THE TRASH CAN

MA, THERE'S NEWSPAPER iN MY PORRiDGE

2012-01-03T00:50:00.006+08:00

I first started reading the newspaper when I was 7 years old, damn young I know.

I know when the regular newspaper boy would arrive at my uncle's gate. When he does, I would then rush to my uncle and beg for the kiddie section. if he isn't home, I have to agonizingly wait for him to arrive. My uncle hates it when I fumble the newspaper first before him, since my little hands would create dreaded creases everywhere on the print. I would just have to wait for him to hand me my part of the newspaper.

Then my uncle taught me how to read the newspaper properly - how to open the pages, how to fold them back in place. Just like what I stereotypically see adults on TV soap opera do when reading the newspaper.

Then my uncle's wife introduced me to Reader's Digest, Panorama, Time, and other magazines. National Geographic was my favorite. It was like a treasure trove of beautiful pictures and stories around the world, fed all the gusto my nerdy brain was hungry for. Fast forward to the future and FHM overpowered them all.

My love for newspaper and magazines were attributed to my family's love for old traditions and superstitious beliefs.

When I was still an uncorrupted fetus, my mother usually sleeps with a pile of books on the bedside table. Doing so would help a child love books and learning, they say.

My first day in Elementary was unforgettable. My mother [or my father, I can't really remember] made me eat rice porridge a.k.a. lugaw with a twist. There was something mushy with it, and I got a glimpse of what seemed to be some words I can barely read. And no it isn't alphabet soup.

My mother was force-feeding me newspaper.

It was believed that eating newspaper at the first day of school would make a child smart.

Who am I to reject this offering of academic good luck? This so-called intellectual porridge with newspaper essence?

I actually made good with my studies during my elementary years, but I am not giving the newspaper porridge all the credit.

It tastes like paper. Not bad. As a kid I have eaten paper. Who hasn't.

THE ATTACK OF THE CURSiNG CHAiN TEXT MESSAGES

2011-12-30T17:35:00.003+08:00

Do you love God?
I DO.
Say, Lord I love You very much.
Pass this message to 14 people.
If you don't do this before 2011 ends, an important person in your life will leave you!
You are an important person for me, so I forwarded this message to you. Don't think about the load credits you will waste. It's just 14 people.
Please pass..

Seriously?!

Yet I received another of these infamous text message from my gullible friends. And another one. And another. Same text message. Different friends. They have been passing the message around in the same circle of people. Unfortunately I became an unwilling part of this shit.

Unfortunate for them their messages are arriving at a dead end on my phone. I am not having any part of this shit.

I have already knocked the brains off my friends, simply because I want their logical side to straighten their thinking about chain messages, as well as free me the burden of receiving another one of these shit.

Shit.

Just to be sure, they would reply. You'll lose nothing anyway. Your phone's on unlimited texting feature, right?

An important person in your life will leave you! Sometimes it's like ..Or your mom will die, or you will have 10 years of bad luck. Insert other curses here.

What a load of shit.

That, my friends, is an unwanted threat in a religious text message, which by then destroys everything good in the original purpose. So in the end, it deliberately categorizes the whole message as blasphemous and completely idiotic. Like a spiritual blessing turned into a Sadako curse, you have to forward it or else suffer the consequences.

Since I want to do something beneficial and help rid the world of morons, I am spreading this text message, and this goes especially to those who did a very bad move of sending me that cursing chain message:

Have you ever received those cursing chain messages?
So horrible that they threat your mom, your future, your love life, you dog, or your neighbor's flea if you don't forward the message to this certain amount of people?
I DO.
LET US STOP THIS NONSENSE ONCE AND FOR ALL.
Send this to 5000 people that you care about!
If you don't do this in 5 minutes, you will unwillingly step on shit everyday for the rest of your life!
Please pass..

WHAT iF: A CREEPY STORY

2011-11-02T01:11:00.007+08:00

..
..
"Nadakpan na ang aswang! [The aswang has been captured!]"

It was already dark, but a neighbor came to our house and told my parents about the good but eerie news. With that, my mother and father went out of the house with our neighbor to check the news' validity.

"Pang-lock mog bintana ug pultahan. [Lock the windows and doors]", father said. I was left to take care of my two younger sisters. As they left, I hurriedly locked the doors and all the windows.

In the middle of our small, unfinished house, we sat and waited.

In the Philippines, aswang is a mythical creature that hunts only during the night to devour people. It takes the form of any animal or another human being to lure its victims and feast on the poor soul's innards. Commonly, the aswang myth is used to scare children into venturing during the night and to make them sleep early.

My parents were both raised from a typical rural family, and thus their childhoods also revolved around superstitions and the belief of aswangs. I remember my mother would tell us stories of supernatural encounters - from her parents and other rural-living relatives, to their neighbors and other people they know.

I am one skeptical person you will have a hard time convincing. But the imagination is a mysterious and vast thing, even a person like me would stop in the middle of the dark and think.

"What if..".

While we, siblings, were waiting for our parents' return in the wee hours of the night, the unexpected happened.

"Oh, brownout!", my sisters screamed.

How creepy could this get!

News of the aswang terrorizing nearby towns spread like a virus days before the immediate news that the monster had already arrived in our area. Jittery neighbors added to the thrill and the unwanted panic.

Has the aswang killed already? Has anybody seen it? Could it only be a madman or a serial killer on the loose? Nobody could answer a 13-year old boy's questions.

My sisters were very very scared. I told them to stay where they were as I groped in the dark for some matches and candles. Lucky, I know where they are safely kept, so I lighted a candle in the middle of the house to appease my sisters' nervousness. Mother and father still haven't arrived yet.

The silence was deafening. Oh such a thing may be an irony, but I know the feeling of how silence can do that. Complete silence creates a strong buzzing sound in your ears that you cannot do anything but endure, even my sisters' faint cries and whispers weren't enough to break it. There is no source of that mysterious sound. It's like an inaudible frequency becoming so audible due to the absence of all the other distinctive sounds.

Then something broke that silence.

I heard flapping sounds outside the house. Wings. Like of a big bird. Flapping. I knew it was the flapping of wings, since there was no other sound other than that and the faint cries of my sisters.

It was hovering in front of the house. I dared not tell my sisters about it since I might scare them even more, but I have no idea if they heard what I heard.

Then the flapping resumed at the backyard. Then back to the front. I was already having goosebumps.

It was circling the house.

It circled two more times. Three times all in all. I won't forget that number. Because I unknowingly counted them. There was nothing but flapping. Could it be.. Oh, skeptics like me will think of a way to shrug the thought out of our heads. It may be just a silly bird. A really big silly bird with big silly wings to be exact. Or I may only be hearing things. But what if..

Our house wasn't completely finished back then. There were still gaps at the sides where the roof and the walls meet. The only thing I was hoping was that I have not left any door or window unlocked.

I prayed silently. My goosebumps weren't helping at all. The only candle I lit was the only illumination we had. I was already looking for something to defend myself. The knife in the kitchen is too far. I don't believe in aswangs, but what if?

Then the flapping sound vanished. I motioned my sisters to stay where they are. I wanted to make sure that the flapping sound has left.

It might be just lurking at the sides.

I lost count of the time. We dared not move from where we were. The night was still silent as ever. Dark as ever.

Then there were knocks at the door. Parents finally came. Or are they? What if..

They were knocking, but still nobody tried to get up and open the door.

"Kinsa na? [Whose there?]", I asked.

"Abrihi mi! [Let us in!]", shouted an already irritated lady. It was my mother, thank goodness. Or is she?

Damn! Suddenly I had second thoughts of opening the door! My sisters won't open it either. The woman at the door was getting frustrated as ever.

I crept slowly towards the knocks, and like an assuring question, I asked, "Ma, ikaw na? [Ma, is that you?]".

My mother screamed my name in anger. OK, that's my mother alright. I unlocked the door and in came my mother and my father with their what's-the-matter-with-you faces.

"Nya, nakit'an ninyo ang aswang, ma? {Well, did you see the aswang?]".

"No", my parents answered. Turned out the news was just a hoax. But the truth about the existence of the aswang? Nobody knows.

The flapping sound.

What if..

THE GEEK WHO TRiED TO DANCE Part 4

2011-10-02T16:44:00.001+08:00

[Part 1 here]

[Part 2 here]

[Part 3 here]

First elimination was finally over before 10pm.

The seniors will have a closed-door meeting and decide which of the auditioners have the potential to be part of the their dance group. Successful auditioners would be contacted in the next few days.

First audition was more of a practice. A routine was taught to us, and the seniors judge us by gauging our performance and ability to grasp the steps easily.

Exhausted, hungry, and dripping in perspiration, my co-auditioners and I went home.

Okay so 'they' went home. The geek that I am, going home is not the way back to my boarding house. Home is where my favorite computer shop is located. After that audition, I changed clothes and went straight to Geek-landia paradise. What else can regenerate this geeky soul of mine than a good hour or two in the arms of my favorite online game. Home sweet home.

But I cannot deny the fact that despite all the emotional stress I have been through, the elimination was quite fun! I enjoyed what I was doing. The routine was a blast, even though I have no idea if I was executing it properly. When I was dancing, I didn't care at all.

I was like a different person. And I was actually having fun!

I sat down in front of the computer and started killing monsters and stuff. It's a geek thing. The one hour or two becomes three, then four. Well it only means one thing - I am definitely going to sleep in class again tomorrow.

"How did the audition go?", asked my housemate, who was into the geek stuff as I am.

"Ok ra.. I-text na lang daw nila kung kinsay nakapasa sa first elimination. [It was okay. They'll just send a text message to those people who passed the 1st elimination.]". Then I went back to brutally annihilating monsters again.

This was my world -- the geeky online gamer's world of sleepless nights and endless hack-and-slash. At 12 midnight, the computer shop was still full of people, computer gaming geeks like me, shouting unlimited profanities and cursing at each other for fun, boasting of virtual achievements and character items that normal people won't even comprehend.

Beep Beep. Beep Beep.

That was my phone. Someone bothered to send me a message at the wee hours of the night.

"This is ____ of Engineering Popjazz Team - KiNeSyX. Congratulations! We are happy to inform you that you passed the first elimination and will proceed to the final elimination.."

My eyes went larger than usual! I then tapped my friend furiously, who was also playing on a PC beside me.

"Bai! Bai! OMAYGAD Listen! Congratulations...", and I read to him aloud the message I received.

"Nadawat ka sa Popjazz? YEHEY!" [You got accepted in Popjazz?]

"1st elimination pa uy! [It's only the 1st eliminations] Final elimination coming up." Yeah, the team was commonly termed as Popjazz. Everyone uses that word to refer to them.

"I am so proud of you, my friend! You should be treating me white potions!". Virtual game item. It's a geek thing. Oh well, he deserves all the white potions my virtual money can afford for being there at my glorious moment. He then tapped the person next to him. " Bai, kining akong migo nakasud sa Popjazz!" [Bro, my friend here just got accepted in Popjazz].

"Ohh, Popjazz diay ka bai? Maayo diay ka musayaw. [Ohh, so you're a member of the Popjazz? So you dance well, then.]", my friend's friend said to me. Like he doesn't believe that I can.

Well it's okay, I really don't look like it, anyway. Many people don't believe I can do this or do that. Sometimes it's the main reason why a person starts doubting what he can really do. And now that I am one stepping stone ahead, It really doesn't matter to me anymore if I get in the team or not. All that matters to me now is to grab that first stone I stepped upon and bonk every person who didn't believe I can. They know who they are. And now they know what I am really made of. I have proven them wrong, and nothing is more satisfying than to see those bastards surprised as hell.

Yeah, my friend really had to make a scene inside the computer shop. And he made it very loud for the sake of geek pride. Now I owe two people damn white potions, and I'm not even IN the team yet! I had to clarify things to them before they spread the entire buzz, and save myself from treating everyone with damn white potions. Damn. Talk about stress and pressure. And I still have a class in the morning (which everyone knows I can handle by sleeping the entire class through).

But I have a lot more things to worry about than those white potions and the morning class.

Everyone knows how the final elimination goes.

An auditioner will dance a 2-minute solo routine of chosen genre.

In front of invited guest judges.

In front of the Popjazz members.

In front of the whole Engineering student population.

Doom, here I come.

FREE iCED AMERiCANO FOR JEFF

2011-09-01T10:00:00.008+08:00

There's an ongoing promo in all Starbucks outlets wherein a random lucky customer gets a free drink of his/her choice.

After ordering my favorite iced Americano, my 'lucky' receipt included an uncommonly long sheet of instructions, and they were thoroughly explained to me by the barista:

1. Go to Starbucks redemption website

2. Input the customer code found at receipt

3. Answer survey at website

4. Copy final code given after answering survey

5. Write code on receipt

6. Surrender receipt with code at any Starbucks outlet

7. Avail free Starbucks coffee!

Was I lucky or what?

After following the details, I was ready to claim my free iced Americano!

Oooh, iced Americano.

I have always ordered iced Americano at Starbucks ever since my lactose-intolerant stomach got tired of enduring all the dairy in their coffee preparations. And what other Starbucks coffee can represent the true meaning of the word 'coffee' other than the dark and strong Americano?

Ate barista suggested that I add caramel syrup with it. I was reluctant at first, since it would be my first time to try such thing, but let I her do it anyway.

"As long as you don't put whipped cream in it.", I added.

"Your name, sir?", Ate barista asked, as they would particularly write the name of the customer in the cup.

"Jeff."

That isn't actually my real name, hell not even the slightest connection to my real name. My complete first name would be a bit long [Rey Domingo], and the first word of my first name would be too a tad too common [er, whatever].

My alias was the worst. They would always hear it wrong, all of them.

"Ardy."

"Harvey?"

"No, Ar-dee."

"Harley"

"No, I mean like letters R and D."

"Oh, ok. RND."

"[sigh] Just put Jeff in there."

"Ok, Sir Jeff."

Why Jeff? Because it's short and easy to comprehend. It saves me valuable time from unnecessary discussion of my name.

And now the verdict of caramel in my beloved Americano.

"Iced caramel Americano for Jeff!"

Iced caramel Americano. I love the sound of that. And the taste? Ate barista you're a genius!

BiSDAK ADVENTURES: WHY ANTS IN BISAYA FLY

2011-08-23T14:50:00.004+08:00

Culture-shocked. Well that sums up my first days in Luzon.

The typical Bisaya.

When I spoke Tagalog, I felt uneasy and disturbed. I was always laughed at because of my innate tendency to release my Bisaya accent.

Living in Luzon was like living in a primetime TV soap opera, and I was the alienated flower vase.

I felt much better speaking English, though, but when people talk to me in Filipino, I feel the urge to talk back in Filipino as a sign of respect, no matter how clumsy I may sound when using it. And then I'd end up the laughing stock since my accent gives me away. Always.

I became like a foreigner in my own country. An alien. An outcast. It's so different when a Bisaya goes to Tagalog-landia. He makes the effort to adapt and be understood. On the other hand, when a Tagalog gets lost in the Visayas region, the Bisayas whom he encounters are still the ones who adapt and try to understand him. We, Bisayas, could speak English and Filipino aside from the Visayan dialect. That sums to at least three languages. Tagalogs, at least only two. By this fact, Bisayas are the ones that have to adapt then, as Tagalogs can't be taught to speak Bisaya overnight. Yet we Bisayas get the most bashing and humiliation when we do. Such a pity.

"Totoo ba na ang langgam sa Bisaya ay lumilipad?" [Is it true that an ant in Bisaya can fly?]

