My first trip to the Philippines was...
Hot: Summertime, and the livin' ain't easy for this Washingtonian
Humid: My poor hair poofed and limped at the same time
Beautiful: Sunrise, sunset, moonrise, mountains, volcanoes, trees, plants, beaches
Eye-opening: From the vastness of MegaMall to the presence of poverty
Sunny: I got sunburned ... yes, despite my attempts to protect my skin with sunscreen
Fun: I met many relatives. If you're reading this, hi!!! Thanks for everything!
Educational: Visited Mom's elementary school, high school and college and Dad's college; stayed at a hotel really close to Dad's high school
Moving (1): Hi, Lolo Ven, Lola Jane and Tita Cely. Miss you.
Historical: Learned about Vinzons (formerly Tacboan and Indan) from a town yearbook and visited Intramuros in Manila
Long: Spent 10 relaxing days in Vinzons (loved the beach, eating-sleeping-eating schedule and Wowowee [an afternoon game show])
Cool: And when I say that, I mean, how cool is it to live on A. Guinto Street in Vinzons? I kept saying I'd like to live on Cabellon Street. :) A. Guinto Street is awesome.
Spiritual: We visited a lot of churches -- and I do mean a lot -- and it was interesting to attend both Tagalog Masses in Vinzons and a Taglish Mass at St. Andrew the Apostle near the hotel. Salamat sa Dios.
Short: Spent 5 days in Manila (the time seemed to go by faster)
Moving (2): Planes, vans, jeepneys, taxis, tricycles, pedicab, MRT, car
Delicious: So much good food all the time (yay for fresh lumpia, eggplant, Jollibee, Max's, fresh seafood, pili tart, pusit, sinigang, bulalo, sisig, sotanghon, mangoes, etc. ... yay for Filipino food! And yay for the Mandarin noodle soup at Next Door North Park Noodles.)
Musical: Uncle Jonas introduced me to Christian Bautista and Mark Bautista -- plus other artists such as Sarah Geromino -- via Mark Bautista's first major solo concert at Aliw Theater
(I'll post pictures soon.)
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Friday, March 10, 2006
Bon Vo-YAH-gee!
That's what I enjoy telling people when they go on trips. Oh wait! That's what I've been hearing from my friends! Except, of course, they wrote "Bon voyage" correctly. I just like the way Bugs Bunny says it, too. :)
And we're off to see the Philippines! The wonderful country of old. Old, as in that's where my ancestors are from. Duh. :)
Ah, and when I get back, I'll have much to do and much to look forward to. More on that later! It's vacation time, baby!
And we're off to see the Philippines! The wonderful country of old. Old, as in that's where my ancestors are from. Duh. :)
Ah, and when I get back, I'll have much to do and much to look forward to. More on that later! It's vacation time, baby!
10 for 12 ... not bad
After the final 24 performed on American Idol, I made my predictions for who would make it into the top 12. I was right about ten of the contestants. Who among the 12 weren't on my "yes" list? Bucky and Melissa. Who didn't make it among my predicted 12? David and Ayla.
Well, only one can be named the American Idol winner. Here's what I think of the top 12:
Ace: Has the looks to attract votes, but I'm not a fan of his vocals. He will stick around for a while most likely.
Bucky: As you now know, he wasn't among my predicted top 12, but he's growing on me. I don't see him winning the competition though.
Chris: Definitely a favorite among the TV viewers. I think he could be among the top three, if not top two.
Elliott: He's cool with me. I like his voice. He should go far in this competition.
Kevin: Another favorite among the TV viewers. I'm impressed that he can sing so well at the tender age of 16. Not sure how long he'll stick around though. My piece of advice for Mr. Covais: Do NOT say you are a sex symbol! You can't say things like that, man! Totally backfired, and you ended up in the bottom three.
Taylor: Likes to say "whoo" a lot when he sings. I like to say "whoo," but I don't like to hear it after every phrase in a song. People seem to like him too. Hmmm.
Katharine: I like her for the most part. She can oversing sometimes, but when she's on, she is on.
Kellie: Simon's right. She has that "likeability" factor, and I do like her. Go Kellie!
Lisa: It's cool that she was in The Lion King when she was 10. I wish she'd change up her song choices though.
Mandisa: YAY! Mandisa's awesome. Definitely a favorite of mine. Out of the top 12, she's the only one I can see right now winning this competition. I'm not saying that she will win (case in point: my early favorites in past seasons didn't win), but I want her to do well.
Melissa: She's all right, I guess. Again, I didn't think she'd make it into the top 12, so I don't think she'll last very long.
Paris: Song choice and fashion choice. Two key components for her. If you say you are fashionable, you better be fashionable. I like that her voice is distinct, but she needs to sing the way she did in the auditions. Week 1 was good. Weeks 2 and 3 weren't so great.
My opinions definitely change from week to week, so we'll see what happens!!!
