Order of the Phoenix

The teaser trailer of the latest Harry Potter film is here!

Snap!

When one gets older, does he stop playing with toys? I think not; the toys actually become more lavish and pretty expensive: remote-controlled cars that run on gas, aeroplanes that look exactly like the real thing, and every small gadget that innovators could think of to make our lives easier and be mobile. My Dad is one whom you may call a techno-geek; he's the type whom you would usually in an electronics store, partly maybe because he was an engineer. I think I got that trait from him, even though I'm a girl I get excited over the thought of a new appliance to put to the test, never-minding that connecting wires could be trivial.

My dad likes photography as well and he likes taking candid pictures of me and my younger brother - like when I hurt my ankle with his teeth. I remember his Canon manual camera, which has a crank to wind the film. If he was alive today, he probably has his own iPod and listens to it on his way to work, a PDA phone on his pocket, and a digital slr camera to carry around during his trips (business or leisure).

I haven't posted for quite sometime because I've been busy playing with my latest toy, something that I have been itching to buy since three years back: a Canon 30D. So wait for the new pics.

Yen Penus-Santos
posted this from her O2 Xda Atom

Little things

Life can full of little surprises
* like getting an SMS from my one of my Mom's oldest friends back home saying that she and her daughter Ate Malou will be dropping by at Singapore after a holiday trip in Bangkok
* or getting a "variable" way bigger that you have expected
* or getting an "E" in an exam which you thought you'll surely get a "T" (troll)

Breakaway

Today is the last day I will be sitting beside Mr. Stinky aka Mr. Fart Machine. This weekend the first phase of the renovation in Maybank Ang Mo Kio will commence and it's our side that must start the packing and movement to a temporary working place on Monday. One week after that I will be sitting in my new cubicle far from Mr. Scratch.

posted from her O2 Xda Atom

My desk all cleaned-up and ready to be dismantled.

Things to do if I won a BMW car

If ever I would receive a call telling me that I have won a brand new BMW car, here's the list of things I would do:

1. I'd make sure that the call was not a hoax. If it is then I'd forget about the rest on this list.
2. Since it is the real deal, I would arrange for the day to claim the prize.
3. I'd go to the church and sponsor a thanksgiving mass.
4. I'd start looking for the current market price of the car that I have won.
5. I would look for a car agent who could sell my brand new car without COE at a great deal. Yes, I'd sell it for I don't know how to drive and neither does Herman.
6. I'd start taking driving lessons.
7. Once it is sold, I'd go looking for a cheaper car and buy it.
8. The rest of the sales from the BMW I would use to pay-up some debts and maybe pay our condo in Mandaluyong in full.
9. And of course, treat friends for some luxurious meals.
10. Give out the latest iPod Nanos to my Filipino officemates for Christmas.
11. Donate a Mac Powerbook to be the major prize in our office Christmas party.

Isn't it nice just thinking about it? But then again I'm not the one who won a brand new car. I'd just have to wait for an iPod nano this Christmas and hope that I'd be lucky enough to win that Powerbook.

Keep on wishing. Keep on dreaming.

JOLOGS

I've been reading of this newly opened food joint at Lucky Plaza along Orchard Road. Its opening was advertised at the Pinoy IT Group in Singapore and days after, people were already lauding about the great tasting food they are offering - it belongs to the Calle Real Group, how could it go amiss. The food menu was not as elaborate as that of Cafe Real, but they are a great treat for those who are simply out to run errands at LP.

So I told my Filipino colleagues at work that we ought to give this place a try; afterall, we too had trekked all the way to Millenia Walk from our Ang Mo Kio office when they opened a Calle Real at Food Junction more than three years ago. Luckily we already heard that we can call up before going there to make a reservation and even order the food so that when we get there the food are ready. Even under heavy rain and slow traffic jam, their small place is packed with working Filipinos out for their usual Friday lunchbreak.

I tried the Tapsilog and fell in love with it; it only costs S$6 including a free flow of drinks. Herman loved the ensalada included in the meal and the sago gulaman has the right sweetness. I could definitely recommend Jologs: far cheaper and tastes way better than GP, maybe slightly expensive than the grub at Kabayan but it's of a different league when it comes to the taste.

Posted from O2 Xda Atom thru SunSurf Mobile

Bugger!

I so hate Yahoo! Mail today. After days of trying and re-trying to set-up my yahoo account on my new PDA phone, I finally went to their site to get some help. Little did I know that their POP service is only available to Yahoo! Mail Plus subscribers; this was originally free but they disabled this access to their free account last April 2002. Gmail, however, offers free POP3 access and I've enabled that one a long time ago.

So, yes, I am now accessing my Gmail account in my O2 wherever I go - or when I could get a GPRS connection or Wi-fi. If you don't have a gmail account yet, let me know I still have lots of invites to spare.

There are no better cosmetics than a severe temperance and purity, modesty and humility, a gracious temper and calmness of spirit

Herman and I passed by the cosmetics section of Seiyu at Bugis Junction a week ago on our way to the Cold Storage, a grocery shop. He made a remark that got me miffed for awhile; he asked me why women bother to put-on some make-up when they look the same anyway. I am not sure where to put the blame on whether it is a man thing or simply because he can sometimes be oblivious and can't see past those foundations. I pity now those who spend fifteen or thirty minutes in front of the mirror going thru those compact make-ups, eye shadows, mascaras, eyeliners, lip liners, lipsticks, and blushers; I never thought that all those hard work can be for naught.

Back when I was still working in the Philippines, I put on make-up when I go to the office; but when I moved to Singapore I got lazy and decided to give my skin a rest. So I just go to work with nothing on my face except the needed moisturiser; it did wonders to my skin for it is a little bit sensitive. As time moved on I finally added wearing a Lancome's Juicy Tubes ultra shiny lip gloss and a few months later I bought a Hermes Rouge lipstick. So for a year those are all I have inside my "kikay" pouch. Last June, a couple of weeks before we went back to the Philippines for a vacation, I stopped by the cosmetics section at Paragon and thought of buying a compact make-up for me to use when I attend those wedding ceremonies I have to be present in.

With much thought on my sensitive skin, I decided to shy away from the previous brands I had used, but then those brands I haven't tried before are the most expensive ones. After checking-out all the other products I decided to buy the Lancome foundation and loose powder with my eyes closed as they swipe my ATM card burning a minute hole on it and me praying that they would work on my skin and not cause any breakouts.

Well, thank heavens it did work for my sensitive skin and I am now loving this brand; I even bought a mascara even if the Shiseido one is way cheaper. Now, I wear make-up again to work because I have to use those costly things I bought for they will be worthless in a year. And guess what comment I got from a Filipino guy colleague, he said there's something different with my eyebrows (he actually meant eyelashes) and that I might have done some kind of hocus-pocus.

Education is an ornament in prosperity and a refuge in adversity

Teacher's Day is celebrated in Singapore far different from the way we celebrate it in the Philippines. Back when I was a kid at school, I remember that we only give small tokens - personally made cards or cut-out flowers done in an artistic way or if Mom and Dad are a bit richer, probably a chocolate bar - on that special day and classes go on. In here, it is or school holiday and teachers are given more lavish gifts; Josh gave his teachers boxes of specially made brownies - definitely not done by me, of course.

Now that Josh is attending real school - he's in nursery - I am learning quite a lot about this country's educational system. If you think that a Nursery class is such a breeze, I tell you now that it is not that easy both for the child and the parents. Things that were taught in school have to re-inforced at home. He really needs to learn his letters and numbers at this age else he'd be left behind; whilst in the Phillipines, you can attend Primary 1 (or Grade 1) without going through that kindergarten stage; the kid might need to do some catching-up but he will definitely survive.

Singapore has a higher standard of education but it is both taxing to the child and the parents; I have seen it in my officemates and friends, not to mention how hard it is to get admitted in some of the schools you might have in mind. Just to enter Primary 1 is a tedious process; they have different tiers for admittance and each tier has its own number quota, so what schools normally do is balloting or giving out queue numbers at a specific date; so if you did not make it to the quota, tough luck find another school. School year starts in January and as early as June parents of incoming Primary 1 students are already busy scouting for the best schools; some even go ealier than that by voluteering at their desired school in order to get a priority slot.

I remember when I was on my Junior year in high school and we moved from Mindoro to Palawan, my Mom and I went to the Palawan State College's high shool office in the morning to ask if I can transfer to their school and later that afternoon I already attended my first class in that new campus. As for Josh, who will start his K1 next year, I am going to start looking for the best Catholic school. I actually want him to go to La Salle but it's quite far from our place, else we move house.

Bargains aren't really cheap

There's a huge reason why I don't shop at Sim Lim Square - a six storey building housing stores selling IT products. The place is so vast with different stores selling almost the same products. The first time you'll step inside this place, you'll be overwhelmed by the orderly chaos of people moving around jumping from one store to another and of hecklers giving away flyers.

Since the redemption centre for the O2 speaker, which I got for free when I bought my Atom, is in this building I had no other choice but to wade through throngs of people looking for a good deal. After redeeming my speaker, I looked around the store for a good case for my PDA phone; I saw one leather case and another hard case. I liked the hard one and asked the store help for the price; she said it costs $49. I went to the next store as Herman was looking around as well; they have the same leather case and that silicone cover that makes your gadget look like it's wearing a very thick condom.

