Hillsong London: Unshakable

Credits to Uyi Eghobamien

I have this hope 

As an anchor for my soul 

Through every storm 

I will hold to You 

With endless love 

All my fear is swept away 

In everything 

I will trust in You 

Chorus: 

There is hope in the promise of the cross 

You gave everything to save the world you love 

And this hope is an anchor to my soul 

Our God will stand 

Unshakable 

Unchanging One 

You who was and is to come 

Your promise sure 

You will not let go 

Repeat Chorus 

Coda: 

Your Name is higher 

Your Name is greater 

All my hope is in you 

Your word unfailing 

Your promise unshaken 

All my hope is in you 

Repeat Coda till fade

Hillsong London: Glorious Ruins

Such a moving song! I just can help but play it over and over and over and over again...

Let The Ruins Come To Life

When the mountains fall

And the tempest roars

You are with me

When creation folds

Still my soul will sour

On you mercy

I’ll walk through the fire

With my head lifted high

And my spirit revived in your story

And I’ll look to the cross

As my failure is lost

In the light of your glorious grace

When the world caves in

Still my hope will sing to your promise

When my courage ends

Let my heart find strength in your presence

I’ll walk through the fire

With my head lifted high

And my spirit revived in your story

And I’ll look to the cross

As my failure is lost

In the light of your glorious grace

Chorus:

Let the ruins come to life

In the beauty of your name

Rising up from the ashes

God forever you reign

And my soul will find refuge

In the shadow of your wings

I will love you forever

And forever I’ll sing

I’ll walk through the fire

With my head lifted high

And my spirit revived in your story

And I’ll look to the cross

As my failure is lost

In the light of your glorious grace

Let the ruins come to life

In the beauty of your name

Rising up from the ashes

God forever you reign

And my soul will find refuge

In the shadow of your wings

I will love you forever

And forever I’ll sing

Not So Beautiful Creatures

As you may have observed of late, a number of books and movies about supernatural creatures have lingered in the bookshop shelves side by side with those with highly sexual themes. Amongst those works which emerged on the top is the Twilight Trilogy and the adult-themed 50 Shades of Grey et al. Now, another of a similar genre is made into a movie, Beautiful Creatures.

Quite an interesting trailer there but like with all not-so-mainstream-movies, the trailer always shows the best scenes and sometimes gives away most of the story. Beautiful Creatures' trailer reminds me of the first Twilight serving.

Story-wise it was a bit predictable though I am not really sure whether the book version have the same flow. As we all know, most book-to-movie productions have some form of adulteration somewhere in the movie. It does not really have a unique storyline as it was like a female version of Twilight, where the female (Lena the Caster) had powers and the male (Ethan) runs after her and vows to love and protect her no matter what. It had the magic of Harry Potter where wall installations move and the accent of the Wild Wild West. I am not even that familiar with the actors and actresses so I really had no expectations about their performance. But I'll give their scriptwriter an A+ for pushing the right buttons. One particular scene I like is when Lena was ranting about her being stressed [about her "claiming" day] and all and Ethan being magically rained on on a sunny day:

Lena: What are you yelling at me for?

Ethan: You want to be a normal human? What do you think that is? We don't have powers to just change things whenever we like. Being human is feeling bad. It's feeling pissed off. It's feeling scared and not being able to do anything about it until you don't feel that way anymore, until you can just see your way out of it. And I yelled at you because I care about you. That's what normal people do when they love each other when one of them is acting like a brat. Now would you please stop raining on me.

Weehaw! That's the part I like best and the other scenes are just blah blah.

Nothing really that interesting and unique about it and if it was not Valentine's day I would have opted for A Good Day to Die Hard.

My friend gave it 3 stars out of 5. Probably it is best to wait for it to be available on Netflix or Lovefilm. I would like to see how Stephenie Meyer's The Host will do on the big screen when it shows at the end of the month.

