The word palindrome is derived from the Greek palandromos, meaning running back again (palan = AGAIN + drom-, dramen = RUN). By etymology, a palindrome is a word or phrase which reads the same in both directions.
All palindromes are in Bold Typeface.
More often than not, the TITLES of the blogs are palindromes.
Filipinos are passionate about our balls. Before your dirty mind thinks of other things, let me explain further. We love sports!
Just recently, our very own Django Bustamante won (almost won FIRST) second place in the 2002 World Pool Championships in Cardiff, Wales. This was the same tourney that Efren "Bata" Reyes pocketed in 1999. Despite the very sad news about his 8-year old daughter, Django led 15-13, but lost on a scratch at the break on the 29th match of a First to 17 championships.
Oh well, that's what you call an unlucky break - a scratched ball.
In another sports news, Dorothy Delasin placed 3rd at the recent 2002 Giant Eagle LPGA Golf Classic held in Vienna, Ohio which she has won for the last two years. But not without a fight. She had to score a 67 to bag 3rd place. Another Filipina, Jennifer Rosales won 10th overall.
En route to the 3rd and 10th places, Both Filipinas have scored on a lot of birdies. But as Dorothy herself placed it perfectly well, "I ran out of holes (for the birdies???)"
Gig Name : UB40 - Reggae and Rhythm Gig Venue: Montreux (Switzerland) Jazz Festival
Gig T & D : 12:45 AM to 2:45 AM, Saturday, July 19, 2002
Gig Entry : 2-month old tickets with the most beautiful date in town, my wife
Gig Tracks: not in any order:
1980s : The Way You Do the Things You Do, Don't Slow Down, Red Red Wine (song that brought the house down)
1990s : Can't Help Falling In Love, Sorry, Bring Me Your Cup, Where Did I Go Wrong, Breakfast In Bed, Here I Am (Come And Take Me), Reggae Music (Rap by their Keyboardist)
2000s : Since I Met You Lady, Cover Up, and other songs I can't remember.
What made this concert unique was the fact that it started way past midnight. I was in the concert halls at 7 pm just to be informed that the concert's sked for the night includes Ike Turner and Mandrill for the first four hours, before Britain's Premier Raggae Band takes centerstage. I decided to go home and have dinner first, sleep for an hour or two and prepare for the real show.
The night was made more enjoyable as the whole UB40 decided from the git-go to make the audience have a fun time and didn't withhold their great songs, starting off with "The Way You Do the Things You Do" while the crowd would help chant the track's title refrain. "Cover Up", a song on the use of condom reeled off tracks from their last year's album and then followed up by the 80s reggae theme song - "Red Red Wine", familiar tunes "Can't Help Falling in Love" and then "Higher Ground".
Memorable? Yes, definitely! With the new sked, my wife was able to come with me and jam it up with close to 4,000 other Europeans turned rastas til 2:30 in the morning!
Concert Rating: Deserving of a red red wine toast! UB40 got me, babe!
Gig Name : David Bowie Concert Gig Venue: Montreux (Switzerland) Jazz Festival
Gig T & D : 8:45 PM to 11:15 pm, Thursday, July 18, 2002
Gig Entry : via scalper at 9:00 PM
Gig Tracks: not in any order:
1970s : Space Oddity, Changes, Ziggy Stardust, Rebel Rebel, Fame
1980s : Fashion, Let's Dance, China Girl and Blue Jean
1990s : I am Afraid of America
2002 : Sunday, Cactus, Slip Away, Afraid, I've Been Waiting for You, I Would Be Your Slave, Everyone says "Hi", Slow Burn, The Angels Have Gone
If you are given the chance to see a guy that has mastered the art of Ch-Ch-Change and Reinvention and has formed most of one's cassette or vinyl record collection, will you take it? I would, if I could. In the first place, tickets were sold out 2 hours upon opening of the box office way back in April 26. So, I never really hesitated but took my sweet time to do it. And I did, as probably 5,000 more rocking Europeans in the Auditorium Stravinski last night. Mr. Bowie was last night's most dapperdude with an aura far unimaginable this day if you happen to see his pictures being Ziggy Stardust or "Diva" Bowie in the 70s. His voice was still solid and showed his versatility as he sang his freakish 70s tracks and his present rock solid new songs from "Heathen". His most applauded numbers included, "ChinaGirl" and "Changes" and of course, taking a cue and joked about the name of the concert (being a Jazz Festival), David rendered a soulful samba-sounding introduction of "Let's Dance" and right smack as the audience have surrendered that the joke was true, the band pumped a notch higher to bring back the rocking bass and drum beating the song was known for. What were supposed to be meek Swiss people who love to frolic with their cheeses and cows were now ecstatic, short of wild beasts "putting on their red shoes" and really dancing their blues away!
