Showing posts with label video. Show all posts
Showing posts with label video. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Top 5
Back in October, I wrote the following, and the same applies today, except that it's not so random.
This is random. I clearly haven't been putting effort into my blog, but here are some things that I love/have enjoyed/have learned from this past week:
1. Cooking vegan pancit. The last time I cooked pancit, I was just a vegetarian, and I honestly missed the taste of patis (Filipino fish sauce). Well, I've been a vegan for almost a year and a half now, and my tastes have certainly changed -- for the better. I wanted to get back to cooking Filipino food, vegan style this time. And this video totally helped. I didn't use any soy protein, and I added garlic. Mmmm... garlic.
2. Learning how to riff. On Sunday, I tweeted the following:
What you put out into the universe -- even the Twitterverse -- will come back around. Check it out!
3. Watching videos on NutritionFacts.org. I am addicted to this website -- in a good way. Dr. Greger is entertaining and informative, and he clears up the myths about nutrition. Usually these videos are 1-3 minutes in length -- easily digestible in the YouTube age. Heehee. Get it? Digestible? Okay, his jokes are better than mine. This video is an exception. It's 55 minutes in length, but if you watch, you'll get hooked. I won't spoil my favorite line from this. (Feel free to take a guess, and I'll let you know if you're right!) And this confirms just one major reason why I'll be vegan for life: I don't want heart disease, diabetes, cancer, or any of the other 15 leading causes of death.
Tip: Watch this video in full screen on your computer, so you can see his great, animated presentation.
4. Cooking. No video to accompany this particular love. And I know that it's similar to #1, but at the same time, it's not. Six years ago, when I moved to New York, I didn't know if I'd ever come to love cooking, and now I can say that I do. Seitan adobo, anyone? Homemade taho, anyone? Creamy avocado pasta, anyone? Homemade pancakes, anyone? I can make them all. In fact, I made them all for the very first time this week! :)
5. Keeping track of life on Peabrain. From the creator of 750 Words comes an amazing SMS-based way of keeping track of anything that you want. The best part for me is I've established new habits while using Peabrain. I'm doing push-ups on a regular basis again. I walk more in my neighborhood park. I started composting! (Well, donating food scraps to my local farmers market. It's awesome.) I've started meditating daily, and it is essential to me now. But it's not just for habits. I also keep track of other things, but I'm not telling you what -- it's a private SMS tool, after all!
This is random. I clearly haven't been putting effort into my blog, but here are some things that I love/have enjoyed/have learned from this past week:
1. Cooking vegan pancit. The last time I cooked pancit, I was just a vegetarian, and I honestly missed the taste of patis (Filipino fish sauce). Well, I've been a vegan for almost a year and a half now, and my tastes have certainly changed -- for the better. I wanted to get back to cooking Filipino food, vegan style this time. And this video totally helped. I didn't use any soy protein, and I added garlic. Mmmm... garlic.
2. Learning how to riff. On Sunday, I tweeted the following:
3. Watching videos on NutritionFacts.org. I am addicted to this website -- in a good way. Dr. Greger is entertaining and informative, and he clears up the myths about nutrition. Usually these videos are 1-3 minutes in length -- easily digestible in the YouTube age. Heehee. Get it? Digestible? Okay, his jokes are better than mine. This video is an exception. It's 55 minutes in length, but if you watch, you'll get hooked. I won't spoil my favorite line from this. (Feel free to take a guess, and I'll let you know if you're right!) And this confirms just one major reason why I'll be vegan for life: I don't want heart disease, diabetes, cancer, or any of the other 15 leading causes of death.
Tip: Watch this video in full screen on your computer, so you can see his great, animated presentation.
4. Cooking. No video to accompany this particular love. And I know that it's similar to #1, but at the same time, it's not. Six years ago, when I moved to New York, I didn't know if I'd ever come to love cooking, and now I can say that I do. Seitan adobo, anyone? Homemade taho, anyone? Creamy avocado pasta, anyone? Homemade pancakes, anyone? I can make them all. In fact, I made them all for the very first time this week! :)
5. Keeping track of life on Peabrain. From the creator of 750 Words comes an amazing SMS-based way of keeping track of anything that you want. The best part for me is I've established new habits while using Peabrain. I'm doing push-ups on a regular basis again. I walk more in my neighborhood park. I started composting! (Well, donating food scraps to my local farmers market. It's awesome.) I've started meditating daily, and it is essential to me now. But it's not just for habits. I also keep track of other things, but I'm not telling you what -- it's a private SMS tool, after all!
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Top 5
This is random. I clearly haven't been putting effort into my blog, but here are some things that I love/have enjoyed/have learned from this past week:
1. "O"tober -- all entries but particularly Day 16, Day 18 and Day 20 from this week.