Europe's Tallest

I have always been fascinated with architecture. Brave as I was when I was in high school, I applied to study architecture at UP Diliman which was a big flop. I was good at sketching at drawing but to combine that with elements of mathematics will confuse my synapses. Well, it does not really matter because when I got into the College of Nursing, they said that the best spouses for nurses would either be an architect/engineer or a lawyer. So, I decided that snatching an architect would do then.

London architecture ranges from the very old to well, the not so very old. Photographers would love London for its cityscapes which can be appreciated best from the River Thames. Though professional photography may be difficult to do especially in the City of London (a separate borough) due to private landowners' requirement for photography permits (i.e. tripod use, videography), it is still fulfilling even for the amateur lens to capture how the old and new synergise to create a curious landscape.

I have just been to The Shard early this month. It is the highest skyscraper not just in UK but in the entire Europe. It is very difficult to have tall structures here in London because of aviation laws since major airports like Heathrow and Gatwick serve hundreds of aeroplanes per day that utilise London airspace. High-rise buildings would pose a big safety issue especially that weather here is never lucid which can greatly affect visibility. Recently, because of a very nasty cloud of fog that covered the city, a helicopter crashed into a crane of a building in Vauxhall early morning which killed the pilot and a pedestrian doing his usual walk in the area. Miraculously, the crane operator ran late that morning as his sons failed to wake him up on time for work. 

The Shard is a magnificent piece of modern architecture. It is not that high compared to other skyscrapers in the world but it does make a good London icon apart from Big Ben (recently re-named to Elizabeth Tower to commemorate the Queen's diamond jubilee) and the London Eye (which really wasn't suppose to be a permanent structure). Compared to the Burj Khalifa, The Shard is just a dwarf, a beautiful dwarf that is.

World towers compared. (Credits to Euronews)

For £24.95, The Shard will give you a bird's eye-view of London which you can enjoy till late. You just have to book online in advance to choose your entry time but there is no limit up to how long you can stay. Just a reminder, tripods and food/drinks are not allowed in the viewing decks so you may find yourself leaving them instead on their ground floor reception. If one fancies, you can try the restaurants in the lower floors and experience dining with a view.

The modern "digiscope" located in the viewing decks.

As with all viewing decks, having a telescope is a must. I was surprised with the modern version that The Shard had to offer as it is not just free and digital, it also offers the patrons information about the different structures that are visible from the shard and also has the option to either view it live or in three other modes--dawn, dusk and evening.

Starting photography  at an early age.

The lower deck is enclosed and yes, keeps you away from the cold wind of the upper deck on the 72nd floor which is open aired. Both decks are nice and quiet and you will definitely enjoy the view more with the instrumental background music played continuously.

The top deck at the 72nd floor.

It would be better to visit during spring or summer time as the sky would probably be clearer and winds a bit calmer. But what can you expect from British weather? One day it is sunny, the next day you will find yourself pulling out those hoodies and putting on your warm boots.

"Dear, do you remember how the old London looked like?"

Since the attraction is still quite new. There is a bit of difficulty booking the time slot you want. Online booking is always the best way to go but for those who have spontaneity issues, walk-in ticket purchases can also be done but you won't have that much of option in terms of your time slot.

West view with the Houses of Parliament, Waterloo Station and the London Eye.

East view with the Tower Bridge and London City hall.

Shooting the shooter, discreetly at that.

Nothing beyond the 72nd floor.

I stayed from 3:30 pm until almost 7 at night just to enjoy both day and night views of the city. It felt the same way as when we were up the Namsan Tower in Seoul, Korea. I definitely did not forget to drop by the souvenir shop and got myself a magnet (another one to the growing collection) and a print of the London cityscape. It was a worthwhile visit especially for the photography enthusiast.

I also took a brief video of my visit which you can watch here:

Visit The View from The Shard website for booking and more information.

