Which Body of Water is the Best?

Boracay



Canton



Shaoguan



Manila Bay



Taipei



Clearly, Boracay is the best. But nothing beats Bohol's Loboc River.

Lolita

Coming out of an appliance store at the ground floor of the Sta. Lucia Mall in Cainta, Johnny Bravo and I noticed a mini-fashion show featuring pre-pubescent kids and teen-agers donning and promoting a certain local clothes brand. The catwalks featured mostly cute little girls sashaying in high-heels and swaying their hips trying to project a certain je ne sais qoui attitude, and not succeeding. The show was rather entertaining rather than fascinating and interesting.

What got my attention, however, was the intermission. A girl not more than 10 years old sang a sexy and sultry song way too much for her age. And guess what, she wore an all-black leather outfit with tight, very short, “hot” mini-skirt which reminded me of a dominatrix in a porn video.

What were her parents thinking? I am not being prudish here, but dressing your kid like a whore or some x-rated video mistress for a show mostly for kids and their moms is soooo inappropriate I almost dialed MTRCB’s Laguardia and the DSWD’s children’s desk to complain.

You could almost imagine the demented pedophiles-in-the-making just lurking around in the corners and salivating at the little girl.

This reminds me of beauty contests for little kids. You know, the Little Mr. & Ms and Prince & Princess (PUT NAME OF TOWN/BARRIO HERE) which I have never been a fan of, even if the purpose is to raise funds for some good cause. I find these sorry cute events pointless. Many parents enter their kids in these competitions to give life to their fantasies and illusions of being royalty, at least for a day. I remember a mom who raised a lot of money so that her four (4) year old son in the day care centre could become Prince (NAME OF DAY CARE CENTRE), complete with his “royal court”, and directing the show herself (well, she brought in the money). It was so pathetic. But since the audience enjoyed it, what do I know anyway.

There’s really nothing wrong with that. We all have our own illusions. But overdoing it such as dressing your kid like some ten-year old whore is clearly another matter.

CHOPIN: Piano Sonatas

Leif Ove Andsnes, Piano
Virgin Classics

Browsing through the classical section of HMV’s along Orchard Road in Singapore, I chanced upon a reasonably priced 2-CD set of Frederick François Chopin’s complete Piano Sonatas, along with 5 Etudes and 4 Mazurkas, performed by Norwegian pianist Leif Ove Andsnes.

The Sonata no. 1 in C minor comes from an earlier period, possibly when Chopin was still in Poland. Traces of Beethoven can be easily gleaned, especially in the fantastic last movement marked Presto, which is a fitting contrast to the highly romantic first movement. However, the harmonic complexity characteristic of Chopin shines through.

The Sonata no. 3 in B minor however, is a bit of a disappointment for me. The first three movements are fine, Leif made the piano sing alright, but the Finale marked Presto non tanto is extremely bangy. I’m not sure Chopin intended it to be played that way. With all that banging, the rhythm slows down a bit in the middle part, maybe the pianist got fatigued, I don’t know but the inconsistency is unfortunately very obvious. I’ve heard a recording more impressive than this one, although I lost that copy, where all the banging and other virtuosic effects were saved for the last few bars for a truly electrifying and breathtaking close.

Chopin’s most famous Piano Sonata, the no.2 in B flat minor, which contains his very popular Marche Funèbre, is like a tragic poem centred around a death theme. Extremely impassioned and hypnotic at the same time, this piece reminds one of Beethoven’s Appassionata in its intensity. Leif did justice to this piece, I am convinced.

The light pieces represented by the Mazurkas are a joy to listen to, very much like Schubert’s small pieces, expressing various moods such as lighthearted humor and even somber melancholy.

Chopin’s Etudes are first and foremost, meant as finger exercises to address specific technical problems. But the melodic invention and harmonic configurations are so refined and impressive they really are works of art rather than just exercise materials. And no wonder, Chopin’s Etudes figure prominently in concert recitals and recordings, such as the 5 featured here by Leif.

Highly recommended.

Rumor Mill

After rowing training last Sunday, something dramatic happened during breakfast at McDonald's. Unfortunately I wasn't there to witness it. It involved mainly Mrs. Baites, Mrs. McPhee and Barry Manilaw. To keep the incident under wraps and prevent the issue from blowing out of proportion, everyone present agreed to a news black out. And so I won't be able to narrate what exactly transpired among the personalities involved.

Unfortunately, despite my absence during that day, Norman Baites' mom dragged me into the issue. You see, DURING breakfast in the same venue the following tuesday, she claimed she saw me discussing the Sunday incident with someone. Amazing. I only got to know about the incident AFTER breakfast, on my way home.

Who wouldn't be flabbergasted? I wasn't even there, for crying out loud. She clearly had an axe to grind against me, whatever.

And so Barry simply assumed that I must have sourced my information through the e-groups (which contained no reference about the incident at all). What sort of logic is that? We belong to the same e-group so we get the same mail.

And so the issue got diverted away from what really happened towards the supposed "squealers" and tattlers.

I simply had breakfast at McDonald's, and I was already accused of spreading rumours. I really wonder why she thinks I was talking about her, was it because I had puffy eyes from lack of sleep the night before, or was it because I squinted too much. Or maybe, it's because I crossed my legs like a Spanish senorito, that's why from Mrs Baites' vantage point, I must be spreading romurs aimed at destroying her reputation!

Grrrrrrr!

Nothing to Cheer About

I'm not in a jolly mood and no, not on account of Milenyo (is there actually a person out there named Milenyo?). The peso broke the all-important psychological barrier of US$/PhP50. For exporters and outsourced consultants dependent on foreign currencies, this is not a good thing. People cheer that this is a good development, a good sign that the economy is back on its feet and doing well. No less than Gloria Arroyo herself bragged about the country's per capita income now rising to about US$1,400. Oh please, this is only a translation effect on account of the stronger peso.

But this is deceptive. Droves of Filipinos leave the country at an alarming rate to seek greener pastures abroad, mostly from among the professional ranks like nurses, engineers and IT personnel who earn more than their unskilled counterparts. And the appreciation of the peso is caused mainly by the massive inflows of remittances from overseas Filipinos, especially with the onset of the holiday season. And not because productivity levels in the country have improved, or manufacturing output gained any steady pace, or that exports grew impressively. Nope.

Tigers devour Eagles

Good thing UST won the UAAP crown last night 76-74 over Ateneo, in over time. Because if Ateneo won, then we'll never hear the end of how "the eagles have soared, conquered so and so..." complete with TV specials about their journey to the championship, streamers in blue screaming "We Believe" and perhaps, even a book launch, all to satisfy their alumni's ego trips. *barfs* Last time they won over La Salle, they went overboard.

Also, for the 7th time Ateneo lost the coveted FINEX Finance competition again, which it hosted, with UP dominating and winning first place, its 5th in 8 competitions. I'm so happy, so perhaps now they can shut up and stop proclaiming to everyone that their undergraduate management school is the best in the country. Ang yayabang kasi, as if naman...

Fumes

Doc is fuming mad, you can almost visualize the smoke coming out of his ears! You see, Meralco has yet to restore power supply in his neighborhood, and worse, his bank's ATM machines do not work, even in areas where power supply have been restored. And he is running short on cash. (READ: he's hungry :)

His text messages reveal his state of mind: he is going to write a nasty letter addressed to the bank, citing its over-all uselessness in times of need. What if there was a war, he asks?

Then we'll all run and hide in the boondocks and pick guavas for dinner, I was tempted to text back.

And then I realized I was running low on cash and needed to go the nearest ATM machine. Ack!