Home & Wired

Even as friends and I were going home from our sweet escape to Baguio, I was beginning to feel the symptoms of a flu. Initially, I panicked my guts out thinking not AH1N1! As soon as we arrived in Manila, I made a checklist of the symptoms for the virus: headache, check; diarrhoea, check; fever of sudden onset, check…Damn! I took the Monday and Tuesday off from work, and like an addict, welcomed the relief pills gave me. Wednesday, I was back at the Office and had more energy than the energizer bunny. I had two days of rest, if you can properly call it that, which I don’t because running to the loo every now and then and getting uncomfortable chills from the fever every night hardly make it rest as defined in the dictionary. A day back at work and the headache stroke back with a vengeance. I need a long break. Besides, once I am seated at my work desk, rest becomes a non-existing word.

Happiness was what I felt when my boss affixed his signature to my leave form.

Him: Where are you going to take your vacation?

Me: In my town.

Him: Good, you need to rest. You’re sickly.

Great.

I finished everything days before Tuesday, 24th of November, so I won’t have to panic myself with pleadings and destroy the whole concept of a vacation. So my mind was in a pleasant state of blankness when I seated myself on the bus. I’m going home! I’ve always been grateful to have been born in my town – not just any town, but my town where time seems to be on a standstill. The serenity of the surroundings and the leisurely pace of almost everything moving transport me to a whole different universe. I know once I get back in the City, I’ll be disoriented and it’ll be a whole day before I get my groove back, but heck, an escape to my town is worth it.

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Coming home felt different. When I looked out from the window of the jeepney, took in the lush green of the fields, and inhaled the freshness of the cool provincial air, I was hit hard in my stomach with the realization that at one time, last August, I came back to the town with a heavy heart. The ancestral house looked cold and dreary without grandma…

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I just paid a visit to Our Lady of Piat. The town of Piat is a 15-minute drive away from my town and I make it a point to visit Our Lady whenever I come home. I took my dad’s white pick-up and while driving it, I got a few smiles and waves from my parents’ acquaintances which I was obliged to return like a politician’s daughter. The drive to Piat proved to be leisurely and uneventful – if you don’t count the stop I had to make while a rafter of turkeys decided whether or not they  would cross the street. They eventually didn’t, which made me wonder why the chicken did cross the street? Or the sudden swerve I had to make because a dog thought it cute to shit in the middle of the highway.

Anyway, I’m back home, alone but not at all bored. Movie marathon time ;)

Random Images of Baguio

For the travel article, click here.

For more pictures, click here.

Side note: some of my pictures couldn't open on my Multiply site, so click here.

Movie Marathon II

While You Were Sleeping: Gives the heart a nice tug

Sandra Bullock plays Lucy, a lonely Chicago Transit Authority fare collector, who has met the guy of her dreams and plans to marry him. Unfortunately for her, Peter, Lucy’s dream guy, doesn’t even give her a second glance. One day, Peter gets mugged and thrown off the tracks. Lucy rushes to save him and brings him to the hospital. He then falls into a coma. A misunderstanding leads Peter’s family to believe that Lucy is Peter’s fiancee, and somehow, Lucy can’t bring herself to tell them the truth. She falls in love with the family, and for the first time in so many years, she feels truly happy. Enter Jack, Peter’s brother, played by Bill Pullman. His doubts on Lucy’s fiancee claim assuaged, Jack rather spends his time getting to know Lucy. As he gets to be acquainted with Lucy, he finds himself falling in love with her. And so does Lucy with him.

Peter wakes up. Naturally, he doesn’t recognize Lucy; the family, however, exclaims he’s got amnesia. When Peter’s godfather, who already knows of Lucy’s secret but refuses to divulge it, has a heart-to-heart talk with Peter, he made his godson realize the importance of a second chance at life and Lucy’s role in it. Thinking this over, Peter proposes a ‘second time’ to Lucy who accepts it. When Jack gives his wedding gift to Lucy, which is a snow globe featuring Florence, Lucy asks him:

Lucy: Can you give me any reason why I shouldn’t marry your brother?

Jack: Oh…I can’t.

On the wedding day, even before the priest gets to the part where he calls out opposition to the marriage, Lucy blurts out that she objects to being married to Peter. Jack objects too, and Peter is thinking of objecting. Baffled, the family asks why. Lucy admits to being in love with Jack instead. The wedding does not take place, and Lucy is back in the token booth. Suddenly, a ring is dropped into the counter and Lucy finds Jack and the whole Callaghan family smiling warmly at her. Jack proposes, Lucy accepts, and for their honeymoon, Jack brings her to Florence.