Navigated Navigator

I was on my way to Westfield this afternoon when two French people approached me and asked for directions. It was a lady and a man (who were friends with each other) who were about to view a flat somewhere in SW19. Well, I was quite confident to give them directions since I have my handy dandy mobile phone with all its navigation apps that we all knoware not perfect but leads you to the right path most of the time. They gave me the postcode which I immediately entered into my smartphone. As the GPS navigation was working its magic I chatted up these lost souls and found out that they just migrated here in the UK about 6 months ago. I told them that the area is posh and quiet though areas around the local primaries may be noisy at times due to the school children. Well, after one century I finally got directions. The place was just half a mile from where we stood (which was just ouside the hospital I work at. I am no good at French nor can they speak good English so I offered to take them myself since I have this magic GPS. But lo and behold, my phone started playing up--both 3G and GPS. Such a shame! I had to rely on Google maps which is not really that accurate based on my previous experiences to get them to that place just in time for viewing.

We made a mistake turning one block earlier but good thing another kind-hearted soul helped us with the directions. I was so apologetic to the couple because it would be actually very easy to find the place had my phone behaved well. We got to the place eventually. Had I known where Victoria drive was before, navigation would have been as easy as ABC. There is a nearby Catholic school there where we usually take our residents for the annual Christmas carol presentation of the pupils there and I do not know why I did not know where it was.

Why did I help these people in the first place without any hesitation? 

During our trip to Seoul last year, I remember being in a similar situation only that we were the lost ones. One very kind Korean helped us find the Trick Eye Museum which is a popular tourist destination but as to why it is located in a very obscure place with little directions still baffles me. Since I forgot to activate my mobile roaming, my phone was not really of good use unless there is a nearby WIFI hotspot (which well, Seoul has lots of). Going back, this Korean lady walked us to the museum and though her English and my Korean was anjoayo (not good) we managed to understand each other jugum manyo (a little). It feels terrible to be lost especially in a country where very little English is used both in the written and spoken form.

It was a sigh of relief when I was able to bring them to their destination. A pat on the shoulders for me today for one simple act of kindness. Hopefully, they too will pass on the same kindness to people who will need them in the future just like this advert about 'paying it forward'.

Tennis Masterclass: Gorgeous in Pink

Federer's match with Tomic kept me sleepless and almost to the point of having a heart attack with their well-played high-level game. I wondered about Roger losing at several points of the match. But my higher-self actually reminded me that I was committing a grave offense by doing so. However, with the way Tomic played today, there was really a chance that he can win over Roger and my love will be out of the tournament. But I am very much aware of Roger's capability to come back [with a vengeance] after losing points or games even. I have faith in his magic.

Well, while I was kinda pretending to brew some sort of heart ailment while watching the match, I came up with my 2013-Aussie-Open-in-a-nutshell-in-the-eye-of-the-die-hard-fan. Long title isn't it? I cannot manage to conjure a proper description for this thingamajig I doodled on my tablet but here they are:

1. Yellow is not the lucky color for this tourney. It is actually pink [and anything not yellow]. Look at how Roger and Serena fared in their matches because they are not wearing yellow. Read: the ball is already yellow!

Wear yellow to counter the blistering heat down under?

Real men wear pink!

2. Do not waste your challenges, you will miss them when they are gone. Do not misuse them as breathers between points. I cannot imagine how frustrated Tomic was when he was left without any challenges. He had no choice no matter what the lines people or the umpire say about a ball being in or out because he used up all his challenges. Lucky him, all calls made afterwards were undoubtedly good. On the contrary, do not waste the opportunity to challenge especially if you are pretty sure that you hit the line even if it is just barely kissing its edge.

Technology that could change a player's fate.

3. Youth is foolish when it underestimates age. Roger is 11 years older than Tomic but he moves as if he was in the same age group. Amazing how he can stride from one side of the court to the other effortlessly and make a stunning point. At his age, he is still very fit and I would not be surprised if he would still be playing until 35.

Ageless Roger.

4. The umpire teaches accountability for every challenge made. Even if the shot was clearly out, they do not insist and tell the player that it is out despite being sure 100%. As the cliche goes, it is your choice anyway. Also, raise your hand [or racket] courteously if you want to challenge.

Take it on the umpire.

5. Faith is believing that your single backhand return will go in even without really looking towards the path of the ball. Roger is very well known for his killer backhands and a fan would be very much aware that he does strike without even looking where the ball is going.

