Movies, Books and More

2009 Reading List

2010-01-07T01:36:00.000-08:00

I'm not really and avid reader, but last year, I really committed myself to reading be it for leisure, for knowledge or even for the mere purpose of passing time time. Here are the ones that really got my attention.

Chick Lit, thanks to Sophie Kinsella's not-a-care-in-the-world characters both in the Shopaholic Series and Remember me.

Neil Gaiman Collection, which I started with his compilation of short stories, then The Graveyard Book and Startdust, which I read to see if it was anything better than the movie (yes it was). And Coraline, before I went to watch the movie.

The Twilight Series, because yes, it was in everybody's reading list. But also because it was juvenile (Twilight), heartbreaking (New Moon), fickle (Eclipse) and vindicating (Breaking Dawn).

I saw the trailer of Where the Wild Things Are and decided to read the book with my son, It was.....let's just say it's not one of those books that you read with your 5-year old son and forget about it one you reached the last page. There's just so many things to explain and so many things to process for me and my son to get the most out of it.

Malcolm Gladwell's The Tipping Point, whose reviews got into me. I might have ingested most parts of it as I could still hear parts of it wringing in my ears. Stories about the New York City police department, Paul Revere, mavens, connectors, the magic number and more. So when I saw that Malcolm Gladwell got a new book, The Outliers, I just couldn't pass on the chance of reading it. True enough it was as educating as Tipping Point was.

Then of course there is Freakonomics, which was written by an economist and everything that I didn't expect a book on economics could be. It was as informative as Gladwell's., its discussion on the applications of the game theory, asking questions about similar behaviors among sumo wrestlers and teachers, the economics of drug dealing, and how penalties distorts economic decision making. Super cool!

And later this year, I stumbled on TED and learned about Daniel Gilbert's book Stumbling on Happiness which doesn't talk about the perfect formula for happiness, but discusses how rational decisions can cause irrational unhappiness.

This year, I hope I'd do better, bringing more serious materials into my reading list . I'd definitely look forward to reading Superfreakonomics. And I'll try to finish whatever material I started to read (Still have 3 books hanging over my head). Good luck to me!

Felicia's Pastry Cafe

2009-10-13T05:29:00.000-07:00

By chance I was able to land at Lori Baltazar's Food Blog Dessert Comes First and learned about this dessert haven in Bacolod called Felicia's. She wrote about her trip to the place with so much gusto that she had me redoing my whole Saturday to-do-list to squeeze in a "gotta taste it to believe moment."

We came by the Cafe at around 11:30am, quite an odd time to stop by for desserts. The moment we stepped into the cafe, my eyes were transfixed into the rows of assorted mini-cakes and pielets - mocha caramel mousse, banoffee, sugarfree apple pielets, pandan mousse, chocolate cakes and more! Overwhelmed, I actually forgot all about the sans rival which Ms. Baltazar referred to as phenomenal. Instead, we ordered what we wanted to eat at that very instant - pecan pie for the hubby, cookies and cream cheesecake for Koy and a blueberry french macaroon for me. The hubby was satisfied with his choice as the pie wasn't as sweet as they had it in Calea. Koy liked the cheesecake too, but didn't care to finish it (he's not so fond of cakes). He traded his cake for a few bites of my blueberry macaroon, which he liked better especially because it turned his tongue blue.

After exchanging views about our desserts and engaging our food server in a little chitchat, we learned that the Felicia's has been around for a long time already known to many for its sweet creations such as the Turron de Pili, Almondettes and Almond Crunch. It was only in October 2008, however, that the Pastry Cafe came into operation carrying cakes and pastries which eventually has gathered a following among the locals.

Before we knew it, we've already wiped clean our forks and satisfied our cravings for sweets. So much for desserts-before-lunch. To cap our Felicia's experience we bought ensaymada (or was it bibingka?) for our afternoon snack.

I didn't fall in love with Felicia's at first sight, but I'm pretty sure I'd like to go back and have some of those sans rival!

To know more about Felicia's you view their Facebook page here >>>.

Note: Digiscrap resources by Maya.

Wall-E Spotted

2009-10-07T04:36:00.000-07:00

The workings of the trash compactor robot named Wall-e has been discovered near the peaceful Rolling Hills Memorial Chapel in Bacolod City. Is it not that it is supposed to start doing its work on 2105? Have we been fast-tracking our wasteful ways thereby laying the grounds for the establishment of a super-mega landfill that necessitates the abandonment of the earth we live in and the death of all life forms? Has doomsday come before Christmas?

Echos lang! Been meaning to post this pictures online for the longest time ever! I've been passing by the shortcut road at 27th Lacson Street to evade the traffic at Crossing Ramos since time in immemorial. But I never really got excited about these pile of junks until Wall-E.

I love this movie, Koy loved it too. He was 4 when he first watched it and he was deeply moved (spoiler alert! read at your own risk, if you haven't seen the movie yet) during that scene when Eve didn't recognize Wall-E. It's a good movie to watch with children. It teaches kids about the environment, waste management, learning to cope with whatever blessings you have, resourcefulness and companionship.

Wall-E is now available on DVD and Blu-ray Disc. Order and own one now! >>>

Watch Slumdog Millionaire

2009-01-02T07:57:00.000-08:00

Included in TIME's Top 10 Movies of 2008.

One young man, Jamal (Dev Patel), has miraculously, or suspiciously, spanned those two worlds. A tea server, or chai wallah, for a telephone marketing company, he has won a fortune on the Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. The show's host (Anil Kapoor) is so skeptical of Jamal's ability to answer the questions that he has policemen try to torture the truth out of the lad. His explanations all relate to his hard life as a homeless orphan in the company of his brother Salim (Madhur Mittal) and, not often enough, with the winsome, consistently abused Latika (Freida Pinto). Salim is a type-A troublemaker, a fighter and conniver, restless and reckless, and thus the ideal complement to Jamal's caution, sensitivity and resilience. These flashbacks constitute the body of a sharp, teeming, dark, very romantic film. - www.time.com

This Indian movie deserved my Wow! I actually enjoyed that one! moment. The movie was charming, easy to follow and very much relatable (and it wasn't TH - trying hard, if I may add). It showed the conditions of the poor in India, organized crime, and crooks that ruled the streets. Yet, never dwelling too much to outshine the movie's plot. For instance, there was this scene of the women washing clothes on a murky brown water river. Also, the public toilets where the poop fall directly into the swamp. You watch scenes like that and you know they are serious societal conditions, but before you can even dwell on that thought, the movie takes you to more important development on the lives of the character that eventually lead you to put that thought on hold so you can concentrate on the story.

Watch the trailer here and go and watch the movie! go, go, go!

Digression: I've been entranced by Indian films since my melancholy nights in Dubai circa 1999. It kept me company during those times when I missed home, well, cable TV to be exact. Reminded me of summer afternoons and those films I watched on PPP (Piling-Piling Pelikula) . Those 70s and early 80s films featuring the likes of Rogelio dela Rosa, Charito Solis, Nida Blanca and Gloria Romero. The Indian movies that I saw, though, centered more on the bare-chested men than their damsels in distress. There were a lot of dancing too which required a lot of hip work and the songs, so LSS-ish!

Forest Park, Bacolod City

2008-07-23T15:18:00.000-07:00

I didn't have any expectations of the place save for the animals, which I wanted my son to see (whatever they were). So when we got there I went, "Wow! this IS a park!"

It's an enclosed property (much like Eden Natural Park in Davao) only 30 times or so smaller. The greenery was a feast for the eyes. There were three playground sites complete with monkey bars, swings and see-saws for kids and feeling-kids. Lovers could take a stroll and settle on the many wooden benches around the park. We actually saw at least three pairs during our visit. Hmmmm, was that other girl still in her school uniform?

The lagoons and the bridges made a perfect site for the much needed emo moment. I made my mother pose in one of them, choreographed it even to make it more dramatic (echos!). Picnickers could bring their own food or order from the canteen located near the mini-zoo. We bumped into a few teenagers on the way to the cottage areas carrying bagfuls of junkies. I hope they know how to dispose of their garbage properly.

For the animal lovers, there were the rabbits, guinea pigs, birds, snake and monkeys in the cages and the kois in the ponds. One of the resident monkeys (lolo monkey, we called him) was a bit hostile though, banging on the cage and threatening to bite us. That's just because I touched the baby monkey's back a few times.

If action is your game, you can also check out the airsoft game site and ask around about memberhip.

Forest Park is located near St. Francis Village in Brgy. Taculing, Bacolod City. It is open from 7am-6pm daily.

Click to see more pictures >>>

The Lovely Bones (2002)

2008-07-02T09:00:00.000-07:00

Written by: Alice Sebold

Plot Introduction provided in Wikipedia:

"In 1973, a 14-year-old girl named Susie Salmon is raped, murdered, and dismembered by a neighbor. Over the next few years she watches from a personalized heaven as her family and friends deal with their grief. She sometimes becomes angry and frustrated from the choices her family makes while looking over them."

It's another death story told in a rather creative way (If you've read Mitch Albom's The Five People You Meet in Heaven you'de know what I mean). It's actually a poignant recount of the events that follow the death of a daughter/sister/friend/crush/schoolmate.

The story of a brutal death does not end when a body is found or a murderer served with a sentence. It lingers. Like the wringing sound of a pulled spring. Each reverberation echoes the pain felt by family members, friends, relatives and the whole community touched by the deceased.

