Monday, March 11, 2024

Favorite Filipino Chorale Renditions

 
















It thrills me whenever I hear foreigners singing Filipino songs. Although Filipino songs have not yet gained worldwide attention, musical choirs, and glee clubs worldwide seem to be fascinated by the melodies, cadence, and intricate harmonies of long-forgotten folk songs from my native Philippines.


LERON-LERON-SINTA

Composed by Alberto Tolentino. Arranger- Saunder Choi

In January 2024, a Swedish choir bagged the Grand Prize in a European chorale competition with their exuberant rendition of “Leron-Leron Sinta” (My Dear, Little Leron). The multi-awarded acapella choir cHägersten A Cappella sang this Tagalog song with enthusiasm and vitality.

Composed by Alberto Florentino, it is believed to be a traditional work song in Tagalog sung in a call-and-response mode by men and women during the papaya harvest season. The lyrics motivate workers to keep moving forward and stay positive to attain their goals.

Sweden's Leron Leron Sinta Grand Prize in Europe (+ Awarding Night ) 



 

Here are some of my favorite chorale renditions:

 

 AY, AY, AY, O-PAG IBIG

Filipino Song: Canada vs Korea vs Germany (Ay, Ay, Ay, O Pag-ibig by George Hernandez - Arranger)


The Big Sing 2023 National Finale - Session 1, Takapuna Grammar School Chorale





ROSAS PANDAN

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9l4vteAI6g

Rosas Pandan", a Visayan Folk Song arr. George Hernandez, performed by the Chamber Ensemble with soloist



 DAHIL SA IYO

Yerra Buena Gardens Festival





 

 PARU-PARONG BUKID



 

DA COCONUT NUT

The Baylor University Men's Choir sings Da Coconut Nut by Ryan Cayabyab.



 PAKITONG KITONG

This is a song from my childhood, those long ago time when our big family of cousins converged together and sang our hearts out. I am happy to see young ones preserving these beloved songs.


Performed by: The Mandaue Children and Youth Chorus



Tong Tong Pakitong Kitong, Dandansoy— Loboc Children's Choir in Melbourne

Children's choir from Bohol, Philippines performs in Melbourne





https://jcerrudocreations.blogspot.com/2017/08/da-coconut-nut.html

https://jcerrudocreations.blogspot.com/2010/10/tigadong-tigadong-rosas-pandan.html


Sunday, November 19, 2023

Loving Fall














I love the Fall foliage so much so that I thought it deserved its own post before the cold of Winter brings shivers to my fingers and my mind. Autumn is smacked between the sweats and bugs of Summer and the dreary, slushy Winter. For me, Autumn is a season of glorious splendor.

Autumn shows off the vibrant colors of red, orange, and yellow against the bright blue sky. The leaves are dancing in the wind, as the trees hold on to their crowning glory, even as the chlorophylls, anthocyanins, and carotenoids work behind the scene. 

There is music as I walk on a carpet of leaves. The air is crisp and smells of pumpkin-spiced latte. And I get to wear warm and cozy sweaters to cover my belly flab and saggy arms.

The mosaic of colors brings a sense of warmth and peace, triggering my orbitofrontal cortex. Breathe in, breathe out. My serotonin-booster.

The Fall season ushers in nostalgia for traditions that bring comfort and joy. As the trees prepare to hibernate, it is also the time to rest and contemplate. To snuggle with a fuzzy blanket, a great book, and hot cocoa. 

Autumn is a chance to wind down from the hectic activities of the Summer, reflect on the past, and plan for the future, even if just to mentally strengthen for the rigors of the winter season. 

It is the time to give thanks for God's blessings.



 

 










"How silently they tumble down / And come to rest upon the ground / To lay a carpet, rich and rare / Beneath the trees without a care,"- Elsie N. Brady


















Monday, September 11, 2023

Reaching a Milestone: My 9/11 birthday

 









A few years ago, I couldn’t imagine that I would admit to my real age. I am not vain at all. I just wanted to slow the time of reckoning.  I wanted to preserve the idea of youth where opportunities still abound and the world-is-an-oyster kind of optimism. I wanted to remain agile, adventurous, and creative.

