Random Snowflakes

2009-07-09T20:13:00.001+08:00

here at AIM with PWDO peeps perparing for #ffc2009 http://ping.fm/9kFQQ

2009-07-09T20:10:00.001+08:00

here at AIM with PWDO peeps perparing for #ffcc2009 http://ping.fm/Z1BP4

Sugarfree night at Route 196

2009-06-25T08:19:00.000+08:00

So last night, I went to my first gig in a month. IN A MONTH. Considering that I've been going to gigs (and movies and events) on most nights of the week in the months of February to April, then a month without gigs (and with minimal events and movies... almost none at all, actually) is actually an achievement.

Anyway. This year, Sugarfree is celebrating its 10th year anniversary. As part of the celebration, there was a Sugarfree Night at Route 196, featuring Julianne, The Ronnies, and Itchyworms.

The night was...well...hilarious. Haha! Whereas Julianne was pretty prepared and as mellow as usual (which is not a bad thing, of course), The Ronnies and Itchyworms were their usual fun, joking, crazy selves. Chaos over chords, lyrics and punchlines was abundant, and I think there was a point in the night that my cheeks hurt from laughing.

Sugarfree played all the favorites to close the evening. Unfortunately, though, Jal wasn't there to play, so (fortunately) Bodgie the most awesome Sugarfree roadie was there to play bass. I've only seen Bodgie play guitars before, and to see him play bass and do back-up vocals was a happy sight. To be honest: I wish they'd put him as part of Sugarfree officially. Or at least make him the official guitarist/sessionist/whatever. Hehe. Go, Bodgie!

Sugarfree's set transported me back to college last night. Like most people, the catchy Mariposa and Burnout frequently played in my head, but it was with Telepono that I truly fell in love with. They played a couple of new songs, too. The new album is due to be out soon. AND they're having a concert on August; I hope I'll get to go! Yey~ Congratulations, Sugarfree! :)

Photos by Judd.

New Sherlock Holmes posters

2009-06-23T09:32:00.010+08:00

I don't think I've written about this before, but I AM SO VERY, VERY EXCITED ABOUT SHERLOCK HOLMES!!! I mean, the most awesome detective played by one Robert Downey Jr.? And Jude Law playing Watson?! I LOVE IT ALREADY!!! I've been quietly waiting — and yet inwardly jumping around impatiently — for months for this. And it's almost here! In the meantime, let us enjoy ourselves with these posters.

Movieland's latest Holmes/Watson double-act will sleuth their way onto their screens this Christmas in Sherlock Holmes and, judging by these rather elegant new character stills, they'll be cutting a dash while they do it.

Set against a fog-stained Westminster backdrop, the eye-catching posters show Robert Downey Jr.'s Holmes carrying on the debonair combination of style and six o'clock shadow familiar from the trailer (still no sign of a deerstalker), while Jude Law's Watson has gone seriously Saville Row in an awesomely Victorian three-piece. The cane - traditionally Holmes' weapon of choice - seems to fallen into the good doctor's possession.

Holmes has traditionally spent a lot of time musing on cases from the velvetine comfort of 221B Baker Street, but Ritchie's reboot gets him out and about in the dark alleyways of 19th century London, meeting people and generally beating the hell of them. The sleuth, as they say, is out there.

SHERLOCK HOLMES opens in theaters locally on January 8, 2010.
- Empireonline.com

Although... as excited as I am for this movie, I'm not sure I like the changes (which is most expected in reboots) quite yet. But of course, I'm sure Jude Law can pull it off. I guess I just have to let the changes slide. Hehe.

One thing, though: Holmes better play the violin.

Thanks to Warner Bros. for the news and high res photos! :)

Music Recs - June 2009

2009-06-18T22:18:00.004+08:00

So here I am writing about music again. Today it's about the good finds I got out of one of the Indie Rock Playlists for April, which provided some of my music for May and June. Before anything else, though, let me warn you that my musical mood recently is greatly affected by the rainy weather, so most of these songs are good background music to walking in--or just staring out into---the rain.

