Life Changing Football

            It is the first time that I have heard about the homeless world cup that is why I conducted a research about it to be able to write this paper.  According to my research, the homeless world cup is a sporting event that brings together homeless people to play football. 

            I think that this is a great idea to address the issue of poverty in our country.  I often associate poverty with laziness.  I have this image of marginalized people as hopeless and bums.  And I am sure that I am not alone with these generalizations.   But with this homeless world cup, people will be enlightened with their image of poverty.  These guys are homeless and they just don’t sit at home and be bums.  They do something about their situation, which is really heartwarming.

            I think that the homeless world cup should be given more media attention because it is good to see something like this once in a while.  Through media exposure, they will definitely get the support of the Filipinos.  I believe that the government should also fund projects like this.  But it is sad to say that the government lacks funding when it comes to Philippine athletes.  The Philippine team needs all the support that they can get to be ale to train better and produce outstanding results. 

            I read a blog which was an interview with one of the coaches of the Philippine team.  His name is Ronald Patulin.  He had said lines that struck me.  “For Team Philippines this means more than football, this is our opportunity to voice the issue of homelessness which is ignored in the Philippines” and “Taking part in this event is the focus by which we can change lives through football”.  I can feel the dedication in these lines.  I like the way that they addressed issues in the Philippines that are ignored.  Most Filipinos would address these issues through rallies which harms the image of the Philippines.  Joining the homelss world cup and winning it will give pride to the Philippines.

            Media often portrays negative issues about this country, which is why Filipinos get hopeless about the situation.  Stories like these will definitely give back hope to the Filipinos.  These will make them realize that Philippines is not so bad after all.

Sources:

http://www.streetsoccerphilippines.com/

http://www.homelessworldcup.org/news/team-philippines-touch-down-in-rio

Justin Chua's Picture

Warning

Homeless World Cup By Justin Chua

First of all I am very proud with the organizers of this event because it really shows how we Filipinos wants to generously help each other but I’m not talking about just Filipinos but also the countries that have joined this spectacular event. Something striking about this club is that its aim is to cure poverty not only here but also in other countries. Knowing that the Philippines is one of the most countries with high level of poverty and yet this club has a very big dream of curing this “disease”. I wasn’t really in that talk during class but according to my research that there are qualifications on joining this team and not just anybody who knows how to play football can play. According to my research you must be aged 16 and above and must be HOMELESS, ENTERING DRUG REHAB or simply have a work of a paper boy. These qualifications seems weird for a football club that is trying to compete internationally but it just proves to show that this organization just wants to give every people a chance to show what they can do and most importantly help these players change their lives drastically. For me this club is very impressing even though I don’t really understand football but the fact that they want to help people is very touching and that in the future if I have gained a certain amount of wealth I might want to help our national team somehow.

Kim's Photos

My family went to Canada during the Christmas break.  It was the first time I experienced falling snow and it was really amazing.  It was really cold up there but the scenery was so beautiful! I had with me my father's Nikon D80, though I have no idea how to use SLR cameras, I think my pictures turned out to be great.  If you have no skills in seeing the right angles and other things that professional photographers see in a picture.  You just need an awesome scenery and keep clicking your camera, there is no doubt that you will have great pictures with you! 

view outside our lodge

the driveway

my little brother enjoying the snow

Julio's Pictures

      The first picture is from my immersion. This for me is a happy picture because its a picture that reminds me of how fun like can be through the eyes of a little kid. One interesting story behind the taking of this picture is because I wanted to remember "boy patalim", the boy on the left side of the picture. I nicknamed him so because the first time I saw him, he was carrying scissors cutting away at anything he could find. The next day, I saw him carrying a small knife which for what purpose, I do not know.


                                            

 This is a picture of my brother that I took at a party during the Christmas break. I remember at the start of the party, the dance floor was plain until they turned off the lights and turned on the spot lights. Everyone enjoyed the music and the dancing even my brother in the picture that does not like to dance but is dressed like Justin Bieber.

     I took this picture from the time our my siblings, cousins and I took a trip to enchanted kingdom. It was fun hanging out with them after so long but the thing about enchanted kingdom when we went there was that it was packed. I think the picture tells you just how packed it was especially since the picture was taken at night. The log jam was actually the first ride we were able to go on despite us being there for almost four to five hours already. Although it took us this long to experience the magic of Enchanted Kingdom, the waiting helped us enjoy each other's company by playing games in the line or teasing, making fun of each other.