Well, only one can be named the American Idol winner. Here's what I think of the top 12:
Ace: Has the looks to attract votes, but I'm not a fan of his vocals. He will stick around for a while most likely.
Bucky: As you now know, he wasn't among my predicted top 12, but he's growing on me. I don't see him winning the competition though.
Chris: Definitely a favorite among the TV viewers. I think he could be among the top three, if not top two.
Elliott: He's cool with me. I like his voice. He should go far in this competition.
Kevin: Another favorite among the TV viewers. I'm impressed that he can sing so well at the tender age of 16. Not sure how long he'll stick around though. My piece of advice for Mr. Covais: Do NOT say you are a sex symbol! You can't say things like that, man! Totally backfired, and you ended up in the bottom three.
Taylor: Likes to say "whoo" a lot when he sings. I like to say "whoo," but I don't like to hear it after every phrase in a song. People seem to like him too. Hmmm.
Katharine: I like her for the most part. She can oversing sometimes, but when she's on, she is on.
Kellie: Simon's right. She has that "likeability" factor, and I do like her. Go Kellie!
Lisa: It's cool that she was in The Lion King when she was 10. I wish she'd change up her song choices though.
Mandisa: YAY! Mandisa's awesome. Definitely a favorite of mine. Out of the top 12, she's the only one I can see right now winning this competition. I'm not saying that she will win (case in point: my early favorites in past seasons didn't win), but I want her to do well.
Melissa: She's all right, I guess. Again, I didn't think she'd make it into the top 12, so I don't think she'll last very long.
Paris: Song choice and fashion choice. Two key components for her. If you say you are fashionable, you better be fashionable. I like that her voice is distinct, but she needs to sing the way she did in the auditions. Week 1 was good. Weeks 2 and 3 weren't so great.
My opinions definitely change from week to week, so we'll see what happens!!!
Wednesday, March 08, 2006
Thank you, Northwest Airlines!
Wow. We're flying NWA to the Philippines, and a few weeks ago I received an e-mail to sign up for a e-newsletter. I did it to get more frequent flyer miles. Today NWA sent an e-mail about online shopping. I can't wait to earn even more miles just by buying music on iTunes. Well, I checked out some of the other shopping Web sites. It's pretty cool. A while back, I bought an electronic tuner from Musician's Friend but via Amazon.com. Will definitely return to Musician's Friend. Actually, when I was on the M's F site, I looked at recording equipment. Somebody who bought a microphone recommended a freeware program called Audacity.
I downloaded Audacity this morning, and it ROCKS! Even with my dinky little microphone. I LOVE IT! I already recorded a song, and it sounds so cool. The quality is pretty amazing. I, unfortunately, do not sound good because my throat has been hurting, and -- *grin* -- I ran out of breath at one point. Man oh man. I am loving this. Sometimes the best things in life *are* free.
Then again, I will be spending a whole bunch of money online. Thanks again, NWA. At least I'll get miles now. Darn! I've bought so many songs for my iPod already. Heh!
I downloaded Audacity this morning, and it ROCKS! Even with my dinky little microphone. I LOVE IT! I already recorded a song, and it sounds so cool. The quality is pretty amazing. I, unfortunately, do not sound good because my throat has been hurting, and -- *grin* -- I ran out of breath at one point. Man oh man. I am loving this. Sometimes the best things in life *are* free.
Then again, I will be spending a whole bunch of money online. Thanks again, NWA. At least I'll get miles now. Darn! I've bought so many songs for my iPod already. Heh!
Sunday, March 05, 2006
Picky picky
My jaw is much better now, thank you very much. Tylenol helped last night. I couldn't not sing in church, but I just didn't open my mouth as much. It's weird when you sing that way, but it's better than not singing at all.
I was looking at my nails on my right hand yesterday, and they've been transformed by my musicianship. Well, my left fingers are a given. They have developed calluses. (I always get confused by callous and callus, but I believe I used the correct word.) Anyway, the nails on my right hand have a few faint streaks of white. Where on earth did these come from?, I thought. And then it hit me. I use my thumb and my fingers to strum the guitar because I don't like using picks. Is that pretty rare in the guitar-playing world? I could never get used to them. It's probably because I started on a nylon guitar, and it was just so easy and beautiful-sounding to use my thumbnail. I feel I have better control when I play without a pick. Hmmm.
Well, maybe I'll learn to become comfortable with a pick. (I just tried playing with one though, and it seems so unnatural!) For now, I think I can sacrifice scratches to my nails. I'm not that picky.
I was looking at my nails on my right hand yesterday, and they've been transformed by my musicianship. Well, my left fingers are a given. They have developed calluses. (I always get confused by callous and callus, but I believe I used the correct word.) Anyway, the nails on my right hand have a few faint streaks of white. Where on earth did these come from?, I thought. And then it hit me. I use my thumb and my fingers to strum the guitar because I don't like using picks. Is that pretty rare in the guitar-playing world? I could never get used to them. It's probably because I started on a nylon guitar, and it was just so easy and beautiful-sounding to use my thumbnail. I feel I have better control when I play without a pick. Hmmm.
