So I am now here in Washington, DC, starting last April 19. I work in the city and live in the suburbs. I was here for five months five years ago, so it doesn’t feel like everything is foreign; still, there is a bottomless list of things to do and explore in this city. I even heard someone say, “If you’re bored in DC, it’s your own damn fault.”

When I told my very own director/sister/social secretary Francesca that I had arrived, she shared with me some of the things she liked to do back when she lived here and recommended a few that matched my interests. She also told me about this church not very far from where I work on 18 & H: St. Matthews Cathedral. I went there on my way to work last Friday morning, the first time I stepped into a church since I got here. I came at the right time because there was a mass and I was able to receive communion. I felt refreshed. As I was leaving, I saw the poster for the concert of the Copenhagen Royal Chapel Choir, which, I had read, was similar to the Vienna Boys Choir. I thought it would make for a perfect Mothers’ Day celebration with my sister and her family, but unfortunately they had other plans.

So I went alone.

This is the church on a beautiful Sunday. I thought and had accepted that I was going to be late for the 5:30PM mass, but instead I had the smoothest travel, i.e., I didn’t have to wait for my transfer train that would have taken 20 minutes extra travel time because of scheduled repairs in the Metro. I even had time to get lost (as usual) and pee when I got to the church. It blows my mind thinking how God works in my life.

*The mass was beautiful. During sermon the priest read a poem that perfectly captured the Gospel and the spirit of Mothers’ Day: The Lanyard by Billy Collins.

After the mass, I moved to the front row for the concert. The mass was awesome but I was really looking forward to the concert. The old people around me were talking about how they had heard about the event from embassies etc. The church had the best acoustics! It’s the perfect place for choral concerts.

When the organ abruptly played and these blond little boys started filing in wearing their sailor costumes, I almost died of cuteness.

A bit of background, from the program print-out:

The Copenhagen Royal Chapel Choir was founded in 1924 … In 1988, the choir could add the name Royal Chapel in its CV when Queen Margrethe II of Denmark gave her permission to this. This title enables the Choir to perform at special occasions and tours as well as accompany the Royal Danish Court like in 2004 when Copenhagen was in focus when HRH Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary were married … [The Choir] consists of between 60 and 80 boys in the age from 9-14 years. At concerts the choir performs together with 16 male voice members to give depth in the light angel sound of the boys’ choir. [Chief conductor] Ebba Munk stresses the professional approach of the members in the choir in spite of their young age: “I don’t want to make them out to be angels but they are wonderful boys who are extremely disciplined.”

That last part was very easy to believe. Just look at this photo and video, in which the “male voice members” have copies of the songs but not the little boys; they sang everything from memory:

Here they were singing Wie lieblich sind deine Wohnungen by Heinrich Schütz. I wish I understood, but music is a universal language they say. It was cool listening closely to sounds that didn’t seem to exist in English phonology (hey, I was an English major..) Also, one of the adult guys had a Superman/Brandon Routh thing going on.

Salve Regina by Franz Liszt. They were such little boys; even while singing, some of them would scratch their noses and heads. It was adorable, and it was obvious they were enjoying: the effect was very natural, nothing contrived or scripted.

Of course, as you can imagine, my iPhone videos (and photos) don’t give them justice. I deliberately left my camera at home because I didn’t want to be bothered by taking photos, but I couldn’t resist.

Here, the kids joined the organist and the harpist by the side of the church. There were parts in the first half of the concert where the kids would sit to give way to the organist, an established lady who had played some of the finest organs in the world, like those in Westminster Abbey and the Notre Dame Cathedral. The way she played was very powerful, and she gave the most dramatic bow at the end of every piece. I loved it.

There was a break after this part, not only for the boys to rest, but also to change costumes, apparently:

This was probably my favorite piece. On the program it says Northern Lights: A Suite of Ballads and Songs for Spring and Summer in Denmark for harp and choir.

Lord, make me an instrument of your love.

Although they were all good, certainly some parts had to be specially assigned to a few of the boys, like to sing from the side of the church to achieve a certain effect – they were all successful. To me, personally, there was this one boy who was the star of the show. He didn’t have any special singing role, but he was the charmer. He would smile (AND POSE) every time he would sense a camera was pointed at them, and since I was in the front row, he would wink and gesture which side of the choir I should look at for the next part in the piece.

