2 films

Two films I’ve watched in the last couple of weeks that are worth the blog are: Elizabeth – The Golden Age and Spanglish.

Elizabeth – The Golden Age is set at the time when religious strife was dominating Europe’s political scene. It’s the Protestant Queen against the whole of Catholic Europe edged on by the King of Spain, Philip. The whole film culminates to the scene where the English Navy defeats the Spanish Armada. However, uncannily, Elizabeth’s famous words before the battle were never uttered and have been replaced by shall I say more politically correct words. If history serves right, Elizabeth was said to have uttered, I am a weak and feeble woman but I have the heart and stomach of a King. Anyways, as its predecessor, Elizabeth – The Virgin Queen, the sets and costume design of this film were excellent, as was Cate Blanchett’s performance. For these 2 reasons alone the film is worth the watch. But, I’m telling you now that if you expect Sir Walter Raleigh (played by Clive Owen – he was great, too!) and Elizabeth to get it on then you will be sorely disappointed like I was. Truth be told, they have good screen chemistry, but being faithful to history, again the Queen’s romantic prospect is doomed. Forgive me, has that ruined it for you? It is an epic story told in human film proportions and I can understand the limits to what a film maker can attain with just matching the sheer grandeur of Elizabethan England. Nonetheless, it’s a magnificent sequel.

The other film I watched was Spanglish. It was on TV one afternoon and I finally had a chance to see it. It’s a quaint film about language barriers and the dynamics of family relationships. The film is told through the eyes of Christina and how she sees her mother’s efforts and personal sacrifices to change their life. One trivia about this film is that the guy who wrote the screenplay is also the guy who writes the Simpsons, James Brooks. Spanglish proves that less is more. Its quiet suggestions and subtle nuances make it all the more enjoying to watch. Do see this one if you idolize your mom, and if you don’t, let this film convince you that our mothers do a lot of self sacrificing; only we are not aware of it most of the time. That’s the magic of being a mom.

day 35

Are you a morning, an evening person or somewhere in the middle?

clapham junction and yadah yadah

When we woke up this morning, couldn’t believe our eyes. Sunshine!!! Bleeh!!! A fluke. Unbelievable! After days of grey skies, what a respite. Oh and some bit of hope today. Heard on the radio news that Murinho is open to offers for the England Soccer team coaching job. Apparently he is the bookies bet to bag the job. However, I think he is too obstinate and that would make the FA bosses squirmy around him. Haha someone in the office said the FA needs someone they can push around under their thumb. Pleeeaze spare us a repeat of this year’s ghastly soccer.

So anyway, have you ever heard a song that would make you say,,, mmm weird… I heard one of those songs just minutes ago. It’s a song by Squeeze, called Up the Junction. It’s weird but cute.

I never thought it would happen
With me and the girl from clapham
Out on a windy common
That night I ain’t forgotten
When she dealt out the rations
With some or other passions
I said you are a lady
Perhaps she said I may be
We moved into a basement
With thoughts of our engagement
We stayed in by the telly
Although the room was smelly
We spent our time just kissing
The railway arms we’re missing
But love had got us hooked up
And all our time it took up

I got a job with stanley
He said I’d come in handy
And started me on monday
So I had a bath on sunday
I worked eleven hours
And bought the girl some flowers
She said she’d seen a doctor
And nothing now could stop her

I worked all through the winter
The weather brass and bitter
I put away a tenner
Each week to make her better
And when the time was ready
We had to sell the telly
Late evenings by the fire
With little kicks inside her

This morning at 4:50
I took her rather nifty
Down to an incubator
Where thirty minutes later
She gave birth to a daughter
Within a year a walker
She looked just like her mother
If there could be another

And now she’s two years older
Her mother’s with a soldier
She left me when my drinking
Became a proper stinging
The devil came and took me
From bar to street to bookie
No more nights by the telly
No more nights nappies smelling

Alone here in the kitchen
I feel there’s something missing
I’d beg for some forgiveness
But begging’s not my business
And she won’t write a letter
Although I always tell her
And so it’s my assumption
I’m really up the junction

Up The Junction

Isn’t that quirky?

And speaking of weird… this world is really going to the dogs. Have you heard of the news about this British woman teacher in Sudan?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7118245.stm

In class she had the children name a class bear Mohammed. Well, she has been arrested and is now facing jail or 40 lashes for allowing the Muslim prophet’s name be used in such a careless way. She has actually been charged a hate crime in Sudan. This just makes me stronger in my belief that religion kills. Don’t get me wrong. Faith to a lot of people gives them hope and strength in troubled times. But religion? How many wars and how much blood has been shed in the name of one God or another? Draw you own conclusions.

I have the innate faith in the goodness of people, in a grand design, in destiny, in karma.

I Never Knew

by Leonisa Vealsco-Abilar

I never knew
I could love again
Then I realized there was you
Standing in front of me,
You’ve always been

Finally my wish has come true
I never knew
How the other half felt
So completely, crazy in love
With an unyielding smile
Painted across my face

My head forever
In the clouds above
I never knew
A kiss could steal
My breath away
Or make my stomach
Flutter deep within

I dream about kissing you
Night and day
My desire never ends
I never knew
What passion was
Now I see it in your eyes

Consuming every part,
Of my body,
Every feeling deep inside
I never knew
A lot of things
But this I know is true

I’m falling fast
Into a magical light
I’m falling in love with you.

day 34

If you had £25,000.00 for a party for friends and family, describe what party it would be?

HUG going your way

Richard has been feeling ill the last couple of days now. We both think he has got the stomach flu. So how do you comfort a sick huggy bear?

There's nothing like a hug to get you through the day, so I thought we should HUG each other at least this way!!! Lots of love xx

Weather today: Raining but at least its not that cold. 8 degrees Celsius.

Notable song: True by Spandau Ballet

My mood: OK for now. Could be better.

What I'm up to: Later when I get home, i'm cooking Chop Suey. That'll change my mood.

Ha-ha. I'm hungry and I'm waiting for Richard to pick me up... so counting the minutes...

day 33

If you were born a different nationality, what would it be? Why?

don't step on the ducks

Something to think about …

Three women die together in an accident and go to heaven. When they get there, St. Peter says, "We only have one rule here in heaven: don't step on the ducks!" So they enter heaven, and sure enough, there are ducks all over the place. It is almost impossible not to step on a duck and although they try their best to avoid them, the first woman accidentally steps on one.
Along comes St. Peter with the ugliest man she ever saw.
St. Peter chains them together and says, "Your punishment for stepping on a duck is to spend eternity chained to this ugly man!"
The next day, the second woman steps accidentally on a duck and along comes St. Peter, who doesn't miss a thing. With him is another extremely ugly man. He chains them together with the same admonishment as for the first woman.
The third woman has observed all this and, not wanting to be chained for all eternity to an ugly man, is very, VERY careful where she steps.
She manages to go months without stepping on any ducks, but one day St Peter comes up to her with the most handsome man she has ever laid eyes on .... very tall, long eyelashes, muscular and thin.
St. Peter chains them together without saying a word. The happy woman says, "I wonder what I did to deserve being chained to you for all of eternity?" The guy says, "I don't know about you, but I stepped on a duck!"

This one is really worth passing on.

day 32

Do you like to exaggerate things for effect?

... yes i do, or would like to think so, like the father in the film Big Fish...

... experience is never limited, and it is never complete...

... women are meant to be loved, NOT understood...

perception

When you look at people do you wonder what they are like up close and personal? Funny how we are all so different to what we really are in closed quarters. You line up at the supermarket till and you look at people and just wonder for one second if that person in front of you is who you really perceive them to be. Or is that just a guise? Who would want a stranger to know you intimately in one glance? But still with the shield of anonymity we venture to voice out what we think. We write down our thoughts and reach out to all corners of this earth if anyone would listen. Because deep down, instinctively we crave contact, and no matter if that is by means of electronic screens and written thoughts then may all that happen. Better to meet in thoughts and words and all guise of shallow society be banished than waste away alone in darkness and silence. What a perfect way to cherish humanity but to listen to its thoughts in blogged phrases…

How wonderful when people open up because you do not need to measure up to a standard. How amazing when people drop their guards for one moment and let themselves be who they really are...

Mystagogue

I have been searching. Teach me the mystical doctrines
You are my mentor, teach me.
I have prepared, I have opened my mind. I am ready to receive the wisdom you can offer. Fill me with the jewels of inspiration, teach me the joys of your way. As I gaze upon your wonderful face, my teacher, I know that I have found an earnest master, to coach me in the ways of meditation, of seeing the spirit, of looking deep within myself and of seeking outward,
talking to the universe.
Help me to understand,set my unsteady feet upon the paths of learning. I am yours to write upon, an empty page.

day 31

Do you ever think that your partner gives more time and attention to a pet or a hobby and how does that make you feel?

Is Hell Exothermic or Endothermic?

This is supposed to be a true story; I'd like to believe that it is.

A thermodynamics professor had written a take-home exam for his graduate students. It had one question: Is hell exothermic or endothermic? Support your answer with a proof.

