Reyjr.com

My Awesome Virtual 30th Birthday Party

noreply@blogger.com (Rey Jr. Rombawa) — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 22:48:30 PDT

Turned 30

Welcome to my virtual birthday party!

In *real life* my Tatay, my wife Liz and I went to Sandalford Winery in Swan Valley (Western Australia), where we had a sumptuous lunch and enjoyed some wine tasting. We later went to Nguyen Phat in Girrawheen to this huge Asian supermarket. We were in "panic buying" mode (hehe) and bought everything from Silver Swan Soy Sauce and Datu Puti vinegar, to Boy Bawang and Barrio Fiesta bagoong.

In the Philippines, my Nanay and my aunts and cousins ordered some pizza and a cake and sang me a birthday song over Skype video and blew my cake for me. Awesome! My sisters got in the act as well, singing (typing) on Skype. (Ain't Skype grand?)

My virtual parteh guests!

My virtual 30th birthday was also in full gear, my guests below were really generous, taking time out from their busy schedules to send me these photos. Thank you everyone!

Gay of www.exoticphilippines.info and www.bloggerstech.com was the first one who sent a photo. Thanks Gay!

My good friend Atty. Kix posted this on Instagram! Thank you so much Kix, umabot pa! =D

One of my favorite couples from Tabangao, Ka Roger and Tita Virgie sent this to me on Facebook, all the way from Qatar.

Ate Nerissa and Filou from Germany sent me this cute photo!

My bestman Tudoy and his lovely bride Hani, sent me this photo they took from the Vienna Opera House! :D

Our UPCC friends Roger and Emily posted this awesome photo on Facebook too!

Cha Sy of http://travel-on-a-shoe-string.blogspot.com/ also greeted me!

And more pahabol....

Smiling in the scorching desert heat, Gay sent this very cool photo with this note: Marhaba! It's Gay of www.PinayTravelJunkie.com. Got a birthday greeting for you from the Sahara Desert in Morocco where we are currently in. Wishing you more travels. Happy big three-o!

Jonha of www.SavingisSexy.info split herself into 2 just give me a bday greeting!

My awesome friends Julz and Triciamae sent me this beautiful photo of our trip to Baguio last year with a belated greeting. Thanks guys!

And my Tabangao friends sent me this series! Wow!

Richell (with a new baby), Stanley (with a new haircut!) and Vermont (newly engaged! woot!)

The pretty boys and girls of the Tabangao Technology dept: Dennis, Angel, Hannah, John Kim and Jer!

The coolest E&S folks around: Gab, Meanne, Val and Paul (who orchestrated the photo op. Thanks so much Paul! You definitely made my after birthday morning!)

I am really grateful to everyone who sent me photos, and greeted me a Happy Birthday! God Bless you all!

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I'm turning 30!

noreply@blogger.com (Rey Jr. Rombawa) — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 22:49:46 PDT

Turning 30

Hello to all the (loyal) readers of Reyjr.com! Guess what? I'm turning 30 on Sunday! And in celebration of my birthday, I'm treating myself to a virtual party on my blog, and you're all invited. :)

I'm putting together a collage of photos with people holding up a sign saying "Happy Birthday" to me. (Simple joys, haha!) and I'd like you to send me one of YOURS [email: admin@reyjr.com]. I would really appreciate it if you could! That would be really awesome.

I will post all the photos on this blog (with a link to your website/blog if you're a blogger). ;)

Thanks in advance!

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Change my world

noreply@blogger.com (Rey Jr. Rombawa) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 08:28:35 PST

This is my first proper post for 2012, and my first "diary type" post in quite a while. There has been a lot of changes going on in my life and none of them minor...

We got married!

Reyjr and Liz got married!

I got married to Liz, my beautiful girlfriend of 8 years and 9 months in an intimate ceremony at the Santuario de San Antonio Parish in Forbes Park, Makati City on December 29, 2011. We had our reception at the luxurious Marriott Hotel Manila. In a way of thanking our family, friends and suppliers for making our Wedding Day so completely awesome, I will be doing a series of posts to remember our preparations, our photoshoots and fittings, the wedding and the reception, and of course, our Honeymoon in Miniloc Island, El Nido. Hopefully Liz and I can give you ideas for when you prepare for your special day, or even give a tip or two about the wedding.

I've changed jobs!

For some people I suppose, leaving for another company is easy, for some it is not even a choice granted, for me the choice was bittersweet.

I feel my decision to move was great for my development as an Engineer in a global industry, working side by side (literally) with people from all over the world. But I do feel sad to be leaving behind a lot of unfinished tasks, a lot of relationships built over the last 5 years...

Nevertheless, I am looking forward to new tasks, new lessons, and new, hopefully lasting relationships.

I've moved to Australia!

Happy Australia Day!

The 3rd big change for me this year is, with my move to a new company, I've also moved to a new country.

I've been living in Perth, Western Australia for the past 3 weeks, getting used to right-hand driving, sandwich lunches, and the Australian accent. My wife is not yet here with me, but will soon follow. :D

I think because millions of Filipinos go abroad, we tend to dismiss it as an easy thing to do. Sure, I suppose it does become easier over time, but really the first few weeks abroad are not. Aside from the obvious missing the company of your loved ones and friends, there are so many other things you realize you miss, mostly about the familiarity of everything and anything. Like for example, I miss that I know where all the good restaurants are in my city, or where to get the best crabs in town.

There is, of course, that excitement to learn about this new place, finding out where to get my groceries and where the best bargain clothes are, how to pay for street parking or get gas for my car, which bus to take to wherever or which route doesn't have much traffic even during rush hour, etc.

So while I'm still getting over the fact that they don't have unlimited gravy at KFC here, among other things I'm missing terribly, I will focus on learning something new everyday about this new city. I've been walking up and down the streets after work, familiarizing myself with the smells and sounds of Perth. Soon everything will be as familiar as it was back home, and hopefully that makes everything else much easier.

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Finding "Handel's Messiah: A Soulful Celebration" on YouTube

noreply@blogger.com (Rey Jr. Rombawa) — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 07:56:44 PST

"Handel's Messiah: A Soulful Celebration"

This has got to be one of my favorite albums of all time: "Handel's Messiah: A Soulful Celebration" release in 1992 and executive produced by Norman Miller, Gail Hamilton and Mervyn Warren, is a reinterpretation of the 1741 oratorio "Messiah" by George Frideric Handel - yes it is a famous classical piece usually sung during Christmastime - but was transformed into an extraordinary mix of African-American music including spirituals, blues, ragtime, big band, jazz fusion, R&B and hip hop. The result, pure joy in music. The album received the 1992 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album.

I've had the privilege to sing the original Handel's Messiah many times during my days in the choir, and I've also had the privilege to perform the "Hallelujah" from the above-mentioned album - complete with choreography! I'd like now to share with you what I mean, in case this is your first time to hear about it - and if not, I invite you to listen in to these selections from the 2 beautiful pieces of music...