I am always asked this question. And I always say the same answer -- yes. Pun intended.

True, there are a lot of words in the Filipino language that are similar to Bisaya, but of a different meaning.

Langgam is an ant in Filipino, while langgam in Bisaya is a bird. Deal with it.

Here's more.

Pating is a shark in Filipino, while pating is a dove in Bisaya.

Here's my favorite (This one never fails to make me laugh).

Libog is a state of horniness in Filipino, while libog is a state of confusion in Bisaya.

TAGALOG: Libog ako! [I am horny!]

BISAYA: Nalibog ko! [I am confused!]

Oh you should have seen the faces of Tagalogs when at times I'd speak Bisaya with another Bisaya friend in front of them and use the word, libog, a lot. Their eyes are about to pop out of their sockets.

Another of my favorite would be the pronunciation of English words ending in -le. You can pretty much distinguish a Tagalog from a Bisaya by letting them say these following words:

Triangle: Tagalog [trayanggel], Bisaya [trayanggol]
Tricycle: Tagalog [traysikel], Bisaya [traysikol]
Eagle: Tagalog [ee-gel], Bisaya [ee-gol]

"HAHAHAHA! Traysikol daw o, hahaha.."

"Baliw ka, eh traysikol yan i-pronounce sa Bisaya eh. Eh yung mansanas sa inyo, ano? Appel??? Appel, ganun??? Ay yung damit mo kulay Purpel???"

"___"

My newfound Tagalog friends had a great laugh teaching me Tagalog vulgar words and words of the naughty origin. Sometimes they would be talking about sex jokes and I'd be the one left hanging in air without the slightest idea what they were talking about.

"What's tinggil?" I innocently asked a colleague, who was a Born-Again Christian. No one else bothered to answered me, but they all just laughed hysterically at my question. Well, I ended up asking Google instead, and lucky for me I did not ask the tinggil question to a woman, else I wanted a slap. [tinggil = clitoris, O hail Google for saving me!]

"Putang ina mo.." [Son of a bitch]

"You sound gay man. Say it with the 'ummf' feeling.. make it strong like this. PUTANG INA MO!!! Again."

They are good friends, really, taking the time and effort to teach me. Putang ina, I am so blessed.

Three years fast forward, I think I can confidently say that I have finally mastered the skill of masking my Bisaya accent -- you will never know I am Bisaya unless I tell you.

And still, everytime I reveal to them that I am Bisaya, they would always squirm in amazement.

"You don't sound Bisaya at all!"

Should I accept that as a complement, or a direct insult to the Bisayan populace?

"Really?" [insert puppy eyes and crooked smile here].

"Yeah, really! Well, I have a question. Totoo ba na ang langgam sa Bisaya ay lumilipad?"

Oh dear, here we go again.

WESTERN VERSUS ORiENTAL MOViES

2011-08-20T11:56:00.002+08:00

Although majority of the world's movie industry is governed by the popular Hollywood insignia, and thus the reign of Western movies, my favorite film as of date is still 2002's Asian hit HERO by Zhang Yimou -- undefeated in my book for 9 years (and counting) of being a film enthusiast.

Let's try then to compare Western movies and Asian movies according to genre. I pointed out the trademarks of a Western movie and an Asian movie in each category. Read along and see if you would agree with me.

ACTION

Western. One of the most irritating things to watch onscreen -- Hollywood action. Although there are some movies that are already incorporating Asian-style action, majority of Hollywood films still use the old camera trick of moving hell way too much as the fight scene is going on to make the audience feel like they're part of something very active. It only makes my head ache though, and the scenes go so fast you wouldn't even notice who punched who, or who fired at whom. As long as the camera shakes wildly, and different angles are taken at rapid speed, they are fine with that. Add the unnecessary explosions and other special effects that contribute to the mayhem and confusion. There you have it - your ingredients for a Hollywood action movie.

Oriental. Oriental action has a different touch -- the action scenes are uncut, continuous, and shot at only few angles. Think of the movie The Matrix (It's a Western film, but the action scenes were directed by an Asian expert). Think of Jackie Chan movies. Think Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Asian movies, as well as Asian-combat-inspired movies, make art out of fight scenes. Minus the headache.

Watch both movie clips from Thor (Western) and Hero (Asian) and you'll get my point.

ROMANCE

Western. The only two things that a Western romance film needs is a popular pair of actors and a nice song. The story need not be very good, but the audience will still buy it. They need that romantic song to set the mood, else if the actors are really bad at acting, the romantic scenes will turn into a documentary.

Oriental. The main actors need not to be popular, as long as the story is good. Though they don't focus that much in background music for mood purposes, the lack of it makes the actors work for their acting more if they want to impress the audience. Without good actors, the story comes to waste, and there's rarely any good music to cover that up, unlike in Western romantic films.

COMEDY

Western. The more racist and vulgar, the better.

Oriental. Slapstick jokes are still a major hit.

DRAMA

Western. Musical score still pawns a drama film. A western drama lacks so much without one. A musical drama score needs to be so good, it tells a story by itself. There's sad music in almost every part of the story.

Oriental. Musical score is optional. Most Asian drama films I have watched don't incorporate music that much. The very crucial dramatic parts don't have tearjerky songs, unlike their Western counterparts. Most of the time, music sets in only at the beginning and/or at the end of the film. The good thing is that the drama is still there, and music isn't that much needed props to catalyze things up.

SUSPENSE/HORROR

Western. Blood. Gore. A lot of special effects. Most have very bad storyline and weak actors [but damn good at screaming].

Oriental. Ghosts. Blood. Gore. More ghosts. Little or no special effects. Creepy feeling comes from the old way of cinematography. Unique and interesting stories [that's why Hollywood always gets good ideas from Asian horror movies].

The Ring [Japanese version] may lack the dramatic touch that the Hollywood version had [and the special effects that make it scarier], this scene is still epic because of the unique story twist, you'd forget the cheap cinematography.

SCI-FI/FANTASY/ADVENTURE

Western. Eye-popping special effects. CGI. 3D. OMG! Great story. Lame story. Doesn't matter, as long as we are blinded by the special effects.

Oriental. Mostly simple special effects. Sometimes none at all. Mostly epic stories, historical stories, mythological stories, and other Asian themes. Costumes are always grand. Great story. Lame story. They're still eyecandy in a non-special effects way.

Recent Western movies have already adapted the good features of their Oriental counterpart and vice versa, and that's a pretty nice indication of a promising improvement in the entertainment industry. For example, Western movies are incorporating the Asian action touch to create more dramatic fight scenes, while Oriental movies are slowly adapting the latest in film technology and the use of special effects to glorify their movies to new entertainment heights.

Each of us have our own movie favorites and genres that we enjoy watching, and I respect that, so nagging you into liking HERO or Oriental movies would be the last thing I'd do. Some of our picks might be a loser movie for another, and some that we consider flops might be another's personal blockbuster hit.

Western? Asian? It's all about personal choice anyway.

What say you?

THE GEEK WHO TRiED TO DANCE PART 3

2011-08-16T20:23:00.042+08:00

[Part 1 here]

[Part 2 here]

It was around 7pm. School building lobby. There were a lot of people, 20 at least, waiting for instructions for the first audition elimination of my school's famous dance group.

That morning I received a text message that I was shortlisted. So, yeah, I was a part of that crowd.

OH YEAH!

I was excited, nervous, and totally anxious all at once. This was my first time to audition for anything. There was something bugging me, though -- what on earth did they find in my boring application form that let them decide to give me a shot? Maybe they just gave all the applicants a chance no matter how bland and ugly the contents of their application forms. Well it matters no more anyway. I was already there, a step closer. To schoolwide humiliation that is.

So this is how it feels like -- nerve-wrecking and heart-pounding, never have I felt that sensation, like being in a reality show where contestants are eliminated one by one.

Some of the people there were already arrogantly dancing and showing-off their 'moves' to others, asking what dance group they came from, what dance genres are their specialties, blah blah blah. On the back of my mind, I was hoping no one would pester me with such questions, because honestly, I really don't have time to entertain such questions that would only humiliate me big time if I answer truthfully. I don't want to lie for an impression. And I don't want to look like a jerk by keeping silent, either.

My insecurities are eating me alive. Look at my competitors! They are exuding that dancer aura. What does a dancer-wannabe have against that?

I am the geek who is trying to dance. Period. Well at least the word 'tried' is in there, even though I might end up making a fool out of myself.

Finally, the organizers rounded us up. The lead choreographer was a cute, plump young woman with a commanding look. Now I'm scared.

We were then divided into groups. Each group was assigned a senior member in charge of teaching us a short dance routine that we have to master that night. Depending on our performance, they will decide whether we go on to the next round of elimination, or we are out. Oh dear, how many rounds are there in this audition before I die a horrible death?

Mister tall guy became our dance instructor. And behold what he was trying to teach us -- their most popular dance routine! And it gets even better -- the dance routine is synonymous to complicated.

[Yeah, I have to be doomed every time I end my dancing story.]

TO BE CONTINUED..

BiSDAK ADVENTURES: WHAT TAGALOGS NEED TO KNOW ABOUT A TRUE-BLOOD BiSAYA

2011-08-12T18:00:00.028+08:00

Bisdak - [Visayan dialect] noun; short for Bisayang dako [English direct trans: Big Bisaya]

- true-blood Bisaya

- commonly referring to a native speaker of the Visayan dialect

It has been 3 years since I have moved into Filipino-speaking zone. Since then, I have been bombarded with so many questions about being a Bisaya. Some are true, while some are stereotypical misconceptions that I have been answering over and over again to defend the Bisdak pride.

As a self-proclaimed Bisdak ambassador to the Tagalogs, here are some facts you need to know about the typical Bisaya:

WE DO SPEAK AND UNDERSTAND FILIPINO

Some Tagalogs seem to be always in awe as to why we Bisdaks can speak and understand the Filipino dialect. Although almost all of us are having a hard time masking the strong Bisaya accent that we have, we have been exposed to the Filipino language ever since we were kids. Television shows are spoken in Filipino [You think TV Patrol news have Bisaya subtitles when broadcasted in our area?]. The Filipino subject is being taught in all schools, from Kindergarten to College level. Even Bisaya cigarette vendors and street children without formal educational background speak and understand Filipino.

It pains me that some Tagalogs think lowly of us, and become mesmerized when we speak fluent Filipino in front of their face.

THE STRONG, HARD ACCENT IS A MUST

When we speak Bisaya, the accent is compulsory. Without it, we sound laughable [well maybe in our own standards]. When we try to speak Filipino, it takes a great deal of practice for us to eliminate that accent we have been so used to. Sometimes it just comes out naturally without us knowing we just did.

We have been the butt of every accent joke, and yet it's okay with us. We even laugh at them ourselves. Just don't try to speak Bisaya with your Tagalog accent. You will sound horrible to us, just as well.

WE DON'T LIKE TO SPEAK TAGALOG, ESPECIALLY ON OUR OWN TURF

It's not that we don't know how, it's just that most of us are shy, since we don't use Filipino often [well almost all of us don't use it at all -- only in the confines of a Filipino class in school will you be able to hear us speak Filipino]. And some of us feel like it gets a little tricky, especially when we have to speak Filipino with a native Tagalog. We consider it a foreign language.

So don't get insulted if we push around as to who will entertain your Filipino questions. You are under Visayan territory and yet you speak Filipino. Sure we understand that you don't speak Bisaya, but just give us a little time to get used to speaking Tagalog with you.

NOT ALL OF US SPEAK GOOD ENGLISH

It has been a misconception that Bisayas are good English speakers. The truth is, it actually depends. School is one big factor. Yes, there are a lot of good schools in the Visayas region that give educational emphasis to the English language. You might have just been exposed to most of their students and alumni, especially the good ones.

There are a lot of Bisayas who speak crooked English. On the other hand, there are a lot of Tagalogs who speak good English, too. It really depends. Don't expect every Bisaya to talk good English with you. You might just get disappointed.

NOT ALL OF US ARE GOOD SINGERS

Same applies, just like speaking English. You we just exposed to talented Bisayas. If you count all singers, there are actually more Tagalog singers than Bisayas on primetime television. You were just misled by the fact that most Bisayas you see on air, or gets popular, are good singers.

Summing it up, it still depends.

VISAYAN DIALECT IS SPOKEN OUTSIDE VISAYAS, TOO.

Bisaya is not just spoken in the Visayas region. Most of the population in Mindanao also speak Bisaya as their native dialect. It is a bit disappointing that not all Tagalogs know this fact.

Overall, there are actually more people in the Philippines who are native Bisaya speakers than Tagalogs. As to why the Filipino dialect was chosen as the national language, your guess is as good as mine. Politics doesn't have a space allotment in my brain, thank you.

WE DON'T USE PO AND OPO

These words are commonly added in Filipino conversations as a sign of courteousness, especially when talking to older people.

With this fact, Bisayas should not be branded as an impolite bunch. We may actually sound impolite, but we don't mean to be that way. That is the nature of how we construct a sentence.

Living for 3 years under Tagalog territory has developed my ability to hide my Bisaya accent (well minus the subconscious instances, which I can't really help myself). The only time that I am able to speak my native Bisaya dialect is when I am on the phone with my family, when I encounter strangers that are Bisaya, or when I am in Facebook chatting Bisaya friends. Being unable to practice speaking my own dialect, sometimes I think that I am slowly losing my ability to use it as easily as before I lived a Tagalog life. So with every chance I get, I try to speak Bisaya.

If you encounter a bunch of people speaking Bisaya like there would be no tomorrow in Tagalog land, let them be. It might be the only chance they have to speak Bisaya again with someone who will be able to respond in the same language of communication.

We do miss speaking our own tongue. Bisdak will always be Bisdak.

MOViE REViEW: HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART2

2011-08-10T04:42:00.003+08:00

Genre: Adventure/Fantasy

Personal Rating: 7/10

It all ends.

[Part 1 Review here.]

Harry Potter continues to hunt Lord Voldemort's remaining horcruxes (special artifacts which grant Voldemort immortality) while evading his loyal army of Death Eaters. Harry's search has lead him and his friends back to Hogwarts, their last stand, where an epic battle is about to commence between Lord Voldemort and the people loyal to Harry.

As mysteries unfold, lives lost, and secrets are revealed, Harry Potter comes to a conclusion that in the end, he must face Lord Voldemort in a battle where only one of them will survive.

PLOT

Compared to Part 1, Part 2 becomes a little overchopped. Some scenes that were very essential were given no proper justice, like the suppose-to-be epic battle at Hogwarts. You would see students panicking, you would see enemies rushing towards Hogwarts, you would see CGI ogres clobber this and that. And then the scene is over and goes back to Harry where the background becomes quiet again. Like seriously? The battle scenes were good, only there weren't enough battle scenes for audiences to be flabbergasted. I sincerely would have wanted to see the centaurs and house elves join the fight, just like in the book.

The revelation of Severus Snape was the greatest plot twist in the entire story, yet I pity those who haven't read the book. Fans may have already cried on this part, but nonreaders would definitely draw blank faces. It was presented too deep and too fast that only readers of the Harry Potter book can catch up easily.

ACTORS

As usual, Alan Rickman portayed Severus Snape commendably, especially the dying scene with Harry Potter.

So did my favorite Helena Bonham-Carter as the evil Bellatrix Lestrange, although her wicked part was a bit underused and her wand duel with Mother Weasley was a bit old-school -- enemy whacks off hero and almost wins, then hero suddenly gains strength out of nowhere and whacks enemy back and wins instead. Bellatrix bursts into pieces -- the end. LESSON LEARNED: Don't mess with an angry mother.