I wonder if I will make an epic point.

6. Slide gracefully if you can but do not overreach nor overstretch to save that single point cause that one point can cause you your ankle and even your career.

Don't run after a wandering ball. 

7. You are only as good as your last serve or return. If you lose the point, snap out of it and start anew. Sounds difficult but this is the mindset of all great sportspeople. In the same line, you are only as good as your last match or last tournament. Always think of doing your best as if it was your last game.

8. Some things are better quick and short. Roger keeps his rallies short. Less fuss, more points. Also, learn to take your aim. Tennis players use their free hand to point towards where they want the ball to go. It is much like goal-setting really.

Aim for the stars.

9. Keep calm, just carry on. Losing, like winning, is an experience. You would not be able to appreciate what it is to win without losing. When you lose, it does not mean that you are not good, it just goes to show that there are better players than you.

10. It is okay to scream. It does not matter how loud, lewd or weird it may sound, but for athletes especially tennis players, shouting or screaming is like venting out the pressure which helps boost the strength or your shots. Azarenka and Sharapova playing against each other may sound like a total nightmare but boy, they surely will give you one heck of a display of their tennis prowess. Well, also it is okay to cry. Remember Murray's epic speech and tears after he lost to Federer in Wimby last year? It goes to show that these deities of tennis are human after all. Like what the popular Superman song says, even heroes have the right to bleed.

Roger Federer wining Wimbledon 2012 with Andy Murray in tears.

That's it folks. I'd better get some shut eye now. Heroes need to sleep as well.

Do not irritate Roger with a drop shot. Who are you anyway?

I Saw The Sign

The Acabitches

Because it was too cold to go out lately with the below freezing temperature, my annual leave was instantly converted to a staycation. I have a list of things I must/can do (aside from my laundry and cooking) but the weather just forced me to stay in bed longer and tuck under the sheets. Since I haven't watched a lot of movies lately, I had to review my backlog today. First on the list was Pitch Perfect.

Pitch Perfect is literally a perfect feel-good movie. It doesn't have a unique plot and very much has a predictable flow. Watching the trailer sends the moviegoer the idea that it is just another Glee-ish production. Well, unfortunately it is especially in terms of the members of the Barden Bellas which seems like a mirror-image of Glee (multiculture, multi-sized and multi-personalities) less the boys and the wheelchair. What is interesting about the movie is how the mash-ups of the songs were done. From love songs, sexually explicit to pop and rap, the movie will impress anyone with a penchant for music especially acapella.

The simple plot does not really require one to make a very complicated evaluation of this movie. It is not the type of thing that I would watch in cinemas and is probably just good to watch when you are bored or need some unwinding AT home.

NB: I watched The Perks of Being a Wallflower afterwards--deeper and more stimulating.

The Injured Deity

Deja vu. Serena had the same injury on the opposite ankle a year prior.

Serena probably had the scare of her 2013 career when she rolled her ankle in today's match. I was surprised how her ankles were tightly taped when her personal physiotherapist cut the almost cast-like bandage to assess the "damage". I thought that I should have known how to wrap my ankles the same way as I already had numerous strains and sprains since I started playing tennis again in 2011. Similarly, Andy Murray have those strappy thingies as well which prevents the ankles from twisting. I thought my new tennis shoes would do the trick as I felt more stable playing with them on but now I feel that I need to strap-up as well.

Anxiety was painted all over Serena's face after the medical time-out but she sure did win even on just one good ankle. I wonder how she will fair in the next rounds.

Before I get ahead of myself and imagine frolicking in the courts again, I need to sort out my shoulder with my physio. It has been about five months now since I last played because of this aching shoulder and I am still in treatment for the fourth month running. With the pace of the treatment I am having, I am hoping to be okay come mid-spring or early summer. If I had my physio in Manila, I would probably have been discharged after 2 months of continuous treatment. But because of the very conservative methods here in UK and the difficulty of getting a treatment slot, the progress has been very slow and I have had flare-ups between session. What can I do? It is free. I do not want to be spending a lot for private physiotherapy. I am not Maria Sharapova anyway, haha.

