Author: Em Alcantara

Tips for grocering with a toddler

I’ve seen parents do this with their child, or two, or even three–grocering alone with their kids. But personally, I would advise you not to do it, given the unsafeness of public places like the mall, not to mention having a rambunctious kid in tow.

But do not despair. Here are some random tips I have gathered from personal experience and from observing how other families do it. When you are left with no yaya and no choice, you just got to bring your toddler to that grocery trip.

1. Make sure your kid just had her nap. You don’t want to bring a cranky baby, do you?

2. Make sure also that she just had her meal. Or her milk. So that you won’t end up opening unpaid items at the store, feed your kid first.

3. Or instead, bring your own baon. Quick snack packs like crackers, raisins, milk, and water will save the day.

4. List down what you only NEED to buy. You wany to make that trip as quick as possible, right? So either list it down, or make a mental note. If anything else fails, just buy the essentials, and do the rest when you have a companion with you who can look after the baby, or better yet, when you can leave the baby at home.

5. Make the grocery trip an educational one. Let your kid put the stuff in the cart. Allow her to choose between brands, even if she cannot really tell the difference. Teach her colors and numbers. It can be so much fun amidst chaos!

6. Ring sling saves the day! For others, it might be other carriers, but for me and my long and lean and heavy toddler, a ring sling does the trick. If in case she would feel sleepy or wanting to breastfeed, it’s easy peasy! And hands-free!

7. Bring a small toy which she can hold from home to the grocery. It gives her something to be busy with for a good few minutes before she starts roaming around again.

8. Keep the trip for no more than one hour. So make sure you are ready with your list, a small bag with your stuff and baby’s, and some change for tips, etc.

9. Reroute if needed. Skip the toy section. You want to finish soon for sure.

Any tips you can add here?
Would love to read those in the Comments section!

~ Touringkitty

What it’s like to be called Mommy

Who would have thought I would become a mom?

I remember the ‘horror’ stories my own mother told me when I was younger. That married life is hard, becoming a parent even harder. All the what ifs, how abouts, if onlys, I have heard from her. Yes, she is the most overprotective mother I have met. And I absolutely admire her.

As fate would have it, I became a mother, too. I felt so accomplished, having followed my plan–an epidural-free normal delivery, full breastfeeding for the first six months, extended breastfeeding beyond two years (we still do!), being on top of child care and not a yaya. But it was tough. I cried buckets. I got stuck at home with the baby on my boob (almost all the frikkin time!), I forgot the person that I was, and I have become someone else for this little stranger–my own daughter. I was Mommy. And I knew it was only the beginning.

It still is surreal that we are already three living in this small condo. It has been almost three years anyway. But I have loved every single minute of it. I took gazillions of photos and videos, all scattered in my gadgets–cellphone, laptop, iPad, camera, you name it. My daughter is in it. That is the only ‘treasure’ I get to keep when she grows up. Plus all the wonderful memories of her childhood imprinted in my mind and heart.

I have asked myself repeatedly, What have I done to deserve this happiness? Since it is Mothers’ Day and I feel so blessed being a mother to my child, I would like to share with the world my happiness through this letter I am writing for my daughter, Ariadne, as I look back at the past three wonderful years of her life.

Dearest Ariadne,

You know that Mommy and Daddy love you very much. We are really blessed to have you in our lives. You made this home shine even more with your laughter and good cheer.

I will always remember the first time I found out I was pregnant. We immediately called your Nonna Luz. She was very happy and she told me to take care of myself because you are growing inside Mommy’s body. Daddy and I also shared the news to all our relatives and friends, and they were also happy to know you are coming out.

Daddy took very good care of us. He fed us well, accompanied us to hospital visits and ultrasounds, gave in to Mommy’s requests for foot massages (as you became quite heavier inside me), read you books, sang to you even when you were still inside Mommy.

I know you had a great nine months in my womb. You were so excited to come out that you did not wait for September and came out the last day of August. At least you waited to be on full term. You did not give Mommy a hard time during delivery. I just waited for nine hours but it’s okay. Daddy gave us company during the wait.

You learned breastfeeding quite fast. You seem to like the taste of Mommy’s milk. It’s also good that we got to share some breast milk to those who needed it. I wish I could have expressed more milk though, but it’s fine. A little is better than none.

You were a kulit and likot baby from the start. We tried our best to embrace it, but some days Mommy gets tired and I cry because I see other babies not as likot and kulit as you were (and still are!). People are amazed by your brightness, though. You are talkative but very expressive and cheerful. You are very bright, too! Not all kids can sing as many songs and say as many words like you. You enjoy learning, but at your own pace.

