Cara's Got Character

Influence & Inspiration 5: MOVE

2012-02-24T01:00:00.000-08:00

This is one of my favorite short films ever made: a man's 6-week trip around the world "crammed into one EPIC minute." I encourage you to see this. And I encourage you to go out and see the world. I promise you won't regret it. I also promise you'll regret it if you don't.

P.S. I encourage you to EAT. The best way to experience a new city, a new culture, is by diving into its cuisine.

ENJOY!

Travel Tidbits 4: Exceptional Estonia

2012-02-24T00:40:00.003-08:00

I didn't expect to enjoy my short trip to Estonia's capital as much as I did. I can easily say it is one of the most interesting places I've been to, mostly for its simplicity and charm. I spent two days walking the cobblestone streets of its historic walled city, Tallinn, a Unesco World Heritage Site, taking in the art and eating everything in my path. The walled city is very small, quaint, walkable in one afternoon. I think that's what I loved about it. I felt exceptionally relaxed - if given the chance to, I would definitely return for a writing retreat.

The Republic of Estonia is in the Baltic region of northern Europe.

View from Toompea / Cathedral Hill

St. Catherine's Passage in the old Hanseatic town

And oh, the food. Every little morsel was bursting with flavor! One restaurant felt like it was made for me, a true garlic lover. EVERYTHING on the menu was heavily infused with garlic, if not garlic-based.

Balthasar Garlic Restaurant

Cream of Garlic & Potato soup w/ prawns

Duck, I love duck!

GARLIC ICE CREAM w/ caramel sauce - I was surprised, too. It was yummy, really.

There is a very popular restaurant called the Olde Hansa. It is absolutely touristy by definition, the waiters dress in medieval costumes and speak in old tongue (think Robin Hood), but boy has it got a tasty selection of the strangest entrees, and the yummiest dark honey beer! Everything was so delectable, delicious, and different, I ended up having both lunch and dinner there.

Probably the only restaurant I've been to with BEAR on the menu.

"Divine leg of pork with beer syrup," every man's dream.

Pasta with a lot goin' on! Ashamed to say I forgot the name of the restaurant...

St. Olaf's church was the tallest building in the world from 1549 to 1625.

Climbing to the top of St. Olaf's Church

View from the top

My favorite little cafe / writing nook

And we end with a little dessert...

A very moist, decadent chocolate cake and a chili-cocoa truffle - that truffle, it's heaven in a bite!

*** All photos were taken by Cara Manglapus and belong to caramanglapus.blogspot.com

*** All photos with Cara in them were taken by colleague, Andrew Schmitz.

Travel Tidbits 3: Weekend in Paris

2012-02-09T04:45:00.000-08:00

Paris: a city best described in photos. I wasn't there long enough to give any travel tips, but just laying in the grass and taking in the marvelous architecture was magical in itself.

THE LOUVRE MAKES CARA FEEL SMALL

NOTRE DAME with my good friend and travel buddy, Mahalia Parcero.

The best part about Paris.. the dessert!

How I spend most of the time, everywhere!

If you only look

2012-02-09T04:27:00.000-08:00

Beauty can be found in the most ordinary, unexpected places;

if you only look.

Sitting on a step in Salvador (photo credit: Macy Yap)

Art on a street-step (photo credit: Cara Manglapus)

Short Stories 6: Under My Skin, My First Time

2012-02-02T22:58:00.000-08:00

It is an absolute joy to entertain people of all ages with music that is timeless.

I was a ball of nerves the first time I took the stage as front-woman of a big jazz band. The thought of singing infront of a huge crowd at the Philippine Fête de la Musique was both exciting and daunting. On June 25, 2011, I embraced the jitters and shakily gave my performance on the main stage at Fort Bonifacio Global City, having just gotten off of a plane from Singapore, literally.

The music festival crowd:

I was on that stage. (Photo credit: Martin Macalintal)

Thank you to Xavier Virata for these precious stills.

And thank you to Martin Uy & Steph Nguyen for capturing my very nervous first public note!

*Thank you to The Executives Band for having me, and to Ricky Quiogue for the fun duet!

*Also, thank you to Ralph Mendoza and the Philippine Young Star team for the introductory write up.

So I caught your attention with a deceiving innuendo, but hopefully this blog post is just as interesting as what you thought you were going to see. ;)

Young Love - A Note To Self

2012-01-26T10:55:00.000-08:00

Cara in Rio De Janeiro (photo credit: Macy Yap)

There has been a request from some wonderful blog-followers for more words, and so I share with you an excerpt from a much longer, much more sensitive piece of "literature" that I have written, that will be released when the time is right (if that time ever comes).

