Way to go for me!
Saturday, July 31, 2010
My Secret to Living Well
"Early to bed, early to rise makes a man happy, healthy, wealthy and wise."
How Old is Old??
I was at the bus stop this evening with 3 young ladies dressed in trendy casuals with nice makeup on, and at the stop light, a woman in a car in front of the bus stop rolled down her window and asked the girls how old they were. She was curious. At her age, 37, she said, she couldn't guess anymore when, looking at girls, how old is old, who's young, who's old, and so on. The girls were 18 and 20s. I stood there, observing the whole scenario. Listening to them talk, I thought, "How old is old?? What is age? Does it really matter?"
I've just celebrated my birthday, a milestone, about 2 weeks ago. Can you guess my age? -
(Click on the title to go to my music blog for full story)
Thursday, July 29, 2010
CHS ALUMNAE GRAND REUNION
The CHS GRAND ALUMNAE REUNION - The Gala Night, the Gala Show, the whole weekend, was a huge success!! Gracielu Rebullida, who did a fantastic job as host and emcee for the Gala night and show, sums it all up -
"The CHS Grand Reunion was a smash. When you have talent, passion and commitment...when you can't keep 50 somethings from the dance floor until the party ends and you raise over 225K in less than 16 hours, that's a success! Way to go CHS sisters!"
Unbelievable how we were able to raise so much money in such a short time and more coming in! Thanks, Dodit and Medy, on making a commitment on behalf of our class. Kudos to Dodit on becoming the next president of the chapter. We're very proud of you!
And as Adel initiates on her sweet note to our class to heed the call to give back to our alma mater - This is your invitation to please consider to “Be an opener of doors for such as come after thee.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
"What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world remains and is immortal." -Albert Pines
And as proud as I was being the musical director of the gala show, that was just the tip of the iceberg. The real gratification came from the commitment from the alumnae to give back to our beloved school, College of the Holy Spirit! What pride we all have in our alma mater!
LOVE
Lately, I've been seeing the word LOVE everywhere - on shirts, billboards, posters, etc., like it's calling my name. Somethin' good here! Love happens! It's happenin', I like it, or more than that, love it! Keep it comin'!
Friday, July 23, 2010
San Francisco
Cool wind on my face
Fresh air I breathe
The smell of sea air
The sounds of the bay...
San Francisco morning!
Early sunlight
Ferry boat ride
Cold crispy bay wind
Aah, so refreshing!
What a sight I leave behind
Leaving home for work -
Chilly mornin' fog
Steep rolling hills
Port of San Francisco
The Ferry Building
The Embarcadero
The Financial District
Downtown SF
Transamerica Building
Coit Tower, Bay Bridge
Ocean Pacific -
Great view from the bay!
Cold wind on my face
New breath of fresh air
Walk along the parkway
On lovely harbor bay -
Bay Area evening!
Early moonlight
Ferry boat ride
Calm as the ocean
Soothing, smooth sailin'
What a sight I'm coming home to
Leaving work behind -
Ocean Pacific
Bay Bridge, Coit Tower
Transamerica Building
Downtown SF
The Financial District
The Embarcadero
The Ferry Building
Port of San Francisco
Steep rolling hills
Chilly evenin' fog
Great view from the bay!
Sinbad's for a drink?
Nah, I'd rather go home and chill out
Where love and music await me
In the world's most beautiful little city
Living here is what it's all about -
San Francisco, Home!
(copyright 2010 Socorro de Castro)
Monday, July 19, 2010
"Here We Are"
I wrote this high school reunion song, HERE WE ARE, for my school's, College of the Holy Spirit, class' Silver Jubilee in the 90s and it will be sung again on the occasion of our ALUMNAE GRAND REUNION GALA SHOW on July 23-25, 2010 in SFO where I am the musical director. I sent the mp3 and lyrics to the officers and production staff last month so they could study the song. One of the girls was so inspired she made a ppt and asked me if she could put it on youtube. And together with another classmate of hers, they did! I was so touched by her gesture and the efforts they put into it. I don't even know them. We're just gonna meet for the first time this weekend.