I've been in and around CD Stores most of the time lately and have been a listening-section-rat for a good 15-30 minutes hopping from one CD to another listening to new releases and just discovered these three. Today, I'll start off a portion of my palindromic-entitled blog section with "DISCS I'D... (blank) - either shun, just continue listening to it or yes maybe, buy...here goes
DAVE MATTHEWS BAND - "Busted Stuff" Released : July 16, 2002
I got hooked with DMB with "Crash" and plastered with "The Best of What's Around", then cemented with "Everyday". That oh-so-familiar-timbre of a voice as cool as, yes, Sting, was enough for me to shop around for more stuff. Just last year, I tumbled upon "Lillywhite Sessions" from where-else - the Internet and thought it was a weird idea from a label to not produce the album with such great stuff and allow it to be released only in the internet. Of course, I didnt know that the screwed up producer wanted to get back at DMB and leaked samples of what could be a great masterpiece. Just the same, the South African band and their "Lillywhite BUSTED Stuff" are here to stay, not pirated, and with digitally mastered copies of the "original sessions", the 11-track album will be a good buy for any DMB fanatic like me.
This Disc, with its bonus DVD, I'd definitely BUY. I will continue to listen to it here til I get back home though. Or else I'll gnash my teeth if it won't be released in the Philippines when I go back home in August...
DAVID BOWIE - "Heathen" Released in Switzerland, July 2, 2002
Hmmmm. Let me see. David Bowie is playing tonight at the Montreux Jazz Festival - and - and - I didn't scramble for tickets...what could be the reason for such a decision? Maybe because Mr. Bowie, Ziggy himself hasn't released any respectable album of late. But this album is a reunion of sorts (just like U2) with the producer who got him out of the Stardust eras. So maybe with tracks like "Afraid", a cover of the Pixies "Cactus", "Angels Have Gone" and the title track will make me buy a ticket from a scalper? Those are 4 reasons out of the 12 tracks!
I think I'll give it a get-go. I'd try to get the ticket first, if not settle for the CD or maybe the vinyl LP (which was also released for nostalgic reasons). This disc, I'd BUY but in the Philippines, because it will surely be released there at a much lower price of Php 450.00 than its wallet-busting price of CHF 29.90 or Php 900.00. Ugh. Doble.
OASIS - "Heathen Chemistry" Released in Switzerland, July 2, 2002
Six degrees of separation. Dave Matthews to Oasis. Dave Matthews - David Bowie (both Dave's), Heathen to Heathen Chemistry, (both are CDs). Forget about the spats between the brothers. Forget about the chest-thumping ego maniacal statements the two have made but this CD is going to throw you back to the 90s, with their first two albums. Correction. It will throw you back to the 60s with the Beatles' era. Defintely, not just maybe, a good way to listen to the young John and Paul, Ringo and George. As Amazon puts it, "... if a band is going to unapologetically rip off what was unquestionably the best band in the world, no one does it better than Oasis."
This disc, I'd BUY in the Philippines for Php 450.00 and not its Swiss Price of CHF 24.50 or roughly Php 750.00. Doesn't tell you something about my taste, but tells you that I'm definitely and not maybe, saving some moolah for more European escapades!
Being in a different country allows us to expand our minds at the same time be invisible in the company of strangers as it permits us to talk freely in our native tongue. For me, its our funny Tagalog language.
An officemate of my wife mentioned to her once that it sounded repetitive. (“repetitive” or “repetive?”)
During lunchtime last Sunday, while listening to the Dutch family at the seats directly behind us in the pizza place fronting Lake Geneve as well as to the Germans who ordered beer with their lunch pizza two rows in front of me, our Tagalog, spoken by my mom and wife really sounded funny. I really think we have too many vowels and too many syllables. And yes, we repeat syllables. Paulit-ulit.