For the last part of the concert, they all scattered around the church and sang a patriotic American song that was only vaguely familiar to me. There was standing ovation at the end of every piece.

When the concert ended, I went to the restroom which turned out to be next to the room where the choir was having snacks. I wanted to see them until this old lady who looked Filipina emerged from the room and said, “You are not allowed here! You are not allowed here!” OKAYYY. But when I saw that she had left, I went back in and asked one of the adult singers who were chilling outside (and smoking) if I could come in, and he was absolutely positive, SURE! And by the door there was Kristoff (right) and the other kids:

That boy will break many hearts in the future. But mine, tonight, is swelling from grace and beautiful music. Thank you God.

On Tuesday, 24 April 2012, the third edition of Fair Play will open! The Fair Play global anti-corruption music video competition and global anti-corruption campaign is presented by the JMI Foundation, the Global Youth Anti-Corruption Network, and the World Bank Institute.

Artists are invited to submit their anti-corruption videos to the 2012 competition from 24 April – 24 July 2012 on the Fair Play website. The 3 winning bands will win a trip to Brazil to participate in the 3rd GYAC Voices Against Corruption Forum and perform live in Brasilia at the 15th IACC!

Through the first two editions, Fair Play has contributed to the global fight against corruption by engaging artists from over 50 countries as ambassadors for the anti-corruption movement, presenting Fair Play Live & Direct concerts in Brussels (2010) and Nairobi (2011), and delivering a global call to action to governments, businesses, and citizens alike to join in tackling corruption. The 2012 edition provides an opportunity for more artists to contribute their voice to the global campaign, to raise awareness and communicate the impacts of corruption in their communities to the global network of Fair Play supporters.

***

So we at GYAC are at it again. From Brussels to Nairobi to– this year, Brasília. I can’t tell you how excited we are for this. This year, we are stepping up and joining Transparency International for the 15th International Anti-Corruption Conference:

It’s the mother of all anti-corruption conferences, where advocates of transparency, accountability, Open Government, etc from across the world gather. It happens only once every two years and it is HUGE; trust me because I went to the 14th IACC in Bangkok in 2010. My stories about that here.

This means that not only are this year’s winning bands going to perform for GYAC participants, but also to the larger IACC audience. We are talking about thousands of people here. How cool is that?

Watch the promotional video for more info:

And if you still want to learn more, here’s an interview I did at Mornings @ ANC for last year’s edition. Forgive the hair. Most of the details remain the same, except the dates and the location.

If you have further questions, don’t hesitate to contact me and read some of my posts under the Fair Play tag about the past couple years’ editions. Hope to see you in Brasília!

Somebody recently asked me what my favorite places in the world are, among those I’ve visited. That’s always a tough question because there are so many criteria. In terms of vibe, it would be Nepal (Kathmandu, specifically), hands down. Japan will also always be in the Top 5, but that’s a boring choice because duh, everything works in Japan (although make no mistake, I never got bored in Japan). Overall and all things considered, my Top 2 places in the world are DC and Taipei. DC is also a boring choice, but they’re my ultimate favorite because they’re the most personal. My heart feels at ease in these places. No matter how many places I travel to in the future, I hope to consistently come back to DC and Taipei.

Late last year, I was fortunate to cross the Pacific between these two locations. From DC, I flew to Taipei via Macau via Shanghai via Chicago:

My flight to Chicago was very early in the morning, and Reagan Airport was nearly deserted.

Stores were closed, not that I was going to buy any souvenirs

This was already in Chicago, where I had a 3-hour layover. It was sunny AND freezing outside (if you can zoom in on the airport ground personnel, they were wearing very thick clothing). I stayed put in the pre-departure area and worked on my presentation for the conference in Taipei – which was the day after.

Preach!

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I can’t in good conscience skip blogging about these little things I love in and about DC.

The day after our VC, I went back to the World Bank and bought this at the cafeteria during lunch. I have so much love for this drink, I can still taste it when I think about it.

I was supposed to fly to Shanghai the next day, but I found out that it was Ashley’s birthday. Leaving on the day of my favorite niece’s birthday seemed simply unacceptable. And UNFAIR!, as Ashley told my sister when she found out. So early that day, I called up American Airlines to move my flight a day later. My request was granted, with only a minimal fee. Thank you, AA!

