At some point, I'll get to Boracay.

Adele and RJ - the avid divers of the bunch - took amazing pictures under water (and over. By the way: I was tempted to post the pictures of everyone on the banana boat - pre-fall, you know, agitated faces and all. Do I get your permission?).

Good job, guys. You found Nemo.

At the height of Boston's non-existent spring in May, my friends back home did a weekender to Boracay - dubbed as one of the best beaches in the Southeast Asian region and renowned all over the world for it's pristine waters and white sand.

While travel plans to Manila are not definitive at this point - I will get there. Just so I won't have to avert my eyes when encountering saavvy world travelers: "You're from the Philippines. So, how are the Boracay Islands? I have always wanted to..."

Thank you for sending those pictures, Del. This one is currently my desktop wallpaper.

* * *

http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Asia/Philippines/Province_of_Aklan/Boracay_Island-1407255/TravelGuide-Boracay_Island.html

Interesting comments on this page (apart from good pictures) in accord with the comments on virtualtourist.com about Boracay - while beautiful and all - has given in to commercialization and western culture.

http://home.online.no/~erfalch/boracay.htm

Politics and the Philippine Peso

*Politics causing Peso depreciation
http://www.philstar.com/philstar/News200506270403.htm

Really? Not surprisingly so... A dear family friend once said to me: There is hope for the Philippines yet (along with its seven million people?). Operative word being, "yet."



*Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin's Wake
http://www.mb.com.ph/MAIN2005062737991.html

FINAL RESTING PLACE: A nun looks at the crypt beneath the altar of the Manila Cathedral where former Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin will be buried tomorrow. - Photo By VAL RODRIGUEZ

Turning point in the Philippines' history, for the Archbishop was a crucial component of noteworthy events, such as the People Power Revolution in 1986.

The Roam Chonicles: That Blizzard Weekend in NY

*New York, NY - January 22-24 (which was extended to the 25th due to weather conditions)

Recently received photos from Kim's album of pictures taken from her b-day celebration in NY. The Boston crew (Jess and Raseeka on the roadtrip with me....) braved the anticipated storms and snowfall for what turned out to be an interesting weekend in the Big Apple.

After the onslaught of email trains on planning this surprise gig for the b-day princess, it came full-circle as we started the drive to NY. It was cold, but the sun was out and the roads were dry. So, on we went - keeping each other awake and strong against carsickness and freezing outside temps that fogged the windows. Poor Jess - as we got closer to the city, we hear a scraping noise at the back - she was using the window scraper to get a view of the skyline. "Alright! We're rolling the windows down for you for 3 seconds to get the view - that's it!"

Denise welcomed us to her apartment and briefed us on the plans for Kim's surprise dinner. We head to Three of Cups and waited... the girl walks past our table the first time! Second time around, she was genuinely surprised - if she was pleased or not, she didn't make it clear at that point - the shock factor was that strong.

Good food, but were too full to head out for drinks. Headed home and slept soundly - woke up to see the streets covered with about a foot of snow, and it was still coming down thick and fast. We were stuck indoors and getting a bit stir-crazy. Therefore, we took random pictures over at Denise's.



Saturday night - hell or high snow fall (snow was not stopping and we had to walk on knee-high snowbanks to get there), we ventured out for a quick dinner - then on to Luca Lounge. Really chill bar with dark antique furniture and minimal lighting. Couches were cozy and the sangria was commendable. I liked the mellow atmosphere and the non-intrusive music. Kept a mental note to look for a similar joint as soon as I get to Boston (The Living Room is great, but not really comparable).

Then someone had the great idea to go to Karaoke. Grrreat... We walked out and the weather still did not taper down. Snow was coming at an almost perfect horizontal angle. Kim, why can't you have your birthday in May??? We get to the Karaoke bar - that was when it got interesting. Raseeka rocked on, the Wong sisters were a phenomenal duo, I sang songs I would otherwise not be caught dead singing, and Jess brought her college memories to life with Just like Jesse James.

