A Home at the End of the World

Hellowee!!!

This movie will be showing on HBO on Wednesday, November 15, 2006. I think it will run at 11:15 PM Manila Time.

I sooo like this movie, which was actually recommended by Jayce. I saw it a few months back(the disc was from Jayce... Teeeheeeheee).

It is about a beautiful friendship... In all its aspects, love, loyalty, integrity... and of course a whole lot of FUN!!!!

I hope y'all enjoy the movie as much as I did.. I would love to talk more about the movie but if you noticed, I really do not have much time for my blog.... just wanna put it out there....

Hope y'all get to watch it! Til next post... Toodles!

October: Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Calling all women out there!!!
All colors, shapes, cup sizes! Pass on the message!

I really do not have much time to compose and put my thoughts in writing.... just go the website below for more information.

http://www.nbcam.com/

I miss my Blog!!!

I have been sooooo busy the past few weeks... consumed by tons of paper work and new projects for my account.

I have lost all creative sense and all I can think about is designing and redesigning projects to meet my deadlines! Grrrr....

I am turning into the person I hate the most.... a workaholic.... at this point there is no sense denying it... it is my reality.... I hope this is just temporary insanity or a personality lapse.... I don't want to be a mindless drone working to live....

Somebody save me!!!!

On Superman Returns... Or Shouldn't Have!

This must be one of the most disappointing
movies that I have ever seen in a long time!

Man, where to begin....

1. I lost total interest after the airplane/space shuttle-launch-gone-wrong scene. The writers/director failed to sustain the momentum from this point.
It was all downhill from there.


2. Too many ideas presented that were not sufficiently built and/or thoroughly explored to make the thought linger and give the audience an "ah-ha" moment.

It seemed like the director was thowing jigsaw puzzle pieces, letting the audience figure out where it fits, depending on your familiarity with the comic books or the previous Superman movies.


3. What was up with Lois Lane whispering to Superman that the kid was his son?

Ok... just 5 mins ago a 5 year old kid who's got asthma and all sorts of allergies threw a grand piano across the room, smashed it, killing a hardcore criminal who plays bluemoon...

Doesn't give that away... du-uh?!! So what's with all the theatrical secrecy..
the audience is not that dumb... phuleezze!


4. Can somebody explain this to me... for somebody who can win a Pulitzer for "Why the world doesn't need Superman", all the unanswered questions, deep seated anger, the agonizing wait and wondering what went wrong....

You were satisfied by an answer that "maybe he (Clark) was right"... (Superman referring to an earlier conversation of Clark and Lois, telling Lois that it must be difficult for Superman to say goodbye).

That's it?!!! It was hard to say goodbye? and you go flying with him like old times.... huh? what the kucf is that?!!

If Lois Lane was your typical garden variety girlfriend I'd totally understand,
but hello!! This from a person who just won a Pulitzer?!!


5. Kevin Spacey is one of my favorite actors... but come on... he can't sustain a 2.5 hrs movie all by himself!!!
We should have just called it Lex Luthor Returns!!!


6. Port says if Zsazsa Zathurna were to fly along at any point of the extensively dull flying scenes, or would help Superman lift the Kryptonite Island... the movie would have been more exciting and interesting!!!


7. I would have come up with a number 7 but I zoned out for the most part... Hence, BORING!!!!


Oh well, that's just what I thought of the movie.... I watched it with 5 other friends... they all liked it... so maybe it's just me....

Hi Issa!!!

As requested, here's a new post... =p

I guess you have a lot of time in your hands... Enjoy it while you can... still swamped so I really don't have time to write much... I hope this will suffice... hehehe... maybe you can read Jayson's blog while waiting for another post...

Hehehe... will be working with you real soon... bwhahahaha.... =)

Rent Now Showing!

I just want everybody to know that RENT is showing at the Ayala Theaters.... yup the Broadway show...

Just wanna put it out there!!! Yup, I've seen it and I was singing along with everybody in the theater... a must see... I'll tell you more about it after my trip...

Hope y'all can go see it...

On Loosing Weight...

Can't write anymore... I'm losing all creative sense.... must be all the work I've been doing for the past 3 months...

I'm so skinny, everybody thinks I'm anorexic.... du-duh...

Come on now... I eat like a MAN... yup, 3 cups of rice, soup, veggies, meat and/or fish... that's just lunch, dinner well, that depends where I'm at... but still I eat alot... I mean a whole lot...

Ate lunch with Carlo today at Heaven and Eggs... Sirloin, 2 poached eggs, 1 cup of rice, potato wedges.... ate it all up....

Do you think it's because I skip breakfast?
Hmmm.... well, as long as I can remember my definition of breakfast is a huge mug of black coffee... that was like forever.... highschool!!!

