CARE at the Navy Pier

The C.A.R.E. or Chicago Angklung and Rondalla Ensemble performed at the

Navy Pier Winter Wonderfest last December 3, 2011.  This was part of the presentation of the group representing the Philippines that showcased traditional folk dances as well.

 

You may read more about our CARE's previous performance by clicking HERE.

The group is headed by Ms. Esperanze Magno.

Our repertoire included English Christmas songs and several Tagalog songs including: 

Mabuhay

Pasko Na, Sinta Ko

Pasko'y Sumapit Na

Pamaskong Awit.

Catch us in our future performances!

Merry Christmas!

C.A.R.E. at The Museum of Science and Industry

Have you heard of the words Angklung and Rondalla?

The angklung is a musical instrument that is made of tow bamboo tubes that is anchored to a bamboo base.

Each angklung produces one note and collectively, they form an octave.  It takes several people to play a piece but in some instances, it can be arranged in such a way that a single person can play it.

The instrument originates in the Southeast Asia, particularly in Indonesia. 

The Philippines have several Angklung ensembles one of which is CARE.

CARE stands for Chicago Angklung and Rondalla Ensemble of which I am the newest member. 
The group is headed by Ms. Esperanza Magno, a dedicated and wonderful teacher, directress and arranger.

The Rondalla is composed of several stringed instruments including the banduria, laud, octavina, double bass and guitar.  It may also include the mandolin.  The rondalla originated in Spain and was brought to other countries over time.  It means "rhonda" or serenade in Spanish.

There are several rondalla groups in the Philippines.  I learned how to play the banduria and octavina in elementary and high school at De La Salle Santiago Zobel School under Mr. Roman Niefes.

My interest in playing was rekindled 2 months ago when a friend of mine invited me to CARE.  Since then, I have never stopped playing.  We played at the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry as part of their Christmas Around the World program.  In addition to CARE, there were children who
performed several Philippine Folk dances  

Catch us in our future performances!

A Day in the Museum

We had a fun day at The Field Museum last weekend. As a first timer, I was awed by their collection.

There were so many interesting things to see and learn.

Upon entering the museum, you will be welcomed by SUE - the world's largest, most complete and best preserved Tyrannosaurus rex.  It measures 42 feet long, 13 feet tall at the hip, and weighs 7 tons when alive.  Sue is believed to be around 65-67 million years  and was discovered in Hell Creek Formation of western South Dakota in August 12, 1990.  it was really huge!

There was also Lucy, once of the earliest hominids, Mfuwe - the largest man-eating lion on record that terrorized the residents of Zambia's Luangwa River valley in 1991, and Bushman - the nation's premier primate.  You will also see the tomb of Unis Ankh and other mummys from Egypt.  It was mind boggling to think how they built pyramids with their bare hands, taking them 20 years to build one.

It was interesting to see a feature on Abaca or Manila Hemp.

It was a great day at the museum!

Gone to Space [Adler Planetarium]

'When I consider the heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars,

which you have set in place,

what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?"

Psalm 8

There is so much to learn no matter how old we are. 

The past weekend, my husband and I visited the Adler Planetarium in Chicago, Illinois.

It was my second visit but I could hardly remember my first visit - incidentally with his siblings - in 2005.

It was sunny, cold and windy by the lakefront that day but we had fun!

We had a leisurely tour of the exhibits and learned a lot about earth science once again.

The show was great though we got kinda dizzy and figured that it could be age-related, hehe.

If you are planning to visit Chicago, plan a trip to Adler Planetarium - one of Chicago's go-to place.

Shoot the moon and reach for the stars!

Driving with Charlie

I have been blessed to work in the city for 2 weeks. 

It was my first time to ride the Metra to and from work.

My sister-in-law brings me to the station in the morning and my brother-in-law fetched me in the afternoon.

Today was extra special.  It was my first time to be fetched by hubby and Charlie.

Oh... I was wondering from afar who it was sitting on the back of the car with blonde hair.

Aha!  It was my bestfriend, Charlie.

