Beauty and the Beast

Last night Jules, Jojo and I drove 53 miles (one way) to the Fred Kavli Theater in Thousand Oaks to watch the Broadway production of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. I’ve been looking forward to this for over a month. I have to say the wait, the drive and the cost of the tickets were all worth it. This has got to be one of the best musical productions I have ever watched. I was in complete awe from the first scene all the way till the actors took their final bow. I’ve seen a lot of theater productions, plays and musicals, I’ve enjoyed many both here and back home. And I have to say Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” is easily in my top three.

For those who have lived in a cave all their lives and are not familiar with the fairytale, let me give a quick recap. Beauty and the Beast is about … well … a young beauty who falls in love with a beast (despite his hideous appearance and gruff nature). The beauty sees past the physical and falls in love with the beast’s soul and character. True love breaks the spell the beast is under, turning him back into the handsome prince he once was. He sheds his beastly appearance – which was a result of a curse placed on him by a fairy hoping to teach him about humility and prejudice. As with all fairy tales, they live happily ever after. Disney takes it a bit further and spins off the tale of Belle and the Beast with a cast of characters such as Gaston (Belle’s arrogant and obnoxious suitor); Lefou (Gaston's slow-witted side kick), and an array of the Beast's household servants turned into household objects as part of the curse - Lumiere (a candlestick), Cogsworth (as a self-winding mantle clock), Mrs. Potts (a teapot), and many more. The Disney version, as with all things Disney, is a musical extravaganza that makes every little girl dream of one day becoming a princess like Belle.

The Broadway production is the same way. From the first scene, where Belle sings of finding more to life than the provincial town she is from, to the finale where Belle admits she loves the dying Beast that breaks the spell which turns him back into the prince, I was glued to my seat and half wishing the play would go on and on. I loved how the musical took all the good parts of the Disney animated version, so all the familiar songs were performed: songs like “Belle” (which opened the show), “Gaston” (performed by the townsfolkin the tavern), “Be Our Guest” (performed by Lumiere and all the staff at the Beast’s castle), “Something There” (as Belle and the Beast start to see something more in each other), and the show’s classic and haunting song “Beauty and the Beast” (as the pair enjoy their first dance). The musical numbers were breathtaking and literally gave me chills down my spine. I was so excited to hear the recognizable tunes. But more than that, the musical had original songs as well, that helped tell the unfolding story. It was both familiar and new at the same time.

The cast was awesome! The young lady who played Belle (Ashley Moniz) was incredible. I thought she personified Belle in her every song, dance and with every line she uttered. The Beast/Prince (Chris Warren Gilbert) was intimidating and fascinating all at the same time. But my personal favorites of the night were Matt Merchant who gave a fantastic performance of Gaston. Despite being the show’s antagonist he was someone you looked forward to watching prance around the stage and break into song. I also loved Joshua Finkel, as the randy French candlestick, who was charming and brilliant in bringing his character, Lumiere, to life. Everyone else from Maurice (Belle’s dad) to Madame De La Grande Bouche (the opera singing bureau) were wonderful. The ensemble (both the adult and children group) all had great singing voices and performed such wonderful dance numbers and really brought such a classic story to life.

My favorite was the scene where the castle staff welcomed Belle to the castle through a dinner show entitled “Be Our Guest”. The song was catchy and the scene was really spectacular with dancing ladies (dressed as dishes) and handsome men (as cutlery), a salt and pepper shaker doing the whirling dervish dance, a human floormat tumbling across the stage, ladies as feather dusters doing the can-can, and candlesticks performing a cabaret. It was so well done I got goosebumps watching them thrill the crowd.

What I thought was the best part was the way the stage was set (there were different set backgrounds and props for almost every scene). The way they changed sets was so seamless you didn’t seem to notice as you found yourself transported to an enchanted forest, to Belle’s charming town, to the cavernous castle, and to the beautiful, sparkling grand ballroom. It was absolutely perfect. And the costumes were so good too. It was amazing how Lumiere really did look like a human candlestick, complete with glowing wax candles for his arms; Babbette was both a French maid and a feather duster, and on and on and on. I also loved how Belle’s and the Beast’s costumes were exact replicas of the dashing finery their animated characters had in the movie-version.

This was indeed a magical experience. I can not rave about it enough. If any of you ever have the chance to watch a touring performance of “Beauty and the Beast” in your city or find yourselves visiting the Broadway theater district in NY – you absolutely should go see this show!!! This is an incredible treat for the eyes, heart and soul - not just for kids but for adults too. Even my hubby who is a would rather watch a blockbuster movie than sit through live theater enjoyed himself. It’s truly a feast for the senses and a great way to spend 3 hours of your life.