I asked him to come with me back to the old store as I am really poor at haggling. The previous store help was gone so we asked another and got a lower price of $45. Thinking that we got a good bargain and since the store is an authorized 02 dealer, we bought the pretty looking case. After a few minutes of window shopping, we finally decided to leave, but only after checking what's on sale at the ground floor. Well, to my dismay I saw that the case I just bought at the 5th floor is being sold at the lower floor for only $35!

I went home downhearted yet still ecstatic that I found the best looking case I could find. I simply promised myself that I'll buy another one in pink and I'll make sure that I'll buy at the ground floor.

Dream come true

One of my biggest dreams had come true and that is to own a PDA phone; not just any PDA phone but an O2 Xda Atom. After two years of making do with my Nokia 6230, I had finally bidden it goodbye and gave it its needed rest.

I haven't read a technical manual in such a long time - probably since my very first hand phone - but this time I had to read it front and back; it was quite amusing nonetheless. Three days since I got this new gadget, I am finally getting the hang of it.

Now I can write my entries while watching TFC in our living room far from our PC or while being bored at a children's party. That is why more entries are coming. Yes, I am making this entry on my new ATOM.

Idol Material

Since TFC is not airing the new show Philippine Idol, Filipinos outside of the country are very thankful to that there's youtube.com and some zealous fans willing to record each show's episode. The auditions are over and I've seen them all.

Watching my countrymen go through the tedious audition - and quite a frightening one, considering that it is the Mr. Ryan Cayabyab on the other side on the room - I've come to really appreciate the vast raw talent of the Filipino people. There were those usual jerks or jesters who are either tone deaf or simply just full of themselves, but in the midst of it all are pure gems. Some were even good yet they didn't made the cut or were given the golden ticket.

After seeing those three episodes (auditions for Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao), I couldn't wait for what's to happen next, and even more hate what Singapore Idol offers. Those who were rejected in the Philippine Idol auditions could kick each of the finalists' butts in Singapore Idol. Just hearing what the judges had to say on these two shows illustrate the difference in the level of talent that they could pluck out from this international hit franchise. In the Philippine Idol, they are looking for someone whose voice is developed; in Singapore, on the other hand, they are looking for someone whom they can develop.

Pinoys rock! Bigtime.

Sleuthing

JK Rowling treated Harry Potter fans with some good stuff for the past few weeks. She had revealed some answers to other puzzling stuff, such as whether Dumbledore is really dead (he's not going to pull a Gandalf) or what Hermione would see in the mirror of Irised. What I am particularly interested in was what she said about Petunia, who is Harry's aunt, that there is a little more to her than meets the eye.

So many theories had come up on how the series would end or how Harry would finally defeat Voldemort, like what Jo said no one had guessed it yet. I would like to make a guess - wild as it may be - about Voldemort's downfall. It has been discussed that the "power the Dark Lord knows not", which is love - something that Harry has a lot of - is the key to it all and that Harry would die by sacrificing himself all because of that love. Some even suggested that it could be Ginny, Harry's current ex-girlfriend, who would sacrifice and block that Avada Kedavra curse, just like what Lily, Harry's mother, did the first time. Fans of Snape are banging up on the idea that it would be the hero's former Potions and Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher who would save the day and die for Harry. Tragic Harry/Hermione shippers think that it would be Harry's girl best friend who has a huge inclination of dying for the hero just to prove that it is Harry whom Hermione loves the most and not Ron.

My theory is going to play on some replies JK Rowling gave in some of her interviews. She said that Harry's eyes are going to play a crucial role in the series and that there is something more to it with Petunia, and that we would learn them a lot more in the last book. Harry's eyes already did wonders in the Half-Blood Prince with Slughorn, and I bet that the second person to be affected by it would be his aunt. Jo mentioned sometime ago that there's someone who would discover his or her magical abilities at a later stage, and I think there is a good chance that that person is from the Dursleys.

After all these years of abusing Harry, I am leaning more on Petunia finding redemption. She'd see her sister through his eyes and that this love of family would kick in and that she'd do the same thing her sister did: die for Harry.

Why am I posting this? Because I want some proof that I thought of it before the seventh book is released and even before they might think of it in Pottercast's canon conundrum.

Maybank's Le Crescendo

Here are some of the pinoys working in Maybank Singapore:


The dinner and dance was great fun! Even though I didn't win, three members in our table did; Ernie even won the 2nd price: 32" LCD TV.


More pics here.

Clothes Horse

What is it with girls and balls? I am not pertaining to the round things that bounce or to the ones in a man's crotch; what I want to talk about is that grand party where people dress up and mingle, and partake in such a luxurious frivolity. We are going to have a dinner and dance in our company this Saturday and I can't help but wonder about the different outlook between genders on this coming affair.

Men are more laidback and are just coming because of the great food and of the chances of winning in the lucky draw. Women, on the other hand, are just as excited about the grub and of the prizes, but it is their look for the night that plagues their mind for the past week or so – what to wear, what type of make-up and hairstyle, the kind of shoes, the jewellery, to go to the beauty salon or do-it-yourself; the list seem to be endless.

Sometimes I just wished I hadn't signed-up to join this party, but then again the girly itch kicks in and I'm off to the mall to buy all the things I'd ever need to glam up.

Harry Birthday!

Happy birthday to one of my favourite fictional characters: Harry Potter.

And to his creator JK Rowling, Happy Birthday too!

Dumbledore is Dead

Where were you on July 16 of last year? Do you even remember what you were doing at six o'clock in the morning (Singapore/Philippine time)? Probably still swimming in sleep land and snoring through your ass; but for me, I can still remember it very clearly like it was just yesterday. I was then on a queue to buy some book; it was no ordinary book, all right, by my standards that is.

July 16 2005 was a media-frenzy day in the world of publication, and I can't believe I was part of it, and a year after the release of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, here comes the paperback copy. For those who like reading paperbacks, now's your time to catch-up on what happened to Harry on his sixth year (I don't know how you were able to sustain your curiosity). Bloomsbury edition (UK) was released last month (23 June), but the American edition (Scholastic) will be due today (25 July).

Spare me your comfortable shoes

Two dozen and ten years have gone
Since I first woke up and set
My tiny little feet to take the small steps
That would lead to life's every adventure.

I've walked on cement, on gravel, and on asphalt
Waddled in the mud
Touched the sand with my bare feet
Felt the freshly mowed grass
Crumple under me weight.

The beat made my feet dance
To an exhilarating tune
And each slow step swaying to a lullaby
Decelerated my thumping heart.

They said life is a journey
And my feet are already killing me
Yet I still have thousands of miles to go
Before I sleep.

The battle within

When Superman returned, Spiderman's teaser trailer came out. And if you haven't seen it, check it here.

It is awesome! Story-wise, I'd bet it's even better than the second movie; Peter Parker's superhero is the most complex character - even better than Batman, and far from the goody-two shoes Clark Kent. For the first two films, each had one villain, but this time around, it is going to be three, which is pretty much a handful for our friendly neighborhood Spiderman and not to mention the new girl that could keep him and MJ apart.

Gastronomic Adventures

I went back to the beloved Philippines last June 18 since my last visit of more than two years ago. It was a breeze trip - I wouldn't even call it a vacation - two weeks of a hectic schedule of attending weddings and shuttling between Gapan, Nueva Ecija and Las Piñas City. Having The Filipino Channel (TFC) in our cable in Singapore has prepared me to what to expect of life in Manila. I was no longer surprised of the many changes that have happened since I last left. Though I am now as impatient as a Singaporean taxi driver stuck in a slow flow of traffic, and that I got scared whenever there are brave pedestrians crossing the street when there are a lot of cars rushing through or that cars are swerving in the midst of huge buses in the busy street of EDSA.

When I first stepped inside an SM mall, I nearly drooled after seeing all the food stalls selling different kinds of grub you could think off at such low prices. I bought a box of brownies from Brownies Unlimited for as low as S$4, which I'm pretty sure that in Singapore could only afford you a slice of a decent brownie. Dieting be damned, I ate slices of pizza with pork ham - the real meat lovers heaven (no Halal in the Philippines, baby); in Singapore, you'll have to make do with turkey ham. Josh became acquainted with Jollibee, which he probably taught was a toy store, for he was only interested with the toy in a Kiddie meal. Nothing really compares to the joy of eating chicken with gravy be it from Jollibee, KFC or Kenny Rogers Roasters; Singaporeans haven't even heard of chicken with gravy - a nation wherein they have stickers at food courts telling the customers to ask for less gravy in their food (health conscious pricks!).

Here are just a few peeves: Jollibee no longer use disposables when you dine in their stores (yikes!) and that the spaghetti is not as good as before; servings at Kenny Rogers are so small and the food tastes different. Herman was even surprised when they gave him the half-slab of ribs he ordered; it looked like an over-sized hamburger patty. Though they now offer other flavours for muffins, the size has gotten smaller and the original corn muffin tastes different (but nothing beats the bad taste of muffins in Malaysia). Kenny Rogers Singapore maintained the quality and that theirs is what I'd say value for money (especially if it's a Pinoy doing his OJT who's filling up your plate), except that they don't have gravy for my chicken; a fried chicken that's great with ketchup would only come from Max.

Though your dollars could still go a long way back home, prices of primary commodities have risen to atmospheric heights. It's no wonder that most of them are sold in sachets: coffee, oil, sugar, cheese, butter, shampoo, detergent and softener. A serving of a pasta dish in Sbarro is almost of the same price in Pastamania, but my sister recommends their Chicago’s Deep-dish pizza highly.

