Litratong Pinoy #101: Wala na (Gone)

A family friend whose son plays in the prestigious Cadets Marching Band requested that I bake a cake for him for when he performed at the New Meadowlands Stadium in Secaucus, New Jersey last Sunday night (August 7th).

They have such a huge following that fans of all ages and types, even perhaps those on social security disability, were there to watch and cheer and marvel at their musical coordination and choreography on the field.

Their official colors are maroon and gold, so I set out to use those colors for the cake. The most challenging part was making the maroon color, as the burgundy icing color that I have looked fuschia at first. That meant adding more amounts of the color to the icing and the fondant. The stripes on the cake and the centerpiece marching band hat with angel and demon wings are the only fondant elements, the rest is icing. This is what burgundy did to my hands:

Like I massaged a maroon Oompa Loompa!

In their "Tour of the Champions" performance, their theme was "Between Angels and Demons," hence the angel and demon wings on the cake. Sadly, I didn't get to watch their show myself, but the cake did reach the intended Cadet. After their awesome performance, the maroon icing has melted throughout the night, but made it happily into several stomachs. It was all GONE! An apocalyptic disappearance!

Natunaw man sa kakahintay ng kakain sa kanya, naubos din daw agad yung cake na ginawa ko para sa marching band na Cadets. Yun nga lang, konti lang silang naki-share dahil maliit lang ito. Pero, pinagpuyatan ko ang paggawa nito!

Litratong Pinoy #100: Freestyle (Frosting-style!)

I took my budding cake obsession to the next level by enrolling in cake decorating  classes last month! I was so happy to have done it (this was what my final class cake looked like) that I'm taking the next course this month: flower-making out of royal icing and fondant!

I am crazy about my baby niece that I celebrate every month she becomes older by baking and decorating a cake! This is what I made recently for her 7th month. I used a heart-shaped cake pan and a strawberry-flavored cake batter. I just went wild with the icing decorations, applying the techniques I learned with borders and leaves.

 

You might notice the LifeSaver candies I used as the flower base. I had sprinkled the number 7 with butterfly candy confetti. 

I am anxious about her upcoming first birthday. I want it to be a gorgeous cake! How fast time really flies especially when babies are involved...pretty soon she'll be graduating from the play pen to actual playground equipment!

Maligayang Ikatlong Anibersaryo sa Litratong Pinoy! Siyempre, dapat may cake!

Litratong Pinoy #99: Itim (Black)

She's probably the most influential black woman in the United States (and the world). She owns her own network now, OWN (Oprah Winfrey Network). Everything she says is gospel, and every book she's promoted on her book club is a sure bestseller. I've seen Oprah Winfrey...but only in wax form at Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum in New York.

Another noteworthy black celebrity is Tyra Banks, famous model (especially with Victoria's Secret). Now she has her own talk show and goes on these model search shows. Plus, I heard she just enrolled in business school to put her fashion savvy to greater profitable heights, I suppose.

Both are prime examples of powerful and beautiful black women of our time. I sure am glad my camera runs on covenient AAA rechargeable batteries that let me photograph a lot of wax celebrities that day. Wax Paparazza (singular form of female "Paparazzi," just in case you're wondering) I was!

Ikaw, sinong paborito mong itim na celebrity?

Litratong Pinoy #98: Kayumanggi (Brown)

Did you know that it's Barbie's 52nd Birthday this month? Yes, the world's favorite fantastic, plastic doll is a golden girl! And her wardrobe has gone through a fashion time warp, too! What caught my eye recently at Target was the line of destination-inspired Barbie dolls!

From left: British Barbie in a brown, Big Ben dress! Ask her the time and she'll tell you it's time for high tea AND high fashion! Then there's Aussie Barbie with a dress as architecturally complex as the Sydney Opera House! Finally. there's Japanese Barbie in a memoir-worthy geisha garb!

Not sure what else is there in that line but there wasn't an Arctic Barbie with trekking poles on display.

Which one's your favorite? Mine would have to be the Big Ben Barbie...London's the only place I've visited among the three! (Layovers in Japan don't really count!)

I do recall seeing Maria Clara-outfitted Filipina souvenir Barbies at Sta. Lucia East Grand Mall in the Philippines. Now that would be a true brown incarnation of Barbie!

Naaalala mo pa ba ang unang Barbie doll mo? May Ken ka rin ba noon? Susyal na talaga si Barbie ngayon, no?

Litratong Pinoy #97: Karampot (Small Amount)

At a fishpond in my hometown in Capiz province in the Philippines last summer, a fisherman cast his net in the water, hoping to catch some fresh milkfish. It was high noon.

Alas, only a small amount was captured, but it was enough to feast on that day. Pulled straight out of the water...nothing beats fresh!

And we all know that fish is a good source of heart-friendly oils that help keep you healthy. Some people might prefer using sites like http://www.hydroxycut-reviews.com/ to learn about weight maintenance; but remember what the doctor always prescribes: a healthy diet and consistent exercise!

Kakarampot man ang bangus na nadampot sa palaisdaang ito sa aming probinsya, panalo naman kami sa pagkasariwa nito!

