This Is Life

[geminitraveller]

Remembering our Lolo and Lola on this Undas. They both died in the month of October, four years apart, both a few days away from All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day.

My grandfather died at the age of 80 in 1985, the year my second child was born, from complications secondary to diabetes.

My grandmother died at 85 in 1989, the year my twins were born, from a lingering illness after suffering from a stroke in 1981.

My Mom is an only child and our grandparents lived with my Dad and Mom even before we were born. They were our guardians when Dad and Mom were out for work.

My Lolo, in his younger years, took pre-med course at the University of Santo Tomas. I still remember eagerly reading his thick and heavy medical book when I was in high school and, at one time, dreamed of being a doctor myself. When war broke out, he stopped his studies and became a guerilla, unbeknownst to his family at that time. After the war, Peacetime as my parents and grandparents would gush, my Lolo worked as a "sekreta," a detective as it is known these days. And later, he became head of security in one of the big cinemas of that time, Universal Theater, showing mostly the big hits of Universal Studios and other major productions. We grew up frequently watching movies for free, one of the perks of his job, which enabled us to develop a passion for the movies. Lolo retired in the mid '70s and concentrated on his love for gardening until he became blind and crippled due to his diabetes. He became bedridden until the time of his death.

Lola was the quintessential homemaker, stayed at home, cooked, sewed, crocheted, took care of my Mom, and later, us, her grandchildren. She was a devotee of the Black Nazarene of Quiapo where she visits every Friday ever since I can remember. She only wears a maroon dress with gold cord, the colors of the Nazarene, every time she goes out of the house.

So many fond memories of our childhood spent with them. Rest in eternal peace Lolo and Lola.

In memory of my maternal grandparents.

Tereso Adolfo Solis, Jr. (1905-1985)

Segundina Mendoza Del Rosario-Solis (1904-1989)

Above photo taken circa 1977 at our old house in San Juan.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CVxYDyevjcdP80mjHybBdYYpXdwFPl7z2PSDxM0/?utm_medium=share_sheet

[geminitraveller]

Surviving the Tokyo Olympics 2020

A year of delay due to the pandemic marred the quadrennial Summer Olympic event that was supposed to be held in August 2020 in Tokyo, Japan.  Up to several weeks before it was finally held, no one was certain if it would actually take place.  But it did.  Even against the wishes of most Japanese residents.  

On July 23, 2021, the opening ceremonies finally took place in Tokyo albeit underwhelmingly and without the usual crowd.  There was no Nadal or Federer or Serena Williams in the roster of athletes that came perhaps because they fear the pandemic more than their desire to win another gold for their countries and for their remaining careers.  There was Djokovic though trying to achieve his Golden Slam for this year.  It was a proud event for tennis as Naomi Osaka lit up the Olympic Flame at the opening ceremony.   It was the first time that a tennis player lit up a host country’s Olympic flame.

Much as I am a tennis fan, or better stated, a Nadal fan, it was the Philippine athletes which took my attention as the country’s weightlifter and silver medalist at the Rio Olympics, Hidilyn Diaz, took gold early on in the games.  It was the Philippines first gold medal ever since the country joined in the Olympics almost a century ago.  What a proud moment to hear the Philippine national anthem play for the first time in the Olympics awarding ceremony.

Then, one after another, our boxers took the limelight as they qualify from bronze to silver to hopefully another gold.  Even our pole vaulter, EJ Obiena, took centre stage when he qualified for the finals, an event that no other Asian qualified into.

Sadly, our boxers never hot hold of the gold. But still, 2 silvers and a bronze are proud achievements. We got a total of 4 medals to take home in just one Olympic event. The first time we ever did so since we started sending athletes to the Olympics. More athletes were just a few points from taking the podium like Obiena, Didal, Yulo and the US Open women's golf champion Yuka Saso. Oh, and by the way, Nellie Korda, sister of tennis player Sebastian Korda, won the gold in golf.

As the Tokyo Olympics came to a close, we are left with thankful appreciation for all the Filipino athletes who gave recognition to our country and a hope for a brighter future in the Paris Olympics of 2024.

[geminitraveller]

Am I As Stunning As A Diamond?

In 1961, the West Side Story won 10 Academy Awards.  The Berlin Wall was built, dividing West and East Germany.  Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human to fly into space.  Scientists discovered the drug Ibuprofen.  Stand By Me by Ben E. King was the no. 1 Rock & Roll song.  Barack Obama, Princess Diana, George Clooney and Eddie Murphy were born.  On May 22 of that year, I was born in Manila.

Fast forward to the current year - 2021.  The worldwide pandemic due to the coronavirus is still raging since last year.  The country has just relaxed its second strict lockdown from last year due to a second wave of rising cases that reached up to 15,000 new cases a day. Vaccination is ongoing albeit at a very slow pace in our country.   And I am now celebrating my 60th birth anniversary.  My diamond jubilee.

Many things grow better with age.  Wine grows better with age.  Art gets better with age.  Just like fine wine and art, jewelry gets better with age. The diamonds featured in classic jewelry pieces possess a charm different than today's machine cut diamonds. 

“The harvest of old age is the recollection and abundance of blessing previously secured.” – Marcus Tullius Cicero

I am blessed.  That said, let me count the ways.  I am grateful for everything I have, my accomplishments,  the places I have been, seen, the experiences I had and the memories I have made throughout the years.  I have a growing family which I cherish including four adorable grandchildren and four daughters with their husbands all doing well.  I have an abode which I proudly, almost singlehandedly, brought into being just recently.  

Life has not always been easy.  There were trying times along the way.  Struggles that caused suffering and pain that made life unbearable sometimes. But life has always pulled through in the end.  Life’s trial has made a stronger person out of me.  