Um, guess I have to write something about Daniel Radcliffe [Harry Potter], Emma Watson [Hermione Granger], and Rupert Grint [Ronald Weasley] somehow. Their acting -- not bad, but they're not that incredibly good either. Weasley's character lost it's humorous side -- the one I certainly miss seeing back from the previous Harry Potter movies.

PRESENTATION

Special effects were great. CGI's were also of good quality. Compared to Part 1, Part 2 had the most of all the eyecandies, yet my rating still goes higher for Part 1.

A lot of expectations were not met, but still I should say that it is still a good movie to watch, especially if you're a Harry Potter fan. If you aren't, spare yourself and do not atempt to watch the movie, I beg you. Spare others from your terrible questions in the middle of the scene, or your constant bathroom walks, or your inappropriate snores. It was presented in such a way that only fans could compehend it's entirety.

It's truly the end of a wonderful world that made witches and wizards supercool, J.K. Rowling super-rich, and Daniel Radcliffe a superstar.

MY NAME TELLS A STORY

2011-07-20T02:58:00.001+08:00

Hi there.

I am Rey Domingo Balo Tanatan y Ferrer Grefalda. Whew could you imagine if we still wrote our names ala Hispanic Era style? Yeah it's classy, albeit time consuming. And time is something we don't have nowadays. So I'd just leave the long naming to Jose Rizal.

And this is a story of my name.

Rey Domingo Tanatan. Father's Visayan-Ilonggo. Mother's Bicolana.

Friends call me by my initials R.D. [Ardy].

My sisters and I should have been named after Filipino native words. I, as the only son and the eldest, should have been named Makisig [Handsome]. I would have been a laughing stock if I were born in the Luzon area, well you know how narrow-minded children are, but since I was born in the Visayan region, it wouldn't have mattered. Yet the sudden death of my uncle Reynaldo and my grandfather Domingo brought about a change in events [well spearheaded by my ever-firm grandmother], and so when I was born, I was named Rey Domingo.

My next sibling was supposed to be named Mayumi [Modest], but due to the popularity of the ever-dancing shake-body-body-dancer Maricel Soriano during the time of her birth, well you've guessed it. Maricel Tanatan was born. Good grief, was Maricel Soriano that hypnotically iconic?

The youngest sibling, which was actually not planned by my parents, [if you're reading this sis, please forgive me, peace!] got a Filipino name at last. Liwayway [Dawn].

Rey Domingo. Lo, behold. A living epitaph of two dead relatives.

"Hi, hijo, what's your name?"

"Rey Domingo Tanatan, ma'am."

"Ah, apo gale are ni Lolo Domeng! Ka kyut sang bata a! [Illongo: Ah, so this is the grandson of Grandpa Domeng! How cute!]"

Yikes! When I was a kid, my name spelled personal humiliation wherever I go, and I got a lot of cheek-pinching from strangers I would ask for a bless [a Spanish tradition of touching the elderly's hand into your forehead as a sign of respect]. My deceased Lolo was a Barangay Captain, so a lot of people knew him, especially the elderly.

During All Soul's Day, imagine the horror of my classmates when they found a grave with my name on it. Domingo Tanatan. You should have seen their faces, hahaha!

Honestly, I hated my name back then. Domingo in Visayan dialect [also in Spanish] literally means Sunday. For Tagalogs, Domingo is fine, but for the typical Bisaya, it is indeed a queer and funny name. Knowing how narrow-minded children were, whenever they hear my full name, they would point at me, laugh, and make fun of my name Domingo. They would tell me how ugly my name was. Being a weak kid, I did nothing but cry. I would tell my parents about it, but they told me to brush it off and just be proud of being a Domingo. Well, that's a pretty easy thing to let a kid understand.

I just went back to crying instead.

I have been to many schools at a young age, and the situation was still the same. Let's just say I was a bullied kid because I have Domingo in my name. I was jealous of the nice names my classmates have. I wished my parents had given me a fancy name I could be proud of. Sorry, Lolo.

Even the local albularyo [folk healer] hated my name she had to say it into my innocent face.

"Ngano Rey Domingo man na iya ngalan uy. Ngano dili na lang Rey Salvador. [Why is his name Rey Domingo? Why not Rey Salvador?]"

Salvador? Who was that, your lover? I never, ever forgot that line, especially Salvador. Deym.

Then that was it! I had enough bullying. When I was transferred again to yet another school, I did something I thought was clever. I introduced myself as Rey Tanatan. I wrote my name on paper as Rey Tanatan. My friends call my Rey. They never knew Domingo. Even some of the teachers do not know who the hell Domingo is.

And so I lived that way. At least I had a decent amount of non-bullied elementary years, and the only time they knew Domingo was when my complete name was called during graduation.

Now, thinking about what I did a long time ago makes me a bit regretful. But being a kid, what else could have I done?

Today, people name their kids after Koreanovela actors, blockbuster movie characters, and popular videogame avatars. Seldom name their kids after family predecessors or local names. With this trend, I have no idea if it's a good thing. Is it?

If I name my future son Rey Domingo Tanatan II, my junior, would he dislike his name like I did? Would he prefer to be called Lee, Edward, Harry, or Vaan? Would he be ashamed to be called Domingo? To be named after me? To be named after my grandfather? Too bad I can't ask him. He'd be named even before he could decide.

Right now, I am no longer the narrow-minded kid I was before, and I may still be surrounded by narrow-minded people, I already know how to handle myself.

"Ardy, di ba initials yung name mo, R and D? What's your real name?"

"Rey Domingo"

"Rey Domingo? Ampangit [How ugly]! Hahahaha!"

"Haha, you are so straightforward. My dead grandfather's going to haunt you in your sleep!".

If only I had this courage when I was young, I would have been proud of my name.

Rey Domingo. I find my name classic. Hispanic in origin. You can actually call me Domeng if you want to, I don't find it humiliating anymore. It is a unique and a nice name of its own.

Everybody's name has a story in it. You have the option to change your name name, but honestly, it will never be the same. YOU will never be the same.

Rey Domingo. I couldn't find any other name better for me.

MOViE REViEW: TRANSFORMERS 3 DARK OF THE MOON

2011-07-10T03:17:00.005+08:00

Genre: Action/Science Fiction

Personal Rating: 6.5/10

In any war, there are calms between the storms. There will be days when we lose faith. Days when our allies turn against us. But the day will never come when we forsake this planet and its people. For I am Optimus Prime, and I send this message to the universe: We are here. We are home. -- Optimus Prime

The first Apollo mission that landed on the moon uncovered evidences of extraterrestrial mechanical lifeforms -- a crashed Cybertronian spacecraft with no survivors. Decades after, the Autobots, under the command of Optimus Prime, learned about this, and believed that the dark side of the moon holds more dangerous secrets that will ultimately lead to Earth's destruction once the Decepticons get hold of it first.

PLOT

Of all three films of the Transformers franchise, this had the worst storyline. If it wasn't for the effects (which were superb) and the fictional mechanical cast, this would be nothing but a lame movie with cars and girls (I mean, girl).

They also tied in nice story twists, which was good enough to revive the moviegoers' interest, albeit some twists were loosely delivered.

ACTORS

Let's face it -- Megan Foxx would have made Transformers 3 something more.

Well Rosie Huntington-Whitely did her part well, e.g. show skin and all, model beside luxury cars, and be the ultimate leading lady for a loser male character. Typical geek movie.

Patrick Dempsey, John Malkovich, and rising comic Ken Jeong were added to the already-complex cast -- too complex that each of them weren't given the chance of a character progression. Well the main cast didn't have that well anyway. For one thing, they didn't make full use of Shia LaBeouf's talent.

It's like the main characters in the movie weren't the 'real' main characters in the movie. Remove them and the show's still the same. The Autobots are the stars here. The human stars were like useless, insignificant ants who swarm to their deaths in between epic mechanical battles. And I am quite disappointed because Bumblebee had short airtime.

Did you know Buzz Aldrin made a cameo role here? The Buzz Aldrin! The real one! For geeks like me, we know Buzz Aldrin as the heroic American who was 'moon-walking' beside Neil Armstrong in 1969.

PRESENTATION

They actually made full use of their special effects prowess, so full, they might have overused special effects too much.

The movie highlight was more of explosions here and there, the storyline and characters became blurry and were overshadowed by the loudness of special effects. The human characters became dull as the story progressed that I totally disregarded them -- the only thing I was looking forward in the main scenes were the robot clashes and the voice of Optimus Prime [chills..]

After the movie, I still felt, uhh, lacking -- which is synonymous to me not significantly impressed by the movie (thus the rating).

Although this review is more of the negative side, nobody would care about low character progression and special effects loudness crap anyway. Everyone would still watch Transformers.

Because it's Transformers!

If you're into jam-packed special effects amusement, then you definitely have to see this. You'll have more than you've bargained for.

THE GEEK WHO TRiED TO DANCE Part 2

2011-06-21T15:00:00.001+08:00

[Part 1 here..]

Auditions week came. Flyers were posted everywhere.

And there it was -- a small table near the side of the main lobby. The dancers were manning it. They were already handing out registration forms.

I became more anxious and excited, yet at the same time afraid and shy. It's still not too late to back out, I said to myself.

My friend was nowhere to be found. We have promised each other to sign-up together. And he was the one who initiated the 'dare', anyway.

OK, this is now or never. Now who to approach?

This small guy was, albeit a good breakdancer as what I have seen, looks intimidating. The other one's like him, too -- a good breakdancer and looks intimidating as well. They would pass as twins, LOL.

The next guy was just laughing, lax, exudes too much confidence. I didn't actually recognize him as a member, though [The 'twins' were more popular]. OK this one intimidates me as well.

Then there was this cute, bubbly female. I recognized her as a friend's girl, so she was the most probable pick to approach on that table.

I then approached, and with all the courage I could muster, I uttered shyly: "Excuse me, unsaon pag audition? [How do I audition?]".

Luckily she remembers me, hands me a form, smiles, and says: "Hello! Fill-upa ni siya dayon ibalik namo [Fill-up this form and hand it back to us]. We'll contact you for more details."

"Can I ask for two forms, please?". That sneaky friend of mine is not going to get away with this.

Walking away with the two forms in hand, I sought to find my would-be audition partner.

"There you are!", I exclaimed, then handed him one of the forms. His face was blank as paper.

"Why am I going to sign up?", he asked.

"Because we both dared to audition this semester, remember?"

"No! I don't remember agreeing with you on this!". Good grief. He's having selective amnesia.

"Then you lost the dare. I win and you are to have your consequence."

"No I did not agree on any consequence. I don't remember anything. I am not going to put up in any of this".

"What the.. Are you kidding me?". I argued with him big time. I wanted him to remember our deal. I wanted to jog his memory. If I had a knife, I would have stuck it into his brain so he might remember.

He never gave in. Where's that knife when you needed one?

I was mad and furious at him (well who wouldn't, the nerve!). But I didn't show him my disappointment. I came to a conclusion that there's no point in arguing with him. That chicken.

"OK, that's it, I will audition even without you."

Me and my big pride of a mouth got out. There's was no backing out now. I am on my own.

First thing to do -- fill out the audition form:

Name, age, course, department, yada yada..

DANCE FORTE: I placed hip-hop. That's the nearest thing I could move my legs with. I could have ticked others box and wrote freestyle, but I think that would be questionable.

SKILLS: Zero. As far as I love to tick every single one of them, honestly I don't really know how. They might ask for a demo.

VICES: I am a good boy at this one. Drinking. Nothing else.

DANCE EXPERIENCE: The only thing I wrote was this: participated during dance performances in class gettogethers and christmas parties. Lame. lame, lame, I know. But I had to write something. And I think lying would be a bad idea.

After the terrible experience of completing the form, I decided to go on with it and hand it back. They took the form, and told me I would just be contacted for audition practice. That's if they would be impressed with my lame dance experience.

Okay I'm officially doomed.

TO BE CONTINUED..

MOViE REViEW: SUPER 8

2011-06-13T00:18:00.011+08:00

Title: Super 8 (Paramount Pictures)

Genre: Mystery/Science Fiction

Personal Rating: 6/10

"If you're asking me if we have dangerous persons on board this train, I can assure you the answer is no." -- Colonel Nelec

Set in a 1979 town, a group of friends witnessed a military cargo train derailed and crashed while trying to film scenes of their amateur super 8 film.

After the incident, mysterious happenings begin to plague town - and the military began searching for something. The only clue left to what really is causing all the unusual events is the amateur video recording of the kids who unintentionally filmed the cargo train crash.

The Super 8 caught 'something'.

PLOT

The first hour, everything was unusually entertaining -- you get glued to the scene not wanting to miss anything. And at the back of your head you would want to know what was going on, what was inside the cargo train that got loose, what does it really want, and what the hell is a Super 8? All these questions are tantamount to elevated anxiety and curiosity.

Then the 'monster' is revealed. And it's purpose. And the elevated entertainment dies down with it. Damn. The next scenes become predictable.

ACTORS

The child actors here are all unknown to me. Joel Courtney as the main child actor did good. The other child actors made good comedy scenes, but for some reason these scenes were presented dull (in short, I am blaming the Director).

Everyone should watch out for child actress Elle Fanning, younger sister of famous Dakota Fanning (from HBO series Taken, War of the Worlds, and Hide and Seek). She has potential, really runs in their family I guess. I'm placing my bets she's going to be something in the future. She has a pretty face, too.

Say hello to Kyle Chandler, portraying as the father of Courtney and town police officer. He has always been a great actor, and this film is not an exception. But looking at him, though, I always remember him as the guy who gets tomorrow's newspaper today (honestly, I was an avid fan of that TV series!).

PRESENTATION

Cinematography and Special Effects were all great, you won't think less of Steven Spielberg. It's the story that has a problem. So it's the kind of movie that hypes you up while watching, and then leaves you unsatisfied when you go out of the cinema.

'That's it?'

...

So why Super 8?

I don't know if it's a marketing strategy, since almost all moviegoers don't know what a Super 8 is, and that peeks up their curiosity to watch the film.

At first I counted the kids and they were only 5 of them, so that doesn't count as a superhero team. My other guess was that the 'monster' (okay okay it's an ALIEN! Damn I don't wanna be a spoiler) is Super 8 because it looks a lot like a spider, LOL. Stupid me.

Honestly I have no idea, until Google answered it for me. It's a motion film format. In the movie, the Super 8 film revealed the ghastly image of the 'monster'. They could have made the Super 8 film a star, the focus, the main object of the movie, but didn't.

Super 8 was a bad title. Well it could have been a good title if they focused more on the Super 8. They could have made a story out of the movie reel, revolved all the characters' scenes around that significant object, but didn't. I am being redundant, I know.

Overall it's watchable. Special effects commendable. Good actors. Bad director. Bad story.

Seriously the alien looks like a spider. And it eats people, jeez..

MOViE REViEW: X-MEN FiRST CLASS

2011-06-06T04:39:00.007+08:00

Title: X-Men: First Class (20th Century Fox, Marvel Entertainment)

Genre: Action/Fantasy

Personal Rating: 7.5/10

"Mutation: it is the key to our evolution. It has enabled us to evolve from a single-celled organism into the dominant species on the planet." -- Professor Charles Xavier

1963 -- The story brings us back to the origins of the two X-men founders and bestfriends Professor X and Magneto. Telepath Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) and magnetic manipulator Erik Lehnsherr (Michael Fassbender) discovered that they were not alone in the world and that there were other people like them out there -- humans with extraordinary powers called mutants, unknown from current society and abilities hidden from sight. And so started their search to find them, the first X-men.