Most of the students wrote proofs of their beliefs using Boyle's Law or some variant. One student, however wrote the following:

First, we postulate that if souls exist, they must have some mass. If they do, then a mole of souls can also have a mass. So, at what rate are souls moving into hell and at what rate are souls leaving? I think that we can safely assume that once a soul gets to hell, it will not leave. Therefore, no souls are leaving.

As for souls entering hell, let's look at the different religions that exist in the world today. Some of these religions state that if you are not a member of their religion, you will go to hell. Since there are more than one of these religions and people do not belong to more than one religion, we can project that all people and all souls go to hell. With birth and death rates as they are, we can expect the number of souls in hell to increase exponentially.

Now, we look at the rate of change in volume in hell. Boyle's Law states that in order for the temperature and pressure in hell to stay the same, the ratio of the mass of souls and volume needs to stay constant. Therefore:

#1 So, if hell is expanding at a slower rate than the rate at which souls enter hell, then the temperature and pressure in hell will increase until all hell breaks loose.

#2 Of course, if hell is expanding at a rate faster than the increase of souls in hell, then the temperature and pressure will drop until hell freezes over.

So which is it? If we accept the postulate given me by Therese Banyan during Freshman year, and take into account the fact that I still have not succeeded in having sexual relations with her, then #2 cannot be true.

Hell, therefore, is exothermic.

The student got the only A.

day 30

What is the most thoughtful, caring thing you have ever done?

born today - A Birdwatcher Treasury

…Despondence touched his heart twice but still he plodded on. He never gave up. Not in his heart of hearts. He clung to this one inspiration. He will find who he was meant to be with.
The life she’s led seems meaningless if not for meeting him. Over vast distance he has travelled across mountains and seas to be with her. Forsaking the only life he has ever known, he travelled to the ends of the earth. His love like the sun bathes her with warmth. His love like the ocean fills her with hope. His love like the moon stokes her passions…

hb hb

there are certain times in my life

when I feel like I've been blessed from above,

and when I walk hand in hand with you,

I'm warmed by the sun and your love.

And I do feel so incredibly lucky,

without you I wouldn't be who I am today,

and I have so many loving thoughts for you,

i have so much on my mind I'd like to say.

You see, you're such a beautiful person

and you're simply a joy to be around,

I'm so glad that it was me that you chose,

I'm so very glad that it was you that I found.

And we have so many happy memories,

I remember fondly all the laughter and the smiles,

You are my significant other,

in fact, you're my guiding light, my northern star

and I feel so privileged to have shared your life

and to have come this far.

And I'd like to wish you HB HB,

don't worry, you're less than halfway through,

I'm so very pleased that we're together

and that you love me and that I love you.

And I just really wanted to say thank you

and Happy Birthday, Honey Bunny...hb hb.

You are my sunshine, you are my life,

in other words, you mean the very world to me.

day 29

When you are sick do you want to be left alone or do you want to be waited on hand and foot?

last night and the night before

Lenny Kravitz on the radio:

I want to get away… I wanna fly away… Yeah, yeah…

Watched Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares the other night and I applaud the man. He has that right-in-your-face-take-it-cos-I-mean-it-don’t-eff-with-me attitude. He is as tactless and ruthless as they come. Well he knows what he is talking about and that is good food. Gordon swoops in and rescues restaurants in the brink of doom and tries to regenerate flagging business, with a rolling head or two along the way. Egos are bruised and prides shattered but he does do the job. Fancy cookery and complicated recipes does not a chef par excellence make.

In this episode, eeeeew, this restaurant in Spain was serving prawns in chocolate sauce. What could be more disgusting? Right of you Gordon to shoot that dish out of the menu.

Another tube experience we have embarked on is Heroes. After watching House for the last couple of weeks, Heroes is so different, so sci-fi. Watched up to episode 12 now and we are losing sleep over it. Richard was sceptical at first but he has now done the 180 and fully appreciating the series. My favourite character still is Peter Petrelli. I like the way he is portrayed with selfless intentions. Isn’t that what a hero is? Selfless? Anyway, Heroes reminds me of watching the animated series The X-Men, with my Anj my sister, which has a very similar plot about humans mutating to have super-powers. Heroes though is a larger than life comic book experience, and for me a one time comic book reader, the likes of Marvel and DC Comics, Heroes is such a thrill.

Great stuff. Great TV.

Stevie Wonder singing Part-time Lover now. Time check 12.46pm. Lunch soon.

BREAKING NEWS…

Last night Croatia battered the England squad, 3-2 and England is out of the European Cup even with that comeback corner kick from Beckham. This morning coach Mclaren got the sack and whispers of Jose Murinho being courted to take the reins of England. Please, please choose the Special One.

lost in translation

I was once asked by an acquaintance from work if we Filipinos speak our own language and I said yes we do. Then this person says, but then you do business in English and most schools in the Philippines are English taught aren’t they? So, I say yeah, it’s just much easier for everyone, I guess. Well, now coming across these accounting snippets, only do I realize the real reason. Only the Filipino language will manage to make a stuffy accountant sweat and squirm with these salacious terms. They had me going in stitches…

In spite of the overwhelming pressure from members of Congress, Philippine President Gloria Arroyo vetoed a bill to use Filipino language as a medium in Accounting and other financial transactions. Why? Below are some of the accounting terms that, when translated to the national language, seemed quite inappropriate.

Asset - Ari
Fixed asset - Nakatirik na ari
Liquid asset - Basang ariSolid asset - Matigas na ari
Owned asset - Sariling pag-aari
Other asset - Ari ng iba
Miscellaneous asset - Iba-ibang klaseng ari
Asset write off - Pinutol na pag-aari
Depreciation of asset - Laspag na pag-aari
Fully depreciated asset - Laspag na laspag na pag-aari
Earning asset - Tumutubong pag-aari
Working asset - Ganado pa ang ari
Non-earning asset - Baldado na ang ari
Erroneous entry - Mali ang pagkapasok
Double entry - Dalawang beses ipinasok
Mutiple entry - Labas pasok nang labas pasok
Correcting entry - Itinama ang pagpasok
Reversing entry - Baligtad ang pagkakapasok
Dead asset - Patay na ang ari
Secretary - Secret na ari
Liability - Malayang ari (kaya naging problema)
Liquidity - Laman ng ari
Solvency - Clean-up ng ari

day 28

Do you like your first name or do you wish you had a different name? What would it be?

10 snaps

some recent photos that i took and like.

the sky at dusk as viewed from pilsworth

autumn tree near our house

tree at shops at night

richard at vue cinema pilsworth, orange wednesday

the sky in the evening, vantage point from vue parking lot

the sun behind the trees on a road from rochdale to heywood

my road to work

richard and his truck at pilsworth

clump of trees near our house

the sky as seen from our backyard

day 27

What season makes you happiest? Why?

3 happy songs for today

I was thinking – how dreadful this is? You wake up at half past seven in the morning and its dark like dusk and through out the day you’re engulfed with fog and the muggy atmosphere that only a fall day can bring. Four o’clock rolls in and dark settles in as well. Its pitch black by 5 in the afternoon or shall I say evening? Think of a song to lift up our spirits. Hmm… 3 choices I have.

Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini

Is there a better piano concerto? Listen to it and weep. Forget the sorrow of grey clouds and unseen sunshine. Cry with happiness. Wrap oneself in the notes of this melody or at least die trying to understand it. It is eternity embodied in music.

Ventura Highway by America

A song from my childhood. Seventies hippiefied music by a band called America that also sang A Horse with No Name, but this one is a cheerful summery song that reminds me of motorbike rides with Richard on deserted country roads.

…Ventura highway in the sunshine
Where the days are longer
The nights are stronger than moonshine
Youre gonna go
I know

Cause the free wind is blowin through your hair
And the days surround your daylight there
Seasons crying no despair
Alligator lizards in the air, in the air…

Ocean Drive by Lighthouse Family

The song speaks of a sad woman but I’d like to think that she is now living in Ocean Drive, lazing on her lounger under the sun…

… Dont know why youre so blue
Suns gonna shine on everything you do
And the sky is so blue
Suns gonna shine on everything you do

He left you black and blue, without a word of explanation
And he took your love for granted and he left you high and dry
You know someday, when you’ll wonder what you see in him anyway
When that days arrives well live on Ocean Drive…

Home soon… yipee!!!

the mass of a human soul

Brrr… cold autumn morning, hardly wanting to get out of bed, I struggle out of it’s warmth to start my morning routine. Richard stays back in bed for another half hour while I shower and get dressed. It’s his day off today. He drops me off at the office and another day starts, another week. Surprisingly, the days fly now as the year winds down to a close. Not a sign of winter snow yet, although for days now the mornings have been icy and frosty. Its Thanksgiving next week, but this country does not celebrate that Holiday. I guess some people hardly find anything to thank for. I shake my head in some sort of funny way as if I'm shaking the thoughts out of my head, then the Verve comes on the radio, Drugs Don’t Work. Mmm what a miserable start. Crikey, I’m not that cranky am I? Richard says I have PMS and I vehemently deny it. God! I am not another female reduced to using hormones as an excuse! Believe me I hate the thought that these chemical messengers can overtake and make you mental. Ha-ha, anyway, here I am at work, another Monday morning, and I fully intend to make it a whole lot more interesting.

