Audrey Hepburn Review Series Part 1

My ever-brilliant mother correctly observed, one summer, that me and my siblings were wasting away our time watching crappy movies like... So to sort of lead us to the right direction (read: movies that made sense, to say the least) without literally telling us to what to watch, she bought this Audrey Hepburn movie collection. My siblings refused to be fooled. I did not. I was as curious as a moth to a flame. For some reason I cannot recall, I watched Charade first. And the rest is... well, you'll read about it here, here and here.



Breakfast at Tiffany's. When you say "Audrey Hepburn" it automatically relates to this movie. This is like her one-time big-time thing, which was, in her case, did not turn out to be one-time big time. Too many one-time-big-times, I guess. Her portrayal of Holly Golightly is the most talked-about, even up to now.

Well, I don't know how to judge or criticize films made during those times, that era. Should I be as critical as I am of movies today? Or should I be er, nice since they haven't had the technology and maybe, technical skills, in making movies (as we do now, I suppose)?

Pero sige, I'll be..nicer. The 1961 movie's plot is somewhat shallow compared to.. let's say, Priceless which starred another Audrey (Audrey Tatou opposite Gad Elmaleh). But then again, I have think of the fact that things that appear to be common sense (like the organizational chart and car bearings, perhaps, by Alfred Sloan Jr., or the assembly line by Henry Ford) like the movie's plot need to be invented or thought of in order for an improvement to happen. (In Tagalog, Pa'no ka mag-iimprove kung walang ii-improve? Right?)

It's an okay movie if you're into kissing in the rain, cats, and, uh, high fashion. (I feel like I'm watching 27 Dresses [though I haven't watched it], sa dami ng dress ni Audrey Hepburn.) Also, its a film adaptation of the novella by the same by Truman Capote. (Ah, so he is a writer.) One thing I loved about the movie is its OST (May OST na ba dati?) especially the song "Moon River." Hepburn is as good a singer as an actress. (Oops, almost forgot to mention that George Peppard co-stars. :) )

What's not romantic in kissing in the rain in black and white? None.

Charade. A relatively older (and it shows in this 1963 film) Cary Grant is paired with a fresh (Hahaha) and much younger looking Audrey Hepburn. I feel like he's her uncle or something. But having conditioned my mind that this is just like um, Brad Pitt being paired with Anne Hathaway (Angelina Jolie despite being younger than Brad in theory--hehe--looks mature but not old.) or Richard Gere and Julia Roberts (in Pretty Woman) perhaps.

I liked this movie better than I did Breakfast. According to Wikipedia (which is a not-so credible but is always available source of quick info), it "spans three genres: suspense thriller, romance, comedy" and is "the best Hitchcock movie that Hitchcock ever made". So, I guess, I picked right when I chose to watch this one first, amongst the many Audrey Hepburn movies we have at home.

Reggie (Audrey) and her old man. Literally.

I liked the witty jokes used in the movie. Especially the last one, in the last scene, where Reggie (Audrey Hepburn) says something like "I love you Peter, Adam, Alex, Brian" to Cary Grant's multi-named character, and as she said that, screencaps from the movie showing Grant while he was using the said names. For me, that's a bright idea for an old movie. Kudos to Director Stanley Donen and scriptwriter Peter Stone. Of course, to Mr Grant and Ms Hepburn, and Walther Matthau as Carson Dyle aka Hamilton Bartholomew.


Paris When It Sizzles. In this 1964 film, a screenwriter takes centerstage. Scriptwriter Richard Benson (William Holden) has two days to write a script (The Girl Who Stole the Eiffel Tower) for Alexander Meyerheim (Noel Coward) which he should have done 19 weeks ago. Enter typist Gabrielle Simpson (Hepburn). And, yes, as the cliche goes, they fall in love while working together, creating a love story which mimics their own.

A writer and typist love story

Clever jokes, film cliches and good on-screen chemistry makes this film click, for me, at least. I like William Holden as an actor. He is, in filmspeak, very effective. But again, I am bothered by the age difference between Hepburn and Holden (Or Holden just looks old. Hehe). Pero sige, let's see this as Billy Bob Thornton and Angelina Jolie, when they together, but waayyyyy better. Hahaha

Holden and Hepburn in one of their onscreen kisses.

Again, nice movie.

Overall: Audrey Hepburn is growing on me with every movie that I watch.

