Manila - Then and Now

July 22, 2009 Solar Eclipse

Thanks to my good friend, Arnel, and his trusty infrared filter, I was able to take a couple of photos of the solar eclipse this morning.

I couldn't be any happier. :)

Photo taken in Quezon City, Philippines at around 9:40 to 9:50 am, July 22, 2009.

For more on this, click here.

Andadasi… andadasi…

Manila Ocean Park… we finally got the chance to go there… courtesy of my brother who’s currently into rearing salt-water fish. Well, like what I’ve been hearing so much about the place, it was pretty small, small enough that you can walk through the entire exhibit in less than 15 minutes. But then again, the sights were pretty amazing… big fishies, small fishies, light-emitting fishies, a giant crab, eels, and a whole bunch of other stuff from under the sea (and other bodies of water).

BORACAY!!!

Boracay!!! Finally! Got the chance to go there! Woohoo!!!

And I love it!

Saw some really interesting stuff... *wink* *wink*

Wish we had a bigger budget because I would surely have tried parasailing and scuba diving. Sigh...

Anyway, it was mostly cloudy when we were there, so I'm kind of sad I wasn't able to get the perfect beach photo.

But then, I was able to get this... I entitle it "How NOT to light a cigarette"... hehehe...


And this one which can speak for itself...


For a serious take on this, head on to my other blog. :)

Note: It's good to be blogging again... sigh! :)

A Yuletide Season To Remember...

Quite sadly, I'm back from a wonderful vacation... back to reality... back to normalcy...

Looking back...

Left Manila on the evening of December 23 (8:00pm)...

Arrived at Sanchez Mira, Cagayan on December 24 (10:00am)...


Sand and sea on Christmas day...


Sun, sand, sea, windmills, and a long bridge on December 26...


An old church, a palace, and a mausoleum on December 27...



A tour of Sanchez Mira on December 28...


Beaches again on December 29...

Drinking spree on December 30...


A more in-depth tour of Sanchez Mira on December 31...

Shooting practice and backing-up pictures on New Year's day...

Left for Manila yesterday at around 4:00pm...

Arrived in Manila this morning at around 6:00am (yep... 14 hours of butt-numbing bus ride, and I LOVE IT!)

It was indeed a Yultide Season/vacation to remember!

Will write more about this later...

Once again, Happy New Year everyone!

Nope... Next please...

(Related to last Wednesday's post)

December 5 came... and gone... and yes, I got what I was hoping to get. And, with it, came my hopes and excitement for what's to unfold today.

Well... eventually, things didn't turn out the way I hoped. I didn't get the camera. Sigh...

Nevertheless, it was a pretty enjoyable day...

I got to see a lot of interesting gadgets (which left me salivating) at the Sony Expo held at the SMX Hall 3...


and, along with that, I got to see KC Concepcion in person...


had free lunch...

got serenaded...


got a bunch of freebies (two nice bags, a huge towel, a CD, and a red stuffed bunny whose head looks comically similar to... aaahh... nevermind)...


And, I got to make four new acquaintances...

SilentBreacher (Bob), Lystra (Lystra), SunnySideUp (Ervin), and McRye (Mike)...

It was really a pleasure meeting you guys. :)

P.S. So, if it's not this... could it be December 15, 2008?

The New Noel

No-El, No-El, her supporters did say
HR five fifty seeks for extended stay.
In the guise of a dance, intentions they keep,
Ortega first denied but later did speak.
No-El? No-El? No-El? No-El?
Mandanas did seem to tell so well.

Bowing down, he prayed, unlike any friar,
a grace heard by men beyond them far.
Surprised at what she heard, with both eyes alight
"Oh my God" from her mouth was seen taking flight.
No-El? No-El? No-El? No-El?
Dureza did seem to tell so well.

Not to be, without support, Enrile did say,
the Congress and people a big role will play.
Palace wants no change to the Charter this time…
prayer’s only a wish, bother’s not worth a dime.
No-El? No-El? No-El? No-El?
“Nay” said Enrile, and that he did tell.