Litratong Pinoy #96: Ito (This)

This is a partial view of the Chrysler Building, one of the famous New York skyscrapers which I photographed back in August 2010 when I first got my Nikon DSLR. I stood at a corner right outside Grand Central Terminal, a detail of which is the statues to the left.

A few months later, or in January this year, I went back to that spot. It was winter (it still is as I write this), and I had just spent a day with friends from Amsterdam I met for the first time (The Becky and husband Panelomo).

Same location, same camera, but different circumstances: day and night, summer and winter.

Ito nga pala ang isa sa mga una kong nakunan ng litrato gamit yung DSLR ko. Maganda palang idea yung malitratuhan mo ang isang lugar ng magkaibang panahon. Comparison and contrast, baga. Try niyo rin!

Litratong Pinoy #95: Kaarawan (Birthday)

What's a birthday without a cake, right? This was my sister's birthday cake: Ube (Purple Yam) Macapuno from Red Ribbon Bakeshop in Jersey City. It's kind of a big deal to have ube-flavored cake around these parts, because that means having to drive 30 minutes just to order it. A milestone birthday definitely calls for this cake.

My sister turned 30 on Christmas Day. Yes, she has a Christmas Birthday. She doesn't like the fact that she gets one gift for both Christmas and her birthday.

The candle on this cake plays the birthday tune when you light it up. But with all the loud singing surrounding her prior to blowing her cake, the candle was virtually inaudible.

Remember that Jennifer Garner movie "13 Going On 30?" Her mantra there was "Thirty, Flirty and Thriving."

What's your favorite kind of cake?

Speaking of trenta, alam niyo bang may bagong size na ang Starbucks na kape dito? "Trenta." Yes, folks, pati Starbucks supersized na.

Litratong Pinoy #94: Malambot (Soft)

This is one of the very first photos I took with my DSLR back in August last year. I assume this soft Liberty Duck makes a quacking noise when you press its tummy. This plush piece of poultry was spotted at a souvenir shop in Manhattan, where you won't find weight loss pills that work, but will find postcards to send back home.

Bigla ko naalala si Aiza Seguerra noong maliit pa siya. Pinasikat niya yung "duck walk" sa Eat Bulaga! at sa mga sine niya kasama si Tito, Vic at Joey. Hindi na siya bibe ngayon.

Litratong Pinoy #93: Malamig (Cold)

I love spotting prettily-packaged products at the grocery. Here's a cold and creamy case in point: Turkey Hill ice cream inspired by the NY Yankees! Being a fan of this baseball team surely made me buy this faster than you can say "Home Run!" Too bad the Yankees didn't make it to the World Series last year.

Even if I'm not an expert on adapexin reviews, I can definitely say that ice cream is a year-round favorite here in the States, even in this frigid winter! Turkey Hill also carries my favorite ice cream flavor: Birthday Cake! It has bits of colorful cake batter that makes it feel like your birthday!

But nothing beats Ube-flavored (Purple Yam) ice cream!

What's YOUR favorite ice cream flavor and brand?

Mamang sorbetero, tayo'y sumayaw!

Litratong Pinoy #92: Lata (Can)

Did you know that even the most ordinary of ordinary things, like a Campbell's Soup can, can be elevated to high art status? That's what pop artist Andy Warhol did with his work entitled "Campbell's Soup Cans," in which he painted 32 varieties of the favorite American canned soup available at the time in 1962. That's 32 individual canvases! Don't you think it's just...SOUP-er? Mmmm...mmmm...good!

This work as well as others by Warhol, such as his famous Marilyn Monroe painting, CAN be seen at New York's Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). I was able to see these soup cans once again in November 2010.

Some of Warhol's art have been turned into tote bags and purses that can be purchased online with Amazon gift cards. I think it would be more fun, though, to visit his museum in his native Pennsylvania!

Pang-museum ang mga de lata ni Andy Warhol! Mmm...mmmm....galing!

Litratong Pinoy #90: Sarado (Closed)

Imagine the excitement we and our stomachs had when we heard that a Max's Restaurant opened up in Jersey City this year! We Filipinos of the East Coast US get easily psyched of news of famous Filipino franchises setting shop in our region. The only Jollibee branch in the entire East Coast which is in Queens, NY is cause for a religious pilgrimage for Filipino-Americans! West Coast Filipinos have all the fun! Not fair!

So off we went to Max's on my father's birthday last October for lunch with my baby niece in tow. But this was the sign that greeted us:

So apparently, the restaurant was so "new" that they only have limited business hours. 3-9?! Are you kidding me? What is a "soft opening?" Is the opposite supposed to be "hardcore opening?"

So with great disappointment and even greater hunger, we ate at a different Filipino restaurant in another block. Well, perhaps now they're open longer...and open for lunch, too!

We haven't gone back yet to find out.

Sa wakas, may Max's na sa New Jersey! Pero malas...nang kami'y pumunta, ito'y HINDI BUKAS!

