We got to watch the Manila performance of Cats Now and Forever with Lea Salonga playing as Grizabella.
The problem was, we slept through about half of it. I got bored at the tenth minute and found more excitement trying to sneak peanut M&M’s into my mouth while the usher was about two feet away from me.
At intermission, we had to purchase the expensive programme souvenir in order to figure out the story. I would have saved money if there had been Internet access at the Cultural Center of the Philippines.
I must give credit to the precise choreography and the unison singing; but squirming bodies in cat suits moving around for seven minutes at a time, along with dictions that make it difficult for you to understand the lyrics, just doesn’t cut it for me. At best, my interest was captured within the first two minutes of a sequence before I follow what the other guy to my right is doing – bobbing his head.
Of course, the high point is Lea Salonga, whose non-dancing part allowed her to showcase her vocal powers. I picked up a copy of the original cast recording and compared the original Grizabella with Lea. By far, Lea is much more powerful, much fuller, and much more moving.
The other highlight is the Filipino version of Memory that was sung by a Caucasian performer. Although I could only make out the vague words through her shrill voice, it made me proud when I heard the last line: may umagang darating (look, a new day has begun).
Cats has been translated to more than 20 languages and is the second-longest running Broadway show, though they’ve stopped performing it on Broadway.
Talking about translating the song Memory, I have more fun with Rico J. Puno’s version of Barbara Streisand’s The Way We Were.
With apologies.
Memories, light the corners of my mind
Misty watercolor memories of the way we were.
Alaala, ng tayo’y mag-sweetheart pa
Nagpapasyal sa may Luneta
Kahit walang pera
So it's the laughter we will remember
whenever we remember
the way we were.
August 11, 2010
July 03, 2010
Sunday Bloody Sunday
Last Sunday, I was negotiating to park at a valet parking slots of my usual mall.
Suddenly, we heard a loud and long blast of horn from a red car whose driver attempted to overtake from the right. I halted to a full stop, and when I saw that the red car had also stopped, I proceeded to take the parking slot.
The red car, I later learned, was driven by a man we will call Ignited Sunday (if you spoke Spanish, you can figure it out). He slowly moved his car forward and stopped behind our vehicle, blocking us should we want to back out of the slot.
After 30 seconds. I alighted from my vehicle, approached the red car on the front passenger side and knocked on the window. When Dr. Sunday opened the window, I cordially offered my apology.
However, Dr. Sunday exploded and accused me of being rude and that I was driving too fast. I argued that I couldn't have turned that fast, otherwise my vehicle would have hit his car.
As I was speaking, he jolted his car forward, rudely attempting to escape the argument he started. I flung an open palm at his car's right rear window, knowing that it would not do any damage.
When Dr. Sunday stopped, I told him that since he started to harass us by parking behind our vehicle, he better be man enough to stand up and fight. As he began to drive away again, I managed to land another open palm strike on the right rear window.
We later met at the customer relations office at the invitation of the mall’s customer relations office, where Dr. Sunday had the audacity to file a complaint against me. Accompanied by a younger man, he again started to make statements: like I was not supposed to park there, and that I was driving too fast. He even threatened to have the police pick me up.
I angrily enumerated how flawed his arguments were:
1. I was parking at a valet slot, where I always park and was not violating any rule.
2. I could not have been driving fast since the slot was tight.
3. He was wrong for trying to overtake from the right.
4. When I approached him, my first action was to apologize and avoid an argument but he was hot-headed.
Dr. Sunday was belligerent and abrasive, so I informed the security commander that I had no time for this nonsense, and then left.
What I hated over the whole incident was that I needed to posture superiority in order to stomp out Dr. Sunday’s need to be macho, which obviously turned to cowardice when he saw the size of me.
It was a senseless engagement borne of arrogant positioning. It makes me remember a certain lawyer whose response to our appeal to seek for the truth was to “impugn the probative value of the testimony.”