Here we are enjoying the ride and the cool breeze.

A Night with the Madz

There is something about listening to beautiful music that soothes and calms our nerves.

Tonight, we watched The Philippine Madrigal Singers perform at the Copernicus Theater in Chicago, Illinois.  The concert was a fund raising activity by the University of the Philippines Alumni Association of Greater Chicago (UPAAGC) for scholars in the Philippines.

The Madz as they are called is the country's top chorale group, having won in numerous international competitions.  They have also been honored by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as artists for Peace in July 2009 and were given the Guidoneum Award in Sept. 2010 by the Concorso Polifonico Guido d'Arezzo Foundation for the "artistic and choral promotion activitiy."

Their repertoire included pieces from the renaissance music, classical songs, traditional Filipino songs to contemporary and pop.  Oh, their voices were angelic; each voice blended with the another. 

It was fun that they added comic twist to their performance - it made the audience appreciate the versatility and quality of their singing.

I love all their songs but being far from the Philippines, I loved their medley of patriotic songs "Isang Bansang Mapayapa" (A Peaceful Country).  They had encore (4  wonderful songs) because the audience just couldn't get enough of them.

They were gracious to allow the audience to have a photo taken with all of them during which I met one of The Madz' singers who was my sisters choirmate.

The group will continue with their Great American Tour until October so if you get the chance to see them in your area, do so.  You won't regret it.

"Why Nag God?" [Dr. Paul Nyquist at Harvest Bible Chapel]

It was again a great Sunday of worship and digging in God's word last August 28 at Harvest Bible Chapel.

The speaker was Dr. Paul Nyquist, President of Moody Bible Institute Chicago.More than being an eloquent speaker, he delivered a heart-stabbing message on PRAYER and posed the question, "Why should we nag God? and "Why should we be persistent in our prayers?"

References were Luke 18:1-8 and Luke 11:5-10.

Luke 18:1-8 tells us how Jesus used the Parable of the Persistent Widow to show the disciples that they should always pray and not give up.  Let me share what The Quest Bible says "Jesus wants our faith to remain strong no matter how our prayers are answered.  He wants us to trust God even when things don't go the way we want.  We can stop praying for something specific if God somehow indicates His answer is no, which may open an opportunity for something else."

Luke 11:5-10 is another passage that talks about prayer similar to Matthew 7:7-11.

Luke 11:9-10 tells us:  "Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock, and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives, he who seeks finds, annd to him who knocks, the door will be opened."

Be PERSISTENT in praying.

We CANNOT QUIT!

Dr. Nyquist reminds us that God is omniscient (all knowing) and omnipotent (all powerful) and He delights in giving the needs of His children.   We should be steadfast.

Furthermore, he told us that God doesn't grant prayers at once because the petitioner is not in a fit state to accept what he asks for.  Perhaps it may be due to any or all of the following reasons: 

1.  We are praying but it doesn't move us.

2.  We are praying with wrong and selfish motives.  Praying over a long time purifies us.

3.  If God hears our prayer, will we be willing to pay the price?

Let us be shamelessly persistent in our prayers and keep storming the doors of heaven.

Prayer keeps us in constant communication with God. 

 It's an easy excuse that we are busy with our daily work and internet life to spend a few minutes of our time in silence and prayer. 

I am not perfect.  I am a sinner saved by God's grace and by the prayer of many, especially my mother.

Take time to PRAY.

Blessings to you, my friend!

Saturday blues

I miss my home in Manila especially during weekends when we go to the wet market.

I miss seeing the bright colored flowers and the beautiful flower arrangements that they make for our church.

 I miss seeing the various fruits in season neatly lined up in the stalls. 

Here are starfruit, oranges and Philippine mangoes.

I miss eating locally grown bananas that are sweeter and yummier than the ones abroad.

 I miss the scent and taste of sweet pineapple and sour green mangoes.

 I miss buying "kakanin" or sweets such as glutinous rice.

