Hubby and I are planning a road trip to the south of France.... to Avignon, Marseille, Monaco, St. Tropez, Nice, and Cannes. Never been there before but I like France...... aways had. And who knows, maybe I'll bump into Brad Pitt and George Clooney in Cannes! hehehehe So I googled Avignon. Guess what I found? It says that the city was chosen by Pope Clement V as his residence and was the seat of Papacy (instead of Rome) from 1309 to 1377.
I wondered who Pope Clement V was, so I googled him as well. Truth is, my knowledge about the subject is very limited.
Apparently, Pope Clement V (1264-1314) is memorable in history for suppressing the order of the Templars (or the Poor Knights of Christ and the Temple of Solomon); disbanded the Order and had dozens of them burned at the stake in Paris.
The Knight Templars however, did not cease to exist and instead became associated with legends like King Arthur and Sir Galahad, even movies such as Indiana Jones (search for the Holy Grail and the Ark of the Covenant), and novels like Ivanhoe, The Three Musketeers, and the famous The Da Vinci Code.
This trip sounds very exciting now! Oui, oui! hahahaha
Last year, I was in Somerset to visit my highschool classmate and friend, Lumen. She knows about my passion for Arthurian legend and took me to Glastonbury Abbey. The monastery was associated with the legends of King Arthur and the Holy Grail. I walked the grounds that Arthur did. So legend or not, that trip had moved me.
Am I in search of the Holy Grail as well? Makes me wonder. hahahahaha It's probably just a coincidence, who knows? But one thing is for sure, I will definitely have a great time. For now, I am doing a crash course on French in Dutch! Oui, oui.... in DUTCH!
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Thank you, Michael.
Michael Jackson passed away 9 days ago. As expected, there was massive "mourning," and opportunists took advantage of his death.
I am one of the millions (perhaps, even billions) followers of Michael Jackson's music. I first heard of his voice when I was about 6 years old. The film BEN was being shown then in 1 or 2 of the big theaters in my hometown. People instantly fell in love with the song. Radios were constantly playing it. I also fell in love with the melody. Even at that very tender age, I was already drawn to the voice.
Years later, we sang GIVE LOVE ON CHRISTMAS DAY in school. My seatmate, Jocelyn, volunteered to show the class how the melody goes. Jocelyn, however, could barely pronounce the words correctly. I could still hear her voice in my head, "why don't you gi-be love, on Christmas day.... on Christmas day oh... even the man in the street with a couple of prist, would be so happy if you would bring him love on Christmas day." lol I was 12 then. And Jocelyn,... well... she is not a native English speaker but she has a good voice.
Then came April 1984. I was staying with our relatives in Manila when Thriller and Beat It became BIG hits. Kids, teenagers and young adults were all wearing black leather jackets screaming with metallic designs, and tight, hanging jeans. (I believe this manner of dressing up was later called punk.) Everyone was imitating Michael Jackson..... dancing and singing like he did. Some were brave enough to wear his famous signature: gloves and hat. I thought they were being silly.
Then I saw the MTV. I sat there in awe ... full of admiration.... amazed..! I didn't even know, till that moment, how Michael Jackson looked like. I thought to myself, hey, he's really good! And boy, how he danced. It looked like every fibre of his being was pulsating with melody and rhythm.
That same year, I started the university as a piano major student. We were instructed to focus more on the classics. As our music professor put it, you can not serve two masters at one time; therefore there is no room for popular music in my class. I was 16 then. Very impressionable. I took everything at heart. I did not question her. I simply followed what I was told.
But even then, I had time to appreciate Heal the World, Ebony and Ivory, Bad,... just to name a few, whenever the radios on UP IKOT jeepneys were blasting out those songs.
And now, he's gone. I actually feel sad. What I can say? The man is a genius. He's our modern-day Mozart. We are blessed to have heard and seen the man perform. Although I must admit that I have only seen him on TV.