Last night, we watched the TV premiere of the film 21 grams by Alejandro Gonzalez Innarritu and Guillermo Arriaga. I heard rave reviews about it and that pretty much convinced Richard it’s worth the watch. So we watch arbitrary scenes from the lives of three people and if you don’t watch it closely this film has the inclination to confuse you because of the fragmented approach to the presentation of events. 10 minutes into the film we were hoping that at one point soon the film will reveal the theme in sequential order, but then another 20 minutes has gone and the events that flicker on the TV screen are still mixed snatches from past, present and future. And still we sit there enthralled figuring out the story with the jigsaw puzzle scenes and it dawns on me that the revelation of this film is the method in itself. It’s an unusual way of story telling but it was done to provoke thought, to draw you in and now in hindsight I can say it’s a very masterfully crafted film.

The story in sequence is about Christina (Naomi Watts), a recovering addict but presently a mother of 2 girls and a wife with a loving husband living the suburbs. Her life is turned upside down when Jack (Benicio del Torro), a career criminal recently turned devoutly-religious, accidentally runs over Christina’s husband and 2 kids. He flees the scene and the 2 girls die of their injuries and Michael, Christina’s husband is critically injured and brain dead. Christina is told that Michael shall not recover and is asked if she will donate his heart. Michael’s heart goes to Paul (Sean Penn), a seriously ill academic, whose wife convinces him to have a child even with his condition. Unknown to him, his wife previously aborted their baby when they separated shortly. When they consult a fertility doctor the previous abortion is revealed and Paul is disgusted and falls out with his wife. She leaves him, still intent on using his sperm to get pregnant. (In my opinion she seeks atonement for aborting the baby by replacing it with another one. A futile exercise.) Paul starts to become ill again and discovers that his body is rejecting his new heart. His doctor gives him 2 choices, to check himself back in the hospital and wait for another heart or not to and die a painful death. With his prospects of getting another heart looking grim, Paul turns his attention to finding the family of his donor and his search turns into obsession. He finds Christina with the help of a PI and after following her around for while; he makes contact and eventually tells her that he has Michael’s heart. Their shared desperation brings them together. They fall in love. However, Christina’s anguish over her children’s death makes her decide that she needs to kill Jack and enlists Paul’s help to murder him. With the help of Paul’s PI, they seek Jack out in the motel where he has been staying since leaving his own wife and children after having been released because of lack of evidence and no charges pressed against him. He is guilt ridden. His newly found religious haven shattered and appeases his demons with drink and by torturing himself by removing his religious tattoos with a heated butter knife. One morning Paul follows Jack intent on killing him, but being unable to kill Jack, Paul pleads with him to just disappear. Paul goes back to the motel, to Christina and lies to her that he has done the deed. However, unbearable guilt drives Jack back to the motel and he confronts Paul and Christina. Jack and Paul struggle, with Jack urging Paul to shoot him. Christina manages to hit Jack on the head and subsequently continues to beat him with a lamp. Paul suffers a heart attack and shoots himself distracting Christina from Jack. Although hurt, Jack helps Christina rush Paul to the hospital where Christina finds out that she is pregnant by Paul while trying to give him blood. Paul doesn’t make it and the fateful event between Jack and Christina never gets resolved. They are not shown talking about it. One can only assume that Christina forgave Jack as she is shown in one scene pregnant sat on a bed alluding to her choice of keeping Paul’s baby and Jack is shown going back to his wife and 2 children.

I say it’s a good film. Actually it’s a great film. It’s a knife that goes in your heart and then turns and shakes you to the core. This story can happen to anyone, you or me, that’s what makes it heart-wrenching. I was thinking f**king unfair after the last scene. Why does somebody get to live only for a few weeks, have a baby on the way then just die like that! WHY??? Life “is” unfair and we humans are the biggest April fools of them all. It taunts us. Toys with us. Throws us unimaginable heartache, loss and pain. And even faced with death we hope to cheat it, hide from it, even bargain with it, so we may live this life a little bit longer no matter what. Well I guess Paul did cheat death a little bit and Michael too. Michael’s heart was in Paul when Paul and Christina had their doomed love affair resulting in Christina’s pregnancy. Life then goes on through this baby. It’s still unfair. Why can’t people just be happy, untainted from sickness, sorrow and death? Why do bad things happen even to good people? Is it a celestial reality show but for whose entertainment? And we hope don’t we, even after all the pain, almost everyone still hopes for something good… something better… and that is what defines our 21 grams. It’s what separates us from the rest of this world… what makes us human after all.

21 grams – according to a study by scientist Duncan McDougal apparently represents the approximate mass of a human soul.

day 26

If you were a Pulitzer price winning writer and had a guranteed chance of a best-seller what would you write about?

tgif and mr. tambourine man

TGIF!!! Thanks God it’s Friday. Yey! Just been planning our weekend. Richard is working and I am thinking of tackling our mountain of files. Since we have moved house, I’ve been really neglecting paperwork at home. I’ve got excuses, sure, but one big factor is all of our stuff or say 70% are still in boxes and various bags, etc. It’s like this. Richard and I bought an end townhouse for a real good price, the hitch is since the lady and her husband (who passed away, a while back), bought the house, they virtually never did any improvements to the house. The house at least has double-glazing, except for the kitchen window, but we have had that replaced. The house also has been fully re-wired so not a problem for us. The first major big expense we had was re-fitting the central heating system. Quite pricey, but good thing that our neighbour Keith had a plumber friend and he recommended his son Rob. It took Rob about 5 weeks, working every Saturday to finish installing our new boiler and hurray, for the last month or so we have been basking in our centrally heated house. We are also 65% finished with the kitchen renovation. All the units are up and all we just need to do is make sure we have enough plug sockets etc. I have a list here of what things we need to do;

Things to do:
1. wiring plug sockets
2. re-do ceiling and paint white
3. clear window of clutter and fit new blinds
4. move the extractor hood a bit to the left
5. tile the wall around and below the window
6. plaster the wall around the French doors
7. paint and finish the rest of the walls in creamy beige
8. lay the tiles on the floor (black shiny tiles)
9. anchor the units
10. fix worktop
11. finish the units with handles and adjust doors
11. plug other appliances

Now looking at this list I’m not sure if I’m still right in saying we are 65% done. It’s slow going and quite frustrating sometimes because Richard hardly has the time to do things, but we do not even contemplate on hiring labour to do all this because they will usually do it wrong and we still have to pay for it. Anyway Richard reckons he needs 14 full days to do all the work. Mmm, we’ll see.

I’ve also been looking at movie listings in our local cinema, but I’m a bit lukewarm to all of them. Titles that have caught my eye are Lions for Lambs, American Gangster and Good Luck Chuck. I’ve looked at reviews for Lions for Lambs and they are quite dismal. It scored 4 out of 10 in the Rotten Tomatoes website so I do not really want to risk sitting it out for a talkathon. Next is Good Luck Chuck, a rom-com with Jessica Alba. I like her since she was on Dark Angel with Michael Weatherly (DiNozzo in NCIS) but then I’m not too convinced with Dane Cook, the male lead. It’s more like a movie you watch because you’re really bored. The front runner would then be American Gangster. I like Denzel Washington, and Russel Crowe is ok, but he’s not been as good since LA Confidential and Gladiator. So, American Gangster seems like a sure fire excellent movie, except that I need to convince Richard it is a movie worth watching, as he like fast paced action or thrillers and can’t be bothered with slow-moving yadah yadah films. I also need to update you on how was Elizabeth – The Golden Age. I’ll come around to it, given time.

So tonight, we’re finishing off that CD about extreme weather conditions from Richard’s mum. It’s really scary, because these are real footage of weather at its worst, and here’s me ranting about it being cold. But that’s just me. After that CD, we get to start watching Season 1 of Heroes and I’m so looking forward to it. I heard it’s good (said my mom).

Ooh I almost forgot that I had a disastrous incident in our room. Dresser drawer tilted forward because stupid me had all the drawers open and 2 cups of coffee on top of the dresses spilt all over my tubs and boxes of war paint (make-up). So we cleaned up as quickly as possible and Richard was such a trouper helping me clean up in his suit (ha-ha). Nothing got damaged except for some wet bank envelopes and a lesson. No more coffee near me except when I am drinking it. I’m such a klutz.

My mood today is like that song Mr. Tambourine Man (my favourite Dylan song) except for the i'm not sleepy part, I AM SLEEPY…

Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me,I'm not sleepy and there is no place I'm going to. Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me,In the jingle jangle morning I'll come followin' you.

Though I know that evenin's empire has returned into sand,Vanished from my hand,Left me blindly here to stand but still not sleeping.My weariness amazes me, I'm branded on my feet,I have no one to meetAnd the ancient empty street's too dead for dreaming.

Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me, I'm not sleepy and there is no place I'm going to. Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me, In the jingle jangle morning I'll come followin' you.

Take me on a trip upon your magic swirlin' ship, My senses have been stripped, my hands can't feel to grip,My toes too numb to step, wait only for my boot heels To be wanderin'. I'm ready to go anywhere, I'm ready for to fade Into my own parade, cast your dancing spell my way, I promise to go under it.

Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me, I'm not sleepy and there is no place I'm going to. Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me, In the jingle jangle morning I'll come followin' you.

Though you might hear laughin', spinnin', swingin' madly across the sun, It's not aimed at anyone, it's just escapin' on the run And but for the sky there are no fences facin'. And if you hear vague traces of skippin' reels of rhyme To your tambourine in time, it's just a ragged clown behind,I wouldn't pay it any mind, it's just a shadow you're Seein' that he's chasing.

Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me, I'm not sleepy and there is no place I'm going to. Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me, In the jingle jangle morning I'll come followin' you.

Then take me disappearin' through the smoke rings of my mind, Down the foggy ruins of time, far past the frozen leaves, The haunted, frightened trees, out to the windy beach, Far from the twisted reach of crazy sorrow. Yes, to dance beneath the diamond sky with one hand waving free, Silhouetted by the sea, circled by the circus sands, With all memory and fate driven deep beneath the waves, Let me forget about today until tomorrow.

Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me, I'm not sleepy and there is no place I'm going to. Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me, In the jingle jangle morning I'll come followin' you.

… Thank god it’s Friday.

day 25

What would you do if a fire destroyed everything you owned and you home? If you can only save 3 things (not including people) before the fire what are they?

breathe

"You can't measure love with time, only with timeless moments."--Jeremiah Feinburg

"The perfect marriage begins when each partner believes they got better than they deserve."

Breathe
by Dale

The way you kiss me
It takes my breath away
The way you hold my hand
Without a word you say

You bring out the worst
And the best part of me
You are the captor of my heart
Please don't set me free.

The water is rising
I can no longer see
I need to come up for air
I need you to save me.

I love you, and need you
I need this to be told
You have always been the one
I want to be by my side
When we grow old.

Please open your heart
I need you to see
You are my life support
That helps me to Breathe.

"Love is like an autumn morn; crisp and cool and the essence of exhilaration."--Clifford Irvin

stressed Moira

I'm still at the office and every one's left for the day. I'm staying back for an hour 'cos it's a whole deal better waiting for Richard to pick me up than waiting outside for a bus in the freezing cold. I have just been reading Moira's (our daughter) blog and she is quite stressed out. Maybe feeling more wretched than Richard and I. At least we have the weather to blame over here. Going back to Moira, she's feeling the weight of having to juggle multiple responsibilities. And lately everything is just getting to breaking point. For one, Moira is competitive in school and she wont sit down in class and be happy to just pass exams. She has to excel not only in class but in all school has to offer. She is in a dance troupe, band majorette and competes in declamations. What normal 14 year old would do that? Well, hardly none. Moira's life is not normal to start with. Mom and Dad (me and Richard) are on the other side of the world, trying our damnedest to get Moira and Mariel here soon. All we have to do is get through the bureaucratic process of securing travel documents and presto, they're here. It's really hard going, not to mention, financially draining. The whole court petition, visas, passports, tickets. But the reward will be endless and knowing our family will be re-united is more than enough reason to go through hoops and bounds for them. Add to this the issue of annoying bank transfers, staff uncooperative at most. Its a whole pile up of things that have gone wrong. what else is new? I know what will solve this. Being together.
Together means, Moira doesn't have to think of taking care of things because we will be around to iron things out and being hugged and reassured is what Moira needs now.

we are always here. know that. we might be far away but you know that everyday, we do something so one day soon you will be with us. our hearts ache with every passing day we are apart. know that we deem ourselves lucky to be your mom & dad, for you are our own shining star.

day 24

Are you an organized person?

tech support and 3 thoughts

TECH SUPPORT This ought to make you feel better about your computer skills! If you skip any, you have to read the last one! Unbelievable, but supposedly all true!!!!

Tech support: What kind of computer do you have?
Female customer: A white one...
===============
Customer: Hi, this is Celine. I can't get my diskette out.
Tech support: Have you tried pushing the Button?
Customer: Yes, sure, it's really stuck.
Tech support: That doesn't sound good; I'll make a note.
Customer: No, wait a minute... I hadn't inserted it yet... it's still on my desk.. sorry....
===============
Tech support: Click on the 'my computer' icon on to the left of the screen.
Customer: Your left or my left?
===============
Tech support: Good day. How may I help you?
Male customer: Hello... I can't print.
Tech support: Would you click on "start" for me and...
Customer: Listen pal; don't start getting technical on me! I'm not Bill Gates.
===============
Customer: Hi, good afternoon, this is Martha, I can't print. Every time I try, it says 'Can't find printer'. I've even lifted the printer and placed it in front of the monitor, but the computer still says he can't find it...
===============
Customer: I have problems printing in red...
Tech support: Do you have a color printer?
Customer: Aaaah....................thank you.
===============
Tech support: What's on your monitor now, ma'am?
Customer: A teddy bear my boyfriend bought for me at the 7-11.
===============
Customer: My keyboard is not working anymore.
Tech support: Are you sure it's plugged into the computer?
Customer: No. I can't get behind the computer.
Tech support: Pick up your keyboard and walk 10 paces back
Customer: OK
Tech support: Did the keyboard come with you?
Customer: Yes
Tech support: That means the keyboard is not plugged in. Is there another keyboard?
Customer: Yes, there's another one here. Ah...that one does work..
===============
Tech support: Your password is the small letter "a" as in apple, a capital letter V as in Victor, the number 7.
Customer: Is that 7 in capital letters?
== =============
Customer: can't get on the Internet.
Tech support: Are you sure you used the right password?
Customer: Yes, I'm sure. I saw my colleague do it.
Tech support: Can you tell me what the password was?
Customer: Five stars.
===============
Tech support: What anti-virus program do you use?
Customer: Netscape.
Tech support: That's not an anti-virus program.
Customer: Oh, sorry...Internet Explorer.
===============
Customer: I have a huge problem. A friend has placed a screen saver on my computer, but every time I move the mouse, it disappears.
===============
Tech support: How may I help you?
Customer: I'm writing my first e-mail.
Tech support: OK, and what seems to be the problem?
Customer: Well, I have the letter 'a' in the address, but how do I get the circle around it?
===============
A woman customer called the Canon help desk with a problem with her printer.
Tech support: Are you running it under windows?
Customer: "No, my desk is next to the door, but that is a good point. The man sitting in the cubicle next to me is under a window, and his printer is working fine."
===============
And last but not least...
Tech support: "Okay Bob, let's press the control and escape keys at the same time. That brings up a task list in the middle of the screen. Now type the letter "P" to bring up the Program Manager"
Customer: I don't have a P.
Tech support: On your keyboard, Bob.
Customer: What do you mean?
Tech support: "P".....on your keyboard, Bob.
Customer: I'M NOT GOING TO DO THAT!

when you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on!

we triumph without glory when we conquer without danger

the only place where success comes first before work is in a dictionary...

day 23

How can someone tell if you're happy or sad?

how fast does a day go

How fast does a day go? It can only go as slow as how busy you are. It’s not been so bad today. Not raining, but the first layer of frost covered the field this morning. Richard had to defrost his truck before we could drive to work. It’s a reminder of the impending winter (doom) ha-ha. We had pancakes with butter this morning and the routine coffee. Got to work and already downed another coffee before 10am. Richard and his mum went shopping and by 11 am I was munching on an energy bar and enjoying my last cup of coffee for the day. Lunchtime was soup from a tin. I never eat anything else during lunch. Just soup. Why? Because I only get half an hour lunch. I can’t sit in a restaurant waiting for lunch to be served can I? Plus the same soup everyday, day in day out eliminates a necessity to ponder on what meal I should have. Regimental? Yes, very. Its my routine and I stick by it like a religion. Soup’s finished. It’s my tub of strawberry yoghurt’s turn to be consumed with the same exactitude. And if you are wondering, yes, I only ever eat strawberry yoghurt, no other flavour, during the work week. Now it’s 4.45 in the afternoon but outside is pitch black like midnight. The winter sun has since been gone a while ago and the last of my baked potato chips have long since disappeared with it. Just whiling away the time now. I dont like Mondays is playing on the radio. Going home soon and just added up calories, surprisingly, its only1050 so far, 750 less than a British child’s recommended daily allowance. Hmm. Yes, I am like this, hopeless (winkwink).

Every man's memory is his private literature. -Aldous Huxley, novelist(1894-1963)

To suffering there is a limit; to fearing, none. -Francis Bacon, essayist,philosopher, and statesman (1561-1626)

"No one person knows everything -- even the conceited and contumelious, neither any group nor individual is greater than the country." Oba Pius; The National Political Reform Conference; The Post (Cameroon); March 31, 2005.

