Blogging from the UAE

Underworld: Awakening, In Bruges - Movie Day

2012-01-20T04:56:00.001+04:00

Vampires and lycans are back for another violent round in Underworld: Awakening, the fourth installment in the Underworld movie series.

Kate Beckinsale reprises the role of Selene, the hottest vamp in leather, somehow making this passé action/horror movie marginally viewable, but her presence fails to save the paper characters and unimaginative plot lines.

It's safe to say that 'Awakening' is the worst of the four Underworld movies; the newest bad ass monsters and ultraviolent scenes are snore-worthy and trying too hard to be cool.

Probably okay if there's nothing else to watch? Nah.

And it would be a crime not to mention the last big movie with fangs: Yes, Breaking Dawn and Underworld: Awakening should both be flushed down the toilet and forgotten.

Underworld: Awakening had an advance screening in 3D last night at Cinema 1 of The Block in SM North Edsa.

***

Earlier in the day (thanks to a sick leave and the torrents), a true gem of a film is In Bruges, a 2008 movie starring Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson and Ralph Fiennes.

Farrell and Gleeson are criminals laying low in the heritage city of Bruges, Belgium, taking in the sights while revealing what they feel about their work and their lives. Beauty and love are counterpoints to the violence that ensues, but the film shows us that our lives are a true mix of all those things.

Ralph Fiennes is seething and sublime in another role that he has taken as a second skin. Director and screenwriter Martin McDonagh is in top form in this well-paced and executed dark comedy that begs more praises and exultation, but these words should be enough: Great film, watch it.

Ratings:

Underworld: Awakening - 2 out of 5 stars

In Bruges - 4.5 out of 5 stars

The Walking Dead Season 2 Episode 7

2011-11-30T07:02:00.001+04:00

Now we know why the Sophia story arc took this long. It had to have that impact; to have us talking and thinking about the series before it resumes in February next year.

The Walking Dead's storytelling style isn't fast or filled with attention span deficient scene changes, and maybe that's how producer and creator Robert Kirkman wants it.

Kirkman doesn't go for the jugular every time, preferring to resolve plots in a more dramatic way and develop the characters, unlike how he's writing the more brisk The Walking Dead comics.

The print version has more action and the folks in it move on faster to their (unjust) rewards. Currently at issue 91, the comics probably have more than five seasons worth of TV time in them. Both mediums are addicting, and can be enjoyed separate from each other.

You have to wonder how long the TV series will last, though. Kirkman intimated in an interview that he'd like to write the comics for years—to the point where zombie encounters are few and the people in it are already rebuilding their lives.

If that's so, then years from now we'll probably have to rename the series to: The Crawling Dead.

Season 2 Episode 7: 4.5 out of 5 stars
The Walking Dead series: 4 out of 5 stars

It wasn't me, I promise! I didn't take no cookies!

UAAP Season 73 Men's Basketball (Seniors): Final Four

2010-09-12T06:35:00.004+04:00

Araneta Coliseum

Cubao, Quezon City, Philippines

September 11, 2010

Round two of the UAAP Men's Seniors Basketball ended yesterday with a wild and wooly game to finally decide the Final Four standings. The FEU Tamaraws edged the Ateneo Blue Eagles, 74-72, and the Tams also took the number one spot in the standings.

Here's how the Final Four looks like:

1 FEU vs 4 DLSU

2 Ateneo vs 3 Adamson

FEU and Ateneo have a twice-to-beat advantage over DLSU and Adamson. FEU and Ateneo needs to beat their opponents only once to get to the Finals, while La Salle and Adamson needs to beat their opponents twice to get to the Finals.

FEU-Ateneo Recap

Now that's how you end the regular season.

FEU and Ateneo fought tooth and nail until the last seconds, ending with a scramble for the ball after a missed layup by Ateneo point guard Emman Monfort. The Ateneo bench was emotional when there weren't any calls made to stop play, and some of the coaching staff were seen hounding the refs after the buzzer sounded. The FEU players were momentarily dazed by the result (Maybe expecting a call from the refs, too?), but eventually celebrated at midcourt.

FEU point guard and MVP candidate RR Garcia rode the bench most of the second half, saddled with foul trouble (He got his third foul during the second quarter, and his fourth foul during the third), but made a crucial three point shot with less than a minute to go, to help seal the win.

FEU Coach Glen Capacio chose to play Garcia during the crucial last minutes despite the point guard's erratic shooting and off night, saying, “Ilang beses na kaming sinave ni RR [Garcia]. It’s payback time naman. Ang instruction ko sa kanila in the final three minutes when we’re down by six, ay kunin natin ‘tong panalong ito para sa kaniya. Good thing, his teammates, delivered.” (Quote taken from the UAAP website)

FEU rookie point guard Terrence Romeo carried the load while Garcia was on the bench, producing 15 points (tied with teammate Aldrech Ramos) to lead all scorers.

The Eagles looked poised to win the game, leading by six with three minutes to go, the Araneta thunderous with cheers from a crowd that looked like it was 80% blue. I wondered how the players felt while being cheered or jeered by such a huge crowd, but I guess it rattled both teams when they missed shots and turned the ball over, and FEU went 1 for 4 from the free throw line.

The game was intense from the beginning, with Ateneo Team Captain Eric Salamat and FEU forward Ric Cawaling constantly jawing with each other (Cawaling also got in foul trouble during the game, getting four fouls).

Every time there's an FEU game, I take special notice of FEU's Reil Cervantes, because I feel some disgust for his showboating when he made good plays in past games. This game though, he seemed more focused (probably because they couldn't pull away from Ateneo?), and even though he had some misses on point blank shots, he and Aldrech Ramos get much respect for making it hard for Ateneo to control the shaded area, combining for 29 points against Salva and Chua's 24.

It was a well-played game, and I wouldn't mind watching this again, especially if they meet in the Finals. Will I be able to buy tickets? Somebody help me, because that may be near to impossible.

FEU-Ateneo Scoresheet (from the UAAP website):

FEU 74 – Romeo 15, Ramos 15, Cervantes 14, Sanga 11, Garcia 8, Bringas 6, Cawaling 4, Noundou 1, Mendoza 0, Exciminiano 0.

ADMU 72 – Buenafe 14, Salva 13, Salamat 12, Chua 11, Long 8, Monfort 6, Tiongson 5, Golla 2, Escueta 1, Dela Cruz 0, Austria 0.

Quarters: 16-17, 32-33, 54-50, 74-72

UE-UP Recap (First game)

Last year's finalist University of the East ended the season out of the Final Four, and was coasting in the game with leads up to 20 points, until the final few minutes when a UE lineup composed of mostly bench players allowed UP to come within six points.

UE Coach Lawrence Chongson was forced to bring back most of his starters for the final few plays lest they become the only team to get beaten by the University of the Philippines Maroons this season. Similar to the FEU-Ateneo game, the final few seconds of the UE-UP game had a non-call, but in this game it resulted in a breakaway two-handed flush by UE power forward Ken Acibar, electrifying the burgeoning crowd in Araneta.

The UE Red Warriors were in control for most of the game because of the UE guards, led by Paul Lee, James Martinez, and Raph Reyes. Lee actually looked liked a point guard in this game, dishing out breath-taking alley oop (featuring Reyes in one play) and no-look passes, slicing the lackadaisical UP Maroons defense. In a lot of the games I've seen this season, Lee handled the ball too much and took bad shots, stalling the UE offense many times. Lee looks like he's ready for the pros though, and can be an asset for a PBA team, especially if he becomes better with the passing game.

Notes:

La Salle and Adamson are the only teams to beat FEU this season. The DLSU Green Archers and the Adamson Falcons played against each other for positioning in the Final Four last September 9, 2010 in the Araneta, with the Falcons winning against the Archers, 69-64, to get third place.

This season marks the most times I've seen live UAAP Games, as I managed to wrangle tickets from brother Bert, who is the fountain, the source. Thanks again, bro!

The pic below is from last year's UAAP finals between Ateneo and UE, with UE Coach Chongson swimming in a sea of blue. I predict that FEU and Ateneo will meet in the Finals, but I'm secretly wishing that dark horse contender Adamson goes all the way. To my alma mater UST Growling Tigers: Better luck next season, develop the big men, keep those turnovers low and to Coach Pido Jarencio—please make better plays!

Links:

UAAP on wikipedia

Official UAAP Results

Movie Review: Inception

2010-07-15T03:07:00.006+04:00

When Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) snapped awake from a dream in a scene from Inception, it felt like I woke up from the same dream, getting a jolt of awareness that comes after a vivid imagining.

Inception, the latest movie from Director Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight, Memento) and actor Leonardo DiCaprio (Shutter Island), is a mind-twisting, consciousness-absorbing brainy sci-fi thriller that calls up memories of Blade Runner and The Matrix.

Nolan deftly uses the film's concept to combine disparate elements like elaborate action scenes, drama and total weirdness, resulting in a movie that feels like a dream—it's not supposed to make sense (but it does), and there's an itch telling you that nothing's real (but you believe it, anyhow).

Inception is another master stroke from a master director and another great film to add to DiCaprio's impressive resumé. The movie's cast also includes Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ken Watanabe, Ellen Page, Michael Caine, Dileep Rao, Marion Cotillard and Cillian Murphy.

Post script:
We watched Inception at the height of Typhoon Basyang last Tuesday (July 13, 2010), at the Imax Cinema in Mall of Asia (Unfortunately, it's not in 3D). On the ride home, a lot of street lights were already out of service, which made it a dark and surreal after-movie trip.

Four out of Five Stars. Highly recommended.

On the web:
Inception official website

NBA Playoffs 2010! Now!

2010-04-19T03:43:00.003+04:00

The NBA playoffs looks interesting right now.

Just read a juicy cut from the NBA wire:

"Garnett ”is an actress and so is Paul,” Richardson said. ”I was going to take the ball out over there. That was what I was trying to do. I told our trainer Jay [Sabol] that [Pierce] is cool and he’s doing what he always do, lay down like it’s a season-ending injury, then he gets up and he’s miraculously fine. He gets a breath, takes his time or whatever and he did the same thing."

Celtics could lose Garnett for Game 2

Why Manny Villar won't get my vote

2010-03-02T06:23:00.004+04:00

Bongbong Marcos running for Senator is a slap on the face of Filipinos who have suffered because of his family's wretched excess.

He is a candidate under the Nacionalista Party, whose presidentiable is Manny Villar, with Loren Legarda as the VP. None of them will get my vote, even popular 'left' candidates like Satur Ocampo and Liza Maza. Their principles are questionable.

Review: 500 Days of Summer

2009-10-28T06:34:00.005+04:00

Time for a totally biased review.

It only took the first fifty seconds of 500 Days of Summer to get me hooked on director Marc Webb's wildly entertaining romantic comedy.

Let me count the ways:
· Hopeless romantic - looking for 'The One' - check!
· Listened to sad British pop music when he was a kid - check!
· Read and watched 'The Graduate' in high school - check!

Damn.

The story itself is not very different from other boy meets girl movies, but the the visuals, the narrative, the music, the situations, the quirkiness—it all works so well that I only disliked one scene (the office meltdown) in the movie.

I feel that this is how Nick Hornby's High Fidelity should have been: a uniquely surreal and groundbreaking film about love and loss that leaves you analyzing its many details over and over.

Zooey Deschanel (Yes Man) and Joseph Gordon-Levitt (GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra) star as the couple in the film, and I can't even mention their names for fear of spoiling the movie experience even a tiny bit. It's good enough to say that they and the supporting actors work well on screen and are good choices to play their parts.

500 Days of Summer is directly influenced by Woody Allen's award-winning 1977 film Annie Hall, but pays no direct homage (none that I noticed, anyway) to it despite the many scene recreations, references and direct footage placements of other films like The Graduate, Star Wars, Sid and Nancy, When Harry Met Sally and Enchanted. There are other films sampled here, but I can't name them all (weak!), especially the black and white films that might be classic French films, for all I know.

The non-linear presentation of the movie is wonderful and I can really relate to the many many hilarious inserts from pop history. A former band of mine even played The Clash's Train in Vain (drunkenly trashed in a videoke bar), and is one of my most favorite heartbreak songs.

This film definitely merits a second or third viewing, and maybe, dare I say it, you should watch it five hundred times.

4.5 out 5 stars

UAAP Finals: UE thumps Ateneo 88-68

2009-10-05T04:44:00.007+04:00

A sea of blue could not drown the spirits of the UE Red Warriors yesterday as they exacted revenge from a game one loss to the Ateneo Blue Eagles, making the 72nd UAAP finals even, 1-1.

The clinical precision of Ateneo's offense was negated by UE as the Warriors played with fiery determination—breaking down the Eagles' vaunted passing and triangle offense by clogging lanes, double-teams and implementing a trapping defense.

The Warriors caught fire early, leading by five points during stretches of the first and second quarters, but faltered late in the first half, with Ateneo leading 40-38 during halftime.

The game broke open in the third quarter when the Eagles couldn't stop the trio of Pari Llagas, Elmer Espiritu and Paul Lee, resulting in a ten point lead heading to the fourth quarter, 63-53.

From there, the Warriors were never threatened as they rolled to an 88-68 win, capped by an impressive alley-oop play straight from NBA Live by Lee, who passed from the top of the key to Espiritu, slamming the rock home with two hands.

Notes:

The MVP and Mythical Five awards were given before the game started.

Season Most Valuable Player: Dylan Ababou (UST)
Mythical Five: Paul Lee (UE), Dylan Ababou (UST), Elmer Espiritu (UE), Aldrech Ramos (FEU), Rabeh al-Hussaini (Ateneo)
Rookie of the Year: Jeric Teng (UST)
I felt that UE took a lot of forced shots and some players lacked discipline handling the ball and were impatient on offense. This could have led to a comeback by Ateneo, but UE's defense was very good, allowing few easy shots.

The Warriors were swarming the floor, with the guards trapping and pressuring the backcourt, and little-used Tagarda providing defensive hustle off the bench.
Rabeh al-Hussaini was brilliant with his mid-range jumpers, fed by a triangle offense that knew how to get the ball to him ala-Spurs and Tim Duncan. Rabeh is too tall for the Warriors—they can't reach him when he elevates for his shot.

UE responded by throwing double-teams at him and sometimes making a small man cover him to make him uncomfortable, reminiscent of Detroit making Corliss Williamson defend Shaquille O'Neal during the 2004 NBA Finals.

Rabeh was also negated and frustrated by Pari Llagas, a traditional back to the basket big man with an array of moves that puts a lot of centers to shame and a basketball IQ that goes beyond the roof.
Ateneo's offense is very precise and team-oriented, while UE relied more on individual brilliance and a lot of heart in Game 2. Llagas and Lee broke down the defense a lot of times, while Espiritu bombed away from the three-point line, nailing four out of five attempts.