I Woke Up Today - Port O'Brien

Okay, remember what I just said about these songs being for the rain? Forget that for a second, because this song is for sunny, happy, energetic days. Haha! I've been listening to this song while preparing for work, mostly because it helps me wake up and puts a smile on my face. Port O'Brien, as I discovered sometime after learning about the band, generally has that sound that you can pop into your player on mornings to jumpstart your day. Like I said, sunny-happy.

Train Song - Feist and Ben Gibbard

Let me say this now: Ben Gibbard is love. But don't think that this is just like Postal Service and Death Cab for Cutie. Train Song is a bit more on the folk side, I think. And the lyrics, ARGH the lyrics. And I love the sound of Feist's voice, combined Gibbard's simple singing (no belting and melody-curling) is just ear-candy.

Boats and Birds - Gregory and the Hawk

Metaphors. Selfless love. A beautiful song. Period.

As the Little Things Go - The Appleseed Cast

Okay. Many people know that even though I like rock, I'm not so much of a fan of "RAWKKKKKK!!!" type of rock. But it seems to me (and correct me if I'm wrong here) that The Appleseed Cast is that kind of band. Regardless of that, though, I love this number right here.

As the Little Things Go is an 8-minute instrumental piece that's perfect for—you guessed it—walking in the rain and thinking about things. It starts with a simple electric guitar riff fading into your ears before a drum beat joins it, along with soft yet soaring keyboards. I think they're just using a simple chord progression throughout the whole song, until it suddenly pauses in the middle, and then picks up to a climax. Love it, love it.

The Girl - City and Colour

There's something about songs or stories about separated people that appeal to me. I don't really know why. (If you know me well enough, you've probably noticed this, too.) The Girl is one of those songs. The singer is singing to a girl far away and promises her that he's still hers. Now, let's hear a collective "Awwww".

This song, though, is especially interesting to me because of its music. The song has three parts—and I don't really know why it has three parts; that's the most curious thing about it—and I think it's supposed to let you interpret the song in any way you want to. I think. Or something like that. I already made several possible back stories for the song. Heeeeeee.

Him Poe Poe - Efterklang

Another semi-instrumental song with very short, and almost inaudible lyrics. A wordplay on, "All the words they're singing out, tell the birds to bring it out of the world..." repeats for a few seconds before giving way to the string section. Love it. :)

Signed I Wish You Well - Helios

"Another lazy day, rainy day, stay home day." He had me at the first line of lyrics.

Little Bird - Scott Matthew

I like listening to this one when I'm in bed waiting to fall asleep. It has music box properties, and if you tilt your head and squint, it *is* a happy song as the singer says. Scott Matthew's somewhat hoarse voice, along with the choice of instruments (or lack thereof) makes great bedtime music.

So yey. Music recs for the month. Any recommendations you have for me? :)

[Except you, Paolo, hold the recommendations. Ang dami ko pang utang sa yo. Haha!]

What's your life verse?

2009-06-11T17:21:00.003+08:00

What is one Bible verse that made the biggest impact in your life? Share your verse and story with us! :)

So says the opening question in the latest discussion board topic, "What's your life verse", on Victory's Facebook account. It's encouraging to see other peoples' life verses! My personal life verse is Proverbs 3:5-6.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

Came in really handy when I was a student and I could not, for the life of me, understand the stuff I was studying. Haha!

Check out the discussion board, and, by all means, join in the fun!

Hello, Monday Playlist

2009-06-08T17:11:00.009+08:00

My workweek started with a SPLAT! BOOM! POW!!! Seeing as my Mondays are usually a slow reintroduction to the workweek, I had such a major shock today that I actually had no trouble creating a soundtrack as the events rolled in.

Up from the floor on the count of ten
Oh you get up, you get down and you try it again
First, at the MRT station, some old lady (who looked like a sweet little old lady) literally shoved me aside so she could go inside the car. Take note that I wasn't actually in her way. I was just standing beside her, and honestly I was going to let her go first. Oddly enough, everybody else sort of paused instead of selfishly shoving their way in, too—as was the culture in the ladies' car in the MRT—so I was able to regain my balance and squeeze myself in. It was a strange, strange experience to be shoved by an old lady. But, you know, I let it slide. Still, it sort of jolted me awake. Haha! Well, good morning to you, too.