Imagine this mono-syllabic conversation from the past in an elevator:
Man outside the elevator: “Bababa ba?” (Is this elevator going down?) (with eyebrows raised)
Man inside the elevator: (with a nod) “Bababa” (Yes, it’s going down)
Man outside the elevator: ”a, Bababa” (Oh, its going down…)
(elevator closes)
A conversation using the syllable “BA” and they understood each other. Only in the Philippines or only with Filipinos.
********
Why does Filipino start with “F” while the Philippines start with “P(h)”? – Did somebody screw up when a foreigner asked him his nationality and it stuck to this day? We should be called Philipinos or better yet - Pinoy!
Authors and their characters become both our life's memoir and our soul's mirror. This is a valid reason why we follow all their works as we want to see how we are as part of their next novel, how we react as part of their masterpiece or simply nodding as we say "I would've reacted the same way in the same situation."
I'd rather go for a King novel any day while I was growing up with a weird taste for the macabre and Salinger for some teenage angst. Garcia Marquez and Irving filled my day in college and transitionally shifted to Fulghum for some "depth" and inspiration. In my 20s, I moved to Coelho for another perspective in life and death and now in this present stage, became introspective with lives of people created by Nick Hornby.
Why Nick? Simple.
"Fever Pitch" was my first salvo into Nick's world and my first agreement to the fact that I was normally normal. I mean my obsession for sports can be normal. Although not soccer (er, football) but more of basketball (80%) and the remaining portion to all other sports, my passion has led me to sometimes forget people around me when I'm immersed in the heat of the last 2 minutes or a game to be decided on a last coach's timeout.
"High Fidelity" touched on my musical talent. Rather on my love for music. No terpsichorean nor any crown for being a videoke king, but since I touched on a 45rpm when I was 3, I was hooked to it like gum to your shoesoles. Short of saying that I don't make my own lists. Nor do I arrange all my albums and now my CDs in alphabetical, chronological or by color of the album cover. Wait, one other thing I do with them is that I have a Dewey Decimal System that works as my code device to track down missing records or cds. Even my wife, before she became my wife, even before she became a part of me, became a victim of it. But she also received one of my recordings. That last one impressed her.
"About A Boy" Recently finished and recently seen is my ultimate "yeah, that Will could be me". In this stage in my life, like Will, I love to loaf, like Will, I want to watch TV (sometimes to just leave it on, without watching it) and like Will, I just sometimes surround myself with things that I think will make my life complete (e.g. gizmos and gadgets that I play around and carouse and leave behind after one or two times with it). Sort of being an island sometimes. But the similarity maybe ends there.
"How to Be Good". Havent started this first Hornby in a female voice. But I guess I'll move on to the next author. Who do you suggest and why?
Authors do magic with the characters that they write about and makes it more magical when the readers are able to relate to their opus.
Matched. There are only a few reasons that can make me sit still and listen up. My teachers in grade school have always complained about this, add to that all the rest of my teachers, professors, bosses and my wife too. I may be diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder (with hyperactivity). My attention span is limited to at most 15 minutes.
But last Wednesday night, and unmistakably, exactly a year before, I was sitting on my chair and listening up for a good 40 minutes, short of a record for me, to one of the few CEOs I admire, Nestle’s Juan B. Santos. His poise and bearing gives you the sense of a man who has puckered his lips and rolled up his sleeves and worked a blue-collared job in a white-collared position. He talks from experience. His demeanor shows his relentless pursuit to sharing his learnings to young turks in his fold. His wisdom is his legacy. The results of his leadership through the years have made the company move from labor problems to stability and growth.
The other CEO, whom I miss lately is my former boss in Pepsi, Mr. Rod C. Salazar. Both he and Mr. Santos, known by their initials, RCS and JBS have that distinct characteristic to make me a disciple in whatever they say. Short of saying, “Let’s go and do it!” after any of their exhortations.
Presumably, since both rose from the ranks from Marketing, you can say that I am a lifetime student of “Marketing” and it was the path I tread 90% of my career. I dreamt of someday being like them. Analyzing the market. Allowing numbers such as the SOM (Market), SOM (Mind), SOH (Heart) and all the other initials come alive. Dipping my hands into the 5Ps. Planning against competition or strategizing for potential co-opetition and rallying the boys to believe in the plan and implement it.
