J.walking

Picnic Brunch

2012-01-29T18:34:00.001+08:00

Some friends and I decided to do things differently and I had the idea of doing a picnic brunch. Although as Pinoys, we love food and gatherings, I think picnics are not something that is socially ingrained in our culture (survey: how many us actually own a picnic basket?) and I think that is largely due to the lack of open, green space in urban centers. (Or perhaps the weather since it can get scorching hot in these parts.)

My office is right smack in the heart of the Makati central business district, and I consider myself seriously blessed for having the opportunity to peek out my window and see trees and grass amid the concrete jungle:

Since the Ayala Triangle Gardens park opened, the space has seen a handful of joggers, dog walkers, and both casual and romatic strollers. Still, I haven't seen anyone having a picnic, and the park has been open for like, what two years?

So on Saturday, we met up at the 'ungodly' hour of 8 am (actually, I was late, teehee), so we could, first, check out the Salcedo Community Market (which I haven't been to despite my proximity to Jaime Velasquez Park); and second, have brunch at Triangle Gardens.

The Salcedo Market deserves another post altogether (and I was too shy to take out my camera and shoot) but what I can say is that I loved it. We saw quite a number of personalities, such as a travel TV host, a fashion magazine's editor-in-chief, the other half of local TV's famous twin celebrities (Grabe, he's a giant! I mean, he's lost weight na nga but super tall; I felt like a midget), and this cute writer-turned-chef (I think), who's a hotter and younger version of Rupert Everett. There were also the moms and dads, the expats, the young professionals, who look like they came straight from their graveyard shift, and the becks like us! It was a good crowd.

There were grilled food, organic and vegetarian fare, Thai and Vietnamese dishes, sauces and spices, pastries and local desserts, taho, 'dirty' ice cream, handwoven products, even potted plants and flowers. There weren't many stalls (you can easily go through the entire market in 15 minutes) but there were a good mix and variety in the type of products. Also, I can't tell how much expensive the items were compared to grocery stores or dry and wet markets because I don't cook, hehe.

In the end, we bought the following:

Pork barbecue

Thai brown rice with green mango strips

Spicy sisig, or chopped parts of pig's head. I finished this all by myself and I think I had high blood by the time I got home :-P

Thai vegetarian salad. I think those are cucumber strips.

Laing, or gabi leaves cooked in coconut milk

Garlic parmesan and pesto dips

Grilled tuna belly

Pomelo

Our spread:

Alcoholic beverages are not allowed in Triangle Gardens, so yeah, beer or wine would have been perfect.

Our food amounted to about P1,500 (about US$35) including drinks for five, but we definitely overestimated our appetite as we had a lot of leftovers (which four of us had for dinner). So I think we can further bring down our cost to about P1,200 (about US$28) in case we do this again.

We were also blessed to have had cloudy weather so we were able to stay from 10 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. Between those hours, we were the only ones having a picnic, although there was another couple a few yards away from us, and they were the only ones... waltzing (for real).

I had the RelaxMD app on my iPad, so we listened/chatted to ocean waves, birds and wind chime sounds. :-) That pouch is a gift from Tatin; isn't it cute? I was also able to bring my Fisheye out of the house after a very long time.

One of the buildings that surround the park, Shangri-La Makati

The trees shield me from work, literally, as that's one of my office buildings right there, lol.

It was nice to be able to lie down and see this, but guess what? The park's security guard asked me to sit up because lying down is not allowed. IN A PARK.

I have to do this --> :-) because otherwise, I'd hyperventilate in anger. :-)

Part of the Philippine Stock Exchange complex, Ayala Tower One. I think that's one of our more handsome buildings.

There's public art, too. Permanent fixtures, I think, are those by Philippine National Artist Arturo Luz. This particular piece, Anito (god idol), is from his tribal series.

Happy bunch :-)

I hope we get more accessible spaces like this in the metro.

Coriolanus

2012-01-23T00:17:00.001+08:00

Rating: 8/10

Ralph Fiennes, Gerard Butler and a movie title with the word, 'anus': I mean, how can you go wrong, right? Hence, I strongly suggested among friends that we go and see this film. (Our other choices were Sherlock Holmes and Underworld.) Based on the movie's synopsis in Wikipedia, I figured it will be something like 300. (Again, Gerard Butler.)

Boy, what a miscalculation it was: not only was it nowhere near 300, but the entire dialogue was in 'Shakespearean.' Five minutes into the film, I turned to my friend and offered a veiled apology by pointing out that obvious fact. (They're smart and witty people; it was just that I know it wasn't their thing... as it wasn't mine. If I saw the movie trailer, I would have definitely skipped this. Graciously, my friends went easy on me and didn't demand their money back.)

The first 30 minutes was a bit disorienting: I knew the dialogue was in English but it might as well have been in French because I couldn't understand a thing. Thankfully and by some miracle, I eventually got the hang of it, despite the efforts of the simpleminded couple behind us who, in their boredom, decided to provide a running commentary of what was onscreen:

"Uy, naghahasa sya ng kutsilyo." "Ay, nagpapakalbo sya." "Ang daming dugo."

Digression: Why are there people like that? I mean, how can we expect to solve the world's greatest problems when there are people who cannot be considerate/proper in the simplest terms?

The movie is set in modern times, although, I assume since I haven't read the play, that the dialogue, names and places are as Shakespeare originally wrote it. I can imagine the English majors having a field day on this one, thinking how the play is adapted to accomodate reality TV, BBC, the Macbook Pro, and even the social media phenomenon, trolls. The film does so wittily, and so it was easier to see the parallelism (or now that I think about it, the lack thereof) between Coriolanus and the modern-day politician.

Coriolanus is a war hero who is nominated for consulship. To be appointed, he must be accepted by the commoners, and to do this, he must pander to their emotions, e.g., show off his battle wounds, make big speeches, etc. His pride, however, prevents him from doing so, and therefore he must accept the consequence of being unpopular to the masses.

Those scenes in the movie reminded me of the recent debacle in the media, when President Ninoy Aquino wasn't visible in the aftermath of typhoon Sendong. There were comparisons to his predecessor, Gloria Arroyo, who in similar cases in the past, would immediately be on the scene of tragedy, extending her condolences, personally spearheading relief efforts, etc.

(Interestingly, the sitting President is still enjoying immense popularity based on survey ratings; makes for an interesting discussion.) The film makes a strong case for the two sides, and thinking about current events added color to my viewing experience.

PS: Note how the dialogue was edited in the trailer to make it sound present-day conversational; I noticed the same in the trailer for Midsummer Night's Dream. Also, I now find it hard to watch Ralph Fiennes without thinking of Voldemort. Vanessa Redgrave is absolutely divine––one of the best performances I've seen in a while.

Chill Sunday

2012-01-16T01:53:00.000+08:00

Yep, it was a relaxing Sunday, save for the tense moments during Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, lol. Enjoyed the movie muchly, and I adored the fact that the lead actor didn't have to be pointlessly involved in a romantic angle.

My favorite from the movie franchise though would still be the first one in the series, which was directed by Brian de Palma, although Ghost is a close second... or third, since I also loved the second installment, the one with Thandie Newton.

I can't remember the third one––even with Wikipedia––so it must've been bad?

World Vision

2012-01-12T20:56:00.001+08:00

My first snail mail for the year happened to be one of the best Christmas cards I've ever received.

In 2011, I decided to sponsor a kid through World Vision. (Yes, that's me––the agnostic bordering on the atheist––donating to a Christian organization. According to the website, it's non-denominational and it does not discriminate a child whatever his or her beliefs may be. I surely hope so.) You can choose whether to sponsor a boy or a girl, or let WV pick one for you, as was in my case. I ended up with a boy with a very unique first name and whose favorite subject in school is Math. Those made for very interesting subjects in our first letter swap. And yep, we write handwritten notes! (This does bring me back to the days of 'pen pals' though I never actually had a pen pal that I wasn't friends with in real life to begin with.) I also think those conversations with him have allowed me to see the bigger picture and become more positive and calm.

You too can help a kid for as little as P600 a month. That's P150 a week, or roughly the price a venti-sized frappe. Such a small amount to help a little brother in need.

Visit the World Vision child sponsorship page here.

Online malady

2012-01-10T21:14:00.001+08:00

Books lineup: Cain (currently testing my patience), The Emperor of Maladies (read the first few pages and I can't wait to get started on this), and Mockingjay (which I probably won't read but would catch on film instead.)

* * * *

I'm home by about 6:30pm. I finish dinner at about 8:30pm, go up to my room and catch on my online reads. Lately, I resolved to get off the Internet by 10pm and give myself an hour to read my book, then sleep by 11pm. Until I realized one hour may be enough for a short novel like Cain, but probably wouldn't be sufficient for the heavier (both literally and figuratively) The Emperor. And then I thought about last Saturday, 80 percent of which I spent LYING DOWN and doing online stuff, and what bothers me is that I was just as voracious online the next day, although thankfully, I was able to force myself out of the house by afternoon.

So yep, I think I'm online way too much; I need to cut my Internet hours but I don't think I'm brave enough to include it in my resolution just yet.

What do you do for fun offline?

Photography that's more fun

2012-01-06T22:24:00.001+08:00

Fisheye 2

You and I need to be acquainted again.

* * * *

Lomography allowed me to meet new friends––well technically, a lomography party, not the photography act itself, lol. Nevertheless, it allowed me to dabble in the art for a short period of time since I felt that my first film roll pretty much delivered what I believe are spectacular results, lol. (By the way, none of these were photoshopped and they were purely shot in film :-D)

And then my succeeding rolls began looking like crap, lol. I suppose it was a fluke.

Well, I'll eventually find out as my NY resolution includes taking this up again. :-D

It's more fun in the Philippines

2012-01-06T18:09:00.000+08:00

I'm pretty sure I've blogged about this but I'm blogging it again.

Many years ago, I was sent to Singapore to cover the opening of a Cartoon Network amusement park. It was Christmas season and despite the crowd, the place was eerily quiet, save for the music coming from the rides and street shows. At this point, it had not dawned on us that that was very weird until another Filipino journalist and I got on the roller coaster.

It was just the two of us shouting our lungs out; the rest of the passengers behaved as if they were in a library.

On another overseas trip with a group of Singaporeans and Indonesians, we got to talk about famous celebrities in the region. While I got to drop names like Charice and Lea Salonga, which garnered enthusiastic nods, they were hardpressed for names from their respective countries. (Until I weakly offered, "Stephanie Sun?" thanks to a few MTV Asia Music Awards I've seen on TV. Oh, and Anggun.)

The Department of Tourism earlier launched the tagline for what I think would be a memorable international campaign: It's More Fun in the Philippines.

The logo, which features the Philippines islands, is a play on the banig, or handwoven palm.

It's so simple and true; I can't believe we've missed using the slogan after all these years. After all, whenever I strike a conversation with strangers on airplanes and they ask me about the Philippines, no matter how long my explanation, it would eventually boil down to the fact we are a fun-loving people. It sure more than makes up for all the problems that we have (but which we need to solve, of course, let me be clear on that).

On a technical point of view (I'm in internal corporate communications), it's succinct, and as DOT Secretary Mon Jimenez explained, it answers the question, "Why come to the Philippines?" As I wrote in my entry on Pilipinas Kay Ganda, I'm not really a fan of one-adjective slogans because they lack clarity.

Malaysia is ahead of the pack [in terms of tourism arrivals] with what I personally find as the most obnoxious slogan of all—Truly Asia. (What makes an Asian country truly... um, Asian? It reeks of arrogance; I'm surprised Filipinos, who rile over the slightest of things, haven't filed a complaint at The Hague: "Sinong tinatawag nilang pekeng Asian?!" ["Who are they calling fake Asians?"])

Although in that post, I did raise the point that it takes more than a slogan to raise our tourism profile. However, the new tagline seems to circuit around infrastructure problems and other third-world issues that we have, i.e., "Stuck in traffic? It's more fun in the Philippines."

I will definitely write more entries on why it's more fun in the Philippines :-D

Read: 'It's more fun in the Philippines' - Spread the word, says DOT

Pink

2012-01-05T18:00:00.000+08:00

"Uy, ba't mo naman ako niregaluhan ng utong?"

LOL, it's a Tony Moly lip balm. Or a nip balm, I can never be sure, lol. (Product info is in Korean.) Still, cute packaging, and I love it that I'm still receiving Christmas gifts! :D

Girls' night out with House Husband

2012-01-05T02:13:00.001+08:00

Good girls say the nicest things

Had an awesome night with friends today. Had dinner at Kanin Club (I should have dinner there more often) with balikbayan friend Rech [too bad we didn't get to take a photo :-( ], who's based in Singapore. (Everyone is in Singapore!)

Then I met up with birthday girl Jill and some members of the gang. We saw House Husband, which unfortunately, breaks my resolution to never see an MMFF picture this year (or do I say last year?). Fortunately, it was cute and okay enough; I've no major complaints, really. Though if you are part of a film whose shining moments are only those that include Eugene Domingo––and you are not Eugene Domingo––I think that's a cause for concern.

Career twist

2012-01-04T07:35:00.000+08:00

That there's such a person as a balloon pilot. If that doesn't make you follow your dream, no matter how wild...

My Modern Met: 10 Most Awe-Inspiring Projects of 2011

Glee

2012-01-03T12:26:00.001+08:00

Sprinkled glitters on my keyboard to make this day, my first work day after a mini-break, a bit bearable. So yeah, I'm butch like that. Also happy to have found a bottle of red on my desk (Christmas gift from a colleague) although that made me want to get home ASAP even more.

Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson

2012-01-03T00:14:00.001+08:00

I began reading this book at a time when I was considering buying the iPhone 4s; I was smitten by Siri. A hundred pages later, I swore off buying the phone and ~~Steve was a detestable human being~~ (oops, such strong words, I think) I didn't feel like adding to his company's coffers. 'Asshole' seemed the most appropriate word for him. He was an extremely difficult person to work with, having gone ballistic over (seemingly) trivial things, such as the color of factory machines and the aesthetics of screws. He deemed himself above the law, both legal and natural, so he drove without a license plate and parked in handicapped spaces, and eschewed science in favor of traditional medicine in the early stages of his cancer. He was extremely abrasive, not only in berating colleagues but also in his lack of personal hygiene––in his younger days, people begged for him to take a shower... at least once a week.

As far as biographies go, this is as objective and unbiased you can get. (According to the author, Steve didn't even read an advanced copy; his only request was that he be allowed to design the book cover, which was granted.) Walter Isaacson interviewed over a hundred sources, who included relatives, colleagues and competitors. In fact, Bill Gates offered a good number of anecdotes and scathing opinions. They are written matter-of-factly and as concise as possible. I'd describe it as a long, really long, Wikipedia entry, one that's well-edited and fact-checked––and that is good––although I'm thinking, it might have read better if it was written like a long Vanity Fair profile. If there were sentences that may be construed as editorializing, I think the author was merely putting things into context.

Eventually, I understood him enough to lift my self-imposed embargo on Apple products, and I wasn't even halfway through the book when I did so. Now, I realize it's hard to have a black-or-white opinion on someone who's changed the modern world. (If cerulean, as explained in The Devil Wears Prada, had a ripple effect down to those in the lowest level of the fashion hierarchy––aka the nerds, as the movie implied––surely, Apple has had, and continues to have, a bigger effect on world, as well as day-to-day, affairs.) That complex dynamic alone makes Steve's biography a satisfying and thought-provoking read.

Espresso

2012-01-02T21:14:00.001+08:00

Starbucks 6750

Playing Air Hockey with Mon, reading the news (UST-Corona issue) and magazines, viewing the London 2012 New Year's Eve fireworks for the nth time, and being artsy thanks to a highly saturated photo.

We were both on leave from work today. I bought my belated Christmas gift for my nephew. My first work day of the year starts tomorrow.