Together with the help of a special government agency who believed in their power to help prevent a brewing war between the US and the USSR, they formed a team that will try to stop a catastrophic nuclear battle that is being plotted by a group of villainous mutants under Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon). Caught between the mutant-to-mutant battle, the humans begin to doubt their difference, turning against them in the end. Furious by the treacherous retaliation of the humans, Erik vows to destroy the humans to create a peaceful world for the mutants. Charles opposes as he seeks a greater peace -- a world of mutants and humans living in harmony.

PLOT

No doubt, this is the best movie yet from the X-men franchise, not because of the plot, but because of the superb performances of the actors. Plot was lame, VERY VERY LAME. And just like any other Marvel-based movie, they were never true to the real comic story. For one, Mystique and Professor X were never childhood friends. And the worst betrayal -- Professor X wasn't lamed by a bullet in the spine. FYI: A heavy rock lamed him during a battle with an alien trying to conquer Earth. Period.

Well, they just really have to make up that bullet-in-spine story for the sake of inserting the "I-can't-feel-my-legs!" scene.

ACTORS

Magneto is a must-see in this movie. I cannot even think of anyone better for Magneto's role. Michael Fassbender as Magneto was very, very good, he actually overshadowed James McAvoy. Although McAvoy also did well, he did better in the film, Wanted.

Many loved the new Mystique actress Jennifer Lawrence, but there was something about him that was so.. ummm.. un-Mystique. I can't explain why.

Wolverine's (Hugh Jackman) cameo role was no doubt a good surprise.. and a very funny scene, too!

PRESENTATION

Some scenes had good special effects, other scenes were just so plain and computer-graphically obvious.

Honestly, I was actually glued to the movie from start to finish (well maybe it's with bias since I am a huge fan of the X-men series), which for me is a highly commendable movie feat for making my attention span longer than usual. NOTE: I get bored easily, so yeah, this movie is not boring, so goes that high personal movie rating I gave.

Well there's another thing I hate about this movie. The last Marvel movie I saw was Thor, and it infuriates me to remember that I walked out of the cinema, forgetting to wait for the bonus after-credits special scene. This time watching X-Men, I patiently waited for the bonus scene, only to be disappointed that there was NONE. Dammit.

Like any other childish geeks-at-heart, Kuya Ed and I firmly believe we have special powers. The jeepney we rode home after watching the movie took so much time to drive off from the mall. Kuya Ed wanted to use his telepathic ability to convince the driver to start the engine, but I told him I can freely move the metal-clad transportation -- even without the driver or the engine [Please excuse two morons talking].

But good citizens as we are, we weren't allowed to divulge our secret identities. Too bad.

TEACHiNG MYSELF HOW TO DOUGiE

2011-05-27T12:28:00.003+08:00

It's a single-single-double-double side to side movement with the shoulders and legs as the main maneuvers. The head and the arms are freestyle, yeah!

I can definitely do this dougie thingy.. Now all I need is some dougie-music and party people to do the dougie with. For the meantime, I'll just dougie while no one's watching until I get the hang of it..

O hail, YouTube..

THE GEEK WHO TRiED TO DANCE Part 1

2011-05-19T00:06:00.009+08:00

Almost everyday, they would always be visible at a corner of the school's main lobby.

They would turn on the stereo with a popular funky music, then perform cool dance routines while college students pass by, glancing at them in awe. Some even stop to watch them, forgetting that they were on their way to class. They were good, obviously. Very good.

For me, they were the elite group of the dance floor in our campus. Just looking at them move made me feel an inferior and envious being, the geek that I am.

They dress cool. They move cool. And they were enjoying themselves. It made me think and dream of many things stupid. Like, what would it feel like to be one of them?

"They're gonna be holding auditions next semester," I dreamily told a friend. We were both watching the dance group practice in a distance (again).

Also-geeky friend raised an eyebrow. "Are you planning to audition?!"

"Well, yeah.. sort of."

"Kataas nimog pangandoy uy! Hahaha, feeling sad nimo madawat ka?!" [You have your hopes too high! Hahaha, you think you can get in?!].

Don't ask why he became my friend, haha! Well, I just think that a little nega in life works wonders in the motivation category. But he actually has a point. When it comes to dancing experience, mine would be close to negligible.

"Try try lang gud [It's just for the heck of it]," I replied. "I am not hoping that I can pass auditions. I just don't want to live a what-if life and graduate thinking that I did not even try." I am the drama boy here.

"OK here's the deal," nega friend said. "Let's have a dare. Let's both audition next sem, just for the heck of it! Quitter loses and up for punishment. Deal?"

I agreed. "Ahahaha! We are so gonna be laughing-stocks!".

I read my friend's mind, that bastard, hahaha. He was obviously sure that I would back out from my word. I can sense that he thinks the idea would be too much for me and that I would eventually back out, but it actually made me decide to thicken my face and go for it even more, whatever happens. Well at least I won't be that too embarrassed since I have someone with me to share that embarrassment with, LOL! And I'm not letting him win.

It was settled then. My friend and I were going to audition. Deep inside, I DO want to pass auditions. I DO want to be part of their cool team. It was a dream. A geek's dream.

But I wasn't the dancer type. My self-presentation does not exhibit those of a dancer, not even close. I dress bland. Zero bling-blings. I am the living epitome of the word clumsy. My body's flexibility is laughable. And I can't even do a single damn breakdance stunt, like a damn cartwheel or a damn backflip. In short, I wasn't the stereotypical candidate, and the only thing that separates me from being a geek is my lack of geeky glasses.

We are so gonna be doomed.

TO BE CONTINUED..

SONY ERiCSSON XPERiA PLAY

2011-05-11T16:27:00.002+08:00

What kind of gamer in his right mind would not want this?

It's an Android smartphone and a PSP in one!

One great thing I have heard about the XPERIA Play is sound quality. Well I would expect that from Sony Ericsson, since my old SE phones have great sound quality, too. And that's perfect for gaming!

Reviews also commend the great video resolution on this phone, especially when playing games. Game graphics are of much better quality than the PSP's, although available games as of the moment are limited. Hope they release more games that are Playstation-esque, and not just those standard point-shoot, run-jump, cheap phone games of the late technological era.

Camera shots are pretty decent, too, at 5megapixels. This baby also shoots HD videos [Click here for more SE XPERIA Play specs]

Much cons that I have heard about this phone is the extra bulk (well maybe because of the slide-in gaming pad) and a not-so-sleek design. Maybe an improvised version of this phone in the future would fix that.

Still I think this is the best phone for me. It would be such a bulk to bring a phone, a PSP, a digital camera, and a laptop when I am on-the-go.

As for now, my dear XPERIA Play, continue remaining in my dreams as I work my ass off to buy you.. [you might also want to consider lowering in the future]..

POCKiE NiNJA FEVER

2011-05-06T18:42:00.003+08:00

So this is the latest game I am recently addicted to -- Pockie Ninja (maybe a short variation for Pocket Ninja), a computer-generated, turn-based online browser game, with characters based from famous hit anime series Naruto and Bleach. For anime fans like me, seeing that cool trailer would be more than enough to try out the game!

Gaara

Unlike normal turn-based games, the player has no control over immediate actions of his character during a fight. Winning a Pockie Ninja fight depends upon your level, skills equipped (40 skills, only 6 equippable, so planning is essential), items worn (ranging from ordinary to rare equipments), and pure luck! Start a fight and just watch your character fly and beat enemies to the dust..

Currently I play as Gaara, a tank-build character (tank means high health points, making it longer to kill). Some characters are agility builds (they pummel the opponent a lot of times that low agility ones), and some are strength builds (they hit hard, and their hits hurt!). Builds mainly depend upon the character (or should I say outfit) that one is wearing.

Players can change outfits if they want, maybe into a Naruto or an Ichigo. There are a lot to choose from, each outfit having it's own major stat build, specific skill advantages, and weapon preference. As for me, I am staying with Gaara from the anime Naruto, as he is one of my most loved anime characters (add the fact that Gaara outfit is a rare one in this game, too!)

what will I get this time?

In the game, you battle monsters in the wild to obtain items and stones (Pockie Ninja currency), or battle other players in the arena for medals you can use to get new outfits. You can upgrade your current outfit to make your stats better, or synthesize old equipments for a chance to make better (but random) ones. You can head to Las Noches and battle hoards of hollows for nice experience points, level-up and get new skills and abilities. Hatch a pet egg ( or catch one from the wild), feed it well, and it will have skills that will aid you in battle. You can also do quests to slay monsters from a distant land, and be rewarded for it. Sounds like a lot adventure, right?

Plus, get to meet online friends from all over the world that share the same game and anime addiction.

Las Noches battle with my pet Akamaru

Head here to create a game account and start an adventure as one of your favorite Naruto or Bleach characters! For game guides, click here for tips and tricks.

See you online!

Gaara's secret technique unleashed! Enemy Hinata eats dirt!

THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND MY HANDWRITING

2011-05-04T02:41:00.011+08:00

Yeah everybody knows -- I can't make my handwriting any better even if my life depended on it.

I call it the 'Payment of the Trade'. They say I have the talent to write, and in return I think the Fairy Godmother of Talents gave me nothing for good penmanship, oh the irony. If it weren't for computers I'd be doomed.

The Doctor's Penmanship. Kinahig ng manok (scratched by a chicken). An Ancient Forgotten Language of Unknown Idiotic Origin. Honestly, even I sometimes cannot read my own handwriting for crying out loud. It's that bad.

"Mister ***, you have very bad penmanship", said my college instructor. Why thank you, sir. Tell me something I don't know.

Classmates would actually giggle when teachers call me to write something on the board. And when the teacher finally comes to his senses that he actually picked me to do the job, he hesitates and chooses another student. Very funny. Or when the teacher has no choice but me, he just adds, "Please make your handwriting legible." Prepare for trouble, sir.

Essays. Everybody hates it of course, well except for me. I love and hate it at the same time. I love thinking it up. I hate handwriting it down. My sentences fly everywhere, and I don't have the decency to erase mistakes gracefully. I slash them with mighty strokes, like it was a demon i must slay for coming out of my head.

Well it's not my hand that's at fault actually. It's my brain's fault. It's too show-off, bossy, and always in writing hyperdrive. My hand could only take so much. It wants to put into writing almost anything it thinks about instantly before it vanishes in thin gray matter. Poor hand, must be that hardworking to cope up with my stupid brain, so result is a very untidy and incomprehensible output.

Bad handwriting actually has its perks:

1. I seldom get called for board work

2. My seatmates have a hard time copying my test paper (which actually saves them from the burden of being caught, or worse copying my already-wrong answers)

3. I am freed of the burden of handwritten group work assignments, weee..

4. The teacher cannot understand my answers to previous test papers, so he calls me up for clarification, and I mash the thing up with something right even if I knew my original answer wasn't. Tehehe..

I could actually make my handwriting a little bit better, well of course it would take me more time and effort, and the fact that I have to forcibly slow down my brain process for that. A readable output is done, only less of the intended substance.

So where must I stand? Of course I am for substance, and long live keyboards!

MOViE REViEW: THOR

2011-05-02T19:01:00.000+08:00

Title: Thor (Paramount Pictures, Marvel Entertainment)

Genre: Action/Fantasy

Personal Rating: 5/10

"Whoever wields this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor" -- Odin, to the godly hammer, Mjolnir.

Powerful but arrogant, Thor (Chris Hemsworth), the son of the god realm Asgard's king, Odin (Anthony Hopkins), ignites a war against Jotunheim realm's frost giants. Dissapointed by his son's behavior, Odin strips Thor of his god power and his hammer Mjolnir, and banishes him into Midgard (Earth), the realm of the humans. In the human world, Thor meets Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) whom he falls in love and made him change his ways.

In the absence of Thor, his brother Loki has dirty plans of his own -- to make sure Odin's throne would be his, and his brother Thor would never be able to return back to Asgard.

This Norse-mythology-inspired film would be one of the Marvel sets that would feature the Avenger superheroes in their upcoming Avengers film. Iron Man already made an impact, was a great success that it had to have Iron Man 2. Captain America would be next in line this year.

The Halls of Asgard

So how did Thor's impact go? Not so much. It was a so-so film. A digital-effects eyecandy, nonetheless. The story was bland. The battle scenes were lame (I was so disappointed about the Earth battle, was expecting more Asgard armies or something like that, instead Loki sends a one-man giant robotic figure, and that's it, SHEESH!). I would commend them though on their graphic depiction of the realms of Asgard and Jotunheim, and also Anthony Hopkin's Odin role was wonderfully portrayed.

Hawkeye Cameo

Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), another Avenger superhero, also made a cameo role on this film. The usual MUST-SEE bonus clip at the end of the credits also featured Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), and a supposed connection between the next Marvel film (which is Captain America, showing on July 22, 2011).

To consider this film at par with Iron Man would be heinous. The producers are obviously doing such movies to make the most of $$$, and commercially prepare the masses in their upcoming Avengers film, which will star Iron Man, Thor, Hulk, and the rest of the Marvel superhero Avengers gang.

Iron Man was an unexpected success. Thor and the next batch of superhero movies are going to be sacrificial endorsers, because whether or not they make a great movie out of these characters, people will still flock the cinemas and watch them. Superhero movies are the IN-thing, no doubt about that. Look at all those superhero movies (Marvel or non-Marvel) lined up for this year and the year after -- they're dominating!

Mjolnir

I may be risking the wrath of Marvel Superheroes and Thor fans, but I am a Marvel fan, a Norse mythology geek, and film enthusiast myself. Some of my friends loved the movie (So that somehow makes me a difficult-to-impress retard). I still respect their view.

Overall, this movie is a good way to pass time. Just don't keep your hopes too high.

That Mjolnir hammer would definitely come in handy if I get my hands on it. A lot of idiots in my environment need some good whacking..

TOO MUCH BLOGGiNG HiATUS WiLL KiLL YOU

2011-04-24T05:06:00.013+08:00

For some bloggers like me, blogging is like putting a fragment of ourselves out in the open and sharing it on the internet for everyone to see, read, ridicule, or praise.. and we love it [that includes the ridicule and praise parts]. It may be our daily rants, our fave things, our hobbies, or topic updates, anything.

We actually need not have avid readers (well it's a plus actually), but our main reason for blogging is for self-satisfaction. My head is full of trash that I do need to relocate some of it [in blog-form] to make space for new, uh.. trash.

So how do some blogs end up un-updated? It may be that:

1. blogger got too much preoccupied with something else

2. blogger is travelling in a remote and desolate place beyond the reaches of the Internet

3. blogger has moved to another new blog site and did not delete the old one.

4. blogger has stopped writing for good [for all the reasons you can think of]; or

5. blogger is dead.

So what's with my blog's hiatus problem? Simple. It's not that I have nothing else to share. Hell, I am one of those few who has so many things to say, and would never ever end up with nothing to share about [may it be just trash or not] if not just for one weenie bit of a personality problem I have.

I am a lazy bum.

As much as I want to update this blog often, there are so many things that make me preoccupied most of the time. Well you would say that " Hey, if you're a dedicated blogger, then that would be a lame excuse." Touche. But just think about me being preoccupied most of the time, and at times when I am not doing anything, well.. the wonderful aura of laziness kicks in and disrupts everything.

