(Seriously, I can’t think of a title for this blogpost, so that’s what I can best think of right now.)
Wala na sa kalendaryo best describes my age. I won’t deny, it’s part of life.
But anyways, I celebrated the whole day long. As per tradition, on the eve of our birthdays, my husband and I waited for 12 midnight for the birthday salubong. Then upon waking up the next morning, I offered a rosary and did some meditation (my husband and I practice Transcendental Meditation, albeit I practice not so often anymore). I prayed for friends who celebrated the same birthdate as mine, and celebrants for the whole month of September. September is special to me since it is also the birth month of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
My mom and sister brought us breakfast in our condo–PAKAPLOG! Pandesal, kape, itlog, FTW. And some banoons for little girl.
And look, the colours! Inside Out movie characters! The kid is delighted.
Then my mom and sister gifted me with a body scrub, so that was one of the agendas in the morning.
Then, just brought home some Binalot for lunch–just in time for the noontime show (#alamnathis). =)
One of my voice students had a performance the following day, so I had to coach her (yes, work on my birthday!). Then I was off to hear Mass before my birthday family dinner.
Where else, but Teriyaki Boy! And here we are doing the you-know-what, haha!My husband joined us for dinner after his work, traveling from faraway Quezon City all the way to Mall of Asia.
And lastly, dessert! Which was also the birthday cake. THE birthday cake of all birthday cakes.
Death. By. Tablea.
Need I say more? =)
To everyone who greeted me through text message, Facebook message, through the photo my husband posted on his Facebook, through email, a huge THANKS for remembering. Thank you for the kindness you’ve shown me and my family, for the friendship, the gifts, the thoughtfulness.
And as a treat for my blog readers, here’s what I have posted a day before my birthday. Let’s march in the light of God!
Today, October 2nd, is the Solemnity of the Guardian Angels.
Ariadne loves to pray to her Guardian Angel. The Prayer to the Guardian Angel is the first prayer she learned and memorised since she was about two or three years old.
Ariadne acted as an angel during our church’s Palm Sunday Mass for this year’s Holy Week.
One night, when my daughter was around three, and praying this before we slept, a melody entered my head. I put the words into that melody, and sang that to my daughter since. Now she’s memorised the melody by heart, and here we are ready to share this wonderful prayer-song with you.
This is a non-pro recording, which we did last Monday, September 29, Solemnity of the Archangels Michael, Gabriel, and Rafael.
Singing is second nature to Filipinos. Everywhere you go–whether at churches, schools, companies, or barangays, people can easily join in singing and carry a tune, which eventually turns into a beautiful harmony when done together.
A few decades ago, a woman had a vision of a Singing Philippines. What better way to promote unity and harmony than with music? And so, with this vision in mind, and through her leadership, numerous choral groups were born, mentored, nurtured, and making names for their own. And from these choirs, conductors were also born.
A great opportunity is presented to women conductors in collaboration with a multinational company, Diageo Philippines. As part of their community investment program, called Plan W, they have partnered with the Andrea O. Veneracion Singing Philippines Initiative to carry out the Plan W Sing Philippines Choral Leadership Program, which seeks to give intensive training to 35 Filipino women choral conductors.
The program highlights high-level training from the best choral conductors and music teachers in the country. The Program Director is Mark Anthony Carpio, choirmaster of the Philippine Madrigal Singers. Application is free, and the program includes free training, plus board and lodging for accepted provincial participants.
If you or anyone you know is interested to apply, download the application packet in this link: http://bit.ly/1N6A8NK.
And yes, just because it’s my birth month, it’s my turn to answer for #KoristaAko! I realised I wasn’t even able to answer these questions for myself, so this should be fun.
For those who are not yet aware, Korista Ako has a Facebook Group Community already! Shoot me a private message at www.facebook.com/touringkitty so I could add you up.
Here we go!
In my most recent trip last June 2015. So glad to have done this again, and grateful for the opportunity.
Name: Mary Louise Macanaya Alcantara. Call me Em, or Touringkitty!
Current profession: Musician, educator, homeschooling mom, beautiful wife of a writer/CorpComm Manager/tenor chorister, church volunteer, choral conductor, LATCH Breastfeeding Peer Counselor, Contributing writer (PraySing Ministry, The Master Newsletter), Social Media Manager, part-timer in a lot of things.
Choirs joined: Blessed Elena Academy Glee Club (Grade school to high school), Mater Dolorosa Chorale (high school to college), Entwined Voices, Shrine of Jesus Music Ministry, Philippine Madrigal Singers, and many more wherein I was invited to be guest chorister.
