Mabuhay Restop

Tucked away in a little corner of the Rizal Park in Manila is a small nondescript restaurant that offers inexpensive Filipino food from 7:00 a.m. till 10:00 p.m. daily seven days a week.You can't miss the Mabuhay Restop! It's situated right across the Museum of Manila a stone's throw away from the Quirino Grandstand and the Manila Ocean Park.

Spearheaded by the charming Ms Rose Cabrera, Mabuhay Restop is one of the projects of Gawad Kalinga which is a non profit organization that is geared towards empowering the underprivileged. A noble program indeed! Ms. Billie de Jesus is in charge of Marketing and Promotions.  Both ladies  are working out ways to promote the resto the best way they can. 

On the ground level is a small coffee shop with a few tables and a corner curio store of Gawad Kalinga products made from their livelihood projects. There are recycled bags made from recycled doy packs, native woven baskets, silk-screened t-shirts, canvass tote bags, and organic beauty products from Human Nature. There's also a bar that serves refreshments as well as cakes and pastries and local "kakanin".

The upper level is where some of the other activities are held. There is an afternoon story-telling for kids with Tita Beauty. For the evening activity, they have a musical review entitled Manila Vanilla directed by no less than Nestor U. Torre and geared for an adult audience. The show comes with a buffet dinner. They also have tours of Rizal Park and other destinations where Gawad Kalinga's settlements are located. This particular evening that the show was launched, we happened to be in the company of some tour guides, a travel magazine editor and some foreign guests who sampled the delicious food.

If you're bored in the Metro and have no idea where to go, try the Manila Restop. You're striking two birds with one stone: enjoying good food and providing Gawad Kalinga with more funds to empower the less fortunate. Now that's helping out!

Comisserating with Les Miserable

I read a review of Les Miz from a major daily yesterday... I scoffed at it! Obviously there is some sort of "generation loss" that happens when a musicale is transposed into a medium like film. Some elements are lost and some are gained in the process of turning a long running and critically acclaimed piece like Les Miz when it is converted into a cinematic work.

I therefore, decided to view the film and see for myself whether Les Miz was worth all the Oscar buzz that it's getting. IT IS! 

image from Buzzsugar.com

It's a pity that some reviewers overlook the fact that cinema is a more intimate medium as actors are blown up on a larger-than-life scale on screen. And since it is essentially a "canned" performance, the energy and excitement of opening night is completely lost on the audience. You do not have the palpable vitality as though you were watching live theater. But the film version succeeds in conveying the pathos and the abject misery that the book and the musicale wants to impart on its audiences.

The songs and the music have already gained a massive following among theater goers here and abroad. Even Lea Salonga who has performed in it used "On my Own" as her audition piece for Ms Saigon ( for which she won a Tony as Kim). In the movie version, the actors have literally transformed themselves into the characters they portray. Both Anne Hathaway (Fantine) and Hugh Jackman (Jean Valjean) have even gone on a strict regimen to lose weight for their roles. I for one, did not even recognize Jackman at the start of the movie. Such dedication! No wonder he got a Golden Globe for his portrayal.

The singing was not like you would witness it onstage. Naturally, these actors have had some considerable amount of vocal coaching. Some have criticized the music for being captured raw and would have wished the  soundtrack to have been "sweetened" meaning edited with digital enhancements. Russel Crowe, poor actor,  has received much chiding as having the weakest voice in the whole ensemble. But even Russel Crowe's portrayal of Javert does not escape notice. His voice though, not as full and forceful as Jackman's does its bit in conveying his hatred and dedication to duty through emotion. His constant series of scenes atop ledges and  dizzying parapets serve as foreshadowing of his ultimate fate.

Now that we've touched up on the subject of emotion. Anne Hathaway deserves an Oscar for her portrayal of Fantine. True, compared to Salonga and Paige , Hathaway's voice does not hold a torch to these actresses who are gifted with golden voices. However, Anne Hathaway imbues her signature song of "I Dreamed A Dream" with so much sorrow and regret you don't mind  if she falters on some notes for effect. Her commendable is singing, though, as she does reach the high notes with tears rolling down her pretty cheeks.