I have no doubt that Ateneo Coach Norman Black will come up with adjustments to try and win it all on Thursday, 2009 October 8, but can they overcome UE's defense? Can UE keep the fire burning and sustain their effort? We'll see.

Boxscore:

UE 88
Espiritu 22, Llagas 19, Lee 13, Acuña 12, Lingganay 7, Reyes 6, Zamar 5, Duran 4, Tagarda 0, Bandaying 0.

ATENEO 68
Al-Hussaini 18, Monfort 12, Reyes 11, Baclao 10, Austria 6, Salamat 4, Long 3, Chua 2, Buenafe 2, Sumalinog 0, Salva 0.

Quarters:
18-15, 38-40, 63-53, 88-68

Links:

Inquirer article (from where the photo was swiped):
Warriors forge rubber match

Wikipedia:
UAAP Season 72

RIP David Fernando - Philippines battles flood chaos

2009-09-27T16:26:00.004+04:00

I just learned that David T. Fernando, my former boss at Infinit-e / NextStage passed away due to an accident in his home related to the extreme weather conditions that we are still experiencing here in the Philippines.

Mr Fernando is one of the founders of Smart Communications.

The wake is at Christ the King in Greenmeadows.

Rest in peace, sir.

Inquirer article:
Wall collapse kills Smart cofounder

***

A massive rescue operation is under way in the Philippines where at least 73 people are confirmed to have been killed in the wake of torrential rains.

Tropical Storm Ketsana triggered the worst flooding in decades in the capital Manila and nearby provinces.

Defence Secretary Gilbert Teodoro said troops, police and civilian volunteers had rescued more than 4,000 people - many clinging to each other on roofs.

More than 250,000 have been driven from their homes, officials say.

Read more at BBC news.

GTM: Celebs Marian, Pacman and Jakerald hooked on Scrabble

2009-09-08T17:40:00.002+04:00

Another insanely funny post from Good Times Manila:

Good Times Manila recently visited the sets of two shows, one a top-rated soap opera on ABS-CBN and the other an upcoming sitcom on rival network GMA-7 for a closer look at how today’s stars are really like in person.

Read it in full here:

http://goodtimesmanila.com/2009/08/11/celebs-marian-pacman-and-jakerald-hooked-on-scrabble/

Conversations

2009-09-06T15:52:00.002+04:00

The Turtle said to the Rabbit:

The Eumenides are in discord
Malignity bares them assembled
Seeking to strike those
By association are exposed

The wielder of the pen
Became mouth of the crone
Fit for sacrifice
On the Ring of Fire's yawn

When we find ourselves north
To speak of things foretold
Will travel be Augean labour
A switch 'tween young and old?

At the end of the twelfth
Universalism behold
Seek the fire of wisdom
All enmities are solved

The V Party

2009-09-01T14:36:00.002+04:00

A head was hanging out of a Honda moving along Quezon Avenue at two in the morning, throwing the night's dinner and booze on the street and covering the car's door with stink and bile.

Just like that day in college.

That head just came from the 'Virgin Party,' where the host, a thirtysomething birthday celebrant, was calling out some of the guests as actual virgins, but appropriately enough, he may be the Supreme Virgin.

Enjoy, enjoy. Happy birthday, Alman!

Me and the band, before playing at the V Party.

View more photos here.

Review: District 9

2009-08-28T17:32:00.004+04:00

Most alien movies show those creepy creatures threatening to run all over our beaches and fast food chains, but District 9 reveals those invaders as trash scavengers and earth food devotees after decades of living with humans.

I'm tempted to say that District 9 is a cross between Slumdog Millionaire's shanty scenes and Starship Troopers, but a cross between City of God and Troopers is a better reference (Aliens dancing Jai Ho! during the end credits would've been a good treat, though).

All great science fiction deals with intense philosophical ideas and what-ifs, but District 9 is different because the theme resonates more with current social problems. It's very real in the sense that if you just substitute the aliens with humans, the 'area' becomes a slum in Brazil or Manila, and there lies the charm and the thinking—one doesn't need to be an alien to experience discrimination.

District 9 is based on director Neill Blomkamp's 2005 short film 'Alive in Joburg,' extending it to create a science fiction classic.

Not for the squeamish!

Four out of five stars.

Review: Up by Pixar

2009-08-23T16:46:00.000+04:00

A flying house, an old man's quest, a young boy's adventure—I really have to stop short here before I spoil the moments and the surprises of one of the best animated films ever made—Pixar's latest movie, the modestly titled "Up."

"Two thumbs Up!" is totally passé for movie reviews, but even that or the usual five stars can't begin to express the cinematic delight and wonder that Up gives to moviegoers, especially those who are enamored with animated features.

The film compares favorably and even surpasses some of the dramatic Japanimation classics. It's up there with the likes of Princess Mononoke and Grave of the Fireflies, but in the vein of those films, Up is not for very young people because it discusses some adult themes like personal loss.

We should not underestimate the intelligence and maturity of children, but this movie is probably best seen by maybe nine-year olds and above. Ages eight and below seems like a stretch, but who knows? It's better for parents and guardians to watch it first, assess its content, and decide if it will be good for their kids.

This review is a total rave for a 3D film that I haven't seen on 3D. From the excellent story, to the marvelous soundtrack, to the slick animation, this is a must-see.

Five out of five stars. A masterpiece!

(The review might increase to six stars out of five after I see the 3D version. Hah!)

I promised no spoilers, but hey man, is that the Death Star sending out some Tie Fighters to obliterate Obi Wan? Hahahahaha!

Every Second Counts - Lance Armstrong

2009-08-23T12:10:00.001+04:00

Just finished reading Lance Armstrong's Every Second Counts.

The details and accounts of his races can be exhilarating and mind numbing, while the various peeks into his personal life—relationships and cancer survival—are testaments to the fact that while he is a world-class athlete, all of us are grounded and intertwined, one way or another.

And all those seconds? They do indeed count.

Nine Inch Nails in Manila 2009 Aug 05

2009-08-05T20:42:00.006+04:00

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Nine Inch Nails played a tight and intense gig at the Big Dome last night. They were fronted by Pupil, who played six songs. The show was intense, the sound (at least on NiN) was awesome, and the lights used were the best i've seen.

Nine Inch Nails were:
Trent Reznor on vocals/synth, guitar
Robin Finck on guitar/percussion
Justin Meldal-Johnsen on bass/synth/double bass
Ilan Rubin on drums/synth

The Nine Inch Nails light show

Pupil

The TDP Contingent

Say Ahhhhhhhh!

Aaaaahhhh!

Bro Bert and Jing

Bro Bert and Mondo

Group shot 1

Group shot 2

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Review: Orphan

2009-07-28T04:15:00.004+04:00

Children, behave.

Can't get enough of the little bundles of terror next door who make scratchy doodles on your car? How about the cousin, niece or nephew who always scream for their mom to buy them something?

Or maybe...how about that brother or sister of yours who delights in giving you endless agony every minute of your life?

Orphan takes the fear, creepiness and the bad stuff that happens when a psycho stranger somehow winds up in your home, puts it in a blender on high and serves it to you in the disturbing character of Esther (Isabelle Fuhrman), a nine year-old girl with terrible issues. Heh.

Kate and John Coleman (Vera Farmiga and Peter Sarsgaard), a couple with two children, decide to adopt Esther after a miscarriage. What happens after that will make a lot of people flinch and simply make them think: The kid's pure evil, a right sick bastard. Brrr. Definitely not Little Orphan Annie.

Some reviews of this film assail the cheesiness of the fright factor, saying that it relies on shock and quick surprises rather than on a general spine-tingling factor that makes horror films great. I say that Orphan straddles that line well; it might have a lot of cheese (goddamned medicine cabinet), but it also sets a good on-edge feel of fear and anticipation about what will happen next.

It's not a horror classic at par with The Omen, but it's still a good scare for your money.

Rating:
Three out of Five Stars

On the net:
Orphan - official website
Orphan on IMDB

Review: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

2009-07-16T03:40:00.007+04:00

The opening scenes of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince matches the weather hung over Manila: dark skies, gloomy headlines and...Death Eaters. The first twenty to thirty minutes were rendered on 3D (watch it on imax!), a lavish show of graphic storytelling that made me feel a bit dizzy for a few seconds when the camera went through some alleys.

Harry Potter 6 upgrades the film franchise from a good movie series to a fantasy epic. This is the most complete Harry Potter installment yet—the acting, visuals, direction and music are all superb. The result is a great feel, a pervasive mood that is critical to any celluloid experience.

The narrative and overall sense was a bit wanting, though. As usual, a basic problem with the HP movies lie with the myriad details jampacked to satisfy fans (HP6 is two and a half hours, but they still had to cut a lot of book material), and then make all of it worth watching.

And there was a huge buildup for the villanous elements of the film that eventually felt underwhelming.

Draco Malfoy is a looming Darth Vader, but alas, he has to redeem himself in the next two films (Parts one and two of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, showing consecutively in 2010 and 2011), lest he becomes Anakin Skywalker. Goth favorite Helena Bonham Carter, although underulitized as Bellatrix Lestange, gives a superb witching role.

The story of Tom Riddle was executed well, and shows a lot of promise. I really want to see his whole story onscreen—from misunderstood little boy to Hogwarts top student, and eventual mass murderer. Not just flashbacks or snatches of scenes, but a whole movie for the darkest wizard of all. It won't be a feel-good movie, and could tie in to the series as a prequel.

The main characters of the movie (the big three, so to speak—Harry, Hermione, Ron), along with the mainstays of the past editions of HP have meshed well and grown into their roles. I thought I would get tired of seeing the three and their adolescent problems, but they are now really good actors and their teenage problems serve as a satisfying backdrop for the bigger good versus evil and coming of age whole.

I left the cinema satisfied, and if the ending was another indicator for our dear country, most of us will soon unite against a common enemy. So who's the darkest wizard in the Philippines?

Rating:
Nearly 4 out of 5 stars. Around 3.75 stars. Close to a classic.

Happy Birthday to Me

2009-07-13T05:44:00.003+04:00

So they released it again—the two-part Superman story penned by Alan Moore to end an era of Krypto, dead parents, cheesy robots and time travel—Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?

The original comics were bought during a time when anything that looked different or made by Alan Moore caught my attention. As a high school student my resources were meager, especially during the summer months, so I had to buy really good stuff to get a bang for my peso.

I must have read this story more than ten times, and my worn out copies were lent to a friend who never returned it. He owns an original art page (the one where Brainiac merges with Luthor) though, and I fear that I would someday shed blood and tears just to get it.

Comic fans were looking forward to a similar undertaking by Neil Gaiman on Batman (Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?), but it didn't live up to the hype, and that, in my opinion, solidifies Neil's status as an overrated comics writer. No, that label doesn't include his fiction books like Neverwhere.

So Happy Birthday to me, I might buy this as a gift to myself. $24.99 - that will hurt, but it's worth it. Alan Moore is my comics god (Swamp Thing, LXG, Marvelman, V for Vendetta, Green Lantern, Killing Joke, Constantine...Watchmen), one of my most favorite authors , and he wrote some of the best treatments of DC characters, ever. If only DC treated him better. If only he played better, whatever.

Here's to me and eras that never end.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fail

2009-06-24T10:31:00.006+04:00

Read this review from CNN:
Review: 'Transformers' lands with giant thud

It's so true. The endless explosions, metal on metal fest, corny scenes, standard chase routines, overdone action bits and a rehash of Sam's Frodoesque quest failed to create a cohesive and enjoyable movie. Also, with the old sense of wonder and amazement mostly gone, a lot of moviegoers will struggle and squirm through two and a half hours of blah.

There are some highlights and great concepts, but they didn't expound much on the good stuff, focusing instead on tried and tested testosterone material, as evidenced by the poster i've shown here: the amount of of skin shown by Megan Fox (a picture which isn't in the movie), Shia Labeouf looking up for a peek, and Optimus Prime in the background, ready to give Sam a good beating.

These are spoilers—I would have loved it if some Autobots tried to prevent Megatron's 'resurrection,' and an underwater metal massacre happened. Also, the partnership between the army and the Autobots leaves a lot of good material on the table for potential short stories.

2 out of 5 stars

Official Site:
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Conan

2009-06-02T10:44:00.003+04:00

Hmm...Cooonan. Hahaha.

Been collecting original comics artwork for about a few months now.
I have a small collection and have uploaded some choice cuts on CAF.

Thank you to my friends Ace, Marius, Jose and Kim for putting up with me and these pieces of paper!

Blog Entry Paa-Tibayan Run + Zach's Christening May 10, 2009

2009-05-19T11:33:00.001+04:00

l-r: Ric, Ike, Yul, Ken, Perry, Anna after the run

Our group of regular dayshift runners in the office all ran the 10k route last May 10 at Botak's Paa-Tibayan. It was their first time to run that distance, and most of them had a better running time than I did. Congrats!

I matched my best 10k time three years ago at 1:06. My official time is 1:10, but I started late (again!)—almost four and a half minutes when I looked back at the clock. I blame my tardiness on the absence of portalets, because I was there earlier than usual, but had to relieve myself at one of the washrooms that had a long queue.

I don't mind being late for the race, but I do mind running with a bladder that's fit to burst, a very uncomfortable situation. While waiting for my turn, one of the guys waiting for their turn noticed that I had a 10k bib, and told me that it was about to start. I said that peeing is more important to me, which elicited a response from the guy in front of me, "I once peed while running 10k in Greenfields, but hid it by pouring water over my head."

I laughed, and commended him for his dedication, if not his indiscretion. He told me that he didn't want to stop his momentum because he was already on the seventh kilometer by then. Fair enough.

It's a good thing one of the 5k guys volunteered and asked the others to put the 10k runners ahead of the line, so I managed to save some more minutes. Thanks dudes!

Officemate James was there, too, and took some snaps, including some while we were showering via the firetruck after the finish line. Thanks, James!

We later had breakfast at Chowking, then I had to rush to Alabang to witness Zach's Christening in Carmona, Cavite. Zach is JE's son, and i'm now his Godfather. Ooo.

Kuya Kurt, Alex, and Deo were also there, and we had a lot of laughs from the songs they were jamming on, especially versions of Deo's songs (Wasabi became a song about not having a job and money), Kurt's Spaghetti, and the song of the day—Alex's 10k Marathon (the lyrics were basically anything we were talking about. Funny and senseless.).

Nakakapagod! The previous day, I was also helping out in the printing of the IDs and certificates for the BBBS.

Links:
Paatibayan Marathon Pix - James
Paa-Tibayan Race Report - The Bull Runner
Zach's Christening
Big Brother Big Sister Outreach

Alex
Kuya Kurt
JE
Deo

***

Tunay na Lalake blog

2009-05-04T07:24:00.002+04:00

Nakakatawa basahin ang mga entries sa blog na ito. Simple lang ang discussion—sino ang Tunay na Lalake (TnL) at mga Di Tunay na Lalake (DTnL). Kasama sa mga pinagdidiskitahan nila ay mga artists, poets, basketball players, comic characters, artista, pulitiko, at kung sinu-sino pang mga celebrity at mga fictional characters.