"For Unto Us a Child is Born"

This is one of my favorite songs in the whole oratorio (gets you in the Christmas mood eh?), and probably the hardest to sing really well because of all the runs. This version was performed by the Cantillation Choir, with the Orchestra of the Antipodes, conducted by Antony Walker.

This is the version from "A Soulful Celebration" arranged and produced by Gary Hines, and performed by Sounds of Blackness.

"And He Shall Purify"

Here is the original Handel's "And He Shall Purify" performed by the Choir of King's College, Cambridge Academy of Ancient Music with Conductor, Stephen Cleobury.

This is the reimagined version. Arranged by Michael O. Jackson and Mervyn Warren, Produced by Mervyn Warren, and performed by Tramaine Hawkins (live with the Mt. Rubidoux Seventh-day Adventist Church in Riverside California)...

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Random Halloween Conversation

noreply@blogger.com (Rey Jr. Rombawa) — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 06:48:02 PST

Rey: Let's find something scary to watch on TV.
Liz: Sige.
Rey: *Channel Surfing* (Zombieland, A Christmas Carol...?!)
Liz: Wala naman...
Rey: *Channel Surfing* Ano ba yan, Halloween night wala man lang nakakatakot na movies sa cable TV?!
Liz: Wala nga...
Rey: Ayan, CNN na lang, nakakatakot ang nangyayari sa Euro.
Liz: *tumbling*

Oh well, we didn't get our scare fix this Halloween, but hopefully we get to watch the current "Walking Dead" Season 2. Haha.

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Songs I'd Love to Cover Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Rey Jr. Rombawa) — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 07:25:54 PDT

As most of you know, singing is a great passion of mine. When I was younger (and more uninhibited LOL) I would break into song all the time, I would sing at home in the bathroom, in the car, while walking in the mall, waiting for the next class... practically anywhere. You know it when a song catches in your brain and you just start singing, softly at first then, suddenly when you hit the chorus, you sing out loud like nobody's business. ;)

If I was to make an album today, and will be doing a cover of any song I want - these songs would be in my short list. Or if I was asked to make a set list for me and my imaginary band these songs would definitely make the cut...

1. "Before We Come Undone" - Kris Allen

This wasn't a huge hit for Kris Allen, but the beat of this song is really cool, it just makes me rock it out like a rockstar (even though I don't even know the words haha). I also like how the song is dramatic but not overly dramatic, sexy but not trying hard.

2. "Elevator" - David Archuleta

First 2 songs from AI alumni, not surprising as I am a big fan of the show. David Archuleta, not so much a fan of, but my soon to be wife is. And I think we have a similar vocal tone so it would be silly not to choose a song from his repertoire.

I like the playfulness of the melody of this song, even though it's actually a difficult song to sing (no really, try it!). They really pushed this kid to his limits eh?

3. "Get To You" - James Morrison

I think James Morrison's voice is awesome. I just do. He's just got one of those really cool husky voices I always wished I had hahaha. Another cool and challenging song to sing, I want it on my album hehe.

4. "Crawl" - Chris Brown

When I was in high school, I was really into hip-hop and RnB music, and I took that with me even after being exposed to so much more different types of music. This is RnB ballad I would love to cover as well - Chris Brown is a great singer with a unique style. And this is a great song to perform with choreography. WOot!

5. "The Way You Make Me Feel" - Michael Jackson

My favorite song by the King of Pop Michael Jackson is this one. And even though I will need to take the key down a few steps (haha) I would love to be able to sing this song. Awesome Awesome song. The video is a bit raunchy, but the song is awesome.

6. "Change the World" - Eric Clapton (Babyface version)

Finally, for this first batch of songs I'd love to cover is Eric Clapton's classic "Change the World" but at a faster, more RnB version as performed by Babyface. I've sung this numerous times on Karaoke parties and it is one of my favorite songs of all time. :D

How about you? If given a chance, what songs would like to record?
I'd also love to hear what you think of my song selection. Comment away! :D

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Remembering 9/11

noreply@blogger.com (Rey Jr. Rombawa) — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 12:12:32 PDT

I could never be able to make a blog post tribute worthy of the tragedy that was 9/11, but hopefully this short post will be able to convey my condolences to the victims, and send to them a message of remembrance and hope.
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It has become one of those events where people ask - "Where were you when it happened?"

I was at home. I received a text message from a friend telling me to open the television to CNN as the World Trade Center in New York City was hit by an airplane. I was mortified by what I saw - one of the twin towers with smoke billowing from one side, and watched in horror as an airplane crashed into the other tower...

I remember not quite understanding what was happening, even thinking I was watching a replay of earlier events, but soon realized it was all happening in real time.

A year before the terrorist attacks, I was in New York City, my first and only time there so far. Questions then came about whether we were ever inside the twin towers or if we ever did take any photographs - trying to piece together memories of association with a now fallen iconic structure.

It was later that we found out more details about the 9/11 attacks - the 2,996 casualties from 70 different countries, including hundreds of firefighters and rescuers, plane passengers and soldiers at the Pentagon. The heartbreaking news and stories stuck with me until now.

Today, we remember their stories - we've told ours, and so I ask, especially today, that we not talk about where we were when it happened simply because we can. Let's remember instead the stories of those who are no longer here to tell theirs.

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Rest in peace, I pray.

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The Uber Prestigious Top 10 Emerging Influential Blogs 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Rey Jr. Rombawa) — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 09:17:02 PDT

Last year, six out of my Top Ten EIB choices landed on the winners list. This time around, I enter the writing project (now on its 5th year) much like my first time in 2009 - not knowing any newbies and eager to discover some really interesting blogs. I'm hoping to get to know some new bloggers in the process as well. :)

How do you choose your Top 10 Emerging Influential Blogs?

I was asked before how I choose the Blogs I put on this list, and this was I how I responded:

"(In choosing my EIB Top 10) I'm more subjective than objective. I vote for the blogs that I personally find "influences" me to comment, to engage, to react - blogs that surprise me in their candor, their wit; blogs that showcase talent, mad skills in whatever field they are in, so much so that they have quickly developed a large following - I would include those who, despite not yet having a large following, I feel have the good potential to."

"Finally, I would say, I will choose those blogs I am comfortable recommending to my friends and readers...this is my personal blog and I wouldn't want to give a recommendation for a blog I didn't believe in!"

My criteria of sorts do not change much, but who knows, right? I'd love to be surprised.

Emerging Influential Blogs 2011

Here are my Top 10 Emerging Influential Blogs for 2011...
1. CertifiedFoodies.com (For the Love of Food) - I know Mhel via our co-FB-group Admin activities on Pinoy Bloggers, and so hers was one of the first blogs I visited when I began scouting for new blogs to include in my list this year. I must say, I was rather impressed at how far the blog has gone in such a short time. Plus there's a soft spot somewhere inside me for a sibling shared blog. (I have 2 sisters who are both abroad!)