Sharapova bright in yellow screaming those oohs and aahs!

Speaking of Maria, she had a previous shoulder injury as well and has recently had a collar bone problem. Serena had her share of injuries too and well, Rafa is still recuperating from his knee surgery too. I have not a thread of Maria's skills nor Serena's muscles but if they can re-emerge from a setback, who am I to lose hope that I would never hold that racket again if they, the deities of tennis can do it?

Again, I remind myself that I am no Sharapova.

For Good (From Wicked The Musical)

(Elphaba):

I'm limited

Just look at me - I'm limited

And just look at you

You can do all I couldn't do, Glinda

So now it's up to you

For both of us - now it's up to you...

(Glinda):

I've heard it said

That people come into our lives for a reason

Bringing something we must learn

And we are led

To those who help us most to grow

If we let them

And we help them in return

Well, I don't know if I believe that's true

But I know I'm who I am today

Because I knew you...

Like a comet pulled from orbit

As it passes a sun

Like a stream that meets a boulder

Halfway through the wood

Who can say if I've been changed for the better?

But because I knew you

I have been changed for good

(Elphaba):

It well may be

That we will never meet again

In this lifetime

So let me say before we part

So much of me

Is made from what I learned from you

You'll be with me

Like a handprint on my heart

And now whatever way our stories end

I know you have re-written mine

By being my friend...

Like a ship blown from its mooring

By a wind off the sea

Like a seed dropped by a skybird

In a distant wood

Who can say if I've been changed for the better?But because I knew you

(Glinda):

Because I knew you

(Both):

I have been changed for good

(Elphaba):

And just to clear the air

I ask forgiveness

For the things I've done you blame me for

(Glinda):

But then, I guess we know

There's blame to share

(Both):

And none of it seems to matter anymore

(Glinda):

Like a comet pulled from orbit

As it passes a sun

Like a stream that meets a boulder

Halfway through the wood

(Elphaba):

Like a ship blown from its mooring

By a wind off the sea

Like a seed dropped by a bird in the wood

(Both):

Who can say if I've been changed for the better?

I do believe I have been changed for the better

(Glinda):

And because I knew you...

(Elphaba):

Because I knew you...

(Both):

Because I knew you...

I have been changed for good...

A Heart Full of Love and Dreams

I have always been fascinated by musicals--from Miss Saigon, Wicked, Once on this Island, Beauty and the Beast, Cats...and yes Les Miserables. When I watched Miss Saigon when it returned to Manila, I was enthralled once again by the world of theatre and I even forced my mom to buy me the 2-CD Original Broadway Cast performance of the musical. Well, that was the time when Spotify or Deezer or even YouTube was unknown and the only way to get them cheaply is to either download from Napster or Limewire or buy it from some obscure alleyway of Manila. I was not really the kid who fancied watching concerts nor movies but if you invite me to watch a stage play or musical I would definitely never resist. I watched all the time with my mom a.k.a the banker and ticket financer. We watched all kinds of theatres--from the one with the big names like Cats and Cinderella down to those performed by budding actors and actresses from Trumpets or Repertory Philippines.  I love everything about the theatre--the acting and singing, the stage production, the musical scoring, the script and story line of course! A good line will always capture my heart and a wonderful tune will always move me. I love the comical stints inserted in stage plays which halts brewing boredom of the audience. I am not that good when it comes to the latest music in town but if you ask me about theatrical tunes I bet you will find me a bit geeky.

Coming here to London, my brain went haywire with the idea of being so close to the West End and all the fantastic shows it offers. Well, it took a long while for us to get a chance to watch one as evidenced by my previous post. When I heard about the new Les Miz movie, my neurons were firing even faster than the speed of light. The old movie was a bit bland and focused more on Fantine and Cosette. Eponine was nearly nonexistent. Nevertheless, I was not disappointed with the new movie not just because of the great singing and musical scoring but because it was able to communicate the heart of Les Miz which is about reformation, both personal and societal and love for God and mankind. I love it to bits that I feel I can watch it over and over again and still shed tears towards the end. It is just quite unfortunate that it premiered in the UK later than the other parts of the world. While Singapore was crying, Londoners like me do not even have the slightest idea how really moving it is.