2. Oprah's Lifeclass -- especially "Please be responsible for the energy you bring into this space."
3. 750Words.com -- today is Day 3, and I am loving writing just to write. It's great to have a goal and a sense of accomplishment in the morning to kick off the day. I also feel a sense of clarity after each entry. Plus, I love all the stats the site gives you about your writing. Getting ready for my first ever NaNoWriMo, and now I can't wait!
4. Practicing the piano -- memorization has been difficult for me in the past, but now I see that if I can find the patterns and break it down into chunks, my brain cooperates with my fingers. I think I should still put in more time to practice. :)
5. Les Mis in 6 Minutes -- I am obsessed! Major props to U.S. tour swing Natalie Weiss. Please enjoy:
(Full disclosure: Yes, I work on the 25th Anniversary tour of Les Misérables, but this is from the musical theatre fan in me... which is the reason why I do what I do for a living.)
1. "O"tober -- all entries but particularly Day 16, Day 18 and Day 20 from this week.
2. Oprah's Lifeclass -- especially "Please be responsible for the energy you bring into this space."
3. 750Words.com -- today is Day 3, and I am loving writing just to write. It's great to have a goal and a sense of accomplishment in the morning to kick off the day. I also feel a sense of clarity after each entry. Plus, I love all the stats the site gives you about your writing. Getting ready for my first ever NaNoWriMo, and now I can't wait!
4. Practicing the piano -- memorization has been difficult for me in the past, but now I see that if I can find the patterns and break it down into chunks, my brain cooperates with my fingers. I think I should still put in more time to practice. :)
5. Les Mis in 6 Minutes -- I am obsessed! Major props to U.S. tour swing Natalie Weiss. Please enjoy:
(Full disclosure: Yes, I work on the 25th Anniversary tour of Les Misérables, but this is from the musical theatre fan in me... which is the reason why I do what I do for a living.)
Wednesday, July 06, 2011
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Brycen in Technicolor
I enjoyed a wonderful vacation in Texas with my family earlier this month. One of the highlights was meeting and spending time with my two-month-old nephew Brycen, who is super cute and let me sing to him while he napped in my arms. His parents rocked some Coldplay songs on SingStar (a karaoke game), so I thought it was fitting to use "Life in Technicolor" as the music for this video. Viva la vida, Baby Brycen!
Click here to view this video in HD on YouTube.
Click here to view this video in HD on YouTube.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Play Me, I'm Yours... Day 7
Day 7 already? This is going by way too fast. Granted, my personal start was delayed, but I am making the most of it.
I didn't go to bed until about 2 am. Performing has been a thrill and a rush, so I was naturally wired. However, I woke up this morning a little past 9 and could have slept, but the sun was too bright. My body and mind were exhausted. I had a specific goal to visit two pianos today and made sure I was fully hydrated before going out into the heat and humidity of the early afternoon. Here's the piano recap:
Piano 12: St. Nicholas Park at 135th Street
I took the A train to 145th and transferred to the C for one stop further. At 135th Street, I exited the station and made a pedestrian U-turn into St. Nicholas Park. Did a quick scan of the park and spotted the piano, still covered in plastic, so I'm assuming I was the first player of the day.
I quickly took pictures and then sat down to play "Arithmetic" from memory. A couple women came up to take my picture, and one of them said, "Hello?" She wanted me to look up and pose! I got a big kick out of it, so I smiled while she took some pictures. She asked me if there were other pianos in the city, and I said yes and I would show her after I was done playing. Mind you, everything I just described took place while I was still playing "Arithmetic"! After I finished the song, another woman by the name of Michelle (she was wearing a nametag) asked me if I had been to other pianos, and I told her this was my 12th. She said that when they found out a piano was coming to the park, they asked if they should have soothing music playing in the background, but the parks department said no. I also told her that I was trying to visit as many pianos as possible, and she described that one man was attempting to document all 60 on video. I then said that I had noticed people taking pictures of me, but none had volunteered to e-mail their pictures, and then she said she would e-mail me hers, but she also offered to take my picture with my own camera, so I gladly took her up on the offer! Here I am playing "Nightminds."
And she surprised me further by letting me know she took a video! Thank you, Michelle! She told me to stop by her exhibit after I was done playing.
I played "Scarlet" (complete with a D key intact on this particular piano, yes!) and then expanded my performance repertoire with "Your Eyes" from RENT and "Grow Old With Me" by John Lennon, famously recorded by Mary Chapin Carpenter. Now, I learned to play "Your Eyes" many years ago, but I hadn't played it in a very long time. "Grow Old With Me" was a song I first learned strictly as an accompanist for my fellow choir peeps the summer between 8th and 9th grade. We played for my science teacher's wedding ceremony. This was the first time that I played and sang the song in public.