Why did you join the choir? What was that something or someone that influenced you?: My mom would always sit near the choir when we go to Mass, so that’s probably my first exposure to choral music. The members of a particular group invited me to join them when I was in junior high, and I have been “choiring” for half of my life now. I really am amazed at how many voices can sound good together, and am always in awe when I hear choral music. The artistry, musicianship, hard work put into each chord really is commendable.
Another perk I got from joining choirs is traveling–for free! I must say, God led me to singing with choirs to experience His wonderful creation, and for that I am very thankful. Our first chorus class in college brought us to Baguio and Laguna for a concert tour of the UP College of Music. Another choir invited me to join their concert in Mindoro, still during college. Then came the Madz, where I was able to travel A LOT (three times in Europe, two in the US and some Asian countries, and all over the Philippines) AND join milestone competitions (and actually winning them!). And just recently, I was invited to join a performing group in a trip to Europe to participate in an important festival in Prague, and concertise in a couple more countries.
What is your favourite song arranged or composed for choir and why?: My favourite is Prayer of St. Francis (Delgado). Its arrangement always gets into my heart, and it’s my favourite prayer, too.
What was the hardest piece you’ve studied? Probably this one, which we had to memorise! This is A Day in Spring, a Korean contemporary choral music setting. There were quite a number of actions/facial expressions which the composer wanted us to execute. Watch this video and listen how one beautiful spring day sounds like.
Any choir/s or vocal ensembles you look up to and why?: Local: Madz, Ateneo Chamber Singers, The Company, among others. Foreign acts: Swingle Singers, King’s Singers, The Real Group, etc. Among the younger ones would include Acapellago, Pentatonix, and Cimorelli. I particularly liked these groups because of their musicality and the varied repertoire they all know.
What is your most unforgettable choral moment?: When Sir Mark (Carpio, Madz choirmaster) assigned to me a very important task in the Madz–pitchgiver. We were in the tour already, and were hosted, so he made a call to my hosts’ home phone, and there he told me the beginning pitches of that night’s repertoire. The rest, as they say, is history. I am so grateful for that trust he gave me, despite my fears and doubts and uncertainties.
#KoristaAko dahil: Lahat ng Pilipino kayang maging korista! Mas masaya kumanta kapag sama-sama.
#KoristaAko is powered by Touringkitty. Tune in for the latest post every last Wednesday of the month. Follow on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for updates.
10 StartUp Innovators will have a chance to “Pitch In” at Asia E- Commerce Expo 2015.
Asia E- Commerce Expo 2015 is happening on November 25, 2015 at SMX Convention Center, Taguig from 8AM to 6PM with more than 20 speakers and expecting 300 attendees plus 30 exhibitors to showcase their products and services.
The main objective of the event is to empower the start up inovators and traditional organizations to adapt E-Commerce & to learn from the following sessions and discussions about; EPrivacy, Elogistics, EPayments, Market Analysis, Digital Marketing, CRM, Strategy, E- Commerce and Going Global.
The organizers will present also 10 Start Up Innovators who submitted their profiles to share to the attendees their products and services and possibly to meet their prospective partners if looking. We are giving each Start Up Companies 5 minutes to present their innovation, company profiles, products and services for everyone to see.
#AECoE is not just about learning, empowerment and inspiration but a potential future collaboration that’s why we allot time for networking. Speakers confirmed are as follows plus 5 more awaiting for their confirmation;
• Constantin Robertz- Managing Director, Zalora
• Lars Jeppesen- CEO, Tech One Global
• Jacqueline Van Den Ende- Managing Director, Lamudi
• Kristian Melquiades- General Manager, Viber
• Janette Toral- Founder, Digital Club Filipino
• Subir Lohani- Managing Director, Carmudi
• Chinkee Tan- Book Author and Radio Host
• Robert Yupangco- CEO, Yupangco Group of Companies
• Frederic Levy- Founder & CEO, CashCashPinoy
• Camille Montejo- CEO, Tree Top Adventure Inc.
• Bjorn Pardo- CEO, Xend Business Solutions
• Quentin Boucher- Managing Director, Ensogo
• Amor Maclang- Director for Communications, Geiser Maclang Marketing Communications Inc.
• Mannix Pabalan- CEO, Hashtag Digital
Moderators;
• Chris Kiklas- President, EmLogis
• Pocholo Gonzales- CEO, Creativoices Production
• Spanky Enriquez- Corporate Communications Consultant
Speakers are leaders from different industries and engaged in momentous pursuits of significance to the ASEAN region. Attendees are senior business people, high-ranking government officials and media journalists.