I got an email early this morning, Re: Here We Are - it's on!, which means they were working on it overtime cause we were back and forth sending emails about it last night. They were keeping me posted on what they were doing, converting ppt to a movie format, editing, etc.!
Wow, I'm speechless! Today is my birthday! They didn't know it, at the same time, I didn't know when it was gonna be on youtube. What a great birthday gift! Life is good! God is good!
Click here to see it.
Thanks, Moonie and Vicky. I'm looking forward to meeting you this weekend.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
This Is It!
This is It! - by Michael Jackson
I've just finished watching the movie to get some tips for my school's College of the Holy Spirit Alumnae Grand Reunion Show this July 24 where I am going to be the musical director. And I was totally immersed in Michael - The Man, the Musician, the Legend, the Phenomenon, the Icon!!
Why, Michael, why?? God, why??
This is it! - Did the title of your song, your upcoming world tour, stand for your passion, your intense, conscious desire, to make the most successful, triumphant, unparalleled comeback in the music world? Or was it, at the same time, an unconscious precognition, a self-fulfilling prophesy of your final bow, your farewell, your detachment from all material world and your journey into the next?
This is it!
This is it, Michael... Goodbye... The whole world misses you!
Friday, July 16, 2010
Huh?!
On my way home, following church, I saw a glamorous woman! She defined GLAMOR to a T!
But, something didn't look natural about it, or, did it?! Little by little, I started to recognized her, I thought. "Is she_______??"
Wow, was she beautiful!! But I wasn't used to seeing her like that. Don't get me wrong, she was always beautiful, simple and natural! And it would have been the most natural thing for me to greet her and say,"God, you look fantastic!"
It would have been just as natural for me to say it if I didn't know her and just complimented an exquisitely beautiful woman, a complete stranger, on the street!
But I thought I recognized her and I asked myself, "Did she have cosmetic surgery?"
If that was her, then it was clearly an extensive job done by an extremely skilled surgeon. Obviously one of the best.
I was shocked!! Not surprised, shocked! So shocked I didn't know what to say, I walked past her. I should have greeted her, but I just didn't know how to react. I guess I'm just not for plastic surgery, old-school, perhaps! Yes, I know, it's a common procedure now, it looked good and natural on her,..but...as natural as it looked, it was such a dramatic change from her previous look, I was taken aback. Yet, she really looked great, proud and confident!
Well, you know, it's really none of my business. And she couldn't care less what I think, so I just better shut up!
SILENCE In Church, In My Universe, In the Infinite
After a bowl of "hearty soup" with Zita again last Sunday, (every time she's in town, we take advantage of seeing each other), I went to church for a visit. The service was over so I was by myself, all alone, and, aah, a beautiful experience -
SILENCE... Silence, so profund, all I heard was the sound of hum, the vibration of the universe, beginning from within me, from every cell of my body, expanding out to every pew, the altar, tables, chairs, the plants, candles, statues, the whole church, to the streets, the trees, every pebble and stone, every person, animal, cars, ships, planes, metals, wood, the ocean, every particle of sand, rocks, to the skies, every space, our entire planet, to the galaxies, the entire universe! No separation at all in every single thing, just penetrating through and through... Total sound of silence... The sound of the universe, of the infinite, and beyond and beyond and beyond beyond and...
This must be how the universe began! Dr. John Hagelin, a world-renowned quantum physicist, a leading international investigator on the nature and origin of consciousness, including the higher states of human consciousness explains, "... The human physiology is therefore just a web of sound that is evolving, unfolding and growing, until the ultimate wholeness... is fully expressed." Vedic Engineering - The Chemistry of Sound
I can't explain the science. I only know the experience. And as an ordinary person, the experience is all I want. It's ALL I need - right now! It happens to me every now and then. I wish it happened everyday, 24/7! It's always there, constantly, accessibly! We just have to tune in.
Experiencing the UNIVERSE must be experiencing GOD at its most basic level, and the INFINITE, experiencing GOD beyond and beyond and... - I'm finding out!
What was there before the beginning?? - GOD.
Yes, but, what was God before the beginning?? - GOD.
I know, but what was God "like" before the beginning?? - GOD.
Before the beginning, before the be... ing, before be... ing?? - GOD.
Before, Befo... Be... ?? - GOD.