Welcoming 2012: That time of the year

2011-12-29T19:20:00.001+08:00

I think I was fairly successful with my 2011 New Year's Resolutions :

To not sweat the small stuff - This really referred to how I easily got ruffled by news reports, by the CBCP, by jerks, by random strangers, by both major and minor events and incidents outside my control etc., and how I'd immediately vent out my frustrations in this blog and on Twitter. I'd like to think there has been less angry posts from me because seriously, the world has enough haters in it without me in the bandwagon. I'd also like to think I've been constructive in my criticisms, or if I do paste an entry or re-tweet tweets, I present them as is, without sensationalizing it. One question I ask myself whenever I feel like expressing my anger is: So, how are you going to act on it? I think I can't be vigilant just from my couch alone.
Write more handwritten notes: not just thank you notes and gift cards but also letters even if there's no special occasion (target: at least once monthly) - FAIL! LOL! Ironic considering this was the year I received so many notecards as present––and I truly love all of them––except I guess, I love them too much? Also, this was the year I found it difficult to express myself poetically. I guess being in corporate communications for so many years has completely affected my writing style. (Also, I want my sense of humor back!)
To actually read one new book each month, not 12 books a year as I did in 2010 - Yahoo, check na check! I got a bit nervous in the last few weeks because I thought I wouldn't finish the Steve Jobs biography in time. However, the last few chapters of the book got me really hooked (and sad; I might review it later) so I found myself finishing the last page with four more days to spare. Here's the list of what I read this year. The best one, hands down, is The Exact Location of the Soul, followed by A Sense of the World, Tess of the D'Ubervilles, and Pacific Rims. You know what my worst book is.
I will not buy a trend but only classic pieces which I can imagine myself wearing until old age (weight permitting) - I may have bought no more than five items of clothing this year. I think. I guess I did take this bit to heart, and I'm happy with it. I don't think I can stand cleaning my closet again and seeing so many clothes that I don't need––such a waste. At partida, nanalo pa ko sa office ng fashion award kahit paulit-ulit na lang ako ng sinusuot, lol. So it really works for me :-D
De-clutter periodically - Passing grade; I've de-friended someone in real life because life is too short for you not to surround yourself with the best and kindest people. I say no a lot. I'm trimming the excesses, streamlining my life. (Sorry, for the corporate jargon, lol.) Now, I must move on to the boxes of junk hidden under my bed.

So my 2012 resolutions are:

Don't sweat the small stuff––Avoid stress by all means. Online, this means not being part of the lynch mob, especially if I'm not being part of the solution
Write letters once a month––it doesn't even have to be handwritten
Continue reading one new book each month––Nope, I'm not increasing the number, di ko talaga carry, lol
De-clutter every quarter
I must be able to do 100 pushups––in one set––by the end of the year.
Be more demonstrative in my appreciation of other people; constantly give positive feedback
Master the art of tolerance––not everything is about me or pertains to me. It's not about me unless you categorically address it to me; otherwise, dedma!
Use my Fisheye 2 again: develop one roll each month
Write at least one feature article a month
I want to do more for the Pinoy LGBT community

Goodbye, Hitch

2011-12-27T20:36:00.001+08:00

We are going to die, and that makes us the lucky ones. Most people are never going to die because they are never going to be born. The potential people who could have been here in my place but who will in fact never see the light of day outnumber the sand grains of the Sahara. Certainly those unborn ghosts include greater poets than Keats, scientists greater than Newton. We know this because the set of possible people allowed by our DNA so massively outnumbers the set of actual people. In the teeth of these stupefying odds it is you and I, in our ordinariness, that are here.

Richard Dawkins, Unweaving the Rainbow

This quote was included in Christopher Hitchens's biography, Hitch 22. I meant to review the book, but then I realized, how exactly does one critique an autobiography; and second, how dare I. I also have to admit to the fact that I'm intellectually inept to fully comprehend his work. In Tagalog, nosebleed talaga sya, 'teh.

Here's his second to the last article for Vanity Fair, Trial of the Will, wherein he questioned the wisdom of Nietszche's maxim 'What doesn't kill me, makes me stronger' as he reflects on his mortality. (I think VF will be releasing his last column in the January issue.)

And here's one of my all-time faves, which I also blogged about here, The New Commandments:

iHermit

2011-12-13T17:28:00.000+08:00

In the battle between print and digital media, I was all about "Oh, but the smell of paper! The crisp sound that they make as you turn them page by page! ~~The joy of hearing trees scream to their death as you beat their trunks to a pulp!~~"

And then I got an iPad.

I'm stuck at page 352 of the Steve Jobs biography after having progressed at a glacial pace of two pages in two weeks and thereby threatening to ruin my NY 2011 resolution despite only having 18 more days in the calendar year left. I've stopped using my desktop computer, as well as my TV and DVD. I got my electricity bill last night and it's the lowest it's been since the start of 2011. I haven't updated this blog in a month. My eyebags qualify as luggage.

It's the last thing I hold at night, and the first thing I grab in the morning. (And no, I wasn’t making you guess.) I forget I have a cellphone. My cellphone is on the verge of disintegration—the top and sides have holes in them; the aluminum case smiles open so that if I don't hold it carefully, the keypad would slip out—and I don't care.

I am online 24/7 which means I know what everyone is up to, particularly everyone who has no concept of online privacy. I'm subscribed to various magazines and websites and I get free books—I finally have a copy of Art of War. I may not be able to smell the addicting aroma of a newly bought book, but I can gorgeously flip through an e-book's page with a fingertip. I slide my forefinger across the screen and the page's tip curl everso beautifully; I give it a playful tap, and I don't even have to reach out for my dictionary.

Not that I have a dictionary on my bedside table because I don't.

I rediscovered the joys of chat rooms and emoticons in the company of other Apple-loving friends, particularly how, through emoji alone, we managed to recount how a becky acquaintance must have felt when he married his beard. I've yet to get hooked on any of the games though; I barely have time to go through all the reading material available to me. Or do geeky stuff such as find myself on a map, or find friends on a map and check if they're really where they said they were, or look at the state of parts of Metro Manila traffic in real time, or pose for pictures photo-booth style, or make e-cards to post on friends' Facebook walls, or video YM-ing or Skype-ing anywhere I want to.

I can also stare endlessly at swimming Japanese koi but I was never a fan of the aquarium channel.

And oh my god, Flipboard, how I love thee. My RSS feed is now as pure and pretty as an angel's breath. And thank you for allowing me to mute certain people whom I have no guts to unfollow for fear of hurting their sensibilities. My cojones owe you.

It's got everything I need, and it weighs less than the tears that KC Concepcion shed during her Boy Abunda interview.

When friends asked me how my romance with my iPad has been going along, I answered, "Life-changing." It truly has been.

But for the love of Steve, the camera quality and battery life suck. Otherwise...

S & M, part 2

2011-11-14T13:48:00.001+08:00

Part 1 here.

My entry title has taken on a different meaning after reading this book. Sure, there are still the similesand metaphors, but going through Ilustrado by Miguel Syjuco has been nothing short ofmasochistic—especially since I'm itching to read my recent book purchases: theSteve Jobs biography and Cain by Jose Saramago. (Friends have asked me whydon't I just stop but that would mean I'd only have three weeks to finish myNovember book. I haven't read an average-length novel that 'fast' and so I'mafraid I'd break my New Year's Resolution of reading one book a month if I giveup on Ilustrado.)

It’s masochistic in that I derive my pleasure from catching on to moreof the author's ‘artistic flourishes’ and sadist in that I pass them on to you:

“The bloody neck part's covered by the grass, so itlooked like that's what our lawn would've looked like if our lawn had a faceand was sleeping,” p. 152

“I fanned his work out on my bed, and looked at it like pieces of apuzzle in which the picture will only be recognized once it is solved,” p. 156

“Traffic moves through a corridor of hand-painted movie signs, whichrise three stories high and block out the squatter areas like some Potemkinvillage of celluloid fantasies. It is not too strained a metaphor,” p. 157 (Gettingdefensive, aren’t we?)

“These billboards are the iceberg's tip of the melodramatic traditionthat links every genre...” p. 157

“... the faces of the artistas tower like egos,” p. 157

“I slide down in my seat, quick as an eel,” p. 158.

“It passes unhindered through a roadblock of soldiers and disappears inthe distance, like an apparition from the past,” p. 158

"Manila's one big Roschach test," p. 254

"... fucking her is like throwing a hot dog down the hallway,” p.257

"But the dancing artista is a bright nebula, it's like the musicis coming from her. To a colorful, arcing bass line, a man with a voice likegravity sings about melodies that getcha so... Vita has her eyes shut and isdoing this repetitive move where her face goes one way while her hips swing outin the opposite direction. Like a snake... The very snake who gave Eve thatapple she gave to Adam,” p. 257 (I don’t even know how I survivedthis.)

"The phone is like the moon and her face is being bathed in it,”p. 264 (Ergo, her face is bathing in the phone. Let me know how thatworks.)

Now, here's what really gets me. If you thought that "his epiglottis was seized" was bad, then this one's worse:

He is pushed onto his back and seven-inch spikes aredriven between his radii and carpals, his patibulum is lifted onto an uprightstipe. Another spike is banged through the intermetatarsal spaces of his feet.

- p. 155

If that had you at "patibulum," the author was basicallysaying that a person was nailed to a cross.

Compare this to an excerpt of The Exact Location of the Soul, a book I reviewed early this year, which was written by an actual doctor, Richard Selzer:

The cancer had chewed through Joe's scalp, munchedhis skull, then opened the membranes underneath... until it had laid bare thisshort-order cook's brain, pink and gray, and pulsating so that each beat alittle pool of cerebral fluid quivered...

Suddenly, Syjuco's take is not only pretentious but also pathetic(since he's the writer).

In the comments section for the preceding entry, I mentioned how the characters sound so"curated" that one cannot imagine them being actual persons. They'reso heavily 'processed'—from their "perfectly round, black plastic frames,usually seen on purposefully hip doctors and Asian architects" and"brilliantined salt-and-pepper hair," to their Lexus cars andunits at the Trump Tower in New York. They’re all so perfect, they deserve to beexhibited in the National Museum, perhaps, hung to the wall by their carpals.

Consider this character, Sadie:

"Her room smells innocent, like a girl beforefashion magazines turn her into a woman. In one corner sits a FenderStratocaster... (Note: earlier, "vintage hip-hop [was flying]out" of her car, p. 173)... A brass bed is buried almost completelyunder stuffed animals... A pantheon of Steely Dan, the Spiders from Mars, and asweat-drenched Neil Diamond stares at me from the wall. Sadie bends down tosearch a desk drawer, exposing her red thong panties and the tight crack of herplumber's butt. Atop the clutter on her desk is [sic] a Hello Kitty diary, asketchbook, and a plastic pistol case open to reveal blackened rags and adisassembled Glock...”

- p. 177

"... but where the fuck is my poetry diary?
"Is it the Hello Kitty in front of you?"
"That's my dream diary."
"How about the one with Fabio on it?"
"That's my diary diary."
"What's the poetry diary look like?"
"It's green and, um... oh, here it is! I was sitting on it.Hehe."

- p. 178

This Filipina—this person—sounds as foreign as the author's convolutedmedical fiction.

And then later:

"Her hair has the scent of Gee, Your Hair SmellsTerrific shampoo... I tell Sadie: I'd have thought you use some fancyshampoo."

"Yeah, well. I'm just a simple kind of girl."

- p. 272

*rolls eyes* By the way, she's the one drivingthe Lexus.

The last book I read prior to this was Jose Rizal's El Filibusterismo.I made sure to schedule my reading list this way because, according to reviews,this was a modern-day retelling of the national hero's novel.

I didn't get that anywhere; this book is not about the Philippines. The novel is all about the author himself,and that's fine really, especially if you give a shit about the author’s life.(Unfortunately, I don't, despite what my extensive review might imply.)

I conclude my review with an excerpt from Sadie's poem, written not onher Hello Kitty dream diary or her Fabio diary diary, but on the green diaryshe sat on:

"Night falls / like an overwrought theme; / in comes the tide / of a sea of badmetaphors. / O flower, / O rain, / O tree. / Ow! Formulaic poetry! / Will mygreat epiphany come at my last sentence?"

p. 179

Ilustrado is exactly like that, although it wasn't so much punctuated by an epiphaniclightbulb moment as it was drowned by a sea of bad metaphors and sweeping vanity.

S & M, part 1

2011-11-02T14:54:00.000+08:00

I've been wracking my brain, trying to determine what was jarring about the author's writing style, until I reached a new chapter and the culpable phrases began jumping off the pages...

... like pearls cascading the stairs from a broken strand of necklace.

Erm. You'll get what I mean.

From Ilustrado, the book I'm reading this month:

"Jacob ran like his pants were on fire," p. 111

"They waited for what seemed like an eternity," p. 112

"Miguel comforts the dying man, 'who cradles his entrails as if they were the entirety of his life lived previous to this scene in chiaroscuro,'" p. 113

"The plane's shadow is like a water-skier on the meniscus of the unknown," p. 114

"He thrashes his arms above him, as if having just walked through a spider's web," p. 114

"... his posture peaceful, curved like a closing hand," p. 114

"Sits in a gridlock like a patient waiting his turn for the dentist," p. 114

"He watches the big metal gate as if he has X-ray vision and can see the house beyond," p. 115

"He watches the wall as if old home movies are being projected on it," p. 115.

"He looks like a man waiting for the firing squad," p. 115

"There are only faces in the crowd, like a field of flowers, if flowers could frown and spit and look at their watches," p. 115

"(Vendors) carry newspapers, like waiters with armloads of dishes," p. 116

"(Vita Nova is) dressed like a rape victim," p. 116

"That sensation of being watched. Like when you sit through a horror film then come to an empty apartment," p. 117

"A driver is gazing ahead as if willing the traffic forward with his mind..." p. 117

There is none on page 118; it's like a wrinkle that is suspiciously absent from your grandfather's face.

At this point, I hope you've noted the frequency they appear on one page alone. Alas, we forge onward.

"They edge sideways like adolescent boys along the wall at a school dance," p. 119

"Signs flash like a row of pantyless chorus girls," p. 119

"His apartment was above the famous Corner Bistro, and he said it was like living upstairs from your favorite brothel," p. 120

"It started to rain, and he and I ran, like lovers in a romantic comedy..." p. 120

"The kids began jumping over the puddles, the eldest, about eleven, laughing like a seagull," p. 120

It has come to a point that I can't even concentrate on the story; page after page, I'm on the lookout for the similes and metaphors that the author may have employed this time around.

I would have given up, really, especially after reading this sentence:

"His epiglottis has seized," p. 114

but the book has won the Palanca and the Man Asia Literary Prize, and earned raves from the Guardian and New York Times, so what do I know right?

Work Clothes

2011-10-21T21:30:00.001+08:00

Converse sneaker, $50; Carhartt wallet, £33; Casio watch, £9.48; Chan Luu wrap bracelet, $215; Friendship bracelet, £45; Chan Luu indian jewelry, $135; Miss Selfridge skull scarve, £14; Ray-Ban ray ban sunglasses, $139; Messenger Bag With Leather Lapel, $129; Folk Raglan Sleeve Taped Chambray Shirt, £118; g-star raw Mens Bronson Chino Loose Tapered Nomad Beige Trousers, £89; Lyle & Scott Vintage - Woven Belt Ls502, £29; Moleskine Travel Passions Journal, £17; Navy Polkadot Silk Handkerchief Pocket Square, £18

Okay, I've always tipped my hat to layout artists, especially those I've worked with in PDI, but doing that (points up) made me appreciate their skills and talent even more! Anyway...

I learned about Polyvore from Weekends in the City and I enjoyed reading her entry so much that I decided to try the fashion website as well.

Like WITC, I don't consider myself a fashionista, although, yes, there was a time when I was included in a glossy magazine for being one of the most fasyon college students in Manila. It wasn't a big deal—there were 25 of us (lol)—but that experience made me realize that it is my responsibility to the public to look good.

LOL.

I'm kidding, I'm kidding!

Seriously. Having to do interviews as a student-journalist, i.e., introduce myself to people and gain their trust, made me conscious of the first impression that I gave. And I was in a creative field, so I had to keep up with the trends, and being young, I just had to belong. So yep, I did put a lot of effort into dressing up. Now, not so much because now, I have a desk job :-P Plus, I have that thing about editing my wardrobe down to the barest essential. Plus, dios mio, it's soo hot in Manila for guys to dress up. At least the ladies can twirl around in their dresses and air whatever needs airing, while we have to cover up our legs (although I think that's really for everyone's visual benefit).

So that above is pretty much my work look. I always roll up my shirt sleeves. Although standing next to the crisp-looking bankers in our elevator building each morning makes me look shabby, I just can't stand looking that yuppie. I commute to work so I always wear my sunglasses. I do have a scarf with a skull print, but I usually wrap it around my wrist. The bracelets, I've written about, though I don't wear them especially when I'm running late because it takes time to pull all those strings tight. And yep, my leather wallet is green, just not that exact brand but the shade is pretty close. I never leave home without a handkerchief. I've blogged about my Casio watch, which by the way, has been bought by many a friend because it is truly classic and inexpensive (though I need to replace my strap).

