Catherine Tate Christmas Special - Nan's Christmas Carol

What can I say? The man is brilliant! And I'm not being biased. ;) And to think, this man is a well-known, well-respected Shakespearean actor, trained and performed with the Royal Shakespeare Company! And the best Doctor ever! ;)

And Catherine Tate ("Nan") and David Tennant are going to rule the world. ;)

"Doctor Who: End of Time" - Part 1

Most of you know how much I love the sci-fi series "Doctor Who" and how much I'm in love with its star, David Tennant, who plays the Doctor in the series. So, when the news of him leaving the role to move on to bigger pastures came out, I was sad. Christopher Eccleston was the one who turned me onto this show when they had revived the show in 2005, but David Tennant was the one who hooked me.

Tonight, they aired the first of the 2-part special of "Doctor Who: End of Time", in which David's incarnation of the Doctor (a.k.a. "Ten") faces his end, and eventually regenerates to the 11th incarnation of the Doctor (which will be played by Matt Smith). I have seen the trailers for this, and after actually seeing the whole of Part 1, I am a mess! I was crying, I didn't think it would be that emotional. But it was! I really can't talk about the episode because I have to back-track all the way back to Series 1, it really wouldn't make sense unless you follow the show already. I can't wait to see the final part, which will air on January 2nd! It will be sad to see David Tennant leave the role, but excited to see how it will all happen on the tube.

This video clip is part of the Part 1, this particular sequence made me cry. It's very sad.

If you have not seen or don't know anything about "Doctor Who", I suggest that you queue it on your Netflix, or watch it on Youtube. It's a brilliant show, and it's for the whole family.

Part 2 of "Doctor Who: End of Time" is on Saturday, January 2nd, 6pm PST on BBC America!

"The Sing Off" Finale - my 2 cents.

First off, let me just say that I really hope this show gets picked up for the Spring or Fall season. I was a bit underwhelmed by the contestants for this pilot "mini"-season. Honestly, outside of the professional a cappella groups that I know and I've seen, there are other groups out there that are so much better than the groups they had on. However, not all of the groups on the show were complete unknowns to me. I have heard of Voices of Lee, the Bubs, and Maxx Factor, from various a cappella festivals and competitions all over the U.S. and they have developed reputations and recognition over the years, so they already have some fans out there.

Anyway, I missed the first 30 mins of the show, but got home just in time to see Nota sing "Stand by Me". I'm sorry, but I wasn't a fan of Nota (still am not). Yes, they have flavor. Yes, they can perform. But most of the time, someone in the group would either be sharp or flat. Their harmonies were not as tight and smooth as that of Maxx Factor or Voices of Lee. Very underwhelmed by them. But I suppose they have the potential to be marketable in mainstream music, that's probably why the public votes for them.

Voices of Lee performed "Pocketful of Sunshine" with Natasha Bedingfield. I love the arrangement they did, and they all sounded amazing, including Natasha! The harmonies are balanced, no one was sticking out like a sore thumb. The arrangement was tasteful, it wasn't overly done, not too many bells and whistles, just voices. Very tasteful. But, was it just me or did Natasha lose count somewhere in the middle of the song? Maybe she did it on purpose, I'm not quite sure. I love Voices of Lee. They were my faves.

I skipped the Bubs' performance. Singing with Nicole? Yeah, that's a channel changer. "You Don't Own Me"? I smelled "cheese" a mile away. I switched the channel to HBO and watched "Alex Rider: Stormtrooper" for a little just in time to see Damian Lewis shoot Ewan McGregor! :(

I also skipped Nota's performance with Smokey Robinson. I love Smokey, but I was just over Nota altogether.

Boyz II Men. My boys, my boys! What happened?! They were shaky. They weren't blending very well. And their sound wasn't full! They need Mike McCary back! They were able to pull it together towards the end, singing "End of the Road" but they were definitely missing the bottom. That's OK, Mike's rejoining the group next year. Very excited about that! How I wish I was there at the studio live, singing along though. :(

BOBBY MCFERRIN. I have to agree with Jake Moulton with what he said on his Facebook status page that Bobby saved the night. He did! Mr. McFerrin IS the king of a cappella and is simply a musical genius. The improve was great. But Bobby definitely schooled everyone in that studio with his talent. He should've done the Bach Fugue and had the audience sing along to "Ave Maria". Or he could've done "Mere Words", which is one of my favourite Bobby songs from "Bang! Zoom!" He didn't win 10 Grammy's for nothing, and not a lot of people know that he's more than the "Don't Worry Be Happy" guy. He is so much more than that. Way more! HE was definitely the highlight of the night for me!

Voices of Lee was voted off, leaving Nota and the Bubs to duke it out in the finals. Obviously, I was disappointed.

I basically skipped out on the rest of the show. I did catch a glimpse of the finalists performing with judge Ben Folds, avec piano. Shame on you, Mr. Folds. No instruments allowed at an a cappella show. SHAME.

So, "who won?" you ask. Nota. Their closing song: "Down" by Jay Sean. Ummm... I was so underwhelmed.

Overall, I'm glad that a show like this has finally seen daylight, and I really hope it gets picked up for a regular season. I'm not a complete fan of this show just yet. But I'm glad this has shone the spotlight on a cappella.

My thoughts on "The Sing Off" (Pilot Episode)

I'm no a cappella expert, in the sense that I haven't performed enough a cappella music as a singer. However, I have been exposed to the world of contemporary a cappella (a.k.a. non-barbershop, non-doowop) in the past 10 years, have seen the pros who do it for a living, the amateurs and the collegiate groups that I could probably form a very informed opinion on the subject matter.

Tonight, was the premier of NBC's "The Sing Off", a music competition like no other, in that, it's all about a cappella music, in various forms. The show is hosted by Nick Lachey (of 98 degrees). And it also has a panel of judges: Ben Folds (of Ben Folds Five), Shawn Stockman (of Grammy award-winning music group, Boyz II Men), and, oddly enough, Nicole Scherzinger (of the Pussy Cat Dolls). My first thought regarding their choice of Ben Folds was, "why?" I've always know that he's a wonderful musician, and he did release an album recently of all a cappella tunes called, "University A Cappella", so I thought, the producers must think he's an a cappella expert. However, after watching this show, I have to say, he knows his a cappella, and he has great ear. One example is the key shift that the SoCals did, when the bass went sharp. I thought I was just imagining that, but he did hear it and so did Shawn. Wasn't sure if Nicole caught that, being a "solo" artist (yes, she is in a "group", but have you noticed that she's the only one who sings? And as far as harmonies are concerned, PCD is not known for harmonies).

Shawn Stockman. I understand this choice. Boyz II Men (or Unique Attraction as they were known before they became uber-famous), started off as a 4-part harmony a cappella group at the Philadelphia High School for the Performing Arts. Shawn has enough knowledge and a cappella experience to be a judge in this show. And I did wonder (and so did my friend, Sherry) if he still remembers (let alone, keep in touch) with George Baldi III (Rockapella's bass, and former member of Unique Attraction).

Nicole Scherzinger. This choice was a complete puzzler. OK, so they probably needed a pretty girl in the mix, and after watching the episode, she has been dubbed as the "Paula" of the trifecta of judges. But what's her experience as far as a cappella is concerned? As I've mentioned before, PCD is not known for harmonies, nor a cappella for that matter. They lip-synch 99% of the time in concerts, and Nicole sings ALL of the solos. Her comments were pretty much a echo of the other two judges', and then she tells them they looked good, had the spirit, had great outfits, etc...

