Phantom of the Opera at the CCP

Okay, so I've seen "The Phantom of the Opera" before on Broadway in New York. That was an incredible experience and apart from amazing music and performers with unbelievable talent, I distinctly remember the opulent sets and costumes. All of that combined to provide audiences with a fantastic visual and aural spectacle. While I had a grand time watching, I remember thinking that my family would certainly love seeing this legendary musical as well. As such, when we found out that Phantom would be staged in Manila, we got tickets as early as we could.

 photo courtesy of www.philippineconcerts.com

Somehow, seeing it the second time around was even more electrifying. Part of it was the fact that I was watching it in my home country. Part of it was also experiencing it with my family, all of whom were just as awed as I was. And how could you not be? I believe that, at least of the musicals I am familiar with, this one has the most vocally challenging set of songs. "Phantom of the Opera" requires a really strong soprano voice from the female lead (such as can be heard here) while "Music of the Night" demands that the male lead have a massive range that goes both pretty low and pretty high. Check out this version by Michael Crawford, who originated the title role:

video uploaded in youtube by user xanastasia 

Of course, you can appreciate the music and the vocal talent of the cast just by listening to the CD or going on youtube. However, watching the musical live is an altogether different experience as it is truly one extravagant production. From the chandelier that surprises you with its scale and brilliance to the awe-inspiring "Masquerade" sequence on the massive staircase (you could hear and feel the audience gasp in amazement during this scene), "The Phantom of the Opera" is a visual feast that continually takes your breath away. On top of the that, the speed with which the sets are changed is truly impressive. It's like a magic show; they switch the lights off and when they come on again, you see something different on stage. I still can't believe how many stunning backdrops and lavish curtains they have! (Where do they keep everything?)

As I have seen this show on Broadway, I know what it is supposed to look like. So I was extremely pleased that they successfully pulled off all the amazing effects here and they didn't shortchange the Philippine audiences with respect to the grandness and quality of the stage production. They brilliantly executed what is arguably the most visually stunning scenes in the musical - the boat-and-rising-candles sequence as the Phantom takes Christine to his lair - and I am glad that my family and rest of the audience were treated to this wonderful spectacle.

the audience was allowed to take photos during curtain call

I've been to quite a few amazing shows here where the occasional stinginess of Pinoy audiences with respect to applause and appreciation of performers was clearly evident. That was so not the case in "The Phantom of the Opera". Everyone in the audience was on their feet during the curtain call and the applause and cheers for the performers was rapturous. Emilie Lynn, who played Christine Daaé, deservedly received a massive ovation, but the most thunderous of cheers were reserved for the Phantom, played by Jonathan Roxmouth.

the cast who performed the night we watched

"The Phantom of the Opera" season in Manila has been extended, adding 16 more shows that will run through to September 30. Clearly, this means that ticket sales have been strong. It is my strong hope that the success of this musical here, along with "CATS" and "Mamma Mia" (and even Miss Saigon almost a decade ago) will result in more shows being brought to the Philippines. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that one day, we get to see "Les Misérables", "Wicked", and "The Lion King". In the meantime, I will continue to relive my wonderful experience watching "Phantom" and start listening again to my CD. :)

Benchingko/Films Presents: Kontrabida 101

This is hilarious! Bella Flores is truly a Philippine cinematic legend. There will never be another kontrabida like her. :)


video uploaded in youtube by BenchTV

Splurging

The recent long weekends (along with my movie-watching) allowed me to spend a bit more time in malls. I noticed a lot of shops were on sale so I decided to check out stuff that I had been interested in buying for a while now. Earlier in the year, I saw these yellow and blue Nike Free 5.0 cross-trainers that I was really wanted to get. To be quite honest, it wasn't really a need; my current cross-trainers were still in great condition. But when I passed by The Athlete's Foot, I noticed that they still had one pair that was my size and it had a 20% discount. Too good to pass up. :) I ended up getting those shoes.

I matched that with an orange Adidas Climacool shirt that I got at 30% off. I had been seeing this shirt for a while as well now but I always felt it was a bit too expensive. Shaving 30% off of the price meant that it was now in a more acceptable price range. As such, it ended up in my shopping bag. Now I have bright yellow and blue trainers and a bright orange shirt. I should wear those two together. That'd be a sight for sore eyes. :)

On top of that, I got about 10 new DVDs - all of them, movies I haven't seen, such as "The Social Network", "Shutter Island", "Crazy Stupid Love", and "Hangover II". I tossed in 5 CDs (most of which I got at P99 each!) which now means I have a lot of new music to add to my iTunes and I have enough movies to keep me entertained at home for a while. The only downside is that my credit card bill is going to take a hit next month. But hey, you have to spend some money on yourself every now and then, right? :)

The Bourne Legacy

I am really pleased that I have been able to go to the movie theater quite a few times this year. The latest flick I watched was "The Bourne Legacy". As this was filmed partially in the Philippines, I wanted to make sure I saw it. :)

I have to say that I can't view the movie objectively and say whether it was good or not. As a Filipino, I couldn't help but be entertained by the fact that the scenes were shot here. That car chase through Manila traffic with vehicles being smashed and jeepneys being whipped around was awesome to watch! I loved that they kept the traffic in the scenes and didn't clear the road, it made it more authentic. :) (Not that something like that would ever happen here hehehe.)

I've heard some Pinoys complained about the fact that "The Bourne Legacy" painted the Philippines in a bad light as a lot of scenes were shot in slum areas. But hey, movies don't always do their filming in the nicest locations. Quite a few scenes from the Incredible Hulk were shot in the slum areas of Brazil. And how can anyone forget Slumdog Millionaire? Even crime shows in the US feature lots of scenes in very dodgy locations.

I don't normally stick around to see the credits roll (except when there's a final bonus scene slotted in during or towards the end) but I made an exception for this film because I wanted to see the names of John Arcilla and Lou Veloso. I noticed that Joel Torre was also credited for being the samaritan who helps the woman with the oranges but I didn't even see him. I need to get the DVD when it comes out. :) I also wonder if the scenes with Filipino dialogues were sub-titled in other countries because they weren't subtitled here.

Anyways, it was a really cool experience watching "The Bourne Legacy". I think a lot of people who got stuck in bad traffic during filming in Manila won't agree with me but I think it would be cool if more Hollywood blockbusters get shot in different locations in the Philippines.

Treadmill time

I've been plagued by health issues recently: I had a bad ankle sprain a few months back and more recently, I was stuck at home with conjunctivitis. I haven't had any exercise so since we have another long weekend in the Philippines and I had some spare time today, I decided to burn some calories on the treadmill. I'm very unfit right now so I just completed a 3-km run.. Hopefully, I can muster the will and the discipline to spend even half an hour in the gym a bit more regularly now. I'm not getting any younger and I need all the exercise I can get to stay fit. :)

Deja Vu: last-minute Superhero-Animated Film Combo

A month ago, I made my way to the cinema to catch "The Amazing Spider-Man", and the day after I watched "Ice Age: Continental Drift". I managed to watch both movies before their theatrical releases in Manila were over. This time around, I managed to do a repeat of this superhero blockbuster and animated film combo two days in a row, and once again, I caught both towards the end of their cinema runs.

