Of Chocolates and Travels...

2 Broke Girls Recap: Pilot

noreply@blogger.com (chocoholiccynic) — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 16:15:00 +0000

Max: Don't' think that we're on the same team. I wear knit hats because it's cold outside.
YOU where knit hats because you like Coldplay.

In A Nutshell:

This new sitcom chronicles the lives of two girls -- Max and Caroline -- both of whom are trying to make ends meet. Max Black (played by Kat Dennings) came from a poor working-class family and she is also trying to juggle two jobs to pay her bills. Caroline Channing (played by Beth Bers) is a daughter of a wealthy and corrupt politician. Her family recently lost all their possessions and now she has to work in order to survive. They work together to raise $250,000 so that they can open their own cupcake shop.

*****

EPISODE 1: Pilot

Max and Caroline in the storage room

Max works in a New York restaurant with another waitress, a Russian girl named Paulina. However, Paulina seems to not be doing her job so the owner, an Asian guy named Han Li (who changed his named to Bryce Li), fired her. Max then approaches Bryce Li to convince him not to hire another waitress because she needs the extra money. Bryce answers that he can't do it because unfortunately, he already hired a new waitress who has an impressive resume. The new girl turned out to be Caroline Channing. Max did not trust her so in order to test her ability to wait, she instructs her to "marry the ketchup". Caroline, who had no idea what it meant, placed the bottle together as if to "marry them" in the literal sense. Max notices it and confronts Caroline. The latter then admits that she had never waited all her life but she really needed the money. At the end of their shift, Caroline convinces Max to sell her cupcakes for $7. They then say goodbye to each other.

Caroline "marrying" the ketchups

The next morning, Max finds Caroline sleeping on the subway train while she (Max) was on her way on her second job, to babysit a dumb socialite diva. Caroline accidentally tasers Max because she thought she was being raped. Max invites Caroline to her apartment and then she proceeded to her babysitting job. Unfortunately for Caroline, Max's boyfriend hits on her. She confides this to Max, who refused to believe her. Max left Caroline alone in the restaurant because she was too angry about her accusation.She then realizes that Caroline is telling the truth when she catches her boyfriend red-handed. Max apologized to Caroline and invites her to become a roommate. They then decided to save money until they reach $250,000 so that they can open their own cupcake store. The show ends with a tally of how much they've earned so far.

Personal thoughts about the show:

The show was widely talked about before it aired and it has been included in the top shows to watch for this Summer. Unfortunately for the producers, it fell short of the expectation. The jokes depended on stereotypes and if you hate that kind of humor, you might find it offending. There were a few cheap laughs throughout the episodes but none came too be as good enough as the other popular comedies like Modern Family, How I Met Your Mother or The Big Bang Theory. Plus, Kat Dennings portrayal of a hardworking waitress is too strong, it was really very difficult to relate to her. I like the Gwen Stefani look-alike Caroline. She looked adorable and really dumb and it was good for laughs. I am not sure if the series has a lot of promise though. I guess we'll have to wait and see. :)

Some quotes and screenshots in this episode:

Customer: Where's my waitress?
Max: She's cumming.

Caroline asking Bryce Li for a new uniform

Caroline divorces the ketchups

Caroline: (after using a taser on Max) I'm sorry, I didn't know it would hurt so much. It's pink!
Max: It didn't feel pink!
Caroline: I didn't know it was you. (whisper) I thought I was being raped!
Max: That's not what rape feels like!

Caroline:Back off, Jersey Shore!

Caroline and Max's boyfriend introducing each other

Socialite: Max, what's my twitter password?
Max: Twitter password.

Oleg showing his sexual prowess (ack!)

Bryce Li

Earl: Was Vladimir Putin it out!

TVD Recap: Season 3x02 - The Hybrid

noreply@blogger.com (chocoholiccynic) — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 12:21:00 +0000

Elena in Alaric's apartment

It's that time of the week again! TVD time! Let's do a recap of the second episode, shall we?

In a nutshell, the episode revolved around Elena doing what she does best, putting herself into the epicenter of trouble; Klaus building an army of hybrid comrades (read:slaves) and Jeremy asking for Matt's help with the souls tormenting him.

Hottie werewolf helping Elena

Elena, who seems to be discontented in staying safe in Mystic Falls, goes to Damon to convince him to help her find Stefan. After Damon refused point-blank to help her, she decided to go to Alaric to "blackmail" him (read: pretend she'll go by herself in the treacherous mountains to search for her lost vampire boyfriend) into helping her. The Drunk teacher-slash-vampire hunter agreed to do so. They sought Tyler's help for information about werewolf packs.Tyler said that most werewolves prefer to chain themselves during the night of the full moon to avoid harming people but there are those who prefer to go to places where they can enjoy the transformation freely, like deep forests and mountains. He helps Elena locate a mountain in Tennessee where a werewolf pack is rumored to be living. Alaric and Elena then journey to Tennessee to "find Stefan."

Mama Lockwood and Scary Bill

Speaking of Tyler, we remember last episode that Mama Lockwood shot Vampire Barbie as she tried to "sneak out of Tyler's room like a prostitute" (her words, not mine). It turns out that she knew that Caroline was a vampire all along. She was also scared that Tyler has turned into a vampire because he spends a lot of time with Caroline so Mama Lockwood spiked Tyler's morning coffee with verbain to test him. Surprise, surprise, he wasn't affected at all, although he seemed to notice that the coffee tasted bad. Relieved that her baby boy is not a vampire, she calls someone to help her handle the "Vampire Situation" (read: unconscious Caroline); a mysterious guy who goes by the name "Bill". ~~He looks like a scary dude and I don't really like him.~~ Despite shooting Caroline with verbain, it seems that Mama Lockwood cannot handle killing her since she knew Vampire Barbie personally and her conscience could not handle it (good job, Carol L. ). Scary Bill tells her to shrug it off because no matter what, Caroline is still a monster. (how dare he! Where is Uma Thurman when you need her? )

Ray Sutton's werewolf pack

E.H. introducing himself to the pack

Meanwhile, on Evil Hybrid's universe, Klaus drags Stefan to the location of Ray Sutton's werewolf pack. Their mission: to turn them into a pack of hybrids (like Klaus). They find them in a secluded wood setting up their camping site. Stefan dumps Ray Sutton's dead (for the meantime) body and they introduce themselves (more like, Klaus introduced himself). He then reveals to them the first step to his grand plan for world domination: to turn them to an army of comrades (no matter what euphemism you use baddie, it still sounds like "SLAVES" to me) so that nobody will bother to challenge his power. (rolls eyes) Most of the werewolves expressed their unwillingness and doing a typical Klaus move, Klaus force-fed them with his blood one by one , then snapped their neck to pave way for their transition to a vampire. Unfortunately for E.H. (Evil Hybrid), something goes wrong. Right after Ray wakes up and transitions to a vampire, blood started gushing out of his eyes and he is consumed with an unexplainable rage. He runs away from them, biting Stefan in the process. Klaus instructs Stefan to run after him if he (Stefan) wants to be cured from the werewolf bite. Stefan chases Ray as though his life depended on it (which it really is).

Klaus reveals his evil plan

Back to Elena and Alaric. The two reached Tennessee and as they came closer to the location of the wolf pack, Elena hands Alaric the eternity ring that her uncle-daddy left her. She persuades Ric to take the ring because it's virtually useless for her since she's a doppelganger. Ric retorts that she should keep it for "future stubborn and relentless baby Gilberts". Elena then said he should just wear it for the time being, just until they're finished with the Stefan quest coz she can't forgive herself if Ric dies because of her. Ric concedes and wears the ring.

Elena gives Alaric the ring

Damon pushes Elena in the water

Then out of nowhere, someone pushes Elena in the water. It was Damon. Turns out, Ric told him they were going on a quest to "save Stefan" and naturally, Damon follows to protect his precious "Elena" (rolls eye again). Elena, the hard-headed stupid girl that she is, refused to stop the search even if Damon wanted her to just go home and give up because it's too dangerous. In the end, she gets what she wants and the three of them continue to find Stefan in the woods. In some twist of fate, Stefan overhears them while he was trying to capture Ray Sutton.

Stefan watching the trio incognito

Elena, Ric and Damon then comes across Ray. The latter was going out of his mind and he attacks Damon. Elena tosses a wolfsbane grenade towards Damon who detonates it on Ray's face. They tied up Ray on a tree to prevent him from attacking them. They were surprised that Ray is transforming even if the moon is not yet up and then in a sudden lightbulb moment, they realized that Ray could be a hybrid. They decide to leave the mountain before the moon rises up. While they were trying to escape, clumsy Elena (always a pain in the ass) stumbles and falls to the ground. She finds herself face to face with a fully-transformed werewolf (probably one from Ray's pack). Damon distracts the wolf and puts himself as a bait so that the wolf will chase him instead of Elena. Ric drags Elena to their car where they waited for Damon to come back.

Damon questioning Ray

Damon: Here doggie, doggie.

Damon finds himself in a bit of dilemma as he encounters Ray again. The hybrid-gone-wrong attacks Damon but thankfully, Stefan appears out of nowhere and kills Ray. (Good to know Little Bro still doesn't want his Big Bro to be killed). He then tells Damon again to go away and keep Elena in Mystic Falls. He says that he is not coming back so they should not go looking for him.

Ripper Stefan holding Ray's heart

In the car, Elena and Ric had a heart-to-heart talk which ends up to the latter agreeing to be Elena and Gilbert's guardian again, on one condition, he will keep the ring because he needs to "keep the humans safe". Damon then returns to the car while a worried Elena runs to him to check if he is safe. He then convinces them to leave the place and so they did. Before leaving, Elena had a glimpse of Stefan from afar but she thought she was just imagining it.

Stefan secretly watching the trio from afar

Dead werewolves. :(

Stefan returns to Klaus with Ray's corpse. He finds E.H. sitting alone, surrounded by a bunch of dead bodies. It appears that Klaus supposed-comrades started to go crazy so he was forced to kill them all. He then wondered what went wrong because he followed all the rules: he killed a werewolf, a vampire and a doppelganger. (For a moment there, I thought he will find out that Elena is still alive because of Stefan's puppy's eyes) He then tells a sob story about how disappointed he is that his plans did not go his way (For a moment there, I felt sad for him. Then I remembered the bunch of dead people around them and I went back to hating him again). Stefan, for some unknown reason, tells E.H. that he failed him and he is ready for whatever E.H. is planning to do with him. E.H. stared back at him then he gives him his blood (for the werewolf bite). He (Klaus) then tells Stefan that they are leaving. (I am not sure but I have this feeling that Klaus had an inkling that Elena might still be alive.)

Back in Mystic Falls, Tyler realizes that his mom spiked his drink with verbain. He confronted him about it and demanded to know where Caroline was. Mama Lockwood insisted that he should stay away from Vamp barbie since she's a monster. Tyler, enraged at what he heard, drags his mama to the cellar in the old Lockwood estate. He made her stay there so she can watch him transform into a werewolf. This turns out to be a good thing as Mama Lockwood realized that she could have been wrong.She tells Tyler that she''ll do everything to keep Caroline safe. Baby Lockwood is grateful.

Elena and Damon

After arriving back at the Gilbert House, Damon and Elena had a heart-to-heart talk. Damon confesses to Elena that he had been wrong and that Stefan is not really gone. He then promised Elena that he will bring Stefan back to her. As he leaves, Damon confronts Elena about what happened in the mountain. He asked her about what changed her mind. She was so hell-bent in searching for Stefan but then she suddenly decided to drop the mission and just leave. Elena admits that she was worried about Stefan. Then she asked him why it was so important for her to say it aloud that she cared for him. Stefan answers that in the event that he is able to drag Stefan back to Mystic Falls, he wants her to remember how she felt while Stefan was gone. :( He then leaves a dumb-founded Elena in her room. Ric appears and tells her that she is treading dangerous waters with what she's doing. (Falling in love with both brothers...she's doing a Katherine!)

Vicki asking for help.

On another note, Jeremy who is being haunted by the ghosts of his dead girlfriends, seeks Matt help to deal with Vicki's ghost. At first, Matt is hesitant but then he obliges. Vicki's ghost appears before Jeremy and she tells him that she can come back. He asks Jeremy to help her comeback and then for some unknown reason, she breaks the window. Annabel appears too and gives Jeremy a warning. She tells him not to trust Vicki. (IDK but I'm with Annabel on this one, Vicki is never to be trusted.) Jeremy is then left confused about what he should do.

Annabel warning Jeremy

True to her word, Mama Lockwood goes on a "Save-Caroline mission." She calls Bill up and tells him that they should let Caroline go. Scary Bill answers that Mama Lockwood does not understand the situation because she just "married in the vampire-hating tradition and did not grow up with it." He adds that she should not feel guilty because the vampires should not be trusted since they're monsters. Then he hangs up. Mama Lockwood feels guilty as ever.

The ending scene is the biggest surprise of the night. We see Caroline chained in a dungeon. She calls out for help and Scary Bill appears. He says "Hello Caroline." and Caroline looks up, shocked as ever. Then she whispered, "Daddy?". (Boom!)

Scary Bill

Poor Caroline!

*****
Thoughts on this episode

It was not as engaging as the first one. I think it fell short of the expectation. It felt like something was missing. I don't hate it though but it's certainly not my favorite. Let's discuss some of the points that appeared in this episode.

1. Evil Hybrid's experiment gone wrong

Now that Klaus realizes that he failed miserably in his grand plan, will he realize that the ritual did not end up the way it should? Did Stefan's brooding expression gave away the fact that Elena is still alive? He said that they're leaving. I have this feeling that E.H. is planning on returning to Mystic Falls. Watchaguysthink?

2. Vicki, Anna and ~~Barcelona...~~ err. Jeremy

So what's the deal with her asking for help? Annabel tells Jer no to trust Vicki but knowing how Jer is head over heels in love with her, I am sure he will try to bring her back. Is this the consequence that the witches warned Bonnie about? I wonder what Vicki is up to. Let's wait and see.

