Halloween: Treats and Treats

I love Halloween. 

When I was a kid, my sister and I used to go trick-or-treating around our village. I remember I usually got so much candy from those to last me an entire year (though the best chocolate bars would be gone within a week!) I don't remember dressing up back then, though I found this photo of me and my sisters recently.

I'm a witch, @karentiuseco a clown, and @ktiuseco a skinny Ate. What randomness. #nationalsiblingsday #nsb

A photo posted by Katherine (@kaichypoo) on Apr 11, 2015 at 5:37am PDT

For thirteen years or so, my friends and I dressed up and went trick-or-treating at one of the private villages in our city, where one of us lived. In the beginning, we used to show up in whatever we had wanted; but during and after our college years, we came up with fun themes like Geeks, Cartoon Characters, Nationalities, and Crayola (these were the most recent that I remember.) That fizzled a few years ago when our host moved to Paris. Boohoo. Now, only our friends with children keep the tradition alive.

I even made us Mario and Yoshi costumes for 2010

So I was thrilled when I had the opportunity to dress up at last year's Halloween party at my home box, CrossFit Greenhills. I went as Nikki Minaj, another pink-haired friend went as Katy Perry, I hung out with a Starbucks frappe, and one of my favourites was a very convincing Beetlejuice! 

I even choreographed a short Thriller copycat!




This year, I'll be missing all the festivities because of a gig out of town (I'm not complaining, work is good!) I'm just a little bummed I won't be able to join our box's party, and some of these special promos and events in the city.

First, the Pumpkin Spice macarons are back for a limited time. Its warm and earthy orange hues give me the feeling of autumn, even in the Philippines. I love these pumpkin shaped, cinnamon-spice filled cookies; and this year, you can get one for free when you buy the Ghost Fluff. What is ghost fluff? It's a 3-layer moist chocolate cake with salted caramel ganache, coated in ghost fluff, errr, I mean marshmamaw... I mean marshmallow! I've had it, and it was everything it said it would be. I especially loved the texture of the salted caramel, a little chewy and nougatine. If you come in costume on the 31st, you also get a free treat. 

Mrs. Graham's Cafe
51-C Scout Rallos, Quezon City
Facebook: facebook.com/MrsGrahamsCafe/
Instagram: @MrsGrahamsCafe

In another part of the city, a different kind of Halloween will be celebrated with Trick or Turtles. There will be a reading of a new book out called, "The Legend of Juan Pawikan and the 7,107 Islands" to promote marine conservation and sea turtle awareness. Guests are encouraged to come in ocean/sea-themed costumes, and there will be art activities, games, and prizes. If you want your kids to get all the fun that comes with Halloween, but with an educational twist, you wouldn't want to miss this. The event is hosted by Celine Fabie, sea turtle advocate and creator of Juan Pawikan.

October 31, Saturday
3:00 pm
Powerbooks, Greenbelt 4
Facebook Event: Trick Or Turtles
Instagram and Twitter: @JuanPawikan
#AMarineKindofHalloween

I hope everyone has a memorable Halloween for the books!

Forgive Like Animals

There is often a negative connotation when people are likened to animals. In Filipino, it is an insult when you're told, "Hayup ka!" I wonder if this thinking is rooted in the primal nature of animals, because I can't find any other reason why they would deserve that undertone. 

My dogs, for example, as my biggest and most constant exposure to animals, have more wonderful traits that some humans lack: simplicity, loyalty, kindness, empathy, sensitivity.

Negatives, brothers from another mother. #Bruce #Kani #sharpei #labrador

A photo posted by Katherine (@kaichypoo) on Jun 4, 2015 at 2:58am PDT

These total opposites - black & white, aloof & goofy - have a love for each other that looks beyond fights over food and attention, and a love for me that holds no grudges and can fix all wrongs with a happy wag of a tail or a lick on the hand. 

A photo posted by Katherine (@kaichypoo) on Feb 13, 2014 at 1:54am PST

This morning, Bruce, my black Sharpei, didn't finish his food. Kani, my labrador, saw his dish and started chowing down on it. Bruce got mad, and bit Kani in the ear to try to keep  him away; but Kani had started to stand over the dish, growling territorially. Their little riff last about 2 minutes, even as we tried to pull them apart, but finally Bruce backed down. Upon inspection, I saw drops of blood on the floor and saw that Bruce had bitten Kani quite hard, leaving 5 punctures in his ear. We brought Bruce out of the house momentarily, while I dressed Kani's wounds. 