Nick's Pictures

I really enjoyed this week's assignment to go and take pictures of what we found fun. I ended up taking my camera around and taking a ton of pictures, most of which I didn't really find that compelling to share. In the end, I chose four pictures. Two from a skating session I had with my brother, and two from a friend's party at Bugsy's Makati. These pictures stuck out for me because it captured what I truly enjoy and find fun. Hope you like them! Check em out!

I have been skating for nearly a decade now, not that I'm any good. I just enjoy the freedom of expression it has. It's not about defacing public property or being a rebel, it's simply an outlet. Much like any other sport. The thing I love about skateboarding, is that even if you can't land any tricks, as long as you have style it's all good. It's really more of an art-form for me, the way people approach obstacles or different roads brings a definite originality to that persons skating style. My younger brother, is someone who I have always admired for his flare and style on a board. (Taken using Nikon D300s)

CROSS STEP ACTION. WOO!!!

HE WAS GOING PRETTY FAST, WHICH IS WHY HE WAS KEEPING LOW.

Friends are a huge part of my life. I honestly believe that who I am, is the collective effort of my friends and family. So I love getting together with my friends for inuman. Especially when it's open bar! For some reason, the alcohol tastes so much better! Haha! Add to that, a birthday party that has some sort of dessert and that's a perfect night out. These pictures are from a night just like that. Free drinks + cupcakes + good friends = AWESOME!!! (Taken using Canon G11)

FIGURING OUT HOW TO RATION HER CUPCAKE. IT'S HARD WHEN YOU'RE DRUNK.

DOUBLE FISTING JACK N' COKE! PARTY TIME!!!

 I fixed the colors of the pictures on photoshop. I just enjoy fixing the colors to look almost Lomo-ish.

10 things you need to know about Bane

So I'm sure we all know that Anne Hathaway is going to be playing Catwoman, and I think she is going to be super hot as her! Good choice! And Tom Hardy will be playing Bane. He was known to be tied to the movie for some time, but a lot of people did not see Bane as the choice. Christopher Nolan is known for not liking to use CGI, so how is he going to pull off Tom Hardy looking like a HULK-like dude. I'm sure Hardy will beef up considerably and I'm fairly certain all trace of the "venom" strength enhancing gimmick will be left out too, though there could well be a nod to it. Bane as a roid freak perhaps? Interestingly enough, I found this video that could be how they pull it off. 

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Here's a quick background on Bane: 

The character's roots lie in South America where he has a particularly hellish upbringing and is forced into a life of crime and punishment by his corrupt father. This much I do expect Nolan to carry over. Making Bane a product of the streets as it where will contrast brilliantly with Bruce Wayne's relatively sheltered and privileged upbringing. Sure he went through a bit of self imposed exile for a while in Batman Begins so he could better understand the criminal way of thinking but it's a far cry from Bane's miserable life(provided they keep that element from the comics of course). Another way Bane could be used ties in with Batman Begins. Many expect that since this is the final part of a trilogy Nolan will go back to earlier plot threads when putting together third film's story. Well Bane was actually affiliated with Rhas Al Ghul and assumed the role of his emissary for a brief time in the comics. That's a possibility. Whatever way he is used, expect Batman to be on the receiving end of a sound beating in this movie!

Now, 10 things you need to know about BANE:

In the comics, Bane is a huge, physically pumped, extremely intelligent (usually) bad guy. In the film, he’ll be played by Tom Hardy, who might not have looked that buff when we last saw him in Inception, but who’s capable of piling on the muscle when needed – see his title role in Bronson.

Bane spent his childhood in a prison in the fictional Caribbean country of Santa Prisca, after his father fled from a life sentence imposed for revolutionary behaviour against the corrupt government and the authorities decided to imprison his son instead. 

Bane killed his first man at 8, a criminal who wanted to use Bane as a funnel for information on the prison. The boyish villain kept a knife hidden in his cute li’l teddy bear Osito. But he wasn’t all about the murder! He also learned everything he could from books and other inmates, and worked out in the gym whenever possible.