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PS: Curiously, there is no article on Audrey Hepburn in the 1994 Britannica Encyclopaedia (which we have at home) when I looked her up. But there are articles for Katherine Hepburn and Cary Grant. Goes to show how old they are and how outdated our Encyclopaedia is.

Movie What-Ifs

Movie casting is as important as writing the screenplay or choosing the director.
A good script + a talented director + a good set of actors with screen chemistry = Good (if not great) movies


Imagine...

Pretty Woman starring Molly Ringwald (Breakfast Club) with Richard Gere?

Sandra Bullock (Miss Congeniality) playing Rafi (Uma Thurman) in the movie Prime, alongside Bryan Greenberg and Meryl Streep?


Anne Hathaway (Princess Diaries 1 & 2) playing Alison Scott in the movie Knocked Up alongside Seth Rogen?


Gwyneth Paltrow (Proof) and Leo DeCaprio in Titanic?


Nicole Kidman (White Oleander) in The Reader?


The Graduate starring Robert Redford (Barefoot in the Park) instead of Dustin Hoffman?

John Travolta (Grease) as Forrest Gump?

and..

Joaquin Phoenix (Walk the Line) and Mark Wahlberg (Max Payne) in Brokeback Mountain?

Queen Bee

I first heard of Jollibee's attempts to expand internationally from my SoscSci120 (Directed Readings in the Social Sciences) prof from the University of the Philippines-Manila. (Well, I did saw the ads in front of some local branches saying there's a Jollibee in Shanghai, etc.) But in the US! Wow.

Ayos.

My professor said the first Jollibee in the US was in the West Coast. Yesterday, I read from the Philippine Star that the East Coast version (in Woodside, Queens, New York--though I have no idea where that is) opened in February 14th, 2009 in the area which was also known to be Little Manila. For obvious reasons, I suppose.

RAVES
1. Upon entering the place, according to reviews, it "felt as if we were transported back to Manila." This, I think, is the main reason Jollibee is there.
2. Mostly Filipino crew
3. Taste-wise, the burgers and Chicken Joy are true to the original recipe.
4. Turnover is quite fast.


NOT SURE IF RAVE OR RANT:
The Spaghetti was less sweet. Absence of hotdog but it seemed to be a hit with the locals (i.e., Americans)

RANTS
1. The "mostly Filipino crew" seemed a little confused at times.
2. Long lines.
3. Price. One customer said, "It was really expensive. I find it horrendous to pay so much for fast food. McDonald's fries are cheaper."
4. Drinks are not included in the meal. But there's a soda machine for refills.
5. Not so jolly like what is back here in 'Pinas.


Jollibee is located at 62-29 Roosevelt Avenue (63rd Street), Woodside, Queens; (718) 426-4445.

Lowdown: DLSU vs FEU (4-Mar-09)

Game Two of the Women's Volleyball Finals was a reversal--up to an extent--of what happened in Game One, which I watched at The Arena. This time, I watched at home, half thinking that I may have jinxed La Salle, my favorite team. Well, they won so I guess watching at home was better for me--and the team--than watching at the venue. Ha, chika lang. I had tons of schoolwork so I had to watch at home.

Anyway. La Salle won in four-set fashion. FEU won the first, then La Salle won the next three. Set Number Two was, for me, the clincher. It spelled the difference. It was a neck-to-neck set that either team could have won. If FEU won that one (Coach Nes Pamilar put in the injured Shaira Gonzales for emotional sake I think) they could have easily won the championship. La Salle was defeated in the first set, 25-17. La Salle winning that set pumped up their game--slowly--and gave them the confidence that they needed.


Why La Salle won:


1. Jacqueline Alarca stepped up big time. She said--in the post-game interview because she was the best player--she had to prove that she wasn't a Best Blocker for nothing. :D Boom Gonzales, the commentator, pointed out that when Alarca started smiling and enjoying every point she won for the team was when the other players were affected. Which brings me to the next reason..


2. Intensity. FEU players have always been known to have intensity. From the onset, Morada and company rejoiced after every point scored. Thus, iritating the La Salle Spikers, who were very much affected by the crowd in Game One. In Game Two, La Salle players started feeling every point in Set Number Two and Three. Behind Alarca's exploits and Michelle Datuin's ever-present intensity at the net. She got Morada's number, definitely.


