Worth it

There are three times in the year that I make it a point to be in my home city: the Holy Week, few days in the week of All Saints' Day, and the last two weeks of the year (Christmas). For this week's All Saints' Day, it's worth the expenses and the travel time for, among other things, this:

Watching the rain drench everything.

Sitting at the front porch in the afternoon, watching the rain drench everything in front of me. If I wasn't tinkering with my new phone, I'd already be in the middle of it. Drenched.

Fringe 3.0

I've decided to trim down my TV series watch list this season. I'll just stick with Merlin 3, Fringe 3, Amazing Race 17, The Big Bang Theory 4, How I Met Your Mother 6, and Glee 2. I don't think I'll be able to cut this list further. The rest I'll just watch next year on DVD (divisoria editions).

Fringe 2.0

Fringe was my favorite series of the recently-concluded
regular TV season. But this is _really_ just a test post that if
successful will help me blog at the office. :)

Percy, Perseus, and The Proposal

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief

A lot of people I know didn't like this movie. Well, I like it. Production value was great and the story is very rich and engaging. I only have two problems with this movie. First, so many things happened in this movie that there was barely any time to develop one scene before the need to move on to the next scene. This may in large part due to the film makers trying to squeeze so many scenes from the book into the movie most likely so as not to anger fans of the book. Second, the acting ability of the main child actor wasn't harnessed well by the director. Sometimes it felt like the actor was merely going through the motions and wasn't really into the role he portrayed, which is a shame because I found him to be a good child actor in a short-lived TV series, Jack and Bobby, carried by Studio 23 in the Philippines some years ago. But on the other hand it was an enjoyable movie to watch.

Clash of the Titans

Most of my friends who I watched this movie with were disappointed with this movie. For some reason they had high expectations with it, which I didn't really understand. Maybe they were very good in Greek Mythology or something. I, on the other hand, didn't even know that this movie was made until I saw the trailers a few months back. My only real problem with this movie was the unbelievability of the film's main protagonist, Perseus, played by AVATAR's Sam Worthington. That actor doesn't have a wide array of emotions under his belt. He reminded me of Keanu Reeves. But the movie was enjoyable, the special effects were more than decent. I enjoyed watching this movie. It was never boring.

The Proposal

"The truth is Margaret and I are two people who are not supposed to fall in love with each other but did."

The first two-thirds of the movie was actually very good. It was funny and witty and the onscreen chemistry of Sandra Bullock and the actor playing the lead role was good. But the last thirds of the movie was weak. I didn't really believe that Andrew would fall in love with Margaret based solely on the events that unfolded in the first 2/3 of the movie. His "change of heart" wasn't believable. It felt forced by the writers just so they could end their movie.

Libera has landed

Libera is back in the Philippines after only six months from their previous concerts. The 23 choristers from the chart-topping choirband from South London has just arrived in Manila after their successful concerts in Japan (April 8 & 9) and South Korea (April 11) and will promote their new album Peace. 21 from last year's tour are back with 2 new touring members. Tom Cully, one of the most recognizable choristers of the recent group of touring members and was here last year, is conspicuously absent this year. Tom is the album soloist of the 3rd track (Ave Virgo) of their latest album, Peace.

Libera will hold a Meet and Greet event at The Podium on April 14, 2010 at 5:00PM. And on Friday, April 16, 2010, the group will perform two promotional shows showcasing songs from Peace, at 3:00PM and 8:00PM at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium at 4/L RCBC Plaza, Makati City. Click here for ticket information. 

The following are the 23 performing Libera members attending the Manila events:

Henry Barrington
Jonathan Barrington
Tiarnan Branson
Luke Collins (new touring member)
Liam Connery
Kavana Crossley
Jakob de Menezes-Wood
Daniel Fontannaz
Frederick Ingles
Stefan Leadbeater
Alexander Leggett
Samuel Leggett
Joshua Madine
Flynn Marks
James Mordaunt
Samuel Moriarty
Cassius O'Connell-White (new touring member)
Benedict Philipp
Matthew Rangel-Alvares
Carlos Rodriguez Villegas
Ralph Skan
Alfredo Smart
James Threadgill

The 23 performers will be supported by, among others, former Libera choristers who are now part of the staff and crew:
Robert Prizeman - conductor and musical director
Ben Crawley - composer and stage manager
Steven Geraghty - keyboard/other instruments
Sam Coates - sound engineer

Fiona Pears (violin) and Ian Tilley (composer/keyboard), co-composers of the 2nd track (Time) of the Peace CD, won't be joining the current tour due to prior commitments. The group is set to perform their version of Bayan Ko in the Philippine top-rated pre-noontime variety show, Showtime. Click here for more information on this TV guesting.

Photo courtesy of Libera 360, Uniting Libera fans worldwide.

It's Showtime with Libera

Updated 4/13/2010: Now includes the song they are going to perform.

Banner courtesy of Libera 360, Uniting Libera fans worldwide.