While in prison, Bane was subjected to trials of an experimental drug called Venom – not to be confused with any Marvel-owned alien substances of the same name. This almost killed our anti-hero, before granting him vastly greater physical strength – for as long as he kept taking it through pipes attached to his brain. Don't do drugs!

Bane had heard of Batman in prison, and on escaping headed for Gotham (another place where “fear rules”) to seek out this mysterious figure. Rather than go straight for the Bat-throat, however, he just knocked down the walls of Arkham Asylum and let Batman spend a few months rounding up all his enemies. 

Finally, Batman returned to his base, exhausted from three solid months of supervillain chasing, to find that Bane had figured out his secret identity and was at Wayne Manor waiting for him. Ooops. At that point, it was – as they say – on like Donkey Kong. Only things didn’t follow their normal pattern, and Bane calmly and efficiently broke Batman’s back across his knee.

In Wayne’s absence, a sometime-ally called Azrael donned a super-Batsuit, managed to defeat Bane by severing those drug pipes into his head (Drugs: don’t do it!) and beat him half to death. Meanwhile, Bruce Wayne was healed by supernatural means (of course) and was able to take the Bat-mantle back from his Bat-locum, who’d threatened to go Bat-shit crazy in any case.

Following his defeat, Bane was cleaned up from his Venom addiction in prison and became a good guy. We know, we know, that makes very little sense and feels like they were pandering to fans who’d decided they liked the big guy. Anyway, he and Batman even worked together on a few jobs to bring down Venom dealers who were threatening the city.

In a slightly more convincing development, Bane met Ra’s Al Ghul, who was impressed by the man’s intellect and appointed him his successor. The pair try to launch a plague on Gotham, which Batman obviously has to stop. More importantly, he obviously has to have a rematch with Bane that doesn’t end up with the Bat getting his ass kicked and his spine severed. Win!

So what can we expect from the film? Well, the “successor to Ra’s Al Ghul” thing would fit with Nolan’s Bat-world. But breaking Arkham open has been done, and the absence of the supernatural probably precludes actually breaking Batman’s actual back. Still, the plague story is possible, as is the distribution of a new drug – although both of those risk treading awfully close to the first film’s fear toxin.

Originally posted at http://paresolid.blogspot.com

Anne Hathaway to play Catwoman and Tom Hardy will Play Bane In The Dark Knight Rises!

It looks like that actress Anne Hathaway is confirmed to play Selina Kyle/Catwoman while Tom Hardy will be playing Bane in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises. Check out the press release!

Warner Bros. Pictures announced today that Anne Hathaway has been cast as Selina Kyle in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises. She will be starring alongside Christian Bale, who returns in the title role of Bruce Wayne/Batman. Christopher Nolan stated, "I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Anne Hathaway, who will be a fantastic addition to our ensemble as we complete our story."

In addition, Tom Hardy has been set to play Bane. Nolan said, "I am delighted to be working with Tom again and excited to watch him bring to life our new interpretation of one of Batman’s most formidable enemies." Nolan will direct the film from a screenplay he wrote with Jonathan Nolan, from a story by Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer. Nolan will also produce the film with his longtime producing partner, Emma Thomas, and Charles Roven. The Dark Knight Rises is slated for release on July 20, 2012. The film will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company

F*CKIN' RIGHT!!! THAT MADE MY MORNING!!! LEZZDODIS!!! I wonder if Anne Hathaway is going to go blonde for the role, and if Tom Hardy will put on a Mexican accent for Bane... Haha! Anyways, this is just awesome news! Thanks to Steph and Jus for sending this to me!

Originally posted at http://paresolid.blogspot.com

MUJI Noel Machine

Since MUJI just opened in Rockwell's Power Plant Mall, I found it fitting to post this. I stumbled upon this today, and found it incredibly cool! Teamed up with Barcelona-base creative agency Carlitos Y Patricia,  MUJI unleashed its Noel Machine for the holiday season in Rambla Catalunya in Barcelona. From wooden toy blocks to the Yosegi Kendama, a traditional Japanese toy, the machine is stocked with 18 delectable goodies from both MUJI’s Japanese and European collections. Of course some die-hard robotica fans would be disappointed to know there is a person handing out the purchase via a slot. But still! Cool nonetheless! Check out the pictures.