I was planning to watch both "The Dark Knight Rises" and "Brave" much earlier, but I got hit with a bout of conjunctivitis that kept me at home for two weeks. It was just during the last long weekend that I got well and was no longer contagious. Luckily, both of them were still showing, albeit in limited theaters. Since either or both these movies would probably be gone later this week as a bevy of new films like Total Recall are released, I decided to catch both while I still could.

photo courtesy of wikipedia

The first of these two movies I got to see was "The Dark Knight Rises". It's gotten a lot of great reviews, both from critics and audiences. I do think it's a well-made film, although I wasn't as blown away by this as much as most other people. Christopher Nolan does a fantastic job of tying together his Batman series reboot while giving each film the ability to stand on its own. This final part of the trilogy features top-notch performances by cast, although I have to call out Tom Hardy for his chilling portrayal of the frighteningly powerful Bane. Just hearing his voice made you quiver in your boots! I found the climax a bit cliche and the villainous twist predictable - I don't know how I figured it out early on but somehow when one of the supposed allies turned backstabber (almost literally) in the end, my reaction was "I knew it!" LOL - but the apparent introduction of a new hero in the form of Robin leaves me in eager anticipation of what's to come after this.

photo courtesy of wikipedia

For me, the film revelation this year is "Brave". Clearly, I am Pixar's target audience as I am a huge fan of most of their recent films, such as Up, The Incredibles, and Wall-E. I wasn't sure what "Brave" would be about, but the fact that it is a Pixar film made me want to see it. From the trailer, it is clear that the lead is a strong-willed heroine. Another one of those I-don't-want-to-be-told-who-to-marry type of movies, you think? Wrong! The strange sequence of events is so unique and surprising that it catches you off-guard and changes the direction of the film in a way that you wouldn't have expected. Making this an even better movie is the incredible animation - check our the hair of the lead heroine, Merida (read more about the animation of her hair here). I won't go into detail of the storyline since this is one of those films where spoilers may ruin the impact of the twist, but it is absolutely worth watching. I can't wait for the DVD to come out!

My nephew told me that he would rank these four films in this order of preference (although he did say he enjoyed them all): The Amazing Spider-Man, Brave, The Dark Knight Rises, and Ice Age: Continental Drift. Strangely enough, that's how I would rank these four movies as well. :) We're surely in the minority as most people will have The Dark Knight Rises as their #1. But hey, to each his own. :)

Cleaning my kitchen

The other day, I was having a late night meal so I went to my cupboard to get a plate. As soon as I opened the cupboard door, I saw a roach. Damn! It was a small one, but it was still in my cupboard. I pulled out my Baygon and sprayed into my cupboard. To be on the safe side - I mean, when you have one roach, you might have a few more crawling around - I decided to spray my whole kitchen.

So clearly, I now had to clean up all of my kitchen surfaces, not only to get rid of any remaining insecticide, but also to disinfect any potential places where roaches may have crawled on. Aside from that, I also had to rewash all my dinnerware and silverware. Thankfully, we had a long weekend. It gave me enough time to clean everything up.

I now need to make sure I do a better job of keeping my place trash-free and my sink clean. I probably should have my place undergo pest-control every so often, too.

Saltimbanco comes to Manila!

I'm really happy that Saltimbanco came to the Philippines. I was hoping after the massive success of Varekai last year that more Cirque du Soleil shows would make their way to our part of the world. When I saw the ads on TV a couple of months ago, I decided to buy tickets immediately.

photo courtesy of http://www.philippineconcerts.com

Apparently, Saltimbanco is the oldest major touring show of Cirque du Soleil. It has been running since 1992 so it's actually their 20th anniversary (although some changes have been made to the original version since then). Pretty cool that we get to see them on their milestone year. :) I wanted more of my family to see a Cirque du Soleil show live so this time around, I got tickets for my mom, my brother, and my two nephews as well. Needless to say, everyone was amazed, impressed, and fully entertained.

Saltimbanco has a wide array of acts, including a heart-stopping solo trapeze (this used to be a duo trapeze in the original format), fantastic juggling, jawdropping balancing on canes that involves some unbelievable flexibility, and a spectacular sequence with a Russian swing. It also features a very unique "boleadoras" act that you can check out here (although what you will see in the link is the original version that has since been modified). The sequences with Jesko the clown are immensely funny and entertaining to both kids and adults, and they provide much-needed comic relief after watching stunts that leave you holding your breath for prolonged periods of time. :) The Chinese poles act early in the show is visually stunning and showcases daredevil mentality and astonishing muscle power. Check out the guy going up and down the pole using just his arms from 0:42 to 0:59. He makes it look so effortless!


video uploaded in youtube by Gerardo1999

I still can't fathom how these performers do it. Not only do their stunts require superhuman strength, stamina, and skill, but they also require an incredibly high degree of fearlessness and trust in what you and your co-performers can do. One of the most memorable acts in the show for me is the "hand-to-hand". I don't know what kind of training these guys do but they are impossibly strong! Most sensational portion is 5:27 to 6:48 (but the whole clip deserves to be watched! Even the comic relief after. :))


video uploaded in youtube by mcirque

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that another Cirque du Soleil show will come to Manila next year.

End of the season?

Things have gone downhill for Rafa Nadal after his 7th French Open title back in June. He was handed a horrible second-round loss by Lukas Rosol in Wimbledon and he hasn't played a match since due to his on-again, off-again knee injury that has plagued him his entire career. His latest announcement, that he will miss the upcoming US Open, the year's final grand slam event, comes on the heels of him being unable to defend his Beijing Olympic gold in London.

I don't know how much longer Nadal will be out of commission. He mentioned in an interview that he will be patient and won't play until his knee is fully healed. Hopefully, when he gets back on tour, he can get back to his French Open form ASAP and start winning titles again.

Digibox

Well it turns out I didn't switch cable providers after all. Skycable showed up with a digibox ready so I had them install it. Strangely enough, I got so used to not having some channels on that I still keep watching the ones I had without the digibox LOL. I did spend some time watching Fox (Bones already has a baby!), Fox Crime, and Nat Geo Wild (dubbed in Filipino).

Too bad I didn't get it a couple of weeks ago. Star Sports would have been handy during the Olympics.

Flooding in the Philippines: how you can help

For those who want to help victims of the non-stop rains and floods in Luzon, I gathered some information on where and how donations can be made (I'll keep editing this as I find more ways of helping out, either through cash donations, relief goods, or even manpower):

Click here for a comprehensive list of drop-off areas for relief goods donation

2012 Donation Center Map - Google Maps
https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=217425989537301383681.0004c6aaad38797cef2ef&msa=0&ll=14.645666%2C121.05968&spn=0.025286%2C0.027595
Look for the closest donation center to where you are

For Globe Telecom users:
http://www.facebook.com/globeph/posts/10151013509054748
To donate via your Globe phone, text REDAMOUNT to 2899. To donate via GCASH, text DONATE AMOUNT 4-digit M-PIN REDCROSS to 2882

Beeconomic (Groupon)

http://www.beeconomic.com.ph/deals/shopping/Philippine-Red-Cross/716258105
Donate to the Victims of the Torrential Monsoon Rains Enhanced by Tropical Storm HAIKUI. Assist by donating P100, P500, or P1000 to fund relief operations of the victims of the current Southwest monsoon. All proceeds of this Groupon charity campaign will completely go to Philippine Red Cross.

