TRAVELOGUE: Norway, Sweden, and our 2025 European Class Reunion

 

TRAVELOGUE: Norway, Sweden, and our 2025 European Class Reunion

August 25 through September 6, 2026

A year-too-late blog post. 

One of my friends recently mentioned that she hadn't seen my blog post on my Norway trip last year, as I usually did after every trip. I guess I was too busy celebrating my retirement. But, in truth, I fell into a rabbit hole from my obsession with painting. The acrylics took over my life. 

My friend is planning a European trip and wanted to know if it was worth visiting Norway. I nodded enthusiastically and even told her I could happily spend an inordinate amount of time at a sidewalk cafe with my cup of latte, watching people pass by. The ambiance was great, people enjoying their stroll, not hurrying like in New York. A sense of peace and contentment filled me, and I thought, "I could live here".

On our 45^th anniversary since graduating from the Arellano University College of Nursing, sixteen classmates, with spouses and sisters, gathered in Norway for 4 days, then embarked on a cruise along the European coast via MSC Poesia Cruises, and landed in Sweden for a few days.

 Here's my blog post on our class reunion party that I posted last year, where we reminisced, played games, shared family updates, and laughed so hard until we had tears in our eyes and probably almost peed:  Reunion- 45 years later

NORWAY

For our class reunion, our classmate Alma and her husband, Homer, volunteered to plan the itinerary for the group’s 4-day stay in Norway. She had been in Oslo, the capital city, since we graduated from Nursing. I often wondered how fate brought us to different countries for our nursing careers. As much as I loved being a New Yorker, I am very envious of Norway’s universal health care and comprehensive social security system. The Norwegian government can afford it since it is the world's largest producer of oil and natural gas outside the Middle East.

Our group stayed at the Karl Johan Hotel, a historic 4-star boutique hotel with 160+ unique rooms (but no air conditioning), a glass rooftop, and a cozy lounge with a fireplace. The breakfast buffet was bountiful, with many Pinoy wait staff. Very convenient for its central location, right in the middle of the pedestrian walkway (was the hotel named for it or because of it?), near the train on one end and the Royal Palace at the other end of Karl Johan Gate road.

Oslo, nicknamed Tigerstaden, or "The Tiger City," hence the huge, mean-looking tiger in the middle of the town square. It is a vibrant capital and a haven for art and nature lovers, with historic buildings, quaint cafes, and cobblestone walkways.

The Royal Palace was impressive, with neoclassical architecture, Doric columns, and beautiful gardens. At the time of our visit, the royal family was in residence, so no tours were allowed inside the palace. The changing of the guard happens every 1:30pm.

It seems surreal that, as of this writing, a royal announcement was made that His Majesty King Harald passed away on August 28, 2026.

Akershus Fortress is one of Oslo's best attractions: a medieval castle that used to be a prison but was later converted into a home for royals. The huge estate has a cobblestone courtyard and lush grounds surrounded by fortress walls. No entrance fee needed.

Another landmark is the Oslo Opera House, with its striking geometric design inspired by icebergs and described as a “wave wall.”

The Munch Museum features paintings by Edvard Munch, a symbolist/expressionist painter known for his iconic works The Scream (1893) and Madonna (1894). We didn't have time to explore the art collection, but our group posed to recreate the agonized face in "The Scream." 

Regrettably, I think we looked comical and didn't accurately convey Munch's intent to show "a profound experience of existential dread related to the human condition."  In other words, the painting symbolized the anxiety of modern man. Ugh, I have seen similar faces when we received trauma alerts in our ERs.

On August 26, 2025, we visited the 340-acre Vigeland Sculpture Park in Frogner Park. It displays more than 200 sculptures by the prolific Norwegian artist Gustav Vigeland; it’s the world’s largest sculpture park by a single artist. Would you believe that admission is free and it is open 24/7?

"The sculptures symbolize the entire journey and cycle of human life, including universal themes of birth, struggle, anger, joy, death, and eternity, all depicted in naked figures."

A 100-meter bridge features 58 bronze statues, including the famous Angry Boy stomping his foot as if in a tantrum. The fountain is supported by six giant figures and surrounded by 20 bronze tree groups to depict the human life cycle.

