Whatsikat Food, Events, Travel

14th Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta 2010 (PIHABF) SOON!

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:00:31 -0800

Clark Pampanga will once again host the annual Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta 2010 (PIHABF)!

Expected in this event are scores of colorful hot air balloons from all over the globe. Also expected during the event are other activities like light plane exhibition, sky diving exbihition, and a whole lot more.

The 2010 Hot Air Balloon fiesta in Clark is scheduled February 11-14, 2010. Come to the Clark Airfield super early like 5AM as balloons fly out really early and returns late in the afternoon.

You like reading this blog post? You might also be interested in BYAHILO's other adventures at Sugarloaded!

14th Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta 2010 (PIHABF) SOON!

Are locally-mounted Broadway musicals a waste?, part 2

gibbs cadiz — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:01:00 -0800

The bulk of the highly stimulating, thought-provoking discussion here, with valuable inputs from both sides that need to be read in their entirety. Since my Multiply and Facebook accounts also had their share of comments--mostly well-argued additions to the back-and-forth--I'm reposting them here verbatim for those who have no access to my sites there.

About my stand on all this--you can deduce that by now from reading this blog and my reviews over the years. I'd like to see all kinds of Filipino-made productions, whether remounted, adapted, inspired by or wholly original, whether English-language or in the vernacular, whether perfectly accented or not. I might not like all of them; better that than the monotony of parochial drama. The more types of theater we do, the better in the long run for our actors, artists, practitioners and audience, I think. That's one kind of promiscuity I'm happy to lay credit to and wallow in some more.

The full text of Oggs' review of Spring Awakening is now online, by the way--here.

From my Facebook:

RALPH B. PENA: very old subject. yes, more original works must get produced, no question. but it's too easy to say that staging b'way musicals in manila are about mimicry. they're not. like all theater, some are bad, and some are good. personally, i would rather see more zsa zsa zaturnahs than spring awakenings, any day. but i've also come to accept that theater is big enough to contain us all. even if one can take the position that foreign musicals don't advance the cultural profile of the filipino, it still employs actors and gives them a venue for expression. bottom line: producing companies must invest in filipino writers to begin developing original work. they should set aside a portion of the money they make from producing larson, shiek, et.al., and use that to support an original project. until that happens, then b'way musicals should feature all naked casts.

BOBBY MARTINO: They are a good source for any actors in rehearsal process.I agree that they are only relevant if we put the Pilipino heart in these characters and stories.It benefits the audience to have identification for all of the plots can happen at any point in time, location and race. Our ultimate goal is to at least produce one original Pilipino work, may it be in english or tagalog. It can start with the collaboration of all the Pilipino producers, a national contest where all the new writers can submit original work and established Pilipino artist who have done international works can collaborate with local actors and directors. Our work as talents have always been profitable to foreign producers. It is time that we hone our national identity cultivated by our own stories and raise our voices singing original Pilipino songs. We have done so many rehearsals it is now time to be in "show" mode. To wait for another big international producer to give us a break is like waiting for them to harvest the best fruits of our land. It is time for our own golden harvest season!

Isa sa bawat taon, if we are staging 20 foriegn , ISA lang ang dapat naman para sa atin.It is an industry that needs investments , we have the talent, that is given. we have to nurture the young writers, when this works, more people will benefit and yes the obvious that we are Asia's Broadway will finally be realized. 2010 is the first year, from this year alone so many stories to write, the natural calamities, our acknowledgement and new respect for mother earth is very universal. We have film clips and images, a painted set of real stories, already a lot of songs are written. Local producers should collaborate, artist both locals and international, multi- disciplines, all the best Pilipino's ,O tayo na!

SUSAN ISORENA-ARCEGA: theatrical material is still literature. you appreciate it for what goodness it adds to the soul. the physical interpretation is another thing. the performance methodology i help to espouse is not that popular among production groups that do western musicals, and even less among artists in showbiz. perhaps, therein lies the difference. siguro, sa audition pa lang, kailangan muna ipag-sense memory, mag-ragdoll at humingi ng piso. .just to add to the believability.

