Family, Friends and Memories

It has become a sort of Christmas tradition of mine to send out a Christmas greeting to everyone I've met from around the world. Usually, a lot of emails bounce because either email accounts have been closed or their inboxes full (hopefully of Christmas & New Year messages like this one), but most get through, and it gives me great satisfaction to think that somewhere on the other parts of the world, a friend or family is reading my holiday greetings!

Sometimes a few reply with the fondest greetings and some even with photos. That's the coolest thing about it really: that even though we have not seen each other in years, and even if it is just once a year, we remember and smile for the memories. :D

A WARM MERRY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR from me & my family!!!

Seeing Stars

____________________________________________

A couple of weeks ago, I had my eyes checked. Turns out, the contacts and the glasses I am using now are already obsolete for my requirements.

So I bought new contact lenses (which cost a fortune) and tried them out last Saturday.

That evening I went out to the balcony to look at the stars.
For the last few years, when I looked at the stars I saw them as blobs of overlapping double images. They didn't even twinkle.

But that night, I saw them again. For the first time in a long time. As stars, and not as blobs of white.

And then at that moment, it was worth every centavo.

It's a Holiday?!?

I never thought I'd ever be this disappointed to hear about a new holiday...



Monday, December 8 is a holiday in the whole of Batangas Province.

Arfgh!

Googling "UP Concert Chorus"

Last night I was Googling "UP Concert Chorus", more out of habit than anything else, and found my old blogsite on Xanga. My first post was on Saturday, March 27, 2004. Wow.

At the time I was, 22 and still in college (ha!), I was with Liz for 1 year, I was President of the UP Concert Chorus, and we were preparing for a 3 week tour of Germany, Italy and France scheduled later that year... We had performances left and right, twice a week rehearsals for the coming tour.

Going on tour with the UPCC was really the highlight of my college life. My first tour in 2000 was my first time (ever) to be away from home for more than a week. I was 18 (and young and innocent haha!) and when you're touring the world at that age, there's just so much to learn and so many things to see. You could say that my first tour really globalized my perception, it opened the world to me, literally!

My second tour in 2003 was my toughest but most exciting and most memorable of the three. First, because Liz and I had just gotten together a month before we left for the tour. They say the first few months are always the make or break period in any relationship, and yes it was difficult at times, but we made it through, and with a tighter relationship too. ;)

Second, I was UPCC Stage Manager and Soloist. It was not such a difficult job on tour since most places are already equipped with stages and lights, etc., (although there were times where we had to move altars and benches, and huge tables...) but I did manage to enjoy both, especially the latter one. Haha! Hey, after all, I am The Tenor. lol... (a private joke which came about during the time when a lot of UPCC Tenors left for the San Miguel Chorale and there were some shows where I was the ONLY tenor there, hence the title...)

My third and last tour, the 2004 tour was my most relaxed tour. Hehe. I was President of UPCC, and I was graduating the following year. It was a short 3-week tour during the semestral break, which means none of the homesick teenagers, and petty quarrels over nothing. We went to Bochum, Germany for the Acapella Festival where I got to sing "Ikaw Ang Lahat sa Akin" to this awesome audience (and I have a video!). We also went to Cascine San Pietro in Italy, where one of my dearest host families live, the Pizzocherros and the Sudatis. :D And finally we went to Paris. Yes, Paris. :D My only regret during the 2004 tour was that Liz couldn't go. :_(

Anyway, it's late and I better get to bed. I'll ramble more about it some other time. :p

Bohol Bohol

Bohol Bohol

Here are some photos from our trip to Bohol.

The weather was awesome when we arrived. It had been raining for a couple of weeks and the forecast was gloomy, but it was all sunshine and cirrus clouds when we arrived.

We had booked a PAL flight to Tagbilaran via this packaged tour promo, and the flight was scheduled really early in the morning. We had to be at the Centennial Airport at 6AM...

The American Elections

I've been trying to follow the US Elections and may I say, it has really been very interesting, thought provoking, and (at the risk of sounding too geeky) really exciting. Haha.

Here's two very different candidates for the US Presidential seat: one old and experienced Caucasian guy called John (you can't get a more common white American name than that!), and the other an African American, black newbie Senator whose name, formerly unknown in the greater US and the rest of the world, but is now one of the most recognizable names in US Presidentiables history: Barack.

So it's John McCain vs Barack Obama. (Osama! ...no relation, just wanted to show how alike their names are, hehe!) I would personally vote for Barack, and apparently, so does majority of Americans (or at least the places where they do their polls). Obama has been leading in almost all the polls, be it online or otherwise. Although someone may argue that McCain's supporters are not exactly the crowd (or the generation?) that goes online and votes on polls. Obviously the younger Americans loves the younger candidate, but it's also Obama's "youth" and inexperience that they take against him.

