Merry Christmas

"I'll remember to wish upon a star

And I hope that it brings me to where you are"

- Merry Christmas by Side A

one of my favorite cover songs that the band used to play is "Whenever I call you friend" mainly because of the harmony of their voices at the end. gave me goosebumps every time I heard it.

their new Christmas song makes me believe that even though they've changed a lot, they still are the SideA that we know and love. 

leevon and yubs split vocal duties on this song - so beautifully done, their voices interlace so closely together that it's hard to tell them apart. took me quite a few listens actually to figure out who's singing which lines... even more confusing, and really clever on their part, is that the two switch lines the second time through the lyrics. but my favorite parts really are when you hear all their voices together; vocal harmony at its best.

the bells at the beginning sound very Christmasy - close your eyes and you see a snowy night with Santa and his reindeers on your rooftop. except it's not really a happy kind of song. but not exactly sad either. it's somewhere in between - longing for that person you still love, yet still hopeful you'll be back in each other's arms. 

despite the sad tones though, you really can't help but smile when you're listening to the song. you know when people say, "music to my ears"? it's quite literally that. music. the kind you listen to over and over and never get tired of. the kind that just makes your heart sing. the kind that makes your soul glow. music. beautiful beautiful music.

so how do they still do it? how do they still captivate our hearts with every new song? brilliant minds, a whole lot of talent, and a great love for music. 

#tawapamore

Me: Ano uli name ng wife mo Kuya?

Ned: Her name is Rhia :)

Me: Rhia...asawa ni?

Ned: Ned! Hehehe. Asawa ni rhio! 

hahahahhaha! goodvibes lang. will post the "interview" soon. had so much fun doing it...thank you again, Kuya Ned!

i adore forevermore and for the rest of my life, but every now and then, i'm in the mood for some tila. there's just something about a tagalog love song. it's extra romantic...gives you that extra kilig. tagos sa puso. ;)

right now, i'm in love with this song.

********

Ngiti

Minamasdan kita
Nang hindi mo alam
Pinapangarap kong ikaw ay akin
Mapupulang labi
At matinkad mong ngiti
Umaabot hanggang sa langit

Huwag ka lang titingin sa akin
At baka matunaw ang puso kong sabik

Sa iyong ngiti ako'y nahuhumaling
At sa tuwing ikaw ay gagalaw
Ang mundo ko'y tumitigil
Para lang sayo
Ang awit ng aking puso
Sana'y mapansin mo rin
Ang lihim kong pagtingin

Minamahal kita ng di mo alam
Huwag ka sanang magagalit
Tinamaan yata talaga ang aking puso
Na dati akala ko'y manhid

Hindi pa rin makalapit
Inuunahan ng kaba sa aking dibdib

Sa iyong ngiti ako'y nahuhumaling
At sa tuwing ikaw ay lalapit
Ang mundo ko'y tumitigil
Ang pangalan mo sinisigaw ng puso
Sana'y madama mo rin
Ang lihim kong pagtingin

Sa iyong ngiti ako'y nahuhumaling
(Sa iyong ngiti)
Sa tuwing ikaw ay gagalaw
Ang mundo ko'y tumitigil
Para lang sa'yo...
(Para lang sa'yo ang awit ng aking puso)
Sana ay mapansin mo rin...
Ang lihim kong pagtingin
Sa iyong ngiti...

(sang by Ronnie Liang)

believe

"make a wish and place it in your heart. anything you want. everything you want. 
do you have it? good. now believe it can come true. you never know where the next miracle is gonna come from... the next smile... the next wish come true.
but if you believe that it's right around the corner... and you open your heart and mind to the possibility of it.. to the certainty of it.. you just might get the thing you're wishing for.
the world is full of magic. you just have to believe in it.
so make your wish. do you have it? good. now believe in it. with all your heart."
-- one tree hill. episode 5x13: echoes, silence, patience & grace.

baul

I was going through old entries/posts in my old blog and found this. How far I've come since then. Now there's a new new guy, and maybe I'll write a post like this 7 years from now. :)

**since i just discovered there's an app for this, I'm trying out a "running commentary" post. so...as I'd like to say, here goes nothing...

woke  up like... yey Friday! wait, no...ugh Tuesday pa lang?!