Mayroong manifesto or standards para malaman kung sino ang mga TnL, at kasama ito sa mga nakalista:

3. Ang tunay na lalake ay laging may extra rice.
5. Ang tunay na lalake ay walang abs.
8. Ang tunay na lalake ay laging may tae sa brief.

Panalo, di ba?

Isa sa mga paborito ko dito ay ang sinabi kay Wolverine, "Ang tunay na lalake ay 'di nangangalmot."

Nakakatuwa rin ang mga comments dito, at katulad sa ibang mga satire na blog, tulad ng CofiBean, minsan mas matatawa ka sa mga comments kesa sa actual na blog entry.

Katulad na lang ng pag-determine ng pagkalalake ng DoTA players, maraming tinamaan, kaya mukhang ito rin ang may pinakamaraming comment. (Oo nga pala, DoTA player din ako! Mwahahahaha!)

Pero mga tol, labag sa basic premise ng website na ito ang basic rule na ito:
Ang mga tunay na lalake hindi nagsasayang ng oras sa pag-iisip kung sino ang mga lalake, kungdi inuubos ang oras sa pagtingin sa, pag-iisip sa at pakikipag-away para sa mga tunay na maiinit na babae.

Kaya nga mga babae ang cover ng FHM, di ba?

Ayos!

Bisitahin:
Hay! Men! Ang blog ng mga tunay na lalake

Crude OZ for a Night

2009-04-27T04:14:00.000+04:00

Last saturday at 6UG in Ortigas was the fourth in the Ultimate Abduction series of rock gigs by Rubber Duckie Music, and Crude Oz was there to play...with me on drums.

The first band was playing when I got there at 10.15 pm, and I instantly got nervous when I saw how good Pitik's drummer was. It got worse, and really, I wanted to kill Deo for talking me into playing for them tonight.

Hedgezero (they played in last year's Jamci gig) and Placid (from Puerto Galera) followed Pitik, and the fourth band was Faspitch, an intense metal band with a set that's almost as tight as a nun's ass. I was mildly surprised when it was announced that Faspitch is fronting Nine Inch Nails in August, because they seem to be a relatively new band.

The fifth band was, ta-da! — us. I only brought two sets of sticks with me (one of them I even had to dig up—my high school sticks full of carvings of autographs from friends in UST), because I really don't own any other gear. I sold my set of cymbals several years ago, and I didn't buy anything from the great Yupangco sale.

It's a good thing that Deo (Crude Oz vocalist/guitarist/composer/tyrant) managed to borrow some cymbals from Jamil of i-Ray or I would've been stuck with just the hi-hat and a ride.

While setting up after Faspitch (what an act to follow, good thing that most of the people left after they played, hahaha!), I found that most of my jitters left. It's been like that ever since the first gig I played at UST High—nervous while waiting, okay while playing.

We played four songs, first was Quitting You, followed by, uh I forgot, then Sixteen (or was that Seventeen?) and then Pila. I think we did pretty well, even though we only had one practice together. I enjoyed playing, and I hope it wasn't the worst gig that Crude Oz had to play, evar. Hahaha.

The sixth band was Freefish, a totally enjoyable quirky band with a frontman that does headstands and orgiastic calisthenics on the floor. Freefish may well be the next big thing if they last long enough and make great songs.

Last band was i-Ray, a reggae/rock band with a solid sound and set. They also played in Jamci, and was one of my favorite bands that night.

It was time to go after that. It felt good being there; the bands and organizers were supportive and respectful, and it felt like a good community. Deo even hinted at playing more, but I don't know. Maybe, with more practice, and some personal gear. Accepting donations!

Southern Exposure: Donsol, Caramoan, CWC

2009-04-13T06:39:00.005+04:00

Before I begin, a whole lot of thanks to Jeff and Aaron for co-organizing this trip. It wouldn't have happened without you guys! Both were cool and level-headed in dealing with us children.

To quote a cliché: You guys rock!

On to my short account...

Just got back from a trip down south to Donsol in Sorsogon, Caramoan in Camarines Sur and the Camsur Watersports Complex. There was a maximum of thirty-two people on this trip, burned from the sun, ingested a lot of salt water, but very happy to:

* swim with the whale sharks (majestic butandings! incredible!)
* climb Mount Isarog
* go caving
* view the ruins
* go island-hopping (can't remember all the places! sorry!)
* frolic in the watersports complex
* go drinking and pig out
* go waist-deep in mud, whilst pushing a banca at low tide
* go to the 'restricted' areas of caramoan (survivor shooting incoming! pfft)
* see Karlo fall into the water from the banca because he dozed off (mean people!)
* eat the feast at Flinn's home
* ride ZestAir (really?)
* have forgotten some of the things they did, but leave a message if you happen to remember!

And here are the first pics from the trip:

Flinnstone - Amazing Race Bicol

This is how you fall in the water (but not exactly there)!

Group shot, 17 out of 32

That's Doc on the boat on the murky pier (sexy body!)

Beside the CWC pool

All pics from Flinn.

Will return to Bicol next month for the BBBS!

Condura Run 22 March 2009

2009-03-23T04:56:00.003+04:00

There were so many (thousands!) people who participated in the Condura Run yesterday that I had to sneak and snake between runners throughout my 10km run. It was challenging, tiring and fun to go up the Kalayaan flyover (again! this was also the Adidas route last year) from Bonifacio High Street and then turning at Reposo to go back.

Going down the flyover, we were greeted by the elite 10k runners, around four of them on their way back. Damn. After them the first of the 21k runners who ran part of the Skyway were already back. Double gasp! That's just around an hour, because they left at 5.30am!

The training sesions that we (Ken, Yul, Perry, Jerick, Ric) had at the ULTRA really helped.

Condura Run: 1 hr 09 minutes
Adidas 2008: 1 hr 13 minutes
Adidas 2006: 1 hr 06 minutes

Getting there. The goal is to make it under one hour.

Online:
Got the Shark
The Condura Run
Alman's Multiply

Some early bird photos:
Alman's Multiply - Runners
Alman's Multiply - other shots
PNMS
Ever Green

Watched the Watchmen last night - s'okay, i guess

2009-03-05T22:37:00.000+04:00

I saw the Watchmen last night. It doesn't suck, but it's not a complete win, either.

It's not as good as I wanted it to be. Guess I was expecting to be blown away the way director Zack Snyder did it with 300. I'm also a big fan of the material, having read the Watchmen comics numerous times since it first came out in 1985.

I'll give it another try soon. I might end up watching it four times this month. Hahaha!

Puerto Galera: Hike, Skim, Poker, Drums, Drink, Bike

2009-03-03T06:11:00.000+04:00

Some photos from the AMCI Anniversary weekend in Talipanan, Puerto Galera:

Please look up, please look down

John's Site

Nautilus 3000

Watchmen to be shown at SM Cinema with cuts

2009-03-03T00:27:00.002+04:00

I just heard that the Watchmen movie will be shown at SM Cinemas with cuts, trimming it down to PG-13 because SM doesn't show movies with an R rating. I hope that doesn't affect the movie experience much.

I also heard that - spoiler alert - don't read if you don't want to know details about the movie yet - the ending is different from what happened in the comic book, fan boy.

As an aside, our nine-year old canine companion Sleepy died yesterday evening. We're all sad about it. She seemed to have gone quietly—i'm thinking of a doggie version of a heart attack, because she didn't have any visible signs of a disease or a struggle.

Buried in our neighbor's backyard, we'll miss you. Althea won't have a Sleepy to feed biscuits or read stories about Scamp to. No more Sleepy who always wants a scratch on her back or belly. No more Sleepy who accomodates cats with food and lodging.

No more Sleepy. Goodnight, Sleepy.

UST High School Grand Alumni Homecoming 2009

2009-02-25T06:06:00.000+04:00

Nagpunta ako nung sabado sa Alumni Homecoming ng UST High School, February 21, 2009.

Nasa rooftop ako ng canteen (wala ito noong estudyante pa ako dito), tapos nilapitan ko ang dating drummer ng Headless Eyes, bigla ba naman akong sinigawan, 'Hey, I know you. Punk's not dead!' Hahaha.

Either marami nang nainom si Allan Colico or talagang masayahin lang siya (nung pauwi na ako, nakita kong nagsasayaw siya sa kanta ng Wham! Palagay ko nga masayahin siya. Hehehe. Allan, pa-Soundgarden ka pa diyan, si George Michael naman pala ang idol mo).

Sa tutoo lang, true to form, tinatamad na akong magpunta dito sa tipar na ito, kahit na walking distance lang ang UST sa amin. Almost two hours late ako sa usapan namin ng utol ko (wala talagang nagbabago!), pero tama lang, kasi kakapasok lang din ng mga tao, at ang program nagsimula siguro mga isang oras pagkarating ko.

Sa loob, nakasama ko ang mga batchmate ng utol kong si Lisa, sila Joyce, Zayra at Yvette. Ang dami ring tao, siguro mga halos isang libo rin na mga dating estudyante, guro at mga guest ang nandun sa pagtitipon.

Ang ganda na nga ng bagong auditorium (naalala ko lang, dito ako unang-unang tumugtog kasama ang isang banda in public), pero di rin ako nagtagal sa loob. Gumala kami sa building at nagkuhanan ng mga litrato.

Mamaya, sa main event sa sinabi kong rooftop, nagkaroon ng batch cheer kasama ang cheerleading team ng high school (di ko maalala ang eksaktong tawag sa kanila), at siyempre naman pinakamaingay ang mga jubilarians, lalo na ang batch 84. Aba, kahit na kuwarenta na ang mga kumare dito, parang may asi...wag na nga. Parang manyakis ang dating.

Ayun, dito ko rin nalaman na namatay si Redinald Peralta ng batch 88 nung nakaraang Disyembre lang. Nakakalungkot, kasi nagkikita pa kami nung nakaraang taon sa Makati pag nagpupunta ako sa mga training day ng sinalihan kong mountaineering org. Rest in peace, tol.

Nakita ko rin ang iba kong mga guro, pero sigurado akong walang nakakaalala sa mga ito sa akin. Normal student lang ako dati—neither outstanding to be recognized or so bad that needs reform. Just enough to keep under the radar, I guess.

Pero naaalala ko ng mabuti dati, tinambakan ni Ms. Casas ng notes ang cover ng notebook ko sa Religion, komentaryo niya sa cut-out panels ng The Dark Knight ni Frank Miller na naka-paste sa harap. Parang galit na galit siya nung sinulat niya yun. Ako naman, natakot din ng panahon na yun, pero naisip ko rin na hindi niya na-gets kung bakit ko nilagay yun doon. Pag nakita ko yun, baka i-scan ko at ilagay ko dito minsan. Social commentary ko lang naman yun.

Maganda rin ang tinanong sa akin ni Joyce ng gabing yun. Sino daw ang paborito kong guro? Di ako agad nakasagot, pero ang una kong nasabi ay ang guro ko sa Speech nung 4th year, si Ms Collantes. Tinanong niya ako kung bakit, at sinabi ko na nakita niya ang potential ko.

Sabi pa ni Joyce, 'Kahit strict siya, ano? Kasi nakita na-recognize niya nga ang talent mo.' Naisip ko oo, pero di ko naisip na mahigpit si Ma'am Collantes, kasi di naman ako nahihirapan sa mga language-related subjects (di rin naman mataas ang grades ko, hehehe).

Marami din akong naging paborito noon, mga nakikita kong magaling na mga guro tulad ni Ms Manapat, Cabansay, Dela Paz, at iba pa. Magaling sila at makikita mo ang passion nila sa pagtuturo nila. Alam na alam nila ang sinasabi nila at nagiging interesting pa ang subject. Kahit di ako magaling na estudyante, oo.

At huli na lang ito—di ko akalain sa buong buhay ko na makakainom ako ng alak legally sa loob ng UST High school. Reunions rock! Hahaha.

Salamat, Kuya Bert!

Para sa mga litrato (salamat, Yvette):
Notes here and there

Mt. Asog, Buhi, Camarines Sur - BBBS 2009

2009-02-25T00:55:00.003+04:00

The Big Brother Big Sister Outreach will go to
Mt. Asog in Buhi, Camarines Sur this year.

For donations and volunteers, please visit:
http://www.bbbsoutreach.com/

You can also send an email to:
helpbbbs@gmail.com

BBBS is also on Multiply:
http://bbbs2005.multiply.com/

Batman!

2009-02-04T02:16:00.000+04:00

Ohhhh yessss Batmannnn....

The First Jerick Awards - January 2009

2009-01-28T05:35:00.000+04:00

TDP officemate Edward forwarded a colleague's picture in Friendster which looked too studio-like, eliciting snickers and guffaws within our hallowed halls.

A spark (yes, a bright yellow one) went off in my head, and I challenged some of the folks here in The Design People to post their best edits of the pic, with the best one getting a prize—a toy from my stash at home.

A total of twelve entries were submitted to me, and Jerick (the guy in the pic) himself judged which were the best of the bestest. He picked the top three, and today we had a mini-awarding ceremony, where I gave out a Captain America bobblehead (1st place), Watchmen #1 2009 reprint (2nd place), and a Hot Wheels miniature car (3rd place).

Here are the top three entries:

3rd place: From Ego 'the more entries, the more chances of winning' Faylona (http://eehgow.multiply.com)

2nd place: From Kennan "Centaur" Del Mar (http://kennandelmar.multiply.com/)

1st place: From Louie "Lord Louie" Sagabaen (http://www.vimeo.com/user914767/videos)

Jerick would probably take offense to me posting the original pic, so...I won't. Haha.

Until the 2nd Jerick Awards, then. I think J will be the one sponsoring the prizes this time. Yebah!

Link:
Here's the first giveaway I did online:
2 Weeks

Happy Run at the Fort

2009-01-26T06:44:00.000+04:00

I stole this pic from Backpacker's Misadventures. Thanks, dude!

I joined TDP officemates Ken and Yul for this run. We all signed up for the 5k relax run—no 15k for us!

I managed a 36.28 (minus around two and a half minutes because I was late. again.) on the same roads that I used to run during 2006 when I was still in the basic mountaineering course of AMCI. I did my first 10k run in this area during training, basking in draining heat and only one water station. Hah. Memories.

Drew Arellano of Unang Hirit fame helped organize this run, which was attended by a good number of people, maybe around two thousand runners.

I'll do my best to lose some weight to do a sub-30 5k, and eventually a sub-60 10k. Yebah!

Visit:
The Happy Run

Star Wars baggage claim - Boba Fett

2009-01-23T23:04:00.000+04:00

Saw this on Jim Smash. I wonder how Boba explained this to customs?

'Jabba's stuff. That's all you need to know.'