Amanda Seyfried was a revelation as Cosette. I first saw her on Mama Mia! and she could really sing (it was an Abba musical review anyway). Her voice was crystal clear and at some points in their counterpoint her  her head tones and falsettos rang like a tuning fork. The same thing is true for Sasha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter as the Thernadiers. What a gem they were as the conniving couple acting as both comic relief and  main foil. Their rendition of "Master of the House" would bring the house down any day. Both Carter and Cohen have been known to play quirky characters. Their being cast was a perfect choice for the film. Another brilliant actress, though virtually unknown, was the one who played Eponine. You feel for her misfortune as their fortunes are reversed. Cosette having become the object of Marius' affection and her good fortune as Valjean's ward, Eponine sings "On My Own" drenched in the rain as she wanders off nursing unrequited love.

All in all the ensemble delivers the stirring choruses particularly in the ending when they gather together for Valjean's redemption. Speaking of Valjean, Jackman has the burden of of carrying the film althroughout. He deserves his best actor trophy. His tenor carries up the higher registers of the songs especially when he sings "Who Am I?".  Points go to the cinematographer for cinematic angles that seem off but are effective in subliminal messages. When Jackman renders "Bring Him Home", his teary-eyed version shows Jackman with an image of the all-seeing-eye in the background seemingly saying that Valjean's prayer is heard by the higher powers.

Why shouldn't you watch Les Miserable, the movie? It's worth every cent i paid for the admission ticket...

Life of Pi - A Review

There are very few movies that carry a story line about one's journey without it dragging on at some point in the film.  Life of Pi is a "robinson crusoesque" story of a tweener forced into manhood by circumstance. Growing up as a boy, Piscine Patel experienced the pain of bullying as a result of his unconventional name. Who could he blame? His name comes from a popular resort in the south of France and sounds similarly like "pissing". He circumvents the matter by equating his name with a numerical equation and excelling in mathematical problems. Successfully, his name is changed to Pi.

Pi's curiosity finds him dabbling in different religions and  focusing on none. His daily routine consists of feeding the animals in a family operated zoo. As he grows up, he learns valuable lessons  that his dad taught him; particularly when he tries to feed the zoo's tiger Richard Parker. Eventually, these life lessons are what Pi hangs onto when in their voyage across the Pacific Ocean en route to Canada the ship runs into a squall and sinks with everyone and everything onboard except a Zebra, a chimpanzee, a hyena and to Pi's consternation, Richard Parker!

Photo from The Guardian website

The movie further unfolds into a series of misadventures that leaves Pi and Richard Parker into an uneasy alliance in order to survive. You'll have to watch the movie for yourself lest I ruin the story for you. Suffice it to say that Ang Lee's vision is so clear and directly presented that it will lead you aghast at the visual unfolding of the movie. Touted as the next Avatar for its stunning cinematography, Lee's images do not disappoint. Most of the scenes are shot in the water and yet the images are never boring nor similar.

The scenes are crisp and never dragging and the storyline delves on one's strength of character and unwavering faith in God but it never proselytizes. There are some funny moments as well and yet one sometimes gets the feeling of hopelessness as the two characters try to manage a non-relationship and get along inspite of the odds.

There are no lengthy dialogues and no big stars but the film manages to hold its own. Considering that the lead has no acting experience, he delivers his emotions so well particularly in the scene where he taunts God during another storm where he loses all but the lifeboat they're in.  

All in all, watching the movie is worth the price of admission. It's one of those films where there are no warriors defying gravity, no hollywood A-listers, no media hype... and yet Ang Lee captures the viewer's imagination with a tight plot and divine images

Photo from theawardsdaily.com

2013: THE YEAR AHEAD (1st Quarter)

I'M SORRY IF I HAVEN'T BLOGGED IN A WHILE!!!!