Well, today, I overcame all those crazy ideas, and I proudly proclaim that I reached the milestone. I am finally 65 years old. Just don’t you ever tell me that I don’t look a day over 64 because I will disown you as a friend for life. I am not old; I am wiser.

Yes, I can now claim Medicare, although I am still working five days a week, and have not yet claimed my SSN benefits. My head is still full of ideas, my neurons are still active. I can actually work full-time for two more years and even longer, if I want. I guess, I am still crazy.

Sixty-five is a milestone that anyone should aspire to. Twenty-two years ago, that almost did not happen. I have written about that fateful day on September 11, 2001, when I stood on the platform of a Manhattan-bound train, eager to spend my morning at the Starbucks café in the World Trade Center. For the grace of God, I changed my mind and went home.

A few years after the 9/11 tragedy, I was even reluctant to celebrate my birthday until someone told me that I deserved to celebrate my special day and so I did, in a low-key manner, mindful to not encroach on the grief that permeates that particular day. I have actually written several blog posts about my mixed feelings about this day (I am so emo, I know).

Today, I took a day off from work and just spent my special day enjoying that I did not have to do anything, lazing around in my BTS t-shirt gift from my sister Bheng. Read some historical romances, listened to music from BTS, SB-19, Lee Suhyun, and AKMU, and played with Boomer. Later tonight, we will feast on a Jollibee spread of chicken joy, hamburger, pancit palabok, and coconut pineapple pie. I had three birthday celebrations already prior to today. My heart is full of joy for the birthday wishes on Facebook and Messenger. Thank you all so much.


Since this is a day of reflection, I want to list the many ways that I am thankful for:

  • The gift of life. I had a health scare early this year, but everything worked out well. I still have the aches and pains of getting older, but I am generally healthy.
  • My faith. I feel spiritually blessed. As my favorite hymn goes, “Let God take charge of your life”.
  • Family and friends. I am thankful that I spent my last birthday back in the Philippines, and that I was able to hug my mother again. Thank you for my supportive family, and a whole slew of cousins out there. My friends make my life interesting.
  • Despite my age, I still remain agile, adventurous, and creative.

My bucket list, what’s left on it:

  • Travel more. I am thinking of starting another blog with my travels.
  • Write another book.
  • Attend a BTS concert. That will be in 2025 after all the boys finished their military service, I am attending an Andre Rieu concert in a few days, so that is one off my bucket list.
  • Paint, draw again, be creative.
  • Present in a national/international nursing conference
  • Learn to bake. My son Jordan can, why can’t I?
  • Tiktok???



 Birthday posts:

A 9/11 Birthday

A 9/11 Birthday Thank You







 

 

 


Monday, July 3, 2023

COMFORT SONGS Part 2

 

 










Why do we need comfort songs? Like comfort food, we tend to go back to those things which ease our minds, warm us during the cold nights, and heal our broken hearts. But comfort songs are not meant only for turbulent times; they can just be reminders of how music brings calm, positive thoughts, and happiness. Comfort songs put me in a state of Zen, of just letting go, and enjoying the music to relax my body, mind, and spirit.


My first go-to comfort songs are church songs. These spiritual songs as played by our late brother in Christ Dr. Genesis Rivera are my emotional first aid. In times of trouble and sadness, I play these songs to meditate and pray.

I DEEPLY MEDITATE




LET GOD TAKE CHARGE OF MY LIFE



There are other comfort songs that I have added to my playlist.


AUTUMN IN MELBOURNE

This song was featured in many Instagram reels. The acoustic guitar version is also used in many Korean dramas.





BALLADE POUR ADELINE- Richard Clayderman

This is the song from my teenage years that made me an avid fan of Richard Clayderman. This song was composed in 1977 by Paul de Senneville for his newborn daughter. Whenever I play this song on my computer, my brother stops watching the Mets game and asks me again if my son finally learned how to play this on the piano.



 

REALITY- Lee Suhyun

I have been addicted to this song since Lee Suhyun sang this as part of the Begin Again musical series. “Reality" was performed by English singer Richard Sanderson in 1980.