Death means something to the dead as it does to the living. The letting go part is never easy. Painful, especially when death comes in a rather unexpected and brutal way. The father, not willingto move on, consumed by anger. The other daughter who just wanted to be seen for who she is and not whose sister she was. The younger brother who barely new what gone even meant. The mother, struggling and finally giving up on family life.

If I were to dream of my own heaven it would contain a placid lake with me floating on it. The wind caressing my cheeks giving me a little push while I move past beds of lilies and lotus. It would be eternally misty, as in early morning.

City of Friendship: Tagbilaran City, Bohol

2007-12-19T00:47:00.000-08:00

Finally, Bohol! glad the office picked this venue for our national convention. The team is pretty organized this time, even integrated a tour of the island into our itinerary.

What I enjoyed most:

The serenity of the place, sunset at Bohol Tropics, this wooden bridge at the Tarsier viewing area, the port fronting Baclayon Church and the Tagbilaran Pier at dusk.

Bohol's finest.

Loboc Children's Choir. We were fortunate to have been serenaded by the famous Loboc Children's Choir. It was like listening to angels sing. They recently bagged awards during their stint in Spain and even the Vienna Boy's Choir gaped in awe with their performance. Cesar Montano once commissioned them to "harana" his then girlfriend Sunshine Cruz when he proposed marriage to her. I bet she got carried away with the background music, hence she said yes!

The Tarsiers! History books tell us a lot about them. I'm glad the trip set a few things straight and factual. For one, they are not monkeys and they are not the smallest of their kind. They're not endemic to Bohol alone but they are territorial and afraid of cats.

Loboc River. Until today, I've never seen a river so deep in color and so clean even with the commercial activities in the area. As in, wow! and it's really so placid! I haven't watched Panaghoy sa Suba but I bet it's immortalization is as good as the real thing!

The Chocolate Hills. Now here's another fact I learned during my trip. The soil in these hills are salty hence no trees would grow in them. The hills are at their glorious during summer months when they look like mounds of chocolate kisses. There are two viewing areas, one in Carmen, which is really accessible to tourists and the other in Sakbayan which is still about 45 mins away (please don't trust my estimate, I was asleep during the transfer, hehehehehhe).

Things I Brought Home with Me

Loads of Pasalubong. Like any other trip, I was prepared to buy stuff for the folks back home. Of course I bought some tarsier key chains, ref. magnets, Bohol shirts for the hubby, mother and the two chuwariwaps, chunkie nuts instead of the usual peanut kisses which are readily available almost everywhere . I also bought baked polvoron, some cookies, ubi polvoron and ubi jam.

The Ubi Story. We learned from our tour guide that Boholanos take the planting of ubi rather seriously with a ritual which involve women with naturally big "bumpers". The planters hire these women (preferrably married) to do the planting in July during the full moon. Bare naked, they chant "mu daku ka ing ani, mu crack ka ing ani" or something like that while planting. The guys in our bus had a few laughs about it, "wala bang demo?"

How do tarsiers mate? During the mating season, female tarsierspee on a tree branch or something to advertise that she is "searching" for a mate. The male tarsiers then search for the pee scent that they like and they leave their saliva on them. The female then surveys her pees for her perfect match and then the mating. The actual mating thing happens in just a few seconds. (Daw si Flash ba!)

Some quips from HIM:

Never ASSUME, for it will make an ASS out of U and ME
Murphy's Law. If something goes wrong, it will.

Mixed Feelings.
Bohol brought those who were close, closer and rifters far more apart. It brought me sad news about the hubby's friend taking his own life and my son almost sticking a pencil through the househelp's eye. It brought me feelings of frustration for the lack of affirmation from HIM about our work and the hubby not happy about my buying him the wrong sandals. The negative feelings lingered quit a while but when I look back, I can't help but laugh at all those jumpshots and hilarious photo ops we brought ourselves to do. After all the hardwork and low morale that we've put ourselves into, we deserved all the fun. Thanks to our ever humble servant-leader who never fails to look after our best interests, life is still a beautiful thing!

After the Wedding and Prag

2007-09-20T08:07:00.000-07:00

After the Wedding is a Danish film by Susanne Bier. It's an Academy Award Nominee for Best Foreign Film in 2006 (the award was won by Pan's Labyrinth). I got hold of a copy after reading a good review by time.com about it but only got the chance to watch it recently.

Synopsis from its official website:

Far from home, Jacob (Casino Royale villain, Mads Mikkelsen), runs a struggling orphanage in one India’s poorest regions. Desperate to save the orphanage from closure, he returns to Denmark to meet Jorgen (Rolf Lassgard) a wealthy businessman and potential benefactor. Jorgen offers Jacob a seemingly innocent invitation to attend his daughter’s wedding. What appears to be nothing more than a friendly gesture sets in motion an increasingly devastating series of surprises, revelations, and confessions that will forever change their lives. Sweeping, yet entirely intimate, AFTER THE WEDDING is a shattering portrait of a family struggling with the fragility of life and the search for connection, healing, and forgiveness.

The story: man and woman fall in love, fell out of love, parted ways. years later, man goes back to Denmark gets invited to a wedding which turns out to be his daughter's, one who he never even knew existed until that moment. As in woah! there's your conflict!

I memorized a few lines I found to my liking:

Jorgen to Helena on her getting the jitters the night before their daughter's wedding: "Anna is young...and she will have many weddings... the first time is always difficult." Can't imagine that happening here in our country. Wouldn't dream of it either.
Pramod, the little boy in the orphanage to Jacob: "You said you don't like rich people, then why are you going to live with them?... I don't want to live there with you, I like it here (referring to the orphanage in India)." Sometimes, children have a way of making adults appear to be complicating things.
Helena and Jacob finally talking about their past: Helena: Why did you not come after me? ... Jaboc:I thought you were coming back. People, expectations and pride.

Great movie and yes, I fell in love with Mads Mikkelsen. LOL! Just enough to google him up and search for any film with him on it. Of course they were hard to come by. But after some dedication, I finally was able to find another movie with him on it, Prag.

PRAG (2006) is a Dogme Film by Ole Christian Madsen. I found an English-translated website sometime in the past but I couldn't locate it anymore so I will just give you the plot summary provided in imdb.com:

Romantic drama: the story of Christoffer and Maja's trip to the city of Prague - a beautiful, aging city, but also a city choked by a rigid and dated eastern-block mentality. PRAG is the story of a distant, ever-absent father who, even after passing away, traumatizes all who have known him. And PRAG is the story of a marriage on the verge of collapse, in which Christoffer wants one thing and Maja another. A story of an old love, constantly transformed; at once, rooted, fragile, vulnerable, forgotten and rediscovered. A marriage where secrets, one after the other, come bursting out of the closet.

The story: man's estranged father died, brings wife along to retrieve his remains in Prag. already knew that wife is seeing another. hopes that the trip will be a good time to save whatever is left of the marriage. confrontation about the affair... no raising of voices...just talking...

Here's some of the lines I got from the movie:

Maja: I saw you today.
Christoffer: I saw you today too. You looked absolutely beautiful.
Maja: Then why didn't you come over to me?
Christoffer: Because that would have ruined it.
(In an earlier scene, Christoffer saw Maja speaking to her cellphone obviously to her lover. Then she saw Christoffer watching her from afar. She stops, wipes the smile off her face and moves away.)

M: Is this a mid-life crisis?
C: I'm 40 and want to do new things. People under 40 always think that's a mid-life crisis.
I wouldn't know, I seem to be in a crisis all the time LOL!

M: Since when are you game for anything?
C: Since I found out you are seeing another man.
And that was delivered in a very matter of fact, no-frills tone. Gosh! that's love!

One review about the movie ended with this statement: For all its sadness of theme, Prag is a strangely beautiful and moving film. And all I can say is it's so so true!

Hail thee Mads Mikkelsen! Anybody knows where I can find Open Hearts?

Reign Over Me and Blades of Glory

2007-08-22T22:08:00.001-07:00

I have to admit that I have been watching films lately for the purpose of entertainment, no interpretation needed, just sheer enjoyment. This week we watched two interesting films: Reign Over Me and Blades of Glory.

Reign Over Me

Plot Summary provided in yahoo movies:

Former college roomates Charlie Fineman and Alan Johnson meet up again by chance on a Manhattan street corner. Five years after losing his family on 9/11, Charlie--once a successful dentist--has retreated from his life, and Alan is stunned to see the changes in his formerly gregarious friend. At the same time, Alan--who should be enjoying his beautiful wife, children and career--is overwhelmed by his responsibilities. Their rekindled relationship becomes a lifeline for the two men, who are both in need of a trusted friend at this pivotal moment in their lives.

I've shunned away from 9/11 films mainly because it's about the 9/11 disaster and I really am not emotionally prepared for that kind of drama in the middle of the week. But then it's Adam Sandler. So I consented to watching the film as I have always been supportive of Adam Sandler films no matter how odd they are. I didn't expect, though, to see him do drama after Punch Drunk Love. Heard of it? I don't blame you if you haven't.