Fourth complaint is in the bin, and Casiño did find
her allies played being all deaf, mute, and blind.
Committee had voted forty two against eight
Saying substance in case is inadequate.
No-El? No-El? No-El? No-El?
Who knows what all these may possibly spell.

Ermita later spoke to the media and said
that the Congress’s ruling should be respected.
What’s in store, what’s to be, in two thousand ten?
Speculations abound, concerns have risen.
No-El? No-El? No-El? No-El?
Who knows what all these may possibly spell.

So let us all with one accord
Pray for the best from our loving Lord
That hath made Heaven and earth of nought
And with his blood mankind has bought.
No-El? No-El? No-El? No-El?
Pray to the King of Israel!

ABS-CBN's Grand Kapamilya Kalokohan Fair

Oh... I mean Grand Kapamilya Negosyo Fair

Thinking that we'll be able to get some nice leads to an extra source of income, my wife and I (along with our son and her eldest sister--yes, she came back this morning) went to the "Grand Kapamilya Negosyo Fair" at the World Trade Center this afternoon.

As we were walking through the parking lot heading towards the main entrance, we saw a bunch of people (various groups) with a somewhat gloomy look on their faces... I jokingly told my wife "parang ang lulungkot ng mga mukha ng mga lumalabas galing diyan ah" ("The people coming from there seem to have sad looks on their faces")

Upon reaching the front of the building, I was quite surprised to see the size of the crowd inside... it was huge... a vast sea of people gathered in front of the registration booths waiting and wanting to get in.

Then things started to turn ugly...

As I reached the end of a considerably long line leading to the entrance, I overheard a lady ask a security guard "Bakit daw hindi pinapapasok ang mga bata?" ("Why are they not allowing children to get in?") But since the line was moving quite fast, I never got to hear what the guard's answer was.

As my son and I reached the main entrance... a lady guard told me coldly and in a manner that sounded very much like a reminder "Hanggang dito lang yung bata ha" ("the child will only be allowed in this area") as she made hand gestures to point to me the area she was referring to.

By that time, I was actually already fuming mad. But since my wife has countless times asked me to keep my temper in check, I just stood there silently, holding my son close to me as I waited for my wife and her sister to get through the entrance.

I eventually decided that I would stay with my son at the lobby and let my wife and her sister see what's inside.

As the two ladies where falling in line for the registration, I heard some commotion coming from the entrance of the fair. There I saw this fairly young lady, a mother, having a heated discussion with security officials.

Still not knowing the reason why they wouldn't allow children to go inside, I went closer to where the altercation was happening and listened in.

And this is what I found out...

The planners/organizers of the fair suddenly (just today, after they saw the huge crowd) decided that they will not allow children under the age of seven to get in as precautionary measures such that in case of something bad happening, THEY will not have a hard time vacating the area.

I thought to myself, "Quite acceptable, considering what happened in ULTRA some time ago..."

So there we were, my son and I, along with several other kids and guardians, wandering aimlessly around the lobby like flies on a huge repugnant piece of poop.

And as time went by, I grew more and more pissed...

What really infuriated me was that there were no chairs at all for the poor souls that were denied access to the oh-so-GRAND fair! There's not even a clearly designated area for the likes of us! So, if you've got a child with you who's younger than seven years old, you're doomed!

Making a decision like that on the day of the event is just absurd! Stupid even.

You know why the lady I mentioned earlier was blowing her top off? She called the Fair's hotline yesterday to ask if infants are allowed in the Fair, to which she was told "yes". She also asked how much an infant's ticket cost, and she was told that infants can go in for free.

There was also this other, older, lady who was making a scene at the Information counter. At one point, she asked the people at the counter why nothing was mentioned in the ads about it. A guy told her (in an a$-holey manner) "hindi ho kasi namin inaasahan na ganito karami ang pupunta eh" ("we didn't expect having this many people").