Danville is Very Nice!

Are you having a hard time finding that Christmas feeling? Does it seem like the Christmas spirit that you used to know, does not come around to visit anymore? If that is the case, I know what we're gonna do today!

 Today, you are going to watch the Phineas and Ferb Christmas Vacation. This is the holiday special of the hit cartoon show, Phineas and Ferb wherein there are these two step brothers who want to enjoy their summer vacation by doing something different, exciting and extraordinary every day in their town of Danville. The only difference now is that they are in Christmas vacation mode, just like how most of us are in now, this time of the year.

This show has got everything you need to give birth to the child within you and celebrate the holidays through that child’s eyes. The show has got the Christmas music that will get you singing along and yearning for more songs. They not only put you in the Christmas mood but because of the way they were used in the show, you just want to go out there and have your own great Christmas experience with your own personal soundtrack playing in the background.

It also does not have the usual Christmas story. It has the potential to make you cry, laugh or smile because of its heartwarming plot. It starts off with how Phineas and Ferb and most of the other characters in the show express their Christmas worries and wishes. Doctor Doofenshmirtz, the evil mad scientist of the story who has Phineas and Ferb’s platypus named Perry as an arch nemesis, is looking for a motivation to hate Christmas. Phineas and Ferb’s sister Candace, on the other hand, does not know what to give her love, Jeremy, for Christmas. It also starts off with how people just want to get their Christmas on, so they start decorating and spreading Christmas cheer to one another. However, little did they know, their holidays are in for a naughty twist which will get them all dazed in this holiday. The story also has a very uplifting and inspiring twist which is where I will end because I would not want to spoil anything for you.

This is why my Christmas wish for you is for you to be able to watch this show. This is because after you watch this show, you would just want to be a kid again, even just for this Christmas, and if you are still a kid, having had only a few Christmas experiences, you would not want to miss the next Christmas. Also, maybe after seeing the show, everyday would feel like Christmas to you and you would want nothing but to celebrate it every single day of the year. This is why it is time to turn on your sets and tune in to Disney channel, where the show is aired, or hunt it down on youtube or anywhere on the net, because this is something you should not pass on. Merry Christmas!

The next generation mobile device

 

The next generation mobile device has finally arrived in the Philippines it is the Nokia N8. For the entertainment part it has a 12 megapixel camera and it is able to record HD videos while it can be played back via an HDMI cable connected to a TV. The Nokia N8 also has the famous mobile game ANGRY BIRDS which became very famous thru the Iphone, it is a very addicting game that would leave you how many sleepless days just to finish the whole thing J (P.S. it comes with 4 to 5 different colors depending on the country you are in)

Always on the go? With our 3g networks this phone can push emails anytime, not only that you can also browse internet websites just as like you were in a desktop or laptop.

People tend to compare this phone to the apple Iphone, for me the only advantage of the apple Iphone is that it has a different OS which is solely powered by MAC while the Nokia N8 is powered by SYMBIAN technology. So what is the difference with these 2? Let’s start with the Apple Iphone’s applications. First of all the apps for the Iphone is being bought in its own Istore so that makes it much more easier to find stuffs that will suite your needs. While for the nokia N8 where it has the OVI store for applications also, the ovi store has limited apps only so it is better to find more apps from different sources(which can be found in the net). Second is that the Apple iPhone has a different appeal to people software wise because nokia since before has always been a SYMBIAN phone that is why people tend to get bored about it because symbian technology seems to grow so slow compared to the MAC software of the iphone. For me these are 2 of the problems of the N8 compared to the iphone but OS wise the N8 can really match up with the iphone.

The Real Meaning of Christmas

Ever since I was a child I have always loved Christmas. It is not just because of Santa and the presents but because everywhere I go people always look so happy. Everyone is greeting each other and everyone does a lot of good deeds for each other. The decorations on the houses and the buildings make everyone cheer up. Christmas is all about making each other feel good.

 Even so, I am sad that this Christmas spirit does not happen in the other months of the year. Why does it only have to be December? Why not be a good and cheerful person everyday? I think that the real meaning of Christmas is being good to others all year round. Christmas is not just about the season but about every moment of your life.