Adam was aptly casted for the role of Charlie. His playful character gave the movie some light comedy even on heart-piercing scenes. The camera angles were not really meant to highlight his expressions but one can tell by the way he delivered his lines that he had imbibed Charlie's predisposition. The movie tackled on the painful issue of letting go of the past and moving on. Something I wish some people I know should do when they get out of heartbreaking experiences *winks*

Blades of Glory

Plot Summary provided in yahoo movies:

Perhaps nowhere in sports is the marriage of athleticism and grace more evident than in the arena of world champion pairs figure skating--the lifts, the jumps, the routines. It⿿s an elegant world, a rarefied universe, a noble place populated by the crème de la crème of skating elite. Well, it used to be. When the macho, swaggering Chazz Michael Michaels takes to the rink, he is the rock star of the arena, leaving a trail of thrashed ice and shrieking female fans in his wake. The only competitor who can match Michaels⿿ scores is the driven former child prodigy, Jimmy MacElroy. Spotted as a youth executing triple lutzes on the frozen pond of an orphanage, MacElroy was whisked away to days of endless training, and now stands as the picture of poise, the personification of the highest ideals of the men⿿s sport. Michaels and MacElroy have met in finals rounds before, but their latest head-to-head at the World Championships--when they tie for first--is more than either one can bear, and their longstanding rivalry erupts into a no-holds-barred fight. The ensuing brawl not only sets fire to the World Championship⿿s helpless mascot, but lands both athletes in hot water: Chazz and Jimmy are called before the sport⿿s governing board, stripped of their gold medals and banned from the sport for life. Now, three-and-a-half years later, both men are still trying to find their way in a world without competitive skating. Michaels has devolved into a drunken party machine, skating as a costumed evil wizard in a kiddie ice review, and MacElroy has been banished to the shoe department of a chain sporting goods store. But then, inspiration (in the form of an over-friendly, former stalker of Jimmy⿿s) strikes, and a loophole emerges. To skate again, all Chazz and Jimmy have to do is set aside their long festering hatred of one another and join forces--as the first male/male figure skating pair to compete in the history of the sport.

Waaaaa! Will was his usual Saturday Night Live self! After Night at the Roxbury, and Superstar I have been watching him humiliate himself in films over and over again. I liken the guy to our very own Jimmy Santos except that he's a whole lot funnier and very much better in the field of acting. The movie is my second Jon Heder film and well, he's as effective as he was in The Benchwarmers.

Yes, it is hilarious with all those skating stunts and the funny coined term "boobie shake". Which just makes me think... how much enjoyment would I get had the movie been Filipino made... naaaaaah!

Homer, Bean and Gus

2007-08-15T17:52:00.000-07:00

Three movies I've watched lately: The Simpsons Movie, Mr. Bean's Holiday and The Benchwarmers.

The Simpsons Movie. True to its TV reputation, the movie has all the wit and humor that adults will find amusing and children funny. I've read from somewhere that it got the ire of some Catholics on the scene (oops! spoilers) where Homer was leafing through the pages of the bible hoping to find answers. I liked the movie's rendition of the Titanic scene where the barge sunk drowning the band, the ala-Brokeback Mountain scene, the Itchy/ Hillary '08 campaign slogan, President S and the Bambi and birds ensemble. There were some scenes, though funny, should be watched with parental guidance as it might provoke some false courage or misguided truths in our little ones especially on the issue of taking responsibility for your actions, responding to dares and resolving family matters.

Mr. Bean Holiday. Of course it's full of Mr. Bean antics! But I watched it with my relatives and we laughed our hearts out for the whole duration of the movie (they because they thought it funny while I was just happy to oblige). Rowan Atkinson always portrays his role with so much mastery that I sometimes wonder if he's able to see himself apart from his Bean character. (Maybe we should ask Teddy). I didn't like the plot as much as The Simpson's Movie, though. Maybe because I have a son and I could kill if that had happened to him. I wasn't able to follow much of the movie because of the French lines. I'm not sure if there's a translation when you watch it in the big screen but my copy didn't have any so we had to just assume we understood what the muttering in French was. The movie featured many different faces of Paris and Cannes that left me gaping in awe. Wish I could visit those places in this lifetime. The movie was palatable but I couldn't appreciate it more than it's first installment - Bean the movie with Peter MacNicol (Ally McBeal, Numbers). That one I laughed my heart out to the very end. I pretty much enjoyed seeing Willem Dafoe portray his character as an egocentric filmmaker. Some people are just so like that... Anyways, the movie was simple as it is...no hidden meanings, no intricate connections.

Benchwarmers. Just like any Happy Madison movie, Benchwarmers tackles the issue of outcasts who also deserve their chance to belong. Rob Schneider was unusually serious in this film. I didn't quite expect Rob to produce those realistic teary eyes in one of the scenes. I wonder if he'd ever star in a drama.... David Spade, on the other hand, donned his usual Joe Dirt image. The movie, by my standards, is half a notch higher than Mr. Bean's Holiday. I wouldn't recommend watching it with children though. Not with the overgrown man in skimpy bikini, the gay hunk cuddling a midget and a sunscreen-eating albino, add to that the booger-obsessed character portrayed in the film. One catchy phrase hit me on the film, when the bullies were discussing about what to do with the outcasts: "what will happen to us if there are no nerds like them?" also reminded me of the order given on The Simpsons Movie about assembling 100 tough men and 200 soft men so that the tough men will look tougher. So what happens to bullies when there's no one to bully anymore? Interesting eh?

All in all, I had fun watching all three. No mental exercise needed there, just sheer amusement.

Coming Home by John Legend

2007-08-07T23:43:00.000-07:00

Coming Home lyrics found on the Complete Album Lyrics website :

A father waits upon a son
A mother prays for his return
I just called to see
If you still have a place for me
We know that like took us apart
But you're still within my heart
I go to sleep and feel your spirit next to me
I'll make it home again
I pray you'll fall in love again
Just say you'll entertain the possibility
I learned enough from my mistakes
Learned from all I didn't say
Won't you wait for me

It may be long to get me there
It feels like I've been everywhere
But someday I'll be coming home
Round and round the world will spin
Oh, the circle never ends
So you know that I'll be coming home

We fight to stay alive
But somebody's got to die
It's so strange to me
A new year, a new enemy
Another soldier gone to war

Another story told before
Now it's told again
It seems the wars will never end
But we'll make it home again
Back where we belong again
We're holding on to when
We used to dare to dream
We pray we live to see
Another day in history
Yes we still believe

It may be long to get me there
It feels like I've been everywhere
But someday I'll be coming home
Round and round the world will spin
Oh, the circle never ends
So you know that I'll be coming home

I'm coming, I'm coming, I'm coming
You know that I'll be coming home

It may be long to get me there
It feels like I've been everywhere
But someday I'll be coming home
Round and round the world will spin
Oh, the circle never ends
So you know that I'll be coming home

Been listening to the song for days now and it tears my heart to think of how painful it must be to send your son to fight for a war that you don't even believe in. To be constantly waiting for updates, be it good or bad. And to not lose hope despite the odds.

Tonight, we say a prayer for all the soldiers out there who are also sons, daughters and parents who look forward to coming home to their families. We pray for a peaceful resolution to political conflicts and cultural struggles that tear nations and peoples apart. We also say a prayer for the families that they left behind. May their unwavering faith carry them on to better days.

Godspeed.

Love Autopsy

2007-08-01T08:36:00.000-07:00

Love Autopsy

Figuring out you and me
Is like doing a love autopsy
They could operate all day long
And never figure out what went wrong
Love autopsy
Love autopsy

ah ah ah ah

What went wrong

I have always been baffled by the love choices of some people I know.

It took sometime before Friend A said yes to the guy courting her. That, after consulting everyone about what they think of him and them as a couple. Then after years of being together, they just had to end it because of, well, the most commonly used ground for divorce - irreconcilable differences.

Friend B broke off a long distance love affair and opened her heart to another. Then after awhile, she moved to another place and placed herself in another long distance love affair which went okay for a while until it succumbed to the same fate as her previous relationship.

Friend C fell in love with guys who attached themselves to "him" because of his connections and the little wealth that he had. Then he found someone who accepted him at a time when he lost everything he had. Now they're life-long partners.

Friend D had her eyes and heart for a guy who claimed to feel the same for her. But the guy never made any move to formalize any relationship. And when she found herself to the liking of another, he gets angry, confronts her and express his amorous feelings for her. Everybody else anticipated the much-awaited happy ending, but it never happened. The profession of love became mere words that never really found its way of manifesting. Then finally Friend D got over the guy, moved on and found love in another.

Friend E met a guy through the internet, corresponded with him for more than a year. Been promised a meeting that never materialized. Yet, she allows herself to be emotionally involved with the guy, hanging on to his words, believing his promises. The "relationship" has been going on for two years now, and she claims she's happy.

And these cases are not even cover the spectrum of extreme love choices out there. So there's really no way of telling, eh?

Good luck!

Numancia, Aklan

2007-08-01T06:19:00.000-07:00

Bonni, the hubby's long time friend invited us to his daughter's christening and his mom's bday celebration in their hometown, Numancia. I've heard a lot of good stories from the hubby about their fishing escapades and their drinking sprees with friends. And I was told that there's a cool resort nearby which we could visit.

Here are the 10 things that I brought home with me:

First 4-hour bus ride with Boz.
Meeting Bonni's folks, see his kid and sleep in their house.
Waking up in the morning and smelling the salty air of the fishponds.
Marveling at nature right at their front door.
Meeting a few more friends.
There was an army truck parked near the church where the christening was so Boz got excited about having his picture taken on it for souvenir.
Boz gained a new alias. They called him Jumong and he's been calling himself that whenever strangers ask him his name.
An unfortunate circumstance presented an opportunity for me to meet and to know better Bonni's relatives. Especially after they all helped out and showed their concern when Boz's middle finger got stuck on the swing door's jamb and turn black and blue. It was a very horrible sight! But Boz and I was able to manage well, thanks to them.
Red Balloon on Board. We accidentally had to bring home a red balloon after a fellow guest, who took the same bus ride home as ours left it when they went down, two towns before we did. The inconvenience of traveling with a child and luggage, plus a balloon! But what the heck, my son wanted it!
Boz had a great time playing with Kate and Issa, Bonni's neices. Like any other kids, they were like all over the place - playing, bumping into each other, crying, playing again, jumping up and down any cushioned surface.

