ellen tordesillas – Page 58 – Making life worth living.

Kinaray-a writing contest

Published by Ellen on August 12, 2015

Kinaray-a is the language spoken mostly in West Visayas. It is spoken in Antique, where I come from.
Writer Alex de los Santos , author of the book, “The Rise of Kinaray-a”, said Kinaray-a is also spoken in some parts of Aklan and Capiz, most of Iloilo and even in Negros Occidental where the biggest number of sakadas, seasonal workers in haciendas, is Karay-a from Antique.

There’s a group of Antiqueños, who has taken up the advocacy of keeping Kinaray-a alive because language gives a person identity and reveals the richness of his culture. They maintain a website, “Dungug Kinaray-a Inc.”
U.S. based Ritchie D. Pagunsan, one of the primemovers of Dungug Kinaray-a alerted me to this year’s Kinaray-a writing contest .

Rossini’s La Cenerentola stirs anticipation

Published by Ellen on August 12, 2015

: Maestro Darrell Ang, Cenerentola herself (Karin Mushegain) and tenor Arthur Espiritu field questions from the press.

By Elizabeth Lolarga, VERA Files

Photos by Anna Leah Sarabia

THE cast and music directors of La Cenerentola promise not to change a thing that Gioachino Rossini had written in his opera. Well, maybe skip parts or let the voice of the storyteller take over but to change to make it easier for the human voice? No way, if Maestro Darrell Ang can help it.

Even young mezzo soprano Karin Mushegain, playing the title role of oppressed stepsister Angelina (a.k.a. Cenerentola) and who done the part more than 30 times in various opera houses abroad, said, “For the Manila audience, I wouldn’t change a thing: the glory of Rossini’s music in all its splendour must be revealed, layer by layer, note by note!”

Written when Rossini was in his mid-20s, La Cenerentola has a million notes and tongue-twisting lyrics. It presents a challenge to any seasoned classical musician, including instrumentalists.

Aquino allergic to SAF 44

Published by Ellen on August 9, 2015

Pres. Aquino at the PNP 114th anniversary. Photo by Joseph Vidal, Malacanang Photo Bureau.

With President Aquino, what you see is what you get.

He is not good at masking his lack of concern and sympathy for the everyday problems of Filipinos. Like when Tacloban businessman Kenneth Yu Uy complained to him during in his post-Yolanda visit to Tacloban in November 2013 about the peace and order breakdown in the typhoon-devastated province and he snapped at him “Eh buhay ka pa naman, di ba?” (Uy died last week of a heart attack.)

He is honest. He is no hypocrite.

That’s why Malacañang and Philippine National Police officials should stop making excuses about the deletion of the names two of the 44 members of the Special Action Force who died in the Mamasapano tragedy last January to capture two terrorists in the Wanted List of the United States.

‘Charot’

Published by Ellen on August 6, 2015

This is hilarious.

July 27- President Aquino delivered his 6th and last State- of- the- Nation- Address declaring his “Tuwid na Daan” a huge success . Just like in a TV show, he thanked a number of people including his clothes designer and hairdresser.

Those who were not able to see the President deliver the SONA can still enjoy the sidelights reading the transcript because it’s complete including the audience reactions. What was not included was the President’s coughing.

Vilma Santos: Best for Mar Roxas

Published by Ellen on August 4, 2015

Instead of acting like crybabies for not having lulled Sen. Grace Poe into their trap so she could not be an impediment to their standard bearer’s Malacañang dream, Liberal Party officials should work on getting Batangas Governor Vilma Santos-Recto as Mar Roxas running mate.

Ate Vi is the perfect partner for Roxas. She will provide what Roxas sorely lacks:masa appeal.

Santos-Recto is one of the few showbiz personalities who have successfully transitioned from the screen to the world of politics. She has gained respect as no-nonsense public official and has never been involved in any anomaly.

Endorsing Mar, Aquino insults Grace and his mother

Published by Ellen on August 2, 2015

Pres. Aquino's choice to succeed him: Interior Secretary Mar Roxas. Photo by Benhur Arcayan / Malacañang Photo Bureau) — Pres. Aquino’s choice to succeed him: Interior Secretary Mar Roxas. Photo by Benhur Arcayan / Malacañang Photo Bureau)

Is President Aquino that desperate that just to boost the chances of his “Annointed”‘ he had to insult Sen. Grace Poe and his mother, former President Cory Aquino?