The groups. My initial favourite out of the first set was Face. And they were booted off! What was that all about?! They sounded the most "professional" out of the 4 (all 8, actually). I thought Nota should've left. The guy didn't even know the lyrics to "I'm Yours" which is a no-no, especially for a Jason Mraz song. The man is known for his lyrics, his "wordplay". Piece of advice: LEARN THE CORRECT LYRICS! Out of the 2nd set, my favourite was the Beelzebubs, I'd have to say. They were cheesy, but they were fun to watch, and they sang their a%%es off.

Honorable mentions:
- Maxx Factor
- Voices of Lee
- SoCals

I still haven't completely jumped on this show's bandwagon, but I am hopeful that it gets picked up and the network orders a full season of it in the spring. I'm excited because a cappella is definitely a genre close to my heart and I'm glad that it's starting to gain some popularity. I hope it continues.

It's Saturday night.

Watching Joseph Gordon-Levitt do his opening monologue on Saturday Night Live! He's doing a song-and-dance bit to the tune of "Make 'Em Laugh". Awful singer but he's so brilliant, I really don't care.

Counting sheep.

Still up and it's already 2:40am! Lots of things on my my mind. But I know I need to get some sleep to get to church early tomorrow. My throat still hurts from sipping the hot sinigang soup my mom made for dinner. I'm pretty sure my tonsils got burned too. Anyway, enough of that. Going to get some water to drink then, I'll attempt to sleep. Night.


-- Posted from my iPhone

iBlogging

Here's my first post, from my iPhone! I love this app!


-- Posted from my iPhone

Feeling a bit overwhelmed.

I'd like to stop feeling this way. Lord Jesus, help me understand and know Your will more. Today, I've been battling bouts of sadness and, most of all, homesickness. I have been missing Toronto lately, especially my friends that I've left behind. I'd like to go back and visit, but due to circumstances beyond my control, I'm not able to... yet. I really need to keep on trusting the Lord and His will. I posted about cloud hovering above me on my previous post. I know that I need to get my focus back on God, His work and His will in my life. I really need to be still and let Him guide me, teach me, refine me.

Trying out a different font. Hmm...

Trying times...

The Israelites were commanded by God to be still when the cloud was present. This truth is certainly not lost on me. I think my husband was absolutely right. God may be trying to get my attention with this heavy, dark cloud He has allowed to come over me. I need to camp out, slow down and seek Him with everything in me until the cloud disappears.

I can’t say the cloud has completely lifted as of yet, but I can say with great confidence that I have met with the Creator of the Universe in my dark, cloudy day and He has shown me great fire to light the darkness. When He blacked out the rest of the world, He slowed me down so I could focus on His promises. He has shown me Light in this darkness that I would not have seen had I not experienced the cloud. If you have a cloud hovering over you today, seek Him. He is in the darkness and He is waiting to meet with you. In fact, the cloud could be His blessed invitation to meet one on one with Him! What a privilege!

(This is an excerpt from a devotional by Leslie Nease, from Crosswalk.com. Please click on the link to read the full devotional.)

These past few weeks have certainly been very trying, to say the least. I’ve been frustrated, anxious, and short-fused. It certainly feels like there’s a cloud hovering over me, and I can’t seem to shake it off.

I read this devotional today. “Cloudy days” definitely come at such unexpected times, and it definitely has for me, but I certainly agree with the writer of this devotional, in that, God is trying to get my attention, to be still and to seek Him. I’ve been so pre-occupied with other things, I’ve been sort of putting my time with Him in the back-burner. Maybe that’s why my life seems chaotic right now. On my drive to work this morning, I actually cried out to Him and asked for a break, a room to breathe. This devotional was a very timely reminder.

So...

...I haven't updated this blog (nor any other blog) in a very long time. I believe I've been spending so much time on Facebook, an intervention is in order. Yes, I admit it. Isn't that the first step towards recovery, anyway? Acknowledge that you have a problem. OK, my FB fixation is actually not as bad as it used to be. The funny thing is, those who pointed out to me that I spent too much time on FB, how did they know? If they knew that I spent a lot of time of FB, wouldn't that mean that they spent a lot of time on there as well? ;)

OK, so I've decided to update this blog. What do I write about? I suppose I'll just begin with today's events. Nothing much went on today, unfortunately. It's my usual week day - woke up late, went in to work around 1pm, and I'm still here! Yes, working late on a Friday night. I should go out and do something. But alas, funds are short. Pay day's not until Monday, so I'll have to wait 'til then. But first off, must pay the bills, etc... then I can whoop it up. Incredibly jealous that my friend, Sherry is somewhere in New England right now, watching Rockapella, one of my favourite music groups in the world. Actually, she's probably at the Meet-and-Greet right now, giving the boys the homemade cookies that she had baked for them. I haven't traveled to see Rockapella in a while. The last time I actually traveled far to see one of their shows was 2002, in New York. Those were my crazy, groupie days. Only reason I would want to travel again is because one of the members, Kevin Wright, who's become my favourite and who's always been awesome towards me every time we see each other, is leaving the group at the end of the year, and I would like to see as much of him, on stage, as possible, before he leaves. He's great, lovely voice, fantastic personality. A lot of people will miss his presence when he leaves. I guess I'll just have to wait 'til December to see him for the very last time.

Anyway, it's been quite a hectic few weeks for me at work. I work at a music school, and we just started a new semester, which means, new classes (private and group), new students, and the lot. I've been working 6-day work weeks for the past few weeks because of that. Two more weeks to go, and hopefully I can breathe again. I need some sort of distraction, thank God for my annual Disneyland pass. I'm looking forward to going again after all of this, and hopefully, Boyz II Men in Nov! Now, I just need to get through the next couple of weeks.

Tomorrow, I plan to sleep in and hang out at home. Then, I have to head over to our church to set up for our church anniversary celebration this coming Sunday. My church is celebrating its 16th year! We're putting things together very last-minute because our original plans for celebration (a church camp) fell through because of the fires in the San Bernardino mountains last summer (the camp site has been temporarily closed down). So, our celebration this year will be very small and intimate, which suits me just fine. Praise God for his faithfulness and allowing his work at Olive to continue for 16 years now! May He be glorified as we celebrate on Sunday!

Alright, time to head home (yup, still at work). Will veg in front of the TV tonight. Maybe catch up on my Netflix movies. I have "Doctor Who" Series 4, Episodes 1-4 sitting on my desk.

"Bite me, Alien boy!"

These two are brilliant together! I’m gonna miss watching both of them as The Doctor and Donna! I think Donna is my favourite companion of the Doctor’s. She can really go toe-to-toe with him. And I love how she called him “Space Man”.

San Diego Comic Con - my thoughts.

I didn’t have the opportunity to attend Comic Con in San Diego this weekend. I’ve never attended one before, but have always been curious. My urge to go really started right after seeing “The Lord of the Rings – The Fellowship of the Ring”. Since then, I’ve always toyed with the idea of going to this convention one day.

I didn’t really make any particular plans to go to Comic Con this year. However, my cousin, Joyce, mentioned that she and our friend Marty were thinking of purchasing a one-day pass to check it out, and she asked me if I wanted to come along. It was a very tempting notion. I told her that I would seriously think about going. A couple of weeks before Comic Con started, I found out that Zachary Quinto (Sylar from “Heroes” and Spock from “Star Trek” the movie) was going to be at the convention. That kinda upped the ante for me. So, I snooped around some more to see who else was going to be at Con, and that’s how I found out that David Tennant, Barty Crouch, Jr. from “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire”, but more notably, the 10th Doctor in the most successful and longest-running sci-fi TV show ever, “Doctor Who” was going to be there! My mind exploded! I’m a fairly new “Who” fan, it probably started late last year. I stumbled upon it on a local PBS station whilst channel-surfing. At the time, it was still Christopher Eccleston (Claude from “Heroes”, Destro in the upcoming “G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra” movie), playing the enigmatic Time Lord. I was immediately hooked! I had a Netflix account at the time, so I decided to catch myself up with the series. I fell in love! Chris only stayed for 1 season (he and Russell T. Davies revived the show, which had been lying dormant since the 80’s). Then, David came along, and I was gone! I couldn’t get enough of it! I have officially joined the exclusive society of geeks and nerds when I discovered this show!