We didn't get a chance to go to the resort, they've been telling me about but that's okay. I was already content with the sights and sounds of the fishpond and lakeside view from their house. Alas, it was time to go home. Boz cried a little, not quite willing to go back to the mundane routine of daily life. I was a bit sad too. Life and work has been a drag these days and I've been drawn to opportunities for adventure and travel to counter the lasting boredom of the ordinary life.

Check out our pictures here:

www.flickr.com

roxieyap's Numancia, Aklan photoset

Dance with me Tonight

2007-07-06T15:47:00.000-07:00

The thing with waking up to a raining morning is it gets me in the mood for some thinking and writing about whatever. Today, I opened my eyes to a song playing inside my head- Dance with me Tonight by Hugh Grant still from the movie Music and Lyrics. And the song transported me to some memory I had of a particular dance I had not so long ago. *blush*

Here Goes...

"Dance with Me Tonight"

It’s been so long
Since I’ve known right from wrong
Got no job, sometimes I just sit down and sob
Wondering if anything will go right
Or will you dance with me tonight

When the sun departs
I feel a hole down in my heart
Put on some shoes
Come down here and listen to the blues
Wondering if anything will go right
Or will you dance with me tonight

I’m looking at you
You’re looking at me
We’re the only two off the dance floor
Do you see what I see
Two broken lives working in harmony
Might make for a decent time
So get up and dance with me

I know that it seems that the grass will grow
Better on the other side of the barb wire fence
But that other side is not in sight
So I’m fine with what I have now
If you’ll dance with me tonight

What’s the point of life
If risk is just a board game
You roll the dice
But you’re just hoping that the rules change
What’s the point if you can’t bring yourself to say
Things you wanna say like
Dance with me tonight

Benjo Mangayo ko Kwarta

2007-07-04T22:03:00.000-07:00

English Translation: Benjo, give me money

A lawyer friend shared with the hubby this you-tube video done by, obviously, an Ilonggo. Reminds me of those times when you find yourself watching a foreign film and in your boredom you start dubbing the movie in a more interesting tone. Or that junk food commercial where two guys try to make something out of the actions of the ladies at a nearby table. Gawain ng walang magawa sa buhay. LOL! If you enjoyed that brand of past time, you will find this video to your amusement. It's been a while since I laughed my heart out while watching a movie. I sure did enjoy this one.

Caution: You should know Ilonggo or you should be watching this with one for full satisfaction.

For more videos by talibong1 at you-tube, click here >>>

Music and Lyrics

2007-07-03T15:29:00.000-07:00

Music and Lyrics excerpt from yahoo movies:

Alex Fletcher is a washed-up '80s pop star who's been reduced to working the nostalgia circuit at county fairs and amusement parks. The charismatic and talented musician gets a chance at a comeback when reigning diva Cora Corman invites him to write and record a duet with her, but there's a problem--Alex hasn't written a song in years, he's never written lyrics, and he has to come up with a hit in a matter of days. Enter Sophie Fisher, Alex's beguilingly quirky plant lady, whose flair for words strikes a chord with the struggling songwriter. On the rebound from a bad relationship, Sophie is reluctant to collaborate with anyone, especially commitment-phobe Alex. As their chemistry heats up at the piano and under it, Alex and Sophie will have to face their fears--and the music--if they want to find the love and success they both deserve.

------------------------------

It's funny seeing Hugh Grant wiggle his hips to an 80s song, much so see him sing. Seems to me he enjoyed doing the movie, experimenting with new roles. And of course, the British accent, something that I always look forward to. Drew Barrymore was cool too! Playing a very light role, not so much emotional preparation really needed there. But the tandem was a little off for me. There was neither the "tickle my heart effect" like in Notting Hill nor the "emotionally charged" confrontations as is Ever After. The connection that materialized was just not that solid. Until they kissed, I was so sure that Alex was just into it for the task (spoiler!)

Just the same I appreciated the movie. A friend, who just came out of a long relationship, could very well relate to "Way Back into Love" which, incidentally, has been my LSS (last song syndrome) next to Pop Goes my Heart for the past week.

The "finding your true self" concept injected in the film I appreciated the most. Sophie, fearing to write after being labeled and made an inspiration by an ex in his top selling book and Alex recording an album not really reflecting his own brand of music just for the heck of it. I fall in those traps too. Doing without necessarily wanting what I do and constantly fearing to try because of other people's opinions. I manage to fight it off sometimes, but I just don't have the emotional stability that I used to to really get me going.

Maybe someday I could also write my own song, figuratively. And put up with the world around me not much caring about how it's seeing me but how I see it. Maybe I'll grow tired of calculating my actions and emotions. Maybe I'll just revert to my old self. Maybe.....

Maybe I should just stop hoping and get myself to do something about it, eh?

Hero-fied

2007-06-18T19:21:00.000-07:00

I've been "hero-fied"! I'm referring to Heroes the new tv series from NBC. I first knew about it from my good friend Naling who got hooked to it as early as February. I swear, I fell asleep watching one episode with her. That's just because I came from a three-day mind-cracking session during a seminar-workshop. When I got home, I told my hubby about it and he too got intrigued and proceeded to devoting some time to downloading the series from the net.

The copy's been with us for almost two months now and it's just this weekend that we really found the time to watch it. And then we were glued! It's only Tuesday today and I can't wait to watch the last 4 episodes of season 1!

So, what got me hooked?

1. Peter Petrelli and the way he looks at Simone. I knew I've seen this guy from another series and I was right! He played Jess in Gilmore Girls. I always thought his character tickled the dark/spontaneous side of Rory and I once hoped that they end up together. But that's another story. Peter just cares so much about saving the world. Ironically, he needed saving.

2. Mr. Bennet - appearing to be evil at first. But all he really wanted was to protect the adopted daughter that he came to love and consider his own.

3. Claire Bennet - typical teenager, wanting to belong while dealing with her being special.

4. The Haitian who Mr. Bennet knew to be mute. He erases memory by a touch, reminiscent of the zapping done in Men in Black.

5. Hiro! Hiro! Hiro! He's actually my most favorite character. I don't know if it's just because he is Japanese and his ways are so different from the other characters. He is also so optimistic, never tires to save the world!

Catch Heroes at the Crime/Suspense Channel. Really interesting plot!

Old Manila

2007-04-16T22:43:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos from my recent trip to Manila. For a change, we didn't go to Divisoria not the malls. My very good friend Nanaks arranged for us to go on a cultural trip of Old Manila. We went to the National Museum, walked through the Manila City Hall, saw the butt of Kalantiaw (or was it?, saw Luneta Park, horse-driven coaches, lovers showing a bit of affection, students practicing some dance steps. It was fun!

Nanaks also introduced me into this whole jumpshot tradition that she and Rey started just recently. I got two jumpshots here. They are not so good though, a little practice and more choreography.

The trip was short but really really fun. As they say, wag maging dayuhan sa sariling bayan!

Curious George

2007-02-08T17:49:00.000-08:00

I’ve been meaning to write this blog for so long but it got caught up with, well, The Little Prince calls it, matters of consequence. For the most part, I want to blog about things that I want to remember or that which I want to forget (weird huh?) But today will be about the former, and so it goes…

Curious George

I will always remember this movie being the first movie that my son (2 years and 8 months old today) watched from beginning til end in full attention. It is a story of friendship between George, the monkey, and Ted, the museum guide turned treasure hunter. I’ve lifted the following plot summary from the internet movie database:

Ted, works as a guide at the Bloomsberry museum, sent on a 'business' trip of sorts by the museum's owner, to find a Zagawa shrine, he encounters a playfully mischievous and curious monkey...actually a chimp who he nicknames 'George' after the George Washinghton statue. His trip being less than a success, he returns stateside, only to find George wanting to return Ted's hat, has stowed away on-board Ted's boat. Back in the states Ted finds himself lumbered with George, who can't help but make Ted's life even more hectic than it already is.

Boz was all eyes on the pc. He giggled when George played peek-a-boo with Ted. He clapped his hands and laughed when George got lifted into the air holding a bouquet of balloons. He looked for the model of the car park that the museum’s son wanted to build on the site of the museum. He pointed to the screen a couple of times at scenes that caught his attention. But what I will remember most is the breaking of his voice as he asked where George was during the scene where George was taken by animal control and was about to be shipped back to Africa. I saw his mouth twitch as George was placed inside a cage. He turned to me again and asked again where George was and Miki told him that George was being shipped back to Africa. His attention went back to the screen and after a few seconds, the outburst came.

“Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! Mama wala na si George!” My little boy broke down into tears feeling for the monkey. It took a while before we were able to pacify him. He was just so affected. I had to take his attention off his grief so he would see that Ted was out to save George. He was only appeased when he saw the two friends reunited. But even so, the pain caused by the separation lingered even after the happy ending. We had to cuddle while the credits were rolling and waited until it was over before we could toothy-brush. In the middle of the brushing he stopped and cried again, wailing “Mama, diin na si George? Huhuhuhuhu!!!” I had to carry him and pacify him again.

