September Concert Scene

The merry "ber" months usher in, not only the Christmas season, but also the "concert season." Proof of this is the long line-up of shows for September alone. If you are in the mood to watch with your family or friends, My Happy Realm is glad to share the following:

All-4-One and Color Me Badd

Two American R&B groups who became popular in the 90s, All-4-One and Color Me Badd, are in Manila for a series of back-to-back shows. They will perform their greatest hits and will do a special tribute to the late King of Pop, Michael Jackson (now this I have to see. All-4-One is best known for the songs "I Swear," "I Can Love You Like That" and "So Much in Love" while Color Me Badd is known for hits "I Adore Mi Amore" and "All 4 Love."

Show will be held on September 7 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum; September 9 at Waterfront Hotel in Cebu; September 10 at Limketkai Mall in Cagayan de Oro; and September 12 at the La Salle Coliseum in Bacolod.

China Crisis xSimple Minds

xSimple Minds Live!

Next stop is another back-to-back concert, this time with 80s (to early 90s) rock bands China Crisis and xSimple Minds, billed as "the superstars of the new romantics movement." China Crisis was just here in Manila last January for shows at Eastwood City and Venice Piazza and I must say that I enjoyed that, despite the traffic caused by heavy rains that day in Eastwood. See my previous blog post about it here: China Crisis...Live in Manila. As for xSimple Minds, they are most memorable, for me that us, with their song "Don't You (Forget About Me)" from John Hughes movie The Breakfast Club.

China Crisis xSimple Minds concert will be held on September 9 at the SMX Convention Center. Furthermore, Simple Minds will also do shows on September 10 at Eastwood City and September 11 at Venice Piazza.

The Company of Side A

On the local music scene, I am most excited about the joint show of The Company and Side A band because I grew up with their songs and I don't think there can be any other singing group or band that can match what they have achieved in their generation, that even today's young ones can still relate to their music. The Company is most memorable with "Everlasting Love," "You Changed My Life," and "Araw Gabi," among others. On the other hand, Side A made their mark with "So Many Questions," "Tell Me," "Forevermore" -- the list could go on and on.

The Company of Side A will be held on September 16 at the Newport Performing Arts Theater of Resorts World Manila.

American Idol Live! Tour 2011

Past American Idol winners and runners-up have done shows in Manila, mostly solo shows and if I'm not mistaken, it was back in 2009 that a back-to-back concert of David Cook and David Archuleta happened. This September show is a first featuring a whole batch of finalists from American Idol, the latest season led by grand winner Scotty McCreery.

Expect a variety of musical styles and production numbers from the 10 performers on September 20 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

All Time Low

For the younger generation, there is All Time Low, an American pop punk group that was formed while the members were still in high school back in 2003. The close-to-zero knowledge on this band pretty much reveals my age because I am clueless when it comes to their popular songs (I may have heard their songs on the radio but I won't be able to tell if those songs were theirs).

Anyway, for those interested, All Time Low's concert will happen on September 22 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Westlife, The Gravity Tour 2011

Fans of the good looking Irish boy band, Westlife, can rejoice as they perform in Manila for The Gravity Tour 2011, minus member Brian McFadden, who left the group in 2004. The group may seem to have lied low in the past years but they have been busy doing concerts and music albums, the latest of which is their Gravity CD.

The concert on September 29 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum is for the promotion of their new CD, but I hope that there'll be room for some of their greatest hits like "Swear it Again," "If I Let You Go," "Unbreakable," and others.

Broadway Showstoppers

Here's another show featuring homegrown yet world class talents -- Broadway Showstoppers -- headlined by Leo Valdez, with special guests Joanna Ampil and Ima Castro. As the title suggests, look forward to a night of musical brilliance of broadway songs from Miss Saigon, The Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, West Side Story, Jesus Christ Superstar, The Sound of Music, and many more.

Grab the chance to watch this one night only show at the Newport Performing Arts Theater of Resorts World Manila on September 27.

Toni G. @ 10

Ending the September line-up is the 10th anniversary celebration concert of local showbiz' "Multimedia Star" Toni Gonzaga. The show will tell the story of Toni's decade-long journey in showbusiness, featuring songs of her life and from her recordings.

Toni G. @ 10 will be held on September 30 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

There you go, a busy month for the concert scene...wait until its October as more great shows come our way.