 

Dreams are my reality

The only kind of reality

Maybe my foolishness has past

And maybe now at last

I'll see how a real thing can be

Dreams are my reality

A wonderous world where I like to be

I dream of holding you all night

And holding you seems right

Perhaps that's my reality

 




MAMANG SORBETERO (Ice Cream Man) by Celeste Legaspi

Music by Jose Mari Chan, lyrics by Gryk Ortaleza. This is a nostalgic nod to my childhood when we eagerly waited for that distinctive bell that signaled the ice cream man, not to be mistaken for the American ice cream truck that ushers the beginning of summer here in America.  No, the sorbetero comes all throughout the year to bring the traditional ice cream with coconut or carabao milk. I was always the first one greeting Mamang Sorbetero, so eager to get the first cone, so I can come back for more.



 

 

I WILL FOLLOW HIM- by Andre Rieu

This rousing song does not fail to make me smile. A masterpiece of a performance.




 

 


Top 6 Comfort Songs Playlist : 

https://jcerrudocreations.blogspot.com/2021/08/top-6-comfort-songs.html

Saturday, May 20, 2023

Forty-three Years: A College Reunion

 
















It has been a year in the making. Twelve classmates from the Arellano University BSN group section 2  congregated in Melbourne, Florida to enjoy each other in celebration of our 43rd anniversary of finishing a rigorous nursing program in the Philippines in 1980.

The reunion was boisterous and funny. The activities were carefully planned by the master event planner team of Floridians Janet and her hubby Arnold. Shirley, from nearby West Palm Beach, also offered her insights on the must-to-do lists for our grand reunion. The classmates came from New York (Nenita, Jo, and Ces), New Jersey (Ampy), California (Lita and Luz), Canada (Mate), Austria (Amie), Norway (Alma), our native land Philippines (Cely), and Florida (Janet and Shirley).

Forty-three years ago, our conversations were about clinical rotations, tests, reports, and our crushes. As twenty-year-olds, our dreams were of passing the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) exams, our tickets for nursing jobs in America and Europe. We were excited to spread our wings and conquer the world. Those were the days of optimism and excitement for a whole realm of possibilities. Those were the days of laughter and unbridled joy.

Now, the conversations have become more unapologetically down-to-earth and reflective of our aging process: bowel elimination, sex (or lack of it), aches and pains, and surgeries. Some are retired and some are still toiling for the almighty dollar. Some of us have embraced their apostolic duties (a pun on “apo” or grandchildren) and others are just patiently waiting for our kids to settle down. We have overcome our inhibitions and no subject is taboo. Our talks were raw and honest, but there was plenty of silliness and laughter.


May 1, 1023, Day 1 of our much-awaited reunion. Thank you to Arnold and Gerry who were volun-told by their spouses to serve as our drivers for the week. We checked in at our hotel and squealed with excitement when we saw each other in Ampy’s room.  Then off to dinner at Janet's home. Twelve women converged and reminisced about our nursing student days. Those who are cooks prepare the food. Ampy’s sinigang was to die for and her tupig was just a hit. Some of us who didn’t have the passion and talent for cooking "supervised" (wink, wink, I see you, Alma). In fairness, we volunteered to wash the dishes.

I brought some copies of my books “Nursing Vignettes: and “ER Nurse: The Warrior Within”. Thank you, Mate, for the reminder to do the book signing (and also for putting up with the snores from your roommates).  It was a pleasure to sign those books for my classmates who have given me support and encouragement along the way. These classmates are big-time cheerleaders.









May 2, 2023, Day 2- Picnic at Paradise Beach where the waters were rough, too bad we're not surfers. Impromptu games (Charades, Pinoy Henyo, Musical game) and lots of laughter. Dinner at Janet's and Arnold's beautiful home. Swimming again with Zumba and line dancing lessons with Luz as the effervescent dance instructor. Luz seemed to forget that we had lost our sense of rhythm a long time ago. Our batchmate Dori, who is now a retiree in Florida, joined us in our festivities.

