Last Week of the Cats Musical Live in Manila (August 17-22)

Before deciding to watch the Cats Musical in Manila run and after knowing how much the tickets went for (PHP7,210/PHP6,180 for seats closest to the stage, PHP5,150/4,635 for the next best seats, etc. For ticket prices and show schedules, visit ticketworld. They stage two shows, one each for the afternoon and night time Saturday and Sunday), several other considerations got me anxious. Having seen and written about several staged musicals in the last three years, I’ve no doubt in my mind that our home grown talents can act and sing the life into even the most challenging of characters. It’s the dancing that’s worrisome. Sure, local can dance, but the Cats requirement in this department will call for years of professional training in preparation. I thought the production run will cast locals for all the characters. I recently found out that the cast, save for Lea Salonga playing Grizabella, the producers, and director are from Australia and news has it that if this Manila leg does well, they will consider performing in other parts of Asia.

Back in the 80s, having two parents who found each other through music  (this I’m assuming since I remember one photo of my mom propped on a stool, on stage, playing a folk guitar, with long wavy hair covering the sides of her face, looking like Karen Carpenter with her bell bottom jeans and printed long sleeved shirt. My dad played the acoustic guitar. They probably knew each other from inter-collegiate music competitions as I’d like to assume because that’d be totally cool as a love story angle LOL. They both had an extensive album collection of The Carpenters and Beatles in vinyl back in the day), my earliest recollection of Cats the Musical primarily came from a cassette audio tape with two amber color eyes printed on the cover insert. I remember playing the tape every once in a while and being fond of several lines off some tracks. There’s the ever popular Memory sung by Elaine Paige (funny, I only remember the Act 2 version and I can’t remembering ever recalling another voice singing with the “lead” character), two ladies singing something about a “cavity” not being there (made perfect sense when I was little,  sue me),  “Up, up, up, past the Russell Hotel/ Up, up, up, up, to the Heaviside Layer,” the melody for “a cat so clever as magical Mr Mistoffelees,” and a faint idea of how the chorus for “Ad-Dressing of Cats” sounded. (OMG, I can only recall the last five tracks of Act 2, meaning, I just kept on rewinding that part of the tape! WTF?! So this is how it feels after you’ve discovered the meaning of a Rosetta Stone or something equally awesome!!!)

For the 20 years in between, I never thought I’d find the time get to see Cats either in New York or London. I’ve even somewhat forgotten about the cassette audio tape that I kept on rewinding. Two days before my scheduled screening date, I tried to watch the Cats DVD movie and the movement, acting, overall production finally gave those weird lyrics in my head context. That part where a shoe fell from the “heavens” and the cat chorus suddenly stopped what they were doing altogether, startled as cats would be in real life from a loud sound, sent me clutching my belly in a fit of laughter. The Jellicle Dance got me entranced. The “Naming of Cats” lent perspective to the reason why cats sometimes look as though they’re in a “profound meditation” state (turns out, as the story went, they’re busy trying to recall their third name: The name that no human research can discover/But the at himself knows, and will never confess). Yes, I came prepared for the live act and, I thought to myself,  this run better be at par with what I’ve seen.

To get an entire sense of Cats from the prose delivered on stage either in said verse,  lyrical chorus, or song coupled with dance or movement is expecting too much from this or any other Cats staging. The DVD movie version and reading the online transcription of lyrics afterwards helped me understand the story more. Seriously, the colors, costume, familiar melody, dance, props, and lighting would snatch my attention away so fast, I am in most times left filling plot gaps in my mind with dance and movements for context. Sometimes, I don’t even want to exert so much effort in following what the lyrics say anymore. What I thoroughly enjoyed seeing were the little things: cats stretching, clawing each other subtly, nudging another cat, gracefully moving from one point to another in the shadows, dance adlibs mimicking movements of real live cats, stuff like that. Seasoned and veterans to that ways of the cat, that’s what this Australian cast is.

Much anticipated is how Lea can perform Memory in Act 2. The entire of Act 1 and half of Act 2 was lined with plots and sub plots that will supposedly make this scene huge. The audience look forward to it as much as the characters do when finally a cat is chosen to be reborn to a different jellicle life. As everybody rejoices, in comes Grizabella, still despised by the community for probably having left them in the past (a popular take on the untold side of the story). The air is filled with tension and older cats keep the younger ones away from the slow walking, poor poised, “glamour cat.” And then, she sings. She sings of the past, how life has been for her, lonely, dreaming, of holding on at those moments when she was at her prime for strength, the cycle of days in solitude, and of hoping for a second chance at life in a weathered but beautiful voice that’s full of earnest longing. She does not force the message nor assert herself but the sincerity in her delivery can make even the toughest of cats believe that she of all deserves this break. Unanimously, they all do in the end. A half-baked delivery of the song and the scene will make the audience wonder what made the tramp deserve such a popular vote. Her standing up as the orchestra swells, ushering her plea to “touch me, it’s so easy to leave me…” should have left no doubt in everyone’s mind had it been sung with deep seeded self-resentment, penitence, and longing. Quite frankly, I was underwhelmed. Yes, there’s power in her voice. Words come out crystal clear and full with not even a hint of a single bum note anywhere. It’s the delivery of the emotion called for by the song and character’s situation that’s been compromised. Was I expecting too much, probably? Anybody would for premium priced seats.