We talked about George before going to bed. I recounted the happy events. We slept with happy thoughts of George.

In the morning, he asked his papa if he could watch Curious George again.

“Basi mahibi ka naman! “ His papa remarked.

He grinned out wide and replied, “indeeeeeee.”

The Secret

2007-01-26T00:21:00.000-08:00

THE SECRET

Directed by: Drew Heriot

Writing credits: Rhonda Byrne, Skye Byrne (more)

Genre: Documentary

Tagline: The Secret has traveled through centuries to reach you.

Runtime:

Australia

:90 min

Country:

Australia

USA

Synopsis:

The Secret has existed throughout the history of humankind. It has been discovered, coveted, suppressed, hidden, lost and recovered. It has been hunted down, stolen, and bought for vast sums of money. Now for the first time in history, The Secret is being revealed to the world over two breathtaking hours.

A number of exceptional men and women discovered The Secret, and went on to become known as the greatest people who ever lived. Among them: Plato, Leonardo, Galileo, Napoleon, Hugo, Beethoven, Lincoln, Edison, Einstein and Carnegie, to name but a few.

Fragments of The Secret have been found in the oral traditions, in literature, in religions and philosophies throughout the centuries. For the first time, all the pieces of The Secret come together in an incredible revelation which will be life transforming for all who experience it.

Some of today's greatest teachers will be presented in The Secret and will impart this special wisdom that has been known by so few. They include some of the world's leaders in the fields of business, economics, medicine, psychology, history, theology and science. Each of these teachers is living proof of The Secret; each of them a walking marvel of achievement and success...

Included are; 'Miracle Man' Morris Goodman, who tells his awe inspiring story of how he recovered from paralysis by using The Secret. Dr. Denis Waitley, who used various aspects of The Secret in training Olympic athletes and Apollo astronauts to reach new heights of human endeavour. Best selling authors and philosophers including Bob Proctor, John Assaraf, James Ray and Joe Vitale, explain how they have created lives of phenomenal success utilising The Secret. Doctors in the fields of medicine and quantum physics explain the science behind The Secret.

The Secret reveals amazing real life stories and testimonials of regular people who have changed their lives in profound ways. By applying The Secret they present instances of eradicating disease, acquiring massive wealth, overcoming obstacles and achieving what many would regard as impossible.

The Secret reveals how to apply this powerful knowledge to your life in every area from health to wealth, to success and relationships.

The Secret is everything you have dreamed of... and is beyond your wildest dreams.

Contents:
Chapter 0: Introduction
Chapter 1: The Secret Revealed
Chapter 2: The Secret Made Simple
Chapter 3: How to use the Secret
Chapter 4: Powerful Processes
Chapter 5: The Secret to Money
Chapter 6: The Secret to Relationships
Chapter 7: The Secret to Health
Chapter 8: The Secret to the World
Chapter 9: The Secret to You
Chapter 10: The Secret to Life

A friend watched this film in the net but since I couldn’t do video streamlining in the office, I decided to look for a copy of this docu-film. What I found was an audiobook, which was just as good as the film version.

My take on the film

Well, the concept of mind over matter is nothing new but at least the film tries to explain the concept in the light of real-life experiences of famous people. It reinforces the fact that you are what you think you are.

Like attracts like. When you don’t want to be sad, all the more that you attract events and things that will make you feel sad. When you don’t want more problems, all the more that problems come to you. I think about a worrywart friend who sees problems in everything and I compare him to this other friend who manage to smile despite the real problems she face in life. He preoccupies his time thinking of the what-ifs, she preoccupies her time talking about her situation in a happy tone. He’s deep in contemplation; she’s out living her life. It’s not hard to tell who is enjoying life there.

What you resist, you attract. I have this friend who’s been telling me that she’s tired of crying over all the problems that she have and all she wants is for it to go away. She wants to move on but she’s finding it difficult to do so. Apparently, she is not over it yet. The more that she resists the trials coming her way, the more it keeps on coming in her direction.

To attract money, you should focus on wealth. Visualize what you want and think that it is already yours even before it happens. Makes me think about how my hubby’s been living this mantra long before I even met him. He’s the kind of guy who seems to get what he wants. The most recent is his obsession to own notebook pc. Before the end of the year, he got what he wanted! Of course he had a plan and his planned worked it for him. Now he’s got his eye on a second-hand SUV. Hmmm, I wonder how long it will take before it materializes. (giggles)

If you focus on what you want, what you don’t want goes away. Change the way you think. And make everything positive! I want to find love instead of I don’t want to be an old maid. I want to find work abroad instead of I don’t want to stay jobless in this country. It’s just a matter of making everything sound positive. A very important note on that however is, you have to be sure of what you want and you have to make room for it in your life. If you want a partner, make room in your life for one. If you want to find work abroad, gear your actions, relationships and energy towards that. Perhaps this is the same reason why people who choose to adopt because they don’t have children beget children of their own! The film says that you have to be sure of what you want before sending your request to the universe. How else can you expect someone to give you what you want if you yourself are not sure about it? Makes sense, right?

Be and feel happy now! Be grateful of what you have so you will have more. Interesting! But I guess this is a better mantra than feeling sorry for what you don’t have. Focusing in abundance will make you appreciate what you have. I always believe in the parable of the talents where the master rewarded the servant who used the talent and took it away from the two who chose to bury it. How can you be a worthy steward of a bounty when you cannot manage to care for what you already have? So be happy and grateful! And enjoy the abundance that is yet to come.

You get to fill the blackboard of your life with everything that you want. Yes, I believe that we should not play victims of our horrid past. What is done cannot be undone. But there is still today and how we make of our future right? Everyone is entitled to a happy life. One just has to learn to let go of the hurts.

Like I said, it’s nothing new. But at some point in ones life, films like these bring hope and direction. If you think that is what you lack in your life right now, then this film is for you.

Happy Feet

2006-12-07T21:09:00.000-08:00

Category:	Movies
Genre:	Animation

SYNOPSIS:

In the great nation of Emperor Penguins, deep in Antarctica, you’re nobody unless you can sing--which is unfortunate for Mumble, who is the worst singer in the world. He is born dancing to his own tune--tap dancing. Though Mumble’s mom, Norma Jean, thinks this little habit is cute, his dad, Memphis, says it “just ain’t penguin.” Besides, they both know that, without a Heartsong, Mumble may never find true love. As fate would have it, his one friend, Gloria, happens to be the best singer around. Mumble and Gloria have a connection from the moment they hatch, but she struggles with his strange “hippity- hoppity” ways. Mumble is just too different--especially for Noah the Elder, the stern leader of Emperor Land, who ultimately casts him out of the community. Away from home for the first time, Mumble meets a posse of decidedly un-Emperor-like penguins--the Adelie Amigos. Led by Ramon, the Adelies instantly embrace Mumble’s cool dance moves and invite him to party with them. In Adelie Land, Mumble seeks the counsel of Lovelace the Guru, a crazy-feathered Rockhopper penguin who will answer any of life’s questions for the price of a pebble. Together with Lovelace and the Amigos, Mumble sets out across vast landscapes and, after some epic encounters, proves that by being true to yourself, you can make all the difference in the world.

Also Known As: The Kingdom
Production Status: Released
Logline: A children's tale about a young penguin with an unusual gift and his adventures
in Antarctica.
Genres: Action/Adventure, Kids/Family, Musical/Performing Arts and Animation
Running Time: 1 hr. 40 min.
Release Date: November 17th, 2006 (wide)
MPAA Rating: PG for some mild peril and rude humor.
Distributors: Warner Bros. Pictures Distribution
Production Co.: Kennedy/Miller Productions, Village Roadshow Pictures Entertainment
Studios: Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc.
U.S. Box Office: $99,256,766
Filming Locations: Australia
Produced in: United States

MY TAKE ON THE MOVIE:

I didn’t like it as much as the people who recommended that I watch the movie. Mainly because, I saw it as a cartoon adaptation of the documentary film – March of the Penguins. It’s basically the same! But I have to admit, I fell in love with Mambo from that moment when he tapped his feet out of his shell and into the world. He’s cute, he’s happy, and his feet are happy too. But he can’t sing, which makes him the odd one out in the whole pack of emperor penguins. And because of that, he was ridiculed by everyone. This makes me think of how we, the more intelligent creatures, so to speak, treat the “differently-abled” among us. Are we more tolerant or more demanding of them? Or when we find ourselves in a situation where we are being singled out as different, how do react?

I remember that one summer (1998) when I was dragged into studying sign language by an eccentric friend. At the start, it was more of making use of my idle time than really taking interest in the endeavor. So there I was, going to the DAB (Deaf Association of Bacolod) office with no expectations, what so ever. When I arrived, I was directed to this room near the reception area. Luckily, it didn't take a while for my friend to turn in the direction of the door and motion me in. A woman, was already standing in front of the group explaining about the course and how it was going to go. We will we holding classes daily, two students to one tutor - a deaf mute. Lori, that's the name of my friend, and I were assigned to Jane, a college student taking up regular engineering courses in one of the Catholic schools in the city.

Everyday we would meet at around 2pm and we will start the session by exercising our fingers. Then we learn the signs following this module they prepared. At first, it was kind of awkward for us, but soon we were already doing signs like pros. My classmates and I even went to the point of pretending that we were deaf mutes while we were riding a jeepney, conversing in signs while we observe the reactions of the passengers. What they actually didn't know was we were just translating the song My Heart Will Go On into signs.

