Steph and I just came back from George Michael’s Symphonica concert at Ahoy Rotterdam. The setlist is a bit nontraditional because the songs included are not-the-usual hits, covers and tributes. There is a mix of jazz tunes, a lot of melancholy and upbeat songs. Something for almost everyone. Most came from his covers album Songs from the Last Century and his final album Patience. There is a tribute to Amy Winehouse (“Love is a Losing Game”), a song about being gay (“Going to Town”) and some other covers that are never heard before in his past albums. There is a new song which Michael dedicates to his ex-partner (“Where I Hope You Are”).

The concert was a very wonderful experience for both of us. I am a big fan of Michael and I have all his albums (including some Wham! albums that I had to scour when internet was not yet the norm). I still have tapes of these albums. Tapes! The concert was on a stage with the members of the Symphonica concert on left and right and Michael and the piano (who seems to be the conductor as well) are on center. The background and lighting are visual feasts!

The stage:

Sorry about the head.

The attractive lady playing the violin seems tired.

Background singers and the piano:

Quite a visual feast:

The harp:

A shot while Michael is singing Feelin’ Good (the background does have some partial nudity):

Another shot:

Almost the end of the song Feelin’ Good (after which there is an encore):

I do not have a complete setlist but roughly we have the following songs (with links to my concert recordings in Youtube):

1. Through (from Patience)
2. My baby just cares for me (from Songs from the Last Century)
3. Idol
4. Cowboys and angels (from Listen Without Prejudice) — Terribly depressing, never performed live ever but highly recommended.
5. Kissing a fool (from Faith)
6. Going to a town (Rufus Wainwright cover)
7. Let her down easy (Terence Trent d’Arby cover) — Spend some time listening to the lyrics.
8. You have been loved (from Older) — Haunting as always.
9. Wild is the wind (from Songs from the Last Century, with a David Bowie touch) — Highly recommended.
10. Brother can you spare a dime (from Songs from the Last Century)
11. Patience (from Patience)
12. John and Elvis are dead (from Patience)
13. Roxanne (The Police cover)
14. Song To the siren (Tim Buckley cover)
15. A different corner (from the days of Wham!)
16. Where I hope you are (never released) — Highly recommended!
17. You’ve changed (from Songs from the Last Century)
18. True Faith (New Order cover) — Try comparing with the New Order version and see the differences.
19. Love is a losing game (Amy Winehouse cover)
20. Russian roulette (Rhianna cover) — More haunting than the Rhianna version and as a result, I was not able to record! Self-recommending!
21. Praying for time (from Listen Without Prejudice) — With slight changes to the usual lyrics since the song is already 20 years old.
22. Feeling good (Nina Simone cover)
23. Amazing / I’m your man / Freedom ’90 (from Patience, a Wham! track and Listen Without Prejudice) — Played during encore. Quite an enjoyable experience!
24. I remember you (from Songs from the Last Century)

I will upload some of the other songs once I finish some minor edits.

Hat tips to Newmark’s Door!

