I have just watched Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera at the Cultural Center of the Philippines with the family courtesy of my sister D. Such is the life of a penniless engineer and master’s degree holder. I enjoyed the show and having my family along with me made it even more memorable. I was able to catch the show on Broadway almost a decade ago and I think I was more impressed then with the actors and the production. Still the company I was with made all the difference. Back on Broadway, I was with someone whom I won’t even care to mention.
The show itself was more or less as I remembered it from years ago. I was just surprised during the “The Phantom of the Opera” sequence as it featured less of the technical side. It didn’t have the spinning spiral staircase from which the Phantom and Christine descended. There were also long moments when I could not see anything but a black stage with swirling smoke from the fog machine. I don’t know if they somehow downgraded the production or maybe there were technical glitches that night. Even the “Track down the murderer…” sequence has these ‘empty’ parts.
I don’t think there were enough trapdoors as I was able to see the Phantom runaway after taking Christine’s engagement ring. I think he was supposed to drop down through a trapdoor at this point. I think he and Christine are also supposed to disappear into thin air during the “Point of No Return” sequence. The candle sticks during the "Phantom of the Opera" sequence are also supposed to rise through these trapdoors, they simply glided from the sides in this production.
The actress who played Christine was able to sing her notes (at least as I can tell) and she did enunciate her words very clearly. I don’t know if the high note at the end of the Phantom of the Opera was sung live (I’ve read that it was recorded in some productions) but it seemed like it as there was some effort. I just thought she could do more with breath control as well as singing some of the parts legato. (My voice teacher would be proud I remembered the term. Hehe…) At times, I did not sense emotion in her words while she seemed too melodramatic at other times. I did like her singing “Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again”. She sung it quite beautifully and with what I thought to be the right amount of emotion. Finally, this Christine was a graceful dancer - which reminded me that Sarah Brightman was a dancer before she became a singer.
Now, the actor who played the Phantom was just superb. His voice did sound muffled at times but he still sang and acted the role quite well. I like his low notes especially in “Music of the Night” (I noticed some of the tenors who sang the role have difficulty with the low notes in this song) but he was able to handle the high notes as well. I believe this is one of the hardest roles in the whole of musical theater and to be able to sing and act it as well as he did is quite a feat in itself.
We watched the show from the dizzying heights of Balcony II. I would have liked to watch the show from a seat closer to the stage where I can at least see the expressions on the faces of the actors but someone as penniless as I cannot complain and should just be thankful for seeing the show.
Monday, September 24, 2012
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Manila Ocean Park
When it opened several years ago, throngs of Filipinos – tourists and uziseros alike – flocked to the Manila Ocean Park. The Oceanarium was to be the centerpiece of the new tourist hub which included other attractions as well.
I finally got to see the park a few weeks ago using a complimentary pass given to me by my parents who toured some relatives there several months ago. I had visited two other marine theme parks – SeaWorld in San Diego, California and Ocean Park in Hong Kong. I will have to say that the Manila Oceanarium still has a lot to improve on should it want to be at par with these other two attractions. Still, the Manila Oceanarium is not without its own appeal. The glass tunnel which bends twice along its length provides a good view of the marine creatures. I was glad to have come a few hours before closing time as I got some alone time inside the tube, freely taking pictures (at least until a few other latecomers entered). Just some minutes before, the tunnel was packed with people; I could hardly get a decent video of the marine animals swimming by. But I guess it was also fun looking at the people, albeit less amazing. There were plenty of excited children jumping excitedly at the sight of the big fishes, some teenagers donning their artista-inspired looks and doing their Facebook-worthy poses in front of the camera, and also some manangs gesticulating excitedly at the shark as it seemed to hover overhead. When a diver in an air-filled suit with a bubble helmet came down the tank, the children became even more ecstatic. I imagined an oversized obese toddler being taught to walk but I still wonder how it would be like to walk underwater among the fishes.
There were plenty more aquariums and large tanks. I remember the lionfish with their defensive spines, the clownfish which the kids called Nemo and also Dory in a separate tank, the small seahorses looking like yellow ornaments floating with the mild current as they cling on the bare branches of a seaweed. There were several blowfish, locally called butete (quite confusing as we also call tadpoles the same thing), but they were relaxed and deflated. I wondered then if there was anything I could do to see them expand to full size, short of knocking on the glass to rattle the fish.