Anyway, I digress. I couldn’t believe that David was going to Con, along with Russell T. Davies (main “Who” writer), and John Barrowman, who plays Capt. Jack Harkness in “Doctor Who” and, eventually, it’s spin-off “Torchwood” – another fave of mine). My indecisiveness about going to SDCC was quickly replaced with determination! I wanted to go to Con! I just need to find out about getting a pass on the day David and the “Doctor Who”/”Torchwood” folks would be at panel, which was last Sunday. I checked the Comic Con website again to find out more details, only to find out that all passes, both for the weekend and day passes, were SOLD OUT! Waaaahhh!!!! I wanted to cry so bad! I possibly have missed my only chance to see David Tennant in person! When am I ever going to London or Cardiff? Not anytime soon, that’s for sure! Needless to say, I was devastated. So, no DT, RTD and JB for me.

Then, I saw Jonathan Ross’ (”Friday Night with Jonathan Ross”) tweet on Twitter last Thursday, mentioning that he had just landed at LAX, with the lovely David Tennant, and they were on their way to San Diego. I just about keeled over! David was in Southern California! Breathing the same smog-filled air as I am! Again, I nearly cried! (So dramatic, I know!)

So, basically, this past weekend was torture for me. I had turned into a complete and utter geek this past weekend. Thanks to other “Who” fans who posted pics of DT, RTD and JB, and videos of “the kiss” and the “Doctor Who” panel, I felt a bit better for not being there in person. Still, it would’ve been such a thrill for me to have seen my lovely favourites in person. I’m hoping that DT, RTD and JB would go to Gallifrey One, which is a “Doctor Who” convention held here in Los Angeles! One can only hope!

Here’s a pic

My lovely Doctor, camping it up for the camera at Comic Con! (photo courtesy of Jonathan Ross)

David Tennant poses with Jonathan Ross' friend and co-producer, at Comic Con (David's the one in blue). Millenium Falcon shirt, FTW! (photo from Jonathan Ross)

I hope Jonathan Ross doesn’t mind me posting the pics. They ARE all over the internet by now! LOL

This takes the cake though… I fell to the floor, much like John Barrowman did here on this video! Crazy fools!

And here are the videos taken of the “Doctor Who” panel.

PLEASE NOTE: These videos aren’t mine. Credit goes to the owners of course. Thank you for sharing!

I ain’t gonna front, I was a mess after watching Michael Jackson’s memorial service yesterday! He was a big part of the soundtrack of my life, just as he was a part of everyone else’s. I had a lot of very vivid & fond memories, & his music was prevalent throughout my 34 yrs. Back in Manila, growing up, I bonded with my neighbor across the street over MJ’s music & dance moves. I remember coming home from school every afternoon, and I would hear “Beat It” blasting through his living room window. He would dance up a storm, and my uncles, aunts, and I would watch him from our driveway. He would come over the house at times and he and I would dance to “Beat It” & “Thriller”! choreography and all! He even taught me how to moonwalk! And I’m proud to say, I can still do it! He was a huge fan. I wonder how he’s holding up right now.

Michael had a lot of eccentricities, and a lot of his actions were looked upon as strange or weird. But sometimes, I think most of these actions were done on purpose. Part of a publicity stunt. Regardless of what has transpired in the past 10 years, as far as his life is concerned, he is undoubtedly a musical genius. He was an amazing singer, even at 11 years old – very souful and expressive. And his dancing is just unparallelled. No matter how hard you try, when you watch him dance, even with dancers all around him, you cannot help but zero in on him. He just pulls you in and you are just mesmerized. I’d have to agree with Motown Records founder Berry Gordy, Michael is the greatest entertainer that ever lived. Unfortunately, we will not see anymore of his brilliance. However, his music will continue to live on and on. He has changed pop culture, and was the bar that every one wanted to live up to.

When I learned of his death, I immediately thought, "did anyone talk to him about Jesus Christ and presented to him the Gospel?" However, I ran into a tweet by Sheila E., fantastic percussionist, a believer, and a friend of Michael’s, on the day of MJ’s memorial service, in which she said, and I quote, “Michael received Jesus B4 he passed. I will attend his home coming. Pray for his family.” If this is true, and I pray to the Lord it is, it would’ve been the best thing that had ever happened to Michael. No matter what happened to him while he was still alive, receiving God’s gift of salvation through Jesus Christ definitely had set him free from all the burdens he has been carrying all these years! He is now in the arms of Jesus! The best place to be! No more pain, no more sorrow. I can just picture MJ, moonwalking on the streets of gold! That would be something!

Ever since his death, I’ve been listening to his songs and have found a new appreciation for them. I listen more intently on the way he sings a song, the amazing basslines and guitar riffs of his more upbeat songs like “Beat It”, “Billie Jean” or “Smooth Criminal”. I guess it also comes with the fact that I’m older, and know a little bit more about music compared to when I was 7, 8, or 9 years old. His music and legacy will continue for a very long time.

Rockapella Concert - Lewis Family Playhouse, Rancho Cucamonga, Ca - June 14, 2009

This was actually a show that I wanted to go to, but just neglected to purchase a ticket in advance for. I headed over to Rancho Cucamonga around 5:30pm. There wasn’t much traffic at all on the way and I got there without a hitch. I parked my car and then headed to the box office to purchase my ticket. Thankfully, there were quite a few tickets left, so I picked where I wanted to sit, paid for it, then with a few minutes to spare, headed over to Forever 21 and bought myself a cute pair sandals, which I immediately wore. After I made my purchase, I headed back to the theater and freshened up in the bathroom. Walked in to the theatre, found my seat, and just waited. I sent Sherry a quick text to find out where she was. I look up, looked towards the front and found her on the 2^nd row, somewhere in the middle.

The show was great, as usual. But for some strange reason, it was just a little more sentimental for me this time around. I was enjoying it a little bit more, more than usual & I was singing along to pretty much every song. When they sang, “California Sad-Eyed Girl”, I got very teary-eyed. Kevin sang it so beautifully! It tugged at my heart-strings. I’m still getting a bit teary just thinking about it. The off-mic stuff was just plain incredible! I kept trying to hear Jeff’s part. I know exactly what part he sings and try to hear it. But he blends so well with everyone though, it’s really hard to hear him.

After the show, I wandered around for a bit, and then proceeded to head outside, just for some fresh air. As I was walking out, I saw out of the corner of my eye, someone who looked very familiar. I couldn’t see his face that well because he had his hat on. I kept walking closer to the door, then, finally looked and realized it was Jake Moulton, former vocal percussionist and baritone of m-pact (my other favorite a cappella group), now with The House Jacks! I stepped out for a bit, to make a phone call, then walked back in and decide to look for Sherry and co. On my way to look for Sherry, I walked past Jake, but didn’t have the guts to say “hi” to him at the time, as I didn’t want to bother him. I just went and looked for Sherry.