3. Damon and Elena

So it appears that Dalena is really happening. I just hope to God that this will not break Stefan's heart. I sense a fierce love triangle worthy of Twilight (ack!)happening soon. Gahd, I hope the writers will not resort to that. Let's cross our fingers and hope for the best. :(

4. Bill-y the Vampire Slayer

What's with all this Mystic Falls parents willing to kill their babies because they're scared of vampires? No wonder Caroline is the way she is when the series began. She had a serious trouble with her parents, who could blame her? I am just wondering if Bill-y will stake his poor baby in the heart because she's a vampire or will he do a Liz and set Caroline free? I am surprised though that he is that burly. I did not quite picture him that way. I imagined him as more effeminate given that he left Liz for a guy..but then again, I am not judging. XD Bill should have more compassion and he should be forgiving. It's his daughter for chrissakes! I hope he does not kill Caroline or I'll be really furious with you, TVD Gods!

Well, that's it for this week! Here are the other screen shots from this episode. Enjoy! :)

(Click the picture to zoom in)

Damon and Elena's heart-to-heart talk

I actually thought he will kiss her here...

..and here..

..and here.

Kill Bill Volume 3

Stefan watches Elena, Damon and Ric

Elena and the Werewolf

"Here doggie, doggie"

Cookbook: MINT-CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

noreply@blogger.com (chocoholiccynic) — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 12:08:00 +0000

Makes: about 4 1/2 dozen
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Bake: at 375 degrees for 9-11minutes

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups mint chocolate chips OR: semi-sweet chips*

(Optional)

Glaze

3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
2 drops mint extract
3 1/2 tsp. water

Procedure:

Heat oven to 375 deg. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt together into a medium-sized bowl.
Beat butter in a large bowl until creamy. Add brown and granulated sugars; beat until fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Beat in the vanilla.
On low speed, beat in the flour mixture. Gently fold chips in. Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls, about 2 inches apart, onto ungreased baking sheets.
Bake in 375 deg. oven for 9-11 minutes, until crisp. Cool on sheet on rack for 2 minutes. Transfer to rack.
(Optional) Glaze: Beat together the sugar, mint extract and water in a small bowl until smooth. Transfer to a plastic food-storage bag; snip off the the corner. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cookies. Let stand until the glaze is set.

*Note: If you are using semi-sweet chips, add 1/4 tsp. mint extract.

Nutrient Value Per Cookies

131 calories
6 g fat (4 g saturated)
1 g protein
18 g carbohydrate
1 g fiber
39 mg sodium
18 mg cholesterol

TVD Recap: Season 3x01 - The Birthday

noreply@blogger.com (chocoholiccynic) — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 18:51:00 +0000

Alaric, Damon and Elena during the latter's 18th birthday party

The third season picks up on Elena's 18th birthday, two months after where the second season left off. Now that Jenna is dead, Alaric took the place as Elena's and Jeremy's legal guardian. He spent the entire summer sleeping on their couch because he totally refused the other option, sleeping on his dead ex-girlfriend's old room.

Evil Klaus and Ripper Stefan corner a hairy Ray Sutton

in a local bar in Tennessee

Elena is worried about Stefan because she hasn't heard from him for two months and she totally refuses to accept the possibility that he might be dead. Elena urges Damon to search for Stefan who we last saw leaving town with Klaus. Andie, Damon's fake compelled girlfriend, helps Elena, Damon and Alaric to find Stefan by giving leads she picked up from her job.

It appears that Klaus has been searching for the oldest pack of werewolves to turn them to an army of hybrids and help him fulfill his grand plan of ruling the world. With Stefan's help, he tracked down a werewolf named Ray Sutton (played by David Gallagher) and forced him to spill the whereabouts of his pack.

Pretty Boy Matt and Vampire Barbie

Meanwhile, a very happy and blooming Caroline arranges a party for Elena's special day. She and Tyler seems to be spending a lot of time together (it's about time! THANK YOU TVD Gods) while pretty boy Matt appears to have a hard time dealing with the fact that his best friend is now "dating" his ex-girlfriend. Jeremy, on the other hand, is left alone and haunted by the ghosts of his past girlfriends (Anna and Vicki) and he does not know what to do about it. He refused to mention a word to Bonnie (who is out of town visiting her relatives) and tried to deal with the problem alone by smoking weed. This does not help as the specters keep on appearing periodically on cars and dark eerie places, catching him off guard and almost driving him bonkers.

Unbeknownst to Elena, Damon has been hiding facts from her about the murders happening across state borders ---which appears to be Stefan's handiwork -- in an attempt to protect her from having her hopes shattered if she finds out that Stefan does not want to come back.Damon received a lead from Andie and tries to track down Klaus (and Stefan's) latest murder scene. He and Alaric drive to Tennessee and find the house where Ray Sutton used to leave. They discover the dismembered bodies of two girls which were "put together" on the couch. Damon recognizes it as Stefan's M.O. He tells Alaric that Ripper Stefan' "feeds so hard he blacks out and rips them apart but then when he's done, he feels remorse and he puts the bodies back together." (It's kinda gross and twisted if you think about it...completely different from the Stefan we all know). Damon and Alaric tries to cover the crime scene by burning down the house. This appeared to be a bad idea because it came to Klaus' knowledge and he realizes that Damon is tracking them down. Stefan convinces Klaus to let him deal with it and the latter agrees.

Stefan compels Andie to lure Damon to the TV Studio. He tells Damon to stop tracking them and Damon refused, saying that "a birthday girl at home won't let him do it" (If you don't understand, it means Elena, duh.) Because of this, crazy Stefan commands Andie to kill herself and reiterates to Damon to back off and let him go. He then leaves the studio while a distressed Damon rushes off to Andie's lifeless body. (I actually felt sad for Damon here.)

Oh Caroline. :(

Back in the Salvatore mansion where Caroline throws Elena a birthday party, almost half of the minors in Mystic Falls are in attendance. Tyler brings a date (Slutty Susan or whatever she's called..she's totally insignificant I forgot to remember her name) and this annoys Caroline because even if she denies it to herself, she is slowly falling in love with her hot werewolf buddy. She compels the girl to leave the party and after Tyler asked her what her problem was, they kissed and hooked up...and it lead to...you know. Sadly, it turns out the interim Mayor Cougar Lockwood is on a vampire-hunting spree and she shots Caroline when the latter tried to sneak out of Tyler's room the next morning after they "hooked-up". (Does she hate it that her son is dating another Carol too?)

Alaric, on the other hand, who was acting as the helpless chaperone, realizes that he is not making a good role model for the kids since he's always drinking to forget his misery (I mean, who wouldn't? He lost his vampire wife and human-turned-vampire girlfriend for chrissakes.) He decides in the end to leave the Gilbert house and leaves Elena in-charge since she's already an adult. (this happens later in the episode, though)

Loveless Alaric

Elena, for reasons best known to herself, goes to Damon's room and comes across his closet full of articles and notations to track Klaus' victims. She then confronts Damon (after he came back to the house following Andie's death) and asked him why he kept her in the dark and made her feel stupid the whole summer (sweetheart, you've been stupid since the start of the show) for thinking that the leads she get are dead-ends. Damon tells her that he did it to protect her because the victims were not Klaus' victims but Stefan's. Elena did not believe him and runs out of the room (typical Elena move)

Back to evil Klaus' universe, Stefan returns to the bar and tells Evil Hybrid that the Damon problem has been dealt with. Klaus answers back and tells him that Stefan is putting up a really good show and he (Klaus) knows that deep down inside of him (Stefan), he (Stefan) still cares for his family that's why he chose to deal with it himself and not let Klaus do it. Klaus adds that he will soon forget all about those feelings as he drinks more blood and loses his humanity. (Evil bastard. I hate him with a burning passion.)

Look at his poor face! :(

The episode ends with two heartbreaking scenes. Damon destroying everything in Stefan's old room, (perhaps out of anger that he's baby bro killed his fake compelled girlfriend or because he hates the fact that Elena still chooses Stefan); and Stefan calling Elena's phone. As Stefan remained silent on the other line, Elena realizes that it must be him and tells him that everything's gonna be okay and he should hold on to the fact that she still loves him. Stefan does not reply but he nods tearfully (I just hate seeing him cry.. he looks so helpless, it makes me want to run and give him a bear hug).

*****

The season premiere did not disappoint in terms of fulfilling our hunger for the much-awaited third season. I just have a few things to point out.

1. Stefan the Ripper

-I do get the fact that he's trying to serve Klaus as a payment for Damon's life (and also to protect Elena and the rest of the gang ) but gahd it feels so frustrating to see him in the dark side and playing it so well. It's a good thing for his character though, it adds depth and flavor, since I find him too one-dimensional in the first two seasons. But should it really be like this? Do you really have to turn him into a monster?

2. Caroline and Tyler

Finally! Thank God these two are together. I just hope it's gonna last long. I doubt it though, what with Matt acting like a jealous doofus around them and Cougar Lockwood shooting our Vampire Barbie down . Not cool, Mayor Lockwood. NOT.COOL.

3. Jeremy's Ghosts of Girlfriends' Past. :)

- What's with those creepy apparitions? What do they want? Will they drive Jer crazy? Will they be resurrected as well? If it's Anna, then it's okay but PLEASE don't bring Vicki back. She's annoying and dumb and she's an insecure beeyotch who does not know what she wants. :(

Creepy Annabel is creepy.

4. Klaus

- So the Evil Hybrid is building an army. Interesting. Let's make the all-powerful antagonist even more powerful and undefeatable. Seriously, TVD Gods? You need to do something about it. I just can't stand this asshole ruining everybody's life just because he thinks he can. (I can't wait for the Originals to be resurrected. All hell will surely break loose.)

5. Will Damon-Elena happen?

-Oh God, please not! As much as I love Damon (and yes, I think Captain Smolderpants is a GOD), I can't picture him with Elena. I love that the writers are considering the possibility of a good ending to his unrequited love for Elena (after they take all the girls he liked away from him.. ehem Rose ehem Andie) but I don't think they have enough chemistry to equal that of Stefan and Elena's tandem . IMO, Damon and Katherine are a better match. If they are together, they will be a force to be reckon with, donchatink? This scene is sweet, though. (Please look at pictures below)

6. Where is Katherine?

- I miss the bitch, they should bring her back. At least, she's got more character than Elena.

Well, it seems that Season 3 is gonna be very very exciting. According to the producers, they have a lot of things in store for us. I can't wait to get hooked again.

And because we can't get enough of Damon, here are the other screenshots from the episode.

Sexy Sexy God.

Reasons Why I Can't Love You

noreply@blogger.com (chocoholiccynic) — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 17:44:00 +0000

I found this beautiful article in thoughtcatalog. This is exactly what am feeling. This is me. Every sentence, every word, speaks of how I feel. I just want to share it with you guys. :)

Find the original article here.

by Kat George

Don’t get me wrong—I think you’re great. I like to eat dinner across from you, quickly glancing down at the fork idly fondling my food when you catch my eye. I like the coy smiles that pass between us, and the way that once we’re both drunk you become brave enough to hold my hand, and I become excited enough to hold it back. I like it when my phone vibrates in the night and it’s you saying something completely irrelevant, just so you could text me. I like that you like me; I like what we have.

But I can’t love you. I can’t love you because I couldn’t love the one before you, and I wont be able to love the one after you. It’s not because you’re not wonderful, or because you don’t deserve to be loved. It’s because you’ve melted into those other ones—you’re all the same. None of the dinners, the lazy days spent in bed cradling each other’s naked bodies, the little things you whisper to me, none of it is new. I’ve heard and done these things before, the motions are repetitive, and my responses are habitual. I can’t love you because we don’t have that special… thing… that makes every one of these practiced encounters seem brand new.

I can’t love you because I’m measuring you against a yard-stick from long ago, and you keep falling short. Every movement you make, every tiny word you utter, I pick up and hold towards the sun to see if you’ll turn transparent and I’ll see him inside your skin. When he’s not there—and he never is—I know I’ll never be able to love you. I haven’t and I can’t move on; it’s not your fault. I know I’m being entirely ridiculous, but when he haunts my sleep and I awaken in the morning only to see your resting eyes andyour mouth agape on the pillow next to me, I feel disappointed, and I hate that I feel that way. I can’t love you because I’m entangled in the past, and I’m still not ready for the future.

I can’t love you because you adore me too much. Every time I wish for you to stop flattering me, to stop agreeing with me on every little thing, to stop fucking doing every completely nonsensical thing I ask of you, it makes me feel sick, ungrateful and mean. You’re wonderful for thinking I’m wonderful, but I can’t love you because you don’t love me for my flaws—you love me in spite of them. You don’t see me, you don’t even want to see me, for what I am—the ugly, pungent parts of my guts. You can’t and don’t want to tear these parts out of me while I scream. I can’t love you because you won’t defy me, because you won’t fight me when I’m wrong. I can’t love you because you don’t stand eye to eye with me and challenge me, demand of me, to be a better person.

I can’t love you because it’s too hard and I’m too busy. I’m so busy all the time; I barely have time to see my friends, the people I know I’ll be 80 with, if we all (God/ universe/ Mother Nature willing) make it that far. I keep trying to convince myself that you’re just not right for me but half the problem is I simply don’t have the time for you, and I didn’t realize my mental process was making these ludicrous deductions until a friend casually pointed out that I was a New Yorker now, and that New York was what was ‘happening’ to me. And here I was thinking I was just holding out for Mr. Right. I can’t love you because logically or illogically, my brain doesn’t compute having you any higher on my list of priorities.

I can’t love you because I’m happy on my own. It’s been almost a year now, and I’ve healed from the destructive force of a previous relationship. I’ve learned how to enjoy my own company and laugh at my own jokes. I can’t love you because if I do you’ll be in my bed with me at night, or worse, I’ll be at yours without my things around me. I wont be able to sleep spread-eagled, to eat crispy fried bacon in my underpants, to make plans to go out whenever I want, or to make plans to stay in whenever I want. I can’t love you because, right now, I’m enjoying my ‘me’ time far too much—I’m like a pig in shit. I can’t love you because for the first time in my life, I’m being selfish.

I can’t love you because I’m scared. Because I’ve been broken hearted and I know the pain of losing something I love all too well. I don’t have another heartbreak in me, and sometimes when I look at you I imagine myself as a younger girl and I know I would have ridden into the sunset with you, had you asked, even if you were entirely wrong for me. I can’t love you because I’m so tired of love; its commitments and risks. I can’t love you because I don’t know if you’re worth the commitment or the risk and I’m not willing to find out the hard way, although I sincerely hope that one day I will be. I can’t love you because I don’t want to, and sometimes I’m afraid that makes me a bad person

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)

noreply@blogger.com (chocoholiccynic) — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 16:42:00 +0000

The picture is not mine. Click here for the original source.

