Keane Strangeland: Live in Manila — How a simple fan became a superfan

When I first heard that Keane was visiting Manila, I had getting tickets to their concert part of my immediate bucket list. I discovered the band way back in the fifth season of American Idol when Blake Lewis sang Somewhere Only We Know in one of his performances and liked the song right away. While I became an instant fan of the band, I still wouldn’t consider myself hard core as I was not always updated on their new releases and new music.

When we got found a great deal on the tickets a week before the event, it was like a sign from fate, and going to the concert became a must. My friend Mae and I, while we had a difficult time explaining who the band was to our friends (we had to sing Somewhere Only We Know and our lack of musicality did not help in familiarizing them with the band)  were totally excited and even had to go on half day at the office to have time to pick up the tickets (we got vouchers from an online deal site) and rush to the concert venue. We had to watch our time because I had to run a last minute errand and buy batteries because I forgot to bring the rechargables for my camera, which was totally idiotic of me. Last I remembered from my experience with the NKOTBSB concert at the Mall of Asia Arena, the lines were long already three hours before the show, so we made sure to arrive two hours before. We managed to sneak in an early dinner first, of course.

MAKING NEW FRIENDS. Mae and I with 5 year old superfan Tarko.

When the gates opened at 6 pm, we were the first in line to enter the venue and fall in line. It was a long wait but we managed to make new friends — writer Ms. Lorella, her mom and her super Keane fan Tarko, a five year old cutie who knew each Keane song by heart, and also Ms. Betsie, a BPO supervisor who came with her daughter (also a superfan) who won a Meet and Greet with the band prior to the concert. Anyways, the wait was a bit long (almost two hours) but in the end, we got pretty good seats really close to the stage (long story) thanks to ushers Christian Martesano, Jayson Aberin and Jom Lansang who were very accomodating in helping us find our way.

The concert started a bit before 9 so by this time, we have been at the venue for 3 hours. So when Tom (vocals), Tim (piano), Richard (drums) and Jesse (guitar), hit the stage and opened with You Are Young, everybody rose up and crowded to the center, raised their hands (and cameras) in the air and gave themselves to the music.

While Mae and I were not that familiar with all of the songs, I must admit that we enjoyed every single one of them for the simple reason that the performance was so good. The vocals were so clean that one would think that one was listening to a record the way Tom belted out their original songs. And Tom was not the only one who came to Manila to perform. The rest of the band was so awesome and performed each song seamleslly transitioning from song to song with no effort at all. What’s best about the band (all of them) is that when they perform, they totally feel the song and use their entire bodies to communicate the message of their music, a message well received by the fans which they respond to quite eagerly. There were points that Tim was rising up and using one hand to play the piano while he danced and Richard took out his camera to take a picture of us, the crowd.

The stage was quite simple, and the lighting was also subtle, but each lighting transition complemented each song — a statement to the crowd that yes, you’re in a concert. And yes, this is Keane. All in all, they performed a total of 26 songs in two hours and made sure that Manila will remember them not as just one of the many foreign acts who came this year, but a giver of outstanding performances that is consistent whether they are in Britain, the US or Asia.

photo courtesy of Manila Concert Scene Official Facebook fan page)

The only subpar part of the concert was perhaps the videos being projected on the giant screens flanking both sides of the stage. The videos are important for the people who are sitting farther from the stage so that they can see what’s happening even if they can’t see the actual artists in close up. I think for this aspect, the production was not up to snuff because of the blurred focus and the general lack of filtering for the video, making the projections appear amateurish.

In total, I think that producer DAYLY Entertainment and Trilogy Live did great job in bringing acts like Keane to Manila, an opportunity not wasted on the type of fans who arrived at the venue. There might not have been a packed house last night but the enthusiasm and devotion of the fans who came to see the band, I’m sure made an impression on them, so much for them to say that they want to come back again. And we would welcome them back too. I proudly declare that after last night, I have upgraded byself to superfan status. Witnessing Keane in concert was an outstanding experience that I would not soon forget.

Goofing Off, Having Fun: Seriland

Last weekend, my buddy and I used the discounted tickets that I got months ago from an online shopping site and went to Seriland, located in the Manila Ocean Park building on the second floor. The park has three major features — The Trick Art Museum, the Mirror Maze and the 3D theater. The Museum is a collection of artworks that are made to seem 3 dimensional rather than flat 2D. One could take wacky pictures and copy suggested poses on the framed pictures next to the artwork. Here are some of my favorite shots of the day.

I SEE YOU(r underpants)

STUBBORN AS AN OX. Or in this case, a carabao, who stares cluelessly at you while I try to fake drag him away.

YIKES. The right angle gives an illusion that this painting (on the floor) is actually a waterfall behind the cliff I’m kneeling on.

DID I JUST FALL OFF THE WAGON?

OW! I fake get hit by a watermelon that fell off the frame.

SAY HELLO TO MY LITTLE FRIEND. Cool huh? This little dog that I’m petting is actually painted on a floor.