MIGUEL DIAZ: i think spring awakening was just a pile of shit. but filipinos love things-foreign. they prefer mcdonalds to sweet potato.

OLIVER OLIVEROS: Broadway and Off-Broadway theatre productions promote diversity. I see the same thing occurring in the local theatre scene. I guess, this all boils down to a matter of preference. If you feel your money and time is best spent in watching Broadway imports, then watch one or two. If you feel you’d rather spend time and money on original Filipino productions, then do so. For the local theatre producer, it has always been a big challenge to fill up the theatre in every performance. Artistic and marketing issues must always strike a compromise. Unless, you want your cast to play to an empty room.

VALERIE FERIA-ISACKS: In some European countries (Schengen ones in particular) they re-adapt the piece to local language, culture, references rather than taking the thing whole cloth like most pinoy theaters do. There are so many parallels between Ibong Adarna and Mid-Summer Nights Dream I'm surprised that nobody (at least that I know and I could be wrong) has done an adaptation playing in that sandbox (using the Adarna creatures and metaphor but the MSND storyline). Then you could sell it to the Shakespeare lovers and the Local theatre lovers...

JOEY TING: Honestly, we, Filipinos, love to replicate things based on what we hear and see from the other side of the world (US and Europe). We are more capable in patronizing art rather than appreciating art. We are more deliberate when it comes to choosing what's in and what's hot but we actually do not even bother to balance what's art and what's not. It's not really bad to replicate for as long as the audiences get satisfied in what these companies present. In reality, we learn from the Americans and Europeans and it's not bad to learn from them. We just do not know how to have a Philippine accent or trademark in order to say that it is indeed a Philippine staging of a particular Broadway hit. More so, we are not ready to have a series of Filipino musicals, not yet. I believe a playwright must learn to unlearn to achieve a greater impact in the world theater. So far, these playwrights have the same and as old as that of Philippine rituals. More competent theater directors are not given the commercial theaters' slots. Why? they choose not to be part of a patronizing society like our very own culture - the 'showbiz' theater world.

ALEX DOROLA: Whatever, original Filipino musicals are still the best! Adaptation of foreign works, somehow, can be poisonous to Filipino culture. Be original! Kaya naman natin gumawa ng musicals na sa atin lang galing.

ANGELICA-LEE ASPIRAS: Hmmm... I think it's always a challenge to see artistic efforts criticised-especially when referring to fledgeling efforts of a developing theatrical profile in Manila. Here's my thought: regardless of the many good and bad opinions of the production's outcome, we need to be supportive of the intention. Projects may not resemble their American counterparts on many levels, but it takes so much courage and love to commit to ( and be held accountable for) an ambitious idea such as this one. How wonderful it is! Filipinos are known for their ability to adapt to ... well, you name it we've assimilated. This is a quality that sustains us and also camouflages us. When paired with a solid work ethic, it can take us so far :) but now, it would be beautiful to see our identity develop, especially in a venue of endless possibility and expression. They have so much to say over there! The fact that we have the opportunity to even discuss this is so exciting. Each thought is as a seed...

NICO QUEJANO: i agree that there is some form of "cultural disonnect" but good theater is good theater, good art is still good art, regardless of any cultural persuasion that a person might have...not really a total waste, but a little "filipinization" can go great lenghts, i mean i remember watching West Side Story and was totally disappointed with the total "mimicry"

From my Multiply:

MITS SHIMIZU: spring awakening, how appropriate, huh? the critic was one "lucky guy" to watch the musical on broadway that's why may comparison sya. so, are we going to deprive the "unlucky ones" to see the musical in its original form? :) here we go again... chicken and egg phenomenon..apples and oranges... let us not be myopic. think global. art knows no boundaries... we can still retain our filipino identity without resorting to 'filipinizing" everything in our midst. also, i think we have enough filipino materials to negate our concerns regarding the so-called foreign invasions. much ado about nothing really.