I saw Wendy & Jeff again, gave them a quick hug, and then, found Sherry with her other friends, whom I hadn’t met before. Quick introductions were made and then we just stood in line, waiting to say “hi” to Pella. As I got closer, I decided to get out of the line, and give other people a chance to say “hi” to them. I have seen them a couple of days prior anyway, so that was enough for me. I waited behind the rope (their MnG table was roped off) and watched Sherry introduce one of her friends, and first time Rockapella concert-goer, to the guys. I did manage to do my wave/smile combo to both JB and Geo, and then, Kevin. I gave a quick wave to Jeff, who said “hi” back. Talked a little bit with another friend of Sherry’s (his name escapes me at the moment), then decided to leave. As I was saying my goodbyes to the new Pella friends I had met, I saw Jake Moulton again, walking towards me this time. I decided to just go up and say “hi” to him. I said, “Hello, Jake. Just wanted to come up and say, ‘hi’.” He smiled and shook my hand, very firmly, and held it for a while. He then, asked me what my name was, so I said, “My name is Aura.” Then, something clicked in his head, I guess. He said that he remembers me. At first, he thought my name was “Aura Lee” then he realized it was the title of a song. LOL Anyway, I told him that I’m a huge fan, and had seen m-pact quite a few times, and he is my other favorite vocal percussionist, besides Jeff. (And that is the truth!) We talked for quite a bit, asked him why he left m-pact, how he got the gig with The House Jacks, where he went to school, Kickshaw (which he founded), his vocal problems (poor thing, he’s having a hard time singing!). I told him that he needs to take care of his voice because it is just beautiful (another truth!). It was quite a long, and enjoyable (for my part, at least!) conversation. We must’ve been talking for at least a half-hour. He said that he was there to see Jeff, with whom he’s been friends for a long time. He also said that he’s been a fan of Rockapella since the “Spike Lee & Co.: Do it, A Cappella” days, and wanted to do what they’re doing. I thought that was really cool. Finally, Jeff approached us, and I suppose he was quite surprised to see me talking to Jake (or vice versa). So, he asked Jake, “Do you know this young lady?” Jake said that he did know me. Then, he looked at me and asked, “So, are you a fan of his many, many groups?” So, I told him that I am. Then, they started making plans, so I excused myself, so they could plan where they were going. But before I got a chance to walk away, Jeff grabbed me and gave me a hug, another nice one, and said, “Thanks for coming, sweetie. It’s always good to see you.” I said that it was good to see him too, and that I will see him again at the next gig. I tried to pull away, but he was hanging on tight, so I stayed there, in his arms, for a little bit. Then, I finally wiggled my way out, and looked over to Jake and said, “It was nice talking to you.” Offered to shake his hand. I’m not sure if I was imagining it, but he just stood there, looking at me, with arms wide open. I guess, he wanted a hug, so I said, “Oh, let me give you a hug too!” So, we hugged it out. He gives good hugs too. Then, as I walked away, I reminded him to get to working on booking gigs for The House Jacks here in the Los Angeles area (which is his job, booking gigs) and he said that he would.

I went to find Sherry one last time to say “bye”, found her talking to Scott, so I stood there for a bit and listened in on their conversation until Scott finally had to leave. He gave me a hug. Then, he was off.

As I walked out, I, all of a sudden, realized that I was sandwiched between my two most favorite vocal percussionists in the entire world! Wow! I couldn’t believe it! I was walking towards Starbucks, thinking to myself, “Jeff and Jake just gave me hugs!” Soooo looney! A very memorable Rockapella/m-pact/The House Jacks rendezvous, indeed!

Rockapella Concert - McKinney Theatre, Saddleback College, Mission Viejo, CA - June 12, 2009

When I first found out about this show, I originally hadn’t planned on going at all. I’m not sure why, and I never purchased a ticket in advance. However, it sort of worked out because I found out a few months later that my 4-year-old nephew was to graduate the same evening from preschool. This further confirmed that I wasn’t going to attend this show.

Then, a couple of days before the show, I sent a text to Sherry, and told her that I might try to make it to the show, but it all depended on what time my nephew’s graduation festivities will end. I left it at that, and just kind of let it simmer in my mind.

The 12^th came. I went to work, as usual, then left early so that I could make it to my nephew’s graduation ceremony in time, but got a bit confused in the process because there were two preschools in the same area in Cerritos, and I went to the wrong one! After making a quick phone call to verify the actual location, I headed over to the school with plenty of time to find family and settle down from being a bit frazzled.

The ceremony ended around 7pm, with a small reception after-wards. Around 7:15pm, I sent another text to Sherry to ask if it’s worth it to drive out to Mission Viejo and catch the show. She replied and informed me that it might not be worth it, because earlier that evening, the 5 Freeway was a pain, they were stuck for a while, and the show was to start at 8pm. My family/relatives all stayed for the reception and we ended up just hanging out. Then, they all started to leave, one by one. I found myself standing next to my car with nowhere to go, so I just decided to hop in and drive to Mission Viejo in the off-chance that they would have extra tickets and possibly just miss the first 15 minutes of the show. I tried calling the box office at McKinney to see how long they will be open ‘til and if there were still tickets to be purchased. However, no one answered, but the automated voice announcement said that the box office will only be open 1 hour prior to the start of the show! The show started at 8pm, I didn’t leave Cerritos ‘til 7:45pm, by the time I would get to the theatre, the box office would’ve been long closed already and I would’ve missed 45 minutes of the show! I had to decide quickly, as I didn’t really have much time to think about it, so I just told myself to just go anyway.

The flow of traffic was smooth all the way to Mission Viejo, but it felt like I was driving forever! I kept looking at the clock to check what time it was. I finally arrived at Saddleback College, but I ended up on the wrong side of campus. I had no idea where the theatre was! I believe, I arrived at Saddleback some time around 8:20pm, but since I didn’t know where to go, I ended up driving around for another 10-15 minutes, just looking for the theatre! I finally found the place, and just ran to the theatre. Obviously, the box office was closed already, but I was hoping that people that worked there would be walking around so I could ask them if it’s possible to buy a ticket. There was no one in sight, but I saw that one of the doors into the lobby was wide open. I looked around to see if anyone was there, but there was no soul in sight. So, I walked in, but hesitated to just walk into the theatre, so I waited for another 5 minutes to see if anyone would show up. No one did, so I finally walked in and found a few empty seats on the fourth row (from the back), and just sat in one of the seats. I can’t remember which part of the show I walked in during. Anyway, I was just happy to have made it, and actually get a free show in the process!

“My Girl/”Beg” – this was fun. The fake-out was actually pretty good. Of course, Geo made me swoon when he rumbled “Hey, how you doin?” to the girl they picked out (Still waiting for my turn, guys!). Kevin was fixated on the girl’s “cork” shoes, and called them “boat shoes” (am I right, Sher?)! Kevin’s just random like that, and that’s one of the things I love about him.

Before one of their songs, Kevin pointed out that not only does Scott have nice hair (which he does, I have touched it, Bumble and Bumble!), and a voice that only dogs can hear (‘tis true), he also has a 28-inch waist, to which Scott corrected Kevin and said, “26-inches”. Ummm… I almost died! His waist is as big as one of my thighs! Good lawd, I may have to feed you next time, Scott!

Jeff’s VP solo during “Carmen” – for some strange reason, it just struck me at that moment how much I really admire this man. Seriously, he never ceases to amaze me and that night just reminded me why he was my initial favorite (they all are, now)!