Then she lashed at the guy "Bulok ang pagpapaplano niyo! Mga tanga kayo!" ("Your planning stinks! You guys are stupid!")

I agreed (and still agree) with her.

After about 45 minutes or so, my wife and her sister emerged from the fair and was welcomed by my terminator look. She asked me if I wanted to go in... as disappointed and frustrated as I was, I decided not to.

I then asked her if she was able to get any flyers or brochures to which she replied "Eh puro naman gluta gluta sa loob saka crystal clear at kung anu-anong pagkain... at, kalahati lang naman ng loob ang may laman..."

And so... we left.

Getting a Whiff of the Green Stuff Again... Aaaaahhh... Heaven...

I can still remember the time when my mother would take us to the barber shop at least once a month to get our hair cut. My brother, who was still very little back then, would be made to sit on a little rectangular wooden stool placed on the barber’s chair so that his head would be higher than the backrest.

I remember seeing white face towels being boiled in a big stainless drum at the back of the barbershop. I also remember seeing the barbers sharpening their foldable razors (labaha) with leathery belts that hung on the sides of the barber’s chair.

Just as unforgettable were the sound of noisy mechanical razors, the “plopping” and “crackling” sounds of hands landing on some old fellow’s body, and the rapid snipping sounds of scissors.

And crowding on top of the long ledges built onto two opposing walls of the shop, just below the similarly long mirrors, were the bars of soap covered with bits of hair, the brushes and cups of soapy water (used for lathering up and applying the soap on the customers’ napes in preparation for shaving), the tubs of pomade, the plastic bottles of fragrant talcum powder, the huge brushes (used for brushing off hair from the customers’ necks), combs and scissors of various sizes… and several large glass bottles of green fragrant liquid…


Yep, hair tonic.

Never really knew what they were for, but I remember asking our favorite barber (suki kumbaga) Mang Pepe (who passed away many years ago) to put some on me each time he would finish cutting my hair.

I so love the smell of the stuff that I felt ecstatic when I saw it being sold at a store in Quiapo a couple of months ago. (I went back there last week and bought the smallest bottle they had, for 18 pesos, just to get to smell it again!)

It’s just a little disappointing that hair tonics nowadays (at least those that I saw at the Quiapo store, including the one I bought) are sold in plastic bottles, unlike those that I used to see in the barbershop years ago which, as I’ve already mentioned, were contained in glass bottles.

Anyway, I tried finding out what it was for and found this:

“Americans are concerned with the appearance and cleanliness of their hair. In the medicine cabinet there is a bottle of hair tonic. What is hair tonic? Its main ingredient is petroleum (much like naphtha). This product is not as popular today, having been replaced by gels, mousses, and hair sprays. Hair spray keeps the hair in place like hair tonic may, but doesn't provide the greasy look that hair tonic has.

“Our hair is dead, yet advertisers try to sell us tonics and lotions for our hair, to make it look better or "healthier." Americans spend a lot of time caring for these dead cells, not because of their protective or warming abilities, but because of fashion. Hairstyles are a major part of American fashion and are always changing. This was certainly the case in the thirties as well. In those days, men who coated their hair in thin petroleum and combed it down had the stylish and acceptable hair fashion, even though it never moved and it looked greasy for the rest of the day.

“To those who pay attention to consumer products and health claims, the word "tonic" has acquired negative medical connotations because it has absolutely no scientific meaning, yet creators of health products have used it to describe products that are supposed to restore the body's health. However, in the 1930s, few people were educated about the medical claims manufacturers made.”

Hmmm… greasy huh? Naturally, I poured some of it on my hand to find out if the hair tonic I bought is the same as the hair tonic described in the article. It’s not greasy at all, and I don’t remember it ever being greasy…

My Son's First Movie Theater Experience... at the IMAX Theater

I first heard of IMAX, I think, in the mid-90s and, after seeing it being featured on some TV programs a couple of times and saw some videos that were made for/by IMAX (though not necessarily in an IMAX theater), I became a fan.