JULIE CRUZ: Blargh. I mean, I watch US television series instead of local ones not because they're foreign, but because they're better. Because I've TRIED to like some local stuff, but the sad truth is that a lot of it is crap. Same goes for films, books, and yes, theater. I would be more than happy to support a well-done original Filipino musical production, if it were good enough. Maybe I'm just not looking in the right places? But boy, what a sad, sad thing Philippine theater would be without Avenue Q, or Altar Boyz, or Songs for a New World. I think it's ridiculous to imply that we should shun these things just because they're not our own. I fucking LOVE Red Concepcion's original spin on the Mark character. Felix Rivera was an absolutely winsome Princeton. Joel Trinidad's talent and sense of humor is unique, sparkling and inimitable. I would hardly call any of their performances carbon-copies of their Broadway counterparts.

LAWRENCE VILLEGAS: Agree with the comments above, but I think we're being too simplistic here. I can see several points of discussion we can break this down to:

1. Material: Foreign material have the edge here. Before something reaches a place like Broadway or the West End, it gets edited and rewritten, usually based on the intended audience and marketability. Local material don't get that much care and attention. This could be what's lacking with local material.

2. Training: Most of our seasoned performers have gone to greener pastures either abroad or to other industries like TV & film. And we don't have a lot of venues for training new ones before they need to perform professionally. Hard to blame theater people who still need to make a living.

3. Money: Don't expect a Broadway-style production (or expect to mount one) when the audience cannot (or refuse to) pay for proper theater. In the art film world, I think they're trying to solve this by finding artistic material that requires less funding to produce. Maybe we can learn a thing or two from this.

4. Commercial or art: Like film, productions are done either for profit or for art. Seldom do both happen. Should we be mounting commercial productions than will sell, or should we patronize serious art production? Don't get me wrong, there could be a lot of artistry in commercial productions.

We've seen Shakespeare commercialized and Filipinized. Purist would call that bastardation of the classics, but it does serve its purpose to capture new audiences. We've seen great productions of it, and we've seen thousands of bad ones. But it doesn't mean we should stop doing Shakespeare.

Maybe the Spring production just wasn't ready when it had to run. That's always a risk taken in mounting theater productions. But good thing there are still people taking that risk. And there are still the critics who tell us the truth for us to learn from.

ALWYN IGNACIO: Tama na! Itigil na ang mga "second rate, trying hard, copy cat" theater companies na masyadong bilib sa mga ginagawa nila, At pagalitan rin natin ang mga broadsheets na OA sa pagbibigay ng espasyo sa mga press releases ng mga copy cats na ito na para bang hindi magiging kumpleto ang buhay natin kung di natin mapapanood ang kanilang mga palabas.What do we gain from these imports? Ano pa, eh di actors who speak with peculiar accents? Hahaha. That's all.

LEA SALONGA: Shows like Avenue Q, Spring Awakening, and the like will always have a place wherever they play, because they have something relevant, funny, and pointed to say. As for foreign versus local, there is a lot of crap on both sides of the Pacific... it's all just a matter of figuring out which is which.

What The Experts Say On '2012'

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 08:00:00 -0800

And what if the end of the world really was upon us? Would you want to know? What would you do? Harald Kloser, screenwriter of Columbia Pictures' new disaster epic "2012," already knows his answer. "I would do exactly what John Cusack's character does. I would grab my kids and take them to where it's safe, as best I can."

Staying safe in the South – Mind this modus operandi

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 06:51:12 -0800

Just sharing the carnapping / abduction modus operandi of a group that is known to operate in the South. Thanks to Phillip Kimpo for his narration and to Donna Rose Bayona for sharing this with us.

Bambu Thai restaurant

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 06:26:33 -0800

Betty tries the new Thai restaurant in Casa Susana. The verdict? It’s not the best Thai food around, and prices are a bit high, but they serve a decent meal and it seems to be very popular with the Alabang crowd.

Miss Earth 2009 pageant to promote Boracay Island in 90 countries

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 05:37:04 -0800

The Miss Earth Foundation is set to promote this resort island in 90 countries, as it is the venue for the international pageant to be held on November 22.

2009 MIss Earth Beauty Pageant in Boracay

Catherine Untalan, Miss Earth Philippines executive director, said that they have been urging several stakeholders in this resort island to ensure that Boracay is clean once the candidates from all over the world arrive on November 18.