Oh well, maybe it's all the work... I blame everything on work anyway.... so there... must be all the work I'm and been doing....

Gotta go now... eating dinner at Teriyaki Boy.... Hmmm.... grilled Salmon with that huge bowl (wish the rice was as much), Urchin on the cucumber cups (whatever it's called!), teka maki, and kani salad.... here I come.... yummy....

On Success...

What measures success?

I had a very interesting conversation last weekend that drives me to ask this question...

Is it the money one makes?
Is it the property you've acquired?
Is it the security you get?
Is it having people who love you to share your successes with?

or is it the sense of peace, that you feel you are doing something relevant that makes people see you and want to be like you... well, not in a messianic complex way...

it's the way you expand your circle of influence... making people believe in themselves...

What's weird was how he thanked me for believing in what he can do...

hmmm... I guess going back to Maslow's hierarchy of needs, this does make sense.... gaining approval....

Success is immaterial if you cannot go beyond yourself; to help the people around you see their true potential or push them towards self-realization. This is what Maslow calls self-transcendence.

I'm too tired to explain this, but if you've attended Psychology 101, I guess we're on the same page... bwhehehehe....

On Patriotism...

I really feel bad that the Patriots didn't make the play-offs...

Sure, I'd still watch the Superbowl but it won't be the same without #12 Brady on the field... well, at least he'd be there for the coin toss... =)

On Men and Letting go...

This weekend's drinking session was kind of funny and redundant... you know how guys will call the troops for male ego reinforcement after bad break up moments... well this was one of them...

Here's how it unraveled:

Phase I (1-3 beers)

Women bashing.
Women are ruthless heartbreakers. Hmmm... I totally agree.

1. Women as oppose to men do not fall in love/lust at first sight. We are not-so visual creatures. We feel, we rationalize, rationalize more, then conclude that there must be something there.

Not necessarily love, but chemistry. That's where we jump start, if this is effectively sustained by the other specie then, it may evolve to something greater... could be platonic or romantic love. Again this is highly dependent on how the other specie sustains the chemistry.

Hence, the dialogue... it's not you it's me... let's be friends... I need space... let's start seeing other people... There's a gazillion ways to say it, but it still means the same thing... I don't like to waste your time or my time, take a hike.

2. Women who tell you that I was out with my guy friend means I was out with my guy friend! Unlike the other specie, friend is defined or viewed relatively... what is it about the word friend that you do not get?!

Hence, this does not justify men dating and/or sleeping around with their so-called friends with benefits. Nor can you use it as a valid arguement... du-uh...

Word of caution: do not even go through this line of reasoning... you'd surely get ditched because of sleeping around, then be accused of loyalty issues. (Totally ugly... don't go there!)

Phase II (4-6 beers)

Ego talk.

This must be the most ineteresting part of the session. Well, interesting for me.... hahaha...

Men are sooo hung up on NOT marking their territory before the break up. Then, the obsession on "I-have-to-get-her-back" tactics begin. Strange but sooo true...

No wonder the more expensive gifts come after the break up... hmmm...

By this time, the guys were giving me shit... I once turned down an all expense paid vacation to China. Come on now, if I got to choose who I would go with then maybe I would have accepted... hahahaha....

Phase III (couldn't keep track of all the beers)

Realization.

1. A rebound is a rebound... and will always be a rebound. Need I explain this?

You're a rebound if:

• you hooked up 1-2 months after the previous relationship ended.
• you only connect during sex.
• you do not know the name of his/her bestfriend.
• you have no idea; what the names of his/her siblings are, his/her order in the family, his/her middle name, the name of his/her mom!
• you find ex-bf/gf traces... ie: gifts, pictures, notes, letters, tokens, messages, doing the same things they did, going to the same places they've been...
• you are unconsciously morphing yourself into the ex.
• you know that they are still friends and you haven't been introduced as the new bf/gf.
• you haven't had talk about the long term topics... meeting the parents, where to live, type and location of your future home, career plans for the next 2 to 3 years, retirement plans... having kids is no longer considered a long term topic... you're already having sex!!! du-uh...
• and the sure fire way to detect you're a rebound... he/she has no idea why the relationship ended... vague responses like, he/she's crazy is not a reason!

2. All of the I could haves, should haves will not fix it! If you're dead serious on getting her back do something about it, instead of mopping around with us and drinking yourself to death!!! (que the laughter from everybody!!!)

3. There is no such thing as the "One"! This must be the stupidest thing I heard all night... "pare, she's the one eh..." (sob-sob-sob).... bwwhahahahaha... tears of laughter rolling down my cheeks!!!

Man, you are so pathetic. There is no such thing!!!
Sure, there maybe perfect timing, perfect moments, but not a perfect person!