When I finished, I stopped by Michelle's art exhibit and said hello to the group of women who had just heard me play. They were all so wonderful to speak to. I gave my printout of the piano locations to the first woman who had asked me about the pianos while I was playing "Arithmetic" and she was very happy that I gave it to her. Part of me didn't want to leave St. Nicholas Park because I had such a lovely time there, but it was time for me to head to the second and final piano of the day...
Piano 13: Cathedral of St. John the Divine
I got back on the C train and headed to 110th Street. Walked to the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. Luckily, I had seen pictures on the Play Me, I'm Yours website, so I knew where to look
for the piano. Come to think of it, I should do that for my future adventures to make the most of it all.
A teen boy was playing softly when I got there, so I sat down to wait. Then this teen girl asked if she could play. She played Ballade Pour Adeline (thanks to Janice for identifying the piece for me via a humming voicemail!), another piece, and then she asked her dad if she could playing something different, and he said sure. She played -- wait for it -- "Poker Face" and "Bad Romance" by Lady Gaga. Awesome!
When she got up, I took to the piano -- this time I didn't bolt, but I was ready to take my turn. Being that it was so close to the cathedral, I just knew that I wanted to play something appropriate, so I played "Hymn" by Brooke Fraser. Unfortunately, the pedal wasn't working on the piano, but I did what I could to honor the piece and honor the place.
I played "Arithmetic" from memory and realized just how much I need the pedal. "Nightminds" was next, and I ended my session with "Your Eyes." Without the pedal, I made sure to hold down the notes played by my left hand to create the effect of the pedal. Jonathan Larson's nod to La Bohème in that song still gets me every single time. What a pleasure to play.
Total Pianos Played By Borough:
Manhattan: 11 pianos
Queens: 2 pianos
I didn't go to bed until about 2 am. Performing has been a thrill and a rush, so I was naturally wired. However, I woke up this morning a little past 9 and could have slept, but the sun was too bright. My body and mind were exhausted. I had a specific goal to visit two pianos today and made sure I was fully hydrated before going out into the heat and humidity of the early afternoon. Here's the piano recap:
Piano 12: St. Nicholas Park at 135th Street
I took the A train to 145th and transferred to the C for one stop further. At 135th Street, I exited the station and made a pedestrian U-turn into St. Nicholas Park. Did a quick scan of the park and spotted the piano, still covered in plastic, so I'm assuming I was the first player of the day.
 |
| Favorite piano bench thus far |
And she surprised me further by letting me know she took a video! Thank you, Michelle! She told me to stop by her exhibit after I was done playing.
I played "Scarlet" (complete with a D key intact on this particular piano, yes!) and then expanded my performance repertoire with "Your Eyes" from RENT and "Grow Old With Me" by John Lennon, famously recorded by Mary Chapin Carpenter. Now, I learned to play "Your Eyes" many years ago, but I hadn't played it in a very long time. "Grow Old With Me" was a song I first learned strictly as an accompanist for my fellow choir peeps the summer between 8th and 9th grade. We played for my science teacher's wedding ceremony. This was the first time that I played and sang the song in public.
When I finished, I stopped by Michelle's art exhibit and said hello to the group of women who had just heard me play. They were all so wonderful to speak to. I gave my printout of the piano locations to the first woman who had asked me about the pianos while I was playing "Arithmetic" and she was very happy that I gave it to her. Part of me didn't want to leave St. Nicholas Park because I had such a lovely time there, but it was time for me to head to the second and final piano of the day...
Piano 13: Cathedral of St. John the Divine
I got back on the C train and headed to 110th Street. Walked to the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. Luckily, I had seen pictures on the Play Me, I'm Yours website, so I knew where to look
for the piano. Come to think of it, I should do that for my future adventures to make the most of it all.
A teen boy was playing softly when I got there, so I sat down to wait. Then this teen girl asked if she could play. She played Ballade Pour Adeline (thanks to Janice for identifying the piece for me via a humming voicemail!), another piece, and then she asked her dad if she could playing something different, and he said sure. She played -- wait for it -- "Poker Face" and "Bad Romance" by Lady Gaga. Awesome!
When she got up, I took to the piano -- this time I didn't bolt, but I was ready to take my turn. Being that it was so close to the cathedral, I just knew that I wanted to play something appropriate, so I played "Hymn" by Brooke Fraser. Unfortunately, the pedal wasn't working on the piano, but I did what I could to honor the piece and honor the place.
I played "Arithmetic" from memory and realized just how much I need the pedal. "Nightminds" was next, and I ended my session with "Your Eyes." Without the pedal, I made sure to hold down the notes played by my left hand to create the effect of the pedal. Jonathan Larson's nod to La Bohème in that song still gets me every single time. What a pleasure to play.
Total Pianos Played By Borough:
Manhattan: 11 pianos
Queens: 2 pianos