Setting the Stage

Current System Configuration: Ruthless Oppressor and Dictator of Sapphire, Topaz and Ruby
BGM: 星空のレクイエム Hoshizora no Requiem (Starry Sky Requiem) by JAM Project. The closing theme of the last episode of SRW Original Generation: The Animation. One of JAM Project's best ballads. Mournful, solemn and passionate.
Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch: Lemon-butter tuna, cottage cheese, lettuce and pesto dressing on whole wheat bread
Dinner: Nothing yet, it's mid-afternoon.

The reason I'm ruthlessly oppressing my three classes is that their plays are going to show in about a week's time, and none of them are even 75% complete. (This includes props, line memorization, and blocking.) Their tech rehearsals are tomorrow, and the dress rehearsals are on Thursday. All of them are going to end up cramming, which is disappointing to say the least. Nevertheless, I believe that somehow they'll pull it off. That somehow might of course involve me using a Roman flagrum to drive them, with me using espresso as fuel, or maybe it will just involve me threatening them with grades. Of course, I'm just kidding, but I really hope they actually get things done during our last few practice sessions.

Also, a message to all of my classes: Just because I'm Sapphire's advisor doesn't mean I'm playing favorites with them. The schedule was not my idea---it was Sir Arghs's. He only asked me which one I wanted to go first and which one last, and then he did the actual slot scheduling. It wasn't my intention to make Sapphire stage their play at the very end of the playfest. I just meant that they should be the last of my classes. Nevertheless, the schedule stands. Also, after seeing all three classes at their rehearsals today, the one that has progressed the most is still Topaz. The other two still need to work a lot since their plays involve more elaborate props/costumes. Also, if it might seem that I'm helping Sapphire more is because they need it more. By far their play requires the most elaborate setup, and they constantly kept coming to me for help. If you need my help, please please ask me. That's something I've been repeating since the schoolyear started, even for concerns other than the play. Also, I have done a lot of pestering to all my classes, reminding you all that "the play is so and so weeks from now." I know you have other subjects, but please remember that this is a rather large requirement. Don't waste it.

I hope, however, that you have come to know that plays are no laughing matter when you're organizing them yourselves. Directors have to contend with scriptwriters who don't meet deadlines, actors have to get the scripts right away so that they can start memorizing their lines, as well as take criticism for their stilted language and/or wooden acting. In general, everyone has to contend with everyone else who is stubborn or uninterested.

I'm not doing this to be harsh, guys. This is just the way it is. I know that the Pisay work ethic usually involves lots of cramming, but a play is not something you can cram. With that, may God bless you as your time for preparation comes to a close.
Actors, may you internalize, not just memorize, your lines.
Production, may you paint and craft and sweat your world into being.
Lights and tech people, may your timing never falter, and your power supply never get cut.
Propsmen and women, may your arms never fail you, and may your legs never buckle beneath the weight of your burden.
Directors, may you be tough but loving, firm but understanding, patient but unwavering.
And, dear students, may your plays be wonderful works of art that you will remember for the rest of your lives. I know I will.

~~~+++~~~

Now for something totally off-topic. As many of you know, my favorite musical group is a very, very obscure group of aging male and female Japanese singers---JAM (Japanese Animation Song Makers) Project. Even dedicated anime fans may not have heard of them, having heard only of bishounen bands/singers like TM Revolution, L'Arc-En-Ciel and the like.
The original JAM Project consisted of the following:
-水木一郎「アニキ」 Ichirou "Big Brother" Mizuki. If you're Filipino and you've seen Voltes V, you've definitely heard him sing before. Where, you ask? He sang the closing theme of Voltes V, "Searching for Father." He's that old. He founded JAM Project along with Hironobu Kageyama. Big Brother is now only a part-time member of JAM Project.
-影山ヒロノブ Hironobu Kageyama. Another singer you've definitely heard before. He sang the opening song to Dragonball Z, "Chala Head-Cha-La." Kageyama is in his mid-40s, if I'm not mistaken, and has been singing since he was a teenager. If you've heard the closing theme of Maskman (most likely dubbed in Tagalog---"Ang Maskman, tanod ng kapayapaan~"), you've also heard another Kageyama song. He sang the original Japanese version, "Love Soldier."