The arrowanas swimming gracefully in a big tank near the entrance with their large, uniform scales glistening in the dim light could be easily imagined as the fabled water dragons. There were also Philippine crocodiles just under the wooden stairs, not-so-hungry or as big as the recently caught Lolong in Palawan which measured 21 feet – the longest in the world. Still, they made me think twice before extending my arm over the railing to take my own snaps at them. There was also one tank I liked where there were hundreds of silver fish swimming clockwise around some plant. If they did not get dizzy with their circular motions, I could only wonder. One spacious room featured larger tanks with the bigger fishes. The illusion of seeing them swimming through the remains of a sunken ship was reinforced by the Titanic-inspired soundtrack (or was it really from the official soundtrack? I honestly don’t know). There was one tank where a remora has attached itself to a shark.
Of course, there was also the shark tank. Seeing the great whites and hammerheads up close reminded me of that soundtrack of Jaws. The sharks seemed docile enough and I wonder how they would look in a feeding frenzy (yes, I also got addicted to the computer game.)
There are other attractions in the Manila Ocean Park which I didn’t get to visit. Aside from the fact that I got there just a couple of hours before closing, I also could not spare any more money. There was the fish spa where you could have your feet picked and cleaned by little fishes. There was the jellyfish attraction which I guess was not unlike the one I saw in HK. Glad they also got it as I enjoyed the HK attraction immensely – it was like walking in an alien world inhabited by these flying, luminous creatures (it’s either that or a scene from The X-Files). The Antarctic Adventure was another missed attraction. Honestly, I don’t know what it is but there were probably penguins. As I left, the musical fountain has just started. From the sound of it and the top of the water spouts I could see from outside, it seemed like a mesmerizing show. Too bad I lacked the money, the time and good company.
I finally got to see the park a few weeks ago using a complimentary pass given to me by my parents who toured some relatives there several months ago. I had visited two other marine theme parks – SeaWorld in San Diego, California and Ocean Park in Hong Kong. I will have to say that the Manila Oceanarium still has a lot to improve on should it want to be at par with these other two attractions. Still, the Manila Oceanarium is not without its own appeal. The glass tunnel which bends twice along its length provides a good view of the marine creatures. I was glad to have come a few hours before closing time as I got some alone time inside the tube, freely taking pictures (at least until a few other latecomers entered). Just some minutes before, the tunnel was packed with people; I could hardly get a decent video of the marine animals swimming by. But I guess it was also fun looking at the people, albeit less amazing. There were plenty of excited children jumping excitedly at the sight of the big fishes, some teenagers donning their artista-inspired looks and doing their Facebook-worthy poses in front of the camera, and also some manangs gesticulating excitedly at the shark as it seemed to hover overhead. When a diver in an air-filled suit with a bubble helmet came down the tank, the children became even more ecstatic. I imagined an oversized obese toddler being taught to walk but I still wonder how it would be like to walk underwater among the fishes.
There were plenty more aquariums and large tanks. I remember the lionfish with their defensive spines, the clownfish which the kids called Nemo and also Dory in a separate tank, the small seahorses looking like yellow ornaments floating with the mild current as they cling on the bare branches of a seaweed. There were several blowfish, locally called butete (quite confusing as we also call tadpoles the same thing), but they were relaxed and deflated. I wondered then if there was anything I could do to see them expand to full size, short of knocking on the glass to rattle the fish.
The arrowanas swimming gracefully in a big tank near the entrance with their large, uniform scales glistening in the dim light could be easily imagined as the fabled water dragons. There were also Philippine crocodiles just under the wooden stairs, not-so-hungry or as big as the recently caught Lolong in Palawan which measured 21 feet – the longest in the world. Still, they made me think twice before extending my arm over the railing to take my own snaps at them. There was also one tank I liked where there were hundreds of silver fish swimming clockwise around some plant. If they did not get dizzy with their circular motions, I could only wonder. One spacious room featured larger tanks with the bigger fishes. The illusion of seeing them swimming through the remains of a sunken ship was reinforced by the Titanic-inspired soundtrack (or was it really from the official soundtrack? I honestly don’t know). There was one tank where a remora has attached itself to a shark.
Of course, there was also the shark tank. Seeing the great whites and hammerheads up close reminded me of that soundtrack of Jaws. The sharks seemed docile enough and I wonder how they would look in a feeding frenzy (yes, I also got addicted to the computer game.)
There are other attractions in the Manila Ocean Park which I didn’t get to visit. Aside from the fact that I got there just a couple of hours before closing, I also could not spare any more money. There was the fish spa where you could have your feet picked and cleaned by little fishes. There was the jellyfish attraction which I guess was not unlike the one I saw in HK. Glad they also got it as I enjoyed the HK attraction immensely – it was like walking in an alien world inhabited by these flying, luminous creatures (it’s either that or a scene from The X-Files). The Antarctic Adventure was another missed attraction. Honestly, I don’t know what it is but there were probably penguins. As I left, the musical fountain has just started. From the sound of it and the top of the water spouts I could see from outside, it seemed like a mesmerizing show. Too bad I lacked the money, the time and good company.
