Wish Fulfilled

Oh my golly wow!

Sorry for that lame 80's expression, but you know when Facebook reminds you of the past things you posted? I usually ignore them because that's just the way I am nowadays with FB. But this time, it gave me the creeps when I saw my old blog post dated November 26, 2011, exactly five years ago, about my dream house. http://mariamarauder.blogspot.com/2011/11/my-secret-dream-house.html

I was stunned when I realized that I almost got all my wishes to a T! Amazing how the Universe has really given me what I wished for.  I hope my friends who are reading this post wouldn't think I'm bragging or anything. I just want to show how grateful I am and to share that if you wished for something to happen really hard, it could come true. In fact, my home at present is far from the perfect pictures I presented in that post. It may be a miniature scale of that Dream House, but hey,  I can't ask for more. I'm just a simple girl with simple dreams. 

Let me share with you my Dream vs my Reality.

1.      Dream: The Façade: Modernist. Squarish. No balcony, please. Unless the house would sit at the top of a mountain, a balcony would be a waste for me. I’m not hoping for a Romeo and Juliet Drama, so scratch that overhang.

Reality: It's squarish, all right. Modern-looking, although the façade in my Reality House is just barely a quarter in size compared to the Dream version. Haha! Oh, look, there is that pitiful balcony thing-y which no member of my family ever stands on, lest we be accused of being peeping toms by our neighbor less than 10 meters across from us. (I tried asking the developer to scrap the balcony from the design, but they said it would ruin the uniformity of the row houses. Well, at least I tried...)

2.      Dream: The living room must have a high ceiling—high enough to put a cool light fixture.

Reality: I got a high ceiling, not in the living room, but above the stairs leading to the family room/boys' room. Hey, a gigantic light bulb counts as a cool light fixture, right?

3.      Dream: Open Kitchen and Dining. The Fam should enjoy cooking and eating together. The colors should be vivid, like saffron orange, or sunny yellow.

Reality: Orange color achieved! I don't know who else wants this kind of color scheme combo of orange/black for their kitchen. I'm weird that way. Walang basagan ng trip, 'ika nga!

I didn't get the open  kitchen and dining layout though. In retrospect, now I think it's better that the kitchen is separated from the dining room, since the latter's dirt, oil, scent, and all, would permeate the whole house. 

4.      Dream: The master’s bedroom should have a zen feel to it. And please, please provide for a walk-in wardrobe leading to the bathroom.

Reality: Master's bedroom, zen enough. I feel it's my personal cocoon when I'm in there. The walk-in closet was (hurray!) forcedly genie-given. I had to sacrifice the size of the master's bath to give way to this. Not exactly the kind Barbie would agree to, but I have less clothes than she does, so I am okay with it. 

5. Dream: The Master's bathroom should be themed in black and white.

     Reality: LBT. Little Black (and White) Toilet. The floor is black, by the way. (Which according to my husband, so it would be okay not to clean it too often. May point siya! 😉)

6. Dream: One room for the Daughter and a shared room for the Boys.

Reality: Daughter's bedroom. Check. Shared room for the boys. Check.

7.      Dream: A Family/Study/Guest room. Somewhere the Fam could all hang out together.

Reality: Well, the hubby calls this space their Man Cave, thus the air soft guns and the war posters. So basically, the big boys occupy the whole space when they are here. Once in a while though, the whole Family squeezes in to grudgingly watch a movie together.  Reality check: Er, this Man Cave really lives up to its name because it smells musky and looks messy when they are around. Oh well, you can't have it all.

I had wished that my Dream House would be granted by 2012, but my Fairy Godmother missed by two years. (I am not complaining, dearie!) We moved in to our house on December 8, 2014. 

And yes, I lived happily ever after.

Thanks, Air Asia!

Do you have personal horror stories of flight delays or airline mishaps? 

My experience with my daughter last June 19, 2016 may not be the worst, I must admit--if I would compare it to those of others' I have read on Facebook--but it was still an inconvenience just the same. Hey, the last thing you would want to do when you are travelling is to be stuck for more than 6 hours in the waiting area of ANY Philippine airport! Er, well, unless you revel on sugar-filling your blood with Cinnabon pastries, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf Caramel Ice Blended Drinks, or Megamelt Ensaymada. 

This story is not all whining and complaining though. It has a happy ending. Don't believe it? Well, I feel incredulous about it myself. Anyway, I'm writing this for all of my friends out there who would find themselves in the same predicament.

Anyway, here's my story:

On June 19, our Air Asia flight from Manila to Cebu was at 3:00 p.m. At about 9:00 a.m., Air Asia texted and emailed me that our flight would be moved to 4:10 p.m. Okay, no harm done. At least when they sent their message, it was still early, and we were still at our condo in Katipunan. We even had time to go around BGC and had lunch there.

