Pinay New Yorker

Wowwed by Arnel Pineda with Journey

They played to a packed Nikon Jones Beach Theatre here in New York last Thursday, August 14, 2008.  Alan and I had long planned to watch the show because we were both fans of Journey from the eighties, plus we have been keeping tabs on Arnel Pineda whose phenomenal rise to becoming the lead singer for the band cemented our loyalties to our old favorite group.

I had ordered their latest CD, Revelation (exclusively distributed by Walmart) weeks ago and we both agree that it was a good marketing strategy to have released a CD of their old hits with new arrangements and Arnel singing in lieu of the original vocals by Steve Perry, alongside their new tracks and  DVD of one of their concerts in their ongoing world tour.

While Arnel's vocal range equals Steve Perry's and the timbre of his voice is similar to the latter, you will hear him singing as himself in both the old and the new tracks.  By this I mean that you know it's not Steve Perry, but you know it's Journey.

At the concert, he was a firebrand moving all sides of the stage and really working the audience.  It was a tight repertoire and a good show on the whole.  Well worth having braved the thunderstorms for and sitting on seats that had just been rained on. As if on cue, the storm didn't return until after the last song was sung.  Seeing Arnel perform among these rock giants makes me proud.  Arnel is not really an unknown singer in the music circles in Manila, Arnel was discovered by Journey from clips the band found on YouTube where he sang some covers with his band Zoo.

He's living proof that Filipinos are truly world class performers.  I'm sure many of the more popular singers back home wish they had the same luck Arnel had, having been invited and eventually hired by a band as famous as Journey to be the new voice behind their music.  It's a well deserved break for a great singer and performer -- He was introduced as "Arnel Pineda from Manila," and at the end of the show, he remembered his roots and shouted "Salamat, kababayan!".

To which I say, "No, Arnel -- THANK YOU!"

Revisiting Mystic

It was around 7 years ago that we first visited Mystic, Connecticut on the way to Rhode Island.  Alan had picked a restaurant where we were going to have lunch then we drove off to Providence, our ultimate destination.

He had chosen a romantic restaurant by the water, although we knew of Mystic Pizza then.  This time, we had made a pact to go and eat in this landmark made famous by that Julia Roberts movie of long ago.

Downtown Mystic was abuzz with activities as the Mystic Outdoor Art festival was on, seeing the streets overflowing with art exhibits.  We couldn't get near enough but managed to find the St. Patrick's Church parking lot (map) where we left the car.  The walk to Main Street was actually rather interesting because of all the exhibitor's booths we passed.  Not exactly a good day to bring a kid on a stroller but we managed.

Mystic Pizza has two branches but we made our way to their branch on West Main Street.  While some people have said the pizza is just like any other pizza, we beg to disagree.  Perhaps it was the whole experience of going to a landmark restaurant that made it special, perhaps the sauce indeed gave you a "taste of heaven," but we were quite satisfied with our calamari for starters and a House pizza for lunch.  Angelo had his customary spaghetti and even he was quite happy about it. =)

The 15-minute wait turned out to be only 5 minutes, and service was friendly.  Prices are definitely affordable, and it's one Mystic experience worth chalking up as having been there, done that.

Sending some love home

My father is turning 73 this weekend. As luck would have it, a high school classmate who is now a practicing doctor in Boston confirmed a lecture engagement before the previous weekend and was generous enough to have remembered me and offered to bring anything I needed sent to Manila, and vice versa. (There are times when the boss up there hears a request even before one is made.)

I was hoping to get Dad's requested bag, but I haven't really found something suitable to send to him. Instead I picked up a La Coste shirt (genuine but bought on sale!), two pairs of cotton shorts, some packed chestnuts, and some cheese. I tried to be selective with what I was sending. I have already been overindulgent with the size of my package but I couldn't help it. My niece has a pair of Heelys from Ninong Alan, but it would've made the package unbearably heavy.  This was was all for Dad. (I'm keeping my fingers crossed the box gets to Boston tomorrow. )

Every time I send something home on occasions like this, I feel a tinge of sadness as I find myself celebrating birthdays with my family 10,000 miles away.  I feel it most strongly with my father who is getting on in years.  I keep praying for another birthday which I might celebrate with him even if via long distance.  I have been fortunate that except for this year's birthday, I have celebrated my Mom's with her here for three consecutive years as she was with me here helping me take care of Angelo.