After seeing commercials aired on TV, I've come to realize that just watching a local channel could introduce you to the type of people in that country. In Philippine television, you'll see a barrage of shampoo, toothpaste, detergent, soap, and mobile phone provider's commercials; in Singapore, on the other hand, you'll see lots of commercials on slimming, spas and of new models of hand phones. From these commercials, you can conclude that Filipinos are very meticulous with their personal hygiene and are SMS (text) crazy: with just 15 pesos a day, you can have unlimited text (doesn't matter whether your phone's model is already five years older). Singaporeans are very much fuzzy with how they look (forget about taking a bath everyday long as you weigh less than 50 kg); mobile phone providers only give subscribers 300 to 500 free messages a month for people still enjoy talking through the Bluetooth ear piece of their latest model phones.

Happy birthday, Daddy!

My Dad would have turned 60 today had he not left us early. We miss you, Dad. I hope you're having a great time today.

Man of Krypton

I said I only love two superheroes, and I'd still keep that count at that. Superman Returns was awesome! Thanks to the oh-so-chiselled look of Bandon Routh that made me believe that Superman can truly exist and emerge straight out of the pages of a comic book. Forgive my girly gushes but this demi-God from planet Krypton is one hot alien; I wouldn't mind seeing four or five more Superman movies with him donning the cape.



The first time I saw the new Man of Steel was on the above pic. And I am so sorry that I wasn't impressed then; for the photograph doesn't look nice at all. It made him look short, and that the new colour was disturbing, the "S" sign was too small, and that the codpiece was obscenely protruding. But after a few minutes of seeing him on screen as Clark Kent, I'm sold.



Bryan Singer made the right choice in getting an unknown and thank heavens that the idea of casting Nicolas Cage as Superman fizzled. Superman Returns picked-up the story from where Superman II left off, and I'm glad it did, because the third and fourth films by Christopher Reeves looked like B-movies. I have not been following the story in the comic books, but I could tell that this film did not follow that storyline. I could only hope that they would tackle "the death of a friend" in the next movie - they put Superman in a coma for Chrisssake!

The characters in this film are interesting except for Kate Bosworth's Lois Lane. She looked pretty much blank - devoid of any expression; five years of Superman's absence robbed this lady of some spunk. Kevin Spacey could never go wrong as Lex Luthor; he's a very gifted actor that can make one quiver with just his voice. No wonder James Marsden's Cyclops died early in X-men: The Last Stand, because he had to do a lot of hero stuff in this film. With the lame Lois Lane we are getting, I wouldn't mind her ending up with Marden's Richard White.

'Til your legs flew off

Josh is turning four this month and it could only mean one thing: World Cup season is here!



Sorry, been very busy this month, as we are going home to 'Pinas for some vacation.

When God hands you a gift, he also hands you a whip

I have read the book The Da Vinci Code many years ago, thanks to a colleague at my new job, who noticed that I like books. He said why don't I try this author, who was just starting to get attention and that his latest book just joined the New York Times bestsellers list. So I gave in and he lent me this huge book titled 'The Da Vinci Code' (it was not yet printed in paperback then). I probably spent a couple of nights with not much sleep pouring over the riveting story; I searched the net over the Priory of Scion; I've downloaded pictures of Leonardo's paintings and frescoes -- even of Caravaggio; I googled the Holy Grail; but not for once was my religious belief shaken (I knew of Opus Dei when I was only a teen). I knew that Catholicism was founded in bloodshed -- it was but governed by men, and that man can falter. Did I for one bit believed that Mary Magdalene was a partner of Christ? No. For all we know she could just be one obsessive fan who stalked Jesus throughout his evangelization and claimed that she carries his child. It could happen; Jesus was a popular figure during his time; he is what some may call in our time: a pop idol.

So much for that, and now let's tackle the movie that is creating so much stir months before its release; the religious sector was clamouring for the followers of Christ not to watch the movie and that theatre owners not to show it on their cinemas. Protestations only attracted more attention and publicity led the movie to total blockbuster hit. I was looking forward to this movie adaptation after I read the book for the first time, as rumours were already spreading then that some Hollywood people had bought the rights. With so much hype surrounding the film, I went to the theatre with a lot of expectations and went home disappointed.

The Da Vinci Code was a work of fiction -- written with intrigues making Dan Brown's novel a religious conspiracy thriller; but when it was transported into another medium, it seemed to have lost its punch. It was a meticulous literal book-to-film translation. They struggled to cram everything from the book into this two and a half hour movie, leaving it both overstuffed and underwhelming. The filmmakers should have taken into consideration that this is a popular novel and that millions of people have read it at least once before going to the theatre, and that these same people compose most of their audience.

I know that there is much historical background that needs to be explained, but the film came out as far too talky and pretentious -- everything was explained twice. Filmmakers should follow the footsteps of Peter Jackson whenever they need to turn a book into a movie -- by using the language of film to tell the story: with images. Gandalf told much of the history of the ring in a long narrative dialogue, but we saw it in the beginning of the film with a voiceover not saying what we can obviously see in the images. I even winced when Sophie (Audrey Tatou) finally met her grandmother and the old woman said that she has so much to tell about their family; I felt like we were in for another five-minute monologue.

Tom Hanks depicted Robert Langdon as a wooden character and too reactive and contemplative to be a hero. Sophie Neveu, who was supposed to be a police cryptologist, didn't even break any codes except for the Fibonacci sequence. Captain Bezu Fache (Jean Reno) has no plausible reason (as shown in the movie) to believe Langdon to be the killer. Lt. Collet was reduced to just an ordinary cop when, in fact, he was the one to broke the case in the novel. And why must the viewer be subjected to Silas' (Paul Bettany), the angel of death albino-monk, self-flagellation more than once? The movie only got interesting when Ian McKellen finally appeared at Sir Leigh Teabing; here we saw an actor having fun with his character.

After all the broken codes and all the chasing through famous locations, it all boiled down on what you, as a viewer, believe. Ron Howard did not even dared to irk the Roman Catholic Church -- he played it safe; the book's theories were all thrown into the gutter, for the raving, lunatic Lord Teabing uttered them. I am not sure if Dan Brown is happy with the film, because it took away the book's little credibility and made the flaws more obvious. This is not the movie that could shake neither one’s faith nor the very foundation of mankind.

Judge me all you want, but keep the verdict to yourself

I never thought that I could be a paranoid racist at a certain point in my life, but I did, and it just happened. Herman and I watched The Da Vinci Code last Sunday night at The Cathay, and there was an empty sit between us and another couple. Then came in a single guy of Arab descent (Pakistani or Sri Lankan, I'm pretty not sure) who confirmed to me the sit number right next to me; I concurred and he sat there; less than a minute later, he asked me if it was indeed the Da Vinci movie we were going to watch.

My mind started to whirl and crazy ideas popped into my head. This guy was watching the movie alone and he was carrying a backpack, which he placed neatly on his lap. I can't help but study his movements the entire movie; he looked pretty much like a suicide bomber to me (Herman shared the same fears). I've probably said a thousand prayers every time I saw him check the handphone in his shirt pocket. I kept racking my mind at which point in the movie would it be best to make a statement and set off the bomb. Towards the end, he was checking his handphone more often that, I think, irritated the other couple next to him, making the guy to tell him to shut it. Could he be eliciting the same fears with this couple as he does with us?

Right after the screen went black and the credits started to roll in, I pulled Herman up and went straight to the exit door (we were actually the first to get out). I knew I went a bit crazy, but by God! I really went through a huge deliberation inside my head. Like what Herman said, a single guy like him shouldn't get into a movie theatre carrying a backpack; the bag looked pretty much empty when he laid it on his lap, but why does he have to hold onto a roll of newspaper and not put it inside instead? He kept on checking his phone; is he waiting for a call or timing the movie, or could he simply got bored with all the lecturing in the film? I kept on telling myself that it's not gonna happen that night, not in Singapore, but then security in theatres can be lax; I haven't seen any guards in that building except at the ground floor by the car park entrance: it is possible.

We're still alive nevertheless; but my paranoia got heightened. I checked the exit doors inside the cinema while the movie was showing, which I normally do only when the movie has finished. I knew I'm not going to survive if it happens because, well, I'd be blown out to bits and pieces for I'm right next to the bag. I thought of things such as what's going to happen to my son, who would look after him if we're gone, would his godparents keep the promises they made during his baptism?

As the movie uncovers a conspiracy theory, I was cooking up one conspiracy theory myself. Anyways, I'm still whole and so are that bag and the man carrying it. All I can say is that watching The Da Vinci Code is one heck of an experience, but it's not something I could say about the film (and that's for another entry).

Getting sweet things in large quantities can't be difficult

I know this is a bit late for Mother's day, but who cares? It is not like motherhood ends when Mother's day ends. Josh gave me something, which they did at school, for this special day; it was a paper-cut dress, which they coloured and painted on, and contains these words:

M -- is for the Many things she's given me
O -- is only that she's getting Older
T -- is for the tears she's shed
H -- is for Heart of gold
E -- is for her Eyes with love's light shining
R -- is Right and Right she'll always be

Josh may be rough with friends at times, but he can be the sweetest kid you'll ever find. Last Sunday, as I was changing his clothes, he said to me (without anyone coaxing him): "Hapi Mader's Day! I lab you, Mommy." I can't deny that I melted into a pile of goo; but that was just one of my moments with him that I will treasure forever.