2. Your Blog Here
3. Your Blog Here
4. Your Blog Here
5. Your Blog Here
6. Your Blog Here
7. Your Blog Here
8. Your Blog Here
9. Your Blog Here
10. Your Blog Here

You can Join EIB2011 too

Who can join? You can join! Any blogger in the world can join, but you can have only one entry per blogger. The blog or website owner profile and e-mail must be accessible or visible online, and the blog must be at least 3 months old.

For more details about this writing project click: Join the Top 10 Emerging Influential Blogs for 2011 Writing Project

This writing project will not be possible without the support of sponsors such as Cyber Monday Deals, TRIbeca Private Residences, How To Videos, Palawan Beaches for Sale, and Green & Natural Lubes Philippines.

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Reyjr checking in!

noreply@blogger.com (Rey Jr. Rombawa) — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 08:36:10 PDT

Hello Reyjr.com readers and passers-by (haha)!

I just wanted to do a quick update about what's been happening around here and check-in to see what you guys are up to. It's been ages since I last posted something like this, you know, like a Diary type entry.

This is not going to be lengthy, (but as some of you know I tend to ramble a little bit when I do these kinds of posts) I just wanted to share with you that...

I have been really busy with several "offline" activities (i.e. like "Life" and all that jazz haha) - foremost of which, our wedding preparations! Liz and I just had our wedding attire measurements taken last weekend, and are now looking to book florists, suppliers for invitations, photo booths, make-up artists, etc. If you have any suggestions or recommendations, we would appreciate them! I am still hoping to be able to write about all of it here. Hopefully I can get around to actually writing it. :p
We have also been quite busy with activities around the upcoming 50th Anniversary celebration of the University of the Philippines Concert Chorus (UPCC) in 2012. More on that later as well!
I am thinking of another giveaway soon on the Reyjr.com Facebook Page, so watch out for that!
On the blogging front, there have been a lot of activities and discussion in the Facebook group "Pinoy Bloggers" - for one, the group has grown from 200+ to no 700+ members in a span of a couple of months. The Admins are cooking something up to better engage the members - something cool and exciting will be coming soon. :D
Lastly, I am moving to a new role at work by 1st of July - transition will not be easy, but I am more excited than worried. Wish me luck! =D

Now, you! What's been happening with you lately? I'm eager to hear from you.

Just here,

reyjr

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American Idol 10: Scotty McCreery crowned country Superstar

noreply@blogger.com (Rey Jr. Rombawa) — Thu, 26 May 2011 07:18:00 PDT

Scotty McCreery

Ladies and Gentlemen, your new American Idol Champ - country crooner Scotty McCreery.

Scotty was announced the winner today, beating fellow country singer Lauren Alaina in the Finale of the American Idol Season 10.

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Choco-late de Batirol in Baguio is heaven in a cup!

noreply@blogger.com (Rey Jr. Rombawa) — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 08:26:18 PDT

The rich chocolate aroma wafted in our general direction, and all of us went... "mmmm... sarap!"

Chocolate de Batirol, the perfect place to spend a cool and sunny Baguio afternoon

Inside Baguio City's Camp John Hay is a little restaurant called Choco-late de Batirol. Oozing with character, this rustic resting spot is the perfect place to spend a cool and sunny Baguio afternoon, sipping chocolate based drinks while reading a good book, or just hanging out with friends and family...

Wooden chairs surround wooden tables and are divided into nooks decorated with small Philippine flags and adorned with eccentric ornaments like this wooden sculpture of a sexy little floglet. It reminded me of that time in my childhood when my overactive imagination would allow me to create a hideaway in one corder of the garden, a fort made of branches and twigs - adventures ala-Swiss Family Robinson or Huckleberry Finn.

The music: Pilita Corrales and her contemporaries, singing classic, folk songs and traditional melodies like "Ang Pipit", "Ibong Kakanta-kanta" and "Ay, Ay, Ay, Pag-Ibig" that brought back memories of our childhood.

Try the Cointreau, a chocolate orange blend Chocolate de Batirol style

The menu was comforting in its simplicity, familiar chocolate based drinks including their specialty Chocolate de Batirol Traditional Blend and, of course, the Chocolate de Batirol Baguio Blend (Strawberry Flavor). Everything has strawberry flavor in Baguio! There were other interesting ones like the orange blended Cointreau, Cinnamon Blend, Almond Blend and the Kahlua.

I tried the Cointreau - a chocolate orange blend. I was hesistant at first because I never really liked chocolate-orange combinations, but after that first sip I was sold. The orange flavor was not too sour nor too sweet - it was more like an afterthought at the back of your mouth as the drink spreads across your tongue. There is no orange aftertaste either. My only complaint was that my cup was not large enough for a bigger serving.

Drinks are Php 80-100 per cup, less expensive than Starbucks, but hits home just as well.

Like Chocolate in your food? You'll LOVE this.

A good list of snacks made more exquisite by the chocolate toppings were also available: the suman, banana turon, bibingka - topped with spinkles of chocolate was in perfect combination with the chocolate drinks.

Special Bibingka

Sugary Sweet Suman

Just looking at that Turon de Langka really makes my mouth water and the hairs at the back of my neck stand in anticipation of the sugar rush. Hahaha!

Mouth Watering Turon de Langka!

Chocolate de Batirol also serves equally magnificent versions of Filipino breakfast and lunch dishes including rice meals, and cold Chocolate drinks as well!

What more can you ask for? A cup of steaming hot chocolate and a cool Baguio breeze - and just the right amount of sugar for an irresistible high, a laugh and a hoot... a fantastic way to spend your afternoon.

This is not a paid post. For inquiries about Choco-late de Batirol, contact them at (+63-74)446-7006 or email chocolatedebatirol@yahoo.com.

*Photos are by Mei-an Zamudio and yours truly

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American Idol 10: Top 3 Performances and Reviews

noreply@blogger.com (Rey Jr. Rombawa) — Thu, 19 May 2011 04:46:14 PDT

American Idol 10: Top 3 Performances and Reviews

Tonight, the American Idol Season 10 Top 3 contestants: Lauren Alaina, Scotty McCreery and Haley Reinhart will battle it out singing 3 songs each on stage for a spot at the Finale next week at the Nokia Theater. Also featured tonight - the traditional Top 3 Rock Star Homecoming. It will be awesome.

Who will make it to the Finale? Odds are in Scotty's favor - although some would say he might be in competition with Lauren Alaina for the Country Music fan vote. Then again, people might see a Scotty-Lauren pairing at the Finale better than a Scotty-Haley pairing, what with the several duets they've done on the show.

There is still a slim chance that Scotty might be dropped and Haley and Lauren will girl-fight it out in the Finale. Who knows, right? It will depend heavily on how they will perform tonight.

Here goes my Performance Reviews for the Top 3...

Top 3 Scotty McCreery

Song #1 "Amazed" - I was surprised at how good it was vocally - I'm not convinced it was great performance wise, especially with that denim jacket (right?), but his voice was solid and warm and sincere. Again, I said this before - this guy is already a Country star whether he wins this or not.

