Lapain Sana Kayo ni Dracula

Fevereiro 11– 17 

Lapain Sana Kayo ni Dracula

Soundtrack of the Week 

1. Irreplaceable [BEYONCé]
2. Ju Hua Tai [CHOU]
3. Satellite [SANTANA/MORENO]
4. My Eyes Adored You [MILBY/GONZAGA]
5. Cannonball [RICE]

Movie of the Week: When a Stranger Calls

• Girl is grounded, sent to babysit in an amazing techie house as punishment. Starts receiving non-sense calls which turns into areal threat.
• One of those “wala-lang” movies na wala lang. May nagkataon lang na may gustong mang trip dun sa bahay na serial ek-ek tapos nagkataon na nandun yung babysitter. In short di ganun ka intricate yung story. Para Red Eye, as in habulan lang. Parang ganun.
• Ok naman yung acting kahit na medyo kulang yung acting ng bida. Yung psycho hindi naman nakakatakot.
• Kung may dapat pansinin sa palabas na ito, yung bahay yun. Hanep yung bahay ang ganda. Yung garden sa gitna hanep. Ang laki nung bahay. Automatic ang mga ilaw. Napaka high-tech!
• Hindi ako masyadong nagulat sa movie na ito. Pwede na sigurong ipasa as suspense pero hindi ganun ka thrilling.
• Worthy na panoorin sa DVD LANG. Kung sa sinehan mo pinanood tapos may iba namang palabas na mas matino, yun dapat ang pinanood mo.
• Wala na akong ma comment. Boring, lol.

Feature: Summer Language Classes Abroad 

Take note that Accommodation might mean just the room, meaning you would still have to shed like Php30,000 for 1 month cost of living allowance, plane ticket to get to Europe is around Php80,000 via Singapore Airlines... 

Spanish: Universidad de Salamanca (JULY/AUGUST – 4 WEEKS)

TUITION FEE: 745 Euros (Php44,700)

ACCOMMODATION: 620 Euros (Php37,200)   

Portuguese: Universidade de Lisboa (JULY/AUG/SEPT – 4 WEEKS)

TUITION FEE: 530 Euros (Php31,800)

ACCOMMODATION: 600 Euros (Php36,000)   

Korean: Korea University (JULY – 4 WEEKS)

TUITION FEE: 1,130,000 Won (Php62,500)

ACCOMMODATION: 420,000 Won (Php22,500)

   

Russian: Lomonosov Moscow State University (JULY/AUG – 4 WEEKS)

TUITION FEE: $600 (Php30,000)

ACCOMMODATION: $200 (Php10,000)

   

Italian: Universita di Bologna (JULY – 4 WEEKS)

TUITION FEE: 500 Euros (Php30,000)
ACCOMMODATION: 300 Euros (Php18,000)

The Historian: Natapos ko na sa wakas. Maganda naman yung book kahit mahaba, hindi mo talaga maisasara yung libro, exciting. Ang reklamo ko lang, I didn’t like the way Kostova presented Dracula. Hindi ko rin nagustuhan yung climax! Merong “WTF Yun na yun?!” factor. Pero each of the 800+ pages is worth reading naman. Ganda rin kasi East Europe kadalasan ang setting, galing!