When we watched last night, I was amazed at how the audience behaved. Not a single phone rang and illuminations from phone screens turning on were close to nil. No food bags rustling, no noisy sipping of drinks. Not one stood from from their seats for a quick bladder relief. Amazing indeed what the movie did to the patrons. There were even times when people clapped after each scene as if we were watching a live musical. Well, I will have to admit that I did silently clap several times. I have read FB posts about the do's and don'ts when watching Les Miz which included something about restraining oneself from singing along with the actors. I thought it was common sense, but did I succeed? No, I was humming in my head for a moment, lip singing the next then silently singing to myself especially during Fantine's I Dream a Dream, Eponine's On My Own, and Do You Hear The People Sing. Guilty as charged. The last 30-40 minutes of the film were absolute tear jerkers. People were crying, the teenagers behind us were literally wailing. The Met Office would have raised and amber warning for severe overflow of tears.  I cried and sniffled in silence. My guy friend who watched with me was also weeping. Total puffiness!

What's the rating then?

Cinematography is perfect. (Though not nominated in the Oscars)

Musical Scoring is perfect.

Casting is sublime.

Acting and Singing...I'm speechless.

The over-all sound needs a bit of boosting but I'm not so sure if it was just a problem with the cinema's volume controls. (?)

5 out of 5 stars.

Hugh Jackman deserves the best actor award. Imagine Wolverine turned Valjean! The acting and singing was way beyond my expectation. Likewise with Anne Hathaway, Les Miz elevated her to the ranks of premiere actresses, able to handle more mature roles, so far from where she started as Mia Thermopolis in Princess Diaries. She too should win the best female supporting actress. Anne's love for Les Mis as a kid finally came to fruition when she got casted in this film. Moreover, it is also amusing to note that Helena Carter who played Bellatrix Lestrange in Harry Potter played an almost similar character as Madame Thenardier in Les Mis, only proving her suitability for these kinds of roles. Russell Crowe sang. Yes, the Gladiator with A Beautiful Mind can sing.

Fantastic. Absolutely Fantastic.

Who said Skyfall was the best British film of the year?

Defying Gravity

After more than a year in London, we finally got to see Wicked! It is one of the books by Gregory Maguire who made a big hit in the West End and Broadway alike. Well, I wasn't really into the novel since it bored me a lot but the musical was way beyond words. Since I am already quite familiar with its story as I have watched the Aussie version of it, my expectations for the London version were set very high. 

T'was 2 degrees outside at around 6:30 at night.

Our booking was decided like it was an impromptu speech, something ad-lib, something spontaneous. Well, experience will teach many of us that spontaneity is somehow better than a very detailed plan. So we decided the last minute to get a £30 worth ticket on the stalls' fifth and sixth rows only that we are on the leftmost side. Well, it was worth all the leaning sideways and the almost stiff necks as it was one heck of a production. Paying the premium seats at around £70-90 is a bit much. Why pay a 2-weeks worth of groceries when you can have the same pleasure near the stage with them just with a limited view--meaning you do not get to see some characters well on certain scenes because of their blocking on the stage. Also, we found it better than paying for the same amount for balcony seats. You get to see the details of their costumes and also count the numerous times that the lead actresses splatter saliva while singing or delivering their lines...and well of course some bragging rights that you have 'front seat' tickets to a west end show.

We occupied rows E and F. Note that the seats beside Borly and Astrid are £15 more expensive than ours!