The not-for-profit, chart-topping choirband Libera from South London will appear as guest in Showtime, Philippine's top-rated pre-noon time variety show broadcast over ABS-CBN nationwide and through its sister-channel TFC (The Filipino Channel) worldwide on April 14, 2010. No details on what segment or time the choirband will appear, but Showtime starts at 10:30 AM local time (UTC/GMT+8). The choirband will perform their version of Bayan Ko, which brought the house down in Manila and Cebu during the encore performance at their October 2009 concerts.



Libera is back in the Philippines to promote their latest album, Peace, released locally by EMI-PolyEast Records and internationally by EMI Classics on March 8, 2010. Peace was released in the USA on April 6, 2010.

The 23 members of the group are fresh from their successful concerts in Japan (April 8 and 9, 2010) and South Korea (April 11, 2010). They were in the Philippines last year with two highly successful concerts in Manila (October 25, 2010) and Cebu (October 28, 2010). And after barely six months, they're back. All 23 choristers are set to appear on Showtime.

Later on the same day, April 14, at around 5:00PM Libera will be at The Podium for a Meet And Greet event. Buy their latest album, Peace, onsite for a chance to meet the famous choirband.

And on Friday, April 16, Libera will perform two showcase performances to promote their album Peace. One show is on 3:00PM and the other at 8:00PM. Both shows will be held at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium, 4/L RCBC Plaza, Makati. Click here for ticket information. All events are dubbed as part of Libera Peace: The Philippine Summer Promo Tour 2010 brought to us by Philippine Airlines and EMI-PolyEast Records.

Easter versus Christmas

Easter is like Christmas. No, this is not a philosophical statement. It's just an observation on how in many ways Easter is like Christmas in the Philippines, at least for me. I take a long break in both events. I go back to my home city during both events. I take a rest in both events.

One big difference, though, is Easter break is more restful for me than Christmas break. During Christmas I go to all these parties and mini-parties, from departmental to company-wide to little parties with batch mates and reunion with friends. I go to malls and shop for gifts.

Easter is different. It's much more laid back. More restful. Before the dawn of cable television there was even nothing on TV from Maundy Thursday to Black Saturday. I can even remember as a kid we were forbidden to run around and play during Good Friday. So what my childhood friends and me would usually do is just sit and tell stories all day, when not in church for the services. Easter is a time for rest, real rest. It was then when I was a child, and it is still now that I'm an adult. And if only Easter doesn't happen on summer here in the Philippines I'd call it the perfect break, the perfect vacation.

Happy Easter everyone. Enjoy the rest of your vacation.

Do not stand at my grave and weep

This is one of the most beautiful and meaningful, yet simple, Easter song I've ever heard. It deals with the very essence of Easter and the resurrection of Christ in the most simple and subtle way. Of course, for those who don't know who Christ is the words would just fly by. But even then it's a very beautiful song. The words were based on a poem written by Mary Elizabeth Frye. The beautifully haunting music was written by Robert Prizeman specifically for his choirband, Libera, originally published in 2004 in the album Free. Different music that used the same poem do exist prior to Libera's version, but of all the versions of this song that I've listened to in Youtube, Mr. Prizeman's music stood out as the best.

Happy Easter, everyone. (The original poem can be read below the embedded video.)



The original poem by Mary Elizabeth Frye:

Do not stand at my grave and weep,
I am not there, I do not sleep.
I am in a thousand winds that blow,
I am the softly falling snow.
I am the gentle showers of rain,
I am the fields of ripening grain.
I am in the morning hush,
I am in the graceful rush
Of beautiful birds in circling flight,
I am the starshine of the night.
I am in the flowers that bloom,
I am in a quiet room.
I am in the birds that sing,
I am in each lovely thing.
Do not stand at my grave and cry,
I am not there. I do not die.

Libera Peace Philippine Summer Tour (April 2010)

After two successful concerts in Manila and Cebu in October 2009, Libera, the chart-topping choir band from London will be back in the Philippines to promote their new album, Peace. You'll be hard-pressed to find another group that sounds like them. So don't miss this chance to once again see and hear them perform live.

Key Dates

April 14, 2010 - 5:00PM - Meet and Greet at The Podium
April 16, 2010 - 3:00PM - Libera Peace Promo Show (Matinee)
April 16, 2010 - 8:00PM - Libera Peace Promo Show (Gala)

The two promotional shows on April 16 will be held at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium, 4/L RCBC Plaza, Makati City.

Tickets

Meet and Greet - Buy the new album Peace on-site for a pass to meet and greet the choristers.

Libera Peace Promo Shows

Orchestra at PHP850, Loge at PHP650, and Balcony at PHP500.

Tickets can be bought on a cash basis only by calling any of these numbers: 999-436-4275, 906-370-3129, or 918-918-1367.

Or you can go directly to Carte Blanche, 5/F AIM Conference Center Manila Bldg., Benavidez cor. Trasierra Sts., Legaspi Village, Makati City and look for Suzy Mejia or Joel Andaya.