I want to send so much more in every package I send.  This one was a little "off" considering I packed some Polly-o string cheese and two slabs of edam.  My father loves the cheese but I really can't send any via courrier.  It's best sent with someone actually travelling to Manila to cut down on travel time and get it there all fresh and unmelted. (!)

The last time I celebrated a birthday with my Dad was in 1999 --- 9 years ago.  Happy Birthday, Daddy...

Finally a sample!

All the elements in the layout below are individual pieces that I composed into an embellished frame.  All are personal  creations except the paper background which was one of the daily freebies I received from Scrapgirls which they give through their daily newsletter.

You can download a png file of the frame without the "AUDREY" and a blank tag instead for the name or caption of your choice.  You'll have to pardon the clean up needed as far as the shadows are concerned because I don't have a graphics software.  I tried to clean it as best I can.  I will have the individual elements available for sharing when I get to scan them.  The shadows shouldn't be a problem then as I will scan them flat.

Click here and a box prompting you to save the file will open.  Hope you like it!

Clicking on the thumbnail will open a larger version of this layout.

Download the frame by clicking here and saving the file on your hard drive.

This complicated business of being a Parent

Parenting can be such a complicated matter.  Others take it too seriously if you ask me.  My personal mantra has always been to "Go with the flow" so to speak.  It's a hit or miss thing, and the best one can really do is to give it your best shot.  And that's what Alan and I are doing.  Of course Alan has the advantage of having been a parent before with the stepson -- yet he has often told me the things he is experiencing with Angelo are first time experiences he never had with his older boy.  While experience has taught him a lot, there is much more that we are learning together.

I don't have a perfect son.  His imperfections, though, serve to remind me he is human.  That he has a personality all his own, and that there is a part of him that is so much like his father and myself, but there is so much more that is uniquely him.  And like his Dad and I, he has his moods and quirks.  While his character at this point is malleable and subject to correction, I constantly remind myself he is a work in progress.  A four year old who thinks like a four year old.

I try to be firm and I try to be understanding.  Striking a balance between being patient and consistently teaching.  Is he spoiled?  I won't mince words and admit he is.  But he has a good heart which knows there are lines that cannot be crossed, not because he fears punishment, but because there are feelings that will be hurt and a Mom and Dad that will be frustrated.  So no, I do not threaten to put him in the dumpster like an aunt had done. I believe that a certain sense of fear is necessary, but not the kind of fear that will not make him see the reason behind the prohibition. 

I'm giving it my best shot although I sometimes wonder if I'm on the right track.  I look at him and I see him growing into his own person.  He makes me smile when he suddenly says "I love you, Mama..".  He may be able to read the letters of his name and he knows it when he sees it, and although he cannot write his name yet, I see no cause to worry.  We're taking it a day at a time..

Going.. going.. gone!

Gap had come out with a complete ad campaign for a limited edition line of shirts to commemmorate the Whitney Biennial by producing shirts in collaboration with a select group of artist.  They are no longer online and are being sold on sale at certain branches.  I grabbed one of the shirts below by Marilyn Minter over the weekend and will be going back for more.  Grab yours before they're gone!

Passing through Bryant Park with Angelo in tow

Bryant Park is one of my favorite parks in the city because you can take in it's length and breadth from any vantage point in the park.  It's not that huge but it has a breathtaking vista of a patch of green beyond Central Park in the city.  Angel and I stopped today.  I've taken pictures of the park in the winter, spring, summer and fall.  I keep going back to it because it's right in the heart of Manhattan.  This was one of the first parks I saw as a new transplant to New York eight years ago.  Soon I will see it everyday when we move offices to a building in its periphery.  I cannot wait to have lunch there and just take in the sunshine on a regular basis.  (I guess that means you'll see more of Bryant Park here in the future.)