The plot is not new but you have to commend the way the movie makes you stay glued on the screen. It’s a predictable romantic comedy, but it did not fail to tickle the heart. Maybe it was Sandra Bullock’s oh-so-natural manner in portraying Lucy; or maybe it was Bill Pullman’s charisma…I really don’t know. But this movie grows into you, and before you know it, you’re smiling goofily at Bullock’s and Pullman’s character when the latter proposed. I never realized Bill Pullman could be so charming! This one definitely belongs in my list of favourite romcom movies.

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The Truth About Cats & Dogs: It’s all about wit

Dr. Abby Barnes is a veterinarian who hosts a radio show aptly titled The Truth About Cats & Dogs. She accidentally meets Brian over the phone, when he seeks advice on how to soothe an agitated dog in roller skates. Drawn by her intelligence and soothing voice, Brian asks her out. Abby agrees, but feeling the low self-esteem kicking in, she describes herself as tall, blond, thin: exact opposites of what she really looks like. Abby then stood Brian up.  Abby has a neighbour, Noelle, who is a striking model but not so smart. She happens to be in the radio station, on Abby’s seat, when Brian comes up to the station to check on Abby. Brian is smitten – he has found himself a looker with a brain. After Abby explains the situation to Noelle, the latter agrees to help, but inevitably, Noelle falls for Brian. She finds that she couldn’t give him up. The two then vie for his attention via a drinking/photography session. Abby realizes that Brian loves the face, so she gives up the chase. Noelle, on the other hand, misses her best friend, and realizes that she cannot be the woman Brian fell in love with. She gives him up. Brian discovers the fraud, and nurses his hurt feelings away from both girls. Eventually, he realizes he misses Abby, and woos her through his adopted dog, Hank.

I adore Janeane Garofalo, and I simply cannot convince myself that this movie is working on the premise that Garofalo’s character, Abby, is ugly. She is most definitely not; in fact, she exudes charm and wit so strong, it zaps right through the computer screen. She delivers funny one-liners with such finesse, you know she’s made for this. This is her movie; this is her stage. Anyway, that’s the movie’s premise so I guess I just have to deal with it. Having dealt with it, albeit with extreme difficulty, I breezed through the movie. Uma Thurman’s character is a person you cannot hate even if you want her to just drop Brian there and then for Abby. There is a sweetness and poignancy in her that make you want to hug her and assure her that everything’s alright. Brian, played by Ben Chaplin, is charming; but of course he would be, what with his accent. It’s a cute, light, and witty romantic comedy.

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Wimbledon: A bit fast for my liking

Peter Colt gets a chance at the Wimbledon, being chosen as a wild card. He has made up his mind, however, that whatever the outcome of the championships, which he thinks is more on the losing side, he will retire from the profession. Lizzie Bradbury, on the other hand, is on top of her game, with her mind set on only one thing – winning. The two accidentally meet when The Dorchester inadvertently gives to Peter the key to Lizzie’s suite. Teasingly, Lizzie invites Peter to a “research” and what is to be a light, fun, no-commitment tryst ends up in a love affair, at least for Peter. Peter then rediscovers his winning form when he suddenly realizes that he has fallen for Lizzie. Meanwhile, Lizzie’s focus is shaken and it takes her a lose at the semi-finals to discover that winning isn’t everything. Peter ends up winning the Wimbledon, marrying Lizzie, having kids with her, and teaching tennis at the club. Lizzie goes on to win two Wimbledon later in her career.

At the onset, I have to assume that Lizzie is a character who likes to live in the fast lane when it comes to relationships. How else would I digest the fact that she proposes “research” with Peter whom she met for the first time? Anyway, that’s what happens in this movie. To give justice to the speed into which both end up in bed, the two eventually end up in love. My only problem is this: I do not see love element coming. It’s like the movie has gone on a fast forward and the next scene I encounter is Peter getting all mushy with Lizzie. It would have been a nice plot except that I ended up seeing no plot at all. Much too fast for plot build-up.

What the heck…Paul Bettany was kind of charming.

Serye II

28 October 2009, Wednesday.

6 o’clock in the evening

It has been a long time coming, our end-of-the-month massage. So when a colleague suddenly popped the question: When are we going to have our massage? We, there and then, decided on the date. Wednesday, the 28th, it was, because a colleague the group sort of recruited wasn’t free on Fridays. It was a quickie, much to our disappointment. One from the group had to rush off to another appointment. I longed to tear him to pieces.

30 October 2009, Friday.

12 o’clock in the afternoon

It was a recipe for unbridled gallivanting: government declared a half-day; the weekend that was to come was a long weekend, the 2nd of November being a holiday; we just received our salary. I was busy figuring out the puzzle in Mystery of the Shark Island when someone voiced out his boredom. The solution: an unscheduled lunch out.

8 Spices is located inside Il Terrazo Building along Tomas Morato, and it specializes in Thai cuisine. It’s a pricey restaurant so it’s not really ideal for a group lunch out, but we wanted to try it out anyway. I’ve done Thai cuisines before (Power Lunch), and I was blown-away by the delightful taste. Did 8 Spices amaze me? It did to an extent.