--Directed by Miyazaki Hayao
-- Screenplay by Miyazaki Hayao
-- Starring: Sumi Shimamoto, Goro Naya, Yoji Matsuda

-- Music by: Hisaishi Joe
-- Duration: 116 min.
-- Tomatometer: 80%
-- IMDB Rating: 8.1 /10
-- Chocometer: 8.7 chocolates

-- Language: Japanese

Title: Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (風の谷のナウシカ Kaze no Tani no Naushika) (1984)

Picture is not mine. Click here for the original source

It is a post-apocalyptic movie set a thousand years after the Seven Days of Fire. The world is left with a toxic jungle where gigantic (and poisonous) insects called Ohmus roam the land. There are several kingdoms existing and one of the them is the Valley of the Wind where Nausicaa lives. She is a princess who usually ventures on the toxic jungle to communicate with the Ohmus. She is described as humble and peace-loving. Their kingdom is one of the few ones who still enjoy the benefits of fresh air free from the lethal poisons of the toxic jungle.

The peace of their land was soon disrupted and when a huge airship manned by Tolmekians crashes nearby. It is discovered that the ship was carrying an embryo of a giant soldier used in the war before as well as the captive Princess of Pejite. The Tolmekians are a powerful race who are planning to launch a war and conquer other kingdoms to make use of their resources. They just finished destroying Pejites, thus the captive princess.

A war between Nausicaa's people and the Tolmekians was launched as the latter try to revive the embryo of the giant soldier to gain more power. Nausicaa, with the help of other Pejites, then struggles to fight for her kingdom and stop the Tolmekians from destroying it and the rest of the world. She tries to protect the Ohmus in the process.

For a better summary, click here.

The Verdict:

I had high expectations about the movie hearing almost positive reviews about it from my Japanese students. It's supposed to be one of the most celebrated animations in Japan. It was a good movie, probably not the best that I have ever seen, but surely a quality one. Did it satisfy my expectations? 85% perhaps but not entirely. The ending was quite hanging. It gives you a motherhood finality, a feel good moment; this film, like most of its contemporaries, gives the viewer a resolution of the problem.

Photo is not mine. Click here for the original source.

It plays on the idea that kindness, peace and love will always solve everything. Quite idealistic, to tell you frankly, seeing as in the real world, it is not the case. You cannot just face the Taliban, say for example, or the Al Qaeda with peace and love cause it will surely get you killed. :)) jokes on that.

The brilliance of the movie, I think, is the magic that Miyazaki has produced in creating a real functioning world that makes the viewer believe that it indeed exists. It's like watching something straight out of a mirror, further proving the fact of Miyazaki's genius. He is indeed the J.K. Rowling of the movie industry.

T'was was like watching the struggles of a real Princess exist: how she tries to maintain the virginity of her kingdom and the safety of her subjects. You are with her when she tries to ward off the evil Tolmekians from the valley of the wind and you weep with her when her father was slaughtered mercilessly (oops, sorry for the spoiler) on his sick bed. You fear for her life when she faces the gigantic Ohmus and you also hold your breath as she tries to fly with her air glider across the toxic jungle.

Compared to the cartoon movies during that time, the movie is indeed a masterpiece with the technology they used and the imagery made. It never goes out of style. Kudos to Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli for that.It gives you the familiar (or not-so-familiar) taste of country living just by looking at the picturesque scenes. It has a slight commentary about how the people on Earth are treating the planet. Kind of an explicit attack telling the viewers that if you don't stop your harmful ways now, you will end up this way. Effective though the message conveyance is, it is too simplistic, to say the least, coz many people have tried that already but we all know that it is a losing cause; already passe.

It did not explain though why the head of the Tolemekians waited for the princess at the end, the relevance of the giant warriors and why they were all destroyed at the end of the movie. It did not explain either the relevance of the travelling swordsman. The ending as I said was kind of abrupt; it takes you by surprise by leaving you hanging and confused because of unanswered questions.

A must see movie?

Picture not mine.
Click here for the original source.

If you are a child at heart, then yes you should. If you want to feel happy or the type of person who just wants yourself to watch films for entertainment value, then this is the movie for you. It does not leave you thinking about the purpose of the film; it sort of presents to you the beginning, the climax and the end in a very linear way.

It is treading on predictable because you know that no matter what happens, in the end, it will end up in a good way, just like any other fairy tale.

If you ask me though, I'd still prefer Spirited Away any day. :)

Recommendations:

--Good to watch on a rainy day or with your kids/friends.

--The soundtrack is good, you should listen to it.

--Watch the Japanese version (with the English subtitles)

Nobody Knows (2004)

noreply@blogger.com (chocoholiccynic) — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 16:40:00 +0000

Nobody Knows (2004)
(誰も知らない Dare Mo Shiranai)

Directed by Hirokazu Koreeda
Produced by Hirokazu Koreeda
Written by Hirokazu Koreeda
Starring Yûya Yagira, Ayu Kitaura,Hiei Kimura
Music by Tatetakako

Running Time: 141 minutes
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 93 %
IMDB Rating: 8/10
Chocoholic Rating: 8.2 chocolates

What makes someone a parent? Is it the fact that one is able to produce an offspring or is it something more than that? Nobody Knows (2004) try to explore the answer to that question and at the same time tries to show the stark reality of the effects of child abandonment in society and how it greatly takes away a big part of a child's life.

Based on a real life incident that happened in Japan, Nobody Knows is a story of the survival of four children after their irresponsible mother abandoned them. They are left to live on their own with the little amount of money that their mother left as she runs off and marry another guy.

Picture not mine. Click here for the original source.

It starts when a mother and son (12 years old) moves into a new apartment with their bulky baggage. As the door closes, two children pops out of the huge luggage while another one is rendezvoused at the train station and is stealthily sneaked in by her big brother. The mother then tells her children that they are not allowed to go out of the room and play nor go to school. She goes off after a few day leaving the eldest son, Akira, in charge with 50,000 yen which he is supposed to budget for the rest of the days until she is back. When cash was running out, Akira tries to ask for help from the fathers of his sibling but the attempt was futile. He was able to get 5000 yen from them and that's it. Fortunately, their mother comes back bringing presents for them. She leaves the next day never to return again, leaving the four children on their own devices.

It does not give you a resolution. It is merely a recounting of an unfortunate incident that befell four kids who are too unlucky to be born to useless parents who think that parenthood is nothing but a childish game they can leave anytime they want to.

Picture not mine.
Click here for the original source.

It surprises me that despite the movie's haunting theme and plot, I was numb after watching it. Usually, I would cry my heart out because of how cruel the world is to these kids but I guess it was the intention of the director to distance the viewer from the emotions, make it as stoic as possible, because the alternate option will absolutely be heart-crushing that one cannot help but question the morals of society and be jaded for the rest of his/her life. The scarier fact about it was that it was based on a real life story so if you step over the boundaries and attached yourself to the characters, you will feel a burst of emotions inside you: depression from the injustice of the situation, anger towards the irresponsible parents who had the nerve to forsake their children and despair from what we have let our society become.

Koreeda's brilliance lies on the fact that he was able to show the story in a subtle documentary-like story-telling that one will almost believe that these children are real, that their struggles are real and you cannot do anything but hold on to your seat and watch helplessly as the story unfolds. Yuya Yagira's portrayal of a 12-year old boy who tries to provide for his siblings while also struggling to fight for a chance to hold on to a childhood that was too early to be taken away from him was unnaturally superb. It was as if Yagira did not exist and what we can see on the screen is Akira Fukushima, the abandoned boy who only wants to have a normal life but left with no choice. He makes us forget about reality, sucks as in and brings us to this parallel universe where we are as powerless as he is.

This movie is not for people who can't stand the lengthy and slow pace that usually characterize Japanese films. It is slow and dragging, what with the 141 minutes of screen time where no action happens aside from conversations between the kids and multiple close-up shots of particular scenes to accentuate the harrowing situation that the children are in. But no matter how slow-moving or simplistic the movie is, it is never boring because each scene pulls you in to the characters' chaotic world and it rewards you with such severe humanism as you have never seen before.

The musical score adds up to the pulchritude of the film as it underlines poignant scenes in the movie such as Akira's and Saki's walk from the Haneda Airport after burying Yuri, Akira's frustration when he runs out of coins on the telephone booth without being able to talk to the mother that abandoned them, etc.

It is a good movie to watch if you are looking for something unconventional that will slap irresponsible parents out there with striking cold reality of the effects of child abuse. It earns my respect for Japanese films and it surely is a part of my highly recommended list.

Here is a good movie review if you want one. 200 Days of Solitude

Still Walking (2008)

noreply@blogger.com (chocoholiccynic) — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 16:39:00 +0000

The picture is not mine. Click for the original source.

Original Title: Aruitemo, Aruitemo (歩いても歩いても)
Directed and Written by: Hirokazu Kore-eda
Starring: Hiroshi Abe, You, Yui Natsukawa
Music by: Gontiti
Running Time: 114 mins.
Release Date: June 2008 (Japan) /August 2009 (US)
Language: Japanese
Tomato Meter: 100% (Critics) | 88% (Audience)
IMDB Rating: 7.9/10
Chocometer: 9.1 chocolates

Not your ordinary family melodrama.

Click for the original source.
The picture is not mine

Still Walking (2009) is a wonderful masterpiece from Hirokazu Kore-eda about the events that transpired in one whole summer day as the Yokoyama family reunites to commemorate the death of the eldest son who passed away 15 years ago.

It is a mirror of the dynamics between ordinary family members and the embedded flaws revealed from the snippets of conversation that occur all throughout the film. There's no huge arguments that escalated from the strained relationship of each family member. The confrontations are done in a natural manner, wherein instead of resorting to a major fallout, the tension is just exhibited in uncomfortable exchanges that last for a fraction of a second and immediately broken by awkward attempts to change the subject and ignore the issue. No overly exaggerated drama. No shouting. Nothing of that sort. It's just your typical day-to-day life projected on the big screen and it pulls you slowly and slowly until you realize that you and the characters are one and the same. The characters are so diverse that it is impossible for the viewers not to relate to at least one of them.

Click for the original source.
The picture is not mine

You have the old and retired patriarch Kyohei who is too proud and cold that he does not even care about how his gripe is affecting the family. He cannot move on with the death of his favorite son, Junpei, fifteen years ago, and this causes a strain between him and the youngest son, Ryota. Ryota, the frustrated and insecure art restorer is most affected by his brother's death that he can't even let himself visit his parents often and tries as much as possible to stay away from them. He has married the widow Yukari who has a son named Atsushi. The three of them were forced to visit Ryota's parents for Junpei's 15th death anniversary. Chinami, the middle child, is a cheerful mother of two who plans to move to her parents house with her husband Nobuo. She tries to ease the tension between the characters despite the chilly atmosphere that floats around the house.Another important character in the movie is the matriarch Toshiko, who may seem caring and warm at first, but is revealed to be despiteous towards Yoshio, the boy that her son saved 15-years ago.

The beauty of the movie lies on the fact that it is too close to home. It is too understated and simplistic but is careful not to cross the boundaries of catatonia. It is the poignant depiction of life, how we try to struggle to keep afloat despite the changing times; how we try to live and go on because time will never stop for us; how the wheels of existence keep on turning as we are put to alternating roles that were once seem unfamiliar to us. Moreover, it is a film about family ties; how we take for granted the smallest and simplest things and how we are reduced to words and promises that we never really keep.

The picture is not mine.
Please click here for the original source

The last ten minutes of the story is the true gem of the film. It seems to piece everything together and also contrasts the bitter reality that we have to face. The exchanges between the younger Yokoyama couple and their older counterparts are strikingly familiar to our generation. How the older ones yearn for more visits from their children and how the children resolves to avoid visiting their parents. It is a harsh reality but it is undeniably built on a solid foundation that we are well acquainted of. Ryota's recounting of not being able to see the soccer game with his father, never really being able to let his mother ride his car to go shopping and seemingly being too late for almost everything. It is not remorse. It is done in a matter-of-factly way that is too unnerving to really reflect on.

Again, Kore-eda has added another jewel to Japan's pride. Still Walking is part of my highly recommended list. It is not cathartic. It is not a feel-good movie. It is just a movie about life and the real meaning of our existence and funnily enough, it is a wonderful thing to behold.

The trailer of Still Walking (2008)

How to Get to Casaroro Falls from Dumaguete City

noreply@blogger.com (chocoholiccynic) — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 16:38:00 +0000

The welcome sign at the entrance of Casaroro Falls.
WE BURN FATS....LET'S DO THE TREK!

1. Take a tricycle and tell the driver to drop you off at the jeepney terminal to Valencia City Proper. (PhP8 per person)

Alternative route: You can walk to the terminal if you're on a tight budget. It's a few blocks away from the Dumaguete Public Market. Notable landmark: Cristita Partosa Merchandise Store. (The owner shares the same name as my late paternal grandmother. How I wish we were that rich.)

2. Once you get to the terminal, take a 30-minute jeepney ride to the city proper of Valencia.(PhP15-20 per person). The jeep leaves every 15 minutes.

Alternative route: There are many tricycle drivers waiting in the terminal. You can negotiate with them and they can take you as far as Banica Resort/Tejeros. (In our case, we paid 25php per person and the driver dropped us off at Tejeros) This option is better if there are too many of you travelling. It's a little more expensive than the jeepney ride but the upside of it is that you can ride a habal-habal in Tejeros for a much lower price compared to the ones in the city proper.

3. Upon arriving at the city proper (for those who took the jeepney), you can check out the old Spanish fountain in their plaza. It is beautiful. :) Once you've had enough of it, you can find some habal-habal drivers near the jeepney terminal and they will charge you about a 100 pesos per person for a one-way ride to Casaroro Falls. (Yes, it's a bit expensive but the ride is very very far...and rocky. Some of the drivers also said that that's the fix price and you can't really haggle to avoid competition between the drivers)

Valencia City Proper

The old Spanish Fountain at the Valencia City Proper

Another fountain at the city proper.

The Banica Resort

Alternative route: If you chose the Banica Resort route, you can wait for a habal-habal there and you can negotiate with the driver. They can charge you up to 70-80 pesos for a one-way ride. It is, however, difficult to find an empty habal-habal here so you might need to wait for a long time. You can also walk from Banica Resort to Apolong drive like we did, but mind you, it's very far and tiring. In our case, we were able to haggle with the driver and we only paid 30 pesos per person for a one-way fare to Casaroro. But that's after walking for two hours from Banica Resort to Apolong Drive.

