Jul 29 2008
Farewell Koro Filipino!
Note: this is such a long-delayed post… it’s almost moot.
In the middle of our last choir practice before of our performance, I made a little impromptu (okay, okay… it was quite long and drawn-out) speech to the choir. I said it mostly in Filipino, and this is more or less the translated version:
Okay guys, let’s stop for a while and please listen to me. Please turn off the TV for awhile… I know it’s the last few weeks of Lobo but you’ll find out what happens tomorrow during the Ang Nakaraan portion.
(I usually allow the television in the practice room to be turned on softly so that those who are waiting for their turn for me to teach their parts wouldn’t get so bored).
I’m going to say goodbye to you now because we might be all too busy during the National Day Reception for Honey and me to properly say goodbye to you. And don’t expect us to throw a party either. I mean… I love you guys and all that but I’m not going to wash all those plates. So I’ll do it now.
I’ve been teaching the Koro Filipino for six years now and my wish for the group is for it not to die out just because I’m gone. No one is indispensable in any group, company, or organization… and that includes myself in the Koro Filipino. You all know your parts in the national anthems of the Philippines and Cambodia upside-down, inside-out, and even in your sleep. So I hope that if you get invited to sing in the following years, you would all still agree to sing during our activities.I also have great faith in the resilience of the Filipino. I’m sure that one of you (I named a few of them) or someone else would still be able to teach the group. When that happens, more than knowing your notes and your parts, I hope that these are the things that you’ll remember from all the things that I taught you.
- Learn to love not the sound of your own voice but learn to love the sound of the choir. You are all amazing karaoke singers. But when you sing in the choir, you cannot let your listeners distinguish the individual beautiful voices. There should only be one beautiful voice to be heard which is the result of the harmonious blending of all your voices.
- Some of you are more gifted musically than the others but in a choir, we must all help each other such that we should all sound wonderful as a group instead of the individuals in the group. If you notice, I have never even auditioned any of you to be able to join the Koro. Why? Because I believe that we, especially Filipinos, are innately talented in music. If someone as tone-deaf as I am could learn music, why not anyone else? More important than talent for me are discipline and cooperation. No matter how talented you are, if you don’t attend rehearsals, then you are of no use to the choir. And no matter how untalented you think you are, you can still learn if you strive hard enough. I am the best example of this.
- Some people think that I have mellowed down since I first taught you six years ago. That I am no longer strict or masungit. Actually, I don’t think I mellowed down. I think that it is you guys who became disciplined and cooperative and that is why we always end up with excellent performances (plus the fact that you all have star complex). Hardly anyone is late or absent anymore without good reason. Though we have fun, everyone is well behaved and really try to learn their parts. It’s all you. You’re the ones singing. During a performance, you guys are the ones who sing. I just try to make my back and my hair look nice so I would look good to the audience while conducting.
You know, Honey and I have been in Cambodia for almost six years. And in those six years, we’ve had a lot of experiences both fabulous and horrific. One moment we’re shaking hands with the king and dancing with royalty (I’ve actually stepped on the foot of a prince while dancing with him). The next moment, I’m identifying either a corpse that drowned in the Mekong River or a corpse that has been stabbed multiple times. We’ve met heads of states, ministers and other high government officials. But we’ve also visited criminals and indigents and those in distress. We’ve been through both riots and festivals and royal ceremonies and floods and international cultural performances. We’ve seen Cambodia grow rapidly right in front of our eyes from the time when we lived in a house whose pipes would burst in the middle of the night until now when they’re building 42-foot skyscrapers in the middle of the city.
But of all our experiences in Cambodia, my favorite experiences are those with the choir – all the sleepless nights practicing and lecturing and giving you guys long sermons and all the wonderful performances – national days, Christmas, the first one when the President visited us. I will never forget those. And I would like to thank all of you… for bearing with me, for loving the music, for enjoying the friendship. I will never forget you.