When we arrived at Terminal 4 an hour before our flight (we checked in online), it was announced that our departure was moved to 6:00 p.m. At this point, we groaned inwardly, but knowing how this is a normal occurrence to all Philippine flights, we just took it a matter-of-factly.

6:00 p.m. passed by...no boarding announcement. At 7:00 p.m., they announced that the passengers of Z2765 shall be given complimentary dinner. We knew that this would mean one thing--a longer delay. Was I thankful for the Jollibee chicken meal? Let's say that I would have rather flown home to Cebu than be eating Chicken Joy with plastic spoon and fork. But beggars couldn't be choosers, right? So I embarrassingly queued for my meal ration. 

At around 8:00 p.m., we were finally asked to board the plane. Tired of waiting for 5 hours, we were just relieved to be boarding. But.....15 minutes.....30 minutes.....an hour passed by. Some passengers had dozed off (my daughter and I included), only to have woken up and found out that we were still at the Manila tarmac and still hadn't taken off. At exactly 9:03, the captain apologetically announced that we had to deplane due to a reason I already forgot. Blame it on the Chicken Joy with rice, instead of spaghetti.

Before this announcement, the passengers were surprisingly quiet and tolerant (probably due to the bribed Jollibee dinner?). But all hell went loose when we were inside the waiting lounge again. Many passengers were angry. One smart-looking lady was shouting about the Philippines' Air Passengers Bill of Rights. That dinner was not enough. That the Airline should not only bring the passengers to the booked destination, but also should reimburse everyone the full amount of ticket. 

With my daughter crying beside me, (out of sheer frustration and exhaustion, no judgment please!), I tried to research online whether that lady passenger's pronouncement was true. 

And so there's really a law protecting passengers, eh? Note to myself: Complain to Air Asia the moment you reach home.

In the meantime, the Air Asia ground staff gave us another round of snacks. I surreptitiously peered at the others who were eager to get their freebies. This time, the staff gave away two packs of chocolate cream sandwiches and a bottle of water. I refused to line up anymore just for empty calorie snacks. No, sir/ma'am.

The minutes ticked like hours. Finally, 15 minutes before 11:00 p.m., we were asked to board again. We took off at 11:10 p.m. and arrived Cebu at around 1:30 a.m.

That was 8 hours of delay. Surely, that would merit a reimbursement or a compensation of some sort. So, I sent a private message to Air Asia through Faceboook. 

After just an hour of sending my message, Air Asia replied and instructed me to fill up a complaint form on their website, which I immediately did.

Today, July 30, 2016, after over a month of filing my complaint, I received an email from Air Asia:

I'm grinning ear to ear. I'm getting Php1,585.72 of credit! I could use this to book a flight within 90 days. I also noted that the actual travel date could be even after the 90-day expiration of the credit shell.

So it's true, folks. The airlines are obliged to give us compensation for a flight delay of at least 6 hours. Sadly, I don't think the other passengers on my flight knew about this. Maybe I was the only one who had the patience to complain. Oh, maybe that feisty lady at the airport also filed one too.

The Air Passengers Bill of Rights is not a myth. Let's fight for our rights, Pinoys!

The Les Miz Fatigue

Let me put this on record that for me, Les Miserables will always be my most favorite musical play of all time.

I was lucky to have watched this spectacular play in 1990 at Broadway in New York when I was with the University of the Philippines Concert Chorus World Tour. I had all the lyrics memorized in my head since the Les Miserables Medley was part of the repertoire we had to sing all over Europe and the United States. So for me to be able to marvel at the original Broadway cast singing right before my untrained eyes, together with my musical friends, was the most surreal feeling.

Hahahaha! 1990 vs. 2016. Spot the differences.

Twenty six years later, I watched Les Miserables again last April 16 at the Solaire Resort and Casino in Manila to celebrate the 22nd wedding anniversary with the Hubby. I even cajoled him into checking in at the Sky Room of Solaire to keep us less focused on the Metro traffic, and more mentally prepared to watch the show.

However, I felt...let's see, how do I put it without being sacrilegious? Unsated? Unmoved? Short-changed? Horror of horrors, I think I even spaced out three times during the show!

I wanted it to work for me, of course, since I had hoped to rub my excitement to the Hubby whom I had to literally beg to come with me (and pay the tickets and the hotel accommodation too! hahaha! ) because he's not into this musical thing-a-ma-jigs. It would be the first musical play for the Hubby ever, and I had wanted him to feel the same near orgasmic explosive experience when I watched it for the first time in 1990.

I felt giddy taking pictures with young Cosette.

But I didn't feel the intensity myself. It fell flat even for me.

Now I wanted to rationalize this. There was something lacking. My heart didn't soar high. My eyes didn't shed a tear. Why? Oh, why?