Dinnertime

One of the things I remember most fondly are lively and fun family dinners we had every evening. What do I love about those dinners? Well, for starters, it was the one time in the entire day when my whole family would converge in our dining room and spend time regaling each other on our day’s adventures and mishaps. Everyone had their own thing going so this was the only time for storytelling, laughing and teasing. Admittedly, most of the airtime was dominated by yours truly, Joy would be a close second, and trailing not far behind was our dear dad (aka “Babbling Brook”). My mom, Atsi, Jules and Jim were a great audience, but believe me, they had their moments too!

Another thing I loved about family dinners, was , well … the food. Where do I begin? My mom is a big believer in well-balanced meals. So on a given night, we would have a representation of all major food groups – we’d have a meat dish, a veggie dish, a seafood dish, soup, and carbs (rice, pasta, potatoes or bread). For dessert, there was always an array of fresh fruits and something homemade like my mom’s apple cake, banana bread, brownies, food for the gods, cream puffs or some other thing she’d have baking in the oven. My mom is also a believer in theme dinners – so not only were our dinners well-balanced – they were coordinated too. We had Mexican night, and Italian night, and Chinese night, and so on … it was a regular United Nations convention at our place. We also had backyard barbecues, or a soup and salad buffet, or sometimes as a treat we’d have homemade pizza (where each one could top their own pie with their favorite toppings). Dinner at our home is never reheated leftovers or a dish where the ingredients are thrown together into a pot after cleaning out the fridge.

Sometimes I’d wonder what it was that really drew us to that table … was it the company or the food? I’d like to think it was a little bit of both. It also drew many others to join us for dinner - school friends, co-workers, cousins staying over, out of town guests, and stray people we took home. My parents are big believers that hospitality means feeding guests well and making them welcome at the table. Many of our friends would often ask if this is how we normally had dinner or if they were lucky enough to be invited to a party. It always made me laugh because to us, this is what a family dinner was all about!

When I moved to Berkeley, dinners were not as lavish but still gatherings around the table. I lived in an apartment complex with my fellow students and every night we would gather for dinner (and study sessions) in someone’s kitchen. My roommate was Turkish and a great cook so I got to try yummy Turkish delicacies. Inevitably it became my turn to host a dinner and I had promised my friends I would make adobo (most likely the Philippine national dish). That afternoon, standing in the kitchen, I discovered that culinary genius is not hereditary and apparently eating good food all these years does not automatically make one a good cook. I guess the upside to having a gourmet for a mom is eating well and appreciating fine cuisine. The downside to having Judy (aka “the Domestic Diva”) in the kitchen is none of us ever had to lift a finger when it came to cooking – which meant I grew up not knowing a mortar from a pestle. The first time I made adobo, I was so grossed out by holding raw chicken, I dumped the entire contents of the tray into a hot frying pan – chicken parts and the plastic mat at the bottom of the tray included! I consequently burned the chicken, melted the plastic and ruined the pan – not to mention bathed our tiny kitchen in the aroma of burned rubber for a couple of days.

When I moved to LA and lived all by my lonesome, I had to give up on having dinner with family and friends but was determined I would not compromise the quality of my meals. Armed with my mom’s recipes and advice from my favorite Food Network stars, I ventured into the culinary universe. I must admit my first forays were dismal and sometimes frightening (for the unlucky diners), but little by little I gained confidence in the kitchen. I was finally cooking, preparing meals, hosting dinners and contributing to potlucks. Of course, my early culinary experiences were mostly a hit or miss so I always had a take out menu on hand as a back-up. I can’t really say this was the start of my becoming a self-taught chef. As much as I tried to prepare good meals, there were times when even if the mind and spirit were willing – the flesh was just too tired, stressed out and weak. I had my share of meals that I know would make my mom cringe – “student meals” that were fast, cheap and tasty – never mind if they were unhealthy or eaten straight out of a can. Every time I had one of those meals, like microwaved spam and day-old rice, I could hear my mom’s voice, which would prompt me to eat an orange to compromise.