Bought a similar-looking woven belt from F21 last weekend. That led me to suspect that I am presently in love with the color green. Sneakers, check. Humongous leather bag, check. I'm all set.

By the way, I don't go around carrying my Moleskine outside my bag. I just had to place it there due to layout issues :-P

Change-Up

2011-10-11T14:06:00.000+08:00

rating: 4.9/10

The trailer says it all.

I'm too bored to even write a review of the film. There were funny moments and I wasn't particularly irritated by anything in the movie (except for the cuts made by the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board) but still, I could only muster a 4 rating because I'd much rather you spend your money on food or drinks or on dudes who'd be happy with lugaw and yosi. It seemed other people had that bright idea (lugaw sales were supposedly up 5 percent over Monday figures) since aside from my group of friends, there were only two other people in the cinema.

That isn't to say we weren't very bright, just equal opportunity enablers because we believe a movie that underscores Ryan Reynolds' finer qualities as a sit-ups enthusiast deserves our money. Unfortunately, the movie decided not to highlight such splendor, and instead focused on Ryan's ability as a thespian. This is sourly disappointing because as much as we love good acting, Ryan Reynolds's abs alone had a better shot winning the Oscars for Best Cinematography, Best Visual Effects, and Best Actor in a Supporting Role than Ryan himself being nominated for any category for this role.

Nevertheless, it's a good movie for guys and I won't even mention the few number of nipples that assaulted us onscreen (oops, I just did) because aren't we all dying to know what it feels like to be on the other side of the fence? Granted what I see across mine isn't filled with imageries of fatherhood and marriage and a law career, the heart-warming cliches this movie offers make me thankful for the wonderful things I have and do not have in life. But for P190? You can charitably feed lugaw to someone for several days for that amount and get the same satisfying feeling of virtuousness.

Shamcey x J.Walking

2011-10-06T23:16:00.000+08:00

Pam invited me to join the Inquirer Lifestyle staff in interviewing Shamcey but unfortunately I had work.

I know, I know :-(

She and Tatin did ask her to say hi and I pretty much bounced with glee as I saw this on Twitter, lol.

I never owned an Apple product, but now I can actually say thank you, Steve Jobs.

Figure drawing for men's fashion

2011-10-06T07:00:00.000+08:00

One of my frustrations is that I can't draw guys. I find it more difficult to draw their proportions correctly and make the sinews look as natural or realistic as possible. I rarely draw them that I only have one drawing of a guy on record, and it's way too simple at that. If I could read my signature correctly, I made this 12 years ago:

A few months ago, I bought drawing materials and began sketching again. This was largely because of the Miss Universe pageant so I never really thought about men's fashion illustration until Mon gave me this yesterday:

I was blown away, first by the idea that I may still work on this frustration after all; and second, by how detailed this book is. It gives lessons on proportions and features chapters on details such as facial features, hairstyle, hands, feet, draping, lighting, and poses. It left no stone unturned!

Skipped this part for now

Interesting and helpful but I skipped this part for now, too.

Same with this, although this should also be helpful in my women's fashion illustration.

Hard to skip this part but yeah, lol!

So that's how you draw those armpits

I like how the authors were considerate so as to include as many poses as possible, lol.

Hip hop! I like hip hop fashion :-)

Lots of tips for runway illustrations

Here's my first attempt. I want to train my hands to draw a masculine figure as naturally as possible. Whenever I sketch, I automatically create curves for the boobs and I cinch my models' waist so when drawing dudes, I find it hard to keep the torso boxy yet sexy at the same time.

Ayan, armpit pose, lol. Drawing those abs is really tricky.

For now, I'm going to concentrate on finding my model's balance; I want my guys to have a natural swag. Here, I'm trying to make him look like he's a Dolce & Gabbana model but instead, he's looking pretty stiff and constipated here, lol:

When I've improved maybe I can ask real male models to pose for me no? ;-)

No Other Woman

2011-10-05T14:37:00.000+08:00

rating: 3.5/10 (plus 0.5 for the welcome absence of product placements, which Star Cinema is known for)

At the beginning of the movie, Ram (Derek Ramsey), a furniture designer, explains how you make someone fall into your trap so you could eventually get what you want from him/her. The advice only works for hot people because the way to do this, as perfectly demonstrated by the lead characters, is to preen and pout the whole time, show off your armpits, flip the hair, flash the underside of your boobs, flex your biceps, and once you have your target panting after you, leave him/her for good. No one in the screenwriting department bothered to give these characters wit, humor or intelligence because apparently, good looks and wealth are enough; although let's face it, that is true as far as some cases in the real world go.

So we see hot people with no ability to draw me into their conversations: they talk about themselves a lot, including problems that are really non-problems.

Cara (Anne Curtis): I don't like big beds because I don't like it if there's too much space. It makes me feel alone... you know what I'm saying?

Me: Girl, kebs.

Such convoluted explanations are what's so frustrating about this film. At one point, we even see Ram having a conversation about golf with his lolo on his deathbed—what for?! This is a movie about Ram's adultery! If we saw Derek's bulging crotch, that would have strengthened the movie's premise much better, and yes, I'm being serious about this. (e.g., "Ang laki naman pala ng etits ni Derek kaya pinag-aagawan sya nila Anne Curtis at Cristine Reyes [the wife, Sharmaine].") It's also curious why Cara, a man-eater and who could otherwise get any man she wants by flaunting her armpit, would fall in love with Ram. He's not smart, funny or witty; he plagiarizes the designs of Kenneth Cobonpue; and his good looks can only go so far as a few trysts may go—so what makes these gorgeous women salivate over Derek? The film might as well have demonstrated the power a huge penis has over its sexual subjects if it couldn't provide its female characters depth (there's a bad pun in there somewhere).

If they are not talking, then they are having sex. The "sex scenes" weren't good enough for me either because I've seen sexier times between Jollibee and Twirlie.

The characters are vapid; no one seems to be in need of money; no one is likely to be the country's president; and they don't appear to be having great sex—why are these people so desperate for each other?

For all its over-explanations in areas which are non-concerns in the realm of adultery, the movie failed to establish why having sex, and consequently, falling in love with a person you're not committed to is worth gambling your relationship with your husband/wife for.

Friends with Benefits

2011-10-03T12:32:00.000+08:00

rating: 9.9/10

I was smiling, if not laughing, the whole time the movie was shown because, aside from the stellar casting and dialogues, it was amusing to watch our heterosexual sisters and brothers jump through hoops just to have meaningless sex!

One would think it shouldn't be a problem to engage in such coupling really, especially if you are Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis. We assume that by their hotness, whoever they are paired up with end up deranged or in a fit of hysteria brought by unrequited love. However, in the movie, as it is in movies, they're the ones who apparently need to keep their emotions in check.

There's a newsflash: hot people get rejected too!

Once you get over that—actually, it shouldn't be hard as you'll see in the beginning of the movie; they get dumped respectively by hot people too—then it becomes easier to ride along the premise because Justin and Mila are very casual and nonchalant about their hotness, and so you think it may just be possible that they have to deal with these proletarian issues like we normal people do, lol.

Digression: Don't you just love hot people who are like that? Yesterday, I was watching this reality show which featured couples preparing for a dinner party. This guy, who was otherwise gorgeous, prepared the meals shirtless under his apron! Yack; god knows what bodily sheddings ended up in those dishes. I'm not really a fan of hot people who are ingratiating in their hotness, if that makes sense :-P To demonstrate: I love Hideo Muraoka but Fabio Ide irritates me. Both are hot, but they 'deal' (lol) with their gorgeousness differently.

Going back to the movie, aside from the leads' onscreen chemistry and hilarious conversations, I really loved Richard Jenkins, who played the father of Justin. That scene wherein he gripped his head in frustration because life is so short—wow, that really provided me with a beautiful perspective, particularly on birthdays. Mine is coming up and I always whine about how I'm getting older blah, blah, blah—but that scene made me think about the people who would love to have more birthdays but their clocks just won't tick further for much longer, or they've stopped ticking altogether.

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

2011-10-01T21:14:00.000+08:00

"The past few months we've been filming time lapses of the beautiful desert sky in Utah. These ended up working perfectly with Jon Schmidt and Steven Sharp Nelson's arrangement of 'Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.' We hope you enjoy it!"

- The Piano Guys

Childhood, stars and nighttime...

Much ado about bracelets

2011-09-28T20:23:00.000+08:00

Over a year ago, I wrote about how I wanted to trim down my number of clothes after I was inspired by an article on The New York Times.

Although I haven't even attempted to cut down my wardrobe to 14 items of clothing (that would be the day), I think I've been fairly successful in being calculated in my purchases. I'm pretty sure I've bought no more than two shirts in the past 12 months *thinks long and hard* (and I also only bought one pair of jeans) and I think that goes to show that as long as you have the classic pieces in your closet and (your weight has remained pretty much the same :-P), then you can survive not shopping for clothes for several months.

OK, I think I got too carried away by my intro because what I really meant to write about are my accessories, lol. Ang layo no?

Several months ago, while Pam and Jill were discussing ways to raise funds for their friend who has cancer, Pam thought about selling friendship bracelets. My reaction was something like, "Ngek, sino naman bibili no'n?" (Who'd buy them?)

A few weeks after that, Kanye West performed at Coachella wearing these:

www.shop.burkmanbros.com
Btw, I also love that Celine top :-)

and since Kanye was wearing them, I wanted them badly na, lol. (I did try to buy from Burkman Bros. but they ended up being sold-out.) And besides, I've never really been the silver (or gold) type of guy.

Then I saw our friend Coco wearing a long leather strap from H&M, and I asked him to buy for me too. But Tatin was quick to the draw and saw a similar bracelet at Papelmeroti of all places, lol, and bought it for me after co-signing on it via MMS:

I'd usually wear it with my other leather cuff from Armani:

so I'd look like a leather daddy, chos. LOL.

Then my bracelets sort of piled up within weeks.

Tatin got me this from Singapore:

When I'm feeling down, I either wear them individually or pile them all up and smell them because I find that the smell of real leather is a good pick-me-up :-)

During Giff's birthday dinner at Eastwood, Pam pulled me aside to bring me to a stand called The Bead Shop, and lo, friendship bracelets galore!

I love this shop because they use indigenous fiber. Like for example, this really strong abacá:

"Ayan sir, lalaking lalaki," the becky SA told me, lol.

and this waxed strips of I-forgot-to-ask-what-type-of-fiber. I like that the colors remind me of UP and that they look like rubber bands from afar:

They also have the usual friendship bracelets but this one's made of suede:

They're pretty costly though for friendship bracelets at about P300-P400 apiece, but again, they aren't made of synthetic materials. I'd mix and match them depending on my mood and what I'm wearing:

Then last night, Pam asked the gang to select from her charity bracelets loot from Cotton On. I selected this because it's color black:

Only to realize later that the bird is a swallow. Swallow! The opposite of spit! LOL!

Revlon Professional Makeover Weekend

2011-09-25T20:00:00.000+08:00

Two Saturdays ago, hours before the UAAP Cheerdance competition, Pam invited me to join her and Tatin for a free makeover at Revlon's training center in Brgy Kapitolyo in Pasig.

We were given the option to choose one of the following: haircut + hair treatment; color + hair treatment; or color + highlights. I selected the third option and it was perfect timing because I had been itching to color my hair.

I told the stylist that I wanted something "subtle, parang naarawan lang" lol, and from the swatches, she picked out dark and light chestnut and I agreed.

My hair's very short—I had a haircut a week before this—so one of the colorists, Michael, had to painstakingly foil strands of my hair to achieve the highlights. Kudos to him!

This is not the first time I had my hair colored—though it's been years since my last—so I pretty much expected the stinging sensation (I shampooed my hair about 45 minutes before the procedure, from home) and the nauseous smell.

There was none of that. I mean, I could smell the dye but it wasn't aggressive at all and my scalp felt nothing. It was as if the stylist slapped a chunk of brown conditioner on my hair and left it there for 20 minutes.

The product they used on me—the Revlon Nutri Color line—is a hair treatment and hair color rolled into one. And true enough, after they've shampooed and blow-dried my hair, it was so soft! (And it remains soft to this day—I'd let you touch it when you see me in person, lol.) I was absolutely blown away because my hair never felt this awesome after a color. And my brown hair and highlights are so subtle that no one has commented on it yet—no one from my family or work, lol. But Pam and Tatin liked it, and I do too.

The colors are seen only when light is hitting my hair.

I can't wait to try other colors. The goodie bag had these:

but I think this one's for touch-ups only. Not too sure if the color's going to stick—I'd try it once I have the courage to go "pearl blond". (Tangerine is out of the question.)

I also received a sample bottle of Orofluido,

which is a fantastic serum for my hair. It's very light and not sticky or oily at all. By the time I get back home from work, my hair's still not gooey from the product, so I like it very much.

The salons offering Revlon's hair color products are listed here. You may also follow Revlon Philippines on Facebook and Twitter.

UP Pep Squad 2011: Express yourself!

2011-09-21T11:38:00.000+08:00

Here's what I ended up writing for InterAKTV about last Saturday's UAAP Cheerdance competition. I did think I'd be criticized for over-analyzing the routine (and I was; but it's a fair criticism, in my opinion :-D). In my review, I looked at UP's cheerdance routine as performance art, hence my article.

* * * *

Now, as to my all-time fave (and heavy stuff aside), I can't decide between this and their 2008 routine: their Tribo routine had drama, and I really loved what they did for the drumbeat, segment and pyramid/mounting transitions, costume, and choreography.

This Madonna routine had the most difficult stunts (the men are soo strong; no wonder the routine focused on partner stunts) and it's one of the most fun perfomances they've had. Regarding the technical aspects: in the past, UP usually opened its routine with tosses, but this time, they started it with four sets of double cupie—that's a single base carrying two fliers, one on each hand.

More from the article:

The ladies were just as strong; in the routine’s first pyramid (0:47), four mid-fliers balanced five top fliers on their thighs, shoulders and arms. You can also just imagine the strain this placed on the four bases below. The way this pyramid was mounted—the third set of fliers were merely thrown to the top—made this an extremely difficult stunt.

The team launched into full-on assault mode beginning at the 3:26 mark with six scorpions (3:31) to arabesque (3:37) with full-down dismount. Four fliers performed a double back handspring to cradle position (3:44) and then from an extended level, they were tossed to a single-base extension (3:47), dismounting with a bird-front. The craziness continued as they did four rewinds (3:57) finishing with a double full-down dismount. At 4:23, two fliers did a double full twist, the team’s most complicated tosses for this piece.

Also, I can't believe the ladies managed to pull off wearing cone bras, which turned into pompoms (1:05), lol! They looked gorgeous in their blond hair plus, ang daming gwapo, lol! At syempre, I loved the cheerdance mix :-D

So yeah, I'm still on the fence as to which my number one fave routine is, but then, I can also have two number #1s, right?

Ready? OK! The 2011 UAAP Cheerdance preview

2011-09-16T21:19:00.000+08:00

The UAAP Cheerdance Competition has gotten so competitive that a major error in a routine — that means falls in partner stunts and pyramids — will leave you out of contention for a podium finish.

Last year’s top three, the UP Pep Squad, FEU Cheering Squad and UST Salinggawi Dance Troupe, had no such mistakes. The Ateneo Blue Babble Battalion and the DLSU Animo Squad attempted to surpass UST in terms of their respective routines’ difficulty — and in some areas, they did — but major errors cost them a placement in the top three last year.

So do you remain relatively safe in your stunts in the hope of avoiding errors that can prove too costly to gamble? Or do you take risks, hoping that the routine you’ve practiced for several months will be perfect on the five minutes on Saturday that you need it to be perfect.

Such is the story of this year’s competition. For UP and FEU, there is no question that they have perfected taking risks and having a flawless routine, making them the best cheerleading teams in the country. For the rest of the squads, we’ll know how they’ll play their cards at 3 p.m on Saturday.

Here’s how we’re ranking the eight UAAP cheerdancing teams based on their historical performances in the UAAP, as well as on cheerleading competitions outside the league, where some of them have performed.

Continue to Ready? OK! The 2011 UAAP Cheerdance preview...

Horrible Bosses

2011-09-16T17:15:00.001+08:00

rating: 10/10

Finally, I'm giving a perfect rating to a movie that I found completely enjoyable, well-written, well-cast, and brutally funny.