After the show, I caught up with Sherry, et al. Then, I checked out the merchandise table to see if they had anything to sell that I still don’t have, and I found a sheet music of “People Change”. It only cost $5 so I bought it to have the guys sign. I got back in line to meet the guys, and finally met Wendy and Jeff (Sherry’s friends) and chatted with them for a bit. As I got closer, I felt myself getting a bit nervous. I’m not sure why. It’s probably because I hadn’t done a meet-and-greet in a while. The last MnG that I did was probably in Dec of 2007, at the Lewis Playhouse in Rancho Cucamonga, CA, and I didn’t even get to say “hello” to all of the guys, only a quick hug to Scott, and a brief chat with Jeff. I took out my phone and asked Sherry, who was standing behind me, to take a pic of me with each of the guys. After giving me a hard time about it (thanks, girl! LOL), in jest, of course, I finally found myself standing a few inches away from Scott, who was the first one at the end of the table. However, before I was able to say “hello” to Scott, Jeff saw me, so I smiled and waved at him. He mumbled something like, “I’m going to get up and say ‘hello.’” So, he got up and went around, and gave me a really nice hug. He said that it was a pleasure to see me, as always, that I looked good and that he liked my hair. This, of course, made me “squee” inside. He excused himself (after saying “hi” to and hugging Sherry behind me) and went about his business, not sure what it was. Now, that I think about it, I’m not sure when he signed my sheet music, because he did. Hmm… Anyway, I digress. So, I stand in front of Scott, did my wave/smile combo, and he immediately says, “Aura”. He is too cute! I love the fact that he remembers my name! As he was signing the sheet music, I pointed to it and asked him if he was ever going to have sheet music for “Don’t Tell Me You Do”. He said that he’s working on it and remembered that it is my favorite Rockapella song ever (can’t believe he remembered that too!)! I asked him about his shirt, a pink shirt, with the words “purple and yellow” on it. Sherry wanted to know if he wore it because of the Lakers. So, I asked him if he did wear it because of the Lakers, but he said that he didn’t realize it until I pointed it out. I proceeded to ask him if it would be easy to transpose “People Change” to a key that’s suited for a women’s ensemble, because my group and I would like to attempt to sing it. He said that it should be easy, especially now that we have the sheet music. Then, he went into more of the technical aspects of ensemble singing and said that we wouldn’t really need the bass thumping through, or some such. He kept going on, but I noticed that I was holding up the line (yes Sher, I was the one holding up the line, which is not entirely my fault because Scott kept explaining stuff to me, I didn’t want to just walk away! *winks*). I apologize to those who were behind me.

I was hoping I would get to talk to JB but by the time I finished talking to Scott, he had left his seat and was talking to someone else. Bummer! However, next in line was Kevin! So, I immediately went around and said “hello” to him and gave him a hug. I, then, asked him, “What? No straight hair?” This was in reference to a conversation we had about a Kevin look-alike I saw on the BART (Bay area’s transit system) a couple of months ago, that had straight hair. I asked him if he ever thought about straightening his hair and he said that he thought of it, and asked me if I thought it would look good. Anyway, when I asked him at the MnG why his hair wasn’t straight, he chuckled and said, “Noo… I got a lot of e-mails about that and they didn’t like the idea.” Too funny! I wouldn’t want him to straighten his hair anyway. His curly hair is one of the many reasons I love him. We were just having a silly conversation about straightening his hair, that’s all! We took a picture together, and then I told him that I would post it up so he could see it. I gave him another hug, and before I walked away he said, “You smell really good!” What is up with ‘Pella smelling me?! This isn’t the first time I got the “you smell good” comment. LOL He asked what the scent was and where I got it, so I told him.

I walked around Geo and just said “hi” to him. I didn’t really have much to say to Geo since I am not as well acquainted with him as I am with Scott, Kevin and Jeff, but I thought, “what the heck?!” and asked him if I could take a picture with him. So, I grabbed my phone and took our picture, “self-portrait” style. The first one didn’t turn out well, and I was cut off, so he suggested for me to take another one. I thanked Geo and walked over by the merchandise table once again, stood there for a bit, while checking out to see if the pictures that I took turned out well. While I was standing there, I saw Jeff walking towards me, so I went up to him and asked him if I could have my picture taken with him. I was going to do it “self-portrait” style again, but I saw Rudy (one of Sherry’s friends, who I hadn’t met yet at that point) and asked him if he could take our picture. As I stood next to Jeff, he tells me, “This is your color.” – pointing out the color of the sweater I was wearing, which was purple. After three attempts, Rudy gave up. He was shaking! It was too funny! He actually got one OK one, a bit blurry, but I still like it. Jeff and I had a brief conversation about iPhones (since I have one), and asked me if I knew about the 3Gs that was coming out this month. I told him that I knew about it, but I probably won’t upgrade since I had just gotten my iPhone (regular 3G), and I didn’t want to pay $399 to upgrade to a 3Gs. After that brief convo, he gave me another hug (which I love!), called me “sweetie”, and excused himself to handle the money, I’m guessing from the merch & ticket sales.

After Jeff left, I thanked Rudy and introduced myself to him, and Jeff (not Thacher), Sherry’s friends, who are incredibly nice and fun to talk to. I was about to leave when Rudy insisted that I hear the “octopus” story that Kevin told during the show. So, he walked up to Kevin and said, that he had a friend who got there late and missed the first part of the show, and didn’t get to hear the “octopus” story, and if he wouldn’t mind telling the story again. He asked Rudy who the friend was, and he pointed to me! I didn’t know Rudy did that! So, Kevin looked at me and said, “You missed the first 20 minutes of the show? Well, that’s too bad. I’m not going to tell the story again!” So, I said, “Fine, I’m never, ever coming to see you guys again!” Then, I turned around, pretending to leave. But then, I went back and I said, “C’mon! I would like to hear the story, please?” So, he said, “OK, OK, I’ll tell you the story.” He, then, proceeds to tell me the whole “octopus” story, which was hilarious! One-on-one, story-telling time with Kevin. It’s the best thing ever!

So, I chatted a bit more with Rudy and Jeff, then, decided that it was late and I had to go home since it was still a bit of a drive for me. Didn’t get to say “bye” to Sherry since I didn’t want to interrupt her conversation with Scott, but I sent her a text to let her know I had left. Rudy and Jeff walked me to the car, which was really nice of them, gave them hugs and said my goodbyes. Another Rockapella Rendezvous to remember.

Hatton should find a new coach.

After the devastating loss Ricky Hatton suffered in the hands of Manny Pacquaio last Saturday, May 2nd, Floyd Mayweather, Sr., in a couple of articles I read online, put down his own boxer, saying that the reason Hatton lost to Pac Man was because he (Hatton) didn't listen to him (Mayweather, Sr.), and urged him to retire already because he's tried and lost twice: first, to his son, Pretty Boy Floyd, and then to Manny (who he considers "lower" than Pretty Boy, hmph).

Some coach Hit Man has, huh? Very sad for Hatton to have someone on his side who kicks you when you're already down. And for him to be your coach, someone who's supposed to be on your side and supports you, no matter what? A piece of advice to Ricky Hatton: look for a new coach.

I survived, barely.

The flu hit me like a ton of bricks a couple of weeks ago. I'm such a weakling! I always, ALWAYS get sick during the winter. It never fails! I need to take better care of myself. It's my own fault, I admit. I do not sleep early. For me, "early" would be 1am. Don't know why. I promised myself that I was going to work on sleeping early for 2009. So far, I have not been successful. Please pray for discipline on my part. I need it.

The flu's long gone, but now I'm coughing. It doesn't help that I feel a draft coming through the window around the early hours of the morning. Thank God for the electric blanket that April got me for Christmas. It has helped me these past few days.

Prayer requests:

1. For our church, Olive Christian Church. We need a revival, BIG TIME. Pray that each member realizes that the Lord's work is serious business and not just a weekend activity that's optional or attended to whenever one's personal calendar allows it.

2. My prayer life. I have to admit, my prayer life could be so much better. I don't spend as much time in prayer as I would want to.