Idleness is the devil's home for unprofitable, distracting musings

If you're an analyst programmer like me, here are some tips for you in killing time at work when you don't have an Internet access. Things to do at work when you have really nothing to work on:
1. Clean up the mess you've in the development environment. Delete the objects you have created as back-ups during your testing. Objects already promoted for testing must also be removed from your development environment.
2. Clean up your spooled files. If you have saved reports that are almost a year old, take them out of the system; chances are you don't need them anymore and they're eating up space; better yet, delete them all: leave no evidence.
3. Clean you desk. Throw away all those scratch papers you have doodled on while doing your programming. File the documents (user requirements, technical specs, test results) for each project you have worked on.
4. Clean your hard disk of unnecessary files (mp3s, movies, episodes of Lost). If you have installed some freeware softwares that you rarely use, uninstall them; they could be the cause of the slow performance of your PC.
5. Organize your mailbox. Archive or delete old emails. Check out those emails with large attachments of dancing baby videos, you might have already gone tired of seeing them; now is the time to purge. Yes, that includes the dirty emails, chain emails, and jokes.
6. If your work table is now squeaky clean and your PC is running fine, read programming reference books (if you're that boring) or fire up the e-book copy of your favourite novel stored in your hard disk; and if you have enough brass, read Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code in paperback to refresh your mind before watching the film.
7. Learn how to sleep with your eyes still open; while you're at it, try learning how to move the mouse while dozing off.

Espionage: a betrayal of trust

I had a good doze of J.J. Abrams' last week; I've just seen M:I-3 and the latest Lost Season Two episode Two for the Road. Things are really going well for this guy: a blockbuster movie, the best show on television land, and Alias, which just returned with all-new episodes to close the season, with ratings hitting through the roof. Who is he? He was the creator of Felicity, Alias, and Lost, and the person Mr. Tom Cruise sought after to write and direct the third Mission Impossible film. There were even rumours spreading that he might work on the next Star Trek movie.

Tom Cruise never really came across to me as an outstanding actor; movie poster boy, maybe, but never an actor to be watched to act. I've seen most of his movies, and I look forward to all the Mission Impossible films all because of the action sequences and I loved the TV series back when I was a kid. I can say that this third instalment was the best among the three: espionage-wise; I guess this is all due to the J.J. Abrams connection. I'm not really sure if I've seen too much of the TV show Alias that I wasn't actually surprised with all the twists in the movie. I was even hatching more twists on my head while watching the film; I had this inkling that Ethan Hunt's new wife was a plant and I read too much in her eyes and actions (Irina Derevko, anyone?) -- maybe she is and we'll get to only see it in the next MI movie. When I saw Greg Grunberg at the engagement party, he was the one who thought Ethan Hunt was boring, I was actually expecting Michael Vaughn to pop in there. This guy, I think, is one of Abrams' favourite, for he appeared in all of his projects that I know of: Ben's flatmate in Felicity, Michael Vaughn's best friend in Alias, and the pilot of Oceanic Air's Flight 815 that got sucked out by a monster and was dropped dead on top of a tree in Lost.

This third MI movie really showed that Ethan Hunt is not some kind of a lone agent (with only Luther Strickell, played by Ving Rhames, on his side) and Mission Impossible is really a team operation: a government's black ops unit. My only peeve is that this film looks so much like Alias only with more elaborate action scenes but stops short of being better. Was it because character development is limited when it comes to a two-hour flick as opposed to a TV series aired one hour every week? Execution of missions in Alias were even better, though I love the Vatican stint; that thing that Zhen (Maggie Q) did in a red, sexy dress has been done my Sydney Bristow a hundred times and even sexier. They even tried to make a character like Marshall Flickman: the techie-guy who wanders off while talking about intellectual stuff and gives silly one-liners; but Flickman's still the best.

Sydney Bristow can kick Ethan Hunt's ass any day when it comes to espionage. Concealment and disguise is a big thing for spies, and Ethan falls flat on his face with them. He was not a convincing priest inside of Vatican; Michael Vaughn did better and even made a character confess her sins to him. Hunt wasn't a convincing Italian DHL delivery boy either; whenever he speaks a different language, you could tell right away that it wasn't his mother tongue; Sydney could make you believe that she's a Swedish national in Stockholm. Ethan Hunt is not the best agent out there -- even daddy spy Jack Bristow could kick his ass.

Speaking of Lost, if you're a fan of the show, you'll get a kick in the gut if you watch the film credits: look out for the Hanso Foundation.

Election: a one-day snapshot of transient mass delusions

Today is major Election Day in Singapore; but there was not much fanfare or controversy surrounding to such a crucial date in this country's history. In some countries this is the turning point for their homeland's future; in this country state, however, it is just any other day -- more like voting for the class officers; I bet school politics would even be more exciting. The Presidential Election had passed without me even noticing it, because there was no one to contest the current one, so it was more of a walk-through.

I have never really paid much attention to the previous MP election, but after seeing the ad on TV on how to vote this next polling, it certainly grabbed my interest. The ad showed a sample ballot and how to fill it up; the surprising thing for me is that the voter only needs to put in a cross next to his choice. Choice of what you might ask. Not the candidate's name but the party name. Yes, they do party or block voting here. And, mind you, the ad finishes it off with the quote that voting is compulsory. Well, I thought that maybe they really needed to hear the voice of the people, for there really was not much Singaporean citizens; you also need to be twenty-two and above to vote here. What if you did not practised your right to vote? I heard you'd be asked to explain why you missed to exercise your right. Do you think he'd miss his Singapore shares in the following years?

Party voting wouldn't work in Philippine politics for those scoundrels change parties as often as they change mistresses. If one politician does not get his way in his current party, he'd cut off ties and join the other party who'd bend to his demands, or better yet, create his own party. Just think of a block wherein you have the best premium apple from the orchard mixed with a couple of rotten tomatoes, would you vote for that block against two green apples and an overripe chiku?

When eating an elephant take one bite at a time

I use spoon and fork at the same time when I eat; if I ever go to Canada, or more importantly in Montreal, and eat in that way, I'd be called a pig because it is yucky and disgusting. I was led to an article last night that caused quite an uproar in the Filipino community in Canada; I'd say I was disturbed by it myself. A seven-year old kid of Filipino ancestry was punished several times by the school's lunch monitor and principal for what they would consider as inappropriate table habits; Luc Cagadoc was transferred to a table to sit by himself whenever he would eat with both spoon and fork instead of only using one utensil.

I would gladly point that this could root to one fact that the principal and the lunch monitor had never left their country or much so even their town and mingle with people of different races and cultures. "It is not the way you see people eat every day. I have never seen somebody eat with a spoon and a fork at the same time," the principal Normand Bergeron said. He further reiterated that he simply wants the students to eat intelligently. I pity this man, for if the time comes that he visits Thailand or Indonesia, he'd be eating with disgusting people. I know that for westerners, eating is mostly with fork and knife, but that is because rice was never a staple in their dinner tables. Try eating Nilagang Baka using only those utensils, and we'll see if it still is eating intelligently.

If to them pushing the food to fill a spoon with a fork is baffling, what would they think if they see a Chinese person hold chopsticks on his right and a soup spoon on his left; bet they did not know that Chinese people use spoon too. Try eating Young Chow Fried Rice only in chopsticks; chances are you'd feel like an idiot fumbling through each grain; that's not eating intelligently now would it? These two people from Luc's school need some cultural awakening, and be brought to eat with Arabs or Indians. Would they consider watching Indians eat Roti Prata and Briani rice with hands pure torture or of Arabs eating their kebabs lounging on a couch abominable?

Of course there are certain rules or decorum to be followed, but if a Canadian who had never used chopsticks in his life goes to a Chinese country and eat with the locals, he'd be given a fork by the host if he's having a hard time tackling these little sticks. The local people would laugh at this foreigner's antics but they would patiently teach him how to use the chopsticks, not set him aside on another table to eat on his own with his fork and knife and call him barbaric.

When you are dining with a demon, you got to have a long spoon. -- Navjot Singh Sidhu

Cleanliness in person, cleanliness in mind

I went to a university where students don't wear uniform, which can be pretty rare in the Philippines; I loved it! It gave me a wonderful notion of being independent for once -- no more neatly pressed blouses or skirts as flat as a floorboard, and black shoes and white socks. School year usually starts in May and I could still go to school wearing summer clothes: shorts and a t-shirt; when the rainy season came, I'd avoid jeans for they can be quite heavy when they get soaked in the rain and cold on your legs; when the December chill came, I would cover myself in cardigans and the ever constant jeans (air-conditioning in the classrooms could be intolerable); when the summer heat begins to seep through your pores, then you'll thank for the air-conditioners, and bring out the shorts. I've never seen anyone wore anything weird in campus, only those wearing skimpy shorts -- way even before hotpants came around, as popularized by big-bummed JLo.