The mind is its own place, and in itself / Can make a heaven of hell, ahell of heaven. -John Milton (1608-1674) [Paradise Lost]

A belief in a supernatural source of evil is not necessary; men alone arequite capable of every wickedness. -Joseph Conrad, novelist (1857-1924)

As a well spent day brings happy sleep, so life well used brings happydeath. -Leonardo da Vinci, painter, engineer, musician, and scientist(1452-1519)

day 22

If you could know everything about one thing, what subject would you be an expert on?

wierd work excuses

I was kidnapped by gypsies....and they killed me.... and other good reasons not to go to work today. From the Washington Post: i'm comtemplating some of them

A contest was held in which readers were asked to come up with excuses to miss a day of work ...

If it is all the same to you I won't be coming in to work. The voices told me to clean all the guns today.

When I got up this morning I took two Ex-Lax in addition to my Prozac. I can't get off the john, but I feel good about it.

I set half the clocks in my house ahead an hour and the other half back an hour Saturday and spent 18 hours in some kind of space- time continuum loop, reliving Sunday (right up until the explosion). I was able to exit the loop only by reversing the polarity of the power source of exactly e*log(pi) clocks in the house while simultaneously rapping my dog on the snout with a rolled up Times. Accordingly, I will be in late, or early.

My stigmata's acting up. I can't come in to work today because I'll be stalking my previous boss, who fired me for not showing up for work. OK?

I have a rare case of 48-hour projectile leprosy, but I know we have that deadline to meet ...
I am stuck in the blood pressure machine down at the Food Giant.

Yes, I seem to have contracted some attention-deficit disorder and, hey, how about them Skins, huh? So, I won't be able to, yes, could I help you? No, no, I'll be sticking with Sprint, but thank you for calling.

Constipation has made me a walking time bomb. I just found out that I was switched at birth. Legally, I shouldn't come to work knowing my employee records may now contain false information.

The psychiatrist said it was an excellent session. He even gave me this jaw restraint so I won't bite things when I am startled.

The dog ate my car keys. We're going to hitchhike to the vet.

I prefer to remain an enigma.

My mother-in-law has come back as one of the Undead and we must track her to her coffin to drive a stake through her heart and give her eternal peace. One day should do it.

I can't come to work today because the EPA has determined that my house is completely surrounded by wetlands and I have to arrange for helicopter transportation.

I am converting my calendar from Julian to Gregorian.

I am extremely sensitive to a rise in the interest rates.

day 21

How do you think I handle crisis situations?

miserable but brilliant - broody one-liners

For the last couple of weeks now, Richard and I have been watching the first 3 seasons of House, MD, and if you are a House-fan/veteran, then you will need no backgrounder for this wretched but brilliant character, played by British actor, Hugh Laurie. He plays House flawlessly that I almost forget his British accent. He makes misery look almost attractive. Catch an episode sometime.

Oxygen is so important during those prepubescent years, don't you think?
"Pilot"

If we don't talk to them, they can't lie to us, and we can't lie to them. Humanity is overrated. "Pilot"

Treating illness is why we became doctors. Treating patients is actually what makes most doctors miserable.
"Pilot"

Patients always want proof. We're not making cars here; we don't give guarantees.
"Pilot"

Perseverance does not equal worthiness. Next time you want to get my attention, wear something fun. Low-riding jeans are hot.
"Paternity"

There is not a thin line between love and hate. There is, in fact, a Great Wall of China with armed sentries posted every 20 feet between love and hate.
"Occam's Razor"

Reality is almost always wrong.
"Occam's Razor"

Sometimes the best gift is the gift of never seeing you again.
"Maternity"

All of those clever reasons were wrong.
"Maternity"

I've been a doctor for years--why do I have to keep assuring people I know what I'm doing?
"Damned If You Do"

Pretty much all the drugs I prescribe are addictive and dangerous.
"Damned If You Do"

I am both amused and annoyed that you think I should be less stubborn than you are.
"Damned If You Do"

You know how it is with nuns - take out their IUDs and they bounce right back.
"Damned If You Do"

Normally I'd put on a festive hat and celebrate the fact that the Earth has circled the sun one more time. I really didn't think it was going to make it this year, but darn it if it wasn't the little planet that could all over again.
"The Socratic Method"

It turns out your best judgment is not good enough. Here's an idea: next time, use mine.
"The Socratic Method"

I don't ask why patients lie. I just assume they all do.
"Fidelity"

What can I say? Chicks with no teeth turn me on.
"Poison"

I'm extremely disappointed. I send you out for exciting new designer drugs, you come back with tomato sauce.
"Poison"

I'm too handsome to do paperwork. this is my favorite - so cute :-)
"Poison"

I'm sorry, but the fact that the sexual pleasure center of your cerebral cortex has been over-stimulated by spirochetes is a poor basis for a relationship. Learned that one the hard way.
"Poison"

You could think I'm wrong, but that's no reason to stop thinking?
"DNR"

Next time you want to make me feel all warm and fuzzy, leave me a message.
"DNR"

Can we get the lecture over with, because ... well, I guess I don't have anything to do. Take your time.
"DNR"

And humility is an important quality. Especially if you're wrong a lot. ... Of course, when you're right, self-doubt doesn't help anybody, does it?
"DNR"

Like I always say, there's no "I" in "team. There is a "me" though, if you jumble it up.
"DNR"

Life sucks. Your life sucks more than most. It's not as bad as some, which is depressing all by itself.
"DNR"

Patients sometimes get better. You have no idea why, but unless you give a reason they won't pay you. Anybody notice if there's a full moon? Let's rule out the lunar god and go from there.
"DNR"

Okay, you two--grab some scalpels and settle this like doctors.
"Histories"

The simplest explanation is almost always somebody screwed up.
"Histories"

I've been alienating people since I was three.
"Detox"

Very noble gesture. My favorite kind: dramatic, yet completely empty.
"Detox"

Never met a diagnostic study I couldn't refute.
"Detox"

I take risks, sometimes patients die. But not taking risks causes more patients to die, so I guess my biggest problem is I've been cursed with the ability to do the math.
"Detox"

Never trust doctors.
"Sports Medicine"

All life is equally sacred. And I promise you, the next knitting injury that comes in here, we're on it like stink on cheese.
"Sports Medicine"

These tickets are so good, we have to sign a release. I mean it. We do this, we could die!
"Sports Medicine"

People like talking about people. Makes us feel superior. Makes us feel in control. And sometimes, for some people, knowing some things makes them care.
"Cursed"

Read less, more TV.
"Control"

She's the CEO of Sonyo Cosmetics. Three assistants and fifteen VPs checked out who should be treating her. Who da man? I da man. I always suspected.
"Control"

You know, they're gangsters, sure, but they're thoughtful too.
"Mob Rules"

But unless I've been named as the fourth part of the axis of evil, invaded, and occupied, this is still not a democracy. He's staying.
"Mob Rules"

We're a bit of a specialized hospital. We generally only deal with patients when they're actually sick.
"Mob Rules"

Idiopathic, from the Latin meaning we're idiots cause we can't figure out what's causing it.
"Role Model"

If he gets better, I'm right, if he dies, you're right.
"Role Model"

Men are pigs--you have nothing to worry about. They will pretty much have sex with anyone: young, old, heavy, thin, complete strangers, relatives.
"Heavy"

Even if I was Dr. House, physician-patient confidentiality protects me from annoying conversations.
"Heavy"

(To black patient) You're not going to be President either way. They don't call it the White House because of the paint job.
"Role Model"

Tragedies happen.
"Babies & Bathwater"

If it turns out she has Meningitis, you're right, you win. But if we go back downstairs and she dies, pfft ... Your face will be so red!
"Kids"

Weird works for me.
"Kids"

In case I'm wrong. It has happened.
"Kids"

Hang up a shingle and condemn the narrowness and greed of Western medicine, you'd make a damn fine living.
"Love Hurts"

I choose to believe that the white light people sometimes see... they're all just chemical reactions that take place when the brain shuts down. ... There's no conclusive science. My choice has no practical relevance to my life, I choose the outcome I find more comforting. ... I find it more comforting to believe that this isn't simply a test.
"Three Stories"

It's been established that time is not a rigid construct.
"Three Stories"

Right and wrong do exist. Just because you don't know what the right answer is--maybe there's even no way you could know what the right answer is--doesn't make your answer right or even okay. It's much simpler than that. It's just plain wrong.
"Three Stories"

It's a basic truth of the human condition that everybody lies. The only variable is about what.
The weird thing about telling someone they're dying is it tends to focus their priorities. You find out what matters to them. What they're willing to die for. What they're willing to lie for.
"Three Stories"

It is in the nature of medicine that you are gonna screw up. You are gonna kill someone. If you can't handle that reality, pick another profession. Or finish medical school and teach.
"Three Stories"

If it works, we're right. If he dies, it was something else.
"Honeymoon"

If you can fake sincerity, you can fake pretty much anything.
"Honeymoon"

It's one of the great tragedies of life: something always changes.
"Honeymoon

day 20

What feeling is most difficult for you to express?

mga aral mula sa magulang - lessons from my parents

I found this on the internet. It's so hilarious but only Filipinos, around my generation probably, will understand how FUNNY this is. My parents were not this terrible, but, then again, some of the following do remind me of my childhood... Ha-ha, never imagined that getting told off as a child would be so funny now.

