Hot Pot

On "Tribute To A Typewriter"

2009-11-16T22:58:00.002+08:00

I just read Butch Dalisay's "Tribute To A Typewriter", and I just love it!

When did I really feel for an object like that? Probably what I have for my dear laptop right now. Or my old angel-bear notebook that Mum gave me when I was in early grade school. I practically begged her to buy me that notebook which I can not find now. Sad.

In it should have been the novel of the century.

Pacquaio Wins Versus Cotto (Thank Goodness!)

2009-11-15T16:44:00.004+08:00

Pacman won! Yay!

On my part, it was kind of a relief. Because IF he had lost, it could be quite embarrassing. Having won successive games, it would be a shame if he lost to a Cotto (whom I heard is a really big guy).

After hearing that he won, my mum and I went grocery shopping. Guess when we arrived, everyone was glued to the television! As good citizens, we did not announce Pacman's victory of course. That's what happens with delayed telecasts.

Mum helped me with my Kris Kringle at school. She is the coolest and funniest mother! I can not wait to see the reaction of my "baby" when it comes to gift-opening time. Let's just say...ummm...the items are not your ordinary gifts. Hehehe...

They say when the Pacman is on a boxing match, the crime rate significantly lowers down. Well, that's the Pacman magic. Onli in da Philippines!

Patient X Is So Overrated

2009-11-05T20:32:00.005+08:00

Patient X is a disappointment!!! A waste of our PhP22.00. Oh, well. With all due fairness to Yam, the cinematography and music is fantastic.

But the story lacks the remote X factor.

Richard plays Lucas, a doctor in a barrio who fights the crazy, typical vampires. You know, the one who huffs and puffs and the does the wacky shoulder ups and downs. [Channeling Dion Ignacio.]

Cristine is Patient X. [Duh.]

It was still fun watching the movie. Ok, I just laughed while the film was rolling. It is not at all scary!!!

The story is not so good. After Yam's "Sigaw", I expected a whole lot more. The only plus side probably is that (for red-blooded males) Cristine looked fresh (though not believable) as a vampire.

And they really had to expose her legs.

Seriously, everything about Patient X (the movie) is not believable. The hospital is run down. I personally would not want to be confined inside. The police were too sipsip.

What really bothered me was the story. It could have been better developed. And oh yeah, the insinuated attraction between Richard and Cristine? Ewww...

One, she is a monster.
Two, she is his nanny for goodness' sake.

Let's keep the distance, people.

The Crazy Language Called English

2009-11-05T20:25:00.002+08:00

If you are a nerd, you will surely like this. Ok, I am one!

You think English is easy???

Read to the end . . . a new twist!

1) The bandage was wound around the wound.

2) The farm was used to produce produce .

3) The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.

4) We must polish the Polish furniture.

5) He could lead if he would get the lead out.

6) The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.

7) Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present .

8) A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.

9) When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.

10) I did not object to the object.

11) The insurance was invalid for the invalid.

12) There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row .

13) They were too close to the door to close it.

14) The buck does funny things when the does are present.

15) A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line.

16) To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.

17) The wind was too strong to wind the sail.

18) Upon seeing the tear in the painting I shed a tear.

19) I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.

20) How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?

Let's face it - English is a crazy language. There is no egg in eggplant, nor ham in hamburger; neither apple nor pine in pineapple. English muffins weren't invented in England or French fries in France. Sweetmeats are candies while sweetbreads, which aren't sweet, are meat. We take English for granted. But if we explore its paradoxes, we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.

And why is it that writers write but fingers don't fing, grocers don't groce and hammers don't ham? If the plural of tooth is teeth, why isn't the plural of booth, beeth? One goose, 2 geese. So one moose, 2 meese? One index, 2 indices? Doesn't it seem crazy that you can make amends but not one amend? If you have a bunch of odds and ends and get rid of all but one of them, what do you call it?

If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught? If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat? Sometimes I think all the English speakers should be committed to an asylum for the verbally insane. In what language do people recite at a play and play at a recital? Ship by truck and send cargo by ship? Have noses that run and feet that smell?

How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites? You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which your house can burn up as it burns down, in which you fill in a form by filling it out and in which, an alarm goes off by going on.

English was invented by people, not computers, and it reflects the creativity of the human race, which, of course, is not a race at all. That is why, when the stars are out, they are visible, but when the lights are out, they are invisible.

PS. - Why doesn't 'Buick' rhyme with 'quick' ?

