"People used to play with toys.
The ballet was episodic, with one song from each of the eleven bands for each episode. The last song was by Radioactive Sago Project, one of the most popular bands in the country right now, and which refuses to be boxed into a single musical genre.
After the standing ovation, the audience couldn't let them go, and they gamely played a few more songs. And that's when things went a little riotous on stage. (Yes, that's one of the crew taking photos on the stage.)
And the dancers of Ballet Philippines! Oh my goodness, after a two-hour performance, they still had the energy to have a pop dance showdown. (And yes, even the dancers were taking photos of each other and of the audience.)
All I can say is, if you're going to have a dance showdown with professional dancers, you better be one yourself.
The Aetas are an indigenous people who live in the mountainous regions of Luzon, most notably in the province of Zambales. They are usually darker and smaller in frame and height than the average Filipino, and tend to have curly or kinky hair. Of course, they now live like any other Filipino, and these three young men donned their traditional bahag (loincloth) only to demonstrate several of their traditional dances during our Zoobic Safari tour. But truth be told, like many other indigenous peoples in the Philippines and all over the world, they have problems claiming and protecting their ancestral domain from people who want their land, and their access to basic services (eg, healthcare, education) and employment opportunities are not at par with with the rest of the population.
This was the scene at Trinoma mall's Activity Center last Saturday, where the young stars of the Tagalog romantic-comedy "It Takes a Man and a Woman" were having a show to promote the movie. The rail on the second level—where I took this photo—was three people deep. I'm sure the two higher levels were too. The movie opens in theaters nationwide on March 30.
I haven't seen a jukebox like this in decades. Found this one in Macy's Diner in Laoag City in the province of Ilocos Norte. It still works and those are real 45s in there. Only Php5 (U.S. 12¢) per song.
A stage was set up at the intersection of Ayala and Makati Avenues—two of the major roads of the central business district—for a street dance competition and lots of bands. The tents at the sides of Ayala Avenue housed food stalls, and for the duration of the party (which started at 7:00pm though we only went at 10:30pm), drinking liquor was allowed on the streets. 
There were lots of projection screens for people who were far away from the stage, whether by choice (like us) or because they could no longer get to the front because of the crowds.
At five minutes to midnight, Makati's mayor, Jejomar Erwin "Junjun" Binay Jr., and his family and political allies, were called onto the stage. Present was Junjun's father, Jejomar Binay, the current Vice President of the Philippines and the former mayor of Makati. VP Binay is reputedly going to run as president in 2016. About the only thing that ruined the night for us was the emcee introducing him as "the next president of the Philippines." A little too premature there. 
The city even had its own 2013 ball, but I don't think it dropped from anywhere—it was just hanging on the stage. Unless I missed the drop because I was looking at the fireworks.
Dolphy, whose real name was Rodolfo Quizon, was a consummate entertainer, actor, singer and comedian who passed away in July just a a couple of weeks shy of his 84th birthday. He entertained millions of Filipinos for more than sixty years, and was so respected and beloved by people from all walks of life that he was honored with a National Day of Remembrance soon after his death. Wanlu the ventriloquist and puppeteer (see yesterday's post) made us remember Dolphy again with his marionette and the lovely song "Handog" (gift, offering), which Dolphy was fond of singing to his audiences, especially as he got older. I am translating it poorly, but the song begins with, "It seems like only yesterday that my dreams were so hard to reach. Because of you, I arrived at where I wanted to be, and I want to thank you, even with just one song."
The children from the poor communities served by the Ateneo de Manila University—and this big little kid—who attended this year's Lights for Hope Christmas outreach program were treated to a wonderful performance from Wanlu, a puppeteer and ventriloquist who provides entertainment for many events, and who appears regularly in local television shows. Wanlu heard about the outreach program and volunteered himself and one of his sons, who is also a puppeteer. This puppet's name is Nicolo and he's an incorrigible joker, mercilessly teasing Wanlu every chance he gets. He also has the sweetest singing voice I've ever heard from someone made of wood.
The Ateneo de Manila University officially opened its celebrations and events for the Advent and Christmas season last night, and we were treated to a lovely performance by the Blue Symphony at the Sacred Heart Plaza of the Church of the Gesù.