Within minutes, Bruce had knocked on the door to be let back in (yes, he knocks.) We were wary at first, not knowing if the fight would continue; but I was touched to see them both walk toward each other. Bruce sniffed Kani, and Kani started to lick his face repeatedly. They continued to do this, walking slightly around each other, for about a minute, until it seemed they had made their peace.

How wonderful it must be to forgive like them, bearing no grudges, ready to reconcile and forget the past within 5 minutes. So while I see where the negative connotations come from (they did fight and bite first,) I want to recognise that there is more good in animals than some realise.

Not sure who's taking who for a walk. Enjoy your Sunday! #Kani #Bruce #dogs

A video posted by Katherine (@kaichypoo) on Aug 10, 2013 at 7:57pm PDT

A Night of A Capella: Akapela Open 2015

Taken from the Akapela Open Twitter account

The Akapela Open is a contemporary a cappella singing competition, created by the Music School of Ryan Cayabyab (TMSRC.) It has clearly promoted a cappella music and performance since its inception, because the contestants at last night's finals were of a much higher caliber. Still held at the Meralco Theater on its third year (the event is sponsored by the One Meralco Foundation,) the house was teeming with a cappella lovers before the show started. 

The Part 4, a male quartet who were all scholars of the TMSRC, kicked off the evening with introductions and a medley of songs that, in retrospect, were some of the songs sung by the contestants that evening. It provided an overture for the rest of the night; and they sounded so good, they got me rightfully excited for the finalists' presentations.

Part 4: hosts, singers, comedians

I'm not sure if my memory serves me right, but I recognised 6 out of the 10 groups' names, meaning they had already participated in the previous years. I was disappointed that some groups were missing from the line-up (like my friends from 1415, who bagged the Best Vocal Arrangement and 2nd Runner-Up in 2013,) but I had some of my other favorites in the competition that I was still rooting for. 

Waiting for the show to begin

The finalists, in the order that they performed, were D' Mortal Instruments, 10,000, Mouthfools, Voices, Five Percent, Acapellago, Iskala, G Harmonic, Pinopela, and Dynamix. I commend all the groups who joined, because I know that a cappella isn't easy. It takes a lot of time to arrange a piece, learn an individual part, color it with different vocal productions, then try to make sense of it all when the group comes together. It sounds like a lot of work, and it is; but the pay-off is euphoric, at least for me. Maybe that's why I've joined choirs since I was a child, attempted to form singing groups with high school classmates, trained and toured with the University of the Philippines Concert Chorus for most of my college life, enjoyed singing stints with a handful of friends, and eventually ended up singing professionally with the Ryan Cayabayab Singers. It's no exaggeration when I say that I feel closer to God when I sing in beautiful harmony with other people. That's why I think everyone last night was already a winner even before the show began. They had already accomplished so much in preparing for that endeavour. 

Loved these girls in pink from Voices

That said, it was still a competition, and it was evident who were confident in their craft the moment the first notes were sung. Un/fortunately, every detail that they decided to showcase affected their entire package, from choice of songs, clarity, and costumes, to blocking and choreography; if those things complemented their talents, then this allowed the groups to shine. The downside is that those who sang arrangements that were too complex for their level, wore ill-fitting or uncomfortable clothing, or those that attempted choreography but were awkward in its execution could not be ignored either. 

This year, one requirement was to sing a song from the Philippine Popular Music Festival's (Philpop) repertoire. There were duplicates in their choices, with Joey Ayala's "Papel," Thyro and Yumi's "Triangulo," and Jungee Marcelo's "Salbabida" performed twice each. I loved the simplicity of Voices' "Pansamantagal," which suited their pretty-in-pink ladies so well. There were fun parts in G Harmonic's "Musikaw," especially the rap and the fade out before the final chorus. Pinopela's "Salbabida" with it's wide chords and long vowels was so broad, thick, and powerful; and Acapellago's "Triangulo" really knew how to build a climax with that no-beatbox break. I liked how Dynamix's arrangement of "Papel" was so fresh and inventive (though it reached a point when it deviated too much from the original for my taste.) These were the arrangements that stood out for me, for no reason other than it matched their capacity to execute; and I think this is something that future contenders should consider from the very start. 