In my humanity, I sometimes wish I could do harm to these kinds of people, so forgive me:
What can you do?
What can you do?
With a brat like that always on your back
What can you lose?
What can you lose?
What can you lose?
With a brat like that always on your back
What can you do?
Do, yeah
Beat on the brat
Beat on the brat
Beat on the brat with a baseball bat
Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh-oh
- Written by John Cummings, Douglas Colvin, Thomas Erdelyi and Jeffrey Hyman
(performed by U2)
Suddenly, we heard a loud and long blast of horn from a red car whose driver attempted to overtake from the right. I halted to a full stop, and when I saw that the red car had also stopped, I proceeded to take the parking slot.
The red car, I later learned, was driven by a man we will call Ignited Sunday (if you spoke Spanish, you can figure it out). He slowly moved his car forward and stopped behind our vehicle, blocking us should we want to back out of the slot.
After 30 seconds. I alighted from my vehicle, approached the red car on the front passenger side and knocked on the window. When Dr. Sunday opened the window, I cordially offered my apology.
However, Dr. Sunday exploded and accused me of being rude and that I was driving too fast. I argued that I couldn't have turned that fast, otherwise my vehicle would have hit his car.
As I was speaking, he jolted his car forward, rudely attempting to escape the argument he started. I flung an open palm at his car's right rear window, knowing that it would not do any damage.
When Dr. Sunday stopped, I told him that since he started to harass us by parking behind our vehicle, he better be man enough to stand up and fight. As he began to drive away again, I managed to land another open palm strike on the right rear window.
We later met at the customer relations office at the invitation of the mall’s customer relations office, where Dr. Sunday had the audacity to file a complaint against me. Accompanied by a younger man, he again started to make statements: like I was not supposed to park there, and that I was driving too fast. He even threatened to have the police pick me up.
I angrily enumerated how flawed his arguments were:
1. I was parking at a valet slot, where I always park and was not violating any rule.
2. I could not have been driving fast since the slot was tight.
3. He was wrong for trying to overtake from the right.
4. When I approached him, my first action was to apologize and avoid an argument but he was hot-headed.
Dr. Sunday was belligerent and abrasive, so I informed the security commander that I had no time for this nonsense, and then left.
What I hated over the whole incident was that I needed to posture superiority in order to stomp out Dr. Sunday’s need to be macho, which obviously turned to cowardice when he saw the size of me.
It was a senseless engagement borne of arrogant positioning. It makes me remember a certain lawyer whose response to our appeal to seek for the truth was to “impugn the probative value of the testimony.”
In my humanity, I sometimes wish I could do harm to these kinds of people, so forgive me:
What can you do?
What can you do?
With a brat like that always on your back
What can you lose?
What can you lose?
What can you lose?
With a brat like that always on your back
What can you do?
Do, yeah
Beat on the brat
Beat on the brat
Beat on the brat with a baseball bat
Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh-oh
- Written by John Cummings, Douglas Colvin, Thomas Erdelyi and Jeffrey Hyman
(performed by U2)
June 25, 2010
What Really Happened With The CD I Bought
I celebrated my birthday in 1985 with some time at the public swimming pool of the Amorante Stadium, with my best friends then - Gabriel Hidalgo and Aelous Arrellano.
Afterwards, I made a trip to my favorite christian bookstore, Jacob's Well (in front of the old Magnolia ice cream house), where I picked up my personal copy of Dreamer: What Really Happened to Joseph - in cassette!
The 1983 Dove-awarded musicale by Cam Floria's Continental Singers was released in 1984. It was re-copyrighted in 1989 by Christian Artists, and had a facelift in 1994 including new artwork, a reunion recording by Continental Singers (still under Floria's direction) and a new name, Dreamer, The Epoch Story Of Joseph.
It became a popular christian musicale in the Philippines when Trumpets made it its flagship production (before the C.S. Lewis Foundation recognized Trumpets' version of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe as the third official - and the best - version).