Pacifico by Socorro
Today is my Dad's birthday. He would have been 95 here on earth but I'm sure he's infinite in heaven.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
WORLD MUSIC AWARDS 2010
Just wrapped up!
"Life is Music and Music is Life. Life is My Music and Music is My Life."
(Go to my music blog to see more of WORLD MUSIC AWARDS 2010)
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
What's Going On, Obama?
On news radio - Obama's popularity is going down.
Last January 31, I wrote a post on Obama's Speech and here's an excerpt -
...I wanted to listen to his voice again and see his impact, his effect, this season, (my post on OBAMAMANIA, ONE YEAR AGO...will explain all that!). After you read it, you'll understand better when I say that if his popularity goes down, (even more?!), it can happen between March and June, this year, unless people are content with his performance. Between July-October, he'll be watched more closely.
Yes, between March-June, Spring, KAPHA season, in Ayurveda, is slow, stable, grounding, and the like. These are all qualities of EXPERIENCE which Obama doesn't have yet. Hence, his popularity went down last Spring.
Between now, July-October, as it says above, he'll be watched more closely. Summer, PITTA season, is "visual". Whether his popularity goes up or down or stays the same, it is this season when he's most watched. This is the nature of the season.
Fall to winter, November-February, is vata season, the "audio" season. It's the time when his voice, what he has to say, his speeches, et al, more than his actions, are what people will pay attention to again. It's when the season "hears" naturally. That's how the whole world was hypnotized, mesmerized by his voice between those months last year, remember.
Again, my post on OBAMAMANIA, ONE YEAR AGO...(01/20/09) will explain all that. Ayurveda is fascinating!
Let's see what happens...
Let's see what happens...
Great Song Line
Walking home from the gym, I turned my i-Pod on and Mon David's Coming True jazz cd was on.
Mon David is a very good friend of mine. We used to have a jazz group in Manila called Fourplay in the 80's with 4 vocals ala MANHATTAN TRANSFER. He was the leader of the band and I, the musical director. One of the highlights of our group's career, the apex, I'd say, was when Manhattan Transfer came to Manila for a concert, heard about our group, went to our show and they were thrilled, so "flattered" because we adored and emulated them that they joined us onstage and sang a couple of their songs! What a high that was!! They also complimented my piano playing. My manager, in fact, told me later that they "want" me. To play with 'em?! Whoa! That could have been my passport to fame, huh!
Back to Mon, an incredible singer, world-class, he won the FIRST INT'L JAZZ VOCALS COMPETITION in London in 2006 representing the Philippines! Another Filipino, huh! In fact, just recently, I met John Calloway, flutist, percussionist, one of the most sought after Bay Area musicians, another Filipino, and I told him about last year's SF FIL/AM JAZZ FESTIVAL where we played together but at different stages and I mentioned that Mon is my friend and he says, "Oh, Mon, he's a 'killer' (musician)!"
Back to Mon's cd - great album, great band, great production! The music playing then had particularly great lyrics. One line got me hooked -
You can never lose a thing if it belongs to you.
Love it! When I reached home, I immediately looked for his album to see the title of the song and it's "Throw It Away". It looked ironic until I read the whole lyrics. Great song, great line!
Post Script
SOCORROPEDIA - it is the new dictionary! Just go to my blog archive, (on your right), click on month, then Word of the Day. Have fun!
Monday, July 12, 2010
Word of the Day
LOVE
- love (noun) is a feeling you feel...
- love (noun) is a feeling you feel when you feel...
- love (noun) is a feeling you feel when you feel that you'...
- love (noun) is a feeling you feel when you feel that you're feeling the feeling you've never felt before.
Whew! How's that for a tongue-twister, huh, or brain-teaser, or is it a no-brainer?! Hey, you want any word defined? Looking for a new meaning of a word? Come to the new SOCORROPEDIA. You'll find definitions you've never seen before.
Dictionaries are no more! Are there still books on dictionaries or do we just find them on computers now, on pdf, wikipedia, wiktIonary? Is the book form outdated?
I remember an old old story of a man in a bookstore who picked up WEBSTER'S DICTIONARY, didn't know what it was, opened it and seeing it, looked for the meaning of dictionary -
dictionary (noun) - it's the very book you're holding, you, idiot!