Then the slideshow presentation of our college years, and our reunion pictures. Nostalgic reminders of those easy-going student days, in our stiff blue and white uniforms, our starched caps on our heads, our minds filled with upcoming tests, but also of ways and manners to go on unsanctioned field trips. I proposed that we turn this slideshow into a Photobook, to replace the school yearbook that we never had (our printer ran away with the money.)

I love how each classmate spoke after their featured page to update us about their families. Cely started it off by stating that she made her plans around the reunion dates. It was very heartwarming to hear how she planned her other numerous activities to ensure that she gets to join every single reunion. I think somebody passed onions around because a few classmates were teary-eyed as we talked about the women we have become.










May 3, 2023, Day 3- Escapade to the Florida Keys- Key Largo, Islamorada, and Key West. We were in Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville. Posed with the giant lobster. We rode the glass-bottom boat that promised underwater vistas of colorful fishes and North America’s only living coral reef. Most of us didn’t have sailor’s legs. Thankfully the Dramamine worked for me. Some of us slept during the boat ride.

We discovered a nice restaurant just a few steps away from our hotel with a great ambiance and beautiful music from one of the aspiring singer-songwriters who were in town to celebrate the songwriters’ festival.  











May 4, 2023, Day 4- From Marathon, we drove to Key West. Crossed the 7-mile bridge, where the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico meet. We sang off-key as we paraded around the mile marker area with our lavender anniversary t-shirts (and the tarp) that Cely brought from the Philippines. Like a drill sergeant, Amie directed us on how to pose. Interestingly, the men were more amenable to directions.

A must-stop was a concrete buoy that marked the southernmost point in the continental United States, just a mere 90 miles to Cuba. We rode the Conch Trolley Hop-on Hop-off to tour around the New Town and the Old Town. Our first trolley driver Louie is half-Filipino and very funny.  We ended the day at Mallory Square, where we watched the sunset together. This is probably one of my poignant memories of this reunion, our arms on our classmates' shoulders.











May 5, 2023, Day 5- Cinco De Mayo. Miami Beach, Everglades National Park. Here in the swamps of the Everglades, where alligators lurked in the bushes. The Airboat glided across the "River of Grass", and the captain slowed it down as he named the birds along the way and tried to point out the alligators which were somehow hiding away. We learned the difference between an alligator and a crocodile.  I thought to myself, I will just run for my life first. We also zipped past the mangroves and sawgrass marshes. The fast ride through the river, the wind blowing our hair, was exhilarating. I think I would enjoy operating a speedboat.

Ces gave us a scare when she tried to retrieve a hat that was blown away. She dipped her toes on the pond near the entrance, only to have a baby alligator skitter away.

Dinner was a comedic finale to the long day. We rushed to Wellington Mall to eat at the food court only to learn that the dining area was closing. The nurses that we are, we quickly decided to order to go. The Lotus Express Chinese food staff were pleasantly surprised to get a last-minute influx of 19 hungry customers. With military precision, we gave our orders. We made it in time before the mall closed.

It was Nenita’s laugh-out-loud moment. We raced to the hotel to take over the dining room to eat our Chinese take-out. Nenita was ready to run, her food clutched in one hand, as she loudly wondered if she needed to retrieve her carry-on bag from the back of the van.














May 6, 2023, Day 6- Checked out of Hampton Inn, then off to Shirley's house for a sumptuous Cuban lunch at their West Palm Beach house. Thank you, Shirley and John. What a beautiful house, filled with plants like Janet's. Both plantitas

This is also when we pranked our Selfie Queen as we took our selfies when she forgot her phone on the table.  We (Alma, Ampy, Nenita, and I) hijacked her phone, clearly, we were still mischievous teenagers at heart. That was fun.

Planning for the next reunion. Hmmm, Norway in 2025, maybe? Stopped by Lake Worth, West Palm Beach, and Mar-a-Lago. Last day that we were together as a group of 12 classmates. Some of us flew back home while others went on a cruise to the Bahamas. Sadly, I could not go on a cruise (insert inside joke)












Thankful for Lita and Janet who kept their hubbies awake with all those driving. Thankful to Ces for being the “treasurer” and keeping our finances together. Thankful to every single one of my classmates who joined. We do miss our other friends who were not able to make it this time, but I'm sure wished they were there.