You lovers of the English language might enjoy this.

There is a two-letter word that perhaps has more meanings than any other two-letter word, and that is 'UP.'

It's easy to understand UP, meaning toward the sky or at the top of the list, but when we awaken in the morning, why do we wake UP ?

At a meeting, why does a topic come UP ?

Why do we speak UP and why are the officers UP for election and why is it UP to the secretary to write UP a report ?
We call UP our friends.

And we use it to brighten UP a room, polish UP the silver; we warm UP the leftovers and clean UP the kitchen.

We lock UP the house and some guys fix UP the old car.

At other times the little word has real special meaning.

People stir UP trouble, line UP for tickets, work UP an appetite, and think UP excuses.

To be dressed is one thing, but to be dressed UP is special.

A drain must be opened UP because it is stopped UP.

We open UP a store in the morning but we close it UP at night.

We seem to be pretty mixed UP about UP!

To be knowledgeable about the proper uses of UP, look the word UP in the dictionary.

In a desk-sized dictionary, it takes UP almost 1/4th of the page and can add UP to about thirty definitions.

If you are UP to it, you might try building UP a list of the many ways UP is used.

It will take UP a lot of your time, but if you don't give UP, you may wind UP with a hundred or more.

When it threatens to rain, we say it is clouding UP .

When the sun comes out we say it is clearing UP...
When it rains, it wets the earth and often messes things UP.
When it doesn't rain for awhile, things dry UP.

One could go on and on, but I'll wrap it UP, for now my time is UP, so........it is time to shut UP!

Now it's UP to you what you do with this.

How True Is This?

2009-10-27T21:34:00.002+08:00

The reason I am a writer is that I have an interesting way of looking at situations. In other words, I just think differently (or weirdly).

Sometimes do you think that 24 hours in a day is just too short?

2009-10-26T21:08:00.002+08:00

Shanghai Baby And I

2009-10-26T20:37:00.005+08:00

A very wise editor told me to cut the flowery words short and get on with my writing. Aside from reading voraciously (as in READ, READ, READ), I should be doing some WRITE, WRITE, WRITE.

Even if the words just would not come out. Because they eventually will.

Actually, I learned this technique way before in high school. I attended this creative writing seminar by a British writer. She said to let the words simply flow from my mind, from my heart, and to my hands through the pen. Or in my case, the computer keyboard.

Dj lent me a book entitled "Shanghai Baby". Coco's incredibly sexy and brave. And I am absolutely nothing like her. It's just that she's a writer too, and she's struggling to put out this BEST-SELLING NOVEL that if you asked me where mine is, it's still in the forensics of my brain.

Go, me.

Taipei & Beijing To Set Up Tourism Offices By February 2010

2009-10-26T20:32:00.000+08:00

Taiwan and China agree to set up tourism offices in each other’s capitals (Taipei and Beijing) by early 2010, as Taiwan aims to increase mainland tourists.

Aren't Gifts Supposed To Be Free?

2009-10-25T21:08:00.003+08:00

Many years ago, I lauded a magazine for pointing out the irritating and obvious error of the phrase FREE GIFT.

Ok, tell me what is wrong with the phrase FREE GIFT?

*tap, tap, tap* Time's up!

In the first place, a gift is supposed to be free. Why state the obvious?

Up until now, there are still publications making use of that redundancy. "Act now and get a free gift!"

2009-10-23T21:21:00.003+08:00

We will be having our GREAT BINONDO AMAZING RACE tomorrow. And it's really great! Really great! Hope the other Pandas get lost. [PAUSE]

And learn something from the Chinese-Filipino culture too, ofcourse. What were you thinking?

On a funnier note, if what I said is anything funny at all, someone texted me:
"Shanghai friends, what are other things that racers have to bring for tomorrow? Added instructions aside from not wearing slippers?"

I replied:
"Please bring one camera and pen per group. Please DON'T BRING valuables."

The reply:
"What if your face is a valuable? Hehe."

My response?
"Well, you could cover it up so that it won't get 'lost', but you will get lost either way if you do it."

Ok. Corny. LOL. I probably am the only one who found that funny.

New Scholars Chosen For GBF China Scholarship Program

2009-10-23T20:50:00.002+08:00

We are actually nearing the end of our 5-month Chinese studies in the Philippines under the Gokongwei Brothers Foundation China Scholarship Program.

Anyway, we still made it in the papers. Haha. This is a clipping from the Philippine Star just last October 19, 2009.