For those who applauded the Filipino verse of Memory as sung solo by Sillabub (performed by Alyse Davies), the lines were translated by multi-awarded poet, Pete Lacaba. It goes as follows:

Liwanag, hanapin ang liwanag
Ang iyong ala-ala ang… gabay na sundin
Sa liwanag,, ligaya ay matatagpuan
Bagong buhay ay darating

Over all, the production value of Cats “Now and Forever” the Musical in Manila is top notch. Everything justifies the cost, really. Good thing they’ve extended up to the end of this week (August 22). For those on a budget, General Admission tickets go for P1,030/P772.5. There are very limited seats available, I heard. For screening schedules, ticket availability, and prices, visit the ticketworld website or call (+632) 891.9999 for details.

Here are some photos from the show.

Watch vids taken during the pre-gala at Gibbs Cadiz’s site here and his review of Cats here. Wala ka pa ring kupas, Mr Cadiz!

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Sexy, Sleek, and Feature-Packed: Canon IXUS 300 HS

The day I got the Canon IXUS 300 HS for a test drive, I brought it to the wall climbing gym and showed it around. That same night, long-time wall climbing monster buddy, Eloisa, said she can’t get it out of her mind. Can’t blame her. I mean, who can? The test unit is sleek, feels sturdy, definitely a looker, and it’s a shiny bright red. Ferrari red, I must say. Come to think of it, the contour of this camera reminds me of a well designed sports car exterior. Hot and fancy.

I skimmed through the cam specs and found these notable:

• f/2.0, 28mm, 3.8x lens with IS
• 240 fps Super Slow Motion Movie mode
• HD 720p movie recording (1280×720)
• ISO Sensitivity up to 3200
• 3.7 shots/sec at 10MP or 8.4 shots/sec at 2.5MP

Click here for a full list of specs and features

I have to warn you that what you are about to see could well be the best photos of the IXUS 300 HS on the Internet at this time and I wish I was kidding. For your safety, after the photos are links to the more trusted tech review sites on the web for a more in-depth say on this camera.

As I’ve mentioned, the f/2.0 on this camera got me interested. It gives the user a faster lens and the capacity to compose dramatic portraits and macro with noticeable depth of field to play with.

Now, I’ll spin around the cam for your viewing pleasure.

The last image above shows the battery and the SD/SDHC card slots. Below, you’ll notice the minimalist back-side of the cam with a “wheel” that you can use to navigate around the menu and saved images. The screen, I noticed, is a marvel to look at even under direct sunlight.

To compare, I fished out my Lumix ZS3 and positioned it along side the IXUS 300 HS, both 10 megapixel snappers (only, the ZS3 has 12x optical zoom while the 300 HS has 3.8x).

HS stands for “High Speed”. High Speed because the IXUS 300 HS boasts having a 240 fps Super Slow Motion Movie mode feature. I never knew about this during the test so I searched youtube for a sample vid and found… holy sh*t I must try this out for myself!!! It’s like watching a footage of somebody moving at zero gravity!!!

And here’s another:

Yes, it delivered on the Slow Motion but something in the quality of the video doesn’t feel right. Maybe it’s the low light or just that in order to deliver on the 240 fps, the video had to be sized small. Like QVGA small, it seems.

From the camera review gurus’ perspective, below are ratings given by more notable gadget review sites on the net:

• CNET Asia: 7.8 (out of 10)
• Trusted Reviews: 8 (out of 10)
• Photo Review Australia: 8.5 (out of 10)
• Photo Radar: 4 (out of 5)
• Wired UK: 7 (out of 10)

For users who are after camera features housed in a thing of beauty, then this one’s for you. At PHP24,950 SRP, however, the budget conscious may have second thoughts. The IXUS has for years been beefed up as the most compact and stylishly sleek line of Canon cameras. It came to no surprise that after ten years, they’ve still got game. The IXUS 300 HS comes in matte black, gloss white, and high gloss red. The gloss white model reminds me of Storm Troopers. Just saying.

