Free for All Fridays - K is for the Kiss

Gustav Klimt's - The Kiss

Then I think of these

When Toronto gets colder, I think of these. . .

sun and sea

torture at this hot and muggy dome at 100F!

And this was only 6 months ago!

Litratong Pinoy - Paskong Pinoy

Para feel namin ang Paskong Pinoy spirit dito sa Greater Toronto Area, nagkakaroon kami ng Christmas party. Walong taon na namin ginagawa ito. Dinadaluhan ng mahigit-kumulang sa 40 families who used to work together sa isang steel mill sa Mindanao, Philippines. We all look forward to this yearly event including our children. Hindi kami magka pamilya o magka mag-anak, ngunit dahil sa special bond namin para na ring pamilya ang turing.

Simple lang ang party namin, potluck at hindi kailangan ang magaganda o bagong damit. Basta may kainan, kuwentuhan, tawanan, sayawan at siempre "picture-ran" Paskong Pinoy na sa amin yun.

Tingnan mo baka may kilala ka?

The Lost Symbol

I managed to squeeze in reading/listening to Dan Brown’s latest novel The Lost Symbol in spite of my chaotic schedule last week.

Upon completion, I am still undecided if I like it or not.

If one is a true blue (no Masonic pun intended) Dan Brown fan – you will love it. It has all the ingredients of a Brown novel. Villain so predictable (clothed or unclothed); a shocking twist towards the end; female Langdon side kick/interest(?) and information overload (some fiction, some researched).

If you are not a Brown convert yet, you may find this boring at times, specially when Brown begins recalling past events; or bombard readers with “historical” information. It touched on Freemasonry all right – but not as controversially as the pro-Masons and the anti-Masons anticipated it to be.

The book reminds you of Indiana Jones – clues, chases, adventures, and sometimes even speaking lines. Add a little Star Wars, and sprinkle with "must-be-done" in 12 hours constraint and it becomes an entertaining read.

I felt as though Brown wrote the book as a movie, and as with most authors his writing has become formulaic. I wish his next book will be in a totally different style.

One good thing however – it made me want to visit Washington D.C. so much. Not the typical tourist type of visit. I want to savor Washington, experience and feel its beauty. Maybe uncover some of its secrets even.

As for the book - read it for yourself and decide.

The Hills Are Alive

Finally was able to watch The Sound of Music before it drops its curtains on January 2010.

It was deliberate on my part to delay this pursuit. First, how could I be excited with something I must have seen for over 50 times already? As a kid I have watched the movie too many times, then later as a TV special. When I thought I've had enough -- I entertained D with the betamax copy in his younger years.

But for a show that has set a record in Toronto - for longest running, I decided to take a shot and try the theatre version. Good decision.

Production design is one my main reason for watching a stage play. I am always interested in people's creativity and how they convert scenes to the stage. In this production of The Sound of Music, the hills were really alive - with almost real grass to boot. Also delightfully designed was the short wedding scene, with the lights adding beauty to the whole picture. Finally, the concert scene with Nazi banners and old fashioned cameras was mesmerizing.

Everyone in the cast were equally fascinating; Maria, Capt Von Trapp, the nuns, and most of all the Von Trapp children. The entire ensemble superbly delivered excellent singing and acting skills.

The songs we all grew up with like Do-Re-Mi, My Favorite Things and Goodbye, So Long, Farewell did not fail to make the audience smile and almost sing along. During its tender family moments, I even heard a sniffle or two.

The Sound of Music, I don't think we will ever get tired of this timeless story. Still worth watching this holiday season - be it on Broadway or in movie form.




photo from this site