3. Defense. Blocking was surprisingly missing for La Salle in the first two sets but they adjusted. Floor defense improved as the blocking materialized. I think losing the first set made the La Salle players realize the urgency of winning, and stepping up. Thus, they dove for every ball, jumped for every spike, and tried to dig every attack that went their way. All of April Jose's drop balls were checked. :D


4. Much-improved service. In Game One, as I've pointed out, there were too much service errors on La Salle's side. This time, Manilla Santos (who was by the way always checked and dug by FEU's libero, Taganas) only had one service error--as per my unofficial count--and Alarca and Mercado had one each as well.


5. Other players stepped up. Aside from the usual suspect on offense--Illa Santos (who was berated by Coach Ramil De Jesus for not variating her shots. I think he said something like, "Sa lahat ng pinalo mo, ilan ang napatay mo?" With that, she was brought to life and scored points on her varied attacks.) Stephanie Mercado finished the game (at the end part of the third and fourth set), scored a flurry of points, for La Salle. Alarca stepped up into the scoring parade as well. And even players like Datuin and Cha Cruz scored on some of their attacks.


6. The presence of an improved-in-numbers La Salle fans. Now, there was a Barangay La Salle--na wala nu'ng Game One.


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Why FEU lost:


1. Shaira Gonzales didn't play much because of her injured left--or was it right?--ankle. I hope it's just a serious sprain, not anything more. She was able to play though. And scored dramatic points in the second and third set. They sorely missed her quicks. Their seventh--or eighth--player was Cabanag, who is obviously not as great as Gonzales.


2. Cherry Mae Vivas wasn't in her element. She was often asked by Coach Nes during timeouts, "Ano ayaw mo na?" She even "scored" La Salle's winning point in the fourth set by miscalculating what should have been "an easy over."


3. Morada's attacks were well-read, checked or blocked by the La Salle defense in the latter sets because the offense became predictable with Daquis in the back row, and Jose having no other options but to go to Morada. Her psy-war and verbal tussle with Datuin at the net really went up the next level, so to speak.


I am excited for Game Three, the deciding Game, but I won't be able to watch the game because I'll be in Sagada this weekend. But still, I will be rooting for the Lady Spikers, of course.

UAAP Season 71 Women's Volleyball

Individual Awardees Season 71

Awarded March 4 2009

Best Attacker - Aiza Maizo (UST) as seen in the stats

Best Setter - April Jose (FEU) as expected..

Best Server - Irish Morada (FEU) as seen in her mean jump-serve..

Best Receiver - Manilla Santos (DLSU) as always..

Best Blocker - Jacqueline Alarca (DLSU) as predicted..

Best Digger (aka Libero) - Lislee Ann Gata (AdU) as per last year..

Rookie of the Year - Melissa Gohing (DLSU) as surprised (Hehe, maipilit lang ang "as")

(I didn't know Gohing was a freshman.. she didn't look like one. He he)

MVP - (yet to be awarded, on Sunday Either La Salle's Alarca or FEU's Daquis. Darkhorses: FEU's Gonzales, Morada DLSU's Santos or Mercado)

Lowdown: Game 1 of the Finals, UAAP 71st season Women's Volleyball

I was stunned that La Salle lost to defending champs FEU Lady Tams. Stunned because La Salle won the 1st set in a very convincing fashion, and lost the second and fourth sets in a very convincing fashion as well. Stunned, that they won the fourth set: 26-24. And more stunned that they lost the fifth, considering they should have had the momentum (having won the fourth set) come that final set.


I watched the game from the "Lower Box" of San Juan Arena, unfortunately behind me was the FEU cheering squad (made up of loud, coarse-voiced men) and drummers. Sitting there, watching the game, made me feel what it was really like to watch the games live.


First, magastos (expensive). Going there by G-Liner bus costs around P15.00 from Lawton (but I still had to take prior transportation to get to Lawton). And, the ticket! It costs P120 for "ringside" which was like a dozen rows pa behind the "School Officials" seats. Hay nako. (Lesson: Be there at around 12.30nn for a 2pm game.)


Second, maingay. The men behind me (as mentioned) was very loud and..well, I guess they were too below-the-belt with their cheers (which helped FEU a lot) and jeers (which affected the La Salle players, Illa Santos the most). They were saying things like: (To Illa) Mag-trabaho ka na lang! or Laos ka na! (To Steph Mercado) 'Wag ka na ang chaka mo!


If I were more courageous (and pikon) I would have stood up and cheered whenever Illa scores a point, "Sino'ng laos!" or "Hindi ito beauty contest."


But I guess that's part of the game. Cheers are cheers, no matter how foul they may be.