-遠藤正明　Masaaki Endou. Another popular anime song artist in Japan, but off the top of my head I can't think of any mainstream anime (meaning stuff that everybody has watched or has at least heard about) he sang for. He sang the opening theme of GaoGaiGar, though.
-松本梨香 Rika Matsumoto. I don't really know where else she sang, but I do know she's a voice actress too.
-さかもとえいぞうEizou Sakamoto. This guy I know nothing about other than that he's left JAM Project to go solo.

The current JAM Project (ver 2) has 奥井雅美 Masami Okui (She's sung quite a number of anime songs) and 福山芳樹 Yoshiki Fukuyama (the hair-metal screaming lead vocalist of the Hummingbirds best known for his role in Macross 7 as Basara Nekki's singing voice) in place of Ichirou Mizuki and Eizou Sakamoto.

JAM Project's overall sound is sort of a Japanese mix of Aerosmith and Queen. They sound very old-school compared to most Japanese artists who tend to use synthesizers a lot. What really makes me like JAM Project, however, is their tendency to use classical instrumentation and complex arrangement that makes their metal almost sound classical. I'm no music expert (I don't even know how to play an instrument other than a few simple songs on the piano), but I do know what sounds I like.

Unfortunately I can't upload stuff on this blog, but here's a review of my favorite tracks (which I burned onto a CD).
1. GONG
The opening theme of the apocalyptic finale to Super Robot Wars' Alpha Saga---SRW Alpha 3: To the End of the Galaxy. In my opinion, this is JAM Project at its best, combining the vocal power of metal singers with contemporary instrumentation and arrangement that almost sounds classical, this song just shines. It starts out with pounding percussion and an upbeat keyboard intro, then it segues to a mellower melody with Kageyama's crooning---then the whole song keeps picking up until it reaches a wonderful climactic yell at the end of the chorus (which is one of the best things about JAM Project) "TOWA HE!" (TO ETERNITY!) The lyrics are a bit cheesy, but hot-blooded warrior spirit is what JAM Project is all about. Similar songs are SKILL (the opening of SRW Alpha 2: The Earthseal War) and Hagane no Kyuuseishuu (Messiah of Steel, the opening of SRW Alpha Gaiden).

2. Cry for the Earth
While this song actually sounds nothing like JAM Project's usual fare (it sounds like Japanese Linkin Park), its instrumentation and vocals are superb. I never liked Linkin Park, but this song's just really cool. It sounds a lot darker and angstier than GONG, but it's still a good piece of music and shows how versatile JAM Project can be.

3. Hoshizora no Requiem (Starry Sky Requiem)
This is JAM Project's standard "ending theme" fare taken to another level. It's mellow and sad (as seen in my header for today's entry), and for most of the track the only instrumentation is a single acoustic guitar with strings (mostly violins) in the background. The bridge is just fantastic, with both the vocals and violins picking up. I wish the female singers' voices were more pronounced, but this song is still a magnificent piece.

Okay, I know it's hard to appreciate something you've never heard, let alone something you aren't interested in. But if you want to sample JAM Project's goodness and can stand listening to a song whose lyrics you can't understand (I can understand some of the lyrics, so I don't mind), feel free to ask me and I'll find a way to send 'em to you. :D

Anyway, that's about it for now.

~Be Just Or Be Dead~
#3101AD20061757
ー黒獅子アスラン

Singapore Pics, part Zwei

Current System Configuration: Taking a breather, just finished the grades for the third quarter
BGM: Ichirin no Hana by HIGH AND MIGHTY COLOR. It's a song from the Bleach anime. Though I haven't really watched Bleach (I don't particularly care for it, I have a tendency to shy away from mainstream stuff), this song is pretty good. It's fast, intense and relentless.
Breakfast: Chocolate oatmeal and whole wheat toast.
Lunch: Homemade Mediterranean Angel Hair Pasta (garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, olives and mushrooms in olive oil)
Dinner: Nothing, I think I'm going to pass on dinner tonight. (Had Banana cake and Kaya toast instead)

Okay, here's the continuation of my collection of Singapore pictures.