Saturday, September 1, 2012
Face-to-Face Interview
After the phone interview, I was finally called for a face-to-face interview with the global business development manager. The interview was scheduled at 10 AM but I decided to arrive in Makati two hours earlier. The traffic can be quite terrible in the morning and I would not want to be late.
I did not want to appear overexcited (I wasn’t actually) so I had breakfast at Jollibee and ate my meal leisurely. I was calm and composed when I left the restaurant 30 minutes before my scheduled interview, which was what I really wanted. What I was not able to consider was the weather. The building I was to go to was just across Ayala Avenue but it was hot and I was wearing a long sleeved shirt with tie. Factor in the fact that I perspire a lot at the least physical exertion. That short walk in the underpass made my sweat trickle down my face and neck. The result – a dark ring of sweat around the snugly fitting collar of my shirt.
The interview lasted an hour. After the pleasantries, when I mentioned that it was hot outside to account for my sweat-drenched collar and he said that he also felt hot when he arrived, we got down to business. The interviewer first made me recite what was already on my resume (quite a waste of time, I thought). Then it was all situational questions.
The questions themselves were not really that hard because I have quite a number of personal experiences to choose from. After all, I have graduated more than a decade ago and I have worked in a number of different fields. What was difficult was to think of the best example that would highlight my strengths, my decision-making skills, and other personal characteristics that would also be useful in the job I was applying for. I had to sift through all my experiences in just a few seconds. My mental faculties, especially memory and quick recall, seemed to have declined sharply these last few years and it was a bit of a struggle to come up with the examples in such a quick span of time but I was able to cite examples I believe to be the best. It was in the delivery where I had some bit of a problem.
I am not that articulate to begin with. As a self-confessed introvert, I am more comfortable writing down my thoughts when I can pause and reflect on how I can best express an idea. Especially now that I had no real practice speaking in English. Writing which could have been the next best thing would have been nice, but I couldn’t find the time nor the mood to sit down and compose my thoughts. In the end, it was just plain laziness, I think. I read an article just a few weeks ago (I don’t know how true) about women being more likely to be nervous before a job interview but this makes them more prepared than men to face the interviewer.
I thought I was able to answer the questions right enough, at least to the best of my abilities and whatever experiences I had. Perhaps, I should have played more of an actor and tried to charm my way. But hey, I’m certainly no actor and as charm goes, I’m probably as charming as a grinning skull and bones.
I did not want to appear overexcited (I wasn’t actually) so I had breakfast at Jollibee and ate my meal leisurely. I was calm and composed when I left the restaurant 30 minutes before my scheduled interview, which was what I really wanted. What I was not able to consider was the weather. The building I was to go to was just across Ayala Avenue but it was hot and I was wearing a long sleeved shirt with tie. Factor in the fact that I perspire a lot at the least physical exertion. That short walk in the underpass made my sweat trickle down my face and neck. The result – a dark ring of sweat around the snugly fitting collar of my shirt.
The interview lasted an hour. After the pleasantries, when I mentioned that it was hot outside to account for my sweat-drenched collar and he said that he also felt hot when he arrived, we got down to business. The interviewer first made me recite what was already on my resume (quite a waste of time, I thought). Then it was all situational questions.
The questions themselves were not really that hard because I have quite a number of personal experiences to choose from. After all, I have graduated more than a decade ago and I have worked in a number of different fields. What was difficult was to think of the best example that would highlight my strengths, my decision-making skills, and other personal characteristics that would also be useful in the job I was applying for. I had to sift through all my experiences in just a few seconds. My mental faculties, especially memory and quick recall, seemed to have declined sharply these last few years and it was a bit of a struggle to come up with the examples in such a quick span of time but I was able to cite examples I believe to be the best. It was in the delivery where I had some bit of a problem.
I am not that articulate to begin with. As a self-confessed introvert, I am more comfortable writing down my thoughts when I can pause and reflect on how I can best express an idea. Especially now that I had no real practice speaking in English. Writing which could have been the next best thing would have been nice, but I couldn’t find the time nor the mood to sit down and compose my thoughts. In the end, it was just plain laziness, I think. I read an article just a few weeks ago (I don’t know how true) about women being more likely to be nervous before a job interview but this makes them more prepared than men to face the interviewer.
I thought I was able to answer the questions right enough, at least to the best of my abilities and whatever experiences I had. Perhaps, I should have played more of an actor and tried to charm my way. But hey, I’m certainly no actor and as charm goes, I’m probably as charming as a grinning skull and bones.
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