Have a nice weekend!

S-E-X - Don't click this

2009-01-23T07:39:00.000+04:00

Mercky Merck forwarded this to me:

It's so wonderful to see a message of affection right on the collective chests of some wonderfully endowed women.

Here's where you can find it.

The North Face Trail Running - Nasugbu, Batangas 2009 January 18

2009-01-20T06:02:00.000+04:00

18 January 2009

After only two hours of sleep, I had to get up to hitch a ride with Lovell and Ernest going to the TNF Thrill of the Trail race at Evercrest Golf and Country Club in Nasugbu, Batangas.

I got to Valero in Makati a bit late (I even forgot my race number at home! stupid.), but we made good time getting to the venue, and even had a stopover at Jollibee to fill ourselves before running.

The trail was great! It was beautiful and challenging. The morning breeze will freeze the sweat off your back if you stopped running. I think the temperature was around 14 degrees or less, so there's no chance of overheating during running.

A lot of people had trouble with the trail (was that a gully?) going down and up steeply around the fifth or sixth kilometer mark. There was a rope to help people going down, and then a slightly punishing trail going up. After I went up there, I felt some pain in both of my calves and my lower back (or my butt, I can't seem to differentiate them at that point), probably the product of very little training and being overweight. Sigh.

Nearing the finish line, one of the race marshalls informed me that I was in the top fifty (or did he say fifties?) to finish the 10k (I believe there were around two hundred people who participated in the 10k, and maybe less than a hundred in the 20k), which was alright. I finished at a personal-worst 1.23 (my worst 10k), mostly because I didn't dare push it during the last two kilometers when I felt a slight twinge in my left leg, signalling a cramp. That would've been painful..or was I just being lazy? Either way, I need to run more.

There were five AMCI runners who won the top prizes, and of special mention were Tatax (1st place, 10k) and Mercy (1st place, 20k). Congrats!

On the right is a picture lifted from Pinoy Ultra Runners (that's 1st Placer Mercy breathing down my neck—it should be mentioned that us 10k runners had a ten-minute headstart on the 20k runners. I'm so weak sauce. Hahaha.). I can't believe they're selling this photo, and if you do buy it, you can only use it for personal consumption. Wouldn't you like the world to consume you, if you already bought your photo? Hahaha.

Thanks again to Lovell and Ernest. We had lunch at this small resto in front of Traveller's Inn in Tagaytay. We had a serving of bulalo that the three of us were barely able to finish eating (even after running a combined 40k!), and it cost only Php 280.

Here are some accounts of the race:
The Race Director
Miracle Cello

More photos:
Rox Philippines

Bajay and Lorie's Wedding + The North Face Trail Running - Nasugbu, Batangas

2009-01-20T05:17:00.000+04:00

17 January 2009

Bajay and Lorie got married. The reception was inside the Corinthian Gardens in Quezon City. Tey's Revenge played during the reception, and I helped by bringing my kahon and shaker to the gig. I still don't have pics of us playing (or me being there at all), but here's a Church pic with AMCI people:

Picture lifted from Simon. Thanks!

We played to maybe only twenty people. Late na kami nag-setup. It was fun playing tunes from the Cure, U2 and Soft Cell. I mostly held a tambourine, taking cues from John Pete to do a regular beat or a 16-beat, especially on their original songs.

Congratulations to the newlyweds! Another mountaineering couple just tied the knot. I also spent time with the food and the dessert. Yum! There was a surprise cockroach leg on my creme brulee, but that didn't deter me from eating the other sweets that were served.

It was also refreshing to see the mountain people in very formal wear, hair and makeup—the works. I guess I will see you guys dressed this way during gala night.

If you have pics during the reception, paki-post naman! Thanks!

Neil Gaiman - The Facts In The Case Of The Departure Of Miss Finch

2009-01-08T01:03:00.000+04:00

Bojolitus might get this from me next week (a fool and his money are soon parted. kidding.), so I guess I have to read it soon.

The Facts In The Case Of The Departure Of Miss Finch -
Hardback - $13.95
ISBN: 1593076673

Come, come and hear of the strange and terrible tale of Miss Finch, an exacting woman befallen by mystery and abduction deep under the streets of London! New York Times bestselling author Neil Gaiman delivers another stunning hardcover graphic novel with longtime collaborator Michael Zulli (Creatures of the Night, The Sandman). This is the first comics adaptation of his popular story "The Facts in the Case of the Departure of Miss Finch," which saw print only in the U.K. edition of Gaiman's award-winning work Smoke and Mirrors: Short Fictions and Illusions and was recently interpreted for his Speaking in Tongues CD. The Facts in the Case of the Departure of Miss Finch is a "mostly true story" that combines the author's trademark magic realism with Zulli's sumptuous paintings, and has been newly rewritten for this hardcover. Join a group of friends, with the stern Miss Finch in tow, as they enter musty caverns for a subterranean circus spectacle called "The Theatre of Night's Dreaming." Come inside, get out of the pounding rain, and witness this strange world of vampires, ringmasters, illusions and the Cabinet of Wishes Fulfill'd.

NeilGaiman.com

Darkhorse.com

***

Listening to 'The Shins' right now - So Says I. Great rock and roll.

Peace out.

Randell and Lizbeth's Wedding - 11 December 2008, Thursday

2008-12-15T06:18:00.000+04:00

Pictures of the wedding:

Runaway Angel
NaLeoning
Ministry of Graphic

Officemate, fellow designer and celebrity blogger (http://www.wellwhatever.com) Lizbeth got married last week. Congratulations!

Three days before their wedding she called me up and said that the commentator for the ceremony backed out, and would I like to to do it? I was hesitant, but I eventually relented, even though I have never done such a thing, and I rarely go to mass.

There's a first time for everything, I guess.

The day came, and I took off early from work to get to the wedding before the three pm start. I know that the venue, Archbishop's Palace, is somewhere near Dumlao Gym in Shaw, where my officemates and I always play basketball, so I went down before the gym, and walked to the Church.

I was sweating bad when I got there, and got the misallette maybe fifteen minutes before the ceremony, trying to remove my jitters, rehearsing my lines and trying to dry out my shirt.

To summarize things - I did well enough according to some people, my shirt dried up (the airconditioning was good - I now believe I may have caught a lung infection or pneumonia because the sweat dried cold on my back), some of the details of the program weren't accurate (I sometimes made people stand up when they were supposed to sit down), we got to the reception, and I left after eating a plate of food.

Great stuff! A different experience, definitely.

I had to rush out from the reception because I had band practice with the AMCI Raspatuberos at Pinoy Penguin in Kamias.

What a day! Congratulations again, Liz and Randell! I must have said your names fifty times that day.

Coron, Palawan November 27-30, 2008

2008-12-01T10:19:00.003+04:00

TNF Thrill of the Trail - January 18, 2009

2008-11-26T11:09:00.003+04:00

TNF Thrill of the Trail
10k and 20k Trail Run

2009 January 18, 6:00 am
Nasugbu, Batangas

Mensa IQ Challenge @ Fully Booked Bonifacio High Street Nov. 30, 2008

2008-11-21T05:24:00.004+04:00

From the Mensa Philippines Blog:

‘MENSA IQ CHALLENGE’ TO BE HELD NOVEMBER 30 AT FULLY BOOKED BONIFACIO HIGH STREET

Mensa Philippines – the local organization of the international high IQ society Mensa International – will be holding its qualifying test for individuals aged 12 and above who are seeking membership in Mensa.

The testing, dubbed “The Mensa IQ Challenge”, will be held on November 30, 2008 (Sunday) at Fully Booked Bonifacio High Street, Taguig. Tests will be given every hour from 11am to 5pm.

The only criterion for Mensa membership is to score within the top 2% (98th percentile and up) of the test. The test is culture-fair and does not test for math or language skills.

Limited slots are available to those interested in taking the Mensa test. To avail of these slots, interested parties can pre-register at the online facility available at mensaphilippines. blogspot. com. The deadline for pre-registration is before 12 midnight of November 28.

During the test, exam takers will need to bring a valid ID and a testing fee of P500. Undergraduate students with valid student IDs are entitled to a discounted fee of P300. Note that payments will only be received at the testing venue itself.

Mensa has over 100,000 members in over 80 countries worldwide. Actress/Olympian archer Geena Davis, comedian John Cleese and science-fiction writer Isaac Asimov are some of the more prominent Mensa members.

Mensa's aims are to identify and foster human intelligence for the benefit of humanity; to encourage research in the nature, characteristics and uses of intelligence; and to promote stimulating and social opportunities for its members.

For reference:
Dimpy Jazmines
Director for Publicity
Contact nos.: 0917-5268641 / 449-4612
Email: cmjazmines@bayan.com.ph

AMCI - Jamci 2008

2008-11-18T10:58:00.005+04:00

Bert organized another fun and successful Jamci concert this year, pulling Distrito, Jordan, Crude Oz, Helen, Hedge Zero, I-Ray, Inner Volume, Biscochong Halimaw, Dahon, Pack of Wolves, Tey's Revenge and Raspatuberos to the event.

Four of those acts/bands have current and former The Design People officemates, and TDP people packed the venue early in the night. Jordan Hilario opened the night with his fantastic fret-tapping solo acoustic guitar music, and he was followed by Peachy (the Wailer) and Ego's hard-rocking band, Distrito. The third band was Deo's Crude Oz, whose live set seems to improve every time I see them play, and I was with the fourth act with fellow AMCI members, the Raspatuberos, doing a slew of cover songs.

I stole some pics from Genie's Multiply Site:

With Raspatuberos. I seem to be
perpetually depressed while playing.

This is Kuya Mar with my ill-fated drumsticks.
I found them later that night behind the drum kit,
the pair broken in half, and I lost an egg shaker, too. Grr.

With my 2006 AMCI batchmates - Genie, Kim, Ai, Jay, Pie.

AMCI Batch 2008 (most of them, anyway).

Genie attached some funky color filters to
her digicam with this and the following pics.

Looks like some of my childhood photos -
either the chemicals used were bad or
the film was low quality. Thanks, Genie!

McDonald's Make Out

2008-11-10T03:00:00.004+04:00

It looks like McDonald's is encouraging us to do more than just stuff ourselves with their obesity-inducing fatty food. Maybe that's why the queue is longer than usual at this counter in SM Megamall.

Thanks to Ryan for the pic.

Eraserheads Reunion Concert - August 30, 2008

2008-09-07T18:56:00.002+04:00

The Eraserheads finally did a reunion concert, and it doesn't matter what the reasons are (money, bridging gaps, life is short, etc.), because a lot of people came out happy, ecstatic and alive.

The definitive band of the nineties, almost solely responsible for reviving the band scene in the Philippines (before them, bands didn't have a lot of label support and radio was mostly full of disco revival shit), the Eraserheads came out with nine albums before disbanding due to personality differences. That final act, the drama that came with separation, really cemented parallels with The Beatles.

Some will argue that their disbandment came at a perfect time, because their latter albums weren't well-received, and the music scene was changing. A lot of people who go to gigs didn't want to see them anymore, and moan when they're on. But surprise, surprise—most of us wanted to see, wanted to be on the news, wanted to talk about the Eraserheads and their reunion concert, and I would bet, so did those who heckled them.

Some of my fondest memories of the Eraserheads: a rain-drenched gig in UP Diliman, along with then-fresh two-man group Yano, their gigs in UST, playing before them in Chinese General Hospital (the audience was telling us to hurry up so they can watch the EHeads—how rude!), the Sunken Garden launch of Cutterpillow, Mayric's, Araneta Coliseum as a front act to Beastie Boys/Sonic Youth/Foo Fighthers...so many. I may have forgotten some of them already.

When the Eraserheads were on top of their game, I debated on whether it was better to be a multi-millionaire or to be Ely Buendia, who became the voice of a generation. To date, I am neither, but I would choose to be someone like Ely anytime.

Which reminds me of a quote from Fight Club:

We were raised by television to believe that we'd be millionaires and movie gods and rock stars. But we won't. And we're slowly learning that fact. And we're very, very pissed-off.

Well, enough of that. If you missed the reunion concert, as I did, there's always Youtube:

Eraserheads Reunion Concert on Youtube

...and here's a review of their 'tenth' album that I did while I was in the UAE:

Anthology

God bless, and good night.

Batman: The Dark Knight

2008-07-15T23:54:00.008+04:00

Monday, July 14, 2008

Batman: The Dark Knight was shown in advance in SM Mall of Asia's IMAX theater today, treating a bevy of Bat-fans and other moviegoers to two and a half hours of guns, explosions, fluttering wings and all-around mayhem.

The hype surrounding Heath Ledger's performance in this movie is all true; his Joker is intense and frightening, at par with Anthony Hopkins's rendition of Hannibal Lecter in Silence of the Lambs. The Joker makes Darth Vader a hissing joke, and would probably blow up the fallen Jedi with maniacal gusto.

From his introduction via a bank heist until the movie's climax, this movie is owned by the Joker. The Dark Knight also made me understand the relationship between Batman and his arch-villain fully, more than decades of reading comic books has achieved (With apologies to some of the greatest Batman writers like Frank Miller and Alan Moore).

Sadly though, even if the Dark Knight runs for more than two hours, the film has a frenetic and hurried pace to it that makes it feel crammed. The movie has too many details and unnecessary scenes, and the flow and narrative are compromised.

Some American reviewers have likened the Dark Knight to be a Scorcese, or a classic crime movie in the vein of The Godfather or The Untouchables, but that is too lofty a praise. This is, instead, the benchmark of what a villain should be. You don't feel for him, you don't relate to him, you don't exactly hate him. He is just what he is: a frightening, unpredictable foe who gets what he wants, and you can't do a thing about it, just like compressed air-carrying Anton Chigurh in No Country for Old Men.

It's too bad that the late Heath Ledger can't reprise his role, but maybe, just maybe, Javier Bardem can become the next Joker.

Heath Ledger as the Joker, left, and
Javier Bardem as Anton Chigurh, right.

Links:

Batman: The Dark Knight

No Country for Old Men

Tarak Ridge, Mariveles - Training Climb 1 AMCI 2008 - Day One

2008-07-14T06:47:00.007+04:00

AMCI held the first Training Climb (TC) for Batch 2008 last July 12-13 at the Tarak Ridge in Mariveles, Bataan.

I joined the Mercy Go! Go! Go! Group (also called the Jampong group) for this climb, partly because my officemate recruit Neil is in that group, and they needed more support from members. There were five trainees and five members in the group, a good mix. The trainees were Neil, Aris, Mirren, Juliet and Carlo—a nice bunch, cool to trek with. The members were Mercy (GL), Medi (AGL), Bert, Jazzie and I—laugh trip!

Day One

We left Ayala Tower 1 at around 1am in the morning of July 12 and arrived in Bataan a wee early at 3.30am. We started our trek around 5am, one hour ahead of schedule. When we arrived at the registration area, there was another group (from PUP, says Maida) who was also going up Tarak.