The Miss Earth Philippines recently led hundreds of volunteers from the Boracay Special Protection Office, Malay local government, Philippine Dental Association-Boracay, Philippine Coast Guard-Auxiliary, Boracay Foundation Incorporated and the Boracay executives in a coastal clean-up activity.

The activity was in coordination with the Agham group dubbed as Bora-Kay Linis 2009 (Boracay so clean).

“The Miss Earth Foundation finds Boracay as the appropriate venue for the pageant night. We hope that every sector in Boracay would cooperate as we are promoting not only Boracay but also we would give impression to the world that we can be good stewards of the environment,” Untalan said.

This year’s Philippine representative to the Miss Earth pageant is Sandra Seifert from Negros Occidental province.

A “Pritchon” Lunch

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 04:16:25 -0800

Pritong Lechon, or fried roasted pig is one way to resurrect some leftover lechon, see previous post here. But one really needs to temper this cholesterol laden dish with something a bit less deadly. So when a quick trip to the fish market yielded two stunningly fresh and rather large talakitoks (trevally or jacks), we were definitely in business! A simple sinigang na talakitok (tamarind broth soup with fish) with lots of vegetables and the pritchon were the perfect office lunch for Marketman and the crew...

JUAN Philippines Magazine

noreply@blogger.com (Mich Guevara) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 03:35:00 -0800

JUAN Philippines October-November 2009 Issue is out!

Is your flight delayed again? Bored staring at the ceiling while waiting for your flight? Sipping coffee but with nothing to read? Well, we have just got the solution for you! JUAN Philippines Magazine! Check out the latest issue of YOUR Ultimate Travel Guide in the airports and have JUAN as your travel companion. For its October-November issue, JUAN brings you a feature on Baguio—still the summer capital of the Philippines. Also in the most handy travel guide in the country is an article about Danao, Bohol—pegged to be the next Mecca in adventure sports in the country. Find out why Mt. Pulag still attracts climbers from around the country and even around the world. Want to know what to wear in cold weather or outdoors? Visit the first-ever Fashion Editorial of JUAN Magazine and get equipped on what to wear and what to bring with you on your next vacation. Distributed in airports in Cebu, Clark and NAIA and in some call centers and resorts around the country, JUAN Philippines Magazine will revolutionize the way people travel in the Philippines. A copy of the magazine can also be viewed and downloaded at www.juanphilippines.com (300,000 of our readers do!). JUAN Philippines Magazine. Travel. Life. Style. Coming soon. JUANTV.

Repertory Philippines Joy Virata Continues Tradition in Sweeney Todd

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:11:56 -0800

Whenever someone from the ensemble needed a sharp reminder regarding how important he is to the play, the late Tita Bibot Amador, with a steely voice and gaze, would launch into a lecture that expounds on the themes of “There are no small roles, only small actors,” and “You’re only as strong as your weakest [...]

Porchetta, New York

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:36:12 -0800

I'm not sure what gave rise to this, but the past year or two has really seen the renaissance of pork or anything porcine in nature. When the magazine Time Out New York issued its annual "100 Best Things We Ate And Drank This Year" in December 2008, and this $9 sandwich from Porchetta came out at the VERY TOP of the list, of course I was curious and definitely wanted to try it...

San Fernando Pampanga’s Ligligan Parul giant Lantern Festival 2009!

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:00:19 -0800

The local Government of San Fernando Pampanga has recently signed a contract with Robinson Starmills for the hosting of the Ligligan Parul or the Giant Lantern Festival 2009. This is the second time that Robinson’s will be hosting this grand event.

San Fernando Pampanga, has been known as the Christmas capital of the Philippines. This city is known for the intricate lanterns or Parol.

During the Ligligan Parul Festival large lanterns do an interplay of lights to the tune of Christmas songs. This year, the Ligligan Parul will be staged on December 19, 2009 at the Robinson’s Starmills in San Fernando Pampanga.

You like reading this blog post? You might also be interested in BYAHILO's other adventures at Sugarloaded!

