I was ambivalent about it because I dislike rowdy crowds but during the concert I'm surprised to find myself going crazy together with the audience. And I was with a very dear friend and I consider it as our special date. :)

Yeah and another achievement is finally getting to finish writing about my Shanghai trip. Going through my travel journal while selecting photos for upload had been fun. It feels like the trip was made just yesterday.

I'm taking a break from ASOIF since I have yet to watch the third season. I'm still mourning for the death of Red Viper. I think he could have been one great character. I was already speculating on what would happen if Red Viper joins with Dany... It's such a pity he died shortly after being introduced in the series. (DAMN YOU, GRRM for creating such wonderful characters and killing them too soon! HMPH!) Though truth be told I can't wait to see what happens to Tyrion in book 4. (Come to think of it, I have yet to write about A Storm of Swords!)

Ang lately I've been watching as many movies as I can just so I can free up some space in my external hard disk. But I only delete those which I find crappy (rom-coms, lewd comedy, etc.). And I'm still watching Elfen Lied and B't X. I can't wait to write reviews of those two, but many other things are vying for my attention at the moment.

For instance, I started to review my math lessons. And in between I wonder whatever possessed me to take up European Languages in the first place but then I realize that with my knowledge of many languages I can open up new worlds and expand the scope of my research and the like only I am a bit lazy or maybe I'm just lost as to where to start but I know I'll get there somehow since I believe enlightenment will come soon but it will be perfectly fine also if that never comes coz I'm so used to being such a wandering wonderer or maybe it is wondering wanderer? (I guess I owe it to my Spanish to be able to write a sentence which looks like a paragraph...)

Hoping to get busier in September. One of my trips got cancelled but it's okay. I can always travel some other time.

Linkin Park Living Things @ SM MOA Arena 08132013

Still am speechless even days after Linkin Park rocked their Filipino fans' night, which of course included mine. That night, the 13th of August is one memorable night, being my first time to watch a rock concert. I never thought that I would be able to survive the screams of thousands of fans in a closed area but I did, and thoroughly enjoyed it I did. It was one awesome night full of energy, thanks to Mike Shinoda's rapid-fire raps (I still find it extremely difficult to rap along when I listen to him), Chester Bennington's untiring screams (I wonder how he does it without having sore throat considering that they perform every other day in their Asian tour...), Rob Bourdon's wickedly powerful drums which blended well with the equally wicked sounds created by Dave "Phoenix" Farrell on bass and Brad Delson on guitar.

They made us wait, they sure did. Ticket said 8pm. Urbandub played their songs at 8:30. I was dying from excitement. My tummy had butterflies and whatnots each minute that passes without LP. And then I slumped on my seat feeling betrayed. At 9:30, Joe Hahn appeared and the crowd roared. A few seconds before that, the arena became dim and fans were already whistling and shouting. When Rob started drumming something like sounded like a battle hymn I was brought back to life. The night was young after all and the party just got started. I forgot about worrying about how late I would get home and suffer the reprimand of my parents.

Faster and faster the drum was beat and with each beat is another level of excitement waiting to engulf me. I was afraid I would faint and pass out from too much excitement, wondering what the first song would be, wondering if "In the End", "My December", and my other faves would be performed onstage. And suddenly Mike Shinoda was rapping and the party has indeed begun. It happened so soon that I forgot how to react and just screamed with the crowd, my voice drowned in the multitude's multiple shouts.

Perhaps it's just that I want to be in the energy... How fitting that they started with "A Place for My Head".

And I lost my voice in the middle of "Papercut", one of the first songs by LP that I knew many years back. I felt like my younger self who would sing this song whenever I felt vulnerable. When they played that song, images of their video which initially creeped me out but which shortly after I loved flashed in my mind. You have to understand that it was my first time to see bizarre and disturbing images in a music video, something that made Aerosmith's "Jaded" pale in comparison. Chester still had glasses on. I remember having a crush on him because he looks like a nerd rockstar what with red hair, red pants and those glasses. Chester made me love the nerdy look. And now a more mature Chester stood before us, with tattoos on his arm and now without the glasses. As "Papercut" drew to an end, I realized missed Chester's old look.

When they played "Somewhere I Belong" I lost all inhibitions and sang along at the top of my voice. I regularly sing along to this song while working in the office and it felt so surreal to be singing along with Chester and Mike as the rest of the band played. That song is special to me. I realized just recently that when I am utterly disappointed with someone, I tend to sing "Somewhere I Belong".