I am a diamond.  Hardy and unbreakable, made stronger with trials and struggles.  Rare because many were lost and few survive life’s difficult journey: I am one of the few.   Precious and valuable to my family and friends.  I am shining because I am happy and contented and I have let go of most of life’s negativity.  Diamonds are forever and I know I will live forever in the hearts of all those I have touched.

I am stunning like a diamond.

[geminitraveller]

The Last One to Go

2019 marks the year the last of our four daughters got married and left the house for good. I suddenly wondered what was I celebrating for? Of course it's for my daughter's new life as a married woman, a new family life.  But it also means no daughter is left in the house from now on.  From four to zero.  Uh-oh.  How did it happen so fast?  38 years have passed so quickly and now we are back to just being a couple.

Before that, the last of my twins got married November of last year.  It was a good celebration and everything went well from church to reception.

By now, the last remaining daughter has been married to her British boyfriend and it was a beautiful celebration with the ceremony taking place as the famous Manila Bay sunset was happening in the background and being witnessed by the guests in attendance.  Very dramatic.  Straight from a movie scene.  A lot of foreigner friends, classmates joined the regular family guests.  It was an event for the books.  

Going back home from the hotel was a sad event. The silence was unnerving. Flashbacks kept running in my head of the happy times we were all together. The noisy chattering girls with the many stories in front of the breakfast table, the only meal in the day that everyone is present. After that, everyone would be busy with their own tasks and will be out of the house. Breakfast was like a family gathering everyday.

I have long accepted the fact my daughters are not coming home anymore except for a routine visit.  I wouldn’t want them to anyway.  That may mean something went wrong in their married lives and I would never wish that.  It’s better to see them happy and successful even if they never come back.  As for us, we have done our best to raise them to be good citizens of this world and, hopefully, to be good family persons.  I wish them well in their lives.

Today Hazel and Tom celebrate their second wedding anniversary, twice in pandemic lockdown.  Hope they can celebrate like they should in the coming years.

[geminitraveller]

Remembering Tan Yu, Once the Richest Man in the Philippines

At one point he was also the 10th richest man in the world.

Before Henry Sy, there was Tan Yu, head and founder of Asiaworld International, who became the richest man in the Philippines and no. 10 richest man in the world, according to Forbes, in the ‘80s.  He died 19 years ago in 2002, still a rich man, but his net worth a lot diminished by the 1997 Asian financial crisis.  The Asiaworld city that was planned to rise at the reclaimed Manila Bay area never materialized.  And a lot of real estate properties had to be given up.  It didn’t make Tan Yu less successful and his legacy less significant.

Tan Yu migrated to the Philippines at a time when many Chinese had decided that the Philippines was a far better place to live than their native China which was then being taken over by Communist rule.  These Chinese came in crude boats from mainland China to the shores of the Philippines to have a better life than that offered by their motherland.

Tan Yu’s mother King Paogoat and my father-in-law came together to Camarines Norte during those times.  They were distant cousins and both came from the same Fujian province in Southern China.  My mother-in-law told us stories that Paogoat once came to their house to talk with my father-in-law, to tell him to come to her if ever he needed any help.  Both of them are now gone.  And so was Tan Yu.  But the name Tan Yu, King Paogoat and Typoco are names instilled in my memory.  They are from the same family which once walked the land of Camarines Norte, a place where I once lived for thirteen years of my life.

[geminitraveller]

A Memento of a Bygone Era

In the ‘70s, encyclopaedias were your best source of knowledge for anything under the sun.  They were every students’ best friend much like Wikipedia or Google are today’s best source of information online.  Those were the times when computers and the world wide web were not yet in existence.

Encyclopedias were big and heavy books usually consisting of more than twenty volumes.  They cost a fortune then so not everyone has them at home and were mostly accessed from libraries.  

By mid ‘70s, we got one set for us at home.  It was Grolier’s 20-volume Book of Knowledge.  It was not most high end.  I think it was the Encyclopedia Britannica which was the most prestigious back then.  But Grolier was from one of the most reputable book companies then.  And its price is more reasonable so we opted for that.  Together with The Book of Knowledge, we also got a set of The Book of Popular Science, a set of Lands and Peoples plus a set of children’s book classics.  All were also from Grolier.

I loved it then as I love books.  Ever since, I love browsing and researching for whatever comes to mind at the moment and those encyclopedias were a handy lot.  I even loved reading on medical books of my grandfather during idle times. We had a small library room at home then and it was my favourite place to stay. I would spend hours and hours endlessly reading and basking in what to me was an endless source of information each time.  It was an amazing intellectual adventure.  Those books were truly a great help in school as I didn’t have to spend so much time in the library and can do my researches at home.

Yesterday, we planned on converting our old house’s den/library/music room into Mom and Dad’s room as they were too old to be going up and down their second floor room.  A professional cleaner was called to do the cleaning of the entire first floor.  I looked at the built-in bookshelves and took one last look at our encyclopedias, took some photos just to remember a bygone era, and reflected on my student days and the pre-internet years.  It was a far cry from what exists today.  The information is vast easily accessible either from a computer, a laptop, an iPad or even a mobile phone.  What a difference those years make.  We wouldn’t have dreamed of this during the ‘70s.

[geminitraveller]

As 2020 Ends

As we near the end of 2020, I look upon the year that’s almost over.

As we ushered in 2020, we were full of hope for the new year.  We were looking forward to several travels and milestone events.  Unfortunately, none of them happened.  It was a devastating year both socially, physically, psychologically and financially.

A few days into the beginning of the year, the Philippines had a major  volcanic eruption in Taal leaving many homeless and without income.  Tagaytay was closed due to the harmful effects of ashfall which reached a far as Metro Manila and Central Luzon and the danger of another deadlier eruption.  NAIA operation was temporarily halted for a couple of days due to ashfall.  Tourism was largely impacted by the Taal eruption but no one had foreseen that a bigger and much worse event would soon totally close tourism and commerce in the entire country and the whole world in the next couple of months.