Click titles to see related posts:

My Romance with AI - A.I. David Cook, David Archuleta, Adam Lambert and Lee Dewyze

China Crisis...Live in Manila - China Crisis press con/concert in 2011

My Few Seconds with A.I. 2009 Winner Kris Allen - Video Q&A

Music Fest 2010 - American Idol Kris Allen's press con/concert

My Public Life in 2009, Part 1 - Concerts in Manila in 2009

Freddie Mercury: King of Queen

As usual, I was surfing the Internet when I chanced upon Google's homepage and found the artsy Google doodle -- how cool! Mousing over the graphics revealed that it was a tribute to Freddie Mercury on his 65th birthday. Freddie Mercury, Queen's lead vocals, would have been 65, had he not lost his battle with HIV and died in 1991 at the age of 45.

Google homepage: click the doodle button to start video

The animated Google doodle showed Freddie in various scenes and costumes that are as lively and colorful as he was -- from singing on stage in front of screaming fans, to riding a bicycle wearing a checkered body suit, to sitting on a throne wearing a crown and cape.

The accompanying video is set to 1978 Queen hit Don't Stop Me Now.

Select frames of the colorful video

Queens was a popular British rock group in the 1970s and 1980s best known for hits like "Bohemian Rhapsody", "We are the Champions","Another One Bites the Dust","We Will Rock You","Keep Yourself Alive","Under Pressure", "Love of My Life","A Kind of Magic" and "Radio Ga Ga", among others. The original band consisted of Freddie Mercury (lead vocals, piano), Brian May (guitar, vocals), John Deacon (bass guitar, vocals), and Roger Taylor (drums, vocals).

Select frames of the colorful video

Also as a tribute, London's Dominion Theatre is hosted a West End Summer Tea Party For Freddie For A Day with a rare chance to view Mercury's personal stamp collection. The Dominion was the home of the hit musical musical We Will Rock You based on Freddie Mercury and Queen songs.

Lotus produced a one-off Evora S in honor of Freddie Mercury. The pearl white coupe, with red and gold accents, features the Queen frontman's signature. The cabin is yellow as an homage to Mercury's 1986 stage costume and the seats feature a Union Jack. The car will be auctioned off for charity as part of the celebrations tied to Mercury's 65th birthday party at the Savoy Hotel for the benefit of the Mercury Phoenix Trust, an HIV AIDS charity founded by band mates Brian May, Roger Taylor and Queen manager Jim Beach after Mercury's death.

He may not have been a model citizen but Freddie Mercury was definitely a rock star who inspired his generation through the songs that have immortalized his memory -- the king of Queen.

Doodle art from Google

Filed under SIGHTS

Rizal Lecture Series Continues

Just because it is September already, it doesn't mean that the celebration for Josr Rizal's 150th birthday is over abd done. Yuchengco Museum continues the Rizal Lecture Series and this month, it will explore a different side to Jose Rizal, with talks on controversial facts about the National Hero and on Rizal’s dreams and their meaning. The series of Saturday afternoon lectures began in July as a highlight of RIZALizing the Future, an exhibit on view at the museum until October 29.

University of Asia and the Pacific history professor Paul Dumol -- who spoke on “Rizal and Nationhood” last August -- will return on September 17, Saturday, at 3 p.m. to share his lecture entitled “Controversial Facts About Rizal: Notes Towards a New Rizal Biography.”

Psychoanalyst and dream analyst Lucito de Jesus will discuss “Jose Rizal and His Dreams: A Look at the National Hero’s Dreams and their Meanings” on September 24, Saturday, at 3 p.m. De Jesus will explore and decipher the dreams Rizal had written in his letters and diaries, what these say about Rizal’s psyche, and how these dreams guided Rizal in his life and personal development. Lucito de Jesus is a recognized dream specialist and author of two books: Dreamwork: Values and Practices in the Philippines and Reading Dreams: Relationships. He hosts a regular weekly radio program called Dreamdate on DZSR Sports Radio 918.

Both talks are open to the public and come with museum admission (P100 for adults, P50 for students, and P25 for children and senior citizens). Seating is limited. To reserve, call 889-1234 or email info@yuchengcomuseum.org. The Yuchengco Museum is located at RCBC Plaza, corner Ayala and Sen. Gil J. Puyat Avenues, Makati City.

Filed under EVENTS

Power Mac Training Hub

People say that "once you go Mac, you can never go back," to using Windows-based PCs, that is. I'm not 100% sure about that statement since I haven't had the chance to use Mac at work long enough to feel that "wow" experience of the Mac converts. I work on a desktop PC at the office and only used Mac when I did the editing and laying out of the bulletins page of the newspaper that I work for, while HR was still searching for the replacement staff for that position. When working on field, I bring my personal net book.

