Tickling Ivory

Just a mere five days after her 92nd Birthday, my Grandmother, Lola Meding, passed away. At such a ripe old age, she would get compliments from everyone who marvels at how strong and alert she still was, compared to her frail contemporaries. More often than not, she would just laugh her funny little chuckle (Oh-hmm-hmm) and beam with a half-proud “Thank you”.


Now that she has moved on, it’s probably best to share her secret to longevity with the rest of the world. In fact, this is so secret that she probably didn’t even know about it herself. But, as most everyone who knew her would agree, this secret sustained her throughout her glorious and wonderful life – Lola Meding loved to tickle Ivory.

She specially loved to run her fingers down two main kinds of Ivory: The Mahjong tiles and the Piano keys.

Playing Mahjong was Lola Meding’s forte. She had the grace of a Jedi Master when she’d touch the tiles. Just like any Mahjong expert, she did not even have to see the face of her tile to know what it was. She would just feel it with the tips of her fingers, very much like a Braille specialist, then keep or throw the tile depending on her strategy, all within 5 seconds. When shuffling the mahjong tiles and building her wall, she would go into some kind of a meditative trance, most probably to prepare herself and her strategy for the next game. Maybe out of respect or fear, none of her children nor us, her grandchildren, could beat her in mahjong. She considered playing with her amigas at the Casino Espanol her perfect form of entertainment, raving about it wherever she is in the world. In fact, she always looked forward to it---she’d be dressed and ready to go a good hour before her mahjong session starts. She would always dress her best during these thrice weekly “tournaments” at the Casino Espanol because she knew she’d win handily over them most of the time.

Playing mahjong gave Lola Meding her relaxing daily exercise, and this also kept her brain alert and sharp. It was her expertise in this Chinese table game, and her wizardry on the piano keys that sustained Lola throughout the challenges in her life.

Lola Meding had the power of the Pied Piper when she’d be on the Piano. Her musical charm could soothe frayed nerves and calm anybody down. When she plays her favorite tunes, the whole house would literally be drawn to her. We would come up from the basement or down from the second floor just to listen to her tickling the keyboard with songs such as “The Music Box Dancer”, “Romanza de Amor” or Cebuano classics such as “Rosas Pandan” and “Usahay”. Waking up to Lola’s piano playing ensured a perfect day for us! She played the piano with the skill of a virtuoso and her music brought everyone together in peace.

Above all, Lola Meding’s secret to her wonderful life was catalyzed by a very powerful ingredient. She loved all of us, her grandchildren and greatgrandchildren, and she did so very much. That’s why it was very easy for us to love her back. Whether she’s here in Cebu, or with us in Manila, or with my cousins in New Jersey, she was always generous with her affection and always ready with her trademark greeting, “Halloo”, tickling our fancy like she would the mahjong tiles and the piano keys!

But no matter how well cared for, keyboards and tiles discolor and weather. Pianos lose their tune, and one can only play mahjong in so many games or alais, as how she would benchmark her games. In the end, the player must call it a day, but not without the satisfaction of a grand performance.

We have long been heaping praises at Lola Meding for her love and for everything she has done for us---her patience, her sacrifices, her funny little chuckle, her little quirks, her stories, her leche flan, her sweet tooth which we willingly shared, the cute little dresses she’d sew for the girls in the family, her faith and her legacy. Now, through these eulogies, we give her a standing ovation for her grand performance in life. Today, her concert hall is filled to the rafters with loving relatives, friends and strangers she has given the satisfaction of knowing her, whether for 92 years or just 5 seconds. Now, we proudly say to her, “Bravo, bravo, bravo, Lola Meding!”

If # 0002

IF you could spend one whole night with anyone in the world who is currently alive, who would you select?

The common answer to this question usually has something to do with sex and/or intimacy, in which the respondent would look for the most attractive person in his/her mind. But there are times when it's just about something more.

Right now, I guess my answer would have to depend also on what we would be doing. Since we don't wanna take the common answer, we can skip that and head for the uncommonfolk.

Even then there are a million faces, famous and not, flashing in my mind's eye faster than vegas slots and they stop like a missed jackpot, as two faces light up each eye.

I'd have to say it's a tie between BONO and OZZY. I find both of them great overall musicians and lyricists. Being emotional catalysts, lyrics provide a middle ground wherein everyday men and women can relate with the song and claim it as part of their lives. I'd probably ask either one of them how they write their songs. I'd ask them what inspires them. I'd ask historical questions, nonsensical questions, kidstuff questions, trivia and all sorts of babble.

Then I;d ask if we could collaborate. Ha. As if spending a whole night with them wasn't wishful thinking enough, I get to ask them to collab? I must really be delerious. But then again, the question was asked, and the answer came.

For the Love of ...

There's a little old saying that goes: "You don't know what you've got 'til it's gone". Ha. This is just me being nostalgic, I guess. Or maybe it's me having the case of separation anxiety. Or maybe both. I don't know exactly.

Back when SISIG (see greatest unknown band ever to rock) was still active, I would sometimes just sit quiet in a corner (having no instrument to play) and listen to the fantastic chaos of cosmic solos and staccato-legatto see-saw between Nuts (guitarist), Ced (same), Ernie (also), Gerald (ditto) and the bass-booming of Cha or Martin with the Parapapampamming of Carlo or Bitoy. More often than not, Time would lose its face as it became one of the many concepts frozen in awe of the wonderful wizardy of the guys.