Until last year, I had been seeking for a copy of Dreamer in audio CD, but only found a cassette copy of the minus one - still very popular with small-bit catholic high school drama clubs aspiring for a Trumpets production.
Last night, I finally found it! Without looking closely I paid for it at the House of Praise kiosk and joined Pia and Dingdong, excited with the find.
My heart sank when I got to scrutinize the cover. The artwork was obviously an image grabbed off the Internet, one of the titles was misspelled, and Continental Singers was not acknowledged as the recording artist. Did I buy a bootlegged CD? Far be it from me, crusader against piracy!
I guess I have to settle with the thought that Praise, Inc., in response to popular demand, digitized the cassette version and, using whatever information they can find on the Internet, created the horrible album cover.
Never mind. The audio turned out to be the 1984 recording, and it was such a blessing to hear it again this morning, turning me into a teary-eyed motor mouth on my way to work.
You'll know what I mean when you get to hear it, and I'd gladly share my CD. Meanwhile, here are the lyrics of one of my favorite songs in it. For me, it speaks of assurance of God's direction and love, no matter how uncertain the future is with work, with finances, and even with health.
Lord I need you to be all the gentleness in me
I've been trying by myself, struggling all alone
From the very start I knew that I must depend on you
Here I am depending, Lord, the rest is up to you
You're everything I need for you to be
You're everything that shines inside of me
And I will have the strength to do all you ask of me
I will always let you be everything I need for you to be
You are the one who put the stars up in the sky
To brighten up the emptiness of space
And you put a light in me to stay
A dream that will not die away
To brighten everyday
And I know that I can say
You're everything I need for you to be
You're everything that shines inside of me
And I will have the strength to do all you ask of me
I will always let you be everything I need
I need you to be
You're everything I need
Afterwards, I made a trip to my favorite christian bookstore, Jacob's Well (in front of the old Magnolia ice cream house), where I picked up my personal copy of Dreamer: What Really Happened to Joseph - in cassette!
The 1983 Dove-awarded musicale by Cam Floria's Continental Singers was released in 1984. It was re-copyrighted in 1989 by Christian Artists, and had a facelift in 1994 including new artwork, a reunion recording by Continental Singers (still under Floria's direction) and a new name, Dreamer, The Epoch Story Of Joseph.
It became a popular christian musicale in the Philippines when Trumpets made it its flagship production (before the C.S. Lewis Foundation recognized Trumpets' version of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe as the third official - and the best - version).
Until last year, I had been seeking for a copy of Dreamer in audio CD, but only found a cassette copy of the minus one - still very popular with small-bit catholic high school drama clubs aspiring for a Trumpets production.
Last night, I finally found it! Without looking closely I paid for it at the House of Praise kiosk and joined Pia and Dingdong, excited with the find.
My heart sank when I got to scrutinize the cover. The artwork was obviously an image grabbed off the Internet, one of the titles was misspelled, and Continental Singers was not acknowledged as the recording artist. Did I buy a bootlegged CD? Far be it from me, crusader against piracy!
I guess I have to settle with the thought that Praise, Inc., in response to popular demand, digitized the cassette version and, using whatever information they can find on the Internet, created the horrible album cover.
Never mind. The audio turned out to be the 1984 recording, and it was such a blessing to hear it again this morning, turning me into a teary-eyed motor mouth on my way to work.
You'll know what I mean when you get to hear it, and I'd gladly share my CD. Meanwhile, here are the lyrics of one of my favorite songs in it. For me, it speaks of assurance of God's direction and love, no matter how uncertain the future is with work, with finances, and even with health.