Opening track: Try it Again - The Hives

Isn't it ironic, don't you think?
The mood in the office was the usual early Monday morning mood, but with a dash of excitement to taste. Victory is having it's 25th Anniversary on July 24th, and ticket sales was going to open today. I was sitting at my desk, and I had just started the 30-minute countdown on plurk and twitter when we received the announcement: the online ticket reservation was down.

All together now: WHAT?!

On top of that, the ticket stalls had apparently missed checking their inventory because most of the outlets didn't have ticket paper at hand. So how were they supposed to print tickets?

Remind me why we got a third-party ticket provider? Oh yes: to make things easier.

Track of the moment: Ironic - Alanis Morisette

Everybody wants to come to my party, that's right
Everybody wants to come to my party, uhuh
It was insane, I tell you. Everyone scrambled to fix whatever what was wrong, to talk to our ticket sales provider, to take back our exciting countdown, to formulate our response to the crowd... Phones, both landline and mobile, started ringing. IMs started popping up on my screen. Insane!!!

And if that wasn't enough, something else happened. Because the site where online registration was supposed to happen wasn't there, EVERYONE went and turned to our official website for guidance. Our web server couldn't take it. It crashed.

Oh, for the love of—!

When the malls opened at 10 o'clock, reports from people on site said that people RAN to the stalls. Oh, wow. As someone said later, it beat the rush to the Pussycat Dolls ticket sales hands down.

Track of the moment: My Party - Plastilina Mosh

Sticks and stones and animal bones
Can't stop me from having a good day on a bad day
You can NOT imagine what it was like. And all this before 9 o'clock. Good thing we got to work early. And good thing my partner, who was still at home, was also online waiting for tickets, so she helped me contact our web provider and get the server going again in minutes.

The morning was insane (I can't say it enough) but we realized that it was a good thing. It just shows how incredibly excited the people are for the event. And, if the text messages and mobile plurks and mobile tweets giving on-site reports were any indication, it showed us how much the people were willing to help the community in their own way.

Later comments on the Victory Facebook were awesome, too. There was one who said, on getting the faaaaaaaaaaar seat in General Admission, "that's okay, we'll bring binoculars! As long as we're there!"

I love my church.

Track of the moment: Good Days and Bad Days - Kaiser Chiefs

I hope I get by today...
I hope that I fall into place
The good thing about my job and my office is this: we all know that everything's going to fall into place. As chaotic as the day had been — and as chaotic as the tomorrow will probably be — we all know it's going to work out because our God is bigger than our problems.

This day went by in a second. Needless to say, my day still ended with a smile on my face. It's all good. Life is good. God is good.

Track of the moment: Fall Into Place - Apartment

Alright, don't worry, we'll all float on
And we'll all float on alright
Today was certainly an educational day. And a highly exciting day, for everyone involved! Haha! True, there were frustrating moments, but we just gotta move on from there. So now I'm going to head out of the office, earphones on, and my soundtrack playing.

What. A. DAY.

Ending track: Float On - Modest Mouse

Looking for Airplanes

2009-06-04T12:21:00.005+08:00

Did it ever happen to you that you hear a song, and you love it so much on first hear, but you never find out who the artist was, or what the title was? And then you go online to look for it using a line in the lyrics, but you still can't, for the life of you, find out who it is? I hate it when that happens.

There's a song I've been looking for for a long, long, loooooooong time. The lyrics I remembered were

"I want you back, back, back...You back~"

I know. Not quite the most unique string of words, which makes the search even harder. I've almost given up looking for it, until I heard the exact song on Chuck. (Seriously, I love that series!)

The song I'm talking about is Airplanes by Local Natives. Oh, man, I so love them for it. The lyrics are straightforward yet enigmatic, the tune is catchy, the harmony is simply ear candy, and the musical arrangement is just ARGH. Because of this song, I looked for Local Natives' other songs, and...well...Let's just say I fell in love with them and I can't wait to get my hands on their album.

By the way: as awesome as the recording already is, the live version at Jumping Turtle is just as awesome. And this bare, stripped version!

I also recommend Who Knows Who Cares (epic, I tell ya), and Only Son (a track I listen to over and over and over and over). I implore you to look up their other songs, too.