I've had technical problems last year with my broadband connection. And then I had problems with my laptop... I still am. This new blog is a long shot but I have resolved to be more diligent with my blogging. After all, I am trying to get my blog site off the ground. I have something to say with this blog and I will continue airing my views and imparting some information to those who quite religiously read my entries.

Skip 2012 retrospectives. It's too late for that now...

2013 proves to be an exciting year! It's the Year of the Water Dragon. And as if the Filipinos have gotten over the Christmas Holidays - NOT! Right on the heels of the Epiphany comes the Traslacion of the holy image of the Black Nazarene. OK, so I'm a raving fanatic, but I've established my own tradition of attending First Friday Masses at Quiapo Church and never ever missing the feast which is celebrated every 9th of January. I managed to attend the healing Mass at six o'clock on the eve of the fiesta. And then, I attended the 5 a.m. Mass the next day. 

This year was slightly better than last year's celebrations. The andas or carriage used for the revered image was outfitted with tires from a forklift to avoid last year's faux pas. To those who are not aware of it, last year the procession made an epic 24-hour journey from Quirino Grandstand back to Quiapo Church because the crush of the devotees and the andas malfunction. The andas had to be changed and the image was bourne aloft by the faithful who steered it in Quiapo's narrow old streets. This year was a lot better due to the changes in both logistics and in execution. 

Alright, the crowd was still unruly... breaking the barriers and rushing into the Quirino Grandstand in the middle of the Eucharistic celebration while the Nicean Creed was being recited. They had to be reminded the Mass was still ongoing and that the procession was still to follow. After that, the men started jostling to get a hold of the ropes. I gasped when the image nearly fell! Thankfully the image passed through our selected spot near the Lagusnilad by 11:30 a.m. That's record speed considering we waited until 4:30 p.m. for the image to pass through last year. An estimated 9 million were in attendance this year.

After the Nazarene, the Feast of the Sto. Nino will be welcomed with much revelry and street dancing especially in Aklan, Cebu, Iloilo, Tondo and Pandacan. The third Sunday of January is the time to soot up (pun intended) for the Ati-Atihan, Sinulog, Dinagyang festivals which recall how the fair-skinned Spanish conquistadores were able to convert the Indios by way of presenting the image of the Sto. Nino or Holy Child to the "dark-skinned" natives. There's still much merry-making to experience for this month.

For February, there are three more celebrations to look forward to:

Valentine's Day - What is it with Filipinos who just have to have dates on the 14th of February? The love month sees the increase in sales in flowers and chocolates and engagement rings. Trust the Pinoy to be sacharinely sweet on the day of hearts. No other country in the world celebrates Valentine's day like we do. If there's ever a good time to press for the RH Bill, it's on this day.

Panagbenga - Consider this the Rose Parade festival of the Philippines. People troop to Baguio City to view floats festooned with fragrant flowers. I love this heady competition of floats sponsored by different networks, enterprises, socio-civic organizations and what-not. It is also attended by showbiz personalities and endorsers and participated in by indigenous communities, school children and politicians as well.

Chinese New Year- Febraury 20th is the celebration for Chinese New Year. Kung Hei Fat Choi, everyone! This year marks the entry of the Water Dragon. Binondo one's again lights up with firecrackers. Feng Shui experts are called in to locate auspicious directions to bring forth good health and prosperity... tikoy, a sticky rice delicacy, is passed around and sampled; and all sorts of lucky charms to enhance luck, wealth, love and health are peddled in Ongpin and Quintin Paredes streets in our historic Chinatown.

Then as March comes along, it is assumed, that employees would have filed their vacation leaves, purchased their airline tickets, swimsuits, suntan lotion and flotation devices, made their reservations and packed their suitcases as they head out to various destinations to observe HOLY WEEK from the 25th to the 29th of the month.

So as I try to take in all of what I have written above, I look forward to another year filled with journeys and adventures,stories that I can share and blog entries worth reading... stay with me... I'll be in Coron next month... By then I hope I can upload great photos with great articles...