4. Ask yourself this... are you or were you truly happy together? Do you find yourself striving to be and/or being your best around this person? Or does she stagnate you? Do you find yourself trying to please and constantly seek approval? All of the mopping around is not worth it... (but all the free beers are... hehehe...)

5. Friends will be friends and will always be there no matter what you decide... (I guess this means more drinking sessions with senti moments!!!)

Well, what can I say... men are so f*cking romantics... they may have odd ways of expressing it but I'm sooo glad I'm at the receiving end... hahahaha...

Le Fate Ignoranti

Genre: Drama
Director: Ferzan Ozpetek
Writers: Ferzan Ozpetek, Gianni Romoli

Summary:
AIDS doctor Antonia's husband is killed by a car. She gets depressed until she learns he had been cheating on her with a man. Following her newly born curiosity for life, she goes to see her husband's lover, Michele, and finds a huge apartment that he shares with gay and transgendered friends, including a Turkish immigrant and a prostitute. Antonia is reluctant to tell these people of her relationship to the dead man, but needs prompting to move on to a new phase of her life.

by Sujit R. Varma

I had to wait for Jayce to watch this movie before I started raving about it. Finally, Port, Jayce and I had a lenghthy discussion on how fabulous the movie was....

Here's how it went....

1. The movie presented the gay/lesbian community as a diverse people with a sub-culture that everyone can relate to and/or be a part of.

Antonia who was, all her life, sheltered by a conventional community now finds herself enjoying the company and lifestyle of her husband's lover. She realized that her husband not only fell in love with Michele, but he fell in love with the people in his apartment building (having lunch with them every Sunday).

N.B. Massimo is straight and yes, he fell in love with Michele. (clap-clap-clap)

2. The basic premise of the story was so Bohemian that it revolved on the art of living.

Antonia was reborn into a lifestyle of independence, freedom, and seeing the beauty around and in everyone. She now sees herself through her own eyes, not through anybody else's. She no longer lives in Massimo's shadow.

This strongly tells every woman who was brainwashed by fairytale romances and fairytale endings to get a life! It's about time you outgrew Snow White/Cinderella and/or Hollywood endings... there is no such thing as a knight in shining armour to save you from your misery. Happiness in love and in life in general is a choice... no knight or king or fairy godmother can give that to you... you owe it to yourself!... Freewill... there is always a Choice!

3. It presented love that transends sexual preference, status and social norms.

I know Port hates this part of the movie but I'll mention it anyway.
Michele and Antonia find themselves falling in love with each other. It could be because of what Massimo saw in both of them that draws them together.

The beauty of this concept is that love can come in any form, be it romantic or platonic. Love is love... no matter what status in life, sexual preference or what the society dictates, love will still be everywhere... lingering for its next victim.

4. It subtly infused the gay/lesbian social struggle, considering that this was primarily shown in Rome.

The movie presented the gay/lesbian culture so mundanely, something common to every culture. Up until the end, as the credits were running, shots from the Gay Pride parade were highlighted. Complete with their effigies, placards/posters, and the well represented gay/lesbian community.

5. The movie was just simply fabulous!

FYI. Just in case you wanted to know... Port is a non-practicing sociologist... Jayce is a movie/literary buff and guru... Midz is a pseudo-lesbian/gay blogger... we're all open for dates for the upcoming Italian and French filmfest at the CCP... =p

On Emo....

Contrary to popular belief, I do have emotions too.

This is proof that I appreciate the idea of romanticism... well, from a Chilean activist's point of view...

Sonnet XVII
by: Neftali Ricardo Reyes Basoalto

I do not love you as if you were salt-rose, or topaz,
or the arrow of carnations the fire shoots off.
I love you as certain dark things are to be loved,
in secret, between the shadow and the soul.

I love you as the plant that never blooms
but carries in itself the light of hidden flowers;
thanks to your love a certain solid fragrance,
risen from the earth, lives darkly in my body.

I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where.
I love you straightforwardly, without complexities or pride;
so I love you because I know no other way than this;
where I does not exist, nor you,

so close that your hand on my chest is my hand,
so close that your eyes close as I fall asleep.

On Work...

I haven't been myself lately... maybe because I am actually working and doing something productive with my time other than surf the internet... what is the world coming to?!! Me?... productive?

When I was a kid, I remember Dadz setting-up a small space where my sister and I can play. It was nothing fancy, wooden planks and sand... I remember spending hours playing make believe and having our own adventures.... from dungeons and dragons to exploring Mars...

I'd tell people that work is just a state of mind. A matter of perspective on how you view your job. If you're having fun at work, then it's play time! My work station becomes my sandbox...

How is my sandbox different?