Moving on, here are some pictures that the ushers took of us while inside The Mirror Maze, where the real challenge is getting out amid a sea of mirrors. Believe me, I had loads of fun trying to figure out the real hallways from the fake ones. I even fell for some of them. We had to wear gloves so as not to mar the mirrors with fingerprints, and we had to walk with our hands in front of us to avoid accidents. Its been known to happen that some guests bump into mirrors if they are not careful. The attendants at the attraction are very mindful of guests’ safety. They are also accommodating of photo requests. They even volunteer to do it for you.

MULTIPLES OF ME. The adjacent mirrors help create the illusion of  multiple versions of me.

BUT WAIT THERE’S MORE. My buddy and I are strategically photographed in front of two mirrors.

MANY ME. So this is what Michael Keaton felt in the movie Multiplicity. Unfortunately, my clones can’t do any chores for me.

We also took in two 3D movies with one hour intervals. Each movie is 15-20 minutes long so kids will surely enjoy it. We caught Sonic Night of the Werewolf with a smaller group and Rilly’s Sky Adventure with a bigger one. It’s actually more fun to go with a larger group of people, especially with kids. It heightens the enjoyment more to listen to and see their reaction to the movies.

I had a great time checking out these three attractions. And I’m already an adult. I would surely recommend this to parents who want to do something fun and different with their kids. By the way, there’s also a play area for children in Seriland. Depending on the package, tickets may or may not cover this. Check out their facebook page for more details and current promotions. http://www.facebook.com/serifantasyworld

Tip: If you’re going on a weekend, go early as field trips tend to be scheduled on these dates. The crowds will surely cramp your style when taking a bunch of photos. Plus, the Mirror Maze can also accommodate a certain number of people at a time, so numbers are given out and called after the previous group finds their way out

Phantom Fever: The Opera takes Manila

When my friend Leslie and I heard that the international production of The Phantom of the Opera was coming to Manila, we couldn’t wait to see it. I’m not as big an expert of the show as she is but I did love the movie and I am absolutely nuts about musicals so what better way to spend a Saturday afternoon than taking in a performance of world class artists and getting lost to the best compositions of Andrew Lloyd Webber?

I figured that should not pass up this opportunity because who knows if I would be able to see them abroad or if they even return to Manila in the future. It was a bit pricey (We spent over P2,000 each for a balcony seat and we were really far from the stage) but I should say that the show was no less exciting from afar.

The Phantom of the Opera tells the story of a deformed musical genius who haunts the Paris Opera House , one of the most prestigious halls of art in (of course) the French capital. Christine Daae, whom the Phantom has developed a tendre for,  is a talented young singer who is suddenly thrust upon center stage when the Phantom causes an “accident” in the theater which endangers the life of Señora Carlotta, the prima donna of the opera. Unknown to Christine, the stranger who has been giving her lessons whom she refers to as the angel of music is actually the Phantom and that he has plans to lure her to his lair underneath the opera house to make her his bride. But her childhood friend Raoul stands in his way, as his muse favors her suitor to the hideous ghost who ruthlessly murders people who defies his wishes.

From the time that the orchestra played the opening bars of The Phantom of the Opera, I knew I was in for a treat. The intricate detailing of the set pieces, the flawless transitioning from sequence to sequence —  unbelievably astounding. I was truly curious to see how the production would execute the changes in the setting because when I watched the movie, they had a lot of sets, but I was completely blown away by how well the stage was utilized.

HUGE TURNOUT. The crowd loiters the halls of the CCP prior to the performance.

The performances were so amazing. Not a single pitch off key. The cast was absolutely marvelous and drew applause after each production (deservedly so). The actress who played Daae, Claire Lyons was an absolute pro who performed popular pieces like Angel of Music, The Phantom of the Opera and Music of the Night effortlessly. The crowd loved her. Anthony Downing, who took on the role of the suitor Raoul, embodied his character and injected his own flavor to his performance as well. Among the secondary characters, I loved Christine’s friend, the ballerina Meg Giry played by the Cat Lane. I felt that she was a very likeable character and the ease in which Lane portrayed the role made the audience easily relate to the part.

But truly, the most fabulous character in the show was none other than the Phantom himself, played by Jonathan Roxmouth. All of his scenes were perfect because he had this excellent voice projection that translated his emotions through his performance. More than his charisma, he had a unique type of voice quality that reaches out to the audience draws them to the character. He is so good that one can listen to him for hours and still be amazed at his skill. I’m having trouble describing it because I myself, can’t get over it. I have never thought that a musical performance could bring tears to my eyes, but Roxmouth was able to, just from listening to him (We were too far out to see his acting close up) and that, I believe is a feat in itself. His voice just has that power — to enchant the audiences, make them empathize with the Phantom and bring them along to the journey that is his story.

Aside from saying that I had goosebumps after each performance or never for once felt the need to say anything other than, ang galing (awesome), I think the entire production is deserving of superlative praise for this world class act. I especially want to give credit to the orchestra, for bringing the music to life.

