A Wish List on Music Festivals

(photo source: shutterstock.com)

Last week, I attended a talk on Financial Freedom. One of the questions raised was, "If you had a million dollars, and you can do pretty much anything you wanted, what would that be?"

One of my major answers was to travel the world and visit different music festivals. It would still take years for me to actually try that out. So far , the stops I had was at the Hong Kong Ko Shan Theatre and Bellagio's Fine Art Gallery in Las Vegas. They're even barely considered as musical tours since they just happened to be around when we traveled, and not as the main destination.

So for now, I'm drawing out a mental picture which would put in the list of the places I'd like to visit for a musical journey :)

1. Europe -

A. La Scala, Italy - The birth of the Renaissance meant new concepts in different art forms. This does not exclude vocal performance. Humanism birthed the Golden Era of Voice. Hence, the birth of Opera. La Scala is THE institution to visit for voice hobbyists, aficionados, and enthusiasts.

B. Austria - The home of the Father of Symphony, Franz Josef Haydn. Eisenstadt actually has an ongoing festival running from August 2 to to 16 this year.


C. Any place where Diana Dumrau and Cecilia Bartoli will be performing




*I think this list needs to be exhaustive. To be continued* :D

One Consistent Thought

There's just soo much to learn. So much room for growth.
It's good to stretch up and get in for the ride of a lifetime :)


“All human wisdom is summed up in two words - wait and hope” Alexandre Dumas Pere









“Desire is the key to motivation, but it's determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of your goal - a commitment to excellence - that will enable you to attain the success you seek.” Mario Andretti

Lost and Found! A Written Stash Parcel.

Droplets are tiny,
Beauty may be puny,
But for me they give gaiety.

(Written mid-2000's)

image source: gamespot.com

Still a Thought on Blogging vs. Facebook

(photo source: istockphoto.com)

So just yesterday, I asked the question on whether Facebook also meant the end of Blogging. I was swamped with a day's myriad of errands here and there, that the question wasn't at least resolved. I'm still bracing for the activities ahead, but I at least wanted to take a shot at the resolution.

I think Blogging is here to stay for the next decade or so. With Facebook, it's all about connecting and letting an idea instantly reach an audience. Blogging is done to convey thoughts on various topics. No matter how much apps one can put on the other, the objectives of their conceptualization were meant for different reasons.

Once the objectives of the two tools have changed quite faar from what they were, then a social media tool such as Facebook, or Blogging would no longer exist. Remember when the floppy disk was such a hit in the early 90's? They've been replaced with other tools, all for different sets of reasons. Let's face it, we are in the middle of the Gadgets Boom.

Another rotation of trend sets will follow. For all we know, new terms and words on how to describe new tools are conceived in garages and portals, as we speak. Still before we get entwined into another topic, these points of view go back to how the phase of Blogging measures up in juxtaposition with Facebook.

Blogging by far has more content and the world of publishing has never been the same. Any computer literate person can package a Blog in any way a person wants to. It can be in format of a journal, a newsletter, an industry must-read, the list can go on. Blogging is all about writing content.

Facebook on the other hand, is an online meet and greet for friends who have not seen each other in years, for products reaching customers without having to physically show up for them--for people to know what's new about their offerings (online salesmen perhaps?), for idea activists who'd ask for immediate support on causes through comments, and likes, and yes, the list can still also go on.

It all boils down to each tool having niches. Blogging will always be enjoyed by writers and voracious readers. Facebook is for socializers that aim for easily-seen presence.

I may be a laggard for clearly starting out on a late venture into Blogging, but I’ve been reading ranges of Blogs from quirky to practical ones. On the other hand, I started Facebook-ing as soon as it was launched in my country. By far, although I can say I recently enjoy blogging more, I can't deny the fact that Facebook is fun to use too.

Cheers to idea treats!

Un Question

Could Facebook mean













the demise of blogs?






Image sources: www.scm-technorati.com / www.47project.com

My Ingredients to Whipping Up a Basket of Personal Sunshine

(photo courtesy of www.nationalgeographic.com)

Everybody needs sunshine in their lives, most especially when the chips are down.
So what ingredients would I mix together to have servings of it?

Four simple things:

1. Smiling, tons and tons of it. Of course, this shouldn't be done looking like you've plastered it all over your face, it wouldn't feel comfortable anymore. The key to a genuine smile is to find anything that makes you giddy inside like:

> the innocence of children

> dew drops of Santan flowers in your backyard

> company of friends

>hilarious personal antics

2. Prayers. Sometimes, actually, most of the time, our innermost feelings and sentiments just can't be expressed any other way. Sucks to think nobody can understand how you really feel. If you're lucky enough to believe in God, I'm most definitely certain He knows what you're going through. In His Presence, you can say everything, as in eeeverything you want to say. And when what you have to complain about runs out, just hear out what He wants to tell you. I bet it may even go along theses lines, "Ok, yes I so know what you mean. But be certain about this, that no matter what struggles you may face, I love you most." *tears, tears*

3. Chocolate crinkles. They're cheap. You can actually find them in pasalubong stores and supermarkets. For me they're comfort food. Pair them up with hot chocolate, and you'll have the ultimate sugar rush. This is not advisable to be frequently done though. A good substitute with hot choco is any citrus-y juice. Just to balance the sugar out. It's good to be health-conscious every once in a while.

Lastly...

4. My personal sunshine bites wouldn't be complete if I don't recall being in a real dreary, emo-bursting situation. What's the point of appreciating sunshine if there's nothing to contrast it with? The situation might have happened years back, a week ago, just earlier, who cares. I just have to remember how dark it seemed, and let it be succumbed by the three previous ingredients that I just whipped up. Voila! My personal sunshine is complete.

The point is, seeing sunshine in any kind of situation takes skills and practice. It's a choice whether a person may lament over how unfortunate and desperate things have turned out, OR see the upside of things. After a seemingly destructive phase, to think that you are blessed and to pick up the pieces well is a battle that is best fought in the end.

How Agile Can You Get?

This movement shot is from the National Geographic website.

If you dream of having a tropical getaway, and still be able to speak eloquent French, then New Caledonia is one trip you can take.

It's such a delight to think, this man in the picture, after having sold you his catch for the day--can respond to your question, "Merci. A quelle heure?"