Singapore has been described as a -FINE- city. Fine as in what you pay when you're caught littering. An interesting sign I saw at the Harbour Front MRT station. Durians are not allowed.

The day before we went to Sentosa for the first time, we decided to take it easy, so instead we went to the malls to show Vinci around. We went to Tang Lin road and Orchard Road, which make up the main arteries of the mall district. One of the main attractions back then was the snow shower (2) at Tang Lin Mall. However, that isn't snow. It's foam! Foam as in soap foam, like the kind you make when you take a bath. Some kids were even bringing raincoats to avoid being drenched by the residue.

Tang Lin road at night. Tang Lin gives way to the even more spectacularly-illuminated Orchard Road.
Blargh, I sure gained weight. -_-
Lights!
One of the many huge Christmas trees along Orchard Road.
An attempt at a postcard-esque picture. Too bad my hands were too shaky. I hadn't mastered my camera's settings yet when I took this picture.

Merlion Park, Funan and Clarke Quay
The day Mom arrived, Dad, Vinci and I went to Funan mall to buy him a PSP game. He ended up buying Metal Gear Ac!d. It was an interesting game, but I found it rather difficult since Snake's SOCOM pistol SUCKED. On the way, though, we passed through Merlion Park. The Merlion here is the original one, commonly depicted in postcards. The dome in the background is the Esplanade. It has been described as a "giant durian" by some people, hence a very clever ad posted by an airconditioning company that designed the dome's airconditioning system. (I don't have a picture of the ad. >_<) Anyway, it had a picture of the Esplanade and a single line: "Because Durians are best served chilled." The Esplanade is basically Singapore's version of the CCP. It's a giant theater-concert hall-mall complex. The mall itself is not very big, though. Nothing much to see, but they have GOOD eateries. (Al Dente being my favorite. Italian style gourmet pizzas---the classy kind--- for 330 pesos isn't bad at all.)

More of the Singapore skyline plus the Esplanade.

After taking pictures there, we moved on to Clarke Quay, which is a small district along the banks of the Singapore River. It's very close to the central business district (CBD) and the government district. There are lots of odd bronze sculptures here and there, but they make the whole place very rustic compared to the towering office buildings right beside it.

Cavenagh Bridge. This is the oldest bridge in Singapore, having been made in the late 1800s. It's only open to pedestrian traffic, but is a common venue for wedding receptions due to its rustic (not rusty) appearance.
Life-size bronze sculpture of a cat and kittens on one of the supports of Cavenagh Bridge.
Life-size bronze sculpture of kids jumping into the river, also beside the bridge.
Vinci haggling with bronze people. o_O
Bronzy dinner. The figure on the left used to be holding chopsticks. An unscrupulous tourist probably stole them.
Houses of the Parliament. The building reminds me a lot of the Japanese Diet Building (which is also a parliament building).

MICA. No, Pisay students, it's not Mika Suansing. It's the Ministry of Communication and Art. I find its colorful windows really cute. It reminded me of a lego set.

ZOMG SINGAPORE IS RUN BY ALIENS. This is the Supreme Court building. Beside (though not visible in this pic) is the old Supreme Court, which is a classic domed building similar to the Capitol in Washington, DC.

Funan Lifestyle Mall. This mall sells all sorts of electronics. Not cheap, but you can definitely be sure of the quality. Lots of choices, too. There was this one store that was selling SRW figurines! I so wanted to buy that THRUDGELMIR and that VALCIONE!

Before we went around Funan, dad, Vinci and I had a snack at Ya Kun Kaya coffee shop. They sell the local blend of coffee there---hard-kicking arabica with half a cup of condensed milk. o_O Dad said he once stayed awake for 72 hours when he had it for the first time. I didn't feel its effects so much---until Vinci and I woke up the next day at 1 AM. We couldn't sleep anymore. I could even feel my heart beating weirdly. X_x Singaporean kopi is served with kaya toast---dry, twice-toasted bread spread with butter and kaya (like coco jam, except it's more gelatinous and lighter in color), sometimes eaten with fried eggs.

One of Ya Kun's ads. I think it's pretty cool. I wanted to take a picture of it myself, but the lady at the counter shooed me away. Fortunately, Dad was able to get me a pic off the net.