After Jordan's failed mission of bringing us to some obscure bar (which we found right when they were closing), we took a cab and drove (more like skidded and slipped) home. Sunday in NY was better, but Boston was being hit hard - so we called our places of work and reported our stranded situation in New York.

http://nametyphoon.com/forum/index.php?topic=24.new

That was quite an experience. Perfect time to stay in and enjoy movies with a cup of cocoa - but instead, we braved the harsh storm to go out. For once, streets in Soho were deserted - although the bars still had a good crowd going. It was amazing how we got through over 4 blocks through mounds of snow. This must have been what the pioneers had to go through in the early days.

Caught the Patriots game on TV over Kim's place, when I was supposed to be somewhere in Boston watching it on the big screen. Won over the Steelers on the AFC title game 41-27, (while I won some bets myself.... *'sup, Uncle Marv?) as I knew they would.

No, we would not have had the guts had it not been a private room. [RC: New York].

Rock on, Raseeka! (wait - are those britney spears lyrics?! Say it ain't so...) [RC: New York]

On Concerts and (er...)Rockstars: Concert-o-graphy from late 2004 - current

* Oasis
June 24th, Tweeter Center for Performing Arts - Mansfield, MA

Took us about 2 hours to get there... considering rush hour, Cape Cod traffic, and the concert goers trying to cut each other at the bottleneck by Mansfield and Norton. Great venue, as I have had fun in the past - just a process to get there.

We finally park and head to the area. Stopped by the entrance for some drinks and food - which amounted to what would have been a decent dinner somewhere else. Scanned the crowd and before anything was even mentioned, it was clear: the demographic of the people there were a bit off the radar with what we were expecting.

High schoolers, teens with short white skirts (a good number who had lawn tickets), young ones on their cellphones trying to locate their other friends who were in town and nixed the usual summer at Martha's Vineyard. We thought: How could they know Oasis? I was in high school, oblivious to their arrogance, when I rocking to them - some of these kids in the crowd could barely have been zygotes back then.

On second thought - I did go to a Bob Dylan concert 3 years back...

We made it in time to catch Jet halfway through their performance. Now, they got the crowd going - seemingly a better job than the headliners did. Few minutes later. Oasis, the fabulous Gallagher brothers and all, went onstage. Had a slow start with an unfamiliar song from their new album, followed by a couple more fresh ones. Lyla woke up the audience, with a rendition that does not vary much from the radio/audio version. Not too bad material, but after a few minutes we thought it would be good to hear something familiar. Cigarettes and Alcohol, What's the Story Morning Glory?, and Champagne Supernova garnered good responses as well. Was waiting for Roll with It, but to no avail. Throughout the concert, Liam would be saying something quite indecipherable, that would make us doubt it was said in English. Was it their rockstar attitudes that wasn't effective for them to connect with the crowd this one particular show? The place was packed, and their performance did not seem to justify the sold out concert. I have heard of good experiences with folks who have seen them live - this was just not in that circle of notable ones. Clad in leather jacket and shorts - Liam sang without much regard for the audience.

Then again, they are (er....) rockstars, giving them the license to carry the same attitude that got them this far. (Not Beatles-far.... as that was an overestimation on their part).

Concert-o-graphy: late 2004 - current

• U2 Vertigo Tour: May 28th, 2005, Fleet Center - Boston, MA

http://www.u2setlists.com/vertigo.shtml

Stage was extended to form a circular ramp, enclosing the top $ ticket holders. Amazing (dizzying?) stage lighting. Entertaining - you can feel the energy from their performances- reciprocated by the crowd. All was well until politics got involved. Most are aware of their stand on war and world debt - all admirable. However, too much of it being incorporated into the show was unnecessary.

• Louisiana Heritage Fair: April 28-30, 2005, New Orleans, LA

(See Roam Chronicles for Jazz/Jambalaya Weekend)

• Garbage: April 17, 2005, Avalon - Boston, MA

http://www.epinions.com/content_4329676932

Yes, Ms. Manson - it is all about you. Seeing them live brings me back to my days with my torn jeans - the angst-ridden teen hating the world and everything thriving in it. Great connection with the audience, as one man in the front row was called on for being "naughty". What is one guy to do with a beautiful Scottish rock diva who has a knack for putting her leg up on the speakers (Shirley Manson was wearing a short white dress) as she croons? I was glad to have them back after the news on the band drama.