Political Ads: Eleksyon na at oras na para purgahin tayo ng political ads! Corny ang mga ads at dun mo lang makikita na nagpapa mukhang tanga ang mga politiko para makaupo sa senado. Magtanim daw tayo ng “pichay” sa senado kasi pangarap daw niya ang mga pangarap natin, empathic! Pangarap ko mang
holdup ng banko bukas e, matawagan nga itong kumag na ‘to. Yung isa naman feeling niya endorser siya ng toothpaste, “Talikod! Harap pero mukha lang! Smile! Ipakita ang retainers!” Yun namang dancer na kapatid nung nasa 500 peso bill kukuha lang ng batang dapat malnourished at di makapasok sa eskwela ang role e malusog pa ang kinuha, di tuloy kapani paniwala. Hindi ko rin alam na sideline na pala ni Kris Aquino gumawa ng election campaign catchphrase ngayon: PAG BAD KA, LAGOT KA! Yung isa
naman hindi ko maubos maisip: For the past few weeks buhos ang endorsements ng mag anak niya. Lumabas si Mommy sa isang pancit canton ad. Lumabas si panganay sa isang feminine wash ad. Lumabas si middle child sa ad ng isang fastfood. Lumabas si bunso sa ad ng isang gamot pang lagnat. Tapos lumabas ulit si panganay sa isang ad ng mobile phone service provider. Di ko tuloy maubos maisip, yung binayad kaya sa mag iina nung kandidato ang pinangbayad niya sa political ad niya? Nagtatanong lang po. Yung isa naman tinuruan daw siya ng mga magulang niya na pumagitna sa mga dancers na wala namang kinalaman sa senado habang nag aagawan ng pwesto yung asawa at kapatid niya sa probinsiya
nila. Yung isa naman siya lang daw ang tanging pag asa, tanging siya lang; kung di ka pa sana balimbing at ambisyosa, hehehe. Sana ginamit na lang sa ibang bagay yung panggawa nila ng wa-kwents na commercials. Dracula, I have victims for you...

Future: Relapse ng pagiging OC. Mukhang ang plano ngayon is to really work two years after graduation habang kumukuha ng diploma para tuluy tuloy ang learning, sa DLSU na lang siguro para mabilis, siguro Diploma in Computer Studies para mapakinabangan. Embassy work then one whole year of language learning abroad after, scholarships and self-funded. Kailangan mag ipon...

Work: Umiiwas na ako sa phones lately, mas nakakapagod kasi after work kapag sa phones nailalagay. Nagko concentrate na lang ako sa chats, dun naman talaga ako dapat kasi mabilis ako mag type at ako lang ata ang nagtiya tiyaga sa chats, lol. Improve ko muna ang accent ko para mas maging effective pero pag kailangan talaga wala na akong magagawa. Boring as usual... Weekend marker.

Moron on Autopilot

Fevereiro 4– 10

Moron on Autopilot

Soundtrack of the Week

1. Ju Hua Tai [CHOU]
2. Qué Pasa? [JUANES]
3. Say You’ll Never Go [SANTOS]
4. All Good Things [FURTADO]
5. Listen [BEYONCé]

Movie of the Week: She’s the Man

• Twins. Boy goes to London, girl takes the chance to pretend to be him because her soccer team got canceled by her school and she wants revenge by joining the boy’s team of the rival school (his brother’s)
• OA si Amanda Bynes sa TV, not really a fan pero magaling din talaga siya magpatawa. Nakakaaliw naman siya sa movie na ito.
• Naaaliw ako sa American High School teenybopper movies like this one. Parang sobrang iba kasi yung culture compared sa high school dito sa atin o hindi ba? Hehehe, worth watching naman.
• Nakakatawa naman yung buong movie pero para sa akin... Ano bang funniest part... Mababawa ako e, siguro yung part na nagpauna siya dun sa banyo sa fair pagpasok niya lalaki siya tapos paglabas babae na tapos parang wala lang yung reaction nakangiti pa. Parang tanga mga tao.
• Enjoyable movie to watch on a boring day. Pwede ulit ulitin.
• Ang layo naman ng itsura ni Viola sa kambal niya (height pa lang e), sabagay siya naman ang unang nakilala as Sebastian, lol.
• Ok din yung mga dialogue, mukhang pinag isipan naman. BOY: End of discussion! GIRL: End of relationship! Hahaha, tindi!

TOP TEN: Favorite Professors/Instructors, etc

Lahat naman tayo merong mga paboritong instructor, propesor, etc. Para sa atin sila ang The Best pero nilagay ko dito Favorite lang kasi hindi naman porke BEST para sa akin e ganun na rin sa iba. Wala lang, favorite ko lang ang mga ito dahil magagaling talaga sila. Siyempre yung iba favorite ko kasi mabait, approachable, etc. Iba iba naman ang criteria e. Kung di niyo sila favorite e di gumawa kayo ng sarili niyong listahan, ano ba! Ganun lang naman yun. Basta para sa akin, sila ang favorite, sila ang the best.

