Never been as pissed!

Last night, my son, Mickey, played violin in a concert... sort of.  There is this group of companies to which his organization, a telecommunication provider called SMART, owned by a guy named Manny V. Pangilinan and every year, they have this MVPO (O for Olympics) where each company sends in delegates for competition.  This yearly event is culminated in a concert where delegates from all the companies perform at the Meralco Theater. They have a beauty pageant, a spin off from American Idol and lastly, a British Got Talent type of show.  Anyway, Mickey was chosen by his company to perform in the last category.  He was quite happy because the company gave him some cash for his get up.  Since Kim is a fashion stylist, he asked her to dress him up and she did help her Kuya to prepare for the performance. 

Last night was the big night and there we were, seated at the aisles as we arrived late and the theater was filled to the brim, eagerly awaiting for his turn.  All the companies sent in a huge delegation.  The first one, PLDT, did the opening act of The Lion King, the second was a group who sang Lady Gaga's Born this Way but with a different twist, a mixture of arrangement from a Jazzy tune a la Manhattan Transfer and all the that... Everything was going fine and everyone was having a good time.  Until, I saw a lone figure with a violin. Okay, picture me and my wife, holding our breaths, excited.  I put my iPad on record and aimed it at him so that I wouldn't miss a note, especially those bends and slurs and vibratos I hear when I heard him practicing a day before.  He was introduced.. and I was thinking, here goes...He started to play... but after a few notes, the lapel mike attached to his violin started to malfunction.  He kept on playing.  I was waiting for anyone, the judges, the organizer, anyone, to stop the performance, fix the technical problem and have him play again.  After all, it was, albeit a friendly competition, still a competition, right? Nada!  They let him perform like that with the audio problems.  I was devastated!  Kim who was seated not far from us was shouting "AGAIN! AGAIN!" to no avail.  I wanted to go to the technical crew and shout at them, strangle the technical director but I restrained myself.  I had never been a stage father.  I let my children deal with their own problems to prepare them for life.  But I am really pissed off.  I know how it could be frustrating to practice hard and perform and for naught.  I never expected him to win considering the kind of judges ( a movie director/writer, an actress and a gay columnist) and the type of crowd who were just there to have a good time. His performance is not the type who will lord it over the typical sing and dance routine and magic, but I would have wanted him to have a fighting chance nonetheless even if it were only for bragging rights ( I have always been competitive, I guess).

During the interview portion, one of the judges jokingly said, "I think someone sabotaged your performance! But I liked what you did with the arrangement of that Rolling in the Deep song. While I hardly heard most of the song, I loved it." 

Oh well, here I go ranting again about one of my children's misfortune.  The good thing is Mickey's fine with it. He said he already won with that  garment package. hahaha. Well, if he's happy, I am.  Especially knowing that he did his best.  He told me he did not miss a single note and knowing my son and his gestures onstage, I know he didn't and I am proud of him no matter what.  Congratulations, my son!

The World Is Yours to Conquer

One of the greatest obligations parents have towards their children is giving them a good education.  My wife and I produced four and we are proud to say that half of our obligation to our children is now complete. To some people, it would seem like we have accomplished what we ought to do rearing four children.  However, I believe that graduation from college is not the end of our obligations.  The true test will have to wait until they become parents themselves and what they would become in the future.

Today marks a very important day in our lives as parents with our youngest having finished college.  Not only that.  On his own volition, he applied for a job at the Philippine Airlines and got accepted.  We don't exactly know what it is he is going to do at the company but he has his eyes on being a flight attendant eventually. Neither my wife nor I have interfered with our children's choices.  All we want is for them is to finish their studies, get a stable job and live life happily.

With all our children employed and working, we can rest assured that they will be okay come what may as they will be self-sufficient. While I know we will come to their beck and call at anytime they may need our help, we know that they will persevere.  We think we reared them to be independent as early as grammar school. WE never pampered them. We never even helped them with their assignments once they reached puberty. 

AS I have said to his older siblings, I say this again to our youngest, Coby.  The world is at your feet and life will be good to you if you treat it right.  Always strive to be happy.  This cannot be had with material riches (although it will make life easier) or extreme want for anything worldly.  Often, this too much wanting only turns to greed.  What you have to do is to live honestly and simply while aspiring only for the best.  Aim high and keep trying until you get what you want.  Be proud with your accomplishments sans the arrogance.  Make sure that every task you set out to do is accomplished well.  Always have a clear head and keep your feet planted on the ground.  