So we climbed, taking a shortcut that our Trail Master, Sky Biscocho, opened for us. The PUP folks took the traditional route and looked mildly amused to see us passing by. The trail was pleasant—light forest cover, some cogon, rolling areas—until we encountered a pass that was made slightly difficult by a landslide, resulting in a bottleneck of people trying to pass with the help of ropes.

Two places already had ropes when Pres decided to create another way to go through, fastening a rope to a tree. When I saw that it was ready, i asked for his permission to use it. He chuckled, and agreed, partly amused with my eagerness, until i realized that I was partly a guinea pig. But I trust his ropesmanship and judgment, so rappelling I went, in full view of the other mountaineers (including the PUP folks) and stopped several times to wait for them to take photos of my derring-do (but none more daring than what Cecil and Genie did), but none of them seemed to have their cameras ready, so I slowly went down, and towards the end of the rope, I realized that it wasn't long enough, and my feet already slipped on loose ground, but I was safe.

As a precaution against slipping further down, I took off my bag and threw it on the ground, so I can have better balance. I was totally embarrassed to see my bag slide, roll and bump against the rocks several times, landing around twenty feet away from me. I took the bag and trekked up the trail to set it there.

When it was Bert's turn on the rope, he was handed another rope to extend the one I used, to make it easier on the others who will use it. Some of us helped the others to pass, including Mau and Jay (in the picture), Cecil, Mercy and Bert.

We later had lunch near the Papaya River, took a dip in the cool water and replenished our water supply. We resumed trekking a few hours after, proceeding to a tiring assault towards the camp site. Miren suffered a slight ankle injury before the assault so we were a bit slow, but all of us eventually got there, I guess, around 4pm.

We pitched our tents, and Pres (the best trainee for all seasons) found a great place for our kitchen. We were camped with Group 4, our 'sister' group, and we had a very entertaining time in there, especially since JC, Pres and Janice (Group 4 GL) were there.

Around 7.30pm, I felt sleepy and proceeded to my tent to sleep early at 8pm, without having dinner. No surprise there, since I always sleep early, but I rue the fact that I missed Leo's show at 2007's TC1 in Cinco Picos.

Terms:
GL - Group Leader
AGL - Assistant Group Leader

City of Hope redux

2008-04-05T19:05:00.003+04:00

The 'City of Hope' posting on this blog from about three years ago is still getting some reads and comments.

I just want to add some quotes and links from different sources regarding the City of Hope:

From the New York Times:

For years, Sharla Musabih has fought a lonely battle to protect battered wives and victims of human trafficking here. She founded the Emirates’ first women’s shelter here and she became a familiar figure at police stations, relentlessly hounding officers to be tougher on abusive husbands.

Read the full article here:
Voice for Abused Women Upsets Dubai Patriarchy

From the New Internationalist:

My friends and I discovered that domestic violence was stepping up and so I started taking women into my home,’ recalls Sharla, who has lived in the UAE for some 22 years. Now with three operational shelters across Dubai, the City of Hope – a concern funded in part through corporate sponsorship – is filled with numerous women and children of various nationalities, many of whom could recount shocking tales covering the full spectrum of abuse. ‘We have rape victims. We have rape victims who are pregnant. And sometimes after the pregnancy, we have had to do DNA tests to prove the identity of the child’s father.’
Unlike in much of Europe and North America there are few shelters for battered women in the Middle East, so escaping an abusive relationship can be difficult. Add to that the cultural and religious customs that exist in the Arab world, and abused women from Western cultures who are married to Arab men can often feel very isolated. ‘I often think about where we would be if I hadn’t had this shelter… the women simply wouldn’t have had a place to go,’ Sharla reflects as she recounts the story of a German woman brought to the UAE by her violent Syrian husband who was left stranded in a hotel. ‘She now lives in the shelter with her three children, and has done so for a long time.

Read the full article:
Interview with Sharla Musabih as she builds the City of Hope

From Al Jazeera:

Providing only modest living conditions, City of Hope survives on private donations and the help of volunteers such as doctors, lawyers and psychologists - they help the women and children with their traumatic experiences by providing counselling and coaching in basic life skills.

The City of Hope shelter may not have all of the amenities that some of Dubai's other million-dollar charities have, but according to the women and children that have sought refuge there, it has something much more valuable - a chance to escape abuse and violence.

Read the full article:
'Hope' for Dubai's abused women

From Women's E News:

Courts in the United Arab Emirates, she says, allow men to sign papers swearing they won't hit their wives again and then dismiss the charges.

"I've seen cases where men have been allowed to sign that paper eight different times. He just goes back and continues to hit."

Read the full article here:
Dubai Hot Line Rings 24-7 as Boom Times Roll

BBBS Outreach - Kapangan and Kibungan, Benguet Province, Philippines

2008-02-24T16:46:00.002+04:00

The BBBS - BIG BROTHER BIG SISTER outreach program was conceived by mountaineering groups in the Philippines in the year 2005, with the goal of addressing the needs of children in remote areas in the Philippines. Through the BBBS, you have a chance to become a big brother or big sister to one of these children. For only THREE HUNDRED PHILIPPINE PESOS (P 300.00), you will be able to sponsor one student’s school supplies for one year, which contains the following items: 1 knapsack, 7 notebooks, 4 ball-point pens, 4 pencils, writing pads, crayons, sharpener and ruler.

Now on its fourth year, BBBS owes its success to donors and volunteers who earnestly heeded the call for big brothers and sisters. Through their generosity, BBBS brought hope to 295 children in Itogon, Benguet in the year 2005, 535 children in Lacub, Abra in 2006 and 500 kids in Tanudan, Kalinga last year. For this year’s project, BBBS aims to benefit two remote mountain areas in Benguet: Taba-ao, Kapangan and Palina, Kibungan. Its initial goal for this year is 700 children, the biggest target of BBBS since its humble beginning in 2005.

Be a big brother or sister, send in your pledges for one or more children now… or simply send this message to your friends, relatives or colleagues who might wish to.

Meet the child you sponsor and hand the school set to him yourself. Join the volunteers to the mountains on May 17 - 18, 2008.

Your pledge might just be what is needed for that little push in the right direction—to keep the kids in school. Kindle the flames of hope for a better tomorrow… Be a sponsor or a volunteer today!

Visit:
www.bbbsoutreach.com
bbbs2005.multiply.com

Yummy Meat Pies - Sweeney Todd - The Demon Barber from Fleet Street

2008-01-11T13:58:00.000+04:00

Wouldn't you know it, they served meat pies in last night's advance screening of Sweeney Todd - The Demon Barber of Fleet Street at the Shangri-La Cinema in Ortigas, Pasig. I'm sure they're no match for the taste of Mrs. Lovett's exotic delicacies, but it was a nice touch nonetheless.

As for the movie—Sweeney Todd is not for the squeamish, and you should have a taste for musicals (it's a popular Broadway musical, and most of the actors, like Johnny Deppl Helena Bonham Carter and Alan Rickman, have extensive singing parts) and Tim Burton. It's a tasty, delectable and lyrical piece of celluloid art.

A recommended view, especially for those who are in need of a shave.

Official website:
Sweeney Todd

Anawangin ng ina mo pictures

2007-10-05T05:19:00.000+04:00

The ocean swells behind the wafus.

Star na naman si Miguel.
Ang sirena ng ilog ng Anawangin.

Naghihilahan sa ilog sa Anawangin.

Ngek!

Ngek! 2

Ngek! 3

Maulan. Bakit kayo nandiyan?
(Typhoon Hannah trek in Pundaquit, Anawangin Cove)

Bro, sarap ng tulog mo sa thermarest, ah?
Kahit nakalubog na sa tubig, hehehe.
(Dreaming of Stars. Hehehe.)

Si Perry at ang Sinigang na Baboy.

Group pic sa ilog sa Anawangin 1.

Group pic sa ilog sa Anawangin 2.

Thanks to webgroundz and kheetoink for the photos.

Simpsons suck, Ratatouille Rules

2007-07-24T10:52:00.000+04:00

Two animated flicks will have their regular screenings this week—The Simpsons Movie and Ratatouille.

I have waited to see The Simpsons on the big screen, me being a fan of the TV series who also happens to have Simpsons toys, videos, comics, and even a shirt. I won't hold back here—the movie was disappointing. The jokes and the characters seem tired, and the story wasn't exciting or engaging. A lot of fans are already bemoaning the quality of recent seasons of The Simpsons, and they probably won't get much of a rise out of the movie, either.

My brother was with me when I watched The Simpsons Movie, and he pointed out that it was nowhere near as good as the South Park movie, which is true. South Park pulled out all the stops, and really had fun with the theme and story. South Park was a total riot, and The Simpsons was almost a 'd'uh.' Spider-Pig? Oh, please. That pig can't even compare to how bacon is treated on South Park shorts.

I was also waiting to see Ratatouille on the big screen because the trailer was excellent and the plot showed promise. A rat in Paris that can actually cook learns to live with a human who pretends to know his way around the kitchen. It's the perfect recipe for mayhem. Ehem. Haha.

Ratatouille has a fresh, engaging and richly textured story. It wasn't until the credits rolled that I learned that it was written and directed by animated genius Brad Bird, the guy behind the Iron Giant and The Incredibles. He also worked for about eight seasons in the Simpsons, by the way.

So watch the rodent instead. It's the most delicious animated movie I've seen.

Links:
Simpsons Movie
Ratatouille
Brad Bird's bio on IMDB

3 Filipinos killed in Abu Dhabi road accident

2007-06-21T10:10:00.000+04:00

"Three Filipinos have died in a road accident in Abu Dhabi, the Department of Foreign Affairs has said in a statement to media.

Quoting Libran N. Cabactulan, Philippine Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the DFA said that brothers Jay-Ar and Emanuel de San Jose and Emanuel’s wife Charmaine were crossing the Sinaiyah road on their way to the St. Mary’s Church in Al Ain when they were hit by a car driven by a 19-year-old UAE national last June 14.

The two brothers died on the spot while Charmaine was still alive when she was brought to Al Jimi Hospital, where she died despite doctors’ efforts to save her, the DFA said.

Upon learning of the accident, Ambassador Cabactulan sent Assistance-to-Nationals (ATN) Officer Carlito Dizon to Al Ain to help the brothers’ mother, who is also a worker there, the DFA said.

The mother has been admitted to the Al Jimi Psychiatric Department due to shock over the untimely deaths of her two sons and daughter-in-law, the DFA said.

The driver of the car was also admitted to the Tawam Hospital in Al Ain after suffering from shock. He is under police custody, the DFA said quoting Cabactulan.

Emanuel de San Jose was working in a trading company in Dubai; his wife Charmaine was newly hired by an advertising agency in Al Ain; and Jay-Ar was a holder of a visit visa in Dubai, the DFA said.

The Embassy and the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) continues to extend assistance to the victims’ family, the DFA said."

Comments:
Some people I've talked with in the UAE have remarked that it's very easy for an Arab, especially a UAE local, to get a driver's license, even though they can barely drive.

That's unfair to say, but then the UAE is one of the worst in the world when it comes to road accidents and deaths. Why?

If you listen to what people on the street (taxi drivers, longtime UAE workers and residents) say, the answer is a mixture of arrogance, lack of driving skill and common sense and leniency by the police and courts.

So if you're on the street in the UAE, whether you're driving or walking, please take care.

Source:
3 Filipinos killed in Abu Dhabi road accident - Inquirer.net

Islander?!? This is SPARTAN!

2007-04-10T06:44:00.000+04:00

He delivered a really corny joke, but the way he said it gave it a nice punch. She tried to stifle her laughter, but her runny nose betrayed her, and out came a yellowish bubble from one of her nostrils, making everyone around her laugh.

In the heat of midday, inside this rickety jeepney which seems to have been bound together by wire and glue, we are bogged by traffic caused by those who are seeking public office, digging up roads that don't need repair to get public funds.

But instead of wallowing in despair, we were saved by 'Islander?!? This is SPARTAN!'

(I know this doesn't make sense. I just had to write something.)

300

2007-02-28T07:57:00.000+04:00

We dined in hell with the Spartans last night, at a screening of '300.'

Based on a graphic novel by Frank Miller (Sin City), 300 is a movie about the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 B.C., where the Spartans, along with some Greek allies, made a stand against a massive Persian army.

The movie is action-packed and visually striking, employing a lot of camera techniques, color styles and shock treatment to keep us reeling.

Don't expect an excellent story or script, though—300 is almost as simple as it sounds—300 men against a horde, with only one character having a complete backdrop. There are sprinkles of other interesting bits here and there, like the consultation with the Oracle and the Spartan rite of passage, but the movie concentrated mostly on the battle.

No cheesy love story scenes, no forced redemption of characters, no convoluted subplots—300 has all the action that other films in its genre lacks, and that's why you should see it on the big screen.

I give this movie a 4 out of 5 rating. Enjoy!

300 will be shown in the Philippines on March 7, 2007, ahead of US cinemas.

Just had to say this:

The US government's intrusions in other countries draws a parallel with the movie. There are a lot of modern day Spartans (like Iraq) who are resisting invasion from a larger force.

The Philippines is no stranger to modern-day Persians, either:
The Philippine-American War (read the Deaths & Atrocities page!)

Filipino casualties from the war are estimated at 1,000,000 or 1/9 of the total population. Some put it at 1/5 of the total population, while America lost around 4,400 people. The Americans really brutalized the Philippines during those dark times.

From Wikipedia:

General Jacob H. Smith's infamous order, “Kill everyone over ten,” was the caption in the New York Journal cartoon on May 5, 1902. The Old Glory draped an American shield on which a vulture replaced the bald eagle. Caption is: “Criminals because they were born ten years before we took the Philippines.”

More:
THE PHILIPPINE-AMERICAN WAR (1899-1902)

You can't stop life from happening

2007-02-26T05:55:00.000+04:00

During the past thirty days, five friends have told me about the collective grief and pain they've been through because of their relationships with their husbands, wives, live-in partners and boyfriends.

It's a bit unnerving to have a sudden deluge of breakups flooding my instant messenger and my phone, and sometimes you just can't help but empathize too much, and end up asking yourself: What's the point of all this?

Three of my friends are married; two reconciled, the other was kicked out of home. The other two had long-time boyfriends, with varied degrees of sorrow involved. Most of them have a lot of pain, are constantly crying and questioning themselves and their worth, if they can still find happiness, and if their partner would still come back to them.

I can't give too many details about my friends, because it would be easy to guess who they are if I did, but a common thread between them is cheating, and most of the time, the guy is to blame.

Is that fair? Sometimes it isn't, because you never know what another person's problems are unless you're in their shoes.

I'm a guy who has been in and out of relationships for some time now, and I understand how difficult it is to be upright, to keep a relationship fresh and interesting, to always be in love, to stop bickering, to marry differences, to deal with relatives and friends, religion, the lack of money, attention and sex, and all the other forces that always threaten relationships.