Song #2 "Are You Gonna Kiss Me or Not?" - Dude, the thing with the eye at the end? Not cool. But the singing was OK. His stance was awkward, and he looked like he was holding the guitar the wrong way haha. He kind of looked like the dorky high school kid who always volunteers for talent shows. His singing saved him haha.

Song #3 "She Believe's In Me" - This is an amazingly cheesy song that if you sing insincerely will just crumble into corniness. It didn't. It was almost sad in its sincerity. Except for a few botched notes, it was a moment right there. Shall we say he's.... "in it to win it" or whatever. Haha.

Top 3 Lauren Alaina

Song #1 "Wild One" - Err. I didn't like how the judges sort of talked all around and did not really critique the song. I also didn't like how the song was really repetitive, the chorus was repeated like 19 times! :p

Song #2 "If I Die Young" - Did she mess it up? Was she sharp in that one part? Did she miss that modulation? Yes. Yes. Yes. Too bad because she did so well in the beginning of the song. It was a great song for her voice. It's amazing how Jimmy Iovine chooses these songs. In any case, I think she just lost her ticket to the finals. :p

Song #3 "I Hope You Dance" - Lauren sang this wonderfully but for some reason it was kind of mechanical. I do get it when the judges say she has a nice tone, very rich and warm, but I think she lacks the maturity to feel that song in her gut. From the first line of that song, "I hope you never lose your sense of wonder..." it didn't feel sincere. She could have internalized it more, I think.

Top 3 Haley Reinhart

Song #1 "What Is and What Should Never Be" - Whoa! Haley tripped on the stairs and fell flat on the Idol stage - then she got back up and won American Idol. Oh, haha, I mean well, I think she just got get ticket to the finals. Reminds me of Filipino beauty queen who slipped and fell during the Miss Universe pageant who went on to snatch a runner-up spot.

Song #2 "Rhiannon" - I have never heard this song before but it was awesome haha. Very eerie, dramatic and theatrical it was like watching a music video. I think it was just perfect for this stage in the competition. I'm disappointed that while theatrical performances like that always get high marks for James Durbin, Haley did not get any love. :p

Song #3 "You Oughta Know" - Aw, Alanis Morissette's signature angry girl song is not really meant for the Idol stage. :/ It's supposed to be sung with passion and anger and hatred - that's tough to do on the Idol stage. when you're trying to appeal to a wide audience with sugary sweet wholesomeness? Gah. In any case, she messed up some of the words - but ultimately did a decent job with it. It was odd to end a show with such a hatred filled song though!

The American Idol Season 10 Finale

My picks? I think Lauren Alaina is going home tomorrow. And although it's a lousy pairing - Haley Reinhart and Scotty McCreery will be going to the Nokia Theater next week.

Don't agree? Who are YOUR choices?

Weigh in now on who you think will make it to the Finals at the Nokia Theater next week!

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American Idol 10: The Top 4 Performances and Reviews

noreply@blogger.com (Rey Jr. Rombawa) — Fri, 13 May 2011 13:37:54 PDT

I just have to say, I enjoyed how the judges argued over the performances tonight. They should have done more of that earlier in the Season. It showcases their individual opinions, not manufactured opinions filled with catch phrases.

Anyway, on with the performance reviews. The Top 4 are first singing songs that inspire them and then singing songs from the Leiber-Stoller Songbook with advice from the crazy larger than life Lady Gaga.

Here are my reviews of their performances...

Top 4 James Durbin

Song #1 "Don't Stop Believing" - Opening the show with this Glee-re-popularized Journey song, all of the judges were all over how great it was, but really it was just .. well, OK. The song started off already really high - it is one of those songs where the stanzas are already on your high register so it doesn't really go up much higher. But of course, James pushed it up to the stratosphere. I suppose it would be great if you're only after that high note, but then again, singing is not always about that.

Also, I thought it felt really contrived how he talked about his performance during the backstage interview. :p

Song #2 "Love Potion No. 9" - Isn't it too much that James Durbin gets to open AND close the show? Ugh. This was actually surprisingly good though, I must admit. But it wasn't in the same key he was singing during rehearsals with the Gaga. Hmm Odd. Then again, because they changed it so much from during rehearsals, Gaga's advice no longer fitted in with the whole package. Instead of moving, James just did his usual walking around and giving everyone high fives, then kneeling and standing up. :p

Top 4 Haley Reinhart

Song #1 "The Earth Song" - Before she even began, I was worried. It's too early in their careers to be preaching, plus it's a Michael Jackson song! The video for this song was so epic, so grand, it'd be difficult to top it. And so she couldn't. But she did an OK job with it. She managed it well, complete with goosebumps inducing growls in just the right places. It somehow did feel like she could have done more with it - more stomping around the stage and bigger notes.

Song #2 "I Who Have Nothing" - A Gaga-fied version of this song, with Haley going for the big sustained notes that excited everyone in the audience to pieces (including the judges). I honestly cannot imagine how this song would sell in the market today, but who knows right? She tried to follow what Gaga told her, and it worked. Haley's awkwardness onstage apparently can be transformed into something larger than life, if only she knew how. She needs more Gaga juice. :p

Top 4 Scotty McCreery

Song #1 "Where Were You When The World Stopped Turning" - Singing a song about 9/11 felt timely after the recent capture and killing of Osama Bin Laden. I can imagine how the judges found it really difficult to critique this performance as it might strike a nerve in members of the audience who were hanging on to every word they would say.

Song #2 "Youngblood" - Pop that hip why don't you? Hahaha! Again back to holding the microphone sideways. I didn't like it. The eye rolling and the sashaying around. And the fact that he just performed this really heart wrenching song about something extremely serious and relevant, to come back out and do that silly performance was bordering on inappropriate. Sorry dude.

Lauren Alaina

Song #1 "I Do It Anyway" - Sounding great on the sustained notes, i didn't like the long scoop to the sustained big note - I felt she took too long to get there, sort of like cheating the high note. Haha. Then again this was better than how she had been performing in the past weeks. Unfortunately for Lauren, between the 2 ladies, I think people are relating more now to Haley than to her.

Song #2 "I'm Evil" - Looking sort of like a "suman" in her dress, swaying all around the stage looking confident and tough, but failing to wow everyone with her vocals... well me at least. She just doesn't have the maturity yet, to portray that role. Still seeming like the sweet little Lauren pretending to be tough. It just didn't work for me. Plus when she reached the climax of the song, she faltered. Err. Not a good place to falter eh?

Top 4 Eliminations

So I'm thinking they won't name the Bottom 3 anymore but proceed to Bottom 2. My predictions for Bottom 2 are Lauren and Scotty. Both have been in the Bottom 2 before, and neither had a special moment like Haley and James did. I'm also predicting Scotty is going home tomorrow.

&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Loading...&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;

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Pacquiao vs Mosley - Pacquiao wins by unanimous decision!

noreply@blogger.com (Rey Jr. Rombawa) — Sat, 07 May 2011 22:00:25 PDT

Pacquiao vs Mosley Recap

Fight recap below...