So why am I blogging about Mac when I am not a user? I was just delighted to learn that, if and when I decide to become a Mac convert, I don't have to worry about navigating my way around the system and not being able to use the product to its maximum capacity because I can run anytime to Power Mac Center.

On its 17th year of advocating the use of the Mac operating system and becoming the top-of-mind central hub for knowledge on anything Apple, Power Mac Center is putting itself out there with a strong positioning as an Apple Authorized Training Center (AATC). It is a separate business unit of Power Mac Center but it compliments its products and services.

Power Mac Center's Marketing Manager Joey Alvarez

The Power Mac Center AATC is the perfect place to go to for all Apple-related training needs -- for certificate and non-certificate courses -- to deepen knowledge and facilitate the implementation of the Mac OS X operating system and select professional applications. With 14 certified trainers, it can serve the various requirements of both creative agencies (marketing, advertising, publishing) and major companies (multinational companies, BPOs) in having the creative and IT manager trained to support the needs of their clients and business partners.

Renowned Australian photographer and certified Apple Pro

trainer for Aperture Gunther Deichmann

Now, there is no need to fly to Singapore to get an Apple Certification because anyone can enroll and take the courses and exams at Power Mac Center's AATC classroom at second level of Greenbelt 3 in Makati City. The fully air-conditioned classroom is also available for rental, with inclusion of the use of a sound system and multimedia projection system.

Power Mac Center's training website

For a list of the courses offered, visit the Power Mac Center website for trainings: http://training.powermaccenter.com. For schedule inquiries and more, reach them by phone at (632) 729-7088 or contact them via email at aatc@powermaccenter.com or training_request@powermaccenter.com.

Filed under TECH and EVENTS

Cooking (and Eating) the Malaysian Way

I've been present in various events of Heritage Hotel Manila since I've become friends with its marketing communications manager. Early this month, I received an sms inviting me to witness the cooking demo for "Malaysia...Truly Asia's Kitchen" and I replied that I will have to check my schedule first since I'm supposed to be meeting friends for dinner on the day of the event. Her reply was, "Please do, would love to see you before my move to ..." mentioning a hotel in Cebu, so how can I turn her down?

I went to the event with my staff so we can be introduced to whoever is taking over her position for us to forge a new partnership. We were early so we had the chance to roam around the venue. The path leading to the grand ballroom was decorated with waves made of stones and highlighted by tea light candles, setting the festive mood for the event. The entrance was decked with colorful sarongs, welcoming the guests to a night of good food and good company.

Heritage Hotel Manila has been promoting Malaysian cuisine for the past three years so it was no surprise that the hotel has joined the Malaysian Kitchen Programme, supported by the Embassy of Malaysia in Manila, Tourism Malaysia and MATRADE. In celebration of Malaysia's 54th National Day and in observance of Ramadan, Heritage Hotel launched "Malaysia...Truly Asia Kitchen," a two-week Malaysian food fest at the Riviera, through a cooking demo by Executive Chef Alex Chong and Multi-mach's Corporate Chef Mike Bautista. Malaysian Ambassador Dato Siri Dr. Ibrahim Saad and Heritage Hotel General Manager Eddie Yeo led the festivities.

Malaysian Ambassador Dato Siri Dr. Ibrahim Saad

As I said, we arrived early so we also had to stand up longer than the rest of the guests for the programme and cocktails, which started a little after 7:30 in the evening. The opening ceremonies began with a break fast of various Malaysian pastries, with iced Bandung (milk flavored with rose cordial syrup) or hot Teh Tarik (hot Malaysian beverage made of black tea and condensed milk) because, as the Malasian Ambassador explained, sweets were served first in order to prepare the body for the intake of other food after a day-long of fasting and prayers.

Assorted Malaysian pastries

Teh Tarik, hot Malaysian tea beverage

The cooking demo showcased the preparation of a fusion of the traditional Malaysia Roti with Chicken Curry Sauce and traditional Italian pizza ingredients namely Mozarella chesse, onions and fresh tomatoes aptly called Rotizza. Chef Alex also cooked the seafood version, replacing chicken with shrimps.

Chef Alex (center) doing a step-by-step Rotizza preparation

was assisted by Chef Mike (left) as prominent Malaysian

personality Datuk Mahathir Lokman (right) observed

Rotizza up-close

Job well done! (l-r) Heritage Hotel's Romina Gervacio,

Chef Mike Bautista, GM Eddie Yeo,

Datuk Mahathir Lokman and Chef Alex Wong

The Rotizza was not cooked in a conventional oven but in Multi-mach International's Rational CombiMaster, a combination oven that lets you cook in so many ways -- baking, roasting, grilling, steaming, braising, blanching, poaching and much more -- in just a single unit. I want! If only I have USD 20,000 to buy this kitchen wonder.