1. The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion. Started reading this on the train and finished about 15% between Rotterdam Centraal to Schiphol. Very engaging, poignant (though sometimes detached) description of reliving the sudden death of a loved one (in Didion’s case, her husband) at a New York hospital and how things preceding such a death seems to ordinary. It also does not help that their daughter was in a coma a few days earlier. An excerpt on how she was very forthcoming with an autopsy but was stunned by the suggestion of an obituary: “I remember a sense of shock. I wanted to say not yet but my mouth had gone dry. I could deal with “autopsy” but the notion of obituary had not occurred to me. “Obituary,” unlike “autopsy,” which was between me and John and the hospital, meant it had happened. I found myself wondering, with no sense of illogic, if it had also happened in Los Angeles. I was trying to work out what time it had been when he died and whether it was time yet in Los Angeles. (Was there time to go back? Could we have a different ending on Pacific time?) I recall beign seized by a pressing need not to let anyone at the Los Angeles Times learn what had happened by reading it in The New York Times.” Highly recommended.
2. A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan. Highly distorted by the temporal shifts in storytelling and the interrelatedness of different characters (mostly in the music business) across time, this novel is about what it means to grow old, to deal with the problems associated with looking back and evaluating past choices, to wrestle with being relevant when it is no longer your time and to accept limited forms of happiness. The goon squad here seems to be Lady Time and her shifting temperaments. Probably needs to be read twice.
3. The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 3/4 by Sue Townsend. Recommended by my thesis supervisor. Fun to read but could a teenage have this much angst? Adrian Mole is from a lower class background in Britain during the 80s and lives with his dysfunctional family. As you could guess, he ends up taking care of things at such a young age while struggling with acne, teenage relationships and the need to be an intellectual. Particularly funny are his attempts at poetry, his correspondence with the BBC and his on-off relationship with a girl named Pandora (Who wouldn’t fall for the girl’s name?). Self-recommending.
4. Super Sad True Love Story by Gary Shteyngart. Don’t let the book’s title mislead you. Although there is a love story which is really super super sad, the love story itself was quite predictable. The love story between Leonard and Eunice provides the structure for the novel. The almost twice Eunice’s age Leonard keeps diaries and books (in paper form) in a futuristic society where media and marketing dominates all spheres of human life. On the other hand, Eunice has a GlobalTeens account (similar to Facebook) where she records her conversations with a close friend about her family and her relationship with Leonard. Everyone in this novel has a PDA-like thing called an apparat where anyone could scan anyone for their profile, compatibility, sexuality and other usually private stuff at the touch of a button. While living in a society where youth is a commodity crucial for success and upward mobility, Leonard and Eunice pursue a relationship despite their baggage–from the need to recapture one’s youth to the obligations one has to family–and the pending collapse and the Chinese buying out America. A social critique about excesses and the virtues of growing old. Recommended.

The ceremony itself contained a lot of questions about raising children in a specific religion and so on. I wonder whether couples actually know how symbolic this could be or they might be taking it so lightly. In fact, I actually am a bit troubled about the inconsistency. If you take these questions by the priest likely, wouldn’t there be a higher likelihood that your own vows will be taken lightly as well? Even if you take your vows seriously, wouldn’t you in effect be “lying” to a symbolic church?

Actually, it seems cheaper to just get rid of the facility where weddings are held and choose a more neutral location—probably the place where pre-nuptial pictures are taken (since the photos always look beautiful after some post-processing)—and opt for a middle ground between a church wedding and a bohemian wedding. I think this would be nice practice for couples—compromise time or more crudely, bargaining hour. In fact, this compromise portion of the relationship (If you take weddings to be a big deal)

I actually wonder, when did women get the idea that having the gowns are all they have ever dreamed of? You always hear the argument that you only do it once. Well, you can do it as many times as you wish, right?

Filipino and Chinese weddings are a bit different. The wedding ceremony is almost similar. Chinese receptions are longer than Filipino receptions. Filipino receptions tend to have buffets while Chinese receptions are of the “pan to” nature or put a table and wait for the food to arrive one by one. Participants in both types of receptions are non-participative especially after eating. It is surprising that people don’t even do the basic minimum—clapping hands. Is it possible that participation is directly proportional to the monetary value of the gift?