Registration Fee per delegate: Php 3,000.00 (Inclusion: Snacks, Elegant Buffet Lunch, Conference and Expo.)
3 easy steps to register.
1. Deposit the registration fee to
TAG Media and Public Relations
BPI Checking Account # 1680 0010 29
2. Scan the deposit slip
3. Send the scanned copy to maria@asiaecommerce.ph
For those who are interested in the “Pitch In” Session. You can still submit your profile on or before September 30, 2015. The chosen companies will be included in the program/agenda.
UPDATE: JOIN the Raffle to get ONE All-Access Pass from Manila Workshops! Read below.
Philippine Homeschool Conference 2015.
I still can’t believe we’re homeschooling already! My daughter is now in Kinder 2 under a provider, and despite all the doubts, groping, busy schedules, and the drama of everyday life, we are doing fine. Nothing’s more rewarding than seeing your child enjoy what she’s doing–as to her own words, enjoy playing while learning.
Last year, I attended a Homeschool Conference organized by Manila Workshops and The Learning Basket. It was a sea of familiar faces yet an unfamiliar field–homeschooling. This year’s another opportunity for the curious bees to learn about homeschooling, the whats and hows would it benefit your families.
Happening on October 17 at the Samsung Hall and SMX Convention Center in SM Aura, this whole day event features two special guest speakers from the US. The event is organized by the Homeschoolers Association of the Philippines, The LEarning Basket, and Manila Workshops.
Sign up here, and enter the Referral Code TKEAHOMESCHCONF2 when prompted.
Happy homeschooling!
If you want to WIN an all-access pass for the event, join here:
For some, it seems to be impossible working at home. But it can be done. I do right now.
And you may want to explore that opportunity as well.
Attend the biggest work at home expo happening once a year, organized by Manila Workshops and the WAHMderful Life Community, the Work at Home Expo 2015 on September 26.
This year, there will be more speakers, more talks, more in store for the attendees. Check out the event schedule and registration here.
The Work at Home Expo is like your one-stop shop for the freelancer in you. So, do join this one-day event and be empowered to work, even in the comfort of your own home.
My daughter and I have been listening to a lot of a cappella music lately. Apart from choirs, we like small ensembles of about five or six members.
We love singing. We are fascinated with how the human voice alone can produce such harmonies. My five year old sees and hears me teach voice so she imitates when we vocalize or sing. She likes a cappella acts who does covers of pop songs like Cimorelli and Pentatonix. I let her listen to these great groups like The CompanY, Swingle Singers or King’s Singers, and she appreciates them as well.
Our recent discovery is from our own country, and they have given pride already by winning top prizes both here and abroad.
Their name sounds familiar? It’s a good nameplay of a cappella (what their music is) and archipelago (what our country’s structure is like). They’ve won the 2013 Akapela Open presented by One Meralco Foundation and PLDT-Smart Foundation. Two months ago, they won the Gold Award and was declared champion in the International Category of the 2015 A Capella Championships held in Singapore.
They will be back to Singapore on October for the International A Cappella Festival. Get your tickets for their October 31 concert on this link.
Check this sample video on their page and listen to them. They like Pentatonix, too!
Want to hear more from them? You can, too! They are set to perform this Sunday at Enchanted Kingdom in Laguna.
Weekend shows at Enchanted Kingdom. From the Enchanted Kingdom Facebook Page.
Our favourite local theme park is turning 20 already! And you can get a chance to WIN tickets to Enchanted Kingdom so you can get to watch Acapellago! How?
LIKE, SHARE and WIN 5 tickets (Unlimited Rides) to ENCHANTED KINGDOM and watch ACAPELLAGO Live on September 13, Sunday!
How? Like Acapellago’s FB Page and share the poster on your walls with the hashtags #acapellago #acapellagoatenchantedkingdom #EKcountdownto20withVIVA #mtvpilipinas
I still can’t believe I have a five year old already. Half a decade already with a lovely little girl who makes our lives brighter, more focused, and more blissful.
Here’s a look back at her previous birthday celebrations. We wanted to keep everything simple for the little one, and I know that’s how she likes them, too.
