Around the World in 80 Days, Proverbially Speaking 3 (A Re-post)

a thug at the Jewish Memorial in Berlin, Germany

Around the World in 80 Days, Proverbially Speaking 2 (A Re-post)

Old Town in Brussels, Belgium

I just love romping through these parts of any city! We spent the whole morning exploring the nooks and crannies in the old town section in Brussels. I munched on authentic Belgian waffles (almost bready in taste and texture), and loaded up on Belgian chocolates for pasalubong. Bad decision. It took all my creativity to figure out how to store the chocolates in my luggage without them being squashed.

By the way, I couldn't help but look for Patrash! lolz

Around the World in 80 Days, Proverbially Speaking 1 (A Re-post)

The best part of what I used to do was that I got to travel around Asia, Europe, and North America singing my ass off. At that time, I'd take it for granted to pack my luggage for months at end. Sure, it was exhausting and grueling to be constantly on the road. But looking back, I was definitely lucky enough to have been be able to go around and see really, really cool stuff.

La Isla de las Marias Quatro Mahaderas viudas de las Mujeres Vaklitahs-Jones, o Paano Nagbakasyon ang Tropa ni Eternal Wanderer sa Island of Desire 1

Dahil kaladkarin nga ang tropa ni Eternal Wanderer, sila ay mahilig maglalagalag kung saan-saan. This time naman, e naiisipan nila mag-beach sa kalagitnaan ng bagyo season. Pero okay lang, wala namang bagyo nun naglakwatsa sila. On the other hand, sila nga ang nagkalat ng unos ng ka-vekhihan sa isla na ito:

Cagbalete Island!

Ang taray ng tempation island, ano?

May pagka-epic adventure yung pagpunta nila dito. At ito ay nag-umpisa sa usap nila ni Totoy Mola sa YM.

Totoy Mola: Hoy, vehki!
Eternal Wanderer: Bakit, tuod?
TM: Gumawa ka nga ng schedule at costing ng lakad natin. Gusto ko maayos ang pagkagawa mo sa Excel a.
EW: Opo, kamahalang Ma'am Tuod.

Nakakalurkey si Totoy Mola, ever! E ano ba namang malay ni Eternal Wanderer sa Excel na yan? Ang alam lang nyang gawin sa computer e manood sa Lifeout at X-Tube at mag-torrent ng Randy Blue at Sean Cody. Pero dahil masipag at maabilidad naman si Eternal Wanderer, matapos ang limang oras e nakagawa naman sya ng costing at scheduling sa Excel.

Ito ang kinalabasan:

click peekchure to enlarge

Bonggang-bongga di ba? May scheduling at costing pa para sa hadahan!

Island of Desire

Talaga namang lagalag si Eternal Wanderer at ang tropa nya. Mahilig sila magsususuot kung saan-saan. Kaya nung weekeend, sila ay napadpad sa isang isla sa may Pacific Ocean.

Bonnga ng rampahan, di ba?

Full post coming up soon!

Around the World in 80 Days, Proverbially Speaking 3

a thug at the Jewish Memorial in Berlin, Germany

Berliner Dom in Berlin, Germany

Germany is almost always our entry point in Europe. Apparently, the embassy gives out cultural visas for free. So if you, in anyway, can dance the singkil, declaim Adios, Patria adorada, or sing an Ilonggot lullaby, why not apply for a Schengen cultural visa at the German embassy? You get a free one, too hehe

Germany = sausage heaven. I'm a fan of sausages (the real ones, you naughty, naughty reader you!), so I got my chops licking whenever bratwurst, liverwurst, weißwurst, etc was served. But the most unusual kind of sausage I ate was currywurst. Basically it's chopped up bratwurst grilled and then powdered with curry. Partnered with real fries, I'll take it anytime over McDo and its ilk anytime.

I love Paris!

Of all the cities I've gone around to, Paris remains the one closest to my heart. It's where I met the man of my dreams, who swept me off my feet when I least expected it. We kissed tenderly in the softest night time drizzles, and we made sweet love until the rising sun made its presence known, peeping through the early morning clouds...

Gumising ka, Maruya.

Mwahahahahaha

The times I've been to Paris, I've always made sure to visit both the tourist traps and the local color of the city. Soaking up all the art and exhibits at the Louvre and Musée d'Orsay, marveling at the Nortre Dame and the Sacre Couer, ogling both at the Palais de Versailles and the Moulin Rouge - feast for the eyes and food for the soul. But it was also equally fascinating to discover neighborhood finds - the flakiest and most buttery croissants, the quaint corner bistros with their handwritten menus and café you can sip all-day long, the weekend market where you can buy the cheapest, freshest, and sweetest cherries and peaches. It's all of these things and much more that definitely makes Paris very memorable for me.

break from all the walking somewhere in Venice, Italy

Snowing it up in the Italian Alps

Audiences all over Europe are very appreciative whenever we do concerts. I found it weird that even if a particular performance sucked, they'd still clap their hounds out. But audiences in Italy are a different lot. Reserved is a word that's non-existent in their vocabulary. They'd shout or even roar in approval if they liked a particular song. In the more quiet passages, it wasn't unusual to see people sniffing and wiping their tears away. It makes me think that there's some truth to the saying that music is universal and transcends any language after all.