1. There is a store in Greenbelt 5 that gives discounts if you take a stand on the RH Bill. They have bags for both sides! There are “I am pro-RH Bill” and “I am anti-RH Bill” bags for your purchases. The discounts for purchases are available regardless of your chosen stand. Amazing.
2. There are just too many restaurants here in Manila that it does not seem plausible that all of them are actually good. In fact, some are just ridiculously expensive for the price (even after conversion to euros). This is where I like German food. It is cheap and it fills you up for the entire day!
3. I also recently talked to a dear friend about the experience in the dating scene. Somehow our conversation went to deciding exclusivity. How would people who date even bring up the topic? There are some expectations and fears of rejection from both sides, right? So could exclusivity be implied? If so, how do you signal exclusivity? I am sure a lot of signals may tend to get confused. Why is it so bad to be straightforward about it?
4. Let us try another one from the dating scene. How would you ask for oral sex (I think this is a worthwhile alternative for both sides especially if they don’t want to rush into a more physical status.)? What is the threshold number of dates?
5. I also went with a dear friend to Draft at the Fort Strip. They were supposed to serve beer from the tap. What rotten luck, they don’t have the drinks from the tap at that time. So disappointing. As a result, we have to order bottles. I was looking for wheat beer so that my friend could try it out. The waiter says that they have Paulaner wheat beer. Great! I asked where it came from. He said Russia. (Oh dear.) When he showed me the bottle, I saw German words. It came from Munich (well it spelled Muenchen). They also sell a lot of other imported beers but the funniest beer they sell is Beck’s. People think that this is one of the better beers. Please. You could buy this in the grocery in Germany for less than the advertised price. So who wants to open a day pub here?

Day 26: A song that you can play on an instrument–Eurythmics’ Here Comes the Rain Again

I learned to play this song on my ukulele after giving up on the guitar. My fingers are not long enough or curvy enough to do the harder chords. It is frustrating. For ukulele, there are only 4 strings. I have played parts of Love Song by The Cure. Here is a live acoustic version.

Day 27: A song that I wish I could play–Hey Girl by Carole King

This song has been covered lots of times. This is the original though I miss the saxophone part found in Billy Joel‘s version. Here is Carole King (one of the best songwriters around–it will surprise you that songs you know are actually hers):

Day 28: A song that makes me feel guilty–Bruce Springsteen’s Hungry Heart

For those who have been to Berlin, I think you would agree that some parts of the video are shot in Berlin after the fall of the wall but before every chunk of the wall was given to other countries.Check it out if your eyes are fast enough. The song itself will make me feel guilty if I am as selfish as the person described in the lyrics.

Day 29: A song from your childhood–Eric Carmen’s Hungry Eyes

A song from Dirty Dancing and also sang by Stewie in a Family Guy episode. This is from Eric Carmen whom people would know from the song All By Myself (which was torn apart by the almighty Celine Dion).

There is an official video out there but again copyright restrictions!

Day 30 of the challenge is the most ridiculous of all. How could you possibly remember the song you liked a year ago? Come on.

It was fun while it lasted. I hope you did too.

In the episode, Larry David actually taught the girl how to use a tampon (while reading the instructions to her outside the bathroom). I think I would do the same but I would have given napkins instead if I have them. Or would I rush outside to buy one? How about you?

Now, should you be angry that I taught your daughter how to use a tampon?

From those opinion and news pieces I have read, it seems that everyone has a right to free travel. I think this is obvious enough in a democratic regime (regardless of flavor). The problem is the right of entry in a destination country. That is why you have a visa. When you apply for a tourist visa (at least for those covered under Schengen), the underlying principle seems to be that a tourist should demonstrate that he must have a place to return to in the Philippines. So, the unemployed have significantly less chances of getting their visas approved. A tourist could also conform with the above principle by demonstrating sufficient funds—bank statements (possibly with foreign currency and must signal significant liquidity), an airline ticket (if you like to take a risk), a confirmed hotel reservation in the destination country. In this case, the relatively wealthy are more likely to have a visa granted. Those tourists in a group duly registered with the embassy of the destination country will also have less hassles. An employment certificate with salary indicated and duration of work contract will also seal the deal.

In the above cases, when there is a reasonable inference that tourists are actually tourists, then a tourist visa will be granted. The problem are those who are trying to look for opportunities in a destination country by being inside the destination country masquerading as a tourist. This is why there are work visas available. The requirements here are stringent enough that once complied, a work visa seems straightforward already. Besides, once you get to the destination country, you will need to get a residence permit as well. Therefore, the embassies have a lot of due diligence required to make sure that they do their task of screening. They share the responsibility of making sure that entries into the country the embassy represents are valid.