Thyro & Yumi singing "Dati" for the intermission

I was betting on the same winners, though I wanted Pinopela to place first runner up. There was something about their classiness that just permeated throughout their music and movements. They stuck to blockography, ditching the fancy dance moves, but they walked with such confidence that every formation appeared grand. What I liked about Dynamix, whose style and fondness for the semi-chromatic harmonic runs (much like Pentatonix) was that they knew how to play with their voices to imitate instruments for the back-up parts. They also live up to their name, and manage their dynamics really well, swelling and hushing in perfect sync. 

Pinopela in clean pantsuits

The champs: Acapellago

But winners are winners for a reason. Acapellago had everything a contemporary a cappella group should have: excellent musicality, creativity in their arrangements, soloists with limitless vocal abilities, sensitivity to their group's balance, energy, flair, and character! The beatboxing gave just the right percussive depth to their songs, an amazingly accurate likeness to real drums. All the singers fit like pieces of a puzzle, properly indistinguishable as individual voices, until the need to provide an extra pop or element of surprise. Lastly, that tenor soloist. He was oozing with personality, from the tips of his curly hair right down to his fingertips. You know that saying, "Anything a man can do, a woman can do better?" Well, this guy makes me think, "Anything a woman can do, a fabulous gay guy can do better!" 

In the end, I only wish they'd figure out how to get the results out faster; because while the crowd enjoyed the antics of Part 4, there was a palpable drop in attention and excitement when it took more than 30 minutes to announce the winners. Despite that, I think the audience expected who would finish on the podium, and it was a joyful end for everyone on and off stage. As Acapellago reprised their performance, enjoining the contestants to snap and clap behind them, everybody sang along and just had fun -- which is what the Akapela Open is all about.

Reprise of "Burlesque," all the finalists snapping behind them

If you're interested in joining next year's Akapela Open, visit their website www.akapelaopen.com and "like" their Facebook page to be notified on the call for auditions. The grand prize this year was P300,000.00, and P150,000.00 and P100,000.00 for the 1st and 2nd runners up. P30,000.00 was awarded to all finalists, with special prizes from PLDT Telpad, and a People's Choice Award.

Quit the "Versus:" Fitness is Personal

I just read something that left me feeling sore. The head of a particular gym compared his fitness program with CrossFit, in the guise of clarifying certain points on what makes the two different. He might have written this with good intentions; he even peppered his article with apologetic disclaimers, but unfortunately this came off slightly patronizing instead of sincere. While the author tried to be careful with his phrasing, he did not avoid making negative implications regarding the "competing brand."

I'm not against making comparisons, but before anyone does it and posts it on an official website, I think their opinion had better be substantiated. He kept repeating the noncommittal statement, "there are good boxes, and there are bad boxes;" but the way I read it is he made all his comparisons based on the best features of his advocated program against the most ill-rumored features of CrossFit. How can you compare something with a bad version of another? If he really meant to differentiate the two, he would've been better off presenting the definition of CrossFit and have made an easy, objective point without defaulting to his biased views.

If we're going to compare fitness programs to find out which will be better suited to our interests and goals, then by all means break down the components and find the advantages of each. Comparing fitness programs to one-up another, or to attract clientele by posting uninformed claims about the other, is not a classy move. It's definitely not befitting of the motivational community he is professing to belong to. 

The fact of the matter is we should support all sorts of fitness, if it gets more people living more active, healthier lifestyles. Fitness is personal, and something that each individual should be able to incorporate into their day-to-day. In effect, there is no hard ranking of what is better than the other, nor should that be the focus. Whether people choose boxing over HIIT, long distance running over tennis, or circuit over CrossFit -- if they love it and do it regularly, that is already better than doing nothing. 