MGA KAPATID... Tiyak na kapupulutan niyo ng mahahalagang aral ang e-mail na ito...
TANDANG-TANDA NAMIN NI KUYA ANG SAYA AT LUMBAY SA PODER NILA INAY AT ITAY. LALO NA ANG MGA MAGAGANDANG LESSONS NA NATUTUNAN NAMIN SA KANILA....

1. Si Inay, tinuruan niya ako ng HOW TO APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE.
"Kung kayong dalawa ay magpapatayan, doon kayo sa labas. Mga punyeta kayo, kalilinis ko lang ng bahay."

2. Natuto ako ng RELIGION kay Itay.
"Kapag yang mantsa di natanggal sa carpet, magdasal ka na!"

3. Si Itay, tinuruan niya kami ni Kuya kung anong ibig sabihin ng TIME TRAVEL.
"Kung di kayo tumigil ng pagngangawa diyan, tatadyakan ko kayo ng todo hanggang umabot kayo sa isang linggo!"

4. Kay Inay ako natuto ng LOGIC.
"Kaya ganyan, dahil sinabi ko."

5. Kay Inay din ako natuto ng MORE LOGIC.
"Kapag ikaw ay nalaglag diyan sa bubong, ako lang mag-isa manonood ng sine."

6. Kay Itay naman natuto ng FORESIGHT si Kuya.
"Siguraduhin mo na lagi kang magsusuot ng malinis na brief, para pag-nakascore ka sa syota mo e di kahiya-hiya."

7. Si Inay naman ang nagturo sa akin kung ano ang ibig sahibin ng IRONY.
"Sige ngumalngal ka, kundi bibigyan talaga kita ng iiyakan mo!"

8. Kay Inay ako natuto ng science of OSMOSIS.
"Punyeta, itigil mo ang kadadakdak at tapusin mong kainin ang inihanda kong hapunan para sa iyo."

9. Si Inay ang nagpaliwanag sa akin kung ano ang CONTORTIONISM.
"Tingnan mo nga yang dumi sa likod ng leeg mo, tignan mo!"

10. Si Itay ang nagpaliwanag sa akin kung anong ibig sabihin ng STAMINA.
"Wag kang tatayo diyan hangga't di mo natatapos kainin lahat yang gulay mo!"

11. At si Inay ang nagturo sa amin kung anong ibig sabihin ng WEATHER.
"Alangya, ano ba itong kuwarto nyong magkapatid, parang dinaanan ng bagyo!"

12. Sa CIRCLE OF LIFE, ang paliwanag sa akin ni Inay ay ganito:
"Malandi kang bata ka, iniluwal kita sa mundong ito, maaari rin kitang alisin sa mundong ito."

13. Kay Itay ako natuto kung ano ang BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION.
"Tatadyakan kita diyan, huwag ka ngang nag-uumarte diyan na parang Nanay mo!"

14. Si Inay naman ang nagpaliwanag sa amin kung anong ibig sabihin ng ENVY.
"Maraming mga batang ulila sa magulang, di ba kayo nagpapasalamat at mayroon kayong magulang na tulad namin?"

15. Si Itay naman ang nagturo sa akin ng ANTICIPATION.
"Tangna kang bata ka, hintayin mong makarating tayo sa bahay...!"

16. At si Itay pa rin ang nagturo kay Kuya kung ano ibig sabihin ng RECEIVING.
"Uupakan kita pagdating natin sa bahay!"

17. Si Inay naman ang nagturo sa aking kung ano ang HUMOR.
"Kapag naputol yang mga paa mo ng pinaglalaruan mong lawn mover, 'wag na 'wag kang tatakbo sa akin at lulumpohin kita!"

18. Kay Itay naman natuto si Kuya ng HOW TO BECOME AN ADULT.
"Kung di ka matutong magbati, eh di ka nga tatangkad."

19. Si Inay ang nagturo sa akin kung anong ibig sabihin ng GENETICS.
"Nagmana ka nga talaga sa ama mong walanghiya."

20. Kay Inay din ako natuto ng WISDOM.
"Pag umabot ka na ng edad ko, saka mo pa lang maiintindihan ang lahat."

21. At ang paborito ko sa lahat na natutunan ko kay Inay at Itay ay kung ano ang JUSTICE.
"Isang araw magkakaroon ka rin ng anak, panalangin namin na sana'y matulad sila sa yo... haliparot!"

day 19

What feeling is the most difficult for you to control?

philippines in 2020

the following pics are computer enhanced photos of what the philippines could (would) look like in the year 2020. although that's a bit too hopeful, the potential is there. it might not be 2020 but definitely in this century at least.

ORTIGAS

LEYTE

TAGAYTAY

MAKATI

BAGUIO

NORTH LUZON RAILWAY

SOUTH BOUND

QUIAPO

MANILA TO BATANGAS

misery and always on my mind

Its 12.21 in the afternoon here, 8.24 in the evening in Manila and 5.25 in the morning in Calgary, and you wonder what’s up with the multiple time zones, I say, nothing, just wanted to know what time its is where my family is and where one of my friends are. I’m busy sorting out paperwork, but I’m utterly bored to tears. The great British weather is in its most annoying best, harsh, wet, bitter cold, windy as hell, although I wouldn’t know if there was any wind in hell.

Ha-ha, the song Relax just started playing on the radio. Hmmm yeah right ok… I think I forgot the methodology for relaxing. I wish the radio DJ would play a sappy love song, like Always on my Mind by Elvis. I love that song. It’s a sad one but the message is – he does love her. Going back to Relax,,, its just now ending and I realize again that this song has sexual implications… it does really, oh and it was featured in that film Zoolander with Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson.

Owen… I was talking about a different Owen yesterday, Clive Owen, but this Owen (Wilson), do you know that he tried to kill himself? Well rumour has it that he broke up with Kate Hudson. So if he is the dumper and not the dumpee why suicidal? I’ve read somewhere that Owen saw pictures of Kate with her new squeeze and that drove him crazy over the edge. Sad because they were such a cute couple… sooo will the song Always on My Mind be apt for Owen then? This reminds me of his character in the Royal Tenenbaums… sad that people are sad… Misery, is it really necessary to make people better?

Maybe I didn't treat you Quite as good as I should have Maybe I didn't love you Quite as often as I could have Little things I should have said and done I just never took the time

You were always on my mind You were always on my mind Tell me, tell me that your sweet love hasn't died Give me, give me one more chance To keep you satisfied, satisfied

Maybe I didn't hold you All those lonely, lonely times And I guess I never told you I'm so happy that you're mine If I make you feel second best Girl, I'm sorry I was blind

You were always on my mind You were always on my mind Tell me, tell me that your sweet love hasn't died Give me, give me one more chance To keep you satisfied, satisfied

Little things I should have said and done I just never took the time You were always on my mind You are always on my mind You are always on my mind

by Elvis

Hmm if there was one elvis song left in this world, it will be this One.

day 18

Do you have a repeating dream? What is it?

the connection between cate, clive and brangelina

Contemplating on what film to watch tomorrow night. I’m not too impressed with the smorgasbord of horror flicks in the cinemas lately. Obviously, it was just Halloween so you get the remnants of gory films without much substance. The only contender that will pry some money out of me is Elizabeth – The Golden Age. The sets look awesome, with what rushes I’ve seen. I’m intrigued with what chemistry there would be between Blanchett and Owen. I really like Cate Blanchett and she should be a shoe-in contender for best actress Oscar along with Angelina Jolie, who portrayed Marianne Pearl, in a Mighty Heart. Unfortunately, A Mighty Heart was not released here in where I am, for God knows what reason I don’t know. It’s highly likely that because of the lukewarm reception to the movie in the US, that’s why it’s not been even given the chance here. Hmmm… reminds of a film I wanted to watch that never got released here too… Babel. And if I were a conspiracy theorist, I would say that was an anti-Brangelina plot going-on. Anyway, going back to Elizabeth movie, yes I like Cate Blanchett; she was really good as the Elven queen in Lord of the Rings. She also played the wife of Brad Pitt, in Babel, but like I said eeeeeh I’ve still not seen that movie. Opposite Cate’s Elizabeth, is Sir Walter Raleigh, played by Clive Owen. He was King Arthur in a non-romanticized movie version of the legend. Last movie I saw with Clive was Children of Men. It was a futuristic film based on the concept that in years to come, all women will lose the ability to conceive and give birth. He was really great in this one, actually strengthens my choice that Clive is my new favourite Brit actor and not Hugh Grant anymore. (Sheesh, don’t give me that look, Hugh was alright, but I’m getting tired of his rom-coms). Watching Clive, invokes a painful feeling, you know, like he is suffering all the time, or is that because he looks broody? I even watched 2 obscure films that had Owen in them; one was Gosford Park, all-star cast, which was sooooo British, that after seeing a bit of it I was dead of boredom so forget it until another day when my brain can cope. The other film was Close My Eyes, about a brother-sister incestuous relationship, quite intriguing in a way, but how real-life people actually commit incest is beyond me… and that’s beside the point. I’m getting side tracked, because I’m writing as I think. So, anyway (again), Clive Owen played a doctor, Nick opposite Angelina’s Sarah in the film Beyond Borders. See they’re all connected in some way and I’m not just using up your time dishing up mindless chat. Also I have taped the first Elizabeth film and we are watching it tonight if only I could find the tape in my huge pile of backlog TV tapes, the only let-down is Clive Owen is not yet in this film, but I shall definitely keep you posted about both films in this blog. Stay tuned.