I know, many will raise their eyebrows if they hear me compare him with Mozart because as my husband has pointed out to me, Michael had a staff behind him. The same staff who created his image and choreographed his dances, public appearances, his life. One can only speculate.
But for me, he truly is our Mozart. Like Mozart, he came from a family of musician. His father, his mentor and manager. His music showcased melodies and rhythmic patterns that are way too delicate, delicious even for our taste buds. He tried and was rather successful in incorporating world's musics into his own music. That makes him a visionary. He set the trend, and others followed. Just like Mozart.
Michael Jackson started performing at a very young age. He, too, loved his baby sister dearly. He had a strained relationship with his father. And like Wolfie, he loved beautiful women...... was envied by many...... and consumed by his genius.
Someone said on CNN that Michael Jackson's death should be celebrated because he is A Celebrity... and as such, we should celebrate him. Meaning, partying and getting horribly drunk. His death being a good excuse to misbehave (?). To "celebrate" him.
I don't think I can do that. It's true that his music will live in our hearts but let's face it, we lost a music genius. He is irreplaceable and yes, it will be difficult to fill that void. Noone even comes close. Not in this time.... perhaps not even in the years to come.
So to borrow ABBA's lyrics: "Thank you for the music, the songs I'm singing. Thanks for all the joy they're bringing. Who can live without it? I ask in all honesty. What would life be? Without the songs and the dance, what are we? So I say, thank you for the music... for giving it to me"
Thank you, Mr. Michael Jackson.
I am one of the millions (perhaps, even billions) followers of Michael Jackson's music. I first heard of his voice when I was about 6 years old. The film BEN was being shown then in 1 or 2 of the big theaters in my hometown. People instantly fell in love with the song. Radios were constantly playing it. I also fell in love with the melody. Even at that very tender age, I was already drawn to the voice.
Years later, we sang GIVE LOVE ON CHRISTMAS DAY in school. My seatmate, Jocelyn, volunteered to show the class how the melody goes. Jocelyn, however, could barely pronounce the words correctly. I could still hear her voice in my head, "why don't you gi-be love, on Christmas day.... on Christmas day oh... even the man in the street with a couple of prist, would be so happy if you would bring him love on Christmas day." lol I was 12 then. And Jocelyn,... well... she is not a native English speaker but she has a good voice.
Then came April 1984. I was staying with our relatives in Manila when Thriller and Beat It became BIG hits. Kids, teenagers and young adults were all wearing black leather jackets screaming with metallic designs, and tight, hanging jeans. (I believe this manner of dressing up was later called punk.) Everyone was imitating Michael Jackson..... dancing and singing like he did. Some were brave enough to wear his famous signature: gloves and hat. I thought they were being silly.
Then I saw the MTV. I sat there in awe ... full of admiration.... amazed..! I didn't even know, till that moment, how Michael Jackson looked like. I thought to myself, hey, he's really good! And boy, how he danced. It looked like every fibre of his being was pulsating with melody and rhythm.
That same year, I started the university as a piano major student. We were instructed to focus more on the classics. As our music professor put it, you can not serve two masters at one time; therefore there is no room for popular music in my class. I was 16 then. Very impressionable. I took everything at heart. I did not question her. I simply followed what I was told.
But even then, I had time to appreciate Heal the World, Ebony and Ivory, Bad,... just to name a few, whenever the radios on UP IKOT jeepneys were blasting out those songs.
And now, he's gone. I actually feel sad. What I can say? The man is a genius. He's our modern-day Mozart. We are blessed to have heard and seen the man perform. Although I must admit that I have only seen him on TV.
I know, many will raise their eyebrows if they hear me compare him with Mozart because as my husband has pointed out to me, Michael had a staff behind him. The same staff who created his image and choreographed his dances, public appearances, his life. One can only speculate.