Operation Blessing Philippines

http://obphil.com/v2/page/p/emergency-aid-donations
Info on how to make cash donations (local and overseas)

Ateneo DReaM team (cash donations)

http://www.facebook.com/ateneodemanila
http://www.facebook.com/notes/ateneo-de-manila-university/call-for-assistance-for-august-2012-monsoon/10151078462814337
For inquiries, please contact the Ateneo DReaM Team at (632) 697-7168 or email ateneodreamteam@lists.ateneo.edu. Check out links above to see how to make cash donations both locally and from outside the Philippines.

Ateneo DReaM team (donations in kind)

http://www.facebook.com/ateneodemanila/posts/10151994560765153
URGENT: Hi everyone! The Ateneo DReaM team is now accepting donations at the Cervini Lobby. Please donate food (canned goods, those we can cook), water, and blankets. No clothes for now please. Thank you very much!

UP Student Catholic Action (cash and relief goods donations)

http://www.facebook.com/upsca.diliman
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150964756872063&set=at.405975442062.191407.107058077062.793028424&type=1&relevant_count=1&ref=nf
They are accepting food, clothes, utensils, medicines, plastic bags for packing, etc as well as cash donations (click on links for more info). Please bring them to UPSCA Tambayan, Parish of the Holy Sacrifice, UPD. Contact Lobs at 09051709817 or Cheska at 09228182184.

De La Salle Santiago Zobel School

Donations may be dropped off at DLSZ’s Gate 7.
For queries, please contact Mr. Jayjay Jacinto of the Social Action Office at 09178597602.

University of Santo Tomas Central Student Council

http://www.facebook.com/USTCSC
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=417807564922488&set=a.358890244147554.71730.104479062922008&type=1&ref=nf
Contact Argee Gonzales, Central Student Council Vice President at 09178460671
Drop-off points: CSC office, Tan Yan Kee Student Council Center Lobby, and the Local Student Council Office

UA&P

http://www.facebook.com/uap.asia
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=430320093684990&set=a.127562663960736.31794.120866421297027&type=1&relevant_count=1
DONATIONS will be accepted at UA&P (Prom A) until 6:30pm. Beyond that time, the guards at Pearl Drive entrance can accept the donations. We especially need no-cook/ready-to-eat goods, bottled water and toiletries. We also need boxes for packing.

La Immaculada Concepcion School

http://www.facebook.com/licsian
E. Caruncho Avenue, Malinao, 1600 Pasig
http://www.facebook.com/licsian/posts/486929598001782
We will be opening a donation center for those affected in flood-hit areas. You may drop your donations in kind (canned goods, noodles, rice, usable clothing and the like) at Gate 4, La Immaculada Concepcion School.

Sanctuario de San Antonio

https://twitter.com/dadmakeshome/status/232752956783607808/photo/1
If you are in the Makati area, Sanctuario de San Antonio is accepting relief goods at the parish center, Rooms 1-4

Victory

http://victory.org.ph/article/join-us-in-our-relief-efforts/
817-1212
Weather permitting, starting August 8, Victory Fort Bonifacio will accept donations of food and bottled water at the ground floor of the Every Nation Building, University Parkway corner 32nd Avenue, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.

CCF Makati
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151015275108785&set=a.250339598784.136030.204599813784&type=1&ref=nf
They are accepting clothes, canned goods, rice, sugar, noodles, and medicines. They also need volunteers and partners. Please text 09062541396 or call 7953019

Xavier School
64 Xavier Street, Greenhills, San Juan, Metro Manila 1500 Philippines
Xavier School is accepting donations from Aug.9 to 15 for the victims of Gener and monsoon rains. You may send them straight to Xavier School. Each bag should containing the following for easy distribution:
8 canned goods
12 packs instant noodles
2 liters of water
2kg of rice

Asian Institute of Management (AIM)

They are accepting clothes, medicine, ready-to-eat meals, blankets, emergency lights. Donations in kind can be dropped off at Asian Institute of Management, 123 Paseo de Roxas  Makati City 1260, Philippines. Cash donations can be deposited to c/o Stephanie Tan: BDO 3520106390.

Flooding in the Philippines: Emergency Hotlines

Non-stop rains in Luzon have resulted in massive flooding in Metro Manila. Zambales, Bataan, Pampanga, Pangasinan, Tarlac, Laguna, Cavite, Rizal, and Bulacan.If you need help, here are some emergency hotlines you can reach:

Yahoo Philippines also has a lot of emergency hotline information and useful links. Check out this link.

Also, from Dick Gordon:

• if you are unable to contact our hotlines as a last resort, please post in my wall on facebook the complete details (Name, Address, Situations, No. of people involved and there situation, contact numbers, etc) so that our volunteers can get back at you ASAP. Again our RED CROSS HOTLINE: 143 or 527-0000 or 911-1876 or 524- 5787
• TO THOSE WHO NEED TO BE RESCUED, PLEASE PUT WHITE BLANKETS WHERE IT IS VISIBLE FOR THE RESCUERS SO THAT THEY WILL KNOW SOMEONE NEEDS TO BE RESCUED IN YOUR HOME.

For those needing animal/pet rescue/evacuation:

PETA

Animal rescue hotline 817-5292

PAWS

http://www.facebook.com/pawsphilippines/posts/419661198079531
[August 7,2012] We're opening PARC (PAWS Animal Rehabilitation Center in Aurora Blvd, Katipunan Valley, Loyola Heights QC) as a temporary evacuation center for Marikina pets. Owners must leave ID and contact info, and if possible, roofed cages.

Celebrate Humanity

With Olympic fever really high right now, I remembered an amazing advertisement from the Celebrate Humanity campaign back in 2000, I think. While a lot of the commercials were inspiring and touching (especially the ones about courage and the one about winning silver), this one is probably my favorite:

video uploaded in youtube by rogerclemens 

Now that's a winning celebration, if I have ever seen one. :) You can check out the rest of the ads from that campaign here.

Murray wins London Olympic Gold!

Way to go, Andy Murray! Murray achieves glory on the very same court that brought him heartbreak just a few weeks ago, in his Wimbledon final loss against Roger Federer. Not only does he get his revenge on Federer on that very same court, he also wins Olympic gold in his home country (UK, not Scotland :)). Most people will say it's the Grand Slam titles that matter in tennis, and maybe it is. But players will have at most one chance in their lifetime to win an Olympic gold medal in their home country so Andy's achievement and success is unique.

Here's hoping that can now finally break through in a Grand Slam event. Not only did he beat Roger Federer for the first time in a best-of-five match, he wins in dominant fashion. 6-2, 6-1, 6-4 without getting broken (and saving so many breakpoints!).

Congratulations, Andy! :)

*****

Despite all his success and the innumerable records he holds, Roger Federer still doesn't have an Olympic gold medal in singles (he won doubles gold in Beijing 2008 with Stan Wawrinka). It's the only thing missing in his resume now. Also quite surprising is that Novak Djokovic didn't medal, being beaten by Juan Martin Del Potro in the bronze medal match.

Stuck at home with a stupid illness

Can't believe I'm stuck at home now with conjunctivitis. In layman's terms, sore eyes. Ugh. I don't know where I got it. I haven't been in contact with anyone who had noticeably red eyes recently. In fact, when I woke up on Friday morning with a red eye, I thought it was just because of a busted blood vessel or maybe it got irritated from my long hair (I badly need a haircut). But after three doses of Visine on Friday, my eye remained red. And when it didn't seem to clear up in the morning, I decided to see a doctor.