I never thought it’d come to the Philippines... but it did... thanks to San Miguel Brewery, Coca-Cola, and the SM Mall of Asia (where it is located).

I have been wanting to get the IMAX experience since it opened... but it wasn’t only until last Saturday the we were able to go there. Unfortunately, still, we weren’t able to get the TRUE IMAX experience.

My son is addicted to Madagascar (which he calls Madascar) and I thought it would be great to take him to see Madagascar 2 for his first big screen experience. And to make the experience really special for him (well, that's just my excuse), we decided to watch it at the IMAX theater.

Then, an unexpected but pleasant thing happened. My wife’s eldest sister arrived from the province last Friday and offered to pay for the tickets (which cost 300 pesos each) when we went there the following day. Woohoo!

At the ticket booth, we were informed that the movie is in “2D”. And, being someone who expected to see a gargantuan screen and an exceptional sound system, it didn’t matter to me. I just wondered, if the screen was as big as I thought it was (which, as I saw on TV, were parabolic and go beyond a person’s peripheral vision), wouldn’t I get dizzy watching the movie? Moreover, wouldn’t there be any visible distortion in the images?

While I was thinking that, my companions (i.e., my wife and her sister) were wondering why we were not given any goggles. *GULP*

Going into the theater and climbing up the stairs to our seats, I was saying quietly to myself “Is this it?” for I saw a relatively flat screen and a pretty small theater.


When we were already seated, my wife asked me the dreaded question “hindi pala 3D ito?” (“So, this isn’t in 3D?”) And, like anyone who’s in denial, I told her “Sabi sa ticket booth diba 2D lang daw? Pero, sa laki niyan, siguro magmumukhang 3D na rin yan.” (“Isn’t it that the lady at the ticketing booth told us that this is in 2D? But then again, with a screen that size, I think that’s enough to make it look 3D.”) I suppose she didn’t hear the ticket lady say that the movie was in 2D.

Well, I have finally come into terms with my denials… and I’m starting to feel somewhat disappointed about it also. The screen wasn’t that big at all (nowhere near what I expected to see). And the theater, as I’ve said, was also pretty small. It’s just that the seats were arranged in a very steep slope and in quite a short distance from the screen that made it appear to be quite large.

But, then again, I was probably expecting too much as a quick search on Wikipedia told me that that particular theater has one of the largest IMAX screens and the parabolic screens are (I believe) an entirely different story.

Anyway, immediately after my wife asked me that dreaded question, the countdown started. And, it was breathtaking! The picture quality was really awesome! And, even if the screen didn’t cover my peripheral vision (falling short by a few feet), the flying and twisting and turning numbers seemed to fly out of the screen.

Well, I think it looked that way as I was forcing myself to see it that way that time. And, still pretty much in denial, I said to my wife, “O, diba?!” (“What did I just tell you?”)

Then the movie started.

The picture quality was really something (there’s no denial in that). And being a sucker for the technical side of things, I was having quite the time of my life as I marveled at how clear and vibrant the picture was. And deeper into the movie, I started to forget about my disappointments.

Until the movie ended that is. My son enjoyed the movie a lot, by the way, as he had his eyes fixed on the screen for the entire duration of the movie and didn’t even once venture into doing other things.

As we were exiting the theater, my wife whispered to me that her sister was very much disappointed by it. She further said that her sister went with us only because she was expecting to see moving pictures come alive (literally). And so… my world fell apart… crushed… trampled upon. I lost all the goodness I felt about our IMAX experience.

I felt very guilty thinking that my wife’s sister was probably thinking that she’s just been had… gipped… duped… swindled… ripped off… by me.