I get kilig when you call me Mommy. In different pitches and increasing volumes at that. Sometimes though I feel you are clingy. But it’s okay, you will not be like that forever, so I will enjoy it while it lasts.

Anak, you have taught me how to be patient with you, how to communicate with you. You still enjoy breastfeeding and even if people tell me to stop, the more I don’t because it is our unique conversation. The more now that I want to promote breastfeeding and make us testimonies to the many wonderful benefits of breastfeeding.

You may not converse as well as other kids your age yet but I get you. And when no one else will, I will be the only one to support, understand, appreciate, embrace, and love you.

I will be your human shield against every bump and bruise, both physically and emotionally. I will be your best friend, playmate, classmate, eating and sleeping buddy. I will always pray for you and for myself that God may use me to make your life better and happier than mine. I will also pray for other mothers and would-be mothers, that God will bless them with a loving heart to take care of their husbands and children.

I will never get tired hearing you call out loud, “Mommy!” That, for me, is the best title I have ever gotten in life.

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Select, select, then ELECT

Three years ago, I was a beautiful pregnant mommy lining up the poll precinct to exercise my right to vote. Since it was National Elections, my husband and I made sure we voted for someone who could make a significant contribution to our society in the first six years of our daughter’s life.

Unfortunately, our presidential bet didn’t win. Nor did our vice presidential bet. A few senators got the yes of the entire nation. We didn’t mind that much the local officials, though, as we do not know them quite well.

That is why for the upcoming elections on May 13th, I have first researched on the profiles of the candidates especially on the local posts so we could choose who would best do the job.

We also relied on surveys, comments from other people, including taxi drivers, very opinionated TV personalities, commercials (yes so if you got a baduy jingle, we will not vote for you, haha, just kidding!), and most especially their stand on important issues. the last item though can make or break them, so we’d have to be very careful. We come at the time where one can be either lying or avoiding issues.

So just a reminder: select, select, the ELECT. Do not waste a vote that could change. Such powerful vote we could have.

And as close to this post, here is a throwback photo of preggy me, three years ago.

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Yes, dear readers. I used to be THIS beautiful! Told you, I miss being pregnant! *wink*

~ Touringkitty

Labor Day

Now that I’ve given birth, there are always two things that remind me of Labor Day: Holiday of workers (yay!) and childbirth.

Labor Day celebrations in our country traces back to 1903, where a rally was staged to fight economic rights. To this day, labor groups batlle the same battle–higher wages, lower prices, more jobs, less taxes. Year in, year out, nothing has changed. So today, everyone gets this day off to celebrate the success of each labourer and thank the Lord they have work no matter how difficult, risky, whatever it may be.

Now my own labor. I can clearly remember those nine grueling and life-threatening hours of labor. I was wide awake the whole time, even a couple of hours after, before I finally dozed off. If I can remember right, the midwife told me if I wasn’t feeling sleepy at all, since they injected something that was supposed to make me sleep. Nope, it was not epidural (read: normal, no drug birth, yeah, beat that!). My husband was with me during labor, except for the delivery where it wasn not allowed by the hospital. I find it crazy, but probably it had something to do with the hospital’s religion. And because of that unwritten rule that men weren’t allowed, I spent day one with a stranger aka my daughter alone with her, breastfed her, calling the nurses via intercom to assist in changing diapers.

That was my Labor Day almost three years ago. And well, okay, I shall celebrate it today, along with workers who celebrate the labor they do in their own jobs.

Happy Labor Day!

My One Breastfeeding Regret

Oh yes. I thought I would not have any regrets about breastfeeding. But this Holy Week (and being Aria’s slave literally this week), I thought of this one regret: I did not plan to wean her off the breast!

At 31 months she still nurses as often as she can. Sure I don’t deny her of nursing, but then there are times that I wished she will learn not to nurse all the time when I am with her.

Let’s count the countless reasons of her nursing:

She might be thirsty. What’s water and milk and juice for, then? She’d rather nurse to quench her thirst after a yummy meal.

She might be hungry. But she has just eaten a full meal!!! Still, when she sees me, she’d nurse. Then give a very loud burp!

She might be sleepy. Which is always the case. But if I am not around, she doesn’t have a choice, that’s why naptime with my mom is a tedious task. That alone takes up hours of their day. In the evening, I try to train her not to nurse to sleep. It will be a 10% chance that she can do it, but most often she nurses. Lately the trick is she wants her feet under a pillow. As I have mentioned before, we don’t believe in sleep training. But I trust that when she turns three she can sleep alone without the aid of the boob.