 I miss going home and pairing the glutinous rice or "suman" with sweet mangoes and hot tsokolate (local chocolate in tablet form)

And finally, I miss the vendor going around the neighborhood in their bicycle shouting and selling "taho" or soybean with caramelized sugar and tapioca.

Oh, such fond memories of being in my hometown.

For the meantime, it's cereals, fruit and yogurt for breakfast.

Happy weekend!  Blessings!

Anti-aging Diet

Most people look forward to the weekend so they could rest, spend time in church fellowship, hang out with family and friends, finish their long overdue DIY projects, or just eat and eat. 

There are many diets that claim to be beneficial one way or the other. 

Today's blogpost will feature some anti-aging diets... you'll know why later.

Wildberry Cafe's Fresca omelette and Garden skillet

I enjoy the weekend because it's the time for me to be with my family especially my husband.  On Saturday, we had breakfast at Wildberry Cafe.  We got there at 8am which was good because we were seated right away and at the same booth where we were the first time.  Oh, we had a heavy breakfast and although our orders had no meat in them, they were rich and very delicious, as always.  By the time we finished our meal, the place was packed with many people still waiting in line.

Later that day, we had visitors at my in-laws place where we had more food.  There was no special occasion to celebrate - just bonding with family and friends.  We had "lechon pata" or roasted pork thigh.  This was no ordinary roasting - it took 5 hours to cook and crisp the skin.  Ohhhh... it was absolutely delicious and definitely part of the anti-aging diet such that you might not reach full life potential!  But then again... eating a little won't hurt.

Lechon pata, bagoong, and pancit

And then, we had more anti-aging food... FOR REAL.

Have you tried eating Kale or Whole Foods' raw kale salad?  It was my first time to try and I must say that I loved it.  Kale belongs to the family of collard greens and they are absolutely packed with nutrients, cholesterol lowering properties, etc.  I've always thought that kale was tough to eat and difficult to prepare but the WF raw kale salad was wonderful - it had tomatoes, cranberries, pine nuts,  and a EVOO-lemon dressing.  They have a kale salad recipe on their website that I will try soon.

Have a great and healthy week!

Pinoy Movies

I enjoy watching movies, even Asian action or epic movies whose language I do not understand.  

I think I have grown accustomed to reading subtitles especially after being hooked to watching Korean dramas like probably some of you are.

Recently, a friend of mine lent me 3 original dvd's of Filipino movies: 

"Ang Tanging Ina Mo part 3" starring Ai-ai de las Alas and many others, is a comedy film of the adventures of a mother with 12 children.  I haven't seen the first 2 but they say those were big hits.  

"In Your Eyes" starring Claudine Baretto, Anne Curtis and Richard Gutierrez.  From the dvd's cover, you would surmise that it would be heavy drama.  It was a story of 2 sisters whose relationship were tried and tested when they both fell in love with one man. 

And finally, "Catch me I'm in love", a comedy love story starring Sarah Gernimo and Gerald Anderson.  I was able to watch it with my husband and brother in law.  We are all Filipinos but since they grew up in the USA and were more fluent in the Ilonggo dialect than Tagalog, they couldn't catch up with most of the dialogues.  So, they turned the subtitles on. 

It was amusing to hear the dialogue in Tagalog and read the subtitles in English.  I would have to give credit to the translators for the accurate translation, grammar, composition and spelling. 

There were a lot of bursts of laughter while watching the movie. 

Oh... it make me miss being in the Philippines more. 

We have a lot of talented artists in the Philippines and our movies have been acknowledged abroad, some have even won awards. 

Tangkilikin ang sariling atin 

(Patronize our own)

What's for lunch?

My lunch today was:  1/2 cup white rice, salad (spinach, tomatoes, slivered almonds, feta cheese with walnut vinagrette dressing) and a slice of pan fried, lightly salted milkfish.  It was simple but "satisfyingly delicious" and packed with nutrients.

No Filipino meal is complete without rice.  I didn't have brown rice (which is much healthier) available at this time.

Spinach is "rich in vitamins and minerals and is also concentrated in health-promoting phytonutrients such as carotenoids and flavonoids to provide you with powerful antioxidant protection."  Read more on World's Healthiest Foods' website.