Still in denial… and in an attempt to make things alright for everyone, I explained to my wife that, usually, full-length features such as the one we saw only have a few selected scenes rendered in 3D anyway, and that full 3D features are just 20 to 30 minutes long… to which my wife just said “ang daya naman…” (“what a rip-off”).

But deep inside, I thought “she came here for the goggles if that hasn’t sunk in to you yet! It’s time you make like an ostrich and hide your head in the ground!”

Now, I’m too depressed to write about the movie… sigh…

Mangan Ta Na!

Finally, after so many failed attempts at finding out what the fuss was all about!

As a small celebration for our son’s birthday, my wife, my son, and I went to Razon’s (in Banawe, Quezon City, near the corner of Maria Clara) after dinner last night and feasted on their popular Halo-Halo.

Well, I’m not so sure about what I’m going to say about it… yes, it is true that it’s quite delicious, but I sort of find it overly simple and rather pricey (at 73 pesos a serving) considering its simplicity.

How simple? Well, all it had were bits and slices of sweetened banana, strings of macapuno (sweetened coconut meat), leche flan, milk, and shaved ice… uh… yeah, that’s about it.

Though, I should mention, the shaved ice is superbly fine and smooth (as in pinong-pino) and their sweetened banana has a distinct taste and texture which I have never experienced before… but then again, it’s not something that will make your eyes widen in delight, it’s quite subtle, really… but still different.

And, although simple as it may be, it still has that typical halo-halo taste (in my opinion, all halo-halo taste quite the same) which, I think, will be able to satisfy anyone’s craving for this “mixed-up” dessert.

By the way, according to a sign on the wall, Razon’s traces its history to as far back as 1908, crediting the recipe of the now famous Razon’s halo-halo to Sersia Juan (“Apung Sersia”) … I wish it went into more detail than that.

Mamang Sorbetero

For how much longer are we going to see these on our streets? Magnolia used to sell their twin-popsies, ice cream cups, drumsticks, and pinipigs in these also, but instead of ice and salt, Magnolia carts used dry ice to keep the icy treats they contain from melting. And instead of having stainless drums inside the carts to contain the ice cream (like the ones inside the sorbetes carts), the Magnolia carts are basically iceboxes on wheels in which the icy goodies are stacked and arranged amongst the tablets of dry ice (which are about the size of a small plate and are individually wrapped in a sort of brown colored paper).

Also, the Magnolia carts had only a small square hole on top (less than a square foot, I think) as access to the cart’s cold chamber which is kept sealed by a heavy-looking square insulated cover (as compared to the rectangular covers of the sorbets carts which, when lifted, exposes the three stainless drums inside). And what beautiful and simple packaging Magnolia had that time… which reminds me, I miss the Magnolia mascot (the one that looks like a cloud/clump of cotton).

Enough about Magnolia… I still remember the time when 5 pesos bought me enough ice cream to fill a mug almost to the brim. My father once told me about a game that the sorbteros near their school used to offer children/students to play, though, I don’t know if many sorbetros of the time did this. The game went like this… the sorbetero would ask his customer to wedge a coin in his/her palm (in magician lingo, they call it "palming") and hold his/her hand out with his palm (and the coin) facing down. The sorbetero would then touch the exposed face of the coin and guess which face it was. If the sorbetero guessed wrong, the kid would get a free cone of ice cream. My father, being the mischievous kid that he was, would step on his coin and rub it against the pavement first before going to the sorbetero to up his chances of getting his freebie.

Anyway, I don’t like the “modern” ice cream carts as far as aesthetics is concerned. Oh, and also the tunes they play which I find rather annoying. Though, they are more “humane”, so to speak.

Let's sing a song, shall we?