3. My health. For me to take better care of myself.

4. My mom's health. She's been doing well so far. Lots of 'maintenance'. Praise God, her gout hasn't been bothering her!

5. God's leading in my life. I would like to have more of a clear direction in where He wants me to be, and what He wants me to do at this point. Would a move be a possibility?

6. In Harmony and Papuri. God has been refining us. And I know that there's a reason why we've been on hiatus for a while. We all have issues. I pray that we get things right, individually. We need to put God as top priority. We've been focusing on so many things, that we've lost focus on Him. It's hard to minister to people, when you're not willing to work on your personal relationship with God. I understand that God accepts us for who we are. But He also wants us to become the kind of people He's called us to be.

I'd appreciate the prayers! :)

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

Well, the day is coming to an end, I hope that everyone had a wonderful Valentine's Day. I survived it, being single and all. I actually had to work for a little bit today. Almost had a situation to which I had to do damage control. Praise God, things went really smoothly.

After work, I had the urge to drive around, go to L.A. or something, but I decided to just do a bit of grocery shopping and then head home. I ended up watching the NBA All-Star festivities on TV while eating some of the leftover pork sinigang my mom made for me for my birthday.

Thus, ends my Valentine's day festivities. I'm gonna hit the sack. Have to get up early for church tomorrow. Good night!

Birthday fun-day at the Magic Kingdom.

So, I just celebrated another birthday. No fancy celebration for me this year, not even a dinner or anything. I just wanted to do one thing, go to Disneyland! As you may know, Disneyland has this special deal where you can get in to one of their parks for free on your birthday. So, that's what I decided to do. I haven't been to the Magic Kingdom since 2006, so I thought I would take advantage of this special deal they have and go for my birthday to see what's new since the last time I was there.

I was joined by my niece, Nevaeh, my friend Vanessa (who took a half-day), my friend Gidget and her husband and son. We rode most of the "thrill" rides they had, except for Indiana Jones because Nevaeh wasn't tall enough to ride it. I was a bit apprehensive in having her ride the "thrill" rides with me for fear that she might get scared. But Nevaeh's a trooper, she loved every single ride we rode on! She especially loved Space Mountain! I love it! I had so much fun, and the fact that I got to spend it with my little niece, just made it even more special.

My Grammy commentary.

First, let me get this out of the way... I HEART COLDPLAY! I've always liked their music, but after being featured on the show "60 Minutes" tonight, right before the Grammy telecast, I am now a bigger fan. "Viva La Vida" is such an awesome tune! I'm glad it won 'Song of the Year' even if it meant that Jason Mraz's "I'm Yours" didn't win. :(

U2 rocked my socks off!

Whitney looked good and healthy. Still a little cooky, but it's good to see her doing well. When's the new album coming out?

Was it just me or did they have the weirdest on-stage collaborations tonight? The Jonas Brothers with Stevie Wonder? Cringe-worthy. Don't get me wrong, those Jo' Bros are talented kids, I'm still waiting for Joe Jonas' voice to fully grow out of puberty into full, grown-man voice, but I would've waited 10 more years for them to take the stage with Stevie Wonder.

I have beef with the Grammy producers. Why in the world were Boyz II Men relegated to mere back-up singers, and Justin Timberlake got to share the spotlight with Al Green?! Umm... something's wrong there. Apparently, that performance was pulled together last-minute because Chris Brown and Rihanna were no-shows, but still.

Two-words: Kanye's hair.

Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus' duet - surprisingly cute.

John Mayer won Best Male Pop Vocal Performance over Jason Mraz. I love both guys, but this caused me to raise my eyebrows. And I thought Jason was going to perform, "I'm Yours". :(

will.i.am's quip: "congratulations to Obama." Have some respect, man. He is the President of the United States, please address him accordingly. He ain't your best friend. Just because you campaigned and voted for him, doesn't mean you have the right to address him however you want to.

Overall, it wasn't the best Grammys I've seen. I missed those days when they would televise performances from other genres besides the mainstream stuff, like classical, jazz and gospel.

Girls just wanna have fun! :)

I spent the whole day today with 4 of my good girl friends, Ate Joy, Ate Gidget, Ate Gayle and Vanessa. We started the day early and met up at Mimi's Cafe in Cerritos for breakfast, despite the fact that the rain was pouring! Thank God the rain let up for the rest of the day! After breakfast, we headed over to South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, sat around and had some Starbucks, then walked around and did some window shopping. I did come away with a couple of items, one I purchased for myself, and the other item, was purchased for me by my friends as an early birthday present! That was quite unexpected but I really appreciate their generosity and thoughtfulness. I'm truly grateful to them! We ended the evening at Gerry's Grill and had some Filipino food for dinner. Yum-o!

I praise God for friendships. There are so many things that are fleeting and dispensible in this world, friendships, especially with fellow believers, shouldn't be taken for granted!

Looks like I'm gonna be turning early tonight! Yes, 10:44 p.m. IS early for me. G'nite!

You know you're from Canada when...

(I've italicized/boldened the ones that are personal faves - things that I can attest/relate to.)

YOU KNOW YOU'RE FROM CANADA WHEN...

You eat maple syrup like it's sugar.

You go down south people ask you if you sleep in igloos or ride dog-sleds to work/school.

You keep Canadian Tire money in your kitchen drawers.

Everything is labeled in English and French.

"Eh?" is a very important part of your vocabulary and more polite than, "Huh?"

You perk up when you hear the theme song from "Hockey Night in Canada."

You know that the last letter of the English alphabet is always pronounced "Zed" not "Zee".

You get excited whenever an American television show mentions Canada.

You understand the Labatt Blue and Molson Canadian commercials.

You design your Halloween costume to fit over a snowsuit.

Canadian Tire on any Saturday is busier than the toy stores at Christmas.

Driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled in with snow.

The local paper covers national and international headlines on 2 pages, but requires 6 pages for hockey.

You know which leaves make good toilet paper (and you know it's not poison ivy).

You find -40C a little chilly.

You know hockey was truly born here.

There's a Tim Horton's at all American/Canada borders... on the Canadian side.

You know the French equivalents of "free", "prize" and "no sugar added", thanks to your extensive education in bilingual cereal packaging.

You can do the hand actions to Sharon, Lois and Bram's "Skin-a-marinki-dinki-do".

You can eat more than one maple sugar candy without feeling nauseous.

You know that a "Premier" isn't a baby born a few months early.

You think -10 C is mild weather.

You know the ingredients for poutine.

You know that the 'Extra Creamy' in Kraft Extra Creamy Dinner is 'add more milk.'

You die a little inside if you can't get your Tim's double-double every morning.

Someone accidently stepped on your foot. You apologize. - (I've done this.)

You pity people who haven't tasted a "beavertail".

You can complete the phrase: "The good old ____ game is the best ____ you can ____."

You find it difficult to explain "milk in a bag" to non-Canadians, and even more difficult to describe the "snippy-thing" used on bag corners. - (I miss my milk in a bag!)

You know what the four seasons means: winter, still winter, almost winter, and road work/construction.

You know how to pronounce and spell "Saskatchewan"

You've ever had your tongue frozen to something.

You have more kilometers on your snow blower than your car.

You head south to go to your cottage.

You can play road hockey on skates.

You automatically read 'Z' as 'Zed' and don't give a damn that it doesn't rhyme with "now I know my abcs".

You know what a Mickey and 2-4 mean.

You don't care about the fuss with Cuba. It's a cheap place to go for your holidays, with good cigars.

You know that a pike is a type of fish, not part of a highway

You drive on a highway, not a freeway

You know that the C.E.O. of American Airlines is a Canadian!