For our culminating activity, we were asked to talk about one life experience in signs, then we will be evaluated through one-on-one conversation. Of course nobody failed, hehehhehehe. We had an excursion for our graduation activity then it was over.

My deaf mute friends.
Jane was a nice lady but it was with Gemma, Christopher, and the gwapo guy whose name I no longer recall, that I shared fond memories with.

Christopher was the president of the group. He has partial hearing and can talk audibly. He's fortunate to be given a kitchen job at McDonald's. He's married and with kids, I think. Gemma, the one I became really close with, was also working at McDonald's. She's an ex-girlfriend of Christopher but they broke up somehow. The gwapo guy, was working at the IT department of a department store out of town. He's already married to a nurse.

Somehow, Gemma grew fond of me that she started inviting me to hear Sunday mass with her at a chapel ran by the same NGO helping the differently-abled. It was a while before I could finally give in. And when I accepted the invitation, I saw myself hearing mass at a place where I was the "differently-abled." Everybody there was special and the priest and everybody involved in the mass catered to the needs of all who attended mass. They all knew how to do sign language and those who couldn't see played a vital role in the choir. It was a heartwarming experience for me. But I only heard mass there twice, hehehehehhe. I also have my Sunday obligations with my family and relatives, you know.

The Gwapo Guy. Lori had this some sort of fanaticism over the gwapo guy that we actually came close to stalking him! We researched about him, what he graduated of, where he lived, where he work, his past relationship. And because the deaf mutes are truthful people, it wasn't hard really to dig up such information without sounding like we were interested with him at some weird level. Well, the worst that we actually did was we went to his work place, which was literally an hour's ride from the city just to say hello. How weird is that? I never really took any romantic liking with the guy but Lori insisted that he might be the one for me. Weird!

Learnings.
The sign language class taught me to communicate basic sign language. It made me converse and exchange stories about our lives, hopes and dreams in sign. But what I treasure most from my experience is that I was able to know them more and understand them more that I used to. I learned that they are very opinionated people who have no qualms about expressing their feelings, no sugar-coating whatsoever. I learned that they are very loyal friends and that they stick to each other in times of crises. I learned that they are very transparent about their emotions. And I learned that they gossip too! In fact, they are more of bantayeras and maniningads only we don't know it hahahhahahahah!

Hmmm, the summer ended eventually and we lost touch. I haven't seen any of my deaf mute friends nor my classmates since then. I have even forgotten much of the sign language I learned. It was indeed an unforgettable summer for me, thanks to Lori, I am less different.

Nacho Libre

2006-10-30T17:01:00.000-08:00

Nothing special about the movie but if you like a hearty laugh, the Jack Black style, this movie is for you!

SYNOPSIS:
Nacho is a man without skills. After growing up in a Mexican monastery, he is now a grown man and the monastery's cook, but doesn't seem to fit in. Nacho cares deeply for the orphans he feeds, but his food is terrible--mostly, if you ask him, a result of his terrible ingredients. He realizes he must hatch a plan to make money to buy better food for "the young orphans, who have nothing" (and if in doing so Nacho can impress the lovely Sister Encarnacion, that would be a big plus). When Nacho is struck by the idea to earn money as a Lucha Libre wrestler, he finds that he has a natural, raw talent for wrestling. As he teams with his rail-thin, unconventional partner, Esqueleto (the Skeleton), Nacho feels for the first time in his life that he has something to fight for and a place where he belongs. As Lucha is strictly forbidden by the church elders at the monastery, Nacho is forced to lead a double life. Disguised by a sky blue mask, Nacho conceals his true identity as he takes on Mexico's most famous wrestlers and takes on a hilarious quest to make life a little sweeter at the orphanage.

PRODUCTION DETAILS:
Untitled (Nickelodeon/Jack Black Project)
Genres: Comedy and Sports
Running Time: 1 hr. 31 min.
Release Date: June 16th, 2006 (wide)
MPAA Rating: PG for rough action, and crude humor including dialogue.
Distributors: Paramount Pictures, United International Pictures
Production Co.: Black & White Productions, Nickelodeon Movies
Studios: Paramount Pictures
U.S. Box Office: $80,197,993
Filming Locations: Oxaca, Mexico; Los Angeles, California USA
Produced in: United States

I have been looking forward to watching this movie for sometime now. Mainly because I liked the idea of a new superhero with bulges everywhere. Cool! I am glad that a DivX copy is finally out! Thursday Night, movie night. Miki and I was choosing between The Da Vinci Code and Nacho Libre. Since we were both not in the mood for philosophizing, we opted for comedy (which was what I was hoping for since I have already read and watched The Da Vinci Code). I am just glad that the movie didn't fail my expectations. It's great to be entertained by a good moviewith no philosophical underpinnings whatsoever.

What I liked about this movie:

It is not star-studded but the actors that were picked were visually apt to play the roles. I especially liked Eskeleto, the sidekick who reminded me so much of a college friend. It’s more of a physical resemblance actually. I also liked his portrayal of a “lampayatot” but loyal friend to Nacho.
The music haunted me! I am referring to Religious Man.
Jack Black and his weird roles, liked it so much. The guy is adventurous when it comes to his projects and I think I like the variation. There’s really not much likeable comedy in the theaters lately.
I liked the Latino setting. A third for me this year – to watch a movie with the Latino touch! The first was Fun with Dick and Jane where their son called their TV – telemundo and his favorite cartoon character – Spongha Roberto Kwadrado Pantalones aka Sponge Bob Square Pants! The second was Adam Sandler’s Spanglish which dealt with their Latina housemaid who was learning the American lifestyle through her interaction with her employer and her daughter. Hmmmmm, am I just biased against the American brand of comedy?
The story line was so simple but effective! Talk about running away from your destiny and finding yourself being haunted by it. It teaches children to believe that they can be who they want to be despite the odds. And it’s a good feeling.

Tuedays with Morrie

2006-10-20T00:44:00.000-07:00

Morriefied!

That's how I characterize what I felt after finally reading the phenomenal Tuesdays with Morrie. It's a sad book, yes, so many issues. I have to put it off a week before finally mustering the courage to put my thoughts and feelings into writing. And you only get that clarity when you are not emotionally burdened. Which makes now a very good time.

Needless to say, it is a very moving piece. So let me just write here bits and pieces of the book that I want to commit to memory:

About the World
"The most important thing in lide is to learns to give out love, and let it come in."

About Feeling Sorry for Yourself
"...I don't allow myself any more self-pity than that. A little each morning, a few tears, and that's all."

About Regrets
"... we're involved in trillions of little acts just to keep going. So we don't get into the habit of standing back and looking at our lives and saying, Is that all? Is this all I want? Is something missing?"

About Death
"Learn how to die, and you learn how to live."

"Death ends a life not a relationship."

About Family
" Love each other or perish." "This is part of what a family is about, not just love, but letting others know there's someone who is watching out for them. "

About Children
"There is no experience like having children. You cannot do it with a friend. You cannot do it with a lover. If you want the experience of having complete responsiibility for another human being, and to learn how to love and bond in the deepest way, then you should have children."

About Emotions
"...detachment doesn't mean you don't let the experience penetrate you. On the contrary, you let it penetrate you fully. That's how you are able to leave it."

About the Fear of Aging
" We all yearn in some way to return to those days when we were completely taken care of - unconditional love, unconditional attention. Most of us didn't get enough."

" Aging is not just decay, you know. It's growth. It's more than the negative way you're going to die, it's also the positive that you understand that you're going to diem and that you live a better life because of it."

"You have to find what's good and true and beautiful in your life as it is now. Looking back makes you competitive. And, age, is not a competitive issue."

About Money
" Remember what I said about finding a meaningful life? ...Devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning. You notice... there's nothing in there about a salary."

"Each night, when I go to sleep, I die. and the next morning, when I wake up, I am reborn." ~ Mahatma Gandhi

"A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where is influence stops" ~ Henry Adams

About How Love Goes On
" When you're in bed, you're dead."

"...love is how you stay alive, even after you are gone."

About Marriage
"Still... there are a few rules I know to be true about love and marriage: If you don't respect the other person, you're gonna have a lot of trouble. If you don't know how to compromise, you're gonna have a lot of trouble. If you can't talk openly about what goes on between you, you're gonna have a lot of trouble. And if you don't have a common set of values in life, you're gonna have a lot of trouble. Your values must be alike... And the biggest one of those values... [is] your beliefe in the importance of your marriage."

About Culture
"In the beginning of life, when we are infants, we need others to survive, right? And at the end of life... you need othres to survive... but here's the secret: in between we need others as well."

"What's wrong with being number two?" ~ Morrie in a basketball game in 1979 when cheerers were shouting "We're number one!"

About Forgiveness
"It's not just other people we need to forgive... we also need to forgive others... for all the things we didn't do. All the things we should have done. You can't get stuck on the regrets of what should have happened."

"Forgive yourself. Forgive others. Don't wait."

Thank you Mitch for sharing with us life's lessons!