Bright and Jazzy Weekend

This weekend has been gloomy on many fronts, so I welcomed some new distractions. Mom was in Osaka for a few days, and I asked her to visit some of the craft stores mentioned on I Try DIY's guide. I was so relieved that she was able to fly back in this morning, unaffected by Typhoon Lando's havoc; and it was like waking up on Christmas day, with her hoarded goods laid out on a table. She brought home Royce' (not enough!) the strange but delicious square persimmons that I love, a designer bag for herself, and a mountain of cosmetics. She also bought some USB-powered reading lamps, and she was so cute when she happily showed them to me. She scored these calligraphy holsters and nibs, Copic pens, and Kuretake brush pens for much cheaper, that I almost couldn't believe the conversion!

Calligraphy nibs, holsters, Copic pens, Kuretake brush pens, music note puncher

A photo posted by Katherine (@kaichypoo) on Oct 20, 2013 at 6:08pm PDT

Before I can get around to playing with those, I've been taking a break from drawing, and pretty much everything else, because I'm speed learning a couple of songs for gigs next week. I'm both excited and freaking out (more of the freaking out!) that I'll be performing with Baihana to sub for their alto. I absolutely love and look up to these girls, who sing harmonies so seamlessly, in their signature bebop/swing/big band jazz. Every free moment of this weekend has been spent trying to sight read their pieces, and then attempting to sing along with their recordings. Not yet there, but I will get there. Maybe tomorrow.

Learning jazz pieces for Baihana (c)

Drawing Perspective

I accidentally skipped a chapter today and leapt to the one about Perspectives. I learned about the concept of Vanishing Points and Converging Lines. Here's our library (minus many details like the view outside the window, the blinds, and the carpet.) Those cabinets frustrated me the most, and there is an obvious lack of shadow grading. Why can't I see the different levels of darkness clearly? 

My one-point perspective

Our library with a sofa, a TV on the left, and a reclining office chair 

I was wondering why I found it hard to start this, considering they were mostly vertical lines; but when I went back to the chapter I had missed, I understood -- it was the lesson on Basic Unit. Now I've read it, and I started to do the exercise on drawing negative spaces, but my brain and eyes must be tired, because I wasn't progressing well. It also involved my ultimate waterloo: proportions. This was the first exercise that required me to scale up the drawing, and as expected, I was struggling. I'll continue the drawing tomorrow. 

P.S. Drawing is not easy. 

Drawing Hands

Quick update regarding my progress on Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain. The chapter I'm on (6) talked about edges, and it taught a technique called Contour Drawing, which encouraged focusing on capturing the details of a subject by never taking your eyes off it. Not even to look at what you're drawing. That was fairly mind boggling, and I'm not sure if it did anything for me, but I hope it did. 

I just finished a section that introduced the concept of a picture plane, an imaginary "window" artists look through; a perspective that allows you to copy the 3 dimensional world onto a 2 dimensional surface through drawing. Two artists, Brunelleschi and Alberti, were first in history to have recorded speaking of it, but Holbein and Van Gogh also employed it in their work. Since I'm not an artist (yet,) my teacher (aka the author) instructed me to create a picture plane, to help with the visual effect of foreshortening. I didn't have all the materials that the first chapter required me to gather; so I went to a craft shop this morning, bought a graphite stick, fibreglass pane, and the prescribed pencils, prepped the viewfinder and picture plane, and got to work on the exercises. 

My second attempt at drawing my hand holding a glue stick

It's not the best, but I was pretty pleased that I came up with this (please refer to my first drawings to understand my amazement.) Either all the explanations and exercises have been very effective in changing the way I see (I'd like to think so,) or the combination of viewfinder + crosshairs + graphite stick are magical. I'd never understood how to shade before, but when I was instructed to "erase the highlights and darken the shadows," this just happened. 

Things I learned from this activity include 1) smudging just enough when erasing an error (or no amount of rubbing will even out my toned ground) and 2) darkening the edges a little more. I'd never spent this much time and energy on trying to draw something realistic, and now I wonder if I'd been able to manage if I just did; but it just reinforces that time and patience are definitely important factors in this creation process. 

Practice Makes Progress

Almost a week since I did the first drawing exercises, following instructions from Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain, I'm now on chapter 4. (I switched editions, and "The Definitive, 4th Edition" is a friendlier, less scholarly read.) This chapter has the exercise that Chris had described and got me curious: copying an image upside down. The book proposes that seeing an image right-side up automatically triggers our Left Brain to assign labels to everything, and with those labels come our own interpretations of things based on personal experiences. What it wants is for the reader to try engaging the imaginative Right Brain, ignoring the analytical Left Brain, so that we draw what we see, just as we see it, free of our own opinionated interferences.