Wicked is like a prequel to the Wizard of Oz. It tells the story of the witches of oz, Elphaba and Glinda (pronounced as Ga-linda then Glinda on the latter part of the musical) and how their friendship was forged despite their differences both in career goals and love life. It reveals the story prior to Dorothy and somehow the origins of Scarecrow, Tin Man and Cowardly Lion. In a nutshell, it is about finding your place in society, standing for your beliefs and finding your true love. The show was a total spectacular. It stimulates your senses through the wonderful lighting, crisp music and sound effects, excellent choreography and costume design and on top of everything else, the vocal prowess that the members of cast exhibited. Every song number will make your jaw drop in amazement and if you are a Wicked fan you will have to restrain yourself from singing along while 'Defying Gravity' and 'I'm not that Girl' is being sung by the lead actresses.

The London Cast (wickedthemusical.co.uk)

We learned some fantastic language while watching Wicked and I plan on using them as a pun next time we see each other again for an impromptu musical (Lion King and Les Mis are next in line). 

Glinda: Scandalacious, Moodified, Disrespectation
Elphaba: De-greenify
Fiero: Galinda-fied
Nessa: Encouragerised
Madame Morrible: Linguification, Thrillifying, Decipherate, Braverism

Will I pass the IELTS if I tried using these? Hehe.

and tada, the favourite lines:

Elphaba: Okay let's get this over with, no I'm not seasick, yes I've always been green, No I didn't eat grass as a child.

Glinda: Dearest Momsie and Popsicle

Glinda: Something is wrong. I didn't get my way. I think I have to lie down.

Glinda: Elphie... can I call you Elphie?
Elphaba: It's a little perky
Glinda: And you can call me... Galinda
Glinda: Fiyero and i are getting married!!
Elphaba: He asked you already?
Glinda: No, he doesn’t know yet. Now your turn.
Elphaba: I don’t have anything.
Glinda: Oh come on, and i told you a really good one!!!

Elphaba: I'm the other daughter, Elphaba. I'm beautifully tragic.
Madame Morrible: I'm sure you're very bright.
Glinda: Bright? She's phosphorescent!
Glinda: He's distant and moodified, and he's been thinking, which really worries me.
Fiyero: I’ve been thinking
Elphaba: Yes (pause) I’ve heard.
Glinda: You're still riding that old thing?
Elphaba: Yeah, well, we can't all come and go by bubble!

Taken by Borly while in the queue to claim our tickets.

Just fantastic. Feels good to have watched another musical.

Wicked is highly recommended to all musical/stage play fans and I will give it 10/10 stars! Bravissimo! Oops, was I just Galinda-fied?!

For bookings you can go to http://www.wickedthemusical.co.uk/

The Perks of Being Asthmatic

Being asthmatic means that I have to be very fussy with smoke, dust, and other allergens which nurtures ones obsessive-compulsive side. I got used to pills, inhalers, waking up in the middle of the night with continuous coughing and yes, the all-year-round sniffles and frequent chest infections. Rather than seeing them as restrictions, I see them as something usual to my everyday life. I even have auras about any impeding exacerbation or infections much like someone who has a migraine. Just like now, I have to work through another exacerbation and yes, another course of treatment.

It is winter time again and bugs of sorts start to spread their love to the most vulnerable people. Norovirus and influenza viruses are notorious during this season and people in other countries are now even reporting cases of H1N1 again. Year 2009 witnessed the worst influenza pandemic yet and yeah, I can tell you it was so terrible (second to the leptospirosis outbreak that same year) that even members of staff in the previous hospital I worked at became very ill. Everyone was so paranoid about catching the bug that if Sterilium can be used as bath water we would have gladly used it so.