Tomatoes are rich in lycopene which has been found to have anti-cancer properties and is rich in potassium, vitamin B6, nicain (aids in lowering high cholesterol levels) and folate. 

MIlkfish or Chanos chanos (Forsskal) is locally known as "bangus" or "bangos" in the Philippines and is the predominant species being cultured in the Philippines.  More info HERE.  I love eating bangus especially when it is pan fried - ahhhh, it brings so many wonderful memories of being in the Philippines.  After 8 weeks of being in another country, I am getting homesick.

It is my desire to continue eating healthy and I hope I inspire you to do the same.

Cheers to good health! 

Stuffed green bell peppers

I love eating bell peppers!  It's very rich in vitamins, sulfur and minerals.  Google it or check out the website of World's Healthiest Foods to read more.

I'm sharing with you a recipe from my mother in law:  Stuffed green bell peppers. 

Ingredients:

     green bell pepper, sliced in half

     ground beef

     garlic, white onions

     tomato sauce

     salt and pepper to taste

Slice green bell pepper in half and remove the seeds.

Mince garlic and chop the white onions - add it to the meat and mix. 

Season the mixture with salt and pepper.

Place the peppers in a baking dish.

Stuff peppers with the ground beef and top with tomato sauce. 

Add water to the pan and bake at 375C for 45 minutes or until the beef is fully cooked.

ENJOY!

Quick Trip to Indianapolis, Indiana

I attended an 8 day training in Indianapolis, Indiana.  Though our map estimated that it would take us 3.5 hours to get there, it took us 1.5 hours more because of the weekend traffic and road construction.  The training went well and to celebrate, my husband and I took a quick trip downtown on that hot scorching summer day. 

There was a race going on that day so the major roads in the city were blocked.  We ended up parking at Ohio street and walked the street toward the White River State Park.  The river canal walk was very refreshing; you'd people on bikes, segway and pedal boats.  If you love buildings and architecture, the park houses the Indianapolis zoo, Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art, Indianapolis Indians Baseball at Victory Field, the state’s largest IMAX Theater, the NCAA Hall of Champions Museum and the NCAA World Headquarters, Indiana State Museum and the White River State Park Concert Venue.

We also saw the Congressional Medal of Honor Memorial which listed the names of elite group of Americans who were singled out for gallantry and selfishness in combat above and beyond the call of duty.  After a long walk, it was time for a hearty lunch at Fridays... Yay!

1 - 2 - 3 .... Smile! [Photo Blogs I Love Part 1]

I love taking photos with my handy dandy point-and-shoot (my family and friends are witnesses to this nice habit of mine). 
In line with this, just as a princess dreams of her prince,
I dream of having my own SLR someday.

I spent the past 2 days discovering new blog finds on photography.

Here are a few of the many that have inspired me
(in no particular order).

Rebecca Cooper of the blog "Simple as That".  She is a crafter, photographer, into scrapbooking and author of the e-book "40 Top Tips for Better Photos" (yeah, she is definitely the kind of lady that I envy).  You may want to check her tutorials which I'm sure you're gonna love.

Photo banner from the blog:  Simple as That

Check out the blog of Andrea M Brandt Photography. Andrea is a baby and child photographer and is also a fashion photographer. Her blog offers so much information on photo styling, wardrobe and other resources for photographers. Today, she discussed something that addressed my camera issues: "Tips for Point and Shoot Photography."

Lolli of Better in Bulk is another blog that you shouldn't miss.  She has awesome tutorials and great photos as well.  You may want to join her linky parties and giveaways.

Photo banner from the blog:  Better in Bulk

Incidentally, you may want to read one of her articles HERE where she featured her very gorgeous red Ephiphanie camera bag.

Photo from the blog of Lolli:  Better in Bulk

Speaking of giveaways, the blog of I ♥ Faces has a surprise.  They have many tutorials, tips and photography challenges where you could share your amazing photos.