In his speech endorsing Interior Secretary Mar Roxas for president in the 2016 elections, Aquino said:

“Sa paghahanap nga po, kinausap natin ang mga taong maaaring magpatuloy sa Daang Matuwid at ang maraming mga sektor. Kinapanayam ko ang tatlong tao, na sa aking pananaw ay kabalikat sa Daang Matuwid. Maganda nga po sana, na ang mga kailangan pang magsanay ay talaga pong magkakaroon ng pagkakataong mahinog at maunawaan ang tunay na lalim ng pagkapinuno. Sa akin pong paniniwala, itong tatlo, kung magkakasama-sama ay talagang matinding tambalan. Doon po, sa ngayon, ay hindi pa tayo nagtatagumpay. Nagkaunawaan po kami; mukha namang iisa ang aming hangarin, pero hindi eksaktong paraan ang nasasaisip para maabot ito.”

Aquino has learned lesson when to keep his mouth shut on China

Published by Ellen on July 30, 2015

Pres.Aquino delivering his sixth and last State-of-the-Nation address.

It can’t be said that President Aquino has not learned anything in the last five years of his presidency.

We would like to think that his not mentioning the issue with China over territorial claims in South China Sea in his 6th and last State of the Nation address is an indication that he has learned from his mistakes of making unnecessary insulting comments that do not help at all advance national interest.

Maybe his not feeling well last Monday did not give him the opportunity to adlib. Or he would have repeated his favorite historical story of Sudetenland and once again compared China to Nazi Germany. Just what he did in his interview with New York Times before and early this year in his press conference in Japan.

The assurance that Poe gave Aquino

Published by Ellen on July 22, 2015

Pres. Aquino and Sen. Grace Poe. File photo.

“ The President and I talked for about five hours. I could sense the very difficult position PNoy is in right now. I understand and sympathize with his predicament and situation. I consider him a true and sincere friend and he has my utmost respect. He reiterated his desire for all of us to continue working together and that he believes that, like him, we can and will do what is best for our country. In the end, we both agreed to continue, in whatever capacity, striving and working for our countrymen and for the betterment of our children’s future.”

That’s the statement of Sen. Grace Poe on her one-on-one meeting with President Aquino last Monday.

I agree with this playful remark in Facebook by Bryan E. Torculas: “Me reading between the lines: iindorso man kita o hindi, friends tayo ha pag nanalo kang Presidente. wag mo ko ipakulong, let’s break the tradition of imprisoning Phil. Presidents after their terms.. ha ha…”

With that assurance from the popular senator, it is hoped that Aquino would stop convincing Poe to be the running mate of the Liberal Party standard bearer. It’s getting tiresome.

‘It’s legal to conduct military activities in EEZs of other countries’ -Commander of U.S. Pacific Fleet

Published by Ellen on July 19, 2015

The commander of United States Pacific Fleet said it is the stand of the United States that international law allows them to conduct military activities in the 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zones of other countries.

Admiral Scott Harbison Swift , who was in the country last week as part of his familiarization tour having assumed the command last May 27, said “The common view of UNCLOS is that it allows military operations within the EEZ’s of many countries.”

He declared this U.S. position in an interview with a small group of reporters. Swift was asked about their view of freedom of navigation as China intensifies its activities in South China Sea like what was reported by CNN that the Chinese navy shooed away the U.S. surveillance plane over areas that China were reclaiming and constructing facilities in the disputed areas of South China Sea.

Antidote to inane and offensive TV shows : Don’t watch

Published by Ellen on July 15, 2015

A number of parents and single adult friends who happened to watch some episodes of Pinoy Big Brother 737 were appalled by the very sexual behavior of housemates, who are all teenagers –the youngest are 12 years old.

Which made me wonder, if the audience have that reaction watching the reality show, how about the parents of those housemates?

PBB 737 is the 12th PBB. Most of the previous shows were in the higher age brackets.

Big Brother is a reality game show franchise created by Dutch John de Mol. A group of people called “housemates” live together for a long period of time (In PBB 737, it’s seven weeks) in a specially constructed large house.

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