SPOILER ALERT

If you want to try reading the book and doing all the exercises, you may not want to see what I drew, so you'll be a clean slate when you do it yourself. Although, the author did share an anecdote of a student who did it twice by mistake, still producing the desired results even if s/he had already seen the original image. Proceed with discernment =)

The book presented a portrait of Igor Stravinsky, drawn by the Spanish artist Pablo Picasso, oriented upside down. My brain immediately tried to recognise the picture, but I tried to suppress it. So although I knew it was of a person, I tried to see it as nothing but lines and curves, as I was supposed to. The average duration of activity was 45 minutes, but I took almost 2 hours, starting at 11:37 am and ending at 1:20 pm. I made two attempts, the first I discarded almost halfway, because I was unhappy with my attention to proportion. Being more cognizant of that weakness, I tried again. When I was finished, I turned both drawings and looked at them right-side up for the first time. I was pretty pleased with the similarity I achieved... I mean, that's a freaking Picasso!

My version of Picasso's Igor Stravinsky

The original: Portrait of Stravinsky by Picasso (photo taken from Wikipedia)

Having now done the first few exercises, I realised that my biggest disadvantage was and is my impatience. Considered a Left Brained trait, I was just too aware of time ticking away, thinking about how badly I must be doing, and I gave up on the tasks very quickly, not wanting to fix parts I could see weren't precise.  As mentioned, my spatial abilities are not very sharp and I have difficulty with proportions; so in my drawing, Stravinsky's (anatomic) right shoulder is higher than the left, and the hands became chunkier to compensate at that point (I copied from top to bottom of the lopsided image.) I also made him look mad, oops! 

But like Dory said, "Just keep swimming;" and yesterday, while talking to Macy about calligraphy, she was encouraging me (as she so often does) to keep practicing. Practice, indeed, makes progress. 

Art, Adventure, and Tapestry

The National Museum of the Philippines has many regional branches, but I've only been to the National Art Gallery in Manila. I first went when I was a freshman, though my memories  are now limited to the picture my block took on its front steps. Admission had been free until only recently, when they started charging entrance fees; and rightfully so, because the museum needs and deserves continuous funding for its maintenance and the restoration of the artwork it houses. October is Museums and Galleries month, so they decided to open their doors to the public for free again. I last went at the end of June, in the process of getting into character for Spoliarium, the opera by Ryan Cayabyab. Ryan and I decided to go yesterday because we had tickets for a show that night, at the same venue!

Almost sunset, our flag flapping in the wind 

First on the agenda was Juan Luna's Spoliarium, a 166 inches x 302.2 inches oil on canvas. No matter how I try to describe how large it is to first-timers, it never prepares them when they see it from across the room. I've seen this piece three times by now; and every time I saw it, I was at different points in my life, having a different perspective that helped me gain new appreciation of it. The first time I saw it, I was struck by how majestic it was, not merely because of its sheer size, but because of its dark, gruesome, ancient Roman theme. A couple of months ago, having studied the painter's tragic life, I considered what his art had meant in that tumultuous time of the Philippine revolution, with so many of his friends and compatriots dying; and then wondering how that had affected his personal life in the following years, when he was said to have lost his mind and killed his wife and mother-in-law. Yesterday, my mind was full of the text I'd been reading about drawing, and I was taking note of his use of lines, looking closely at his strokes, thinking about where and how he had started on that gigantic canvas. My mind can't comprehend that kind of genius just yet. 

In fact, going around the galleries yesterday, even with my short and shallow exposure to the techniques of drawing, it was like I was seeing the artwork with new eyes. The collections were so extensive, I couldn't linger on a single piece for very long; but there were some that made me stay a while longer. My favourites were Amorsolo's "Children Playing in the River" (for its nostalgia, softness, and movement and reflection of water,) Ben Cab's "Sabel" (for its boldness,) Joya's "Ethereal Aura" (for its luminescence and mystery,) Manansala's "Bayanihan" (for its texture,) one of Luna's less popular landscapes (because of its beautiful sky, that doesn't look as magical up close,) Ocampo's "Mission Accomplished" (for its storytelling,) works by Nena Saguil (for their distinct character,) and artefacts from the artists, like diaries, pens, and palettes. 