She might be upset. Aria is quite insistent nowadays. She would repeatedly say what she wants until you give it to her. When you don’t give it to her, or take aways something from her, she cries, no, bawls. Really noisy girl.

She learned something new. As if a dog getting a reward, Aria rewards herself with nursing if she learned a new word, phrase, trick, or wanting to learn some more. Breastmilk might be her brain food as well, no wonder she can count up to 30 and count backwards from 10 to one, say the alphabet clearly, spell out words, read words and phrases, sing lots of songs,
memorize things easily. She also has good motor skills (like opening boxes, zippers, pulling and pushing, climbing cabinets, monkey bars. Yeah she is a boy! Kidding!).

Nothing. She just wants to. This is what I am still puzzled about. She would just sit on my lap, pull dwn or up my shirt, and nurse. She’d do it anywhere, anytime of the day. I would rather she nurse than roam around and shout and be noisy. She often smiles at me while nursing. How can I be angry, then? Big reward indeed.

Big question is, until when? I choose not to answer, because it breaks my heart everytime I pull her off my breasts. I feel the first part of the mission is done, that I will face so much more when she weans. I am scared to get to that stage.

~ Touringkitty

Madz @ 50: Winning Streak

The race to win. It was a competition among the most beautiful sounds on earth, in which the Madz emerged victorious.

Watch this video to find out what the University of the Philippines Madrigal Singers have worked for the past 50 years.

The Madz set milestones in joining festivals and competitions and winning top prizes, being invited in prestigious choral, diplomatic, and institutional events, and reaching farflung communities and venues to share their music to as many audiences as they can reach. Indeed, the Madz are triumphant in all aspects.

My entry to the Madz was perfect timing, and I feel blessed. Sir Mark was already the choirmaster at that time, and three years into his stewardship, he decided on going back to the international competition arena. He was ready to take the challenge with a new set of singers.

I was part of the three competitions! 2004 in Torrevieja, Spain, 2006 in Tours, France, and 2007 in Arezzo, Italy.

!Hola, España!

The year: 2004
The competition: 50th Certamen Coral de Habaneras y Polifonia
The location: Sunny Torrevieja, Spain
The awards: First Prize Habanera Category, First Prize Polyphony Category

Waking up to a beautiful view of the beach every morning for one whole week sure is a treat, but this competition was, for me, the most nerve-wracking. First time jitters, so they say. But this was quite an adventure for everyone.

Since we would only sing for one night, we pretty much got to enjoy the town, hopping on a bus to Alicante during the day for some sight seeing (and window shopping!), and returning in the afternoon, waiting for the evening to watch other competitors, or locking ourselves in one room for sectional rehearsals or the nightly Rosary and prayer brigade. Some took a dip on the nearby beach, ending up with skins one or two shades darker in photos! On that Sunday I went to church, heard Mass in Spanish, and prayed for the wonderful experience we have had during the tour.

Competitions start late in the evening, as Spanish people are known to have long afternoon siestas. Depending on the number of choirs for the evening, competitions would end past 12 midnight.

And with a set of five songs in our repertoire (three were for the Habanera Category and two for the Polyphony Category), we bagged both First Prizes! And Ma’am OA, founder of the Madz, along with some of her family members, was there to witness it. Sweet triumph for Sir Mark and his singers.

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Victoire au noble roi François!

The year: 2006
The competition: Florilege Vocal de Tours, France
The location: Cute town of Tours, France
The awards: First prizes in the Vocal Ensemble and Free Program categories, Renaissance program Winner, Grand Prix de la Ville de Tours (which qualified us for the European Grand Prix for Choral Singing the following year)

Nope, we did not sing La Guerre by Clement Janequin, but we sure were on our battle form as we entered the competition.

In 2006, we competed for the Florilege for the Mixed Vocal Ensemble, Free Programming, and Renaissance. Winning top prizes in those three eventually won us the Grand Prix de la Ville de Tours, thus gave us a slot for the following year’s European Grand Prix for Choral Singing in Arezzo, Italy.

Before the tour, we all stayed for a week at the Executive House of the National Arts Center in Mt. Makiling, Laguna. It was a refreshing (literally, as we woke up in fresh air and a swimming pool!) retreat for all of us, but hard work of course as we had rehearsal sessions and quartet exams, from sunup to sundown.

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Bravissimo!

The competition: European Grand Prix for Choral Singing
The location: Arezzo, Italy
The award: The pinnacle of it all, the 2007 European Grand Prix for Choral Singing!