And then there's the matter of the Vice President. If Obama is a Rockstar, then so Palin. Haha! If they win, she will probably NOT make a good VP in terms of skills and knowhow, but she will definitely capture the attention of the public.

Biden who?

I don't presume to know more than the average American Joe (or John) when I make this shamelessly unqualified prediction, that Barack will win. Despite the immense popularity of Palin, it's just not Palin vs Obama, it's the old guy vs Obama. And with a unique name like that, why wouldn't you vote for him?

Haha!

Bisperas ng Pasko

Yes I know it's only September. :p

I was checking the CCAFI Blog email when I saw a blog entry by UPCC alumnus and composer/arranger extraordinaire Manong Nhick Pacis (now based in the US). He posted a recording of a song called "Bisperas ng Pasko" on his Multiply page. He had this song recorded way back in 2000 (or 2001, not sure) when I was still kinda new with UPCC. Some of the members brought me to that "bara-bara" recording and I actually sang on it! (I sing the first few lines with Mon T.)
Here is the link>>
http://npacis.multiply.com/music/item/6
but you have to sign up with multiply before you can play it. :p hehe.

Enjoy!

I just feel like typing today

I have tons of work to do ... but I just feel like typing today (tonight, to be exact).

"Hey hey hey, are you OK?"
I am now a certified First Aider! I'm hoping I never get to use my new skills, but knowing that you know how to save someone's life is kinda cool. I can imagine how doctors must feel. Hehehe...

I'm off to Singapore (agen) next week for a few days. I'm attending a workshop this time around. Whoever is there, buy me some coffee aight. :D I'm leaving on Wednesday from the Centennial Airport (Terminal 2, the nicer airport). I'll be back in Maynila on Sunday next week. Oh, and I read somewhere that the NAIA 3 Terminal is now open (finally!).

They've formed a choir here in Shell Tabangao, and I'm one of the singers of course. Our conductor is a former Madz who took up Choral Conducting in the UPCMu.

It's a HOLIDAY on MONDAY! yay!

Tatay @ 50

Today, my dad celebrates his 50th Birthday.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY 'TAY!!!


For the moment, my family is in different parts of the world: Tatay in Oman, Nanay & Ate in California, me in Batangas & Jett in Manila, but nevertheless, we will celebrate Tatay's 50th each in our own way. And the BIG parteh will come later. Hehe!


We love you Tatay!

Stupid Silly Poems of Overworked on a Friday

Office Instant Messenger at 6PM on a Friday night...

Officemate 1: Rey, pauwi na ba kayo in a few minutes?
Me: Hmm, how few is few?

a few is just bit
but another thought, just wait!
'coz a bit is less than few
or does that depend on you?
I know a couple is just two
so does few mean more than..., oooh
how about a "teka lang"
is it really short or long-

Officemate 1: huh?
Me: ....

just a pondering on "few"
maybe Tudoy or you knew
is it more than "several",
is it more than 1 at all?

Officemate 1: tudoy pls answer, di ko na nage-gets si rey
Officemate 2: weird na si rey

-end-

Avatar: The Last Airbender

If you're not already a fan, I suggest you go check it out!

It's coming to movie theaters too! (In July 2010 that is...) But still, that's awesome!

http://www.avatarchapters.org/

Random: Balong Malalim, Blood and Batangas

This, of course, is in reverse...

• MONDAY - I went to the clinic today to get a sliver out of my right thumb and get a flu vaccine. The former hurt more coz the nurse had to really dig for it under the skin with a needle. And yes, there was blood.
• SUNDAY - Still On duty in Batangas. Liz has been here since Friday night. Thank God. I had an odd feeling I would go crazy if I was alone that weekend. Blah.
• SATURDAY - My Tatay & my baby sis came back from US of A today. But I can't pick them up from the airport coz imma stuck in Batangas. // Do you know that song: "Gusto kong mag-swimming! Sa balong malalim!"? It's an oldie rock and roll song from Juan dela Cruz. It was awesome, I got to sing it for a Shell event. And even though it felt really weird, posing as a rakista and not being very convincing, I still enjoyed it. haha! Missing singing. We also did "Shadows grow so long (before my eyes!)" and "Surroundings (aka Kapaligiran)".

Gusto pang kumain! Kumain ng kumain! Di naman nabubusog sa kanyang kinain!

• FRIDAY - I thought I had seen the last of this RCA. Oh was I ever wrong...

Other random thoughts:

1. It's freakin raining again?!?!?
2. My thumb hurts. And I have scratched all over my arms and legs. I'm never gardening again.
3. David Cook won AI7 last week. And now he has 11 songs in the Billiboard Hot 100! Holy crup!
4. Hot and Spicy Nagaraya. Yum. What's for dinner. I'm hungry!!!
5. Who cares?

Suddenly Taller

I feel suddenly taller.

But my head also feels suddenly heavier.

Like it's harder to balance when I walk...