Funny and unique experience: the clinic I went to had only two available doctors - a general practitioner and a pediatrician. Since the queue for the general practitioner was too long, the nurse told me I could go see the pediatrician instead hahaha! I don't remember the last time I saw a pediatrician but hey, conjunctivitis is a common ailment among kids so a pediatrician would surely be able to properly diagnose me. And when she did, the news wasn't good. Argh!

The last time I had conjunctivitis was in 2000 and it took me 2 weeks to recover. It sucked too because I was supposed to go to Kalibo for the Ati-Atihan Festival - I had my plane ticket already - then I got sick a few days before. This time around, I missed the birthday celebration of my inaanak earlier today and I will surely miss the 1st year death anniversary of Mama Guading tomorrow. This truly sucks. I guess I will just be with my family and with Mama in spirit tomorrow.

Anyway, I hope this bout of conjunctivitis won't last very long. My friend Joyce told me that three of her students has sore eyes recently and they all got well within a week so I'm keeping my fingers crossed the same happens to me.

Free coffee

So I was at Krispy Kreme in Glorietta right before it closes for the day. I ordered a large smooth coffee but the manager said that there might not be enough coffee to fill a large cup. As it turned out, there wasn't, so she told me that the coffee was good for a short cup only. It was the end of the day and it would be wasteful to have them brew more coffee so I agreed to get a short cup instead.

She then pours the coffee from the large cup to a short one (it's a waste of a cup, I know), takes a quick look inside, then she hands it to me and tells me that I don't need to pay for it. She said that because the remaining coffee still didn't fill the short cup (it was about 90% filled), they would just give it to me for free. I asked her if she was sure about my coffee being on the house and she said she was. So I got a free coffee from Krispy Kreme. Cool!

"Up to the Mountain" by Patty Griffin

One of my favorite songs. I discovered it by watching American Idol - it was performed by Kelly Clarkson during Idol Gives Back in season 6 then by Crystal Bowersox in the finale of Season 10. It was the Bowersox cover that made me search for the original version, and while those two Idol versions were good, Patty Griffin's original just cannot be touched.


video uploaded in youtube by realimghty

"Up to the Mountain" is also called the MLK song because it draws upon themes from Martin Luther King, Jr's famous "I've Been to the Mountaintop" speech that he gave a day before his assassination. Patty's clear yet haunting vocals showcase an amazing depth of emotion and deliver the song's powerful lyrics that create such vivid imagery:

The peaceful valley
Few come to know
I may never get there
Ever in this lifetime
But sooner or later
It's there I will go

A truly amazing song by a brilliant artist.

Movie time

A week ago, I promised my nephew that I would take him to watch both "The Amazing Spider-Man" and "Ice Age: Continental Drift". So when I saw that "The Dark Knight Rises" came out last week, I figured I had to ensure we got to watch those two movies before they get dropped from the cinemas altogether.

I first watched "The Amazing Spider-Man" with both my nephews and my mom. I'm a fan of superhero movies in general but I am also a fan of the first two installments of the Tobey Maguire-headlined series (I didn't like Spider-Man 3...) so I wasn't sure how this reboot would stack up against those. Somehow, I actually enjoyed it just that bit more. Most people like seeing their superheroes be super and just bash away against the bad guys but I'm a bit different in that I actually enjoy it more when I can see the human side to these characters. That is exactly what you get when you watch "The Amazing Spider-Man". While 'Spidey' eventually comes into his own as a superhero, it was great seeing his angst, pain, and fear, and how some life-changing events make him realize that maybe it is his job to protect the city from threats. This wouldn't have been possible if not for the brilliant performance of Andrew Garfield, who delivered a very believable transformation of Peter Parker from shy, self-absorbed teenager suffering from daddy issues to a confident, young man whose guilt and sense of responsibility propel him to try and make things right. His onscreen (and apparently off-screen) partner Emma Stone is equally good, and the chemistry they have makes the relationship of Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy almost just as compelling to watch as Spider-Man's battles with the Lizard. I do think both Andrew and Emma deliver better performances than Tobey and Kirsten Dunst, and I hope that they are both asked to reprise their roles in the sequel which is slated for 2014.

The next day, I watched "Ice Age: Continental Drift" with only my nephew Ciera. It was a fun movie, with a couple of storylines running in parallel and a lot of new and interesting characters, such as Manny and Ellie's daughter Peaches, Sid's Granny and her 'imaginary pet' Precious, a whole bunch of pirates led by Gutt, and those little furry creatures that reminded me a lot of the ewoks from Return of the Jedi. I wasn't all that interested in the storyline about Peaches trying to fit in and impress the 'cool boy' and his 'cool friends' before realizing that her family and her true friends were more important, but I figured this is a movie for kids so it actually makes for a good lesson for the young people watching. I also really enjoyed the animated short film about Maggie from the Simpsons that was shown right before Ice Age started.

I'm pretty happy that I'm doing better this year in terms of movie-watching. I've seen nine films now, including Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted, Avengers, Battleship, Wrath of the Titans, Hunger Games, Chronicle, and Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol. While Avengers may be this year's biggest hit, I think my favorites so far are MI4 and The Amazing Spider-Man.

Nadal out of the Olympics

Four days to go until the 2012 London Summer Olympics and I'm really looking forward to it. The most popular global sports like basketball and football, while included in the event, somehow take a backseat to other sports such as swimming and track and field.

The only downside for me is that Rafael Nadal is not going to be playing. He is currently battling knee tendinitis and he claims that he is not in any condition to play competitively. Darn!

I am now hoping that Andy Murray wins. Federer is the odds on favorite to win, but with Andy Murray losing four Grand Slam finals (3 to Federer, 1 to Djokovic), he is arguably the best player in history never to win a Slam. We all saw how much it pained him to lose the Wimbledon final, so I hope he can finally break through in a major event. It won't be a Slam, but an Olympic Gold in his own country (by country, I mean the United Kingdom and not England as Andy Murray is from Scotland :)) would be a spectacular win and a great moment both for him and for the UK.

Reconnecting

It's been about half a decade since I last saw my cousins Joy and Charmaine who are now based in Canada. Charmaine just got married and their wedding was held here in the Philippines so it was a good opportunity for me to catch up with both of them. I wasn't able to join them for the wedding ceremony itself as it was held out of town but they organized dinner last Sunday for the family, to make sure we all got to see them. Unfortunately, it was on a Sunday night and one of my nephews was in a bad mood that night so my family and I couldn't stay long.

Thankfully, they organized dinner with their cousins on both sides of their family on Friday night. It was raining very hard that evening but I was determined to make it even if I was very late. As it turned out, I got there before a lot of other people because everyone got stuck in storm-induced traffic as well. Anyways, as there weren't a lot of people with us that night, it was a good chance for me to catch up with both my cousins and their significant others - Charmaine's husband and Joy's boyfriend who also came to the Philippines with them from Canada. I also got to see my other cousin Jessica whom I haven't seen in an even longer time! After about three hours, we decided to call it a night, especially since they were all flying out the next day. It wasn't a lot of time in the grand scheme of things, but it was time well spent together. I do hope I get to see them all again soon, whether here on in Canada.

The Barber of Seville

Apparently, it's the first time in Philippine history that three operas were staged in the country in the same year. Amazingly, I was there to watch each one! :) I watched "The Barber of Seville" last Saturday, and it was incredible!