We were slowly beginning to realize how serious an epidemic from an illness called COVID-19 was shaping up since its discovery late 2019.  By February, everyone knew about the coronavirus and the resulting disease of COVID-19 although most were still in denial.  People were on a wait-and-see status.  Before the end of February however,  a major European trip by our group had been cancelled, a major business and social event we were supposed to attend had been called off, and a wedding where I was supposed to be a major sponsor was cancelled.  On February 29, we decided to go to Baguio for a short 2-night vacation and we realized how the virus was affecting tourism and lives in general.  Baguio was surreally empty where it should have been very busy due to the Pinagbenga festival which was cancelled.  The streets, restaurants and bars were almost empty.  It was a sorry sight.  No usual traffic.  It was almost a ghost town.

By the middle of the second week of March, the government announced a  lockdown in three days due to the pandemic and people flocked to supermarkets to store supplies for the home.  Stores ran out of alcohol, toilet papers, Lysol and hand sanitizers.  Long lines filled the counters of groceries and drug stores.  

And so on March 15, the lockdown began and was fully enforced by March 16.  It was all quiet as most of the world has basically stopped operating.  No business except basic necessities.  Transportation stopped.  Schools and offices closed.  Air, sea and land transportation stopped.  Even churches closed.  The world has virtually stopped moving.  It was all quite everywhere.

By March 17, we were shocked to hear the news that our close friend and business associate has died due to COVID-19.  We were saddened.  We were devastated.  Above all, we were scared.  It was like a direct hit.  A victim has been personified where before they were just a number and now has claimed the life of someone we knew.  No wake to attend to though.  No funeral.  He was cremated with. noone by his side.

For the next several months we will be in a state of quarantine and lockdown.  Perhaps the longest in the entire world.  The pandemic continued to ravage the world as the centre of the virus moved from its origin in Wuhan, China to the Lombardy region of Italy where we were supposed to travel in June in celebration of my husband’s 60th birthday.  From Italy, it spread quickly to the rest of Europe especially the UK, Spain and France.  And then, suddenly the epicenter becomes the United States which has been ranked no. 1 on the number of cases since then up to now.  And would perhaps stay in the no. 1 rank until this pandemic ends.

With so many deaths this year, not necessarily of COVID-19, 2020 has generally been a sad and difficult year.  Hospitals has been almost empty except for coronavirus and serious cases.  No one wants to go just for check up, scared to get the virus in the process.  Thus, diseases are very free to ravage the body without any intervention.   Ayee gave birth to her baby in St. Luke’s Quezon City on April 17 this year.  Before that, her dilemma was where to give birth, scared of contracting COVID-19 from the hospitals.  After some consultation with my cousin doctor and self-analyses, we decided to have it as scheduled in St. Luke’s as it looks safer in big hospitals because of protocols in place than go to small and obscure hospitals or clinics with less stricter protocols.

[geminitraveller]

This is perhaps my most played video clip of the year, in all the pandemic lockdown.  I have rediscovered this great band of my youth.  And this song is one of the greatest songs ever written and performed in al of the history of music.  This is a clip from Led Zeppelin’s 1976 movie The Song Remains the Same, the reason why this is in HD inspite of the year it was taken.  Robert Plant is simply an awesome vocalist.  The last phase off the song had Plant singing very high notes almost like a falsetto.  Jimmy Page’s guitar solo in this song is legendary and so is his use of his double neck guitar.  John Bonham’s drum performance is on fire as always.  And John Paul Jones’ underrated performance of any instrument he may be playing at the time has always been Led Zeppelin’s secret gem.  But his musicality genius shines bright always making poetry out of every note.

The buildup of the song from beginning to end is like an orgasmic buildup.  Nowhere have I seen anything performed like this.  Stairway to Heaven is the Bohemian Rhapsody of Queen, the Hotel California of the Eagles, the Smoke on the Water of Deep Purple and the Smells Like Teen Spirit of Nirvana.

Stairway to Heaven was released in 1971, almost fifty years ago, compose by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant for their fourth album.  It  is often regarded as the most popular rock song of all time.  From the heavenly music to its lyric’s deep meaning, the song was meant to be immortal from the start.  And every time I listen to it, I am being transported to another world.  A paradise where music is of sole importance.   I could live here til eternity.

[geminitraveller]

Of Golden Locks, Bowler Hats and Rock Gods

I have always been a fan of the legendary rock group Queen.  Nothing can contest that.  I have almost all their records, concerts and documentaries.  I love almost all their songs.  Freddie Mercury is my all-time favorite vocalist and performer.  His death in 1991 has devastated me then.  I had even gone to see his monument in Montreux to pay tribute to the great Mercury.

As a rock music aficionado, I have followed many bands in the course of time.  After Queen, I loved the songs of Bon Jovi and Guns N’ Roses.  I also followed the music of Eagles, Journey and Styx.  Before Queen, though I was too young then, I loved the Beatles and Santana and an iconic band by the name of Led Zeppelin.  This pandemic lockdown has led me to rediscover them and become a fan again.  This time, with more conviction.

Led Zeppelin is one of the forerunners of the heavy metal rock genre.  Since I only listen from the radio and from vinyl records in those times (it was the ‘60s), I never really got to know how these singers and bands perform then.  It was only lately through research that I found out how awesome these rock gods were and that I would have loved to take on a time machine to see them perform live albeit without the existence of drugs, alcohol and cigarettes of that time. 

Needless to say, Led Zeppelin is one of the most powerful rock groups in history.  It is beyond the realm of imagination though that a single band would have for its members musicians belonging to the all-time greatest in their fields.  