I sometimes - still do. I dream of going back. But. But. I stop dreaming after 15 minutes.
"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened." - Matthew 7:6-9
Making "pasalubong" was redefined recently. I had a credit of few dollars with an officemate who is in our Head Office facility in Los Angeles since May. As Filipinos would want to share their experience from a place they have visited, they would like to do it by giving some small things from that place to share with people who are left on the other side. We call this as pasalubong. I guess we got this trait from our Spanish forefathers who always prepared some things from Portugal and Spain to give as peace offering to their local counterparts.
In short, instead of giving a rundown of whatever I wanted, I sent him a list from my Amazon Wish List. Usually, I have this wish list to remind me of things I wanted to give myself for a certain milestone or a success made. Sort of an incentive to a child. More often than not, these things are not available locally. One other thing is that, one item should be less $20, just enough to feed my “insatiable” liking for small joys. Thus, I only get one every now and then and tick them off from my list.
I haven’t had any recent item ticked off for the 6 months or so because of being busy with the new business and from traveling. But the promise of our Lord from the book of Matthew works for spiritual rewards but also for some material “prize”. Our Father also wants us to enjoy some of His gifts.
But as they say, “Be careful what you ask for, you might just get it.” With my dollar credits, I got six ticked off my list.
Updated July 18, 2002 : Just got "Memento" DVD on sale! The French term "Action" (meaning discounted or get it fast!) was plastered on the disc's plastic. The disc was worth CHF 25 or PHP 760.00 only
MORCHEEBA : Charango (Short CD Reviews) Bought: July 7, 2002
From: Montreux Jazz Festival, Switzerland
Still unreleased in the US Market (officially on July 16th), this new CD from Morcheeba is potentially their best. A 12-track album that transcends various chill-out music Morcheeba has been known. Charango is a small guitar which traditionally is made of armadillo shell, opens the carrier single. In fact, Morcheeba used flugelhorns, acoustic guitars, flute, harp, violins, a Morricone-style bassoon interspersed in all of the album's fine music.
Choosing a standout is like choosing a favorite child. All 12 tracks have differing traits that one can choose a number, push forward to that track and chill out repeating the track at least 3x. One can drive along the lake and be immersed in deep contentment with tracks like "Undress Me Now", and "Way Beyond". But overall, just flip in the disc and be calmed with music that soothes and relaxes your nerves. Definitely a 5-star.
If you're lucky enough, you can score it with a bonus CD of all tracks in their instrumental version. Price is CHF 29.50 or USD 20.
DON'T NOD Don't Just Nod
We die a little every night. Did you know that we do? This morning, we discovered dry cells (no not the ones you use for your flashlight) but skin cells and fallen hairs on my side of the bed. If I was exfoliating in a spa it would have been fine. Apparently I had a soft pillow on my head and was snoring my way to dreamland.
God would be happy if we check out every night with Him and punch our bundy clock with Him in the morning to prepare ourselves for the inevitable.
Enjoyed (not giddy enjoyed) last night's Rock Festival. I first saw Joe Satriani- the Guitar as the programme says at exactly 8:30 as what the ticket says. This is the big difference between European culture (except probably for Spain and Italy) - they are extremely exacting. Moreover - this is Swiss time, we are talking about. "Satch" as he is called is already pushing 50 years old, but guys like me cover our love handles when we see his physique. He played a familiar "Cool Number 9", the only familiar tune for me, plus a dozen more rhythm guitar tracks from his latest album. I had to go out and back the convention to avoid the splitting of my ear drums. The hall was replete with different nationalities and I think I was the only Filipino around. If my wife was with me, we could've been the only two.
This experience only shows that music knows no bounds, no color nor no nationality...as I see the faces of different people from various ages, it also knows no age.....then I saw my own reflection from a distant mirror - another learning ensued....am I too old for this? am I an old fart with a bulging tummy trying to rub elbows and touch chests with teenage europeans? I went back in and never looked at any mirror from then on.
I thought I was seeing double seeing the recent Texas flood and pictures of Manila (courtesy of Cynthia's July 7 blog) as well. Hmmm....what does this tell us?