"The Barber of Seville" is an opera buffa, or a comic opera, by Gioachino Rossini. It tells the story of Count Almaviva who is trying to woo the beautiful Rosina. He disguises himself as Lindoro, hoping to make Rosina love him for himself and not for his money. However, Rosina has very little freedom as the ward of Dr. Bartolo. Bartolo aims to marry Rosina himself so he can lay claim to her dowry. Count Almaviva then runs into Figaro, the Barber of Seville who also used to be the Count's servant. Figaro advises the Count to disguise himself as a drunk soldier to gain entry into the Bartolo household. Bartolo and Don Basilio, Rosina's music teacher, are very suspicious of Lindoro, and as they have a confrontation with Rosina, Lindoro, Figaro, and Bartolo's housekeeper Berta, their noise attracts the attention of the Officer of the Watch and his men. The officer arrests Lindoro, but as Lindoro shares his real identity to the officer, he is freed.

To regain entry into the Bartolo household, Almaviva disguises himself as a substitute music teacher and tells Bartolo that Basilio is ill. The lie is threatened to be exposed when Basilio appears but Almaviva bribes Basilio to feign illness. Bartolo's suspicions deepen and he throws everyone except Rosina out of his house. He tells her that Lindoro is just a humble servant of Count Almaviva and he calls for a notary to draw up the marriage contract between him and Rosina. During a thunderstorm, Figaro and Almaviva enter Rosina's room through a ladder in the balcony, and it is here that Rosina learns that Lindoro and the Count are one and the same. They are so caught up in their love for each other that they pay no attention to Figaro's initial attempts to get them to leave and by the time they do try, the ladder on the balcony has been removed. They are still in the room when Basilio and the notary arrive. Almaviva is able to coerce Basilio to act as a witness to his marriage to Rosina, and as Basilio and Figaro act as witnesses, Almaviva and Rosina both sign the marriage contract prepared by the notary. Bartolo enters the room too late, but his disappointment is short-lived as he is told that he can keep Rosina's dowry.

Everyone who performed in the opera were vocally amazing, and I especially loved the fast-running notes - and believe me, there were many - as these required (to quote my friend Marie who also watched it) "so much vocal agility and stamina." It was even more impressive that these were often done in unison or in harmony. While everyone was great, I was especially impressed by Mario Cassi, who played Figaro. His voice had such strong projection and really carried throughout the theater but he made it seem so effortless. His swagger and panache made his performance even more memorable. An equally memorable performance was that of Marco Filippo Romano, who played Bartolo. He was such an entertaining scene stealer and I especially loved it when he would mock Rosina by sarcastically repeating her words in falsetto. That said, it was a true ensemble performance and everyone really held their own.Major props of course have to go to the director, Antonio Petris, for achieving this.

Probably the most interesting experience I had in the show is the discovery that the popular aria "Largo al factotum" is from this opera. What is that aria, you say? Well, it's in the one where the singer keeps singing 'Figaro'. In popular culture, this has been featured in the Whale who sang at the Met, Woody Woodpecker, Tom and Jerry, and in the opening credits of Mrs. Doubtfire. If you want a more professional performance than those, here is Mario Cassi performing "Largo al factotum":

 
video uploaded in youtube by MrFigarofi

The fact that "The Barber of Seville" is a comedy makes it a different experience from the other two I have watched. They must also have had a ton of sponsors because programs were given for free before the show and several magazines like Lifestyle Asia, Mega, and Travel, were also distributed to people in the audience. (Although "La Traviata" probably had just as much, if not more, sponsorships because their ticket prices were about half the cost of this one and also of "Madame Butterfly".) Then again, it's not surprising. Rustan's was a co-presenter and they are celebrating their 60th anniversary. Several Italians were in the show - including the conductor, Ruggero Barbieri - and this is also because this year, we are celebrating 65 years of Philippine-Italian Diplomatic Relations as well as the 50th anniversary of the Philippine Italian Association. Pretty cool!

I wonder what the next opera will be. Phantom of the Opera, which will also be staged in CCP in a little more than a month's time, doesn't officially count as an opera, although I am equally excited for that.

Broken suitcase

After 14 years of heavy use, the very first suitcase I bought - a handcarry-size Samsonite - finally succumbed to the wear and tear of travel. I used it over the weekend and after lugging it around in the morning, I noticed that the combination lock mechanism was no longer attached to the bag. Eep!

I have to give props to that suitcase though. It outlasted a lot of my other bags. I probably broke two large suitcases and 1 medium-sized one (I may have broken more medium-sized ones but I normally use either the big or the small one when I travel so the medium-sized one is not as heavily used). While Samsonite is a relatively expensive brand, based on my experience, it is clearly sturdier. As such, I will probably replace my broken suitcase with another Samsonite. Given my recent big ticket purchases though, I need to be more conscientious about my spending now. As such, I probably won't buy a new one until my next trip.

International Shopping Spree

So I've turned into one of those people who travel abroad just to shop. Scary. Or well, not necessarily...

I wrote about my need for a massive gadget update several months ago. I have been at odds with my personal laptop for the better part of a year now. My recent trips to Batanes and Cebu/Bohol (which I have yet to blog about) have emphasized my need for a new camera but it was also in these trips that I discovered that my mom's camera now has the same 'smudge' problem that my camera has. Clearly, I needed to get my new equipment ASAP.

I did some research online and I finally decided what laptop and cameras to get. However, I know that electronics are cheaper in Singapore than they are here. So I asked a couple of my friends over there if they could find out how much these items cost in SG. As it turns out, if I bought all items over there, I would save P17,000. That is massive! I quickly look at airfare costs and I was able to find a flight that would set me off by about P8000. Even if you add the airport tax of P1,620 and the passenger service fee o f P550 and I'd still have a lot of savings. Clearly, this was a good enough reason to fly to Singapore.

It took me all of three hours in Funan to get my new gear. While the only freebie that came with my laptop was a carrying case, the cameras came with a lot of add-ons. I also got to claim a pretty substantial GST refund at the airport. Cool!

Add to this my new phone and my gadget update is now complete. :)

*****

Of course, my exceedingly short trip to SG, while primarily meant for shopping, wouldn't have been as great if I didn't get to meet up with any of my friends. Amazingly enough, in just 48 hours, I managed to meet up with six sets of friends: Kog, Ina, and Anna for a very late dinner and drinks on Thursday night, Majel for Friday lunch, Che, Tonette, Om, Anna, Tim, and Alvin for Friday dinner, Ben and his mates for Friday night drinks, Denise and Kleng (and her family) for Saturday brunch, and Sarah, Dawid and their daughter Ania (and Anna again) for Saturday early afternoon coffee. "That has to be one of the most jampacked personal trips I have taken. But it's amazing how so many of my friends were able to make time to meet up despite the very short notice. I am one very lucky guy. :)

I won a phone! :)

I was getting ready for work when I got a phone call. I didn't recognize the number so for a couple of seconds, I was tempted not to pick up. But I figured it could be important so I answered anyway. Thankfully, I did. The person on the other end of the line told me I was I had just won a raffle. I didn't really understand what I won, and all I could hear was 'Beats Audio'. I figured I won some really cool earphones so I told the person I would be able to get my prize the next day.