Five songs. Those were our tickets to winning the EGP. We used to rehearse the competition set during the concerts before the competition, so we pretty much had mastered the repertoire by heart already.

This blogpost I wrote told our EGP story. It was overwhelming, surprising, and humbling, that after a long concert tour that year in Europe, we will get the Grand Prix. That very next day, we traveled home and was welcomed by our families and friends at the Cultural Center of the Philippines, our artistic residence. We stayed for a week in the Philippines before we traveled to the US for another six-week long concert tour.

I was just so lucky to be able to take part in the three competitions under Sir Mark’s wings. After these, the Madz have not yet participated in any competitions, but were awarded the UNESCO Artists for Peace in 2009, Guidoneum Award from Arezzo, Italy in 2010, and the Brand Laureate Award in 2012. Winners, still, and forever will be. Such a great blessing from the Lord.

Madz @ 50: How my Madz journey started

Madz Trainee. That’s how we call aspiring Madz singers who are seated behind the magic semi-circle during rehearsals. That is how you get to really know if the Madz is really your calling or not.

Exactly ten years ago around this month, I auditioned for the Madz. I knew right there that this is what I want to do for the next few precious years of my life!

As trainees, we had to attend all rehearsals at UP. We had to be ready to sing for engagements if we are called to. My first engagement was the conducting recital of the choirmaster himself, who, at that time, was enrolled at the university taking a masters degree. That was also the time I started to bring home tons and tons of music sheets, choral music sheets that is.

As trainees, members will challenge your knowledge of the repertoire, especially the standard Madz repertoire for masses and concerts. We welcomed the challenge and learned our music before rehearsal starts. We studied our pieces together. Eventually, members bid farewell to their seats, so trainees prepare themselves to get a spot inside the semicircle.

After a few months I was rehearsing inside the semicircle. But not too quick, I am still considered a trainee. In Madz standards, you are called officially a member when you return to the country from an international tour. The operative word is return, meaning you completed the tour.

My first trip abroad was in 2004. That time, the Madz is going back to the international competition scene. The trainee batch were quite many, six of us–three sopranos, two tenors, and one bass. We were a good bunch, being a group of soloists as well, and that we really bonded together during that trip.

It was also the time that I learned to play guitar, forcibly, but nevertheless, happily! The one who plays the guitar is on a tour with another ensemble and could only join us during the second half of the tour. Since no one had the guts to do so, Sir Mark asked if I can play the guitar accompaniment of some songs in the repertoire. I accepted the challenge and studied the pieces by heart. Luckily, my then boyfriend (now husband and forever choirboy!) knew already or have heard of the pieces so he was able to teach and lend his guitar to me!

Then the Madz members knew I had perfect pitch, so they were always asking me for a reference pitch when we study pieces on our own. This reached Sir Mark, so he asked me to give the pitches for a concert in Germany, taking this burden off his shoulders. And I am proud to have done my task well! Sometimes I would use a pitch fork, but when I forget to bring, I hum the pitch by memory. It was so cool, and I can’t believe I had the ability and that I can put it to good use!

It was all part of the traineeship, and it was all worth it. In 2004, after we returned from our tour, I became a full fledged member of the Madz. And I stayed for four more years. They were some of the best years of my life!

To my co-Madz trainees batch 2004: Liaa, Rhina, Edwin, Nilo, and Enrico, thank you for the bond that we have created then as batchmates. For some of us, it was our first time to be away from our families, and we only had each other, along with the Madz members and Sir Mark, if we feel homesick. It was a long choral journey for us and I’m happy to have been part of this journey with you.

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Madz @ 50: Our dear Ma’am OA

Coincidence had it. Two generations of one of Asia’s most awarded choral group grew up in neighboring compounds.

Andrea Ofilada grew up in the same street where I was born. My grandparents knew their family. She was married to dentist Dr. Felipe Veneracion in the same nearby parish church where my parents got married and where I was baptised.

I found out about it when I became part of the Philippine Madrigal Singers in 2003. I told my grandparents about Prof. Andrea O. Veneracion, and they knew it was their former neighbor.

Ma’am OA, as her legion of singers call her, is one of the forerunners of Philippine choral music, and brought it to far-flung communities in the Philippines and abroad.

Through her guiding and nurturing care, the University of the Philippines Madrigal Singers established itself as one of the most recognized choral groups in the world. The group has been invited to numerous choral festivals and won top prizes in the most prestigious international choral competitions in Europe, one of which is the European Grand Prix for Choral Singing which they first won in 1997 under her stewardship.