- Charice performs the Philippine National Anthem - simple and powerful
- Tyrese Gibson performs the Star Spangled Banner - kind of out of tune.
- LL Cool J leads the way for entrance of Sugar Shane Mosley
- Entrance of Manny Paquiao to "Eye of the Tiger", Manny will wear Yellow Gloves.

11:58AM - Announcers begin intros
11:59AM - Judges and Referee being announced. Where's that announcer guy before? He's much more effective hehe.
12:00PM - Live from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas... it's SHOWTIME!
12:01PM - Introduction for Sugar Shane Mosley done. Now introducing Manny Pacquio - announcer says 38 wins for Manny - widely recognized as one of World Boxing's Greatest, Boxing Congressman... Where's Michael Buffer?

Round 1 begins:
12:03PM - Body attacks to Mosley, punches exchanged. Yellow gloves because he is fighting for poverty in the Philippines. Crowds are crazy wild. 1st round draw!
12:11PM - Pacquiao attacks. Mosley keeps his distance. Mosley falls! woot! Round 3 Done!
12:17PM - Round 4 continues with losing Mosley showing his age - but he's still fighting!
12:21PM - Round 5! Mosley fall was a slip. He falls again smiling. Up and still fighting. Might still win in an upset. Fight!
12:23PM - Round 6 begins. Mosley talking to Pacquiao in the ring during Rd 5. A lot of hugging going on.
12:28PM - Round 7! Pacquiao speed is amazing. Mosley hangs in there. Still fighting!
12:32PM - Mosley needs to NOT be knocked out to still have a fighting career after this bout. If not, it may not be so good for him after this.
12:38PM - Mosley sneaks a punch in and surprises Pacquiao.
12:39PM - Round 9 ends with a straight punch from Pacquiao that stuns Mosley.
12:40PM - Round 10 begins. Referee stops fight for a moment. Pacquiao drops for a moment but says he way pushed. Mosley hugging Manny. Manny irked at fall - combos now coming out!
12:47PM - Rd 11 owned by Manny. Crowds chant his name followed by "Knock Him Out!" Woot! Crowd is crazy wild! Final Round!!!

12:49PM - Shane Mosley tough but retreating now. Pacquiao bouncing after him. Final Round epic. No Knock Outs though. Decision from judges.

12:54PM:
Manny Pacquiao announced as winner by unanimous decision! WOot!

Congratulations Manny!

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American Idol 10: Top 5 Results - Jacob Lusk finally off the show!

noreply@blogger.com (Rey Jr. Rombawa) — Thu, 05 May 2011 21:23:10 PDT

After weeks of predicting Jacob Lusk would be eliminated, it finally came true. :p

After singing both the male and female parts of "No Air" and hitting F# above high C on last night's Top 5 show, Jacob failed to impress America, proving high notes do not always mean high marks.

First time in the bottom 2, Lauren Alaina - judge (and Producer) favorite to win because of her country pop tone, easy to sell in today's market. But it was Man-Diva Jacob who eventually got the boot, leaving the Top 4 - James Durbin, Scotty McCreery, Lauren Alaina and Haley Reinhart - with James as the only one left who has not seen the bottom 2 from the beginning.

Who will make it to the Finale? Answer our poll below...

Who will make it to the Finale?

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American Idol 10: Top 5 "Now & Then" Week Performances & Reviews

noreply@blogger.com (Rey Jr. Rombawa) — Thu, 05 May 2011 10:39:40 PDT

American Idol 10: Top 5 Performances and Reviews

It is down to 5 contestants on American Idol. In 4 weeks, a new American Idol will be announced. Which once will it be?

Well, it will depend heavily on their performances tonight! Coming into this week, the Reyjr.com Poll for "Who will make it to the Finals?" still shows James Durbin and Scotty McCreery on top. But with Scotty in the bottom 2 last week, we can't say for sure. It is definitely still anyone's game, but for the moment, it is James' game to lose...

James Durbin

Song #1 Closer to the Edge
I kind of get the reason for choosing this anthem to perform. It was a big song, almost like a finale number, perfect for the occasion, so to speak. But truth be told, I think James sang it very sloppily, it was like he was singing at the end of a long concert, he was out of breath and not at all preparing for the big notes. I've seen him sing with much more control than that.

Song #2 Without You
He started out sounding out of place, when hit that falsetto in the verse, I thought it felt corny. But when he got to the Chorus, the swell of the music and his Oscar worthy tears sounded fresh and interesting. Nothing like the original and nothing like the Mariah Carey version either. I would prefer if he gave that octave a bit more importance, like a gesture or taking the mic off the stand. But all in all it was a good show. Good Job!

Jacob Lusk

Song #1 No Air
I am thinking everyone watching probably said "Wut?" when they heard the first line of this song. I mean why would you sing a duet by yourself? It's just silly. Or I suppose he was aiming for something like "we forgot it was even a duet". Unfortunately no we didn't. It wasn't great. Heck it wasn't even good. It was like one of those "Doble Kara" performances where someone would dress up half man, half woman and sing both parts alternately. :p

Song #2 Love Hurts
Pop that hip? Hahaha. Jacob tore up this song unnecessarily. :/ Showing off how high he can sing. (That last note was F# above high C). But I think it's not really how high you CAN sing, but what the hell you can do with it. If this was a singing competition, he probably has a chance. :p

Lauren Alaina

Song #1 Flat on the Floor
It was like watching your favorite cousin do really well on a school production. Yay for Lauren! :p I liked the beginning, it was energetic and fun and playful. I think the violinist did outshine her a little bit there though. It was a good vocal performance for Lauren, she pushed her voice further, picking a faster paced song that required more force and more character in her voice. It worked quite well actually except that towards the end it kind of lost steam and when she ended she already look tired from all the singing. :p

Song #2 Unchained Melody
Oh no. There goes the unnecessary runs, the oversinging, the corny Lauren Alaina is back y'all. Doing everything imaginable with the song, including a sigh and grunt. Oh no. I absolutely thought it was ... not good. Where is Simon Cowell when you need him most? :p

Scotty McCreery

Song #1 Gone
Well he's gone.... gone on to win American Idol Season 10. Haha! Not quite yet. But he did show he could move on further in the competition. It was almost like he took out his best cards just at the right moment. Remember he was in the uncomfortable position of almost booted last week, so I guess he took out all the stops and chose a great fun song and a great way he can show off his skills on the mic (not the mic holding please, I thought he lost that already?)

Song #2 Always on My Mind
Smooth and sincere works best for Scotty. I actually liked the mellow laid back feel he gave to the song. But it does make you wonder - can he really sell, fill auditoriums with people, convince people he's hot? I can't say. But it seems America likes him a lot. In any case though, he's actually one of the Top 5 who I think already has a career in music after Idol wraps up.