Robert Plant is the charismatic frontman of the band in the same level as Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones, Jim Morrison of the Doors and Freddie Mercury of Queen.  With his long golden locks and bare-chested appearance, Plant projects the quintessential rock god, the archetype of all other rock icons.  His good looks reminiscent of the vampire Lestat, seduces and mesmerizes bringing his audience to an orgasmic hysteria.  He sings, wails, moans and screams as he dances, jumps and throws back his headfull of long golden locks that will long be remembered by rock fans.  He was once voted as the greatest voice in rock, one of the 50 great voices in the world and  no. 3 on the list of the 50 greatest rock frontmen of all time.

John Paul Jones is the band’s bassist and is widely considered a highly influential one in the history of rock music.  He is ranked among the best rock bassists of all time and one of the best multi-instrumentalist in the music industry.  He is one of the most underrated musicians and was content to stay in the background.   But there is no stopping a talent like him and recognition has been given as befitting his contribution to music.

The untimely death of John Bonham, lovingly called Bonzo by his peers, has devastated the band and caused its ultimate breakup.  Bonham's reputation as a drummer has grown beyond hard rock following his death and is now considered the greatest drummer of all time.  I have never seen anyone play the drums like he did.  He was a man on fire each time he plays.  One has only to watch this solo drum performance of Moby Dick to understand how good he was.  He was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995 as a member of Led Zeppelin.

Together with Robert Plant, Jimmy Page is the face of Led Zeppelin.  Jimmy Page is the founder of Led Zeppelin and widely considered to be the greatest and most influential guitarist of all time second only to Jimi Hendrix.  He is a genius on the guitar and even popularized a double neck guitar in playing Stairway to Heaven live.   He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice: once as a member of the Yardbirds (1992) and once as a member of Led Zeppelin (1995).

Was it coincidence that these musicians who are best in their fields came together to be in a single band?  Maybe the universe, in one of its rare occurrence has aligned to bring them together for an act of rock and roll supremacy.

And then there’s Stairway to Heaven, composed by Page and Plant for their fourth album.  The song is often regarded as the most popular rock song of all time.  It was voted #3 in 2000 by VH1 on its list of the 100 Greatest Rock Songs, and was placed at #31 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

It has been 40 years ago when Led Zeppelin broke up, December 4, 1980 to be exact, a month after John Bonham’s death.  They felt that the band shouldn’t continue without Bonzo, the pounding heartbeat of Led Zeppelin.  to this day, the iconic band stands tall as one of the best rock bands in the history of music. 

“When all are one and one is all To be a rock and not to roll...”

[geminitraveller]

Rafa Nadal’s 13th Win at Roland Garros

It was 2005 when Rafael Nadal won his first French Open Grand Slam trophy against Mariano Puerta of Argentina.  I have been watching tennis for two years then rooting for the American Andy Roddick. I had been hearing about Rafa but had not really seen him play yet before now.  Who is this Rafa?  And why the buzz about how good he is?  In answer to that question, Rafa wins the French Open on his first attempt at the age of 19.  He beat Federer then ranked no. 1 at the semi finals of the said event on the way to the finals.

The first of many trophies at Roland Garros as displayed at the Rafa Nadal Museum in Manacor.

This year, amidst the pandemic turmoil, Rafa won his 13th French Open trophy, a record that may never be surpassed in the years to come.  That is one ridiculous record in all tennis events.  Winning 13 times in a single event simply  boggles the mind.  100 match wins against only 2 losses from 2005 to the present.  How can anybody beat that?  

I thought La Decima was the ultimate for a tennis player to win a single events.  In 2017, I was at Manacor in Mallorca, Nadal’s birthplace and residence to visit the newly opened Rafa Nadal Academy and  Museum.  I have seen all his past achievements.  Ten trophies in Barcelona, Monte Carlo and Roland Garros with a separate trophy of RG’s La Decima.  Truly a proud experience for any Rafa Nadal fan.

La Decima Trophy

Three years later, Rafa has added three more trophies from Roland Garros.  The King of Clay is more like a God of Clay, sitting on the highest level of clay tennis world.  Absolutely no one can ever question his achievements on clay.  Not now.  Not in the many years to come.

[geminitraveller]

Roland Garros Through the Years

There's a reason Paris is my most visited European city. During that time of year when tennis’ clay court season comes to its culmination, the French Open is held.  The French Open, the second Grand Slam of the year, is held at Stade Roland Garros during the last month of May and the first week of June.  This year however, because of the raging pandemic throughout the world, things are quite different.   The French Open is being held on the last week of September up to the first week of October, two weeks after the US Open has ended. 

All health protocols are in place to ensure the safety of all.  Audience is very limited (only 1,000 persons are allowed each day) that the matches look more like a practice than a tournament.  No cheering crowd as most audience are in their home watching on television instead.  

A big change indeed.  Except that Nadal is still the undisputed King of Clay and is still the favourite to win this year’s French Open.  And, of course, that’s the ultimate wish of every Nadal fan.  Especially me.

I have traveled to the City of Lights more often than any other European cities.  More than I love the French capital, the visits to Stade Roland Garros has always given me the incentive to be in Paris during the beginning of summer.

French Open 2011.  Watching the quarter final match of Rafael Nadal and Robin Soderling on Court Philippe Chartrier.

My first visit at Roland Garros was in May 2011.  I was in awe of the atmosphere.  Although I have watched several tournaments before, twice in Shanghai for Shanghai Masters 2007 and 2008, this was my first Grand Slam event.  The size of the Court Philippe Chartrier and the size of the crowd made a big difference from the Shanghai Masters.  And the festive mood throughout was contagious.  Another enjoyable experience is shopping for French Open souvenirs at the many booths and outlets around the area.

You see, I’m a very big Nadal fan.  And the year 2011 is one memorable year for me.  While walking around the open grounds after leaving Court Philippe Chartrier, I noticed a commotion and saw the King of Clay walking to a designated area for an interview with the press.  Suddenly a crowd gathered just downstairs from the said area.  Of course, I wouldn’t be left out of this.  I had to get close to him either to take a photo or get an autograph.  