But for me, he truly is our Mozart. Like Mozart, he came from a family of musician. His father, his mentor and manager. His music showcased melodies and rhythmic patterns that are way too delicate, delicious even for our taste buds. He tried and was rather successful in incorporating world's musics into his own music. That makes him a visionary. He set the trend, and others followed. Just like Mozart.
Michael Jackson started performing at a very young age. He, too, loved his baby sister dearly. He had a strained relationship with his father. And like Wolfie, he loved beautiful women...... was envied by many...... and consumed by his genius.
Someone said on CNN that Michael Jackson's death should be celebrated because he is A Celebrity... and as such, we should celebrate him. Meaning, partying and getting horribly drunk. His death being a good excuse to misbehave (?). To "celebrate" him.
I don't think I can do that. It's true that his music will live in our hearts but let's face it, we lost a music genius. He is irreplaceable and yes, it will be difficult to fill that void. Noone even comes close. Not in this time.... perhaps not even in the years to come.
So to borrow ABBA's lyrics: "Thank you for the music, the songs I'm singing. Thanks for all the joy they're bringing. Who can live without it? I ask in all honesty. What would life be? Without the songs and the dance, what are we? So I say, thank you for the music... for giving it to me"
Thank you, Mr. Michael Jackson.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
dilemma.
There's this little prompt on yahoo feature that caught my attention today. It says: "Mystery deposit dilemma If you receive an unknown deposit in your bank account, should you keep the money?"
Not to sound too moralistic or anything, but I don't see what's the dilemma there. It's not your money, you did not earn it, THEREFORE you should NOT keep it. Period. I don't understand why that is a problem for some people.
Not to sound too moralistic or anything, but I don't see what's the dilemma there. It's not your money, you did not earn it, THEREFORE you should NOT keep it. Period. I don't understand why that is a problem for some people.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Post reunion syndrome.
Going away for 10 weeks was perhaps a much needed vacation but it was long and went very fast. So when I got on the plane last Sunday, I only had wonderful memories of my stay.
I saw and spent a lot of time with people that I haven´t spoken to for more than a decade. I discovered that Gina is not a bitter widow at all. On the contrary, she is wise, caring, and funny. Then there´s Ali who had always been brutal and straightforward. But hey, he´s also a very good father and friend. And yes, he´s adorably funny, bright, and honest.
I was also amazed to see that majority of my highschool female classmates became these proud, gracious, accommodating and beautiful Stepford Wives. (Nope, they're not horrifying .... just the beautiful part!) How did they manage to stay slim and beautiful?! I also discovered that Patrick, Vivian, Memen, Menchie, Bunx, Bruce, and especially Nena were the true driving force behind the success of our 25th Homecoming.
So as I entered my house, I was confronted with another kind of reality. It was bizarre really. Well for one, most of my plants died. Grrrr.... I spent so much time keeping them alive during the winter months! My front and backyard need a real cleaning up --- I could almost hear Tarzan shouting now. hahahahaha Then there´s this pile of unread mails, newspapers, TIME and other magazines that I have to read and dispose. The plumber has to come and fix the drainage again. The kitchen is... oh well, don't let me even get started.
The next day, I was ill. Yes, I had been ill since Monday and it's Sunday again today. But being ill is not always bad. It slows down the mind and prepares the body again for the next hurdle.
So yes, I'm back again and this much I know. I had a great time in Sorsogon. Attending the reunion was the best part of it. Actually, it was not just attending The Reunion.... because we had rehearsals in the beginning. Then, the dinners, outings with the family, and then there were those post reunion get-togethers that dragged on for weeks! Everybody was making excuses to see everybody again. We actually became ONE big family. I loved it!
And there's more.... The kids are now bff ... as in, best friends forever. It's cute, isn't it? hahahaha
I saw and spent a lot of time with people that I haven´t spoken to for more than a decade. I discovered that Gina is not a bitter widow at all. On the contrary, she is wise, caring, and funny. Then there´s Ali who had always been brutal and straightforward. But hey, he´s also a very good father and friend. And yes, he´s adorably funny, bright, and honest.