I think a lot of people will have very sad Christmases this year. I was watching the news and learned about many tragedies this December, like the Vizconde family who did not get justice, the many families whose houses burned in Taguig, and the loved ones of the Maguindanao Massacre who still do not get justice as well. All of these people need as much love from others, and Christmas is the perfect time to start showing them compassion and start being good to them for the rest of the year.

It is only a Merry Christmas if we help each other out, so go out and help your neighbor!

Happy Holidays?

It’s Christmas again! I can still remember the Christmas last year, and now it is that time of the year again! Each year is so fast now and that means I am getting older. I can even remember the gifts my friends and relatives gave me last year. That is so weird.

I am very thankful that I get to have another Christmas again with my friends and relatives. A lot of people nowadays, especially the people who work in the call centers, do not get to really spend a lot of time with their loved ones because they have to work even on the holidays. That is unfair and I know that these people will have a very sad Christmas and New Year.

I remember that commercial where the family goes to their son’s call center office so they can spend Christmas with him instead. I hope that a lot of families can do that for their children working in call centers because that would make them feel wonderful. If I was a call center agent and my family went to visit me, I would be so touched.

I think it is very important for people to spend Christmastime with their families. Why does work have to be more important than your family? Christmas is all about sharing love and not making money. You do not even have to give your family members gifts. Just spending time with each other is an amazing gift already.

MOVIE REVIEW: The Grinch (my all-time best Christmas movie)

During this time of year, I try and spend as much time as I can with my god son. He's 7 and I usually just watch any cartoon with him, usually Ben 10. But this year, I noticed that on the TV stand they had a DVD of one of my favorite Christmas movies of all time! As in the story truly reminds me of Christmas is!

So in light of that, I am choosing to review one of the Modern Classics: "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" Now, I do realize that most of you know the story, but a good review should never assume anything.

The Grinch(Jim Carrey) has always loathed the Who’s of Whoville. His hatred is emphasized during the Christmas season, due to the Who’s hullabaloo, false emotions, and careless acquisitiveness. But one small Who, Cindy Lou Who, wants to rise above the materialistic traditions of her fellow Who’s. She chooses to reach out to the odious Grinch, in an attempt to prove to, not only the Who’s, but the Grinch himself, that Christmas isn’t about the tangible items. When he is publicly humiliated, the Grinch hatches a grand scheme to “steal Christmas” from the Who’s.

I absolutely love this story, and it is one of my favorite Christmas movies(my favorite being “A Christmas Carol”). I first saw the 1966 TV Special, which is narrated by Boris Karloff, when I was quite young, 6 or 7, I believe. I’ve just got to say that what a great message this sends kids. I wish more children were exposed to this film, because it feels as if none are. This movie keeps that message true, but adds a bit of substance to it. One such addition would be the inclusion of the denizens of Whoville. Not only does it add these characters, but the characters are developed, without overemphasizing them. Which is great, because the core of this movie should, and does, center on Whoville(as a whole), the Grinch, and, of course, Cindy Lou Who.  

Whoville looks a bit like it was created by Tim Burton, who was considered for the job of Director. The set is created to give it that special fantasy feel, which it easily accomplishes. Every thing in Whoville looks as if it was literally ripped from the page of Dr. Seuss’s classic Christmas tale. Even the cash registers seem to belong in a colorful cartoon. Definitely one of the best interpretations from any “Book to Movie” film. 

Jim Carrey, everybody’s favorite living cartoon(at the time), is tasked with the job of portraying our miserable grump, the Grinch. Very few people know that we almost had to tolerate Eddie Murphy in this role. Ugh, How terrible would that have been? Anyways, Jim Carrey, in my opinion, was the obvious choice. This was done at a time when Mr. Carrey was just starting to venture out into more serious roles, so I view this as his last, real, “Cartoon Character” like role. Jim Carrey’s voice is great, and not to mention his facial expressions are, as always, hilarious. And major props to Jim for suffering through the pain of those yellow, full-eye, contacts. Jim Carrey is an actor who is always willing to suffer for the art.


Cindy Lou Who, who I feel is the most important part of the story, is played by the precious actress, Taylor Momsen. While not her screen debut, it is her second film. Most people would say that any young actress could have played this role. But not many had the combination of cuteness and talent that the lovely Ms. Momsen posses. She portrayed that amazing child-like curiosity and wonderment that was needed to make this character believable in Hollywood. Fun fact, she is now in Gossip Girl. All grown up! I don't know who her character is because I've never watched the show but my god, how time flies!