When he was finished and walked down the stairs from the elevated area, pandemonium broke loose.  Still, I didn’t mind the excited crowd and headed straight to the chaotic sea of humanity.  I decided that to ask for an autograph was impossible in this crowd as I couldn’teven  take out a pen and paper from my bag because of the jostling crowd.  I got my camera on hand but still it’s nearly impossible to get a good shot with all the people pushing to get near the tennis superstar.  Still, I got to about a meter’s distance from him and was ready to take a shot or even just just touch him when security halted the crowd and put a themselves between the crowd and Nadal.  That was close.  I was almost within an arm length and could almost touch him if the security had not intervened.  Still, I was awestruck and starstruck.  I was euphoric and seemed like walking on clouds.  That was my closest encounter with the Man from Mallorca.  And it was unforgettable.

I visited Roland Garros several more times after that.  In 2012, I accompanied my cousins to the venue to have a look and buy some French Open souvenirs.  Only the souvenir shop was open then as the French Open was about to start in a few weeks and they are closed in preparation of the event.

Visiting Roland Garros in 2012

I was back again in 2014 with a group of tennis friends.  We were on tour and have just attended the Monte Carlo Open.  My husband and I have also just attended the Barcelona Open after that.  Our group wants to see and take a tour of Roland Garros and so we scheduled a guided tour of the venue and the museum.  

Inside the press room where players are interviewed after their match.

In the box area  of Court Philippe Chartrier

In 2019, I was back again to watch the opening rounds and the fourth round.  We never made it to the fourth round because of some ticket anomalies but we were able to attend the second and third day of the event,  We watched new players like Shapovalov, Struff, Khachanov, etc  and seasoned players like Feliciano Lopez, Ivo Karlovic and Gilles Simon.  

The grounds of Roland Garros is teeming with people.  It was hard to get in to any outside courts due to the crowd.  You need to get in line and wait for other to leave to get in at any court.  And sometime that take hours.  The dining outlets were also filled to capacity that frequently you end up with sold out food and had to contend yourself with the eternal hotdog bun.  Even getting a seat is while eating is nearly impossible.

Still, attending Grand Slam events is always a rewarding experience for any tennis fan.  Being in the company of fellow tennis fans and watching          Watching a match with fellow tennis aficionados is double the excitement amidst all the cheering.  And, of course, seeing your tennis idols in person is an experience you will always treasure.  An experience that makes you want to come back for more in the next tournament.  

My favorite Grand Slam of course is the French Open.  Not only because I am a fan of the living clay court legend but because I love being in Paris.  I love the weather during the late spring when it is held.  Not so hot unlike the other Grand Slam event.  I like being surrounded by French culture.  And most importantly, I love being in the French capital more than any other city,  Now on to to the finals.

[geminitraveller]

25 posts!

[geminitraveller]

The Joy of Cruising

I miss cruising.  Especially in this tumultuous times of the pandemic when travel is a no-no and staying in the house is the new order.  I love cruising.  The excitement of discovering the ship environment, your cabin, the available activities onboard and the anticipation of seeing many places without moving your luggages.  Oh, and the lovely places I’ve been!  Too many to name one by one.

I started cruising in 1999.  It was not really planned but part of an insight Vacations’ customized Greek Tour.  The now defunct Royal Olympics Cruise Lines and the now scrapped cruise ship we stayed in, the World Renaissnce, brings a lot of good memories to treasure.  It is not the mega ships we have been cruising these days but that relatively smaller ship has always had a place in my heart as it has been a precursor to many many cruises that came after. 

It has been said that, in cruising, the ship is the destination itself. True enough, a few days are not enough to fully explore the features and facilities of these mega ships.  I once cruised for five days and I finished the cruise wondering if a longer cruise would have been the better choice.  We were still enjoying the cruise far too much to have it ended abruptly.  That was my first taste of a mega ship cruising.

Mexican Riviera cruise on Royal Caribbean’s Radiance of the Seas in 2009

Embakation day is when excitement builds up.  The anticipation of how the ship will meet your expectation is something to really look forward to.  And how upon entering the ship for the first time, you will be greeted with the “wow factor” based on the grandiosity of your chosen ship.  First impressions last, so they say.

Being Filipino, it is not surprising that almost everywhere in the ship, you meet staff and crews coming from the homeland.  It may seem to other nationalities that we are some kind of celebrity or VIP when they see us being greeted and personally taken care of by many staff, not knowing that the only reason behind that that is we are coming from the same country as most of the staff.  That’s amusing.

Most of our cruises have been on Royal Caribbean Cruise Line.  I love their ships and staff, their facilities, their programs, their food and their itineraries.  Through time, I’ve been on small, medium and mega ships.  Each have their own pros and cons and I love them both.   Each of the cruise lines has their own identity and it is always good to try them and discover what their good points are.   Here’s a list of all my cruises

1999 - Royal Olympic Cruise Line / World Renaissance                                 2009 - Royal Caribbean Intl. / Radiance of the Seas                                      2010 - Star Cruises / Superstar Virgo                                                              2011 - Norwegian Cruise Line / Norwegian Sun                                             2012 - Royal Caribbean Intl. / Grandeur of the Seas                                        2013 - Royal Caribbean Intl. / Voyager of the Seas                                         2014 - Celebrity Cruises / Celebrity Solstice                                                   2015 - Norwegian Cruise Line / Norwegian Jewel                                           2016 - Hurtigruten / MS Nordlys                                                                      2017 - Royal Caribbean Intl. / Jewel of the Seas                                            2019 - Margaret Cruises 

The best part of cruising is of course the fact that you only unpack your luggage once until the end of the cruise.  No packing and unpacking every time you reach each destination.  That almost guarantees half the stress of land and air travels.  And you would never go hungry on a cruise.  You can eat as much as you want without worrying about your finances.  The only problem is watching your weight.  