All in all, I am glad I saw it and if they come again, I would gladly wait in line for hours just to see the show again. The Phantom of the Opera is not just an ordinary musical, not just a regular play. It is an experience. An experience that I was glad to have, even for a short while. Bravo!

Fight Night: OneFC Pride of a Nation

I have always had an appreciation for mixed martial arts. Not because I want to watch athletes get their faces bashed in or because of the sheer violence of the sport but because I appreciate it as an art form. Like boxing and wrestling, and all its predecessors, mixed martial arts entail a huge amount of discipline, presence of mind, and intellect. Because there are a lot more techniques available in one’s arsenal, it is more explosive, and more unpredictable. Most often than not, one does not have an idea what to expect from a match and this makes the sport doubly exciting.

READY FOR THE FIGHTS. My bro and I arrive relatively early to check out the stadium. Excited much?

When my brother and I learned that ONE Fighting Championship, Asia’s version of of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) was coming to Manila with veteran UFC fighters Andrei “Pitbull” Arlovski and Tim “Maine-iac” Sylvia as co main events of Pride of a Nation, I just went nuts. I have been pulling for the Pitbull every since his days as a champ in the UFC and I really want him to get back at Sylvia for the two losses in their trilogy. Our very own URCC champ Eduard “Landslide” Folayang was pitted against Japan’s Felipe Enomoto, a BJJ expert, while another URCC champ Eric Kelly was matched against former UFC lightweight champ Jens “Lil Evil” Pulver. Two Pinoys also opened the fight with URCC lighweight champ Honorio “The Rock” Banario taking on conteder Andrew Benibe. Three fighters from the Enzo Gracie Academy also fought for the pride of their family — Gregor, Igor and Rolles Gracie — Believe me, having Enzo at the event was awesome not only for the fans, but obviously for the fighters as well.

At first, I was afraid of what my reaction to watching a live fight would be. While from afar, I am perfectly comfortable watching the athletes destroy each other, I’m not really big on violence while it is happening right in front of me. During the first fight, I was feeling twinges of sympathy of Benibe, who showed a lot of heart but was outclassed in technique but I was soon able to adjust my perspective, and see the matches as excellent back and forths between two warriors wanting to give the fans a good show. As with the rest of the fans, I yelled my head off and enjoyed every moment of the event.

BOO! Judges rule Arlovski vs Sylvia 4 a “No Contest” due to illegal soccer kick to the head, but really, its just Sylvia chickening out. Andrei is obviously not happy. (photo courtesy of OneFC Facebook page)

There were highs and lows of course — even the UFC has such moments but what’s great was that everybody came to fight, well most of them. The event that I was most anxious to watch — Arlovski vs Sylvia was actually the biggest letdown. Before the match, they aired a mini primer where Tim boasted that he would expose Andrei’s weak chin and that he was taking the pitbull down like he did years back. When game time came, however, the weak chin never materialized. During the first round, Tim was able to corner Arlovski a couple of times and landed combinations of strikes but Arlovski weathered him out and was generally unaffected by Sylvia’s attacks. He was obviously better conditioned between the two as Sylvia was already gassing out by the end of round one. Arlovski took control of Round 2 and landed two punches that dropped Sylvia to the ground, where he continued his onslaught. Unfortunately, Arlovski prematurely landed two soccer kicks to the head which is considered illegal in the OneFC until the referee says so. He is given a yellow card and Sylvia is given several minutes to recover. After announcing that the fight will resume shortly, the crowd was surprised (and outraged) when instead of getting on with the fight, the judges have a huddle inside the cage and later on rule the match as a No Contest because Sylvia is unable to continue. It was truly a WTF moment because he obviously had his wits about him, and he was standing up and all. Andrei was obviously pissed, as were we. The biggest dude on the fight card was obviously the biggest wus.

THE DRAGON IN ACTION. Some Mitch Chilson action during the early rounds of the prematurely ended fight. It could have ended better because the two fighters really had great game going on. (photo courtesy of OneFC Facebook page)

Another disappointing result was the premature stoppage of the fight between Thailand rising star Shannon Wiratchai and crowd favorite Mitch Chilson. Mitch pretty much took control of the first round and Shannon was returning the favor in the second round. When Wiratchai landed a heavy punch and a kick that knocked Mitch to the ground, the referee stepped in to immediately stop the fight, even when Mitch was already getting up and returning to stance. The ref never lived it down, as the crowd booed him at the beginning of every match that he was called to referee. That’s what you get for sucking, bud.

ENZO GRACIE, NUFF SAID. The legendary Enzo Gracie coaches from the corner.

The high points of the evening obviously came from excellent submissions from the Gracies. Gregor submitted Australian URCC champ Nicholas Mann via armbar. Mann was very good natured about getting locked on a Gracie submission as hugs were exchanged between both camps after the announcement. Rolles finished opponent Tony Bonello in the third round with a textbook rear naked choke but Igor got caught by his Korean opponent, the stonecutter Jun Hwang Cha who controlled his takedowns and turned on some vicious ground and pound, handing Igor his first loss in his OneFC debut.