Shirley stated, “The reunion revived me”.  Lita reminded us that we are “her valued family”. It is a feeling shared by all of us. 


This reunion has many revelations:

  • This group of women in their mid-sixties is still fun to be with. We are vibrant and ready to enjoy life fully. We have come into our own, confident of our place in this world.
  • The spouses (Homer, Ed, Arnold, Gerry, Manny, Ofre, and Gary) who joined us on this trip were enjoying this reunion too. They bonded again on their own; in fact, they were more “game” to pose for pictures, followed the selfie queen’s directions very well, and used the reunion tarp more than the classmates themselves.
  • That even as we aged, we were still young at heart. We accepted our wrinkles, for they are markers of a life well-lived. I must say that Alma maintained her slim figure and would still probably need to present her ID card at a bar.
  • Ces and Primo's love story
  • Even after all these years, we can be silly and we can laugh at any little thing.















Picture by Homer


This is what a class reunion looks like. We have traveled all around the world, each one forging a different path, each one successful in our own right. As we watched the gorgeous sunset of Key West, we were grateful for connecting and making more memories. Precious moments.

Nursing had been good to us. With our shared experience in the Philippines, we led parallel lives of surviving against the challenges. I know that each of us made a difference in our patients' lives. This is how we celebrated Nurses Week.




Other reunion posts:

College Reunions: Friends and Princeless Memories

https://jcerrudocreations.blogspot.com/2018/09/what-is-it-about-college-reunions-that.html


Thirty-two Years Later- Thanks to Facebook

https://jcerrudocreations.blogspot.com/2012/08/thirty-two-years-later-thanks-to.html


Thirty-One Years Later

https://jcerrudocreations.blogspot.com/2011/10/thirty-one-years-later.html



Sunday, April 30, 2023

Singers Who Made Me Cry










Sometimes, you get the feels.  Maybe it was because of the singer, or maybe the song just touched your heart. The lyrics evoked sad but sometimes happy and inspiring memories. Suddenly, tears run down your face, and you surreptitiously wipe them lest an annoying person (any one of your family members) catch you in a vulnerable moment.

I must admit that I still cry when I watch the videos, no matter how often I've seen them.

 

IAM TONGI, "MONSTERS"

He looks like Iz” was my first thought when I saw Iam Tongi appear on the latest American Idol auditions. Israel "Iz" Kamakawiwoʻole was a Hawaiian/Polynesian music legend who sang the iconic version of “Somewhere over the Rainbow.”

Iam is his own person, an 18-year-old making his own path and history. He moved out of Oahu and settled in Seattle because, as he said, their family was “priced out of paradise.

Iam dedicated his song to his father (who used to harmonize with him), who passed just months before his AI appearance. James Blunt wrote “Monster” for his dying dad. What a tearjerker of a performance.


 


JIN FROM BTS- “THE ASTRONAUT”

Kim Seok Jin from BTS made me cry twice. The first time I ever watched BTS on the internet was when he sang the anthemic “Epiphany” to a full stadium that has suddenly gone quiet when he started playing on the piano. And then, when he sang, “I’m the one I should love,” I became emotional. The audience loved his impassioned performance, and I fell into the rabbit hole, hook, line, and sinker.

Jin tugged at my heartstrings again with the song “The Astronaut.” He collaborated on a farewell song with Coldplay to the BTS fanbase Army before he had to start his military duty in South Korea. The video was a love song to his fans, his reassurance that he would come back again. Jin’s live appearance at the Coldplay concert in Argentina was even more touching because it was his last performance before he had to don his soldier uniform. A last hurrah on the performance stage until his discharge from the military in 2025.

“When I am with you, there is no one else.” The brotherly love between Jin and Chris Martin was awesome, so beautiful in its sincerity. Chris was hyung (older brother in Korean) to Jin, who was visibly moved by the warm and enthusiastic response from the audience. It was supposed to be a Coldplay concert, but the fans welcomed him with open arms.