At any rate, we congratulate you for a job well done.  We love you very much. 

my latest creations

"The Struggle"  

Oil on canvas  

20" X 30"

I just completed this one last Sunday.  I have been trying to incorporate texture into my style by using impasto technique (thick layers of paint)  on some portions.  

Tess and I have done it again. We completed another song this time for a visiting Brother from Mexico.  The thing is while he hails from Mexico, he has also stayed in Japan for more than three years.  Hence, he speaks three languages, English, Spanish and Japanese.  My idea was to incorporate all these languages into one song.  English for the body, Spanish for the refrain and a counterpoint of Japanese towards the end.  I plan to also incorporate guitar works especially for the refrain so that it would have a hispanic air.  It came out okay. I hope he will like it when we finally perform it for him when he leaves in March.  We'll see...

A new year, a new beginning

A new beginning.  That has always been what I wanted every start of the year. However, all these years, it seems like nothing much have improved.  No that may be not true at all from the viewpoint of outsiders. If I am to look for changes, there has been a lot but they come unnoticed.  There's the renovation of the house, the new car (well, although not brand new, it is a far much better car than the ones I've been getting), the kids, except for the youngest, are working now.  Really, there are so much to thank for but still, I am not satisfied.  There is this hunger for more personal improvement I have to contend with.

Last year was by far one of the luckiest years for personal growth.  It was last year that I got to travel to the States, first in LA, then a few days after, San Francisco where I also experienced the first hassle at an airport. Next stop was in Ladner, BC in Canada and be reunited with Arlene's daughter, Trudy and her family and visit Arlene's grave before I went to my final destination, Kaslo to be reunited with my niece, Romella Moss.  It was also my first to travel by bus in Canada. A long drive across the Canadian Rockies, all ten hours or so of mountains and rivers from Vancouver to Nelson where I was picked up by Romella and her family, Laurie and Cez.  It was a wonderful trip, full of experiences and getting to know other people.

This was also the year that I managed to publish an anthology book of students' artworks.  It turned out good although the sale wasn't.  For some weird reason or another, I am amazed that not all parents are excited seeing their child's work in print.  What it tells me is that these parents do not appreciate the Arts and probably find it superficial, if not totally a waste of time.  They do not see the importance of the subject and would rather join the mainstream of pounding their children with a lot of Math, Science and English, subjects that most academicians themselves find more important.  Well, if I am to look at the list of prospective buyers, I have had at least 130 orders for the book except that majority of these orders failed to pay when I announced that payment could already be done at the accounting office.  (Brother Dennis wanted the project to pay for itself and decided that it will be pre-sold before going to ptint)  It may be due to the fact that they are just waiting for the actual book before paying.  I will have to show them the book on my return but only after I have distributed all copies that have been paid.  I am still short of about Php56,000.   It's a good thing that Broden bailed me out.

This was also the year that I saw and heard one of my works being sung.  Yes, my first song!  What happened was I was approached by Gladys who asked me to compose a song for Broden's birthday.  I talked to Tess and asked her what she had in mind.  Come vacation time, after several days of imagining the lyrics, the form and content of the composition, I finally sat down on Dec 29 and after a few hours came up with my first draft.  Several more hours of poring over the song, I decided to finalize it.   Yesterday, Dec 5, at around 10:20, I met with her and the chorale and heard the song being practiced.  Well, it came out okay.  Next project, a musicale with Tess.  A very big project and very ambitious but I can make this happen.

I think I have done at least 5 paintings this year.  Three of them are in Canada now.  The other will be on exhibit at the Lasallian Congress at DLSU.  It is to open next week, if I am not mistaken.  

Looking forward to what will happen in 2013. 

Tutelage 

Recent paintings in Canada

Homme et Femme 

Trudy Hurley - Ladner, Delta, BC

Mi Famille 

Trudy Hurley - Ladner, Delta BC

Remembering Kaslo

Lawrence and Romella G. Moss, Kaslo, BC

The Horrors of Traveling

I was on my way to Vancouver early in the morning of May 13.  My plane was due to leave at 8:30 am and due to my practice of being at the airport two hours before the flight, my host, Milton, husband of long time friend Ophel, had to wake up around 4 so that he could take me to the San Francisco airport.  Now that is a long drive from San Jose where we were.