What are their problems, really?

A friend's partner is supposedly cold and couldn't communicate well, one had trouble dealing with the other's success, the rest have partners that found something exciting in another person.

We're always hoping that these things won't happen to us—that we're different, we'll be faithful and loyal, we're better than they are, but in the end, we're all human and vulnerable, and most of the time, we can't stop our lives from happening, and we have to admit that.

Words are always easy to deliver, promises are given in the heat of the moment, but when we actually need to put good work in our relationships, a lot of us crumble—whether you're a girl, a guy, a husband or a wife.

I have learned that in relationships, no one is perfect, prayer helps a lot, commitment and love is hard work, change is constant, and there's a lot of bad weather you need to go through. If your relationship isn't in constant turmoil, be thankful, but still work on it. If you've had a relatively stress-free partnership, a lot of us envy you.

Everything is New

2007-01-15T04:21:00.000+04:00

Every love is new, as Paulo Coelho suggests in By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept, while pop genius Ben Folds says that "All is fair in love." Both statements are plain and simply true.

I had the wonderful experience of getting to know someone very special during the last quarter of 2006, and snippets of Mr. Folds's lyrics accurately expresses how I feel for her, like this line from Kate: 'She smiles, and it's a rainbow.'

Every person and every experience is new. I'm glad I met you.

Scott Adams and the Dilbert Blog

2006-11-20T04:45:00.000+04:00

A good start on a Monday morning:
Are Smart People Dumb?

Scott Adams of Dilbert fame discusses (or maybe just cusses) the intellectual elite and how they're related to the world (if they are, at all).

A cut:

But the members were, as advertised, geniuses. Mensa meetings are the strangest experience. No one ever has to explain anything twice. That’s a bigger deal than you might think. Your typical day is full of moments where you ask for a cup of coffee and someone hands you a bag of nails. You don’t realize how much time you spend re-explaining things until you no longer need to. Mensa is very cool that way.

Puff doo dah. Have fun.

The Induction Blues

2006-11-02T04:52:00.000+04:00

We arrived in Manila today, November 02, 2006, before three in the morning, from the AMCI Induction Climb in Kalinga. We didn't know that the situation in the area was that bad.

Thank you for all your prayers and concern.

***

Sent: Monday, October 30, 2006 3:04:46 PM
Subject: [AMCI] Kalinga Induction Climb Update

Good afternoon,

We are all aware of "Paeng's" wrath hitting the Northern region. As of this morning it is still delcared as signal no. 3.

Until now, there is no direct contact with the team in Kalinga.

The last communication from the team was last Friday around 5pm from Ige reading. . ."Nandito na kami sa Tinglayan, Kalinga and its still raining. . "

I already spoke with Ms. Marilyn, AMCI CP in Kalinga. She too has not heard any news from the team since Friday's jump-off, though it was raining continuously at that time.

In the behalf of the club officers, I have instructed Ms.Marilyn to send local climbers (from tunglao) to fetch/ intercept/ locate the team and look for other options.

As of 2:08pm today, she was informed that she herself will be joining a group of local climbers to intercept/ join the team, otherwise, she will get the services of other available climbers.

As suggested and agreed, there will be members leaving for Tabuk tonight ( if roads are passable then) to coordinate and monitor with the local officials.

Other monitoring efforts (Military) have also been made regarding the team location and situation.

We are gathering other solid facts about the team's situation and other possible contingencies.

Right now, let us pray for the 12 inductees and 24 members'saftey.

Thank you.

AMCI Officers

***

2 Weeks

2006-07-21T07:42:00.000+04:00

It was the Thursday basketball game at Dumlao Gym, with me trying a backdoor play, when Boy Toy's pass was intercepted slightly by Mr. Grapiks, and the ball hit my left pinky, or the digitus minimus, on a bad trajectory.

I was shaking my hand afterwards in pain, but when I stopped to look at it (palm faced up), something wasn't right. My left pinky's middle joint, probably called the Ext. Pollicis Brevis, seemed dislocated because the upper part of the pinky was skewed towards the right by about ninety degrees. It also felt loose and seemed to be hanging.

It was a shock to see it look that way. I had never been injured this way before. Sure, all the fingers on my hand had swelled up at one time or another, but a limp finger, swaying lifelessly? Oy, that's new!

I proceeded to put it back in place, feeling a crunch when I did so. I left the court after Francis (thanks, man!), aka Mr. Headband, taped my pinky to my ring finger, in the absence of a makeshift splint. I walked up to the 7-11 near the gym and bought a bag of ice.

I asked the cashier to put some of the ice in a separate plastic, explaining my condition. She remarked "Parang Hostel, sir." Hostel? Then she said something about the main character in the film who had a bad hand and had to put some ice on it. I can't remember any injured hand getting some ice in Hostel, but I found the whole thing a bit surreal...

I went home, then went to Ospital ng Maynila with my mom to get an x-ray and some medical opinion. I was relieved when the radiologist said that nothing was broken (worst-case scenario: broken finger that might need cement or a metal pin). The radiologists even half-joked that I made such a good job reducing it, that maybe I was making up the whole thing.

So anyway, I got a splint on my pinky, thanks to the medical staff who helped me at the ONM. The doctor told me that the finger should be immobilized for two weeks.

While waiting for my mom to finish chatting with the staff (she used to work there and knows just about everybody), I watched silently while a guy in his forties was being revived. I saw that the guy wasn't moving anymore and his feet were already white.

Some minutes later, the staff gave up, and a woman who seemed to be his wife broke down in tears on the body. Here I was in the ER with a banged up finger, worrying that I might have to stop my BMC, looking at an event of loss and pain that made the smallest digit on my hand seem like a speck of dust.

When my mom was finally ready to leave, a girl who was wearing a high school or grade school uniform arrived, and, upon seeing the crying woman standing near the body, which was already wrapped in a white cloth, cried hoarsely and hugged the man who seemed to be her dad.

I couldn't look at this scene anymore, so I opened the door for my mom, and we left. Later at home, Jopes, my physical therapist friend told me over the phone that the splint made for my pinky was imperfect and instructed me to do some modifications to ensure me that it would heal properly.

Thanks everyone, and...count your blessings.

Ok, part two:

I'm not trying to make light of the situation I just related, but I'd like to show you guys a pic of my hand and the mess on my table:

I've counted sixteen objects in this photo. If anyone can name those sixteen objects, I'll give you a sealed Edward Scissorhands toy.

Post your entries here. This offer is open for two weeks starting today. Void where I can't give the toy personally.

Good luck!

Friday Night Poison

2006-06-19T08:52:00.000+04:00

Several shots of tequila, smokes, tokwa't baboy (tofu and pork), and of course, San Mig Light = scandalous behavior.

Oh yeah...

Pics courtesy of Happy Obituary.

Scarred

2006-06-19T08:21:00.000+04:00

"Just put your hand here. I'm scarred, too. We're all scarred. You are not the only one."

That quote is from The Accidental Tourist, an excellent novel from Anne Tyler.

The novel also made it to the big screen, starring William Hurt, Kathleen Turner and Geena Davis.

Singapore's Employment Pass Eligibility

2006-05-08T08:45:00.000+04:00

Singapore recently gave job hunters a better chance of getting employed in the land of the Merlion. To quote:

An EPE certificate will be issued to foreign professionals who hold acceptable degrees, professional qualifications or specialist skills and who would like to have a longer stay in order to seek employment in Singapore. With this certificate, foreign professionals can apply for a 6-month social visit pass to allow them sufficient time to look for a job in Singapore. The EPE certificate is issued on a one time basis and is non-renewable.

A lot of people look for a job in the UAE using a visit visa, but the 'visit' status complicates matters for folks when they get there. A lot of things can happen, like when you don't get a job in time and you have to exit to Kish Island in Iran (a lot of money goes out the window) or, for Filipinos at least, you get harassed at Philippine Immigration and don't get to leave at all.

A job hunter's pass to get to the UAE will legitimise those who seek a better life in the Emirates, bypassing Cutthroat Tourist Agencies and other folks who are taking advantage of those who are desperately trying to get to Dubai.

Link:
Singapore Employment Pass Eligibility (EPE) Certificate

Girl Gets Slam Dunked and the NBA Playoffs

2006-04-28T09:32:00.000+04:00

An acrobatic stunt that's probably worth a hundred points:
Girl Gets Slam Dunked

...and the Detroit Pistons are rolling towards another NBA title. Doncha dare argue. ;-)

Xiushui's Children: Silent Victims

2006-04-11T06:34:00.000+04:00

I've always been interested in China's history and culture (including Chinese females, of course), and am fascinated by the recent economic boom being experienced by the Middle Kingdom.

National Geographic covered a portion of the dark side of the wealth being enjoyed by China with their report on victims of silicosis. A portion:

...the Jiangxi men we met had enthusiastically gone off to work in a gold mine opened by the local authorities. But before they had a chance to make any money, they fell ill from inhaling the mining dust. Soon they discovered they were dying from silicosis, a disease they had never even heard of, and their wives were faced with fending for themselves and educating their children alone.

China is no stranger to these kinds of disasters—including famines, flooding and epidemics whose bodycount could wipe out the equivalent of small countries (It's a very dark joke to even think that China can afford those deaths, what with their billion-strong citizenry).

Another quote:

With silicosis, the fine dust particles permanently scar the lung tissues. There is no cure. Victims are condemned to suffer a slow and painful death, watched by their horrified—and helpless—families. The disease is easily preventable with the use of masks in mines and ventilation systems in factories. But today there are nearly 500,000 cases in China, with estimates of unreported cases in the millions.

Somehow, even with the numerous stories that we read every single day about senseless deaths—whether one person, a thousand or millions—we are either desensitized, still sensitive or just plain fascinated about death.

In the UAE, journalists are prevented from reporting ugly truths. In the Philippines, journalists are shot to death on a regular basis, and one would wonder if National Geographic folks would be in similar danger if they reported something really bad about the Philippines.

Main link:
Xiushui's Children: Silent Victims

Links:
East Asia and Middle East have worst press freedom records

Officials condone killing of RP journalists, say groups

Report: Philippines Most Dangerous Place to be a Journalist

From Iraq to Philippines, murder is top cause of journalist deaths in ‘05

Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - UAE

Reporter's Arrest Brings More Press Freedom

The Prophet's Birthday

2006-04-10T06:33:00.000+04:00

Muslims are celebrating Prophet Muhammad's birthday today or tomorrow (it depends on where you are - view the ASEAN 2006 Member Countries' National Holidays), while Catholics are observing the Holy Week.

One is feasting, while the other is fasting, but we're still one world, anyway (how's that cliché for you?).

Meanwhile, a status message on yahoo messenger caught my eye:

This is from someone who's currently working in the UAE. It's obvious that not everyone in the Emirates are aware of what's happening around them, maybe preferring to just work and think about their families who are miles and miles and miles away.

Ironically, the person who put up that status message is a UAE success story:
Airport denial in the Philippines, a not-so-good first job on a visit visa, shopping for jobs, and within three months—voila!—a very good job with a British company, complete with perks (a lot of UAE workers do not have any benefits like housing, transportation, or food allowances - and they can dream less about bonuses or pension plans).

I like the idea that we should make some effort in knowing the culture of our host country, but for a lot of people who have been transplanted, that's just an idea. They have to deal with a lot of things like loneliness, depression and anxiety, and trying to find ways to combat those things, so the local culture could be one of the last things in their mind.

For those who left their families to find work in the UAE—whether or not you know that it's the Prophet's birthday—I salute you.

Thumbs-down to those who are constantly looking for extra-marital affairs, though.
If you can't read the Filipino text, then look for someone to translate it.

Downtown Pix

2006-03-22T08:36:00.000+04:00

I can't think of any witty remarks right now, so...uh, that's it. These were taken this month. Happy to be home!

Riding in Cars with Girls

2006-03-10T04:47:00.000+04:00

Morning in Manila: I sat beside this cute girl on my regular FX ride to work, and around ten minutes into the journey, the girl fell asleep, nestling her head on my shoulder...

...and that's when she started snoring.

Have a grrreat weekend, everyone!

All I Want

2006-03-06T18:37:00.000+04:00

I am on a lonely road and I am traveling
Traveling, traveling, traveling
Looking for something, what can it be
Oh I hate you some, I hate you some
I love you some
Oh I love you when I forget about me
I want to be strong I want to laugh along
I want to belong to the living
Alive, alive, I want to get up and jive
I want to wreck my stockings in some juke box dive
Do you want - do you want - do you want
To dance with me baby
Do you want to take a chance
On maybe finding some sweet romance with me baby
Well, come on

All I really really want our love to do
Is to bring out the best in me and in you too
All I really really want our love to do
Is to bring out the best in me and in you
I want to talk to you, I want to shampoo you
I want to renew you again and again
Applause, applause - life is our cause
When I think of your kisses
My mind see-saws
Do you see - do you see - do you see
How you hurt me baby
So I hurt you too
Then we both get so blue

I am on a lonely road and I am traveling
Looking for the key to set me free
Oh the jealousy, the greed is the unraveling
It’s the unraveling
And it undoes all the joy that could be
I want to have fun, I want to shine like the sun
I want to be the one that you want to see
I want to knit you a sweater
Want to write you a love letter
I want to make you feel better
I want to make you feel free
Hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm,
Want to make you feel free
I want to make you feel free

by Joni Mitchell from the album Blue

Tripping Manila Fantastic

2006-03-05T18:47:00.000+04:00

So one evening while walking together in the University Belt along CM Recto Avenue in Manila, my brother Bert asks me, "Did you miss this? Is there something like this in the UAE, this...this chaos?"

"Yeah, there's something like it in Sharjah, in Rolla. That's downtown, and it's full of people, especially near the 1-2 dirham shops...but it's nothing like this. This is infinitely more chaotic, and it's just the charm of the place, isn't it?"

He was smiling while I was talking. He's been working in Recto for a long time now, but he's still amazed with the sheer life that happens on that very busy road. There are probably more than twenty schools in about two kilometers length of road, more fast food restos, a shopping mall or two, several bookstores, a church (or more), dormitories, hawkers, snatchers, you name it. There's even a so-called Recto version of Tower Records, where you can get a lot of hard-to-find pirated music and movies being sold on the street starting at around P20 (Dhs 1.33).

Tens of thousands of vehicles probably pass by Recto every day from Monday to Saturday, competing with tens of thousands more of people (most of them students) crossing the very busy avenue.

I told my brother that, once, when I was walking in the Ortigas area of Pasig, maybe a month ago, it really felt good smelling freshly-cut and watered grass while gawking at some pretty girls walking past me. I really missed the Philippines and I now appreciate my country and the people around me more.

No, no it isn't like that—sure I missed seeing Filipinas all the time, but it's the whole thing, just being here every single day, living the Pinoy way of life is great...