Airplanes
by Local Natives

The desk where you sit
inside of a frame made of wood
I keep those chopsticks you had from
when you taught abroad in Japan

I love it all so much
I call
I want you back

I did not know you as well
as my father knew you
every question you took the
time to sit and look it up in the
encyclopedia

I love it all so much
I call
I want you back

It sounds like we
would of had a great deal to say
to each other
I bet when I leave
my body for the sky the wait will
be worth it

Mary Kay hold Skin Care Class for Bloggers

2009-06-03T12:41:00.003+08:00

So today I finally finalized the details for Mary Kay's skin care consultation for bloggers. Wheeee~ This is gonna be fun :)

For 45 years, Mary Kay has helped women all over the world look great, feel great and achieve their dreams. And now it’s your turn. From super-effective skin care that includes products for a fair, even complexion to on-trend makeup to body care that pampers and protects, you get customized beauty routines that fit your needs. And you can get the ultimate in customer service from your very own Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultant.

This June, Mary Kay will be holding a Skin Care Class for 20 bloggers, inclusive of personal skin assessment, facial and consultation.
Date: June 10, 2009
Time: 6pm-8pm
Venue: Pasong Tamo Extension, Makati City

Again, this is a free thing, but slots are limited. Sign up now! :)

EDIT: THE JUNE 10 SESSION IS FULL AS OF JUNE 8, 10 PM. Registrant afterwhich may have a session on June 11. Thank you,

It's funny that I should be one to organize a beauty bloggers' event. I was never one to be fussy about my face, but recently I realized that that had to change haha. Enter Mary Kay to help me with just that. (Grah I should write a blog post about that whole experience.)

//EDIT This event is now closed. Many thanks to everyone who joined! :)

of rain, walking, wallets and playlists

2009-06-02T10:48:00.005+08:00

Tonight I walked home in the rain for more or less an hour.

I had stood for a good 15 minutes under the shade, waiting for the rain to stop, but it didn't look like it was going to anytime soon, so I thought I should just make a run for it even though I didn't have my umbrella with me. But then I was too tired to run, so I just jogged. And I ended up walking. It wasn't so bad. It wasn't raining that hard, really, but it was enough to get my hair decently wet and my journal in my canvas bag slightly wrinkly. My laptop bag was water resistant, so I had no worries about the boyfriend.

There's always something dramatic about walking in the rain. I know that rain was usually used in sad and nearly depressing scenes in movies—like the funeral scene where two characters are separated by the coffin, and they look at each other in a silent this-is-all-your-fault indignation, or that scene where the girl leaves the guy and he looks after her with a regretful look on his face...or something. But, the thing is my rain mood has always been contemplative rather than depressing. And tonight's walk was definitely contemplative. (I think I don't need to mention that walking in any weather is contemplation time for me.)

I think it had something to do with the current state of my wallet. Several unfortunate things have happened at the same time in the past few weeks, all of which ~~slightly damaged~~ butchered my budget for the month. Thus, my walking in the rain when I could have easily taken the bus.

Maybe the contemplative mood also had to do with the Itchyworms Stripped gig I missed tonight. I've been freely attending gigs recently, as long as my budget, schedule and health allowed it. Well, seeing as the health of my wallet was currently in peril—and may eventually affect my health if I wasn't careful—I decided to skip the gig. Which is a sad thing because I've been waiting for that gig for two months now. Argh.

I'm pretty sure the mood had to do with the music blaring in my ears. A couple of days ago I put together a completely random playlist of songs from my library. Some were my favorite music from Chuck, some from Scrubs, but mostly were from my collection of recommendations from music buddies and happy accidental finds on imeem. Turned out that my completely random list became something like a soundtrack... The Walking in the Rain and Being All Contemplative About My Finances Soundtrack. Haha.

And then I started to wonder: if my life was a TV show (it certainly has its...interesting moments every once in a while), what would the soundtrack be? Ask me that before tonight and I would say without thinking, "the Eraserheads discography!" But if I'm to be conpletely honest? Hm... Not really. Sure, the Beatles and the Eraserheads pretty much shaped my musical preferences, but there are a lot more songs out there that can make it in the list. My life's ~~soundtrack~~ boxed set might include some Peryodiko, Sugarfree, Death Cab for Cutie, Arcade Fire, Oasis, the Cary Brothers, and a myriad of other artists.