Lord I need you to be all the gentleness in me
I've been trying by myself, struggling all alone
From the very start I knew that I must depend on you
Here I am depending, Lord, the rest is up to you
You're everything I need for you to be
You're everything that shines inside of me
And I will have the strength to do all you ask of me
I will always let you be everything I need for you to be
You are the one who put the stars up in the sky
To brighten up the emptiness of space
And you put a light in me to stay
A dream that will not die away
To brighten everyday
And I know that I can say
You're everything I need for you to be
You're everything that shines inside of me
And I will have the strength to do all you ask of me
I will always let you be everything I need
I need you to be
You're everything I need
May 18, 2010
The judoka as a saint
I was in the dojo this morning while the champion women's team were debriefing their new members who competed last Sunday. I stopped myself from intruding in the discussion, but I was quietly caught by the message.
I realized that::
1. As martial athletes we are disciplined to be humble, because our pride will be our demise.
2. Our code of discipline instructs us to be "concerned with the welfare of others" and our social structure imposes us to be responsible, as sempai to the kohai.
3. We depend upon our team, from whom we draw strength, who's collective glory it is we wish to pursue.
4. (This is the part that I caught earlier) We draw confidence from being a part of the team, not as our individual self. Whether as a 6-year incumbent champion team, or a team who used to be champion and on its pursuit to regain its former glory, the team gives us confidence because of our association to it.
I pondered on these points to draw a parallel with Charles Stanley's message a few days back (encapsulated below). When I think about it, our discipline mirrors the saintly life, which the apostle Paul exemplified.
Notice that sainthood does not come after death, and is not conferred by men. Perhaps, our team experience is God's way of introducing to us what our attitude should be as we commit our lives to Him as our Lord.
Tell the one that you know
Tell the one that you love
Tell the one in your arms, it's them
You're thinkin' of
Tell the one on the street
And everyone you meet
Face to face
performed by Fighter, in the album The Waiting (1991)
I realized that::
1. As martial athletes we are disciplined to be humble, because our pride will be our demise.
2. Our code of discipline instructs us to be "concerned with the welfare of others" and our social structure imposes us to be responsible, as sempai to the kohai.
3. We depend upon our team, from whom we draw strength, who's collective glory it is we wish to pursue.
4. (This is the part that I caught earlier) We draw confidence from being a part of the team, not as our individual self. Whether as a 6-year incumbent champion team, or a team who used to be champion and on its pursuit to regain its former glory, the team gives us confidence because of our association to it.
I pondered on these points to draw a parallel with Charles Stanley's message a few days back (encapsulated below). When I think about it, our discipline mirrors the saintly life, which the apostle Paul exemplified.
Notice that sainthood does not come after death, and is not conferred by men. Perhaps, our team experience is God's way of introducing to us what our attitude should be as we commit our lives to Him as our Lord.
The Attitude of a Saint
By Charles Stanley
1 Corinthians 15:9-11 (New International Version)
"For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. Whether, then, it was I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed."
The apostle Paul had a certain mindset that Christians are wise to emulate (1 Cor. 11:1). His attitude included:
1. Humility. Pride cannot hide in the heart of a believer who understands divine mercy. Paul spread the gospel because he believed that the grace which was sufficient to save a sinner like him was adequate for anyone.
2. A sense of obligation. The apostle never lost sight of how far God's grace had brought him. He frequently reminded followers of his role in persecuting the church (1 Tim. 1:13). Paul's gratitude for salvation from that former life never waned. The book of Acts records the almost constant turmoil and heartache of his travels, and yet he kept praising the Lord for the privilege of serving.
3. A sense of dependence. To describe the source of his strength, Paul used these words: "By the grace of God I am what I am" (1 Cor. 15:10). He knew what it was like to depend upon one's own goodness and work to be religious— and he wanted no part of it. Paul desired more of Jesus and none of himself (Phil 3:8).
4. A spirit of absolute confidence. At the end of his life, Paul was as certain as ever that God was real, in charge, and worthy of all honor, glory, and praise (2 Tim. 4:6-8).
Do you see these attitudes in yourself? If not, borrow a page from the apostle Paul's "playbook." Praise the Lord for all that He has done for you, and then get busy working for His kingdom. Do not allow His grace to be poured out on your life in vain (1 Cor. 15:10).