My kind of cocktail

Contrary to popular belief, having a chronic health condition has its perks too. You get to know a lot of medicines (generic plus trade name) and you often get "checked-out" by doctors. You learn which medications work and which do not, which are cheap and expensive. You have met most of the celebrities in the antibiotic world like Augmentin, Zinnat, Klaricid, Levox and Zithromax and probably had a chance to have a longstanding love affair with the last one. Prednisone seems romantic but it is actually one name asthmatics hate together with all the other pills that sound like it (i.e. prednisolone and methylprednisolone). You learn to love purple and blue not just because of their tint but because of the relief they bring. You know what a peak flow meter is and why being in the red zone raises a red flag. You know that an O2 sat above 95% is okay and anything below that pushes you on the grey side. The words bronchospasm, DOB, SOB, wheezing and chesty are written at the back of your hand together with the numerous asthma triggers that you have. You learn to appreciate the symptom-free periods and make the best out of them. You also learn to plan your activities depending on the weather and the pollen levels. Being experienced and all, you become an expert patient who knows the ins and outs of the condition which makes you an excellent resource person for other asthmatic patients and their families. Asthma keeps you away from smoking and snorting drugs (though some sufferers try their luck on these). You can easily disprove claims of complete healing or instant cure from hoax adverts and quack doctors. Why? Because you are the most competent person in this "field" and you are sure that there has no cure for asthma yet. It is manageable but not yet curable. Your doctors may know more medical/techie stuff about your lungs and how they work but at the end of a consultation, they will always gear towards the treatment which suits you best with your consent of course.

Asthmatic. Meteorologist. Pharmacist. Diagnostician. Manager. Expert Patient. 

Are you one of us?

Metamorphosis

20 minutes to 2013

Every year, many of us struggle with resolutions that we end up not fulfilling most of the time. This year, I vow not to make any because it will just frustrate me in the end. Rather, I chose to look back at the blessing I have received during the past year and teach my heart to be happy and content with what I have. I will teach myself to laugh more, cry sometimes then laugh a bit more. I also want to make a bucket list of things that I want to do or be. It is a bit different from resolutions as they are more of a promise to one-self that we so often break. At least, having a list of goals sounds more positive.

Cheers to the New Year!

This year, I want to start saving (pun intended), take more pictures, travel more and read more. As side dish, I will try to practice playing the piano more, work on my Sound Cloud and yes, try to maintain this blog regularly. Dieting? Hmm, let me think about that first.

Changdeokgung Palace in Seoul, South Korea

I would like to travel more this year. After being around a bit of UK, seeing Seoul and well almost being in Moscow, I want to see more of the world. Among the places that I want to visit include Ireland and Scotland, Paris, Barcelona, Greece, Rome, Moscow (for real), The Swiss Alps and Germany. This would be against my first plan to save up since obviously, being a traveler incurs £££. I find joy in travelling especially the fact that there is always that opportunity to take great photos and yes, collect magnets and key rings.

I have always loved the sunrise from my window.

Capturing great shots gives me a natural high way more potent than any drug you can think of. Photography for me is like painting, which I loved to do when I was younger, only now in digital and editable format. ^_^ I remember attended painting classes during summer breaks with my clothes smeared with colours and my room reeking of turpentine and oils of different sorts. Now, I do my art composition on a digital palette which will not stain my clothes nor cause havoc to my nostrils. Photography started out as my parents' hobby when I was little. All events are chronicled through family albums and framed photographs. It was just about a couple of years ago when my mom shifted from the old film camera to a DSLR which she adored like a new member of the family. As I was busy with hospital work in Manila, I did not really have the time for photo shoots. But when I started my new slate here in London, I did realise that my eye for painting can be transposed to photography. Well, I am not yet as good as my mum in terms of photo editing but I will get there soon. 

Showered in Columbia Road Flower Market

I still have a long list of books to read. My tablet's library is getting crammed up with e-books that I have barely touched. Well, if I could only have more time to spend for leisure I would have probably finished most of them. However, there are words like cleaning, grocery, laundry and shopping that makes a bookworm's life a bit more complicated.

There will always be that desire to get better every year. Career-wise I am currently content with where I am now but it would be nice to move forward too. There have been some tipping points in relationships last year but I am not promising anything about changing myself or trying to be different. What I told my higher-self this year is to be bolder about expressing my feelings but at the same time cautioning my tongue to make amends with my neurons. Like what one of the girls said during our NYE's party, I would like to grow further in the spirit and be a better and Godly person. 

TRAVEL. SHOOT. SMILE. LOVE. SAVE. BE SAVED. BE THANKFUL. BE CONTENT.

This is how my 2013 should be like.