Folayang won against CFC champ Felipe Enomoto via his lethal kicks and and great takedown defense. Enomoto was unable to practice his BJJ on the Landslide mainly because he could not find an opportunity to take down Eduard.

TITLE SHOT. OneFC President and CEO announces Folayang’s title shot in October in Singapore against a still to be determined opponent. (photo courtesy of OneFC)

I love this kid. Really, in all his fights, he has shown great courage and consistency and I am glad that this champ is getting his shot at a OneFC belt in October as announced by ONeFC CEO Victor Cui himself. Eric Kelly finished the scrappy Jens Pulver in the second round after a lengthy (but entertaining) back and forth in the first round. Eric, not known to let the grass grow under his feet, capitalized after he landed some hard rights and sees that Pulver is hurt in the opening of the second round. He follows with a body kick and Jens drops to the ground. The crowd goes wild and it is over. Eric, it was announced, will be vying for a title shot in the next OneFC against his compatriot and fellow URCC fighter Honorio Banario. Anyhow, Jens was a great sport and even heaped a huge compliment down Kelly’s head, dubbing him the Manny Pacquiao of the MMA. Pretty big. Plus, he’s also helping out typhoon victims from the Philippines through his website” http://www.jenspulver.com. I can’t help but love this guy.

The biggest finish of the night came from the New York badass himself Fil Baroni, who never gave BJJ expert Rodrigo Ribeiro a chance to land a punch. He went in with a hard right and landed a barrage of punches against his opponent. Lights out for Ribeiro but party time for the American as he danced around the cage, jumped up and down and just engaged the crowd. Fil Baroni rocks. (Mike Swick was in his corner too)

The main even between CFC champion Gustavo Falciroli and former Dream champion Bibiano “The Flash” Fernandez was kind of anticlimactic, perhaps because it was the last match and people were leaving after the Folayang fight. Bibiano won the fight in the third round, which was frustrating because he could have ended the fight sooner as he got Falciroli in different vulnerable positions on the ground plenty of times throughout the match.

Overall, my experience in watching a live match was awesome. I’m not really great at writing blow by blows but I hope you got the idea. Thank you OneFC, for coming to Manila. Please come again. And if the UFC is thinking of coming too, Dana White, you would be more than welcome.  Bring it on!

For a more detailed account, check out this website: http://www.thefightnation.com/

Fashion Star: Rooting for Ronnie

Ever since I started watching Fashion Star several weeks back, I just fell in love with the show. I liked the concept. It wasn’t all about the designs but rather, it also factors in the education for designers on designing for particular markets with buyers from prestigious shops like H&M , Macy’s and Saks (Caprice, Nikki and Terron) making offers for collections that the designers present. This gives contestants the leg up that they need to have their clothes sell on the floors of these establishments. A dream come true for struggling designers.

In doing so, designers are challenged to go the extra mile and think like business people who want to establish their brands and create a niche in the market for themselves. Mentors Jessica Simpson, Nicole Richie and John Varvatos provide inputs and guidance but pretty much leave the designers to decide how they want to brand themselves and show off their creativity.

THE DESIGNERS. 14 designers with their own unique style battle it out on the floor to get their dresses sold.

I like the show because it has a really cool vibe going on and the contestants don’t spend too much time trash talking about other people’s work. Because of this, the show focuses more on the actual product and the creative process rather than the drama behind. Don’t get me wrong. I love Project Runway but it has a different atmosphere than Fashion Star and it has its own appeal. I’m just saying that Fashion Star is refreshing and fun to watch.

The first week I watched, the talented Ronnie Escalante was bucking up after five weeks of not being bought by any of the shops. My heart immediately went out to him, especially since I saw that his clothes were quite understated but classy. From the get go, I was keeping my fingers crossed for the guy and when he was up for elimination, I was glad that the mentors chose to save him. Week after week, Ronnie had hits and misses and his worry was obvious (I understand how traumatic and nerve wracking it would be to be passed on for so many times) but yet he persevered and stayed true to his style, at the same time absorbing the inputs of the buyers and modifying his looks to suit the mass market.

THE BUYERS. These are the guys that the designers need to impress more than the mentors. They have the power to eliminate contestants that do not suit to their tastes.

When the final three were announced, I was so worried that Ronnie would not make it. His style was so subtle compared to the edgier contestants, but he did, and for that I was glad. When he showed his final collection, the mentors did not fawn over it like they did the rest but Ronnie’s designs have evolved, and he has obviously become better. (I think Ronnie’s style is more conservative, perhaps owing to his roots in the Philippines. Just to clarify, I was rooting for Ronnie before I learned that he was Filipino).

In the end, he did not win the $6 million deal to sell to all three stores but I know that he has loads of talent, and he has a great many ideas yet to reveal. I’m proud of Ronnie and I’m looking for a new season of Fashion Star. And ______ (I’m not going to spoil it for you) was a deserving and gracious winner. All in all a great finale to a great show.

Kitchen Boss: Best. Cooking. Show. Ever.