Children Playing in the River, Amorsolo

Sabel, Cabrera

Ethereal Aura, Joya

Bayanihan, Manansala

(landscape,) Luna

Mission Accomplished, Ocampo

Ben Cab's palette of shot glasses

E.A. Cruz's artefacts

A palette passed on from Francisco to several other artists, finally painted on by Galicano

On a side note, in a previous visit, my friends and I had noted from several paintings that Luna didn't do hands very well. When we saw this painting of a soldier, we couldn't help but laugh, because he seemed to have just given up on his right hand! It's somewhat comforting to know that even the best have their weaknesses.

Handless soldier! ;) 

We stayed until they had closed the gallery lights on us at 5:00 pm. The concert wasn't scheduled to start until 7:30 pm, so Ryan and I decided to grab a bite at a nearby mall. Everyone we asked had said it was a walkable distance from the museum, but no one told us that there weren't any crosswalks along the way. So, in true Manila spirit, we crossed a bridge with very low railing, jaywalked across a main road, where plenty of vehicles were speeding, followed an incorrect tip to go under a tunnel, passed many street vendors with stolen phones and accessories, but eventually arrived safely at our destination. 

At the mall, inspired and feeling ambitious, I stopped by a craft store and bought drawing/writing materials. After a quick snack and three very tall glasses of iced fruit juices (we were thirstier than we anticipated,) we planned on taking a trike back to the museum. Except, the trikes outside wanted to dupe us, asking me for P100 for a trip that was less than 500m away (note: Ryan did't even open his mouth, so he thought I wouldn't think this were extortion?!) More confident of the way this time, we walked back with no hitches.

The Philippine Madrigal Singers has been hosting the Madz Et Al. Choral Festival for the past weeks, and last night's show was titled, Tapestry: Philippine Folksongs in Focus. It was held at the Old Senate Session Hall, a beautiful, high ceilinged chamber on the third floor of the museum.

5 choirs with the Philippine Madrigal Singers, a ka Madz Et Al.

From my understanding, the Madz Et Al. is the fellowship of the different groups being handled by Madz alumni. The Madrigals have always been reputed to expect a high level of musicality from their members, so it's no surprise that each one has passed on his/her musical excellence to their respective choirs. Last night was food for the soul, the kind you can only get from hearing voices in harmony. I had only heard of one choir in the line up, but the others didn't disappoint. I was slightly confused by the repertoire, expecting purely folk songs; but unless I'm mistaken with the genres, each group sang a mixture of folk and spiritual songs.

Philippine Merchant Marine School Choir
Luninging San Jose (Conductor)

This group had clear tones, and showed lots of potential. They also had a soprano that sang her lines so effortlessly. There was a lack of confidence in their performance, which was evident in their indecisive entrances and ends of phrases. Some female voices in the middle could be more careful with their intonation (just upon observation, they can try opening their mouths a little more?) and in total, the group can improve on their English diction. The arrangement of Balot (by Bello) that they sang, while sung well, lost the playfulness that I love from the song. 

Magsaysay Chorale
Jose Emmanuel Aquino (Conductor)

The next choir had no problems with confidence, looking comfortable on stage. Even as the men were outnumbered 4 to 7, they were not overpowered by the women; but there was something off about the overall balance that I only figured out at the end. They sang an arrangement of Bridge Over Troubled Water that I was familiar with, and  realised I couldn't really hear their altos. The ladies could also have blended better if they had made their vocal productions more uniform. There were shaky moments in the harmony (and lyrics,) but they had moments of cohesion when they sounded their best: warm and seasoned. 

Scelto Voce Chorale
Christopher Borela (Conductor)

I didn't know what to expect when I saw they only had 5 ladies in the group, but all were very strong singers. They had a good balance of voices, despite their uneven ratio. I especially loved their rendition of Caritas et Amor, it was easy to ignore the depleted breath at the very last chord. More important than the near perfection of their performance was their giving the already beautiful arrangement justice by knowing when to be intensely still, to allow soaring in the parts where it was demanded. The very rhythmic Kruhay was done with precision, because when done wrong would have sounded chaotic, but done just right was powerful.