So, it seems that tourist screening at the airports is not really required especially if people have visas to the destination country. Unless this is a blatant acknowledgement of the state that it is having trouble giving opportunities to the people it purportedly represents. As a consequence, Filipinos are desperately trying to find a way out to give a life to the people they left behind. Or the state is having trouble exercising its authority over illegal recruiters probably because of collusions between the state’s representatives and illegal recruiters.

Tourist screening may be necessary if the destination country has a weak state just like the Philippines. I am sure the Philippines knows what these countries are. Or they could look into the likely countries illegal recruiters use so that they could use those countries to hop illegal workers. For instance, gain entrance to country A using a tourist visa (this country could be a country where almost all visas are granted), then slip into nearby country B and gain fake papers. Or it could be a sequence of countries that would ultimately get the illegal worker into the desired destination country.

Notice the roundabout way of installing the illegal worker. There are substantial fees involved. If these workers are willing to take such risks and they have reasonably calculated or justified such risks, then it means that the benefits of staying in the Philippines are near nil for that worker. So the state, in its infinite wisdom, wanting to avoid imposing this kind of inconvenience for its citizens, should give these workers an alternative. I am not saying that the state should “create jobs” artificially as if jobs were empty seats. The state and the worker may find it mutually beneficial to establish links with legitimate companies and do some matching.

From the anecdotes I hear while abroad, it seems that Filipinas are treasured domestic helpers. There is nothing wrong with this. Dignity has got nothing to do with it. As long as they do their jobs well and they help their families gain a better life and following laws, their lives as domestic helpers are as dignified as any other worker. So why not set up a clearinghouse for domestic helpers. Match them with households who demand their services abroad. With Skype, interviews can be made online, right? Of course, I hope the state does not become an explicit matchmaking service for lonely foreigners. It is another thing when a Filipino wants to find a mate abroad. The state has got nothing to do with that anymore.

Christmas skies—just like any other day:

March 21:

March 28:

April 12: The tension almost ending.

April 13: Another brewing tension in the skies.

June 16: A bloody sky.

June 24: Red windy sunset.

June 24 again: Almost setting and almost raining?

What do people search for to get to this blog? Well, the top search terms indicate that they usually look for commentary on the RH Bill (guys, please read the damned bill before reading commentary), the poem by Tennessee Williams “Your Blinded Hand” which I found in the New Yorker and wanted to share, economics pick up lines, my name and commentary on the Winnie Monsod’s last lecture.

What posts were popular? Of course, the ones cited above. Some other popular posts include my recipes (your mileage may vary), mostly my commentaries, the Illustrated Guide to a PhD, the live concert blogs, and some of the commentary on The Great Gatsby.

What’s next for my blog? Hmmm… I am not sure. It would probably be upgraded to an academic page. But I am still trying to work out how to post frequently enough. If you have suggestions, do tell.

To all of you, thank you for reading!

On immigration:

1. I think any lay person commenting on immigration policy should read The Immigration Equation where there is a full discussion of the sources of frictions about immigration policies. Of course, if you have technical training, you should follow the journal articles in economics.
2. Jose Vargas’ reflection of his life as an undocumented immigrant reminds me of the dissimulation found in Philip Roth’s The Human Stain. It also reminds me of one of (I think) the biggest questions of human existence—Why is it that we have to do a lot of right things to right our past wrongs? Is it worth it? In fact, this question is heavily explored in movies and novels. Themes of guilt, redemption and forgiveness are popular in most movies and novels. A moral question arising from this situation is whether we could right wrongs by maintaining a good life after such wrongs.
3. Jose Vargas somehow demonstrated through his exercise of profession that any person could simulate or at least assimilate the cultural values of another society. I think this is what scares people the most aside from the economic implications of allowing borderless immigration. Somehow if our arbitrary attempts to demarcate cultural lines is an evolutionary tactic or worse, an outcome, then the immigration problem could never be completely solved.
4. We cannot escape the “stain” of our nationality and race, at least for now. Therefore, our conversations should probably more fruitfully directed towards finding the commonalities where differences persist. We somehow have to work hard to acknowledge our imperfections (and probably put a stop to political correctness–which is one form of stereotype licensing) and highlight that we all have the same dreams and aspirations. For instance, the American Dream, as it is usually called, is a dream shared by almost everyone—almost independent of class boundaries. I think humans have the same core values but just differ in degree.
5. One last note: The prospect of having borderless immigration upsets most people because competitive forces reduce the value of one’s abilities, wares and upbringing. Actually, I should point out that it does not reduce the value–competitive forces revalues one’s abilities, wares and upbringing. This is what scares people the most.
6. Of course, I am a bit pissed at Jose Vargas not for coming clean but at how he may have increased the likelihood of rejecting the applications of other Filipinos, who may have legitimate reasons for traveling to the United States (say on business or for school).Of course, this blame game could be extended to his family as well. But at the same time, I can’t blame them for trying to give a good life for Vargas. But until the immigration debates and his advocacy attempts have a resolution, the current generation of potential Filipino migrants (whether skilled or unskilled) will have a much difficult time pursuing their dreams and would have to bear some of the consequences of his actions.

On the worth of a college degree:

1. A college degree does confer benefits for people who lack certain endowments. For instance, a poor person would have difficulty to move up the social ladder or even helping his family out of poverty if he does not have the “skills” that a college degree certifies he may have. I put quotation marks around skills because it is not clear whether what we learn from college are the technical skills (those useful for a specific job) or soft skills (those useful regardless of the job). The differentiation across degrees might suggest that there are technical skills that could be conferred by a college degree. But again, not all college degrees are made equal (even those that have the same degree from the same school as you). Another example would be a person lacking in curiosity. A college education may help that person be inspired enough to be curious, as a result of social interactions. A person who does not know his standing in society and how to participate in it will also find it worthwhile to take a college education.
2. “Is a college degree worth it?” may actually be the wrong question to ask. I think the better question would be “Are you sure that you are getting into college for the right reasons?” Not everyone should go to college. Getting into college is like getting married. You would want to get it right. You also don’t want to get bored during and after. Both require some sex (and for some, a lot). Both require hard work to make it stick. Both have uncertain benefits and it takes a lot to be in the game.
3. From a sexual perspective, I think college has been a mechanism for some women and men (regardless of attractiveness) to be able to gain access into the marriage market. The choice set for potential mates becomes much larger. Of course, it would be nice to know how far a college degree takes you since its effects would likely be eroded once there are tons of people getting a degree. Hence, the need to differentiate and innovate. This also applies to the immigration problem. People don’t like change especially personal change. We need not only be recipients of benefits of innovation but be precursors of innovative activity regardless of domain.

On the 90s:

1. The most memorable thing about the 90s is the introduction of the Internet to the mainstream. It was virtually unbelievable to see so much by doing so little.
2. I bought my computer with my own blood, sweat, tears and money during the mid-90s. It cost 65000 PHP at that time. That was a lot of money at that time! Guess what is in it? Pentium III 550 MHz, 128MB RAM, 20GB hard disk, 32X CDROM, a Creative Soundblaster!, a motherboard from some Taiwanese company (whose capacitors blew up after a year) having three USB 1.1 ports (no USB 2.0 yet!), NVIDIA RIVA TNT2 graphics card, a 15 inch monitor (which had a factory defect) and Epson Stylus 640 printer. Now it costs less than 10000 PHP to buy the same items (if they still exist). Even then, it only took a small amount of time to reduce the value of my purchase. It was amazing and at the same time heartbreaking to see blood, sweat, tears and money go down the drain.
3. Flash was just starting at this time. It used to be a Macromedia product. Adobe Reader 3 was fast at this time.
4. I used to recompile the Linux kernel to get my sound card to work. KDE 2.0 was just introduced. It was fast but ugly then. Now it is less ugly but bloated. Take your pick.
5. The 90s was also the time when cable TV is more popular. There is no such thing as pay-per-view yet. In fact, my favorite Chinese channel, Star Movies, broadcasted a lot of softcore porn (e.g. the stupid yet funny Erotic Ghost Story series) around midnight. Tell me, isn’t this memorable? WOWOW (If you do not know what this channel is, there is an 80% chance you are lying.) was available a little bit later but was scrambled shortly after. There was also this channel where European softcore porn is broadcasted. I think I watched this Emmanuelle series.
6. Finally, who could forget Final Fantasy?