On the bright side... it's Zoo day! Yey!

argh forgot to charge my phone!

no matter how hard I try to listen to it or how many times i hit repeat, all I ever hear is "this time will soon be far"... bakit sabi sa lyrics "this time will soon be forgotten"?? di nga naman nag-mi-make sense na far yun time. 

why? why? why aren't you working? how the heck do you change css on the tile content? grrrrrr stupid ui5, mag-abap ka na lang nga.

oops almost time to go to the zoo, gotta get some lunch first. mmm beef pot pie looks good. bleh nope, it's not. 

carpooling with people you don't normally talk to everyday... umm awkward. 

ooooh sea lions!

where are you, mr polar bear? come out come out wherever you are. 

overheard: those penguins look ugly. hahaha!

where are the ice cream stands?

that monkey (or is that an ape?) be like... yeah, this is the life. 

lions napping. leopards napping. tiger in the water? i thought cats are afraid of the water.

a giraffe is born on average 6 ft and 125 lbs...wow sexy!

that elephant looks like he's eating poop..eww

papa bear, mama bear, baby bear.

ice cream! yes!

alright that's it...back to work. can i take my nap now? yes?! yey we can go home after!

oh boy...i think my tummy didn't like that ice cream. almost there almost there...

home! ahhhhhh

10,968 steps. alright my little fitbit, you can rest now. see you tomorrow.

**my day really is normally not this eventful. usually, it is an endless fight, a love-hate relationship with my laptop. today though we had a fun team-building event; hence, the zoo.

earworm

"wish I may wish I might find a way to your heart..."
that is what keeps playing in my head since I woke up this morning. over and over and over.

so what do I do? I look for something else to listen to. I thought, well hey, I know just what I need!

"just a dream and the wind to carry me, and soon I will be free."

"tila humihinto ang aking panahon, walang naririnig kundi huni ng ibong umaawit"

"how could you break down my disguise and uncover my fears? how could you look into my eyes ignoring tears?"

"the hardest part of letting go is not goodbye, it's knowing that she's gone but never knowing why"

"'coz I would rather be hurt than confused"

"heart of mine, how will you keep from dying?"

"maybe there's a chance to find a way to love again. maybe until then."

"pick up the pieces of this broken heart of mine. now i'm better, i'm stronger, and I know the reason why."

"I'm forever yours, faithfully. whooooa-oh-oh-oh"


bah...now i'm homesick. :(

SideA

Ok... so I can't very well start a new blog without writing about my favorite group ever!

this is SideA:

sure they look very different from when I fell in love with them 22 years ago but the very heart and soul of who they are remains the same. They are, after all, forevermore.

and even though I miss Kelly, JoeyB, and JoeyG, Leevon and Ned are turning out to be strong reasons I still am very much in love with this group. the new guy though...well, it'll take some time but I think I'll get there someday.
It was kinda sad to hear someone else sing Forevermore when I saw them 2 weeks ago so yeah, I think I need time.

...
copying below something I wrote around 3 months ago about their latest song, which they posted on their fb wall by the way!!! (as i said before, how awesome was that?!!!)


Side note: As I'm listening right now to said song, I can't help but think this song is sooo aldub..."can you remember how this fairytale began and did you notice how far we got since then?"..... Wow fantastic baby dance wooohooo! hahahaha
...


What can I say about the song "For The Rest Of My Life"?


You know, when you're in a hotel lobby...a real fancy hotel lobby...and then someone starts playing the grand piano in the corner, and you stop whatever it is you're doing because whatever you're hearing is just so beautiful, and you turn to look because you really just can't help it. And then someone sings to the music with the voice of an angel, and you simply stare because you're mesmerized. The world stops and every inch of your being hangs on to every word and to note after note after note.
It is a lot like that. Magical. Enthralling. Beautiful.

To say this song is another "Forevermore" in the making may be a tall order right now but certainly not an impossibility. I can already imagine this song gracing quite a few weddings.
Ned may have big shoes to fill, but he doesn't necessarily have to. He is showing us all that he wears his own shoes and wears them quite nicely.

And Leevon may be no JoeyG, but he actually proves us all right that he is equally deserving of all awe and adoration. Really...how can you not just fall in love with that voice?

And SideA... I love them... no, scratch that. "I have always been a little more than just in love with" these guys, and I am so so proud of them! I know I say that a lot but I feel (I hope) I will continue to say that a lot more for years yet to come. To me, they can never do wrong...well, except maybe stop making music.
I love that they are not afraid to get off their usual well-travelled track and yet they stay true to what they are about. The song has a little different style from their previous songs but tugs at the heartstrings just as much.

And let us not forget the music video. Don't be fooled by what may seem to be a cheesy lovey-dovey video; watch it to the very end and it could very well surprise you. Props to Leevon for the acting performance and the rest of the guys for their cameos.

"So now and forever or until my life is done...for as long as I'm alive, you'll always be the only one."
Sounds like a winner to me.
***********************************
Song: For the rest of my life
Composed by: Ned Lawrence Esguerra
Performed by: Side A
official music video: http://youtu.be/v3vEeeQ1Tx0
even better live...wow! http://youtu.be/fCyDLt94EXQ
available in itunes: https://itun.es/us/D61x8?i=1012884638