Third, full of energy. Every point scored (especially in the first set, and the fourth and fifth) people got up to score and cheer. Yes, it was a La Salle crowd--on the count that there were many La Salle fans there--but the FEU fans (though outnumbered) cheered their hearts out. And I guess, being champions, they have earned a following.


Why LA Salle lost:


1. Manilla Santos was not in her usual impeccable game. I guess the crowd (jeering her) affected her game. She had some service errors, and her spikes were not that..um, accurate? But I had to give it to her though, she really led her team out there. She was constantly saying things to boost the morale of her teammates, even though they lost two straight sets.


2. Melissa Gohing (libero) had notable receiving errors during the end part of the game, which could have spelled the difference, though she had some nice digs (on Shaira Gonzales, who was by the way injured at the end of the fourth set, and Rachelle Ann Daquis).


3. Blocking was great, as usual.., but not as intense.


4. Intensity-wise, only a few players were intense. Santos, Gohing (as always), Michelle Datuin and.. I guess, they were the only ones who wanted to win it all.


5. Kaye Martinez is still not the best of setters--which makes it hard for La Salle since she's going up against a witty April Jose of FEU.


6. Service errors killed La Salle. And April Jose's drop balls (three I think) translated into points. All her attempts at the drop. :'(


6. They lacked focus, and the heart to win. They had errors which I think were brought about by the intensity of the game, and the crowd going against them. The La Salle crowd should come out to watch and cheer in Game Two. Rally behind the team, so to speak.




What La Salle needs to do to win in Game Two:


1. Focus. Don't let the crowd affect you. Play your usual game.


2. It has been said that La Salle is not the type of team who wins five-setters so I think it's better for them to win the first two sets to give them the confidence they need.


3. Illa Santos should really dominate--not in the Daquis way--but in her own support-your-teammates-and-do-your-thing way.. The team needs a leader. A true one that gets things done. Her serves should be accurate the next time.


4. Though they were well-prepared for Daquis, La Salle shouldn't take for granted other players like Gonzales, Maika Morada, and even Vivas. They attack and score. So beware.






What the La Salle community needs to do:

CHEER (Y)OUR HEARTS OUT!

The team needs the support. It's war out there, as I've seen and experienced.

First at 81st (Yes, its my Oscars blog.)

Instead of going to IPER, UP Village (for the practicum--Manila chapter--orientation) or study very hard for our Socsci 120 (Directed Readings in the Social Sciences) exam, I watched first, the 81st Oscars (via satellite daw on ABS-CBN) and, like always, wasted my time on teeny-bopper, romance flicks which our house seems to ran out of.

Oscars. Well, I was surprised that being the self-declared movie buff, I have let 80 Oscars Awards Nights--too many s--to pass unwatched. Well, you could forgive me for the 70-plus awards night since I may not be born yet (Ha, asa Joann) or I wasn't too worldly (Hahaha) to watch the stuff, or know of it.

Continue Reading

Fearless Forecast

for the individual awards in the UAAP Season 71 Women's Volleyball Tournament:

(These are the ladies I think deserve and I like to win the individual awards.)

Best Scorer - Rachelle Ann Daquis (FEU) or Aiza Maizo (UST)

Best Spiker - Manilla Santos (DLSU) or Angela Benting (AdU) or Shaira Gonzalez (FEU)

Best Blocker - Jacqueline Alarca or Michelle Datuin (both DLSU)

Best Server - April Jose (FEU) or Jacq Alarca (DLSU)

Best Libero - Melissa Gohing (DLSU)

Best Setter - April Jose (FEU) or Jam Ferrer (ADMU)

Best Receiver - Bernice Co (UST)

Rookie of the Year - Bernice Co (if she's considered a rookie: She's a 4th year student playing on her first year) or Pau Soriano (AdU)

Most Valuable Player - Manilla Santos or Jacqueline Alarca or Rachelle Ann Daquis

DLSU vs. FEU Season 71 15-Feb-2009

Why La Salle won:



1. Manilla (Illa) Santos simply took over althroughout when her teammates seemed to be struggling. Leading by example, as commentator Boom Gonzales said.
2. La Salle's floor defense really improved. Special mention to libero Melissa Gohing, and setter-spiker Cha Cruz.
3. The team's blocking was--as always--impeccable. Jacqueline Alarca was really a master at the net. Save for some--as in very few--spikes that got through because they were too powerful.
4. The players were intense. Michelle Datuin was seen trash-talking--in the subtlest way--the frontliner of FEU. Vivas in particular. Also, Illa Santos was seen celebrating every point her team scores as if it the last.
5. Although Celine Anne Hernandez scored only one attack--as of my unofficial count--which was the winning point in the fourth set, she provided the ceiling (the height) coach Ramil de Jesus wanted from his team. Quality minutes indeed.
6. The team's setter, Kaye Martinez, brought her A-game. No noticeable and glaring errors, and she even added the drop ball-on-the-second-touch in her arsenal (got a couple of points with it).
7. The La Salle players were, simply, more conditioned, more prepared, more focused than their FEU counterparts.