The Monolith sculpture is a grand visual masterpiece and stands 17 meters above ground. Carved from a single stone block, it features 141 sculpted human figures clinging together. The word "monolith" has been used to describe a massive group of people who are non-diverse, rigid, and unchanging in their outlook. Well, we are definitely not monoliths.

Our group was easy to spot: Baby Boomers in bright green shirts that doubled as a beacon for lost members. As in any large group, gathering everyone for the group photo was quite an undertaking. Thank you to the husbands and the sisters patiently clicking away to record the classmates’ antics. The three sisters (Bheng, Poleng, and Lucy) were enjoying their elder sisters' shenanigans.

The Holmenkollen Skating Arena is a world-famous Nordic skiing and ski-jumping facility and has hosted several World Ski Championships and the 1952 World Olympics.

 

The Oslo Fjord summer evening cruise- we feasted on a Norwegian prawn shrimp buffet during the 3-hour sail on a traditional wooden sailing ship, with a fascinating view of the harbor, the fortress, the Opera House, and the verdant hills on our fjord sightseeing. The music reflected our Baby Boomer generation. The husbands enjoyed their own reunion; in fact, they were even more enthusiastic about their photo ops, even using our alumni tarpaulin.

 

MSC BOAT CRUISE

We set sail on August 29 with MSC Cruises, stopping in Copenhagen, Denmark; Warnemünde, Germany; and Gdansk, Poland. I missed the excursion stops in Latvia and Lithuania because of my hip pain. The excursions serve as a teaser of what each country offers because the port stops allow only about 5 hours of exploration. This may seem to be a good idea if you want to return for a longer stay in whatever country you fancy. Otherwise, you may get stranded and will have to catch the ship at the next port stop.

On the ship, there are many amenities that can entertain anyone who stays onboard. Spas, swimming pools, boutiques, gyms, beauty salons, massage parlors, and endless food. We had the White Night Party and some theater shows.  For dinner, the Pinoy chef cooked Sinigang na salmon and chicken adobo for us.  It was my first time on a cruise. I enjoyed the sumptuous breakfast buffet, the fabulous service from the cabin crew, and the nightly dinner.

I heard of a woman who bought a 15-year lease on a cruise ship with all her meals covered, housekeeping and laundry services, and routine medical care. Uh-oh, not interested.

 

COPENHAGEN, DENMARK

For this stop, my sister Bheng and I opted to take an excursion bus to Dragor, the most famous historic fishing village near Copenhagen. We walked through cobblestone streets by the scenic harbors with small fishing boats. The iconic 18th- and 19th-century yellow houses had red tiles or thatched roofs. From the harbor, we could see the bridge and the Swedish coast. As a surprise, the tour company treated us to delicious Danish bread and coffee.       

Copenhagen, “City of Spires”, is known for the spires and church towers that dot the horizontal skyline. Nyhavn is a 17th-century waterfront and entertainment district lined with brightly colored townhouses, wooden ships, restaurants, and lively cafes on each side of the canal.

A must-see attraction is the iconic Little Mermaid statue, a bronze statue by Edvard Eriksen. The statue is based on the 1837 fairy tale of Danish author Hans Christian Andersen about a mermaid who sacrificed her voice to become human. In 1989, Disney made the movie and named the little mermaid Ariel.

The sculpture sits on a rock by the waterside. I don’t know what kind of security the Langelinie promenade has, but the statue has been vandalized numerous times over the years. First, political rebels sawed off the statue's head, and it had to be replaced. The new head was decapitated again, but thankfully recovered.

 

WARNEMÜNDE and ROSTOCK, GERMANY

Warnemünde is one of the busiest German port towns on the Baltic Sea, and serves as a gateway to Rostock and Berlin. For this tour, my sister Bheng and I paired with Ampy and her husband Ofre to explore Warnemunde together. We hired an enthusiastic cab driver who negotiated a reasonable price to bring us to the tourist stops.

Schwerin Castle, located on a small island southeast of the old town, is regarded as one of the most important works of Romantic historicism in Europe for its picturesque, scenic viewpoints. The castle was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2024.