Kitchen wonder Rational CombiMaster

Guests were also treated to a buffet spread of various Malaysian dishes such as Beef Rendang (beef sauteed and maribated in ginger, turmeric, lemongrass, chili and blue ginger), Ayam Perchik (marinated chicken in spicy coconut gravy), Satay (barbecued and marinated chicken and beef in turmeric, coriander and cumin), Wok Fried Prawn Ganxiang, Tandoori Marinated Chicken with Mint Yogurt, Gado-gado with peanut sauce, Ulam-ulam with Sambal, fish fillet Sambal, Chicken Ganxiang Fried Rice, Sambal Squids with Long Beans, Nyonya Sayuh Lodeh (spicy mixed vegetables with cocnut milk), Nasi Lemak (coconut-flavored rice with pandan leaves), Roti Canai (Malay Pastry Pancake) and Penang Fruit Rojak.

Malaysian local Kuih or bite-size desserts

(clockwise) Beef Rendang, Wok Fried Prawns Ganxiang,

Chicken Ganxiang Fried Rice and Nyonya Sayoh Lodeh

(clockwise) Sambal Squids with Long Beans, Fish Fillet Sambal,

Tandoori Marinated Chicken with Mint Yogurt and

Chicken and Beef Satay with peanut sauce

Chicken Curry with Roti Canai (Malaysian Pastry Pancake)

It was a night of great tasting food and new learning for me (about Malaysian cuisine and Ramadan) but I was also sad to bid goodbye to a friend. I'll definitely visit her in her new workplace soon as I always have the opportunity to fly to Cebu, whether for work or for personal vacation.

Filed under FLAVORS and EVENTS

MRT Art

My first post for September is not about how the 'ber' months signal the onset of the Christmas season but rather some interesting street scenes, will I will start featuring here in my blog.

I'm not sure exactly when these parts of the MRT Ortigas Station (fronting Robinson's Galleria) was transformed into walls of art but it was only a couple of weeks ago that I noticed it. It showed soldiers and tanks in mosaic/abstract form reminiscent of figures during the 1985 EDSA Revolution.

They are a pretty and refreshing sight in that section of the busy and polluted highway and definitely better than the old "MMDA Art" that previously sprouted over the vandalized parts of walls along EDSA. Should there be enough paint budget for the metro's beautification, painting the rest of the MRT pillars (maybe by volunteer artists) will make traversing the length of EDSA a less dreary experience. It is FREE to dream anyway. :)

Filed under SIGHTS

A Hyphy Saturday

When the Veranda of Robinson's Galleria was still under construction, I already know that a new restaurant called Hyphy will be opened there, thanks to a couple of friends and business contacts who are silent partners in Chef Bruce Lim's latest baby. Yes, a new food adventure to try! A few months after it opened, they invited me to try it and the food was so good I had to ditch my "diet". Since then, I've been going back to Hyphy but I always didn't have my camera with me so I've never blogged about it. This time though, I was armed (with cam) and ready (to eat), and had a fun Satururday late lunch with friends.

Hyphy is Chef Bruce Lim's tribute to the San Francisco-Filipino dishes that he enjoyed as he was growing up. The exterior is simple, all-glass walls that even the kitchen at the back of the restaurant can be seen. Inside, it is just homey with the wood furniture and clean lines in the dining area. The stone wall was decorated with wood planks that are actually skateboards with wheels taken off.

Hyphy exteriors

Hyphy interiors

The menu offered a variety of yummy treats from the light (soup, salad and sanwiches) to the heavy (pasta and rice meals) and sweet (pastries and frozen yogurt selections). For dinner and late night eating, they also serve beer, house mocktails and cocktails. Since we are a big group, we decided to order one meal each that we all can share plus three desserts. This way, we get to sample many dishes yet not eat as much and later on regret the calories we piled on.

Clam Chowder Soup in Sour Dough Bread

First came the soup, Clam Chowder, a thick and creamy clam and potato soup served inside a sour dough bread reminiscent of clam chowders in San Francisco's Pier 9. The soup is so tasty and filling, especially if you decide to eat the bread it came in with.

Cobb Salad

The Cobb Salad is made of fresh greens with grilled chicken and bacon bits, cubed cucumbers and cheese, cherry tomatoes and black olives. A light appetizer (or a meal for the diet conscious). I love vegetable salads and this one in particular is a delectable variation.