Our habal-habal driver. Bonsai and the other guy.
I don't know if I still have their contact number.

Note: It's good to negotiate with your habal-habal driver and arrange for them to pick you up as drivers rarely go there without passengers. I tell you IT IS IMPORTANT that you have a sure way to go back to the city proper or you'll be stuck in the site. :) Again, the fare depends on your arrangement.

4.The habal-habal driver will drop you off at the entrance of the Casaroro Falls and you will need to pay 10 pesos for the entrance fee (and 50php for the cottages) . Then you'll need to carefully climb down the 335 steps, cross a short bridge and do a little trekking to see the actual falls. It's a tiring ride but I tell you, it's definitely worth it because it's one of the most majestic things you'll ever see in your life.

Entrance to Casaroro Falls

Click picture to zoom in.

Schedule of Rates

Something's missing there.
It should say "335 steep steps". No joke. :|

The start of the "trek"

The steel stairs to the falls.

The bridge to Casaroro Falls
Click the picture to zoom in.

Cottages at the Casaroro Falls
50php/day rental fee

Getting to the falls.

Casaroro Falls from afar.

The pictures are all mine unless stated otherwise. Please practice decency and don't steal it. Thank you. :)

First Love (A Crazy Little Thing Called Love) -- Detailed Synopsis

noreply@blogger.com (chocoholiccynic) — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 16:36:00 +0000

*first of all , I am not good in giving summaries so please forgive me. It's a work in progress. :)

please click the photos for the credits of the pictures. I do not own them.

Rating: 7.5/10
Directed and Written by: Puttipong Pormsaka Na-Sakonnakorn and Wasin Pokpong
Release Date: Aug 12, 2010 (Thailand)
Runtime: 118 minutes
Language: Thai
Lead Actors: Pimchanok Lerwisetpibol (Nam) and Mario Maurer (Chon)

I am not a fan of romantic movies, that I would like to say. I find them cheesy and simplistic and they rarely reflect what happens in the real world. You might have guessed that I am because of my blog's name. I am a cynic in every possible sense of the word. When I watch romantic films, I cringe at the scenes where the guy confesses his love for the lead actress (or the other way around), when they kiss and any other scene that shouts "Warning: Too much cheesiness on-screen". I would like to make it clear though that I have had my fair share of swooning and kilig moments from some really good love stories like Keith, Spirited Away (yes, that's a love story for me so shut up) and Titanic (perhaps). I don't hate them all coz there are really some good ones out there that can take your breath away and make you believe that true love is indeed true.

Now, First Love ( A Crazy Little Thing Called Love) has been one of the more popular movies among social networking sites for the past month. Most of my Facebook contacts and Tumblr acquaintances rave about how good the movie is. I, the ever-so-curious-kid, finally decided to download this movie and see what these people are going ga-ga about.

Three hours and 1.9 GB later, the downloading was finished and I started to watch the movie.

(Warning: SPOILERS ahead. ~~Continue reading at your own risk~~)

The story starts with a photo exhibit at the Siam Museum. A photographer is being interviewed by a group of girls about his works as he explained the subject and theme of his photography. Then a baby started crying and he excuses himself from the interviewers to attend to his "son". A voice-over starts speaking (a girl) narrating how there's always this one person who we keep in our heart regardless of the pain he/she brings to us because he/she will always make us feel that crazy little thing called love.

Then the screen starts to show us Nam (Fern Lerwisetpibol), an awkward little girl, with her friends. It is revealed that Nam is mooning over a high school senior, Chone (played by Mario Maurer) and she is trying all her best to get him to notice her. She and her friends start using a book with instructions on how to get the attention of the person they like. Nam's friends help her do the steps on the book like wishing on a star, hynotizing (sort of) Shone, giving Shone gifts secretly and applying skin whitener to make her beautiful. Oddly enough, certain occasions led to Nam having close encounters with Shone. One significant time was when Shone, noticing a basketball player was bullying Nam and her friends, rushes to their aid and buys them four Pepsi. Shone gets into a fight with the school bully and Nam, hearing about what happened, runs to the place where the fight was taking place. They were too late though. All they found were some drops of blood on the floor and a button. Nam picks up the button and assumed that it was torn from Shone's shirt.

After that, Nam and her friends join the drama club and Nam was chosen to play Snow White. Shone was also in the drama club and he was in charge of the decorations and photography. Although the interaction between the two was limited, Nam was still thrilled because she still gets the chance to see Shone everyday. During the rehearsal, Nam had a makeover (with the help of Pin, a senior and Shone's friend). Pin asks Shone about what he thinks of Nam and the latter answers Nam looked the same, Snow White with braces. Nam is saddened by the remark. Later on the rehearsal, Nam almost falls from the stage but Shone grabs her hand to save her.

On the day of the festival, Shone did not go to see the play. However, Nam sees a good-looking guy in the audience. Nam took Shone's absence negatively but what she didn't know was that Shone was with the principal for the awarding ceremony of a photography contest where he won third place. After the play, Nam found a bitten apple with a note, "For Snow White, I tasted the apple and it was not poisoned at all.) Nam hoped the apple came from Shone but her friends dismissed the idea and told her it must have been from the guy who played Prince because they saw him eating an apple.

The good-looking guy turned out to be Shone's childhood best friend, Top. He develops an interest on Nam but Shone continuously discourage him because Nam is "too young" for him. Nam was then recruited to be the majorette for the city parade. We can see Nam's slow transformation from being an awkward girl to a very attractive lady. She became popular after the parade and boys started asking her out. Nam, however, ignores the attention because all she desires is to get Shone to notice her.

During Valentines Day, Shone gave Nam an uprooted rose (white) plant (yes, not a rose stem but the entire plant). Nam thought it was the moment she was waiting for but Shone quickly adds that it was from his friend. Nam was saddened by that fact. She finds a note that was secretly placed on her bag. It was from someone who was asking her to meet up on the third floor because that person has something to tell her. Nam's hope immediately rose and she thought it was from Shone. Apparently she was wrong. The note was from Top. Top asked Nam to be his girlfriend. Nam did not answer but they started going out since then. She thought it was a way to get close to Shone. Meanwhile, Nam's friends start to feel neglected as Nam misses one of her friends birthday.

While they were having a campfire celebration for Shone's friend, Top and Shone revealed that they had a pact that both will never fall in love with the same girl. Nam was shocked with the news. That night also, Top kisses Nam on the cheek and Shone seemed to be surprised at what happened. Nam stopped seeing Top after that incident.

On graduation day, Nam decided to confess to Shone once and for all. With the help of her friends (who she made up with), Nam goes to the pool and gives Shone a white rose in which she tied the button and a card. She told him that she tried her best to be good enough for Shone but what she should have done from the very beginning is tell him how much she loved him. Shone, taken aback from the confession, accepts the rose. Nam notices the note on Shone's shirt which reads "Pin loves Shone". She realizes that Shone has a girlfriend already (Pin, the makeup artist who turned out to be Nam's friend also) and Nam begins to cry, obviously from the helplessness of her situation. Shone tries to comfort her but Nam walks away after telling Shone that he and Pin make a good couple.

Photo credits: krzl09bggsh.tumblr.com

Nam is seen crying on her room after the incident. Shone, on the other hand, arrives at his house. His father tells him that he has to go to Bangkok that night because he was accepted to train in the Bangkok Glass team ( I think that's the soccer team of Thailand). Shone was gleeful at the news. He runs to the kitchen and opens the fridge and we see the box of chocolate that Nam has given Shone almost two years ago. Apparently, he kept it.

He walks into his room and gets a notebook from his table. It turns out that this notebook is a scrapbook containing pictures of Nam that Shone took over the years. It was a testament of how he really felt for her. (This is actually my favorite part of the movie). It
is then shown that Shone had loved Nam even before she started using that funny book. When he said that Nam looked the same when Pin asked him, what he really wanted to say was she looked the same, cute as always. It is also revealed that he treasured the time when he grabbed her hands but he had to let her go immediately in fear that people might get curious. The apple also came from him and the rose that he gave Nam on Valentines Day was actually from him as well. He just could not get the courage to tell her the truth because he was tight-lipped. What's sweet is that he grew the rose plant himself. :))

He goes to Nam's house and leaves the notebook on her doorstep. He did not say goodbye to Nam.

Nine years later, Shone is seen to stop by a showroom with a baby on his back. He sees Pin and gives the baby to her. It is then revealed that the baby was not Shone's son. Pin only asked him to babysit for her.

Meanwhile, a grown-up Nam (now a fashion designer from the US) was being interviewed in a local TV show. She was then surprised when the host shows her Shone's scrapbook and was even more surprised when the host calls on Shone and he appeared on the set holding a bouquet for Nam. The host asked them if there was something they wanted to tell each other and Shone said that he wanted to tell Nam that the button she picked up was not his. Nam then asked Shone if he ever was married and Shone answered "I have been waiting for someone to return from the US".

The story is really very simple. It may even be predictable at times. What I didn't like about the movie was the rather simplistic (and almost unreal) ending. It was as though the director wanted to just get the movie over with and they did not really think of a better way to end it (or better lines, for that matter).

Another annoying fact about the movie is the recurring themes of how being white-skinned is equated to being beautiful and how important being beautiful is to make boys to notice you. Although these themes reflect real life, it is still disappointing because what the mass media should be showing are things that are empowering women and not things that will just make them feel ugly and discontented about themselves. Call me idealistic but that's my two cents.

The positive side of this movie is the lasting effects it has on the viewers. It can make you think about the story even days after you've watched it. I think the magic of the movie is how it was able to bring back a lot of the high school memories that we seemed to have forgotten due to the other problems we have to face as adults. It triggers your memories of that one puppy love you have so enjoyed during your teenage years and how blissful life was when all you had to worry about were boys and your studies.

It's a feel-good movie, that's a fact. I think another thing that adds to the entertainment value of the movie is the chemistry between the two lead actors (not to mention how good looking Mario Maurer is). The transformation of Nam from that awkward girl to a beautiful lady is also amazing because one would seem to think that the character was played by two different actresses.

Nam (before)

Nam (After)

See what I mean?

If you are looking for a romantic comedy that will not require you to think deeply, then I guess this movie is the right one for you. It's not boring but it's not spectacular either. It's so-so. Was it worth the download? Somehow. It's definitely something that can keep you company on a rainy night when you just want to feel good and feel loved. ;p

Here's the trailer if you're curious. XD

Search Amazon.com for a crazy little thing called love

Bangkok Traffic Love Story: Slapping Us with Cold Reality

noreply@blogger.com (chocoholiccynic) — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 16:34:00 +0000

--Directed by Adisorn Tresirikasem

-- Screenplay by Benjamaporn Srabua, Navapol Thamrongruttanarit and Adisorn Tresirikasem

-- Starring: Sirin Horwang and Theeradej Wongpuapan

-- Duration: 126 min.

-- Tomatometer: N/A

-- IMDB Rating: 7.4/10

-- Chocometer: 8.5 chocolates

My quest to watching 111 movies for this year continues. This time, I am featuring a Thai romantic comedy called Bangkok Traffic Love Story. What is this movie about? In one sentence, I would say that this movie was created to slap us with the bitter reality that being alone blows ass.

I am serious.

After watching this movie, I have never felt more alone in my life. I know it is a romantic comedy, COMEDY being the operational word, but behind the laughter (and corny jokes) is the truth that we need someone in our life.

So let me start with the summary. Napakadetailed ko magkwento, pasensya na.

WARNING, SPOILERS AHEAD. ~~Proceed at your own risk. :p~~

The movie is set in Bangkok and revolves around the story of Mei Li, a thirty-ish urban female who has been struggling to find love. All of her friends are either in a relationship or getting married and she is under pressure to find that someone too who will take care of her. She gets drunk during the wedding of her bestfriend, Ped. After sobering up, she drives home and gets into a road accident where she met the handsome Loong. Loong approached her to hand the broken side mirror and Mei Li says that he can keep it. They get another chance encounter when Li catches their maid having sex with a guy on the rooftop. Li calls the guy's elder who turned out to be Loong. They meet again in the BTS (Thai train) and this time Li breaks Loong's sunglasses. Feeling guilty, she buys him a new pair of sunglasses and writes her telephone number on the box hoping that Loong will call her. She got that advice from Plern, a pretty neighbor, who told Li that she should initiate the first move to get the guy. Loong, however, did not call Li. Frustrated, Li asks Plern's help again and arranged a planned "accidental meeting" with Loong. They went to the video shop where Loong frequently visits. Plern develops a liking to Loong because the latter is indeed a handsome engineer. Plern used a trick to get Loong phone's number and this annoyed Li. (mang-agaw daw ba!) As revenge, Li uses Plern's number to call the latter's three boyfriends so that they will come at the same time and expose her cheating.

Plern and Li stalking Loong at the video rental shop

The boyfriends caused a ruckus at the shop and Loong, who arrived at the shop, accidentally drops his laptop. Li volunteers to have it fixed. She brought it to Ped's husband but unfortunately the laptop is beyond repair. Li goes to Loong's office and waits for him at the guard house. She made the guard write a note (which was actually a song) and asked him to give it to Loong.

Li decided to wait for Loong but she fell asleep inside the guard's house. Loong woke her up later and they both went home riding the BTS. Loong throws his laptop bag away and Li secretly retrieved it (stalker lang, hahaha). She found some things inside the laptop bag including some film negatives of Loong. She had it developed and realized that Loong was with a former girlfriend who turned out to be an actress in a popular tv show in Thailand. The pictures were leaked in the tabloids because the owner of the photo shop posted it on a social networking site.

Li is disappointed.

Li met Loong again on the BTS and Li confessed that she was the reason why the pictures were leaked. Loong forgives her and they went to the Planetarium. They agreed that if they had the chance, they should see the McBright comet together. Loong asked Li if they could spend the Songkran (Thai New Year) together. Li agrees.

During the festival, Plern tags along. Li tries to shake her off but Plern is just too persistent. Because of this, Li did not enjoy the festivities. While they were going home, Li asks Plern silently to give it to her this time because she rarely gets the chance on love. Plern obliged.