Mission Impossible 3

2006-10-19T19:43:00.000-07:00

SYNOPSIS:
Super-spy Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) has retired from active duty to trains new IMF agents. But he is called back into action to confront the toughest villain he's ever faced - Owen Davian (Philip Seymour Hoffman), an international weapons and information provider with no remorse and no conscience. Hunt assembles his team - his old friend Luther Strickell (Ving Rhames), transportation expert Declan (Jonathan Rhys Meyers), and background operative Zhen (Maggie Q), to rescue one of his very own trainees, Lindsey (Keri Russell) who was kidnapped while on a surveillance detail of Davian. It soon becomes evident that Davian is well-protected, well-connected, and downright malicious, forcing Hunt to extend his journey back into the field in order to rescue his wife, Julia (Michelle Monaghan), and uncover IMF double agents in the process.

PRODUCTION DETAILS:

Production Status: Released
Genres: Action/Adventure and Sequel
Running Time: 2 hrs. 6 min.
Release Date: May 5th, 2006 (wide)
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for intense sequences of frenetic violence & menace, disturbing images & some sensuality
Distributors: Paramount Pictures, United International Pictures
Production Co.: Cruise/Wagner Productions (C/W Productions)
Studios: Paramount Pictures
U.S. Box Office: $133,382,309
Filming Locations: Los Angeles-USA, Antwerp-Belgium, Prague-Czech Republic, Berlin- Germany, Ghana-Africa, Rome-Italy, Naples-Italy, Shanghai-China
Produced in: United States

After watching too many sci-fi flicks this year, I didn't really see anything new in this movie. It's still the anti-god, biological warfare, good and evil plot. I've watched it twice, actually, the first time was from a cam-copy which made me appreciate it less. Then I watched it again last night (Thursday night, movie night!) with Miki, a DIVx copy this time.

Well, the movie showed some new stuff. It started with the conflict then unfolded the events that happened before it. You will see more of the "real" life lived by Ethan Hunt in contrast to his secret agent identity. More moral dilemma scenes with him asking his fiance to just trust him without asking questions, between his responsibility to his new recruit and going back to the mainstream. The hopping from one country to another in pursuit of the "rabbit's foot" is not really new to Alias followers (both were directed by J.J. Abrams, that's why).

Unfortunately, I missed out some details in the middle of the movie because... I fell asleep hahahahhahahaha! Sorry about the outburst. It's just that Tom doesn't have the spellbinding effect on me anymore.

Overall, Miki said he liked the movie being better than the first two installments. I don't agree, though. Perhaps, I am more of the John Woo action flick fanatic with all the drama and slow-mo effect. MI:3 just didn't do that for me.

March of the Penguins

2006-10-16T17:34:00.000-07:00

SYNPOSIS: Each winter, alone in the pitiless ice deserts of Antarctica, deep in the most inhospitable terrain on Earth, a truly remarkable journey takes place as it has done for millennia. Emperor penguins in their thousands abandon the deep blue security of their ocean home and clamber onto the frozen ice to begin their long journey into a region so bleak, so extreme, it supports no other wildlife at this time of year. In single file, the penguins march blinded by blizzards, buffeted by gale force winds. Guided by instinct, by the otherworldly radiance of the Southern Cross, they head unerringly for their traditional breeding ground where--after a ritual courtship of intricate dances and delicate maneuvering, accompanied by a cacophony of ecstatic song--they will pair off into monogamous couples and mate. The females remain long enough only to lay a single egg. Once this is accomplished, exhausted by weeks without nourishment, they begin their return journey across the ice-field to the fish-filled seas. The male emperors are left behind to guard and hatch the precious eggs, which they cradle at all times on top of their feet. After two long months during which the males eat nothing, the eggs begin to hatch. Once they have emerged into their ghostly white new world, the chicks can not survive for long on their fathers' limited food reserves. If their mothers are late returning from the ocean with food, the newly-hatched young will die. Once the families are reunited, the roles reverse, the mothers remaining with their new young while their mates head, exhausted and starved, for the sea, and food. While the adults fish, the chicks face the ever-present threat of attack by prowling giant petrels. As the weather grows warmer and the ice floes finally begin to crack and melt, the adults will repeat their arduous journey countless times, marching many hundreds of miles over some of the most treacherous territory on Earth, until the chicks are ready to take their first faltering dive into the deep blue waters of the Antarctic.

PRODUCTION DETAILS:

Also Known As: La Marche de L'Empereur, The Emperor's Journey, The Emperor's Journey (

United States

)

Production Status: Released

Genres: Art/Foreign and Documentary

Running Time: 1 hr. 20 min.

Release Date: June 24th, 2005 (limited)

MPAA Rating: G for General Audiences

Distributors: National Geographic Feature Films, Warner Independent Pictures

Production Co.: Canal +, APC, French Polar Institute, Bonne Pioche Productions, National Geographic Feature Films

U.S.

Box Office: $77,413,017
Filming Locations: Antartica
Produced in: France

Lessons we should all learn from the penguins:

On marriage. Married life is a dynamic merger. It involves interaction, role portrayal, role reversal at some point, concession, submission, trust and confidence.
On goodbyes. Go when it is time to go. Goodbyes are difficult, but sometimes, you have to let go of someone for others to grow and realize their potentials. And for those who are left behind, don't mope too long, use the time for what it can do and rather than what you can't have.
On directions. The penguins didn't ask for directions but they were able to make it to their nesting ground. But since we are purportedly more superior than them, there is no reason why we can't ask for directions.
On new relationships torn by premature separation. Before you embark on a long distance relationship, make sure you have laid a strong foundation for your love to thrive from miles away. Although absence makes the heart grow fonder, as they say, the heart may grow weary, then warry then fade away.
On distant parenthood. Nurture them in their youth and give them all the love, care and endearment that you can give. So they will remember even when you are away.
On solidarity and self-sacrifice. In order to survive, every one of the penguins took their turn of acting as shield against the blasting winds. Why can't we all do it for the sake of the nation?
On fear of the unknown. Those chicks saw their parents swim away and they learned to do it on their own. Instincts.... and we fails to listen to ours most of the time.
On what happens to us tomorrow and the day after next. It will come to us, be it good or bad. But we will be guided as most of the penguins were able to survive the harsh weather and the predators around it, by God's grace and personal determination, the worst will be over.

Kudos Penguino!

Caluya Island, Antique

2006-09-26T22:05:00.000-07:00

Caluya is a 4th class municipality in the province of Antique, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 20,049 people in 3,942 households.

Caluya is politically subdivided into 18 barangays:

Alegria
Bacong
Banago
Bonbon
Dawis
Dionela
Harigue
Hininga-an
Imba

Masanag
Poblacion
Sabang
Salamento
Semirara
Sibato
Sibay
Sibolo
Tinogboc

How to get there:

Iloilo -> San Jose, Antique
travel time: approx. 2 hours
fare: P125.00 (van)
San Jose, Antique -> Libertad
travel time: approx. 4 hours
fare: :103.00 (bus)
Libertad -> Masanag Wharf, Caluya
travel time: approx. 4 hours
fare: P220.00 (ferry boat)
Masanag Wharf -> Poblacion, Caluya
travel time: approx. 30 minutes
fare: P40.00 (tricycle)

Accommodation:
You may stay at the Caluya Lodging House owned by the family of the municipal mayor. They charge P150 per head per night. Food can be pre-arranged. But I have to warn you, there's not really much choice save for fish dishes , shells and chicken which are abundant in the island.

You may also consider staying with some locals who would be willing to take you in for a minimal fee. In our case, we stayed with the Dela Torre's a friend of Roger, an officemate. They didn't charge us for the accommodation and we were only made to pay P200.00 for three meals shared by 4 people beat that! Just be kind enough to give a little extra for their hospitality.

Ups:

If you are big on adventure, then this trip is for you.
Caluya Island is coveted for the elusive coconut crab, Tatos, which populates the extensive coconut plantation in the island.
It's the 5th largest seaweeds producer in the country. Most of the island's surrounding waters are dotted with white styrofoam floaters of the monolines that hold the seaweeds.
The breathtaking view of the island! the seas, the hills, all those coconuts! The island offers you a chance to walk off the stubborn cholesterol deposits and burn all those stored fats. You can be adventurous and you can go visit the other island components of the municipality, check out the seaweed farms, dive for shells or just enjoy a swim.
Another two hours by boat and you are already in Semirara, two more hours and you will make it to Oriental Mindoro.
The shells, of course, they are endangered. But you could at least sample on a variety of shell fishes in the island.

Downs:

Way too much time on the road. If you're not one to enjoy long road trips and rough terrain, this trip is not for you.
There's only one way to get to the island, that is through ferry boat that leaves at 4am daily. Which means you either have to sleep on the boat til it departs or you make the most of the available accommodation near the wharf. It's nothing posh really, a bahay kubo with the papag to lie on, a private bath good for the bladder and nothing more.
There's really not much to see in Poblacion, Caluya. It's the usual banwa atmosphere, no traffic, lots of children playing on the road and the seashore. No fastfoods, only the occasional carinderias here and there (check out Jam's Eatery, that's where we dined). There are no facilities to support any recreational activity except for the videoke machine at Tatos Cave.
Add to the fact that electricty only runs from 4pm til 12midnight.

Personal Notes:

Unless you have personal business in Caluya, it is best to go there during the Tatusan Festival. An encounter with the Tatos and the energy of the performing tribes will make the whole trip worth your while.
Travel with a buddy who's open to new adventures and wouldn't mind the hustle of too much road travel, a hard bench for a bed, come what may food and pitch black midnights.
Enjoy the beach! it's not everyday you get to sample the white sand beach of Caluya. But don't go too far, you might get entangled with the monolines!
Stay long enough for you to enjoy the island but leave before it bores you.
Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints, kill nothing but time. Or at least try.