A fairy-tale setting on Lake Schwerin, with a majestic gold-domed building that formerly housed German dukes but is now a museum and the seat of the state parliament. The expansive, manicured gardens (Schlossgarten), designed in a mix of French and English styles, feature woodland paths, quiet canals, romantic bridges, and lush spaces that invite selfies and group photos. My favorite is the stunning “tunnel of greenery”. I later learned it is also called a "Laubengang." In English, it's a pergola, pleached tree tunnel, or green arbor.

Next, our driver drove us to the beautiful medieval town of Rostock. We strolled through the main street and Market Square with the pastel colored houses with gabled roofs and timbered facades.

 

GDANSK, POLAND

Gdańsk is a city on the Baltic coast of northern Poland, and the capital of the Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland's sixth-largest city and its major seaport. This is where World War II began, and it was rebuilt to its new grandeur at the end of the war, when Poland’s democracy movement was born.

This beautiful historic center is now adorned with Baroque, Dutch Renaissance, and Gothic buildings, along with colorful houses with gabled roofs and ornate facades.

Gdansk is the world capital of amber, the “Gold of the North.” The Museum of Amber exhibits the fascinating history of amber mining, which began in the 19th century. Amber is fossilized tree resin that early Europeans highly regarded. In Greek mythology, amber represented the tears of the Heliades sisters when their brother was killed by Zeus. The Vikings revered amber as a sacred stone, while the Slavs regarded it as the sun.

Amber comes in all shades of yellow, brown, red, and white, but the most common is honey-orange. It is mostly used as jewelry, but has also been used by Fabergé (as in those fabulous eggs crafted for the Russian tsars) and Salvador Dalí. 

I remember amber as that precious preservative for ancient dinosaurs. Just like in Jurassic Park, where the scientists extracted dinosaur DNA from amber resin of mosquitoes that bit T-Rex. 

 

SWEDEN

Sweden is the largest and most populous Nordic country, the twelfth-richest country in the world in terms of gross domestic product per capita. It was home to Greta Garbo, Ingrid Bergman, and Bjorn Borg, Astrid Lindgren (author of Pippi Longstocking), and the birthplace of IKEA ready-to-assemble furniture and Swedish meatballs. But indisputably, its greatest export is ABBA.

My must-see attraction is the ABBA Museum in Stockholm. I included Swedish pop songs in my musical soundtrack in my younger years. The group (Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad) won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1974 with their song Waterloo.

The ABBA Museum is an interactive museum where you can fulfill your secret fantasy to be the 5^th member of this legendary group and record yourself singing your favorite ABBA song.

We took the HOHO (Hop-on, Hop-off) bus to the ABBA Museum. We went inside the recording booth to sing along to ABBA. Never mind that we're off-key; who cares. Karaoke time at the ABBA Museum. We are the Dancing Queens. Bucket item checked off!!! Initially, it was just the four of us in the booth, then a few more classmates joined us.

The Old Town is the oldest part of Stockholm and another go-to destination, and it still has architectural beauty, with charming boutiques and cafes.

 

 

The AUCN reunion was definitely a memorable experience for all of us. A once-in-a-lifetime event. 

Travelogue: Boston, Massachusetts Road Trip

 

Travelogue: Boston, Massachusetts

Aug. 22-25, 2026

 The family decided to stay local for our August vacation; we weren’t in the mood to fly anywhere, so we chose historic Boston, another urban jungle like my beloved New York City. My sister Bheng, Jordan, and I shared a room, and my sister-in-law Nel and her daughters Charlene and Camille shared another room at the MidTown Hotel by Sonesta. It had been exactly two months since my brother passed away, so the road trip was part of our healing. It was time to create more memories.

Boston, the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Massachusetts, is the cultural and financial center of New England, a region of the Northeastern United States. It is a 3-hour, 27-minute drive from Queens, so we planned stops along coastal Connecticut.

Boston is near major universities like Harvard, MIT, and Tufts, in the cities of Cambridge and Somerville, known as the Brainpower Triangle. I even bought a “Wicked Smaaht” Boston T-shirt, which was meant to be spoken with the Boston accent, dropping the ‘r’. Do you know that “wicked" is a regional intensifier meaning "very"? Quite coincidental that we watched the Broadway show “Wicked” the day after we returned to New York.