Though at times it would be awkward and embarrassing that I do not know that song, while continue to paint the air with their music. There was this one song of which, until recently, I did not know the title. But because it had been played so often during jams, I had learned to appreciate, despite its lack of lyrics. Even until this day, Steve Vai's "For the Love of God" still takes me back to jamming days with SISIG, without a single care and ounce of pain. The magic of the song transcends all definition and logic. The arrangement, notes and sheer awesomeness of this immortal music piece drops my jaw everytime.




This version of the song particularly blows my mind as THE MR. VAI integrates classical instruments and band setup with his magical rock. I have always been a fan of integration and remakes, as SISIG would find new ways to play with the old, even if just among ourselves.

One day ... Someday... Hopefully soon... AGAIN.

R.I.P. to the Wild Cats of Rock

Death, in its many versions and forms, is too much for any metaphor to encapsulate. I've been trying to think of one for the past five minutes and the simplest one I can think of is a slap in the face. It stings, it hurts, but it wakes you up to reality, which in turn, has its own stinging and hurting.

I just heard about the "death" of one of my favorite bands -- Aerosmith. According to http://www.guardian.co.uk/, Guitarist Joe Perry has confirmed that "Steven (Tyler, Vocalist) quit as far as I can tell".

It really saddens me to see bands like Aerosmith go, but I know that they all have to go sometime. I mean, I'd rather have one band "die" or split up than fade into obscurity and obsoletion. But then again, since the members are still techincally still alive, who knows that there won't be a next time?

However, I'm a bit iffy about this little bit from Perry: "We'll probably find somebody else and then we'll be able to move Aerosmith up a notch." Sure, other great vocalists may have replaced some bands' iconic singers like Ronnie James Dio (for post-Ozzy Black Sabbath), Sammy Hagar (for post-David Lee Roth Van Halen), but in these days of lower standards, it becomes far more difficult to just pluck someone out of obscurity as a catalyst to lift the band "a notch higher". Case in point: INXS.

Should they get a new vocalist that is already famous to begin with, may or may not make it for them. This will probably result in either end of the extremes: either they'll be so great that they bring back the rock as it was meant to be (wailing, booming, shredding and banging) or they flop so hard they'll go into permanent hibernation.

This is just me upset, I guess.

Bonfire and Oktoberfest

I have never been to any Ateneo Championship Bonfire until last night. Entering the gates of the campus for the first time in a long time, I didn't know what to expect, really. I knew it wasn't going to be just a simple bonfire where pieces of wood would be set ablaze and we'd have roasted mallows and weiners while stories of glory would be told.

When I got to the GS parking lot, the place looked as if there was a school fair. Food stalls, concessionaire booths and lots of people. People who knew each other, young and old, all part of the festivities.

It reminded me a little of our school fairs back in high school and elementary where it was all about fun booths and being with friends, celebrating and forgetting about everything negative at least for that day.

Didn't stay too long at the bonfire, for I had a prior commitment to Manny's Oktoberfest. Left Ateneo around 8:45 pm to head for Manny's place, which I overshot on entry as I had forgotten how the house looked.

Friendly faces old and new were all present to celebrate another year of friendship, another year of life. Manny and Iea prepaed lots of drinks wo partner with the delicious goulash and the sausages. Different shapes and sizes, all yummy.

So here's to you guys and all of us, for another year.

The Climb - Miley Cyrus

As a musician (and a vocalist/lyricist), songs are not just pastimes to me. Music, especially songs with lyrics, is a philosophy to me. It is a reflection of philosophical perspectives put into words and enhanced by a melody. Though at times the tune may be simple, the words are so powerful that the song becomes timeless. Artists such as John Lennon, Bob Marley, Bob Dylan, Stevie Wonder and the lot of them have all written some powerful lyrics that have and will forever remain in our souls.

One such example of a powerful song (I decided to write about this while I was surfing the net and reencountered it) is Miley Cyrus' "The Climb". Surely critics may say that she's too mainstream to be philosophical, and others may say she probably didnt write it. Now, I don't know for sure who wrote the song, as I have not done much research on it, but for purposes of identification, her name will remain beside the title.

I'm not ashamed to admit that I watched the movie (as I watch the series), but I will say that I should have waited for it at home instead. That being said, lest we veer away from the topic, I'd have to say the song was the only part of the movie that made it worth going to the cinema. The lyrics of the song, especially the chorus, summarize any endeavor much the way a kung fu master would tell his student.

There’s always going to be another mountain

I’m always going to want to make it move

Always going to be an uphill battle,

Sometimes you going to have to lose,

Ain’t about how fast I get there,

Ain’t about what’s waiting on the other side

It’s the climb

Daddies can quote this to their sons, mothers to their daughters. It will sound cheesy, but it doesn't make it any less true. Having lived 28 years on the face of the Earth, I can safely assume that this will remain a constant truth.

Those that have heard the song may probably brush it off as another pop hit by "achy-breaky" Billy Ray's daughter, when I heard it the first time and the whole lot of times, I was awestruck. It hit the spot that people know is there but just can't seem to hit. Plus everything she said prior to it was encapsulated by the last line of the chorus and the manner by which it was sung. So direct. It's the climb. That's it.

No matter how beautiful the prize is, you will never appreciate it as much if you didn't earn it. It will be devoid of value if it is just given to you just like that. But on the flipside, even the smallest prize is treasured when compared to the blood, sweat and tears put out to earn it.

One such example is Graduation. Just because we don't graduate with honors, doesn't mean we don't attend the ceremonies. We attend the ceremonies because we owe it to ourselves and our parents to formally culminate the long, hard journey of education in which we journeyed hand in hand.

So to sum this up, I shall quote the immortal Steven Tyler: Life's a journey, not a destination...It's Amazing.