You know what a touque is.

You were/are in grade twelve not twelfth grade.

You actually get these jokes.

The feeling of snow on your bare feet is comforting.

You work in a hockey arena.

You can drive 80 km through a snow drift in the middle of a blizzard without flinching!

You have worn a parka and shorts at the same time.

You know what a parka is.

After skating on a local rink, you can skate all the way to your front door because of the mass amounts of snow and ice on roads.

Someone calls your house and it’s the wrong number, YOU apologize for NOT being the person they ask for.

We can bring duotangs to school because we have them.

You get mad at the people on American television for complaining its -1 outside.

You laugh when Americans think Canada is overseas. (Didn't Britney Spears say this?)

You measure distance in hours

You are proud to pour ketchup on anything. (and gravy, vinegar, salt & pepper)

You are hosting the 2010 OLYMPICS in Vancouver!

You have to fly to the airport to fly out of the country.

You know what beavertails are REALLY made of.

You know how to spell FAVOURITE, COLOUR...etc. (I still do this to this day, cannot get rid of it. It just doesn't feel right spelling these words any other way! LOL)

You start to watch a show because there is a Canadian actor in it. (This also applies to British actors.)

You HONOUR your country with proper spelling.

You say poutine the right way. (Yum! I should really make some.)

You know that snowshoes aren't tennis rackets.

My NKOTB Rendezvous.

Since I wrote about my night with Boyz II Men, naturally, I have to write about my rendezvous with New Kids on the Block. Just as I was a huge fan of Boyz II Men back in the "way back machine" (Sherry, I'm lovin' that term!), I was also a huge fan of the New Kids on the Block (or "The Block" as they'd like to be called these day). I was the typical teeny-bopper fan in the sense that I had the tapes, and the pull-out posters from the teen mags such as Bop!, Big-Bopper, 16, etc... I actually just found a picture of myself, circa 1991, holding up one of those pull-out posters of NKOTB and posing for the camera! LOL

New Kids on the Block Reunion Concert - Nokia Theatre L.A. Live!, Los Angeles, CA (November 26th, 2008)

Thanks to my friend (and fellow Rockapella fan), Sherry, April and I got tickets to see New Kids on the Block for their reunion tour. She purchased the tickets around August, so we had a two-month wait.

Wednesday, November 26th, 2008: The concert that I'd been waiting for finally came and went... And it went by too fast! It was blur! Blink and you would've missed it. At least, it felt that way to me. There were so many things going on, I barely had time to soak it in. Next thing I knew, it was all over.

Pictures and videos, of course, were top priority that night. My arms were cramping from holding up my camera to take pictures and videos throughout the entire concert. I made it a point to take a video of "If You Go Away" in its entirety, as it is my favourite NKOTB song. I sang along with Jordan Knight in the chorus, and tried to harmonize at certain parts (I'm such a nut! LOL). What made it more special for me that night was that I could totally hear Jonathan Knight (my fave NK) singing the melody an octave lower during the chorus. The classics were a blast, "The Right Stuff", "Valentine Girl", "I'll Be Loving You Forever", "Please Don't Go Girl", "Hangin' Tough" and "Step by Step"! Hearing the crowd sing (more like screaming) every word at the top of their lungs was quite an experience.

Then the section where Donnie Wahlberg, Jordan and Joe McIntyre did their solo spots came and I almost died when I saw Jordan sing "Baby, I Believe in You". I mean, who didn't, really? LOL And I danced along to "Give it to You". My jaw dropped to the floor when Donnie picked up a guitar and started to play the opening riff to "Cover Girl". I wish he'd done it longer though. I love it when people get to show off their other musical talents, besides singing, of course. Donnie, I was ALMOST impressed. LOL If only he'd played longer.

I must say, Jonathan was a rare bird. I had a hard time capturing a picture of him because he's rarely in the forefront. The few times he was shown on the big screen, I was too slow to take a picture, because it was so unexpected! He did have his moment in the spotlight when Joe mentioned to the crowd that it was his birthday and asked the crowd to sing "Happy Birthday" to him. If it weren't for that moment, I wouldn't have had an up-close picture of Jon (thanks, Joe!).

I was deaf by the end of the night what with all the high-pitched screaming around me, but it was completely worth it! If only it hadn't gone by so fast! They just added a show in L.A. for their Spring tour this year. I may just go one more time. ;)

After they'd sung the final song and the house-lights came on, April and I looked at each other with a hint of sadness in our eyes, and we both said, 'it's over." I was so glad that I got to share that night with her, I wouldn't have had it any other way.

My night with Boyz II Men.

It's been almost 3 weeks since I saw Boyz II Men, I can't believe I haven't written about my experience! To think that it was quite an historic occasion for me, being that, I was the biggest Boyz II Men fan back in the "way back" machine (thanks, Sherry!)! My best friend, Rizza, and I obsessed over them endlessly, we pretended that we were dating two of the guys. LOL That's how crazy we were! My friends knew how huge of a fan I was that, when they threw my parents and I a going-away party (we were moving from Toronto to Los Angeles), they bought me a button-up shirt that looked very similar to the ones they were wearing in the video "End of the Road" (yes, the brown plaid ones). But despite my claim of being their biggest fan, I had never seen them live, in concert until now. It took almost 17 years for me to actually see them in concert, and that moment happened on January 14, 2009, at the House of Blues in Anaheim, CA. My dear friend, Vanessa, accompanied me to the concert even though she was not a Boyz II Men fan like myself (she liked their songs, but never really followed them).

After a semi-OK opening act, Jupiter Rising (no offense, the music was good, just not my cup of tea), the Boyz took the stage. Boy, it brought back so many memories! They opened with "Motownphilly", then after a couple of new songs (which signaled to me that they may be coming out with a new CD with new songs), they sang "On Bended Knee" and I almost cried! LOL Mostly for sentimental reasons. I absolutely love that song. It was a monster hit. The whole concert was like a huge sing-along! Everyone was singing the words, at the top of our lungs (I tried to harmonize in some songs), it was quite an experience! I did get very teary when they sang "A Song for Mama" and asked the crowd to take out their cellphones, call their mothers and hold it up so they can hear the Boyz sing the song on the other end of the line. I called my mom, but couldn't hear her on the other end, so I just told her not to hang up and listen to the song. LOL I know, silly me. Hey, but I wanted my mom to somehow share that moment with me. Later on, when I got home, I asked her if she heard the song, she said she barely heard it because it was so loud! LOL Poor mom. So, I just started singing the song to her. :)

Everything was such a blur, next thing I knew it was all over! Vanessa told me that she enjoyed watching me more than she enjoyed the concert. I'm really glad she came along and indulged me. ;) I really wish I had shared it with Rizza. She went to her first Boyz II Men without me (I had already moved to L.A.), so we didn't get to share that as well. I wish I had my camera with me so I could take pictures. I didn't know that they allowed cameras at the HOB (from many previous times I've gone to concerts at the HOB, they have a no-camera/video policy), but for some reason, they made an exception for this concert. I tried taking pictures and videos with my cellphone, but they didn't turn out well. Oh well. There's always next time. ;)

the inevitable.

As I was getting ready for church yesterday morning, I discovered, I suppose, the inevitable - GRAY HAIR. Not just one, but quite a few. I'm still in denial, so I'll just chalk it up to stress. Who am I kidding?! I'm not-so-young anymore. *gulps* This means that I will be buying hair dye to cover up, and not just for style anymore. Oy! Eh, what are you gonna do? LOL

When I think about it, there's actually a bright spot to this. I've always liked Stacy London's (What Not to Wear) hair. It's all black, with a streak of white at the front. Hmm... the possibilities.