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BGC Passion Fest 2010 Food Tour with Ivan Man Dy

If you don’t have plans for May 1 and if you want in on the second run of a Ivan Man Dy hosted Bonifacio Global City’s Passion Fest 2010 Food Tour in Serendra, Bonifacio High Street, and Fort Strip area covering at least 6 popular restaurants/food establishments (ours included Sonja’s Cupcakes, Miss Desserts, Zao, TGI Friday’s, sampling Yoh-Gurt Froz inside Hobbes & Landes, Parco, and the Establishment though the set this week could be slightly different), Ivan himself mentioned that you may still be able to participate after all.

The online sign-up has already ended but the organizers have graciously implied that can still accommodate a limited number of people. If you are interested, what you can do is head over to the B.G.C. Concierge booth at unit B8 in BHS (just outside Shisheido) from 1-2PM. Sign-ups are on a “first come, first served” arrangement so you better make a run for it to grab those blank slots! This Food Tour is absolutely FREE. Lucky participants who get to successfully sign up will be able to sample offerings of the restaurants that are part of this Food Tour. That, and you will get to hear insider scoop and dibs on what these establishments are famous for, what makes them THE go-to grub joints in the Bonifacio Global City area, and experience first hand how it feels to join Ivan’s food and walk tours. Again, all in the name of FREE. LOL

I don’t want to give away Ivan’s spills, that’s for you to hear for yourself. If you want a more detailed account of the experience, you may read through Jane of Between Bites‘ account of the tour here. Below, however, are photos I took during last week’s leg (hover on the images for the description). Good luck and enjoy Labor Day!

Click here for the rest of my photos from the BGC Passion Fest 2010 Food Tour.

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Davao Food Tourism with Davao “FAT”

On March in 2009, prior to me owning the high-power zooming ultra compact Lumix ZS3 and a Canon EOS 550D, I brought my trusty Nokia N82 camera phone to Davao City in time for the now annual Davao Food Appreciation Tour (DFAT) through the efforts and graciousness (not of the local DOT as you might think but) of local bloggers to show us visitors a different story to the city otherwise famous for its durian and suha. Think about it: taking upon a daunting task of getting select local restaurants’ buy-in to feed a group of hungry travelers from Manila for free is no easy task. But it’s happened AND it will again this year, this coming weekend, on its third straight year in a row. This “food tourism” project is the initiative of Davao City bloggers Ria, Drew, Blogie, and Chattee.

Looking back, let me re-count with words and a few food pron photographs how much of a swell time I had with good friends and great company. We did spend for our own airfare and accommodation, yes, but going to Davao with no other intention but to grub (and enjoy the city on the side) was IMHO a three-day travel-adventure worth saving up for.

During Lunch of the first day, we were sat inside the quaint Tadakuma Japanese Restaurant at Damosa where we were served one flavorful Japanese dish after another: Atuyaki Tofu, Sukiyaki, Yakisoba, Gomoku Chahan, and Gyoza. Of the lot, I’ll never forget their Sukiyaki, priced at a low P380.00 last year. Although I don’t have a photo of it here, I fondly recall its sheer magnificence (so not kidding) when I day dream inside meh Japanese fast food restos in Makati. Quite comparable to the Sukiyaki from the Jap resto along Pasay Rd and near Pasong Tamo (I’m not saying which, exactly LOL).

From this point, onwards, please hover on the images for descriptions. Thank you.

At dinner, we went to Aileen and Ria’s (the birthday girl 04.28 yay!) favorite restaurant, Lachi’s, where they served Cream Dory in Thai Sauce (limited release and “coming soon” back then), Breaded Tofu in Teriyaki Sauce, Laing Pasta (see how creative they are?), Pork Belly in red Bean Curd Sauce (also a limited release food item), Pork Marinara (pasta, Aileen’s favorite), Unforgettable Ribs (my ultimate favorite), and Ube Panna Cotta and Crème Brûlée for dessert. Lachi’s is famous for their Sans Rival, for those not in the know. I always make it a point to drop by this resto when I’m in Davao (Drew and Ria seem more than happy to oblige and take me there). Lachi’s, I overheard, makes cakes for several other restaurants in Davao City. Goes to show how good they really are in pampering a sweet tooth.

After dinner, we capped the night off with coffee (and stories) over at Kangaroo, a local coffee shop famous for their Alamid/Manos (cat poo LOL) coffee. Our group signed their guestbook like the self proclaimed stars that we are. I also bought mint chocolate chip cookies from the cafe as pasalubong for my boss (bribe for letting me take a leave that time).