Bryant Park is a hub of activity with early morning concerts by name artists, movie classics in the sunset, and Fashion Week.  During Winter, you'll find a holiday bazaar here.

Lunch by the New York Public Library

I finally left the office just before 3pm, 2 hours after the second assistant had left. I had earlier made up my mind about what and where lunch would be.. So here I am with my cup of crab bisque from Soup Man, sitting by the shade in one of the many tables in front of the New York Public Library. (There are actually even more chairs at the back by Bryant Park which flows into Sixth Avenue, a.k.a. Avenue of the Americas.)

There's a young man with a fancy looking camera seated on the table a few feet from mine, discreetly snapping away at random. I must admit I am green with envy that he has that fancy toy while I am clicking away with my blackberry. This place is always teeming with people, most specially during the lunch hour when many executives and other working people bask in the sunshine and eat on the steps leading up to the library. (That's the American love affair with the sun for you.). The guy with the fancy camera has stood up and is probably clicking away from another vantage point.

The tourists are resting their tired feet. New York City is, after all, a walking city. (Bring your most comfortable shoes!) You can easily spot the tourists either because they're wearing shorts or they're thumbing through a map other than one of the subway. (We Locals still need it occasionally on the train so that is not always a dead give away.)

This is "me" time. I figured I could take a half hour and just sit here, think aloud online, just listening to the intermingling of the sounds of traffic on Fifth Avenue, the chirping of the birds overhead, the chatter of the Japenese tourists behind me and this couple taking a lunch break in front of me. We often get carried away and live our lives on a very tight time table. This is my moment to literally stop and smell the flowers. I don't get to do it as often as I would like to, except while doing something else like going from place to place. Today, I'm doing it and concentrating on just being.

In a short while, I'll be standing up and cleaning out my mess, heading 2 blocks down to pick up some Clinique supplies at Lord & Taylor then I'm walking to my express bus stop at the corner of 36th and Sixth Avenue. I am hoping I don't get distracted by the urge to visit some of my other usual haunts this side of the city --- like the Cosmetics Market on 39th (between Fifth and Madison) or the bead shops (on Sixth Avenue between 36 and 34th). One of the bigger stores is actually on the corner of the bus stop. This is going to take a lot of willpower!. Perhaps the thought of having to pick up the little tyke from daycare will pull me onto the bus on time. Meanwhile, have to get going...

(And yes, picking up Angelo brought me to the bus stop straight. The bead shops will always be there... I'll save that for next time.)

My day in pictures:

Gay Pride Parade 2008

One thing I want to do sometime in the future (and hopefully with my brother Nikki in tow) is to watch the Gay Pride Parade of New York. I didn't know it was actually today until we ended up in traffic on 34th street on the way to the Lincoln tunnel to our luncheon in New Jersey. We were stopped right at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and 34th where the Empire State Building stood proudly on one corner. As Alan said, we got front row seats to a snippet of the show.

The rain had poured momentarily but strongly, and we caught some dancers in white spandex (donned with the wet look) dancing/marching to the tune of "Bleeding Love" by Leona Lewis. It surely exuded a party atmosphere as the crowd enthusiastically cheered the parade on with complimentary catcalls and hoots. How I wish Nikki was here with me.

Chris Burden: "WHAT MYDAD GAVE ME" running until July 19 over at Rockefeller Center

It was one of those days I worked in our office in Manhattan and I was walking to Alan's part of Midtown so we could go home together.  As always, I had my trusty camera on hand to capture the moment.

Click on the picture or here for a larger version

This is a long overdue post on this exhibit at Rockefeller Center.  Read more about it here and here is an article from the New York Times on the exhibit.  It's one of those things that make New York City, New York.