I love Buddy Valastro! I watch him on Cake Boss whenever its on and I was curious to find out what the lovable master baker from Hoboken has up his sleeve in his very own kitchen (its a studio kitchen but who cares?) with his fare of Italian cooking.

After watching two episodes of Kitchen Boss, his spin off show, also on the TLC network, I have no doubt in my mind that it is the best cooking show ever. Why? Simple. Because Buddy makes cooking fun.

Buddy loves to bake, and Buddy also loves to cook. It’s obvious that he has a very intimate relationship with flavors, butter and loads of olive oil and way he talks about food is absolutely entertaining. He talks to his audience the way he would talk to a houseguest and not only outlines his recipes but also adds from which side of the family the recipe comes from, and what makes the  dish so special. He is so familiar with kitchen which makes for a very relaxed vibe. His ingredients are not measured in cups, making the tasks seem simple rather than complicated compared to other shows where each step is measured.

CHECK OUT THAT GRIN. Buddy’s enjoyment for food is obvious by the way the smile never leaves his face while he shares his favorite family recipes.

Buddy makes his show personal and the magic is really the marriage of his love for food and his gift of gab. There is really no dead air on this show, even when Buddy has pasta on his mouth. I love this guy. He is just so animated all the time and that is a good thing for a cooking show because there are just so many chefs out there with their own cooking shows with different gimmicks. Buddy makes his show stand out just by being himself.

Of course, Buddy’s show is never complete without an occasional visit from his familia, some of whom we are already familiar with from his Carlo’s Bakery, and the ease and comfort that he has in interacting with his family is also a great watch.

Buddy is a star and I feel like he’s my friend, and while most of his dishes include a lot of cholesterol, he makes me want to try them out just to see whether I can do his family recipes justice too.  If there is still any doubt left in your mind, I think Kitchen Boss is awesome. To more seasons of Buddy!

Things I learned from Clean House

Recently, I’ve been catching this show on The Lifestyle Channel called Clean House featuring Niecy Nash and her team of home makeover experts Mark (design wizard), Trish (yard sale diva), Matt Iseman (go-to guy, and handyman extraordinaire). I know this show’s been around for a while now but I just recently caught the bug. The show kind of inspires me to treat my own home and stuff with a bit more practical perspective.

See, we moved from a three storey home in Manila in 1996, to a one-storey 120 sq meter bungalow home in Cavite. We had a lot of stuff, mostly merchandise from our old establishment which was what made up the first floor of our former residence. The following year, we decided to start a hardware business but it didn’t pan out so now, on top of the stuff that we took with us in ’96, we had merchandise from the hardware to deal with.

But I think the main thing now is that the pile of stuff just keeps on growing, mainly because (I recognize this now), my family has a tendency to hoard stuff, like buy a ton of stuff that we don’t really need because its on sale, or buy stuff that we think we will need in the future, but later on just gets lost amid a sea of other things we bought. My mom and dad are the same, and I too, have my own stuff to deal with. My guilty pleasure, books. And books take up a lot of space. I have never taken to e-books because I like the smell of books better, plus the experience of turning the pages old school is how I get my kicks. My brother, on the other hand, is a collector who collects a bunch of stuff, but unlike us, he is more practical and knows how to let go of the stuff he doesn’t need anymore.

Anyhow, I guess why I love the show so much is that I see so much of ourselves in the people who are on the show, asking for help in dealing with the clutter in their houses. I can relate to them because there is something to be said of coming home to a place where you can relax and enjoy your surroundings. That being said, I think I’m slowly gaining headway in the attitude adjustment arena so here’s a few tips that I learned from watching the show.

1. Let Go. I am a very sentimental person and I truly appreciate the stuff that people give me. I treasure the thought behind the gifts that they pick for me and I have stuffed toys that have been with me the better part of 15 years because of this. As a result, half of my bed is occupied by said stuffed animals. So much that I am forced to not move while I sleep lest I fall off the bed. Another thing? Books! I still have tons of books on my TBR pile but I find it hard to let go of the stuff that I read when I was just a kid or a teenager because they come with so many great memories.

I learned from Clean House that if you want to make space to get some breathing room, you have to let go of stuff that you don’t really use anymore and are just taking up room in your house. It is not really disregarding the sentiment behind the gifts but rather making sure that they get a new lease on life which leads me to the next lesson. Same goes with literary material that you grew up with.

2. Sell your old stuff. I have a friend who just loves to read as much as I do and she purchases the same type of books that I do almost on a regular basis. What I have chosen to do is sell some of my old books to her at a wholesale price which is like only 10 percent of what she regularly pays for a single book at the store. As a result, I’m doing us both a favor. She is saving money, and I am also getting some money back for the books that I haven’t touched in years. What I do with the money is I save them up to buy toys for poor kids on Christmas, or school stuff for charity missions before class opening. So some good comes out of my old stuff. Not a bad deal, huh?