Why La Salle nearly lost:

1. Steph Mercado missed 4 out of her 5 serves. The last one became a good ball when they were in the lead in the fourth. Her nerves seem to get the best of her.
2. Santos, Alarca and other La Salle players also muffed their serves.
3. Poor reception in the third set, which FEU won.




Why FEU lost:

1. The pivotal error in the line-up rotation the FEU coaching staff submitted for the second set, which last won in a fairly easy manner comapred to the hard-fought first set.
2. FEU lacked the spark. The oomph, so to speak.
3. Mika Morada was very much not in her element.
4. The FEU players were weakened, I guess, by the not-successful blocked attacks they were giving La Salle.
5. Rachel Ann Daquis was also not in her best playing self although there were glimpses of her leadership and skills.
6. The FEU players may have gotten tired of all the chasing they did in the game (Law of averages, says Boom) because La Salle was always up, except for that lone third set when FEU led and won that set.

LSS=Common sense?

"If you like it then you should put a ring on it. Oh, oh-oh-oh, oh, oh."

-Beyonce in Single Ladies (from the I Am Sasha Fierce album)

Movie Review: Same-old Paul, Lovable Rowan, and Annoying Wills

The Ten

Well. A parody of the 10 commandments of God given to Moses seems to be good idea. But I wasn't really that impressed with the results. I think it would've been better if the movie was a theater play na lang, which it was, as I found out at the end of the film. (That explains the minimalist setting Paul Rudd and Famke Janssen was acting around on, as if it was their house.)

One disturbing thing though--if the movie was a theater play, as shown in the film--why or how did Paul Rudd got out of the minimalist set, and saw Famke about to ride a taxi. On a real street? It's either blame it on the bad editing or a bad idea.

Paul Rudd, no matter the level of his bida-ness, always end up--so far--portraying the same kind of character. Boy-next-door-boy-buddy-slacko-type. He and Famke had no chemistry, for me. I think she's wayy too tall for him. :P And, Adam Brody's character is kinda . . . unrelatable.

Keeping Mum

Best movie among the three-movie line-up I had today.

It is funny, with a little bit of drama, mystery, romance and whatever-it-is-that-British-are-known-for all rolled into one movie. It stars the getting-to-be-my-favorite-actor Rowan Atkinson as the lovable, warm and awkward Reverend Walter Goodfellow, Kristin Scott-Thomas as Rev. Goodfellow's cheating wife Gloria, Patrick Swayze as a Peeping Tom/golf trainor named Lance, Maggie Smith as the grandmother with unusual ways of solving problem, and Tamsin Egerton as the concerned-but-trying-not-to-look-it daughter Holly are great as well.



The Brothers Solomon


A very annnoying movie, for many reasons:

1) Will Forte and Will Arnett are really annoying comedians. They don't have the Adam Sandler charm, or even the Ben Stiller charm. (Or was that part of their acting?)

2) The characters Dean and John Solomon--(particularly John) are bit... dumb yet unlikable, arrogant and self-conscious. It was just right that the girl from Rm704 didn't date him, or else the story would be utterly unconvincing considering the many loopholes in the story.


3) The movie makes it appear that home-schooled boys from Antartica are naive and... whatever, which I know they can and will disagree on.

Dream Roster: Women's Volleyball

If I were a women's volleyball coach, my dream roster would be made up of:

Chi Saet - setter

Wendy Semana - setter/spike

Desiree Hernandez - middle hitter

Charo Soriano - middle hitter

Jacqueline Alarca - middle hitter

Aiza Maizo - middle hitter

Manilla Santos - open spiker

Angela Benting - open spiker

Carla Llaguno - open spiker

Gretchen Ho - utility spiker

Melissa Gohing - libero (Lislee Ann Gata, as alternate; also Taganas of FEU)

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*This is a cross-post from my Multiply page.