So imagine my stunned surprise when they hand me this:

I said out loud, "It's a phone!" and told the person who gave me my raffle prize that "I thought I just won earphones!" She said that I won a phone that came with earphones LOL. I am now the owner of an HTC Sensation XE with Beats Audio. I read a review online and my new phone seem to be pretty good. I obviously have to spend some time trying to figure out how to use it. :)

So now I have a smart phone. I'm not - or well, I wasn't - really a fan of touch screen phones because I like the idea of being able to text with one hand while not looking, but as I wrote almost a year ago, I have been meaning to replace my mobile phone. I guess this is the world's way of telling me I need to keep up with the times and advances in technology. :)

Wimbledon wraps up

Another year, another Wimbledon. Congratulations to Roger Federer, who won his 7th Wimbledon title. He reclaims the #1 ranking, tying him this week with Pete Sampras for the most number of weeks at #1, but as he will certainly not drop his top ranking next week, he will surely eclipse Sampras' record.

I was rooting for Andy Murray, though. I have felt for the last few years now that if Andy Murray played in another era, he could be holding a couple of Grand Slam titles already. Unfortunately, he plays in the era of Federer, Rafa Nadal, and Novak Djokovic, who have a combined 33 titles among them (that number is just staggering!). Most tennis aficionados think of Andy as the best player to have (so far) not won a Grand Slam (this was his 4th final). He has been a consistent and solid world #4 but the top 3 are just too dominant. If Murray won, it would have been a fairy tale ending to his 2012 Wimbledon experience and would have been a great way for him to finally break though to win his first major. Alas, he ran into a player who used this event to further cement his case as the Greatest Of All Time (G.O.A.T.).

Murray's runner-up speech has to be one of the most emotional I've seen on a tennis court. While the loss surely made broke his heart, it didn't help that he was playing on 'home turf' and probably feels like he let down an entire nation. Check out his speech here:


video uploaded in youtube by user HollywoodRocket1

I do hope that Andy Murray does eventually win one Grand Slam event. Would be even more awesome if it he gets to win Wimbledon.

*****

Of course, I didn't get to watch the final since Skycable dropped Star Sports. Oh well. I still haven't decided whether to get a digibox or switch to Cignal...

How to paint the Mona Lisa with MS Paint

This video is amazing! The artist is absolutely brilliant!


video uploaded in youtube by EclecticAsylumArt

And here I thought MS Paint was just good for very basic stuff. :)

SBC's Omelette and French Toast

It all started with me watching on youtube an episode of The Delicious Miss Dahl where she cooks an Omelette Arnold Bennett. This led me to watching a clip of Jacques Pepin cooking two styles of omelette. Before I knew it, I was craving this wonderful egg dish.

Anyways, I was driving home one evening when I felt hungry and wanted to get something heavy enough to fill me but light enough that I won't stuff myself before I go to bed. My craving kicked in again and I remembered that Seattle's Best served omelette dishes. So I made my way to the nearest Seattle's Best and ordered their Ham and Cheese Omelette with French Toast. And may I say, it was a surprisingly pleasant discovery! So much so that the next day, I ordered it again. :)

Thankfully this is now in my radar because it makes a perfect midnight snack for me. I'm pretty sure I'll be having this dish on a more regular basis. Maybe I will even try some of their other omelette dishes. :)

Nadal out

What a horrible result. Rafael Nadal is out of Wimbledon. In the 2nd round! Ugh...

No one had really heard of Lukas Rosol prior to that 2nd round meeting with Rafa. So it was incredibly unlucky for Nadal that Rosol was playing on a different plane. His serve was practically unplayable. He was hitting his groundstrokes with as much power as I've seen on a tennis court. And he kept that level of play for practically the entire match.

It didn't help, too, that the match was put on hold when Rafa finally seemed to have found his rhythm and his return game. It was getting dark but since the tournament officials wanted to complete their match that evening, they decided to close the roof so play could continue. However, it would take 30-40 minutes for the roof to close and the court to be set up. By then, all the momentum Rafa built in winning the 4th set and breaking Rosol twice was gone. And unfortunately, Rosol didn't let up.

Which meant that Rafa Nadal, for the first time in years, was trundled out of the second round of a Grand Slam. It also means he will drop to #3 in the world. Oh well. He still has a shot at another important grass court tournament soon - the Olympics.

My new game boards!

My friends Joh and Raffa usually order lots of stuff from the US and have them shipped by bulk to Manila, and sometimes I 'piggy back' on their shipment. Last year, I ordered a lot of CDs and DVDs. This time, I ordered a few board games: Settlers of Catan, 7 Wonders, and Ticket to Ride.

I learned all these games through my friend Mike, who's a big board game fan, but he moved back to the US. I was initially planning to get my own 7 Wonders here in Manila but I found out it cost more than P3000 in Hobbes and Landes and it costs about half of that on Amazon. As such, I figured I would buy my board games on Amazon instead.

Next step: figure out which of my friends here in Manila are interested in these strategy games. What follows should be hours of fun! :)

Losing channels

This is so upsetting. Skycable keeps dropping its channels. I could deal with the channels that have been dropped in the past: BBC, Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, and Cinemax, to name a few. But now, Starsports, ESPN, and Fox will be dropped effective July 1. Crap!! I now need to have a digibox set-up ASAP. Otherwise I won't be able to watch Wimbledon which is airing on Starsports right now, straight through to the first week of July. Oh well. I guess that is really how business works. Maybe I should just switch to Cignal...

Nephew time

I promised my nephew that I would take him to watch Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted this week. Since my mom also wanted to watch Rock of Ages (the movie, not the live musical which is also being staged in Manila right now), we all went to Powerplant to watch. We got there about 10 minutes before the next Madagascar showing and thankfully there was practically no line when we got there. I quickly buy two tickets for Madagascar, and one for Rock of Ages that was going to start about an hour later.

Madagascar 3 was a really fun and funny movie, with enough heartwarming moments to make it entertaining and appealing to people of all ages. I loved the circus angle (especially Vitaly the tiger's backstory), the ferocity of Captian Chantel Dubois, and the visuals - from the awesome car chase scene to the spectacular circus show. I watched it in 2D but there were a lot of scenes that I think would look great in 3D

Since our movie ended before my mom's, we decided to swing by Power Station where we tried a whole horde of games, including air hockey, go go balls, some shooting games, and Mario Kart.

By the time we finished playing, Rock of Ages was over so we all headed to Milky Way for dinner before heading home. It's always fun to have these relaxed days and I'm happy that I once again find some time to visit the cinema. :)

'Madame Butterfly' in CCP

I enjoyed my first opera experience when I watched La Traviata a few months. As such, I made sure to get tickets to Madame Butterfly, which was shown this weekend (June 22 and 23) in the CCP.

Madame Butterfly is an opera by Giacomo Puccini. It tells the tale of Cio-Cio San (Madame Butterfly), a young Japanese woman living in Nagasaki. She marries B. F. Pinkerton, an American naval officer who was looking for a wife for temporary companionship while he was based in Japan. Eventually, he returns to the US and marries an American woman. But Cio-Cio San doesn't know this, and continues to hang on to the belief that he will come back for her. When a letter from Pinkerton is delivered to her by Sharpless, the US Consul in Nagasaki, to inform her that he is coming back to Japan, she becomes so excited and reveals to him that she has a son with Pinkerton. Her anticipation of Pinkerton's arrival means that Sharpless is unable to share all the information in that letter with her, which is mainly that he has a wife.

When Pinkerton learns about his son from Sharpless, he visits Madame Butterfly along with his wife and with Sharpless, but he then learns that she is still deeply in love with him. He is unable to face her and promptly leaves her house remorseful and just as Madame Butterfly appears, and it is at this point that she meets his wife who then asks her to give her son to them so they can provide a better future for him in the US. Heartbroken and disconsolate, she agrees to give up her son if Pinkerton comes back to see her himself. As she ushers her son out, blindfolded, she kills herself with her father's hara-kiri knife just as Pinkerton returns, too late.