We had two birthday dinners: at a restaurant the night before and at home on the day itself. Since it was my last day in DC, I had to stop by Good Stuff Eatery. If you’re a fan of Top Chef, you’ll know that it’s owned by Spike Mendelsohn.

It was quite a journey going there. I had the address noted down: 303 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. The website now tells you the closest Metro station, but back then it didn’t (or maybe I just relied on my friend too much). I’ll spare you the details, but I ended up in Judiciary Square. And from there walked to the Capitol, which is quite a distance. The marvelous sights of DC helped, but the drizzle didn’t. When I reached the Capitol, I was nearly panting. But a powerful surge of nostalgia happened, because I stood in the same spot where I took my first touristy photos of DC in 2007. It was a blessing in disguise, being there at that moment, so I took advantage of the situation to take the photos posted here.

When I reached the National Botanical (or something), I decided to just take a cab. The distance was only about a mile, but I couldn’t afford to get lost again and be late for Ashley’s birthday dinner. That turned out to be a wise decision, because a few seconds before I got my order, my sister called to say she was about to go home (and I still had to meet her at a Metro station 30 minutes away). So no chill-out for me, I grabbed my burger and ran to the closest Metro station: Capitol South. It was very near.

I was confidently holding my purchase until I was inside the Metro and I remembered this photo I took just the day before:

Oops.

Sidenote: It’s very curious how DC, which is probably and understandably the most security-conscious place in the world, doesn’t have (visible) guards and metal wands that will poke around your bags and body – unlike in Manila. Granted, it’s because they have extremely advanced security measures beyond my initial observation. So here in the Philippines we have to stick to practices that give people nothing but a false sense of security.

Oh and before I remembered not to treat the Metro like a diner, I managed to take this photo:

Yes, it was an excellent burger, but the real star of the show was the TOASTED MARSHMALLOW MILKSHAKE. It was amazing. I can also still taste it when I think about it.

And my adventure didn’t end there: since the Metro I was on ran in two lines, I should have gotten off at a certain station to change lines. But I didn’t, so when I realized this I was several stations away etc etc.. I still managed, though. And while waiting for the right train:

Then I was home. :)

The purpose of my trip to DC was two-fold: to see my family and join the semi-annual video conference of GYAC. As you know, I’ve been helping run the behind-the-scenes of GYAC (which we alternately call “Voices,” short for Voices Against Corruption). I grabbed the opportunity as soon as I found out I could join the video conference from HQ.

I arrived in DC Saturday, and after spending the entire Sunday at home with my family, I was excited to see and explore DC again. I had to wake up early and leave the house at 5AM with my brother-in-law, who had the obligation to open his workplace and therefore get there before everybody else did. He worked near Union Station, and he told me how he’d been rediscovering DC and feeling amazing about working in the country’s capital, especially with the majestic sight of the Capitol greeting him at daybreak. I was fortunate to share this wonderful experience with him.

The Union Station from afar. They say the darkest time of the day is just before dawn. Ha!

The day before, Raphael gave me instructions to go to the World Bank from Union Station. I could have easily hopped on the Metro when my BIL left me, but since I had time, I decided to walk up to the Capitol nearby.

The Capitol can be seen from the station!

I’ve never been so close to it. Did you know that no building in DC is permitted to be taller than the Capitol? (Then again, the Capitol is on a HILL.)

What Beauty!

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The day I had eagerly anticipated for four years happened on 11.12.11.

The day after the big 11/11/11, Pacquiao was on all the TVs in Miami airport because his fight with Marquez was happening that night.

Adorbs! I want this luggage over the monochrome Rimowas.

During this trip across the American continent, I noticed how dull airports in the US were. But that was before I saw these little details in Miami:

It’s always the smallest things.

I couldn’t tell you how excited I was when I saw this. Finally, after four long years, I was going to DC and reuniting with my sister and nieces (and would be seeing my nephew for the first time). I was pinching myself.

Then it happened: DC in beautiful Fall, hello!

<3

This was not my exact memory of Reagan Airport. Then again, it’s been four years.