Boston has many medical and research facilities (Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston Children's Hospital, Dana–Farber Cancer Institute, and Joslin Diabetes Center).

 

ITINERARY

I’m impressed by how the “Kids” (I know they’re grown, yeah) exerted so much effort to vet the tour stops and research the restaurants. Jordan created a whole spreadsheet of potential attractions and restaurants, with the girls suggesting a few, complete with popular menu items, but the adults just gave up and told them, "We'll go wherever you want to go."

No ChatGPT chart, but real-deal travel plans with travel coordinates figured out. Typical Millennials and Gen Z’s. I am 100% sure that they studied as hard in College, right? They just chuckled mysteriously at this question.

 

ATTRACTIONS

Duck Tours- part bus/part boat, an amphibious vehicle that drives down a ramp into the Charles River. This is easily the most enjoyable excursion we had. The Duck Tours traverse historical landmarks and unique neighborhoods that make Boston a city of firsts, the birthplace of freedom, and the “Cradle of Liberty” because of its role in the American Revolution. The 80-minute tour includes the 20-minute river ride.

The conDUCKtours certainly made it fun. We were lucky to have the delightful and unforgettable Papriqqa (double Q), a vivacious lady with multi-colored braids, a wicked sense of humor, extensive knowledge of her dear Boston, and a great memory for names. She got some volunteers to steer the boat as we descended into the Charles River, with the view of the Boston and Cambridge skylines. She was certainly popular, as several tourists on the street waved at her. She also got us to yell "Quack, quack" on cue. My son said I was too enthusiastic. She taught us how to pronounce "Harvard"", and also demonstrated several heart signs that younger kids had shared with her.

 

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

25 Evans Way, Boston, MA 02115

This art museum was founded in 1903 by Isabella Stewart Gardner, an American Art collector, patron of the arts, and philanthropist. Her collection included 7500 paintings, sculptures, tapestries, and decorative arts. Her will strictly detailed instructions on how to display her art.

I was thrilled to be surrounded by great art from Rembrandt, Michelangelo, Botticelli, Degas, Whistler, Raphael, and Titian.

The central courtyard is a photo-op opportunity with rotating seasonal floral displays and lush foliage. The 6-foot-tall starry blue-and-white chimney bellflowers are breathtaking.

 

 

Boston Public Library-

McKim Building at 700 Boylston Street in Copley Square

Opened in 1852, this is the first free, publicly funded municipal library in America with over 20 million items (books, maps, manuscripts) on display.  The architecture is spectacular; it almost felt like a grand European palace with massive stone arches, a grand staircase, and stunning murals by John Sargeant and de Chavannes.  There are collections of watercolors and drawings by Thomas Rowlandson and some early editions of Shakespeare.

I am a bibliophile, so I can imagine myself spending hours and hours in libraries like this and, of course, the New York Library.

 

Boston Garden

The first public botanical garden in America, this is an oasis in the midst of the urban jungle with beautifully manicured lawns and seasonal trees and flowers. With benches facing the pond, we enjoyed people-watching as all kinds of people promenaded along the path, some with dogs, and some with children. Near the pond, some ducks promenaded too, probably watching people too. It’s funny that they also poop on the grass, with some lifting their back leg.

For $15 a person, you can also ride the Swan boat for a 15-minute ride around the pond.

 

 

Elephant Migration Exhibit

Along Commonwealth Avenue (from Arlington Street to Fairfield Street in Back Bay)

This free public art exhibit features 100 life-sized elephant sculptures along Commonwealth Avenue from August 8 through September 13, 2026. They are on a global journey from East to West in the United States; they stopped in New York last year.  

The anatomically accurate wood sculptures were made from a repurposed invasive plant called Lantana camara by Indigenous artisans Southern India.

“The Great Elephant Migration is a global fundraising adventure to amplify Indigenous knowledge and inspire the human race to share space.”

https://thegreatelephantmigration.org/

And yes, since this is a fundraiser, you can buy the elephants (Calf, Adolescent, Matriarch, or Tusker) with prizes ranging from $8,500 to $22, 500. Sorry, the calves are sold out.