He didn't know what 'idiot' meant so he went to the word, idiot -
idiot (noun) - you, again?!
All right, lemme try that tongue-twister again -
- love (noun) is a feeling you feel when you...
- love (noun) is a feeling you fee...
- love (noun) is a f...
- love (noun) is a noun.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Zita
Zita is a woman of few words. Correction, BIG correction - When Zita talks, there's no stopping her. She's downright unstoppable. But when it comes to matters of the heart, something that's deep and personal, she only utters a word or two, yet it says it all.
I wrote a post on her entitled "FULFILLED" Defined (April 2010) about her daughter's wedding a few years ago. I asked her how it felt to be the mother of the bride. She said one word, "Fulfilled."
Now she has her first grandchild, Sadie, her bundle of joy, and she can talk the whole day about her. Yet, when she ends her stories with this one lil' phrase, and she always ends her stories with this one lil' phrase, "I thank God everyday for the life of Sadie," she has spoken eternity.
Toy Story 3
Great movie! I forgot what the original story and part 2 were all about, but now I remember, it's about the life story of toys who belonged to a small boy, Andy. And in 3, Andy is 17 and going to college and this is now the story of his toys who are feeling their loss, vulnerability, who are concerned about their future, even facing their own "mortality".
A work of art! A stroke of genius!
Who wrote Toy Story? Watching the movie, you'd think the toys wrote their own life story 'cause who even knew they were "alive", that they "breathed"??
Of course, people, human beings, not toys, wrote the story. But I thought it had to be a child, cause only a child has the purity, the innocence and the imagination to make up a story like that. But not even Andy knew his toys were real!
Of course, it was real people who did the whole story and film. And with all the modern-day animation, special effects, technology, it's got to be adult people who have the experience, the expertise, to have done this! But they weren't just adults, not just geniuses, but people who, at their age, still have that "child" in them.
How wonderful it is to possess that quality, that virtue of childlikeness, at our age, in this age! We must never lose it as it is that which gives us joy and love and passion for life, that which brings out wholeness and purity of life in each of us, the very essence of life!
Yes, a work of art, live in 3D, a stroke of genius, of childlike genius! Beautiful!
Friday, July 9, 2010
A Nice Cool Walk
Just got back from a nice cool walk at Union. Visited a friend and daughter and granddaughter for dinner and chat. And daughter, Yasmin, is such a pro on the computer, she combined my 2 blogs together! Finally, my blogs work! God, thanks, Yasmin! I was almost giving up on one of them. I owe you one!
And thanks for a delicious dinner and dessert, you're a great cook, like mother, like daughter! And, oh, Sadie is such a beautiful baby, like mother, like daughter! Alright, like grandma, too!
Zita, Yasmin, Sadie, thanks for the invite! Moments like these are priceless. Luv ya...
Thursday, July 8, 2010
New Orleans Jazz at the Mission
Just got back from a New Orleans Jazz Concert at a new Performance Center at the Mission with the PRESERVATION HALL NEW ORLEANS BAND. Fabulous show! Great musicians! New Orleans jazz has gotta be the happiest music in town, in the entire world, I should say! It was exhilirating! The whole audience was ecstatic! Everybody got up to its feet and danced around the whole theatre! A young guy started it with her girlfriend or lady friend and I jumped up and joined! Then we got everybody to stand up and join the line and dance all over! You can't stay glued on your seats! The music was just too, what, I can't even describe it, you simply can't ignore it! Well, Norman had to stay in place cause he had to watch my purse and coat while I went wild! He stood up, though, and he was dancing!
Wow! And to think that I almost missed the show!
There was a show at the store I wanted to see - the Jazz Camp Open Mic, a wrap-up to the just concluded week-long camp! I've never been to one and all musician/friends have been telling me to attend a jazz camp, even once, so I wanted to go see what's happening in tonight's event, have an idea of what they do in a music camp, thinking I might get inspired, (which, of course, I always do), and go to next year's jazz camp. Norman and I were splitting the 2 shows tonight, he was going to the New Orleans Jazz show. But because of the anticipated riot, protests, after the Meserhle conviction this afternoon, the event was cancelled. So I ended up at the New Orleans'. Boy, now I'd like to go to New Orleans!