To be able to write a post, I must be in 'inspirational' mode, which I can't explain much in details. It's like, if I feel like writing, then I'll write, and I do it with my best shot. If I'm not in my mood, then you'll get the worst piece of trash post there is. So I have decided to come off this pseudo-hiatus thing and get this blog alive again. I might be able to 'force-inspire' myself for this blog's sake.

Here's the plan of operation:

1. THE THEME

Okay, so a blog should have a theme. A motif. A genre. A niche. A theme separates all blogs into different categories, which makes blog readers, net enthusiasts, and blog hoppers find and follow blogs of their interest easily.

Good thing my motif is TRASH, so I can put anything I like and not be out of my own theme, LOLz. Well, seriously I actually do have a motif -- I blog about everything I like. MOVIES. FOOD. MUSIC. GADGETS. TRAVELS. ANIME. GAMES. FOOD. HEALTH. PERSONAL ANECDOTES. STORIES. Did I already mention FOOD?

There are a lot of things I like, so maybe I have to allot at least one post of each theme per month.

2. THE SCHEDULE

A bit challenging actually, but let's see if I could keep up with this. It would be nice that some specific dates of the month would get to have a specific blog theme. Well I'll try this one then:

Day 1:    PERSONAL ANECDOTES/RANTS -- What good way to start a month but with a memorable event in my freaky life. Or a rant from nowhere.
Day 4:    GAMES/GADGETS -- I'm a gaming addict, everybody knows that, and a gadget freak to add [if my finances could have permitted, I swear I would have the latest techs in my arsenal].
Day 8:    ANIME/OTAKU STUFF -- Japanese animation. period. YIHAAAAAAAAAAA for the geeks!
Day 12: FOOD -- Gastronomic discoveries. Newfound restos. Experiments of a frustrated cook a.k.a. homemade poison.
Day 16: HEALTH -- is wealth. LOLz.
Day 20: MUSIC -- wouldn't hurt to be updated with the latest sound trip in town, or rant about good ol' classic rock.
Day 24: MOVIE REVIEW -- gigabytes of old and new movies are stashed in my PC hard drive and my external disks (I have two). 90% of all of them I haven't even watched yet. Yeah, lazy bum, I know.
Day 28: TRAVELS -- I've been to many interesting places that is a waste not to share.

That's a total of 8 posts in a month. At least. Well, you'll never know when 'inspiration' mode will come upon you, maybe I'd end up with more than 8.

There you go, so let's try to stick with this plan and shoo laziness before it hits me again.

Best of luck for me next month. So I still have a week more to be a lazy bum.

REVELATiONS OF A GEEK-iN-DiSGUiSE

2011-03-09T00:56:00.002+08:00

Gone where the days where I look almost opposite the nerd inside me.

Hello glasses. Damn.

Trying my first prescription eyeglasses for the first time was like a eureka and a depression moment at the same time. Like wow, everything became clearer with them on, so wow, my eyes are officially not 20/20 anymore. Damn. I have silently nicknamed myself as 'the geek without the glasses'. Now I'm just a geek.

I ordered the sporty frame instead of the ordinary geeky one for my new eyewear -- at an extra cost (well double the price actually). Makes the eyeglasses more un-geeky. I also chose to cash out extra bucks to add in the special transition lenses upgrade -- they make the eyeglasses turn dark when exposed to sunlight, (and thus, tadaaa.. instant sunglasses) and revert back to normal in the shade. Well, it makes the price go triple for that fancy pair -- all for the sake of looking less of a geek (if upgrades were ultimately possible for curing colorblindedness, well I would have added that in my package, too, no second thoughts!).

Well without the glasses, who would have thought that I was the epitome of geekness a long time ago -- a living proof that bookworms of epic proportions do exist.

I once made dictionary-reading a pastime -- because I have already read all the encyclopedias, National geographic mags, old English textbooks, and local newspaper back issues available at our house, my aunt's, even my neighbor's. And that heavy tome of a Merriam-Webster's dictionary my father bought was the only one remaining thing unscathed to spend geeky moments with. Well right now I can't help but find my old self ridiculous.
I memorized by heart all the world's countries, their exact location around the globe, their capital cities, their neighboring countries, and their corresponding currencies when I was a mere 12. Just for the heck of it. And my neighbor thinks I'm a gifted child -- you know, like the ones on television advertising overpriced milk formulations -- all because I can tell the old hag the capital of Zimbabwe or Honduras or Cayman Islands. I wasn't a gifted child. I was a geek. There's a complete difference. Any geeky child can do it -- all it takes is interest and the right resources.
Trivia was like drugs to me - the more I have, the more I couldn't stop. Did you know that ants 'milk' aphids in roses for plant juice, just like a farmer would with a cow? Do you even know what an aphid is? Like who the hell cares, yet I know. I wanted to know. I was good at trivia -- so good I would have made millions had I joined Kris Aquino's game shows way back. I had to yell at the TV the answer of a million-buck question that the idiot contestant doesn't even have the slightest idea. Too bad I was a minor. Yet it was one of my father's ultimate dreams that I will be able to try my luck on a trivia game show when I cease to become a minor. Now I'm of legal age, well too bad I ended up becoming a lazy bum.
I was so engrossed with my books that my mother would actually resort into paying me money just to go out of the house and play with the neighboring kids! But I didn't want to play. I didn't want to get tired. Being tired means grasping for air again. Asthma really takes it's toll on growing kids. Maybe that's one reason why they become nerds in the first place.
I enrolled myself when I was 7 years old in a computer class (take note: word star, lotus123, and all those nifty programs from the Jurassic period). All my classmates were adults! I wouldn't forget how I kicked their butts and egos off, being a child and all (wonder if they know what an aphid is, hehe..).
I could count 1-10 in 12 different languages when I was 11. Make that down to 2 as of the current status. Well up until now I actually blame the general anesthesia I was at when I was operated for acute appendicitis, makes me think there are still anesthesia left inside me deteriorating my brain cells. Or we could just say that I am aging to cut explanations short.
I read the daily newspaper when I was six. Now I turn to the newspaper only for wrapping purposes.
Philippine and World history were my high school interests -- so bad they turned me up as a National History Quiz Bee contestant. Right now who would believe that I am really bad at dates - oh the irony.

Nobody would think I was that geeky way back. College really opened up my eyes to new doors, --new opportunities and new interests that are not geek-related. So the geek inside me slowly dissolved into the background. The books I dear were replaced by booze, bars, malls, girls, music, and other college stuff. It would be good to say that I finally got control of my asthma attacks. It does sound rebellious, but I can't say if it's a good or bad thing that I finally came out of my geeky shell.

I must admit, every now and then, when the opportunity strikes, the geek inside me reveals itself in small doses. And to be honest -- I actually enjoy it when it does. I still like the story of the Greek myths. I still look out for the Little and the Big Dipper on a starry night. I still find the Egyptian culture and history mesmerizing. I still want to fulfill my father's dream of me joining a trivia game show. And I miss watching ants milking aphids on a rose stem. I still have those bits of geekiness I can never take out of me. Glasses or no glasses, it's already a part of who I am.

Up until now, nobody can say at first glance that I was as a notorious nerd. Hell I look more like an action movie goon than a geek!

With my new pair of eyeglasses on I definitely look different.. an action movie goon... with glasses!


An ant 'milking' an aphid (sorry, just can't get over the aphid thing =P)

WHAT TO WATCH OUT FOR THiS 2011

2011-01-08T20:44:00.001+08:00

HAPPY 2011!

..which makes the world nearer to the predicted Mayan end of the world (which as far as I have heard, was again postponed due to wrong calculations, and blah blah blah..)

A lot of buzz have been going around lately in the web about upcoming trends and what things are going to be famous during 2011. Let's go straight to the point. Here are the Top 10 things in stored for this year:

1. MOVIES

Captain America: The First Avenger

This is the year of the superhero movies! Expect a lot of Marvel and DC Comics film adaptations, like Thor, Green Lantern, X-men (First Class) and Captain America. Also, there is the film remake of The Green Hornet, an old superhero TV series I loved during my childhood, as Bruce Lee starred as the Green Hornet's sidekick Kato.

This is also the year of viral movie saga finales, like Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and Twilight.

2. 3D

3D is here to stay, and is finding numerous applications you would only think was imaginable only in sci-fi movies of the past.

2010 was the birth of the 3D movies. It wouldn't be surprising if most films this year 2011 will have a 3D version.

Then came 3D television, wherein the candy of watching 3D is brought right into homes, and by 2011, 3D TV will soar in popularity.

Then came 3D newspapers. Local newspapers are already having 3D versions of their prints and wouldn't be long until 3D newspapers become viral.

Then will come 3D games via popular game consoles such as PS3 this year. Other game console giants will follow suit of course.

Almost everything media is turning 3D.

3. NFC

It stands for Near Field Communication. NFC is the latest technology that would be installed in upcoming 2011 phones. This makes the gadget your very own credit card or digital identification. Companies are now making trial runs for applications using this tech from paying bus tickets and groceries, to reading NFC-enabled posters and announcements via your phone.

Want to pay money-free and card-free for your shopping needs? Swipe your phone and it will be automatically billed to your account. Found an interesting movie poster but need to get going? Swipe your phone at the poster's NFC part and read more details about it on the go.

4. GROUP-MANIPULATED E-BUYS and ONLINE VOUCHERS

click image to visit site

In just the 1st month of 2011, numerous discount sites have sprouted like mushrooms over the net, and they are actually getting good audience. It works like this - the site offers a huge voucher discount on a sponsor service or item, I mean, very very huge discount!

The catch? The voucher will only be released and the discount valid if the number of voucher pre-orders would reach or exceed a given quota in a limited amount of time.

click image to visit site

Vouchers include services from spas, gyms, restaurants, huge discounts on perfume, clothing lines, shoes, tickets to shows, and many others. And who wouldn't want discounts? So to avail it, people spread the word around about the great deal in social networking sites and emails. It's a marketing strategy thing, and it's actually working.

5. MOBILE BLOGGING

Freedom of one's online expression would be powered to the extreme, as phones, laptops, and other gadgets capable of connecting to the internet would have an application standard - be able to update the user's online social network or blog anytime, anywhere. Mobile blogging would no longer be a optional tool - it will be a necessary feature especially in all upcoming 2011 phones, and they would all be vying for the user-friendliest mobile application.

6. SMARTPHONES SMARTPHONES, and more SMARTPHONES

So smartphones are becoming more and more common. And as the masses embrace this technology even more, hundreds of new units will be produced, Iphones (the most popular of them all) would be bombarded with eager competitors, and smartphone prices would drop drastically from luxury to ordinary.

Iphone4 dropping it's price? Now that I wanna see (and buy by then, hehehe).

7. TEMPORARY TATTOOS ARE IN

Beyonce Knowles

RnB singers and other famous celebrities are now showing off temporary designer-tattoos in their concerts, MTV's and photos. It wouldn't be long for trend-stricken people to bite into it and start showing off skin art pieces in different parts of their body - may it be henna or the stick-and-peel type.

8. GOING GREEN

Environmental advocacy would be the talk of town.

Going Green would be the theme of almost any consumer brand, and so would famous people show as a new celebrity facade and popularity booster. Garbage segregation, recycling programs, use of earth-friendly products, and companies switching to earth-friendly processes would likely be more common than ever.

Going Green campaign would be used abusively for marketing purposes. Well at least Mother Nature is given a big amount of attention this time.

9. BELL-BOTTOMS???

Skinny jeans would be history, forecasts say. Well I never got to wear one, so why bother.

Bell-bottoms? In ladies, yes they look more stylish and sophisticated. But in men? Flares (or Bell-bottoms) in men are not going to be that big and sway, as reported. - just a bit loose at the foot part (I don't speak fashion tongue, sorry), so the look would be much like that of a fashionable metrosexual of the 2011 rather than a 80's geek.

Well I might still not wear one of these anyway. Good old straight-cuts are still fashionably acceptable, so I'd try to live the whole year with 'em.

10. SUPERGRAIN, QUINOA

A South American whole grain crop, quinoa (pronounced as kwin-wa) is gaining popularity worldwide as a superfood. Prepared like wheat and oats, quinoa has great nutritional value than any other type of the grain varieties.

It has become so popular that reports say more than 50% of local quinoa produce are exported in many countries.

In 2011, quinoa will be in the food trend spotlight, just like acai berries did in 2010.

This year is going to be excitingly good. Cheers everyone!

MY CHRiSTMAS WiSH THiS YEAR: A NOKiA C7

2010-12-12T17:41:00.001+08:00

C7.

Well it does sound like a new high-tech nuclear bomb in another James Bond movie, but the latest addition to the Nokia family, the new Nokia C7 smartphone, is a 'bomb' in itself -- packed with a lot of cool features that techie guys like me would surely die to have for Christmas!

1. A smudge-free, fingerprint-free sleek finish -- constructed from polished stainless steel and glass, the phone itself shines up with that cool, savvy look. And I firmly believe that my smudge-producing hands would be capable of retaining it's savviness while it's in my unpredictable care. So yay for that!

2. It's touchscreen! Yay for technology! We are already living the era of touchscreen technology, (everybody knows that) and sooner or later, phones with manual keypads would be as historical as the dinosaurs. Already have my own touchscreen phone, and it's my first time using one. Seriously, the switch from a non-touchscreen phone is weird and takes time to get used to, but it's fun and exciting to have and play with new technology right at your fingertips. And believe me, I getting the hang of it. What more if I'd own a C7! My fingers would be the most exercised part of my body from then on.

3. Integrated social network. Yay for this one, too. Almost everyone has a Facebook or a Twitter account, including me. So integrating Facebook with the C7 is one cool feature - updating my profile, viewing my friends' pictures, or simply changing my status wherever I am by a few simply clicks, er.. touches, in a very user-friendly and high-resolution interface. I am actually having problems with my current phone (let's name my phone Fifi), as the Facebook feature is so lame. The C7 would improve my social network life tenfold!

Aside from the mentioned three favorite features of mine, the Nokia C7 also has an 8MP camera and HD video.

If you still don't have an idea about the C7, just think a Nokia N8 minus the 12MP cam and HDMI slot at a lower price!

[NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC: News might come out informing the general public that I don't need the Nokia C7. Rest assured this is only a plot against me having a C7 in my own hands, as people are already concerned about the chaos I would be causing, especially bombarding their FB and Twitter accounts with status updates]

So... do I really really really really really want to have a Nokia C7 for Christmas?

Need I answer that? =P

MOViE REVIEW: HARRY POTTER and the DEATHLY HALLOWS PART1

2010-12-09T10:26:00.002+08:00

Title: Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows PART 1 (Warner Bros.)

Genre: Adventure/Fantasy

Personal Rating: 8/10

These are dark times, there's no denying.." - Rufus Scrimgeour

Harry Potter's evil nemesis Lord Voldemort has risen to 'almost' full power, wrecking havoc to the wizarding world, as well as the clueless Muggle (a.k.a. human) world. As the Ministry of Magic has fallen, it is up to Harry Potter and his loyal friends to search and destroy Lord Voldemort's remaining horcruxes (special artifacts which grant Voldemort immortality) with no clue whatsover except a bunch of seemingly ordinary heirloom objects given to them by the late great wizard Albus Dumbledore. While Harry Potter manages to stay alive and findings ways to end Voldemort's reign, Lord Voldemort is on his way to finding the legendary weapons of immense power, the Deathly Hallows, that will not only make him more powerful than ever, but will grant him the thing he has failed to do more than ever - kill Harry Potter.

Dobby the 'free' House Elf

While the previous Harry Potter film (Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince) made me doze off in the cinema and was actually pounded down with lots of bad review, it is safe to say that in this film, the Harry Potter franchise has finally regained it's lost glory among it's millions of fans around the world, including me of course.