If this story sounds sort of familiar, it is because the London West-End and Broadway Musical was inspired by Madame Butterfly. I forgot about this so I still bought the program, but I guess it is nice to read more information about the opera, the production, and the cast. Another interesting thing about this opera was a translation of what was being sung was projected on a small screen at the top of the stage in CCP, making it easier to follow what was going on.

The opera was headlined by Mako Nishimoto, a multi-awarded Japanese soprano, and she didn't disappoint. I guess the fact that she is from Japan makes it easier for her connect to the character and the story. While the songs and arias in Madame Butterfly are not as difficult (I think) as those in La Traviata, the role of Madame Butterfly / Cio-Cio San is difficult to portray just because she sings so much throughout all three acts. Of her supporting cast, I was also impressed with Camille Lopez Molina, who played Suzuki (Madame Butterfly's aide), and Andrew Fernando, who played Sharpless.

The one thing about this opera I didn't like was the "Humming Chorus" at the end of Act II. You can see one interpretation of this humming chorus here. However, the director wanted to give an artsy, contemporary take on this sequence, which meant that he had singers and dancers performing while wearing strange, neon-light-fitted costumes. Maybe this means that I'm not artsy enough and lack an appreciation for modern and performance art, but I just thought it was cheap and inappropriate. I found myself wishing that the direction of this scene could have been kept clean and simple.

Nevertheless I was still very pleased and impressed with the opera. The standing ovations and thunderous applause received by the cast, especially Mako Nishimoto, were well-deserved. I also think it was cool that I was in the same audience as National Artist Benedicto Cabrera (popularly referred to BenCab). I think it's great that more operas are coming to the Philippines. While I had always wanted to watch one before, I now have watched two in a matter of a few months. The Barber of Seville will be performed again in CCP in mid-July and I will be watching this opera too.

Jessica Sanchez sings the Star Spangled Banner

Check out Jessica Sanchez singing the Star Spangled Banner in the 2012 National Memorial Concert.

  video uploaded in youtube by PBS

While she had difficulty with the lowest notes of the song here, I think it's a better overall performance than her rendition during the Pacquiao-Bradley fight.

Father's Day

It's the first time my family celebrated Father's day without Tatay. It's been exactly 6 months since he passed away so we decided to visit him in the cemetery.

Actually, I have been to the cemetery on almost a weekly basis for most of the year. It's not easy for Nanay to go to the cemetery unless someone drives her there so I try to bring her there every Sunday. (Obviously, I wasn't able to do it a lot recently because of my sprained ankle.)  But while a lot of those trips are just me and Nanay, this time, a lot of my family joined us.

After visiting Tatay in the cemetery, we had dinner in Adarna. We ordered a few items we already tried before but we also got to try a couple of new dishes: the Ensaladang Puso sa Gata and Grilled Chicken Breast with kesong puti boursin, bacon, and mango salsa. Both were really good! I love the fact that the ensaladang puso sa gata had tomatoes and vinaigrette mixed in because the acid cut through the richness of the coconut and added an additional dimension of flavor. The Grilled Chicken breast was also really good. The chicken itself was so well cooked and tasty, and the kesong puti didn't have the heaviness of other cheeses mixed in with food. I really love this restaurant and how the dishes served are Pinoy meals from all over the country but with a twist.

I also got the two Sugarhouse cakes I purchased at a good discount from Deal Grocer: Concorde and Cashew Toffee. (I initially intended to claim them for Mother's Day but that was when I had just sprained my ankle and couldn't walk, so I decided to claim them now instead.)

Tatay wasn't with physically with us today but his spirit was definitely present as we celebrated Father's Day.

Two-part Yaminoy reunion

It's not very often that I get to see my Yaminoy friends. Recently, however, Fred moved to Manila and since it was around the time of his and Eliza's respective birthdays so that was more than enough reason for us to meet up.

Our first get-together was scheduled in Little Asia at the Piazza. However, since it was on the same night as the Lifehouse concert here in Manila which both Yam and Meg were attending, we decided to schedule another dinner a few weeks after. I met up with Eliza, Marie, and Anj that night - most of the others ended up having last minute stuff that prevented them from joining - but despite the fact that there were "only" four of us, the conversations were extremely fun and exciting. After all, it was just shortly after the American Idol finale. :)

Naturally, American Idol also factored into the discussion in our second dinner which we had in Kitchen in Greenbelt 3. For this reunion installment, I was joined by Beck, Meg, and Fred. If the first dinner lasted three hours, this second one lasted more than an hour longer! LOL Clearly, the Yaminoys love catching up and talking about TV, music, movies, and just pop culture in general.

Hopefully we get to meet up again soon, this time with more people in tow. If groups of four made for incredibly fun discussions, I can imagine if more of us are together. :)

Happy Philippine Independence Day

Happy Independence Day to Filipinos all over the world! Apart from the appreciation of the fact that I did not have to work today, I also appreciate the courage and sacrifice of our forefathers, led by Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo, in declaring, and fighting for, our independence.

I also love it that Google commemorates this important Filipino holiday by displaying a Filipino-flag inspire Google page. And I'm not just talking about google.com.ph (which of course also sports this Pinoy-inspired logo); the main Google.com page also features it. Cool! Obviously, it will change by tomorrow, but I took a screen cap. :)

Thank you, Google! And once again, Happy Independence Day to the Philippines!

Rafael Nadal wins his 7th French Open Title!

What a great day! Rafa Nadal makes history by winning his 7th trophy in Roland Garros by beating his nemesis, Novak Djokovic, in four sets, 6-4 6-3 2-6 7-5. The match, which started on Sunday, was interrupted by rain and had to be finished on Monday. For Nadal fans, it was worth the wait.

It started out like it was going to be a one-sided affair. Rafa started off exceedingly well and Novak, probably slightly worn out from some tough matches during the week, was not at his best. It seemed Nadal would win the championship without dropping a set as he went up a break in the third, 2-0. Then somehow, the rainy conditions that left the balls and the court wet and heavy took the sting out of Rafa's shots and prevented him from moving as well as he normally does on the red clay. All of a sudden, Novak won 8 games in a row and was up a break in the fourth. Rafa stopped the bleeding by finally holding serve before the referee called a halt to the match due to weather conditions.

Somehow, Rafa found his form again when the match resumed on Monday, and after being down a break at 1-2, he managed to turn things around and win the fourth set and the title. Woo-hoo!!

So many amazing things about this match:

• Rafa Nadal now holds the men's record for winning the most French Open titles with 7, edging past Bjorn Borg who has 6.
• His French Open career win-loss record? A staggering 52 wins and 1 loss. Incredible!
• He now has 11 Grand Slam singles titles, tied with Borg and Rod Laver. Only Roger Federer (16), Pete Sampras (14), and Roy Emerson (12) have won more.
• He also finally snaps his Grand slam final losing streak against Novak (Rafa lost to Novak in Wimbledon, the US Open, and the Australian Open). This also marks the third match in a row that Rafa has beaten the current world #1 against whom he lost 7 straight times. While that shaky third set leaves people to believe that Rafa may still have some mental demons against Novak, he still somehow managed to right the ship and win.
• He also stays at #2. Roger Federer's loss in the semis assures Rafa of holding on to the #2 ranking until Wimbledon, which is crucial as it means Rafa once again will be seeded 2 and won't have to face Djokovic until the final.
• Rafa now holds the distinction of being the only male player to have won three tournaments 7 times or more - Monte Carlo (8), Barcelona (7), and now the French Open (7).
• Rafa has now also tied Roger Federer's (men's) record of winning at least one Grand Slam title each year for 8 consecutive years. He won at least one slam each year from 2005 until this year. Federer won at least one a year from 2003 to 2010.