1. Now my dungeons become real. I am bound by deadlines, policies, deliverables and the worst technological breakthrough... wireless communication...

2. Now my dragons become real. I am the dragon... I call the shots. I breathe fire thru anything including titanium... I am in command and I am in control...

3. Mars is now a source of sustenance... and it's within reach... although I prefer dark.

Work... It's all a game... a new adventure waiting to be explored, a new challenge waiting to be conquered, a new means to express your creativity and imagination to its limits...

How does productivity and effectivity equate to having fun at work?

hmmm... if you're not getting it... I guess you have to ask yourself, "Am I in the right sandbox?"

On Assuming....

I was cleaning my inbox, when I came across this.... bato-bato sa langit ang tamaan... Ha! deds...

THE PREMISE of this article lies on the principle that sometimes, loving a person doesn't mean it has to be romantic and loving a person for the rest of your life doesn't mean you have to end up marrying them.

Can a man and a woman just be friends? I'd say yes and they should be.

Hindi dahil kinaibigan ka, liligawan ka na. Not every guy who befriends you has an ulterior motive. Get over yourself. Don't flatter yourself. There is a reason why he befriended you, but don't automatically assume that it's because he wants to be your so-called boyfriend. If this will be the principle you'll follow every time someone asks you to be his friend, you're gonna miss a great deal from the friendship.

Hindi dahil mabait sa iyo, nililigawan ka na. There are people who are naturally sweet and kind. There are people who are innately good and no matter how wicked you seem, they just find it so easy to be kind to you. It doesn't mean he is courting you. Don't put yourself through unnecessary stress trying to figure out if he's courting you or not. Because I think if he is, you won't have to guess, you'll know and you'll be very certain about it.

Hindi dahil he talks to you a lot, he loves you na. You don't befriend a person if you absolutely abhor him, right? Chances are you make sense when he talks to you, or you're probably very patient listening to him. The two of you probably connect on some level but why does it always have to be assumed to be romantic? Being two intelligent, mature human beings, you need to accept that it's nice to share a cup of coffee over a stimulating conversation, and that you don't have to automatically put romantic connotation to it. Relieve yourself of the pressure. It's just coffee and a shared interest.

Hindi dahil cute ang friend mo, crush/love mo na siya. This is the most amusing thing that hit me lately. People always assume that because your friend is cute or should I say, hot (because cute is a word you describe your high school crush while hot is a word you use to describe a hunk), "lakas amats mo na for repapips!" Let me just say this, at least from my own personal experience, I'm just nearsighted, I haven't gone blind. I can still appreciate God's creation! However, there will always be weird things, crazy things, stupid things that will keep you, believe me, from having a crush on him. First of all, you'd know his history with women, enough to judge what's good for you. Second, don't you just hate it when a guy who's absolutely always put together, who looks intelligent enough pronounces the word country as "kawntri" and the word mango as "meynggo." Call me crazy for judging a person just because he can't pronounce these words right. I admit, I'm crazy.

Hindi dahil you hang out with each other most of the time, you'd end up being boyfriend-girlfriend. Self-explanatory... There are a thousand, no million different reasons why things don't always turn out that way. There is no one proven formula. For all we know, the reason why he likes hanging out with you is because he likes getting kikay tips from you. He probably plans on being kikay himself and he needs a mentor.

A dinner with a guy friend does not necessarily equate to a date. Especially if you're paying for your share. Hello?
Three things to consider: the place, the topic and how the two of you actually planned to meet. First, how it was planned. If it were a date expect that he would ask you out at least three days before the actual date to give you some lead time, to give you the notion that you are not just a filler on his schedule. Second, the place. If it were a real date, the both of you would want real food and a place where you could really talk things through. Don't go out with a guy to a movie on Friday night if you're really serious about him. Going to a movie is more like treating him like a "filler" just because you had nothing to do on a Friday night so you might as well go out. Topic. Ha! You wouldn't be talking about chikang artista, chikang opisina or argue if the girl's boobs are real or not. You would be probably talking about sensible, quite personal stuff.

I therefore conclude that platonic relationships are never complicated; people just have tendencies to complicate them.

On Boxes...

Why does everybody live in a box?

As people get more responsibilities in life, ( get a job , a career, an apartment, a car, a relationship, get pregnant....) it seems that we confine ourselves to smaller spaces.

This is my box:

House, mall, laundry, grocery, house.
House, Italianni's/Kitchen/Pasto's/Bubba Gump, Magnum/Havana, movie, Coffee Bean, house.
Work, mall, house.
Work, bank, Coffee Bean, house.
Work, Grappa's, house.
Work, Coffee Bean, house.
Work, Athena, Malate and/or Timog, house.

How does your box look like?