Links

Theater Layout (c/o Libera360)
Seat Availability - Matinee Show (c/o Libera360)
Seat Availability - Evening Show (c/o Libera360)

Libera Official Website
Libera On Facebook
Libera On Twitter
Libera Official YouTube Channel

Slacker blogger shares his thoughts

This is just my third post for the year. Wow. Not even one post per month. I'm now officially a slacker blogger. It's probably because of Facebook and Twitter. Somehow it's far easier to come up with a sentence or two and post it in Facebook and Twitter than a couple of paragraphs for a blog. And it's far easier for my friends to write short sentences as comments (sometimes not even complete sentences) in Facebook and Twitter.

Back in 2006 and 2007 when I still didn't have a personal internet connection I blogged more frequently. Back then, I would sometimes write a blog post in my offline PC at home, save it in a text file, bring it to work and post the thing using my online office workstation. Facebook and Twitter has certainly helped curtail my blogging days, but they are by no means the only reasons why I blog less nowadays. I have been slacking way before I had my Facebook account (started only in September 2009 to primarily stay in touched with my co-assignees as well as friends in Mauritius). With Twitter I think I only started late 2008.

I have always called this my own Muggle pensieve. It's something where I put my thoughts, whatever thoughts that I happen to have at a particular time so that I can go back and look at my past in a more literal way. Well, it's not looking any good right now. If I look back, for example, at what I was thinking about a year ago, I can read from my blog that there aren't that much. A lot of thoughts, I presume, were lost forever. It's easier to save what I see. I just take a picture and that's it. Not much effort. But with thoughts, well, they take some time to preserve. And I haven't been judicious to spend some of my time to preserve what I was thinking or feeling at a particular moment.

It's been a while since I last wrote something here other than a mini-review of a movie or TV show that I've seen or a book that I've read. It's been a while since I just wrote purely random thoughts on here. I wish I could say this will stop now. That in the next few days things will change. That at the end of the year this blog will be littered with far more random thoughts than ever before. I wish I could say it. I truly do. But only time can tell.

Far away

February 6, 2009. Night. I got a call about my mother being admitted to the hospital back in my home city of Cagayan de Oro. Details were blurry back then. It sounded like she's going to die. I quickly checked the available flights the next day and went to sleep. Yes, I was able to sleep. It took some time. But I was able to sleep. Thanks to the reassuring, soothing, heavenly voices of Libera. I listened to one song only. I put it to a loop. That song was Far Away. It's a beautiful song sung by the best vocal group in the world with a solo from Michael Horncastle, one of the finest soloists the group has ever had.





Whereever I go
Far away and anywhere

Time after time you always shine
through dark of night calling after me

And whereever I climb
Far away and anywhere

You raise me high beyond the sky
through stormy night lifting me above

Venite Spiritu et emitte caelitus
Venite Spiritu et emitte caelitus
Venite Spiritu Venite Spiritus

Far away beyond the sky

Whenever I cry
Far away and anywhere

You hear me call when shadows fall
your light of hope showing me the way

God spared my mother's life. And whatever happens in the future, knowing that everyone dies in the end, I'm grateful to God that she spared her life in that instance. Whenever I hear a Libera song, I am calm. And the song Far Away always bring me back to the night of February 6, 2009. Where all I could do was hope and pray.

The pact

November 7, 1997. Friday. The first week of the second semester of my freshman year in college ended quietly. I went home from school a bit tired and not yet completely out of sem-break mode. But I don't really remember what happened that night. I supposed I watched TV, overslept, and woke up mid-morning on Saturday like I always do, even now.

At the other side of the world, in England, a group of people convened in their humble book club's weekly meeting. The topic: a little known novelist JK Rowling and her debut novel.

At yet another other side of the world, Emily Gold, 17, killed herself, and nobody saw it coming: not her parents, nor teachers, nor friends. She was beautiful, intelligent, and gifted in the arts. Her Arts teacher said a student like Emily shows up once every ten years or so. Yes, nobody saw it coming, except for her boyfriend, Chris Harte, 18, next-door neighbor and life-long friends (practically since birth). Their parents and their small community all but expected the two to end up with each other for the rest of their lives. Now Emily is dead, and Chris badly wounded after an apparent botched suicide pact. Nobody saw it coming. Later, evidence surfaced that it was Chris who killed Emily. What a tragic end to an almost fairy tale story. Not even both set of parents saw this coming.

That's the book posing for a picture in front of our porch back in Cagayan de Oro.

This was the only book that I finished reading in 2009, not because all other books sucked, but because I haven't really been reading a lot last year. I always found an excuse to put off reading. I bought this mainly in part because I liked "My Sister's Keeper", a movie adapted from one of Jodi Picoult's novel of the same title. I could have chosen to buy any of Picoult's work and I probably would enjoy all of them. But for some reason I chose this as the first of her novels that I would read. And I wasn't disappointed. I read this in two sittings during my Christmas vacation. Picoult told the story in an alternate past and present format throughout the book and I found it hard to put down with every chapter egging me to read the next one without delay till the end to find out what really happened to the botched double suicide pact or if it was indeed murder. Picoult doesn't seem to have trouble taking a what could be described as a fairytale premise and turning it into a horrible tragedy and leaving me satisfied in the end despite the big revelation.

"The Pact" and his friends in my bookshelf back in Cagayan de Oro.