Congratulations, Rafa! Here's hoping you can repeat your success in Wimbledon. :)

Reversal of fortune

It's a sad day for Filipinos as Manny Pacquiao lost his bout against Timothy Bradley. This was Pacquiao's first loss since 2005 when he was beaten by Erik Morales, snapping a string of 15 wins. What's more unfortunate about this result is that for most objective viewers, Pacquiao clearly won the fight. Somehow, the judges didn't agree and the split decision after 12 rounds meant that Bradley won. The good thing about it was the unexpected humility showcased by Manny after the loss. When asked about the result, he said that while he felt he won, he respected the judges' decision.

 After the fight, I think that a lot of people's minds immediately went to Pacquiao's win over Marquez last November. Most people had Marquez winning that but the judges ruled that Manny won. This time around, the tables seemed to have been turned, leaving Pacquiao with the short end of the stick. I guess that's the difficulty you have in sports where the winner is determined by a panel of judges. In any case, the fact that practically all fair and objective analysts feel that Pacquiao won,and with his gracious acceptance of the result, he should still come home to a grand welcome.

Tagaytay Food Trip: Chateau Hestia

The final leg in my food trip was Chateau Hestia. I didn't know about this restaurant until I read about it on tripadvisor and saw that it had some pretty good reviews. When I checked the official website and looked up the menu, I knew I had to visit.

 
Hestia is the Greek Goddess of hearth and home so you can expect to feel at home and quite comfortable here. The lush walkway leading to the restaurant entrance evokes a sense of tranquility and discovery, as if you are about to find a secret hideaway.

It was 1pm on a Wednesday when I had lunch here, and as it turned out, I was the only customer. I can't say what the service is like when the place is packed, but obviously it was pretty good when I was there since I was the only one being served. :) Being the lone patron also meant I could take photos freely without bothering anyone else. The restaurant design seems to be a charming fusion of European and Filipino themes.

They had a special set menu, complete with starter, soup, salad, main course, and dessert for P670 which is a pretty good deal but I wanted to try a few separate items. I decided to kick things off with the Forest Mushroom Soup (P145). Most mushroom soups have cream but this one either didn't have cream or had only a bit of it. As such, it tasted light and fresh while still being hearty with the strong flavors of the mushrooms coming through.

I followed that up with the Fresh Hestia Green Salad (petite size, P140). The menu says they use organic fresh greens in this salad, and the julienned carrots and sliced cucumber add texture to the dish. The vinaigrette dressing was pretty good too. I think the salad I had in Buon Giorno was better but this was still pretty good.

My main course was the Osso Bucco Milanese (P590), their version of a traditional dish from Italy of beef shank slowly simmered in tomato sauce served with mashed potato and mixed buttered vegetables. The beef was well-cooked and tender, the sauce was rich and flavorful, and the portion size was pretty good. I guess a couple of people can share this dish, although of course I was able to consume it all by myself LOL.

That said, I was stuffed by the time I polished off my main course that I didn't have room for dessert anymore so I just ordered brewed coffee (P95). I can't recall if the coffee came with just one refill or if it was bottomless, but I did have two cups.

I am glad I read about Chateau Hestia online because it's like finding a hidden gem in Tagaytay. I enjoyed my dining experience here - from the quality of the food to the portion size to the atmosphere. With a lot more choices in the menu that I would like to try, I'm pretty sure I'll pay this place a visit again, maybe with family or friends next time.

*****

Chateau Hestia Garden Restaurant
Purok 5, Brgy. Bukal, Silang, Cavite, Philippines 4118
http://chateauhestia.com/
0929-711-32-89
dine@chateauhestia.com

How to get there: the Chateau Hestia website provides a decent map that you can easily follow. Check out the directions here.

Tagaytay Food Trip: Buon Giorno

I love pasta and Italian food so I decided to have dinner on my second night in Buon Giorno, an Italian restaurant located at Cliffhouse. I realized at a later visit to Tagaytay that the view of Taal Lake from here is pretty spectacular so it's probably more ideal to have a meal here during the day.

The Buon Giorno menu is quite extensive so it took me a while to figure out what I wanted. As is the custom in most Italian restaurants, I was served bread along with some olive oil and balsamic vinegar. I love the bottle that contained both the oil and the vinegar:

I started with with the Buon Giorno's Special Salad (P218). This was pretty hefty, and the fact that it came with a lot of different ingredients that had contrasting tastes and textures made the dish quite lively. While some dressing - which was really good - had already been drizzled directly on the salad, a soup-spoon serving of it was neatly placed on the side of the plate in case you wanted more.

For my main course, I went with the Pollo Parmigiana (P507), a ham and cheese-topped chicken fillet with rich tomato sauce, served with spaghetti and a side of vegetables. The dish is quite expensive and taste-wise, I thought it didn't have a wow-factor, but the portion size was pretty good.

Plus points include the location (even if you visit at night and can't enjoy the awesome view, it's still a pretty cool and swanky place with a fair amount of parking slots), the portion sizes, and the wide selection of choices in the menu

*****

Buon Giorno Caffe and Bistro

4 Cliff House
(046) 483-2102

How to get there: From the Tagaytay-Sta. Rosa Road, turn right into Tagaytay-Calamba road. Go past the rotonda along Aguinaldo highway. Go past One Desitation (the place with a lot of restos like Teriyaki Boy, Pancake house, Starbucks, and Kon Tiki) and Leslie's Restaurant. Cliffhouse is right after Leslie's on the left side of the road.

Tagaytay Food Trip: Bag of Beans

I've been to Tagaytay a lot of times already and I've seen Bag of Beans several times in the past. Since I hadn't tried the coffee there yet, I made sure I included a stop here in my food trip.

Bag of Beans now has two locations in Tagaytay. One of them is in the rotonda area, which I believe is much newer. The one I have seen multiple times before is a bit past Mendez junction, somewhere between the rotonda and Sonya's Garden. Since this is the one I was more familiar with and it was easily along the way back from Sonya's Garden, I decided to spend my afternoon here. Looking at it from the road, you would think it is a pretty small cafe. What I didn't realize was that there was a much larger dining area at the back.

I found myself a cozy seat and ordered refillable Freshly Brewed Barako (P110). This was a perfect order for me since I planned to hang out in Bag of Beans for most of the afternoon and catch up on my reading.

After a couple of hours there, I decided to order Panacotta (P105).

The panacotta was decent and the coffee was really good. The fact that you can have refillable coffee makes this place a perfect place to just chill out for a few hours.

*****

Bag of Beans, Tagaytay

3650 Aguinaldo Highway, Mendez Crossing West

Tagaytay City, Cavite

(046) 413-2724

How to get there: From the Tagaytay-Sta. Rosa Road, turn right into Tagaytay-Calamba road. Go past the rotonda along Aguinaldo highway. Once you go past Mendez junction, keep an eye out for it on the right side of the road.