Proof

2006-09-11T01:54:00.000-07:00

Proof (2005)

Plot Outline: The daughter of a brilliant but mentally disturbed mathematician, recently deceased, tries to come to grips with her possible inheritance: his insanity. Complicating matters are one of her father's ex-students who wants to search through his papers and her estranged sister who shows up to help settle his affairs.

Sunday night was movie night for me. Miki was out to have fun with his beer buddies so I had the TV to myself (Yes!). Proof was not really an outstanding movie, if you were to ask me. But knowing that it was based on the play by David Auburn which won the Pulitzer, I figured it was worth watch. I guess I did like the movie. The story was solid and the characters focused. I especially liked Anthony Hopkin's portayal.

For me, the movie was about relationships and how we are shaped by them. There is Catherine, who took on the responsibility of taking care of their father. She wanted to start a life away from his own circle but she could just not bear the thought that he cannot manage on his own. And so she was drawn back to the very environment that she wanted to escape from. Then there is Claire, the absentee daughter. She too has her own struggles but she would rather win her battles on her own.

Talk about families and how we struggle to keep them. I had my own share of dilemmas when my father died. I wasn't just ready to start life again in Bacolod. But with my father dead, my mother would be coming home to an empty house full of painful memories from the recently concluded events. I had to reconsider my decision. It was time for us to retrace our steps into each other's lives.

Suprisingly, I enjoyed Bacolod. So much that the prospect of leaving it was unthinkable to some extend. Until the unexpected turn of events.

But my mother and I are okay now. We have managed to live separate lives but enjoy stronger bond. We now talk about our feelings and our problems. And now I know, wherever I may be, I can always look forward to coming home.

Click

2006-09-03T18:43:00.000-07:00

Click (2006)

A workaholic architect, who has been overlooking his family in favor of his career, comes across a universal remote that allows him to perform TiVo-like functions on his life, such as pausing events or fast-forwarding over them. When the remote begins creating its own memory and choosing what to fast-forward over, the man sees how much of his personal life has passed him by and realizes the importance of spending more time with his family.

Production Status: Released
Genres: Comedy, Kids/Family and Science Fiction/Fantasy
Running Time: 1 hr. 38 min.
Release Date: June 23rd, 2006 (wide)
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for language, crude and sex related humor and some drug references. Distributors: Sony Pictures Releasing International, Sony Pictures Releasing
Production Co.: Happy Madison Productions, Original Film
Studios: Columbia Pictures, Revolution Studios

U.S.

Box Office: $135,468,818
Produced in: United States

Watched the movie alone Saturday night. Miki fell asleep , Titchay wasn’t interested and I just the occasion to watch the movie of my choice without anyone bothering me. The plot was not complicated at all. But as usual, it’s the simplicity of the story that makes me relate to it. There is the dilemma of pursuing your dreams vis-à-vis spending more time with your family. The trade-offs in life that one has to go through if only to give that customized definition of happiness.

What makes you happy? A new car, techy stuff? Travel? A posh office overlooking the best of what the city has to offer? Rubbing shoulders with influential people? Study or work abroad? Would you rather contemplate along this line or move to the opposite end of the spectrum? Like sharing a hearty meal with your family? Learning that your son got 5 stars in art class today? or weekend camping? Or just reading that good book you have been putting off for the longest time?

It’s really a customized thing. To each his own. One man’s meat may be another man’s poison.

What is it for me? Well honestly, I still get swayed at times to look beyond the little happy things that I enjoy each day. I look forward to working abroad, to having my own house, planning my own meals. I dream of traveling, of taking my son to different places, experience different cultures. I hope for the amenities and privileges that my friends and people around me enjoy. I wish for the betterment of life. I pray for opportunities.

But that’s just typical me. When I feel inadequate, unfit and everything negative that goes with it. But when I am my sane self, I am happy. Who would not with an adorable son who keeps your hands full all the time?

The movie will also remind you to stop, when your work is already driving your life. To take that moment to also see the things around me, to assess your relationship with your loved ones and to really know what is going on in their lives; to being there for them in their saddest and happiest moments, to show appreciation and gratification by just being there for them and with them. I want to be there when it happens.

So what now of my dreams? Hmmmm, it’s really a mystery how things fall into place. But my faith has brought me to far many serendipitous events in my life for me to doubt anything anymore. Let life take its natural course. Let live!

Charlotte's Web

2006-08-24T17:23:00.000-07:00

Quotable Quotes from CHARLOTTE’S WEB

Charlotte on living the life of a spider:

“Why not? It’s true, and I have to say what is true. I am not entirely happy about my diet of flies, bugs, but it’s the way I’m made. A spider has to pick up a living somehow or other, and I happen to be a trapper. I just naturally build a web and trap flies and other insects. My mother was a trapper before me. Her mother was a trapper before her. All our family have been trappers. Way back for thousands and thousands of years we spiders have been laying for flies and bugs.”
“It’s a miserable inheritance,” said Wilbur, gloomily.

Dr. Dorian on the miraculous appearance of words in Charlotte’s web:

“…I’m a doctor. Doctors are supposed to understand everything. But I don’t understand everything, and I don’t intend to let it worry me.”

Charlotte explaining why she helped Wilbur:

“You have been my friend,” replied Charlotte. “That in itself is a tremendous thing. I wove my webs for you because I liked you. After all, what’s a life, anyway? We’re born, we live a little while, we die. A spider’s life can’t help being something of a mess, with all this trapping and eating flies. By helping you, perhaps I was trying to lift up my life a trifle. Heaven knows anyone’s life can stand a little of that.”

On life and waiting for the spider’s eggs to finally hatch:

Life is always a rich and steady time when you are waiting for something to happen or to hatch.

Here are some resources you can check out if you want to know more about the movie and the book:

http://www.charlotteswebmovie.com/site/index.php
http://www2.lhric.org/pocantico/charlotte/
http://www.murrieta.k12.ca.us/alta/dfuller/charlotte/index.html

Brokeback Mountain

2006-08-15T17:48:00.000-07:00

“Brokeback Mountain”

26 March 2006

I just finished watching the controversial movie that everybody expected to win the Oscars but was not really sure it was “the” Oscar movie. True enough to the reviews, watching the movie opens up a lot of emotions. There is the feeling of nostalgia, empathy, excitement, apprehension, elation and fear, to name a few. The movie travels the same path as the movie The Lion King. It’s all about taking your place in the circle of life. Was it Aristotle or Socrates? I don’t remember very well who but one of those philosophers thought about it and paved the way to a whole lot more discourses on the matter. Anyhow, it’s all about who you are and who you are supposed to be. The philosophy goes that each of us has a role to play in the circle of life. There are people whose path has been paved early to carry out a certain mission. They are the lucky ones. Their purposes are so defined that they need not look any further to realize it. There are however those who might have known of their purposes, deny themselves of it and carry out recklessly in the hope that their fate would go away. They are the wayward ones. Another group contains those who do not have a clue at all as to what life is all about for them. They are the hopeful ones. And as these three groups of people move on in their paths, they affect each other’s lives. A lucky one at some point will meet a wayward. And in the course of their interaction, they stumble upon some truths about their existence; truths which are challenged and put to test. The character is tested and the outcome, not as predictable as one could imagine, eventually brings a whole new meaning to the truth about each other’s existence. New truths are created, some rediscovered. And when the lessons are learned, life moves on, on the same path for some but not for all.

I feel for the characters in the movie and I think that it tackles a myriad of issues other that the homosexuality aspect of human psychology. It’s about control, wanting to take risks. Of challenging society and standing up for what you believe in. It is about the sense of denial that each and everyone does when confronted with difficult decisions. You deny yourself of a choice for the very reason that you do not want to decide otherwise. You see two people living normal lives but looking forward to that occasional tryst in the woods if only to rekindle the feeling of wholeness and acceptance. They had a choice but not willing to take it. And they had to live their decision in utter loneliness, sad, indeed. And not all of us would brave through the storm for a glimmer of light in the same manner that not all are cut for the long wait. And so we move one, in the same circle travelled by kings and slaves, literal and figurative beings of all times and we wait for our turn to be tested. For some it might be a very long process, very quick for a few. Doesn’t really matter, so long as lessons are learned and earned. And our purposes vindicated. Then, we have served our purpose.

The Break-Up

2006-08-15T01:15:00.000-07:00

I was able to get a good copy of the anticipated butt-exposure movie of Jennifer Aniston after her break-up with her real life beau Brad Pitt. The Break-Up did not have the usual feel good feeling brought about by any other romantic movie. It was more of coming to terms with the realities of every relationship. You have the typical woman who feels unappreciated all the time, and the man who just couldn’t get it.

The movie struck some chord in me when it came to the confrontation scenes between the couple. At some point in my relationship, I have shared Brooke’s feelings of resentment and of frustration; of feeling that I have given so much and getting so little affirmation in return.

I feel disappointment after a hard day’s work, cleaning the house, cooking a good meal, you end up with a partner who would rather hog the television or the computer rather than spend quality time with you. I feel frustration every time I find myself picking up soiled clothes on the floor, used tissue papers on the dresser, toys in bed. But unlike Brooke, I keep everything to myself, continuously hoping that my partner would finally understand what I am going through. Unlike Brooke, I just keep quiet feeling all so bottled up inside.

Perhaps, the striking semblance of the movie’s plot with my personal experience makes me appreciate it. I bet, I’m not alone.