 

 

 

CAROL BANAWA, “IINGATAN KA”

The song was originally a theme song from a Filipino tv romance drama sung by Carol Banawa. Carol’s soothing voice is a serenade for mothers for their unconditional love for their children. Now, it's their offspring who have to take care of them.

Carol is based in Canada, an OR registered nurse.


Iingatan ka, aalagaan ka

Sa puso ko ikaw ang pag-asa

Sa 'ting mundo'y may gagabay sa iyo

Ang alay ko'y itong pagmamahal ko

May nagmamahal, aakay sa iyo

Aking inay, ikaw ang nagbigay ng buhay ko

Buhay na kay ganda

Pangarap ko na makamtan ko na

 



 


ERIC CLAPTON, "TEARS IN HEAVEN"

Eric Clapton wrote this song to mourn his 4-year-old son Conor who fell to his death from a high-rise apartment in Manhattan. A parent's worst nightmare. The tragedy is incomprehensible, the pain unimaginable, the loss heartbreaking.





SUNG-BONG CHOI, "NELLA FANTASIA"

There is no way that anyone would watch this without tearing up. A rags-to-riches story of a boy who survived a terrible childhood to fulfill his dream of being on a musical stage.
Sung-bong Choi was orphaned at 3, ran away from the orphanage at 5 years old, and lived on the street.

Until he came on stage on Korean Got Talent and surprised everyone with a powerful rendition of “Nella Fantasia.” His audition clip went viral, and he was on his way to living life happily ever after.





Note: I did not want to shatter everyone’s image of Sung-bong Choi, but he went viral again in 2021 when he faked a cancer diagnosis to collect donations from his fans. He attempted suicide and was later diagnosed with recurrent depressive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder.

 


Friday, April 21, 2023

Guilty Pleasures #4: Flowers, Delilah, Doodles, Su-hyun, Eruption, BTS Choreography




     






              

    

“ 

      It seems that I have a lot to be guilty of nowadays. Life is full of guilty pleasures. Do I care if some think I am too frivolous? Heck, no.


  "FLOWERS”

Here’s my disclaimer again: I am not a Miley Cyrus fan but there is no denying the fact that she has great songs in her discography. I love “The Climb” but this new song “Flowers” is my new LSS (last song syndrome). I will add this to my playlist of girl power/ badass songs like “I Will Survive”, “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)”, “Man, I Feel like a Woman”, and “Panahon na para Magsaya” from Sampaguita.

“I can buy myself flowers, Write my name in the sand / Talk to myself for hours, Say things you don’t understand / I can take myself dancing, And I can hold my own hand / Yeah, I can love me better than you can.”

Hurray to self-empowerment and self-love. Miley’s raw vocals gave this song an authentic expression.  It is a reminder to everyone that we can all rise above all adversities and that we can survive and actually flourish on our own. It is a call to arms for single women (and men) out there that they do not need to stay in an unfulfilling relationship.

I have been buying flowers for myself for a long time. And I am okay with it.

This is the lyrics video. Watch her official video at your own risk  😊



 

2)   DELILAH’S SAPPY LOVE SONGS

"You're listening...to Delilah." Anybody who is into romance would know the self-anointed “Queen of sappy love songs.” Delilah is an ultra-famous radio personality with a nationally-syndicated call-in and dedication request program. With about 200 stations and approximately 8 million listeners, Delilah’s distinctive voice has ruled the airwaves.  

Whether it’s about missing a special someone or trying to get over a heartbreak, or someone who needs encouragement and tough decisions to get out of an abusive relationship, Delilah has a song.

Recently, the stories inspired me to write more love stories. One was between a paramedic and a nurse. Another call-in story ended with her reuniting high-school sweethearts. She is better than all those match-making sites out there.

And then, we learned about a widowed woman who married her brother-in-law. The woman’s sister passed away several years before, almost at the same time as her own husband also died. Long story short, the widow and the widower blended their big family together, and the cousins became step-siblings and lived happily ever after.

