Birthdays: Michelle and Mae Etesa

I'm putting this here for posterity's sake. I sent this email earlier today. As a tease to remind Michelle and Mae Etesa (friends and colleagues, both) of their promised ice cream treat for their birthdays. Please don't think that I'm only after the food. I also sent them real birthday greetings.

TIME CHECK
It's three minutes before eleven.

TODAY
For the year that was
For the year ahead

At NOON
When the clock strikes twelve

For the ICE CREAM that will fill us after lunch
For what they mean
For what they don't

THANK YOU
Mitch and Mae
Feed the hungry
And you will never be hungry

5:30 PM mass at the Xavier University chapel

From now on (actually I've been doing this since April) every time I'm in the city and every chance I get, I'm going to attend the 5:30 PM mass at the Xavier University chapel. Whatever the day of the week, no matter that there's no special occasion, I'm going to attend the 5:30 PM mass. It's not because I'm praying for something big, on the contrary I'm doing this as a form of thanksgiving, for everything that God has done for me. Despite the many trials and tribulations in my life, despite all the pains, I still can say that God has been good to me. Sometimes I even think that I don't deserve some of things He has given me. I should have done this a long time ago. Except for one friend I talked to last night, nobody else knows that I'm doing this, not even my parents. Well, now you, the readers of this blog, know. And my parents still don't. :-)

Sing a sad song to end a bad day?

The farewell video of a fallen American Idol finalist is accompanied by David Powter's Bad Day. Part of the lyrics says, "you sing a sad song just to turn it around." Interesting. I tried to sing my way out of a bad day before, I just don't think they were sad songs. Could a sad song truly end a bad day? Probably not. There's a greater chance of ending a bad day by singing Bukas Palad songs.

Bring on the cooties

Little Manhattan

Written by Jennifer Flackett. Directed by Mark Levin. Starring Josh Hutcherson (Zathura), Charlie Ray, Bradley Whitford, and Cynthia Nixon.

Running Time: 84 minutes.

Story

I don't know if I can call this a coming of age comedy/story, but it's certainly a falling in love story. You can call it a romantic comedy, with emphasis on comedy. 10-year old Gabe used to think girls are disgusting creatures that could bring you cooties (without knowing what 'cooties' mean), until he discovers 11-year old Rosemary Telesco. Actually Gabe rediscovers her since she's been his classmate since kindergarten. He fell in love with her, and she with him. He discovers romantic love at the same time he discovered the end of another one. His parents are getting a divorce. Will it be a happy ending for Gabe and Rosemary? Will it be a sad ending for Gabe's parents?

Impression

About two minutes into the movie, you'll immediately know that this is more of a comedy than a sappy coming-of-age drama. I love comedies and this is among the funniest movie that I've seen. The characters are not kidding with each other, but they came out very funny. There's plenty of laugh-out-loud moments. It does say a lot about how funny our lives can be, without us meaning them to be funny.

It's also a movie about a small portion of New York City and I can say it's a good movie about that portion of the city. It's definitely a movie born out of the writer and director's love of the city (New Yorker husband and wife team).

Would I see it again? Definitely. Would I recommend it to my friends? Definitely. To those who love comedies, anyway.

Two years of capturing the smaller pictures

I just realized that it's been two years now since I started blogging. My motivation to blog has changed since I posted my second entry (my first entry was a mere "hello, world" to test the blog). My blog is becoming more and more personal, though it still contains short opinions/reviews about a movie that I saw, a book I've read, or a web page that interested me. I'm glad that I have yet to delete a single entry, no matter how embarassing some are, though there are drafts that I haven't posted yet and probably never will.

Onwards to my third year of capturing my life's smaller pictures.

Mother and child

Dark maybe the path they're taking
All steps as sure as those in the morning
Mother and daughter walking and talking
One cool and starless night
Each the light to the other

The rain has stopped and gave them time
The water cleared their paths
Moonlight guiding their every step
The silence carries their voices
To nobody's ear but mine

The older was sharing her regrets in life
The younger her regrets yesterday
The mother was fearful of her past
The child afraid of her future
Uncertainty has a way of scaring

To the world they are alone
But to each other they're not
In this cool and pleasant night
I'm witnessing love at its purest
Only God's own is greater

Story behind the poem:

I started writing this poem late last year. It was about nine o'clock in the evening when the jeepney I was riding home passed by an empty street near the Cogon market area. I think I was only the fifth person in the jeepney. It rained earlier that night so the air has a certain coolness to it. The jeepney had no sound system. All these factors combined for a very reflective ride home. We turned right a certain street and we passed by a woman in her thirties walking with a nine or ten year-old girl. I immediately thought I could make a poem out of it and I think I'm right. Why else would I be posting this if I don't? Sure, I just assumed that they were a mother and a daughter. But it doesn't matter. Only those without imagination would object.

I wrote the first three stanzas in one sitting and then I forgot about it. I stumbled upon it now, about five months later, and added the final stanza. And I'm posting it before I forget about it again. I planned to write a longer poem than this, but then I thought I just want to describe a mother and a daughter talking one cool night, anyway. Poems don't need to have lessons. And I can add lines to it in the future if I have to.

Happy Mother's Day to all mothers (biological or not, to those Wendy Moira Angela Darling's of the world).

Should you choose to accept

Mission: Impossible III

Written by Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, and JJ Abrams. Directed by JJ Abrams(Alias, Lost). Starring Tom Cruise, Ving Rhames, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Michelle Monaghan. Runtime: 126 minutes.

SM City CDO Cinema 1 (Sunday, May 7, 2006, 2:00 PM)
Attendance: Virtually empty (Deluxe), 90% full (Premiere)

Previews.

American Soldiers (not interesting, no reaction from audience)
Poseidon (vague story, a few stirring from audience)
Over the Hedge (laughs all around)
The Ant Bully (few laughs)
Tristan + Isolde (silence all around, perhaps interested)
The Benchwarmers (few laughs, corny)
The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (why make this?)

Story.

What story? This is "Mission Impossible", remember? Okay, let me see if I can summarize this for you. A rescue mission to save an agent being hostaged lead to the discovery of weapon smuggling and conspiracy within the IMF (Impossible Missions Force). The IMF must be the most dysfunctional intelligence agency in the world. This time around Ethan Hunt (Cruise) is about to be married to a nurse (Monaghan) which makes his life as an agent complicated. Follow Ethan Hunt as he rescues a captured agent, gets married, captures a weapons smugler (Hoffman), and uncovers the conspiracy within the IMF. Will Hunt make it alive at the end of the movie?

Impression.

The only real reason why I went to see this movie is JJ Abrams the creator of my favorite TV drama, LOST, directed this movie. I was entertained and so did the rest of the audience. The cities they have to go through to follow the trail of deception and smuggling did not make any sense, but they're still interesting cities. The dialogues are a bit corny. Throughout the movie I said to myself, "That can't be right. Real spies probably don't talk like that." It's still very enjoyable. You just have to suspend disbelief for a couple of hours.

Would I see it again? With the right company, yes. Would I recommend it to my friends? To those friends who love action movies, maybe. To those who want a good story with the action sequences, I won't recommend it. Was it worth the admission price? I was entertained, so I'd say yes.

Roar from the heart

The Wild

Written by Ed Decter, Mark Gibson, Philip Halprin, and John J. Strauss. Directed by Steve Williams. Featuring the voices of Kiefer Sutherland (Samson), James Belushi (Benny), and Eddie Izzard (Nigel). Released by Walt Disney Pictures.

SM City CDO Cinema 3 (Monday, May 1, 2006, 3:30 PM - 5:10 PM)
Attendance: 40% full

Previews.

Mission Impossible 3 (interesting)
X-Men: The Last Stand (will definitely see this one)
Superman Returns (not very interesting)
Poseidon (not interesting)
Just My Luck (bleh)
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (can't wait to see this)

Story.

You have talking zoo animals: a lion, giraffe, squirrel, koala, and a python. The lion's son has growing up issues. He abandons his common sense to show us he has growing up issues. The poor lion cub ended up being shipped to "the wild", probably Africa. His father along with his closest friends, of course, have to rescue him.

This is not exactly how I want to summarize this movie, but I'm in a hurry, so what I wrote above should be enough to give you a sense of the story. I hope.

Impression.

The movie doesn't have many laugh-out-loud moments like Ice Age 2. But I'd say it has a better story than Madagascar. The story is much tighter. But it's no Finding Nemo, either. The animation is superb, though. Every time a new computer-generated flick comes along, you really notice how fast computer animation technology advances. It just keeps getting better and better every movie.

Would I see it again? Nope. Would I recommend it to my friends? Probably not. Was it worth the ticket price? Not completely, but I didn't regret going to it, either. I had to go buy some stuff, and when you have to travel about a total time of one hour to get to the mall, you might as well take advantage and enjoy a movie (if you have time to spare, of course). It was my reward to myself for winning the war on viral conjunctivitis (a.k.a. sore eyes) the week before with the help of Dr. Santiago Mercado III's prescription. Thanks, doc.

By The Way.

If you suspect you have sore eyes, go to (opthalmologist) Dr. Mercado III. His clinic is located at the fourth floor of CDO Medical Center. Clinic is open Mondays to Saturdays, 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM.

My hero is the dogs that saved my father

Eight Below

Written by Dave DiGilio. Directed by Frank Marshall (Congo, Alive). Starring Paul Walker (The Fast and the Furious) and a bunch of Huskies.

Gaisano Mall Cinema 3 (Thursday, April 20, 2006, 6:40 PM - 8:40 PM)
Deluxe: Virtually empty; Premiere: 80% full
Trailers: Missed them completely, even missed the beginning of the movie.

Story.

I missed the beginning of the movie. A scientist is trying to find a meteorite of some sort in the Antarctic or the South Pole. He is accompanied by the character played by Paul Walker that handles the sled, navigation, and the eight Huskies. They found the meteorite. But on their way back to the camp/research station the scientist got involved in an accident. He was rescued with the help of the lead dog named Maya (don't know the exact spelling). A storm forced the whole team to evacuate the station, leaving the dogs behind because the decision to evacuate was so sudden and the plane can no longer accomodate them. They would just have to go back to get the dogs later. But the storm took a turn for the worse and so no plane can be dispatched to fetch the dogs. This is where the story really begins. The story of survival of eight Huskies left to fend for themselves.

Impression.

The movie reminds me of the documentary, March of the Penguins, that I really liked. The dogs were amazing. They have been trained really well. Kudos to the trainers. I haven't seen a movie with dogs that convey emotion as good as the dogs used in this movie. It is also well written. You would think that it's sappy as typical of survival tales. But it's not. Little victories is mixed with defeats to make the story believable. It should be believable, it's based on a true story after all. Or so I've heard.

Would I see it again? Yes, I'd see it again if I can get some company. Would I recommend it to my friends? Absolutely yes. It's one of those movies with little publicity, but packs some big enjoyment and satisfaction. You get your money's worth.

Note: The title of this post, "My hero is the dogs that saved my father", can really be read within the movie. It's written by the child of the scientist rescued by the dogs.

20 random facts about somebody named Carl

I got the idea for this post from Riclags.

1. Carl had an older sister right up to when he was four. He wrote a poem dedicated to her, but somehow the poem hadn't yet made its way to the blog. He thinks it's not yet finished.
   
2. Carl digs sitcoms. Friends, Still Standing, Yes Dear, Frasier, Everybody Loves Raymond, Perfect Strangers, The Wonder Years, Malcolm in the Middle. Thousand others.
3. The only reality show Carl cares about are The Amazing Race and American Idol. In that order.
4. Carl loves fried food. Fish, pork, beef, chicken, even rice.
5. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is the only movie that Carl has seen three times and in three different movie houses.
6. Carl seems to always fall for girls way out of his league, who'll never be able to love him back. Some are too religious for him (you know, those on the brink of becoming nuns). Hehe... Some are too sophisticated. Some are too rich. Life's not fair. Poor Carl.
   
7. Carl loves to program more than he loves administering heartless machines.
8. His bookshelf contains books he hadn't read yet, several books he has yet to finish reading, but he still buys books almost every time he enters a bookstore.
9. When asked for a preferred course or courses in several college applications, he wrote Accountancy on top. He took and finished Computer Science.
10. If he didn't pass the scholarship, his family wouldn't have been able to afford to send him to Xavier University High School (XUHS).
11. Carl has a terrible singing voice, but it didn't stop him becoming a member of XUHS Music Ministry in his freshman year, eventually elected Secretary in his junior year, resigned the post in the middle of the school year due to differences with the moderator, and elected to Vice-Presidency in his senior year. A friend who was an officer of the Ministry during Carl's freshman year made it possible for him to become a member without knowing a single musical instrument and without knowing how to sing. Four years of practice, though, made him almost able to sing. He was dedicated. He never missed a practice session. When you are in an organization that from time to time practices three hours everyday, commitment will be the only thing preventing you from quitting. To this day, he believes that the Music Ministry is an organization of committed individuals. Only dedicated members survive.
    
12. On his sophomore year in high school a friend invited him to apply for a position in the school organ. On his junior year, a teacher invited him to it. He never accepted the invitation. On hindsight, he considers it a mistake.
13. In college, a chemistry teacher selected him as one of the contestants to a quiz/contest sponsored by Intel Philippines to be held in Cebu. Carl opted to spend his summer with his mother in Ilo-ilo instead of training and participating in the contest. On hindsight, he considers it a mistake.
14. He passed the opportunity to take the exam for a Cebu-based IT company, headhunters of which visited his school trying to find qualified students for employment opportunities after college. Somehow, he just couldn't miss a Religious Studies class. On hindsight, he considers it a mistake.
15. Carl thinks the cockroach is the most disgusting animal in the planet.
16. Carl missed volunteering for his local parish church. If only the company he works for doesn't have Saturday as working day. All lay organizations he cares for meet on Saturdays.
17. He thought of entering priesthood once. He thought how wonderful it would have been to surrender himself completely to God. To not worry about tomorrow. But then again, all acolytes (altar boys) have thought of entering priesthood at one point of their lives. Nothing special about this.
    
18. Carl, in elementary school, actually even before that in kindergarten, was tagged by teachers as the friendliest, the easiest to be friends with. Today he wonders what happened between then and now that made him a very reserved or timid person.
19. Carl wished he studied harder in college (just like in high school and in elementary school).
20. At age six, bored at a relative's house, Carl walked several kilometers all the way home from Tagoloan to Bugo leaving his father and relatives worried sick. They thought he got lost or was in an accident or something. The fact that he went straight to a neighbor's house without going home till evening didn't help. When "found" his parents and relatives were pretty happy at first for he was safe and then later pretty angry for his stunt. But what could they do, right? He was six. This is an anecdote that makes him smile every time he remembers it.