Through her vision of a Singing Philippines, the Madz et al was born. Alumni and members of the Madz started to propagate what Ma’am OA started by building choirs of their own, or giving workshops to starting groups. To date, the said network of choral groups from all over the country had for themselves established their own stature in similar festivals and competitions that the Madz had joined.

In 2001, she passed on the baton as choirmaster of the Madz to someone she personally chose, Mark Carpio. Through Ma’am OA’s inspiration, the Madz’ tradition of discipline, humility, and excellence remain in the group, which reaped awards for the group when the Madz under Sir Mark returned to the competition scene in 2004.

That same year was my first international tour with the Madz. And it was also my first close encounter with the fine lady they dearly address as Ma’am OA.

I had but a few moments with Ma’am OA. At that time, I was a shy newbie in this group of talented singers. I remember during the crucial quartet exams, she was part of the panel who will choose the tour cast. I could remember how nervous I was when it was my turn to sing. Sir Mark mentioned to me that one of Ma’am OA’s recommendations was that I should vocalise everyday to develop my voice more. Which I did. And through the years of singing with the Madz, my voice was trained to sing with increased volume and strength. Likewise, I got so much better in sight singing and developed my musicality more.

Ma’am OA joined us on the latter half of that European tour. And she witnessed how we, the new breed of singers under Sir Mark, bagged the first international victory in Torrevieja, Spain. Sweet victory, indeed.

She started one of the Madz traditions of praying with crossed hands, right over left, forming a circle. I remember before that competition, she led us in prayer, and each singer was given a chance to say a short prayer also. God must have heard that storm of prayers and gave us top prizes!

Dearest Ma’am OA,

You once dreamed of a Singing Philippines. The country achieved that and so much more through you and the Madz. How fortunate is our choristers to have you as a mother and inspiration they can look up to.

From the hundreds of choral groups that were inspired by you, Maraming Salamat Po!

An international choral competition, another milestone for our choral history, shall be staged in honor of Prof. Veneracion. Check out this link for complete information.

Madz @ 50: Tribute to the Choirmaster

This blog post is lovingly dedicated to one of my most favorite conductors and friend (yes, happy to say that!), Mark Anthony Carpio.

Ten years ago, when I was in my sophomore year in college, I and some of my friends auditioned for the Philippine Madrigal Singers. We were all so excited to train with the group for we all know how good they were. There we first encountered Sir Mark, the choirmaster of the Philippine Madrigal Singers. And after three European tours, three international competitions, two US tours, two Korean tours, neverending rehearsals and local performances in and out of Manila, our choirmaster became our good friend.

I am blessed to have been mentored by this talented yet humble man. He was like our big brother, leading us by example, keeping his faith in us–his trusted singers, allowing us to spread our wings and grow musically, inspiring us to share our music through building our own choirs. Yet with his many achievements, he remains grounded, and ever faithful to Him who is the source of it all. He took over Prof. Andrea Veneracion’s role as former choirmaster of the Madz with so much passion, dedication, and faith.

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Even blessed am I that he helped me finish college, by being my collaborating pianist in all four of my voice recitals! Really a rare opportunity despite his busy schedule at the University and with our own Madz schedule.

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More than being choirmaster, he is our eating buddy, Mario Kart playing buddy, and praying buddy. We always begin our concerts with a prayer. And during competition tours, we hold a rosary and prayer brigade every night as the competition draws near.

Ever patient, ever calm, ever jolly. That’s the Mark I’ve always known.

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Dearest Ninong Mark,

When I left the Madz before I got married, I told myself I won’t come back. But now, I find myself longing to be part of the Madz again, five years after I left! You’ve said, once a Madz, always a Madz, and true enough, that’s how I feel.

Thank you for the wonderful memories, for the trust, the discipline, the talent you shared with us. I will never forget the first time you assigned me to give the pitch of the songs for a concert in Europe. It was a huge task for a newbie like me, but you trusted me with it. So, thank you, thank you! God gave me the perfect pitch ability for this purpose, and it was fully discovered and honed when I was with the Madz.

You inspired me to build my own children’s choir. I am so fortunate that these kids have gotten so many singing opportunities that started with being part of the Madz et al family. You continue to inspire your singers to build a Singing Philippines, Ma’am OA’s great vision.

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Thank you for the friendship that extends to my family. For accepting the role as one of our principal witnesses for the wedding. For the advices, long talks, for being an inspiration to me.

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More successes as you continue to mold new singers, inspire more choirs, touch more hearts and souls with the beauty of your music. We love you! God bless you always.

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