Hair Experiment Day 19

  It works, it works!!! The tea tree oil works!!! Thank you so much Our Little Appartmet!!!

As soon as my hair dried after taking a shower, I was super thrilled! My head's not as itchy as the last two days and my hair has these twisty curls ^_^ 

My hair also feels softer.

<3

Found this great place for hair tutorials via Pinterest

The Beauty Department

Hair Experiment Day 18

Ashley and me at the Mind Museum, Taguig.

  Water.

  I now have to wash my hair with just water for a full month. Tuesday was the first day in this part of the 'no shampoo process'. It's kind of hard for those of us who don't have a shower in the bathroom because you really have to massage your scalp if you don't want the smell of sweat to stick. Especialy for us who take a bath after dance class... My scalp feels a little itchy but I read from Our Little Apartment that you can add tea tree oil. Experiment time!

  I'm really trying to live healthier. It's actually very fun and rewarding! It makes me happy to know that I am healthy and well because of my choices and discipline. It's very empowering. Kind of cheesy maybe, but it's really how I feel. And it feels great!

The Mind Museum. One of my fave parts of our trip.

  I get most of my organic fru-fru, like bodywash, from Human Nature. So glad that the Abreeza branch of Healthy Options has finally opened, Yogi tea is now more accessible, LoL ^_^ Puentespina Orchids in Agdao is also a great place to buy organic eggs, cheese, and the likes. They'r products are locally grown/made so that's plus points for me <3

  Contrary to her comment on my first post of this experiment, my mom did not join me in my adventure. I think she's satisfied with the not-so-chemically-infused shampoo in Human Nature.

With Lil' Bro <3
About one week after quitting shampoo.
No difference, if you ask me.

  Ta-ta for now, as Tigger would say, I'm excited to try out the tea tree oil! DO NOT hesitate to leave me a message on Facebook, send me a tweet, ask me on Tumblr, or leave a comment here :D

' Phantom' in Manila

Instagram

  The Cultural Center of the Philippines was a full house on the second day of 'The Phantom of the Opera'. Many members of the audience seemed to have taken great care in dressing their best. The booth that sold 'Phantom' souvenirs was so busy and crowded, it was a wonder how the sales people were able to attend to everyone.

Just look at that crowd!

  We were seated at the {very scary} edge of the highest balcony. I had to grab on to the chairs on the sides because I was shaking for fear of falling... Our position in the theater made the performers look short though. Good thing CCP still sells cardboard binoculars :))

Insatgram

  Personally, I liked the movie more than the stage production. I think it was better at capturing the serious-ness of the story. I found I better understood the meaning of the lyrics watching it live. Though the tempo of the music was a small bit faster than in the movie that some sung lines kind of looked funny. The ballet dancing was Ok. Still, do watch 'Phantom' on stage if you have the chance! The sets are super and it's something else entirely to listen to a soprano live. For me, it changed the way I see the movie.

  Unlike when I watched 'Wicked' I didn't shed tears of hapines while watching 'Phantom'. And {I think due to fear of heights} I did not stand up to clap :( Come curtain call, the loudest applause was for the Phantom himself. Another favorite was the Prima Dona, Carlotta.

Mom, Eg, and Ash buying souvenirs ^_^

Outside CCP.

  Next on my reading list, which is piling up big time, is Gaston Leroux's novel :)

I downloaded it right after the show ^_^

Visit:

Phantom of the Opera Website

My mom in pictures...

Instagram

  Ok, so time, and time again, I have mocked, preached to, condemned and ultimately given up on my mother's skills in taking pictures. The one I have posted today, though is one of the few artistic, clear, upload-able photos she has taken. I uploaded it to Instagram where I feel photos just get more beautiful .

  Before this pic softened me, though, I was just   s o   m a d   at her because of the quality of most of the photo's she took...

  Most.

  I gave her a look...

 O_o

  So today, hopefully to avoid my giving her looks, and to develop a better relationship with her, here's some basic things I like to remember before taking pictures. I'm no pro photographer myself, and it's not like we own a high-quality mega pixel camera, but I just want to share this... with Mom specifically:

  1. The closer, the better.
  Get as close to your subject as possible. It's not thrilling to see a grainy photo, so for those of us who have to make do with what we have, I strongly advise you to come as close as possible to the next pretty flower, friend with a statue, or dancer onstage you want to capture and share :)

2. Flash and Backlight.

  I'm not a fan of flashing camera lights. Although they do put light on the subject, it is not always necessary or flattering. Flash often makes skin look oily, people pale, mirrors distracting, and is most often banned in theaters :(

  Ever since I read about it, I've always been conscious about backlight. Backlight is what causes your subjects to get dark when there appears to be enough light in your surroundings. This is because of the position of your subject and/or your light-source. Unless you are attempting a silhouette effect, make sure the light of the subject you are photographing isn't coming from behind it. 