On my trip to the office this morning, I boarded the train alongside a college student whose outfit caught my attention: neon-orange peplumed shorts, black shirt, black socks covering the rest of her legs (was it a tights? I'm not sure), and sneakers with bright, green laces. I got another peeved with students here: they go to school untidy. Primary and secondary students don't wear black leather shoes, but white, unbranded sneakers, which are prone to dirt and rarely washed. Aside from the white blouses that don't look white enough, kids look like they just got out off bed -- unwashed hair and all; I guess they don't teach good grooming and decorum in school, for this fairly reflect even to some of my colleagues. Take my cubicle neighbour as a very good example: he reeks of body odour, had some patches of reddish thingies on his neck (I dare not to look for they are tell-tale evidences of poor hygiene), and he scratches himself all the time: whenever he is not typing anything on his keyboard, whichever part of his body: hair, neck, tummy, arms, legs -- even his butt (God forbid!); this scratching doesn't halt even while he is talking to his boss discussing some system issues and it will go on even after the boss is long gone; and don't let me go on about his farting. Locals have a penchant of doing gross things, which Filipinos find shouldn't be done in public view: farting (okay, if you really can't help it), picking noses.

Filipinos have this gesture whenever we have to go through the midst of people talking in the hallway or whenever we want to do an overtake: we stoop a little and place our hands (or it can be just one hand) in front and say, Excuse me. They don't do it here; they'll simply say, Ello! Ello! (Hello! Hello!) I'm sometimes tempted to say, Who do you want to speak to?

Love: too pliable, too yielding

You found love; but why are there times that you can't freely breathe? You felt your love fading; he took your belief in love and handed them back to you, saying that he can't hold onto it forever. How does one say sorry, when you know that sorry can never be enough? It is damn near impossible to bring things back to the way they used to be; yet there are those who wish for them anyway.

Some goodbyes are final; this is one of them. Then you hear that sound: the sound of your heart breaking – the resonance is deafening, ringing to your ears, pounding on your chest. You left. You walk out of the door, for the dam is about to break. Your pace quickens. There it is… that other sound; the pieces… the pieces are beginning to crumble.

Quick! Be Quick! Hot tears… one step, two steps, three steps. You are running; running like you have never done before. You don't care where you are going. You just keep on running; you just need to get out of that place. You didn't bother to look what's around you. You can't be bothered to look.

It is raining; but you can't be sure if it is from the sky or simply on your head. You don't care. You run and run, like the devil was on your back catching up on you. You're at the edge of a forest and you stop. Now you can feel the hard rain falling on you face; and you cry. You are crying and unaware that you are. You are crying out all the sadness trapped inside of you. You are crying because the rain drowns your tears; you are howling for the wind blows them away. You can't feel the coldness in the air for you are much colder inside.

Nothing matters right now; there is only the anger, the sadness and the confusion clouding your heart. Soaking in the pouring rain, a hand touched your shoulder, making you twist your head and see who it is. "What's wrong?" your dearest friend says. He is soaking to the bones as you are. You wonder if he is always just a few steps behind; you don't know, for you never looked back. You did not care if he could see your tears; whether he heard your cries, it doesn't matter anymore. Nevertheless, he hugs you with all the warmth you'd ever need. "What's wrong?" he asks once more.

"Just hold me. Hold me," you say.

Then you realize out there in the pouring rain, clinging desperately to a friend, that love can be lost, but then it can be found again. All the ambiguities, all the complexities, all the pain of not knowing what went wrong are finally over. Despite of everything: home is here at last. You can have a life again.

Telling one's age is silly: you are as old as you feel

Two hundred, eighty thousand, three hundred and twenty hours. How would one quantify his stay on earth?

With the number of cakes he sliced on his birth anniversaries,
the number of wrinkles on his forehead,
the thousand haircuts he had to go through,
the tons of food he consumed and wasted,
the number of times he disappointed his family and God,
the hundred celebrations he attended with his victories,
the number of times he faltered and stumbled,
the gallons of alcohol he drank,
the hundred thousands kisses he had given away,
the million miles he travelled,
the phone calls he made and received,
the number of fights he started and gotten into;
the hearts he had broken,
or how about the buckets of tears he shed,
the cackles of laughter that emanated from his throat,
the hundred confessions he said to a listening priest,
the mornings he rose to watch the sunrise,
the sunsets he shared with a friend,
the rose buds he plucked and smelled,
the number of people he helped,
the friends he made,
the lives he mended and enriched.

Had I lived my life? I don't know, if you'd ask me; maybe yes, maybe no – maybe for a few moments or a hundred days. Am I at a crossroad? Maybe I had already walked passed it or I haven't reached it yet, but I am planning of making one now, for there's no time to wait as the old adage of time is but fleeting rings in your head.

It's time to start living my life; I'll start writing my stories today.

You only live once...but if you live it right, once is enough

To the special man in our life: Happy Birthday, Daddy!!!

Josh's second term at school had already started; however, there are still more pictures taken during his first term you might not have seen.

Close Range: Wyoming Stories

I just finished reading a book, which is a collection of short stories by Annie Proulx. It is a compendium of eleven tales of the hard lives of ranchers and country wives in Wyoming; yes, this includes the famous Brokeback Mountain, which was adapted into a film starring Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal.

Close Range: Wyoming Stories is a great read and very interesting. Proulx has a certain knack for painting great imagery of a laid-back place that always play a huge part in each story. They are poetic, teeming with life, humorous and at times heart wrenching. Brokeback Mountain came in last in the collection - like a reward for staying - and reading the previous tales made one understand more of what kind of hard predicament Ennis and Jack were in.

I loved the movie, and after finally reading the story in print, I fully understand why Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana won the best adaptation at the recent Oscars. It was a 35-page story packed with emotions, and translated on screen as what the reader would imagine it to be. They kept the best lines in the book and added some more - something of which cannot be said on any Harry Potter adaptations.

Next stop: I'll buy the DVD. I'll take Jack's line to Ennis: "I wish I knew how to quit you. "

Order on the fifth

Now that the official DVD of the Goblet of Fire is out, friends had asked me when the next Potter movie is coming out. Well, here is the news for The Order of the Phoenix, the fifth book adaptation: it should come out in the summer or spring of 2007. Production has already started and we should expect a teaser trailer by the end of the year.

If you have met new characters in the fourth film and loved the amazing dragon, the lake and the humongous maze, then brace for more. Harry's personality will turn a bit - teen angst. He is the CAPSLOCK Harry this time: petulant, dejected and left out.

Things to looks forward to:
1. The Dursleys will be back: big D and his gang; Dementors at Privet Drive; Harry's expulsion trial
2. Hermione and Ron getting their Prefect badges
3. Harry's anguish over Cedric's death. For all those Robert Pattinson (Cedric) fans, I heard that you'd see some of him in this fifth film; the Hufflepuff golden boy will appear in flashbacks (not as a ghost, I hope).
4. Harry's first kiss, and first date (yes, they should come in that order)
5. The Inquisitor Club (slimy Slytherin gits)
6. Grawp, Hagrid's younger 16-foot brother
7. Luna Lovegood (an eccentric fourth-year Ravenclaw who looks at Harry and Ron with dreamy eyes)
8. Ginny Weasley coming into the forefront (Bat-bogey hex)
9. Dumbledore's Army (a group of students led by Harry learning Defense Against the Dark Arts unbeknownst to the teachers); the Room of Requirement; fireworks mayhem
10. A new DADA teacher from hell: Dolores Jane Umbridge
11. The Order of the Phoenix (of course, the title wouldn't be quite right if they miss this out): Mad-eye Moody (the real one), Remus Lupin, Kingsley Shackelbolt, Nymphadora Tonks
12. Number 12 Grimmauld Place, Sirius Black and Kreacher (an abominable house-elf). Will we get to see the tapestry of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black? I hope so, for it figures largely in the sixth and seventh books.
13. The OWLs (Ordinary Wizarding Levels) - it's the magical world's O-levels
14. Harry's one-on-one Occlumency lessons with Snape. And, of course, Snape's Worst Memory: a pensive scene back when he and Harry's parents were still at Hogwarts (young James, Lily, Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, and Peter Pettigrew were casted)
15. Nagini attacking Arthur Weasley
16. Dumbledore's arrest and spectacular escape (for book fans: Dawlish was casted so we should expect this scene)
17. The duel between Voldemort and Dumbledore, which should be awesome
18. Real battle between the good and bad wizards and witches (kiss ass!); someone falling into the veil: Sirius Black (oops!)
19. Bellatrix Lestrange: a Death Eater deep within the circle of the Dark Lord ("little bitty baby Potter")
20. The Prophesy that should be a kick in the gut for a cliff-hanger ending


Here are more parts in the book which has a huge chance of being left off, but would look good on the screen:
1. Hagrid and Madam Maxine going to the giants' lair (boring when Hagrid told this story, but a huge special effects feat on film)
2. Harry and the Weasley twins in a Quidditch scuffle that led them to be banned from playing anymore Quidditch
3. Thestrals: the invisible horse-like creatures that pull the carriages from the train station to the school. Harry and his friends will ride them to get to the Ministry of Magic
4. The Weasley twin's departure from Hogwarts; this should be awesome, but they have left out Peeves (a poltergeist that plays practical jokes on students: "GOT YOUR CONK!") in the previous movies.
5. Dobby the house-elf from Chamber of Secrets. We missed him in Goblet of Fire, and I'm pretty sure again this time, but he was the one who told Harry of the Room of Requirement (I hope they don't give that to Neville again)
6. Quidditch games (special effects cost a lot), but I do hope we'll get to see Ron's Keeper try-outs. How about the Seeker match-out between Cho Chang and Ginny Weasley? It's a great foreshadowing of Harry's love life
7. Harry and his friends meeting Neville visiting his parents at St. Mungos, a hospital for wizards (I'm really praying that they include this one; this is heartbreaking); crazy Gilderoy Lockhart (their teacher from Chamber of Secrets who lost his memory)
8. Firenze (the centaur who saved Harry in Philosopher's Stone) teaching them divination

The book was huge and there was so much going on that I'm pretty sure they wouldn't be able to pack into a two and a half-hour of film. Maybe they should start to consider extending it to three hours, fans wouldn't mind.

