Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella in Manila

I was lucky to have witnessed Filipino Broadway theater actress Lea Salonga perform for a play, Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella in 2009 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

It was the Cinderella's cast and crew's first time to put up a show in Manila which ran July 15 to 28, 2009. Then it was managed by an Australian production. 

Manila is actually their first stop in their Asia and US tour but they already nailed it. Like most of the renowned plays, Cinderella was able to capture the heart of the Filipinos especially that it was adapted from one of our favorite fairy tales. The shows were sold-out and it was truly lauded. I love their set. The carriage was very remarkable the casts were of course brilliant. I know that not everyone is fond of musicals but plays like these should also be appreciated because they are well-crafted since there must be a presence of good script, music and acting in one production. Here are some photo snippets of the day I watched Cinderella:

I adore this glass slipper. This is how the stage looks like during close-curtains/breaks.

The 2009 Cinderella poster

Since I can't take photos from the play proper, I took photos of the souvenirs outside the theater.

Shirts and caps 

Yay, pumpkins!

Some other displays

Cinderella's friend! Thought he was supposed to be a rat/mouse. Whatever rodent.

The precious glass slipper. Where we all know the twist originated from. Look there's a white mouse.

Well, this is a musical so...

This is what I took home. A key chain glass slipper. Too bad after some years it broke due to the tropical weather.

My ticket. Low quality, sorry. I wonder where this is now? Lost, maybe.

I'm hoping that that would not be the first and the last time I'd be seeing Miss Saigon, Salonga perform in theater (internationally).

This year Rodger and Hammerstein's Cinderella  will be staged again. This time Cinderella will be played our very own Karylle (alternating with Julia Abueva and Justine Pena) and her Prince Charming will be portrayed by the balladeer Christian Bautista (alternating with my crush, Fred Lo). It will be shown this October at the Newport Performing Arts Theater, Resorts World Manila. I am looking forward to these two talents. The play will be adapted to the Chinese version. Plus this is an all-Filipino cast, Filipino pride! Let's see how they would keep up with Ms. Lea Salonga. 

Cinderella poster (Photo Credits: Resorts World Manila)

For show schedules,

34th Manila International Book Fair

Heads up book lovers! Our book "heaven" is officially open!

Last September 11, the Manila International Book Fair opened once again.

Photo credits

Filipino bookworms look forward to this event yearly as numerous bookstores and publishing companies gather to promote reading. They set up booths wherein they sell books and other reading materials, most of the time at a discounted price. There is a wide array of selection from text books to fiction and non-fiction, to magazines and to comic books.There are also freebies and workshops which await for those who will come. If you are lucky enough, you could even bump into your favorite author and you could have your book signed for there are also scheduled book signing and book launches.

In 2010, I've had my fair share of MIBF. I was able to go there during the last day (September 20, a Sunday) after an overnight for our Literature magazine. I was able too see Ambeth Ocampo and some other authors from Anvil. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to buy any book because all the good titles I've been meaning to buy were already out of stock. My favorite bookstore got their books sold-out. So if I were you, you better be an early bird so you'd get hold of good deals because you have several competitors out there, all hungry for books and SALE.

The 34th MIBF is running

Win a Hello Kitty Instax-mini camera too!

I am not called Ladyluck Gazette for nothing.

So far in my 22 years of existence, I've won several things from different contests be it on a raffle basis or an essay/question and answer type one. My friends even asked me to join Lotto/lottery but I told them I may lose all my luck if I join that. Maybe next time.

Concert tickets, guest lists, home appliances, gadgets and even cash prizes name it. Those are some of the things I've won to name a few. Partly, it's probably because of my guts and will to win, or my creativity and talent maybe, but mostly I think luck always play a big role in all of my winning-streak. I'd like to believe that it's all because of me, but sometimes I just believe in fate because there are instances that no matter how hard you try in life, you just can't seem to get it. If it's not for you, it will never be, they say. As cliche as it may sound, that seems to be 75-90 percent true to me. I don't usually have faith in fate but when all else fail, I just resort to that good old Lenon line: "LET IT BE." For whatever will be will be.