For now, I leave you with these thoughts for the teens to 20-somethings, from this 20-something's own instructions to herself.

*****

--- If you are in a relationship, make sure it is one thatempowers you, one that allows you to learn from each other, not one that holdsyou back. Make sure it is one that doesn’t get in the way of you being you inyour youth.

Make sure it is one that teaches you about yourself.

Make sure thatit is one that makes you laugh more than it makes you cry.

Make sure it is onethat makes you feel like your capabilities are boundless.

Be with someone who supports you, someone who doesn’t imposeunsolicited opinions, someone who allows you to take time for yourself.

Be withsomeone you can honestly converse with, someone that listens, someone that youwant to listen to.
Be with someone who doesn't possess you, but who possesses qualities that you admire.

Be with someone who doesn’t play mind games, who doesn’t useguilt to manipulate you.

Bewith someone who wants to know you, someone that wants you to know who you are.

Be with someone who makes you feel good about yourself, who everyday tells you that you are beautiful both inside and out.

Be with someone equally ambitious, someone also constantlyworking on self-improvement, someone who inspires you to challenge yourselfinstead of just being comfortable with what you have. It is more likely thatthis kind of person will understand that at this point in your life he may notalways come first, but that that doesn’t necessarily make him any less important.

Be with someone who truly appreciates not just your presencebut your role in his life, someone that trusts you and someone that you cantrust.

Be that someone for someone.

The time will come for compromises and sacrifices, but thereis no better time to discover who YOU are than in your youth.

The right personwill admire your strength of character.

The right person will encourage you tobe the best version of you that you can be, and the feeling of security withinthat relationship will be unbreakable. ---

*****

To readers who have reached out via Twitter/Facebook/E-mail, thank you. I am honored, delighted, humbled.

Peace, Light, and Love,

Cara

Short Stories: 5 - Sweet Dreams, A Collaboration

2012-01-26T04:26:00.000-08:00

A buddy of mine from The Digital Outhouse, Joseph Albert, and I have collaborated on a couple of tracks across the seas via Skype and the magic of Garageband for Mac computers.

There was a time when Joe was living in Taiwan while I was in Sweden, he sent me an audio file of him on the guitar playing Maroon 5's Sunday Morning. I was living in Stockholm in the dead of winter, stuck in my apartment to escape temperatures that dropped as far as -20. One snowy evening, I decided to record my voice over Joe's track, twice.

The result?

Another one of our little projects was a humble rendition of the timeless Beatles classic Across The Universe, also covered by Fiona Apple, and later the title of a movie based on the Beatles discography. Following the same concept as our first collaboration, Across The Universe was produced across-the-seas thanks to the magic of technology. Joe's guitar track was recorded in Singapore, while my vocals were laid on in two parts, first in the Prague, then in Stockholm.

A simple little lullaby to drift off to:

Sweet dreams.

*note: While technology played a huge part in the making of these tracks, there was no auto-tuning involved.

Short Stories: 4 - Teach Me Tonight

2012-01-24T22:37:00.000-08:00

What else makes Cara feel small? Singing with a Big Band.

I had the great pleasure of attempting to cover the classic Teach Me Tonight, a very loose and low-key jam night at home with The Executives Band giving it our own little twist. We were graced by the presence of Jay Cummings, veteran drummer of the Stan Kenton Orchestra who has played with the likes of Lionel Hampton, Woody Herman, and the Glenn Miller band.

Must-see: Dinah Washington's version, Frank Sinatra's version, and of course that of (my greatest influence) Amy Winehouse.

Note: Don't mind my Swiss uncle's little cameo, he's having a good time. Ha ha :)

Short Stories: 3 - Family Ties

2012-01-24T08:15:00.000-08:00

Meet Fidel V. Ramos, 12th President of the Republic of the Philippines.
My paternal grandfather served as his Secretary of Foreign Affairs,
and my maternal grandfather served as Best Man at his wedding.

Cara with FVR, mom and dad

Did I mention...

2012-01-24T08:08:00.000-08:00

... that I sing?

No music. No microphone. No makeup.

Travel Tidbits: 2 - Breathtaking Views

2012-01-21T01:57:00.000-08:00

Sun Salutations: Sunrise at Angkor Wat, taken from across the pond, Siem Reap, Cambodia