• Tori Amos: April 10, 2005, The Bushnell Center for Performing Arts, Hartford, CT

http://www.toriset.org/c.php?c=1461

The venue was amazing - Raseeka and Heather can attest to my admiration for the beautiful theater. Surely Boston's Orpheum theater is great - but I was glad to have witnessed Tori Amos live at the Bushnell. Previous statements heard from Tori fans - avid and fairweather ones alike - are proven true... she is one amazing performer. See her at least once - it will be worth it.

• Pixies: December 1, 2004, The Tsongas Arena - Lowell, MA

http://www.the-mass-media.com/media/paper445/news/2004/12/09/Arts/Pixies.Worth.Going.To.Lowell.For-826797.shtml

I was on a concert high for several days - that was one great show. Kim Deal, whom I admired with the Breeders before I got wind of the Pixies, is back with a vengeance. Hearty setlist with double renditions of several songs. Vecchio is right: It was a cold night and I would not have travelled to Lowell otherwise... Black Francis and the crew made it all worthwhile.

Finding Ms. Holloway

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8290302/

My friend, Jody*, was in Aruba several years ago. She got back to to Boston with a tan, regrets about being back, a slight buzz from the pina coladas, and a stories of how beautiful that place is. White sand is overrated, I thought - actually envious that she was able to go away one token week in winter. With her were an array of photographs with wonderful sights that made me want to pack my bags in a huff. We were laughing at the picture above and deliberated on sending it to Jay Leno - chances are they'll discuss it along with the other weird sightings they get. She gave me a copy and I treasured it along with my "English is not my first language!" ticket that I use whenever I get a grammar slip. No fail, it has turned into a conversation piece for it is an oddity... "[Perplexed look or double take from co-worker] Sorry we're... whaaat?"

I saw the picture of the bar about two weeks ago where Natalee Holloway, Alabama teen missing since May 30th, was last found. CNN had a quick shot of the entrance to Carlos N' Charlies and I saw the all-too-familiar door. For a moment, it didn't seem too funny anymore.

After a week of being out of town (was out of touch - felt like I was in a different planet altogether... will explain more later), I get a hold of the news that no concrete progess has been made. Sure, there were arrests - but what's the validity behind keeping both father-and-son van der Sloot behind bars if no details are leading them closer to where Natalee really is? There are speculations that the arrests were fueled by media and US government pressures. Aruba is less than 200 sq. km of land - one can't help but wonder how much can the sand, sun, and palm trees conceal in a relatively small area. For her family's sake, Natalee needs to be found before more vague connections are made, and worse - before the media drops the story for the next big one.

I was told before that the best parties were the ones laden with details that you cannot clearly remember the day after. Put aside the cocktails for a bit to get answers - this hangover in Aruba had lingered long enough.

On a high... 

Britain's gift to the world: Nick Hornby Reads at Coolidge Corner

(Brookline, MA, 6pm) I recall several years ago, I was enroute via train to New York. I found myself not only engrossed with this book (About a Boy, pre-movie) that I almost randomly picked up as something for the trip, but completely making a fool out of myself by laughing out loud on more than one occasion. Sure, I was embarassed - but not as much as I was hooked. Nick Hornby - with that writing tone sure to get the reader engaged, and cynicsm that eludes negativity with something more (oddly) profound - has moved up to being one of my favorite writers of all time.

The book reading was hosted by Brookline Booksmith and was scheduled for 6pm. Instead of their usual basement location for guest authors, the event director organized it across the street at the Coolidge Corner Theater. Good move, I'd say - because except for maybe 1-2 seats in the back, the place was filled.