San Fernando Pampanga’s Ligligan Parul giant Lantern Festival 2009!

Chinese restaurant near Rockwell: You Jie Xiao Chao

noreply@blogger.com (ivanhenares) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:58:00 -0800

There's a rumor going around about this really good restaurant with no signage near Rockwell, a hole in the wall if you may, that serves authentic Chinese food from Yunnan Province. Well, it's true!

It was hard finding the restaurant since it really did not have any signage. But this unpretentious nook called You Jie Xiao Chao Chinese Food (I had to ask someone to write this down for me in Pinyin since their card is in Chinese) serves really great Yunnan cuisine! This restaurant is located at 6404 Camia Street near the Barangay Hall of Guadalupe Viejo. And the only distinguishing mark is the house number 6404.

Originally, they only had a menu in Chinese. But now, they have two photo albums where you can point your order to the staff.

We tried out the Hot Pot Duck which is a bit on the spicy side but really good (Php350), Steamed Dumplings which you can also have fried (Php120), Chinese Pizza which is actually an egg pancake (Php60), Fried Pork Ribs (Php240) and Steamed Pork (Php200). And the best part is that for Php20, the steamed rice is unlimited!

You Jie Xiao Chao Chinese Food
6404 Camia Street, Guadalupe Viejo, Makati City
+63 915 4252972
+63 927 7876999

Video: Not While I'm Around, by Marvin Ong and Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo

gibbs cadiz — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:11:00 -0800

She plays Mrs. Lovett, he plays Tobias in Repertory Philippines' production of Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd, which opens November 14, 2009 at Onstage Greenbelt 1, Makati City.

For some reason, YouTube has been acting up and won't upload my new videos, except this clip of Marvin and Menchu singing perhaps Sweeney Todd's most familiar song, during the presscon held last week. Preceding the YouTube fuck-up (excuse my Fwench) is my Flip video running out of battery during the song and chopping off the closing lines. When it rains--it floods, indeed.

What refuses to be uploaded are two more clips--one of Franco Laurel (as Anthony) and Lena Mackenzie (as Johanna) singing Kiss Me, and, most interestingly, Audie Gemora (as Sweeney Todd) and Menchu tearing into A Little Priest, at the end of which hot pies were served to the media crowd. Macabre touch, delicious pies.

After having listened to them, I can say with assurance at this point that this Sweeney Todd will be better--much better--sung than the movie version. The score, including the choral parts excised from the Tim Burton film, will be performed in its entirety.

The rest of the cast includes Roger Chua (Judge Turpin), Robbie Guevara (Beadle), Liesl Batucan (Beggar Woman), Robbie Zialcita (Pirelli) and Juno Henares (Mrs. Lovett understudy).

And the ensemble: Ring Antonio, Cara Barredo, Teenee Chan, Red Concepcion, David Cruz, Hans Eckstein, Jejie Esguerra, Naths Everett, Jay Glorioso, Rona Guba, Collins Gutierrez, Gary Junsay, Raul Montesa, Jay Pangilinan, Meynard Penalosa (who also understudies Sweeney Todd), Marisse Santos, Glory Sicam, James Stacey, Oliver Usison (Mr. Fogg and Judge Turpin understudy), Joy Virata and Rem Zamora.

A sprawling cast, an expensive musical that's also dark and daunting, and in December yet. Why this, why now, why not next year, say February--was a question asked of co-director Michael Williams. “It'd be worse in February, during Valentine,” he quipped. The long and short of it: Rep wants a topnotch musical to close its season with a bang, and the actors are keen to challenge themselves. “Sweeney Todd is like the Olympics for any theater actor,” said Audie.

“A dream come true,” echoed everyone else--a trite phrase, but you could tell they were dead serious about it. This is Sondheim, after all--and not only minor Sondheim, but Sweeney frickin' Todd.

The musical runs November 14-December 19, 2009. For tickets and inquiries: 8870710, 8880887, 8919999. Visit www.repertory.ph or www.ticketworld.com.ph

Sandra Bullock Is 'All About Steve'