It wasn't because the cast was bad. Overall, the cast did their parts well, technically.  Jean Valjean and Javert dueled. Marius and Cosette sang and kissed. Enjolras was fiery (although I must say his hips swayed a tad bit higher while marching, which distracted me).

Is it too late for me to audition? 

In fact, Rachel Ann Go as Fantine was a revelation for me. Her English diction was clear and her pitch was perfect. She has really come a long way in the international musical theater scene.

The Hubby was awed at the set. Being an engineer, he sees those things more than the music. The 1990 version I saw had a revolving barricade. Now, we can only see the barricaders' perspective. The other side was just a mix of voice over and lighting effects to show that there were enemies on the opposite side.

So what was it? Was it because I thought that Solaire's stage was smaller? Was it because Eponine seemed to be rushing through her death scene? Was it because Jean Valjean's red tattoo cross on his chest was bigger than his Prisoner No. 24601?

After much thought, I think that what ruined everything for me was the lack of surprise and novelty. In this day and age of the internet, when we can see a gazillion versions of Les Miserables (or any other play for that matter) on YouTube, On My Own and I Dream a Dream are now ordinary pop songs in the mainstream. At least one Lez Miz song get sung as an audition piece on Britain's Got Talent or the Voice Kids. The songs have been watered down as too trite and common.

But what really, really sealed the coffin, I think, was THE movie Les Miserables. Don't get me wrong. I loved what director Tom Hooper did to translate the play to the big screen. I have watched it four times, and it never failed to make me cry. Except for Rusell Crowe who was a miscast as Javert (note: I'll let go of Amanda Siegfied, Cosette was not my favorite character anyway), I thought the cast gave justice to make Les Miz appeal to the masses.

And so maybe this overfamiliarity has made it less special and less thought-provoking. Now, I don't listen to the lyrics, but listen to how this actor compares to that actor when Jean Valjean sings Bring Him Home. I nitpick how all the other Eponines pale in comparison to Lea Salonga's interpretation of On My Own and A Little Fall of Rain at its 10th Anniversary Concert. I don't laugh anymore at the supposedly hilarious antics of the Thenardiers when they sing Master of the House. I was a step ahead while watching the play this time. If I could call it something, I'd probable term it as the Les Miz Fatigue.

One of my UPCC friends gave me a piece of advice on how to enjoy a play---he said to never compare. He said I should free my mind from any expectations, that I shouldn't sing the songs in my head, but listen to them like I am hearing them for the first time. It makes sense, I guess. Yes, Wizard Lionel, I shall do that next time. I promise.

'Wicked' next, anyone?

UPCC Batch 1990 at 25: The Inception

I can now breathe a sigh of relief. From December 26 – 28, 2015, the University of the Philippines Concert Chorus Batch 1990 celebrated its 25^th Anniversary, and I helped in planning this whole event. Please allow me to brag a little bit, because I would say that it was a resounding success from all aspects—from the resort where we stayed in, the activities, the schedule, the food, up until the night of the concert. Every detail fell into its perfect place.

But, boy, this wasn't achieved with a sleight of hand. The biggest hurdle we had was the distance of the members from one another. Some lived in the US, some in Europe, one in Cebu (that's me, by the way!), and while most lived just in Metro Manila, our work and family responsibilities and other social schedules didn't permit us to have a meeting that easily. So how were we able to we come up with a reunion, and an ambitious full concert at that, if the members didn't have serious regular rehearsals?

Thanks to a very balanced (aherm!) organizing committee composed of Noriz Delos Reyes-Castillo and Lowell Esguerra-Reyes, and the support of two formidable hubby and wifey tandems of Lionel and Cynthia Guico, and Leo and Glynna Cabrera, and with the help of trusty ol' Facebook, we were able to do it! Those who were clueless on how this important event came to pass, let me give you a glimpse of the timeline of what transpired during the eight months behind the scenes.

April 25, 2015 – Egay posted a sentimental message recalling the UPCC Batch 1990’s World Tour.

April 26, 2015 – Lionel reposted some pictures greeting Batch 1990 on its 25^th year. A barrage of comments ensued. That was when Egay suggested a reunion concert. People became excited. Hmmmm....maybe it was possible, I thought. 

I've organized reunions of my high school batchmates twice, my husband's college batch's, and my parent's 50th wedding anniversary...all virtually, just in front of my Mac. So what's the big deal this time? The huge difference this time was, we needed regular rehearsals to sing as a group. This wasn't your ordinary reunion where you could attend the party and that's it. Twenty-five years is a long time for us to recall the songs from our old repertoire, blend voices, and...(bless us all!) do the choreography! 