Management candidate Nick (Jason Bateman) is stuck with a twisted boss (Kevin Spacey), who is not only a slave driver, but also heartless enough to penalize him for coming in at work at 6:02 am, or two minutes later than he wanted him to.

Accountant Kurt (Jason Sudeikis) is being ordered by his supervisor (Colin Farrell) to fire fat people.

Dental assistant Dale (Charlie Day) is being harrassed by his nymphomaniac boss-dentist (Jennifer Aniston) and it's hilarious how Dale screams hell while the other two sees heaven, as I assume 90 percent of the straight male population would too.

The plan: annihilate the horrible bosses.

The fun never stops in this film—from the beginning wherein we see the leads' miserable lives to the point where they strategize their revenge—it's one sidesplitting scenario after another, thanks largely to the spectacular cast who relish their roles so well; Jennifer Aniston, for example, would put Linda Lovelace to shame. (Kids, don't google that.) Charlie Day is also a revelation, and I'm sure women would swoon over his undying loyalty as he refuses Jennifer's sexual advances that many men would be glad to be a recipient of.

Horrible Bosses opens in theaters on September 21.

My post-Miss Universe 2011 thoughts

2011-09-14T17:30:00.000+08:00

I got 7 of my 15 predictions. Bagsak, lol!

* * * *

I'm still smarting from Shamcey's "loss" at yesterday's Miss Universe. I'm placing it in quotes because to me, she really did win, having given her best; also, fourth place is nothing to sniff at. So to Shamcey, congratulations! Your answer was worthy of a Miss Universe crown and I couldn't have been prouder as your pageant whisperer.

Now to ALL her fellow candidates in the Top 5, here's my lovely message:

Bwakanginanyo, ang dadaya nyo!!! Kung maka-English sa Top 10 video package, ang gagaling, tapos pag dating sa final Q&A, biglang may mga interpreter?!

At yung Angola, di naman sinagot yung tanong. "Here's an advice: respect one another"—ano naman kinalaman nyan sa original question?! Obvious bang she was only pandering to the masses? (Bukod pa sa ang patronizing pa. You look perfect because you are respectful, and so ano kami? Ulol.) At syempre, mas nakakainis na bentang benta naman sa mga judges yung sagot nya.

Because of the time pressure, Shamcey only had one second to go over the question in her head and immediately state her answer; the rest of the candidates had as much as 30 seconds because their interpreter would let them pause while he/she would translate their answers in installments. Then during those intervals, they were able to compose their thoughts for as long as possible.

For the first time since I started watching Miss Universe, I finally felt that our candidate deserved to win the title after hearing her Q&A. It was a shame the judges thought otherwise.

* * * *

Nakakainis din yung mga nag-twee-tweet na "I don't care about beauty pageants," sabay tweet ng "If I were to answer Shamcey's final question..."

So feeling mo matalino ka? Sige, tayo ka muna in front of millions of people, with everyone's eyes on you, tapos saka ka sumagot sa panibagong question in your high heels after having been onstage for close to two hours.

Inggit ka lang.

* * * *

This brings me to the value of beauty pageants, particularly Miss Universe because that's the one I actively follow. I won't even discuss how it raises funds for charities, specially for HIV awareness. Details on that can be found here: www.missuniverse.com/charities/index

In life, kanya-kanyang diskarte lang yan. You can work extremely hard in a multinational and climb up the corporate ladder until you have that corner office with the magnificent view.

You can hone your basketball skills in your neighborhood kanto, sacrifice going to the best school in the country in favor of another university with an excellent basketball program, top the league, enter the PBA and earn millions of pesos and secure the future of your generation.

You can rely on your mestizo looks and chiseled body, drop your pants in a billboard, create controversy and finally put your sport in everyone's radar.

You can have the grossest values and also earn millions by hosting a noontime show—or by becoming a politician.

Or you can twirl around in your bikini, navigate through steps and turns in your long dress, risk slipping or falling flat on your butt in front of millions of people, and answer a question that can potentially be a YouTube sensation for the wrong reasons—but the rewards are limitless.

Where life is commerce, how are those different from sacrificing family time for work? From honing your basketball skills when there's school? From gaining publicity through your crotch and not by actual talent?

Answer: in winning a beauty pageant, you need to be both beautiful and smart. Otherwise, these are only different ways of doing one thing: getting ahead in life.

Miss Universe 2011: PNoy's First Lady, anyone?

2011-09-12T13:56:00.001+08:00

I think this year marked the first time I wrote so many blog entries, tweets and articles on Miss Universe, I just might suffer from withdrawal symptoms once the event is over. (Follow me on my Twitter account, where I'll be live-tweeting my thoughts on the pageant barring technology and WiFi problems.)

Here's my last pre-pageant article which I enjoyed writing for TV5's website, www.interaksyon.com.

On September 13, the Miss Universe pageant will crown its new queen in Brazil. Eighty nine candidates will be vying for the title after three rounds of intense eliminations: the swimsuit, evening gown and final question-and-answer.

The Philippines must realize that this annual convention of beauty is good for the nation: specifically, it is good for PNoy. Why should our bachelor president limit his search for love in the country, when international marriages are de rigueur and potentially produce cute babies that may eventually win star searches on TV?

Resistance from the President is futile. As Pinoys, we must poke our noses into other people's problems, most especially those that concern love. Every one of us has been subjected to various interrogations and prodding by family, friends, and strangers about our civil (or Facebook relationship) status. Why should he be exempted?

Hence, we looked into the roster of candidates for the 2011 Miss Universe pageant and picked ladies whose marriage with Mr. President bodes well for his personal life and the country’s future.

Continue reading here.

My Top 15 for Miss Universe 2011

2011-09-12T08:30:00.000+08:00

After watching the preliminary competition, I've made a list of my Top 15 for Tuesday's Miss Universe finals. You can do the same by watching these videos—I'd be happy to know yours so feel free to leave a comment :-)

missuniverse on livestream.com. Broadcast Live Free

Watch live streaming video from missuniverse at livestream.com

I tried my best to be objective and not think of the "sash factor" (the likeliness of a candidate to make it to the finals due to its history, e.g., USA and Venezuela) and the favorites that have appeared on several fan message boards and websites.

Top 15-11

Priscila Machado
Brazil

My choices for the 15th spot were between her, Australia, Cayman Islands, Chile, Italy, Greece, Montenegro and Romania. I decided to go with the hometown girl, although Miss Universe makes no guarantee that the host country's representative makes it to the finals—there have been several cases. (Hence, Charlene Gonzales really made it to the Top 10 on her own merits.) I selected her because she had the best walk and the most gorgeous evening gown among the eight. I think she resembles a younger Glenn Close.

Johanna Solano
Costa Rica

I'm not a fan of the evening gown but she had a commanding presence during her gown and swimsuit presentations. I also like girls who look happy and don't appear as if they're taking this seriously. (The qualifier is "as if"; of course, they need to take this seriously.)

Andri Karantoni
Cyprus

It's so hard to make a statement with a black gown especially in a beauty pageant that's why I love the playfulness of her fringed sleeves. And come on, look at that divine face.

Anedie Azael
Haiti

Again, I love a girl who looks like she's having fun onstage; she seems very congenial. Fierce can be very overrated and tiring, in my opinion.

Interesting malaman kung pano ipapatong yung Miss Universe crown sa ulo nya, but no, not at the expense of my top choice.

Top 10-6

Karín Ontiveros
Mexico

With such a sweet and angelic face to go with her pink gown, Mexico is like a living Barbie. (Reminds me of Puerto Rico 2010.) The reigning Miss Universe is from Mexico, and I doubt it will a back-to-back for the country this year, especially after I saw her web interview; parang lasenggera lang ang peg, lol.

Adriana Dorn
Nicaragua

This lady surprised me as she was never in my radar of favorites at all. But according to my list, she aced both the gown and swimsuit rounds (true for all my Top 10, actually). I can say the same about...

Laura Gonçalves
Portugal

Portugal, whom I took no notice of until the preliminaries. I would love to see both of them in the finals as they are not traditional favorites.

Viviana Ortiz
Puerto Rico

I am not a fan at all of this babaeng hipon, but I have to admit her evening gown was the best during the preliminaries. Plus, with that hot body, I couldn't exactly exclude her from the list.

Vanessa Gonçalves
Venezuela

Isa pa 'to; I am not a fan! I loved her when she won as Miss Venezuela last year (this was how she looked in 2010), but after all the surgeries and weight training, she has matured and now looks about 40. Plus, she looks so hardcore, like she's going to eat all the other candidates alive. But again, having to be objective, I couldn't help but include her in my list.

Top 5

Laury Thilleman
France

Another one of those mature-looking and competitive candidates, France appears to try too hard so I think she has a tendency to choke especially if the pressure gets to her. (Similar to Miss Ireland 2010.) Barring that, she could easily make it to Top 5, especially with the help of that gown.

Erica Nego
Ghana

I love her quiet confidence and elegance. I also like the lightness and casualness of her gown.

2nd runner-up

Luo Zilin
China

Gusto ko talaga 'to makasama ni Shamcey sa Top 5 kasi feeling ko, sesemplang talaga ang ate nyo sa final interview, lol. Sana lang bopols din makuha nyang translator.

For my readers who don't understand Tagalog, I said it's high time Asians dominate this year's competition.

1st runner-up

Deborah Henry
Malaysia

A Miss World 2007 finalist, she was one of my top contenders for the crown until I saw her boring evening gown presentation. She performed better during the swimsuit round and she's expected to have aced her interview, thanks to her other jobs as a TV host and charity spokesperson. This is a dangerous lady to have in the Top 5; not good for Shamcey, lol. Still, even if she's in my list, I won't be surprised if she doesn't make the cut because she's pretty much Miss Snooze Fest, too.

So sino pa ba ang Miss Universe ko, lol:

Shamcey Supsup
Philippines

Watching her performance during the preliminaries, plus seeing her evening gown, ganito talaga yung naging reaction ko:

LOL!!!

I think from the Top 15, she can barge into the Top 10 and Top 5 with her "tsunami" walk and sultry evening gown, but again, she needs to learn how to pose and maintain her balance at each pit stop, ASAP! (It's been reported on OPMB that she now knows about this and is working on it.)

As for the final question, juice ko, di na ko religious pero mukhang mapapa-dasal talaga ko kay Shamcey.

Masaya talaga ko sa narating ni Venus last year, pero napa-facepalm talaga ko nung una kong narinig yung sagot nya. I remember giving this advice to Venus in my Top 10 list last year:

Now, the final Q & A is another tricky round for her, but I feel that as long as she is sincere and concise in her answer, she could win the crown despite grammatical lapses.

Nasunod nga ni Venus lahat at wala pang wrong grammar, pero kailangan pa din pala talaga bigatan yung sagot, lol. As your pageant whisperer, the best advice I can give is for you to go straight to the point, speak from your heart, and... I can't believe I'm about to say this... don't mind being grammatically incorrect. Don't edit or second-guess yourself; answer the question with conviction, knowing you are being sincere. (Although still, magp-practice ka pa rin na mag-practice mag-English. I noticed she switches to Tagalog when being interviewed by fellow Filipinos.)

Good luck! :-D

* * * *

My overrated girls this year are Kosovo (pwede ba, di nga sya makakababa ng hagdan!) and USA.

I refuse to believe they will make someone this thin a finalist because this body is just ugly:

Last year, my overrated girls were Venezuela, USA (I'm proud of having put those on record) and Mexico, who eventually won Miss Universe, lol.

What that says is that come Tuesday, anything goes.

Miss Universe National Costumes 2011 edition

2011-09-10T13:11:00.000+08:00

Aaaand, it's back! The 2011 Miss Universe National Costume edition. But before that, I have to say that I'm very disappointed with how Brazil is hosting Miss Universe—it had the gall to scrap the National Competition this year! I was expecting they'd have a parade down the streets of São Paulo, unless it is really that dangerous to be out on the streets of Brazil?! Or maybe, wala ng budget—napunta na sa World Cup and Olympics. Even the stage for the preliminaries was so unimaginative. They basically had giant cutouts of, I assume, the silhouette of São Paulo's skyline. Gone are the days of the Manila-type hosting duties!

Anyway, moving on... The candidates did have a video shoot in their National Costume. I'm still not sure if they'll be used for the opening number on Tuesday, but at least, the candidates were able to take them out of their suitcases.

Angola

Now isn't Angola an African country? The good thing about this competition is that it makes me research about their costume and countries and learn a thing or two, in this case, about geography. Unlike most African countries, it is not landlocked as it is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean on the west. I like the derelict quality of those corals and fishes like it's an environmental statement.

Bahamas

Now this is how you do a bird costume. Not over the top, although that slinky swimsuit is dangerously riding up her singit.

Bolivia

Another excellent bird costume! I love that headdress—parang nagkape lang yung parrot, lol.

Botswana

Lakas maka-authentic ng ate nyo, lol.

Chile

Last year, this happened. It's a cute way to pay tribute to her countrymen I almost wish they sent her down the tunnel wearing this while the miners were still trapped; I think that would have done her country greater service.

China

China thought she was next to Croatia, so scarecrow ang drama nya para scareCro—atia! ^__^ You're welcome!

Curacao

Please decide: are you a bird or a fish that's really gay?

Dominican Republic

One of the best sea-inspired costume I've seen, ever.

Egypt

Lakas maka-Cleopatra ng ate nyo! I looove!!!

France

I wonder when France will ever pay tribute to Christian Dior and its other officially titled couturiers. Also, Kirsten Dunst had way better Marie Antoinette costumes.

Greece

What's a Grecian dress without a beautiful face to match it? Answer: Gretchen Barretto. Ay, rhetorical question lang pala.

Guam

Ate, patawa ka ha. Mermaid nga tapos may paa?! Wala, dapat pinangatawanan mo yan—kebs namin kung gumapang ka sa stage basta dapat, mermaid ka talaga.

Hungary

Words fail me.

Japan

'Yan ang in character. I will never tire of Japan's kimono and samurai costume especially if they always come up with something this gorgeous and dramatic.

Korea

Another one of my yearly Miss Universe national costume favorites, Korea. I love the hat, pwedeng pang Starbucks, lol!

Mexico

Another costume with a beautiful story behind it; this was inspired by La Calavera Catrina, Mexico's icon and muse for its Day of the Dead festival.

Nicaragua

Gorgeousness. I love the texture and colors. She also looks like Lucy Torres here.

Nigeria

Perhaps the only time a non-finalist can be seen on camera during the event is in the Parade of Nations. I feel sorry for her.

Peru

Philippines

Designed by Colombian Alfredo Barraza, the costume features a crown, a Maria Clara baro, and a gold skirt with reportedly 3,000 golden butterflies in acetate. I think it looks better on video and it's an improvement from our costumes in the last six years.

Puerto Rico

Lalaking hipon, meet your babaeng hipon.

Singapore

This must be one the world's most recognizable prints, thanks to Singapore Airlines. I wish its stewardesses would wear this someday para todo kabog.

Tanzania

O, eh pano ka luluhod sa laban, sige nga?

USA

Terribly tacky consider this is an homage to George Washington. Besides, this is so 2009.

Venezuela

I'm amazed at how Venezuela really sells this becky iguana with wings costume. 'Yan ang dedication!

Philippines: No consecutive placements in 37 years

2011-09-09T14:12:00.000+08:00

"Don't count your chickens before they are hatched."

"Eh bakit, egg ba si Shamcey?"

- an exchange by Missosology forum members, lol

The preliminary competition—wherein a separate panel of judges (Lea Salonga not included) selected the Top 15 finalists—was held at 8 a.m. today, Manila time. And based on the quote above, it's safe to say that the beckies are confident of Shamcey's chances for the Top 15, which will be announced during the finals night telecast on Tuesday. (9 a.m., Manila time, on Star World.)

In an interview with OPMB, Shamcey said that one of the few English words that his Colombian runway trainer knows is "tsunami" and that he instructed her to walk as if she was creating waves of mass destruction with her hips, lol.

I think she pretty much took that lesson to heart during the preliminary competition:

Being a pageant neophyte, she had one of the strangest walks during her Bb Pilipinas days, but earlier, she was able to hold her own against the world's heavily trained runway divas.

Her problem is that she loses her balance when she needs to stand still and pose, clearly seen in her rehearsal video:

Rehearsal video

She improved during the actual competition, but she still lost her balance in the final pit stop of the swimsuit round (1:06 mark); our only consolation was that the judges would have already entered their scores at this point. In any case, I just love that half-of-a-quarter kembot turn she did at the 0:37 mark! A signature move that will surely inspire many a copycat.