This event was in line with Nick Hornby's new book, A Long Way Down, which is about random people who all met at the top of the tower block - intending to commit suicide. What ensues is a (dysfunctional) friendship amongst them and a support group that is strengthened by their differences. Here is another topic, suicide-that is, that he (NH) was able to translate into lighthearted prose without sacrificing character building and depth. Typical Hornby: High Fidelity (!) and Fever Pitch were both about men fearing commitment and their careers heading for a downturn. About a Boy features a pensive child with a suicidal mother and no set circle of friends. How to be Good is about a man trying to save what's left of his marriage... Not surprisingly, he probably has the formula to write a comic novel about the plummeting world debt.

Nick Hornby seem to be quite a mellow, level-headed guy when he was reading some excerpts from the novel in focus. Starkly different, I suppose, from his book characters that hinge on the neurotic, quirky... to the clinically deranged. The Q&A part came next - I regret that I am not able to relay the items verbatim, but here were a few that were worthy of mention.

On the Fever Pitch movie adaptation: He seemed content about it, seeing that it did reflect (albeit not completely mirrored) an obsession to a sports team that pervaded the main character's daily existence. Boston Red Sox fans out there can relate. Hornby did mention that the movie was meant to portray the team as one that "never one the World Series." He'd like to believe that he took part in our fate in 2004 having taken a turn, and even joked that maybe he could do another movie to help another team -"The Cubs, perhaps," says Hornby.

Malcom Glazer's (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) acquisition of Manchester United: (No particular comment on this - as he rooted for Liverpool. Roused some reaction from the crowd though - for good reason.)

On the High Fidelity movie adaptation: Acknowledged Stephen Frears, cast and crew... Talked about the similarities with both mediums along with some few stark differences. Commended the movie crew's close attention to detail with the selected cast whose characters were somehow on-par with that of the book's. (I am trying my darnedest to leave my John Cusack bias out the window) Role-building and character depth, the songs, the soundtrack, the inner dialogue... specifics that attributed to the success that the movie had garnered to this day.

On NH's protagonists, usually featuring self-loathing British adolescents: Who isn't self-loathing at that age, whether British, American (or even Asian)? (Hornby yet again makes a good point on that one...) It is that part of life where all the world seems suffocating and one can only take refuge in the songs that filter the pain. Hornby said that even when he was starting out and an American publisher offered him a deal (for High Fidelity), he had to ask twice because, "wouldn't America have had someone creatively write about relationships gone bad and non-existent careers?" Probably, but no one having portrayed it the way he did.

It was then he admitted, that the self-loathing just might be a typical characteristic... so-called Britain's gift to the world.

I waited 1.5 hours in line to get my 2 books signed (High Fidelity and A Long Way Down). When it was my turn - I knew I only had a few seconds before I had to move along.... Man, I wanted to ask him what were the top 5 most ridiculous things said to him at the book signing... I wanted to know more about his relationship with his son... I wanted to ask how one can grow the gift of writing as he had been given. So then I asked him a favor: Apart from the front covers pages of my books, I requested him to also sign a page from High Fidelity that I had dog-eared with (I think) one of the most poignant points of the book. He looked at it and smiled:

"... Surely this is wrong? Surely people who are happy should look happy, at all times, no matter how much money they have or how uncomfortable their shoes are or how little their child is sleeping; and people who are doing OK but still not found their soulmate should look... and people who are desparate should wear something, a yellow ribbon maybe, which would allow them to be identified by similarly desparate people. When I am no longer desparate, when I have got all this sorted out, I promise you here and now that I will never ever complain again about... or anything at all. I will beam beatifically at all times, just from sheer relief."
Hornby, Nick. Character: Rob, High Fidelity, p.227

Think again, Sir Hornby. Who do you think, to a good number of literary-appreciating folks here in the US, is Britain's gift to the world?

Genius who has remarkble talent for offhand humor and wit - I was fortunate enough to look him in the eye this afternoon and say: "Thank you..." 

The Roam Chronicles: Jazz and Jambalaya Weekend

April 29- May 1, 2005: New Orleans, Louisiana - Jazz Fest

The vibe was wonderful... the weather was warm and humid... the plethora of music and cajun cooking made up for the hotel check-in fiasco. I have always wanted to visit this city nicknamed the Bayou, with all its rich history and culture - more often than not swept under the rug of the novelty that is: The fabled beads of Bourbon Street.