Li and Loong spending Songkran together

Li visited Loong that night and they enjoyed roaming Bangkok with each other's company. Loong invited Li in a family day at his company. They take pictures and Li accidentally breaks Loong's camera. Later that day, Li finds out that Loong is leaving Thailand in two days to study in Germany. She was so heartbroken and leaves Loong. Li says goodbye to Loong and tells him that Kob was right, two people cannot be together if they can't see each other.

The day of Loong's departure for Germany, Li receives a box from him. Inside the box were the broken side mirror, broken sunglasses and broken camera. She took the memory card out and looked at the pictures. She realized how much she loved Loong and runs to the airport only to find out that the plane had departed already. (pang movie lang, cheesy.) Li cries on Plern's shoulders and told her "If it was a movie, I could have arrived on time, right?"

Meeting each other two years later.

Two years later, Li changed jobs and is now working on a night shift as a stock analyst. She meets Loongs in the BTS but hesitated to rekindle the lost romance between them. Loong now works on day shift as an engineer. They separated ways, each had to take opposite train lines. While inside the train, the electricity goes out and everyone starts to call their loved ones. Li realized how alone she was because she had no one to call. Her phone suddenly rings and it was a call from an unknown number. When Li answered the call, she found out it was Loong. He invited her to the next Songkran and the former agrees. When the electricity came back, she saw Loong standing in front of her and telling her that she should save that number.

What I like about this movie: The actress \was able to embody the typical urban female. Everybody can relate to her and her experiences. Everyone can understand her desperation. She acts with a pinch of reality that makes the viewer feel that this is really a real person in search of her one true love.

See what I mean?

The movie was able to effectively convey to the audience the message that despite our insistence of not needing someone, we cannot deny the fact that having a loved one is better because it guarantees that even in the worst of situations, there is someone out there who is ready to look out for you and listen; someone who will genuinely care about you and listen to you when your entire world gets f*cked up.

Plus, the main actor is quite good looking so it's a joy to watch him on screen. :p

What I hate about this movie: Well, hate is really a strong word. Maybe, dislike would be more appropriate. The plot is really loose and there are some parts that are quite irrelevant to the story. It tends to be very predictable also and there are some parts that are not really realistic (for example, the solar bras and the exercise in her office.) Some jokes and antics are not really funny and may even at the edge of trying too hard.

My verdict: It is an okay movie; a typical chick-flick that can either make you feel good or bad depending on your situation. It makes you appreciate your relationship more (if you have one) or it can make you want to have one. It's a good flick to watch alone or with a loved one during a lazy afternoon. Will it guarantee full entertainment? I cannot assure that but it does not get boring all through out the movie.

Watch the trailer here.

Cagbalete Chronicles 3: Beautiful Sunrise and Island Adventure

noreply@blogger.com (chocoholiccynic) — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 14:55:00 +0000

This is the fourth installment of my Cagbalete experience.

I woke up at half past four feeling well rested and at peace. I decided to get out of the tent and wait for the beautiful sunrise that I am sure is worth taking pictures of. I was not disappointed. It was the most majestic thing ever, seeing the pinkish hue in the sky and slowly watching that magnificent sun rise, showering the island with its radiant sunshine. I couldn't help taking pictures of it.

Right before sunrise

I finally have a sort-of-silhouette picture. :p

Click the pictures for their original size

It was extremely cold that morning but the coldness is refreshing. Perhaps it's because of the fact that the wind is blowing from the Pacific Ocean or because we're just too far away from civilization (READ: pollution). Once again, I had brain paralysis (the good kind) because of the beauty of the island. Robai woke up and we decided to explore the island and look for that delta while it's not hot.

We decided to wade in the ankle-length water and just breathe in that fresh morning air.

After that, we went eastward (or westward, I don't know... I'm bad at directions) and walked in search of that river. The beach was littered with seaweeds and other rubbish that must have been washed ashore the night before. Despite the mess, the beach was still beautiful with the pine trees lining the coast and rare birds resting and picking on the mess. I tried to take a picture of the birds but unfortunately, they're quite fast.

We met two boys and asked them if we were going the right direction and they said yes. I asked them if the delta was near and they said it's quite far. We were walking for almost half an hour already but it felt like we haven't reached our destination. A boy approached us and offered to lead us to where we were going. We refused but he was really persistent so Robai and I decided to just let him be. We will just pay him thirty bucks when we get back to the tent.

We passed by the island's cemetery which was close to the coast. It was kind of creepy. It made me hesitate to swim in the water. Imagine the corpse's body liquids mixing with the water. Isn't that gross? Robai told me I was being ridiculous.

After another ten minutes worth of walking, we finally reached our destination. I was really disappointed to see that it was nothing but stagnant water filled with rubbish and mosquitoes. I told Jay-R (the boy who offered to be our tour guide) that it was not the one I saw in the pictures and he told me that I was probably referring to the delta on the other side of the island. He said it was closer to Villa Cleofas. Gah, it was so frustrating to hear that we walked for about an hour for nothing. I decided to take a dip anyway so that the walk was not wasted. Robai decided to stay behind and talk to Jay-R.

The wrong delta

Yes, that's Jay-R

When I got back to the shore, Robai told me Jay-R's story. According to him, his parents left him in the island while they (his parents and his two other siblings) went to Batangas. He is now living in their house, left alone to fend for himself. We asked him where he was getting the money to buy food and he said he earns from offering as tour guides for visitors of the island. I guess me and Robai felt the same thing for him. We felt sorry that he was burdened with such a problem at an early age (he was 11 years old) and we felt angry at his parents who, we know for sure, will never come back to the island. We could not understand how parents can do that to their own flesh and blood. We also wondered how Jay-R will end up with this kind of fate. Will be be able to live and grow up or will he be unable to survive in this cruel world? (I have a picture of him but I don't think it's proper to show it here. :( Besides, it's illegal.)

With awkward silence and heavy hearts, we asked Jay-R to walk with us back to our tent. We still had canned goods and left-overs from our dinner last night and we decided that he needs it more than us. We took pictures along the way and Jay-R takes good pictures too. Haha. We asked him to take a photo of us.

See, he was able to hide how fat we really are (sort-of)

When we reached the tent, we gave Jay-R our ration and paid him fifty bucks. We hoped that it was enough to last him for several days until new visitors of the resort arrive. We then ate our breakfast at the mess hall with what's left of our rations. (Note: You have to pay PhP5 for a mug of hot water; 15 for coffee)

After our breakfast, we decided to finally go to that real delta and spend some time swimming there. Jay-R was right, the delta was close to our camp site. I could not understand why we did not see it the day before. Of course, we took pictures. :)

A local resident looking for shells

Finally, the delta!

The beach in that area is extremely stony so it's not very comfortable to swim in. Aside from that, the water is just knee-length so you really need to walk far before getting to the deep area. At a quarter past ten, we decided to go back and look for a better place for swimming. We saw a good spot a few meters away from the delta and we spent about an hour there, swimming and talking about our personal lives and what we think about the world.

When we were extremely nognog na, we went back to the resort and spent our time under the talisay tree, just enjoying this wonderful experience. Robai mentioned that she wanted to get married here (specifically at the Bonsai Island). I told her it's a good idea and we, the bridesmaids, will wear sun dresses for the wedding. It would be costly though and I wonder what Neil would think about the idea. :p

Our dreaded time came. We had no choice but to start packing because the ferry leaves at 1pm and we had a long way to walk. It is with heavy heart that we left Cagbalete but we promised that we will go back there again. The island has definitely captured our hearts and it will always be our secret get-away in this part of the Philippines. :)

Crisp and burned like bacon.

Cagbalete Chronicles 2: The Receding Water and Bonsai Island

noreply@blogger.com (chocoholiccynic) — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 14:54:00 +0000

This blog entry has been long overdue. I finally decided to make this entry to reduce the backlogs here; before I go into another adventure with Robai this coming month.

The previous post about Cagbalete is about our journey from Manila to the beautiful island. This one, on the other hand, is about our first day in the island: what we did there and what are the things that we saw so expect a lot of pictures in this entry.

***
After arriving in Villa Cleofas, we asked the owners (I think Mr. Ed) if there are any tents available for rental. He led us to one of the tents on the campsite and me and Robai deposited our things there. A couple was also at the camp site. They brought their own tents and it was so amazing kasi I think professional travellers sila. They had everything! (a burner, a small frying pan, gas) We didn't waste anymore time (because we were dead hungry) and went back to the mess hall. I ordered a dish of pork chop while Robai watched me eat (she was done eating her lunch: thank you Century Tuna Paella.)

We took a shower in the common bathroom (of course, not sabay) before we explored the island. The water was receding already, the afternoon sun was shining brightly and it was terribly hot. When we were finished freshening up, we decided to explore the east side of the island.

You would expect that since it was very hot, the sand would also burn our feet. Interestingly enough, it wasn't. One can walk barefoot on the shore and appreciate the beauty of the receding water without scorching your feet. And of course, we took pictures.

Sea grass (?)

We were actually in search of the delta/estuary but since ang tamad namin, we ended up laying in the sand and enjoying the cool breeze.

Believe me, you won't feel the heat kahit mukhang mainit sa lugar na yan.

This tree is underwater during high tide but since the water receded, it looks like a normal tree growing in a desert.

A view of the beach in the eastern part of the island.

It's amazing how the beach looked completely like a desert when the water disappeared. You can walk in the sand dunes and see small fishes on puddles left by the receding water. If you are wondering whether we can go swimming here, I'd say yes. You'd have to walk for about one kilometer from the beach to go to the deep part. This, however, applies only during the low tide (usually on afternoons). The water level is normal on mornings and night times (high tide).

sand dunes

The beach was so beautiful and quoting my best friend, it's mentally paralyzing. It was the first time ever that we were together and not talking at all. It felt like our problems disappeared with the water. We were living in an alternate reality where Manila did not exist. All we wanted was to appreciate the beauty of the island and take in the fresh breeze of the Pacific Ocean. It was the best feeling one could ever have.

We finally gave up on looking for the delta and decided that we still have tomorrow morning to search for it so we just decided to go to Bonsai Island before we take a nap. Sobrang tamad lang namin kasi inaantok na kami. We did not sleep the night before.

Bonsai Island is a nearby island that is usually submerged in water. When the low tide occurs, the island becomes visible from Villa Cleofas and visitors can take an almost 5 minute walk to go there.

On our way to the island

At the Bonsai Island...with the bonsai trees

The island is actually very small. There are several mangroves (I don't really know if they are mangroves or not) growing there and the island floor was rocky. One has to be careful when walking because one wrong step and you can slip and die. Haha.

And of course, cam whores that we are, we couldn't resist taking pictures of ourselves in Bonsai Island.

I think you can actually go swimming here (see the water on the top of this picture)but the seafloor is jagged and rocky.

A water tunnel of some sort in Bonsai Island. You can see fishes here but they're too shy to smile at the camera.

When we were finished exploring the island, we decided to head back to our tents and take a short nap. On our way, we saw several residents searching for crabs nearby. I wanted to dry looking for one to but Robai insisted that we go back and sleep.

A boat on (not-so) dry land

This boat is probably Cagbalete's trademark. If you try to google pictures of the island, you'll always see a photo of this water-forsaken boat. I guess this boat is a property of the owners of Villa Cleofas.

When we reached our tent, we took a shower again, changed clothes and slept. Robai decided to sleep on one of the hammocks near the campsite (there are many) while I went inside our tent. I'm not comfortable with other people seeing me sleep.

A view inside our tent

~~Camwhore talaga~~

It was a good thing that I chose to sleep in our tent kasi we woke up two hours after to find out that our fellow campers were robbed. Someone stole their cash (amounting to 4k) while they were strolling outside. Their gadgets were left unharmed though. I'll tell the story on another entry.

When we woke up at around 6:30pm, Robai and I decided to prepare our dinner, comprising of adobong baboy, rice and hotdog. As you can expect, Robai did all the cooking coz I am a moron when it comes to the kitchen. I don't know how to cook anything for the life of me so in order to avoid being poisoned with my cooking, Robai took charge. Buti na lang. :)

Our jumbo jumbo hotdog.

At last, dinner was served (thanks to Robai). It was delish! Or siguro gutom lang talaga kami. HAHA. After dinner, we took a shower again to get ready for bed. Lagi na lang kami nagpapalit ng damit di ba?

Before sleeping, we decided to take a walk. We rested on the hammocks in the Talisay tree and watched the stars.

At around 10pm, sleep got the better of me so I said goodbye to Robai and proceeded to the tent to sleep. She stayed outside for a couple of hours to lay in the hammock and talk to Neil.

Our tent

Here are some of the other shots that I took using Rupert. I'll continue the rest of the adventure tomorrow.

The coconut tree beside our tent. It's SOOOO tall.

Cagbalete Chronicles 1:The Journey to the Mystical Island

noreply@blogger.com (chocoholiccynic) — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 14:53:00 +0000

This is the second installment of my adventure in Cagbalete. On the first one, I included the directions (and tips) on how to get there. This entry will be about our own personal experience of making this adventure possible.

Before leaving for Cagbalete, I packed all the essentials for a 2-day trip. My bag was really heavy because I yet have to master the art of packing lightly. My best friend dropped by our house at around 7pm (Saturday) to talk to my father and make paalam. (Here's the thing, I have a very very STRICT tatay (father) and even if I am already way over the legal age, he is still very protective of me. See, I still need his permission when travelling. :( I'm his little girl like that.. grr. )

Since it was too early and Neil won't be joining us for the trip, me and Robai decided to hang out at Market! Market for a while to kill time. We met up with the sulking Neil there and had dinner (and dessert) at Tokyo Tokyo. Good thing the blue whale started cheering up after an hour or so. Since the mall closes at 9:30pm, we decided to get out and sit by the benches near the ferris wheel. I mentioned to Robai and Neil that I have never been to Serendra (the shame!) so they invited me for a walk at the famed place, again, to kill time.

Robai and the Blue Whale

I did not take pictures though. I'm not that kind. I don't like taking pictures of places specially created for the filthy rich to further magnify the social division in this country (echos!). I must say though, that the place is too overrated. It was nothing but a long stretch of über expensive shops and boutiques which products cost a fortune. The only thing I liked was the humongous Fully Booked branch there. It was like a dream to behold! I was drooling like hell (but that is totally irrelevant to this post).