Haley Reinhart

Song #1 You and I
An unreleased song from the Lady Gaga? Sounds like a hit, or not? But I do get why Haley would choose this song - it's a Lady Gaga song (instant interest), and it does show off her quirky side, and the vocals are awesome towards the end - a nice buildup to accolades from the judges - which unfortunately did not come. :p Not much love from me either. The song was completely unrelatable - at least for now - and it only showcased that Haley is not yet a big enough star to generate interest for a new song. She only showed America why she shouldn't win. :(

Song #2 House of the Rising Sun
Old school rock, with her signature swagger and arm toss, Haley is up again trying to prove she deserved to be in the Top 5. From the beginning she has shown she is the girl that could, always narrowly missing the boot. But she has endeared herself in this way to a lot of voters who are now still rooting for her to win. About the song? Well, I thought she did OK. :p

Who will make it to the finals on American Idol Season 10?

What can I say? It will be Jacob, Haley and Lauren at the bottom, I predict. :p Jacob will (should) go home.

Read all my American Idol posts HERE.

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American Idol 10: Top 6 Eliminations - Casey gets the boot

noreply@blogger.com (Rey Jr. Rombawa) — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 21:17:50 PDT

American Idol 10: Top 6 Eliminations - Who got voted off?

It was Casey Abrams, and surprisingly not Jacob Lusk, nor either or the 2 remaining ladies who got the boot today on the American Idol Results show. Jacob Lusk and Scotty McCreery were in the Bottom 3.

My review of Casey's solo last night: "Casey Abrams growled "Hi-de-ho" and tried to pass it off as a vocal performance. Sorry dude, as talented I think you are, I never liked the pretentious bluesy rocker whatever persona. I thought it was silly."

But I did enjoy his duet with Haley Reinhart. Haley, another Idol contestant who has little to no chance of winning this Season should consider creating a singing group or band with Casey. They sound really good together eh?

Who will make it to the finals on American Idol Season 10?

With 5 remaining contestants, who do YOU think will make it to the Top 2? Last week, our poll yieleded James Durbin on top, with Casey and Scotty tied for second place. Now that Casey is off the show, will it be Scotty and James in the Finale? Vote in the poll below...

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American Idol 10: Top 6 sing Carol King's Songbook

noreply@blogger.com (Rey Jr. Rombawa) — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 07:23:20 PDT

There was something about the show tonight that just left me, I don't know, kind of bored. I think Carol King's songs are wonderful and she sings them with such truth and sincerity, she makes you believe. Very few of the performances did that for me tonight....

American Idol 10: Top 6 Performance Reviews - the Music of Carol King

Jacob Lusk is in trouble. Granted we've seen him soar through beautifully on some songs this season, but with his lack of control - sharps and flats all around - I was certain he was going to get booted off sooner or later. Singing "On No Not My Baby", Jacob failed to impress me despite his sustain high notes. We've seen him do that before. Next!

Lauren Alaina was up next, singing "Where You Lead" with a confidence we have not seen since the audition round. Somehow, somewhere along the way she lost herself - manifesting even in her singing. She was scared to hit those big notes because she was afraid of failing at them when other contestants were hitting them week in and week out. She should unleash her inner diva and just go for it.

Casey Abrams and Haley Reinhart, moved the earth with an epic rendition of "I Feel the Earth Move", and actually did better in the duet than on their solos. They did so much better on "Moanin' " though which they sang during the Top 8 Results show - catching everyone by surprise and giving probably American Idol's best duet on the show EVER. Not convinced?

Scotty McCreery showcased his middle register in a heartfelt "You've Got A Friend". The song sounded surprisingly good as a country song it was almost beautiful, but then I kinda lost the melody somewhere in the middle and found myself wondering what song he singing anyway. :p

James Durbin began acapella on "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" which I actually liked. The audience was rudely interrupting the supposed silence with jeers and cheers that when the music kicked in, the moment had not happened yet. :p I would say I enjoyed the song, it was kind of odd for James to singing it, but it was OK for me except for the last 2 horrible notes. Did his performance merit a hug from Randy Jackson? I think not.

Lauren Alaina and Scotty McCreery sang a weird and boring song "Up On the Roof" - the arrangement did nothing for either of them. Plus, they've been paired up twice before and so people were just expecting a little bit more than what they showed.

Casey Abrams growled "Hi-de-ho" and tried to pass it off as a vocal performance. Sorry dude, as talented I think you are, I never liked the pretentious bluesy rocker whatever persona. I thought it was silly.

Haley Reinhart sang "Beautiful" after a glitch almost gave her a false start. She sang it well with her usual flair and disconnected demeanor. But I'll give it to Haley. She's escaped elimination so many time you almost want to root for her to win and prove everyone wrong.

James Durbin and Jacob Lusk sang "I'm Into Something Good" which was not good at all. Whatever song they choose would be disastrous - their voices have no middle ground I cannot fathom why they would be put together. Gah.

Who's going home? Top 6 Elimination Results tomorrow

My predictions for the Bottom 3? Jacob Lusk, Lauren Alaina and Haley Reinhart. And if America is still in its right mind (lol, overly dramatic eh?) they will boot Jacob Lusk off this darned show. :p I said now!

Who are your bets to reach the final 2?
&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Loading...&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;

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Ferrari Cars Giveaway - Winner announcement!

noreply@blogger.com (Rey Jr. Rombawa) — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 09:00:06 PDT

My ride. Lol!

Ferrari Cars Giveaway!

In Reyjr.com's first giveaway ever, I wish I was giving away the car pictured above - but don't fret because I am giving away the next best thing (LoL!): 2 Shell Ferrari model cars: a 612 Scaglietti and a 599 GTB Fiorano. I realized I already had the whole set, so might as well give these 2 away to one of my lucky blog readers. :D

It's not a contest, but I do want to give it to who really wants it most. :) Here are the very simple mechanics:

1. Like my Facebook Page! - http://www.facebook.com/ReyjrDotCom
2. Post on Reyjr.com's FB Wall the answer to the question: "Why do you want the Shell Ferrari toy cars?" It doesn't have to be profound and it may be in English or Filipino - I just want to know why! :p
3. Get your friends to Like your Wall Post on the Reyjr.com FB Page.
4. The Wall Post with the MOST NUMBER OF LIKES will get the 2 model cars. :D

Important: You need to be in Manila to join this giveaway! You may post on my FB wall as soon as this post is published. I will then count Likes on 11:59PM on Monday (April 25).

599 GTB Fiorano and 612 Scaglietti

Ready... Get Set.. Go! :p

*********************************
This Giveaway is now CLOSED.
The winner of the 2 Ferrari model/toy Cars is Erlyn Lazaro-Trinidad or bluerlyn with 109 Likes. She wanted the toys for her son who had a fixation on cars. :D I hope you and your son Nathan enjoy them Erlyn!

*********************************
Watch out for MORE giveaways from Reyjr.com coming soon!

*This giveaway is not in any way affiliated with Ferrari or Shell or any of its products.

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How To See Which Facebook Pages Like Your FB Page

noreply@blogger.com (Rey Jr. Rombawa) — Sun, 24 Apr 2011 02:37:02 PDT

How To See Which Facebook Pages Like Your FB Page

I have been using my Facebook Page for Reyjr.com to Like other Facebook Pages, and have recently found out how to see which Facebook Pages have Liked my FB Page back as well. Here are quick and easy directions for "How To See Which Facebook Pages Like Your FB Page"...