Italy is all about pasta, pizza, and gelati. There was a dinner I remember that we were fed platters of the thinnest and crunchiest pizzas I've ever tasted. The Italians would find it amusing that we would slather parmesan cheese all over non-tomato based pasta. Apparently, it's a big no-no. Oh, don't even get me started on gelati! Arrrrgh!!!

Almost 30 countires, and countless cities - yes, I've been around literally. But at the end of the day, I'd still hanker for my own bed in my own house in Manila. Give me adobo, sinigang na baboy, kare-kare, and rice anytime, please. I guess it's my own at person at work: a creature of comfort, where there's nothing sweeter than the thought of home sweet home.

Gary was right. Babalik at babalik ka rin!

Around the World in 80 Days, Proverbially Speaking 2

Old Town in Brussels, Belgium

I just love romping through these parts of any city! We spent the whole morning exploring the nooks and crannies in the old town section in Brussels. I munched on authentic Belgian waffles (almost bready in taste and texture), and loaded up on Belgian chocolates for pasalubong. Bad decision. It took all my creativity to figure out how to store the chocolates in my luggage without them being squashed.

By the way, I couldn't help but look for Patrash! lolz

At the side of the Swedish Royal Palace in Stckholm, Sweden

We arrived in Stockholm aboard a cruise ship. In one of the concerts, word got around that the Swedish choir we were competing against in a few months' time would be watching us. We gave them an eat-that-beeyatch singing that night! hahahaha Though the serious choral tradition has only been around for a generation or so, I'm proud to say that Filipino choirs are much feared and respected in competitions abroad :)

My dad and I shared hours of swapping stories about our Sweden He spent almost a year doing post-grad studies in his field. He told me student experiences. I told him about my midnight escapade with my friend. We snuck out at night, took ferry and train to Copenhagen, drank coffee there, and were back by 7 a.m. just in time for breakfast!

Partying in Torrevieja, Spain

This is the only place I experienced wherein it wasn't unusual for concerts to start at 10:00 p.m. It's a very laid back country, very casual and easy-going. It's prolly the cheapest place in Europe where I could by cigs. For € 2.50 a pack, it's practically a steal!

Callos, torta de patatas, and paella made me miss home very much. In Bilbao, I searched in vain for authentic chorizo de bilbao (no such thing), and in turn, I got by asked people on how much a mantel de manila in the Philipiines is (no such thing either). Pantomining ala charades with some sales ladies, I managed to buy some really kewl abanicos in El Corte Ingles (their SM) :D

Around the World in 80 Days, Proverbially Speaking 1

The best part of what I used to do was that I got to travel around Asia, Europe, and North America singing my ass off. At that time, I'd take it for granted to pack my luggage for months at end. Sure, it was exhausting and grueling to be constantly on the road. But looking back, I was definitely lucky enough to have been be able to go around and see really, really cool stuff.

Here are some of my pics:

freezing our butts off in Seoul, South Korea

For some weird reason, we'd always end up in South Korea during winter time. In the pic above, we just had lunch at a restaurant. Korean bbq stuffed with rice and wrapped in a lettuce leaf is love, but their noodles are way too spicy. Needless to say, I'm not a fan of spicy foods at all.

In one of the trips, we went around South Korea for about three weeks. One thing that consistently impressed me are their auditoriums. Even in the most far-flung towns we went to, there'd always be a fabulous theater with great acoustics. Yes folks, apparently cultural presentations are a big thing in South Korea.

doing the clothed Oblation in the Red Square in Moscow, Russia


the obligatory group shot in front of St. Basil's Cathedral.
Also in Moscow, Russia.

Ah, Russia. One of the dream countries I've always wanted to go to. It was end of spring when we went there, but the temperature was still almost freezing. I think 11 of us shared a sparse apartment with NO hot water running. Never, under any circumstance, take a shower in Russian springtime with hot water. I tried braving it for the first time like a man and ended up screaming like, ermmm, a faggot hahahahahaha

The subway stations in Moscow were replete with murals and chandeliers. It was like going to a museum every time we'd go down and ride a train. One pleasant surprise for me: Russian men are HOT! weeeeee

in the port terminal in Helsinki, Finland

We ended up taking the overnight train to Finland. I'm telling you, nothing more stressful than trying to load forty-plus huge luggages in a train in under a minute or so. I remember though sharing the cabin with my three other voice-section mates, where we did housecleaning among ourselves.

Helsinki was wet and dreary the whole time we were there. It wasn't much fun going around in the dripping rain, hence the lack of decent pics. Of all the oddest things I could've done, I caught the Da Vinci Code in a movie house to kill time. Yes, complete with Finnish subtitles hehehe