Two things I learned from sports today

(read: today = 11 Feb 2009)

1) Don't be greedy. For power, for fame. Let others shine. (The Aces lost the Game 7 of the 31st PBA season--kanina lang--because Willie Miller suddenly decided to take the team on his shoulders. Take the cudgels for winning, depsite the fact that he muffed both free throws that could've tied the game at 91. And, he refused to set up, or pass to the hot-handed Larry Fonacier who I think could've won the game--and the championship--for them. Too bad.

2) Like the very young Ateneo Lady Eagles-Women's Volleyball (who lost to AdU in a nail-biter of a five-set match) "we all have to learn." The hard way.

Posterized

"Ano'ng karapatan ng iilan na kontrolin ang kayamanan ng daigdig?"

--Prof. Edberto M. Villegas, The Political Economy of the Current Global Financial Crisis forum (February 6, 2009)

Book Talk

One blog entry a week, keeps insanity away.

Books. This week is a Book Week aside from being my Complacency Week. (I'd rather not delve into the latter aspect of the week. ;p) I read two books, and bought a record-breaking EIGHT books in three days (I bought one last Wednesday, another on Thursday, and all the rest yesterday). In case you're interested, these books are:




READ:


1) Gun, with Occasional Music by Jonathan Lethem. A futuristic spy novel (pwede ring fable, Hahaha) by the author of You Don't Love Me Yet. Babyheads, evolution therapy on kittens, apes, kangaroos, rabbits, etc, and modified drugs like Acceptol, Forgettol, Blanketrol, Believol, Regrettol, and characters such as Catherine Teleprompter, Morgenlander, Walter Surface, Orton Angwine, Danny Phoneblum, Pansy Greenleaf, Grover Testafer, Celeste Stanhunt, Conrad Metcalf. (Can you guess which are the humans and which are the animals?) A very . . . different book. (Available from Elaine. Hahaha)


2) Feminist Fairytales by Barbara G. Walker. Your (and my) favorite fairtytales given an interesting feminist twist. Panalo 'yung version ng Snow White. :D (Available at UPM CAS Lib.)




BOUGHT:


1) Plum Island by Nelson DeMille. I already had a paperback copy of the book but since the hardbound cost much less, binili ko na. I had in mind what Sir K said about paperbacks not being book-books. Gets?


2) Family Life by Russell Banks. Wala lang, I just felt like buying a book (a relatively thin novel, actually) separated by numbers, in between paragraphs, transitions in POVs, and chapters. Maraming numbers, promise. :D


3) Chasing Cezanne by Peter Mayle. I'm a frustrated painter, and have a shallow (for some people) list of qualities to look for in books. Books with interesting topics (like Jews, Arabs, West Asia, basketball, art, et al), interesting titles, a familiar author or title, and good, weird, unique cover designs easily get my attention. With this one, the topic got me looking at its synopsis. Pero, when I got home I realized Peter Mayle is actually the author of the book I wanted to read last Christmas break pero unavailable sa bookstores: A Good Year (Yes, from that movie.) I guess this is a step closer to finding a copy. Hehe.


4) Autobiography of Malcolm X. The reason behind my all-week book-hunting was for the autobiography we were required to read for our next module in Socsci 120 (Directed Readings in the Social Sciences). Any would do, except for basketball players. I searched CAS Lib, but found thick autobios of Mussolini, Nehru, Trotsky and a Western yogi (ewan ko ano 'yun, HAHA). So, why Malcolm X? This time, the name got me. Malcolm X, parang rockstar lang. Sana interesting ang buhay ni Malcolm X. :D


5) Catch-22 by Joseph Heller. Familiar title, familiar author are my reasons for buying this book. I heard that it's a World War II classic, and I've been trying to get hold of a copy, pero wala. To satisfy my then-curiosity, I bought his book, Something Happened instead. Boring and draggy. I think what really drove me to buy this book was its scarcity. (Ayoko kasi ng e-book or PDF.) I felt I had to own (actually I own a few rare books, Bridge of San Luis Rey and Brave New World) something rare. Papansin ako eh. Ha ha ha.


6) Death of an Englishman by Magdalen Naab. Mistaken identity. I bought this book thinking this was the classic, Death of a . . . It turned out na Death of a Salesman pala 'yun. Nakupo, sorry Mr. Miller.