Mamang Sorbetero
by Celeste Legaspi

mamang Sorbetero, Anong Ngalan Mo
tinda Mong Ice Cream, Gustung-Gusto Ko
init Ng Buhay, Pinapawi Mo
sama Ng Loob, Nalilimutan Ko

chorus
mamang Sorbetero, Tayo'y Sumayaw
kalembang Mong Hawak, Muling Ikaway
batang Munti, Sa 'yo'y Naghihintay
bigyang Ligaya Ngayong Tag-Araw

masdan Ang Ulap Sa Himpapawid
korteng Sorbetes Sa Pisngi Ng Langit
mata Ng Dalaga'y Nananaginip
mayro'ng Sikretong Nasasaisip

mainit Na Labi, Nagbabagang Mata
sunog Na Pag-Ibig, Parang Awa Mo Na
mamang Sorbetero, O, Nasaan Ka
init Ng Buhay, Pawiin Mo Na

[Repeat Chorus]

la La La La La...
la La La La La...

[Repeat Chorus]

la La La La La...
la La La La La...
[Repeat While Fading]

I’ll be Back, Mr. Oblation… Mark My Words!

I was ecstatic to see the preview of this shot on my camera’s LCD… my first time to take a picture of Mr. Oblation (U.P. Diliman) and I liked what I had been able to capture.

Until… I downloaded it on my computer.

My heart sank when I saw a dark band running down the whole length of the left edge of the picture (not shown here as I’ve already cropped it, out of desperation)!!!

I’ll be back Mr. Oblation… I’ll be back.

I NEED A NEW CAMERA!

By the way, no, I’m not an alumni, if that’s what you’re thinking.

Have you been to Fort Santiago lately?

I went there last Saturday to take some photos which I thought would only take me about 30 minutes max as I have already mapped out in my mind the things I was going to take pictures of. I've been there many times before, so I have a pretty good idea of the place... or so I thought.

It's been, I think, more than two years since I last went there. Although the place has remained pretty much the same, I saw enough "new" things that my planned 30-minute visit became a 2-hour photoshoot.

So, what's new? Well...

A tunnel situated just after the row of tunnels-turned-offices/shops/galleries near the entrance that used to be inaccessible (at least from Fort Santiago) is now open.


Then, there's a new(?) statue of Rizal on the lawn near the Rizal Shrine.


And, there's an exhibit of Rizaliana furniture held by the National Historical Institute (NHI) at the Baluarte de Santa Barbara (10 pesos entrance fee).


But what really got me staying for two hours was the change of rules! They now allow non-flash photography inside the Rizal Shrine!


So, I tried all the best that I can at taking pictures of the dimly-lit halls and exhibits with my shaky hands... how I wish I had a better camera... sigh...

Anyway, you may want to go there before the 1st of November because they're going to increase the entrance fee by then (from 50 pesos to 70 pesos for adults... I can't remember the price for students).

Can't Believe It's Been THAT Long!

It’s been nearly two decades since I’ve last been to the Manila Zoo… it’s been so long ago that I couldn’t recognize anything at all when I took my son there last Saturday. One thing I was very much looking forward to see was the giraffe because my brother and I had our pictures taken there when we were little, and I would love to have my son’s picture taken there also. Unfortunately, we didn’t see any giraffe. I have no idea if there are really no more giraffes there anymore or we just missed it since we were kind of in a rush because we were already feeling hungry.

But, then again, Manila Zoo has undergone renovations in the past and I don’t know if the layout of the place has been modified. So, even if we have been able to see the giraffe(s) and have my son’s picture taken there, I’m pretty sure I’d be endlessly questioning myself if that’s where our photos were taken before.

Anyway, the zoo, as of last Saturday that is, is pretty clean and quite orderly. We weren’t able to get into the kinder zoo (a petting zoo of sorts) because of budgetary constraints… I believe it costs 100 pesos per person to get in there. Though, my son was lucky enough to have been able to get his hands on a python which I’m quite proud of… brave, brave kid. :)

My wife, my son and the shy (depressed?) elephant

My son and the python... brave kid... :) But then again, if he only knew
what snakes are capable of. Hahaha!

Divisoria

“In everything the middle course is best: all things in excess bring trouble to men.”