Having said that, just imagine how beauty pageants, particularly Miss Universe, the most competitive of them all, can be very unforgiving. You are being judged for 18 seconds per round, in front of millions of people at that, and those 18 seconds can change the course of your entire life! (And for some of these ladies, *ehem, Miss Venezuela*, they have trained for one full year for an 18-second performance. Imagine that.) Same with the question-and-answer portion: 20-seconds can spell the difference between the winner and loser.

As for the evening gown, FINALLY!!! For the first time since 1999 (that's 12 years ha), I'm happy with what Stella Araneta made our candidate wear. Ang lakas maka see-through, lol.

I love how liquid, ultra sexy, and sophisticated it looks. Not hoochie or kuku (kukurtinahin, lol!) at all! This was what I was very worried about before, because unlike Venus who can pull off a kuku, Shamcey's not at that level yet. Turned out I shouldn't have worried.

As a conclusion, I have high hopes that for the first time in 37 years, the Philippines will make it as a finalist for two consecutive years. (Our last consecutive placements were from 1972 to 1975—yes, four years in a row.) Hopefully, she also makes history by being the first UP alumna to ever make it to the Miss Universe finals :-)

I'll post my top 15 choices soon as soon as I see the the performances of all candidates.

The pageant whisperer (lol)

2011-09-03T13:46:00.001+08:00

I have a feeling Shamcey listens to me, lol.

When I wrote about how I found her too thin during Bb Pilipinas, she went ahead and gained some pounds prior to her trip to Brazil:

Before

After

When I blogged about how she needed to be more concise in her answers and be bubbly while at it, lo and behold:

Before

After.
I have to admit I cringed the first time I saw this—it's not exactly what I expected of her, given her credentials. However, after seeing the videos of the other candidates, Shamcey seemed more genuine and spontaneous compared to the rest.

When I (sort of) campaigned in Missosology for her to start wearing red lipstick again as she did during Bb Pilipinas, she started wearing red.

From boring brown:

to luscious and sophisticated red:

I am still waiting for the return of her smokey blue eyes with glitters, although I understand it is not exactly an "everyday" look:

I am also happy that for this year, Shamcey has made respectable wardrobe choices. They are not quite Miss Japan, but trust me, they are a huge improvement from the former Ms. Philippines representatives. Previously, representatives would recycle the clothes of their predecessors; this "phenomenon" has spawned many threads in Missosology under the title, Ang Mahiwagang Baul (The Magical Chest). Here are some examples:

Ms World PH 2008 (left) and Ms World PH 2007

Ms World PH 2008 and Ms Universe PH 2008 (right)

(From left) Ms Universe PH 2004, Ms International PH 2004 and Ms Universe PH 2003

Ms World PH 2006, Ms Universe PH 2006 (top), Ms International PH 2006, and Ms Universe PH 2002

Juice ko, hygienic pa ba yan, LOL!!!!

Now, the joke is that finally, nasunog na ang mahiwagang baul, lol. So far, Shamcey has yet to wear something from the baul from a year ago. (She has worn a gown worn by another candidate in Bb Pilipinas 2011.)

Now what else does she need improvement on?

Her walk has improved greatly but I think there's too much of a hip action going here, thus her walk looks labored (0:48):

Last year's Miss Universe first runner-up did this too, but somehow, it looked more natural on Yendi Phillips.

In terms of catwalk, only few can outperform Venus Raj's swimsuit competition performance, and I think Shamcey can do better by emulating her walk instead of Yendi's:

Meanwhile, you can still vote for Shamcey at the Miss Universe website (and make sure to rate her 10). You can vote up to 10 times per day per email address until September 12. It should be safe; I've yet to receive spam from Miss Universe :-)

Lovin' it

2011-09-03T11:36:00.001+08:00

Called McDo delivery.

Me: "One chicken with spaghetti me..."

Mcdo Agent (cutting me off): "That would be all, sir?"

Me: "... No. One chicken with spaghetti meal with large Co..."

MA (cuts me off again): "Anything else, sir?"

Me: "... WITH LARGE COKE and extra ri..."

MA (and again): "What else, sir?"

Me: (Ah ganon ha.) "... WITH-EXTRA-RICE-AND-MEDIUM-FRIES-AND-HOT-FUDGE-SUNDAE."

MA: "..extra rice and medium fries and... Sir, paki-ulit nga ulit?"

Me: "Puta ka."

I was talking to a dude, by the way.

Colomimbyerna

2011-08-31T13:05:00.005+08:00

rating: 4/10

I can forgive a movie for being a cliché but I find it difficult to forgive a movie for being so contrived.

In Colombiana, Zoe Saldana:

wears skintight and ultra thin body suits that show off her nipples
wears loose tank tops that show off her nipples
licks a lollipop and gives it a blowjob
has sex
shower

... all for no reason, except to appeal to a male and lesbian audience and show off her nipples. (Note that I keep on extolling her nipples because there are no breasts to speak of.)

Me: I'm not in a position to comment on her sex appeal.

Lesbian friend: She is NOT sexy!

Straight girl friend: She has a select fan base—geeks.

Also in the movie, Michael Vartan, who falls in love with Zoe not knowing she's an assassin:

prepares her breakfast in bed
wants her to ask him three questions so they can get to know each other
stops her from taking off her top (and showing off her nipples) because... he prefers to talk.

The last time I had seen this much mockery on film was when Denise Richards played a nuclear physicist.

Mideo Cruz, this movie needs your etits plastered on it.

My 2011 national costume for Philippines

2011-08-22T23:29:00.001+08:00

For the last two years, I've been sketching my own version of the Philippines' national costume for Miss Universe.

In 2009, I did the jeepney.

In 2010, it was the People Power Revolution, which I now realize wouldn't have suited Venus Raj. In fairness, parang kamukha nya si Ms. China this year, lol.

Later, Buddha Banana was kind enough to color and tweak it for me.

This year, I had a difficult time coming up with a concept. I was close to using the UP Pep Squad's 2010 fiesta uniform but I forced myself to come up with something original.

So I got to thinking about the host country, Brazil. That got me thinking about the Brazilian Carnival and how it is celebrated during Lent. That got me thinking about Filipino Holy Week (yes, I considered Politeismo, lol) and then it hit me.

...

Photo: www.inquirer.net

Why not? LOL.

More about the palaspas or palm frond in Michael Tan's article for Inquirer.

Miss Universe 2011 begins now

2011-08-22T17:36:00.002+08:00

Miss Universe season has officially started with the arrival of delegates in Sao Paulo, Brazil. This is the first time for Brazil, home of the world's top male and female supermodels, samba, and carnival, to host the pageant ever.

Shamcey arrived from Colombia, where she spent a week fine-tuning her pageant-related skills.

Shamcey's arrival photo; I approve of the dress ✓

USA failed to make the cut last year, a rare occurrence, and it seems they are hellbent on preventing a repeat of that in September:

Miss USA Alyssa Campanella -- fresh kung fresh lang

Miss China spent weeks in New York being trained by China's Oprah Winfrey, as reported by Wall Street Journal. She is 6ft tall.

Miss China Rosaline Luo is the new Japan. (By the way, Ines Ligron is no longer the national director for Japan so no comment ako sa candidate nila this year.) Love the studded pink jacket; best arrival outfit, IMO.

* * * *

This year, aside from the Top 15 finalists, there will be an additional slot for the winner of the online poll. Unfortunately, it won't be decided on the number of votes cast, but on the average rating given to the candidate in every country, all of which are also averaged. From the Miss Universe website:

How are the votes tabulated?
Producer will take the average of the total votes from the IP addresses originating from each country. Each country vote will then count as 1 vote, and be averaged with all of the other country votes to give the contestant a final score.

Example: 200 people from Canada vote for Miss Universe Norway and the average of those votes equals a 6, and 800 people from Norway vote for Miss Universe Norway and the average of those votes equals an 8. Canada’s country vote (6) and Norway’s country vote (8) are each counted as 1 vote and are averaged to give Miss Universe Norway a final score of 7.

Vote for Shamcey at the Miss Universe website.

Zombadings is like a neon green nail polish

2011-08-18T15:53:00.002+08:00

Rating: 6/10

Even after three drafts, I still can't manage to complete my review of Zombadings. I have some misgivings about the movie and the internal debate that raged inside me (raging talaga?) made it difficult for me to compose my thoughts. Fortunately, @Thysz on Twitter posted a link to this review (well, indirectly); I share some of his arguments, and his arguments alone. I'm not angry. (Or outraged, as is the name of the magazine for which the author wrote his review). And for the record, I wasn't offended by Zombadings. (By the way, the rejoinder to the negative movie review is posted here.)

Here's the first few paragraphs of one of my drafts:

You're a straight guy. You're cute, you get all the girls in your baranggay and your erection salutes to an eyebrow-raising proportion.

You are homophobic. You offend a gay witch who curses you and turns you gay.

In many respects, Zombadings did its best to dispel gay stereotypes and misconceptions; however, it must also be answerable to the same standard of political correctness it employed in its criticism of Filipino society. So,

why is being gay considered a curse?

why does turning gay in this film mean being flamboyant and exaggeratedly effeminate?

I understand that the film may not have been as funny if Remington was turning gay and still remained straight-acting. This brings us to another problem: so being flamboyantly gay = entertainment? (I also get that there are other different types of gay characters in the movie but they appeared to have been placed there to titillate the audience rather than enlighten them. [Spoiler alert; highlight to view] For example: why did the dad have to be another flamboyantly gay character? For entertainment na naman? [End of spoiler]

So why didn't I find it offensive? Was I laughing at Remington, or with Remington? Was it because I knew the people behind this film are gay? Did the virtuous ending (debatable, by the way) justify the means?

To the outsider, it may appear crude to see an audience laughing because Remington starts to speak Beckinese or sashay down the road and spout glitters and rainbows. But here's my realization: It's gay film made for a gay (and gay-loving) audience. (Although, as the Outrage review proved, maybe it's not for all gays.) It's funny to watch since you see your own or your friend's experiences in Remington's journey through gayhood and you know how being so out there has led you or your friend to trouble (fun and otherwise).

However, if a homophobic person sees Zombadings, do we expect him to have a change of heart? It's a film that would only fuel his derision for gays, even provide him more ammunition.

In that respect, Zombadings is like a neon green nail polish; in the wrong hands, it can get ugly. One is misguided if he should pin all the blame to the film when its characters are only a reflection of society. On the other hand, I have to admit that there are better gay films out there.

Zombadings: Patayin sa Shokot si Remington opens in theaters beginning August 31.

Ang garden, bow (That, and Miss Universe interview tips)

2011-08-10T00:01:00.009+08:00

Tuwing na bri-bring up sa mga kwentuhan ang tungkol sa mga beauty pageant sa noontime shows, di ko talaga pinapalampas na ikwento yung napanood ko sa Eat Bulaga, kasi di ko talaga sya kinaya. (At di sya urban legend kasi nga, napanood ko talaga.)

Ang tanong: "Kung may magic carpet ka, saan ka pupunta?"
Ang contestant: "Pupunta po ako sa napakagandang lugar—sa garden."

Kulang na lang ay iuntog ni Vic Sotto ang kanyang ulo sa pader. Actually, pati na rin ako.

Anyway, ito ang dahilan kung bakit ko nai-kwento yan.

All this time ay confident ako sa chances ni Shamcey Supsup sa Miss Universe. Hello, fan kaya ako. Kaya naman, napabaon ang mukha ko sa aking palad (facepalm?! lol) ng mapanood ko 'to:

Ang tanong (4:26 mark): How would you convince Mr. Trump to visit the Philippines, and if you were to host his visit, where would you take him?

In fairness, di naman nya talaga sinagot na garden per se, pero the fact na nabanggit pa nya yun ay ikinakamot ko talaga ng ulo. (By the way, nasa'n ba sa Pilipinas 'tong garden na ito na para bang napakaganda at kailangan mapuntahan? I hope 'di na kailangan ng magic carpet :-P)

Alam ko ang kanyang sakit dahil sakit ko rin ito minsan: ito ay ang paligoy-ligoy na sagot sa, kung iisipin mo naman talaga, ay simpleng tanong.

I'll prove that the Philippines—in fact, Mindanao—is not a dangerous place to visit. I'll bring him to Gen San, a peaceful and prosperous city, which is also my hometown. Gen San is famous for its tuna; who knows, Mr. Trump might want to import them for his businesses (chos!).

Sa Miss Universe final Q&A, meron ka lamang 20 seconds para sumagot. (At dito nakakadaya ang mga contestants na may translator pero marunong naman mag-English. Nakakapag-isip na nga, pwede pa sila sumagot in installments, and which means even more time to compose an answer in their heads.) Kaya naman di pa todo ang pamemewang mo sa harapan ng judges at audience ay pinapabalik ka na ng host sa likod with the other girls. Kaya bilib din ako sa mga contestants na kung makasagot ay parang armalite ang bibig: mabilis na nga, loaded pa ang sagot. Dyan magaling ang India.

That is, kung makarating ka sa final Q&A. Para maging finalist, kailangan mo humarap sa panel of judges, na buong araw nag-iinterview ng mga candidates na hindi bababa sa 70. Biro mo, gano'n kayo kadami kaya naman malamang ay paulit-ulit na nila naririnig ang "world peace," "I love kids," "I believe in education," "we have wonderful beaches," "my people are warm and hospitable," na okay, fine, totoo naman, pero gasgas na gasgas na talaga sa kanilang mga tenga. Iwasan ang motherhood statements at mas mabuting mag-cite na lang ng sariling mong experiences. (Cue in Miss USA 2007 Rachel Smith na talagang ni-namedrop si Oprah sa kanyang Q&A kasi nag-volunteer sya para dito.) Of course, debatable din ito—ayaw mo rin naman magtunog mayabang. (Wala sa top three si Rachel, lol.)

Bukod sa unique na answer, kailangan rin ay may personality ka—yun bang tipong excited at tuwang-tuwa ka sa ganap—para naman maging memorable ka, kung let's say, talagang "word peace," "kids," "education" at "I have no regrets" na talaga ang maisasagot mo. (Cue in Venus Raj, lol.) Syempre kailangan, kahit nagpapa-cute ay mai-defend mo pa din ang sagot mo, kahit na ba cliché ito. (Wala rin sa top three si Venus, hehe.)

Ayan lang naman mga tips ko sa 'yo Shamcey (lol) at para na rin sa inyo na sasali sa Miss Universe. However, these do not apply sa baranggay-level competitions at lalo na sa mga gay beauty pageants, kasi dun, ga-SONA dapat ang haba ng sagot mo, lol.

Tigasin

2011-08-09T00:25:00.088+08:00

I am enjoying (in an educational sense) the ongoing debate on Mideo Cruz's exhibit at the CCP particular among those who have been able to articulate their outrage over his works other than, "it offends me."

Inquirer penned an editorial on the matter denouncing Cruz's work, and I suspect the author is the same as this writer, who published his commentary in the Arts & Books section yesterday:

In his notes, Cruz says he inveighs against “polytheisms” such as Christianity commodified and today’s prevalent neoliberalism. But his images of Christianity are all drawn from Catholic popular iconography and he commits the same misconception about Catholic images—that their veneration is a form of idol-worship rejected by Old-Testament monotheism.

True, a misconception rejected by a burning bush up at Mt. Sinai, but is it still a misconception given the Filipino context? Filipino Catholicism is imbibed with animistic traditions. Why are shrines built over crying statues of the Virgin Mary? Why do people die trying to touch or get near the statue of the Nazareno during its feast day? Why must we have a bottle of these statues' tears? Why must we wipe our handkerchief on the Nazareno? That people place their faith in these objects means they have defied the first commandment.

At the least, it could be said that Cruz has a stunted view of Catholicism: He doesn’t seem to have matured beyond the childhood horror of icons of the Blessed Mother and her seven dagger-dolors and of the bloodied image of the Santo Entierro brought out on Good Friday.

Is it Cruz's view that is stunted or Filipino Catholics'? (See above.) Who hasn't matured beyond Good Friday threats of childhood? My lola, until her death, certainly did not.

The older generation can be very unyielding in their ways and views—so who's view is stunted?