Now that I’m married, I’m finding myself looking forward to doing more cooking and entertaining. I guess it’s easier for me since now I get some help in the kitchen. Plus it’s always nice cooking for someone – especially someone like Jojo, who is so easy to please and who is so generous with praise. These days, I pride myself on having my own specialties and can be counted on to prepare a good meal from start to finish (just ask those who’ve been lucky enough to have dinner at our place!). Of course, with our busy schedules and depending on the time of the week (where our fridge could be empty or full), there are still hit or miss dinners – but honestly, more hits than misses now. But what matters more, is that Jojo and I have taken the tradition of sitting down to dinner every night, catching up on each other’s day, and enjoying the quiet time whether it’s a well-prepared home-cooked dinner or a hastily heated bowl of canned chili and hotdogs.

My Life Thus Far

I’ve been reevaluating my life thus far. Maybe this is me having a premature mid-life crisis. Or maybe, on this extremely RARE occasion where I have some free time on my hands, I’ve been given a chance to slow down and do some thinking. I’ve been considering the things I’ve done so far, where I am at this point in my life, and what I want to accomplish in the years to come. I’ve been reflecting on what are the things that are important to me, the lessons I’ve learned, and what I’ve found out about myself through the years.

I guess at the ripe old age of 32, I’ve had my share of ups and downs. I’ve had interesting experiences, both good and bad. I think everything I’ve gone through has been important in shaping who I am today. And although I’ve had my share of disappointments and regrets, I don’t think I would do anything differently should I be given the chance, since all the things that have happened to me, have played a part in making me who I am today. There are things I still don’t understand and sometimes question, but I guess, as with all things, the answers will be revealed in due time.

All things considered, I am happy with my life. I’ve been incredibly blessed with my family (both the family I was born into, my in-laws and my hubby). I think Jojo and I are ready for parenthood and I sometimes wonder why we have not yet been blessed with a child. But I know that there is a reason for that and when that blessing comes, it will be the right time and for the right reason.

My career has been colorful. I started as a part-time pre-school teacher, worked as a sales and marketing person, dabbled in market research, experienced life as an external HR/OD consultant, and am now working as a corporate training manager. I’ve gotten a bachelors degree in development studies, studied international marketing, went for graduate studies in organizational psychology, and a certificate in human resources. I see that although each of my professional and educational experiences has been different each one has serendipitously also contributed to the next step in my career development. There are days when I still feel challenged by what I do, but more and more I am thinking that the corporate world is not for me. I have been thinking about what kind of job I would be passionate about and would actually look forward to waking up for every morning. It’s strange how my thoughts seem to lead me back to what I used to do, somewhere in the realm of teaching and working with kids, where I got so much more satisfaction and happiness.

The other areas in my life such as my faith, friendships, relationships, health, and finances have had their shares of ups and downs. But in all honesty, I’ve been lucky because the ups have definitely outweighed the downs. And in general, there are very few things I can really complain about. I’ve lived a happy, sheltered life in Manila and a much more independent one here in the States. There are days when I prefer one over the other for different reasons. But lately am realizing that coming here may have been one of the best things that I have decided to do. I’ve learned to be self-reliant and strong. I’ve learned acceptance and flexibility. I’ve learned how to be more patient and to understand that the things that matter most are the ones worth waiting for.

My priorities in life have changed as well. I used to think that a good career meant a management job with a high profile salary. But lately I am starting to realize that money is not everything and that a good paycheck is only one part of job satisfaction. I used to think having a ton of friends was important but now I appreciate the quality of true friendship much more than the quantity of acquaintances. I used to thrive on having people around me … all the time. I was one of those people who could not enjoy a meal alone in a restaurant or go shopping by myself in the mall. But these days, I have learned to be much more comfortable with myself and actually look forward to indulging myself in alone-time.

I am at a point in my life where I am facing a crossroad. There are decisions I need to make to determine what the next part of my life has in store for me. While there are definitely no guarantees as to what the future holds and that sometimes our making decisions in life can be compared to a game of chance, I do believe that we have the power to choose to be happy. I have realized that our fate is not predetermined and that we have the power to pave our own destiny. If we end up miserable and living a life with no purpose and no passion, we only have ourselves to blame, since in the end, we are ultimately responsible for our own happiness and in shaping our own fate.

Happy Birthday, Father Bear!

Today is my dad’s birthday. Every year my brothers, sisters and I have such a tough time trying to figure out what to get my dad. After all, I’ve asked this before, “what do you get a man who has everything!?”. Seriously it’s tough! But this year, my sister came up with a brilliant idea. We would take care of footing the bill for one of my dad’s parties. Let me back track a bit and explain that every year my dad has several birthday parties. Unlike most people, my dad does not have a 1-day birthday celebration – rather, he has a month-long birthday blowout (several parties with different groups of family and friends). This year was no different. He has 4 parties planned over a span of 3 weeks. As our gift, my sisters, brothers and I were all chipping in to take care of his birthday lunch with family.