day 17

Did you ever have a pet that died? How did you feel?

moody monday

Its one of those dreary days. I look outside and all I see are droplets of rain on my window, not so great weather. I close my eyes and try to make my headache go away. I am fully aware that the source of my petulance is mostly imagined horrors that will never come to pass. I am a born worrier and I succumb to agonizing over petty things. And even if the concern were a valid one, I have a tendency to inflate even the smallest thing. Or I’m just really having a bad hair day (ha-ha) blame it on something, anything. Its supposed to be Bonfire Night tonight, but I’ll be damned if I have to get out in harsh weather like this. Richard wants to go out and brave the numerous fireworks tonight, but I am a miserable grouch, kill-joy (is what we call it) at the moment. Not getting my tapestry thread in the mail, is not making it any better. How am I going to finish my cross stitch thingey without those 2 skeins? Eeeh! Mondays!!!

So, I wish to be… comfortably numb… with Richard and chocolate cake next to me…

by Pink Floyd

Hello.
Is there anybody in there?
Just nod if you can hear me.
Is there anyone home?

Come on, now.
I hear youre feeling down.
Well I can ease your pain,
Get you on your feet again.

Relax.
I need some information first.
Just the basic facts:
Can you show me where it hurts?

There is no pain, you are receding.
A distant ships smoke on the horizon.
You are only coming through in waves.
Your lips move but I cant hear what youre sayin.
When I was a child I had a fever.
My hands felt just like two balloons.
Now I got that feeling once again.
I cant explain, you would not understand.
This is not how I am.
I have become comfortably numb.

Ok.Just a little pinprick. [ping]
There'll be no more --aaaaaahhhhh!
But you may feel a little sick.

Can you stand up?
I do believe its working good.
Thatll keep you going for the show.
Come on its time to go.

There is no pain, you are receding.
A distant ships smoke on the horizon.
You are only coming through in waves.
Your lips move but I cant hear what youre sayin.
When I was a child I caught a fleeting glimpse,
Out of the corner of my eye.
I turned to look but it was gone.
I cannot put my finger on it now.
The child is grown, the dream is gone.
I have become comfortably numb.

day 16

Do you think that you can calmly and wisely react in emergencies? What emergencies have you had to deal with?

dream world and 2 love quotes

"The bad things in life open your eyes to the good things you weren't paying attention to before."--from the movie Good Will Hunting


Dream World
by Lubaina

The sky is a clear blue color
Of the bluest ocean
Patches of scattered clouds,
Like cotton candy...
The bird's distant chirping sounds
Can be heardIn a field of silence.

I sit under the shadeOf the greenest of trees.
The sun playing hide-and-seek
Between the moving branches
Casting a warm touch upon my face
Intermingled with a cool breeze
Playing with my hair...

A pen in my hand, the diary in my lap,
My thoughts... so far offIn another land -
Another dream world.
Suddenly I feel a drop of water
Fall on my hand, then another,
Opening my eyes
I look towards the sky
No dark clouds in sight,
The beauty of the place
Is still the same...

I touch my cheeks and find them wet
The drops I felt
Were the tears I had shed.
The wind I had felt
Sweeping my hair
Was the gentle touch
Of your finger tips,
The warmth I had felt upon my face
Was but the closeness of your being.

I sigh once more and close my eyes,
Rest my head upon my knees.
One more day gone by
And we are still apart.
And, yes, it rained once more today
Like always it does
But ... deep in my heart.

"I'll give you an ocean of love; with a kiss on every wave."

queer restaurant

another email that came my way that just proves people do the queerest things... only humans think of ideas like this...

toilet themed restaurant

day 15

What things are you most selfish about?

Turning 30 (I wish) by Andy Rooney

As I bid goodbye to my calendar years today, I reminisce what it means to me to get older. Thinking about it, I would like to be the same as wine. The older it gets the better it is. I am glad that I remain after all hang-ups and tribulations in my life. Don't I want to remain young forever? Certainly, I do only if I could take with me the collective wisdom of my years. Older means experience. Something you can't buy over the counter or in some shop. Knowing not to make the same mistake twice is something you cannot conjure from out of a hat.

Do I regret not doing certain things in my youth? Some things but not a lot. Mostly irrelevant stuff that I wish I had done, like I wish I had done better in Chemistry 101. My biggest hang-up still is not meeting my husband earlier in my life. Our whole world could have been entirely different. But then that's going into presumptions.

My biggest lesson yet? Expect everything to go bad and be ready for it. Sounds pessimistic. It is, but it's also being a girl scout, like I'm the only person maybe in a 10 mile radius who carries an umbrella in the UK in summer!

Greatest achievement so far? My 2 girls hands down. They're both responsible young adults, competitive and driven. I don't even have to be on their case because they are self motivated.

What I enjoy most? Being happy in my own skin. Getting over having to prove my worth to anyone at all. Been there, done that, just a futile exercise really. I feel like a piece of rough stone but over the years, I have taken some shape. Not near finished perfect yet, but the form is there.

An article I have read:

This is for all you girls 30 years and over....and for those who are turning 30, and for those who are scared of moving into their 30's! This was written by Andy Rooney from CBS 60 Minutes Andy Rooney says:

As I grow in age, I value women who are over 30 most of all. Here are just a few reasons why: A woman over 30 will never wake you in the middle of the night to ask, "What are you thinking?". She doesn't care what you think. I don't have to ask my husband what he thinks in the middle of the night. 99% of the time I know what it is.

If a woman over 30 doesn't want to watch the game, she doesn't sit around whining about it. She does something she wants to do. And, it's usually something more interesting. Definitely.

A woman over 30 knows herself well enough to be assured in who she is, what she is, what she wants and from whom. Few women past the age of 30 give a damn what you might think about her or what she's doing. Absolutely.

Women over 30 are dignified. They seldom have a screaming match with you at the opera or in the middle of an expensive restaurant. Of course, if you deserve it, they won't hesitate to shoot you, if they think they can get away with it. Ha-ha, I beg to differ on this one!

A woman over 30 has the self-assurance to introduce you to her women friends. A younger woman with a man will often ignore even her best friend because she doesn't trust the guy with other women. Women over 30 couldn't care less if you're attracted to her friends because she knows her friends won't betray her. It's not because I trust my friends, I trust my husband, and without sounding over-confident, my husband knows where the grass is greenest.

Once you get past a wrinkle or two, a woman over 30 is far sexier than her younger counterpart. Matter of fact I actually look better now than 10 years ago. Gee-whiz it's true even with a wrinkle or two.

Older women are forthright and honest. They'll tell you right off if you are a jerk if you are acting like one! You don't ever have to wonder where you stand with her. No matter how much you embellish something, what stinks will still smell eventually.

the egg factor

Yesterday, sorting out blog, work, life, I was musing on a couple of noteworthy blogs that I came across. One of them is called Deep End Dining and as the name implies it's all about food, if you classify some unmentionables as food. How I got there was when I was obssessing about the Pinoy Balut. Hmm... yes... the legendary evil egg of darkness (ha-ha!) So if you want to read more about it, just click this link:

http://www.deependdining.com/2005/09/balut-egg-of-darkness-pinoy-pinay.html

I confess I have more than once eaten Balut, but it was balut-sa-penoy, meaning its yolk is bigger than the hatchling, so at least you' eating more of the yolk and not the gory duck fetus. Actually after reading the above article, I am re-living in my mind how I could have managed to go near, and better still eat a balut. I guess it's really in the culture of being Filipino. Food for Pinoys is as entrenched in your psyche as religion is. So my excuse, I was born a Pinoy, so yes, I can pass the balut test in flying colors. It's oh so amusing how they use the delicacy in Fear Factor, whilst its just a humble pulutan (hors d' oeuvres you serve with beer) in the Philippines. In fact because of this little egg, Pinoy's who have eaten it gain some sort of notoriety. Like some badge of honor, to say I have eaten "that" egg and survived. How amusing, but not to everyone, sorry to say. One reader of the above article was so disgusted at how they portrayed the balut that she wrote a saga about it. (click on the link)

http://www.ellaganda.com/?p=230

But knowing what I know, the reputation and fame of the balut supersedes it. It is not all that scary, talaga (really). I find it scarier to eat duck's feet and frog legs (both of which Richard has done - trivia). If you're lucky to get a properly prepared one, it's actually tasty. All you need to do crack the shell a bit, slurp the juice, then remove half of the egg shell and sprinkle the contents with salt, presto, you're all set! You can probably close your eyes at this point if you're the queasy type. And for one, balut is NOT, I repeat is not the most infamous food of its kind yet. I think that label should go to the more dreadful one-day-old. Hmm... does that sound all too telling? It looks like this:

Courtesy of : http://my_sarisari_store.typepad.com/my_sarisari_store/2007/03/oneday_old_chic.html

So are we Pinoys, all that barbaric? Hindi kaya. No, of course not, it's "gourmet cuisine". Scots eat haggis, Thais eat fried locusts, French eat snails (escargot), Brits eat black pudding... the list is endless... each culture has its own unique delicacy, not necessarily pleasing to anybody else but holds an esteemed place in one's very own culture.

day 14

What is your usual reaction when someone criticizes you?

just like a woman

I am having a Bob Dylan phase. In light of this, I am posting another one of Bob’s songs. It has no historical or even social significance, only maybe for the controversy that surrounded the lyrics to this song. Apparently, some women’s groups have criticized this song’s description of the female personna. Isn’t that so cliché?
I personally find some feminists irritating but I dont hate the idea of feminism. I embrace it. By definition feminism means: an ideology or a doctrine that advocates equal rights for women. It is often mistaken for the women’s lib movement. Feminism is not a stringent rule you have to adhere to. It is idealism at its best, bearing the fruit of man and woman as equals. Is it that bad to admit that we women need men just as much as they need us? Okay, maybe they need us a bit more because they cant bear children. But isnt that the whole point of feminism? The celebration of females as unique beings, who have weaknesses and faults but are as strong and capable as men? Call me old fashioned, politically-incorrect, whatever, I do appreciate being on equal terms with my husband, but I appreciate more the fact that he is my protector and my personal champion. I know he is there when I need him, so forget about political correctness.

just like a woman by bob dylan

Nobody feels any pain
Tonight as I stand inside the rain
Ev'rybody knows
That Baby's got new clothes
But lately I see her ribbons and her bows
Have fallen from her curls.

She takes just like a woman, yes, she does
She makes love just like a woman, yes, she does
And she aches just like a woman
But she breaks just like a little girl.

Queen Mary, she's my friend
Yes, I believe I'll go see her again
Nobody has to guess
That Baby can't be blessed
Till she sees finally that she's like all the rest
With her fog, her amphetamine and her pearls.

She takes just like a woman, yes, she does
She makes love just like a woman, yes, she does
And she aches just like a woman
But she breaks just like a little girl.

It was raining from the first
And I was dying there of thirst
So I came in here
And your long-time curse hurts
But what's worse
Is this pain in here
I can't stay in here
Ain't it clear that--I just can't fit
Yes, I believe it's time for us to quit
When we meet again
Introduced as friends
Please don't let on that you knew me when
I was hungry and it was your world.

Ah, you fake just like a woman, yes, you do
You make love just like a woman, yes, you do
Then you ache just like a woman
But you break just like a little girl.

promote national reconciliation - (DAW?)

I was just sorting out my blog and reading news clips on the internet. Noticed an article that entirely dramatizes how our country is run like a sarsuela. I’m absolutely dumbfounded, I should say. Its absolutely shameless and irresponsible for PGMA to have allowed this to happen. Don’t you wish for the Dark Ages when people beheaded their monarchs for less offenses. But then, I really don’t have a say in this. For one thing I have only ever voted once and since living overseas, I have not exercised my voting rights here nor there. Politics normally does not interest me anymore, or should I say I try to avoid it like the plague, but what outrages me is when a person such as PGMA, who has been voted for by people who are living in slums and absolute poverty, is more pre-occupied with saving her own skin than governing a country in strife. Her excuse: Pardon was given in the effort to promote national reconcialiation. Reconcialiation my ass! Erap was a thug, a proven gambling lord and every bit the liar that he is. I am still aghast at how he wormed his way to Malacanang. I was absolutely and profoundly stupefied when my parents and grandma voted for him then. Why? Because their religious affiliation dictates that they do so. It is a horrific but normal practice in my country that a religious leader tell his masses of followers who to vote or not vote. Can you see the political power angle? And one last thing, FYI, PGMA also stands for pare-ginago-mo-ako, pare being erap. Hmmm.

Pardon in the Philippines
Oct 30th 2007From the Economist Intelligence Unit ViewsWire
The current president controversially pardons a former one

Philippine president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's executive pardon of Joseph Estrada, a former president convicted of economic plunder, has ignited controversy. The pardon is perhaps strategically intended to neutralise the threat that Mr Estrada could rally further opposition to the rule of Ms Macapagal Arroyo. But the move could backfire by alienating some of her allies and reinforcing perceptions that her administration has tolerated a corrupt and elitist political system in which the influential are all but above the law.
Ms Macapagal Arroyo's pardon of Mr Estrada, on October 25th, has been fiercely criticised by many sections of the Philippine press, by some members of the clergy and, most notably, by Fidel Ramos, a respected former president and sometime supporter of Ms Macapagal Arroyo. Indeed, to an extent the pardon has embarrassed the government in a way that the conviction of Mr Estrada ultimately did not, despite the government's initial fears over its popular impact. Before the Sandiganbayan (the court that tries cases relating to the conduct of public office) found Mr Estrada guilty of plunder on September 12th, Ms Macapagal Arroyo's administration had justifiable grounds for anxiety about the verdict, doubly so given the possibility that either a guilty or innocent verdict had the potential to create political turmoil.
Had Mr Estrada been found innocent, it would have undermined much of the basis for his removal, by Ms Macapagal Arroyo, in the 2001 military-civilian coup. Equally, a guilty verdict could have triggered mass demonstrations by Mr Estrada's supporters among the urban poor. (Preventing such protests remains an enduring preoccupation of Philippine governments, given the role of "people's power" movements in ousting Mr Estrada, in 2001, and another former president, Ferdinand Marcos, in 1986.)
In the event, Mr Estrada was found guilty of plunder, although the court did not convict him of other charges, including misappropriation of tobacco excise funds and perjury in the statement of his assets and liabilities. Despite the conviction, the protests against the verdict proved to be remarkably small, no doubt much to the government's relief.
But the government's problems are not necessarily over despite the failure of Mr Estrada's conviction to ignite large-scale protests. The reason for this is that while the trial and conviction of Mr Estrada burnished the Philippines' democratic credentials by, in effect, proving that no one is above the law, the president's swiftness in granting a pardon has created the impression that the opposite is the case. Ms Macapagal Arroyo's ostensible reason for pardoning Mr Estrada was to promote national "reconciliation". But it is easy to see how the president's opponents—and indeed, some of her allies as well—could interpret such leniency as politically motivated, recognising that Mr Estrada remains an important potential rallying point for political dissent.
Such suspicions may be harder to shake off in the context of the increasing cracks within Ms Macapagal Arroyo's coalition. In particular, the president's relationship with the speaker of the lower house, Jose de Venecia, is thought to have come under strain because of the fallout from a corruption scandal over the contract for a national broadband telecommunications network. The scandal involves allegations that the government preferred a proposal by a Chinese contractor, ZTE, in preference to offers by two other companies, one of which is controlled by Mr de Venecia's son. (The proposed ZTE deal was significantly more expensive than the other two, leading to allegations of kickbacks.) The speaker has been a strong ally of Ms Macapagal Arroyo in the past, and his support has played a key role in her political survival in the face of impeachment bids. Without the backing of Mr de Venecia and his allies, Ms Macapagal Arroyo could be forced to seek political deals with other groups, such as those loyal to Mr Estrada. Although this still does not seem like a particularly fruitful course for Ms Macapagal Arroyo, given her lack of appeal to the poor and her administration's support for the legal case against the former president for the past six years, the pardon has inevitably invited speculation about a political quid pro quo.
The pardon will also raise concerns about the respect for the rule of law in the Philippines. Although the president undeniably has the right to grant executive pardons, its use with respect to Mr Estrada will renew concerns in many quarters that the rich and powerful remain immune from punishment. In this context, it is a plus that Mr Estrada was convicted, but a minus that he was pardoned given the scale of economic plunder for which he was convicted. None of this will help to dispel concerns about entrenched corruption in the Philippines. In its latest corruption perceptions index, Transparency International, an international non-governmental organisation, ranked the Philippines equal 131st out of 180 countries, alongside Iran, Libya and Nepal, among others.

day 13

How do you typically handle the trauma from a big let-down whether it is from the a break-up, getting fired or some other big disappointment?

With Every Breath

by R. Brady

With every breath that touches my lips
I think of only you
Your face is imprinted in my mind
With everything I do
Every time I fall asleep
You are always in my dreams
Ever since the day we met
I have seen only you
When I think of you
Forever is what I see
My love for you is real
And I hope and pray you know
That through it all
And throughout my life
My love for you will be
for always...