Tell the one that you know
Tell the one that you love
Tell the one in your arms, it's them
You're thinkin' of
Tell the one on the street
And everyone you meet
Face to face
performed by Fighter, in the album The Waiting (1991)
March 15, 2010
Left Alone
Today, I realized my boss paid more attention to me than I thought, when he said:
"the problem with you is that you're always coming from left field."
What a downer. Makes me miss being a big fish in a small pond.
No worries. Should be over it by dinner tonight.
Borrowing the words from Chant of a Poor Man, I replaced corruption:
Earth, what a sufferation, yeah, sufferer.
I would rather live my life as a poor man,
than to live inna corporation,
from when me born born me grow in sufferation,
a poverty don’t know, no complextion,
inna ghetto it's the same situation,
dog a eat dog so you can’t trust no-one,
informer them a gather information,
put a next man me she down inna detention.
- Leftfield (2001), in the OST of Goodbye Charlie Bright
"the problem with you is that you're always coming from left field."
What a downer. Makes me miss being a big fish in a small pond.
No worries. Should be over it by dinner tonight.
Borrowing the words from Chant of a Poor Man, I replaced corruption:
Earth, what a sufferation, yeah, sufferer.
I would rather live my life as a poor man,
than to live inna corporation,
from when me born born me grow in sufferation,
a poverty don’t know, no complextion,
inna ghetto it's the same situation,
dog a eat dog so you can’t trust no-one,
informer them a gather information,
put a next man me she down inna detention.
- Leftfield (2001), in the OST of Goodbye Charlie Bright
March 03, 2010
End Now, The End Is Near
A dear friend candidly speaks of doomsday cult, warning against obsession - that everything must be taken in moderation.
I advice not only moderation but complete aversion.
If there's one thing we should take away from end-times prophecy,
it's got to be the same take-away from we get from the stories of Noah, and Pharoah and the ten plagues, and every low experience of God's people, and that is:
God is in control and His glory will be revealed despite the wickedness of those that oppose Him.
Any theology that deviates from this conclusion has missed the point entirely.
EVERYTHING about the history of Israel as God's chosen nation points to Jesus fulfilling God's glory.
Consider Luke 24 -
13Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. 14They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. 15As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; 16but they were kept from recognizing him.
17He asked them, "What are you discussing together as you walk along?"
They stood still, their faces downcast. 18One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, "Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days?"
19"What things?" he asked.
"About Jesus of Nazareth," they replied. "He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. 20The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; 21but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. 22In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning 23but didn't find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. 24Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see."
25He said to them, "How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?" 27And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
I pray that we will not be foolish.
Prepare the Way
by Eric Nuzum
He has come, to bring light into the darkness
He has come, to bring freedom to the captives
He has come, to restore the broken hearted
It's time to proclaim, the year of the Lord
He has come, to bring hope to the hopeless
He has come, to comfort all who mourn
He has come, to heal our every sickness
It's time to proclaim, the year of the Lord
Prepare the way, prepare the way for our Redeemer
Prepare the way, prepare the way for our Restorer
Make ready your heart, make ready your home
Make ready the people of God, prepare the way
I advice not only moderation but complete aversion.
If there's one thing we should take away from end-times prophecy,
it's got to be the same take-away from we get from the stories of Noah, and Pharoah and the ten plagues, and every low experience of God's people, and that is:
God is in control and His glory will be revealed despite the wickedness of those that oppose Him.
Any theology that deviates from this conclusion has missed the point entirely.
EVERYTHING about the history of Israel as God's chosen nation points to Jesus fulfilling God's glory.
Consider Luke 24 -
13Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. 14They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. 15As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; 16but they were kept from recognizing him.
17He asked them, "What are you discussing together as you walk along?"
They stood still, their faces downcast. 18One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, "Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days?"
19"What things?" he asked.
"About Jesus of Nazareth," they replied. "He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. 20The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; 21but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. 22In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning 23but didn't find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. 24Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see."