 

Other attractions:

Acorn Street in the historic Beacon Hill neighborhood- famous for its IG-worthy pictures of charming, picturesque Federal-style brick row houses, original cobblestone streets, antique cast-iron street lanterns, colorful doors, and vibrant floral window boxes. It is cited as the most photographed street in the United States.

Freedom Trail- I opted out of this 2.5-mile hike, but my niece Charlene (a history buff) powered through with the journey on an audio-guided tour. The walking tour, marked by a distinctive red line starting from Acorn Street, passed through16 significant historical sites, each telling the story of America’s illustrious past and quest for independence.

Piers Park- 

This is a beautifully landscaped park and a 600-foot pedestrian promenade, with a waterfront view of the Boston skyline. Sorry, Boston, nothing beats the Manhattan skyline.

FOOD TRIPS

Travel affords us the luxury and the excuse to enjoy the local restaurants. No fast food restaurants for us. If you look up the definition of “foodie” online, you might see my son’s and nieces’ names. They treat our food trips as adventures, as experiences to try new dishes, flavors, and cooking styles from various cultures. The way these young ones plan their food trips, you would think you're going on an important mission for the country.

Here’s a list of the restaurants we tried:

1.      GG at Home, Niantic, Connecticut. A quick stop with delicious sandwiches and baked goods. However, rain prevented us from exploring the beachwalk.

2.      Yunnan Kitchen- authentic Chinese cuisine from the Yunnan province. Great ambiance.

3.      Mahaniyom-  Thai food. Awarded the Michelin's Bib Gourmand and Northeast Cities Exceptional Cocktails Award. Served tapa-style, the food was great, especially beef massaman, pomelo salad, and chive cakes.

4.      Lolita Fort Point- modern Mexican-inspired cuisine. The décor is a little odd for me, with red candelabras and skulls for vases. The pink cotton candy was a surprise treat.

5.      Saltie Girl- a chic, nautical-yet-contemporary atmosphere. My favorites are clam chowder, pistachio tiramisu, lobster roll, fried artichoke, and the caviar dip. A little pricey.

6.      Jana Grill, Watertown, MA- Easily our favorite of the restaurants. They serve Mediterranean, Armenian, Lebanese. and Georgian cuisines. We demolished the food right after it was served. The Assorted Khorovats & Losh-Kebab Plate served on a charcuterie board was the best.

7.      Kuya Jay’s Ube Café, Somerville, MA. An unexpected trip out of Boston into Somerville to find the Ube café. The open market that we were planning to go to closed early. The café's co-owner, an Italian husband of a Filipina, was enthusiastic about the food in the Philippines. He was quite exuberant about Filipino culture and expressed his desire to expand Filipino food culture here in Boston. He said he has many non-Filipino customers who could not believe how food as purple as it was could taste so good. I loved the Ube Macchiato. We also met a family bringing their daughter to start her studies to become a lawyer at Harvard. Very impressive. The father said he had to delay his retirement to support her daughter’s studies since the family lived all the way in California.

 

Of course, the trip would not be complete without driving by Harvard University, the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Its prominent alumni include former Presidents Barack Obama and John F. Kennedy. Noted dropouts include Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg.

 

My Bucket-list Concert Reviews

 

Bucket-list Concert Wishes

A few years ago, I listed several concert wishes on my Bucket list. Goals manifested, thank God. Prayers answered. In the past three years, I watched Andre Rieu, Jin of BTS at his solo concert, and BTS on their comeback tour.

André Rieu is a Dutch violinist and conductor who founded the Johann Strauss Orchestra in 1987. “Rieu's concerts are more than just musical performances - they are experiences full of emotion, joy, and community. He brings people of all ages and cultures together to enjoy the sheer beauty of music. With his positive personality and humorous manner, he has managed to modernize the classical music scene and imbue it with a fresh, vivacious vibe.”, as written on his website. So very true.

BTS is actually the biggest musical group in the world right now. They are a global phenomenon. They are so successful that they represent roughly 0.3% of their country's total Gross Domestic Product.

The BTS supergroup released their new album on March 20, 2026, to huge critical and popular acclaim. They broke major streaming records in the US with their latest album and the biggest group debut of 2026 on Billboard. The group held free concerts in South Korea before embarking on a global sold-out tour across North America, South America, Australia, and Asia, including the Philippines; their last concert will be in Manila in March 2027.