Photo banner from the blog:  i heart faces

Oh, they have a desirable Epiphanie camera bag giveaway this week. 



Photo banner from:  Epiphanie bags

Photo from:  i heart faces

Photo from "i heart faces"

Photo from "i heart faces"

Whew!  What a long blog this is!

There are a lot more blogs on photography to explore and to share with all of you.

Have fun...  Get those cameras clicking and let's link!

Happy weekend!

A Photographic Walk in the Park [Lake Elizabeth]

"A picture is worth a thousand words."

I love going to the park with my camera, strolling and gazing through nature.

It was my first time to go to Lake Elizabeth in Fremont Ca and it was a beautiful experience.

These flowers just took my breath away.

I used my Sony cybershot DSC-W350 that my husband gave me for Christmas.  It had a panoramic feature and this was the perfect time to try it out.

I love watching the sunset and how the colors change every minute.  From orange hues to blue... it's amazing!  I love how the water reflects everything.

{taken at Lake Elizabeth, Fremont, Ca}

100 Bible Verses [Book of the Week]

Some people don't like to travel and ride airplanes but I enjoy it.  I love checking out airport terminals, to see what makes each unique.

I am based in an area where winter can be really cold and harsh.  Fortunately, I got a big break from winter as I was called on for pediatric nanny duties to my nephew in sunny California. 

It was my first time to travel through snow.  The airport runway was full of it and it was amusing to see the trucks plow the snow one after the other.

Our flight would take a total of 5 hours and 45 mins with an hour stop over at Reno, Nevada.  It was a good time to sip my soda and start reading my new book:  "100 Bible Verses everyone should know by heart" by Robert J. Morgan.  I received this book as a free gift from David Jeremiah's organization as a token for our donation.

The author took a lot of time and effort in writing the book and though it was definitely difficult to choose only 100 Bible verses from thousands written, he did an excellent job.  He shared many illustrations of how people's lives were changed, encouraged and strengthened by claiming God's promises in His word which they have memorized and "hid in their hearts." 

I recall our youth group leader who took time to let us memorize
Psalm 1.  It was a tedious task at that time but I thank God for how it has influenced my life.

If you have children, encourage them to memorize Bible verses so that they will "hide it in their hearts so that they will not sin against God."

Likewise, as adults, it is not too late to start reading and memorizing Bible verses.  Start with John 3:16 -

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoseoever believeth in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life."

We finally arrived Cali safely. 

So for the next 14 days I say, goodbye winter, snow and bitter cold....

Hello sunshine and earthquakes!

Blessings!

On Angel Wings [2011 Chicago Blizzard]

Coming from a tropical country where the sun causes drought and the rain brings about floods, I have always been excited to see and feel snow.  It's a longing that stems from watching foreign films with winter scenes - have snowball fights, sledding, skiing, snowboarding, creating a cute big round snowman and ahh.... snow angels.



My not-so-perfect snow angel



It's my first winter in Chicago and I thank God that I'm freezing breezing through it relatively well.  Yeah, it may be cold and slippery outdoors but I've managed to stay warm.  Thanks to my well-experienced-in-winter husband, in-laws and friends, I got a lot of good advice.



My experience the past 2 days is another first for me:  my first blizzard/snowstorm.  It was very windy with snow being blown here and there.  My in-laws were discharged early from work and traffic was slow along the major highways with speed at only 20 mph.

The news said it all:  check out the reports from major news networks like CNN, ABC, Fox, etc.  ABC news Chicago reports that this snowstorm ranks 3rd in Chicago history, with more than 19inches of snow in O'hare closing major roadways, public schools and airports.  The worst blizzard was in 1967 when they had 23 inches of snow. 
We are grateful that we are all safe.  



After a day of snowstorm, the winds died down and the sun began to shine.  Geared with our snowpants and winter gear, we braved the snow and had fun.  

Welcome to Winter Wonderland!

Hubby Boris & Charlie




Knee high snow



Come sit on the bench with me



After the snowfall comes the bitter cold temperature.  That would be another story.

Have a fun-filled day!