* * * *

I do wonder: if the penis on Mideo Cruz's art wasn't erect and as prominent, would it have been deemed as offensive? Was the hard-on in itself part of the commentary? Was it a rationalization for the Church's turgid ego? Tinitigasan ba ang simbahang Katoliko? Sa kapangyarihan nito? Sa kanyang mismong pagkalalaki? (Oh Tagalog, and your layers of meaning!)

Unfortunately, Mideo's statement, that he used whatever was lying around the house (from his explanation of his art, eight paragraph), does put into question the editorial weight of the penis. Did he simply have a dildo lying around in his house?

_______________
Disclaimer: a) I haven't personally seen the exhibit; and b) my reaction is based on the crucifixion installment alone, which I've seen enough photos of.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

2011-08-08T11:55:00.008+08:00

rating: 9/10

I may not remember that entire details of Planet of the Apes, the one that starred Mark Walhberg, but I do remember loving it so much that even if I don't remember the movie's details, I do know for a fact that I loved it.

Sorry, it's Monday morning and I haven't had my coffee.

The other thing I remember was that it was depressing—Mark Wahlberg is trapped in an alternate reality where apes were the rulers and humans were slaves. This world depressed me so much that whenever I pass by a slum area, the first thing that comes to my mind is Planet of the Apes. That's how Planet appeared authentic to me despite its premise.

In Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Will Rodman (James Franco) is developing a drug and testing it among chimpanzees. The drug's secondary effect is increased intelligence to the point that the chimpanzees:

won't have to be informed about driving their car through deep flood; and
may be elected in government and finally solve our sewage and drainage problems.

That smart, you get the drift.

At some point, something goes wrong, they all break loose from captivity and Beyonce questions her own song, Who Run the World?

Now, the hard questions: What is it with apes that their increased intelligence is automatically presumed to be sinister? Why can't they be more like Yogi Bear, who is smarter than the average bear, yet so non-threatingly cute? (Answer: Ikaw na ang may twink friend gaya ni Boo-Boo Bear.) Why do Caesar, the star chimpanzee, and James Franco have better screen chemistry than Anne Hathaway and James did when they hosted the Oscars?

I have to admit though that this stereotyping of apes, about which we haven't heard PETA's reaction, has resulted to a highly engaging plot especially since this version of Planet does attempt to turn the sympathy toward them.

The technical production was highly excellent—the digitally created chimpanzees looked breathtakingly and terrifyingly real. Andy Serkis, who played Gollum in Lord of the Rings, is Caesar, so expect a topnotch performance from an ape. All actors (particularly James, John Lithglow and Freida Pinto) in fact, were extremely competent and I think that's one of the reasons why a science fiction film such as Planet may be taken seriously.

For fans of Planet, here's how the current franchise fits into the whole series, according to Wikipedia:

It is a reboot of the Planet of the Apes series that will act as a foundation with an origin story for a new film series. Its premise is similar to the fourth film in the original series, Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972), but it is not a direct remake in that it does not fit into that series' continuity.

Animated version of Catholic Church debate

2011-08-02T22:26:00.003+08:00

Here's an animated version of the debate I mentioned in The Galilean Carpenter. (Thanks to @The_CopyEditor's retweet; follow him if you're on Twitter, he provides a lot of resource.)

Here, compared to my earlier post, you get both sides of the debate—although it's still pretty clear who wins—and the visuals are wonderfully rendered.

J.Walking on Daredevilry

2011-08-01T00:09:00.001+08:00

Thanks Eon!

Eon recently began writing about the blogs on his roster—it's an excellent idea, one that I plan on copying, harhar.

Seriously, I think it's a great way to discover blogs and learn about the people behind them. When Eon mentioned that we've known each other for nine years, it made me realize: a) how time flies, and b) how different social media dynamics were then compared to now. A barrage of tweets and status updates just can't compare to longer and lovingly written entries, no matter how sporadic. Also, today, there's more emphasis on being "re-tweeted" or "re-blogged" than hearing comments from your readers, and hopefully, keep a thread of discussion ongoing. Our attention span—in this case, to provide feedback as a reader—has been reduced to a click. (That's what I miss about Multiply and one of the reasons why I'm never deleting my account there—I have some of the funniest comments thread there.)

Ang Babae sa Septic Tank

2011-07-25T11:47:00.005+08:00

UPDATE 073111:

Ang Babae sa Septic Tank will open in theaters starting Wednesday, August 3. This review was also picked up by Pam for Inquirer's Super yesterday, yey!

* * * *

rating: 8/10

If you are looking to see another Eugene Domingo starrer in the likes of Kimmy Dora or Here Comes the Bride, Ang Babae sa Septic Tank (directed by Marlon Rivera; written by Chris Martinez) might leave you a bit dissatisfied.

Not that it isn't funny; it's hilarious and I, who hardly react in the cinema, found myself roaring with laughter at the absurdities of independent (or "indie") filmmaking. However, I found the movie short: at 1 ½ hours, Eugene had barely enough screen time to satiate our appetite for her perfectly delivered comic timing and wit.

I initially found myself squirming during the first 15 minutes of the film. I thought, "Oh no, not ANOTHER indie movie about the poor and downtrodden," as images of the slums and squalid lifestyle of its residents were projected on screen. As it turned out, the movie was, in fact, a commentary on this "brand" of indie filmmaking, one that easily gains access to international film festivals, as characters Bingbong (JM de Guzman), a producer, and Ranier (Kean Cipriano), director, point out. Throughout the movie, they discuss strategies in creating an Oscar-worthy film, and also to one-up a recently lauded indie filmmaker, who is reaping acclaim in international festivals all over the world.

This self-mockery—the successful indie filmaker for example, seems to be a swipe at whoever Filipino have made it in Venice and whines over local coffee because he misses Italian "expresso" (just one example of his jetsetter complex; his character sketch is so hilarious, I'd pay to see him in his own movie)—is what makes Ang Babae both comical and enlightening: where does one draw the line between exposing and exploiting the truth? How do you present this truth in an honest way? And why not a musical? (OMG, major LOL on this one!!! My new LSS: Sabaw, Sabaw, Sabaw!)

I had just warmed up to this treatise when the credits started rolling—the ending felt stunted and I wasn't sure if that was another statement on the state of Philippine cinema. Perhaps, the film wanted you to continue that part of the debate as you leave the theater.

Ang Babae sa Septic Tank will be screened at the UP Film Center's Cine Adarna on July 26 at 8 p.m. (Details here.) The movie won Best Film in this year's Cinemalaya.

The Galilean carpenter

2011-07-19T22:37:00.002+08:00

Do you know who would be the last person ever to be accepted as a prince of the Church? The Galilean carpenter. That Jew. They would kick him out before he tried to cross the threshold. He would be so ill-at-ease in the Church. What would he think, what would he think of St. Peter’s? What would he think of the wealth, and the power, and the self-justification, and the wheedling apologies?

The Pope could decide that all this power, all this wealth, this hierarchy of princes and bishops and archbishops and priests and monks and nuns could be sent out in the world with money and art treasures, to put them back in the countries that they once raped and violated. They could give that money away, and they could concentrate on the apparent essence of their belief, and then, I would stand here and say the Catholic Church may well be a force for good in the world.

But until that day, it is not.

* * * *

Thank you, Carlo, for sharing this video with me. I've long heard of Stephen Fry, partly due to Christopher Hitchens, and in fact, I've heard about this debate, but I never ventured into watching or searching for the video.

Here is Stephen's speech:

The full debate can be viewed at www.intelligencesquared.com. The motion: "The Catholic Church is a force for good in the world." He special-mentioned the Philippines.

* * * *

Here's the part that made me teary-eyed:

It’s perhaps unfair of me, as a gay man, to moan at this enormous institution, which is the largest and most powerful church on Earth, has over a billion, as they like to tell us, members, each one of whom is under strict instructions to believe the dogmas of the church, but may wrestle with them personally of course.

It’s hard for me to be told that I’m evil, because I think of myself as someone who is filled with love, whose only purpose in life was to achieve love, and who feels love for so much of nature and the world and for everything else.

We certainly don’t need the stigmatisation, the victimisation, that leads to the playground bullying when people say you’re a disordered, morally evil individual.

It reminded me of the day I decided to leave the Catholic Church, when I read a Vatican document, penned by then cardinal Ratzinger, that defined homosexuality as an "intrinsic moral evil."

Quite a show, really had us going

2011-07-18T07:55:00.005+08:00

Don't tell me you're sorry 'cause you're not
And baby when I know you're only sorry you got caught

- Take a Bow, Rihanna

Bishop who got PCSO funds was a top Ayala stockholder

A bishop who sought and received Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) funds for his retirement home actually had millions invested in one of the country's biggest conglomerates, data from the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) show.

According to PSE records obtained by GMA News Research, the Roman Catholic Bishop of Tuguegarao owns more than 24,000 common shares of Ayala Corp. currently valued at P8 million.

With those holdings, retired Tuguegarao Archbishop Diosdado Talamayan held about 0.0049 percent of the total shares of the company which ranked him 73rd in the Top 100 stockholders list of Ayala Corp.

The Archdiocese of Tuguegarao is just one of the Catholic archdioceses that hold substantial volumes of stocks in companies whose shares are traded on the PSE.

PSE data show that these own stocks in the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI), Philippine Airlines, San Miguel Corp. and PHILEX Mining Corp.

In BPI, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Manila ranks fourth on the bank's list of Top 100 stockholders with more than 200 million shares currently valued at P17.3 billion, and represent 6.266 percent of the bank’s outstanding shares.

	Company	# Shares Owned	Rank in Top 100	Total Investment Value
ROMAN CATHOLIC ARCHBISHOP OF MANILA	Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI)	222,843,681	4th	12,724,374,185
ROMAN CATHOLIC ARCHBISHOP OF MLA (REAL CASA DE MISERICORDIA)	Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI)	41,408,841	8th	2,364,444,821
ROMAN CATHOLIC ARCHBISHOP OF MANILA (HOSPITAL DE SAN JUAN DE DIOS)	Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI)	22,072,182	13th	1,260,321,592
ROMAN CATHOLIC ARCHBISHOP OF MLA (HOSPICIO DE SAN JOSE)	Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI)	6,016,624	15th	343,549,230
ROMAN CATHOLIC ARCHBISHOP OF MLA (HOSP DE SA JUAN DE DIOS)	Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI)	4,285,572	17th	244,706,161
ROMAN CATHOLIC ARCHBISHOP OF MLA (MAYORDOMIA DELA CATEDRAL)	Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI)	2,664,266	21st	152,129,589
ROMAN CATHOLIC ARCHBISHOP OF MLA (ST. PAUL`S HOSPITAL)	Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI)	1,772,418	26th	101,205,068
CARMEL OF THE DIVINE INFANT JESUS OF PRAGUE, INC.	Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI)	726,819	49th	41,501,365
EL SUPERIOR DE LA CORPORACION FILIPINA DE PADRES AGUSTINOS RECOLETOS	Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI)	551,382	60th	31,483,912
ROMAN CATHOLIC ARCHBISHOP OF JARO	Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI)	491,385	64th	28,058,084
EL SUPERIOR DE LA CORPORACION FILIPINA DE PADRES AGUSTINOS RECOLETOS	San Miguel Corp (SMC)	2,370,000	31st	260,700,000
SUPERIOR DE LA CORPORACION ARCHICOFRADIA DE N.P.J.N DE RECOLETOS	San Miguel Corp (SMC)	1,234,603	75th	135,806,330
CARMEL OF THE DIVINE INFANT JESUS OF PRAGUE, INC.	San Miguel Corp (SMC)	957,516	79th	105,326,760
ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP OF TUGUEGARAO	San Miguel Corp (SMC)	856,639	81st	94,230,290
REAL MONASTERIO DE LA PURISIMA CONCEPCION DE NUESTRA MADRE SANTA CLARA DE MANILA	San Miguel Corp (SMC)	809,834	83rd	89,081,740
SUPERIOR DE LA CORPORACION DE PADRES RECOLETOS POR BECAS Y VOCACIONES	San Miguel Corp (SMC)	621,702	89th	68,387,220
CARMEL OF ST THERESE OF THE CHILD JESUS	San Miguel Corp (SMC)	592,956	91st	65,225,160
THE DISCALCED CARMELITE NUNS OF CEBU	San Miguel Corp (SMC)	451,864	95th	49,705,040
ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP OF NUEVA SEGOVIA DE VIGAN	San Miguel Corp (SMC)	428,067	98th	47,087,370
ROMAN CATHOLIC ARCHBISHOP OF MANILA	Philex Mining Corp (PX)	3,221,135	15th	66,677,495
RELIGIOUS OF THE VIRGIN MARY - B	Philex Mining Corp (PX)	3,125,777	16th	64,703,584
RELIGIOUS OF THE VIRGIN MARY-A	Philex Mining Corp (PX)	1,091,027	69th	22,584,259
ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP OF TUGUEGARAO	Ayala Corporation (AC)	24,015	73rd	9,289,002
KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS FRATERNAL ASSOCIATION OF THE PHILS, INC.	Ayala Corporation Preferred Shares - A (ACPA)	60,000	2nd	31,800,000
ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP OF TAGBILARAN	Ayala Corporation Preferred Shares - B (ACPR)	10,000	64th	1,015,000
DAUGHTERS OF CHARITY OF ST. VINCENT DE PAUL	PHINMA Corp. (PHN)	159,575	19th	2,122,348
ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP OF THE DIOCESE OF JUAN DE DIOS	PHINMA Corp. (PHN)	153,880	20th	2,046,604
RELIGIOUS OF THE VIRGIN MARY	PHINMA Corp. (PHN)	58,975	52nd	784,368
ROMAN CATHOLIC ARCHBISHOP OF MANILA	Concrete Aggregates Corp (CA)	78,846	9th	3,469,224
ROMAN CATHOLIC ARCHBISHOP OF MLA (REAL CASA DE MISERICORDIA)	Concrete Aggregates Corp (CA)	13,067	18th	574,948
ROMAN CATHOLIC ARCHBISHOP OF MANILA (HOSPITAL DE SAN JUAN DE DIOS)	Concrete Aggregates Corp (CA)	8,317	24th	365,948
ROMAN CATHOLIC ARCHBISHOP OF MLA (HOSPICIO DE SAN JOSE)	Concrete Aggregates Corp (CA)	1,898	66th	83,512
ROMAN CATHOLIC ARCHBISHOP OF MLA (MAYORDOMIA DELA CATEDRAL)	Concrete Aggregates Corp (CA)	841	97th	37,004
ROMAN CATHOLIC ARCHBISHOP OF MANILA	ISM Communications (ISM)	38,399	48th	126,333
SOCIETY OF THE DIVINE WORD	Filipino Fund Inc. (FFI)	6,000	24th	48,000
ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP OF BANGUED	Filipino Fund Inc. (FFI)	1,500	49th	12,000
CATHOLIC WOMENS LEAGUE	Benguet Corp. - A (BC)	215	53rd	4,107
CORPORACION DE PADRES DOMINICOS	EEI	75,000	75th	256,500

Full report on www.gmanews.tv.

* * * *

Well FINALLY, mainstream media took notice. What has been reported in Newsbreak in 2004 is finally snowballing: first, through the column of Elizabeth Angsioco in Manila Standard Today, and now, Sandra Aguinaldo's report for GMA 7.

In 2009, a friend told me to switch banks since she knew the Archdiocese of Manila is a major stockholder of BPI. Through research, I later learned it also invested in San Miguel—but wow, even in mining? And for a bishop to beg for P2,500 for government funds when he had P8 million worth of shares? (Arroyo ended up giving the bishop P200,000 through the PCSO.)

How about a round of applause?
A standing ovation?

Coup d’eglise

2011-07-15T09:58:00.001+08:00

For the record, I don't hate the Church, referring to the people who profess Catholic faith, unless they are just as bigoted and two-faced as its authority figures are. I never dissuaded any of my friends from attending Sunday mass, though it takes effort and I almost always have to bite my lip. I try my best to make this distinction clear in my posts, and if I do otherwise, please call my attention to it and I'll edit out the confusion.

Anyway. All that was to segue to Jose Ma. Montelibano's column for PDI today, titled The Bishop and the Gospels. It's the most sober opinion piece I've read on the subject of the SUV Bishops and it gives props to the tireless men and women who are true to their vow of poverty, and are still generous enough to serve the indigent. (Though I don't agree with his last paragraph, my arguments for which I wrote in my previous post.)