Lately, we have been totally immersed in a lot of live music - gigs, his, mine, ours, shows, concerts, all kinds! That goes without saying, being musicians, but these past few weeks have been unusually plenty. I ain't complaining.
I'm exhausted now from all the dancing, no, not exhausted, exhilirated!
It's late. Nite-nite...
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Weather Report
Typical summer day in San Francisco - cold, overcast, foggy - while Midwest and east coast all have 3-digit temperatures!
Who doesn't love San Francisco? It's the most beautiful little city in the country! The most beautiful little city in the world!
Monday, July 5, 2010
MAHARISHI VIDEOS
I'm on FB right now looking at MAHARISHI VIDEOS and saw some quotes from him, like this one here that I particularly need at the moment, so I thought I'd copy it here to remind myself -
I saw more that I like to share with you so just keep on reading. Enjoy.
"Quote of the Day"
"Don't desire anything less than the supreme - for yourself individually and for the whole mankind. Because you will get what you desire." - Maharishi
"Quote of the Day"
"There is time in life for everything." - Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
Thank God for that!
Thank God for that!
"Quote of the Day"
"Never be afraid to expect the best. Never feel we are unworthy or not justified in having the best. This is your heritage, but you have to claim it. You have to accept it and expect it." - Maharishi
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Talk About... Gigs!
Gigs! Did I forget to tell you about my gig with Norman and his brother, Joel, bass player, last month here in the city? God, it was fun! It was Norman's gig with his jazz quartet with his brother, who was visiting from the East Coast, playing bass. Actually, he "borrowed" my jazz trio with drummer, Curt Moore, and got saxophonist, Dayna Stephens. And Norman invited me to jam as guest, along with other musicians/friends, and was that a thrill!
We got very busy that week with the gig and going to 3 concerts 3 nights in a row, I totally forgot to"report" the news.
Anyway, we should do more of that. Well, we got invited again so I'll keep you posted. We should really do a concert called The Landsbergs or Landsberg, Landsberg & Me. How about that! Just a thought right now.
Jazzed Out!!
I'm all jazzed out this weekend from the street fair and my solo gig yesterday plus the Jazz Worship at Calvary today! And all "flagged" out with my american flag outfit from my american flag baseball cap to my american flag jacket right down to my american flag socks! I have a pair of american flag tennis shoes but I couldn't find 'em! And, oh, all "corned "out from all the corns on the cobs - roasted, wood-fired and steamed! And, of course, all full with good food, too. Nice to be home and just relax...I'm wiped out!!
Saturday, July 3, 2010
In The Beginning...
Last night, as sleepy as I was, I watched "How The Earth Was Made" and "The Universe" back to back on History Channel. As I've said, I'm always into the origin of things. I must be God, (Dare I say???), or at least, like God! But God doesn't have a beginning nor end. So where does that leave me? Where do I go from here?
I keep searching and I keep searching and I will keep searching...
As I kept watching "The Universe", somehow, it convinced me, no, it did more than that! Once and for all, it validated the truth, the fact - everything about GOD! God is not just a HE as our religion had always told us since time immemorial, not just a SHE as later introduced in metaphysical sciences, beliefs, etc., but IT! God is the totality of all three - three in one, one in three! Yes, watching "The Universe" last night on TV was fascinating!! It was as if God, finally, revealed Himself, Herself, Itself to me! It was GOD "starring" in its totality - in oneness, in the universe!
I've been watching the universe, I've been watching God, in real life. But realizations of God would come in fragments, a little here, a little there. Not that there were doubts in between, No! Never! I live God, in fragments and out, in pieces and in whole. But when I see God in fragments, in pieces, that's when I want to see more. That's when I keep searching! But I don't search for that which isn't there! Everything is there. Even in nothing, everything is in it. And in everything, nothing is in it. There is really nothing to search 'cause everything is already there!
We just live it! We live God! I live God in parts and in whole. When I live in parts, that's when I search for more. When I am whole, I desire no more.
Being human, I keep searching... Being divine, I keep revealing.
Friday, July 2, 2010
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