New Orleans Jazz Fest in essence ran for 2 weeks, started April 22 through May 1st. New Orleans was buzzing with activity, although from what we were told, the city seldom rests. (Trust the deranged Bostonians to acknowledge the seasons with a high regard when it comes to bouts of activity/inactivity within a given year. Weather does not vary here much - similar to Manila. No use for those wool coats.) Just in February-March, Mardi Gras hit the town. I recall several years back when Kay* and I actually planned to check it out. However some time had passed, I sought the need for an atmosphere apart from one big college party. Lineup over the weekend was packed with performers ranging from local to international, singing gospel to (some derivation of...) rock, having a 1-2 performers to a full choir (See www.nojazzfest.com for 2005 photos and lineups). Just to give you an idea:

• Venue was at a local fair/racing grounds. Total area measurement not determined. (But believe me, it was huge.)
• There were three main stages with performers lined up on scheduled time slots from 11am through 7pm. Stages have the shows on simultaneously - therefore we had to choose acts we wanted to see and miss out on some. (Dave Matthews, Ike Turner and Elvis Costello - same time on 3 different stages somewhat equidistant from each other).
• Tons of food and drink.
• People actually line up for the food and drink as much as they do the porta-pottys.
• Good array of arts and crafts. Still hoped I got that poster....

One thing worthy of note about events such as this: The people that you meet and the friends you make along the way comprise half of the total experience. Sharing the same interest with the next person might have you end up sharing their blanket on the lawn and some beers for an afternoon show under the scorching sun..... A simple, "Excuse me, may I just get through to the bar for a drink," may have you talking to a wonderful person who frequents your town for business. Everybody talks to each other and connections are fostered - you don't know where small conversation may bring forth.

Case in point: Friday night - hungry, on a slight buzz... holding on to that receipt and waiting for our number to be called (scene is at a burger place, 3 am - So I suppose that's Saturday morning....) Everybody had already gotten their grub and I'm left cranky. Struck up a conversation with a friendly woman from Chicago named Cara* who was also wondering why the crazy guy in a pope hat and beads got his Triple burgers before we did. (Papal privileges, I said.) As we talked, her friends went ahead to their hotel leaving her with us.... we then walked her to the hotel. Before the end of the night, we exchanged numbers: She had VIP passes to one of the main stage areas - which happened to be where DMB was headlining Saturday night. Thanks to her and the writers of fate - we enjoyed the VIP tent with catered food all throughout the afternoon - had our own bar where we did not have to pay $7 for a brew, and all other perks not enjoyed beyond that barrier. We were so close to the stage that we saw the performers walk up at about 4 arms length.

I would go back next year if I could. Say, I wonder if they would beef up on security though... because all weekend I saw no more than 3 New Orleans police cars at the event. Even more amazing was - not that they ever had a reason to, at least not that I am aware of.

jam·ba·lay·a (jŭm'bə-lī'ə) n.
A Creole dish consisting of rice that has been cooked with shrimp, oysters, ham, or chicken and seasoned with spices and herbs.

How fitting. Just like the dish itself, New Orleans - from how I remember it that weekend, was a hodgepodge of people enjoying the music.

(I wonder - any similar fiestas in the Spanish regions that could be likened to Paella?)

Ironically, the only "authentic" jazz bar in the entire Bourbon Street. Several noteworthy ones are deep in the French Quarter [RC: New Orleans].

The street corners have these tile inscriptions - stating what that street used to be when New Orleans was a Spanish colony [RC: New Orleans].

... Where it flowed like the Mississippi [RC: New Orleans].

And we all know who this is... Notice how close we were to the stage? Thanks to some good people we met along the way ("along the way"? It was more like "3am at a Krystal Burger joint for those after-party hunger pains.") See story above [RC: New Orleans].

Better than Ezra on stage... Would have had a better vantage point of the band, however the blasted flamingo was always in the way [RC: New Orleans].