I was also amazed to see that majority of my highschool female classmates became these proud, gracious, accommodating and beautiful Stepford Wives. (Nope, they're not horrifying .... just the beautiful part!) How did they manage to stay slim and beautiful?! I also discovered that Patrick, Vivian, Memen, Menchie, Bunx, Bruce, and especially Nena were the true driving force behind the success of our 25th Homecoming.
So as I entered my house, I was confronted with another kind of reality. It was bizarre really. Well for one, most of my plants died. Grrrr.... I spent so much time keeping them alive during the winter months! My front and backyard need a real cleaning up --- I could almost hear Tarzan shouting now. hahahahaha Then there´s this pile of unread mails, newspapers, TIME and other magazines that I have to read and dispose. The plumber has to come and fix the drainage again. The kitchen is... oh well, don't let me even get started.
The next day, I was ill. Yes, I had been ill since Monday and it's Sunday again today. But being ill is not always bad. It slows down the mind and prepares the body again for the next hurdle.
So yes, I'm back again and this much I know. I had a great time in Sorsogon. Attending the reunion was the best part of it. Actually, it was not just attending The Reunion.... because we had rehearsals in the beginning. Then, the dinners, outings with the family, and then there were those post reunion get-togethers that dragged on for weeks! Everybody was making excuses to see everybody again. We actually became ONE big family. I loved it!
And there's more.... The kids are now bff ... as in, best friends forever. It's cute, isn't it? hahahaha
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
An Affair to Remember.
Our 25th Alumni Homecoming is just a few weeks away. Former classmates who started organising the affair since 2007, are now glitch checking and fixing to make sure that attendees will have an affair to remember.
As for me, I had been playing and singing songs from the early eighties. Funny, I never thought I would still be the same sentimental fool I was when I was in high school. But here I am, no longer dreaming about The Greatest Love Of All but still humming Barry Manilow's "Somewhere down the road.... our roads are gonna cross again... " hahahaha
I know, it's strange. I mean, who would have ever thought that we, the reckless idealists, rebels without a cause, and hopeless romantics.... the wide-eyed, easily intimidated teenagers running after the pig .... the innocent looking yet deceitful teenyboppers who would rather play jolens (marbles) and eat banana cue than attend classes..... the Nancy Drews and Hardy Boys who were more concerned of outsmarting the teachers than actually understanding the lesson, are coming home a quarter of a century later to meet old friends, walk down the memory lane, see what we have become, and pay tribute to the school that made us what we are today?
Yeah, such big words as pay tribute and walk down the memory lane, it's almost sickening. To think that we were nothing but juvenile delinquents who bluffed our way through high school. So pinch me. Because if I were dreaming, I think it's high time I wake up. lol
As for me, I had been playing and singing songs from the early eighties. Funny, I never thought I would still be the same sentimental fool I was when I was in high school. But here I am, no longer dreaming about The Greatest Love Of All but still humming Barry Manilow's "Somewhere down the road.... our roads are gonna cross again... " hahahaha
I know, it's strange. I mean, who would have ever thought that we, the reckless idealists, rebels without a cause, and hopeless romantics.... the wide-eyed, easily intimidated teenagers running after the pig .... the innocent looking yet deceitful teenyboppers who would rather play jolens (marbles) and eat banana cue than attend classes..... the Nancy Drews and Hardy Boys who were more concerned of outsmarting the teachers than actually understanding the lesson, are coming home a quarter of a century later to meet old friends, walk down the memory lane, see what we have become, and pay tribute to the school that made us what we are today?
Yeah, such big words as pay tribute and walk down the memory lane, it's almost sickening. To think that we were nothing but juvenile delinquents who bluffed our way through high school. So pinch me. Because if I were dreaming, I think it's high time I wake up. lol
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