At half past ten, Neil decided to call it a day. He said goodbye while Robai and I went straight to the Ministop nearby to buy our provisions. I remember putting two cups of instant noodles, 2 cans of Century Tuna Paella (it's God's gift to the human race, no kiddin'), 3-in-1 coffee mix, biscuits, chips, a loaf of bread and some sandwich spread, candles and dishwashing soap. The total bill cost us P596 (or something like that).

Me and Robai aboard the bus

We took a jeep to Guadalupe and a bus from Guada to Cubao (JAC Liner). I think we were lucky enough to reach the station in time for the last trip (12:10am). After a quick inquiry with the bus conductor, we figured out that we were on the right bus. The bus left the station at 12:25 am.

Now, for anyone who's been wondering about which bus line is good for the trip to Lucena, I would advice you guys to take the JAC Liner. Not only is the driver careful and the seats comfy, you also get free wi-fi on board! (Isn't that cool?). We couldn't sleep though because we are nocturnal beings; Robai works on a night shift while I love staying up late.

For most of the trip, the two of us spent our time talking about random things in our lives and the bad things about the government and society. I think I was able to take a nap after a while and I just woke up when the bus made a stop at one of its station somewhere in Laguna. The trip continued (and our exchange as well). At 3am, we reached the Lucena Grand Terminal. It was too early and we had to wait for one and a half hours before the first trip to Mauban leaves. We took the liberty to capture some pictures of the station. Below is the picture of the mini-bus that will take us to Mauban.

The rest rooms in the Lucena Grand Terminal is really clean although you have to pay 5 pesos if you want to pee or jebs (poop) and 10 pesos if you want to take a bath. There are several establishments near the station also and unfortunately for us, they weren't open yet so even if I was craving for Chowking's Chao Fan, we couldn't buy one. At exactly 4:30am, the mini-bus left the station (for the schedule, check the previous post). It was a bumpy ride and had we traveled a bit later, I know we will enjoy the picturesque view on the bus. There were trees everywhere and mountains and rice fields. The breeze was naturally cold, amoy probinsya. A tip for future travellers, take the 6:30 schedule so that you can enjoy (and take pictures) of the wonderful sceneries in Mauban.

The Mauban Market

We arrived in Mauban at 6:10AM. Most establishments are still closed. When we asked for directions on how to get to the port, the locals were VERY helpful. :) Lahat sila nagsasalita ng sabay-sabay, nakakaconfuse! Hahaha.But I do commend their characters though, it was a perfect display of Filipino hospitality. Everyone was friendly and eager to lend a hand. We took a trike to the public market so we can buy our food supply. After buying the ingredients for adobo as well as one gallon of distilled water, we decided to take a trike again to the port.

Mauban is a quaint little town. It was totally different from Manila in that the locals are generally amicable. It impressed on me (and Robai) how jaded we have become from growing up in Manila that we were not used to people offering us their house just because we needed to use the restroom.

We arrived at the Mauban port too early (I guess). It was only 7:10am. Reaching the port early is good if konti lang ang dala ninyo because you can go sight seeing and not get stuck in one place. Unfortunately for us, madami kaming dala so we can't really go around the town to explore. We met another passenger who is on her way to Cagbalete too. She told us she lives there and she just visited someone in Lucena the day before. She also said that if her son picks her up at the Sabang Port, she will ask him to bring us to Villa Cleofas. We were touched by the gesture and thanked her. We asked her about things in Cagbalete like if electricity is available there or if the cellphone reception is strong. She said that electricity is not available in the island coz it's too remote and as for the signal, it's only good for SMART subscribers.That was a bad thing for me and Robai because we were Globe and Sun Cellular subscribers, respectively.

The most awaited boat!

On-board

The boat arrived at around 8:45AM, thank God! It was starting to get really really hot and feeling namin magkakasunburn na kami even before we get to the resort. After waiting for the passengers to disembark the boat, we went aboard and waited for the departure time. We made friends with the boat's captain (I think driver is a more appropriate term) and the other crew. It started to get crowded at half-past nine with everyone loading sacks of fruits, rice, vegetables and other food supplies. There were more than 40 passengers in the boat and most of them are residents of the island who visited the mainland to get some supplies. There were two other groups of tourists with us, a couple and a group of call center agents (well that's what Robai said) who embarked the boat five minutes before the departure. As such, they did not get good seats in the boat. :)

We left the port at exactly 10am. I was asking of the crew if it was okay to sit on the edge of the boat and he said it was too dangerous (too bad, it would have been bad-ass) as I might slip and fall on the deep waters. It was kind of ironic because he was standing on the edge of the boat like a boss, not holding on to anything. What is bad-assery... =))

The boat ride was really scary because the waves were huge. The land in sight was too far that if the boat capsizes, you have no choice but pray to god that the life vest is enough to keep you alive. It was, after all, the Pacific Ocean. The crew was telling us that the sea was calm so there was no danger of getting our things wet. If you tend to get sea sick, it would be advisable to take precautionary measures like popping a Bonamine tablet and bringing a plastic for your mess. :)) The ride was really shaky but it was also fun. (Note to self: I have to cross out "cruise the Pacific Ocean" on my bucket list.)

After almost an hour, we arrived at the Sabang Port. It was breathtaking. Well, not including the informal settlers, but the water was so green and clear, I have never seen such before. The only word for it was "beautiful" and that is even an understatement.

The picture does not give the beach justice.

We had to ride a flat boat to get to the port. I had to muster all the self-control that I have so that I will not jump off the boat and take a plunge. The water was just so attractive. :|

When we reached the port, we asked a local boy to guide us to Villa Cleofas. It was sweltering hot, we were hungry, sleepless and tired. Imagine the difficulty we had to go through just to get to the resort. :| We trekked for 10 minutes but it seems like a lifetime. There were no trees on sight, we had to walk on an open (and barren) land filled with talahib. Robai, who can't handle her hunger anymore, opened a can of the Tuna Paella and ate while we trekked. I think it was a good thing she did or she might have fainted on our way.

We arrived at Villa Cleofas at half past 11. We gave Arvin (our guide) fifty pesos as a tip and asked him if he can pick us up tomorrow at the same time also. He obliged. It was a long trip from Manila to Cagbalete but it was worth it. We checked in immediately and asked for a tent where we can put our things. What we did next will be included in the third post. For now, I shall have my lunch.

Here is what we looked like after the long travel. Sinong mas mukhang haggard?

Robai with her tired look

Moi with my tired look.

The life-saver tuna paella by Century Tuna.

How To: Cagbalete Island, Quezon

noreply@blogger.com (chocoholiccynic) — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 14:50:00 +0000

We were supposed to go to Puerto Galera for the summer. You see, after the Ilocos escapade which I wasn't able to join in, I have constantly bugged my best friend to visit another place possibly close to Manila. She invited me to join the out-of-town trip in Galera with her workmates on April 9. But due to recent (and heartbreaking) events in Japan, everybody backed out in fear that a tsunami might happen in our very own backyard.

Having filed her vacation leave for that weekend, she informed me that she was still willing to go on a trip and so I started searching for possible destinations close to the metro. I asked her if she wanted to push through with our previous plan to have an overnight visit at Potipot, Zambales but since Neil can't come with us, it was pretty much risky to go on with the trip. I searched for other nearby destinations like Batangas, Mt. Pinatubo and Subic but all of these places required a budget of more than 3k. Thanks to Manong Google and some very helpful travel bloggers [Ms. Chyng Reyes (No Spam, No Virus, No Kiddin'!), Dong Ho (Dong Ho's Eskapo 3.0) and Atty. Oman (Lawstude's Journeys)], I found out about the mystifying Cagbalete Island.

So after a few discussion (mostly by me), we agreed to visit this island and I made the itinerary based on some blogs I found on the net.

For this entry, I'll just include the basic information about the island (transpo and accomodations). I'll post the rest of the adventure later. :)

How to Get There:

A. OPTION 1: Public Transport

1. Take a bus to the Lucena Grand Terminal.

Lucena Grand Terminal

You can choose to take the Lucena Lines, JAM Transit or JAC Liner. All buses have stations at Kamias, Cubao and Buendia (LRT), Taft. I highly recommend JAC Liner because they have Wi-Fi on-board and hindi kaskasero ang driver. As far as I know, the first trip to Lucena (applies to all bus lines) is at 2:00AM and leaves at an hourly interval. The last trip is at 12:00AM the next day.

In our case, we took the last trip of JAC Liner and left the station at around 12:25AM. We arrived at the Lucena G. Terminal at exactly 3:00am, ang aga lang..hihi. :)

Or you can also take a bus straight to Mauban from Cubao. I don't know if it's also the case for the other two bus companies but JAC Liner has two daily trips to Mauban from Cubao. The first bus leaves at 5AM and the second (and last) trip leaves at 1:00pm. It can be a bit risky though because you need to rush to the Mauban Port since the first boat to Sabang leaves at 10AM.

Travel Time: 2.5-3 hours (Cubao to Lucena G. Terminal); 4-5 hours (Cubao to Mauban)

Travel Cost: 218 PhP (Cubao to Lucena G. Terminal) ; 277 (Cubao to Mauban)

2. From the Lucena Grand Terminal, take a minibus (NCR Lines/Rienton) or an air-conditioned van to Mauban, Quezon.

Mini-bus (Rienton Lines) to Mauban

You have two options to get to Mauban. You can take the public bus that leaves at an hourly interval or you can take an airconditioned van. The former has trips as early as 4:30 AM (we took that one) and as late as 6:00PM (that is not so advisable since you'll be stuck in Mauban 'til next morning) while the latter has its first and last trips at 9AM and 9PM, respectively.

Travel Time: 1-1.5 hours (Mini Bus) and 1 hr. (Airconditioned Van)

Travel Cost: 54 Php (Minibus) and 80PhP (Airconditioned Van)

Sidenote:

If you are hungry and want to have breakfast, there are several fast food chains (Chowking, Jollibee, Goldilocks and Ate Carinderia) available at the Lucena G. Terminal. The terminal has clean restrooms also but you have to pay five bucks if you want to pee or jebs and 10 pesos if you want to take a bath. It's a little expensive, noh?

3. From the Mauban Terminal, take a tricycle or walk by foot to the Pantalan/ Port.

The port to Sabang/Cagbalete is close to the Mauban Terminal, so you can walk by foot. It's pretty hard to tell the directions here since I'm bobo at giving directions. You can just ask the friendly locals and I assure you, they are more than willing to help you. :)

If you're lazy, you can always hail a tricycle and ask Manong Driver to take you to the port. Just tell him that you want to get to Cagbalete and he'll know. You''ll have to take the tricycle if you took the Cubao-Mauban bus since the station is way far from the port.

Travel Time: 5-10 mins.

Travel Cost: 9 PhP/pax; 25PhP (if you took the Cubao-Mauban route); Pawis and Calories (if by foot)

4. Take the Anthony or Neneng boat from Mauban Port to Sabang Port.

Neneng Boat at Mauban Port

There are only two daily trips to Sabang from Mauban so you need to be there on time or else you'll be stuck at Mauban and ruin your otherwise perfect vacation. The first trip is at 10AM while the second trip is at 4:00PM. The boats arrive 1.5 hours before the departure so don't fret if you arrive too early since you can board the boat as early as 8:45AM/3:00AM.

The capacity of each boat is 40-60pax and sometimes it can get too crowded with people and baggages. In case you're wondering, life vests are available so in case it capsizes, you'll have a chance to survive. :) The crew are very friendly and it would be advisable to strike a conversation with some of them since they can offer some useful tips while on the island; you can also ask them about the schedule since sometimes, only one boat travels to Sabang from Mauban (vice-versa). Maganda na ang magtanong, di ba? Also, waterproof your electronic gadgets 'coz the ride can be wet and wild. :) If you want to take pictures, you can do so but this is not advisable unless you are using an underwater/waterproof camera.

If you don't want to take the public boat, you can also make prior arrangements with the resort owner and take a private boat to Sabang from Mauban. The capacity of the private boat is around 20pax (summer time) and 15 pax (during Amihan). You can leave any time you want so maybe it's more convenient. Another advantage is it will take you straight to the resort so there's no need to trek. I haven't tried this though kasi urban poor lang ako. :))

Travel Time: 45-60 mins.

Travel Cost: 40 PhP one-way(Anthony or Neneng) ; 4300PhP two-way (Private Boat)

5. From Sabang Port, trek to the resort or take a private boat.

Sabang Port (see the green water?)

You're almost there. Once you reach the beautiful port (beautiful being an understatement) of Sabang, you will need to transfer to a flat boat to reach land. It's for free. After that, you need to trek for 10-15 minutes under the heat of the sun to reach the resort. In our case, we were planning to stay at Villa Cleofas so we asked a local resident (a boy named Arvin) to take us there. You can also go on your own, it's your choice, as there are signages that you can follow. A friendly reminder, if you took the 10AM trip, it would be better to bring an umbrella or some skin protection as well as lots and lots of water (and patience) because the hike can be tiring. If you are coming with lots of baggages, you can ask the children to bring them for you (I don't recommend this though ;not only is it child abuse but it can also be risky as there are some children who'll open your belongings: please refer to a separate entry for this) and you can give them some tip. Sabi nga nila, pambili ng candy.

Another option is to take a private boat to the resort. The cost is about 200-400 pesos and the boat's capacity is from 4-6 pax. Finding a boat will not be a problem because there will be boats waiting to pick up passengers when you arrive at Sabang Port. This will not be possible though during low tide.

If you are staying at Villa Cleofas, you can ask the resort owner if you can avail the services of the Kuliglig to carry your heavy baggages. You can also have horses carry you or your baggages from Sabang Port to the resort (but this is animal cruelty so if you don't want PETA or Greenpeace as your enemy, I suggest you don't choose it).

Travel Time: 5-20 minutes (by foot, depending on your speed); 5-10 mins. (by boat, kuliglig or horse)

Travel Cost: Dugo't Pawis (sweat and blood) if you are travelling by foot plus tip if you asked for a local child's help; 200-400 pesos (boat); 100pesos/horse and ire of animal protection groups; 250 PhP (one-way) by Kuliglig.

Here is a summary of the travel expenses (two-way) from Cubao to Mauban. Message me if you have any questions.