By the time they played "Points of Authority" I was already bereft of shyness, never minding if my lyrics were a bit wrong (LOL). All I cared about is that DAMMIT MY FAVORITE BAND IS PLAYING, THIS IS MY FIRST ROCK CONCERT, AND I OUGHTA HAVE FUN!!! I was already wondering if next year they will have another concert here (though hopefully they do it at SMART Araneta Coliseum since SM Arena sucks big time).

I was mesmerized when they played  "Castle of Glass". The background was wonderfully done with shards of glass scattering about. (And yeah, I study glass artifacts in archaeology...) And then there was "Leave out All the Rest", another song I instantly liked from their new album "Living Things". It reminds me of the band Simple Plan for some reason. They mixed it with "Shadow of the Day" and ultimately with the theme from Transformers movie "Iridescent".

Castle of Glass

Other fave songs of mine they played were "Lost in the Echo", "Numb" (imagine the crowd going wildly crazy with this old favorite!!!), "Burn It Down", "In the End" (the crowd sang along with much gusto!!!). The concert ended with "Bleed it Out". Or so we thought. The audience clamored for an encore. We're not letting LP off the hook yet. WE SIMPLY WANT MORE. My heart was screaming, SHIT I DON'T WANT THIS NIGHT TO END!!! My words "ENCORE MILLE FOIS!!!" got lost in the echo of the crowd's "MORE!"

And so LP obliged with "Faint", "Lying from You", and "One Step Closer". All throughout, Mike and Chester greatly complemented each other. And they called it a night but even in the bus, even when I was already in bed, my mind was replaying everything. The following day and the day after that, up until now, I still can't get over the whole thing. And it's the best case of hangover yet.

The following day, my status on Facebook read:

I can't feel the way I did before

Don't turn your back on me

I won't be ignored

Time won't heal this damage anymore

Don't turn your back on me

I won't be ignored

Sex Jokes: Vice Ganda vs. Jessica Soho

Vice Ganda's recent sold-out concert at the SMART Araneta Coliseum last May 17 sure did establish this gay comedian as one of the country's top entertainers. But it could very well contribute to his downfall as well, IF AND  ONLY IF his fans will suddenly be enlightened of his vicious tongue and scathing humor. While most people I know look forward to his Sunday late night show "Gandang Gabi Vice", I find the show rather repulsive as it becomes an avenue where people are shamed by Vice Ganda's wild jokes. Seeing his tactic to entertain at the expense of his victims, I cannot find it in my heart to patronize his show though I honestly admire him for his quick wit and frank retorts.

But then his jokes have gone too far. Through my Facebook newsfeed, I became aware of his terrible joke about Jessica Soho's weight and that if she becomes a sexy star, there should be a gang rape. This joke attacks the victim as a female and as an obese person, which if we really do think about it, also attacks all females and all fat people. I wonder how people can still laugh at such a joke.

A few days ago, Jessica Soho voiced out her opinion that rape is not a joke. No, she didn't lash out at Vice Ganda, considering her stature in the media industry as a multi-awarded broadcast journalist, as most celebrities are wont to do. Instead, she just reacted against the joke itself, which perhaps made people think about the underlying meanings, thus gaining the support of netizens who promptly made the issue a hot topic in cyberspace. For that, my respect for Jessica Soho has multiplied ten thousandfold. She knows how to wield her influence in a subtle way, rallying the people on to her side to condemn the jokes made, and subsequently, to think twice about patronizing someone as unfeeling and unsympathetic to rape victims and fat people as Vice Ganda.

On second thought, Filipinos are known to be harsh critics of people's physique. In a conversation with an offiicemate, when I remarked at how Filipinos tend to always find something bad to say about another person in terms of physical appearance, she agrees and cites examples. For instance, she says, Filipinos add adjectives after a person's nickname, like X Kalbo, X Nano, X Panot, etc. Do we really need to take these physical characteristics as something to make fun of? Are we that shallow to find pleasure in finding fault in a person? Perhaps yes, because it makes us feel superior to other people. But then, as a  predominantly Catholic country, let me remind everyone that nobody's born perfect and before you criticize, take a look at the mirror first.

Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye. (Matthew 7:5) (from http://biblehub.com/matthew/7-5.htm)

Methinks Vice Ganda is insecure. Methinks he envies Jessica Soho for her achievements and for being a female, something he is denied to have. And this could have compelled him to do just what he did in the arena where he is king, on that stage in SMART Araneta Coliseum where he stood unopposed that night of May 17.