But, this film definitely wouldn’t have been as successful if it weren’t for Ron Howard, the Director of this moving picture show. Ron Howard is, easily, one of the best Directors to ever sit behind the camera. He’s not afraid to take chances, and usually delivers a solid product. Just one of the greatest minds in film, ever. Not to mention, he saved us from the abomination that would have been delivered if Tim Burton(who was considered) had taken the Director’s position.

Christmas isn't about how many presents you get, or the cost of said presents, which is what this film expertly conveys. Objects and money will never compare to the love and affection you receive from family and friends. This move is more important now than it has ever been. 

So Merry Christmas everyone! And let us spread the gift of love with each other!

It's Christmas Time.. It's MMFF time for Filipinos

Metro Manila Film Festival happens every 25th of December and lasts until the first week of January.  It is an event wherein only Filipino movies are shown in all cinemas nationwide.  Movie directors look forward to this event and they really work hard for their movies.  Not all movies are qualified to be a part of this event.  The board only chooses 8 movies.

(clockwise from the upper left) RPG Metanoia, Father Jejemon, Dalaw, Ang Tanging Ina Mo Rin (Last na To!), Si Agimat at si Enteng Kabisote, Super Inday and the Golden Bibe, Shke Rattle & Roll XII, Rosario

After watching all the trailers, these are my comments:

 RPG Metanoia - The animation is definitely good.  It could pass as a Pixar film.  But I did not really get the story presented in the trailer.  I hope this will do well, because I believe that it took a lot of effort to make this.

 Father Jejemon-  First thing I noticed was Dolphy.  He really looks old in this film and it is distracting for me.  It looks like a low budget film and the story looks too simple.  I think that this movie is not MMFF worthy.  But I think people will watch this because Dolphy is in it.

 Dalaw- Some scenes were too dark, they should have fixed the lighting because I could just see their faces sometimes.  The trailer achieved it's goal which is to scare the audience.  And I think that this will do good because Kris Aquino horror films are promising.

 Ang Tanging Ina Mo Rin (Last na 'To!)- This is the final installment of Tangina Ina.  It looks like a chill movie.  By chill movie, I mean that people would wanna see this come Christmas, because it will give them a good laugh.  All other installments of Tanging Ina proved to be a success because of the tandem of Eugene Domingo and Ai Ai Delas Alas.

 Si Agimat at si Enteng Kabisote- The tandem of Bong Revilla and Vic Sotto is new, and based on the trailer I think that they really did a good job.  On the other hand, the special effects in this film can still be improved.  The  fight scenes look choreographed when it should look realistic.  But there is humor in this film which I know that Filipinos will enjoy.

 Super Inday and the Golden Bibe- Marian Rivera is the lead actress in this movie but I think that Pokwang is overshadowing her.  Jake Cuneca on the other hand is the lead actor, but I barely noticed him in the trailer.  The trailer was kinda long, they could have shortened it.  There is humor in this film which again I think that the Filipinos will enjoy.

 Shake, Rattle & Roll XII- First thing that I would like to commend in this trailer was the font that they used.  It added to the horror effect to the audience.  A lot of good actors and actresses in this film.  Like Dalaw, this trailer was able to give a scare to the audience.  There is always a Shake, Rattle & Roll entry in the MMFF.  And they always do well because they have proved to be a quality horror film.  Which is why I think that people would see this one.

 Rosario- The trailer was unique compared to all the other trailers.  This one had no dialogue in it, it only showed clips of the film with a background music.  It helped emphasized the drama theme of the story.  Jennylyn Mercado's acting looks really promising.  It is the only movie in this year's MMFF that is in the drama genre, which I think will give the film an advantage

I think this year's entries are great and I encourage people to watch and support these films.  It is a Christmas tradition here in the Philippines, and it gives Christmas color and excitement.  The Philippine movie industry needs our support, so let us all hit the cinemas this Christmas break and enjoy the show!

Movie Review: My Amnesia Girl

As much as possible, I wanna write movie reviews that are current.  I was in the mall, figuring out what movie to watch.  The movie choices during that time were not really interesting for me.  But like I said, I wanted to do a current movie review.  So that is why I picked My Amnesia Girl.  It is one way of supporting the Philippine movie industry. 

When the trailer of this movie came out, people responded negatively to it.  A lot of people said, including me that it was a carbon copy of the Hollywood movie 50 First Dates.  When you watch both trailers, you will really be convinced that these 2 movies are the same.  This is maybe the reason why moviegoers chose to skip this movie. 

The tandem of Toni Gonzaga and John Lloyd Cruz was new.  Which put a light to the movie.  I do not really associate Toni Gonzaga with acting, I associate her with hosting.  But after seeing this film, I can now say that she can act.  John Lloyd Cruz on the other hand has no problems with acting. 

The story line presented in the trailer was different from the story line of the movie which was actually a really good twist.  The story line was nice but it could have been showed better.  But, there were some dull scenes in the movie.  And we all know how Filipino directors like putting dragging scenes, which really annoys me. 

Overall, the movie was not that bad the way I thought it would be.  It was a normal romantic comedy movie.  If it did not star Toni Gonzaga and John Lloyd Cruz, I do not think it will be something that moviegoers will watch.  Like I said, it is a simple and chill movie. 

It is not worth seeing in a movie house.  Buying the DVD would have been better.

my letter grade for this movie

C+

Snakes on a Plate

In my life, I never thought that I would be given the chance to eat a dog, a frog or a snake. In just one weekend, call it luck I suppose, I was able to try and eat all three animals, cooked in different ways from one another. This was because during this weekend, I was at my immersion in Tarlac wherein we lived within an aeta community and it was here that I watched how they cooked these dishes and later on, I excitedly consumed these interesting dishes to my sheer delight.

 The dog was simply added to a pot of water along with some vegetables without any other ingredients. The pot was placed on top of some rocks while a fire was burning underneath it. When the meat was tender enough, it was finally time for lunch. The frog on the other hand was simply barbecued. After they caught it from nearby, they placed it beside the fire and waited until it was ready. Although no special sauce was added before cooking it, the frog still had a nice flavor to it, making you to just want more of it with every bite. It did not taste like chicken but even the burnt part of the frog’s skin, was still very appetizing.

 The snake was the most interesting dish I tasted. Again, there was nothing special with the preparation. It was simply “grilled” then placed in water to create soup from its meat. As I chewed on its tough and scaly skin, I could not help but cringe during my first few bites. However, the more I chewed, the more I enjoyed its exotic taste. It was kind of like eating a tire. Moving on to its meat, I liked it better than beef because although it was boney, the meat was so soft that it seemed more like fish than snake. Looking at how these dishes were prepared, I would say that despite how simple it was to prepare them, and despite the meat being more alien than familiar to the tongue, these dishes gives one the satisfaction that would equal probably ten McDonald’s value meals or five boxes of Yellow Cab pizza.

This makes one wonder that if anything else was added in the mix, would the dishes be better? Would salt or sugar make it taste better than it already is or would it ruin its flavor? It is kind of how our lives are right now. Our lives are so fast paced that have we ever stopped to wonder if our lives would be better with or without what we have now. Does everything we know now, like science, religion or politics deprived us of our happiness? Have technological advances like the cellphone or the laptop, placed so much clutter in our lives that we have not been given the chance to breathe in the air and feel refreshed? Sometimes we just have to keep our lives as uncomplicated as we possibly can. Why? This is because each of our lives are as exotic and distinct as the dishes mentioned earlier. If we are to fully appreciate its taste, we just have to cook it without much of any other ingredient. This is so that we can fully appreciate our lives and live it to the fullest because all other distractions are gone. There would be no salt to make our lives bitter. There would be no sugar to make it seem sweet even though we know it really is not. We take our lives for what it is and enjoy it as much as we can. We are able to savor its flavor and its flavor alone. This is why we should, every chance we get, reflect on what we have, and take away the things we absolutely do not need. If you do this, you will learn that life does not always taste just like chicken and that, we do not need to make it taste like chicken either. Sure enough, once we accomplish this task and learn these lessons, our lives will be simple, and yet full of happiness with satisfaction guaranteed.