I enjoy watching the shows on the big ships.  They’re big productions with excellent performers.  The theatre venues are equally grand.  And after watching the show, you don’t need to go far since your room is only an elevator ride away.  How convenient is that?

The parties on the ship is really one of the liveliest there is.    Everyone is in a party mood and dressed in their party best.   The band and other performers are a joy to watch even if you don’t join the dancing.  

Then there’s the shopping galore where a sales promo is on everyday.  You will find something different on sale each day and probably strike a good bargain along the way.  Bags, accessories, watches, souvenirs and even real jewelries at giveaway prices.  You just have to be on the lookout each time.

I love waking up to the sound of the sea.  And when I get up, the first thing I do is walk to the balcony and look at the sea and take some refreshing whiff of fresh air to fill the lungs.  If it’s a dock day, I always want to see if we have reached our destination or, if we are still approaching, I want to see the first view as we dock.

Much has been said about the food and cruise dining.  The abundance in the choices is legendary.  Nowhere have I seen so much food in my life than in cruise ships and I cannot help but wonder how much of it goes to waste each day.  The sight of the buffet excites you on the first and second day.  You get used to it from the third to the sixth day.  Then you get tired of it all on the remaining last days of your cruise.  I usually do the buffet early in the day and do fine dining at night.  In the formal dining room, there is a featured entree every night.  Plus, you get to sit down and wait to be served.

Two things are not exactly to my liking in a cruise - the tight rooms and the inadequate time in visiting each destination.  Well, you can just imagine you are  either in Japan or New York spending time in some expensive but tiny hotel room.  As for the short time visiting a destination, I have found some cruise lines doing a two-day stay in popular destinations.  I did a 2-day stay in St. Petersburg in 2011 on Norwegian Cruise Line’s Scandinavian cruise and another 2-day stay in Barcelona in 2017 on a Royal Caribbean Cruise of the Mediterranean.  So these are perhaps some good compromises.

Come disembarkation day and you are suddenly confronted by the saying that “all good things must come to an end.”  It’s time to pack and go about the daily routines of travel.  It’s time to thank the crew and give a little token for a superb service extended to you.  Time to say adieu and plan the next cruise.

[geminitraveller]

 A Preview of Things To Come

It was 2005 when I began watching tennis. My daughter is an ardent fan of Andy Roddick and she even made it a point to watch him at Roland Garros for the French Open at all cost. Andy Roddick won the US Open that year and he was later ranked the year end no. 1 tennis player in the world. That year marked the last year a Federer, Nadal or Djokovic was not the no. 1 tennis player in the world.

Fast forward to 2020. Exactly 15 years after. The tennis world and all of the sports world for that matter was rocked by the coronavirus pandemic.  For several months early this year sports was at a standstill.  The pandemic still hasn’t stopped its scourge on mankind, but life has to go on.  The sport world is slowly opening up.  The first tennis tournament started with the Cincinnati Open on the last week of August.  And now the US Open.  Federer is still recovering from his knee surgery.  Nadal is skeptical about traveling to the US, that being the coronavirus hotspot of the world and has thus decided to forego of the event.  Only Djokovic joint out of the Big 3 in tennis.  Yesterday, however, in a big twist of fate, Djokovic was defaulted when he accidentally hit a line judge in a pit of anger due to being broken be Carreño Busta.  Now, the US Open is left without any of the Big 3 and without any previous winner of the tournament.

This is the quarterfinals lineup for the US Open 2020.  This has never happened before in any major tournament in fifteen years.  The pandemic may have ushered in the beginning of the tennis era without the Federer, Nadal or Djokovic name in the lineup.  It’s not something tennis fans are used to seeing.  But Federer is now thirty-nine.  Old by tennis standards.  Nadal and Djokovic, aged thirty-four and thirty-three respectively, are basically in that retirable age in tennis.  The Big Three however has not shown any signs of slowing down.  They still compete in big tournaments and reach the quarterfinals, semifinals, finals and mostly come out the winner in any of the competitions.  They still dominate the rankings of the ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals)

Seeing the above men’s singles draw, I have come to realize that maybe, in a few years, this would be the standard entries of the draw.  The three names we were so used to seeing will not be there anymore and a new generation of players will have taken over the sports.  It starts today, no denying it anymore.  Sadly, our beloved Big Three will eventually hang up their rackets for good in this decade.  Tennis won’t be the same and we are lucky to have witnessed three of the greatest tennis players in history, maybe the three greatest in fact.

In the present US Open, we will be crowning a first-time Grand Slam champion.   First time a player born in the 1990s or 2000 will capture a Grand Slam title in a Grand Slam tournament quarterfinals where there won’t be a former major champion.  The weekend promises an interesting outcome.

Updates: Dominic Thiem defeats Alexander Zverev in a five-setter to be the first winner of a Grand Slam in his generation. In the women's singles, Naomi Osaka wins her third Grand Slam defeating Victoria Azarenka in a three-setter match.

[geminitraveller]

Remembering Jingle Magazine

RIP to Gilbert Guillermo the founder of Jingle Magazine, the coolest music magazine in the '70s and '80s.  It was our music bible in those days when there was no internet and YouTube.   It was where you read about your favorite bands (rock bands especially), recent news on music, films, even politics, jokes (Grin Page), and most of all, it is where you get song lyrics and chords to play music.  

During the '70s, before the advent of the karaoke, you're the coolest dude if you play a musical instrument and can accompany singers and choral groups.  And this magazine would have been your constant companion.  During the '70s, the annual songfest of our school is a big event.  All musically inclined students joined and practiced after school hours.  Those are bonding moments with friends.  And again, your best partner is the Jingle magazine.