Titus Maccius Plautus

I originally intended this to be just a “Quote of the Day” post. However, I realized that there are more interesting things to talk about regarding this receipt (or, should I say, the place where I got it from) than poking fun at grammatical errors.

Note: I’m not in any way saying that my English is anywhere near perfect. It’s just that I’ve become more critical about these things after working for a publishing company for many years. Admittedly, I oftentimes struggle in putting my thoughts into words, much more so in stating them in a grammatically-correct manner.

***

I suppose most, if not all, Manileños know what “Divisoria” is (take note, I said “what”). Simply put, it is a place where you can buy just about anything you need (and don’t need) at dirt cheap prices. Divisoria is one of the most well-known places where many buy-and-sellers get their supplies… fabrics, kitchen utensils, plastic wares, ceramic wares, school and office supplies, toys, fishing gear, sports gear, livestock feeds, apparels and underwear for all ages and sizes, shoes, bags, crafting stuff, fruits and vegetable, meat, spices, baking needs… you name it.

So where exactly is this Divisoria?

I lived (very) near the “area” for close to 30 years but, still, I am unable to define its exact boundaries (if there ever is one). The only thing that I can say (with certainty) is that parts of “Divisoria” lie within the districts of Tondo, San Nicolas, and Binondo.

As far as I’m concerned, I think “Divisoria”, as it is known nowadays, is just a general reference to the area surrounding the section of Claro M. Recto Avenue (formerly known as Calle Azcarraga) that connects Rizal Avenue (formerly Avenida) to Elcano Street.

Again, that’s just my idea.

I’ve tried looking for historical information about it on the web but I haven’t been able to find any, like where the name “Divisoria” came from or which specific area it originally referred to. All searches for Manila’s “Divisoria” on Google only reveal articles in which it is used in (and as) reference to “Tutuban”, “168 Mall” and cheap prices. So, to those who are in-the-know, kindly enlighten me.

Do We Need to Be Constantly Reminded that Hard Times are Upon Us?

Yes, the thing that you see in the image above is a real pizza (and by “real” I mean it looks like a pizza and it’s edible).

Bought this yesterday at SM Manila from a stall called “Pizzito Italiano” for less than 20 pesos a piece (wasn’t able to take a picture of the stall since I forgot to bring along my camera).

It’s quite tasty, actually… and looks really cute.

But then again, what is “Pizzito Italiano” trying to tell us by selling these?

A Wonderful Night of Happy Stress-Free Live Music

I had a feeling that yesterday was going to be one of those days when things won’t go right for me…

I rarely drive to the office, but since I was surely going to be out late, I did. So, I left for the office relatively early thinking that I would be able to get a parking space easily…

I was wrong.

Then, as the day progressed, my cough got worse caused by the smell of paint thinner in our office that had crept through the ceiling from the office unit adjacent to ours which was (and still is) being remodeled by the new tenant.

Not good… not good at all…

I left the office at around ten past six, hoping that I will not be caught in a traffic jam.

To my amazement, my travel to Cubao (from our office at Quezon Avenue) took just a little under 20 minutes, considering I wasn’t driving fast. That was the first (and only) good thing that happened to me so far…

Upon reaching Araneta, I decided to have a quick dinner at Jollibee at Farmer’s Market which was just right across where I parked the car. Feeling rather confident that nothing else could go wrong, I left my bag in the car with my ticket, camera, umbrella, and cell phone in it.

I was wrong to think that!

While I was halfway through my dinner, rain suddenly fell, and VERY HEAVILY at that! Flood water was rushing down the sloped street lying between the parking lot and Farmer’s Market (which looked like raging rapids) and water was rising fast at the far (lower) end of the street. At that point, I was already panicking. I felt hopeless as the rain showed no sign of stopping. MY TICKET!!!

After waiting for almost half an hour and endlessly praying for the rain to stop… the rain finally eased down to a drizzle. I waited for a couple more minutes to let the raging water subside.