It was a good thing that I was there at an early time as the queue to the check in counter, which was practically without any staff except for three people, was quite long already.  It turns out that the United Airlines, which I was riding, relies heavily on the electronic check in system and the guys working there are there only to assist passengers.  So, I waited a long time and when it was my turn (actually my first to do that) to check in, I had no problems inputting data.  However, scanning my passport was not an easy task.  It would not fit the scanner because the jacket was larger than the allowed page.  A middle aged African American woman who worked there came to help me and realized too that the passport won't fit.  She thought of getting the passport out of the jacket but in doing so, the entire booklet separated from the jacket! The whole thing tore apart from the cover.  Of course I was dismayed but since that was the first time it happened and it was not me who did it, I never thought of the repercussions of the same.  By this time, the woman was able to scan my passport and advised me to check in my luggage for which I have to pay $25.  I went to the only counter that was collecting the luggages  and showed her my passport.
Immediately, she noticed that the passport was torn and said, "Hey, you cannot travel with a damaged passport!"  Now the repercussion has set in.  It was then that I began to be concerned.  "What can I do?  It fell apart when the lady handled it."  And the woman, in fairness to her, acknowledged the mishap.  But the lady would have none of it and tried to declare something like it was due to the fact that the passport was weak.

"What can I do?" I asked again.  She thought for a bit and then told me to glue it and maybe that would work.  Where in heaven's name does one find a glue at an airport at a little way past 6 am? Frantically, I went to a coffee shop and asked if they happen to have glue.  None!  Who would have a need for glue at a coffee shop, anyway?  I walked and saw two Filipinas who I presume were working at the airport, talking with each other while going out of the toilet.  I approached them and asked if they have what I need.  None!

Then I noticed a young African American man, probably around 20 years old, working at a store which was already opened.  I asked him if he could help me and after explaining the situation to him, he promised to look for some glue after he has finished with his chore at the time.  So, I waited and while waiting tried to look at the items for sale.  And guess what I found.  A super glue!  My eyes widened as hope sprang from the heavens.  "Here, I found some glue! How much is it? I'll pay for it."  I took it from where it was displayed and showed it to him.  Then I pleaded if he could be the one to glue it as I am so much tensed I might ruin it.  He would have none of it perhaps thinking I will have to blame him if something went awry again.

I put some glue on the cover and tried to put them together but they won't attach.  "Hey, it says here super glue,m why wouldn't they join?" I asked the man.  "Well, maybe it's no good for paper," he answered.  Now I am beginning to panic.  Tried it several times more and it wouldn't stick.  Finally, I tried to put a larger quantity, put them together and held them for quite some time.  It worked.

I went back to the check in counter and showed her my passport and she checked in my luggage.  So far so good.  I lined up for the immigration officer, divested of all the contents of my pants and shoes and went through the x-ray machine.  "You still have your belts on!" cried the lady guard.  "Oh, I'm sorry ma'am," and took off my belt.

My passport was looked at by airport personnel three or four times and there was no problem.  I also got through the immigration in Vancouver in a breeze.  Now the tables are turning to my favor at last, I thought.

The following day, I went to the Philippine consulate to inquire about my passport.  Don Wallis, husband of Trudy, took me to West  Pender St. where the consulate is located.  There I was told that I will have to have my passport replaced but I have to wait several days.  Or, they could give me some sort of document for passage but it will only be if I will leave from Vancouver to the Philippines.  I still have a lot of things to do in Kaslo and besides, I already have a ticket flying back to the Philippines through LA.  "Couldn't the consul just give me a document verifying that this passport is authentic?" I asked.  "It will also be a matter of days before that can be done," he said.

So, here I am now in Kaslo, after a long journey to Nelson via a Greyhound bus, not knowing what would happen to me when I enter Spokane, Washington to fly back to LA on the 23rd.  Hmmm, if they don't want to accept me, let them deport me instead.  What can I do?  It was an accident!

Blogging Friends, True Friends

 My best online buddies, Jay and Jet!

 A piece of American Art

 The handsome guy who picked me up from home, Tito Rhomes!

Elegant dinner at Las Brisas fronting Laguna Beach where one could see the sunset while enjoying a good repast

Three awesome guys who know how to make one feel welcome and loved.