And oh, the sixth film should come hot on its heels (2008).

Pin Crasher

That's the name of our team last Saturday; made up of Herman, April, Arlene and me. We didn't win but we weren't that bad either. We ranked 11th among 24 teams, and I ranked 13 for the female bowlers of 40 something; not a bad standing.

I really did well considering my scores during practice. I scored 144 and 145 for my first and last games (without the handicap). Not bad, huh? Oh, just so you know, it was a 9-pin tap game. Go figure that out.

An Englishman will burn his bed to catch a flea

"Remember, remember, the 5th of November
Gunpowder, treason and plot;
I know of no reason, why the gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot."

That is a popular English rhyme often quoted on Guy Fawkes Night, in memory of the Gunpowder Plot of 1605. And this is where the movie V for Vendetta begins. Guy Fawkes was a member of a group of Roman Catholic conspirators, who attempted to assassinate King James I of England (James VI of Scotland) and the members of both houses of the Parliament of England by blowing up the House of Lords (Palace of Westminster). Fawkes is largely responsible for the later stages of the plan’s execution, but they were, however, detected before its completion and were executed for treason and attempted murder.

Then we now move forward to the future of a totalitarian Britain, a time when the World War III has come and gone; a time when the United States of America is no longer in power, where everything was left in chaos. In order for England to prevail, the citizens became complacent under one law – a fascist state, where the government controls what people see on television, read in the papers, and when can they venture out in the streets.

"It is for their protection," as what the iron-fisted Chancellor Sutler (John Hurt) reminds the passive populace. He leads the single-party Norsefire that keeps control of the country through food shortages, suspended civil rights, secret police, a planned economy, and suppressing the nation's various political, ethnic and sexual minorities.

Then came V (Hugo Weaving), a knife-throwing, poetry-quoting caped crusader living like the Phantom of the Opera and hides behind the smiling mask of Guy Fawkes. He rescues Evey (Natalie Portman) from being molested by the secret police and gained an ally. He is a terrorist and anarchist who started an elaborate, violent, and theatrical campaign to bring down the government by blowing up London landmarks. He then took over the government-controlled airwaves, to urge his fellow citizens to rise up against their tyrannical and oppressive government - telling them that they are all imprisoned and showed them the bars.

This is a story of a government who should be fearful of the people it governs and of a terrorist who can be called a hero. V for Vendetta is based on the ten-issue comic book written by Alan Moore (though he removed himself from the movie credits after being appalled with the script) and illustrated mostly by David Lloyd. The first-time director James McTeigue helmed the movie while the Wachowski brothers (Andy and Larry) of the Matrix fame wrote the screenplay.

The movie isn't a disaster as what other people may think. If people were bogged down by the pompous metaphysical mumbo-jumbo of the Matrix sequels, this movie with all its lofty philosophizing is very thought provoking. It focuses more on the characters than on exploding buildings and fight scenes. It is a movie with action, ideas and an uncanny vision of a possible future.

There's talk on this film about glamorizing terrorism and will strike to some as irresponsible or even treasonous, but I think it is a cheeky way to show that, indeed, one man's freedom fighter can be another man's terrorist. There surely is a certain seductiveness in the psychology of terrorism when you are sure you are on the right side; just think of the other movie Munich.

Quitters never win, and winners never quit, but those who never quit AND never win are idiots

I went back to the alley, after five long years, to play four games of bowling yesterday. I'd say, I did quite good base on my expected average: 60. I know it's pretty low, but I'm really not that good at all in that sport. I did fair well with these scores: 65, 73, 72, and 84. Abysmal, but who cares? I did enjoy it.

After such a long time, why go back to it again? We were just preparing for the fun bowl on Saturday sponsored by the Maybank Club. Chances of winning for our team may be dim, but, hey they also give out awards for those with the lowest scores! I think I have a good fighting chance on that.

Money can't buy love, but it sure gets you a great bargaining position

Can man ever have enough of everything? Will there come a time that he will stop and say, "Enough! This is too much. All I have is all I need. I'm happy now"? Is there a limit to man's thirst for knowledge, for power, and for wealth?

I had a conversation with a friend some time ago about readiness when it comes to marriage. Is financial stability a good gauge to know if you are ready for married life? I said, "Nope." It doesn't matter whether you have ten thousand dollars or one thousand pesos in the bank long as you are sure of each other and that the love that should bind you together is there.

Let me put it in another perspective. Think about the time when you were just earning 20 thousand pesos back in the Philippines in 1999, is it enough for your single lifestyle? Maybe just about enough to get you through a couple of gimik nights in a month. Somehow after two years you got an offer to work outside of the country and your salary almost quadruples. You were ecstatic; it's a huge difference from what you are making do with, and so you grabbed it.

Suddenly you realised that it wasn't really that huge at all, because in a foreign land you have to pay for all the bills this time - you're not living with Mom and Dad anymore. Yet you're not in the same situation you were in before; money isn't tight now: you can afford to buy more things and go clubbing once a week, and have enough money to store in the bank. Life is easy and without realising it your lifestyle changes: you need a higher paying job. The more money coming in, the more lax you are when it comes to spending. Before, you can take the bus, but now it's either your car or the cab.

So is ten thousand dollars in the bank enough savings to carry with you into marriage? If you're going to have a lavish wedding, I don't think it's enough to cover everything. Think, however, that the wedding isn't the whole of marriage but just the rite. People will say that love can't feed you or "Nakakain ba yang love na yan?" As long as the two of you are not going to live off as bums, things will work out right. Take it from me; I didn't have ten thousand dollars in the bank when I got married.

A man who follows his own wishes changes his attitude with time. Very soon he is not satisfied any more with the things he does. - Leo Tolstoy

News: the compelling realities all around us... that we are at a stage where we have trouble every day, we have bombs every day

One reason why I don't watch the news at TFC is that it simply gets me in a bad mood. The news you'll see could dampen your spirits, surprise you or enrage you; most of the time, I am outraged. The pictures rolling in the news aren't the ones that could make you miss your country very much and want to go back to; they're the ones that invoke the thought "glad I'm not there anymore," which to me is pathetic.

I made a mistake yesterday when I watched another edition of TV Patrol World - not sure why, maybe there are no other decent shows to flip through. The news about unconstitutional detention of members of the House of Representatives simply went trough my right ear and off with the other; I've grown numbed with all the hullabaloos in Philippine politics - it's just plain dirty. I am one of those who agree with my favourite blogger Jay David in his prayer. If all sensible Filipinos say that prayer together, do you think it can happen?

The news about the protests of the street sweepers caught my attention though and got me fuming. These MMDA street sweepers are claiming that they have not received any salary increases for more than three years now, neither do they receive any benefits that are due them, and top it all off, they even have to shoulder the expenses in buying the equipments they need in cleaning the streets. An old woman, who had been working as a street sweeper for thirty years now, even have to borrow shoes from her colleagues, who had already finished their shifts, because it's a mandate that they need to wear the prescribed shoes while working; hers were already wrecked and they have not received their so-called clothing allowances since 2004.

These people are only earning five thousand pesoses in a month (that's US$100 to you old chap). They buy broomsticks worth 15 pesos daily, dustpan for 45 pesos every week, and a piece of sack everyday for 8 pesos (for dirt collection), just so they could do their job properly; they even have to buy the "Clorox" and cleaning powders. This is like asking a programmer to join your company but he has to bring his own computer and pay for his share of electric bills. A government official answered that MMDA no longer has a budget to cover the cleaning materials needed for the year. What kind of budgeting do the people in the Philippine government do? No wonder Metro Manila is still as dirty as the mud-slinging politicians governing our country.

Your friendly neighbour... Man in Black

I've mentioned before that one of my two favourite superheroes is The Amazing Spider-man, and here's an update to the blockbuster movie franchise. I received this pic from the Sony Pictures (no, I don't have any connections with any of their people); I'm simply subscribed to the official Spider-man site that's why.

That picture isn't black and white; this merely confirms one of the villains our superhero has to face in the third movie - I've heard they're three. And whom that might be, you ask? It's Venom. There was a time when Peter Parker stumbled upon a black material that's alien from this Earth and he used it for a new suit (I guess he got tired of the red and blue ensemble or that MJ found it too tacky?) This alien thing affected his personality and tried to get into his system - more like the red stone for Superman, huh (I'm actually raking my brains here, not very sure). Peter somehow managed to take it out, but this biological thing possessed another being: Eddie Brock.

Mr. Brock, a journalist, is Peter's arch-nemesis at the Daily Bugle - more like Draco Malfoy for Harry Potter. I wonder what Venom would look like in the film; Topher Grace will be playing this part. But I have no fear when it comes to the Spider-man franchise; costumes are very close to what were drawn in the comic books - most of them villains and hero, anyway. That is one reason why I love the team who brought us the Spider-man movies: they tried to get as close to what we've read in the comic books. Spidey's suit is the coolest superhero costume I've ever seen in the movies. Why can't the Batman and Superman costume designers get it right? Batman with nipples or Superman with hipster briefs and a cape that isn't red enough, come on!