Fresh from the oven! This is the evening when I gave birth to her. After the 11 monthly mini-celebrations, we celebrated her first year of life with, what else, but a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse themed party at McDonald’s! Batang McDo mom here. We chose to celebrate her second year in Friday’s. Yes, you guessed it right, it was a Friday on August 31, 2012. It was just a simple family celebration of about five people–us three including my mom and sister. On Aria’s third birthday, I had to attend a whole day seminar. So we chose to celebrate as a family at Friday’s again, only because the discount card we got the previous year was expiring on Aria’s birthday! Aria wanted a party of her own for her fourth, after attending too many birthday parties of friends. So Mommy prayed for provision, and God gave it to us. Hello Kitty themed parties at Jollibee were available that time! We invited our beloved family and friends to the celebration.For her fifth birthday, we didn’t plan anything, but her birthday seemed to have planned itself, and spanning four days, from Friday to Monday, her actual birthday.
Disney’s Frozen perhaps would be Aria’s favourite video for like forever! It’s such a timeless tale created in the modern times, kudos to its creators. And of course that the music was created by a Filipino, makes us proud because it speaks a lot of heart and soul! Even I would sometimes shed a tear whenever I play “Do you want to build a Snowman?” on piano with my daughter singing.
So, imagine my daughter finding out that we got an invitation for the Frozen Fever Meet and Greet, right on her birthday weekend! Good thing that we were invited to the media event the day before it opened to the public, we got to see them before everyone else!
Found us? We’re on the 35 second mark! (Video credit goes to Kid’s Toys channel, which Aria watches sometimes on Youtube–we’re subscribed actually to their channel!).
In the evening, we went to a ballet performance of Ballet Manila. As of the moment, they’re now our favourite ensemble! And we went with these kids and their teachers and parents from Food for Hungry Minds. Such a happy birthday for my little girl who shared her blessings with them.
It was my mom’s birthday on that Saturday, August 29th. This is the only day of that weekend the Hi-5 Gang of the family could be complete, so we thought of the best way to celebrate it: RED BOX!
Candle blowing ceremonies going on for the two birthday ladies!
Sunday was church day for us. But we still had something in store for the little bunny in the afternoon.
I just came down from the choir loft after the Mass, and got a perfect spot to take a shot of my loves being granted a special blessing by one of our priest-friends, Fr. Tony Atole.
How and why would I not attend if the one who invited you for her event is your idol? Yes, Tintin Babao personally extended the invitation for her storytelling session at the Philippine Literary Festival, when we crossed paths on Greenbelt a few days prior, during the LATCH USB event. So, there we went on the event. Super glad to meet their family as well.
And finally, on Aria’s birthday, which was incidentally National Heroes Day (that makes it a national HOLIDAY!), and since it was also the last day of the Frozen meet and greet, Aria wanted to take this chance to go back, this time in a different costume.
It’s Aurora this time! And as she approached Anna, she said, “It’s my birthday today!” And she received the warmest hugs.We thought it was the end of the celebration. Another surprise treat came from my sister, who treated me, my daughter, and my mom for a morning of Disney Live at the new Kia Theater in Araneta Center Cubao last September 5.
Birthday girls before showtime.That was such a fun fifth birthday celebration. I can’t remember having that when I was little.
So, now’s the emo-moment of this post.
Dearest Baby Bunny Ariadne,
I can’t praise and thank God enough for entrusting you to us. His Name is praised now and forever.
You are a great blessing to our family and to our community. Your bright smiles, infectious laughter, charm, wit, and humour make us all believe that life is beautiful.
You are so generous, so thoughtful, so caring, especially to me and to Daddy Bunbun. You may be kulit at times but your kindness remain.
Thank you for making Mommy strong. Giving birth to you came naturally–literally nad figuratively. Thank you too for teaching Mommy to ask help, for reminding Mommy to slow down sometimes.
Thank you for allowing me to nourish you through my own milk. And thank you for being part of my breastfeeding advocacy as well. You have not stopped at five years but I don’t mind.
Thank you for allowing Mommy to work sometimes. You know that I do it because Mommy has to do it, and that Mommy likes to do it. Don’t worry, we will have lots of bonding time when work is done.
Thank you for praying with Mommy Bunny always. I like that we begin and end the day with prayer, as well as every meal (and you even remind me and Daddy if we forget!). Thank you for always praying for the sick especially the children, and lifting them up to Our Lady of Lourdes.
Thank you for being a great homeschooler. Keep it up, little learner! Last year your award was Most Helpful. We’ll see what your award this year will be.
Thank you for being a simple girl, for not asking for too much, for understanding Mommy and Daddy all the time, for sharing with us what you’re eating.
Thank you for being you. I love you. I am glad you choose me to be your mom.