On the second day, we went Zip-lining at Asia’s longest zip, The Xcelerator, first before lunch was served at a cozy restaurant called Pepper & Peppers. The most memorable dish they served was the Iberian Chicken: baked to perfection and glazed with spices that will make your mind spin in euphoria, despite it soaking in what appears to be heart-attack-inducing oil but is, in fact, zero-cholesterol-and-zero-trans-fat olive oil. I think you’ll have to call the store and order the Iberian Chicken in advance because it takes quite a while to prepare. It’s that special!

More city touring followed and at dinner, we went to Mamu’s where they served the best soup I had during my stay. It is here that I got to first eat salmon sashimi. First. You read that right. Contrary to the aura I project, I never got the hang of Japanese food from since I was little. To my joy and delight, my first salmon sashimi experience was ab-so-lutely fuckentastic! Mamu’s owner showed us around the hotel rooms of the adjoining Anisabel Suites. Had I known of this from before, I would have booked my stay at Anisabel, instead. Their Suite Room’s T&B has see-through showers with only a curtain dividing it from the bedroom. Perfect for the “first” during honeymoon night! OMG, an epiphany a year too late! Hahaha!

On our third and last day, we had lunch at Cafe Andessa, home to the Bicol Express Pasta. A MUST TRY! On my notes, I scribbled down “Iced Tea FTMFW! (woot) (rock) (panic),” just so I could remember how fantastic their iced tea is. Now I want one. Bummer. For dessert, we had Suman Latik and Turon a la mode. Looking at my year-old photos is making me hallucinate. Not good.

This coming weekend, DFAT shall happen on its third year. For first time joiners, you’re in for a wild ride, I assure you. To Drew, Chattee, and Ria, you guys are amazing. Every city needs a clone of each of you and collectively, you and your clones will take food tourism to greater heights all over the country. To the DOT, learn from these guys. To the guys I went with, you are the best company ever! To the rest of the participants this weekend, please take better photos than what I got with my camphone. That’s a dare ;)

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Nokia N86 8-Megapixel Camphone Hands-On Review

Finally, the Nokia N86 is here. The most pressing question, however, is will it be worthy of the title “the Nokia N82 successor” when it comes to taking kickass photos with a similar buy-in of camphone photography enthusiasts the world over? If not better, probably as good as? Or will it be worse?

The convenience of having a great camera phone is it’s one less bulk versus carrying another camera if by itself, it could suffice for your general, everyday snapping requirements (depending on what you need one for). What’s a camera review, you ask, without some sample N86 snaps? Right back at you. This one’s the resized but raw version capture of a Porkchop dish taken from Cyma at the EDSA Shangri-La Mall.

Since I’m all for enhancing images so long as it’s not overly done (plus that it should really “enhance” the image and not make it look artsy just for the sake of being artsy), here’s a “better” take on the same Porkchop that’s guaranteed to get you hungry.

I’m hoping to get more photos using the different presets in the N86. I’m still not overly convinced that the Dual LED flash can be a xenon flash substitute primarily (maybe) because I haven’t been using the N86 for night shots just yet. I did try using it to capture video with the Dual LED on and I must say, ooh-la-la, I think I may have some use for this nifty feature some time soon (evil smirk). Some Nokia camphone users (during the time when the N82 became so popular) cried and begged for a camphone that’ll carry light to aid them in capturing videos in the dark and Nokia, with the incorporation of the the Dual LED flash on the N86, did deliver that functionality. Awesomecakes!

For a head to head comparison of shots using the Nokia N82 vs the new Nokia N86, not doing this only because somebody has already done it, here’s what fonearena got for your reference.

For this leg of the stress-test, I’ve taken down 14 things you should know about the N86 versus the Nokia N82 and/or N96:

1. Smaller than the N82: N86 is 103.4 x 51.4 x 16.5mm while the N82 is 112 x 50.2 x 17.3mm
2. Smaller in width and thickness than the N96: The N96 is 103 x 55 x 18mm in dimension (it is, however, somewhat heaver than the N82 and N96: N86 is 149g while the N96 and N82 are 125g and 114g, respectively)
3. Kickstand with features: functional unlike that on the N96
4. AMOLED LCD screen is noticeably brighter than N82′s TFT
5. Same GPRS/WiFi specs as the N96
6. Faster OS than the N82: ARM 11 434 MHz vs the N82′s Dual ARM 11 332 MHz
7. Insert contacts while composing SMS
8. Hardened glass screen is scratch resistant (but not fingerprint/smudge proof)
9. Dual LED flash lets you take videos with light. A feature voyeours could have a field day using hrhrhr
10. FM Transmitter lets you “broadcast” music from your phone to an FM Radio/receiving device (something it shares with the N97 and N85)
11. Wider angle, better low-light, larger sensor, 8 megapixel camera. I have one gripe with the new cam feature: I want the grid feature back!
12. N86 has 8Gb internal storage and 128 MB RAM versus the N96′s 16Gb and the N82′s paltry 100Mb.
13. Better bettery life at 312h (2G)/264h (3G) stand-by and 6h 18min talk time courtesy of the 1200mAh Li-Ion versus the N82′s 225h (2G)/261h (3G) and 4h 20min. Music playtime is estimated at 25h continuous for the N86.
14. N86 has a camera cover just like (but not similar to) the N82