3. Blurry Images.

  My hands shake a lot. I read somewhere, that if you have a problem taking clear pics, you should either try putting your elbows on a table while taking photos, or standing with your feet slightly apart for better balance. Also, some cameras take time to focus on a subject. Know your camera and don't click the shutter until the images on screen [for digicams and phones] are clear. Wait for the camera to process whats in front of it before telling it to remember a scene...

  So these are probably the most basic tips for taking basic pics I hope, Mom, that it will help...

  Sorry for being so impatient with this photography thing... and thanks for trying :)

Mom's blog:

http://betweennowandlater.blogspot.com/

Quote #10

More Livia Gil :))

http://liviagil.com/

I got this quote from an interview of her with the Ballet Bag

http://www.theballetbag.com/2012/02/04/the-faces-of-prix-de-lausanne/

Livia Gil and The Ballerina Collection

  If you watched the Prix de Lausanne last year, you would probably recognize Livia Gil as one of the winners. She won a scholarship to the English National Ballet and will be moving to London soon. I'm so happy for her; she's living a dream.

  Sonia Gil, a visual artist, launched a fundraiser to support her daughter in her scholarship. Together, they created The Ballerina Collection; greeting cards, post cards, and prints. Their graffiti-ballerina combination seem perfect for all occasions.

  I found out about their project when Sonia sent a message to The Balletomane and from Pointe to Pointe on Facebook [The Ballerina Collection has FB too!]. I must say, when I watched Livia's video [posted above], that I admire her style; she is not one of those stick thin, too flexible girls, but she is the healthy-looking, strong and fiery dancer :)

One of my favorites :)

  I wish Livia all the luck with her scholarship! Congratulations, too! Great dancers come from the PDL <3

You can buy prints, cards, and more from The Ballet Collection here.

Dancing for DSOG

Instagram

  First solo performance... EVER! Another milestone in my life. How the days go by...

Instagram

  Dr. Lady Vidal called Mom a few weeks ago asking if I could perform for the Davao Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology's fellowship night program. It's when all the OB-GYNs and Mid-wives of Davao get together, listen to lectures, have dinner, contests, and raffles... It's an annual activity. One of the doctors, Dr. Gina, wanted a dancer to accompany her, while she and Mr. Noel Guerra sang a duet; "In Your Eyes" by Dan Hill. Dr. Lady told them that I danced...

  Making a dance for the song was challenging. Choreographing does not really come too naturally for me, but it was easier this time, compared to dance club, because I was the only one performing... I wanted to keep it as simple as possible so that I could perform it cleanly. I learned that you really need to practice a routine full out, no matter how simple. I made the whole thing in my room so I did not have much space to do so :( This morning I had to make some changes. I was able to practice on the bigger space of our living room and found that I could not do chanee turns and pirouettes in a circular motion path, as was the original plan...

  I havn't felt as nervous as I did earlier for a looooong time... There were some speeches and opening words before our turn so by the time we started, my legs were icicles...

  I kept stumbling while dancing but hopefully no one noticed... Still not perfect though :(

  I'm inspired, inspired to perfect it and make a video... LoL. Will try to find time for that. Maybe if Mom has time to lend me The POD... Speaking of mom, she took all the pics here :D Credits to her!!!! Check her bog, k? http://betweennowandlater.blogspot.com/

With Dr. Baby and Dr. Gina

  They gave me a basket of fruits and Durian candy afterwards <3 Brought Kadayawan spirit home...

Hair Experiment Day 3

I so dig Adele's hairstyles... IDK why :P

  Switching from shampoo to baking soda. I tried this a long time ago but was not successful, probably because of lack of research... It sounds hippie, but people have a lot of good things to say about it on the web.
 
  Mom got the idea from people she met in a pre-natal yoga workshop in Singapore about two years ago. They were not only yogis, but environmentalists too! They were saying that the chemicals and packaging of comercial shampoo is so not earth-friendly. When we got home from the trip, I think Mom was inspired to live like a true yoga practitioner and started putting baking soda in the shower.

  The result? Dry scalp and dandruff... :( So we went back to being average 'poo consuming folk. Until now...

  I spotted Adele's biography in Fully Booked last week and I learned that she is one of those no-shampoo people! ADELE? With the shinny, silky, wavvy, brown locks?! WOW! I automatically flipped to the cover to see how her hair looked...

  I was intrigued.

  I started my research some days later and found this article: How To Quit Shampoo Without Becoming Disgusting. It sounds trustworthy and really helpful. I guess our first no-shampoo experience failed because we didn't know about the apple cider :|

  What a hopeful experiment! I'm alone in it this time, though, without Mom, and am really curious about the results! My, oh my! It's going great so far and, no my hair doesn't smell like vinegar :) It's actually sort of relaxing because you really have to massage your scalp. The baking soda and water combo don't build up a lather, though so it takes some people a while to get used to the soapy-lessness...