Grammy What?

Seven men from South Korea whose music transcended the label of Asian pop and have recently opted out of the Grammys because they prefer their music to be "heard and loved for what it is, rather than being divided by region or language". They are topping international charts, have collaborated with other global singers, have broken streaming records, and are massively famous across all social media. Surely they deserve to compete in the Main categories, not be contained or limited to just an Asian category?

 

BTS Arirang concert, August 2, 2026

MetLife Stadium, New Jersey

Let me begin my superlatives: the most amazing, most invigorating, and, due to the adrenaline, most exhausting.  The sold-out Aug. 2 BTS concert at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey was the loudest concert I ever attended; the whole stadium was shaking, and the floors beneath me were vibrating as the ARMY jumped and sang along through the set list. The 80,000-strong crowd stood the whole time, except for the short breaks. 

Thank you to Debbie and her daughter Camille for convincing me to shell out money so I wouldn't be watching from the very rear. At least, we wore our BTS jerseys with our biases' names on the back, with matching clear bags. 

RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook returned as a group after their military duties in South Korea. This comeback, after 4 years, is unprecedented in how the world welcomed them with a smash album and sold-out concerts. The New York Times declared, “BTS is possibly the biggest act in the world since Michael Jackson."

The two-and-a-half-hour show went by very fast; BTS's frenetic dances and the dancers were matched by the crowd as we jumped and swayed, our matchsticks turning the whole stadium purple.  The stage was spectacular, inspired by Korean architecture, with an open layout providing 360-degree visibility, and an amazing fireworks display at the end. The massive screens zoomed in on the smooth, poreless faces of the BTS members to the audience's delight, especially when my Jin winked at the camera.

The setlist included most of the songs in their latest album “Arirang”, but there were also classic songs that even the newest fans would know, like “Dynamite”, Butter, and the explosive “Mic Drop”. BTS also gets to try out two surprise songs each show that their DJ would choose for them; perhaps a way to tease the fans and remind them that BTS has a massive discography of songs since they debuted in 2013.

I felt inadequate when I couldn't sing the lyrics verbatim. My friends sat two rows in front of me. The ladies on both sides of me knew the lyrics to almost every song, even the Korean lyrics to Mic Drop, Fire, and the folk song Arirang (shivers when the whole audience turned Korean for a moment). At least, I knew the fan chant and could do a few choreographies on Dynamite, Idol, and Swim. I didn't take any selfies, but I took so many videos that were unfortunately marred by my off-key singing and vigorous jumping. 

I loved the massive smash-up of “Fire” and “FYA,” and the siren voice in “Like Animal.” “Body to Body” morphed into the traditional folk anthem "Arirang". Billboard asked, "How many artists could pull off having a room of thousands serenade them with a traditional folk song in the crowd’s non-native language? “Into the Sun” was a perfect ending for a perfect show.

Jin is still my ultimate bias, but those 6 other men are my bias-wreckers. Ugh, one concert is not enough. I am now going through PCD (post-concert depression).

Yeah, they do not need a Grammy. They've transcended it. It felt good to sing "Aliens" and "Not Today." “All the underdogs in the world/ A day may come when we lose/ But it is not today/ Today, we fight.”

 

JIN of BTS, July 30, 2025

Prudential Center, New Jersey

When someone asked me what the first thing I would do when I retire would be, I answered without hesitation that I would attend Jin's upcoming solo concert in New Jersey. This Jin concert is my retirement gift to myself. 

Fresh from his discharge from the military after 18 months of service, Jin threw himself into keeping the BTS name alive while the other members were still fulfilling their commitment. Jin held a hugathon with his fans, carried the Olympic torch in the Paris Olympics, co-starred in a Netflix variety show (Kian's Bizarre B&B), launched his solo variety web series, participated in fashion events, and released two albums.

Jin’s solo world tour, the RUNSEOKJIN_EP. TOUR, was quite unique, nothing like any other concert I’ve seen where the stars would just perform their songs. The concert showcased his top-tier vocal talent, but also his delightful sense of humor and personality, not afraid to be both silly and sexy at the same time. The show was widely acclaimed by critics, and as 20,000 fans cheered loudly and energetically at the Prudential, it was quite obvious that this show was not traditional, but infused with that charming personality. Simply Jin.