I'll only post the excerpt here, because I'm no Arianna Huffington, lol:

There was much ado about the term “Pajero Bishops” from a senator who appeared like trying hard to pander to the bishops in the senate hearing last Wednesday. It seemed that, as a politician, he was unaware of the real battle that was going on. The current controversy is not about the kind and brand of vehicles asked by bishops from the PSCO, it is about something most fundamental. It is about Catholicism in the Philippines which claims a flock of 80 percent or more of the population and the massive poverty of this same 80 percent or more. It is about this poverty in a country that has been controlled by the Church with the State for 400 years. It is about poverty that is deeply rooted in landlessness and a Church that has wallowed in so much land without buying it, and to a great extent, without making much of it productive.

- The Bishops and the Gospels

Why did mainstream media call CBCP's pastoral letter an apology?

2011-07-14T12:55:00.010+08:00

Here's the "apology letter"—as mainstream media put it, issued by the CBCP. But before that,

*** I wonder ***

It's interesting how mainstream media have labeled what the CBCP headlined "Pastoral Statement" as an "apology letter." (See Manila Bulletin, GMA News, The Philippine Star, ABS-CBN News. Can't find PDI's report on it save for this one, Bishops to answer as group: Our conscience is clear, which does seem to be the true reflection of the CBCP's stand.) More of my point after the letter below.

* * * *

CBCP Pastoral Statement

Our Dear People of God,

Our Mother Church has been deeply wounded by the controversies in the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office that have erupted in the past two weeks. Some members of the Church believe in the innocence of the bishops involved in the issue, while others do not. There is no doubt that everywhere in the Church there is great sorrow. We your pastors are one with you. As shepherds struggling to love you like Jesus the Good Shepherd, we are sorry for the pain and sadness that these events have brought upon you.

We are saddened that many of you, especially the youth, the poor, our Basic Ecclesial Communities, have been confused because of the apparent inconsistency of our actions with our pastoral preaching.

As we express our sadness, we also ask you to be slow in judgment and to conscientiously seek the whole truth behind the controversy. Let us seek the truth always in charity.

We assure you that the bishops concerned are ready to accept responsibility for their action and to face the consequences if it would be proven unlawful, anomalous, and unconstitutional. We assure you that their action was done without malice.

Out of their sincere desire to help their people, they failed to consider the pitfalls to which these grants could possibly lead them. They have also expressed their readiness to do everything that is necessary to heal this wound so that we can all move forward in hope.

We also assure you, our beloved people, that we shall re-examine the manner of our collaboration with government agencies for purposes of helping the poor, making sure that pastoral sensibilities are respected and the highest ethical standards are observed. We shall examine our values in the light of our vocation to be disciples of Jesus Christ.

We commit ourselves to the long journey of personal and social transformation required of all disciples of the Lord. We plead with you to walk with us in this path of constant renewal.

We express again our deep sorrow for the pain that the recent events have brought to you our beloved people. The good Lord knows our love for you. The words of the psalmist come to our mind: “My sacrifice, a contrite spirit. A humbled, contrite heart you will not spurn" (Ps.51).

As the same Psalmist addresses the Lord, we take his words as our own to encourage and challenge us: “Indeed you love truth in the heart; then in the secret of my heart teach me wisdom."

For an "apology letter" with 416 words, the word "sorry" was only mentioned once. Let us put it into context:

As shepherds struggling to love you like Jesus the Good Shepherd [sic], we are sorry for the pain and sadness that these events have brought upon you.

Translation: We're sorry you're hurt and saddened by these events; they're part of our struggle to love you like Jesus does.

Never mind that the term "struggling to love you" is problematic enough to conjure images of a reluctant stepmother; what's funnier is that the CBCP managed to pass on the blame to Catholics:

"We're sorry you feel that way."

I don't need to launch into the rest of the letter to prove that it never apologized for any of the bishops' actions, not even for this impervious type:

"I hope you will never fail to give a brand new car which would serve as your birthday gift to me... For your information, I have with me a seven-year-old car which is not anymore in good running condition. Therefore, this needs to be replaced very soon."

- February 2009 letter of Butuan Bishop Juan de Dios Pueblos to Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo;
from Bishop asked GMA for new car as b'day gift

It's also worth noting that in addressing its letter to the "Dear People of God," the CBCP failed to explain itself to the rest of the Filipinop taxpayers, whose government chest the bishop/s siphoned off money from.

"The Catholic Church is way too rich to be a charity case and has more than sufficient resources to finance its charitable work without competing with countless indigent patients and legitimate charity beneficiaries."

- House Minority Leader Edcel Lagman; also see, Bishops, ‘kadiri!’

* * * *

So imagine how aghast I was to find the Senate at yesterday's hearing practically keeling over in favor of the bishops, just because news reports have labeled them as "Pajero Bishops," when none of the identified clergy bought Pajeros but other types of SUVs. (So let's call them "SUV Bishops" then; will that calm you, Sen. Santiago?) And just for that misnomer, the bishops left the hearing unscathed, with CBCP supporters, such as Mike Enriquez in his radio show this morning, celebrating the bishops' apparent exoneration.

Whut?!

Even PCSO Chief Margarita Juico, who exposed these anomalies, apologized to the bishops.

Whut?!

Whatever happened to this?

“Certainly if it’s a criminal offense, nobody is above the law and nobody is immune from suit," (Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte) said on government-run dzRB radio, when asked about the possibility of bishops facing criminal charges.

She cited Article VI Section 29 (2) of the Constitution, which decrees that "No public money or property shall be appropriated, applied, paid, or employed, directly or indirectly, for the use, benefit, or support of any sect, church, denomination, sectarian institution, or system of religion, or of any priest, preacher, minister, or other religious teacher, or dignitary as such, except when such priest, preacher, minister, or dignitary is assigned to the armed forces, or to any penal institution, or government orphanage or leprosarium."

- Bishops not above law on PCSO donations – Palace

(For the record, I definitely think whoever disbursed these funds to the bishops should face criminal charges, too.) I thought that was what the Senate hearing was for, not fight over the incidental term, Pajero.

Thankfully, not everyone is blinded by the shepherdly pretense of the bishops, particularly Pueblos's.

House Minority Leader Edcel Lagman on Thursday blasted the Senate's reverential treatment of Catholic bishops who received service vehicles under the Arroyo government.

In a statement, Lagman said the contrite demeanor of the concerned bishops, capped by an irrevocable offer to return the controversial vehicles, "mollified the Senators and the prelates got away with nary a parking ticket."

He said that while it is not surprising that the Catholic Church would get equities, he said the senators conveniently overlooked several facts and issues during the inquiry.

- Bishops' acceptance of SUVs hypocritical, says lawmaker

All Out, All Heart, All Wet

2011-07-12T07:52:00.006+08:00

Read the article on www.interaksyon.com

When @FireQuinito asked me to review the opening ceremony of UAAP Season 74 for TV5's sports website, I immediately said yes because I knew it was a good gig—I mean, come on, it was touted as an Olympic-style opening ceremony, something to look forward to. On the other hand, I also worried about how hyped this event was: if these superlatives were coming from the media, then I felt sorry for host school, Ateneo; if they did come from Ateneo, wow really?

Olsen Racela will carry the torch and will light up the cauldron when the Season 74 of the UAAP opens Saturday in a one-of-a-kind opening ceremony at the Marikina City Sports Park.

Close to 3,000 athletes competing in the 15 sports disciplines this season will march around the oval in an event with 600 more will be participating in the program with close to 8,000 students, alumni and fans expected to watch at the Marikina Sports Park.

Palou said that the idea of an Olympic-style opening rites began three years ago after they got the hosting rights for 2011. He added that project head Benjo Afuang started preparations in January while the actual rehearsals began April.

— one of many stories touting the Olympic-style opening

Still, I did root for the opening to be a success. As I told @FireQuinito, I didn't want to be a 'negatron' or be branded as a hater because that's just ugly.

Unfortunately, it rained all day and it took its toll on the event. Performers looked confused, and I suspected this was because they had other things planned were if not for the nasty weather. However, the organizers did say they prepared for this event since January, a long period, and it's unfortunate they didn't appear to have come up with more effective contingency measures.

(In situations like this, I'm reminded of what Anderson Cooper said in the aftermath of the Hurricane Katrina tragedy: Hope is not a plan. We cannot just hope for it not to rain, but we also need to plan for it.)

I was most disappointed by the fact that the event had no story or hook, the importance of which I explained in the last part of my story. Too bad. I did read somewhere on Twitter that one of the most important jobs of being the host school is to make sure that game officiations are fair, so hopefully, UAAP Season 74 will be remembered for that.

Monte Carlo

2011-07-11T13:22:00.001+08:00

****

Best movie of the year!!! Kebs na sa Tree of Life, this should have won Cannes Best Picture, LOL!

Of course, I exaggerate, but I've been wanting to watch a movie, shut off my brain and just have fun, things which I failed to experience in the awful Something Borrowed. (Perhaps it's time these roles are relegated to the kids.) It's nothing like Clueless, a movie which catapulted itself to popdom greatness, but it's a simple, wholesome teen movie that works—one that does not involve sex and fart jokes, murderers and molested pies.

It's a preposterous plot, with other preposterous situations, but what's not to like about Paris and mistaken identities and Blair Waldorf?! It's also funny how, when the trio of Grace (Selena Gomez), Emma (Katie Cassidy) and Meg (Leighton Meester) flew from Paris to Monte Carlo, our group went into a flurry of whispers:

"Sa'n nga ba ang Monte Carlo?"

"Di ba kailangan ng passport dun?"

"Mukhang sa France din."

"Hanep sa accent."

"Ang sarap nya!" LOL.

I weakly offered Monaco, which my googling this morning proved to be a correct suggestion. (Meron kasing Monaco sa Ms. World, lol.) In any case, it is still beside France, though I assume they should have still surrendered their passports.

There are gorgeous gowns, jewelry, hotel suites and men but unfortunately, you don't really get a full-on tourism advertisement for Monte Carlo, except if you count rock formations on the beach. Grace's doppelganger, the rich heiress Cordelia Winthrop-Scott, also makes a minimal appearance, which is too bad because she looked like such a fun character to exploit.

For that, I want a sequel :-P

Where in the world is Manado?

2011-07-10T14:08:00.003+08:00

“I like your former president, she’s very pretty,” said Katherine Situmorang of the North Sulawesi Tourism Board (NSTB), referring to Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. We were trading fun facts about our homes–her Manado and my Manila.

The Indonesian province is nearer the Philippine cities of General Santos and Cotabato than the country’s capital, Jakarta, which is about 2,000 km away (compared to about 500 km from General Santos).

It may have been just as well part of our country: Manado, like our islands, is blessed with warm waters and a rich marine life that make it ideal for divers. It also has fertile grounds that grow cloves and coconuts, among others, for export.

In the late ‘70s, the agriculture industry thrived and the residents could afford brand new cars, until a former president’s son monopolized the trade. Today, remnants of its rich past are evident–the roads are littered with Daihatsu Xenia, the Toyota Avanza’s twin model, and sections of the city are lined with mansions. There are no street children.

Continue reading The new–but comforting–Manado.

* * * *

For a world geography geek in high school—thanks to my budding interest in the Miss Universe pageant and the spectacle of the Olympics opening ceremony then held in Atlanta, Georgia—I was befuddled when I was invited to visit Manado. The name sounded comfortingly familiar, rolling off the tongue easily like most Tagalog words derived from the Spanish, yet foreign to my internal database, which couldn't find a match. However, to Filipinos in the south, as well as Christian Bautista, who I heard have held a series of concerts there, Manado is as part of their vocabulary as other Asian cities are.

Manado is the capital city of North Sulawesi province in Indonesia. (The editor of my article, having deleted some parts in my first two paragraphs, unfortunately made it appear that Manado is a province. Nevertheless, I thank him/her for ably whittling down my copy to a digestible length—I originally sent in more than 2,000 words :-P) If you look at the world map, it's under General Santos, or further southeast of Kota Kinabalu.

View Larger Map

I was initially apprehensive about this trip because I was never keen on visiting Indonesia, particularly Jakarta, since I heard it's pretty much the same as Manila. However, the novelty of going to an entirely new and unheard-of place whetted my wanderlust.

It did not disappoint. I expected it to be like Cebu and Davao, but I found Manado to be more clean, orderly and peaceful. What didn't make the article was that mansions, the type you'd see in exclusive communities, like Dasmariñas Village in Makati, were built alongside rice paddies and more simple homes and that they were not barricaded by such high gates that go all the way up to the second floor. They were so open, that in most instances, one could actually see through to their living rooms.

I also thought that Filipinos have the upper hand in the region in terms of Western beauty standards, but wow, the Manadonese can certainly compete. Pang-Star Magic, lol! This may be un-PC, but they were definitely able to preserve the genes of their Dutch colonizers with their fair complexion, nicely bridged noses and strong build—check na check, lol! I did sense that these factors—an affluent population, a peaceful and majority Christian population, and colonial-looking features—have given the Manadonese reasons to turn up their noses at fellow Indonesians.

They do like the Philippines and know enough about our country to put me—who never heard of Manado—to shame. They followed news of Ninoy Aquino, who apparently spent time in Manado as a journalist (can't find this in my Google searches, though); have sporadic tendency to show off some Tagalog words; and professed to be fans of Tanduay Rum, San Miguel Beer and Christian Bautista.

Pacific Rims musings

2011-07-04T14:51:00.004+08:00

I picked up Pacific Rims as a Father’s Day gift since my father is a huge basketball fan. I’ve heard fairly good things about this book and so, as I thought about how long I might have to wait for Pa to finish reading it before I can borrow it, the more I had misgivings about wrapping it and sending it to him as a present. Uncouthness won as I tore the plastic off the book, thinking that I could send it to him as a birthday gift this July anyway. (I also justified this behavior by thinking that I can write him a better dedication since I have already read it myself.)

It turned out to be a breezy read. I was initially apprehensive about stumbling over basketball terms or a roster of names and teams I never heard of—and sure enough, there were those—but it’s not really hard to find yourself engaged by Rafe Bartholomew’s simple and beautiful story: an American basketball-obsessed enough to live in the country and research about Pinoys’ love for the sport.

I am not a huge basketball fan—although who may be crazy enough to actually buy tickets to the games of UAAP basketball cellar-dwellers, UP Maroons, if not a sports fan?—but Pacific Rims did allow me to tap into childhood memories that have long been hidden since I discovered the world of beauty pageants. There were the dinners in front of the TV, cheering for the holy trinity of Purefoods's Alvin Patrimonio, Jerry Codiñera and Jojo Lastimosa as they went up against the foul-mannered Robert Jaworski and his Ginebra team.

* * * *

Upon deeper reflection, I realized that to me, they were my first-ever real-life manifestation of the fight between Team Good and Team Evil. My father hated Jaworski; he’d always point out how dirty he played and my sister and I would nod our little heads in agreement to his assessment, and eventually, learned to hate him as well. If Purefoods wasn’t playing, we rooted for whomever Ginebra was playing against and rejoiced when Team Evil lost. Psychoanalyzing myself, I think this formed my dichotomous sense of judgement I mentioned here (and which I’m trying to undo): that one is either right or wrong; you cannot play for both teams.

* * * *

Rafe talks about the book.

There was also the time when my father proudly took out a piece of paper from his bag and ceremoniously presented it to my sister, who was a bigger Purefoods fan than I was (lol): it had the autographs of the trinity, along with other basketball players. Their handwriting and signatures were nice—too nice in fact—that I later suspected that maybe, it wasn’t the players themselves that signed them but a team staff. (My father didn’t witness the signing himself—a colleague gave it to him.) I never and still don’t have the heart to break this hypothesis to my sister or father.

A few years later, an uncle gave me a basketball with the signatures of Alaska players on it—and this time, they were guaranteed authentic—but by then I’ve lost interest in the PBA (and didn't care much for a team that wasn't Purefoods) to give it a place in my room. I have no idea whatever became of it—I may have given it to a cousin, hopefully, not my uncle’s offspring—but for some reason, I distinctly remember how that ball looked like as I write this.

Having undergone my father’s experimentations in what he thought were effective ways of gaining height—primarily, having to wear those foot insoles with cleats and studs—and actually having achieved it as I now stand 6’1 (whether that is by virtue of my genes, nutrition or those insoles, I really don’t know), I am sure that his biggest frustration in life was that I never became a basketball player. (And yes, I considered not being able to give him a grandchild in the traditional manner, :-P) I remember him waxing poetic about the glory of basketball superstardom, as well as the corresponding money involved, back when I was still floundering in college. I think I may have been able to partly waive that frustration off when I finally got my name published in the newspaper—a moment of self-glory, but definitely no money, lol.