...and i've been blessed in many many ways. Prayer is indeed powerful.

***

I read something special in the Inquirer today:

Do you make desserts for other people? Good. Continue to sweeten their lives. Do you make deserts for other people? No good. Stop making people suffer. They have enough sufferings already.

That was a quote from Fr. Jerry Orbos's column. It's a very general statement that relates to everything from politics to personal relationships.

Be good to one another!

I found his column a bit funny because it also contained snippets from Pinoy Big Brother. The dude's a fan. Aw. To each his own. I mean, Big Brother entertains a lot of people all over the world, but I don't personally dig it.

Hey, have a nice week, everyone!

Recto pic shamelessly ripped from:
On the street

It's not a university belt pic, by the way, just something to give you an idea of the place if you don't know it yet.

Higher Drama

2006-02-08T07:17:00.000+04:00

So after that invective-filled mouthful, here's my usual stuff.

I recently exchanged DVDs with a friend of mine, and I mentioned some titles which he said he didn't get to watch. He asked what genre they were, and I said 'Drama,' to which he replied, 'Oh, I don't really watch drama, dude.'

Granted, yeah, he was the action type of guy, but he was also interested in 'Almost Famous' and 'The Motorcycle Diaries.' Those two movies are dramas. Ok, I guess my friend doesn't view drama the way that I do.

But this isn't really about him or the DVDs, or even a lecture about what 'drama' is. It's about 'Before Sunset,' a surprisingly excellent movie...

...a drama.

The surprising bit here is that the movie is unconventional. It's pure conversation—it's a movie that's like a book—with two people opening up to each other, talking about their lives and how much they've changed since their fateful meeting nine years ago.

It was just pure excellence. I remember Annie Hall, I remember Meg Ryan...but maybe the worst and best part of it was that I could relate to it. I guess a movie won't be released mainstream anyway if there wasn't some universal theme to it to make it sell, but, I dunno, 'Before Sunset' really felt different.

Fans of cinema shouldn't miss this one. I won't give out any more details or spoilers, so I'll just tell you to watch it. I give it two thumbs up, with both my hands and feet clapping (again). It's a celebration of dialogue, story and wonderful characters.

Oh, okay, some details - the movie stars Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke. They co-wrote the movie with director Richard Linklater (one of the best; he did School of Rock and Dazed and Confused), and it's a movie full of discussions about life and love told in a very, very special way. The tension, delivery and pacing is great. If not for the slick production and famous actors, 'Before Sunset' could have been one of the most celebrated independent films made.

Links:
Before Sunset
Before Sunrise

High Drama

2006-02-07T19:13:00.000+04:00

Most of you probably know about the stampede that happened last Saturday (Feb. 04, 2006) at the Ultra Stadium, here in the Philippines. I felt sadness and anger about the tragedy.

Sadness because so many people's lives were cut short by the lure of easy money, and anger because...of basically the same thing.

I'm sure that what happened has been debated and talked about by most Filipinos everywhere, so I won't go into that anymore.

I'll just quickly mention that on that same day, Wowowee's rival show on GMA-7, Eat...Bulaga!, ended their own program in silent prayer. The folks in the show had their heads bowed, and the episode ended without bombast.

Cynics will say that Eat's ending was probably composed of crocodile tears and plastic passion, because they might actually be celebrating the fact that they've just oneupped the competition without really trying.

I personally don't believe that. It was a disaster that took place very close to home, and it could have happened in their own program. It was actually a bit creepy to see their show end that way, because these noontime shows typically end with a lot of noise and bombast.

I hope you also bowed your head in prayer for those who passed away, with a little hope that someday, no one will have to die lining up to be in a stupid game show.

Hearing all that shit from ABS-CBN about how they only want to help people with their prizes is just a pure fuck in the asses of all the relatives of the folks who have died and a slap on the injured and all of us who listen to their drivel.

Cut the crap, man. We all know that you guys do try to make more money than you give away.

What's worse is the darker than chocolate shit that came from the mouth of GMA's Press Secretary, Ignacio Bunye, scolding those who dare to say that the stampede should be blamed on the President.

Well excuuuuuuuuse me! Leaders should stop making excuses, stop picking our pockets, stop thinking about image, stop politicking and just go to work! Just remember that y'all are supposed to serve the public, you pricks!

Shit, well, I know I said I wouldn't be discussing the stampede anymore, but, well, shit, it just makes your blood boil sometimes.

Shit is politics. Politics is shit. Wowowee.

Link:
The Stampede

Bunye: Don't blame stampede on Arroyo

Hello, Hello...HELLO!

2006-01-12T13:51:00.000+04:00

It's been a long, interesting and somewhat strange journey for me these past twelve months.

Thank you to all the people who have helped me along the way. You know who you are.

I'm currently cooling my heels here in the Philippines, so the name 'Blogging from the UAE' might not be very appropriate for this blog right now...but I will still write something about my experiences in the UAE, so I'll just...ah, I'm rambling.

The real reason I'm writing this post after a two-month hiatus is the Radioactive Sago Project's 'Hello' music video which is currently airing on MTV Philippines (and maybe some other channels, i'm not sure). My brother Bert directed and co-produced that video.

We're mighty proud of him and his labor of love.

Congrats, Kuya Bert!

Photos that Suck

2005-11-23T14:40:00.000+04:00

Nah, not really.

Just some pics taken in the office before i got a short haircut. It has been six months since my last haircut, so I thought, what the hell, maybe I should spend all the money I've saved. Nyahahahahar. Actually, I didn't save anything. I'm trying to commit suicide by eating all the chicken that I see (cooked, yes), so I spend all my money just trying to catch bird flu.

But that didn't work, and you might try to do the same thing while viewing my pics...

So good luck and enjoy.

The Radioactive Guest

2005-11-16T17:12:00.000+04:00

My brother just told me that I'm going to miss two of his 'guest-screaming' appearances for the funky-jazz-rock-fusion-all-around-cool band The Radioactive Sago Project on these dates:

Dec. 01, 2005 - MTV Aids Summit, The Fort (Fort Bonifacio, Taguig)

Dec. 02, 2005 - NU Rock Awards, World Trade Center (Pasay City)

If you're going to attend those gigs in Manila, do scream at him for me, hmm?

Links:
The Radioactive Sago Project
Philmusic: Escape from Project Sago

Note: The photo above was shamelessly ripped from Jim Ayson's Philmusic.com.

Walk on Good Vibrations

2005-11-16T16:52:00.000+04:00

We were on the way to Dubai for a client meeting this morning, when some nice song requests played on the radio:

Paint it black - Rolling Stones
Walk on the Wild Side - Lou Reed

That was cool for a morning trip.

Later in the afternoon, after having a late lunch at Southern Fried Chicken in the Siemen's building, Dubai Internet City, we got on Sheikh Zayed Road and cranked up the radio to Sinatra's 'New York, New York.' That was great, but then the Beach Boys had their say with 'Good Vibrations,' and the afternoon became a perfectly surreal idyll UAE experience.

Yeah. I just wish we were on the way to the beach instead of going back to finish the day in the office.

Good good good...good vibrations!

Fighting Blog Spammers, the 'Dubai' movie illusion, Jobs in Dubai

2005-11-14T14:49:00.000+04:00

I think i've finally found the way to hold off comment spammers here on Blogger:

Whew. It's a pain to keep deleting them.

It's a good thing that they have these features. I only needed to look closer inside the settings. Nyuk nyuk.

And no, I haven't seen the 'Dubai' movie yet, but from all the feedback I've heard, it seems that no one likes it except for the ones who made the darn movie. People who live and work here especially loathe it because it shows too much candy and illusions about Dubai being an oasis for jobs and good living.

That's not necessarily untrue, but then majority of Asians who work here aren't really living a charmed life, believe me. It's worth taking a chance in Dubai, yes, and better if you're armed with a degree and some solid working experience, especially in areas like Construction (engineer and architects) and Hospitality (Hotels and restaurants).

In this vein, it makes me sad that Filipinos prey on their own countrymen by asking for Php100,000 (around Dhs7,000) just to get here, when the actual cost can be as low as Php40,000 (around Dhs3,000), for a tourist visa and plane tickets.

A lot of Filipinos here are wandering around jobless and have debts at home amounting to the previously mentioned Php100k. It's sad.

Links:
Official Site:
Star Cinema - Dubai

Gulf News:
New movie portrays a slice of life in Dubai

The Road to Baguio

2005-11-14T14:40:00.000+04:00

Here's an engaging article about a foreigner's trip to Baguio, Philippines:

According to Steve, my intrepid Australian economist cum traveling companion, getting out to places like Baguio is essential for understanding the situation in the Philippines. There's a huge difference between the urban poor and the rural poor. For the most part, it's much better to be poor in the rural areas—it's a lot less likely that you'll be living in a slum, with all of its accompanying crime, sanitation and public health problems. Again though, this is not a distinction that can easily be made by looking at traditional economic indicators. Two Filipinos may both be making less than a dollar a day, but if one is living in the slums in Manila and the other is living out by himself on a remote mountainside outside Baguio, it wouldn't take long to determine where you'd rather live.

Read it all here -
Dispatches from the Philippines: The Road to Baguio

Coelho book signing in Dubai

2005-11-14T13:56:00.000+04:00

Paulo Coelho, writer of 'The Alchemist,' will be in Dubai for two book signings:

November 16 from 6 to 8pm
Paulo Coelho signs books at Virgin Megastore, Mercato Mall - Jumeirah Beach Road, Dubai

November 19 from 5 to 7pm
Paulo Coelho signs book at Magrudy's bookstore, Egypt Court, shop 65, Ibn Battuta Mall, Dubai

Details are at:
Paulo Coelho's Agenda

Coelho has already mentioned Dubai in one of his online short stories - Discovering true fear, and his current release is titled in Arabic - 'El Zahir.'

I wish I had extra cash to buy one of his books for him to sign. I didn't bring any Coelho books with me from the Philippines, and Mercato and Ibn Battuta are also a bit far from Sharjah, so I might not be able to get a glimpse of the guy.

Oh well. Read his books or his short stories online at Warrior of the Light; they are inspiring and magical.

Emily's Post : He wants to be a Muslim to marry her

2005-11-08T15:10:00.000+04:00

I was reading the Philippine Daily Inquirer the other day when this piece caught my eye:

DEAR EMILY,

I’ve been with this guy for eight months already and I love him very badly. But it’s a wrong kind of relationship because he’s married with two kids.

It was oh-so typical, except for the 'Muslim' heading. I won't spoil it for you, so just read the full thing here:

Emily's Post

It's funny and sad in its own way. In the end, it IS a very typical story.

Buying Kiwis

2005-11-08T14:34:00.000+04:00

In the nearest Al Madina grocery (right on our building's ground floor, in fact), I had the urge to buy some kiwifruit.

I noticed a boxed package that's 8.95 aed per kg (or so I remember) and some loose ones for 15aed per kg. I asked a passing Madina employee what the difference is, and he said that the cheaper ones are from Iran, while the more expensive ones are from New Zealand.

Okay, I thought, I'll go cheap as usual.

I got the box and went to the weighing counter to have my other fruit purchases tagged. While there, I asked the dude if the Irani kiwifruits tasted the same as the New Zealand ones.

He gestured in agreement, so I asked him if he's actually tasted them (do Al Madina employees taste their stuff—that's the deeper question here), and he shrugged.

So if he hasn't tasted the Kiwis, then...

...ah, forget it. I'm glad my cough and cold spell is over.

Sick, Laughing, Sick

2005-11-01T09:37:00.000+04:00

Been coughing and sneezing, with a nasty ooze coming out of my nostrils involuntarily, but I'm still getting a blast from reading Stephen King's 'On Writing' for the second time now.

And also, thanks to Arnz, I've also been laughing silly at the offensive and funny blog "Callcenters are for losers!"

If you happen to like it, and you're sick (not in the mind—with coughs and colds, man!) maybe your phlegm will also crackle with glee...like me!

PS:
Read the comments!

Get Twisted!

2005-10-19T13:09:00.000+04:00

One of the funniest blogs you'll ever read:
Jessica Zafra's Twisted (Pumping irony since 1994)

This review of Jessica's body of work seems like a dissenting opinion, but also leaves me confused (they just missed critiquing her choice of underwear):
Bruha Terrorizes Manila

Funny, inane, senseless, intelligent—whatever. It's pop culture. It's fun reading.

God is an equal opportunity employer

2005-10-15T11:18:00.000+04:00

14 October 2005 - I was born and raised as a Roman Catholic, but the whole concept of religion gradually grew cold in my mind during high school...or maybe earlier. Later, when I was in college, you'll find me in the mall or a billiard hall on Sundays, instead of the church.

I still do the sign of the cross out of habit and celebrate mass once in a while, yes. It's okay—these things don't kill. I don't force myself to do it, and that's probably best.

I can't deny that I still experience something profoundly good during prayer—whether in private or in public. Sharing it with other people makes it better, too, especially when I'm attending mass with people who aren't garbed in their 'Sunday best'—complete with jewelry and makeup that would put undertakers to shame.

Today was one of those rare occasions that I celebrated mass. The first in seven months, in fact, without counting the time I came late to a wedding last July (not mine, mind you). I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw a woman giving the Holy Eucharist. It was the first time I've seen a female do this—in the Philippines or the UAE.

I have nothing against it. It was just surprising because the world's patriarchal societies usually do their best to maintain their illusions or agendas. I've read that women are being ordained in some parts of the world as priests, but those aren't recognised by Rome.

I really don't know why females can't become priests, nor why I didn't see women in the Philippines giving communion, I am no scholar in these affairs, but I was glad to see that woman doing what seems like an 'official' duty. The person assisting her was female, too.

Are they exceptions or is the Church gradually softening its stance regarding these matters?

The Basketball Diaries 1

2005-10-11T15:27:00.000+04:00

Friday nights on the basketball court in Al Majaz Park in Sharjah is usually basketball time. On other days it's a makeshift football field, and weekday hoops heroes will scratch their heads silly over this.

I recently discovered that one of the weekend warriors that I play with, a six-foot buff-tough Nigerian, is only 15 years old. This is nuts, I thought—I'm playing with someone less than half my age and at least six inches taller—a single solid punch from this guy could probably knock me out senseless. Not that we're going to the ring soon, it's just that I thought that this intimidating hulk was at least twenty-five years old.

That's what I get for assuming. My ignorance stems from the fact that this is the first extended period in my life that I've been away from the Philippines, and also the first time I got the opportunity to play with folks from countries like Lebanon, Syria, Taiwan, India, Tunisia and the guys from Nigeria.

My hoops experience here in the UAE has been cool—Filipinos are typically tough and serious to play with, while some of the other races regularly take me to school because of their youth, speed and practice. I added a year to my age and probably gained around five kilos since I arrived here last March, so somewhere in that mix I lost a step and some elevation—compounding my disadvantages. I'm glad I still have some shooting and hustle, or else no one will want me on their teams.