Technological Institute of the Philippines Choral Society
Jose Emmanuel Aquino (Conductor)

They opened their set with a strong Sanctus. Apart from their solid soprano section, I really liked how all the members sang with such enjoyment. They all wore pleasant smiles as soon as they stepped on stage. They also appeared to have a high regard for their conductor, following his instructions sensitively, effectively producing their delightful polyphony.

Ili-ili, one of my favourite and hauntingly beautiful folk songs, had an arrangement that was unexpected, but not entirely unwelcome; only slightly disorienting with its shifts to the major keys. 

Novo Concertante Manila
Arwin Tan (Conductor)

Last to perform was my friend's choir, evidently a favorite with the audience if based on applause alone. I've seen them many times, and they've gotten consistently better each year. Their best asset is their vocal control and adherence to their conductor's dynamics, which they all do with practiced synchrony. This was the first time I heard them sing Pagtulog Na Nene, and it was so soothing, ending with a broad climax. I'd always liked their version of Aud Lang Syne, and I imagine I'd bawl my eyes out if I heard this and I were away from my family on a cold, December evening. The soloist had a nice voice, but it unfortunately didn't travel all the way to the back. Unlike the two other choirs that night, they did not rely on the strength of a few soloists, but stood out as a well-rehearsed chorus.

They capped the evening by calling out some of the Madrigals to perform with all 5 choirs, led by Conductor Mark Carpio. Lovely, lovely evening. It made me miss my choir days so much, I'm thinking if I should join one again!

Reading/Drawing/Styling

If there's anything that can be done one day at a time, it's learning. I advocate the thinking that anything can be learned, even skills that people insist are dependent on talent, like singing, dancing, and writing. Sure, talent makes it so that there is a predisposition to a skill, but with enough attention to the right procedure and plenty of practice, I think every skill can be developed. 

I've always envied visual artists, those that can replicate the world around us, and especially those that can transfer their own imaginings onto canvas. I've often wondered how it would be like if I could just draw or paint all my thoughts! Wild. 

I don't think I'm terrible at drawing, in fact I can draw enough to give semblances to my target images; but I have obvious problems with proportions and depth (and, well, patience.) Last weekend, over sandwiches and beer, my friends and I got to talking about arts and crafts. I somehow had shared that I wasn't good at visual arts, and was frustrated by drawing. Chris started to excitedly describe a book, whose author supposedly guarantees that everyone can learn how to draw, and draw well. He gave a very rough gist, but enough to pique my interest, because here I am two days later, on the third chapter.

After a short introduction on the basis of the teaching technique (which read like a research journal or some other academic paper,) it went on to listing the materials needed for the drawing exercises. The first exercise, however, only needed a pencil and paper. I had to draw a 1) self-portrait, 2) a person from memory, and 3) my hand, to serve as a point of comparison when tracking my progress (a ka, "before" drawings. Forgive the scans, I recycled lyric sheets from past productions.)

Self-Portrait: It looks like a person, but it doesn't look like me

Person from memory: Ryan, who ended up looking like Marcos =/ So bizarre, I'd just seen him minutes before, but I couldn't remember a single detail vividly when I tried to bring his face to mind

My hand: strangely disfigured

I think I've proven a point about my drawing skills, or obvious lack of it. I'm hoping I belong to the demographic that this technique works on, and that I'll actually see improvement in my "after" drawings. In the meantime, I'll document this entire project for posterity. 

I've been consciously working on my visual creativity lately, and I mentioned having dabbled in food styling a few weeks ago. Here is the first finished product, as posted on the Chef's Classics Facebook page. It took a leap of faith in myself to accept that project, long hours in the kitchen studio to get things right, and what a great feeling to see it come to fruition. I have so many things to refine, like my taste and my eye for composition; but what's important is I tried it, I learned from it, and I'm willing to do better next time.

Cooked and styled this one-pot Chicken Pilaf to show off @chefsclassics cookware with detachable handles 👌 Entirely new skill set for me, but the guys of @videobybelle made it enjoyable! #LetsCookPH #food

A video posted by Katherine (@kaichypoo) on Oct 5, 2015 at 5:18am PDT