Going back to my winning-streak, in 2013 alone, I've won six contests! Close-up summer solstice ticket (failed to attend), guest list for Bloggers United 5, a magazine subscription from Zinio and Ana Viajera (Nylon, baby!), a mug from ETC and very recently my favorite prize to date, a Hello Kitty instax-mini camera from SM Accessories Kids! How lucky, isn't it? I myself couldn't believe it as well.

When I've learned the contest from Ava Te, I immediately bookmarked the mechanics.

Old mechanics

However, I got preoccupied by a lot of things and failed to attend work due to typhoon Maring that I ended up not remembering it until the deadline came! Good thing my entry got in even if it was just a last minute strike. My friend was laughing at me because it was a contest sponsored by SM Accessories Kids, emphasis on Kids. I don't really think I will win because my essay was a blah made for about 5-10 minutes but I guess stroke of luck really played well, what do we know, this kid at heart won!

After watching a very victorious UAAP game of UST versus FEU, I browsed Facebook for updates and found out that I won.

YAHOO!

I literally jump from joy and squealed because it was so unexpected. I'm a true blue HK fan for as long as I can remember. I even plan to buy it if I don't win but my parents don't approve because they told me I already own digital cameras and phone cameras. You know how I love photos and cameras, so no. But yes to winning!

I claimed my prize at SM Mall of Asia Building C.

Across Sunrise Blvd.

I was so glad people there were so accomodating, special mention to Ms. Rovie. My undertime for work was totally worth it!

Thank you SM Accessories!

I could not thank SM Accessories kids enough! They even took a photo of me for their documentation purposes. Ms. Rovie noticed that my phone strap and wallet was Hello Kitty. I told you I was a fan!

Surely, I went home with a smile on my face. 

Happy Kid!

                   

Later that evening, I bought a film to finally test it. It is quite expensive but of course it's worth buying. The sales lady from SM Department store took a photo of me.

Here's my baby and my selfie:

The prize is right!

I know you want to win this too. You still have a chance. Just follow

Photo trials 2010

It's September again! Ber/brrmonths ahead.

It's the time of the year when Filipinos are starting to have the Christmas-y spirit! They begin to play Christmas carols, sell Christmas decors and the countdown to December 25 is now being taken seriously.

In line with that, I would like to share some of the photos I took during the Christmas season of 2010. Consider these my photo trials:

Greenhills Shopping Center 2010

So we watched this Christmas display in Greenhills sometime around December 2010. It showcases moving display starring Santa Claus and his reindeers' riding on a one horse open sleigh ala-COD style formerly in Cubao. The show lasts for about 10-15 minutes accompanied by various Christmas music. They are showing every 30 minutes or hour as I remember. Let's see what they have in store for us this 2013.

Santa Claus is coming to town!

This is just one of the several photos I took, but this is the only decent one I have because other photos were blur as many people are watching in front of me, sans a tripod it's pretty impossible to take a clear photo using a DSLR with that huge crowd.

Basic Digital Photography with Sir Nicolay

On a previous post I mentioned my interest in Photography and how I've been inclined with several type of cameras which were upgraded once in a while. This love and passion for photos wasn't just that. As they say, you have to work hard and learn from it.

My interest in Photography heightened in 2008 when digital cameras were emerging in the market. Come 2009, Digital Single Lens Reflex cameras popularly known as DSLR also became popular to the masses. Before, you can only see it carried by professional photographers but from 2009 to date, it has become an accessory. It's sad because some just buy it for luxury and status symbol without maximizing its awesome features. I hope they realize its beauty like we photography-enthusiasts do.