1. You need to be signed in as your Facebook Page first. To do that, go to your Facebook Page which can be either via Account - Use Facebook as Page - and clicking "Switch" beside whichever FB Page you want to use, OR via Home - click on "Ads and Pages" on the left sidebar - choose whichever Page you want to see - Click "Use Facebook as [Page Name]" on the right side bar.

2. Click on the "Likes" button at the upper left corner of the Facebook Page.

3. Click on the Like button above will show a dropdown list of the People who most recently Liked your Page. Go to the bottom of that list and click "See All". This will open a window that lists All People that have Liked your Page.

4. At the upper left corner of that window, click on the button that says "People". It is also a dropdown list that contains "Pages", "Admins" and "Banned". Click "Pages" to see which Facebook Pages have "Liked" your Facebook Page as well.

There you go, 4 easy steps to see which Facebook Pages Liked your Page.

Let's connect on Facebook!

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American Idol 10: Top 7 Elimination Results - Stefano goes home!

noreply@blogger.com (Rey Jr. Rombawa) — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 18:49:44 PDT

American Idol 10: Top 7 Elimination Results

We correctly predicted the bottom 3 - Stefano, Jacob and Haley, but it was Stefano Langone who sang "Closer" by Ne-Yo last night is the latest to get the boot on American Idol Season 10.

Stefano to me had the voice to really be a star, unfortunately he didn't have the swagger for it. It was like Jersey Shore the musical last night during his RnB number where he failed to impress anyone with his moves. He has a long way to go in terms of creating that persona of the smooth confident talker. :p

From our poll, this is how you guys ranked our Top 7:
1. James Durbin
2. Scotty McCreery
3. Casey Abrams
4. Haley Reinhart
5. Lauren Alaina
6. Jacob Lusk
7. Stefano Langone

I guess I should start listening to my audience here. Haha. They got it right again!

Who will make it to the American Idol Season 10 Finals?

So 6 contestants remain - see the continuing poll below - Can you predict who the Final 2 will be? Answer the poll below!

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American Idol 10: Top 7 "Songs of the 21st Century" Reviews

noreply@blogger.com (Rey Jr. Rombawa) — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 04:31:50 PDT

American Idol 10: Top 7 "Songs of the 21st Century" Reviews

The show opened with a lookback at th auditions of the Top 7 - the faces in the crowd who are now "stars in the making" - well, a few of them are already bonafide stars whatever happens. Don't you agree?

Top 7 theme is "Music from the 21st Century" - that's a whole lot of current and very popular songs to choose from. But before the contestants, the eliminated contestants sang a cringe worthy version of Pink's "So What" - I mean, did they really have to put Paul in that group of ladies? It was just really bad. Gah. Anyway, on to the performance reviews!

Scotty McCreery - "Swingin' " by Leann Rimes - This seventeen year old singing about swingin' with his girl on the front porch while the girl's family was inside the house. Ehem. He sang it well, actually, entertaining and light. I think he will be safe next week despite the review he received from the judges.

James Durbin - "Uprising" by Muse - Wow, with a marching band? How is it that he gets all these extra stuff, effects, and all that? I thought the song is great, but he did NOT sing it well at all. Best performance of the night? He sang the octave to the chorus well the first time, but he was out of tune the second time eh? Every time he sings that "victorious" line, he wasn't right on key, he was a little bit flat.

Haley Reinhart - "Rollin' in the Deep" by Adele - I heard Adele wrote this song after she broke up with her boyfriend. All that anguish and anger just beneath the surface of this mid-tempo song. Haley, unfortunately did not nail this song. She went sharp every time she did the "rollin' in the deep" line on that shift to the falsetto. I also wished she sang with more passion, more heartache. Having said all that though, her voice was soaring during those sustained notes, again showing she could sing.

Jacob Lusk - "Dance With My Father" by Luther Vandross - Black man Diva chose a very emotional song for Top 7, he needs it after doing poorly in the past few weeks. Guess what? I actually like it. He sang it with passion and pure emotion, and despite an almost false start, he pulled it back and had great control over his vocals even through the modulation (where he usually stumbles). Good job Jacob.

Casey Abrams - "Harder to Breathe" by Maroon 5 - Looking like he was playing out of his garage, and showing he wasn't really powerful vocally (he botched a lot of notes there) but that he was the most versatile and most entertaining of the Top 7. Again endearing him to the public - he kissed Jennifer Lopez on the cheek! What can I say? He got a million more votes just because he is now the hero of so many American Idol geeks.

Stefano Langone - "Closer" by Ne-yo - It was weird to see Stefano trying to have a swagger, it's JUST NOT HIM. (Hold on, I just noticed Randy Jackson was wearing a shirt that looked like he had a baby's bib on). Back to Stefano... he sang it quite well, a few forgivable botched notes, a solid sustained big note, but his get-up and choreography on that threw me off.

Lauren Alaina - "Born to Fly" by Sara Evans - An upbeat country song failed to lift her status for me, if she keeps up this loser mentality then she will lose America's confidence as well. Nobody likes to vote for a loser. :p She needs to step it up!

American Idol 10 - Who will make it to the Finals?

The best performance of the bunch for me was Jacob, Casey, and Scotty. However, I predict that Stefano, Haley and Jacob will be in the bottom 3. Haley might be going home tomorrow.

Tomorrow's guests - David Cook and Katy Perry!

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American Idol 10: Top 8 Elimination Results - Paul is out!

noreply@blogger.com (Rey Jr. Rombawa) — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 17:57:10 PDT

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American Idol 10: Top 8 Elimination Results

It was Paul McDonald who got booted off Idol on Thursday - I wasn't able to get my bottom 3 predictions correctly, but Paul's ouster I got right. I kind of feel bad for him though, his departure was of no fanfare, almost expected by everyone there. The battle of the vocalists was becoming apparent - and Paul just wasn't that kind of a singer. He is great at what he does though, so he should stick to that!

Our survey this week showed the readers of Reyjr.com chose Jacob, Paul and Haley as the bottom 3, getting 2 correctly. I think Jacob is in a bad position and may be going home next week, but Stefano who has been in the bottom 2 for 2 weeks in a row is probably the most in danger of going home. Well, there's still the possibility that someone would give a lackluster performance and lose votes...

In any case, at this point, with only 7 remaining, every Idol performance needs to be inspired to the point of perfection. I thought during the results show that Haley and Casey's duet really lifted their profiles - it was simply fantastic, and I don't even listen to that kind of music! They should definitely put that in the tour or in the American Idol CD.

Here is the my ranking going into the Top 7 performances next week:

Lauren Alaina
Casey Abrams
James Durbin
Scotty McCreery
Haley Reinhart
Jacob Lusk
Stefano Langone

From the way I ranked them, I am predicting it will be a tough ride all the way to the Finals as there is no clear frontrunner. I see Scotty definitely NOT making it to Top 2, but will succeed in Country Music anyway. I see Casey can probably make it if he can keep up his winning streak. Lauren is almost a shoo-in for the Top 2, except with this week's weak vocals, I'm kind of doubting it.