Red Red Wine. I Got U Babe. Cant Help Falling in Love. Rat in the Kitchen. Familiar tunes? Yes they are. And they are here in Montreux, Switzerland for the 2002 Montreux Jazz Festival. What is Britain's (if not the world's) best Reggae Band doing in a Jazz Fest composed of B.B. King, Isaac Hayes, Pat Matheny etc.? Well, throughtout the years, proponents of Jazz, Rock and Classical music have been converging in this "Riviera of Switzerland" to play for all kinds of music lovers. One would have a choice of seeing jazz exposition with sax and solo competition, gospel and blues, and other jazz music lineage.
Last year, Sting, Alanis Morissette, Patti Smith were here. Previous players, include Everthing But the Girl, Julia Fordham, and other name droppables who visit this place for one of the 15 nights available for people like you and me.
The idea of being marooned in an island all by yourself (if given a choice, I'll be with my wife than with a volleyball named "Wilson") is not a nightmare for me. Personally, there were days that it occured that I wanted to do that...in fact, it's our's, me and Michele's, plan to do it some day...hopefully soon...Imagine, no news, no TV, no radio, no nothing?
In fact, presently we are doing it in a different way in this quiet country. It so happens that I just have a bunch of VCDs and some magazines I brought from the Philippines to while away the time when the other person is doing the cooking or out in the grocery. There is no English channel (except for BBC and CNN) so Cable TV is practically useless (it's useless for me being without ESPN, HBO and Star Channels).
But if the worst (that of really being alone) happens, no one to talk too for almost the whole day, no one to hug, to embrace and just to be with, hmmmm, maybe music will stem the tide....here is a list of my desert island discs...
Of course, assuming there's a CD player and electricity to play it from.....
And I Love News. After Enron, here comes Worldcom. with some accounting problems. As I probably heard from my family's yarn of Accounting jokes - "Accounting is merely reporting not just DEBIT, CREDIT but also KUPIT."
And I Love News. Its July 4th (still July 3rd in the US TimeZones) and its time to celebrate (probably with caution). Happy Independence Day to all you back there in the States!
Let's drink to that. I was once part of the most creative bunch of people to be housed in a 300 sqm office in Citibank Towers in the Philippines. In fact, the thought on how much creative juices flow in that carpeted "home" is still a mathematical unknown for me. I can remember days when you will hear so much deep insights on everyday life and lifestyle to the most inane. Although if it weren't for the starch-stiff policies of the building, I could imagine officemates to be able to come to office in their "usual" clothes. In fact, even with such policies (no shorts, come in business attire, no open toe sandals, etc.), the GetAsia guys can be identified from thousands of Citibankers from a mile away. They were the best group I've worked with in the last decade. Its been 50 days since its demise.
Just to show some samples of how great the people were in that short but memorable stint, here are samples of Kalaand Astrid.
PLAN NO DAMN MADONNA LP Here is a quiz. Ok, Net Generation, when I say LP, what comes to mind? I guess if your mental age wasn’t in double figures during the 80s then those two characters wouldn’t ring a bell.
Long Playing. LP. That simply means a 12-inch vinyl (or album) that is played with a stylus (a needle) either on 33 1/3 revolutions (speed) per minute. Its mini-version, a 7-inch vinyl (or a single) is played at 45 rpm. CDs look up to LP Albums as their predecessors. Those were the days that we enjoy music from both sides. A Side A and a Side B. You have to flip the record to enjoy the whole LP.
I was 10 when I started enjoying the sound of popcorn (the version of a skip in a CD or a hiss in a cassette tape) while listening to current groups (e.g. Depeche Mode, U2, Everything But the Girl, David Bowie, REM and yes, Madonna) who were present in the 80s and just released albums in the last year or so.
A collection of 300 or so LPs are right now sitting listlessly in a dark corner of our old house, waiting for an Amelie -like person to bring me back memories of my childhood.
The idea of record playing brings me back to those simple days that an P18 ($.36 US Cents) bring so much joy for a be-pimpled lad. Days when you can lock yourself up in your room, slip your fingers into the album sleeves (the covers) and carry the needle onto the song you want to play.
Sure you can do that with the current CD technology, but can you see an ant moving with the grooves of the LP at 33 1/3 rpm? Moreover, try enjoying the other side by flipping your CD? Only the good ole LP can do that.