3. Give to charity. OK, some stuff can’t be sold. We have a lot of clothes that we have outgrown that are just lying around in the bottom of the closet, waiting to see the light of day. During the long holiday, I sat down and started dealing with them, stocking them in bags and bags full of donations to typhoon victims. See, at least the clothes are going to be used by families who have lost a lot in the disaster. I have also sorted through some children’s and teen books and will donate them to a library soon.

4. Clean as you go. When we have a lot of stuff and a messy home, we usually take leaving stuff anywhere a given so long as we remember where we left it. I have been a victim of this mindset and have spent hours looking for stuff because I can’t remember where I left them. The best way to stop the clutter from accumulating is perhaps not to pile them on and leave them to clean for later. Be better organized and have a place for everything because believe me, based on experience, cleaning up years worth of clutter is no picnic. I recently spent a whole day just trying to make a dent in one section of our house. One day! No kidding, so I strongly recommend against this practice.

5. Repurpose, dump old stuff. Rather than buy new stuff, old stuff can be repurposed, especially furniture, which can be done on your own (if you are handy with a hammer and a saw). You can also have these commissioned (reupholstery or redesigning) but they’re bound to be cheaper than buying brand new stuff. This way, you still get the feeling of newness with less cost for stuff that has been around for decades. But for stuff that no longer function, don’t think twice. Take it to the recycle bin or sell it to the local junk shop rather than leave it at home to gather dust and take up space.

And lastly, 

6. STOP BUYING STUFF YOU DON’T NEED! Mainly, this is the culprit in this entire mess. No matter how much temptation it is to buy stuff on sale, if there’s no need for it, don’t go for it. I watched one episode where Lisa (back up host) suggested to one mom that she could just save the money that she would have spent bringing home toys for her kids and use it for a family bonding vacation. Not a bad idea, right? I might take a page from that book.

So, I realize that I still have a long way to go before I finally achieve the clean house transformation that I dream of but at least I’m making a start and am willing to change my ways to reach that goal. That should count for something, right? RIGHT?

NKOTBSB in Manila: BEST. SHOW. EVER!!!

As soon as I heard that New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys have joined forces to stage a world tour last year, I have been praying really hard for them to come to Manila. Wishes really do come true because several months ago, I learned that they were going to stage a performance at the newly constructed SM Arena. Problem was, the prices were a bit steep and my pals thought I was lame to want to go to a concert of aging boy groups that I worshiped in my teens. No matter, I still held out hope and finally, I convinced my college buddy Era to go with me. I was thinking I wouldn’t be satisfied until I had someone to share my excitement with at the concert so I was glad that she finally said yes. Good thing too because last night was actually the final stop of the guys’ world tour, which made the night all the more special.

SEA OF PEOPLE. This is only a small portion of the crowd waiting to enter the concert venue at the SM Arena on June 3, for the NKOTBSB’s epic concert.

So, the concert was finally a go and people were lining up near the entrance as early as 5:30pm (The concert wasn’t until 8 pm) and the lines were starting to grow longer by the minute. I was already waiting in line by 6 pm but Era was running a bit late because of traffic. Inside, I was already tensing up because I didn’t want to fall in line over again if the tickets didn’t make it by the time I reached the entrance but thankfully, Era, her friend Nena and her cousin Carlo arrived in the nick of time and we were able to enter without any hassle. It was abit of a challenge to find good seats (We bought General admission tickets) but we finally settled on seats near the side of the stage. We weren’t really expecting to see much but boy were we in for a surprise.

The concert started a bit late (around 9 pm) and the front acts kept us occupied until the Kids and the Boys were ready. We initially thought that the stage was too simple compared to other stages that they performed in in other countries but their production team really made it work. Also, their videographers were top notch so what we can’t see close up we could view on the giant screen from the back of the stage and they looked awesome.

NKOTB. The New Kids on the Block take on one of their hits at the NKOTB concert.

The crowd went nuts when the guys took the stage, and for good reason. Their performance level was world class and it seemed like they didn’t age by the way they were moving around and performing. The sound wasn’t the best but I blame this entirely on the poor sound system. It’s such a shame because the guys were hitting the notes in precision, all while doing their dance routines, which isn’t an easy task.

The greatest part is really the chemistry. These were two boy bands who took over the charts in separate times — NKOTB in the 80s and the BSB in the 90s but they really worked well together in their combined performances and their group solos. Donnie Wahlberg (who is now an actor starring in Blue Bloods), was running up and down the stage and jumping around like he was in his early 20s and Joey McIntyre, who was 15 when he joined NKOTB was as adorable as ever. Jordan Knight, the heartthrob of the group aged pretty well and so did his shy brother Jonathan and the ultimate breaker Danny Wood.

Not to be outdone, the Boys took over the stage with one of their most popular hits Get Down, and continued on with hit after hit. I initially wanted to list them all down but I was too busy enjoying the concert that I lost track eventually.