So where is the book review? LOL. Pacific Rims was a trip down memory lane for me, and I have to thank the author for allowing me to reflect on parts of my childhood that don’t really resurface as I have pursued and continue to pursue other interests now. And I think that on a larger scale, this was also what Rafe set out to do: to allow Filipinos to pause and think about how the sport has given us an identity as a nation, something which no other book has done before.

Editorializing: what difference a few words make

2011-07-01T17:42:00.000+08:00

From:

End your ATV ride at the shrine of Cagsawa Ruins, which are remnants of a Catholic Church built by the Spanish in the 18th century.

To:

End your ATV ride at the shrine of Cagsawa Ruins, which are remnants of a Catholic Church ordered built by the Spanish friars in the 18th century.

Just giving credit to whom credit is due.

Deym. 1 + 1 cover by J Rome

2011-06-30T23:53:00.002+08:00

Wow.

This guy scarred me for life: I don't think I'm singing Beyoncé in public ever again, lol! He's so good! (Kunwari hesitant pa, eh kabisado naman pala yung song! LOL!)

4 by Beyoncé

2011-06-29T16:12:00.002+08:00

What can I say about an album that dispenses kōan wisdom such as in the following?

"I don't know much about Algebra but I know that one plus equals two."

"Hey! I don't know much about guns but I... I've been shot by you."

- 1+1

"Maybe we reached the mountain peak and there's no more left to climb. And maybe we lost the magic piece and we both too blind to find."

"Maybe you like it. Well, I don't."

- Start Over

"I'm not a preacher but we can pray if you wanna. Ain't a doctor but I can make you feel better."

- Schoolin' Life

"My persuasion can build a nation."

"Who run this mother?"

- Run the World

and the most debilitating of all:

"So when I think of the time that I almost loved you, you showed your ass and I saw the real you."

- Best Thing I Never Had

Whaaat? LOL!

Bey's latest single, Best Thing I Never Had

Sasha Fierce, Beyoncé's extremely liberated alter ego, is largely absent from this album, which means there's no other song in 4 for me to dance to (lol) except Run the World.

Hence, I couldn't help but scrutinize her lyrics and they're... cute. Sure, her voice has credence and grit, but those only make the album even more perplexing and camp—which means it's interesting and in an ironic twist, worth listening to. Falling under this category are 1+1, Start Over and Best Thing I Never Had, songs which highlight the power and emotion of Beyoncé's vocals. After all, it's hard to make fun of an artist that sounds like she's putting a tremendous amount of work and effort into her songs—and which sounds excellent—without being sarcastic.

This combination somehow works on all songs except for one: the Diane Warren-penned I Was Here. The moment it started with "I wanna leave my footprints on the sands of time... When I leave this world, I leave no regrets," I knew it'll be a succession of Hallmark soundbites and I was right.

Party (featuring André 3000), which Kanye West helped write, was a disappointment, too. It was a misnomer and lacked the soul and inspiration that Lauryn Hill, or Kanye himself, would have in their ballads.

My favorite would be Love on Top, not necessarily groundbreaking, but the type that's light and positive in a Trina Belamide kind of way (lol). The two tracks after that, Countdown and End of Time, are the most playfully produced of the bunch and which I have played incessantly in my player.

This review on the New Yorker perhaps explains Beyoncé's new album that's not quite Adele or Lady Gaga, but her own.

Freedom by Jonathan Franzen

2011-06-28T21:31:00.005+08:00

*Edited for grammar and typos, 06/29/11

Jonathan Franzen's Freedom is Time's top choice for fictional books in 2010 and that was the reason I decided to pick up a copy. That it was selected for Oprah's Book Club at the second half of 2010 was a coincidence on my part, although it definitely added to the hype and to my expectations.

The author in an August 2010 cover story for Time

It's a novel that gives voice to a wide range of characters—college sweethearts-turned-married couple, their rock star best friend, and a son and daughter who are the polar opposite of each other. They are all varying degrees of twisted and dysfunctional and at some point, when they've assaulted me nonstop, page by page, of their corresponding neuroses, I had to shut the book, light a candle and close my eyes and breathe. (Freedom reviews I read never brought this up. Ah, Americans and their families. :-P)

College sweethearts Walter and Patty Berglund have just moved to the suburbs and they become the toast of the town. They are well-loved, until a strain in Patty's behavior gives way to full-on bitching—primarily directed at the mother of her son's girlfriend.

For a person who has always been dichotomous in his opinions and judgments *ehem*, it's easy to dismiss these characters as train wrecks waiting to happen. What should be an ordinary phone conversation between mother and son, or husband and wife, is layered with resentment and bitterness—the effect is more scathing than a dialogue laced with expletives—and I roll my eyes at how cynical and whiny these people are. (Look at me, I'm middle class and I'm such a victim! Life is so unfair :-() But maybe, I am too young or inexperienced to interpret the nuances of a richly lived, complexity-driven life.

The film Revolutionary Road explores the same theme: You have a middle-class couple who recently moved into a neighborhood and they were easily welcomed by families eager to be part of their circle. However, their issues, arguments and heartaches were not abrasive or hostile to me: they were clearly trapped, particularly April, the wife, who drowned in desperation as each day passed. Their issues had weight and I empathized.

The Berglunds, on the other hand, had itches that needed to be scratched and gain closure from. It will take them decades—hundreds of pages—to finally embark on experiences they put off in college.

There's freedom for you.

Tree of Life

2011-06-26T17:11:00.011+08:00

***

I have walked out of a movie once: it was the sequel to the Blair Witch Project and I felt that wasting the money I used to pay for the movie (by not finishing the film) was better than torturing myself with more screen time.

It was with this context that I observed, with amusement, how fellow moviegoers during the screening of Tree of Life stood up one by one, some in batches, and never returned to their seats: they clearly wouldn't tolerate the film, even that of a Cannes Best Picture. Mon and I stayed even though it was clear we too had trouble getting it, judging by the gush of giggles we'd have now and then. I rooted not only for ourselves, but also for the old and romantic couple in front of us who stayed up late for the 10:40pm screening at Power Plant Mall, but alas, about two hours into the film, they stood up and left too.

It is a difficult movie to watch (by the way, we did finish it), in the sense that poems may be more difficult to comprehend than a narrative. I'd like to think I did get it: for one, is there really a God? Is someone really listening? When one of the characters direct a question to him, "Lord, why? Where are you?" and all he hears is the rustle of the wind against sheer window curtains or grass-end bristles, is that God responding or meteorology at work?

The movie opens with a mother explaining the difference between living the way of nature and living the way of grace. 'Nature' is selfish and leads to survival and self-preservation. 'Grace' is accepting what is—whether that be grief or death. (This contrast is also exhibit by the parenting techniques of Mother and Father.) The film then paints beautiful imagery on the screen, explaining how the universe and earth came to be, with its explosions and osmosis and evolution. It was all 'Nature' until it showed a dinosaur having the grace, the conscience, to reflect on whether to make or not make a meal out of its prey.

I refuse to accept that: a dinosaur is a dinosaur.

An asteroid hits the earth, wiping out dinosaurs and other animals, (no Great Floods here) and consequently, blankets the world in ice. Amid all these National Geography drama, we hear various voice overs from the mother and the rest of her family: their silent prayers to God, all delivered in hushed tones. With the universe as their backdrop, the prayers begin to feel minute and trivial. The wind blows, the sun shines: the world is as it was—indifferent. (I also have a problem with these hushed voice overs: if you're praying silently, then why do you have to whisper?)

I loved the movie right until that point because that's how it is for us humans. We have our faith, of not knowing what really is out there and yet, we cling to God. We are free to accept nature's gifts as that from Him, or a demonstration of the Big Bang and Darwinian theories. All constitute free will.

But then Terrence Malick (writer and director) made the last 15 minutes and imposes his personal religion on the viewer, which would have been fine, if it were at least revolutionary and thought-provoking.

"Heaven!"

2011-06-25T18:01:00.003+08:00

Aside from the typhoon that wreaked havoc on Northern Luzon these past two days, another bagyo made itself felt, this one, centered in Pampanga:

<p>&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;This page requires a higher version browser&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;</p> For the latest Philippine news stories and videos, visit GMANews.TV

Girl, anong katol hinihithit mo? Lakas ng tama mo ha, lol.

Girl claims the Aquino administration squandered the economic gains of her administration. (Gains that are easily rejected by NGO think-tank IBON Foundation.) While she was absent from her plunder case hearing at the DOJ, the rest of the world has acknowledged the fiscal policies of President Aquino. Last week, Moody's and Fitch have upgraded the credit ratings of the Philippines, to Ba2 from Ba3, and to BB+ from BB. In November 2010, Standard & Poor's also upgraded its outlook on the Philippines, the first time it did since 1997, to BB.

The ratings lower the country's cost of debt and are used as a gauge by foreign investors. From Bloomberg BusinessWeek:

The government has done a good job during the last year (so this is Aquino's and girl can't lay a hand and claim this—J) with a better-than-expected control on its budget deficit,” said Jetro Siekkinen, a fund manager in Helsinki at Aktia Asset Management, which owns both peso and dollar bonds sold by the Philippines among $10 billion of assets under management. “The economy is not highly dependent on China. The central bank is doing a good job keeping inflation in check. Things are definitely going in the right direction.”

President Benigno Aquino has gone after tax evaders and smugglers to convince investors he can boost revenue to narrow a record budget shortfall. Higher debt ratings reduce the cost of borrowing, making it cheaper for the Philippines to sell debt to fund spending on roads, bridges and schools.

The decision was driven by “the progress made in fiscal consolidation by the new Aquino administration; and the sustained nature of macroeconomic stability, coupled with continued strength in the external payments position, against a background of a significant pick-up in the momentum for economic growth,” Moody’s said.

The report continued:

The Philippines reported a budget surplus of 26.3 billion pesos ($607 million) in April as revenue rose and spending fell. The surplus was 61 million pesos in the first four months, compared with a deficit of 131.80 billion pesos in the same period in 2010.

We have a budget surplus. It's not in the pockets of corrupt politicians and it wasn't used to buy houses in the US; it's right there.

Ito lang naman talaga gusto ko'ng marining kaya ko binoto si Aquino, yung maitama yung mga mali. Ayoko sa magnanakaw. (Kaya nga malaki din galit ko sa plagiarists.)

For further reading: ‘Aquinomics’: What difference has it made?

Agonizing envy

2011-06-24T07:50:00.005+08:00

Ampatuan father and son were arraigned the same time in a court hearing yesterday. It broke my heart to hear one of the family members of the victims, Mrs Evardo, say this (0:37 in the video):

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For the latest Philippine news stories and videos, visit GMANews.TV

Syempre yung galit at inggit na silang dalawa nagkakasama samantalang ang aming mga, yung mga nabiktima naming mahal sa buhay di na namin makaksama pang-habangbuhay na.

The Maguindanao massacre will observe its second anniversary in November. That means two years of grindingly slow justice, which even when achieved, sadly and understandably won't be enough.

This works: Sleep

2011-06-23T07:29:00.011+08:00

Found this on my bed during my stay at Crowne Plaza Changi Airport:

I love the packaging and the font, and I found it considerate and charming of the hotel.

I don't have problems sleeping—even if I'm on a different bed as long as it's comfortable and I got there on my own accord (lol)—so I can't tell if this really knocks the lights out of insomniacs; in my case, it has definitely created a serene and luxurious environment in my room (and bedroom since I gladly took this home). The box contains a pillow spray, which has lavender, vetivert and camomile essential oils; and a roll-on, which contains frankincense and eucalyptus, and which you apply on your pulse points. Hmm, let me see... it's really hard to describe smell so let me put it this way: you'd rather cuddle than do anything strenuous if you have this in your room, lol.

Together with my soy candle—a blend of sea moss, citrus and tropical florals—I can't manage to read three pages of my bedside book without falling into deep slumber.

Even Rigoberto Tiglao's rants against Noynoy and his praise
of Gloria Arroyo in the current issue of Rogue were not enough to raise my blood pressure, lol.

You can order This Works: Sleep online but I'm sure we can all concoct our own calming mix of odors (hopefully pleasant too) in the bedroom to help us enjoy our sleep and dreams.

LOL-addicted

2011-06-22T07:56:00.000+08:00

LOL

Nope, I'm not directing my amusement toward an addicted person (and in that sentence basically lies the problem: I'm not even laughing out loud); rather, I overuse the acronym. I'm starting to annoy myself, although I have to admit that when I read other people's (particularly friends') sentence which has LOL in it, I get it. I know how you feel like. I can hear your voice as you breathlessly deliver your joke. I actually find the hirit funny.

I know you have a personality.

I've nothing against the, I guess, more technically correct "hahaha" but if we're going to be strict about these things, my laughter is nothing like hahaha. Nowadays, whenever I've used LOL a hundred times and I need to use hahaha just to switch it up, I am careful not to sound contrived like a chortling contravida. That's how I feel about hahaha.

Hahaha is like LOL with Botox.

Those who complain against LOL also have the same issue against :-P. They say, who actually sticks out their tongue at people except five-year-olds?

I may be a Miss Universe fan but I never actually smile like this: :-D

Crowne Plaza Hotel - Changi Airport

2011-06-21T15:34:00.004+08:00

I recently had about two days' worth of stopover in Singapore and I was billeted at the Crowne Plaza Hotel - Changi Airport. Given my situation—the limited time that I had in the country, plus the early connecting flight—I have to say this was the best hotel for it. It was right beside Terminal 3 of Changi Airport (as in I never had to leave the airport premises); just take the elevator down to basement level and you can ride the MRT to the city (about 30 to 40 minutes away). When I had to off-load my baggage from the connecting flight, the airport official who assisted me in the Lost & Found department personally brought my bag to the hotel less than an hour later, instead of the two hours that they usually promise passengers.

According to the hotel website, you can also check-in for your flight at the lobby but I didn't find the need to do it, so I can't tell if it works without hassle. Nevertheless, flight details and schedules as seen from the airport are also displayed at the lobby. It was practically an extension of Changi Airport—and since their airport is world-class, you can hang out in the public areas and buy food, etc. anytime you want.

On my first stay at the hotel, I got a room facing Changi's air control tower:

I thought that was pretty nice already until I was booked in a room facing the runway on my second stay:

That was pretty cool (the room was soundproofed too), although I kept wondering if people on the plane can see through my window and therefore, my bed and toilet activities (but still, that didn't make me shut the drapes, lol).

The hotel had a good layout; I was able to entertain two friends without the room getting cramped, thanks to the couch and coffee table. There are windows from which light can enter so if you're environment-conscious, you can turn off the lights and you'd still have a brightly lit room and toilet in the morning.

I had a minor incident with the telephone on my first stay since it won't ring, but they did get it fixed albeit 45 minutes later. The toiletries smelled good; the bathroom has separated tub and shower areas. Breakfast has a good selection of local Chinese cuisine. I now wish I got to try the pool instead of wasting an hour waiting for ION Orchard to open :-P

Happy 150th birthday Jose Rizal!

2011-06-19T11:39:00.007+08:00

www.us.penguingroup.com

The Penguin Classics edition of El Filibusterismo is now available locally. I got mine at National Bookstore Greenbelt for ~~P595~~ P549, and only two copies are left in the stand.

In the spirit of The Count of Monte Cristo and Les Misérables, a major new translation—José Rizal's stunning continuation of Noli Me Tangere.

José Rizal was one of the leading champions of Filipino nationalism and independence. His masterpiece, Noli Me Tangere, is widely considered to be the foundational novel of the Philippines. In this riveting continuation, which picks up the story thirteen years later, Rizal departs from the Noli's themes of innocent love and martyrdom to present a gripping tale of obsession and revenge. Clearly demonstrating Rizal's growth as a writer, and influenced by his exposure to international events, El Filibusterismo is a thrilling and suspenseful account of Filipino resistance to colonial rule that still resonates today.

The book is translated by Harold Augenbraum, who also translated Penguin's Noli Me Tangere edition. (I wonder though, if selecting these editions over locally published El Fili and Noli makes me less patriotic.)

Thanks to Noli, I was moved to research about Rizal's life on my own. The book and Rizal's murder—I admit an editorialized term but no less true—also sparked my then renewed outrage against the Catholic Church, a hangup of mine which I'm trying my best to control and be Zen about. (Hence, you haven't read me rile about the CBCP's stand against the Reproductive Health and Divorce bills.)