Yesterday, I saw an N86 for sale at Anson’s Makati (in front of Landmark) at PHP27,390. Here’s a little tip: if you have the cash, there’s this online store that sells the N86 (complete package with 1 year Nokia warranty) for PHP21,200.  Disclaimer: I’m not affiliated with this online store but I check it once in a while for great bargains (check out how much she’s selling the new Canon S90 and the new iPods).

I’ll be waiting for the day when the N86 becomes available with Smart’s Retention Package for my post paid plan probably and hopefully by next year ;)

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Sampling Lumix ZS3′s HD Video Shooting Capabilities

Another factor that made me choose the Panasonic Lumix ZS3 over Canon’s Powershot SX200 IS compact camera is this particular feature: HD Video with 12x Optical (super) Zoom and Stereo Sound Recording. I sacrificed having full manual controls for this spec so it better deliver. Below are two raw videos which I shot using the ZS3.

I took this one (video #0000 of the cam, woot!) to test the zoom and whether the autofocus would function continuously.

I shot this from our upstairs window a couple of weeks back and it never failed to get an “ooooooooooooooh!” from friends during show-off-time (I just love it when they do that). As you’d notice near the end of the vid, the autofocus had a bit of setback while locking on the leaves. Not a major let down, though. First, I maximized the zoom, zoomed out fully, then zoomed back in again at 12x. Nifteh, I know!

This next video was taken from Bangkok’s Route 66 Bar on a Friday night. It was packed and we had a helluva good time! Vid goes to show that stereo sound capture was superb (without cracking at the low frequencies), shooting in low light was above par (AF still managed to lock on the subjects although some movements on the foreground screwed up with parts of the footage), and the zoom still delivered. Crank up the volume before playing the next vid!

You may want to watch the videos from their respective youtube pages for their full-sized glory (click here for video 1 and here for video 2).

Soon to come, photos from our recent Bangkok, Thailand travel. Stay tuned!

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Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes (look out you rock ‘n rollers)

For years, I have restrained myself from getting a DSLR and yet I managed to live, just let my N82 capture the instants, and still rather effectively tell a tale with my shots, humility aside. However, as days turned to months, moreso after Sony had so kindly let me use some of their flagship cameras earlier this year, I began to crave for more shooting equipment power.

You see, for me to produce a decent collection of photos, I will have to compose with the mobile phone’s camera limitations in mind (very limited “manual” tweaks available, a rather slow response time, no optical zoom function, etc.), making sure that I compensate the shortcomings of the instrument with well pieced together elements within my control, pre-shot. After I transfer the files into a PC, I look at each photo closely, scrutinizing the littlest details, and, if I’m lucky, I will only be daunted to do minor crops and saturation adjustments before I can show the final output to the world.

Since I’m a sucker for toy photography set in the dark, using only an LED caving lamp most of the time, I’d have to suck all my frustrations up and live with the digital noise infestation. Post processing then is a must rather than a luxury I could do without. Doing the composing in-cam (for me) may have been next to impossible, but I’ve done it. That so-called SOOC. Once. The photos may not have lived up to even the lowest of photography standards but when I got a flickr comment from a person I do not even know which read, “You gave it a soul. Great job,” I felt I got it made. LOL

After three weeks of asking around, reading internet reviews, and a very helpful phone-in dialogue with Drew, I gave in to getting my second point and shoot camera (after the Canon Ixus i5 I bought in Taiwan around 4 years ago). Behold, the Panasonic Lumix ZS3: made by voyeurs FOR voyeurs. Er, not really, but with its 12x optical zoom and Leica lens, that, too, can be possible.

Let me share with you one great feature of the ZS3 and one that I had been wanting to have for a while, too. HD video capture with optical zoom operation baybee, yeah!

Camphone, you have served me well. I’m still taking you wherever so I think we’ll still be doing some sweet projects soon, although not as often as before. You see, I’m just a lowly human answering the nagging call of grandeur. I know you’d understand.

More photos from my recent trip coming very soon.

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