The Turandot Project

I have always been fascinated by the Opera. Recently I rented a video from Netflix on the making of Puccini's Turandot and its subsequent staging in Beijing. Turandot, for the uninformed, is a legendary story of a Chinese princess who posed a dare to whoever wanted her hand in marriage - answer three riddles, or die. Most probably people would recognize the famous song "Nessun Dorma" as popularized by the late great Pavarotti, more than they would the opera.

The documentary features the collaboration between renowned conductor Zubin Mehta and Zhang Yimou, and one can really see how much attention they pay to the details -- from blocking, emphasis on the songs, and the intricacy of the costumes they wear. Mehta emphasized on the Beijing performance as very critical, costume-wise, as most Asian performances/celebrations are always celebrated colorfully--you never see an Asian celebration with people dressed in black/white or grey.

I am a beginner in operatic appreciation, and with this documentary it has opened my eyes to a totally different mode of entertainment -- one that is raw, poetic, and in tune with a world that has long since gone.

So What If We're a Nation of Servants?

At first glance of the controversial article "The War At Home" by the Chinese commentator/writer Chip Tsao on one of the Hongkong broadsheets, I couldn't help but be enraged. This issue is no less serious than a Greek dictionary's definition of the noun "Filipina" as a "domestic worker from the Philippines or a person who performs non-essential auxiliary tasks", some eleven years ago, or last year's brouhaha on an episode of ABC's Desperate Housewives where one of the characters looked down on her doctor-neighbor using the term "Filipino" in her statement with a tone of obvious derision. What have we done to the world to merit such scorn?

Is there something wrong with the fact that we chose to leave the comforts of home to charter unknown territory in countries as progressive as the United States, or as deprived as Angola, to earn the much-needed money so we can provide for the needs of our loved ones left behind? Has it become a sin to scrub somebody else's floors, clean somebody else's toilets, feed and care for somebody else's parents/children, for us to be mistreated and abused? I cannot contain my disgust after reading the said article, satyrical or not. No one, and I mean no one deserves to berate us as a people. In this global community, we bring a significant contribution to every society that we serve--from the lowliest domestic helper to the highest ranking diplomat in the United Nations.

So excuse me for venting. My job may be lowly but that does not make me less human than the Chinese.

Nicole vs. Daniel Smith - a farce

I haven't been watching updates to this story closely but it's pretty obvious that Suzette Nicolas a.k.a. Nicole accepted the bribe, thus the recant statement. To begin with, I don't think she was even raped. For a girl to go out and have a drink and, admittedly, to make out with the man she was with, it was a modus operandi to deflect the shame she has inflicted on herself. From the time I heard on the news that she was not subjected to a medical exam/procedure following the supposed rape, I knew the reason why she didn't want to was because it would be pretty obvious that what had transpired would be consensual; otherwise if wounds were inflicted she would not have hesitated to go through said exam. What seems to be more disgusting was how so many people fell for the scheme. And how much time it took only for the end to get to this point. Who looks more stupid? Nicole, Daniel Smith, or the Filipino people? I am more inclined to say the latter.

New Macbook, New Blog Life!

I finally got it! I never thought I would get to a point where I'd be blogging again. I came across the Huffington Post's guide to blogging at the library and of course I got inspired to get into blogging again. I'm still wondering what exactly to blog about though. We'll see what happens when I'm done reading the book, and once I've navigated my way through the rubrics of this neat little package called a macbook...See you around!

Macbook or Macbook Aluminum?

I really don't have much need for a new computer right now--I'm just indulging myself since I got the insurance money from my accident last year, but if and ever I do go and get one, I wonder if I should be getting the new macbook aluminum, or just settle for the white macbook with 120 gig. Or even better, should I be getting a Nikon d90? hmmmm....

I miss snow and I miss Portland

I miss Portland already, it seems like ages since I was there, but just to show you how nice it was (this was taken on the first day of snowfall over there), this was how it looked when God decided to send a nice white blanket on earth that day...

christmasy christmas

Once again, this is one of those random moments when the idea bulb just popped and said, "hey, why not blog again?" It takes a long time in coming, I know.  But you just never know when it hits you, don't it?  It is Christmas day in fair Carson City, as of this writing.  It is an unusual christmas day, however, as we are buffeted with strong winds and sprinkled with bursts of rain now and then.  On a christmas day, you would expect me to be somewhere else, not home, not here; but unfortunately, Auntie's not feeling well today and has decided not to go elsewhere.  Chris and Derrick are supposed to pass by to pick me up, but they may have decided to go against it and to just go directly to the party at George's place in Cerritos. It's just crazy.  I know I should have done a zillion things - like went to San Francisco to be with Karen and her family, or fly to New York to visit Nay Alice and Rodney, but, as fate would find me, I'm stuck.

Silly ramblings alright. But hey, don't make this ruin the rest of your christmas.  I'm fine, (at least, trying to be) and will enjoy the rest of my evening watching tv (which I seldom do on a weekday). Merry Christmas, y'all!