The Spicy Seafood Soup or tom yam was deliciously spicy, it converted me into a fan of soup recipes. Yes, it’s that good.

The beef in red curry was how I remembered red curry dishes to be. The beef was uber tender, and the curry sauce was luscious. The chicken dish wasn’t so extraordinary but it’ll do. The pad thai needed a little garnishment because it came out tasting like any ordinary noodle dish. The catfish was amazing, and I will recommend this dish, especially when taken with the establishment’s bagoong rice. In conclusion, 8 Spices is a Thai restaurant worth trying.

For more pictures, click here.

31 October 2009, Saturday.

I had to put this in because I found it really cute! It’s a creation of Crown Bakeshop, Tuguegarao City.

It’s bread in the form of roasted pig, and very tasty even without any embellishments. Every part is edible; yes, including that stick right up the pig’s behind.

4 November 2009, Wednesday.

6 o’clock in the evening

I love to sing. I’m blessed to be born into a family who adores singing. I’m fortunate to have been employed in an office with workers who are fond of singing. Plus, it is our belief that singing helps relieve stress. Any excuse to get us out of the office (wink, wink). Anyway, we haven’t visited karaoke joints in ages, so we thought tonight was the right time.

Havana Family KTV Rooms along Visayas Avenue was suggested.

It has a rate of Php50.00 per head, per hour. They do offer packages for groups of ten and up; ours was at Php5,000.00 for 3 hours, plus food and drinks. On a very tight budget, it can be a bit expensive considering that we know of one nice place with really low rates. On the average, it was ok. The song selection is not that impressive compared with KTV joints along Timog Avenue or Tomas Morato. I’d say it was passable. The food, though, was heavenly, and I will recommend this place if only for its food.

For more pictures, click here.

5 November 2009, Thursday.

12 o’clock in the afternoon

I am one of the basement people: my office is located at the building’s basement. Usually, the basement people aren’t always complete during lunch time. So on this very, very rare occasion that we were, I just had to take a picture.

7 o’clock in the evening

My bosom buddies and I met for dinner – treat of hers who just came home from the UK. There were just four of us available for dinner, and we had it at Cibo at The Promenade, Greenhills. It specializes in Italian dishes, so I was thrilled as I’m a self-confessed pasta lover.

I had the Rigatoni di Bruto – sausage, extra-virgin olive oil, red pepper, tomato, and chili pepper. I was a bit disappointed because the rigatoni wasn’t that chewy-soft. I wanted the pasta to be tender enough, sliced with minimal effort. Although I wanted my rigatoni sauce to be spicy, with a lot of zest, I could not complain with the sauce with which my rigatoni dish was served – fresh and with a discernible tomato taste.

I fell in love with the establishment’s Uva Nera or red grape. Just the right amount of coldness (now how do they do that?), and sweetness.

For starters or antipasti, the Spinach Zola comes highly recommended because of its surprisingly tasty spinach dip.

Whew.

Movie Marathon

When A Stranger Calls: Pathetic

Jill Johnson is grounded for running up the phone bill. Her punishment: babysit for the Mandrakises. In the course of her babysitting, she receives calls from a stranger. Initially, she thought it was just a prank call; but the calls become scary, threatening even. Jill reports to the police, who helped trace the call. What the police tell her later terrify her.

Officer Burroughs: Jill, Jill! We traced the call! It’s coming from inside the house! Do you hear me? It’s coming from inside the house!

Things to do to amuse yourself:

1. Watch this alone, at night, with the lights out.
2. Psych yourself before popping in the disc; this mantra could help: I’m going to watch a scary movie.
3. Turn the volume up, especially when the musical score attempts feebly to make Jill’s every turn suspenseful.
4. Scream at the top of your lungs, just to let the neighbours know that you’re watching a really, really scary movie.

This is one movie which pathetically attempts to scare its viewers and miserably fails to do so.

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Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory: Delightful & Dark

Willy Wonka’s chocolates are loved by almost everyone everywhere in the globe. The factory, however, closed down due to spies on Slugworth’s side. Slugworth is Wonka’s greatest enemy in the trade of chocolates. Mysteriously, the factory operates again but not one worker has been seen entering the factory premises. An even bigger surprise is Wonka’s decision to open his factory to five lucky winners of the Golden Ticket he had scattered all over the globe inside Wonka chocolates.

Soon, four children from countries around the world find the golden tickets. Good-natured but poor Charlie Bucket finds the last one, just when he least expected it. As soon as he finds the ticket, a mysterious man, who turns out to be Slugworth, approaches him and offers him riches beyond his imagination in exchange for Wonka’s  Everlasting Gobstopper. Now this Everlasting Gobstopper is said to be Wonka’s most secret and deadliest invention; this gobstopper will be the end of Slugworth’s industry.