I would like to thank the loyalists who have been there from the start, those who immediately followed the loyalists, and also those who are new. I will never forget you guys. Thank you for all the cooperation and I hope that you would give the same enthusiasm and coopration to the next director of the Koro Filipino.
You know what? Things can go wrong during performances. But if we have practiced hard, we could wing the mistakes and the accidents. It’s better to have practiced hard and winged the mistakes rather than to practice mediocrely and make a good performance by sheer luck. You cannot be lucky in every performance if you don’t practice hard. You can do it maybe once or twice, but not all the time. Remember that our goal is not perfection but excellence.
And with that, I’d like to thank you all again. Let us all give our best on Thursday… like we always do.
Well, speaking from a totally unbiased unprejudiced and neutral point of view, I think we did a splendid performance (see this post). 
They didn’t cry or anything like that. They were probably excited to see me go because a week after that, they gave me a surprise despedida although I wasn’t to leave Cambodia yet for another month. I think that they were all rushing me to leave – no more masungit choir director.
Anyway, it wasn’t much of a surprise because, first, my office staff, told me beforehand that the choir would throw Honey and me a surprise despedida. I think it was because Honey told him that he’s so busy lately that he’s not going anywhere without an appointment. Second, we were the first to arrive at the restaurant… so the choir were more surprised than we were. But the food was good (we ate in a Chinese restaurant with Italian design) and the entire Koro was there and the company was just riotous.
For their farewell gift, what else would they give me but musical instruments of course.
The first one is a roneat – a Cambodian xylophone made of bamboo and struck with wooden mallets. Its keys are made of antique mahogany wood and the brass embellishments are also old. The one below is a tro - an antique Cambodian violin with a coconut-shaped body. The bow is made of horse hair and the white part at the end is made of buffalo bones.
Farewell Koro Filipino! I labyaguys and I’ll never forget you.
- Choir Rules and Choirs Rule
- Anak, Koon-Oey, Anak
- Philippine Flag-Raising and Filipino Breakfast in Cambodia
- Mommy in Phnom Penh
- WIG Bazaar
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siguro naging emotional naman sila kahit pano, di lang pinakita. ^____^ ganda nung mga instruments ah, parang ang sarap itugtog
“we ate in a Chinese restaurant with Italian design”
very observant 
- natawa naman ako dito.
farewell to you my friends pala yan…another stage in life ended and a new just began
Bravo! Naiyak ako! Good luck sa next post mo Toe. Soon, hindi na “A Filipina blogging in Cambodia” ang masthead mo. Saan naman kaya ang next post niyo ni “Honey”? Season na naman ba ng “changing of guards”? Saan kaya mapupunta ang aking guwapong pinsan?
Sana, either one of you mapunta dito sa amin. Pakakainin kita ng kare-kare, promise.
That roneat is neat!
Identifying corpses? Sounds like there’s more to being a diplomat than just rubbing elbows with high gov’t officials/foreign dignitaries.
That was a very nice farewell post for your musical wards in Cambodia, Tonette. Hmm, nandito ka na ba sa Pinas?
That was a very nice farewell speech. You stressed how teamwork, discipline, hard work, and unselfishness made your choir great. I hope that they will continue with the great work long after you’ve exited the scene. Kudos to you for a job very well done.
Wow I am sure that you have taught them a lot and that’s one thing they are indeed proud of ! Job well done Toe
!
With the kings and princess so I am sure that you have experienced walking in that long red carpet ?
P.S.
Love the instrument
!
Nakakalungkot naman itong goodbyes. I’m sure Koro Filipino will miss you. Sa dinami ba naman ng pinagdaanan ng grupo.
Ang ganda rin ng tips mo dun. being in a choir is more of a group dynamics rather than individuals singing together.
i hate goodbyes but i guess it will always be a part of our lives. everytime i read about goodbyes, the song constant change of jose mari chan always come to mind. i hope Koro Filipino in Cambodia will continue although i’m sure it will not be the same without you. good luck to you – wherever you will be heading to.
it will be good-bye to Phnom Penh, but a new beginning soon. you will be missed by the Koro, on the other hand, they have a lot to thank for (hindi naman sila excited to see you go, excited sila kasi there’s something new in store for you). good luck, Toe…papalitan mo ba ang header mo paglipat mo sa ibang place? am gonna miss your phnom penh posts, as phnom penh has for a while been close to my heart.
it surely is memorable. i can see how the members really like the experience and not just the performance. congratulations toe!
clap clap clap. What a speech! What, no tears?