My savings from school allowance either goes to records (vynils) and Jingle magazines.  I look forward to each and every issue.  I had a big collection which was lost in the course of time.  Sayang.  That would have been collector's items now.  Great memories of my youth and friends of that era.

https://lifestyle.inquirer.net/366768/jingle-magazine-founder-gilbert-guillermo-74/

[geminitraveller]

The Music of Ennio Morricone

Ennio Morricone passed away yesterday, July 6, 2020, at he age of 91 due to complications of a fall where he broke his leg.  A sad event even as the world suffers amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.  

First got to know his music through the theme song of the Clint Eastwood starrer, The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.  Of course, I didn’t know who Ennio Morricone was at the time.  I was only five when that movie came out.  Maybe I heard the music sometime later but still I am sure it was before my teens.  The tune is somewhat unforgettable.  To this day I haven’t watched the film but I have never forgotten the music. 

I saw Ennio Morricone at the Oscars in 2016 receiving his very first academy award for Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight.  It is unfathomable how this genius has never won an Oscar all these years through more than 400 films.  I was in awe of this man who has composed and produced some of the most heavenly music on earth.  I was also amused that through all his years in Hollywood, he has never learned to speak in English.  He thanked the Academy in full Italian with an interpreter by his side.

Through the years, I had the pleasure of hearing a string of Ennio Morricone hits.  The theme songs of Once Upon a Time in the West and Once Upon a Time in America, the very sad Ecstasy in Gold and, of course, the haunting theme from Malena.

Sometime in the last ten years, I bought a CD of Japanese cellist Yo-Yo Ma wherein he plays all Ennio Morricone music.  It’s entitled Yo-Yo Ma Plays Ennio Morricone.  I was blown away.  I loved all the selections in that CD.  The twins’ teacher and mentor Nonon Baang even borrowed it from me once.  He loved it too.  

We used Morricone’s music in my three daughter’s wedding as a precessional march.  The Cinema Paradiso Theme in Abby’s wedding and Gabriel’s Oboe in both Noee and Ayee’s wedding.  The song is so touching.  Nothing beats it in its sentimentality and drama that we had to use it twice.  It made JB shed uncontrollable tears as the music changed from a previous one to this as Ayee appeared by the church entrance and walked towards the altar.  He credited the music for bringing the tears.  He wasn’t expecting the music to change to this'd that’s when the tears fell.  

I hope the heavens will enjoy hearing the divine music of Ennio Morricone.  The earth will surely miss this angel.  But his music will live on long after he’s gone.  I am sure of that.  I am lucky to have lived in an era when this genius of a man also lived.  Grazie di tutto maestro.

[geminitraveller]

Art Encounter Through the Years:  The First Encounters

It was in France and Spain that I got the so-called baptism of fire in the appreciation of arts.  My first museum visit was in Paris at Musée d’Orsay, home of the largest collection of Impressionist paintings in the world.  It was by accident that we got to the Orsay as we would have preferred to visit the Louvre instead.  But the lines were long and we didn’t have time to wait that long.  I never regretted the visit to the Orsay.  It is a bit smaller and more manageable than the Louvre.  Smaller is a relative word because the Musée d’Orsay is actually not small.  You could easily spend the whole day exploring it.  It’s just that the Louvre is humongous and needs several days to explore.

Since it was my first museum visit, overwhelmed is an understatement to describe it.  I was mesmerized and dumbfounded to say the least.  Never in my life have I imagined these many great artists and their beautiful artworks exist and that you can spend a whole day exploring them ad still you didn’t finish looking at all of them.  And this was just a single museum.  How many museums like this are there in the world?

Bal du Moulin de la Galette (1876) Pierre-Auguste Renoir.  Musée d’Orsay, Paris, France

One of the few artworks that I remembered admiring then was Bal du Moulin de la Galette, one of Renoir’s most important works and one of Impressionism’s most highly revered masterpieces.  

The Moulin de la Galette was an open-air dance hall in Paris in the 1870s. Open-air dance halls were very popular in 19th-century France and were a great source of entertainment for the people. Most people went there not to dance, but just to watch the dancers and enjoy the relaxed atmosphere.

Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919) is a French painter from Limoges in the middle of France.  He is one of the founders of Impressionism, together with artists like Cézanne, Degas, Manet, and Monet. The Impressionists focused on the effects of light and often painted outside. Renoir’s opinion about art was that it should be pretty and he mostly painted very happy scenes.

The Burial of the Count of Orgaz (1586) El Greco. Iglesia de Santo Tomé, Toledo, Spain

On my visit to Toledo, an ancient city an hour away from Madrid, I became a fan of Mannerist painter El Greco who calls Toledo his home.  The above artwork was the first time an artwork was explained extensively by a local tour guide and so it was quite memorable.  I listened intently, amazed at how much details an artist can reveal in his work.

The Burial of the Count of Orgas is widely considered one of El Greco’s masterpieces. The painting depicts a popular legend, regarding the Count of Orgas, who was a pious man, and who upon his death left a large sum of money to the church. The legend tells that Saint Stephen and Saint Augustine descended from heaven at his funeral and buried them with their own hands. Andres Nunes, the parish priest of Sao Tome, was the commissioner of the work, who intended it for a project to refurbish the Count’s burial chapel. According to the commission, the observers of the burial were to be portraits of the notable men of Toledo at the time.  Included also are portraits of El Greco and his son, the only two people in the painting looking front at the viewer.  The artist signed his name in the handkerchief of his son.  All the small details pointed to us by the guide as we viewed this masterpiece.