Sky-High Ergonomics

2009-10-20T20:30:00.004+08:00

Check out my byline in the Special 10th Anniversary edition of BluPrint published by the Mega Publishing Group.

Chinese Students: The Most Stressed In The World

2009-10-14T19:38:00.005+08:00

NOTE: I deleted the old post. It kept on attracting spam!!! Grrr... Anyone care to enlighten me on this? Does spam also have...what do you call that, when words count so that your blog comes out at the top of the search list...it's on the tip of my tongue...whatever, I forgot and don't care anyway.

I also re-posted everyone's comments.

Thanks!

***

It's back to school time here in the Philippines!

Are you ready to hit the books and face all those competition, I mean, fellow classmates?

Many years ago, before the UPCAT, ACET, and all the nerve-wracking, spine-twisting, hair-pulling college entrance exams, we had the National College Entrance Examination--a standardized test for college entrance that was discontinued in 1994.

China has the GaoKao every June--a test that can be somehow traced back to the imperial examinations of long ago. This determines the social fate of the student. No wonder June is considered the most stressful time for Chinese students!

2009-10-10T20:39:00.002+08:00

Whenever I get writer's block, I always think back to Sumire--a character in one of Haruki Murakami's books. Have you heard of "Sputnik Sweetheart"?

Like me, she's a writer. She has disconnected ideas. And all her thoughts are in disarray. But the similarity just ends there.

Have you felt like your mind is in a swirl, yet your body (and in my case, my hands) simply wants to laze around?

2009-10-09T20:28:00.003+08:00

It's raining again. I just got off the telly watching the news on SM Pangasinan. Up until now, an approximate of 1,000 people are still stranded inside the mall due to the half-mall-height flood.

Here are top 3 lessons I learned from the Ondoy and Pepeng calamity--a combination of practicality, science, and philosophy.

1. Keep vital documents inside zip lock plastic bags. Safety deposit boxes are useless when it comes to floods.

2. Heavy objects (like you, me, and the refrigerator) can float and tip. Remember the Titanic.

3. Material objects are just material objects. Thank God you and your loved ones are ok! (But in preparation for next time, take heart Lesson Number 1.)

Filipinos are very good when it comes to pre-calamity preparations just right after an unexpected calamity. Let's change that!

2009-10-08T22:14:00.002+08:00

I have a confession to make.

Halfway through Stephen King's "Green Mile", I dumped it. I just dumped it. And to think the book was with me for 2 weeks!

Honestly speaking, I got bored with the storytelling. [Don't crucify me, Stephen King fans!] My hyperactive mind simply became confused with the characters. It...just...wandered. [But I could not bear to not know the story...so I cheated through Wikipedia...]

I am now reading Neil Gaiman. Thank you Fully Booked! I got GCs from them for my work! Hehe.

2009-10-08T21:42:00.004+08:00

I have a theory. The older you get, the more restricted your line of thought will be and the more you will grow into a boring person.

I think my life has become such a monotone already. Quarter-life crisis? Blech.

This feels like deja vu, having said something like this a few years back. Solution--try to be more spontaneous.

Today, the traffic was truly incredible. I got stuck for 2 hours on the road for a trip that will take 20 minutes NORMALLY. Definitely not a good start for spontaneity.

People were getting off the jeep to simply trek the road on their own. I do not know what was worst that time--getting my feet sore from walking an insane distance...(Trust me, that was insane. I can walk long distances, but at that specific point in my life, that was insane.)...or giving my respiratory system and basically the whole of my being a hard time from the evil smoke coming out of the smoke belchers.

Anyway, you know how things will go wrong when they will (or something like that)? I think Murphy said that.

Ok, I should stop now. Have you heard of those energy vampires? Well, I just became one.

Tomorrow will be better. Should.

Spread some positivity and happiness.

2009-10-03T15:18:00.001+08:00

I'm feeling the October blah. I've got nothing to write about. Or my fingers just feel too lazy. I just need to write something--anything write now.

China’s Mainstream Media Views On China Blogs & Bloggers

2009-09-30T20:52:00.000+08:00

Does China’s mainstream media fear competition from new media like the internet? Editors of the People’s Daily don’t think so, and say bloggers are parasites.

2009-09-27T22:02:00.005+08:00

It was the worst of times, it was the best of times. I think Charles Dickens wrote that in "A Tale of Two Cities" or something.

Well, yesterday Saturday was a kind of Dickens quotable day.

#1. It was raining really hard early morning, and I had to meet my carpool mates by 6.30am.