Rolling Stone UK gave him a five-star review for the London show and hailed him as “a one-of-a-kind entertainer who brilliantly blended high-energy pop-rock vocals, live band instrumentation, and interactive variety-show comedy with his fans.”

Jin was simply excellent; he didn't phone in his performance, but gave it his all, with bulging neck veins and deltoids, too. Mr. WorldWide Handsome winked, smirked sexily, and blew us his trademark kiss. 

Jin skillfully engaged the fans with audience challenges like Sing Along ARMY, Connect ARMY, then donned an Alien costume to sing the surprising hit with the viral dance challenge, “Super Tuna”, then proceeded to tease/bully the fans with their version of the high-pitched song “Moon”.

The songs were culled from his back-to-back mini-albums “Happy” and "Echo” with additional songs from BTS like “Dynamite”, “Butter”, “Mikrokosmos”, and the emotional “Spring Day” which the fans continued to sing the chorus long after Jin stopped singing. 

For someone so conservative, he teased his fans by showing his shoulders, then finally shed his coat and gifted us his Dorito-like physique. His voice was steady, even with all the running on the stage; I would have huffed and puffed. My sister swooned at his majestic image; I screamed much louder, wielding my BTS Army lightstick in tempo. The audience was energetic and sang mostly off-key (oh, that was me). 

Jin carried his solo concert with aplomb, with no choreography, except for Super Tuna. He brought the concept of his TV series RunSeokJin with his hilarious games and fan interactions.

My favorite tracks: Epiphany (this song got me into BTS), I Will Come to You (Jin on the piano, flawless voice), Nothing Without Your Love (because he took his jacket off), Rope It (who'd think he'd go Country?), and Astronaut, which he sang lying down (just because). What the heck, I loved all his songs.

“I Will Come to You” is a poignant ballad sung by Jin with gentle and yearning emotion. He wrote it while he was on military duty. He came back and fulfilled his promise to the BTS Army after his military discharge.

ANDRE RIEU, Sept. 18, 2023,

UBS Arena, New York

"Volare!" Oops, I didn't even realize I was singing loudly until my other seatmate gave me the side-eye. Andre Rieu and his 60-piece Johann Strauss Orchestra in concert!!! Bucket list item checked. 

Never mind that instead of an open-air concert under the glittering Austrian skies with the majestic Schonbrunn Palace in the background, the venue is the UBS Arena in Elmont, NY, and my "sky" is the NY Islanders banners in the rafters. But as soon as the music started last night, I just imagined that I was in a more magical place. The vivid, spectacular backing screen and the elaborate costumes of historical romances created an ambiance you don't see at grungy metal rock concerts. The music was still the same joyous celebration: classical music mixed with pop hits, waltzes, movie soundtracks, and rousing, foot-stomping gospel.

Andre is a consummate showman, and even at 73, he cut a dashing figure as he played the violin, conducted the orchestra, and hammed it up with the audience. My favorite parts were many. I loved the 102-year-old veteran who played the saxophone; I was teary-eyed as Andre introduced the young soldiers (now veterans) who liberated Holland. The enthusiastic crowd sang along to "I Will Follow Him"; if you heard my voice in the recording, I apologize. 

The three sopranos sang a beautiful rendition of "The Rose", the tender, melancholic rendition of the Amanda McBroom composition, made famous by Bette Midler in her 1979 film. The clarinetist/bagpiper Manoe provided comic relief; the camaraderie between her and Andre was a joy to watch. 

As Andre himself predicted, the aisles filled out with dancing couples who waltzed as the iconic masterpiece "Blue Danube" played. How romantic. 

The Modern King of Waltz delivered a grand, spectacular, and fantabulous production. Even my Gen Z niece Charlene loved the show.  

I have done my share of concerts over the years, mostly Filipino singers like Lea Salonga, Marcelito Pomoy, and the REO Brothers. 

There are more items on my Bucket list: Pink, Bruno Mars, Andrea Bocelli, Morisette Amon, and SB-19.