It’s not just schmaltz and saccharine. She does not hold back with giving tough love advice to those she gently calls knuckleheads. She went through all life's ups and downs and always spoke from her heart.











https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1319-hey-its-delilah-92847861/

 


3)  THE ART OF DOODLING

I am guilty of doodling when stuck in a long or boring meeting. Doodling while in a long meeting keeps me sane. I do not mean to disrespect the speakers, but I just needed to draw or sketch in my notebook in order not to zone out or sleep. I doodled so I could concentrate or release some tension, my cortisol-reducing activity. Well, this was my excuse whenever my seatmate nudged me to pay attention.

A psychologist named Andrade wrote that doodlers actually retain more information than non-doodlers. I also learned that J.K. Rowling doodled faces and characters as she wrote Harry Potter. Hmmm, maybe that’s a better excuse. 








 




      LEE SU-HYUN 

There is joy in discovering new talents. Especially if it is just a consequence of the BTS rabbit hole that I am (proudly) in now.

Lee Su-hyun, 23, is a delightful singer from South Korea. She is one-half of the brother-and-sister team of Akdong Musician (AKMU), who rose to prominence after winning a talent contest. During her brother’s military enlistment, Su-hyun joined a group of “buskers” or street performers who performed on the streets of Portugal, Hungary, and Italy as part of the “Begin Again” troop. 

Begin Again is a musical reality tv show where musicians and singers who were renowned and established in South Korea traveled to these European countries where they were virtually unknown. These singers were like ambassadors of sorts by promoting Korean music to the rest of the world. Instead of the New York subways, they staked their claim in plazas and squares near the lakes of Lisbon and Budapest.

Together with Lena Park, Hareem, and Henry, Su-hyun enthralled the crowds and stopped them on their feet. The faces of the audience reflected their wonder at seeing these talented musicians singing mostly in Korean. They might not have known the words, but the music touched their hearts. Beautiful music transcends the language barrier.

Su-hyun’s soprano voice is melodious, mesmerizing, and soothing. Like Lea Salonga, her voice evokes a Disney princess vibe. Her delivery is effortless, flawless, and hauntingly beautiful. The audience did not have any choice but to be captivated.





And then, as a pleasant surprise, one of my favorite Korean actors, Lee Dong Wook, worked with Su-hyun in the tv show “Sea of Hope” and dueted with her. The ladies were all swooning, I'm sure. Kilig much.




“ERUPTION”

The latest dance craze on TikTok is a remixed version of a Vietnamese pop song “See Tinh”. Enter Eric “Eruption” Tai, who posted videos of himself and his team gyrating to the “ting ting tang tang tang” dance.

Eric is a Tongan-Filipino actor, model, TV host, comedian, and former rugby union player, but he went through hard times before he hit it big with his gaming endorsements but most especially after his Tiktok dance went viral. 

How could this 6’1” muscled giant dance so effortlessly and gracefully? I cannot even coordinate my arms and legs without looking awkward. I have no rhythm or symmetry.




BTS CHOREOGRAPHY

My readers know my obsession with the supergroup BTS from South Korea, with all my blog posts gushing about this international group.

Here’s why I like (correction, LOVE) BTS.  

https://jcerrudocreations.blogspot.com/2022/04/why-i-like-bts-and-my-top-10-favorite.html

The 300-plus song catalog of a 13-year career is filled with a variety of songs that cater to all kinds of genres: pop, ballads, hip-hop, rock, R&B, soul, rap, jazz, and electronic dance music (EDM). Their videos are a feast for the eyes, sometimes overwhelming, while others are artistic and dramatic.

The choreography for the upbeat songs is simply amazing. The dance practice videos are exhilarating to watch. Even sans the glitzy costumes, magnificent sets, and fireworks, the dance practices are unbelievable. 

How can anyone be so limber? How could they not be gasping for air and out of breath? Their stamina may be attributed to these seven men practicing while on the treadmill. Heck, I get tired just watching them move. Oh, to be young.



 





PART 3- https://jcerrudocreations.blogspot.com/2019/07/guilty-pleasures-part-3-audio-books.html

Guilty Pleasures Part 2- https://jcerrudocreations.blogspot.com/2012/12/guilty-pleasures-part-2.html
Guilty Pleasures Part 1- 
http://jcerrudocreations.blogspot.com/2010/12/on-not-feeling-guilty-about-guilty.html