#2. It was raining really hard that early morning, and I knew for sure that the fates of water will turn their tides against all of mankind today (aka FLOOD).

#3. It was just really early in the morning, and our performance under the Ateneo's Confucious Institute for the Mid Autumn Festival was not until 5 (or 6pm) in the afternoon. But we still need to get to Shangri-La Plaza Mall before mall hours to practice. Logical. It was just the rain and the earliness combined.

Fast forward...

#4. I knew that #2 was certain. We were stranded outside and had to look for a decent place to crash into for the night.

#5. Thank God for the wonderful and generous hearts of our teachers.

Let me quote Charles Dickens again. Or it might just be something similiar to that.

2009-09-20T17:25:00.002+08:00

Two blog posts in a day! I am on a roll!

I just came back from looking at my blog analytics. You know, that techie stat stuff provided by Google so you can check your blog performance.

And my oh my were I surprised to see my daily visit stats! The number really is ego boosting. I do not know all the people who visit my site. Of course if you comment, I know you. But then there are only a few people who do comment. [Sad.] However, there are great and wonderful people who do read my blog just for the heck of it.

Thank you whoever you are! You are the few people who understand that what writers need are audiences. And I think I mentioned that before.

This made me think of the recent Taylor Swift and Kayne West controversy. There is no connection, I know.

Still, thank you for making my corner of the world part of yours. Sob. Rest assured that I will try to make your life a better one every single post.

Weh.

2009-09-20T17:03:00.003+08:00

I have found out that coming up with titles per blog post is very much hindering my line of thinking. So from now on, I would not be including titles anymore. The work is just so bothersome.

In my world, there are 2 things that are truly evil. Number one on my list are evil people who commit heinous crimes like rape and abuse. And number two are evil people who have nothing better to do in life than to program computer viruses.

Early this morning after breakfast, my sister and I folded our sleeves and prepared to combat the the evil little brats invented by Evil People Number Two.

Trust me, computer viruses are the worst things--next to drug-crazed addicts. But then again, those who make viruses are probably drug-crazed addicts too.

Who among here can tell me what is the best anti-virus software in the world? Make that the best FREE anti-virus software in the world. I pray that those pesky rats will just dissolve into thin air.

I really do not understand those evil computer geeks on what are they thinking when they made those hell-on-loose things.

Me: "Do they not know that karma will get the most of them? The viruses will eventually come back to haunt their weaponry."

Sister: "No, because they are smart."

Damn you nerds!

Fabulous Zhang Ziyi in Perfect Comedy Role

2009-09-16T21:33:00.006+08:00

Last Wednesday in Composition Class, we watched a film instead--starring the really beautiful Zhang Ziyi.

Have you ever wondered how Ziyi is in comedy roles? Well, here is the perfect role for her in the aptly titled "非常完美: So Perfect aka Sophie's Revenge".

The translation for the Chinese title is "So Perfect", but I think "Fabulous" is so much better.

Because that's what I think of the petite Zhang. This was actually her first time to lead in a comedy and in a very un-Chinese movie in fact.

The setting is very cosmopolitan. The colors--definitely I like. I predict "Fabulous" would pave roads to similar movie trends in China.

Here's some trivia--did you know that the taxis used in the film were specially made? They are not your typical taxis seen in China.

Sophie plays a cartoonist whose boyfriend broke off with her in favor of snobby-looking Anna played by Fan Bingbing. For those who watch Korean dramas, you might recognize Dr. Jeff.

Sophie then plots THE PERFECT PLAN against her ex with the help of Gordon who actually is the brother of...wait, and I am getting ahead of everyone else.

Catch the movie for yourselves and tell me what you think!

On Getting Comments With My Writing

2009-09-08T19:50:00.005+08:00

I forgot where I read that what writers mostly need is an audience. Today, Teacher Michael returned our essays on "母爱", and I really appreciated what he did.

He marked all the best lines in our compositions and listed them down for all to read. It really is encouraging to hear comments (both praises and criticisms) regarding your work. It just shows that they take your writing seriously.

I have editors who really slash my work to pieces. Literally. But they are the ones who really push you to your limits so that you can be the best writer that you can be. Granted, early criticisms are ego hurting, yet they really do help.

Deaflympics, World Games, Lamas, & Cross-Strait Relations

2009-09-07T19:52:00.003+08:00

More on the complicated cross-strait relations between Mainland China and Taiwan. The main point this time has something to do with the recent Deaflympics.