Days 21 to 25 involve songs that are more on the emotional side and songs for special occasions. First, a song that I listen to when I am happy is a very upbeat and sweet (despite to melancholic delivery) song called Heart.

Day 21: Pet Shop Boys’ Heart

Here is the official video. Try spotting a relatively young Ian McKellen in the video. Filmed in Slovenia, I think.

Of course, the concert version in their Pandemonium Tour is still a visual feast (with some visuals inspired by the stained glass window at Cologne Cathedral–which trumps the Notre Dame Cathedral any day). They have this box theme for the concert—the backdrop is made of stacked boxes and the performers wear boxes. Here is a complete version of the tour. The song Heart is the first song (about 3:10) in the set list. Feel free to continue listening to this wonderful concert! The next two songs are from their album Yes. One is also a remix of the playful Did You See Me Coming and the cynical Love Etc.

Next, a song I listen to when I am sad. Simple enough given my preference for songs with a touch of melancholy. You actually have to listen to the lyrics. For instance:

Have you ever watched the day, passing by your door/ Powerless to change its course, your feet fixed to the floor/ When all the people you thought you knew are changing more and more/ Even the girl you thought would see, seems only to ignore/ The only love worth fighting for – Have you ever had it blue.

Day 22: Style Council’s Have You Ever Had It Blue?

There is a concert recording but the quality is not as good as I hoped since it was recorded in 1984. Skip to 3:15. Song ends at 7:35. A long instrumental intro and nice jazz beats at the end.

It was hard to find an official video. A cover is available by someone named by Keith Brown so that you could hear the lyrics more clearly. I am not sure who he is but…

Next, a song that I would want to be played at my wedding. I actually want a Star Trek themed wedding or something very barebones. Today’s weddings seem to be too lavish (even if we argue from a worthy memory or milestone point of view). You can also see this in the relative surge in multimedia usage in weddings, concept album type pre-nuptial pictures and the wedding photo-booth (which seems cost-effective as a souvenir alternative). Some are actually high quality but I don’t know (Andrew shrugs and digresses.).

This song is more popularly known as a Rod Stewart song but is actually a cover of a 1989 song.

Day 23: Van Morrison’s Have I Told You Lately

Next, a song that I want to be played at my funeral. I initially wanted Brahms’ A German Requiem but my challenge is that the song should start with H and must come from 1980-1989. In fact, this song is an example of a song for which the covers are more popular than the original and there exists multiple versions of the lyrics.

Day 24: Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah

Try finding the other versions by Leonard Cohen across the years!

Finally, some comic relief. Find a song that makes you laugh. Here is something more special–both the video and the song is actually drop dead funny. You may know the singer, Thomas Dolby, from the cellphone ringtone of Howard Wollowitz. This guy sang She Blinded Me With Science which also has a hilarious video.The video for the chosen song is quite innovative for its times. It is a bit crude compared to A-ha’s Take On Me video (please if you were born during the 80s, there is absolutely no excuse for not having watched Take On Me, right?)

Day 25: Thomas Dolby’s Hyperactive

If you want She Blinded Me With Science, here it is: