With firecrackers exploding all around the house, we decided to take refuge at my parents' place, which, in the old days, might not have been wise. In the old days, our neighbor in front, who hails from Bocaue, Bulacan, the fireworks capital of the Philippines, would turn our subdivision into a smoke-filled street, with almost zero visibility. Nowadays, with all the young children in the subdivision, the explosives have changed to pyrotechnics, which are more visually appealing.
Looking back at the year that's about to end, several things go through my mind:
Blog Entries I'd Like To Write:
I wasn't able to write about the following, though I would've liked to, due to either lack of time, or lack of timing. However, I might wind up writing about the following next year:
1. Reviews - I wasn't able to do some reviews about some of the books and movies I've read and watched. Among them are the movie "Valiant" and George R.R. Martin's sweeping Song of Fire and Ice saga, as well as the comic anthology Siglo:Passion.
2. Tributes - I was supposed to write about my sensei, Ma'm Rodriguez. I never got around to writing the post, because I didn't have the time to put together the details.
3. Current issues - This includes the current flap about revising the Constitution. My stand is that it shouldn't be changed, not with the way the political landscape looks right now. Maybe I'll devote more time to it next year, as it'll still be on the radar by then.
4. The Los Angeles Clippers - This team has been my favorite ever since I got into sports back in the late 80s; I'm a sucker for the underdog. This season, the Clippers look to be a force in the NBA, and the reason why I haven't written about them is that I'm waiting and seeing whether they're for real. My gut tells me that they are, but they are the Clippers.
5. Stories - I did set up a blog for posting ideas for my stories, but I never got around to working on it. With some of my writing commitments done, maybe I can do some serious writing next year.
Movies I Wasn't Able to Watch:
1. "The Myth"
2. "Sky High"
3. "King Kong"
4. "Cinderella Man"
5. "Million Dollar Baby"
6. "Finding Neverland"
7. "The Island"
I'll probably find time to watch these some time in the future, although I'm not sure about next year.
Things I'm thankful for this year:
1. My health
2. My family
3. The new addition to the family
4. No real stressful situations
Resolutions:
Will I keep them? Remains to be seen, but for form's sake, here they are:
1. Lose weight.
2. Get back into judo training/refereeing
3. Do more serious writing.
4. Find a workable sideline.
So, a happy new year to all, and may the next year be more fruitful and God blessed.
Saturday, December 31, 2005
Friday, December 30, 2005
Greenhills Trek
It's been a while since I've been to Greenhills. While the last time I was here was in November, that was only to play V:TES at Gloria Jean's; I never got to go around that time.
Right now, I'm writing this post from Netopia in Greenhills; H and I decided to come here to check it out, considering the length of time we'd not been here.
It has changed.
Virra Mall used to be the Casablanca of Metro Manila; one could, after much searching, find pretty much anything there, from computer parts to toys to pirated CDs to the usual department store wares. I remember going there to find games for my computer from Brochiere, and getting games then was a diskette affair, instead of CDs.
Virra Mall closed down last year for renovations, and, when H and I arrived, it apparently was in the process of opening. But it's not the crowded and often darkened place it used to be. Now, it sports a polished white interior, with subsidiaries from the SM group, such as Toy Kingdom and Ace Hardware, taking up space where the computer stores and Squadron Shoppe once stood. On the ground floor, it looks like Tower Records, or some similar record shop, has taken residence where National Bookstore once was (correction: it's SM Appliance Center and Astrovision). All of the small shops have been moved out, either to the Carpark Arcade, or the third floor of Shoppesville.
Of course, it's not fully opened yet; there is still a lot of unoccupied store space. But that's sure to change in time. But the Virra Mall of old is gone.
Right now, I'm writing this post from Netopia in Greenhills; H and I decided to come here to check it out, considering the length of time we'd not been here.
It has changed.
* * *
Virra Mall used to be the Casablanca of Metro Manila; one could, after much searching, find pretty much anything there, from computer parts to toys to pirated CDs to the usual department store wares. I remember going there to find games for my computer from Brochiere, and getting games then was a diskette affair, instead of CDs.
Virra Mall closed down last year for renovations, and, when H and I arrived, it apparently was in the process of opening. But it's not the crowded and often darkened place it used to be. Now, it sports a polished white interior, with subsidiaries from the SM group, such as Toy Kingdom and Ace Hardware, taking up space where the computer stores and Squadron Shoppe once stood. On the ground floor, it looks like Tower Records, or some similar record shop, has taken residence where National Bookstore once was (correction: it's SM Appliance Center and Astrovision). All of the small shops have been moved out, either to the Carpark Arcade, or the third floor of Shoppesville.
Of course, it's not fully opened yet; there is still a lot of unoccupied store space. But that's sure to change in time. But the Virra Mall of old is gone.
* * *
We had merienda at Luk Yuen, and it's been a while since we've eaten there. Normally, we'd order beef brisket noodle soup, along with some dim sum, like siopao or hakaw, but we weren't that hungry. Instead, H ordered tausi (black bean) spareribs, and I ordered chicken with black mushroom.
Now, ever since Chopstix Express closed down, I've been searching for the equivalent of its chicken with black mushroom dish, with little success. Super Bowl of China had it once, but has removed it from its menu. I don't even want to talk about Mong Kok's version; all I will say is "oog."
Luk Yuen's version comes pretty close to Chopstix, sans the slices of Chinese sausage Chopstix had. One difference was that Luk Yuen's version had more solid chunks of meat in it; Chopstix always seemed to put in the bony parts of the chicken. With some soy sauce and chili oil, the chicken with black mushroom is a delightful dish, hot and savory and gingery. At least, I now have an alternative to Chopstix.
* * *
H decided to do some shopping, and, instead of dragging me along, allowed me to come over here to Netopia, so I can do some blogging.
I wasn't able to come out with a post yesterday because apparently, it was the time for my body to shut down and recuperate from the hectic, and sometimes stressful, season. What it means is that I was in bed most of the day up to this morning, letting my body rest and catch up on energy. The coming new year looks to be full of surprises, so I have to make sure I'm all charged up for the year to come.
I'll probably continue writing on a regular basis; there's so much to write about. So, you readers can expect more of the same for the new year.
Wednesday, December 28, 2005
"Lilo and Stitch 2"
One of the gifts G got from one of my friends was a combo DVD containing four movies: "Disney's Timeless Tales," "Muppets Wizard of Oz," "Lilo and Stitch 2" and "Valiant." Of the four, G liked "Timeless Tales" which was a collection of classic Disney animated shorts, including "The Ugly Duckling," which is the only one of the tales G loves, and "Lilo and Stitch 2."
G has been a fan of "Lilo and Stitch" for the longest time; in fact, her first birthday party was themed after the movie. I have to say that I too was alternately amused and touched by the movie, which was about how two outcasts, one human, one alien, found and changed each other.
The first movie would be followed by "Stitch the Movie," which was a pilot for the ongoing series on the Disney Channel. While relatively funny, this lacked the snappy patter and heart-pulling scenes the first movie had.
And then, this year, Disney released a straight-to-video sequel, "Lilo and Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch." In the movie, which looks like it's set sometime between "Lilo and Stitch" and "Stitch the Movie," Lilo prepares to compete in a hula competition, with Stitch's assistance. However, something is wrong with Stitch; apparently, during his creation, he wasn't fully charged by his creator Jumba, and, now, Stitch is beginning to short circuit.
I liked this sequel. It had a good number of the elements that made the first movie special. It had another situation where Lilo must deal with the difficulties of being orphaned, and Stitch must deal with problems of his creation. It had some snappy patter; Lilo and Stitch's conversations and fighting are quick, and witty (er, okay, maybe I was half-asleep here). Finally, the penultimate scene where Lilo tries to save Stitch is a tearjerker (okay, so I'm a softie at heart), and one which is the level of some of the good scenes from the first movie.
With the exception of Dakota Fanning, who replaces Daveigh Chase as Lilo's voice, the original voice cast comes back, and brings color and life to the characters they portray. Kevin McDonald, who plays gender-confused former Galactic Agent Pleakley, and David Ogden Stiers, who plays Jumba Jookiba, Stitch's creator, make an interesting Abbott and Costello pair. I didn't realize that Jason Scott Lee played Nani's rather spaced-out boyfriend David, considering I remember Lee best from "Dragon: the Bruce Lee Story". He does give a rather clueless air to David, which is a good balance for Tia Carrere's Nani, who's rather strong and forceful.
One thing I don't understand is why Kumu, Lilo's hula teacher, seems less strict with Lilo's nemesis Mertle, who's rather nasty. It seems to me that Lilo's getting the short end of the stick, and Mertle's getting off easy. However, considering that Mertle's father is apparently a wealthy businessman, maybe Kumu doesn't want to deal with the fuss. Ah well.
All in all, the movie is a good sequel to the original film, and a joy to kids and adults alike.
G has been a fan of "Lilo and Stitch" for the longest time; in fact, her first birthday party was themed after the movie. I have to say that I too was alternately amused and touched by the movie, which was about how two outcasts, one human, one alien, found and changed each other.
The first movie would be followed by "Stitch the Movie," which was a pilot for the ongoing series on the Disney Channel. While relatively funny, this lacked the snappy patter and heart-pulling scenes the first movie had.
And then, this year, Disney released a straight-to-video sequel, "Lilo and Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch." In the movie, which looks like it's set sometime between "Lilo and Stitch" and "Stitch the Movie," Lilo prepares to compete in a hula competition, with Stitch's assistance. However, something is wrong with Stitch; apparently, during his creation, he wasn't fully charged by his creator Jumba, and, now, Stitch is beginning to short circuit.
I liked this sequel. It had a good number of the elements that made the first movie special. It had another situation where Lilo must deal with the difficulties of being orphaned, and Stitch must deal with problems of his creation. It had some snappy patter; Lilo and Stitch's conversations and fighting are quick, and witty (er, okay, maybe I was half-asleep here). Finally, the penultimate scene where Lilo tries to save Stitch is a tearjerker (okay, so I'm a softie at heart), and one which is the level of some of the good scenes from the first movie.
With the exception of Dakota Fanning, who replaces Daveigh Chase as Lilo's voice, the original voice cast comes back, and brings color and life to the characters they portray. Kevin McDonald, who plays gender-confused former Galactic Agent Pleakley, and David Ogden Stiers, who plays Jumba Jookiba, Stitch's creator, make an interesting Abbott and Costello pair. I didn't realize that Jason Scott Lee played Nani's rather spaced-out boyfriend David, considering I remember Lee best from "Dragon: the Bruce Lee Story". He does give a rather clueless air to David, which is a good balance for Tia Carrere's Nani, who's rather strong and forceful.
One thing I don't understand is why Kumu, Lilo's hula teacher, seems less strict with Lilo's nemesis Mertle, who's rather nasty. It seems to me that Lilo's getting the short end of the stick, and Mertle's getting off easy. However, considering that Mertle's father is apparently a wealthy businessman, maybe Kumu doesn't want to deal with the fuss. Ah well.
All in all, the movie is a good sequel to the original film, and a joy to kids and adults alike.
Tuesday, December 27, 2005
Blast from the Past - Pilipino Funny Komiks
In a recent post, E bewails the fact that there seems to be no new Filipino comics with kids as the target audience, the closest being Cast and Mango Jam. When I was a kid, there was one title I enjoyed reading, despite the fact that I was then a primarily English-speaking kid. That comic was Pilipino Funny Komiks.
Each issue of Pilipino Funny Komiks was an anthology of comics strips for children which included works by some of the great Filipino cartoonists, like Larry Alcala and Roni Santiago. Several of my favorites included:
"Superkat" by L.S. Martinez chronicles the adventures of a young cat named Ming. Ridiculed by his friends as a coward, little do they know that with the aid of a magic word, Ming transforms into the heroic Superkat, who fights to save his townmates from the depredations of such enemies as the rats, who throw robot after robot against Superkat, but to no avail.
"Batute" by Rene Villaroman (writer) and Vic Geronimo (artist) is about a young boy with a speech impediment (in Filipino, ngongo), and his misadventures with his dad.
The late Larry Alcala's "Bing, Bam, Bung" reads like a regular Looney Tune, where the villainous Bung tries to woo away Bam from Bing. Acme would have made a fortune supplying Bung with gimmicks for his nefarious plans.
"Fantasyang Pinoy" (no artist given) takes a lighter look at the Filipino fantasy world, with such characters as Juan Tamad, the tikbalang, and the turtle and the monkey (characters of a Filipino folk tale).
"Planet Opdi Eyps" by Roni Santiago combines political satire with downright monkey business.
Most of the stories were self-contained, while others, like Cal Sobrepena's "Don Juan Kamagong" (a Filipino Don Quixote), and Rico Bello Omagap and Czar Bautista's "Toyang Talangka" were serial in nature.
The stories were geared towards kids, although I'm pretty certain adults would have enjoyed the satire that some of the artists incorporated into their work.
That was then. Recently, I glanced through an issue of Pilipino Funny Komiks, and found that all of the stories were in Japanese manga style, and badly done. Not that I have anything against manga, but I believe the Filipino cartoon has its own unique style, and we don't have to mimic another style to attract readers.
It's a good thing artist/writers like E are expressing concern about the lack of Filipino comics for kids. Maybe, with his efforts, we'll soon see a new line of such comics.
Each issue of Pilipino Funny Komiks was an anthology of comics strips for children which included works by some of the great Filipino cartoonists, like Larry Alcala and Roni Santiago. Several of my favorites included:
"Superkat" by L.S. Martinez chronicles the adventures of a young cat named Ming. Ridiculed by his friends as a coward, little do they know that with the aid of a magic word, Ming transforms into the heroic Superkat, who fights to save his townmates from the depredations of such enemies as the rats, who throw robot after robot against Superkat, but to no avail.
"Batute" by Rene Villaroman (writer) and Vic Geronimo (artist) is about a young boy with a speech impediment (in Filipino, ngongo), and his misadventures with his dad.
The late Larry Alcala's "Bing, Bam, Bung" reads like a regular Looney Tune, where the villainous Bung tries to woo away Bam from Bing. Acme would have made a fortune supplying Bung with gimmicks for his nefarious plans.
"Fantasyang Pinoy" (no artist given) takes a lighter look at the Filipino fantasy world, with such characters as Juan Tamad, the tikbalang, and the turtle and the monkey (characters of a Filipino folk tale).
"Planet Opdi Eyps" by Roni Santiago combines political satire with downright monkey business.
Most of the stories were self-contained, while others, like Cal Sobrepena's "Don Juan Kamagong" (a Filipino Don Quixote), and Rico Bello Omagap and Czar Bautista's "Toyang Talangka" were serial in nature.
The stories were geared towards kids, although I'm pretty certain adults would have enjoyed the satire that some of the artists incorporated into their work.
That was then. Recently, I glanced through an issue of Pilipino Funny Komiks, and found that all of the stories were in Japanese manga style, and badly done. Not that I have anything against manga, but I believe the Filipino cartoon has its own unique style, and we don't have to mimic another style to attract readers.
It's a good thing artist/writers like E are expressing concern about the lack of Filipino comics for kids. Maybe, with his efforts, we'll soon see a new line of such comics.
Sunday, December 25, 2005
Christmas 2005
Originally, I think I wanted to write a post about the debate on whether to use “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Holidays” as the proper greeting for the season, but why waste words on such a petty issue? It’s plain and simple: we Christians celebrate Christmas because it is the time when our Savior, Jesus Christ is born, so “Merry Christmas” is, for me, the appropriate greeting to make. And that’s all I have to say about the subject.
Last night, we had our traditional Christmas party at my parents’ house. It was apparently a whirlwind of activity during the preparation, from which I was thankfully spared this season. Still, everything fell into place for the party; the food was ready, and, as usual, it was really good. The menu consisted of barbeque, caldereta, which is a beef stew flavored with tomato sauce and liver spread, chili prawns, deep-fried wontons with pork stuffing, steamed tilapia which was then baked smothered in mayonnaise and roasted garlic, potato salad, and fruits for dessert. In addition, my sister baked chocolate lava muffins, a recipe she picked up from food technician Alton Brown.
There were a lot of kids in attendance; many of my cousins are already married, which ensured the presence of the next generation. It’s also a good thing that a number of them are G’s age, so she had a lot of playmates. And play they did, running around the yards, and riding my uncle’s swing next door.
After the party, we headed over to Don Enrique Heights, where H, G, and I live, to attend the 10 o’clock Christmas Eve vigil mass. Being part of the choir, I went up to the loft to join my choir and the children’s choir for the singing; the rest of my family found seats, although the chapel was full beyond capacity.
After the mass, G had fallen asleep, so we decided not to go back to my parents’ house. However, she woke up as we pulled up to our house, and demanded that we go to my parents’ house. So, off we went, where G opened her presents. She fell asleep on the way home, which was by then past midnight, and remained asleep until about 10 this morning.
Our choir was scheduled to sing at the nine o’clock mass, so I hurried to the chapel, only to find out that R, our organist and leader, overslept for one of the few times in his life. It was a good thing that Tita Lety, the conductor of the children’s choir, was present, so she, I, two of her charges who didn’t know about the vigil mass, and Mr. Felipe, who normally acts as lector, formed the choir for the mass. R joined us around communion.
This evening, we hosted H’s side of the family, represented by her sister, her sister’s husband, her sister’s husband’s cousin (starting to sound like Gilbey’s commercial here), and two of H’s nephews. We prepared lasagna and baked chicken, with a side of garlic fried rice.
And so the curtain falls on another Christmas, and it was a relatively busy one. But still fun, nonetheless.
One of the resolutions I will try to keep for the New Year is to prepare earlier for the next season, so that, next year, hopefully, the season won’t be as hectic as this one.
Once more, merry Christmas to all, and to all, a good night.
Last night, we had our traditional Christmas party at my parents’ house. It was apparently a whirlwind of activity during the preparation, from which I was thankfully spared this season. Still, everything fell into place for the party; the food was ready, and, as usual, it was really good. The menu consisted of barbeque, caldereta, which is a beef stew flavored with tomato sauce and liver spread, chili prawns, deep-fried wontons with pork stuffing, steamed tilapia which was then baked smothered in mayonnaise and roasted garlic, potato salad, and fruits for dessert. In addition, my sister baked chocolate lava muffins, a recipe she picked up from food technician Alton Brown.
There were a lot of kids in attendance; many of my cousins are already married, which ensured the presence of the next generation. It’s also a good thing that a number of them are G’s age, so she had a lot of playmates. And play they did, running around the yards, and riding my uncle’s swing next door.
After the party, we headed over to Don Enrique Heights, where H, G, and I live, to attend the 10 o’clock Christmas Eve vigil mass. Being part of the choir, I went up to the loft to join my choir and the children’s choir for the singing; the rest of my family found seats, although the chapel was full beyond capacity.
After the mass, G had fallen asleep, so we decided not to go back to my parents’ house. However, she woke up as we pulled up to our house, and demanded that we go to my parents’ house. So, off we went, where G opened her presents. She fell asleep on the way home, which was by then past midnight, and remained asleep until about 10 this morning.
Our choir was scheduled to sing at the nine o’clock mass, so I hurried to the chapel, only to find out that R, our organist and leader, overslept for one of the few times in his life. It was a good thing that Tita Lety, the conductor of the children’s choir, was present, so she, I, two of her charges who didn’t know about the vigil mass, and Mr. Felipe, who normally acts as lector, formed the choir for the mass. R joined us around communion.
This evening, we hosted H’s side of the family, represented by her sister, her sister’s husband, her sister’s husband’s cousin (starting to sound like Gilbey’s commercial here), and two of H’s nephews. We prepared lasagna and baked chicken, with a side of garlic fried rice.
And so the curtain falls on another Christmas, and it was a relatively busy one. But still fun, nonetheless.
One of the resolutions I will try to keep for the New Year is to prepare earlier for the next season, so that, next year, hopefully, the season won’t be as hectic as this one.
Once more, merry Christmas to all, and to all, a good night.
Saturday, December 24, 2005
Last Day of Simbang Gabi/Christmas Eve
The last morning of Simbang Gabi was made even more special because of the breakfast prepared by the Chapel Council. There was spaghetti, which I didn't try, as it's not really a breakfast item for me, dinuguan and puto, which I also didn't try, because there was nice, warm and gingery arroz caldo, which I ate with gusto.
Today being Christmas Eve, it's also the time when my family hold the traditional Christmas party here at my parents' house. It's also a very hectic time, because my mom normally goes nuts ordering us around, preparing for the party. Oftentimes, she'd send me to the grocery, only to send me back because she forgot to add a particular item. This year, that task was apparently passed on to my brother; it seems that my mom has acknowledged that I have a family, and Christmas preparations of my own. Ah well. All in the Christmas spirit. As Mrs. Potts in Beauty and the Beast said, "It'll turn out all right in the end, dear. You'll see." And it will.
Later, we'll be attending the Christmas Eve vigil mass at our subdivision. Being part of the choir, I'll be gazing fondly down at my family from the choir loft, and they'll be doing the same, especially G.
Anyways, I'd better get a move on, and help out with the preparations. This post will also probably end my daily streak, because I'm not sure if I'll get a chance to post anything on Christmas Day.
So, merry Christmas to all. May it be God-blessed and fun-filled.
Today being Christmas Eve, it's also the time when my family hold the traditional Christmas party here at my parents' house. It's also a very hectic time, because my mom normally goes nuts ordering us around, preparing for the party. Oftentimes, she'd send me to the grocery, only to send me back because she forgot to add a particular item. This year, that task was apparently passed on to my brother; it seems that my mom has acknowledged that I have a family, and Christmas preparations of my own. Ah well. All in the Christmas spirit. As Mrs. Potts in Beauty and the Beast said, "It'll turn out all right in the end, dear. You'll see." And it will.
Later, we'll be attending the Christmas Eve vigil mass at our subdivision. Being part of the choir, I'll be gazing fondly down at my family from the choir loft, and they'll be doing the same, especially G.
Anyways, I'd better get a move on, and help out with the preparations. This post will also probably end my daily streak, because I'm not sure if I'll get a chance to post anything on Christmas Day.
So, merry Christmas to all. May it be God-blessed and fun-filled.
Friday, December 23, 2005
Grammar and Traffic
It's been very clear for some time that Philippine drivers' literacy has gone down. Why else will one find public utility vehicles loading and unloading their passengers in front of a sign stating "Strictly No Loading/Unloading"? Why else will one find such vehicles waiting for passengers in a lane which is clearly marked for "Private Vehicles"?
Of course, the drivers of such vehicles can be excused when the signs themselves are improperly made. At the foot of the pedestrian flyover near Ever-Gotesco Commonwealth, there were two signs labeled "No Stoping" and "Strickly No Loading/Unloading" (boldface mine).
On a whim, I decided to check out the misspellings. According to freedictionary.com, a "stope" is "An excavation in the form of steps made by the mining of ore from steeply inclined or vertical veins," and "stoping" is "To remove (ore) from or mine by means of a stope."
Well, I guess one truly cannot perform stoping along a busy highway; think of the massive traffic jams that could be created.
There's no entry for "strickly," though.
The "No Stoping" sign has been removed, hopefully to be repainted with the correct spelling. But "strickly" remains, as a testament to the inability of sign painters to spell.
Of course, the drivers of such vehicles can be excused when the signs themselves are improperly made. At the foot of the pedestrian flyover near Ever-Gotesco Commonwealth, there were two signs labeled "No Stoping" and "Strickly No Loading/Unloading" (boldface mine).
On a whim, I decided to check out the misspellings. According to freedictionary.com, a "stope" is "An excavation in the form of steps made by the mining of ore from steeply inclined or vertical veins," and "stoping" is "To remove (ore) from or mine by means of a stope."
Well, I guess one truly cannot perform stoping along a busy highway; think of the massive traffic jams that could be created.
There's no entry for "strickly," though.
The "No Stoping" sign has been removed, hopefully to be repainted with the correct spelling. But "strickly" remains, as a testament to the inability of sign painters to spell.
On Writing
Last month, I wondered if I should change my blog title; for "Daily Musings", my musings weren't so daily. Then, three Mondays ago, I made a conscious effort to come up with a regular daily post; I considered it a challenge, to be able to write regularly. And, so far, I've managed to do so.
Granted, not all of the entries are well-written, and some of the entries I just posted to keep the streak going, but it's an enjoyable and challenging task. By writing daily, I'm able to practice and flex my imagination, and the challenge of thinking about what to write is something I've tried to answer with these daily posts.
Many writers say that to be able to be good at writing, one must practice it regularly, and I now see the reason behind it. It's like exercising; to be able to be good at a sport, one must train regularly, to hone the body's responses to become as instinctive as possible. In the same vein, one must practice writing regularly, in order to hone the mind's thought processes, to sharpen one's wit, and to find's one's voice in the wilderness.
I'm still not sure where I want to take my writing; shall I remain here in the blog, or attempt to write something for publication? Whatever happens, I'll try as much as possible to keep on exercising my mind by sharing it with you readers on a daily basis.
Simbang Gabi menu for today: Once more, it was pancit, which, while filling, isn't my idea of a hearty breakfast, but, like I mentioned yesterday, it's free, so I shouldn't be complaining.
Granted, not all of the entries are well-written, and some of the entries I just posted to keep the streak going, but it's an enjoyable and challenging task. By writing daily, I'm able to practice and flex my imagination, and the challenge of thinking about what to write is something I've tried to answer with these daily posts.
Many writers say that to be able to be good at writing, one must practice it regularly, and I now see the reason behind it. It's like exercising; to be able to be good at a sport, one must train regularly, to hone the body's responses to become as instinctive as possible. In the same vein, one must practice writing regularly, in order to hone the mind's thought processes, to sharpen one's wit, and to find's one's voice in the wilderness.
I'm still not sure where I want to take my writing; shall I remain here in the blog, or attempt to write something for publication? Whatever happens, I'll try as much as possible to keep on exercising my mind by sharing it with you readers on a daily basis.
Simbang Gabi menu for today: Once more, it was pancit, which, while filling, isn't my idea of a hearty breakfast, but, like I mentioned yesterday, it's free, so I shouldn't be complaining.
Thursday, December 22, 2005
More of Simbang Gabi
Yesterday morning's fare was pancit bihon, which is something that I don't normally have for breakfast, but, hey, it's free food, so why complain?
Today, we had pancit molo, which is basically wonton-wrapped meatballs in a clear, peppery broth. If there's something I've noticed about simbang gabi meals, they tend to be hot (as in freshly cooked), slightly spicy (peppery for the noodle soup, the molo and the bihon, and gingery for the arroz caldo, goto, and the congee), and filling. Just the thing for a cold December morning; something hot and spicy to wake me up, and filling enough so I don't need to have breakfast.
Only two more days to go for the nine-day novena. Here's hoping I wake up tomorrow.
Today, we had pancit molo, which is basically wonton-wrapped meatballs in a clear, peppery broth. If there's something I've noticed about simbang gabi meals, they tend to be hot (as in freshly cooked), slightly spicy (peppery for the noodle soup, the molo and the bihon, and gingery for the arroz caldo, goto, and the congee), and filling. Just the thing for a cold December morning; something hot and spicy to wake me up, and filling enough so I don't need to have breakfast.
Only two more days to go for the nine-day novena. Here's hoping I wake up tomorrow.
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
The Presidency as Birthright?
When I read the morning papers, I usually turn to three: The Philippine Star, The Daily Inquirer, and The Daily Tribune. H can never understand why I read the last one, considering that it appears to be a propaganda tool of ex-President Joseph Estrada, and I simply rant at the inaccuracies and blatantly biased reporting. My reason is simple: I have to know what the other side is thinking. Not that I'm a fan of our current President, either, but I find it helpful to see how the various sides analyze the various situations in our country.
Take, for example, the Tribune's current edition. And take a gander at Ninez Cacho-Olivares' column.
I've never liked columnist Ninez Cacho-Olivares of the Daily Tribune. She's always been bitchy and negative, and often has directed this bitchiness at people whom she feels have slighted her. Her columns against Cory Aquino in the past show this; it probably stemmed from the fact that Olivares was canned as IBC-13's manager back in the late 80s.
She also appears to have a mercenary bent to her journalism. I remember one Jesuit I talked to about it, and he remarked, "ay, Ninez, kaibigan kita, pero bayaran ka." ("You're my friend, but you're a paid hack.")
In recent times, she's taken the cudgels for ex-President Joseph Estrada, repeating over and over again that he was robbed of the Presidency through a coup d'etat. Sometimes, I think she simply copies and pastes those parts of her column to save time, since she uses such details on a regular basis. From the way she and the other columnists in her paper rant, Erap should be elevated to sainthood, so virtuous a man he is. I wonder how much Erap, or his supporters, is paying her to write such crap.
Today, in her column, she trains her guns on just-retired Chief Justice Hilario Davide, Jr. In her column, she rants against Davide, saying that he and the Supreme Court are guilty of destroying the Constitution by swearing in Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as President. Therefore, she writes, Davide is not worthy of the praise that he is getting for having done a exemplary job as Chief Justice.
I'm not going to comment on that, as I think the opposite, that Davide is a basically good person who had a tough decision to make. I was at EDSA 2, and while I also bewail the aftermath, I think that we did good in getting rid of Estrada, who was as corrupt as they come.
What I found amusing is the part in her column is where she starts a paragraph by saying, "Had Estrada not been stripped of his birthright to rule Malacañang," (boldface mine). Gee, I thought we elected our Presidents. I didn't know that one can inherit the position. And I really wouldn't mind if Estrada ruled Malacañang and nothing else.
The other point that I liked is that she accuses Davide of using the Supreme Court "to quash a valid impeachment case against him on the misuse of judiciary funds." If I remember right, the reason the case was "quashed" was because it was the second such complaint within the prescribed one-year period, and thus, should not have been filed. If there were valid complaints against Davide's use of funds, then why was the complaint not re-filed after the one-year period? Olivares doesn't comment on this, which betrays her very-biased and one-sided opinion.
She concludes that Davide and the Court will forever be haunted by their decision for "doing unspeakable violence to the Constitution." I think not. If they didn't do what they did in 2001, then, who knows what further damage Erap could have done? Granted, it appears that GMA is taking off from where Erap ended, but I think that, despite this, we're still in better shape than when Erap was President.
It's intellectual inanties like this that make me remember not to take the idiots in The Daily Tribune seriously, as they have more or less cut their ties with reality and have decided to live in their own delusions.
Let them; it's not like many take them seriously, anyway.
Take, for example, the Tribune's current edition. And take a gander at Ninez Cacho-Olivares' column.
I've never liked columnist Ninez Cacho-Olivares of the Daily Tribune. She's always been bitchy and negative, and often has directed this bitchiness at people whom she feels have slighted her. Her columns against Cory Aquino in the past show this; it probably stemmed from the fact that Olivares was canned as IBC-13's manager back in the late 80s.
She also appears to have a mercenary bent to her journalism. I remember one Jesuit I talked to about it, and he remarked, "ay, Ninez, kaibigan kita, pero bayaran ka." ("You're my friend, but you're a paid hack.")
In recent times, she's taken the cudgels for ex-President Joseph Estrada, repeating over and over again that he was robbed of the Presidency through a coup d'etat. Sometimes, I think she simply copies and pastes those parts of her column to save time, since she uses such details on a regular basis. From the way she and the other columnists in her paper rant, Erap should be elevated to sainthood, so virtuous a man he is. I wonder how much Erap, or his supporters, is paying her to write such crap.
Today, in her column, she trains her guns on just-retired Chief Justice Hilario Davide, Jr. In her column, she rants against Davide, saying that he and the Supreme Court are guilty of destroying the Constitution by swearing in Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as President. Therefore, she writes, Davide is not worthy of the praise that he is getting for having done a exemplary job as Chief Justice.
I'm not going to comment on that, as I think the opposite, that Davide is a basically good person who had a tough decision to make. I was at EDSA 2, and while I also bewail the aftermath, I think that we did good in getting rid of Estrada, who was as corrupt as they come.
What I found amusing is the part in her column is where she starts a paragraph by saying, "Had Estrada not been stripped of his birthright to rule Malacañang," (boldface mine). Gee, I thought we elected our Presidents. I didn't know that one can inherit the position. And I really wouldn't mind if Estrada ruled Malacañang and nothing else.
The other point that I liked is that she accuses Davide of using the Supreme Court "to quash a valid impeachment case against him on the misuse of judiciary funds." If I remember right, the reason the case was "quashed" was because it was the second such complaint within the prescribed one-year period, and thus, should not have been filed. If there were valid complaints against Davide's use of funds, then why was the complaint not re-filed after the one-year period? Olivares doesn't comment on this, which betrays her very-biased and one-sided opinion.
She concludes that Davide and the Court will forever be haunted by their decision for "doing unspeakable violence to the Constitution." I think not. If they didn't do what they did in 2001, then, who knows what further damage Erap could have done? Granted, it appears that GMA is taking off from where Erap ended, but I think that, despite this, we're still in better shape than when Erap was President.
It's intellectual inanties like this that make me remember not to take the idiots in The Daily Tribune seriously, as they have more or less cut their ties with reality and have decided to live in their own delusions.
Let them; it's not like many take them seriously, anyway.
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
Strange Gift/Simbang Gabi continuation/Rambling
I was hanging out in the cubicle of a co-teacher, and both of us were wondering over one of the gifts from her students: a clear crystal plastic crucifix which, in its base, had blinking lights of red, blue and yellow. We mulled over the whys and wherefores: why would anybody place blinking lights at the base of a crucifix, and what possessed the student to give my friend the gift? Aside: It's times like these that I wish I had a digicam, so I can post a picture of the gift.
It's the last day of regular classes, and I decided to give my students a break today, by holding a gauntlet of contests. To the winner of each class, I'll give a prize they can divide among themselves.
I'm also glad, because this will be the last day I'll be sleep-deprived. Tomorrow is the Christmas Mass and salu-salo in the High School, and, since it's in the afternoon, I'll be able to catch up on my sleep for the remaining four days of the Simbang Gabi. At least, that's my hope.
* * *
Today's breakfast at Simbang Gabi was congee, which is a little different from arroz caldo because with congee, the rice grains are ground up a bit, which makes the congee soupier. Also, the garnishes are different. Instead of chicken, pork meatballs and mushrooms, along with a sprinkling of fried wonton bits, and sesame oil, are used to flavor the congee. While one can still taste the ginger in the congee, the other strong flavors combine to form a totally different taste unique from arroz caldo. It's still savory, and the wonton bits create a texture you won't find in arroz caldo. The sesame oil sprinkling gives a nuttiness to the congee, which is both filling and flavorful.
* * *
It's the last day of regular classes, and I decided to give my students a break today, by holding a gauntlet of contests. To the winner of each class, I'll give a prize they can divide among themselves.
I'm also glad, because this will be the last day I'll be sleep-deprived. Tomorrow is the Christmas Mass and salu-salo in the High School, and, since it's in the afternoon, I'll be able to catch up on my sleep for the remaining four days of the Simbang Gabi. At least, that's my hope.
Monday, December 19, 2005
Christmas Season Rambling
Our Christmas baking is nearly done. Last night, we baked around 6-7 batches of brownies, and about four batches of chocolate revel bars (for some reason, we've called them "fudge bars" ever since my mom started baking them in the late 80s-early 90s). My only regret is that I'm unable to upload any photos, although I did attempt to take some pictures. Maybe when we get our card reader back from H's sister, I'll be able to post some pictures.
Simbang Gabi goodies, continued: Yesterday, it was dinuguan, which is a stew made from pig's blood, and puto, or rice cake. I thought the dinuguan was a little watery, but nicely sour-salty, which went well with the puto.
This morning it was goto, which is basically arroz caldo with tripe instead of chicken. I wouldn't mind if the sponsors for the breakfast would serve goto or arroz caldo the rest of the remaining Simbang Gabi days. The spicy warmth and thickness of the soup is just right for a chilly December morning.
Simbang Gabi goodies, continued: Yesterday, it was dinuguan, which is a stew made from pig's blood, and puto, or rice cake. I thought the dinuguan was a little watery, but nicely sour-salty, which went well with the puto.
This morning it was goto, which is basically arroz caldo with tripe instead of chicken. I wouldn't mind if the sponsors for the breakfast would serve goto or arroz caldo the rest of the remaining Simbang Gabi days. The spicy warmth and thickness of the soup is just right for a chilly December morning.
Sunday, December 18, 2005
Rant- Express Lane?
Apparently, people have lost the ability to count.
This afternoon, we headed for my parents' house to continue our baking. But we had to pass by Puregold supermarket to pick up some of the ingredients.
Since I was in a hurry, I went straight to the so-called Express Lane, whose sign stated "20 items or less". The person in front of me had a basket that was filled to the brim with items, and I was pretty certain that she had a little more than 20 items. Sure enough, when I peeked at the bill, it registered 37 items. Damn.
I vented out my ire on the cashier, who simply grinned sheepishly as if to say, "What can I do?" I also complained to the customer service, who promised to look into it.
Someone should remind people in the express lane to check if their items are 20 or less, and, if not, transfer to another lane. Either that, or simply reword their express lane to "Basket Lane"; that way, the number of items won't matter.
This afternoon, we headed for my parents' house to continue our baking. But we had to pass by Puregold supermarket to pick up some of the ingredients.
Since I was in a hurry, I went straight to the so-called Express Lane, whose sign stated "20 items or less". The person in front of me had a basket that was filled to the brim with items, and I was pretty certain that she had a little more than 20 items. Sure enough, when I peeked at the bill, it registered 37 items. Damn.
I vented out my ire on the cashier, who simply grinned sheepishly as if to say, "What can I do?" I also complained to the customer service, who promised to look into it.
Someone should remind people in the express lane to check if their items are 20 or less, and, if not, transfer to another lane. Either that, or simply reword their express lane to "Basket Lane"; that way, the number of items won't matter.
Saturday, December 17, 2005
Baking and Simbang Gabi Goodies
It's another hectic weekend, as it's G's school's Christmas party in about 30 minutes, so just a quick guerilla post.
H and I have just finished trying to bake brownies; we'll find out how good they are in a while.
H and I have just finished trying to bake brownies; we'll find out how good they are in a while.
* * *
What I like about my subdivision's Simbang Gabi is that after each mass, there's a prepared breakfast. Yesterday, it was a creamy chicken noodle soup, with fresh-baked pan de sal. This morning, it was arroz caldo, a glutinous rice-based soup with ginger, garlic, and chicken, with cinnamon rolls, which were nicely soft and sweet.
I'd like to write more about it, but I'm on a tight schedule. Maybe more about it tomorrow. :D
I'd like to write more about it, but I'm on a tight schedule. Maybe more about it tomorrow. :D
Friday, December 16, 2005
AMAKANA Aftermath
I still haven't slept since 3 am this morning, because I haven't gotten home yet. Oog.
The Pista Karera was loads of fun for the boys, although there was one slight hitch. No one could get up the palo sebo pole by himself; the race pretty much boiled down to whichever team could hoist their team member up the pole fast enough. This was because we changed the rules such that if a team member couldn't get up within a given amount of time (in this case, 4 minutes), the others could help him up after. This made all of the other stations moot and academic; it didn't matter how fast a class went through the first stations, because they'd all fall flat at the palo sebo. Maybe next time we have the Pista Karera, the height of the flag could be lowered a tad; some players almost reached the flag by taking a running start and yanking themselves up the pole.
My skin is now a bright red color, as I was both emcee, timer and marshall in the high school football field, where the sun would appear intermittently with the rain to alternately soak us, and then bake us. But it was mostly baking for us, as the rain was really just a very light shower. Still, my skin color is nothing compared to the roasting I got on immersion in UPSCA; can you say char-broiled? But that's another story.
I had a lot of fun barking out the instructions, and exhorting the students to complete their tasks. Since I didn't have anything to do during the first year races (I didn't actually volunteer to do the first year, just the other year levels), I assisted the emcee in his tasks, keeping him company and hamming it up with him.
Ani Mo, Ani Ko, Alay ng Ateneo came to a resounding end a while ago, and I'll look forward to next next year, when I'll be able to see whether anybody will be able to shimmy up the palo sebo.
The Pista Karera was loads of fun for the boys, although there was one slight hitch. No one could get up the palo sebo pole by himself; the race pretty much boiled down to whichever team could hoist their team member up the pole fast enough. This was because we changed the rules such that if a team member couldn't get up within a given amount of time (in this case, 4 minutes), the others could help him up after. This made all of the other stations moot and academic; it didn't matter how fast a class went through the first stations, because they'd all fall flat at the palo sebo. Maybe next time we have the Pista Karera, the height of the flag could be lowered a tad; some players almost reached the flag by taking a running start and yanking themselves up the pole.
My skin is now a bright red color, as I was both emcee, timer and marshall in the high school football field, where the sun would appear intermittently with the rain to alternately soak us, and then bake us. But it was mostly baking for us, as the rain was really just a very light shower. Still, my skin color is nothing compared to the roasting I got on immersion in UPSCA; can you say char-broiled? But that's another story.
I had a lot of fun barking out the instructions, and exhorting the students to complete their tasks. Since I didn't have anything to do during the first year races (I didn't actually volunteer to do the first year, just the other year levels), I assisted the emcee in his tasks, keeping him company and hamming it up with him.
Ani Mo, Ani Ko, Alay ng Ateneo came to a resounding end a while ago, and I'll look forward to next next year, when I'll be able to see whether anybody will be able to shimmy up the palo sebo.
AMAKANA!
I'm still a bit wonky as I write this, considering I was up at 3 am for this year's start of the Simbang Gabi (Dawn Mass) in our subdivision.
It's been a hectic week, what with preparations for Christmas rising to a fever pitch.
In the high school, it's the second day of the Ani Mo, Ani Ko, Alay ng Ateneo (AMAKANA) celebrations. Last Tuesday, the various year levels competed in singing contests, and musical contests where the instruments were the students' own body parts (I was a judge for the 3rd year contest), among others. Today, it's a more physical slant to the games, starting with the fun run, and continuing with the various fun games.
I'll be helping out with the Pista Karera (Fiesta Race), wherein the each class, in groups of 5, will compete against each other in accomplishing the various Philippines games: syato, where the students have to hit a stick as far as they can (it's a little hard to describe without pictures), luskong tinik, where each student has to jump over his classmates' stacked feet and fingers, a sack race, and ending with the palo sebo, where a student must reach the top of a greased bamboo pole.
I'm supposed to be the emcee for the first two year levels to compete, and I'm a little nervous, because I'll probably have to speak in Filipino, which can be a bit of a difficulty for me. Ah, well. All in the spirit of fun.
Side note: Finally got the Starbucks planner yesterday. And I do plan to use it heavily next year. :D
It's been a hectic week, what with preparations for Christmas rising to a fever pitch.
In the high school, it's the second day of the Ani Mo, Ani Ko, Alay ng Ateneo (AMAKANA) celebrations. Last Tuesday, the various year levels competed in singing contests, and musical contests where the instruments were the students' own body parts (I was a judge for the 3rd year contest), among others. Today, it's a more physical slant to the games, starting with the fun run, and continuing with the various fun games.
I'll be helping out with the Pista Karera (Fiesta Race), wherein the each class, in groups of 5, will compete against each other in accomplishing the various Philippines games: syato, where the students have to hit a stick as far as they can (it's a little hard to describe without pictures), luskong tinik, where each student has to jump over his classmates' stacked feet and fingers, a sack race, and ending with the palo sebo, where a student must reach the top of a greased bamboo pole.
I'm supposed to be the emcee for the first two year levels to compete, and I'm a little nervous, because I'll probably have to speak in Filipino, which can be a bit of a difficulty for me. Ah, well. All in the spirit of fun.
Side note: Finally got the Starbucks planner yesterday. And I do plan to use it heavily next year. :D
Thursday, December 15, 2005
Sucky Day
Suicide is Painless (Mash Theme Song)
(Mike Altman and Johnny Mandel)
Through early morning fog I see
Visions of the things to be,
The pains that are withheld for me,
I realize and I can see...
That suicide is painless,
It brings on many changes
And I can take or leave it if I please.
The game of life is hard to play,
I'm going to lose it anyway,
The losin' card I'll someday lay;
So this is all I have to say...
That suicide is painless,
It brings on many changes
And I can take or leave it if I please.
The only way to win is cheat
And lay it down before I'm beat
And to another give my seat
For that's the only painless feat.
That suicide is painless,
It brings on many changes
And I can take or leave it if I please.
And you can do the same thing if you please.
And no, I don't have any plans. I just feel that way today.
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
Reconnections
I was able run into two old friends yesterday, both of whom I hadn't seen or heard from in a long while. .
Rome was an orgmate of mine back in college; we were in the same applicants' batch in the UP Student Catholic Action (UPSCA). I lost track of him after college, only to discover him recently through Cynthia's blog. He has some cutting and often poetic insights into life on his own blog.
Ronald I met in high school, when I was in Ateneo and he was in UP, through his gaming group. While we'd run into each other intermittently, I hadn't seen him for a while now. Last night, I ran into him at the Mercury Drug store along Commonwealth with his wife. Talk about chance meeting.
It's nice when one is able to hook up with old friends, after not being in touch with them for so long.
Rome was an orgmate of mine back in college; we were in the same applicants' batch in the UP Student Catholic Action (UPSCA). I lost track of him after college, only to discover him recently through Cynthia's blog. He has some cutting and often poetic insights into life on his own blog.
Ronald I met in high school, when I was in Ateneo and he was in UP, through his gaming group. While we'd run into each other intermittently, I hadn't seen him for a while now. Last night, I ran into him at the Mercury Drug store along Commonwealth with his wife. Talk about chance meeting.
It's nice when one is able to hook up with old friends, after not being in touch with them for so long.
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
"Thinner"
I seem to be on a Stephen King kick lately. I started with The Shining, then moved on to The Dead Zone, then Eyes of the Dragon. Then, checking the comments on my post about The Shining, I decided to check out Thinner, which was written by King under his pseudonym, Richard Bachman.
(SPOILERS FOLLOW)
Thinner is about culpability, and the price one pays to avoid it. William Halleck, a overweight lawyer, runs over an old Gypsy woman, and manages to manipulate the system to get himself acquitted. As a consequence, the father of the woman curses not only Halleck, but the judge and the police officer in charge of the case. In Halleck's case, he finds himself getting thinner and thinner, despite his eating so much. So, Halleck goes in search of the Gypsy man who cursed him, and, with the help of his friend Richard Ginelli, manages to get the curse lifted, but only if he passes it on to someone else. Who gets the curse in the end is ironic.
While my friend T was scared by this story, I find myself mildly creeped out. While King is masterful in building suspense and creating vivid images in my mind, I find that I'm only truly scared when his horror delves into the bizarre and the unnatural.
There is even a bit of black comedy, because of Halleck's decision in the end.
If there was one person I'm actually sorry about is Richard Ginelli. Despite his shady gangster attitude, he is the one person who believes Halleck, and is instrumental in getting the Gypsy to lift the curse, but, in the end, he is one of those who pays the price for Halleck's cure. Everyone pays in the end, even those who didn't have anything to do with the crime.
Thinner is an interesting read, and, a touchstone in my King wanderings.
Now, the interesting question is whether I'm brave enough to pick up the one King book I never finished, Pet Sematary. Perhaps, when I'm good and ready. Or perhaps never.
(SPOILERS FOLLOW)
Thinner is about culpability, and the price one pays to avoid it. William Halleck, a overweight lawyer, runs over an old Gypsy woman, and manages to manipulate the system to get himself acquitted. As a consequence, the father of the woman curses not only Halleck, but the judge and the police officer in charge of the case. In Halleck's case, he finds himself getting thinner and thinner, despite his eating so much. So, Halleck goes in search of the Gypsy man who cursed him, and, with the help of his friend Richard Ginelli, manages to get the curse lifted, but only if he passes it on to someone else. Who gets the curse in the end is ironic.
While my friend T was scared by this story, I find myself mildly creeped out. While King is masterful in building suspense and creating vivid images in my mind, I find that I'm only truly scared when his horror delves into the bizarre and the unnatural.
There is even a bit of black comedy, because of Halleck's decision in the end.
If there was one person I'm actually sorry about is Richard Ginelli. Despite his shady gangster attitude, he is the one person who believes Halleck, and is instrumental in getting the Gypsy to lift the curse, but, in the end, he is one of those who pays the price for Halleck's cure. Everyone pays in the end, even those who didn't have anything to do with the crime.
Thinner is an interesting read, and, a touchstone in my King wanderings.
Now, the interesting question is whether I'm brave enough to pick up the one King book I never finished, Pet Sematary. Perhaps, when I'm good and ready. Or perhaps never.
Basic Religion 101
Last week, I gave my students a quiz on the story, "The Other Wise Man", by Henry van Dyke, which talks of a wise man Artaban who tried to follow the Three Wise Men in order to offer his gifts to the King, but failed, but in failing, managed to live up to what Jesus taught, which was, "Whatever you do to the least of my brothers, you do unto Me." What I did was to give the first part of the sentence, and my students had to complete it. While most got the answer right ("You do unto Me."), there were a few miscues:
Whatever you do to the least of my brothers,
Whatever you do to the least of my brothers,
- you do the least to Me.
- they will do least to you.
- do more to Me.
- what you want others to unto you.
- I will also do it to you.
- will be the most to Me.
Monday, December 12, 2005
Thug in Green
I've always disliked La Salle's Joseph Yeo, because of his swaggering arrogance and poor sportsmanship. And I've written about that in the past.
What happened at the 2005 Dream Game between Ateneo and La Salle brings that to a new level. I wish I was able to see it so that I could give a good enough commentary. But, I wasn't, so I'll just have to rely on what I've heard and read.
Apparently, after Enrico Villanueva grabbed a rebound, he hit Yeo with his elbow. Having seen Villanueva play in the past, I know he's capable of such tactics; his hard head shot on Adonis Sta. Maria two or three years ago is proof of that. However, people i've talked to tell me that it was one of those elbows you throw around when you're trying to control the rebound, and might have been inadvertent.
But, Yeo's reaction was uncalled for. He threw a clothesline punch at Villaneuva, bloodying the former King Eagle's nose, and disrupting play for about an hour, as Fr. Ben Nebres, SJ, the Ateneo president, ordered the Ateneans to pull out of the game. It took some convincing for them to continue playing, and Ateneo won on Villanueva's three-pointer.
I'm not surprised by Yeo's action; it's indicative of what sort of person he is. The good thing here was that PBA Commissioner Noli Eala was in attendance, and now, because of his unsportsmanlike behavior, Yeo is probably going to find it hard going trying to get into the PBA. The options facing him are: ban from the next draft, ineligibility from being drafted, or suspension if he's drafted. My thoughts? Serves him right.
It's been a black year for La Salle sports, what with Salgado's cheap shot, the Benitez and Gatchalian controversy, and now this. I feel bad for those who truly love their school, and who wish they didn't have to put up with these controversies.
There are a lot of good La Sallians out there; unfortunately, their school public face is presented by the likes of Salgado and Yeo.
What happened at the 2005 Dream Game between Ateneo and La Salle brings that to a new level. I wish I was able to see it so that I could give a good enough commentary. But, I wasn't, so I'll just have to rely on what I've heard and read.
Apparently, after Enrico Villanueva grabbed a rebound, he hit Yeo with his elbow. Having seen Villanueva play in the past, I know he's capable of such tactics; his hard head shot on Adonis Sta. Maria two or three years ago is proof of that. However, people i've talked to tell me that it was one of those elbows you throw around when you're trying to control the rebound, and might have been inadvertent.
But, Yeo's reaction was uncalled for. He threw a clothesline punch at Villaneuva, bloodying the former King Eagle's nose, and disrupting play for about an hour, as Fr. Ben Nebres, SJ, the Ateneo president, ordered the Ateneans to pull out of the game. It took some convincing for them to continue playing, and Ateneo won on Villanueva's three-pointer.
I'm not surprised by Yeo's action; it's indicative of what sort of person he is. The good thing here was that PBA Commissioner Noli Eala was in attendance, and now, because of his unsportsmanlike behavior, Yeo is probably going to find it hard going trying to get into the PBA. The options facing him are: ban from the next draft, ineligibility from being drafted, or suspension if he's drafted. My thoughts? Serves him right.
It's been a black year for La Salle sports, what with Salgado's cheap shot, the Benitez and Gatchalian controversy, and now this. I feel bad for those who truly love their school, and who wish they didn't have to put up with these controversies.
There are a lot of good La Sallians out there; unfortunately, their school public face is presented by the likes of Salgado and Yeo.
Sunday, December 11, 2005
Celebration at Alba's
We just came back from Alba's for our treat to my family. Since my mom and dad celebrated our lola's birthday at lunch, they weren't in the mood to sample the buffet. Instead, we ordered: paella negra, which is paella made with squid ink (which I love), callos, chorizo and lengua. In addition, thanks to my cousin who helps manage Alba's with her husband, we also got a helping of garlic mushrooms and chicken croquettes. And, since they didn't have any more squid heads for calamares, they also gave us a free serving of calamares using the tentacles. The manager was a bit apologetic about it, but he didn't have to be; I actually like the tentacles better than the heads.
While we were in the middle of the meal, the house musicians, who sing Spanish-style songs, approached us and asked for requests. For G's sake, we decided on "Jingle Bells" and "Santa Claus is Coming to Town", which they sang with gusto, Spanish-style, of course. The lead guitarist made an impression on G with his "Ho, ho, ho!"
We wound up stuffed after the meal, leaving the callos largely untouched. So, we had it wrapped up, along with the remaining paella, and headed home, feeling satisfied.
While we were in the middle of the meal, the house musicians, who sing Spanish-style songs, approached us and asked for requests. For G's sake, we decided on "Jingle Bells" and "Santa Claus is Coming to Town", which they sang with gusto, Spanish-style, of course. The lead guitarist made an impression on G with his "Ho, ho, ho!"
We wound up stuffed after the meal, leaving the callos largely untouched. So, we had it wrapped up, along with the remaining paella, and headed home, feeling satisfied.
Saturday, December 10, 2005
Busy, Busy Saturday
Just a quick guerilla post before I get overwhelmed with stuff.
I came back from the VTES tournament, and, now, we're preparing for G's caroling over here at my parents' house. Later this evening, it'll be the Christmas party of H's barkada.
So far, it's been mostly peaceful, but it'll pick up later this afternoon once the caroling starts. It's a good thing that G won't be joining her classmates for the other houses; we'll be preparing for the party.
Yesterday, we spent our anniversary with H's sister at Italianni's Megamall, where we had the penne arrabiato, and since there were five of us (myself, H, G, D and G's nanny), we ordered the large serving of arrabiato. When it came, it had more sauce and was a little spicier than the smaller order, but we still enjoyed it. We also had the four-cheese pizza.
Unfortunately, G, who hadn't slept the entire day, slept all through dinner, and only woke up when we were leaving Italianni's. Of course, she wanted to go to her favorite hang-out in Megamall: the Playroom in the basement of building A. We dropped her off there, and H and D went to look for a dress for their mom, and I moved around Megamall, and played "House of the Dead 3" at the arcade (more on this in a later post), and did a little surfing after that.
Whoops! Gotta get back to making the chicken a la king. Maybe I'll continue this later or tomorrow.
I came back from the VTES tournament, and, now, we're preparing for G's caroling over here at my parents' house. Later this evening, it'll be the Christmas party of H's barkada.
So far, it's been mostly peaceful, but it'll pick up later this afternoon once the caroling starts. It's a good thing that G won't be joining her classmates for the other houses; we'll be preparing for the party.
Yesterday, we spent our anniversary with H's sister at Italianni's Megamall, where we had the penne arrabiato, and since there were five of us (myself, H, G, D and G's nanny), we ordered the large serving of arrabiato. When it came, it had more sauce and was a little spicier than the smaller order, but we still enjoyed it. We also had the four-cheese pizza.
Unfortunately, G, who hadn't slept the entire day, slept all through dinner, and only woke up when we were leaving Italianni's. Of course, she wanted to go to her favorite hang-out in Megamall: the Playroom in the basement of building A. We dropped her off there, and H and D went to look for a dress for their mom, and I moved around Megamall, and played "House of the Dead 3" at the arcade (more on this in a later post), and did a little surfing after that.
Whoops! Gotta get back to making the chicken a la king. Maybe I'll continue this later or tomorrow.
Friday, December 09, 2005
Anniversary
(well, whadaya know? it's actually a daily musing for this week; what a rarity!)
Five years ago, H and I were wed at Our Lady of Consolation in Mira-Nila Subdivision. Today, we were planning to celebrate by treating our family out to Alba's paella, but, since neither of our salaries have come in, and my mom has an pre-scheduled event today, we decided to postpone the dine-out to Sunday evening. C'est la vie. The paella will have to wait.
It's been a wild ride thus far, what with us adjusting to one another, building careers , a home and a family, but it's been fun throughout. Of course, like every couple, we have our ups and downs, but we've managed to keep an even keel on things.
Here's to the future!
Five years ago, H and I were wed at Our Lady of Consolation in Mira-Nila Subdivision. Today, we were planning to celebrate by treating our family out to Alba's paella, but, since neither of our salaries have come in, and my mom has an pre-scheduled event today, we decided to postpone the dine-out to Sunday evening. C'est la vie. The paella will have to wait.
It's been a wild ride thus far, what with us adjusting to one another, building careers , a home and a family, but it's been fun throughout. Of course, like every couple, we have our ups and downs, but we've managed to keep an even keel on things.
Here's to the future!
Thursday, December 08, 2005
Rant - Malingerers
One of the problems of requiring freshmen and sophomores in the Ateneo High School to join an organization or club is that sometimes, they'll just join in order to fulfill the requirement. The results are students who don't give full commitment to their organization.
Until last year, I didn't have that problem in the High School Judo Club. Most, if not all of the people in the Club, were dedicated members; one would have to be, considering the punishing training the Club demands.
Sure, the Judo Club has had lean years when we struck out on our own from the Ateneo Judo Association (too long a story to tell), but we've managed to keep it on an even keel.
Then, last year, I had that student whom I wrote about earlier this year, who found all sorts of excuses to avoid training. Fortunately, he didn't decide to sign up this school year.
This year, however, I've noticed that some of my players, including students from last year, don't give 100% to the Club. These are the students who leave at 4pm every training day, citing their transportation service. I'm wondering, considering that they knew about the Club's schedule, why they bothered to come back, if they couldn't practice full-time.
Then, yesterday, I'd hit rock bottom. Out of my 24 players, only 10 were suited up. The various reasons of the others? Three, who are part of the judo varsity team, have a competition this Sunday, and it is understandable why they asked to be excused, to avoid unnecessary injuries. One was really injured, due to their year level sportsfest the day before. Four cited head and/or body aches, which is questionable, considering some of them have been citing that reason in the past. Three thought that there wasn't any training, because of the special schedule for the day (Immaculate Conception, and the opening of Ani Mo, Ani Ko, the high school's December contest season). One was absent for the day. And two simply forgot their uniforms.
That was bad enough. What was worse when the four o'clock club members had to go, two of them simply left without asking permission! I was thinking, what disrespect!
There's a part of me that would like to take these malingerers onto the mat, and have them spar with me, so that I can dish out some punishment. Of course, the levelheaded part of me says that this would be wrong (but, damn, couldn't I just take one swipe at them?), as it would simply be cold-blooded revenge. But I have to figure out a way to discipline these malingerers, and send the message that if they want to be part of the Judo Club, they're going to have to earn it. Otherwise, I might as well just pack up and close shop.
Until last year, I didn't have that problem in the High School Judo Club. Most, if not all of the people in the Club, were dedicated members; one would have to be, considering the punishing training the Club demands.
Sure, the Judo Club has had lean years when we struck out on our own from the Ateneo Judo Association (too long a story to tell), but we've managed to keep it on an even keel.
Then, last year, I had that student whom I wrote about earlier this year, who found all sorts of excuses to avoid training. Fortunately, he didn't decide to sign up this school year.
This year, however, I've noticed that some of my players, including students from last year, don't give 100% to the Club. These are the students who leave at 4pm every training day, citing their transportation service. I'm wondering, considering that they knew about the Club's schedule, why they bothered to come back, if they couldn't practice full-time.
Then, yesterday, I'd hit rock bottom. Out of my 24 players, only 10 were suited up. The various reasons of the others? Three, who are part of the judo varsity team, have a competition this Sunday, and it is understandable why they asked to be excused, to avoid unnecessary injuries. One was really injured, due to their year level sportsfest the day before. Four cited head and/or body aches, which is questionable, considering some of them have been citing that reason in the past. Three thought that there wasn't any training, because of the special schedule for the day (Immaculate Conception, and the opening of Ani Mo, Ani Ko, the high school's December contest season). One was absent for the day. And two simply forgot their uniforms.
That was bad enough. What was worse when the four o'clock club members had to go, two of them simply left without asking permission! I was thinking, what disrespect!
There's a part of me that would like to take these malingerers onto the mat, and have them spar with me, so that I can dish out some punishment. Of course, the levelheaded part of me says that this would be wrong (but, damn, couldn't I just take one swipe at them?), as it would simply be cold-blooded revenge. But I have to figure out a way to discipline these malingerers, and send the message that if they want to be part of the Judo Club, they're going to have to earn it. Otherwise, I might as well just pack up and close shop.
Wednesday, December 07, 2005
"The Shining"
One of my problems of having an acute visual memory is that images tend to stick in my mind for a while. While this is a good thing with positive images, it can be downright scary when it comes to horror. This means that the images of terror and the unnatural stay with me for a few weeks, and, in some cases, never leave.
This is the reason why I’ve stayed away from reading Stephen King’s “The Shining”. Since I’d only gotten to half of “Pet Sematary” because the images were too horrifying for me to remain in memory, my brother, the source of all my King reading, suggested that I don’t read “The Shining,” because the terror I would experience would be a lot worse than “Pet Sematary.”
So I stayed away for almost eight years.
Then, last week, while I was in my brother’s room, I glanced at the shelf which contained his King collection, and focused on the bogeyman that has been on my back all these years, and decided to take the plunge and conquer this fear I’ve had of the book for so long.
I resolved to read the book during the daytime, to minimize the possible aftereffects. So, during my students’ study time, my proctoring consisted of reading through the book. I wound up finishing “The Shining” yesterday, while most of my colleagues were rushing to finish their grades (I finished mine last week).
Maybe it’s just me, and that my brother has a different sense of horror than I do. Maybe it’s because the book has been parodied in one of the Simpsons’ Halloween specials (“The Shinning”). Maybe my playing of VTES has inured me to horror to some extent. But, “The Shining” didn’t evoke the same level of fear that some of King’s other works did.
Oh, the terror is still there, definitely. I don’t think I’d like to be alone in a room for a while.
Still, the story, about an evil sentient hotel, is gripping and classic Stephen King. Each chapter is told from the point of view one of the principal characters, giving us a holistic view of what is happening in the Overlook Hotel.
There were still the gruesome images that King is good at illustrating. But “Pet Sematary” was a lot scarier. Maybe “Sematary” hit closer to home, dealing with the loss of a loved one. While “The Shining” focuses on a family as well, the loss is easier to take because the father’s downward spiral into madness as the hotel exerts its influence on him is clearly seen. In “Sematary”, the horror is that a loved one comes back from the dead, but not quite, because something else came back as well. Something malicious.
Or, it’s just that I braced myself for “The Shining”, and was thus protected from being terrified out of my wits.
(REDRUM)
Oh, well. Maybe I’ll take up “Sematary” next, and see whether I can stand not sleeping for the next few weeks.
Tuesday, December 06, 2005
Starbucks Quest
It seems to me that I've been spending way too many late nights lately, mainly due to the fact that G sleeps late because of her afternoon nap. So, short of knocking her out with sleeping pills (which I will never do, by the way) H and I have to find ways to tire her out so that she'd sleep earlier.
Last night found us in Megamall, as H had promised G that if G slept, H would take her to the Playroom in Megamall, which is one of G favorite haunts.
After dropping off G at the Playroom, H made her way to the department store, to buy a dress for her mom, while I parked myself at Netopia, to await her call for me to come and fetch her.
With the dress bought, we decided to pass by Starbucks to relax, and to add to my sticker promo card; I'm going after that neat planner Starbucks is giving out. All one has to do is to buy 9 of their special Christmas drinks (Peppermint Mocha, Creme Brulee Latte, and Toffee Nut Latte), and 12 other drinks to claim the planner. In my case, I had already accumulated the necessary 9, and decided to order a peppermint hot chocolate for myself, and a strawberry and cream frappuccino, and a slice of chocolate cake, for H.
Imagine to my surprise that the lady at the counter placed 3 stickers, instead of 2. When I pointed it out (yeah, I know it's a freebie mistake, and I should simply enjoy my good fortune, but I'm a bit of a stickler for rules. Ask any of my students.), she just mouthed out, "It's okay." Oh, good. Now, I'm only 6 stickers away from the planner. Yess!!!
Of course, I know people out there who frequent Starbucks, probably have one or more planners by now. But, for someone who doesn't go out often with friends, getting to the magic 21 stickers is a bit of a quest. So, only 6 more to go.
Last night found us in Megamall, as H had promised G that if G slept, H would take her to the Playroom in Megamall, which is one of G favorite haunts.
After dropping off G at the Playroom, H made her way to the department store, to buy a dress for her mom, while I parked myself at Netopia, to await her call for me to come and fetch her.
With the dress bought, we decided to pass by Starbucks to relax, and to add to my sticker promo card; I'm going after that neat planner Starbucks is giving out. All one has to do is to buy 9 of their special Christmas drinks (Peppermint Mocha, Creme Brulee Latte, and Toffee Nut Latte), and 12 other drinks to claim the planner. In my case, I had already accumulated the necessary 9, and decided to order a peppermint hot chocolate for myself, and a strawberry and cream frappuccino, and a slice of chocolate cake, for H.
Imagine to my surprise that the lady at the counter placed 3 stickers, instead of 2. When I pointed it out (yeah, I know it's a freebie mistake, and I should simply enjoy my good fortune, but I'm a bit of a stickler for rules. Ask any of my students.), she just mouthed out, "It's okay." Oh, good. Now, I'm only 6 stickers away from the planner. Yess!!!
Of course, I know people out there who frequent Starbucks, probably have one or more planners by now. But, for someone who doesn't go out often with friends, getting to the magic 21 stickers is a bit of a quest. So, only 6 more to go.
Monday, December 05, 2005
Southeast Asian Games - Hurrah!
I am gladdened by the fact that, in the recent Southeast Asian Games (SEAG), some of the people I know in judo are medalists. Topping the list is veteran John Baylon, who won his 7th straight SEAG gold in the -81kg division through a submission by armlock over Myanmar’s Yan Naing Soe. Baylon, who has been the epitome of Philippine judo for two decades, has managed to adjust his style to his advancing years (he's 41). When I first saw him compete, back in the 80s, he was disposing of his opponents with powerful leg throws, sending them soaring into the air before crashing down to the mat. Now, he takes out his opponents through submissions, either by strangleholds or armlocks.
I saw Nancy Quilotes (silver, -48kg, women's) and Gilbert Ramirez (gold, -73kg, men's) begin their judo careers when they were in Marikina High School, under sensei Vic Benedicto. It's thrilling to see how far they've advanced, and I'm proud of their achievements. Gilbert, particularly, had to come from behind to win, scoring an ippon (full point) by throw when he was trailing his opponent with only seconds remaining in regulation time. Gilbert proved that old Berraism, "It ain't over 'till it's over."
While he didn't compete in judo, Marcus Valda, who used to anchor the La Salle UAAP men's judo team, won a gold in wrestling, ruling the 96kg division. I remember Marcus dominating his weight division, both in the UAAP, and during various competitions.
However, my happiness is tempered because of the controversies that have hampered theses SEA Games.
I am saddened by the fact that, while there has been little or no concrete proof of such, Filipinos give credence to the comments of Thailand's Prime Minister Thaksin, who, while he didn't name the Philippines directly, still cast a shadow on the Games by commenting on the unfairness of the Games. Why not, considering our President is believed to have cheated in the 2004 elections? Still, without any clear proof of cheating, I believe the Thai PM is simply sour-graping because his country's athletes weren't up to par for these Games.
Worse, still, are those hacks who exploit the situation by tying the supposed cheating to the cheating of our President in the elections, which is a slur on our athletes who have sacrificed and trained so hard for these Games. Perhaps GMA is a cheat. It doesn't mean that our athletes have also cheated to win.
Our athletes deserve our commendations and not our condemnations.
I saw Nancy Quilotes (silver, -48kg, women's) and Gilbert Ramirez (gold, -73kg, men's) begin their judo careers when they were in Marikina High School, under sensei Vic Benedicto. It's thrilling to see how far they've advanced, and I'm proud of their achievements. Gilbert, particularly, had to come from behind to win, scoring an ippon (full point) by throw when he was trailing his opponent with only seconds remaining in regulation time. Gilbert proved that old Berraism, "It ain't over 'till it's over."
While he didn't compete in judo, Marcus Valda, who used to anchor the La Salle UAAP men's judo team, won a gold in wrestling, ruling the 96kg division. I remember Marcus dominating his weight division, both in the UAAP, and during various competitions.
However, my happiness is tempered because of the controversies that have hampered theses SEA Games.
I am saddened by the fact that, while there has been little or no concrete proof of such, Filipinos give credence to the comments of Thailand's Prime Minister Thaksin, who, while he didn't name the Philippines directly, still cast a shadow on the Games by commenting on the unfairness of the Games. Why not, considering our President is believed to have cheated in the 2004 elections? Still, without any clear proof of cheating, I believe the Thai PM is simply sour-graping because his country's athletes weren't up to par for these Games.