To cut a long story short, I managed to get to the car and grab my bag and make it inside the coliseum at around 7:30.

***

At around ten-past-eight, an announcement was made:

“Mr. George Benson and Mr. Al Jarreau are very much ready to perform. However, we will delay the concert and start at 8:30 due to heavy traffic caused by the heavy rain…”

Fine by me.

The lights went out at exactly half-past-eight. One-by-one the band members appeared on stage proceeding directly to their respective posts and went on to tune their instruments.

Then… SHOW TIME!

The band started out (sans Al and George) playing a medley…

Then, George and Al appeared, informally “introduced” themselves, and performed together for a brief moment (I think they only did about three or four songs together throughout the entire show).

For the most part the concert was a double solo performance… the first half was Al’s and the second was George’s.

Theirs was the kind of music that makes me see blue skies and white fluffy clouds in the stormiest of days, see an endless field of vibrant green grass in my gloomiest moments, smell the perfume of fragrant flowers in my most dismal hours, and feel the soothing caresses of a gentle breeze in my most inconsolable states.

“Happy music” as Al Jarreau calls it… THAT, for me, it truly is.

Their playlist included “Breezin’”, “Mornin’”, “Mas Que Nada”, “Midnight Sun” “‘long Come Tutu”, “The Greatest Love of All”, “Turn Your Love Around”, “Never Give Up on a Good Thing”, and “Give me the Night”. And that’s not even half of it.


Before Al began singing “Mornin’”, he told of a story about a conversation that he and George had while on the plane to Manila.

Imitating George’s laughter (which was quite hilarious), he said George told him that he was very happy. I can’t remember the exact words but it was something about being happy because they’re still performing even if they’re already way past 30 (or something) years old. He then sort of “preached”, however briefly, and out of nowhere suddenly looked at a lady in the audience and exclaimed “Lady didn’t know I was going to preach, did you?” which had the audience bursting out in laughter.

The entire concert lasted for about two hours and twenty minutes and I loved EVERY SECOND of it. (As Angel mentioned on her post: "No front act, no unnecessary talk, just pure musical artistry and a truly unforgettable musical experience.")

After the last song was played, the crowd (myself included) gave them a roaring standing ovation for a most memorable performance.

“Learning to love yourself is the greatest love of all…”

I shall consider this as one of those RARE moments that I didn’t feel guilty for loving myself… enough to buy myself that ticket as a (post) birthday gift to myself. Heck, enough to even buy myself anything at all!

However, I have had the misfortune of overhearing somebody say “Sulit na rin” (“it was just about worth what I paid for”) at the corridor on my way out. I can’t help but wonder what else he wanted to see (for it to be well worth every single centavo he had shelled out).

I got home at around quarter-to-twelve… went to bed with “Mornin’” still playing in my head. Woke up this morning still with that same song playing in my head. I just can’t get enough of it!

By the way, you may wanna read Angel's post about this... it covers a lot of things I failed to mention here.

Quote of the Day (Duh...)

“The Internet is a great way to get on the net.”

~ Bob Dole
Republican presidential candidate

Say what?

SM City North EDSA Undergoes a Major Facelift

It’s been going on for several months now… but it was only recently that I was able to buy a new set of rechargeable batteries for our digital camera. Hence, this post… (get the connection?)

23 years, that’s how long it’s been standing there… the first SM “supermall”.

SM City, that’s how it was called before… but now, with so many SM “Cities” popping up everywhere like pimples on an adolescent’s face, you have to refer to it as “SM City North EDSA” or “SM North” to avoid confusion.

I cannot recall how the place looked like in its first few years of existence, though I was quite surprised at what I saw when I got to visit it again (some time in 2000) after so many years of not going there. For one thing, the interior of the original structure looked (and still is) pretty gloomy and crowded. Quite visually unappealing if you’ll ask me.

Anyway, heare’s how it looks today…