Sports: The 3 Bs

In the 16^th Asian Games this year, 3 Filipinos won Gold medals. Dennis Orcollo won in the Men’s 9-Ball Pool Singles, Engelberto Rivera won in the Men’s Singles for Bowling, and Rey Saludar won in the Men’s 52kg Category for Boxing. I am very happy that they won.

This good news made me realize something about sports in the Philippines. We keep on winning in the same sports: billiards, bowling and boxing. Think about it. Efren Bata Reyes and Django Bustamante are champion billiards players. Paeng Nepomuceno is a champion bowler. And obviously, Manny Pacquiao is a champion boxer, and many people call him the best in the world.

Why do we win in these three games? What makes these three games special?

I really thought hard about these games and I think it’s because these games are what the Pinoy masses like to play all the time. A lot of ordinary Pinoys play billiards in the beer houses after work or even after school. There are a lot of cheap bowling alleys in many malls. There are a lot of boxing gyms all over the country. Compare these games to fencing or baseball, which needs lots of expensive equipment. Billiards, bowling and boxing are very Pinoy games because they are cheap and easy to access.

Other people may laugh at this. They may say that Filipinos are only good in sports that are cheap. But I don’t see it that way. I think that it is very good that Filipinos try their very best to do something even though they have limited money for it. For me, it is so much better to be an amazing boxer than a normal soccer player.

I hope in the future that the Philippine government gives extra special focus on these 3 games, so we can be able to train young people who are good at these games but cannot afford to go abroad to compete. We have something very special, so we have to focus on that special thing, and not on sports that are too difficult to support financially.

Unoriginality in Music

I think it is very annoying that the Philippines is trying to copy K-Pop by making P-Pop. It is so unoriginal. How can you call it Pinoy Pop when it is obviously just K-Pop, but being done by Pinoys?

P-Pop copies everything about K-Pop. The way these musicians dress, the dancey pop style of their songs, etc. Besides the fact that the singers are actually Pinoy, and they sing songs that are in English or Tagalog and not Korean, there is no big difference between the two kinds of pop genres.

It is very frustrating because I know that Pinoys can be very talented musicians.  There are so many people in this country who can sing really well. I really believe that Filipinos can be very soulful and full of life when they sing. But it seems that they are more concerned nowadays with copying what is popular in other countries.

For example, even though I think that Charice Pempengco is so talented, I think that it would be better if she was singing more original songs. She first started singing a lot of the usual songs you sing on talent pageants and videoke bars such as the ones by Celine Dion and Whitney Houston. She became famous because she sounded so much like them. When she was finally given “Pyramid,” which was her first original single, she also did very well. This means that she doesn’t have to copy other singers’ styles in order to be good. But now she is on Glee again, and she is becoming more famous again because she is singing other people’s songs.

I wonder if we will ever have a really original Pinoy musician who will make it really big around the world? Lea Salong is big, but she is only known for Broadway. She is not a huge recording artist like Celine Dion or Whitney Houston.

It is a good thing that Charice is still very young. Hopefully she will grow up into her own person and she will be able to perform as an artist that is true to herself. Maybe then, she can become the first truly global Pinoy singing sensation.

Tech News

(Apple Iphone 4)

(HTC EVO 4) = 4G

Probably everybody has heard about the 3G(third generation) technology for our wireless internet need. But did you know there are news about the new 4G(fourth generation) technology coming out soon in the United States, estimated time for the 4G to breakout is early 2011. So what is the difference between these 2 technologies and where we are headed?  In basic terms the 3G technology which we are using now with our internet providers provide the maximum output of 3.1 megabytes/second that’s maybe downloading a regular movie in 4 minutes only, but the usual speed we can get here with our local internet provider given the cheapest price is about 0-512 kilobytes/second meaning it’l probably take about 6-7 minutes to finish. Then here comes the 4G technology, this 4^th installation for the internet is surely going to surprise a lot of us. The 4G technology can download fully up to 100-300megabytes/second meaning a regular movie in 2 or 2.5 seconds only. Not only does the 4G technology help by providing very fast speed but it is thought to be a “green” technology because by moving data around more efficiently than 3G it requires less power and less hassle for people. So for the people that uses a lot of file transferring and downloading I prefer you to upgrade to 4G as soon as it arrives here in the Philippines J