To learn more of it, I sought for professional help. Self-taught photography works for others but it's good to learn from the pros once in a while. My blockmates and I were psyched to know that we will be having our PhotoJournalism class as part of our Third Year Curriculum. As a preparation, most of us on our block bought DSLRs only to find out in 2011 that we will be using the old school analog/film cameras for our PhotoJournalism class. Anyway, back in 2010, my friend Pam shared this Basic Digital Photography class by Sir Nicolay. I found it interesting since I was really looking for one. She gave me the link, I checked it and I immediately counted myself in. However, she wasn't able to join me for some reason so I asked my cousin Jam to enroll with me. Good thing her Mom was supportive. I enrolled us on the April 6, 2010 schedule and we're good to go.  

As background, Sir James Nicolay, a photography-lover and an academic teacher in Xavier who graduated in UP has been teaching Photography for the past two years. He holds his Photography classes in UP Diliman. There are several courses he offer and they come with certificate: Portraits 101, Still-Life and Landscape Photography, Basic Editing, Black and White, Outdoor/Street Photography and etc. You may check his website here to know more about his updated classes, rates, reservation and work. 

Our Basic Digital Photography (BDP) class was four hours worth of lecture and application. First, we were introduced to our cameras, tried its features, learned the basic rules of photography and then finally we were asked to apply everything we have learned. We were about 4 or 5 in the class and that makes Sir Nicolay more hands-on with his teaching. That makes it a good learning experience. If you are a photography enthusiast, I encourage you to take the class too. It's not a hassle for it won't took long and you'd learn a lot. Here's a photoblog of our BDP class with an anecdote for that day:

That is my classmate's Sony DSLR and my Telephoto lens in blur. Our gears for the day's class.

DJ Quentin Mosimann is coming to Manille!

Last May, Filipino fans got the chance to watch the Swedish DJ Avicii perform. This August, another renowned DJ is coming to Manila.

After the Close-up Summer Solstice, Swedish Mafia and Avicii’s concert, here goes another surprise for the party people out there. The grass in the party-music scene looks greener as more and more international DJs are visiting the archipelago, DJ Quentin Mosimann will be joining the list.

DJ Quentin Mosimann at work (Photo credits)

Manila Ocean Park Year 1

Wonder how Manila Ocean Park looked like in 2009?

I could not believe it's been four years since Manila Ocean Park opened. Time flies cliche hits again and again. This is one of the many experiences I failed to blog. As promised I'd be blogging them one by one. (Not necessarily in order). Here's a post dedicated to my first visit to Manila Ocean Park in March 2009.

I've never been to Subic's Ocean Adventure so I have nothing to compare with MOP locally speaking, however, I've been to Osaka Japan's Ocean Park so that may be the closest thing I could compare it with. Of course, OJOP's bigger than MOP but it was alright for me. During my first visit, I gave it a benefit of the doubt since it just opened and there are room for improvements. By now, I can say I was right.  In 2009, some facilities were still under construction, no Hotel H2O yet, no shows just pure life-sized aquarium with different species being displayed. Some of the stores and restaurants were still closed then but yes, there was already a fish spa. I already forgot how much the entrance fee was then by I think it's around 500 PhP or below.

Here goes a sort-of-photo-blog to give you a view:

Crocs

Upon entering MOP, you will see a dark hall leading to a dry place where reptiles and fish pond's located. There are plants and man-made falls placed on that area establishing nature's beauty. You will be welcomed by these crocodiles. They are real but you can't touch them. They are living in a very secured area so no worries.

Something fishy

There's a stair leading to the fish village, I forgot what it's called but that place is really dark. Cameras with flashes weren't allowed. Several species could be found there, for instance on the photo above: stone fish, star fish, sea horse, eel fishes and the rest of Nemo's gang.

A little anecdote on the place, however, dark, I saw my then blockmate Alya. It was unexpected, she's with her family and I'm with my mom and relatives. We hugged, introduced each other to the parties we were with and had a little catch-up since that was a summer vacation.

What's inside your bag?

The photo above were embryos of a certain fish, again I forgot which kind. It's amazing to watch because they got heart beats already. I'm thinking it could pop-out any time soon.

Big fish

Here we go to the Oceanarium part of MOP. I actually have a photo seemingly kissing this big fish on my 2009 and 2012 visit. I might show them to you on my future MOP post as a throwback. We'll see.