7 and 8) Cliff Notes on Animal Farm and 100 Years of Solitude. I'm secretly attached--magnetized, actually--to literary book guides. I previously bought one on Brave New World. I don't know if I'll find the time and interest to read both these reading guides with the books.


I'm not sure if I'm going to read all these books in the coming weeks. Pero, I'm sure I'll read all of them, in due time. Ha ha ha.


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(Below is the cover of the the very first book I bought with my own money for P27 [It says so in the price tag.] when I was in Grade Five yata kasi may doodles 'yung book ng names of my grade five classmates. Fern Gully. 'Yan ang Harry Potter, Twilight, at Narnia ko. Hahaha)

Road Rage

Ren shared his "dreams" of having/buying a car, Jecy said she'll be a "reckless driver" and Janjan is, I think, a very calm (and collected, Hahah) driver.

I think, in the future, it's better for me to have a driver because I foresee myself being a temperamental driver, in the sense that, if you cut me, or nearly hit me, I will run after you, and kill you. Haha. Not physically, siguro. Pero, harm will definitely be done. (Jecy thinks she'll be the done who'd do the car-cutting.)

Just yesterday, as Ken and I were trying to buy time by going to UPD and be back at UPM for our 5:30pm class, I experienced my first ever road accident. No, I wasn't driving. And neither was she.

We were in this Guardian Angel bus, JM and Doms and Ate Josh were very fond of, when it all happened. The driver was feeling like Schumacher or Tyson Sy or maybe Gaby Dela Merced, and kept swishing through traffic (in other words, cars) and before he, and we, knew it, he struck a harmless taxi driver who was getting ready to stop because of the red light, which the GA driver was trying to beat. (Whew, long sentence.)

I don't want to recount the incident that followed because it's too stressful. :)

Not a guardian angel after all.

Today, traveling the same route but longer (I was going to Sandiganbayan), I rode an fx, to sort of erase the bad luck I seem to have with GA buses. But again, it happened.

But this time, the driver of the maroon (Go, UP!) FX I was in, was the "victim". There was this Mitsubishi Adventure who kept cutting and cutting, and cutting. I thought both drivers were going to race their way (to wherever) but cooler heads prevailed (meaning our driver) and nothing violent or stressful happened.

All this makes me wonder, do I want a car (like Ren)? Do I want to be a driver (like Janjan or Jecy)? Do I want to be part of the stressful environment I call: the Metro Manila driving "scene"? Hmm.

Para Kay B:

"Please leave

everything behind

the memories, the laughter

my heart

(that you took unknowingly)

that I gave you,

that you ignored,

willingly.

Please leave

my mind soon.

my heart sooner.

me alone."

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

Sorry to Ricky Lee for using the title of his book as my excuse to address my own "B". For a more critical review of Para Kay B (the book), click here.

Of Lanterns, right of view, rotating Oble, driving, MDJ etc.

Instead of uploading pictures of the Lantern Parade (Dec 17 2008), I will blog about it. Para maiba naman. (With pictures pa rin, syempre).

Last Wednesday was my first time to watch the Lantern Parade "Diliman version" despite all the hype that is associated with it. Pero it was not my first time, overall. Syempre, 'yung UPM Lantern Parade 'nung Freshie ako was my first. Ha. At, naglakad ako with the Parade.


This time, naki-nood na lang ako. Not wanting to shed off unwanted calories(?!) we just sat in front of the waiting shed just outside the AS parking lot, near the Palma Hall Annex (Exact location 'yan! We kept telling people where we were exactly kasi nagkakawalaan na. Hahaha). That spot, which for some was not-so-good, turned out to be the prime spot. We watched half the Parade sitting.

We miss you, Pau.

No one would dare stand in front of where Teppie, Elaine, Janjan, Jecy and I were sitting. They could walk, run or drag their selves to somewhere in front of us but not stand there and linger! Because, I argued, that space was our "right of view" just as passersby had their "right of way". :)


We (or I did) spent half the time making fun of people's funny outfits, quirky "props" and, uh, their behavior. Example: Merong "couple" in a yellow Pimp-My-Ride-ish car parked directly across us. They were taking pictures and stuff. Ayun, just like the Piattos commercial, we (or, again, I did) dubbed them. Haha. Masaya. :)

I didn't take notice, and note, of the lanterns of each of the campuses, orgs, admin, etc per se (Hehe). What I noticed was, of course, CAS or UPM's which "featured" this rotating replica of the Oblation. Pero, thanks to Justine's very observant eyes, we were able to see (and appreciate) that it was rotating because two men were alternating at making the Oblation replica turn. Yes, they were manually turning it. (I can just imagine how their arms ached after the Parade, which we didn't bother to finish watching).