I can see that with the discipline you imposed, the Koro has become the music/harmony/voice that it is now. I can also feel the TLC, controlled, yes, but still breaking through.
You mean I could have joined the Koro if I were there? Any Pinoy with innate musicality could have joined? But then you havent heart me sing or rather croak.
And I am one of those in no imminent danger of falling in love with my voice.
I love reading these about choral singing and the discipline and passion it requires.
Carlotta, meron pa jang mas nakakatawang chinese restaurant. Ang pangalan niya Champs Elysees.
Yeah, the instruments are way cool… very nice souvenirs of Cambodia. 
Tutubi, oo nga… parang ganyan na lang parati buhay namin… panay hello and goodbye. But we always carry with us wonderful memories.
Ting, sa tingin ko, magkakasama kami ulit ng guwapo mong pinsan sa home office for about two years.
Kahit hindi posting jan… kahit bakasyon lang… promise yung kare-kare ha. 
Wil, hehe… oo naman… konti pa nga dito… mas mahirap kung sa Middle East.
I’ll just put the instruments on display… I couldn’t really figure out how to play them. 
Snglguy, oo… nag-aasikaso lang ng papers and chilling out.
Thanks Panaderos.
That is really my dream… for the choir to continue and become better even without me. I’m so proud of them. 
Thanks Haze!
Gusto nga ako pabalikin… kahit for national day and Christmas lang daw… I think they think that’s my real job. 
Yes… we’ve had great experiences and memories… both the majestic and the horrendous. Cambodia is indeed a country of contrasts. 
Ferdz, nakakalungkot nga ang goodbyes and I will miss them so much. But I’m really happy to be back home.
Life has to go on.
Thanks Evi. I do believe that they will continue without me. Mga Pilipino naman ‘yan so ma-abilidad.
Our life will always be full of hellos and goodbyes and that’s what makes it rich and exciting. 
Sexy Mom, madami pa kong utang na Phnom Penh posts…I’ve been such a delinquent blogger lately.
Yes, I’m going to change my header as soon as I finish some of my utang posts. 
Thanks Sexy Mom! I do hope that they have learned something from me. I have definitely learned a lot from them.
Thanks Dong Ho. The choir has been very much a part of my Cambodia experience.
toe, ganyan talaga, kapag may simula, dumarating rin ang wakas (gaya ng lobo), pero kagaya nga ng sinabi mo, pwede mo naman iyon balikan (panoorin ang nakaraan portion), this time, we can always remember all the goodtimes you have shared with koro.
congratulations and mabuhay ka, ipagpatuloy na ipagpunyagi ang pagkaPilipino! (naks) – sorry to your non filipino readers for the tagalog
Thanks Annamanila!
Naks naman… may applause pa. 
Oh yeah… if there’s anything I can do… it’s not really being a musician, but being a teacher. 
I think I can teach even a frog to sing. Up for the challenge? Organize a bloggers’ choir. 
Rheiboy17, hahaha… parang Lobo ha.
Mabuti na lang ang blog at mababasa at mapapanood ang mga “ang nakaraan.” 
Maraming salamat Rheiboy! 
Ang lupit huh? No “Lobo”?
What a nice speech. Ang haba, nakinig ba sila? Joke lang po.
I’m sure you will be missed.
I liked that going away present they gave you. Very apt.
enjoy Pinas….for now???
Leah, yeah, we’ll be here for a couple of years.
Haha… ewan ko nga kung nakinig sila… ang kukulit e! 
Toe,
But opkors! Just bring yourself over and i’ll take care of the rest. Samahan mo na rin ng palabok. Oh ha?
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