The five children, accompanied by their guardians, enter the famous Wonka chocolate factory where they meet the renowned but eccentric Willy Wonka. They are then given a guided tour of the factory’s many wonders and secrets. They are also given a chance to try out Wonka’s Everlasting Gobstopper. One by one, however, the children drop from the race, so to speak, due to bad qualities they possess. The last one to remain is Charlie but he is told off by Wonka because he and his grandfather Joe chanced a sip of the drink when they were specifically told not to. In a selfless gesture, Charlie returns his gobstopper. A man steps into the office and Charlie is surprised to see Slugworth, who, it turns out, is not really Slugworth, but Wonka’s trusted man who posed as Slugworth to test the kids. Wonka smiles at Charlie and announces him to have passed the test. The award: the Willy Wonka Chocolate Factory itself.

Willy Wonka: So who can I trust to run the factory when I leave and take care of the Oompa Loopa’s for me? Not a grown-up. A grown-up would want to do everything his own way, not mine. So that’s why I decided a long time ago that I had to find a child. A very honest, loving child, to whom I could tell all my most precious candy-making secrets.

A cursory glance will make a viewer think that this is one delightful children’s movie. Imagination runs wild in this adaptation of Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. It’s a 1971 film, long before I was even born, but the effects have showcased brilliance when it comes to putting together a set worthy to be described a ‘world of pure imagination’. However, a closer look at the plot tells us that this is not just a children’s movie. Adults can learn from the lessons this movie so subtly inserts amidst colourful candy canes, eye-popping gummy bears, luscious chocolates trees, and entertaining oompa loopa’s.  What makes this movie a bit disturbing is the seemingly perverse manner in which Willy Wonka punishes those ‘naughty, nasty’ kids. I guess you need this kind of dramatics to drive home a point.

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Bram Stoker’s Dracula: Visually lustful

1462: With the downfall of Constantinople rises Prince Vlad, the Impaler,  who is to do battle with the invading Turks. His bride, Elizabeta, is left in the castle waiting for her prince’s return. By some twisted act of revenge, the Turks deliver a message to Elizabeta informing her of the death of the prince, when in actuality, the prince and his troops won the battle. Heartbroken, Elizabeta hurls herself  to her death. The prince returns devastated, questioning his faith. The refusal of the priests to bless Elizabeta resulted in the prince denouncing God and the Church. He vows to wait forever for his bride.

1897: Jonathan Harker is commissioned by his law office to close the deal on properties bought by the Count who lives in Transylvania. He thus travels to the castle, meets Count Dracula, and by the time he steps into the Count’s abode, he has sealed his fate. When the Count sees a photograph of Harker’s fiancee, Mina Murray, he sees his dead bride from four centuries past, and knows his long wait is over. Count Dracula leaves Harker a prisoner and sets off for London to find his bride.

Mina’s best friend, Lucy, is a free spirited girl. Suddenly, however, she has been showing signs of anemia but Dr. Jack Seward is bewildered as he finds no cause for it. He calls upon his mentor, Abraham Van Helsing, for enlightenment. Soon, Van Helsing’s findings lead him to conclude the existence of vampires or nosferatu. Meanwhile, Mina is entertained and strangely enthralled by the attention given her by Prince Vlad. She feels she has known him for a long time. Back in Transylvania, Harker escapes the castle and seeks refuge at a convent. He writes to Mina for her to travel to the convent where they are to  immediately wed. This angers Prince Vlad and he seeks revenge on Lucy, finally condemning her to eternal damnation. The battle with the vampire begins. Mina and Harker return to London, and Harker teams up with Van Helsing to hunt for Count Dracula. Mina, however, has already fallen for the Prince:

Mina: I want to be what you are, see what you see, love what you love.

Count Dracula gives Mina eternal life from his own vampire blood. The battle goes back to Transylvania, where Van Helsing and his men race before sunset to kill Dracula. Harker is able to slit Dracula’s throat, and one was able to stab his heart with a sword. Mina stops them from completely destroying him. She goes with Dracula inside the castle, but it is too late. To finally give him peace, Mina drives the sword into Dracula’s heart and beheads him.

I have always been fascinated by vampires and their history. I guess you can say I hunger for any information about them. This movie, however, did not satisfy that hunger. I already know about Vlad the Impaler, having read about him on a Reader’s Digest book. So there was nothing new in this film, information-wise. The romance angle though has been put into the fore, and it can be a very welcome respite from all the gore showcased in this movie. Do not attempt to see any logic and reason in the story-telling because there are none. What you get are intricate visual effects, and erotic neck-biting and body-devouring. What blew me away was the song, Love Song For A Vampire, by Annie Lennox. The haunting tone emits sadness and longing. Check out the video.