From Multiply 085: PAG presents Chino Gutierrez in Solo Violin Recital

from: http://www.clickthecity.com/events/details.php?id=7072

The Philippine Association for the Gifted (PAG) will present violinist Joaquin Maria "Chino" Gutierrez in a concert .

He will be performing works of Bach, Schumann, Ysaÿe, Tchaikovsky, Kabayao, and Vieuxtemps, accompanied by pianist Mary Anne Espina.

This event marks the return of Gutierrez to the concert stage after several years of absence. Nineteen-year old Gutierrez is a former violin prodigy who trained in Germany with the renowned pedagogue Jens Ellermann at the prestigious Hochshule für Musik und Theater München (Academy of Music and Theater in Munich).

He began playing the violin at 7 and ½ years old under the tutelage of Alfonso "Coke' Bolipata. At 9, he won second prize at the NAMCYA (National Music Competitions for Young Artists), grade school division, and three years later, won first prize also at the NAMCYA, high school division. At 12, he was the youngest competitor in his category.

Gutierrez had his orchestral debut at age 10 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines, playing Lalo's Symphonie Espagnole with the Metro Manila Community Orchestra, under the baton of Josefino "Chino" Toledo. He also gave his first solo recital at 10. He has performed in numerous critically acclaimed performances both here and in Germany. His last major performance was in 2006 as soloist of the Manila Philharmonic Orchestra, under the baton of Oscar Yatco.

Gutierrez, who has been a member of the PAG since 1995, has many equally impressive achievements outside the field of music. His outstanding talents in math, science, and languages have earned for him recognition both in the Philippines and in Germany, where he spent his high school years. While pursuing violin studies at the Hochschule, he won the State math competitions in Bavaria. Also, because of his linguistic abilities, he was tapped to co-author a book on etymology in 5 languages. After Germany, he received a full scholarship for a double degree program in music and physics at Bard College, New York. He was also offered a scholarship at the Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University.

At present, he is studying at the University of the Philippines, in a special program for gifted students, taking up higher math and science courses, while working with Gina Medina on his pieces and happily indulging his love for the violin.

Tickets to the concert are at P1000, P700, and P500, with 50% discount for students and 20% discount for senior citizens.

Contact Details:
For ticket inquires, please call Bernadette of the PAG secretariat at (63 2) 687-1122 or (63 915) 680-0753. Tickets also available at the gate.


Philamlife Auditorium
Manila

Philamlife Bldg.,
United Nations Ave. cor. Ma. Orosa St.,
Ermita,
Manila,
Metro Manila,
Philippines

Saturday February 6, 2010 7:30 PM


Jan 27, '10 12:42 PM
for everyone

11132012: Vienna Chamber Orchestra @ CCP

There’s always that feeling of redemption whenever I listen to classical music. The harmonic sounds of different musical instruments, most especially the flute, the violin, and the cello, lifts the spirits and takes one to an imagined place of bliss, even for a short temporary period of time.

And it is for that reason that I have taken an interest in classical music, boring though I found it in my early years. My fascination was heightened when I was introduced to Mozart and Tchaikovsky, the latter gaining the top spot for his intensely rich music with romantic overtones.

Last night was the first time in many years that I attended a classical music concert. This time it was only me and my dad. We attended the 15th Toyota Classics presenting the Wiener KammerOrchester at CCP. The Wiemer KammerOrchester played beautifully and well. It was also the first time that I listened to orchestral works with guitar solo and I must confess that it wasn’t much of my type. I prefer the loudness of violins and flutes; classical guitar just seemed out of place to me. Or maybe it’s because I am not at all familiar with the works of Joaquin Rodrigo. (But thanks to this concert, I now found myself exploring classical guitar.)

Photo Credit: http://www.kotse.com/home/index.php/news/item/996-15th-toyota-classics

Photo Credit: http://culturalcenter.gov.ph/single-tickets/view-event/?id=2767221

The group did three encores which gained positive response from the audience. I do think that Mr. Joji Hattori (the conductor for the night) has Strauss Jr. as his favorite composer since most of the pieces played were by him.

I guess last night was also a bonding moment with my dad. We’ve fought a lot this year and I, feeling guilty about it, am bent on making it up to him somehow. We had our very late dinner at Savory Escolta as we talked a lot about family matters. Savory has been a fave since my childhood days and a restaurant I haven’t visited in many years.  Having their original saucy pancit canton and fried chicken sure did bring lots of memories.