The other villain is the Sandman; now I wonder who might be the third one. Could it be Green Goblin with "Don't tell Harry" behind it? Well, it was hinted on the second film, but I've heard some rumours that he's going to be the Hobgoblin, which is kind of ridiculous because some guy named Kingsley is the Hobgoblin. I know that Norman Osborn is supposed to come back from the dead, but I know movies can't follow all the twists and turns of a comic book. The ending of the second film was perfect for the re-emergence of the Green Goblin.

I can't wait! But May 4, 2007 is still too far from where we are standing right now, I just have to contend with Superman in hipster briefs this summer. Darn!

If you can't fix it you've got to stand it.

I just saw one of the best movies of 2005, and I can't help but sing my praises. Are you ready for Marlboro men who love men? Is Brokeback Mountain a groundbreaking gay cowboy movie? To say so is an insult to the filmmaker, writers and actors who shared their art to make this short story by E. Annie Proulx enter the Hollywood mainstream possible. It is just as any movies we have seen that deal with the mysterious ways of forbidden love (West Side Story; Romeo and Juliet); it just so happen that the star-crossed lovers are men.

Ennis del Mar (Heath Ledger) and Jack Twist (Jake Gyllenhaal), a pair of 19-year-old cowboys, met in Wyoming ranch country in 1963 to herd sheep in the Brokeback Mountain for the summer. These two rough-mannered, rough-spoken ranch hands have never heard of the term gay; men who would mightily resist a gay lifestyle or even the label homosexual. Theirs is a relationship that unfolded in the beautiful scenery of the countryside wilderness; it is a stifle cry to the vast emptiness of the blue sky over the mountains. Great love stories are about hurdling obstacles, and this one has a lot to spare: a lonely passion that has no place in their world.

As their campfire dies one biting cold night, which drove them to huddle together inside the tent, a sudden spark between Ennis and Jack flared into an undying flame: an intimacy that is explosive, graphic, candid and unapologetic. The morning after that fateful encounter, Ennis insisted, "I'm no queer," to which Jack added, "Me neither. A one-shot thing. Nobody's business but ours." But the passion did not die and that promise was forever forgotten.

Their blissful and liberating life in the mountain was cut short by an impending blizzard, forcing them to end their summer employment and separate ways. Their farewell is a simple "See you around," though you could clearly see them both torn up. Unaware that they had stumbled upon the greatest love their lives, they went off to the rest of their lives: Ennis marrying his sweetheart Alma (Michelle Williams), and Jack, moving to Texas and falling into a marriage with Lureen (Anne Hathaway), a rodeo rider with a well-to-do family; they thought that what happened on Brokeback Mountain was over.

Four years had passed and Ennis, who had settled in Wyoming, received a postcard from Jack saying the he would come for a visit. The instant their eyes set on each other, the suspended passion and longing exploded into a spontaneous kiss. That meeting began their one or twice "fishing trips" in the countryside alone together on which there's no fish caught. After a few stolen days of re-living their idyllic summer, they go back to hiding their love behind shaky façades of heterosexual domestic life numb.

Jack, being the showier character, the livelier wire, and who is more self-aware and self-accepting, urges that they forsake their marriages, set up ranch together and settle down. Ennis, the taciturn who only speaks however, haunted by a childhood memory of seeing a mutilated body of a rancher tortured and beaten to death for living with another man, dissuades the idea out of fear and shame, "This thing gets hold of us at the wrong time and wrong place and we're dead."

We read and watch millions of love stories; they come and go, but this one stays with you - not because it's homosexual, but because Ennis and Jack's story is so full of life and longing, and true romance.

Great story this may be, it could never reach its grandeur without the wonderful direction of Ang Lee, the superb adaptation of Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana, the awesome cinematography of Rodrigo Prieto and the exceptional performances of the actors.

I've seen Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal in previous films, but never had I thought of them as great actors - hunky heartthrobs, maybe - but this movie changed my mind: they made this angst-ridden love story tangible. Ledger as Ennis gave a powerful performance of a laconic Western man: the pain, the rage, his sense of longing and loss are for real. The disappointment of Gyllenhaal's soft and outspoken Jack is forever registered in his sad, expectant eyes. I love William's glum look, especially the look on her face when she discovered the affair (Oops! I gave out that one didn't I?) Hathaway made her character's turn into a robotic shell after years with Jack so convincingly that you (the audience) can't even tell if she has any idea about the relationship between her husband and his fishing buddy.

Are you ready for Marlboro men who love men? I am. After getting past that giggling fit on their first kiss I actually gushed over the intensity of their love's passion.

Catholics Rock!

Do you love movies and TV shows? Are you a gamer? Do you have an MP3 player or an iPod? If your answer is at least 2 "yes" for the three questions, then maybe what I'm about to say will interest you. Have you heard of podcasting? I mentioned this in a previous post; I am so totally hooked with this latest revolution in the Internet world, as well as in the media industry.

You need not be a Catholic or a devout one to enjoy the podcasts offered by the Star Quest Podcast Network. I listen to the Daily Breakfast everyday on my way to work. Fr. Roderick touches on the latest current events, movies, TV shows, games, and yes, there's the Peculiar Bunch section, wherein he discusses some things Catholic that may boggle the mind of others. The Catholic Insider, which Fr. Roderick started last year, is now more concentrated on the sound-seeing tours. And, of course, there's the Secret Series: Harry Potter, Narnia and Star Wars; these series delve into the origins of the literature and find their relation to a Christian life. I subscribe to all these podcasts and even the PrayStation Portable.

Incidentally, Catholic Insider is celebrating its first year anniversary of podcasting.

To those who know the pain of valentines that never came

Today is Valentine's day or what Jay Leno calls "Extortion Day!" So, instead of sending you all short messages let me greet you here.

May you find love - not just for today - but until the end of your days. Have a lovin' and sweet Valentine's Day.

Love can't be learned
Love isn't alms
Love isn't need
Love isn't completion
Love isn't just a feeling
Love defies reason
Love is beyond human comprehension.

The quote above is something I had put together some time ago from my readings; and the last line has some big resonance for me. A colleague told me today that love is overrated. The man's love, probably, because we tend to shift and change; being wholeheartedly in love all the time is next to impossible. God's love, however, is understated and often forgotten.

Keeping score

I just updated the collection of Josh's pictures in school as his teacher has sent another batch photographs. Now we know what he won during their Chinese New Year programme: Best in Costume for the Nursery Level.



We attended a birthday party last weekend; Josh was brave enough to join the apple- eating contest when he actually has not eaten an apple, much so bite it himself. I know we tried to feed him an apple before but he never liked it then, and I'm pretty sure even up to now.



We must educate children as really perfect people worthy of the great future in which they will live. - Leo Tolstoy

Poverty is the load of some, and wealth is the load of others

It has been said that God tests everyone: one with wealth, the other with poverty. For a rich man, it is a question whether he will extend his arm to help those in need; as for the poor man, whether he will endure his sufferings with no discontentment and filled with obedience.

How am I faring in this test? It is quite a hard one for I am neither too wealthy nor too poor. Okay, I don't belong to the impoverished lot; so, my task in this life is to help in whatever way I can. One doesn't need to be filthy rich to help, and here is one project that lends a hand to the needy in our country (Philippines) that I totally believe in: Gawad Kalinga. In this endeavour, the poorest of the poor are given chances for a better way of living and of giving back their own dignity. The slums are transformed into beautiful communities, and the poor people into productive and self-sufficient citizens.

Most overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) all left our country to help alleviate the direness of the plight of our families. No matter how long we have stayed out of our country, we will always be Filipinos and "home" is one place we can never abandon. I call for you to partake in this undertaking to build a better country to go back to.

Bear the load of thy neighbor's poverty, and let him bear with thee the load of thy wealth. Thou lightenest thy load by lightening his. - St. Aurelius Augustine

It is difficult to restrain oneself from saying things that please one's listeners

With the recent events such as the stampede at the Ultra or the outrage over some caricatures, I now wonder why people tend to find ways of putting the blame to others. Why is it that man relish in finding faults in his neighbours? Is it because pointing the finger at another makes one thinks that he isn't capable of committing such fault or blunder?

People behind the publications of the offending cartoons were hiding behind the mantra "freedom of the press"; it could be because they simply can't accept the fact that they were capable of religious bigotry. Those who were enraged by the caricatures were slamming that the western worlds are simply bigots; maybe they should stop and think for a while that they themselves had been dogmatic and alienated themselves from the world causing the distance between cultures wider and wider.

The unfortunate souls involved in that stampede that fateful Saturday at the Ultra are likewise, of course, passing the culpability to different sets of people: the event organizers, the show's producers, the show's host and co-entertainers, the stadium's security personnel, the government, poverty, and even the sloping pathway, which leads to the auditorium. Yes, all of them might have contributed to that regrettable day - even that damn steep pathway - but I challenge those who died (bless their soul), those have been injured and the lucky others in that crowd: to look at themselves and put that heavy burden in their hearts. They must accept the fact that their "little" shoving and pushing had cost seventy lives. No amount of organization or security could have prevented a mob inflamed by greed.

If I'm being a pompous ass, I'm sorry. I've just had enough of all the finger-pointing and of slinging-each-other-with-mud. It is time, for once, to stand-up and admit one's fault.

Stop blaming other people and you will fee what an alcoholic feels when he stops drinking, or what a smoker feels when he stops smoking. You will feel that you have relieved your soul. - Leo Tolstoy

iPodder

To our Nokia phone collector, ascerbic, bitchin', cocky friend with a great big heart:

Happy Birthday, E-Jay!