SF Steak Sandwich

I am not really into eating meat, specially beef since it is hard to digest, but I wasn't able to resist the SF Steak Sandwich when my friend urged me to try it. The thinly sliced beef of the sandwich is tender, juicy and made tastier with the cheese pimiento dressing with added ingredients -- pickles and corn kernels -- that was a surprising delight, giving every bite good texture and a burst of flavors. The fries, served on the side with honey-mustard dip, were long and evidently from large potatoes, well-cooked and not oily or soggy.

Calamansi Tuyo Pasta

Next on my taste list were the pasta/noodle dishes. The Calamansi Tuyo Pasta was so fragrant (citrusy and garlicky) that I could smell it even from the other end of the table. The dish had chunks of our native dried salted fish (tuyo) sauteed in garlic oil, tossed into al dente spaghetti noodles topped with cheese and calamansi. I love this to bits! For those who want more tuyo in their plate, Hyphy added a whole fish to satisfy this craving, while those who want to offset the saltiness of the pasta, they can take a bite of the pimiento bread sticks (yes, the bread sticks are not just for decoration). Chowmien, on the other hand, has a very subtle flavor -- organic and earthy -- with a hint of sweetness from the julienned carrots and the mild spice of the sweet-chili sauce.

Chowmien

At this point, I felt full already but for the sake of writing this entry, I took bite-size portions of the remaining food while making a mental note to skip dinner.

Dapa Fillets

I thought the Dapa Fillets are a variation of the 'pinaupo', 'pinaputok', 'nilasing' and other action-named dishes. It turned out the 'dapa' is actually the name of the fish, otherwise known as Pinoy sand dabs. The fillets were breaded and pan fried to golden brown color, topped with calamansi cream sauce and served with rice and buttered vegetables. One bite revealed a well cooked fillet seasoned perfectly.

Bangus Steak

The Bangus Steak or deboned marinated Milkfish is meaty and obviously fresh. The fish was marinated using Chef Bruce's grandma's special sauce, pan fried, and served with rice, buttered vegetables and pickled papaya (atchara) -- a perfect dish for pesco-vegetarians who crave for tasty meals.

Roasted Chicken

Next on the list is the Roasted Chicken that was slow roasted with Pinoy herbs and topped with gravy. The chicken meat, cooked tender but firm, has a mild ginger flavor which reminded me of the taste of tinola. The Grilled Chicken is a backyard barbecue chicken that is juicy and tender, and tastes of herbs and spices.

Grilled Chicken

For a taste of honest-to-goodness Pinoy pork barbecue, the aptly named Kanto Pork BBQ is it! The street food bbq flavor is perfectly captured and when eaten with spicy vinegar, rice and atchara, this is the ultimate comfort food (just throw calorie-counting out the window).

Kanto Pork BBQ

Another must-try offering on the menu is the intriguing Japanese-sounding Spam Masubi. I haven't encountered this fare before so I was willing to try. True enough, the dish looked like a giant Japanese maki -- slices of spam topped with rice and egg, wrapped in seaweed and served with sweet soy sauce. Chef Bruce used fuji rice with a special sauce to simulate Japanese sticky rice, whicc is more expensive and will need the use of rice wine for flavoring. Spam Masubi is a complete and heavy meal by itself.

Spam Masubi

To close the wonderful lunch, we ordered three desserts for sharing as well. When the Choco Chip Sandwich was served, it elicited expressions from us like children seeing a yummy giant choco chip cookie for a giant cookie jar. The homemade cookies sandwiched in vanilla ice cream with warm chocolate sauce was truly a sweet temptation but we had trouble in trying to cut it into nicely sliced portions because the cookie was thick and hard. So we ended up eating jaggedly cut pieces but we didn't mind because we devoured it the way kids would, crumbs and all.

Choco Chip Sandwich

The Bread Pudding is a melt-in-your-mouth delight, topped with raisins and banana slices caramelized in sugar.

Bread Pudding

Tablea Chocolate Duo Pudding is a dark chocolate creation, swirled with white chocolate, topped with whipped cream and dusted with freshly grated tablea. This dessert was the first to be finished on the table, proof that it was really good. A superb, bitter-sweet delight that really hits the spot.

Tablea Chocolate Duo Pudding

Fun catch-up lunches with friends are a treasure in this busy world so I am so happy to have spent a few hours with them during the long weekend. A balikbayan friend will be in town next week and will have dinner with us so watch out for my next food blog.