Domenikos Theotokopoulos, other wise known as “El Greco” due to his Greek heritage, was a popular Greek painter, sculptor, and architect of the Spanish Renaissance. He was a master of post-Byzantine art by the age of 26, when he traveled to Venice, and later Rome, where he opened his first workshop. Unlike other artists, El Greco altered his style in order to distinguish himself from other artists of the time, inventing new and unusual interpretations of religious subject matter. He created agile, elongated figures, and included a vibrant atmospheric light. After the death of Raphael and Michelangelo, he was determined to leave his own artistic mark, and offered to paint over Michelangelo’s Last Supper to Pope Pius V. His unconventional artistic beliefs (his dislike of Michelangelo included), along with his strong personality, led to the development of many enemies in Rome, especially the hostilities of art critics. 

Las Meninas (1656) Diego Velázquez.  Baroque.  Museo Nacional Del Prado, Madrid, Spain

Back to Madrid, on our last day, I chose to visit Museo Nacional del Prado, the main Spanish national art museum.  This time I am prepared to face a multitude of artworks.  But based on what I saw in Musée d’Orsay, I was not prepared to see a different kind of art - Spanish art and the prevalence of the Baroque style.  From the many works of art at the Prado, Las Meninas has caught my eye.  I lingered longer in front of this art piece than at any other works.  Something in it is unique from my untrained but appreciative eye.  You must remember that internet was still in its infancy in 1999.  I was new in art and I didn’t know that this was one of the most important artworks in history.  Only when I researched back home did I understand the importance of this work in art. 

“One of the most famous and controversial artworks of all time, Las Meninas (The Maids of Honour) is regarded as a dialogue between artist and viewer, with its double mirror imagery and sketchy brushwork that brings every figure and object in the room to life" - from the book, 30,000 Years of Art. "Painters as diverse as Goya, Manet, Sargent and Picasso have been inspired to create copies and adaptations after Velázquez’s masterpiece.” 

Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez (1599-1660) was a Spanish painter, the leading artist in the court of King Philip IV, and one of the most important painters of the Spanish Golden Age. He was an individualistic artist of the contemporary Baroque period. In addition to numerous renditions of scenes of historical and cultural significance, he painted scores of portraits of the Spanish royal family, other notable European figures, and commoners, culminating in the production of his masterpiece Las Meninas.

The Garden of Earthly Delights (1503-1515) Hieronymus Bosch.  Northern Renaissance.  Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid, Spain

Another work of note which has impressed me at the Prado was The Garden of Earthly Delights by Hieronymus Bosch.  The intricacy of the work is amazing and a short glance was simply not enough.  There is a story you have to look for and many small details to examine which made me remember the work.

By far the best known and most ambitious work, The Garden of Earthly Delights illustrates Bosch’s individual artistic style, containing the most vivid imagery and complexity of symbolic meaning. The triptych is generally thought to be a warning of the dangers of giving in to temptation, but has been subject to vast amounts of conjecture and scrutiny, and critics and historians are split in two directions. Whereas some believe that the middle panel, which depicts a fantastical world of nudes in sexual engagement, large fruits, and other suggestive elements, is simply an illustration of paradise lost, others believe that it is a moral warning, which will lead you to hell, as it is depicted in the third panel of the series. Although there are many contradictory explanations, it is generally thought to be a warning against lust, one of the seven deadly sins.

Hieronymus Bosch born Jheronimus van Aken c. 1450 – 9 August 1516) was a Dutch/Netherlandish painter from Brabant. He is one of the most notable representatives of the Early Netherlandish painting school. His work contains fantastic illustrations of religious concepts and narratives. Within his lifetime his work was collected in the Netherlands, Austria, and Spain, and widely copied, especially his macabre and nightmarish depictions of hell.

Bartolomé Esteban Murillo.  Staue in bronze by Sabino de Medina . Plaza del Museo, Seville, Spain

During my first visit to the city of Seville, I chanced upon seeing this monument of Sevillian painter Murillo and the museum across it.  It was located about a minute or two from the small hotel we booked.  Since everyone was tired and wants to rest, I decided to pay a visit to this museum on my own.  I got the surprise of my life when I went to explore this seemingly small museum.  First, it was not small inside and the works on exhibit were by far the most extensive collection of Spanish works of art I’ve seen even to this day.  And the grandeur of the architecture and interior  of the sala was something I have never expected to find inside this local museum.  Even the beautiful gardens and several courtyards are a nice addition to explore. The main gallery dedicated to the works of Murillo, together with its grand cupola  is located in the former antigua iglesia and is one of the most magnificent exhibition halls I’ve been.

The Museo  (Museum of Fine Arts), Sevilla, was established as a "Museum to display paintings", by Royal Decree on 16 September 1835, with objects from convents and monasteries seized by the liberal government presided by Mendizábal. It is located in the Plaza del Museo, in the place of the former Convento de la Merced Calzada founded on lands transferred by Ferdinand III after conquering Sevilla.  

It has magnificent works of art by Murillo, Zurbarán, Valdés Leal and other representatives of the Seville school. True enough, due to the quality of the art, it is today considered as the second best gallery in Spain.

In 2017, I was back in Seville after 18 years and I didn’t pass on the chance to visit one of my favourite museums again.  After visiting many museums through the years, Museo de Bellas Artes in Seville still leaves me in awe of the beautiful works of art.  The fascination was still there.  Only this time, I am more knowledgeable about arts and museums and I can better appreciate everything in this museum.  Still, I loved this museum.  I still haven’t met anyone who’s visited this museum.  It’s somewhat off the beaten path where museums are concerned.  I’m glad to have been there not once but twice.  It’s my secret gem of a museum.  

Visiting the grand main gallery of Museo de Bellas Artes.  Paintings in the background are by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo including Inmaculada  Concepcion “La Colosal” in the center.

Cristo Crucificado, a series of paintings on Jesus on the cross by Francisco de Zurbarán, a Spanish painter known primarily for his religious paintings depicting monks, nuns, and martyrs, and for his still-lifes.  Zurbarán gained the nickname "Spanish Caravaggio," owing to the forceful use of chiaroscuro in which he excelled.