10. Vallejo, Louie John (Mathematics 17)

09. Morada, Noel (Political Science 178)

08. Mercado, Raquel (Spanish 14-15)

07. Calderon, Tina (Humanities 1)\

06. Llanes, Ferdinand (Kasaysayan 110)

05. Encanto, Georgina (Journalism 100)

04. Maurillo, Arlene (Italian 10-13)

03. Ebreo, Elvin (Spanish 12-13)

02. Teodoro, Luis (Journalism 103)

01. Casambre, Athena (Political Science 11)

TV: Sabay natapos ang Atlantika tiyaka Super Inggo. Curious kayo sa ratings? Super Inggo = 27% Atlantika = 30% Ang papalit e puro bata naman. Yung isa batang hinahampas ng saklay tiyaka hinuhulog sa swimming pool. Yung isa naman dalawang bata na biglang tumatanda at naka costume ng Sailormoon. Buti na lang Maging Sino Ka Man lang ang pinapanood ko sa primetime, lol.

Politics: Naiinis ako kay Richard Gomez. Win or lose is bad news. Imagine kung mananalo siya, magkakaroon na naman tayo ng artista sa senado. Imagine kung may makausap kang foreigner at itatanong niya sa iyo, what about Richard Gomez? What was he doing before he became a Philippine Senator. SAGOT? Oh well you know he had this weekly TV show where he together with two other men made chismis the lives of other actors in the showbiz industry. In short, chismoso. Anong gagawin ng chismoso sa senado? Bakit hindi na lang mayor ang takbuhin niya baka sakaling maayos pa maging trabaho niya. Senado? Anong batas ang gagawin niya? Marunong ba siya nun? Kapag natalo naman siya babalik siya sa TV at bibwisitin tayo with his presence para mabawi ang pinang-kampanya. Now who would forget his Captain Barbell “Villain-Laugh?”

Moron on Autopilot: Wala lang mga ewan na realizations lang. Oh my God, I have discovered lately that I am a moron myself. I always brand someone a moron. Wala lang favorite term kasi. Siguro ganun nga. We are all morons. Oops, not correct. Most of us are morons, each one trying to make a difference in the world and when we finally achieve that goal we finally become SNM’s, Significant Non-Morons. As mentioned I am still in the Moron stage. Hindi pa ako makaka graduate from being a moron dahil sabog pa ang buhay ko. Para akong piloto na nagpapalipad ng eroplano. Kailangan ko ng emergency landing pero sa sobrang pagod ng kakaisip kung saan, nag autopilot na lang muna ako. Sumabay na lang sa agos ika nga. Ang problema naman kasi dun hindi mo alam kung saan ka la-landing. Paano kung ayaw mo pala yung na landing-an mo? Ewan.

Work: Official na ang paglipat ko sa Portuguese side of the fence. Puro tawag ang dami ko nang nagagawa! Hindi gaya sa Spanish na wala nga akong ginagawa. Ang problema ko lang ngayon napo pollute na ng Portuguese ang Spanish ko. Pag nagsasalita ako ng Español napapansin ko na nahahaluan na siya ng Português. Wala na kasing practice. Masaya naman, nasasanay na unti unti.

Academics: Natapos na ang huling midterm exam. Easy easy lang sa acads this week. Ang sarap mamahinga after the exam na alam mong walang gagawin the next day kundi mag discuss. Tatapusin ko na lang talaga itong sem na ito just for the sake of finishing it. Scrap the CS title along with the US aspirations; I just can’t do that this semester, maybe the next but definitely not now.