After we got hungry walking around the mall, we decided to go to have lunch at a nearby Indian fast food. We had roti prata, a kind of chewy flat bread, with cheese and sausage inside. It's served with curry sauce. YUM. I never expected Indian food to be so good.

Later on we met with mom, lola and Gino, so we took them to see Clarke Quay.
Here's a pic with all of us, taken by Dad. If you look closely at Gino's left arm (it's the right one in the picture), there's a small orange sign above it. It's the sign of HOOTERS,a US-based restaurant known for its uh...amply proportioned waitresses.

The GMAX. If you look at the background, in front of the MICA, there are two large, white steel arms that resemble cranes. That's the GMAX. It's basically a giant slingshot that throws you at 220 kph into the air. >_o Dad kept goading me and Vinci to ride, but I refused. Vinci wanted to ride, but since you had to be in a group of three to ride, we couldn't go. (I refused, Gino said he'd only ride if I did.)

Jumbo Chili Crab restaurant. They say you've never been to Singapore if you haven't eaten their Chili Crab. It's basically crab (duh) in a really really spicy sauce with egg and crab meat. Instead of eating it with rice, you eat it with these really good fried dumplings. Excellent food. You can see my dad seated there at the table.

Back to Sentosa
The next day we went to Sentosa a second time, this time with Lola, mom and my cousin Gino. We took exactly the same tour, but this time we stayed around long enough to watch the dolphin show. They had PINK DOLPHINS. kid you not. More on that later.

Underwater world pics:
Chambered nautilus. These strange animals are ancient creatures, related to the ammonites of old.
Sea dragon. A colorful relative of the sea horse.
The Giant Arapaima. The largest freshwater fish in the world. These guys look like Arrowanas in this picture (I think they're relatives) but I'm telling you, they're HUGE. Each is at least seven feet long and as thick as my waist. (which is pretty thick -_-) Their heads are armored with bony plates that make them look decidedly prehistoric.
I bought a pink dolphin keychain afterward.

Afterward. we bought roti buns from Roti Mama. I also got a can of Sprite Ice. (Sprite with menthol to make it cooler than usual.) Unfortunately, instead of the "extreme cooling sensation", it gave my stomach an extreme burning sensation instead. -_-

This time, my mom posed with the snake. This is the first time she ever did so, as she never really liked the snake's slimy scaly feel. Lola, however, absolutely refused to even touch it.

Are we back in the Philippines? o_O Palawan Beach is along the southern coast of Sentosa. It's where the dolphin lagoon is located. Of course, one has to remember that all Filipino languages are heavily based off Malay, so sometimes it's not really safe to insult a Singaporean in Tagalog---they might be able to understand it. Better yet, don't insult anyone. o_o

PINK DOLPHIN. Unfortunately, this shot wasn't too clear. I was too far from the water and didn't know about my camera's digital zoom yet. -_- The dolphin doesn't look too pink, either---it's still a juvenile. Indo-pacific dolphins are born gray, but gradually turn pink as they get older. The adults are pink all over. Unfortunately the pen where the adults were kept was too far away---you have to pay Sg $13 to get a close up picture with them and be willing to get wet. I had no change of clothes. Too bad. D: (Btw, the girl who trained this particular dolphin looked cute from where I was. Since she was Malay, she looked very Filipina. It's almost impossible to tell Malays from Filipinos.)

This is my best shot of the pink dolphin. The juveniles are pinkest at their bellies, but the adults are just breathtakingly cute, being pink all over.

The majestic Sentosa Merlion. I'm fairly sure this particular Merlion wasn't the original, but it's much, much bigger. The Sentosa Merlion is 37 meters tall, compared to the original, which is around 4 to 5 meters.

Singapore Zoo: The last day

On our last day, dad took all of us to the Singapore Zoo. I only took a few pics because my memory was almost full, but here they are anyway. Singapore Zoo is known for refraining from using cages. A lot of the animal enclosures are large, open spaces with a moat or similar obstruction keeping the people away from the animals.

This mangled object is a polar bear's chew toy. It looks like someone sprayed it with an MP5 submachinegun. Suffice to say, you don't want that to happen to you arm. (Or any part of your body.) Polar bears are the largest member of the bear family. They can grow up to 3 meters tall. One of the bears, named Inuka (Inuit for Silent Hunter) is the first polar bear born in captivity. Despite Singapore's steamy climate, these guys enjoyed a nice, deep pool and an airconditioned room.