I expected to see my family at Baggage Claim like the last time, but my sister told me later they couldn’t make it early enough because Jusdon (my nephew) was sick. They eventually arrived and it was funny seeing my nieces’ reactions because we kept the whole thing a secret from them. I think I was just as surprised as they were:

Hannah (12 y.o.): “Oh, yoouuu…” (She claimed she figured it out that I was coming because they were on the way to the airport and who else were they going to pick up?)
Ashley (7 y.o.): *smiling and hiding* (She’d always been the shy one, and we were each other’s favorite.)
Maia (5 y.o.): “Who are you?” (Not expressly, but she really couldn’t remember me because she was so young the last time I was with them.)

Then Don, my brother in law, announced: “Want breakfast?”

Costco was the answer. A few samples here and there and we were full hahah. I love the US.

Sigh, DC..

That night, we went to Auntie Pin’s house in Germantown to watch Pacquiao’s fight. It’s now a two-hour drive from their new address, versus 45 minutes previously when they still lived in Falls Church. But all family gatherings are in Germantwon because Auntie Pin has a big house with a home theater. I wanted to watch the fight but it got late and when it was about to start, Ashley crawled up to me in the living room and slept on my lap. I didn’t want to move and fell asleep myself in the overly comfortable couch.

Family potluck

My grandparents also didn’t know I was in town, so it was fun to surprise them. I hadn’t seen them in three years.

I love this pool table.

Back at the Barnes household..

It was so nice seeing their new home, which had a lovely yard and view. One thing I definitely missed, though, was the Barnes’s Sunday Brunch.. (my BIL is a chef)

Thank you God.

***
Somebody recently anonymously asked on my Ask tab how old I am. I am 23.

I realized I really like writing about my travels 2-3 months after they happen because 1) I get to enjoy my travels by not thinking about blogging, unless it is urgent and the blog post was promised at a certain date. My posts may often seem vapid and cadid but some amount of thought is actually behind them, and I have this thing for writing those posts manually in plain HTML, during which my extremely rare OCD comes out. And 2) I don’t have to force myself to come up with new material for the blog. If I wrote about these travels earlier, what would I be writing about now? What I had for dinner? Why I thought Colombiana was better than Haywire? The details of the self-torture that I’ve recently been subjecting myself to? No.

So back to regular programming.. I’m writing a separate post for what happened in 11 November ’11 just because it was 11/11/11 (I’m one of those people who make a wish at 11:11AM/PM). It was the day I left Colombia and flew to the US.

Laura and I had to leave their house early that day because of a race she was participating in, which doubled as an experiment to see which form of transportation took one fastest from a given starting starting point to their university. Laura took her car, while the rest took their bicycles, the TransMilenyo, and perhaps a taxi. The race is honestly a blur to me now because I was asleep in the car on the way to the university, but I remember that Laura didn’t win the race (because of the traffic, I suspect).

The “finish line” in the form of a makeshift stage at the university

With Laura’s friend, on the stage. Blackberry was a sponsor.

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Dear Kaps,

I told you that birthdays are ripe days for introspection, but I realized that it’s not just for the birthday celebrant. Naki-birthday ako sayo from the other side of the country, looked at things in introspect and retrospect (chos), and realized JUST HOW MUCH FUN WE’VE HAD TOGETHER. I remember posting on Facebook: How many people can say they’ve been with their close friend to four countries – within four months? Very few, and I’m lucky I’m one of those people. And speaking of Facebook, three of my profile photos are of us. Obviously, one remains to be my favorite.

Funny how we always tell people the history of our friendship, because it’s really quite an amusing story: we were classmates in Shakespeare, but we were strangers and never spoke a word to each other. What you didn’t know then was I used to read/stalk your Livejournal, so when I would enter the room and see you seated in the front row (you always came in before I did, and I was always at the back, occasionally gossiping with Kookie), I would feel like I knew you, the way readers usually feel a connection with the bloggers they read.

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I’m taking a break from ‘regular programming’ to briefly talk about Saturday’s wonderful event – through Tweets! The speakers at the Davao leg of the Digital Technology for Social Change seminar series were Jay Jaboneta of the Yellow Boat project, Eric Su of PicLyf, Shaina Tantuito of JeepneED, and yours truly. I talked about Global Changemakers and ICT4Gov. It was also officially my first Transparency Talks, my project with David.

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