It’s a great gift since I know my dad would be extremely touched by this small gesture. Also since Jules, Jojo and I are way over here – this was our small way to share in the family celebration. But lastly, it’s a gift that’s absolutely perfect for a man who has everything but has a soft side for intimate gestures from his family :)

Happy Birthday, Dad! I wish you lots of happiness, love, blessings and good health. I am thrilled that you liked our gift. Like I wrote in my last letter to you, this is our way of turning the tables on you … you have given us so much and every year on our birthdays you generously lavished us with parties, gifts and all sorts of treats … this is our way of giving only a small part of that back to you.

I am glad we made you happy, Dad. Seeing you this happy has made us very happy too and truly makes doing this so worthwhile for all of us. I say – this should be the start of another family tradition! I know I speak for everyone in saying “we love you very much and we thank you for being the best dad – ever”. We really hope that next year we’ll be there to celebrate with you in-person. :)

Weekend

This weekend we celebrated, our niece, Maddie’s birthday. It’s pretty amazing that she is already three years old. It seems like just yesterday when we would take turns holding this beautiful newborn baby … and today she’s a lively but still beautiful little girl. Although it was a warm, sunny Saturday, we all gathered in my sis-in-law’s backyard for food, fun and games. We started out with parlor games for the kids but by the time we all had our share of spaghetti and cake, we decided that we wanted in on all the fun. The second round of games were for the “not so young” but the still young at heart. We played Musical Chairs, Statue Dance, and a couple’s version of the Egg Toss. While we all gave in to our inner child, I was reminded of how fun simple parlor games could be – even if we were playing for dollar prizes!

On Sunday, Jojo and I took it easy, woke up late, and prepared brunch together. We had a typical Pinoy brunch – sinangag (garlic fried rice), crispy spam, sunny-side-up eggs, tuyo (dried herring) soaked in spicy vinegar, and chopped fresh tomatoes. This is my favorite kind of comfort food. I can not think of any gourmet meal from any fine dining establishment that I would rather have than a Pinoy breakfast.

Sunday evening, we had my friend, Ray, and his wife, Janice, over our place. They are here for a couple of months from Manila. I’ve known Ray since high school and since the Filipino-Chinese community in Manila is really small we have a lot of common friends. We also hung out a couple of times when we both lived in the Bay Area (I was based in Berkeley and he was living in Palo Alto). Unfortunately we missed each others’ weddings (my grad school graduation was the same weekend as Ray’s wedding, and he was on a cruise with his family during my wedding). As a result, I’ve never met his wife, Janice, and he’s never met Jojo. So last Sunday was an evening of catching up and getting to know each other.

I decided to invite Ray and Janice to a home-cooked meal rather than meet up for a meal in a restaurant. Entertaining at home is much more relaxed than sitting in a restaurant and it’s great how no one stares at you if you linger too long over each course or laugh out a little too loudly. I’m also very proud of our house and enjoy showing off our cozy, homey, comfortable home. Plus, entertaining at home is a much more personal experience that you reserve for special people and those whom you want to build special memories with.

I prepared one of the meals I am most proud of making. It’s a delicious (or so I’m told!) 4-course meal that looks like I spent the entire afternoon slaving over but is actually super easy to make. We started with a Caesar salad (tossed romaine hearts, croutons, cold chicken strips and parmesan cheese with a creamy dressing). For our main course I had my version of a shrimp scampi dish - (it has all the elements of scampi – lemon, anchovy paste, garlic and red pepper flakes) – my twist is I put in a healthy dollop of pesto too and toss the mixture with spaghettini and grated parmesan cheese. So it’s a pesto scampi pasta dish. I also had a roasted porkloin (marinated with lots of fresh garlic, rosemary and olive oil). It goes with a rich gravy flavored with the porkloin drippings and white wine. For dessert I served a huge bowl of summer fruits (strawberries, melons, blueberries, mangoes and kiwis). After dinner, we played some Wii, told lots of stories and called it a night when we found out it was almost 11 PM.

It was a nice weekend. Enjoying time with family, relaxing with my hubby, enjoying good meals and entertaining old and new friends at home. After great weekends like that, it’s really hard waking up to face a Monday morning!