An iguana. There were lots of these guys at the zoo, but this fellow was particularly relaxed. In another section of the zoo they had a path passing right beneath the branches where the iguanas were---close enough to touch them. They were huge. Each was longer than my arm and about as fat as my leg. Most of them were sleeping, camouflaged and safe. However, there was a group of Malay girls who were annoying the poor critters by shaking the branches, then screaming loudly when the animals started walking.

A male peacock. Unfortunately, I never got a pic of one holding its tail fan open. Oh well. This pic's still really crisp, though.

A majestic white tiger. All of the white tigers in existence are actually descended from a single ancestor in India. Very few of them are found in the wild. Vinci later bought a white tiger plushie, while I bought a really cute lion plushie.

We had lunch at KFC afterwards. KFC in Singapore does NOT serve gravy like they do here. o_o They give you chili sauce instead. My dad once had to ask for gravy, and the server did not know what it was. My dad had to go on to explain that it was the brown stuff in the mashed potatoes, and even then the girl had to ask her boss if they could dispense it.Strange, but we have different tastes, I guess.

Suntec City
Before I actually tell you what it is, let me show you pics of it first.
This is the Fountain of Wealth in the center of Suntec City. Based on Feng Shui, you're supposed to walk around the bubbling water in the middle three times while touching it, and make a wish. We don't believe in geomancy, but we did it anyway for posterity. The darn fountain is huge. The ground around the center of the fountain is actually not dry. A constant stream of water washes over the whole place. The only dry ground is the walkway and the platform surrounding the center. That ring is also part of the fountain, as seen here. Another pic.

The rest of Suntec City: (Some pics were taken from a taxi, so they're a bit blurry.)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Guessed what it is yet?

What looks like a large government or corporate complex, my friends, is a MALL. All of the buildings depicted in the series are part of the mall. (Though I think the towers are corporate offices) Below the ground is the rest of the mall. The Fountain of Wealth is partly underground---the halo is suspended through a hole in the center of Suntec City's central rotonda. Underneath the road (surrounding the fountain's base below ground level) are lots of restaurants. Everything underneath the buildings shown in those pictures is the mall's basement. Suntec City is the largest mall in Singapore. (It's also where I bought my new Chucks :D)

A funny anecdote from Suntec: Mom was buying me a bunch of shirts at Giordano (3 for 20 dollars, about 600 pesos). However, the guy at the cashier told us he'd sell it to us for 6 dollars apiece instead. (Which is cheaper: 6 x3 = $18). Mom didn't understand that it was cheaper at first until I told her in Tagalog that it was cheaper. Suddenly the cashier, Billy, spoke in fluent Tagalog (with the correct accent), explaining to my mom how much cheaper it was. o_O His Singaporean accent was so genuine that we mistook him for a Malay guy---it turns out he was Pinoy! o_O We also met other employees of the stores who were Pinoy.

Mom, Vinci, Gino and Lola at the entrance to Suntec City, before we left. [pic]

My last pic of Suntec.

Changi Airport
The last taste of Singapore I had on this particular trip.
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Changi airport is a lovely place. They even had free internet! Loaded with the duty-free goods my dad had me buy for Lolo, lola and Fr. Dacanay, I took one last look at this place and boarded the plane.

I could certainly get used to such a place. If only the Philippines could pick itself up. Too bad, the very people I work for don't give a damn about the country's welfare.

And so we arrive at the end of our journey. This Christmas was hands down the best Christmas I ever had, but not so much because I got a lot of cool gifts---it's because it was the first time in a very long time that my parents were actually together. Of course, I've already accepted that my dad has married Tita Nikki, and mom and dad will never get back together---but I'm glad to see them as friends, and that they're able to treat each other kindly. I really appreciate how they work together to continue to support Vinci and myself. Kudos to you, mom and dad. Best parents in the world. Thanks also to Tita Nikki for being such a good host to us. God bless. :D

~Be Just Or Be Dead~
#1601AD200621
ー黒獅子アスラン