Standout performances belonged to Joey McIntyre who performed Please Don’t Go Girl to perfection while Jordan answered towards the finale with his falsetto I’ll Be Loving You Forever. Of course, Step by Step got the crowd going while almost all BSB songs which had more of a pop feel got the audiences to their feet. I swear I could hardly hear any of the opening bars of the song because of the really heavy screaming. My favorites were actually, Larger than Life, Quit Playin Games with My Heart and the phenomenal Backstreet’s Back. Nick Carter was a ham through and through and was truly fearless in diving into the crowd to be hugged and kissed and pulled any which way by adoring fans who paid a good portion of their salaries to get front row seats. He seemed to be enjoying himself the most among everybody and the guys pretty much let him have his way perhaps, because he was the youngest of the lot.

BSB. I super love Brian’s pink suit and sneakers. The BSB plays to the crowd in an energetic performance.

I was actually quite amazed that at some point of the concert, all of the guys went to the crowd to interact with them. BSB’s Nick, AJ, Brian and Howie D even got girls from the audience to sing to them. Even NKOTB went to audience to deliver a performance. This is crowd interaction at its finest, for sure.

What I really liked about the performances was that they were all very well rehearsed. All the numbers had excellent blocking and choreography, that anyone could appreciate even for people like us who were at the fartherst corner. This is awesome because this shows a great respect for the crowd they are performing for because they are truly giving people their money’s worth. Also, the guys were obviously having fun on stage which really translates in their performances and infects the crowd. I am currently hoarse from all the screaming and the yelling and I probably sprained my ankle from jumping too much but I really don’t care because I had loads of fun. The guys of BSB, who have been together for 19 years (I’ve been their fan for the better part of that time)  also had great respect for their predecessors, the NKOTB who have been together for more or less 25 years which was made clear by AJ’s speech towards the end saying that they were honored to have shared the stage with the much older group. All of them genuinely seemed to like each other because I really don’t think that any bad blood could be faked by the amount of brotherly love they projected for each other.

BADGE OF HONOR. My ticket (in middle) — my badge of honor deserves a special place in my BSB scrapbook (which I created in the 90s).

I’m glad that I watched the concert which turned out to be the final stop of the NKTOBSB World Tour. The two and a half hour long performance was not just worth every penny but is really a once in a lifetime experience for a die hard fan like myself. But even for non-fans, I am sure that they would have appreciated the technicalities of excellent live singing and dancing as well as the top notch stage effects. Every seat was the best seat in the house for the NKOTB concert. Not only did they perform all of their hits but they executed it brilliantly. Emerging boy bands would do well to study their performances to learn a thing or two about how its really done. After the lights have dimmed and the encore was over, the only thing left in my mind was — N.K.O.T.B.S.B!…N.K.O.T.B.S.B!…N.K.O.T.B.S.B!…N.K.O.T.B.S.B!

IMHO: Why Phillip won and Jessica didn’t

I just finished watching one of the most explosive finales in Idol history and I mean for the entire 11 seasons. I was one of the millions waiting with the rest of the Idol universe to see who will be crowned as the champ of Season 11.

At the finale results show, audiences were treated to the best performance of the season and arguably the best performance on the show- ever (yes, even rivalling Adam Lambert’s duet with Kiss)  – the duet between the original Dreamgirl Jennifer Holliday and 16-year old phenom Jessica Sanchez. (Check out this link to view the performance)

Viewers were also treated to perfomances from Aerosmith (WOW) and music legends Reba McIntyre, Neil Diamond and John Fogerty.

If audiences were to judge based on the number of moments given to the Top 2, there was no wonder that Jessica was given more exposure and more time to shine, perhaps leading viewers to believe that she was going to be the eventual winner, but at the end of the show, of course, consistent frontrunner Phillip Phillips was crowned the winner, making him the show’s fifth straight white dude to win the honors since the show’s Season 7 David Cook.

Some would say that Jessica had the upper hand because she was more vocally powerful than Phillip and could wow the audiences with her powerbelting. Phillip took the more laid back route, and chose songs that suited his voice and style perfectly. They were so different and that was what made the finale so interesting to watch.

But here’s why I think Phillip won.

1. The show is called American Idol and between the two, Phillip is the true blue American. Jessica is a mix of Filipino, Mexican and American (because of her citizenship and upbringing) descent so its a bit too liberal for Americans to vote for her.

2. Phillip has a very solid fan base. While some would say he was the underdog in the finale, if one looks back at the entire run of the season, he was never once in danger of being eliminated from the show.

3. He is gorgeous. Let’s face it, American Idol is viewed by mostly young girls and these young girls — while they would admire Jessica for her talents and achievements, would still eventuallly vote for the guy who makes their little hearts go a flutter

4. Phillip is just the right age. When Cook and Archuleta faced off in the finale of Idol back in Season 7, the mom votes turned out to be the clincher for the rocker. Moms who were interviewed for the show thought that David A. had the vocal chops to make it big in the music world but felt guilty about having a crush on him because he was so young. Cook got the votes because he was legal. So is Phillip, and since he’s the only guy contestant, who would get the votes?