While some famous characters only gave very short cameos, the film itself gave life to new characters and manages to stay true to J.K. Rowling's original story. Well, the Harry Potter series has gone a long way, and the producers cutting the last part of the series into 2 films is but a good decision, not just because it will rake them a lot of money, but also because the last Harry Potter book would be very very difficult to condense in one 3-hour movie. The result would be devastating, and being pounded down again by the crazy fans would be bad for their health.

Prepare to be moved by the scene wherein Dobby takes his last breath in the arms of Harry Potter. Yes it was moving - so good is the CGI of Dobby (especially the humongous eyes) that it expresses very touching emotions - and he's just a computer image for crying out loud! How's that part - real actors getting beaten by CGI's in the Best Actor category.

Bellatrix Lestrange

With stunning visual effects and an array of the best British actors and actresses (Ralph Fiennes as Lord Voldemort, Helena Bonham Carter as the wicked Bellatrix Lestrange, Alan Rickman as Severus Snape - to name some of my favorites), the film in it's entirety is a must-see, especially for Harry Potter fans. I gave it a big review rating for doing it's best of making me awake and glued to the screen.

A warning for clueless moviegoers who don't even know what a Muggle is, or a horcrux: I must admit that the way the Harry Potter movies are screenplayed are so constricted that they give no optional benefit to people who haven't even read J.K. Rowling's book or have not seen the other 6 previous movies. Just be prepared to be, umm.. heavily 'dumbfounded'. Someone was actually dozing off near the seat where I was, and I bet he doesn't even have a clue what's happening.

Lord Vol.. aww.. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named

Part Two of this film would be released in July 2011. Fans are expecting so much, but however good or bad the last film would be, people will still watch it anyway for one reason - it's the end of Harry Potter's epic journey in the wide screen, and people want to be there to watch it unfold.

THE SUPERSTiTiOUS NONBELiEVER

2010-11-25T00:50:00.001+08:00

Being born and raised with pure Filipino blood and heart, I have been exposed to the enigmatic world of local superstitions, which is no doubt a part of the Filipino culture.

Honestly, I am no believer. But ironically, I actually practice some of them due to the fact that I may be the only member of my family (or maybe my whole clan) who doesn't. Imagine being the minority, the horror of being scolded because I do not follow the family's cardinal rules of superstitious beliefs.

So if you happen to visit our house, leave your black cat behind and brace yourself with the variety of superstitions we have, spanning the Spanish, Chinese, and the local Filipino cultures. And we aren't even Chinese!

1. Sweeping the floor during the night is bad luck for money, like sweeping wealth out of the house. This one I get reprimanded often when I was little. Luckily my family made a bit of a twist in that belief so we can maintain a nice-looking floor at night -- sweeping is okay, but never sweep it out of the door. Wee.. I didn't know superstitions can be 'bent' a little.

2. Never cut your fingernails during the night, or something bad will happen to your mother. Oh yes my mother is the star in this one. I am not quite sure about the 'something bad will happen to your mother' part. Maybe she just made up the mother part or something, but my mother threatened me with this one, obviously.

3. Before someone's crucial examination or test, whack him with a banana on the head for good luck. I got the banana whack before my high school entrance exam, college entrance exam, even various scholarship exams. I actually passed them all successfully, but I am not giving the banana credit. Even before my board examinations, my mother called me and told me to ask someone to do the banana trick once again. Geez.

4. A house's front door must be facing where the sun rises (EAST) for good luck. Before recent house renovations, our guests have been wondering why our back door and front door are adjacent. Now they know. People had to walk around the house to enter the main door (which is facing east).

5. Brown butterflies signify money. Black butterflies signify death of a relative or a family member. We had to chase the black ones out of the house, and leave the brown ones alone. Yeah right, that would have been so easy if I weren't colorblind..

6. During a funeral, when the coffin is about to be brought out of the house, a plate is smashed at the doorstep, breaking a bad curse that another family member would be next in the death list. When my father died, this was done by my aunt. They said the plate should break, or else another family member would be next. Aunt forcefully smashed the plate, and the fragments injured one of my feet and it bled. Well everyone was happy the plate broke, unfortunate for me of course that my foot had to catch the hell of it.

7. Wearing polka dots during New Year's Eve brings wealth for the whole year round. My mother never misses to wear one every single year. Not to mention she spews the floor with lots of coins and prohibits us (especially my kulit cousins) from picking them up (or suffer the consequences).

8. Monetary bills with 3 number 8's or more in their serial number are good luck charms. Mother found a Php20.00 bill with a rare serial number -- three successive 8's. Mother gave it to me as a charm for my wallet. Mother warned me never to use the money no matter what. One day in a land far far away, I rode a jeepney without knowing that I had actually left my money at home out of my wallet, and without coins at hand.. So.. Poof!

9. When trekking or passing a shrubbery or an unknown path of vegetation, say "Tabi, tabi po" (LITERAL: Would you please step aside) to warn spirits and avoid hitting or stepping on them, or else they will curse you if you accidentally do. This is very common, especially taught to kids who love to play hide and seek in the nearby forest or an unkempt backyard. As for me, growing up in the Visayas region, we have another version - we say "Tabi.." (LITERAL: STEP ASIDE! hahaha!). Yes, minus the po, which is only a courteous word used exclusively by Tagalogs as a sign of respect. The thought is still the same, though.
Our backyard being a plantation of what they call spirit-inhabited vegetation (especially the humongous bamboo family we have that creaks so loud when the wind is strong, like in horror movies), the Tabi, tabi po saying is a must when venturing in the area.

10. A person with big ears will have a longer life. Okay, so this is me. And I can't remember the number of times they tease me with this because I have big ears. Got them from my late grandparents Mamay and Papay (Bicolano term for Mother and Father respectively). Friends and relatives would tease that they would all die in the future and I would be the only one left in the world.

When it comes to superstitions, my family is the typical Filipino. And I still don't believe them. And I still practice them, damn.

Oh, and there's more to that list where it came from by the way.

FOODTRiP: BABY BACK RiBS

2010-11-08T18:43:00.000+08:00

Johanna's Grille interior

JOHANNA'S GRILLE
Bauan, Batangas

When one day, you wake up hungry and find yourself in the southern part of Luzon Philippines, it would be a waste not to try baby back ribs at Johanna's Grille.

The little grilled devil is already gaining popularity in this Ala-eh! part of the country, and is a buzzing word-of-mouth among Batangueños, visiting Manileños, and even foreigners who intentionally get lost in this side of town.

Hefty serving of baby back ribs only at Php200

Much has been heard about Batangas' delicious baby back ribs that lately restaurants all over Batangas are joining the bandwagon and promoting their very own recipe of baby back ribs. My forecast would be that sooner or later, every restaurant in Batangas will have baby back ribs on their menu.

But what makes the ribs in Johanna's Grille different from other competition?

Amidst growing popularity, it remains consistent in taste, largely portioned slides-off-the-bone grilled goodness, and only at a Php200.00 price tag.

And it was the very first in Batangas before every other one was hyped up.

Who wouldn't want cheap but delicious gourmet food? I would dish out a thousand bucks for a single meal as long as it would bring my tastebuds to ecstasy.

Well everything good always has a drawback - you have to be all the way in Batangas to munch off a morsel out of this one. And the restaurant is located away from the main road.

Lucky for me I am from Batangas.

Poor you. ^_^

That's me with the white tee. The one wearing sandos is the culprit behind Johanna's Grille baby back ribs

MOViE REVIEW: MACHETE

2010-10-22T16:15:00.003+08:00

Title: Machete (20th Century Fox)

Genre: Action

Personal Rating: 7/10

They just f**ked with the wrong Mexican.

He knows the score. He gets the women. And he kills the bad guys!

Story revolves around Machete Cortez (Danny Trejo), a skilled Mexican Federal Agent who was thought to have been killed after being double-crossed by his former boss.

Now in hiding as an illegal immigrant in Texas, Machete can't seem to get away from trouble. He was hired to kill the "anti-Mexican" Senator McLaughlin (Robert de Niro), and for the second time double-crossed and is now a wanted criminal pursued by hot police babe Sartana (Jessica Alba).

Together with the help of She (Michelle Rodriguez), leader of an underground Mexican group disguised as a Taco shop owner, Padre (Cheech Marin), a gunning kickass priest, a whole lot of illegal Mexican immigrants, and his arsenal of machete knives, Machete leads to get revenge and finally show that they really messed up with the wrong Mexican.

Well you bet. The story is shallow and comical. There's blood and gore and violence. A lot of hacking and slashing with the overrated machete. And I actually enjoyed watching it! It was like watching a Quentin Tarantino film in Mexican theme.

See Michelle Rodriguez kick ass with a nice body and an eyepatch. See Lindsay Lohan (yes her!) in 'frontal' splendor, and in another scene dressed as a nun with a heavy gun. See Jessica Alba in the shower naked. See sexy scantily-clad Mexican nurses shower ammo to enemies. See (sorry to interrupt the flow of sexy ladies) a priest gun down church invaders with shotguns. See Machete use someone's guts to rappel out of a building (yikes..). OH i almost forgot, see Steven Seagal come back on-screen with real hefty "getting-old" blubber attached to him and be macheted by Machete through the gut.

The theme itself is controversial and racist. The popular cast also made controversies themselves. And they casted an unknown goon-faced guy in a leading role who gets all the pretty women in this film!

Well actually, I have spotted Mister Machete in many random action movies as the bad guy. We might see more of him in upcoming action films, but for me he will be forever tagged as Machete, the Mexican guy you don't want to mess with.

This film gets a decent rating from me for pure entertainment.

So why does this film kick ass even if it was this kind of old-school shallow B-movie?

Because it was meant to be an old-school shallow B-movie.

THE FAMOUS BAHAY KUBO VEGGiES!

2010-10-14T16:03:00.004+08:00

Yep, there's an English translation of the ever-famous Pinoy vegetable hymn. The very same Bahay Kubo song that makes American toddlers Youtube-famous by singing the Filipino version in full foreign diction!

Elementary Filipino students nationwide (which I also did way back ) commonly learn the song from schoolteachers, who for some strange reason do not even bother to explain all those 18 vegetables to curious, raw minds. I am already working now, and I still don't even know what kundol and patani look like without Googling it.

Me: What's linga?

Friend: You don't know linga?

Me: ?

Friend: Sesame seeds!

Me: Ohhhhh.. Sesame seeds! Well maybe that's a Tagalog word, linga.

Friend: No idea. What's sesame seeds in your Visayan dialect by the way?

Me: Uuhh.. [long pause] Sesame seeds? =P

English translation by Roberto Verzola

My Humble Hut Bahay Kubo

My humble hut Bahay kubo,

may look tiny, kahit munti,

but the veggies around it, ang halaman doon,

sure are many. ay sari-sari.

Yam beans and eggplants, Singkamas at talong,

winged beans and peanuts, sigarilyas at mani,

string, hyacinth and lima beans. sitaw, bataw, patani.

Winter melon and loofah, Kundol, patola,

bottle gourd, squash, et cetera. upo’t kalabasa,

There is more, amiga, at saka meron pa, (Amiga? Arriba!)

radish, mustard, yeah! labanos, mustasa. (Ahahaha nice one, Yeba!)

Onions, tomatoes Sibuyas, kamatis

garlic and ginger. bawang at luya.

If you look all around, Sa paligid-ligid

sesame seeds abound! ay puno ng linga!

I still can't figure out the criteria they used in picking the said veggies for the song, as some of them are quite unfamiliar, and why kangkong (swamp cabbage), malunggay (horseradish), sayote (vegetable pear), and ampalaya (bitter gourd) did not make it in the audition.

Sa paligid ligid,
ay puno ng kangkong!..

Well, the song is still one epic Filipino heritage - one of the things that most (if not all) Pinoys share in common. And I still firmly believe Ampalaya in the song would have been a bitter hit.

Yeah, bitter hit!

MOViE REVIEW: SALT

2010-08-21T22:00:00.004+08:00

Title: Salt (Columbia Pictures)

Genre: Action

Personal Rating: 6/10

Who is Salt?

Evelyn Salt (played by Angelina Jolie) is a CIA agent who, one day, was accused for being a Russian sleeper spy designated to assassinate the Russian president and ignite a deadly conspiracy to start another world war. Now on the run, Salt must evade capture from her CIA comrades to be able to prove that she is innocent.

Or is she?

A very nice and intriguing plot, but unluckily very bluntly delivered. There was something missing amidst all the great action scenes and the superb twists. Still, Angelina Jolie definitely kicked ass, and the role fits her perfectly, the spy agent thingy. Although compared to some of her previous action movies WANTED and MR. AND MRS. SMITH, this was a little sloppy (and damn, Sabertooth Liv Schreiber sounded like crap while speaking Russian!). If you are just after Angelina's stunts and her uber-sexy pout, you bet this movie's for you.

The film's ending also suggested a sequel. Part Two or no Part Two, I hope they deliver better justice to the nice story and Angelina's stunt acting prowess. And don't you just love to see those lips again!

So who is Salt?

I know! She is Tony Stark's assistant's distant relative, weee..

MOViE REVIEW: INCEPTION

2010-08-11T15:20:00.011+08:00

Title: Inception (WARNER Bros.)

Genre: Action, Suspense

Personal Rating: 8/10

You're waiting for a train, a train that will take you far away. You know where you hope this train will take you, but you can't be sure. But it doesn't matter - because we'll be together..

Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a special kind of thief - he steals valuable information and ideas stored inside the victim's mind though their dreams, making his illegal skill one of the most sought-after talent by the notorious and the powerful. Caught in a tangled disposition, Cobb's next mission requires him to organize a team to do one very difficult task - instead of stealing an idea, they are to force and permanently implant one instead, unknowingly making it the victim's very own. That is Inception. As he leads his team deeper into the perilous 'dreamworld', the stakes of not being able to come back to reality becomes greater, and Cobb's disturbing secret that will endanger his team becomes more powerful than ever...

Very Matrix-ish right? Well, sort of. This is one of those movies that actually make the audience glue themselves onto their seats. Pacing is so fast, one will miss so much by just even going to the toilet. The first ten minutes of the film rolled and my head was already aching from thinking too much. Can't blame me for trying to understand. System overload in a matter of minutes. What just happened? Who's dream are they in now? In what level of dream are they in again? Is he still dreaming or what? This movie calls for a nice, handy PAUSE-REWIND button. The Dark Knight's director Christopher Nolan must have anticipated this. I so hate him, well in a good way, hahaha! And Oscar best actress Marion Cotillard really played her 'deep and disturbed' role very well.

If you want a brain-wrecking movie, then this one's for you. If you're just in for the jaw-dropping special effects, go watch Matrix all over again instead. The effects were good, but the movie was not made for that.

I already forgave the 4-cinema mall where I watched this for having this film share it's theater with another film, and making the remaining 3 cinemas exclusive for the vampiric fad ECLIPSE. They should be considerate next time - not all of us moviegoers are die-hard fans of glittering vampires.

I gave it a very high review score because it succeeded in retaining my very short attention span. And the great film's concept. And the unforgivable headache. And the hanging ending. And the very catchy tag line.

Your mind is the scene of the crime..

(Wicked!)

iT'S THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY AND i'M LIKE ZzzzZzzZZzzzZzz..

2010-07-07T11:17:00.003+08:00

When I was in high school, I was popularly called palahubog (drunkard), not because I boozed the night before, but rather - I looked like I boozed the night before! My eyes are half open and my body limp, and my teacher's words were like uncontrollable sleeping pills. Don't ask how I passed high school, but I did.