Speaking for myself, I hadn't performed in public after my chorus days, and I knew my vocal chords for singing had been sleeping for two decades and a half, so I was doubtful I could perform well as an alto. But the pull of friendship was stronger. I thought we had to do it. The opportunity was presenting itself to us, we might as well grab the chance.

April 29, 2015: I made an exclusive UPCC Batch 1990 FB page. Since we were far away from one another, we needed a conduit where communication line would open. Thankfully, Lowell and Noriz were almost always virtually present on FB:-)

May 2, 2015: I started sending feelers via FB PM to each 1990 member to survey on how they feel about having a reunion concert. The responses were mixed—some were positive, others, especially those who live abroad, bowed out. Opo, marami ring nandedma. But of course, nothing could dampen our spirits. 

Pero ang pinakabongga, si Noel.  A month after I sent him a PM, BUMILI na ng ticket ang lolo n’yo!

Naunahan pa ang mga unang nag-yes na taga-abrowd!

Little did Nu knew that we were panicking. One balikbayan already purchased a ticket! That was the point of no return for us. This. Anniversary. Must. Push Through.

July 12, 2015 : We had our very first planning meeting for the 25^th Anniversary Reunion. Coincidentally, Egay surprised all of us by coming home.

Lowell, Lex, Egay, and I were the only ones present during the initial planning session. It was then when we asked Lex if he was willing to be our conductor. He said yes. Everything was falling into place (or so we thought it was that easy!)

July 30, 2015: Menoy, Egay, Noriz, Lowell, Lex, and Lionel met again at SM Marikina to come up with a proposed repertoire.

Okay, let me digress just for this once. These two, Menoy and Egay, amazingly remembered all the Tour stories. Actually, no one could confirm the veracity of their narratives since most of us had forgotten what happened back then, so we just took their anecdotes at their face value. Whether they were accurate or padded, no one really knew nor cared. We were just in for the laugh! Pakiulit nga ang "milk" story, Menoy!!!

August 9, 2015: First Trial Rehearsal. Lowell, Noriz, Glynna, Barcy, Lionel, Cynthia, Menoy, and (surprise!) Jerome attended.

August 10, 2015: Egay started uploading the pdf’s of the music pieces on our FB page. No excuses! Time to practice, no matter which part of the world we were in.

August 30, 2015: Only a handful attended the rehearsal—Lex, Glynna, Leo, Bracy, Lowelle, and Noriz. I was not able to fly in from Cebu at that time, knowing that I'd be in Manila after two weeks for my parents' 50th. We were feeling negative about this whole thing. They were not able to practice any songs this time. Fortunately, Leo’s prepared dinner always saved the day.

September 14, 2015: We were able to have a meeting but it seemed like everyone was not so hopeful that a serious rehearsal was going to happen. So we just decided not to push through with a full concert, just an out-of-town get-together plus participating at a GCF service and attending Lionel’s family reunion. Our main purpose at that time was to be able to celebrate our 25^th Anniversary by hook or by crook, with our without the support of the majority. We decided to use more time in threshing out the details of the celebration. Attendees were: Lowell and Lex, Glynna and Leo, Noriz and I.

October 17, 2015: I flew in again from Cebu to Manila just for a night to attend this practice. It was good that the hubby backed me on this. I vowed to attend the monthly rehearsals thereafter, so I had to keep my word. Besides, I was sure mahihiya silang hindi um-attend dahil ako ngang galing sa Cebu, nagpupumilit mag-praktis, sila pang nasa Maynila? Hehehe!

We were able to complete the voices with three sopranos, four altos, one tenor and one bass. It was enough for us to practice the sacred songs. One of the trainees of our batch, Virna Caringal-Divino also joined the practice. Things were getting sunny. I thought we sounded good, considering the lack of guys. 

October 23, 2015: To complement Egay's efforts in uploading the pdf's, I made some practice videos for the members to recall their parts. This was very helpful, especially for me, who can't sight read.

November 22, 2015: I flew in from Cebu again, as promised. 

Itinerary--check! Pledges--check! Repertoire--check! Minor details needed to be settled but the major ones were agreed upon. I couldn't believe it. We were almost there!

December 13, 2015: It was Melanie who suggested the title of our concert after one of those sleepless nights of chatting with a fellow night owl. I drafted a working poster, and Gay finalized it.

Egay asked his sister to have some tarps printed. I just e-mailed Egay the design. Funny, because it took someone from the US to have tarps made to order in Quezon City. This is what technology can do!

December 20, 2015: The supposed FINAL rehearsal before the event was called. Sara (from Austria) and Nu (from the Netherlands) were already in Manila. Gay, Melanie, Lenelle, and the pianist were there attending for the first time.

And so there was no turning back. It was up until this moment when we became confident that the UPCC 1990 25th Reunion was really going to happen! 

To be continued...