  If your, by any chance, interested in joining me in this all-natural-life project thing, do leave a comment, tweet me or send a message to my Facebook page :D

Encantada Up Close

 
  BP performed Encantada one last time in Davao yesterday. I was able to catch them in rehearsal before the show started and made my first GIF out of the three lucky pics I took {you can see the GIF here}. I sat so near the stage but I did not take any photos during the performance because my phone's battery died... :( Also a bit discouraged by the quality of my last shots.

  The show started with an excerpt of a work which I was not able to catch the title of, sadly. I liked the music to this piece especially the pas de deux of Richardson Yadao and Carissa Adea. I was glad to see that people were watching from the second floor of the building, tells us that there is an audience for ballet here.
  
  Encantada was the final act. They danced the two numbers that I particularly enjoyed from Thursday's gala; the scene where they heal the Estranjero's wounds and the final hair flipping/shouting act ^_^ I can't stop singing/humming the songs! Is there an Encantada soundtrack???!!!

  I was kind of hoping that the company would still be here and that I'd see them in Locsin's this morning ^_^ But I think they left last night. I'm inspired ♡

Encantada in Davao 2012

 

Encantada was just- Wow.

  Davao streets are pretty heavy with traffic nowadays. This is all because of the preparations and vacations for the Kadayawan festival. This season is unique to our city, and Davao alone. It's just fitting that Teacher Agnes brings Encantada here and now.

  I thought I was going to be late for this much awaited event, that I would  have to quietly creep in the theater while the show began, missing most of the exciting beginning. I went down ahead of the family and found my seat in the VIP 2 row {what a blessing!}. We were not late, yes... I learned something from the person sitting behind me; politicians get offended when you start without them. Well, I'd have to thank that politician for saving my nerves. The show started 15 minutes after I arrived...

Taken with Instagram

The simple stage and props.

An opening speech was delivered by Margie Moran, President of Ballet Philippines. 

  To have a band play Joey Ayala's music live was thrilling! Such interesting sounds combined with songstress Bayang Barrios' skilled vocals. Those bamboo instruments that seem to have been taken for granted as home decorations, they used them. The composer joked later on [after Mom told him he was a rock star] that he was a "wood-star". Al Santos composed the libereto which is in tagalog. People ought to propagate this kind of music more! Beautiful, beautiful...

With singer Bayang Barios and  Gian
Taken with Instagram

  Encantada is a work of emotions. It is the message of one who is inspired by her own message. Of  Teacher Agnes' works that I have seen, I don't think it is her best work choreographically {Even my non-dancer parents noticed the non-dance of the work}. But I think it is her most moving in terms of conveying her message.Encantada told a story.

  Set in the Spanish Colonial Era of the Philippines, it shows how the colonizers maltreated the locals and nature in turn. Act I starts with the Encantada, played by Carissa Adea, with the kababaihan [her female followers] in a sort of ritual or trance. I like how the dancers contributed to the music with clapping and shouting in dances of celebration.. I also liked the hair flipping.

'Hairflip Moment' in the last act
Taken with Instagram

  The Fraile and Guardia Civil, our story's villain and minions, were a memorable part of the performance. Their scary, mask-like makeup and head movements reminded me of 'Small House of Uncle Thomas' from Roger and Hammerstein's 'The King and I'. One of the Guardia Civil descended the stage and climbed onto empty seats. He got close enough to where I was but I wasn't able to take a photo. One kid screamed when he went up on the chair beside her ^_^

The Fraile and Guardia CivilTaken with Instagram

 At the end of the performance a standing ovation, curtain calls, and bouquets of flowers were offered to the Encantada, Estranjhero: danced by Jean Marc Cordero, the Babaylan: Katherine Trofeo, and of course to the chorégraphe extraordinaire, Agnes Locsin. The audience went wild for the Frile played by Richardson Yadao.

  For those who apreciated and understood last night's performance it either brought tears to their eyes, or banana side-ways smiles on their lips. I myself could not help shouting "Teacher Agnes!!!!" when she joined the cast on-stage for the final bow.

  After the show was the usual fan-girling. Friends from RAD were there and we took photos on stage, with the cast and with the musicians.

the fan-girls with Joey Ayala

little sis and Joey Ayala

Saw a lot of friends and wonderful people last night.

EPIC fan-girl moment with Jean Marc Cordero.
Taken with Instagram
 
 Taken with Instagram

 Teacher Ces!!!! One of my first ballet teachers. I was so glad to see her. 

My favorite pic of my two teachers...

Taken with Instagram

When your 15...

{Best birthday party of current memory}

{Celebrated at Northcrest...}

4 princesses ♡

I'm now using my Instagram more often :)

L - R: Thea, Meg, Me, and Alex

{What a surprise! I did not expect them to come...}

So happy ^_^