B. OPTION 2: Private Transport

I don't drive. Forgive me. So I just checked the instructions from the Villa Cleofas page. I'll paste it here for your own disposal. (No Plagiarism intended)

Photo Credit: Villa Cleofas Website (www.cagbalete.com)

First alternative   is to take the South Super Highway, then pass by Sto. Tomas, Batangas – San Pablo – Tiaong –Candelaria- Sariaya –– Tayabas -Mauban. Total road distance is about 168 kms. and average travel time for this route would be 3 1/2  - 4 1/2  hours depending on the traffic condition. The Tayabas-Mauban road that was undergoing construction before is already completed and cemented. This route is the national highway road where most private and public vehicles pass and will be inconvenient to motorists during peak season. This is a good route when travelling very early in the morning and can take you only 3 to 4 hours driving.

Second alternative from Manila is to pass by South Super Highway, then proceed to Calamba, Laguna. The route is now to pass by the towns of Los Baños – Sta. Cruz - Pagsanjan – Cavinti – Lusiana – Lucban –Tayabas before finally getting to Mauban, Quezon, the town proper. This route is shorter if you are coming from Rizal- Sta. Cruz and you can pass via Sampaloc then Mauban. Sampaloc-Mauban route has a little rough road (on-going construction but passable) which is about  700 meters long. If you want to avoid the rough road, then proceed to Tayabas then Mauban, after reaching Lucban. The Calamba route gives the alternate route to Mauban avoiding the traffic in national highway. It takes only about 4 hours if guests will leave Manila very early in the morning. It has less traffic (except during holidays where the South Super Highway and Laguna towns can be really packed) and has a great view of the Makiling. It is also ideal for those tired of the city since the view along this route is mostly very countryside (rice fields, mountains, etc.).

Third  alternative route is via Antipolo, which can take around 4 - 5 hours average. Travelers will pass by the towns of: Teresa, Morong, Sta. Maria – Fami – Siniloan – Paete – Lumban – Pagsanjan – Cavinti – Lusiana – Lucban, and Sampaloc ( Sampaloc -Mauban road , same as Alternative 2) before reaching Mauban.   On holidays like during HolyWeek, this is the most ideal route to avoid traffic in South Super Highway and Los Baños.

- Source: Villa Cleofas Website-

Publish Post

Photo Credit: Villa Cleofas Website (www.cagbalete.com)

B. OPTION 3: Magical Transport (Recommended for Trained Witches and Wizards)

A. Apparate to Cagbalete Island. You can check Google Earth for the exact location. There are several secluded areas where you can apparate in without Muggles discovering you.

Travel Time: less than 30 seconds

Travel Cost: None except for possibility of body splinching.

B. You can also ride a broom to Cagbalete from your location. Travel time may vary depending on your flying skills. Check Google Earth and the weather before travelling. Touch down can be done in secluded areas at the back of the resort. You can also take a thestral. Travel time maybe less than an hour.

*Floo powder transport is not available because fireplaces are not used in the island.

Where to Stay:

There are several resorts in Cagbalete where you can stay depending on your budget. I am going to include the three most popular resorts in the island namely Villa Cleofas, Pansacola Beach Resort and MVT Sto. Nino.

1. Villa Cleofas

I am most familiar with this resort because this is where we stayed during our trip. I highly recommend this place because of its strategic location, accommodating staff and affordable facilities. Sabi nga nila, pang-masa ang resort na ito and I quite agree because during our stay, we only spent 580PhP for a 2D1N stay including kitchen rentals and lodgings. Another plus factor is its location. It is overlooking the Bonsai Island, one of the main attractions of the island, so you can go there any time. It is also close to the delta/estuary (another must-see) and at night time, super mahangin and comfortable, you'll sleep like a baby.

You have the option to choose a tent (if tipid mode) and go camping at the island. You can either rent from them or bring your own. I prefer the tent instead of cottages because you get to enjoy the nature more and mas cool yun, idk why. They also have cottages depending on your preference. A common mess hall/dining area is available for use (free) and you can borrow plates and utensils for eating. They have free drinking water but I suggest you bring your own also (nakakahiya naman manghingi lagi).

As for food, you can buy your own food from the Mauban market (like we did) and just rent the kitchen facilities in the resort. The cooking area is for free (if you're using charcoal or uling). You'll have to pay 150PhP though if you want to use the gas range plus cooking utensils (max. of 10 people)...kanin at ulam na yun. They don't have a fridge there so better cook something that won't spoil easily like fried food and adobo. Bring plastic containers too to store your food. For breakfast, you can buy a mug of hot water for 5php. I don't know how much the coffee costs because we brought our own (Kopiko 3-in-1).

Mess Hall (right side) at night

They have booze there also, I forgot how much it costs though kasi hindi naman ako umiinom. All I can remember is one shot of lambanog or vodka costs about 25php. You can also bring your own if you want to save money.

The toilets are somehow clean. Tap water is available, no need to fetch water from the poso. It just bugs me that some visitors are too much of a slob, they leave their own mess inside the rest room. Tsk Tsk, walang disiplina. A friendly advice girls, PLEASE DON'T LEAVE YOUR SANITARY NAPKINS at public bathrooms. It's not only unhygienic, it also shows that you are an undisciplined neanderthal who have no consideration for other people. Kadire lang. It's like leaving your ovaries somewhere, yuck. And please people, flush the toilet after you use it.

The table below is a chart of the room rates at Villa Cleofas.

Rating: ★★★★★★★★/10

Must Try:

-- Sleeping/Chilling in the hammocks scattered around the area

-- Bonfire

-- Sleeping on a tent near the beach

-- Trek to Bonsai Island

Website: http://www.cagbalete.com

Facebook Page: Discover Villa Cleofas in Cagbalete Island

2. MVT Sto. Niño Beach Resort

This resort is located near Villa Cleofas, I have not tried this resort yet so I have nothing to say about it. :| I just got the rates from their website but maybe next time I visit Cagbalete, I'll try this resort.

Photo Credit: MVT Sto. Nino Resort (http://mvtstoninoresort.net)

Website: www.mvtstonino.net

3. Pansacola Beach Resort

Some people say that this resort is quite pricey compared to the other two. I have no idea. What I can say though is they have a better beach front compared to the other two. Also, they respond quickly on inquiries. I would have stayed here if I had a bigger budget and if tents were available in their resort. I also think this resort is quite closer to the port than the other two resorts. :)

Website: www.cagbaleteisland.com

Facebook Page: Pansacola Beach Resort

That's it. Hopefully this information is helpful. I'll be posting our adventures on the next entries along with the breakdown of expenses that we spent during our stay. :)

Sometimes, It's just so tiring.

noreply@blogger.com (chocoholiccynic) — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 13:29:00 +0000

I could not remember a time when I was free.

All my life, the only thing I have known is responsibility. At a very young age, the adults around have me forced me to grow up early and they forced me to carry a burden that normal teenagers don't experience.

I could not buy what I want. I could not do the things I dreamed of. I always have to think of the people around me and how my every action will affect their lives.

I am tired.

I am so tired of these chains that constantly ground me. I am so tired that I always have to carry your burden. I am exhausted. I want to be free from this responsibility that you have forced upon me. This is not what I wanted.

You ask me why I never get a move on with my life. You blame me for not wanting to go out there and establish myself. You have no idea that you are the reason why I don't.

You have constantly pegged me to this rut. Your expectations are choking me. You want me to carry all the weight for you and yet you refuse to listen when I try to speak up. You are worst than any monster under my bed. You are like a poison that is slowly killing me and I don't know how much longer I can tolerate this.

In Light of Recent Events

noreply@blogger.com (chocoholiccynic) — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 12:34:00 +0000

So cyberbullying is in now. Some people stupidly believe that having access to the internet immediately gives them the right to share and comment about anything they see on the world wide web. Before we do that though, I think we should read this very helpful guide before we make a fool of ourselves.

Click the picture to zoom.

Click here for the original source.

Jessica Zafra: Etiquette for Expats, Tourists and Other Visitors to the Philippines

noreply@blogger.com (chocoholiccynic) — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 12:17:00 +0000

I am not claiming any ownership of this article. I am merely re-posting this for entertainment purposes. I love Jessica Zafra and I think she is a really great writer. I am not plagiarizing this, just so we're clear. :)

Pls find the original article here.

Welcome to the Philippines! You’ve probably noticed that Filipinos are friendly, accommodating, and nice all around. For starters we are always smiling. It is not true that we are always smiling, but it is likely we do it more than your people. This is because it is so much more pleasant than frowning or scowling.

And people generally look better when they’re smiling, no? Here in Manila there is so much aggravation to put up with. It’s sweltering even when it’s rainy, the traffic is horrendous, it’s noisy and poverty is widespread. Smiling is the last thing one feels like doing under these circumstances. If you think about it, smiling in these conditions is a form of protest. It is a way of rising above the situation. It is not, as you might think, a vapid reflex.

Your people probably have a lot more to smile about than we do. They should smile more, it would make them look younger.

Right now we’re smiling at you because we are curious as to what you, a foreigner, are doing in our country. Are you a corporate executive, a chef, a diplomat? A retired soldier fetching your fiancée whom you met online, or a Brazilian model? A Peace Corps volunteer or an NGO worker? A tourist drawn by our famous beaches, or just looking to get laid? Filipino curiosity is insatiable. We have to be in the know. We don’t even have to do anything with the knowledge, we just have to know.

No doubt you have been told that we pride ourselves on our hospitality. Our hospitality is not a PR thing; it is genuine. We are glad that you’ve come all the way here—we like having guests. You are someone new to talk about. Entertaining others entertains us. And since you’ve taken the trouble to come all this way, we figured the least we could do is prepare this basic guide to help you get acclimatized.

1. Our beaches are renowned the world over for their powdery white sands, brilliant sunshine, and the spectacular biodiversity in the water. Beaches, as far as we know, are on the seashore. When you are more than ten kilometers from the sea, say, in the shopping and office complexes of Makati and Mandaluyong, don’t feel compelled to dress for the beach.

We assure you that we natives won’t feel ill at ease if you don’t wear your loosest tank top, ratty board shorts and crumbling flip-flips while walking around the mall. Don’t dress down on our behalf; we do like to dress up. We think it is a way of showing respect not just for the occasion and the setting, but for yourself.

2. It is hot and humid in Manila so we sweat a lot. In order to stay cool and refreshed we take baths or showers every day, if not two or three times a day. If those of us who were born and raised here find it hot, it must be positively infernal for those of you from America, Europe, Australia-NZ and the temperate zone!

You must shower every day, if not several times a day. For maximum refreshment we recommend generous applications of soap, shampoo, and antiperspirants. Just dousing yourself in cologne is not enough to cool you down. Take a shower every day, you’ll feel so much better.

We insist.

3. The Philippines is a former colony of the United States, and English is taught in our schools. We watch Hollywood movies and American television programs, sing popular songs in English, and visit websites in English. Plus millions of us have relatives in English-speaking countries, and we are the world number one in voice-based call centers.

So there is no need to express profound surprise when we speak to you in English. Please don’t tell us, “But your English is so good!” Yes, we have English. And indoor plumbing, electricity and wi-fi, and we don’t actually live in that treehouse, it’s decorative.

4. From childhood we have been trained to do things for each other. We do this without thinking—our programming is so thorough. For instance if the friend of a friend is looking for a particular type of bread that is not available in stores, and we know someone who lives near a baker who produces that bread and sells it at an organic market, we will obtain that bread for the one who’s looking. It’s no big deal, it’s the way we were brought up. We are not currying favor, we are not sucking up, we are just being helpful. It’s our culture.

So if we go out of our way for you, it’s not because we think you are the Big Kahuna or because we want something from you or we think you are wonderful. We do it because we were brought up to be caring and considerate, and it is considered selfish and unfriendly for us not to do it. Plus if our mothers find out that we did not help when we could have, we’ll never hear the end of it. If you are suspicious about accepting our generosity, know that we’re really doing it for ourselves. It is not a sign of weakness; it is one of our strengths.

5. If you consider the Philippines a shithole cesspit backwater, please do not feel compelled to grace us with your presence. Certainly we will miss the pleasure of your company, but we will manage somehow. We were born here and have lived here all our lives; this is our home. We presume your homeland is not a shithole cesspit backwater, so we are mystified as to why you would choose to be here when you could be there. Surely someone of your magnificent qualities and impressive qualifications would be appreciated and rewarded in your own country?

6. It is true that lots of Filipina women prefer foreigners over their own countrymen. For some it is a matter of true love triumphing over ethnic and cultural differences. For others it is a matter of economic necessity. It may be useful to remember this when you are swarmed in red-light districts by exotic women cooing at your manliness. We are bound by very strong family ties—children are duty-bound to give financial support not just to their parents but to entire villages of relatives.

7. Your dollar/pound/euro/other foreign currency goes a long way in the Philippines, allowing you to enjoy a higher standard of living than what you would have back home. You can afford a lifestyle that is luxurious compared to the average Filipino’s. We hope you will not confuse the foreign exchange rate with personal merit. Unfortunately the Philippines is not a meritocracy.

Reference: Zafra, Jessica. "Etiquette for Expats, Tourists and Other Visitors to the Philippines" Interaksyon.http://adf.ly/2HUh6. Posted 2 August 2011. Retrieved 4 August 2011.