Litratong Pinoy #89: Kwadro (Frame)

I was saddened by this sight of an itinerant senior vendor sitting on the side of the road in San Mateo, Rizal. I saw her back in June. Her frail body is framed by the big political painting of the town mayor. In the Philippines, "beautification" of towns usually means "self-promotion" by local officials.

Wouldn't it be nicer if people's tax money were used for public purposes that actually benefit the public more? Like a place for this lady to retire comfortably. Who knows if she needs colon cleansing or serious medical attention? At her age, she should be resting more and perhaps playing with her grandchildren, not out on the streets selling sundry items.

Don't they have grandparents too?

Sana mahalin din nila ang mga nakatatanda para hindi sila nakikitang palabuy-laboy sa kalsada.

Litratong Pinoy #88: Ingay (Noise)

I was lucky to catch the local festival in my hometown in the Philippine province of Capiz last May. It's called the "Tagbu-an Festival." The name comes from the local dialect's root word "Tagbo," meaning "to meet." Since my hometown is by the sea, most people are fishermen. The act of welcoming back fishermen with their catch of the day is called "Tagbu-an." Of course, what are festivals without merrymaking noise from happy townsfolk, such as these charming little banduria-playing girls?

And there were beautiful dancers in vibrant costumes, too! They all looked so young, I wondered if I should be shopping for the best wrinkle cream around.

There was a street-dancing competition in which dancers from different "baranggays" or town boroughs interpreted the same folk song. They were judged according to costume, choreography, and overall presentation.

Here's a short clip of a group's dance interpretation:

I looooove fiestas! They're loud, fun and delicious!

Halina't makiusyoso kayo sa piesta namin sa Pilar, Capiz! Maingay, makulay, at masaya!

Litratong Pinoy #87: Publiko (Public)

Last Sunday, my sister and I went to a Harvest Festival next town. It's an annual event with fun rides, craft and vintage items for sale and German booze and bratwurst that went on for years until they stopped doing it a long time ago. This year, they brought it back. It was my first time to go to this autumnal public gathering.

It was a good thing the sun shone the day prior to this event, because we had a few days of rain which had briefly flooded the festival grounds. It would have been so frustrating for a lot of families if the much-awaited comeback of this event got postponed.

There were big, shiny firetrucks from that town. We love firetrucks. And I love firemen.

They have a "tricky tray," which is just a tricky little way of saying "raffle".

OMG! A headless beer maiden! Poor fraulein! I know, it's just paper decor.

There was a farmer's market selling fall favorites. It's hardly a "harvest festival" without these!

I've carved pumpkins for Halloween before, but have never painted them like these.

Crafty vendors sold interesting things like these pinecone-shaped "firestarters," presumably to use at your fireplace, not to be pyromaniacs. Or maybe to be used as regular scented candles.

Wooden lawn decor for the "ber" holidays!

This porky sign is actually for the antiques section, not for meats as one might think.

There was even a "Berry-Go-Round" which I thought was berry cute! I hope next year's Fall Festival will be bigger and better!

First time ko ma-experience ang Harvest/Fall Festival dito, isang sikat na pampublikong pagtitipon tuwing Autumn. Eto na kasi ang huling hirit na magpakasaya outdoors habang di pa umuulan ng snow. Namigay sila ng libreng reusable tote bag. Nawala ko pa ang lens cap ng camera ko sa sobrang paglilitrato...buti na lang may mabait na babaeng nakapulot nito sa damuhan at sinoli sa akin nung nakita niya akong naglilitrato. Akala ko tuloy oorder pa ako ng Nikon lens cap sa Ebay! Hehe.

Litratong Pinoy #86: Makapal (Thick)

I love "Saturday Night Live. (SNL)" Tina Fey, Amy Poehler and Fred Armisen are just a few of the famous funny actors in that show. I loved their spin-off on the U.S. presidential elections in which they poked fun at then Vice-Presidential candidate Sarah Palin.

Here's a wacky window display of said show at the NBC Experience Store in Rockefeller Center. It has papier-mache structures of their more popular characters, with heads donning thick hairdos. SNL has been making people ROFL and LOL for 35 years!

 

Also on display at said studio store are these Central Perk tote bags thickened by faux contents. Fans of the show "Friends" would certainly love these!

Ang galing ni Tina Fey gayahin si former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin sa SNL noon. At pati na rin yung skit nila kasama ni Beyonce dun sa "Single Ladies" video! Mga lalake kasama si Justin Timberlake na naka-leotard at heels!

Litratong Pinoy #85: Dalawa (Two)

While strolling at Central Park last July, my friends and I encountered this lovely pair of street minstrels singing in their little black dresses. One played the violin while the other strummed the guitar. If I knew about a fat burner that works, I'd look stunning in a little black dress, too.

They were singing a lively tune about it being such a wonderful day for "paying the bills". Weird lyrics, I know, but their song was pretty cheerful. They were also selling their own recordings on CDs and gratefully accepted tips from appreciative tourists.

Paminsan-minsan ay makakasalubong ka ng mga amateur talents sa paligid ng New York City...mapa-subway man o Central Park, gaya nitong dalawang babaeng ito. Hindi ko makita sa Youtube ang kanta nila. Sana ma-discover sila.