25He said to them, "How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?" 27And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
I pray that we will not be foolish.
Prepare the Way
by Eric Nuzum
He has come, to bring light into the darkness
He has come, to bring freedom to the captives
He has come, to restore the broken hearted
It's time to proclaim, the year of the Lord
He has come, to bring hope to the hopeless
He has come, to comfort all who mourn
He has come, to heal our every sickness
It's time to proclaim, the year of the Lord
Prepare the way, prepare the way for our Redeemer
Prepare the way, prepare the way for our Restorer
Make ready your heart, make ready your home
Make ready the people of God, prepare the way
September 22, 2009
Careful, careful. Kailangang-kailangang maging careful.
Belo twits Facebook user: Go to court, not to media
UP Law alumnus Argee Guevarra is at it again. No, not as flag bearer of the New Sense Party (read fast), but just the same attempting to rouse thought on social phenomenon - in this case, the Internet.
As counsel to Josefina Norcio (whose condition is no butt of jokes), Atty. Guevarra elicits legal action from the Belo Medical Group through FB, without responding through legal fora. Interesting how this will turn out.
Just this weekend, I told my 11 year-old cousin that he was wrong to refer to some girl as a "flirt", whether or not he has real proof. Apart from being absolutely negative, what does "flirt" exactly mean anyway, in terms we can measure? No matter, the irresponsible labeling speaks ill of the labeler, as it does the labeled.
And last night, I cautioned a student online about calling his accomplished paper "crappy" since his professor (of that subject or another) might see the FB status and misconstrue it as either he doesn't like the subject or he evaluates his own output to be less than optimal, which may affect his grade.
It's funny how we want to be heard (or read) but we forget to be mindful of the repercussions of freedom of speech. It's bad enough someone will try to harm us with lies on the Internet. It's worse when, down the road, we realize we actually did the harm to our own self.
While Argee's moves are calculated, I'm sure; many yet fail to see beyond immediate self-gratification. That's the kind of behavior that will give Argee a sustained living as he goes after, or defends, Internet libel.
Summer turns into the fall
Try to understand it all
I'll become a bum
Someone's gonna hold you to your words
Winter snows into the spring
Understanding's not the thing
I'm a dinosaur
Someone's gonna hold you to your words
- Careful What Ya Say from the album Bone by Tim Booth.
UP Law alumnus Argee Guevarra is at it again. No, not as flag bearer of the New Sense Party (read fast), but just the same attempting to rouse thought on social phenomenon - in this case, the Internet.
As counsel to Josefina Norcio (whose condition is no butt of jokes), Atty. Guevarra elicits legal action from the Belo Medical Group through FB, without responding through legal fora. Interesting how this will turn out.
Just this weekend, I told my 11 year-old cousin that he was wrong to refer to some girl as a "flirt", whether or not he has real proof. Apart from being absolutely negative, what does "flirt" exactly mean anyway, in terms we can measure? No matter, the irresponsible labeling speaks ill of the labeler, as it does the labeled.
And last night, I cautioned a student online about calling his accomplished paper "crappy" since his professor (of that subject or another) might see the FB status and misconstrue it as either he doesn't like the subject or he evaluates his own output to be less than optimal, which may affect his grade.
It's funny how we want to be heard (or read) but we forget to be mindful of the repercussions of freedom of speech. It's bad enough someone will try to harm us with lies on the Internet. It's worse when, down the road, we realize we actually did the harm to our own self.
While Argee's moves are calculated, I'm sure; many yet fail to see beyond immediate self-gratification. That's the kind of behavior that will give Argee a sustained living as he goes after, or defends, Internet libel.
Summer turns into the fall
Try to understand it all
I'll become a bum
Someone's gonna hold you to your words
Winter snows into the spring
Understanding's not the thing
I'm a dinosaur
Someone's gonna hold you to your words
- Careful What Ya Say from the album Bone by Tim Booth.
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