It became worse when I was in college! Back then, I was popularly known as the-narcoleptic-guy-who-always-sleeps-in-class. When everything gets boring, especially during afternoon classes, I always end up dozing off - always first than anybody else (Let's call this weakness of mine as hapontukin), irregardless if I slept early or late the night before! I tried to sit in front of class to help me keep awake, but alas, I only infuriate the teacher more by letting them see my hapontukin moment. So my best bet would be to sit on the chairs way back and pretend to be listening with the use of major props - hiding my face with an open book, using a calculator while facing down, or if I can't really help it, carelessly slop my face right on top of the desk. But everybody knows, duh. They are always on watch for something "weird" that I would hapontukin-ly do. Maybe accidentally bump my head on the desk sleepily (which actually I already did, sigh..).

I can only think of a subject or two where I never slept in my entire college years (And it's not even Physical Education!). And the sleeping bloopers I have made were endless, the worst would be when I slept in the middle of a critical afternoon exam, and waking up 10mins before the deadline to finish! Beat that.

Even riding jeepneys weren't an exemption against my hapontukin tendency. It strikes wherever. The funny part is when your hand grabs the pole and you let your head rest on your arm, and then you suddenly lose your grip when you doze off! Hahahaha.. Instant passenger vehicle celebrity. Well of course, you pretend that it's nothing, although the feeling of suddenly waking up accidentally is very very horrible! Not to mention you're giving pickpockets an easy opportunity to "take good care" of your cellphone for good (based from experience, arrgh!).

People can let my sleeping shortcomings pass during my school days, but now that I am in the professional world, hapontukin at work is a CRIME! And yes, I am still plagued by this "sleeping disorder" up until now. Isn't it ironic that I was led to work here in Batangas City, where Batangas coffee (kapeng barako), known for it's strong taste, is popular? Fate has it's ways. It wants me to drown in coffee and hopefully get rid of my hapontukin.

When hapontukin sets in, I grab my ever-wondrous tumbler and make myself a hot serving of coffee. Extra strong. Black. Then another. And another. The result? ZZzzZZzzZzzzZz... Coffee is good, but I am incredibly immune to caffeine, thank you. So I grab a work manual and read instead, and then ZZZzzZzzzZzZZ.. Well, okay reading is worse. I also tried walking back and forth like a lunatic, or walking in circles, but all people see is a stressed zombie ready to collapse any minute. Hapontukin wasn't my disease alone. Almost everyone at work have it. Even my college friends had it, too, only I was more uhh.. expressive!

I have seen the many different coping mechanisms my colleagues do. Some munch into food morsels or sip a cup of hot coffee. Others chat about non-work related things (a.k.a. gossips). But you know what worked for me? Check these things I found:

1. Eat a loadful of breakfast. Not only does it provide the necessary energy to start the day, it also provides the necessary energy to last throughout the day. No wonder I slept most of the time during college! Like a typical student-on-the-go, I rarely eat breakfast!

2. Don't forget your multivitamins. Those little pills really help. Popping one provides that extra energy kick.

3. Rest once in a while from work. Hapontukin sets in more forcefully between lunch break and afternoon coffee break. Grab a snack, chat with a friend, read a funny email, anything that's not work-related. My instructor back in college was right. She advised that for every 1 hour you devote for work or study, devote 10-15mins away from it, then back to work again.

Fighting hapontukin is a gruesome and stressful ordeal one has to face everyday, but if you have to let it sink in, surrender with style! Do it like what some of my colleagues did after one boring afternoon training session - SYNCHRONIZED SLEEPING!

MOViE REVIEW: THE KARATE KiD (2010)

2010-06-22T00:03:00.007+08:00

Title: The Karate Kid (COLUMBIA Pictures)

Genre: Action, Drama

Personal Rating: 7/10

Martial Arts Rule: You hit him. Don't let him hit you.

This remake of the 1984 hit of the same title became a whopping success in the US on it's first release. Although martial arts fans would be totally pissed with the producers mixing the karate kid title with kung fu moves. Yes, in the film, the kid was actually an accidental kung fu student.

Dre Parker, played by co-producer Will Smith's son Jaden Smith, and his mother moves to China. He is then bullied by Chinese kung fu kids. Ordinary maintenance man Mr. Han (Jackie Chan) helps him and teaches him the true art of kung fu to master his fears, earn respect, and not be bullied anymore. They enter a kung fu tournament with the bullies as his opponents, kicks their sorry asses, and wins the tourney. The end.

Simple story, right? The visuals aren't that stunning, but lo, the sound effects and scoring are audio treats! Mr. Jackie Chan is a must-see here, as you never get to see Mr. Chan in a very serious role this often, and his story is heartwarming by itself.

Jaden Smith's acting is actually quite good for someone new like him in the film industry. Well, he's got good genes from dad.

Overall, a wonderful family film! Just don't mind the karate and kung fu mix-up. Marketing strategy I guess. The Karate Kid sounds more appealing than if titled The Kung Fu Kid. Also to attract old fans of the original Karate Kid movie way back.

Also good for waking up those lost childhood dreams of becoming a martial arts genius at an early age. Honestly, it actually waked mine! Hahaha..

Seriously.

CONFESSiONS OF THE PLASTiC GUY

2010-06-01T23:26:00.001+08:00

Working for a petrochemical plant is a very fulfilling career as a chemical engineer, but as other people, even old friends, learn the nature of my job (that is making thermoplastic resin of various qualities and end-uses), they go nuts:

— So you’re making plastic! So you’re the number one contributor of environmental catastrophes brought about by the dreaded thing! Did you know our rivers are getting polluted? Our dumpsites are getting overfilled? Our city sewers are getting flooded? Our Mother Earth is nearing its impending doom? And now you’re a part of what makes all those disasters happen? —

Excuse me, like I don’t know all of that. If they are so worried about me being a part of their so-called secret society of environmental extremists, then they might as well stop using plastic for crying out loud, or even just dispose of it properly. Right there, you have someone to blame — yourselves as consumers. If no one’s going to use it, then no one’s going to make ‘em! This is one of those instances where the ‘cut-the-root-to-kill-the-plant’ plan doesn’t work.

Don’t blame me, the plastic guy. I only make a living - it’s my responsibility, even if it doesn’t sound good for you. And as far as I can remember, throwing your plastic trash in the wrong places doesn’t sound responsible either.

Yeah yeah, I know the cycle. I will continue being a part of making plastic, and you will continue using them. You will continue enjoying the benefits, and you will continue throwing it away carelessly after it had served it’s purpose. Then your sewers will flood, and then you blame the plastic and whoever made them. Yada yada..

Before blaming why plastic was ever made just to end up clogging the sewers, why not blame how it ended into the sewers in the first place?

Want a clue on how to end up this madness? Start from here: Plastics are recyclable, some people aren't. Their way of thinking makes them more disposable than the plastics themselves.

THE UNCANNY X-MEN AND THE KiD OF THE 90's STORY

2010-04-12T18:30:00.046+08:00

This opening theme never fails to bring that tingly chill down my spine every time I play it. The Original Uncanny X-Men series is a timeless classic - one of the best-loved bad-ass cartoons of the 90’s that sadly kids of today won't be able to fully appreciate, as more commercialized programs and other garbage are being fed to them everyday.

The story revolves around a world where some humans have evolved into beings with special powers called mutants, and the mutant team called the X-Men have been created to prove to the world that humans and mutants can live together in peace. Who would forget famous X-Men characters such as the laser-eyed Cyclops, the grumpy weapon-X survivor Wolverine, the weather witch Storm, and of course, the ever-beloved telepathic adviser and founder of the X-Men, Professor Charles Xavier (better known as Professor X).

This series brings back so much childhood memories. When I was young and puberty has yet to defile my innocence, I have been an avid fan of the X-Men series. I 'd try my best to watch all episodes, and pained me to miss even a single one. I would actually fight my head off against my father who tries to change the channel everytime it was X-Men's air time. Hell, I even memorized all X-Men characters, their special powers, their history, and all those other geeky freaky stuff. To this childhood addiction, I also began to collect X-men collectible cards, showing-off my rare ones, and even cry like an elephant because my neighbor had a rarer card that I didn't have.

When I began to grow old, my childhood heart also began to fade out of the picture. My parents advised me to slowly act mature and forget being a kid. The people around me influenced me so much about what to do and how to act so that I may be 'maturely acceptable'. That was the beginning of my adulthood - a world where what others think about you is more important than what you think about yourself.

Then one fateful day, a colleague of mine at work began to talk about Marvel heroes, comics, and the X-men series. Unknowingly, he woke up something sleeping inside me - the eagerness to talk about a childhood fancy which I thought I have already lost. He was enthusiastically talking about his vast Marvel heroes action figure collection, about his Iron Man costume he personally designed himself from scrap materials, and about his superhero movie collection. He is proud to be young at heart and loving his passion even at his age.

I envy him. I can't even remember where I have stashed my favorite X-men collectible cards. I told my friend I was also an avid X-men fan, and we talked like nobody else existed. Like we care if our other colleagues think we were talking German! He then lent me his X-Men Complete Series DVD, which made my eyes frantically glow like a child. I was also given the opportunity to visit his place and 'play' with some of his action figures (sadly the others were off-limits due to value, sigh..) and even try out his Iron Man costume!

I have found my childhood back!

People think the road to adulthood is a road where your childhood has no room. This is why most adults are not happy about their lives, as they have willingly forgotten how it was to be innocent, careless, worry-less, but happy.

It is okay to grow up, but never forget how it was to be an innocent child. An adult only differs from a child from his uncontrollable tendency to complicate things.

I will be watching the DVD my friend gave me. Maybe then, I might remember where I have hidden my cards. Only 90’s kids can really consider this series a one-of-a-kind gem of their childhood. And I am proud to have been a 90’s kid!

In my heart, I still am..

MOViE REViEW: ALiCE iN WONDERLAND

2010-03-14T09:01:00.020+08:00

Title: Alice in Wonderland (Walt Disney)

Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy

Personal Rating: 5/10

"Why is a raven like a writing desk?"

That is the famous riddle of the funny farm escapee known as The Mad Hatter, one of the film's popular characters played by Pirates of the Caribbean superstar Johnny Depp.

The film revolves around the story of Alice, now a grown up, and her return to Wonderland to fulfill a prophesy that will overthrow the cruel reign of the big-headed Red Queen (played by Helena Bonham Carter). The film also features popular characters of the classic children's book written by Lewis Carroll, such as twins Tweedledum and Tweedledee and the infamous white rabbit with a pocketwatch - the culprit who started it all.

In the classic animated Disney cartoon and the original book, the Red Queen always commanded to execute people who offend or irritate her, but nobody gets killed anyway. In the story, the Red Queen actually was starting to cut off heads for real. And eyeballs fly like sushi out of a lunchbox, I am beginning to wonder if this film would actually fit for children's viewing.

I highly commend Bonham Carter and Depp's superb acting performances, which by the way is the only reason why I wanted to see the movie. I didn't expect Anne Hathaway to also give a very good impression on her funny but classy character as the White Queen.

Why not talk about Mia Wasikowska, the girl who played Alice? Hmm.. she was good, though her performance didn't mark a permanent impression on my memory. I was more excited to see the Jabberwocky, a dragon-like creature she was suppose to kill to end up the Red Queen's reign of terror (did you know that the dance crew sensation Jabbawockeez go their name from that Wonderland monster?). Also, Harry Potter fans would definitely recognize Alan Rickman a.k.a. Severus Snape as the voice of the smoking caterpillar.

To cut this short - nice visuals, great acting performances, lame story! That's why I gave it a 5 out of 10. And people who are not familiar with the Wonderland character bunch will definitely not appreciate the movie, unless they are a bunch of kids who don't mind watching the gory scenes.

Worth watching? Well, it was entertaining nonetheless (and for killing weekend spare time).

So why is a raven like a writing desk? Well, it's a Mad Hatter's mad question, so the answer is as mad as he is.

"I haven't the slightest idea," said the Hatter.

MOViE REVIEW: PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPiANS: THE LiGHTNiNG THIEF

2010-03-03T18:12:00.016+08:00

Title: Percy Jackson and the Oympians: The Lightning Thief (20th Century Fox)

Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy

Personal Rating: 6/10

It's Greek Mythology living in New York City!

Ordinary boy Peter Jackson finds out that he is the son of Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea, and is being accused as the primary suspect of stealing the lightning bolt of the Highest greek god, Zeus. Now all dangerous mythical creatures are after him, including the dreaded god of the underworld, Hades -- all aiming for the missing ultimate weapon of Zeus. Peter Jackson, together with the help of his friends, must face unknown danger and find a way to seek for the lightning thief's true identity and pacify Zeus' anger before the gods start a war that will end all life on Earth.

The film is based on the first book from the series of four by Rick Riordan. And the book-to-film rule says that if it hits the market, the 2nd book will be given a movie next (which, in a domino effect, will get Percy Jackson actor Logan Lerman the same famous spotlight as Daniel Radcliffe of the Harry Potter series).

Being a fan of Greek mythology even when I was young (I read every Greek myth book my hands could lay upon, hell I even memorized the 12 Muses way back!), I got very curious and interested, so I watched it obviously. Let's just say I expected too much -- Chris Columbus (Harry Potter) directed it; the film is star-studded with a powerhouse cast in cameo roles (Uma Thurman as Medusa and Pierce Brosnan as Chiron to name a few); and add the fact that I am a certified Greek mythology literature geek. The bottomline is -- let's say I was a bit disappointed. Maybe I was looking for more cinematic special effects, or maybe I didn't like the idea that Greek myth heroes end up all in New York City.

I could have given this movie less than 6 out of 10 points, but I highly commend the Medusa scene of Uma Thurman, where she portrayed the snake-haired woman who turns people who gaze at him into stone. She was definitely good in that cameo role.

I must say this series is promising. I may be a bit biased because I want to see more of my favorite mythical heroes and creatures in action, but I hope the movie franchise does not end up like Eragon (also a book series turned into a movie that went down to ashes before it got the chance to make the sequel).

TiKOY AND CHOCOLATE DAY

2010-02-14T11:10:00.034+08:00

If someone tells me 'Happy Valentine's Day!', I tell them not to say bad words..

'I prefer "Happy Chinese New Year" my friend', I'd reply. Can't blame me, it's the time of the year when lonely hearts club members brood at the mere thought, and go on throughout the day contented (or pretending to be) by celebrating with friends, with family, or alone. As for me, I have work. I have the perfect alibi!

Coincidentally, February 14 of 2010 celebrates both V-Day and the coming of the Chinese Year of the Steel Dragon. Also coincidentally, both prefer the color red as the traditional motif, so the whole town's going to be painted with the color of blood and gore 2 times than usual.

V-Day is celebrated every 14th of February to commemorate the feast of Saint Valentine, a Christian martyr priest who was executed by then Roman emperor Claudius II. He secretly wed lovers in the Christian tradition, which was taboo at the then-Roman pagan society (or so the story goes).

Unlike the usual New Year celebrated on the first day of the Gregorian calendar (that's January 1), the Chinese folks believe that the New Year starts at the first new moon of the year, which is always somewhere around the month of February (but sometimes could be as early as the last week of January).