LA River

noreply@blogger.com (chocoholiccynic) — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 12:13:00 +0000

Because of the series finale of Brothers and Sisters, I found out about two wonderful songs. The first one is sung by the (emphasis on the) Sir Elton John, entitled Mona Lisas and Madhatters and the other one is from a band called Honey Honey, entitled L.A. River. Both songs are very good and relaxing. You should try to listen to it. :)

Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters

by Sir Elton John

Now I know "Spanish harlem" are not just pretty words to say

I thought I knew

But now I know that rose trees never grow in New York city

Until you've seen these trash can dreams come true

You stand at the edge while people run you through

And I thank the Lord there's people out there like you

I thank the Lord there's people out there like you, mm

While Mona Lisas and mad hatters

Sons of bankers, sons of lawyers

Turn around and say "good morning" to the night

For unless they see the sky but they can't and that is why

They know not if it's dark out side or light

This Broadway's got, its got a lot of songs to sing

If I knew the tunes I might join in, oh and

I go my way alone, grow my own

My own seeds shall be sown in New York city

Subway's no way for a good man to go down

Rich man can ride and the hobo he can drown

And I thank the Lord for the people I have found

I thank the Lord for the people I have found, oh

While Mona Lisas and mad hatters

Sons of bankers, sons of lawyers

Turn around and say "good morning" to the night

For unless they see the sky, but they can't and that is why

They know not if it's dark out side or light

And now I know "Spanish harlem" are not just pretty words to say, hmm

I thought I knew

But now I know that rose trees never grow in New York city

Until you've seen these trash can dreams come true and

You stand at the edge while people run you through

And I thank the Lord there's people out there like you, yeah

I thank the Lord there's people out there like you, oh

While Mona Lisas and mad hatters

Sons of bankers, sons of lawyers

Turn around and say "good morning" to the night

Well unless they see the sky, but they can't and that is why

They know not if it's dark outside or light

L.A. River

by Honey Honey

Went down to the banks of the LA river

Had to hop a chain link fence

Concrete walls on the LA river

Water lapping up on the cement

Oh, but I love my new home

Listen to the big city sound

Watching that LA river roll down

By the trains past Chinatown

Dip my fingers in the warm black water

Raw red skin on my knees

Sail my boat down the LA river

Thought I saw a body in the weeds

Oh, but I love my new home

Listen to the big city sound

Watching that LA river roll down

By the trains past Chinatown

Oh, but I love my new home

Listen to the big city sound

Watching that LA river roll down

By the trains past Chinatown

Big Dreamer (Reposted)

noreply@blogger.com (chocoholiccynic) — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 05:46:00 +0000

I came across this article in a social networking site (ehem..Facebook) and I can't help but feel devastated for the author. He writes about life with striking realism and I can slowly feel my heart going out for him. I can relate to his experience because I once had to go through with a similar situation...the only difference between us was I got a positive outcome while he didn't. It does not mean though that everything is lost because he was not able to go to the State University. UP or not, it does not really matter...it's the skills that one possesses that make him successful in life.

I am re-posting this to spread the word. No plagiarism or copyright infringement intended.

Please click here for the original source of the article.

So now, I don’t dream big anymore. They say one should always dream big since dreaming is free anyway. But the bigger the dream, the greater the disappointment when it does not come true. Too bad that I had to be rejected first before I realized this.

__________________________________________________________________________________

YOUNG BLOOD

Big dreamer

By: Lyndon John S. de Leon

Last night I finally had the guts to re-open “Bobby.” You might think I am crazy, but yes that is the name I gave to my scrap book. I guess those dried santan flowers which were once red, those fastfood receipts, those Juicy Fruit wrappers, and those old letters from a friend now resting in between the pages of Bobby prove that I am one sentimental junkie. So I turned the pages and saw my past unfold before my eyes. And it was on the the final page that I felt the deepest sadness, bitterness and regret. That page contains two envelopes: one from the registrar of the University of the Philippines Manila, the other from the office of Sen. Mar Roxas.

For the record, I was one high school student who excelled in academics. Not a nerd, but not cool either – just one big dreamer. And two years ago, my big dream brought me to the UPCAT testing center in Ilocos Sur, as one among more than 60,000 graduating high school students who aspired to study at the University of the Philippines.

Months passed, and then I received my letter from the registrar of UP-Manila. I had made it, the only one from our school that did. I was ecstatic. But only for a moment. Once I finished reading the letter, I immediately realized that studying in UP was next to impossible. Being an Iskolar ng Bayan can be costly.

My life story would make a good material for “Maalaala Mo Kaya.” I was an only child. I remember being showered with all the earthly pleasures a child could imagine: school bags with wheels, toys that came with kid’s meals, etc. But then that chapter of my life ended abruptly when my father, who was working abroad, had to come home after being diagnosed with throat cancer. He died when I was 10. My mom and I were left alone. We were broke.

I remember how my mother struggled to support my education. In first year in high school, I had just one uniform. When I went home from school, my mother would immediately wash my uniform and hang it without squeezing so that there would be no creases when it became dry in the morning. We had no choice: we didn’t have a flat iron or electricity at home.

More depressing things happened during my first two years in high school. I didn’t receive my PE uniform on time since we hadn’t paid for it yet. I photocopied pages from my classmate’s workbook in Values Education because I didn’t have P120 to buy the book. Once I got home dripping wet because I had to walk under the rain from school to where I could get a tricycle going to our barrio since I just had enough money for the trip home.

In my third year of high school, I took the big leap of living with my aunt. My mom had found a new partner and had given birth to my only sibling. At first I was against their relationship, but I eventually realized that there was an emptiness in my mother’s heart that I could not fill. Maybe it was pride which made me move out of our house, but it was clear to me that they had their lives to live, and I had mine.

During my free days, I would help with the chores as my aunt ran their business. In return, she sent me to school.

But even before I graduated, my aunt told me frankly that they could not afford to send me to college – not even if I were to become an Iskolar ng Bayan. They had children of their own to feed and send to school. I was grateful for every support they had given me.

So why didn’t I apply for a scholarship or enrol under a “no income” status? But studying in UP does not merely involve getting free tuition. How would I cover my other expenses? I had to eat. I had to have a place to sleep. I had to do projects. Where would I get the money for all these?

I was desperate. I wanted to go to UP that I even considered selling my soul if somebody would buy it.

I thought of a way to get there. I wrote a letter to the office of Sen. Loren Legarda, asking for help. I received no reply. That was strike one.

I drafted another letter and sent it to the office of Sen. Mar Roxas who was then running for vice president. One month later, I received a response from his chief of staff saying they couldn’t give me a scholarship since the Department of Budget and Management had not released the senator’s Priority Development Assistance Fund. That was strike two. And I stopped there, afraid that I wouldn’t know how to handle strike three.

So that was how my dream of being an Iskolar ng Bayan ended. I looked for a scholarship in our province, and luckily I found one. Now, I am on my way to becoming a high school teacher.

I had never, not even in my wildest dreams, pictured myself as a teacher, but I had no choice. The scholarship was for an Education course. It was a choice between taking Education or not getting a higher education at all.

So now, I don’t dream big anymore. They say one should always dream big since dreaming is free anyway. But the bigger the dream, the greater the disappointment when it does not come true. Too bad that I had to be rejected first before I realized this.

I salute John Gabriel Pelias for topping this year’s batch of UP graduates. Breaking the post-war academic record despite coming from a poor family was truly amazing. But let me correct his claim that lack of money is never a hindrance once someone gets the chance to become an Iskolar ng Bayan. As my case proves, it is.

*Lyndon John S. de Leon, 18, is a 2nd year Bachelor in Secondary Education student at the Divine Word College of Vigan.

Source: DE LEON, L.J.S., Big Dreamer, Young Blood: Philippine Daily Inquirer; (http://opinion.inquirer.net/6787/big-dreamer); 22 June 2011; accessed 24 June 2011

What Do You Think?

noreply@blogger.com (chocoholiccynic) — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 11:20:00 +0000

A random picture I saw from Tumblr. It amazes me how a simple picture can have such a powerful message.

Just a disclaimer: I do believe that females should have a choice and I am not absolutely against abortion. I understand that there are certain circumstances where abortion is really necessary. I just think that legalizing abortion will encourage irresponsible sex. Think of me as conservative, I don't care. But I really think that before we discuss the issue of whether abortion should be legalize or not, we should consider measures on educating the people involved (specially the youth) about the repercussions of having casual (and unprotected) sex because we can totally skip the issue of killing an unborn child or not if we are only careful on having sex.

Just my two cents.

My Dream House

noreply@blogger.com (chocoholiccynic) — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 19:16:00 +0000

I am just putting this picture here so that in 5-10 years, when I am ready to build it, I know where I'll look for it. The picture is something I found from Tumblr and I do not claim any type of ownership from this one. I was just fascinated with the design. It's something I'll build in Negros. :)

noreply@blogger.com (chocoholiccynic) — Wed, 04 May 2011 15:17:00 +0000

Here are 100 ways to uncomplicate it… {perfect inspiration for a Sunday!}

1. Don’t try to read other people’s minds

2. Get up 30 minutes earlier so that you don’t rush/get a ticket while driving too fast/have to explain why you’re late/get fired

3. Get 8 hours of sleep per night so that you think more clearly

4. Stick to your budget

5. Start saving and investing every week, no matter how little you can spare

6. Balance your checkbook

7. Don’t try to be friends with everyone. Cultivate closer relationships with fewer people.

8. Don’t try to do business with everyone. Identify your target client and take very good care of them.

9. Before getting angry, ask yourself if it will really matter in 20 years

10. Focus on being a good person, not on pleasing others

11. Stay home this Saturday, and finish off that nagging chore that you need to finish

12. Kiss and make up

13. Make a weekly menu, and shop for only those items at the market

14. Ask your grandparents the best way to uncomplicate life, and try it for a month

15. Fill up your gas tank when it’s half full

16. Don’t drink alcohol when you’re tired, sad or mad

17. Pay your bills on time

18. Get an annual physical examination

19. Say “I love you” to your significant other and to your children. Studies show that more marriages last, and fewer kids use drugs, when these words are spoken every day. (If I find my significant other.. hihi.. for now, I'll just say "I love you, self")

20. For just one day, imagine everyone’s intentions are good because most people’s are (ROBAY!! THIS IS THE EARTH SENDING US A MESSAGE)

21. Give away clothes that haven’t worn in two years

22. Throw out clothes that are in disrepair, and can’t be mended

23. When you have a conflict with someone, talk it out. Don’t let it turn into more than it is.

24. Know what your priorities are in life, and act as if they are your priorities

25. Tell the truth

26. Don’t cheat

27. Don’t steal

28. If you’re holding on to a ridiculous grudge, let it go

29. Clean your house weekly, so that it doesn’t become too large a chore

30. Do your best at work, or at school

31. Don’t eat when you aren’t hungry

32. Eat when you are hungry

33. Be yourself

34. Say no unapologetically

35. Cook simple meals

36. Don’t try to keep up with the Joneses

37. Pay off your car before buying a new one (I'll buy a new one muna.)

38. Organise your desk at the office

39. Change your smoke alarm batteries when the clocks spring forward, and again when they fall back

40. Organise your important paperwork

41. Take only half the clothes that you planned to take with you on holiday

42. Help your children with their homework every night, and have an open dialogue with their teachers

43. Have white sheets and white towels in children’s rooms/bathrooms, because they’re easily bleached

44. Spend your time with nice people

45. Avoid drama

46. Don’t text or talk on the phone while driving

47. Turn off the television/video games/computer; they’re time consumers

48. Don’t engage in office politics

49. Refuse to gossip, or talk behind other people’s backs

50. Do the dishes right after dinner

51. Never go to sleep angry

52. Ask nicely for what you need and want

53. Walk 10,000 steps per day to help your heart

54. Do 20 push-ups before speaking in anger

55. Leave work at work

56. Don’t befriend anyone that isn’t trustworthy

57. Don’t envy others

58. Have your oil changed

59. Take vitamin C BEFORE you catch a cold

60. Don’t work more than 8 hours per day (AMEN!)

61. Weed your garden weekly

62. Wash your car weekly (wala akong car, sorreh)

63. Have a spring cleaning month every year, and do one room at a time

64. You don’t need to be best friends with work colleagues, but build respectful partnerships

65. Don’t drink and drive

66. Don’t look for reasons to be angry or sad, look for reasons to be happy. You’ll always be able to find plenty of each.

67. Be friendly with your neighbours

68. Return emails and phone messages promptly

69. Schedule in free time

70. Don’t procrastinate

71. Do what you say you’ll do, when you say you’ll do it

72. Be more flexible when you’re able to be

73. Forgive and forget. End of story. (Sorry, I can't)

74. Break the consumerism habit…put a three month moratorium in place on buying anything not deemed a necessity

75. Start your diet on September 1, rather than January 1, so that you won’t also have holiday pounds to lose

76. Take care of any health issues or concerns

77. Have your tires rotated

78. Have your brakes checked

79. Have your eyes checked

80. Don’t let your imagination run away with you

81. Let go of perfection in others

82. Let go of perfection in yourself

83. Don’t try to help those that refuse to help themselves

84. Find a way to reduce your commute to work

85. Have an alloted amount of worry time per day/week, that you strictly abide by

86. Drink more water

87. Eat more salmon

88. Don’t make a mountain out of a molehill

89. Wear your hair in a classic, easy to care for style

90. Finish what you start

91. Wear classic clothes and shoes that never go out of style

92. Create a daily routine

93. Have a 1, 5, 10 and 20 year plan for your financial and life goals

94. Slow down

95. Eat out less often

96. When you ask your husband which outfit looks best, thank him for his answer and wear the one he liked rather than focusing on why he didn’t like the other one

97. Allow your children to grow up

98. Clean out your garage, and donate anything that hasn’t been used in the past year

99. Stretch every day

100. If a relationship is over, let it go

Source: http://www.bellamumma.com/2011/04/100-ways-to-uncomplicate-your-life.html

Thoughts, anyone?

(I highlighted the things I should do....)

A Letter for a Secret Love

noreply@blogger.com (chocoholiccynic) — Wed, 04 May 2011 14:27:00 +0000

Dear E,

I have never told you that I like you…perhaps you have no idea about the countless hours I have spent thinking about you, imagining what it could have been if I had known you earlier or if we had spent more time together.

You are my secret crush in UP.

You’ll never know how much my heart screamed when you asked for my number…how ecstatic I am every time we ride the Ikot together on our way to class…and how disappointed I am that we can never be together because we are universes apart…

I am a coward because I was never able to tell you this. You were the last person I saw before I left UP…the only person I wanted to be with; I have learned to stop yearning for the chance for us to be together because I know that will never happen.

As such, you’ll remain forever as my deepest regret and my greatest what-if in my entire UP life. You have made me happy and I will forever cherish the memories of your wonderful smile that had once, in my life, made me thankful that I am alive. :)

— H.P.

Funeral Blues

noreply@blogger.com (chocoholiccynic) — Sun, 01 May 2011 19:22:00 +0000

"Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,

Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone.

Silence the pianos and with muffled drum,

Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come.

Let the aeroplanes circle, moaning overhead,

Scribbling on the sky the message ‘He is Dead’.

Put crepe bows ‘round the white necks of the public doves,

Let traffic policemen wear black, cotton gloves.

He was my North, my South, my East, and West.

My working week and my Sunday rest,

My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song;

I thought that love would last forever: I was wrong.

The stars are not wanted now; put out every one,

Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun,

Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood;

For nothing now can ever come to any good.”

- W. H. Auden

*also known as "Stop the Clocks"