Who are YOUR favorites to make it to the Finals? Lets us know below!

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American Idol 10: Ranking the Top 8 - "Music from the Movies" Performances

noreply@blogger.com (Rey Jr. Rombawa) — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 04:47:00 PDT

Please Like!

Hello everyone! I'm back! So sorry I wasn't able to make an American Idol post last week. I was on vacation. Apologies, I could've warned you all that Pia Toscano was going home. Hahaha!

This week, Jimmy Iovine is joined by Will.I.Am on the mentors panel - dishing out quips and jokes with his advice, but generally just sitting there being cute. I wished they had let him mentor a bit more. Or at least let him mentor during RnB week or something more along his line of work.

In any case, I thought the contestants did well tonight. Here are my notes from the show...

American Idol 10: Music from the Movies

Paul McDonald - "Old Time Rock and Roll" - Paul opened the show and for some reason, tried so hard to show of better vocals that he just didn't have. I think Paul is in trouble this week.

Lauren Alaina - Miley Cyrus' "The Climb" - Lauren this week reminded me so much of Jordin Sparks, except that she's not as good tonight. The arrangement of her song gave her a great build up, getting bigger and bigger towards the end, but it just really left me wanting. Does she deserve to stay? Sure, but if next week is more of the same, I'm voting her off.

Stefano Langone - "End of the Road" from the movie Boomerang - Hey Stefano got a haircut! :p Stefano is not a good position tonight - having been in the bottom 2 with Pia last week. It was good that Jimmy Iovine mentioned it to get it out of the way. And the Stefano proceeded to tear up the song on the Idol stage. I knew from the beginning that he had the chops to win this whole thing, but after having been in the bottom a few times, his chances seem to be slim.

Scotty McCreery - "Cross My Heart" from the movie Pure Country - Does he really need to hold his microphone that way? :p Having said that though, Scotty is probably the luckiest contestant this season. Even if he gets eliminated this week, he is already a bona fide country music star. Watch out for his duet with Taylor Swift next year. Hehe.

Casey Abrams - "Nature Boy" - Defying the coaches Will.I.Am and Jimmy Iovine, Casey chose this song to show the world who he really was. It fitted his voice and his style like a glove and brought the Casey everybody liked in the auditions. He was quirky and wonderful, and even though he will never sell millions of records, I am certain he already has a cult following somewhere around America. :p

Haley Reinhart - "Call Me" - This song was really familiar to my ears and I remember how Blondie performs it. Oddly though, Haley's version sounded really dragging to me, I got bored with it in the middle and it felt like she didn't pull it back fast nor hard enough. It just fell flat to me.

Jacob Lusk - "Bridge Over Troubled Water" - A beautiful song to sing and showcase your vocal range - which Jacob has - and vocal power - which Jacob also has - and vocal control - which unfortunately Jacob doesn't have. :p He sounds spectacular when he controls his voice (like those last 3 notes) but he forgets himself and goes off a few notes and then the whole thing is ruined.

James Durbin - "Heavy Metal" I am surprised at how controlled James' voice sounds despite the craziness of his song choices. Still, I am not a fan of metal so, sorry dude. Next please... ugh. He's the last one. Well, no Last Song Syndrome from that.

Who's leaving Idol tomorrow?

My bottom 3 are:
Haley Reinhart
Jacob Lusk
Paul McDonald

...and I think Paul is leaving Idol tomorrow.

Who are your bottom 3? Let us know by choosing below. I'll let you know the results tomorrow. :D

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I survived iBlog7: The show must go on!

noreply@blogger.com (Rey Jr. Rombawa) — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 08:24:48 PDT

How cool is it that I get to share with you all what went down before our iBlog7 intermission number? ;) Such is the awesomeness of being a blogger. Hehehe.

The iBlog7 Experience - the show must go on!

In show business, we always say "The show must go on!", a credo all performers have learned and internalized, myself being no exception. On April 2, the 2nd and final day of iBlog7: The 7th Philippine Blogging Summit, I was set to sing a few songs as an intermission number with my choirmates in The U.P. Concert Chorus. But as fate would have it, just 5 days before that, I completely lost my voice...

I spent the next few days in silence - for the most part, and did everything in the book to get my voice back at the soonest possible time: Bactidol, warm salt water, Calamansi juice, 8 hours of sleep, etc. After a couple of days, I thought I had made pretty good progress - at least I could speak without stopping every 4 or 5 words or so.

A losing battle

But I almost gave up when, come Wednesday, I had to give a presentation and talked non-stop for over an hour. By the middle of that session, I was already apologizing to the audience because I was having a difficult time speaking. I was making what I imagined was a pained sound, my voice shaking like I was about to cry.

More of the same on Thursday, then attending and facilitating meetings on Friday. It seemed like I was recovering well, but then a few minutes talking and my voice was back to the hoarse weeping it was since Monday. I was becoming really anxious about it.

Before I left for Manila on Friday night, I was testing my voice to see if I could still sing. We had arranged to sing 3 songs for our 15 minute stint you see - a Polyphonic song from the Renaissance period called "Exultate Justi", an Ogie Alcasid composition called "Kailangan Kita" arranged for choir by Prof. Ena Aldecoa and "The Tong Song" or more popularly known as "Tong Tong Pakitong-kitong" arranged by Teresa Barozzo.

"Kailangan Kita"

The 2nd song, "Kailangan Kita" was composed by Ogie Alcasid and was recorded by Gary Valenciano, and was later also done by Piolo Pascual. The choral arrangement was by Prof. Ena Maria Aldecoa for the UP Concert Chorus. This song is special to me because I was the first to sing the solo for the arrangement. This beautiful song had a longing and sadness that was so easy to relate to.

The morning of iBlog7, I was psyching myself up to sing the song. I had warmed-up and my singing voice sounded better, and yet my speaking voice still sounded hoarse. After rehearsals, we decided to go for it - I was really nervous because (1) I hadn't really performed with the UPCC in a while on stage and I was afraid I was going to forget the words, and (2) I saw all the digital cameras, phone cameras and video cameras recording us and I thought my world would implode if I messed up or faltered (and then I realized I was just being overly dramatic hahaha!).

Here'a a video of our iBlog7 performance taken by somejuan in the audience. :D The video includes all 3 songs plus Eman's really cool impromptu spiels.

Thank you to www.juanderfulpinoy.com for the video! And Thank you to Ms Janette Toral for including us again in this year's iBlog7. Thank you as well to Flowell and Michelle. And to the wonderful iBlog7 audience. :D

PS. From me, a personal thank you to the UPCC members and alumni to performed for iBlog7 - to UPCC Conductor Ma'am Jai, to Eman, Ervie, Jael, Erich, Anapet, Homs, Keilah and Agoy!

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