I was born on the Year of the Ox, and Chinese astrology predicts that I have good luck coming up within the Tiger's Year (uh, or so a friend of mine tells me). So I don't need to buy bad-luck-warding charms and other Chinese gewgaws that sprout like mushrooms at the malls. Maybe an ang pao (Chinese red envelope) will do. My mother, though we don't have Chinese blood in the family, believes in the Chinese tradition of new year. Each Chinese New Year, she gives us siblings ang paos with money inside with three number 8's, the Chinese lucky number, in the money's serial code (which supposedly gives us good luck, especially with financial matters, yay!). She even added to the list of Deadly Sins the spending of our ang pao money.

She also doesn't let us bathe during the day (maybe because it peels off good luck that sticks to your skin?). She buys us tikoy (traditional Chinese pudding), which she then fries with beaten egg and forces us to eat it for good luck's sake. And she never fails to buy the latest annual copy of a Chinese Feng Shui mag for new trends in interior arrangement (I actually think my mother can handle a decent Feng Shui expert as a sideline).

Well, now living away from home and celebrating Chinese New Year makes me homesick. Though away from my family, I never forget to buy tikoy and shove some cooked slices into my mouth. I visit my ang pao money in my safe (I don't bring it inside my wallet, it's tempting to.. you know..). I realized it is actually very hard to find bills with three number 8's in the serial number, and so what I have inside my ang pao is a rare find courtesy of my dear mother.

So what did I do this Valentine-Chinese New Year COMBO Day? I went to Southbound Computer Shop today to buy myself a new USB mouse (my old one broke down on me this morning). I bought my groceries in SM Supermarket, strolled to some Chinese New Year displays and V-day flower stalls. I found a very unusual sight -- tulips in pots! I had the urge to buy one pot for myself and grow some at home, but at the price of 800 bucks, I quickly changed my mind. I did not inherit my mother's green thumb, so buying the plant is a risk I wouldn't take (can't even grow a decent sprout of parsley, pfftt!).

I also saw Chinese dancing dragons. They performed traditional dragon dances to each store inside the mall to ward-off bad luck. In return, the stores give them a little sum for their effort of wiggling their asses and heads like crazy.

Deciding to treat myself for V-day, I bought a heart-shaped chocolate brownie cake from Brownies Unlimited for 168 bucks, and then went home.

I ate almost have of the cake by myself (which is not surprising, considering my voracious appetite), and then off to work. So basically, I spent my V-Day and Chinese New Year mostly working my ass off.

Kung Hei Fat Choi everyone! And Happy Heart's Day!

LiFE iN TABOREA: THE WORLD OF RUNES OF MAGiC

2010-02-09T10:46:00.027+08:00

I have to admit. I am an online gaming addict. No doubt about it.

New games out there always had 'demo time' in my hands.. Well, of course not all passed my standards, and only a few moved in permanently in my hard drive.

Mostly I prefer multiplayer online games, where you get to interact with other online gamers while living the adventure of your choice in a virtual world. It serves as my escape to my real world. It's not that I am trying to escape from my reality, It's just that I needed an instant outlet for the overflow of my emotions, my imagination, and my undying thirst for adventure. I'll go crazy in no time if I didn't.

So here we go, a new portal to a parallel dimension opens: The Land of Taborea. It is calling me, and my adventurous weakness plunges me into its realm.

Taborea.

It's set in medieval times. So I presume it's about dragons and castles, knights in horses, and damsels in distress.

Meet my alter ego, Typhus. Why the horrible sickly name? Damn government textbooks. When I was in an internet-deprived public elementary, my science book tells me the scientific name of the whale shark (raaawwr!), the largest fish in world, is Rhineodan typhus. After so many years, I found out that due to a typo error it ought to have been Rhincodon typus. OH what the hell, I got stuck with Typhus and lived with it.

Avatars are created by players to represent themselves in the gaming world. Typhus is my Avatar in Taborea now. MMORPG's (Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games) like these give gamers class selection -- the basic role one wants to be in the virtual world. I chose The Scout Class, adept in the use of the bow and arrow. I don't know what's with it, but in most of my online games, I always end up choosing a bow-and-arrow class (and the name Typhus, yeah I know it sucks!). Scouts can see their enemies in a distance and physically attack them at very long range. Being a scout in Taborea makes me feel like the new Robinhood in town.

Now having an avatar, it's time to explore the world.

I end up in this village in the middle of the forest. NPCs (non-player character) abound the village, and as I talk to them, some gave me valuable hints about the village and the surrounding areas. Some gave me quests and promised rewards if I kill a forest creature or if I bring specific items.

Now off I go to a nearby forest to explore and raise my level. Raising my character level by raising my experience will not only make my attacks more powerful, it will also provide me with new and improved skills. Raising experience is mostly done by killing creatures (before they kill you of course!)

My first monster encounter is a cute walking mushroom called a Fungus. Sorry creature, however adorable you are, you have to die, the poor thing. Arrows away!

Hunting and killing monsters not only give experience. They also drop valuable items for certain NPC quests, and also sellable items you can trade for gold.

Well that's it for me for now. To fight more powerful monsters, I have to be more powerful myself. And that means more adorable Fungus creatures will suffer and eat my arrows.

Who knows what other adventures await Typhus in this new dimension I went into. Taborea here I come!

GOT DoTA?

2010-02-07T07:06:00.033+08:00

If you don't know Icefrog, then you definitely haven't heard or played DoTA. Non-gaming people I know haven't got the slightest idea what it is. Some perceive it as a computer game (which is actually true) that kids are so crazy about. Apart from that, they know nothing. Poor creatures. For their sake, let the enlightenment begin..

DoTA stands for Defense of The Ancients, and contrary to the DoTA-innocent population's belief that DoTA is a customary stand-alone game (I always get requests from friends, and friends of friends, to help them "install" DoTA in their PC's!), DoTA is just a customized scenario map of the popular Warcraft III game. If I only give you DoTA, it would obviously be unplayable and utterly useless without Warcraft. You get my point.

Warcraft III made DoTA possible because of its World Editor feature, where players can create their own customized scenario and gameplay. So who's Icefrog? DoTA became the brainchild of a developer only known by the pseudonym Icefrog. Since its release, DoTA became a hit among Warcraft players, and made Icefrog an instant celebrity in the gaming world. The DoTA map itself had undergone numerous gameplay changes, new items and hero characters, and many balance tweaks through the years.

The default Warcraft III scenario map is the build-search-defend-destroy type, where you create buildings and command different units. DoTA is obviously different, as a player only focuses on one individual unit, known as a hero.

The DoTA gameplay revolves around one goal - destroy the enemy's base and fundamental building (known as as an Ancient, thus the title Defense of the Ancients) before they destroy yours. Two opposing teams battle using unique heroes with different abilities. Customized teamwork and strategy play vital roles in winning a DoTA game, as each hero has their strengths as well as weaknesses when teamed up or matched against other heroes. Items can also be purchased to improve attack and defense of a hero. With this fact, DoTA matches are practically nonidentical with each other!

So why do guys go loco over such game? Simple reason -- just the same as why male species in the animal kingdom fight each other -- dominance. It's a thing even the female species are having a hard time comprehending. In the human world, this takes form as army wars, political oppositions, sporting events, and street brawls. In the gaming world, DoTA became a perfect battleground host for dominance (no real blood and gore involved, only the mind and the fingers do the work).

For the not-so-DoTA-drowned individuals out there, here are some popular DoTA terminologies you might want to check out (some even used in non-DoTA conversations):

First Blood - It is the first kill of a DoTA match. The first player who gets to make an opponent hero eat dust gains additional gold (for item purchases) and the irreplaceable taste of dominance! Can also be used as a threat to real life enemies.

Godlike - The player with unstoppable consecutive hero kills gains this notorious title. Any opponent who kills this player stops the winning streak and gains additional gold in return. Also refers to people with very high almost-impossible achievements. Can also refer to my charm and good looks.

Creeps - are mostly non-controllable non-hero units in the game that play as army pawns or neutral monsters scattered in the map. Can also refer to people who are evident but have no significance to what is going on.

Roshan - the ultimate creep in DoTA. Killing this unit gives the team additional gold and the unique item Aegis of the Immortal. Also a name worth giving to destructive college professors whom you can only defeat once you have barely passed their rough exams.

Imba - short for imbalance. Some heroes are just way too tricky or have the upper hand against certain enemy heroes. Depends upon player's discretion when used. Also an effective alibi for noobs.

Noob - a newbie, commonly used in almost all games to refer to new, inexperienced players. Also a very effective insult in trash talks.

GG - (stands for Good Game) now known as Garena, it is a gaming platform that lets players around the world play against each other in various games, such as DoTA in Warcraft III. Download the platform here.

DoTA became so popular that it has been a feature in many international cybergame tournaments. Check out this cool DoTA-inspired techno-song by Swedish musician Basshunter (which, by the way made it to the 2006 European Single Charts), Vi sitter i Ventrilo och spelar DoTA:

For those who want to have a copy of the latest DoTA map, download it here in the official DoTA website.

For a gamer, DoTA is a taste of what a successful game should be. Not many games out there make it through the gaming market for many years and still be hot and worth playing for. Take it from the guy who has been playing DoTA since its debut release in 2005 up until now -- me.

CEBU DANCiNG iNMATES' MJ TRiBUTE

2010-02-02T00:03:00.013+08:00

There's no stopping this international phenomenon -- and that's the Dancing Inmates of Cebu to you! Now they are back again with their own version of Michael Jackson's THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT US, choreographed by MJ's very own choreographer, Travis Payne! Their moves are cool, I might copycat some just for the heck of it..

Very envious of me indeed. Now I am beginning to wonder if I chose the right career! I'd look good in an orange shirt anyway.. =P

BATOBALANi SA GUGMA: THE CEBUANO SONG OF FAITH

2010-01-16T16:25:00.022+08:00

Every 3rd Sunday of January of each year, tourists flock the Queen City of the South, Cebu City, for the famous annual SINULOG festival, where the train of streetdancers and merrymaking groups on the streets of Cebu lasts from 5am until as late as 7pm in the evening. Little of these tourists know of another event happening the day before this said event - the Parade of the holy replica of Sr. Santo Nino, the Patron Saint of Cebu.

As a non-Cebuano, witnessing how the devotees express their faith through the song, BATOBALANI SA GUGMA (Lodestone of Love), always gives me the tingling goosebumps, admiring how Cebuanos have that sincere devotion. They sing the song over and over again while they march the scorching heat up until the sun goes down, bringing with them their small personal replicas of the Santo Nino, until they reach the Basilica del Santo Nino (another famous historical church in Cebu). And every chorus of the song, devotees wave their hands in unison towards the direction of the main replica of the Santo Nino. When I first saw this, I asked a Cebuano friend of mine as to why they do this act. He told me that waving their hands to the Santo Nino is a symbol for them to be noticed by their patron, so their prayers will come true.

It's too bad I wasn't able to go to Cebu this year for this event. That's why I am blogging this post so that I can be a part of the event in my own way. The video I found on YouTube, and the song lyrics I just googled.

BATOBALANI SA GUGMA

Batobalani sa gugma,

Sa daan tawo palangga.

Tubag:

KANAMO MALOOY KA UNTA

NGA KANIMO NANGILABA

Dinhi sa siudad sa Sugbo

ang matahum larawan.

sa unang mga misionero,

sa usang balay hipalgan.

Kanila ikaw nagpakita

gikan da sa imong gugma.

Tubag:

KANAMO MALOOY KA UNTA

NGA KANIMO NANGILABA

Giludhan ikaw gisingba

niadtong mga kaparian

sa tanan nga katawhan

sa mga ponoan nila:

kay sa pagtan-aw kanimo

Kristianos sila nahimo.

Tubag:

KANAMO MALOOY KA UNTA

NGA KANIMO NANGILABA

Ang singbahan gipatindog

niadtong mga tawhana,

aron ang larawan nimo

dunay usang puluyanan.

ug didto gihangyo nila

nga kaluyan nimo sila.

Tubag:

KANAMO MALOOY KA UNTA

NGA KANIMO NANGILABA

Nangayo kami kanimo

nga ang matahum mong larawan,

sa sulud sa kalag namo

makahimong puluyanan,

kay sa tanan kinahanglan

ikaw ang among dalangpan.

Tubag:

KANAMO MALOOY KA UNTA

NGA KANIMO NANGILABA

For non-Visayan readers, I tried my best translating the song in English, a not-so-easy task since the song is literally packed with deep Visayan words. Sa mga Bisdak, pugngi inyong mga kaugalingon sa panghinaway sa akong gihubad kay lisod sad baya ni hap, dili lalim! (To Visayans, please try to resist yourself from criticizing my translation because it's not that easy). Oh well, here it goes:

LODESTONE OF LOVE

Lodestone of love

Loved by old people

Reply (2X)

Have pity on us

Who beg you

Here in the city of Cebu

A glorious image

Was found in a house

By the 1st missionaries

You appeared before them

Because of your love

Reply (2x)

Have pity on us

Who beg you

They all knelt before you and praised you;

The priests

All the people

And their leaders

Because seeing you

Made them Christians

Reply (2x)

Have pity on us

Who beg you

A church was built

By those people

So that your image

Can have shelter

And in that shelter they ask you

To have mercy on them

Reply (2x)

Have pity on us

Who beg you

We ask you

That your glorious image

May find shelter

In our souls

Because it is You whom we seek

For all our needs

Reply (2x)

Have pity on us

Who beg you

PIT SENYOR EVERYONE!

MOViE REViEW: AVATAR

2010-01-13T09:30:00.007+08:00

Title: AVATAR (Lightstorm Entertainment)

Genre: Action, Adventure, Science Fiction

Personal Rating: 9/10

"I see you..."

James Cameron, director of Titanic, the Highest Box Office Grossing Film of all time, has bet down all his cards into his latest and his most ambitious masterpiece yet.

Ex-marine and paraplegic Jake Sully was sent to a human settlement on a distant planet, given another chance to prove his worth by piloting a genetically-bred alien body known as an avatar. His mission was to keep a close relationship with the planet's indigenous alien tribe known as the Na'vi, as well as spy on them. While on a mission, he becomes lost, and was taken by the Na'vi people. He was taught their ways and beliefs, but was still spying as to how the race can be annihilated to be able to collect a vast mine of expensive ores right below the alien's village. When time came for the mission to proceed to its planned drastic measures, he had already found his place in the Na'vis and fell in love with a spirited Na'vi woman. Caught between a fierce battle of his own human kind and the Na'vi alien tribe, Jake must make a difficult decision as to what race his heart really belongs to.

The film teaches us the valuable lesson of searching for one's true identity and for our right place in this world. Where your heart is, that's where you belong, and finding it is what's going to make you truly happy.

Honestly, it never occurred into my mind that there was such a film like Avatar that was going to be shown. When Avatar was mentioned, I always thought of Avatar, the Last Airbender (which has it's own film by the way, showing this year 2010). The film's plot was quite simple and predictable, yet it envelopes everything with stunning visual effects, great cinematography, and wonderful acting from the cast -- and that includes the computer-generated cast by the way, which reminded me of Gollum, the CGI character in The Lord of The Rings Trilogy. CGI characters in both films have unbelievable lifelike emotions on their facial gestures.

This was my first IMAX 3D movie by the way, the one where you get to wear those funny plastic eyeglasses to make everything look 3-dimensional (else if you don't wear them, the screen will look blurry and make your head ache). The movie ended with a standing ovation and a cheering applause from the audience, the loudest from me.

It is quite difficult to make an ordinary story into an extraordinary film, and yet Avatar succeeded. Avatar the Movie has started a brand new era in the world of filmmaking -- a must-see movie not because it is the best, but because it made a difference.