On the Way to Recovery

Janeiro 28– 3

On the Way to Recovery

Soundtrack of the Week

1. Wait a Minute [PCD]
2. Someday [NINA]
3. Hurt [AGUILERA]
4. In the Name of the Father [CHOU]
5. Save Room [LEGEND]

Movie of the Week: Curse of the Golden Flower

• When our parents argue we are sometimes forced to choose a side and when it gets worse they usually divorce (at least in the USA). Question. What happens when you are in ancient China, Tang Dynasty? Your father, the emperor, is adding a poisonous substance to your mother’s “anemia” medicine. Your mother, the empress, is canoodling with your elder half brother. Your younger brother has lethal “Nobody-cares-about-me” issues. Your parents often stare daggers at each other and they both have an army at their command. What would you do? Ladies and gentlemen, Zhang Yimou’s latest film: Curse of the Golden Flower.
• Acting-wise I don’t really understand why Penélope Cruz was given an Oscar nod while Gong Li was snubbed. I’ve seen Volver, yes Penélope delivered a great performance but hey I’ve seen this one too and I agree with Time Magazine 100% that China’s premiere dragon lady was indeed robbed of a nomination!
• The palace in this movie puts the palace in Princess Hours to shame.
• All the while I thought Marie Antoinette was a lock for the Oscar Best Costume Design statuette, after seeing this film though I think it will give Marie Antoinette a run for its money, lol.
• Most shocking part for me was the part when the youngest sibling demonstrated his hidden hatred for his half-brother; hahaha may potential si bunso! Na latigo ka tuloy ni daddy, lol.
• Mabubusog ang mga mata mo sa pelikulang ito promise, kaso kung iisipin mo maigi para siyang soap opera na ginawang movie, hence the Dynasty comparison. Yun ang pinagkaiba niya sa The Banquet ni Zi Yi Zhang.
• Wag manood kung iyakin. Opo, tragedy itong palabas na ito.
• Mate-test mo sa movie na ito kung Mama’s boy/girl ka o Papa’s boy/girl.
• Why is the empress so obsessed with embroidering golden Chrysantemums for Christmas? (Joke!) Watch the movie to find out.
• The costumes are WOW. The production design is WOW. I wonder how much budget this film had. Ang dami kong nakitang ginto ha, lol.
• Naiisip ko rin para siyang one step higher than Mr and Mrs Smith ni Brangelina. Kasi di ba nag evolve yun from Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf ba? Tapos nagkaroon na sila ng hight tech gadgets. Ito naman meron na silang dysfunctional family tapos ancient China ang setting, hehehe.
• If you find Gong Li’s Lady Murasaki a little bit boring, watch this to see her other side. You are in for a ride. Great film IMHO.

The Historian: There was a time when I hoarded books from National Bookstore and this was one of them. Not really a Dracula fan but this gives a unique twist to the story. Di ko pa tapos. Ang nakakainis sa librong ito hindi ko maisara sara! 4 AM in the morning and your eyes are half closed yet you still can’t put it down and mind you 800+ pages long! Don’t read if you don’t have time.

Mental Health: I am more than happy to know that my brain is back on the negotiating table. Offered Elizabeth Kostova’s The Historian as a “welcome-back” gift. Restructured reading habits to cater not only to academic readings but leisure readings as well (fiction of course) Learning to not obsess on thinking about stuff not relevant with the present that could ruin focus. Recovering.

Languages: Revised program for eveyday self-learning of languages. Limited target languages to Korean and Portuguese; the former as a hobby and a much needed break from French and Italian, the latter as a job improvement campaign. Bought cheap DVD copy of Princess Hours to aid in Korean language learning and immersion. Surfed the net for Brazilian Portuguese nitty-gritty.

Work: The weekend shift is great. I now view work as a weekend affair. It ends my week while school starts it. Learning new Brazilian Portuguese stuff, specially its differences with its continental counterpart. Doing well at work, being competitive enough to stay in the game but not overdoing it to stress myself out. I’ve learned to view my job as a constant challenge and I think that’s a good thing.

Academics: Had the penultimate exam before the end of the Midterms season. I definitely did bad in that exam, lol. One Midterm exam to go next week and then I can rest. Results of previous Midterms already in and they were not that bad, actually closer to good. Attended a seminar on Biodiversity and environment stuff. Interesting talk, enlightening. Still recovering.

Heroes: I said this was one of my favorite TV shows but back then I only read transcripts. Now I got hold of a pirated DVD copy and wow I could finally say that I’m now a total fan, lol! Gasgas na yung mutant storyline and we saw how Mutant X failed miserably but this is different. I just wish na sana ma sustain ang momentum at di magaya sa Lost na na lost na talaga, hehehe, peace fans.