If you were observant enough in reading you'd notice that I mentioned " watching half the Parade sitting". Tumayo kami later on because there was this, uh, group in green-colored pants and black tops making wonderful(?) noises using plastic drums (and things of that sort). And one of their dancers actually sat beside me and Janjan! Hahaha. (Meron ding group with wonderful dancers in green, pang-magsasaka-like long sleeves. They were good. :D)

But really, the highlight of the night (and the afternoon) wasn't the Parade. :) It was two things.
1) Seeing Janjan drive for the first time! I was so perplexed (Ha!) that I was quiet the whole time; laughing occasionally because of Harold's Panalo comments (Dapat mag-i-isaw siya kasama namin kaso uwi na siya, so parang hinatid lang niya kami sa may Kalayaan dorm. Salamat pa rin, nonetheless); ****Photo to follow**** and;

2) Nanlibre si Ma'am Doti ng kwek-kwek, squid balls, fish balls at C2! (She was true her word! Hahaha. Salamat Ma'am. Merry Christmas!)

Area Studies Batch 2010 and Prof. Jose

***Nga pala, there was one downside. (Two, actually, but I'd rather not talk of the first. Ha) Here it goes: Dinaya kami ng Rodicks! I saw Jecy pay P120 (two fifty-peso bills and two ten-peso coins) for two Tapsilogs but the lady with unlady-like behavior at the counter said "Kulang pa ng ten." Hay. Not wanting to cause a scene for just ten pesos, Jecy and I gave her an extra ten. Badtrip. But the food is okay. :) So bawi lang.

Enjoying our food, which cost P10 more

Are you Christmas-ready?

It's roughly two weeks (or less) 'till Christmas. Everyone has finished their to-do lists, to-buy lists, wishlists and every list there is to make that is relevant to this season of giving.

But are we really ready?

To make it sort of easier to check (and do, later on) if we are really prepared and ready for Christmas, Pastor Oly took down and shared his own list. :)

1) Clean your heart. Just as we are, or maybe our parents or relatives or kasambahays, doing a yearly(?) general house cleaning to make way, sort of, to the holiday decorations, we should also do the same with our hearts. General heart cleaning, so to speak. In Matthew 5:8: "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." How can we be pure in heart? Fortunately for us ". . . because God has poured out his love into our hearts . .." (Romans 5:5) it will be relatively easier. So, ask yourself, "what is the state of my heart today?"

2) Arrange your priorities. Come Christmastime, lists (aside from parties, food and gifts) are in season to sort of keep up with all the holiday hype. Instead of being stressed out with other trivial, unnecessary things, we should focus on our relationship with God. "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well." (Matthew 6:33) Many celebrate Christmas without the celebrant. Remember, it was not called "Christmas" for nothing. Jesus is the reason for the season.

3) Decorate your life. After the general cleaning and prioritizing, we now go to the second (or third?) most fun activity during Christmas (for some people): decorating. In Ezekiel 36:26, it is said: "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh." Allow God to decorate your life with the fruits of the spirit (love, joy, kindness, patience and self-control amongst other things) because the Lord wants to make your life beautiful.

4) Receive and give the gift. Gift-giving has been identified with Christmas since, uh, time immemorial. :) Well, it started, I guess, with the three kings giving the new-born Jesus three gifts. The Lord gave us the best gift we could ever receive, and He can give: salvation. So it is just appropriate that we give Him the best gift we could ever give. For in Proverbs 23:26, it said: "My son, give me your heart and let your eyes keep to my ways." Receiving Christ as our personal Lord and Saviour is about accepting Him; and letting Him take control of your life.

In Luke 2:17: "When they had seen Him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child." When the disciples and the people knew of Christ's birth, they prophesized and told the others of this good news.

Pastor Oly asked, "Are you that selfish to keep secret the reason for your meaningful Christmas?"

I am not. So I am sharing this to you.

Merry (and meaningful) Christmas! :)

**I made a longer, more correct entry but as fate would have it, the computer, to my utter disbelief, shut down. Nag-brown out kasi. Tsk. I have tried my best to re-think and re-type what I thought of earlier. :)

Without God,

our week would be: Sinday, Mournday, Tearsday, Wasteday, Thirstday, Fightday & Shatterday.

-from my Facebook friend. ;P