A life without religion is a life of an animal

Religious conflict is again at its height these days all because of a series of cartoons that were first published in a Danish newspaper. Muslims were outraged when their Prophet Mohammed was satirically depicted in a comic strip. I didn't know that their god isn't allowed to be illustrated in any type of art form – or maybe because I simply didn't know anything at all about other religions.

The Muslims are screaming blood; but is it really justifiable? I know that what the cartoonist did may be sacrilege to their religion, but why must the government suffer for the ignorance of its one or a handful of citizens? Can the Muslim community force one country, which gives freedom to the press, to penalize one person who did not commit any criminal act under their country's law? It was like Singapore asking the Philippine government to penalize Juan who had chewed boxes of gum in a public area in Manila.

What we need is religious tolerance and respect, and also a little respect to those people who can be quite uninformed. When the movie The Last Temptation of Christ came out, the Christian community were likewise furious. Christ was depicted in that movie in a humanized way, such as having carnal thoughts and desires, yet I never heard of news of Christians asking for the head of Martin Scorsese - ban the movie probably, but nothing radical as killing all Americans. The type of reaction from some of the people in the Muslim community that's being shown in the press is what's painting their religion in a bad light. Is it rooted in fanaticism or is that what's in their doctrine? And their outright cry (fatwa) for capital punishment is what making other people think that their religious dogma preaches savagery.

In the depth of all religions there flows the general, unifying truth: let Persians bear their taovids, Jews wear their caps, Christians bear their cross, Muslims bear their sickle - moon, but we have to remember that all these are only outer signs and the general essence of all religions is to love your neighbour, and that this is requested by Manuf, Zoroaster, Buddha, Moses, Socrates, Jesus, St. Paul, and Mohammed. - Morris Flugel

The public, with its mob yearning to be instructed, edified and pulled by the nose, demands certainties

A terrible tragedy happened in Manila last Saturday. What could have been an afternoon of celebration for a famous game show's anniversary began with a stampede leaving 74 people dead and hundreds injured. People from other sides of the world may be questioning themselves why such a thing has happened simply over a TV game show. I, too, am quite perplexed to hear the news, but then understanding the Filipino psyche gives some light to what's behind such a pitiful incident.

More than two years ago (the last time I went home) - back when we don't have TFC here yet - I asked my relatives why the TV media is littered with game shows (even on primetime!). One said that it's the popular thing right now, as people's lives are getting harder and harder and that the promise of instant money is a welcome proposition to the impoverished public.

So who's to blame in this unfortunate occurrence? Is it the government, the TV station, the show's producers, or the stadium's authorities? I'd say, how about blaming those people involved in the stampede for once? They brought this upon themselves. I'm just too tired of hearing of putting the culpability to poverty in every aspect of sad happenings in our country; it's a lame excuse from a bunch of indolent people.

If Singaporeans are kiazu, some of our countrymen are even worst. Queuing up early is one thing, but jumping queues and roughing up is another; why must there be a need to rush things up? Is it poverty or purely just greed?

There is no such thing as getting easy money decently; quick bucks don't last. Here's something I got from the Praystation Portable this morning (a reading from St. Paul's letter to the Thessalonians): "Anyone who would not work, should not eat. We hear that some of you are unruly; not keeping busy but acting like busybodies. We enjoin all such and we urge them strongly in the Lord Jesus Christ, to earn the food they eat by working quietly. You must never grow weary of doing what is right."

I wonder when will our people understand that alleviating the plight of their lives doesn't depend solely on our government or on the charity of others. They better start looking at their own selves and ask: "why do let myself sunk this low?"

Metro Manila isn't the land of promise anymore or of milk and honey. It is time to go back to our lands – the lands, which have nurtured our ancestors long before the skyscrapers sprouted in that big city. Don't you think that your life tilling a small parch of land with your helpful carabao – things you had sold to buy tickets to go to that city – is far better off than a life in the city slums or sleeping beneath the bridge with ten families?

I felt pity for those seventy-four unfortunate souls. They have lost their dignity in the hope of getting a better life. Kids, too, have died in there; kids who should have been in school instead of queuing up for five days just to get inside that stadium and get a raffle ticket that could have brought them of $400 (if they're that lucky enough). I'd rather dole out my dollars to Gawad Kalinga than give them to those who say cheesy jokes. Winning ten thousand pesos might pay-off a family's house bills and feed them for half a month, but after that, what's next? They'd be back to that game show and try to win some more.

Passion is the mob of the man that commits a riot upon his reason. - William Penn

A new face

To commemorate my 150th post, I did a complete makeover to this site's look. I do hope you like it. It's too girly (I know!) - far too different from the previous one. If I get tired of it, I might replace it with another.

As for the background picture, that's taken by a very good friend of mine, Marc Aviles, and used with permission.

Heaven is under our feet as well as over our heads

Shoes, shoes, glorious shoes! Let it be Manolo Blahnik's, Jimmy Choo's, Nine West, Pretty Fit, Charles & Keith, or even Parisian, just what is it with women and shoes? Imelda Marcos is a name associated to one who has a huge collection of shoes – aside from the fact that she was once the driving force behind one powerful man. Can someone explain to me the passion between a woman and her sets of shoes?

I'm not the type of woman who has got to have a set of shoes that matches to the colour of her dress; all of my shoes are in black, aside from my sneakers (of course!). Before I got the sensible dark colours such as brown, blue - even green - and an occasional white, but I guess my preferences changed and so did my lifestyle. Gone were the days when I have to dress-up all girly off to a ball, and so my girly, twinkly, sexy pumps had to go. I no longer had to wear company uniforms and so those blues, greens and brown pumps flew off the window as well.

I don't have a large collection of shoes ' you can tell just from the range of colour that I buy. But still I go ga-ga when I see a style that captures my eye. The first thing you'll see me do when checking out shoes is look at the heels. They simply had to look great; no cheesy curves nor geeky ones. I don't like stilettos for they are such killers! A three-inch heel is fine with me, but I can’t seem to stand on a heel that's between 1 and 2 inches high (I simply don't like them). If it's got to be flat, it should be flat; no semi-flat (or whatever they call them). To top it all off: they should look great on every view; be it from the top, side, or back.

I was presented with a Victoria's Secret brochure filled with great looking shoes last week, and I lost some minutes of sleep tossing, turning thinking of those pumps. I simply have got to have those glorious boots. After so much consideration, I'm thinking of adding a few colours to my array of shoes; I better bring back some colour to my feet. Red. I never had red shoes. Maybe I should try one.

Shoes should match one's bag. Oh, bags! Women and their bags: that's another wonder.

And remember, no matter where you go, there you are.

I know it's a bit late, but still... Happy Chinese New Year!

Ahh... I love this holiday here in Singapore, because it surely is a long one. We had a very long weekend and tomorrow is going to be a dreary day at work - for sure.

The picture shown above is Josh coming out from their school activity last Friday. Moms, Dads and Yayas weren't allowed inside their little theater (the glass dors were even covered with newspapers!) So we had to make do with the little pic we had taken when they were released. The gift he's carrying said "First Prize - Nursery"; we don't have any idea what's it for. We'll just wait for his teacher's email updates then. More of his school pics here.

We also went to Wild Wild Wet last Sunday just to fight boredom: most stores are pretty much close in here (no place to go to). We can't go out of the country for it's Herman's turn to support. Pics are available for viewing here.

It was great fun at work last Friday, too; managers gave away red packets (angpow) to staff who are brave enough to approach and greet them a happy new year. I got five packets. We had a little get together in the afternoon: pizza galore, lots of orange mandarins, knick-knacks, and beer. Beer at the workplace... only during Chinese New Year.

Man of Steel in Blue Tights

There are two comic book superheroes I like the most: Superman and Spider-man. For Spider-man, I’ve even read the first issues of adventures over at Marvel. I wish I had asked my grand-uncle to let me have those comic books for they were just stacked in some dingy old wooden box with old magazines and newspapers. But alas! I lack the foresight that those old comic books are such gems. I like Superman because I’ve read the DC comic books, borrowed from friends, about him. And, of course, who could ever forget those Christopher Reeves films that brought the movie industry to whole new level in terms of special effects? When I’ve heard the news that Superman is going to die in comics, I huddled with my college friends just to see that funeral artwork. Man it was awesome!

After two great Spider-man movies (starring my favourite actor Tobey Maguire), we’ll again see the flight of the Man of Steel (or hunky alien) in Superman Returns. I’ve seen the trailer, and it’s brilliant. You’ll hear the familiar voice of Marlon Brando as Jor-El. I now wonder what they are going to tackle in this film. On the trailer, you’ll see that we’re going back to the time when the young Kal-El was discovered by the Kent’s after a meteor shower, and back when the young Clark Kent (Brandon Routh) discovers his supernatural abilities. Is it going to be similar to the first Superman movie with Christopher Reeves? The storyline from the official website doesn’t say so. It is pretty obvious that they took off from where the last film left off. Maybe after years of absence, superman got a facelift.

Bryan Singer, who brought us the first two great film adaptations of another set of comic book heroes The X-men, directed this new film; he opted not to direct the third instalment of the X-men franchise to give new life to the most beloved superhero. We’ll see an even prettier Lois Lane (Kate Bosworth) and probably a nastier Lex Luthor (Kevin Spacey).

Superman Returns opens on 30^th of June 2006.