5. He is a charmer. Some say that Phillip will turn out to be another Kris Allen, but I strongly disagree. When Kris Allen won, it was like all the world spun out of its axis, because come on! Kris is a great guy and a good competitor but he does not have any real standout quality that would catapult him to stardom. Phillip has a great personality and an individuality that could separate him from the pack. Take note that even during the finale, he was wearing his usual long sleeved shirt on top of his regular one like it wasn’t a big deal. Typical non-conformist rebel attitude that has worked for the careers of indie rockers throughout history.Plus, his humility and aw shucks charm always sucks viewers in, myself included.

6. Leave us not forget that the dude is also very talented. He is a musician through and through and while he is not the best singer among the lot, he has the maturity to play to his strengths. He has a great sense in choosing songs and one of the factors that contributed to his victory is choosing an anthem song for his first single whereas Jessica chose a more funky R&B song that fit her voice like a glove but did not have the same impact or message that Phillip’s song had.

I believe that Jessica is awesome and is wicked talented. She is skilled beyond her years and I think that aside from being an Asian, the thing that cost her the victory was the song choice. She is still young at 16-years old and perhaps still lacks the perspective of the general impact of the songs that she will sing. After tonight, there will be a lot of people who will want to sign her up and I hope that one of them is Jimmy Iovine because he is an excellent mentor who can guide Jessica and give her a long and sustainable music career. I do believe that Jessica has the makings of the next American chart topper and Grammy superstar. A bit of polish on her performances and she’s ready to fill arenas with her performances. I think she can sell more tickets than J.Lo once she’s seasoned and ready. She has that kind of potential.

Being a Filipino, I am sad that Jessica won but in my heart of hearts, I already consider her being in the Top 2 and her awesome performances today already a victory in its own right. If those songs were not a statement, then I don’t know what is. I have high hopes for her career, and hope that she will get from the Grammy’s the trophy that she missed on Idol.

I don’t feel bad losing to Phillip. He’s a great guy and a true artist. Despite my earlier reservations (with the judges all being too easy to please), this still turned out to be a great season. I just don’t know what will happen to the next season with Aerosmith scheduled to go on tour and J.Lo planning to go on tour as well.

To cap off this entry, here’s Phillip’s moment of victory: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ifNFk2M4YQ

Why movie addicts should get an E-plus card

I recently attended the launch for the SM E-PLUS card, the SM Group’s latest innovation to make the moviegoing experience a more fun and hassle free experience for its loyal patrons throughout the nation.

The E-PLUS, which stands for Entertainment, Privileges, Lifestyle, Upgrades,  and Surprises pretty much says it all. The RFID card, once availed becomes a reloadable all access pass to all movies, foreign and local being shown at SM cinemas without having to go through the long line at the ticket booths. All the cardholder needs to do is choose which movie he wants to see, go straight to the cinema and use the card to enter.

TIME OUT. SM Bowling's mascot hams it up with crew members of program partner Sbarro.

SM assures that their systems are well in synch and will not accept the card if seating is already full to ensure that the cardholder still gets a good seat and has the maximum viewing experience.

Reloading is also made easier with a special lane at the ticket outlets devoted especially for the purpose.  Upon reloading, the cardholder is entitled to a free upsize of their drink once presented at the Snacktime counter and a free meal credit which can be used to get popocorn and drink for every P500 or P1,000 reload amount.

But first, how to get it? The starter kit, which costs P300 comes with a personalized E-PLUS card, a premium item, free popcorn and drink, plus a free pass to another movie upon validation of a text message that will be sent by SM shortly upon registration. If  one totals the actual cost of the freebies, the cardholder actually comes out ahead as the card comes virtually free. All that is required for registration is a duly accomplished registration form available at the E-PLUS booth or through download from their website.

COUNTDOWN TO THE LAUNCH. Guests chat and bond while awaiting the launch of the E-PLUS card and the premiere of Battleship at the SM Cinema 3.

But wait there’s more! E-PLUS also works like a loyalty card similar to the SM Advantage Card and earns points for each time it is used to watch a movie at SM theaters. It is also good for special offers from the program’s partner merchants where cardholders can avail of great discounts from White Hat, Sbarro, Airphil Express, Lenovo, Silverworks, Belo Men, Beauty and Butter, the Body Shop, Slimmer’s World, North Face, Bratpack, Roxy, Delsey High Sierra, Quicksilver, Kickers, Sanuk, DC and The Travel Club, along with SM brands and entertainment facilities.

So in a nutshell, having an E-PLUS is like having a membership to an exclusive club that caters to everything that a movie geek wants. And the best part is that cardholders can share these privileges with their friends and family as one card (as long as it has enough load credits) can be used to purchase multiple passes at one time. Best part is, it doesn’t expire so there will be no worries renewal fees.

“While E-PLUS is one’s gateway to all our exclusive offers, it is also our way of rewarding our loyal patrons. Because it offers convenience and loaded entertainment experience with its privileges, ever-growing number of surprises and partner merchants, our membership base will continuously grow,” Edgar C. Tejerero, SVP of West Avenue Theaters Corporation says.

Indeed!