Worse, still, are those hacks who exploit the situation by tying the supposed cheating to the cheating of our President in the elections, which is a slur on our athletes who have sacrificed and trained so hard for these Games. Perhaps GMA is a cheat. It doesn't mean that our athletes have also cheated to win.
Our athletes deserve our commendations and not our condemnations.
Start of Another Week
What a way to start the week. When we were on our way to my parents' house this morning, the traffic was especially heavy. The reason for this was that there was a vehicular accident across the Petron Commonwealth branch. A bus had run over someone, and the unfortunate person was killed. I know, because, as we passed the accident area, I glimpsed that there was a body draped with newspapers to the right of us. Since the driver in front of us apparently decided to take a better look and slow down, we had to view the grisly spectacle ourselves. H was obviously disturbed by the sight, so I wound up honking my horn to speed up the person in front of us. It took a while, though, before the idiot decided that he had had his fill of blood and move on.
When we got to my parents' house, I complained about it to my dad, and he said it was simply human nature. I don't agree; maybe I'm not human? For me, unless I plan to get down and see what help (if any) I can do, I simply drive on past because I know that there is little I can do, and because I'm considerate of the cars behind me. Sad to say, it's apparently a Filipino trait, to gawk at life's miseries.
Oh, well. After something like that, the week can only go up from there, yes?
When we got to my parents' house, I complained about it to my dad, and he said it was simply human nature. I don't agree; maybe I'm not human? For me, unless I plan to get down and see what help (if any) I can do, I simply drive on past because I know that there is little I can do, and because I'm considerate of the cars behind me. Sad to say, it's apparently a Filipino trait, to gawk at life's miseries.
Oh, well. After something like that, the week can only go up from there, yes?
* * *
This weekend was a mixed bag of emotions. G's school went carolling last Saturday, and H and I went along for the ride. It was too bad we weren't able to bring a camera, so we will just have to rely on our visual memories of Gabby swinging and swaying to the music, and singing at the top of her lungs. Next Saturday, the school will descend on my parents' house, and the good thing about going last Saturday was that we have an idea of what to expect, and what food to prepare.
On the down side, my best friend E's father passed away Friday morning, and I helped out where I could with the wake, trying to look for priests to celebrate the funeral masses. I was able to get Fr. RB Hizon, SJ, the high school's associate principal for student affairs, who turned out to be a close friend of the family. It was also fortuitious for him to be available yesterday afternoon, because E's father was scheduled to be cremated that afternoon. So, RB celebrated the last mass before the cremation.
Some of our high school classmates were able to make it to the wake last Saturday, and it turned into a mini-reunion, as we caught up with each other's lives. I echo what my brother wrote in one of the essays in his book Wala Lang when I wonder why we only get together whenever there's a wedding or a funeral. It does seem to be the only time we're able to make time for one another, which is kind of sad.
It also made me think of my own family, of howI'd feel when our time to go comes. It reminds me to make the most of the time we have with our family, and spend each moment together fully.
This weekend was a mixed bag of emotions. G's school went carolling last Saturday, and H and I went along for the ride. It was too bad we weren't able to bring a camera, so we will just have to rely on our visual memories of Gabby swinging and swaying to the music, and singing at the top of her lungs. Next Saturday, the school will descend on my parents' house, and the good thing about going last Saturday was that we have an idea of what to expect, and what food to prepare.
On the down side, my best friend E's father passed away Friday morning, and I helped out where I could with the wake, trying to look for priests to celebrate the funeral masses. I was able to get Fr. RB Hizon, SJ, the high school's associate principal for student affairs, who turned out to be a close friend of the family. It was also fortuitious for him to be available yesterday afternoon, because E's father was scheduled to be cremated that afternoon. So, RB celebrated the last mass before the cremation.
Some of our high school classmates were able to make it to the wake last Saturday, and it turned into a mini-reunion, as we caught up with each other's lives. I echo what my brother wrote in one of the essays in his book Wala Lang when I wonder why we only get together whenever there's a wedding or a funeral. It does seem to be the only time we're able to make time for one another, which is kind of sad.
It also made me think of my own family, of howI'd feel when our time to go comes. It reminds me to make the most of the time we have with our family, and spend each moment together fully.
Friday, December 02, 2005
Blog Advertisment: The Movie Review Diary
Whenever I check out Paul McElligott's The Movie Review Diary, I always feel a touch of envy because he has a very sharp mind when analyzing a movie. I don't always agree with what he says (you can check out how I felt about War of the Worlds and then read his take, or vice versa), but he always has a well-supported argument for his reviews.
The Diary covers movies that he's watched on DVD, and it gives us a good look at some very old, and some very new movies. It's worth a look-see if you're fond of movies, as I am.
The Diary covers movies that he's watched on DVD, and it gives us a good look at some very old, and some very new movies. It's worth a look-see if you're fond of movies, as I am.
"Chicken Little"
One comment I read on the Internet Movie Database (IMDB) regarding computer generated image (CGI) animation is that since CGI has been around for 10 years now, it's not enough that movie makers just play around with the animation and slap it together and call it a movie. As Pixar has ably demonstrated, the movie must be driven by a strong story; otherwise, the movie will simply fail.
I had that very same feeling when I watched "Chicken Little" last night at Megamall.
I brought G to watch "Chicken Little", and, while she was relatively entertained by the film, I found myself thinking and finding the movie a bit lacking.
(SPOILERS FOLLOW)
The story is about Chicken Little, who, as the classic story goes, throws his town into a panic when he alarms everyone about the sky falling. Nobody believes him, including his father. However, in the movie, the sky falling was a reality, and the movie moves from there.
It seems apparent that Disney is suffering from the break-up with Pixar, as the story of "Chicken Little" tries to everything and falling a bit flat.
One of the problems with inserting pop culture references is that it sometimes seems forced into the movie for the sake of the adults who have to accompany their kids to watch the movie. Sometimes, in the case of "Shrek" and "Madagascar", the ploy works. Not so here. There were a good number of references that seemed plopped in for no better reason than the fact that the makers could.
The story itself is a bit messy, making it difficult for me to relate to the characters. The insertion of aliens doesn't seem to help much to improve it.
I didn't really feel the supposed tension between Chicken Little (Zach Braff) and his dad, Buck Cluck (Garry Marshall), and I thought it was a bit contrived. It didn't help that one of the other characters, Abby Mallard (Joan Cusack) kept on harping on the fact that Little and his dad had to work things out; she kept on delivering it in a shrill voice, which made it even harder to appreciate.
Ironically, I found the alien parents (played respectively by Fred Willard, and Catherine O'Hara) to be more genuine in their shows of emotions and more entertaining than the two main characters.
What I did like were some of the choices for voice actors. It's been a while since I've heard Don Knotts, and I'm happy to hear him again, this time as the deranged mayor of Oakely Oaks. Adam West, who, for once, isn't playing a parody of his "Batman" days in a cartoon, has a cameo as the moviefied version of Chicken Little, and he delivers it with the hokieness for which he's famous.
Verdict: "Chicken Little" is okay for kids, and a little tedious for adults.
Random notes:
- There apparently are three animated (all CGI; will there ever be a traditionally animated feature film again?) films coming out next year: "Happy Feet", which seems to be about Jamaican penguins, "Ice Age 2", which I've mentioned before and am looking forward to see, and "Open Season", which appears to answer the question, "What if forest creatures decide to hunt humans?"
- Why is it that non-GP movie trailers always seem to precede children movies? Last night, the theatre played the trailers of "Shake, Rattle and Roll Y25" and "Exodus" which remind us that the Metro Manila Film Festival is just around the corner, but the graphic nature of the trailers is questionable for a kid's movie.
I had that very same feeling when I watched "Chicken Little" last night at Megamall.
I brought G to watch "Chicken Little", and, while she was relatively entertained by the film, I found myself thinking and finding the movie a bit lacking.
(SPOILERS FOLLOW)
The story is about Chicken Little, who, as the classic story goes, throws his town into a panic when he alarms everyone about the sky falling. Nobody believes him, including his father. However, in the movie, the sky falling was a reality, and the movie moves from there.
It seems apparent that Disney is suffering from the break-up with Pixar, as the story of "Chicken Little" tries to everything and falling a bit flat.
One of the problems with inserting pop culture references is that it sometimes seems forced into the movie for the sake of the adults who have to accompany their kids to watch the movie. Sometimes, in the case of "Shrek" and "Madagascar", the ploy works. Not so here. There were a good number of references that seemed plopped in for no better reason than the fact that the makers could.
The story itself is a bit messy, making it difficult for me to relate to the characters. The insertion of aliens doesn't seem to help much to improve it.
I didn't really feel the supposed tension between Chicken Little (Zach Braff) and his dad, Buck Cluck (Garry Marshall), and I thought it was a bit contrived. It didn't help that one of the other characters, Abby Mallard (Joan Cusack) kept on harping on the fact that Little and his dad had to work things out; she kept on delivering it in a shrill voice, which made it even harder to appreciate.
Ironically, I found the alien parents (played respectively by Fred Willard, and Catherine O'Hara) to be more genuine in their shows of emotions and more entertaining than the two main characters.
What I did like were some of the choices for voice actors. It's been a while since I've heard Don Knotts, and I'm happy to hear him again, this time as the deranged mayor of Oakely Oaks. Adam West, who, for once, isn't playing a parody of his "Batman" days in a cartoon, has a cameo as the moviefied version of Chicken Little, and he delivers it with the hokieness for which he's famous.
Verdict: "Chicken Little" is okay for kids, and a little tedious for adults.
Random notes:
- There apparently are three animated (all CGI; will there ever be a traditionally animated feature film again?) films coming out next year: "Happy Feet", which seems to be about Jamaican penguins, "Ice Age 2", which I've mentioned before and am looking forward to see, and "Open Season", which appears to answer the question, "What if forest creatures decide to hunt humans?"
- Why is it that non-GP movie trailers always seem to precede children movies? Last night, the theatre played the trailers of "Shake, Rattle and Roll Y25" and "Exodus" which remind us that the Metro Manila Film Festival is just around the corner, but the graphic nature of the trailers is questionable for a kid's movie.
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