Well, maybe I'll learn to become comfortable with a pick. (I just tried playing with one though, and it seems so unnatural!) For now, I think I can sacrifice scratches to my nails. I'm not that picky.
Warning: Too much enthusiasm can be hazardous to your health
I can't tell you how many times I've practiced my songs today. I was so excited about them. Well, I still am, but I'm decreasing my fervor for them a bit because I *oversang* today. As in, I moved my mouth so much that my jaw hurts. I kid you not. This is really painful. I have a headache.
Let this be a lesson to all of you with jaws that are capable of popping. Musicians can get injuries. I learned that in my psychology of music class. Now I am living proof.
Owww. I may have to skip all the singing at Mass tomorrow, which will be sad because I love singing at church.
Let this be a lesson to all of you with jaws that are capable of popping. Musicians can get injuries. I learned that in my psychology of music class. Now I am living proof.
Owww. I may have to skip all the singing at Mass tomorrow, which will be sad because I love singing at church.
Saturday, March 04, 2006
Over the moon
Last night, I had a dream. I found myself in a desert... Oh wait, that's not what I wanted to say. Let me start over. :)
Last night, I finished my second song of the year! It's been brewing inside me for years now, but I finally got my act together and spent the past week really -- and I mean really -- working on it. Everything came together last night. The lyrics lent themselves to the melody. I quickly found the chords on the guitar. It was a pretty sweet process.
I consider myself to be a very slow writer, but this year I've learned that I can be creative any time of the day as long as I believe in myself. I don't know if that sounds like a bunch of baloney to you, but it means a lot to me. First, I didn't think I could ever be creative on a routine basis. Second, I thought I could only be inspired at a certain time of the day. I just dispelled those personal myths. The music will happen as long as I sit down to work on it.
The best part about finishing this song is that I finally feel free about something that's consumed me for so long. I think that's one of the best things about being a songwriter. It's a cathartic outlet. I didn't think I'd be able to finish this song, but -- lo and behold -- I did. *sigh of relief*
Last night, I finished my second song of the year! It's been brewing inside me for years now, but I finally got my act together and spent the past week really -- and I mean really -- working on it. Everything came together last night. The lyrics lent themselves to the melody. I quickly found the chords on the guitar. It was a pretty sweet process.
I consider myself to be a very slow writer, but this year I've learned that I can be creative any time of the day as long as I believe in myself. I don't know if that sounds like a bunch of baloney to you, but it means a lot to me. First, I didn't think I could ever be creative on a routine basis. Second, I thought I could only be inspired at a certain time of the day. I just dispelled those personal myths. The music will happen as long as I sit down to work on it.
The best part about finishing this song is that I finally feel free about something that's consumed me for so long. I think that's one of the best things about being a songwriter. It's a cathartic outlet. I didn't think I'd be able to finish this song, but -- lo and behold -- I did. *sigh of relief*
Thursday, March 02, 2006
Something has changed within me
The job-hunting process got off to a rocky start, I admit, but I've sensed a change in myself over the past few weeks. And now I know what I want. In fact, I want it so badly that all I can see is me going after it until I get it.
I knew the job search wouldn't work until I felt like this, and now I'm just so excited that I can't keep it to myself.
So here's the deal. I'm going to try and make it my favorite city in the world: New York, baby.
I hope you're excited as I am, and I hope you'll all say a little prayer and send some support my way while I reach out to potential employers in the performing arts industry.
I'm going to follow my dreams and my passions. Like I said, Avenue Q is my theme musical now. However, I *don't* want to go back to college. I'm so ready to move forward. As Kate Monster said, "You gotta go after the things you want while you're still in your prime."
I'm going for them. Wish me luck.
And soon, I hope to host this grand good-bye party, so get ready!!!
[March 3 edit: Yes, I changed the title. It's a line that Elphaba sings in Wicked's "Defying Gravity." The title could've been anything, really -- or nothing at all. My other idea was "Start spreading the news." I'll use that one later.]
I knew the job search wouldn't work until I felt like this, and now I'm just so excited that I can't keep it to myself.
So here's the deal. I'm going to try and make it my favorite city in the world: New York, baby.
I hope you're excited as I am, and I hope you'll all say a little prayer and send some support my way while I reach out to potential employers in the performing arts industry.
I'm going to follow my dreams and my passions. Like I said, Avenue Q is my theme musical now. However, I *don't* want to go back to college. I'm so ready to move forward. As Kate Monster said, "You gotta go after the things you want while you're still in your prime."
I'm going for them. Wish me luck.
And soon, I hope to host this grand good-bye party, so get ready!!!
[March 3 edit: Yes, I changed the title. It's a line that Elphaba sings in Wicked's "Defying Gravity." The title could've been anything, really -- or nothing at all. My other idea was "Start spreading the news." I'll use that one later.]