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Year-Ender Post: 2009 in Fritzparazzi Photos

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Whew! This took too long. I’m sure there’s an easier way out there but I’m old school (i.e. a noob) so I rocked the hard way. If we’ve had interactions in the past year and if in those moments I was crazily snapping away like a loon, then most probably you’ll be in one of the 250 odd “fritzparazzi” photographs I used to come up with this vid. I was too tempted to use photos of other bloggers from most events because I later realized I was missing a month’s worth of pics off my archives, July 2009 to be exact, but thought better. This should do, I hoped.

So I start out with the Baconator and end with a snap of the lunar eclipse that happened on New Year’s Eve. Ok, that’s a lie. The ending’s totally different and I might end up getting killed for having that up LOL. Watch the vid already so you’ll know what I mean.

This one’s for you. For the company, the good times, your work, your craft, your dedication, and your passion. I hope that one day, I could at last measure up with the amount of efforts you have put in this endeavor, with or without Google AdSense.

Happy New Year, everyone! Here’s to a better year ahead of us all. And world peace.

Cheers!

Note: You may want to watch the full HD sized format of this vid straight off its youtube page. You’ll see the detail better that way.

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Gang Badoy’s Keynote at the PBAs 2009

While we were sat down and upon finding out that Gang Badoy was going to deliver the keynote during last night’s Philippine Blog Awards, I turned to Rico and Jayvee who were beside me and told them, “let’s be prepared, once again, to be awed and inspired.” It was my warning told in “jest” minus the mockery. Having heard Gang deliver her piece three times the past year made me look forward to hearing more from her. It was a privilege to listen to her again last night and “awed and inspired” could well be what everyone else felt soon after she left the stage after saying, “Keep on it. Welcome to the Philippines: One Blogging Nation. Mabuhay kayong lahat.” (EDIT: Gang’s speech in text form can be viewed from her site, in facebook, and at Jayvee’s site).

Here’s a vid cap of Gang’s keynote. I’m so sorry that I only managed to fish my cam out a minute into her speech. I’ll upload the photos I got from last night soon. Congratulations, PBA 2009 committee and to all the winners!

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Photos and a LOL Vid (No to Con-Ass Ayala Rally)

Thirty minutes after my first video stream, the mobile vibrated a the “Low Battery” prompt. Bummed me out since I went out on full bat from work *sighs*. In my next vidcasts, I’d remember to either to bring a spare (fully-charged) battery or have the phone plugged in somewhere while streaming. Per plurk buddy aajao, “not bad for an initial broadcast.” My thanks to you and those who had to bear with the stream. We had to start testing this technology out on something (no, a scandal vid is out of the question). ANC did a live coverage which I only later on found out. Better quality and more “real time,” since qik.com gave me a 13-minute lag at some point during my broadcast *pfffft*.

Over all, the rally was peaceful. Police were rounding the periphery for both the safety of the surrounding establishments and, most importantly, the rallyists which I found to be a good thing. I felt more secure with them around, really. News said 6,000 people attended. I’d have to agree with this statement, though:

“Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) secretary general Renato Reyes Jr. said the crowd peaked at between 13,000 to 15,000” – from Inquirer.net

Some of people holding office within the Ayala circuit would pass by, linger some, and give a thumbs up gesture to people on the street before leaving for their homes. Some, like several of my colleagues at work, stayed on. I’d say this was bigger than the previous No to ChaCha rally held on the same venue, from the POV of someone who was apparently present in both events (i.e. ME).

The thing that caught more of our attention while we were heading out was this tarpaulin laid down on one side of the street where faces of the Congressmen who said “Yay” to ConAss were printed and shown. Bystanders were free to step on their “favorite” Congressmen’s faces. Some expressed their disgust by doing, um, “creative” things on the photos. Please watch the 3-minute video below to know what I mean.
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Live Video Stream form the “No To Con-Ass” Rally in Ayala

To put the proposed Live Streaming via Mobile Phone technology to a test, I’ll be broadcasting a LIVE video stream from Ayala Avenue today (this afternoon) at around 5:00 P.M. or thereabouts (I’ll either Tweet or Plurk about it when we start so follow me via Twitter or Plurk already). Video will stream on the screen below (replacing the place holder video) so stay tuned!

Will Smart’s HSDPA signal deliver? Will my battery last long enough? Will the sound be audible? Let’s know firsthand, later today.

We’ll see you on the streets of Ayala! No to Con-Ass!

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Flashback: 2008

No words. Just see. I suggest that you turn up the volume and please… try not to blink. Everything will be a blur. Literally. I also advise that you let the video fully stream first before watching. Hope you like it :) [EDIT] WARNING: Watching may cause seizure. (more…)

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Blog Action Day 2008: Fire in Manila Slums

This post is published for Blog Action Day 2008.

 

A huge fire engulfed the homes of hundreds of families in that area beside the Loyola Memorial Chapels, a little past 2AM on July 5, 2008. We were driving down the opposite EDSA lane and headed for Boni when we saw it happen. Something suddenly hit me: sh*t, fire got the slums!

When huge fires such as this one hit a depressed area, the first thing that comes in my mind is “arson.” Generations ahead of us would recount similar occurrences in the past involving some real estate developer and this land owner striking this particular deal to build some high-rise project in city X if only they can clear the slums first, something I’d usually frown upon when I was little. Then again, since these shanties are tightly woven onto each other for maximum floor area per unit, an instance of fire caused by a mosquito-coil-to-flammable-cloth-contact may spread to cover the entire perimeter in minutes.