Some bizarre games sticks in my mind, though. I once played one-on-one with a Tunisian, and he didn't like my observation regarding the sweat stain on his butt that looked like a smiley (It was really funny. Just imagine.), and the way I defended him.

Regarding my remark, he said that he knows that ninety percent of Filipino men like sticking stuff in their butts, and the way I defended him, using my forearm and lower body, was not right. He also told me to quit explaining, because if I didn't stop, he would smack me.

Wow. What a racist crybaby.

I tried to apologise and explain things to him by asking if he was familiar with the smiley, especially how it was illustrated in Forrest Gump. He replied by saying that he wasn't really into the American stuff. Fine. I asked him if he watched the NBA, and he said yes—so why wasn't he familiar with the forearm check (the handcheck was made illegal a few years ago) and the bumping? He said that he watches the NBA, but 'that's not how they do it.'

Whoa. Someone call Dennis Rodman to frisk this guy. Go play chess instead, ok?

I couldn't bear playing with this guy after that exchange, so I joined my mates and we went to Al Satwa in Dubai instead. Man, it was really different there-a lot of high-flying Filipinos fired up on both ends of the court. My bunch had pot bellies and lungs filled with smoke, so it wasn't much of a contest.

More practice, we agreed later.

The Basketball Diaries 2

2005-10-11T15:00:00.000+04:00

The worst thing I saw on a basketball court in the UAE happened last year, in December 2004. The trouble was caused, unfortunately, by a compatriot (let's call him Mr. Punch) who, like the Tunisian, didn't like being defended nor trash-talked. I didn't see or hear anything really objectionable that prompted his fist to meet my then-officemate's face, nor the dirty finger that he flashed while he was running away, heckling.

If you think that was bad, well, we followed him to where he was heading, and tried to talk to him. Five against one was intimidating, of course (his mates disappeared, apparently unwilling to stick up for him), but we had enough sense to know that giving him the same bloodied face as my friend's would just lead to more trouble.

All the talking and arguing was going nowhere, so I suggested that they look up this guy's ID, get his name, and then go to the nearest hospital to get a medical for investigation purposes; we're going to the police instead. I looked for the doctor
in the building near us, while they went to Mr. Punch's flat, which was coincidentally located in the same building we occupied.

The medical clinic was closed, so I went to a dentist to ask where the nearest hospital was. After that, I went down and saw the guys on the ground floor. They told me that while they were waiting for the guy's ID outside his flat, they were joking
that Mr. Punch might come out with a knife instead...

What followed next came straight out of a comedy: the guy DID come out with a kitchen knife, screaming while giving chase. Mental. My friends followed the skinniest and fastest-running guy among themselves straight to a door which turned out to be the garbage disposal room. From there it got a bit sketchy since they broke up in all directions to avoid Mr. Punch.

Whew. To cut things short, no one else got hurt, they eventually got to a hospital, got a medical, and came back to our building with some policemen.

The police visited Mr. Punch's flat, but he wasn't there, so they left.

Later that night, Mr. Punch's girlfriend talked to Mr. Punched (sorry, I can't help it, hehe), and asked forgiveness for her worst half. Wow, I thought, here's a cute girl who doesn't know that short-tempered guys predisposed to violence might also make punching bags out of them.

No compromises were agreed on, as far as I know, and Mr. Punch was later heard bragging about his pugilistic skills in the building's lift.

Unbelievable. Go play chess instead, ok?

Ramadan: Employees should only work six hours

2005-10-05T09:35:00.000+04:00

It's the Holy Month of Ramadan.

There's another interesting exchange going on in Secret Dubai.

and...

Employees 'should work only six hours'

Dubai : People should only work six hours a day in Ramadan, a senior official said, regardless of whether they are Muslims or not.

...and I'm not really a motorist—i'm more of a commutist, but I welcome this, too:

Motorists welcome opening of new interchange

Sharjah: Motorists driving from Dubai to Sharjah yesterday evening welcomed the opening of the new Khulafa Ar Rashideen interchange...

Ramadan Kareem.

Who's Viewing Who? (More Friendster brouhahashit)

2005-10-01T16:22:00.001+04:00

I've read a lot of howls raised among Friendster folks when the network website applied another nifty feature (on top of all the recent changes that they made): Who's Viewed Me.

What's the fuss, you ask? Oh, nothing much, except that a lot of folks tend to do some research about previous relationships over Friendster, spewing some hate in private (or otherwise) over how happy their previous flames are and clawing at screens that have their smiling ex and current lover on some beach wearing matching swimwear.

Pure joy. The ghosts of relationships past exposed.

Other potentially horrifying predicaments: your cute officemate/schoolmate/cousin/whoever discovers that you've been viewing their profile with alarming frequency and their brains are shouting 'Stalker! Stalker!'

Not a few Friendster people probably had faces drained of color and stared at screens blankly in mute dread at the terrifying possibilities.

But fear not, there's a solution.

Yeah, there is.

Should I tell you?

Maybe you deserve it, stalker.

Oh, ok then. Promise to buy me a drink sometime:

1. Log in to your account.
2. Go to my settings.

3. Click yes on 'View Profiles anonymously' and save your settings.

Ta-da!

Nothing to it. You can now view the pages of your previous paramours and all their 2nd and 3rd degree 'Friends' with renewed anonymous relish.

Friendster

The Monster of Khor Fakkan

2005-10-01T15:58:00.000+04:00

A debatable entry From Wikipedia:
Khawr Fakkan

Khawr Fakkan (sometimes written as 'Khor Fakkan') is an isolated enclave on the Gulf of Oman belonging to the Emirate of Sharjah. It is the site of a shallow draught port and oil refining facilities.

Khawr Fakkan is a very nice place that is surrounded with huge mountains. It has a very nice beach, It’s the most popular beach in the UAE. The weather in winter is very nice and you will enjoy your time there. Also you can enjoy visiting some places that is near from Khawr Fakkan.

Other Khor Fakkan links:
Starfish damaging Khor Fakkan coral
Khor Fakkan: 20,000 - 2,000 years ago
Sharjah Tourism: Khor Fakkan

UAE: Beware of speeding cars and politicians

2005-09-18T21:52:00.000+04:00

Here and there:

Woman dies after being hit by two cars

Sharjah: A woman died of her injuries yesterday after she was knocked down twice by speeding cars when she was attempting to cross the road.

***

Dubai: Pakistani expatriates in the UAE said their heads have been lowered in shame by President General Pervez Musharraf's remarks that crying rape was an easy way to make money and move to Canada.

Read the full text here

His remarks remind me of the late Raul Manglapus, a Filipino politician:

"An unfortunate remark he made during a Senate hearing on the rape of Filipina domestics in Kuwait during the 1990 Iraqi invasion. He quipped, to general outrage, that if rape were inevitable, one should relax and enjoy it."

So, the remark was unfortunate? How about the act of rape?

Ok, I edited the disgusting wikipedia entry. I removed the 'unfortunate' word. I stopped myself from saying 'A nasty remark made by a senile man during a senate hearing.'

Too subjective. ;-)

ps:
I forgot the link to the Wiki entry of Raul Manglapus.

Thanks for pointing that out, Secret (Bloggerwood celeb. Hehe.).

Recent Dubai Jail Sentences

2005-09-18T20:43:00.000+04:00

These news reports came out in Gulf News last thursday, 15 September 2005:

Have you read them yet?

Well, let's attempt to analyse:

(comments removed by author)

it's a cop-out, i know.

see ya.

Marcos as a Hero? Oh please...

2005-09-13T20:00:00.000+04:00

The Philippine Daily Inquirer came out with a sharp editorial today about why former Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos should not be buried (that is, if the refrigerated a**hole located in the Ilocos region is not a wax model) as a hero.

Excerpts:

"First, let’s be clear about this: Who is a hero? One definition: A hero is an illustrious warrior. Another: He is a man admired for his achievements and noble qualities, one who shows great courage.

As for his “achievements and noble qualities,” what were they?

His martial-law administration killed, tortured and maimed thousands of dissidents and militants who dared act and speak out against the repression of the dictatorship. A court in Hawaii has awarded $1.9 billion to nearly 10,000 of the human rights victims of the Marcos dictatorship but up to now they have not received any compensation."

I'm glad that some people haven't forgotten the sins of the past, but it's quite unbelievable that Filipinos have actually allowed the Marcos family to come back and ASSUME GOVERNMENT POSITIONS.

The Marcoses have unbelievably thick hides, and so do the politicians who are currently using their positions to illegally acquire wealth. I hope they all rot where they stand and die a slow and very painful death. At the same time.

The full editorial:
Dead issue resurrected

Someone who's been to the wax body:
the ferdinand marcos mausoleum. verdict: waxy

Note:
Photos of the evil family were taken from Stephen Wallace without permission. View the rest of the photos here.

L.A. Blackout - Two people held in custody

2005-09-13T19:43:00.002+04:00

Excerpt:

Utility workers connected the wrong wires and caused a blackout across major portions of Los Angeles on Monday afternoon, trapping people in elevators and snarling traffic at intersections, authorities said.

About 2 million people were affected by the resulting power surge and outages, which were reported from downtown west to the Pacific Coast and north into the San Fernando Valley.

Two utility workers are reportedly being held in custody in relation to the recent power blackout in Los Angeles, California.

The two men, whose names are being witheld, were found on the scene with a mess of wires about them, mumbling incoherently.

They later related, between giggles, that they were having 'a good time,' and thought that they were having a 'bad trip' when everything suddenly went dark.

A photo of the couple may be viewed here.

For the full story:
Utility worker error spurs huge L.A. blackout

What a trip, maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnnnnn!

Filipina Nurse Assaulted - boss gets 500dhs fine, she gets banned

2005-09-06T09:39:00.000+04:00

Excerpt:

(A) man hit his receptionist in the face with a phone. He got a dhs500 fine. She got four stitches and faces a six month ban.

It's quite obvious from this story that laws in the UAE (and most countries anyway, including the Philippines) do not favor the 'little man.'

I know very little about law (despite spending a year in law school), but in this case, something should have been added to the fine, maybe a court order that says that the man can't go near the Filipina nurse within a hundred meters or...maybe a hundred miles?

The courts here should know that one violent act that has been fined doesn't mean that the act won't be repeated or there wouldn't be more harassment, especially in the workplace.

Obviously, there will be discomfort when she comes back to work. Before getting banned, shouldn't the labor sector conduct some form of investigation? Do they just take the word of sponsors?

As a related issue, it's still common for employers to 'keep' an employee's passport, effectively holding hostage an employee's opinion and some liberties that should be available to everyone.

Kudos to 7Days for reporting this. I know there are stories much much worse than this. We should all be vigilant.

I'm not discouraging anyone from going to this country. Your fortune can still be found here, yeah.

To all my countrymen who are flying to the UAE by the thousands each month (or so they say), going on a limb to find a job, I advise you to look before you step on something and observe before you act or speak. Review, assess and meditate before you enter a contract.

We aren't all the same here.

Read the full article here: Nurse Assaulted

...

2005-09-05T18:24:00.000+04:00

North Korean Physical Education Dance Video

2005-09-04T19:16:00.000+04:00

The Music! The moves! The madness!

View it here.

Thanks to Tobie.

Concert Experience Part 1

2005-09-03T20:17:00.000+04:00

On the occasion of the Black Eyed Peas' concert in Dubai, let me tell you about one of my concert experiences.

One of the best concerts that happened in the Philippines: the Foo Fighters, Sonic Youth and Beastie Boys played for one night in Araneta Coliseum, one after the other.

Someone pinch me. Wait, yeah, that was more than ten years ago now.

Anyway, what happened to me then was memorable.

Before the actual start of the concert, or during a break, I can't remember, some folks were taking turns throwing in the air a big bottle of mineral water filled suspiciously with yellowish liquid. Of course it was filled with beer, or much worse, urine.

The bottle was thrown later by someone near to my right, around three meters away or less—and when I looked up, I noticed that it was bearing directly at me—so I took one huge step forward.

It landed square on my head. Ouch.

No, it didn't burst, and I was alone at that time, so I couldn't give back some love to the dude who throwed it, who, at that time probably had at least five of his buddies with him.

After the concert, I noticed that I a lot of bruises due to the wayward elbows and knees of some huge guys slamming around.

Lotsa fun.

Embarrassing memories Part 1

2005-09-03T15:17:00.000+04:00

I'm rarely flustered by things that have happened and I've done in my life, because, hey, things happen.

Some memories stick out, though, and they make me pause and say, "Why the hell did I do that?"

One of those things that will probably make me stop and stutter is a gig I played in, or maybe some gigs I played in without a shirt on.

Yeah, so what?

Well, playing drums in a rock band without a shirt on is probably cool or normal, but:

1. I don't play that well.
It would have been fine if I were this Bonham or even a Mitch Singson (Sugarfree) type of talent, but alas, no.

I would probably crawl under a rock and hide there for a day if I heard someone whisper, "Man, that's the drummer who stripped off his shirt. He can't carry a damned beat."

2. Most Filipino men aren't hairy...

...and I am.

"Man, that dude is a f*ng showoff. He can't even carry a damned beat."

So what brought on these memories?

Well, I just found some old friends on the net: Abrasive Relations (download the sample mp3!).

I played with them on the same bill once, and I distinctly remember playing barechested that time. Man, our band sucked.

I don't play half-naked anymore. I have learned the error of my ways. In fact, aside from just plain playing drums, I try not to attract attention to myself while playing.

Get on stage, play, pack, leave. Drink with a buddy, leave.

I also used to play basketball without a shirt on. That made opposing players defend less, especially if they don't want to get some of my sweat on them. Hehe.

It would probably be ill-advised for me to play without a shirt in the UAE.

I may not be embarrassed with these memories tomorrow.

Yeah, I can be such a crybaby sometimes.

What I'm listening to right now:
Sugar - If I can't change your mind

Heterogenous Informationus

2005-08-31T19:19:00.000+04:00

Joke number 1:
Tarzan & the animals went to the river to take a bath.
When Tarzan took off his clothes, all the animals laughed.
When Tarzan asked "Why?"
Animals said : "Ur tail is in front!"

***

Lu forwarded this link to me:
Philippines

Truth be told, I can't bring myself to have a huge fit over the things he wrote, because most of it is true, and some of them are subjectively unfair.

Upon reading the guy's webpage, some Filipinos would probably say, "Kaya nga ayaw ko nang umuwi sa Pilipinas, eh." (That's why I don't want to go home to the Philippines anymore."

But me, though I won't consider myself really patriotic, seeing the articles and the pictures made me ache for home even more.

Maybe it's my constant homesickness.

***

Joke number 2

GUY 1 : Last month, me and my girlfriend went to meet my millionaire grandpa in his house.
GUY 2 : What happened?
GUY 1 : She's now my grandma.

***