Gray. hair. WOW. LOL

I want one!

I saw one of my co-workers with his new HP Netbook and now, I want one! This one is Acer’s version, but my co-worker says that it’s comparable. It’s about 8.9″ with a 120 GB hard drive. Only catch is that I’d have to get an external dvd/cd-rom hard drive. But Bestbuy is selling one for $99! I would love to get this for my birthday (hint, hint)! If I get one, I wouldn’t have to carry around my 15″ laptop! This one is so small, I can actually put it in my purse and carry it everywhere!

Here’s the dvd/cd-rom that I was referring to:

So pretty!

Puzzling...

I stumbled upon a blog of a man who says he’s a former Christian, but is now an unbeliever and a skeptic. After reading some of his entries, I wonder if he was ever a Christian, in the truest sense of the word. What I mean is, someone who took the step of faith to repent of their sins, accept Jesus as his/her Lord and Saviour, and has the Holy Spirit living him/her, and live by Jesus’ teachings in the His word, the Bible.

The word “Christian” has become so generic, that people most often use it to categorize someone or something that is one of the following: non-atheist, non-Buddhist, non-Confuscionist, and so on. A lot of people consider themselves “Christian” if they were either born into a Christian family and/or grew up in a Christian church, and have followed the Christian values and ways all their life, and that’s all they’ve known. But do they really understand what a Christian is, and what becoming one entails? It’s so easy to take on the role of a Christian, especially if that’s all you’ve ever known - being born into it, growing up with it, surrounded by it. You can talk-the-talk, use the “cliches”, be involved in ministry, etc, etc. But I wonder what his conversion experience was like, if he ever had one? Let me point out that this man (the former Christian blogger) said that he’d been a Christian for 10 years, but now he’s a skeptic and an unbeliever? I truly believe that once you’ve encountered Jesus, and when the Holy Spirit dwells in you, you will never, ever be the same. THAT IS, if your conversion was ever real and true. I pray for this man, that God will open His eyes to the truth and really have a true encounter with the Saviour.

Counting sheep...

Still up, trying to fall asleep. I'm watching some TV hoping it will speed up the process (it works for me, sometimes). "The Fresh Prince" is on right now. I love Will Smith. :)

OK, my eyelids are getting heavy, and it's almost 2am. I really should be sleeping.

Slow day.

It’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Day today. I hope that everyone enjoyed their break today, since I didn’t get one at all! All day long I’ve been getting calls here at work asking if we’re having classes today. Other than that, it’s been quite an uneventful day.

I’m currently chatting with my friend, Vanessa, who just got home from taking her precious cat, Maddie May, to the vet. Her brother (Vanessa’s, not Maddie’s) Given told me that the cat hasn’t been eating all day and is having diarrhea! They took her to the vet as soon as Vanessa got home from work. The vet told them that there’s a possibility that she needs to get admitted for some x-rays and observation. Thankfully, it didn’t have to come to that. She is now telling me that the cat has a cold! But guess what, she had to pay $66 for the consultation/check-up and anti-biotics. $66 for a cold? How much do we usually pay for a cold medicine, Nyquil or Sudafed? $8 or $10 max? I told her that her cat is very high-maintenance. And she agrees.

The clock is slowly ticking away. I want it to be 8pm already! I want to go home! Well, actually, I want to go to Walmart and buy an HP Deskjet printer, copier and scanner for $29. Yes! $29! Only catch is that it doesn’t come with its own USB cable. But you can purchase one for about $8. I’m excited! And I get to use the Walmart gift-card I got for Christmas! I need one mostly for church stuff. I can’t use the copier at work anymore for my mass copying-spree.

This past week, I had to have all of my brakes and brake-pads replaced because I didn’t realize I’ve already ran it to the ground. Yeah, I know… So, I’ve finally gotten them replaced (all 4 brakes), which cost me an arm and a leg, but I had no choice, it was a necessary expense. The bright spot is that my car doesn’t make that weird, scratching-the-metal sound anymore. I vowed to myself to get my car checked more often. I’m so bad at it! Up next, an oil change. I’d have to agree with my cousin Joyce when she said, “serves you right.” LOL

Transitions: My first post for 2009!

HAPPY NEW YEAR to everyone! I can’t believe I haven’t posted since the year started. It just so happened that things were quite hectic for the past 3 weeks. I know that a new year means new beginnings, but it also brings endings. The past 3 weeks saw 4 family friends that have gone home to be with Jesus. Our beloved deacon, and father to my dear friends, Babie and Cathy, Uncle Boy Paalam, passed away the week before the new year. Then, this past weekend, we said goodbye to the mom of my friends, Reushann and Kurtz, Tita (Auntie) Joyce Ison, who left us this past Tuesday. Last Thursday, I received a call from my friend, Ate Ruth (Diamsay) Dignadice, informing me that her father, Pastor Rudy Diamsay, passed away that morning. And yesterday morning, I received an e-mail from my college friend, Kristine (Cunanan), informing me that her mother, Tita Lydia Cunanan, passed away last Friday. What a way to start off the new year, you would think. But God always has a plan and a purpose of everything. In the book of Ecclesiastes, it states that there is a season to everything, a time to be born and a time to die (I’m paraphrasing, of course). We know this and we understand this. And what I saw was that all the families of these saints that went home to be with the Lord were prepared and are at peace with everything that happened. They know that their parents are no longer suffering from the illnesses that ravaged their earthly bodies, and that they are now in the presence of their Saviour, Jesus Christ. I know what they have gone through and are still about to go through because I have gone through it myself, almost 8 years ago, when my dad went home, permanently. Despite the fact that we are sad that we will not be with them here on earth, we rejoice in the fact, the truth actually, that we will see them again when we are all reunited in heaven! This hope can only be found in having Jesus as your personal Lord and Saviour. Thank you, Jesus! Let’s keep praying for my friends as they go through the “grieving” process (we are human, we still feel the loss). It gets easier as the years go on, but it takes a while. Let’s pray that the God of all comfort will minister to them in the coming days, months, years.

It has been quite the transition for me, personally, as well from 2008 to 2009. As I had mentioned in my previous post, I became the Music Director of Olive Christian Church, a position that was once filled by my dad. For those of who don’t know, my dad was a church music director for the majority of his life. He served at our church in the Philippines (Pasay Baptist Church) for 20 years before we migrated to Canada. In Toronto, he became the music director there as well, for 5 years. We then moved to the United States, where my dad served as choir director at First Southern Baptist Church in Pasadena, CA for a few months and then became Olive’s music director from 1997 until his death in 2001. You would think it was just inevitable for me to step into his shoes. But, actually, I never really thought that I would be a Music Director at a church. When I decided to major in Music Education in college (Biola University!), I wanted to be a performer. I wanted to be on stage, singing, performing. Becoming a Music Director at a church was probably the last option. Fast-forward almost 11 years later, here I am! LOL When I first started, I was a bit apprehensive. There were so many things that are going through my head. And to be honest, I was a bit disappointed with some of the reactions I received when I shared to people the news. But ultimately, I know that God called me, so He’s the only one that I’m doing this for. He will bring people who will partner with me in this ministry, so now I’m not worried. And I see how God’s working right now, and I’m very encouraged! So, continue to pray for me, and for the Music Ministry, that God will use it to be the “shot-in-the-arm” our church needs, a revival so-to-speak.

Well, I think I’ll end this here. I should be getting as much sleep as I can. I’m still recovering from the flu that hit me this weekend. I didn’t really make any resolutions for 2009, but I suppose sleeping early should be on top of my list. My sleeping patterns are just out of whack! No wonder I get sick so easily! Anyway, I’m off to bed. Good night!