Make-shift houses made from wood scraps, mismatched GI sheets, salvaged plywood, and used tarpaulins are common in every key city all over the Philippines. Even the periphery of Makati’s Central Business District teem with slums in parts. These commonly damp places serve as homes to thousands of impoverished families, mostly hailing from the provinces and lured by dreams of making it big in the metro (another urban legend courtesy of elders from before my generation, pffft). Some families, as recounted, had continuously been “squatting” on private property for more than 18 years.

When I was young, I’d see Imelda Marcos’ “Bliss” housing projects on the way to Fort Bonifacio and exclaim, “Nay! parang ansarap ng dyan nakatira, no?” At times when we do our yearly CSR, I’d sometimes sadly entertain the idea that Gawad Kalinga projects appear to be more proactive when it comes to action for this cause, cooperating with private individuals and corporations to reclaim land and build homes that can serve as relocation sites for our underprivileged countrymen.

I hope our next batch of leaders would have it in their agenda to allot more budget to jump start and re-energize the housing project for the poor. Besides, decent housing will make for a cleaner and more orderly metro when we rid the surroundings of their less-livable urban for infrastructures. Just practice great vigilance to be absolutely sure that only the truly deserving can get to enjoy the aid.

Fast forward to October 2008. I was using the overpass one night when I remembered the fire incident. I looked down to my right and saw, to my surprise, a fairly new slum community constructed using new mismatched GI sheets and fairly new ads printed on used tarpaulins. I guess it’s safe to say that poverty prevailed (long live the queen!).

Voices in the video are contributed by road trip homies: Bim, Lauren, Anne, and Penny. Related news article about featured “fire” can be found here, covered by DJ Yap of Inquirer.net

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La bohème Set in Modern Manila

Instead of going to Bloggers’ Poker Night with the chance of beating Bim at the jackpot, I sort of worked some and then headed to the CCP to experience La bohème. I’m going to come clean this early on in the article by admitting that whenever I hear an aria being played anywhere, my eyeballs would suddenly shoot sideways without warning and stay there for a good 10 seconds minimum in protest. Opera just doesn’t feel alright to the ears, or at least MY ears.

When Lorna sent me an invite for a preview of La bohème, a classic written by Giacomo Puccini (who also composed Madama Butterfly) and first performed on stage in Italy back in February 1896, the same feeling of dread still weighed me down despite the week-long anticipation of finally getting to see my first ever real live opera. Once seated on the front row and center, I learned the hard way that my fears are indeed founded.

You see, I got bored. To tears. But let me elaborate.

First, the entire thing is in Italian. Sure, the set was easy on the eyes since the people behind the production made it look like the story they are telling happed in modern-day Manila but still, it’s in Italian. If I wasn’t taking videos, I’d take it as my cue to curl up on my seat and snore. But like a student who is about to take an exam, I should have come prepared. There are lots of resources everywhere in the Internet where I could have made an effort to read the lyrics and their corresponding translation in English but I didn’t bother. So yes, I’m partly to blame for this point.

Second, the opera singers’ eyeballs were very distracting. It would not have mattered, maybe, for people seated further away from the stage. I was less than 2 meters away from the conductor so when the opera singers would glance at her, I’d get very uneasy. It’s like seeing an orator fidget on stage for lack of confidence. I understand that the conductor dictates the flow and is thus in charge of the overall cohesion among the elements of the entire production so, yes, I know I must be fair in my judgement. She gives the cue, right. Ok, got that. And what we saw was a preview where they were ironing out the fine details of the show (OK, that part has already been explained to us by Lorna and I’m in a story-sharing mood so I wrote it down here for you to also experience).

Third, night after night, a different set of actors will perform the characters on stage. Mind you, though, that these are very talented/dedicated artists, as shown by their credentials. Director Floy Quintos shared that these actors were still rarin’ to do the role despite the need to learn the songs for four gruelling months just so they can perform for one night at the CCP. Having come from the theater, Director Quintos was humbled by this mind set shared by most young classical singers.

After the fourth act, I found myself easing up to the storyline. Could it be that my empathy found a way to transcend the language barrier? HUHLOLZ! I’d attribute my new-found satisfaction to the chemistry of the performers, director, orchestra, and the conductor. That plus probably the grandiose vibe of just being in the CCP and watching opera. Snooty much? Hellz yeah!

As repeatedly mentioned everywhere, the hit Broadway musical Rent was based on this classic. La boheme proudly earned the tagline “the greatest love story ever sang” and, as jokingly put by the director, the record-holder of the longest goodbye exchange between co-dependent lovers who can’t seem to live with nor be away from each other. That my dear friends is a classic right there with a plot that’s so current, you could smell, taste, and hump it!

The Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra provides professional and point-precise scoring as conducted by Helen Quach, a very energetic/lively woman. You’ll see what I mean in the video that’ll follow. You’ll notice her hands sticking out of the orchestra pit at times while I was shooting.

So, would I recommend the play? See the preview below and decide for yourself.

 

 

For tickets, contact the Philippine Opera Company at 892-8786 or visit www.philippineoperacompany.com for more details. Tickets are also available at all TicketWorld outlets with trunkline number 891-9999.

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