Huh. Maybe I should start a habit of making playlists and archive them, much like what Chuck does every day. Hmmmm.

working for the big 2-5

2009-05-22T14:51:00.000+08:00

No, not my 25th birthday. That's still far off in September. I'm talking about Victory's 25th Anniversary, which we'll celebrate at the Big Dome on July 24th in a really big, super amazing birthday bash with, I expect, all the jumping, dancing, laughter, confetti and--- and.... I'd really hate to give out spoilers. Ahahaha.

At this moment, the official Victory@25 website tells me that we have 63 days, 5 hours, 8 mintes and 34...33...32 seconds to go until the party. Aren't you excited? I'm excited. Are you? I am!!!

I'm sure everybody's excited, our office visibly so. Ever since the ball started rolling on the planning, there began a certain buzz in the office. Even when we weren't actually talking about it, the thought was still there. At the back of our heads, we keep thinking: What promotional stuff can we do? What contests can we hold? Whose old 1980s big-hair-big-shoulderpads photos can we show? Whenever the I see or hear the anniversary teaser I get goosebumps all over, and a really big, giddy grin.

But, to be completely honest, this also must be said: if you step into my office, you can actually feel the tension and the stress that occasionally shoots up to high -- and I mean really high -- levels. I haven't been able to make time to blog for a month now. There are times that I get home and I literally collapse on my bed -- with my uniform and shoes on, and still holding my bags -- and my roommates won't see any sign of life until midnight, or even the next morning. There are even moments in the day when trying to think of ideas to make the event fun doesn't seem so very fun anymore.

But you know what? It's all good. Because, at the end of the day, this isn't just an event. This isn't even just a party to brag about how cool Victory is or whatever. This isn't even about celebrating our work for the past months, or the past years and how big our numbers are now. This is God's party. This is to celebrate God, and how simply AWESOME He's been to every single one of us in every single day in the last 25 years.

And that makes it all worth it.

Whenever I remember that, I get smiling again as I work, and life is sunshine and happiness all over again.

How about you? Has God been great to you in the past years? Are you going to the Araneta Coliseum on July 24th to celebrate His goodness? You are? Awesome.

Spread the word about the Victory@25! Connect to Victory in Multiply, Facebook, Friendster, Twitter, and Plurk! And don't forget to visit VictoryAt25.com, too! See you there!

2Girls1Show at Mag:Net

2009-04-30T03:34:00.002+08:00

April 29, Mag:Net Bonifacio High Street. The place was uncharacteristically PACKED! It almost looked like Café Saguijo. That's because of the awesome lineup put together by NU107's 2Girls1Show to celebrate having...many friends in Facebook. Haha! Nice party, girls. Thanks!

Bands were:
Zach Lucero. I wanted to buy their album but I could not find Zach after their set. Again, I blame the manymanymany people.
Pupil who was welcomed by mass hysteria. What else is new? Good thing I already had a good spot in front. I stole Wendell's setlist afterwards haha
Us-2 Evil-0 played a really fun set, as usual. Yey for the dance moves! (And, oh yes: Bogs is a rockstar)
Archipelago is awesome! MRI is LOVE.
Angulo had a very...lively set. Haha. Nice one, guys.
Sandwich. Raimund is so darn hard to catch on camera! He moves around so much, nearly all my photos of him were blurred. Same goes for Diego. So I eventually gave up trying and just rocked with them.
Franco has an all-star cast har
Chicosci, the red team. By this time I was sitting at the bar because my feet were killing me.

Imma take care of my stiff neck

2009-04-21T02:00:00.002+08:00

My neck has been stiff lately.

I work on the computer all day. And my hobbies also include me "working" on my laptop. Therefore, I spend countless of hours on the computer. Thus, I easily get stiff shoulders. I had a body massage several of weeks ago at this resort we went to. The masseuse was admittedly amateur, but it was pretty decent, nonetheless. Still, it made me miss my favorite Thai or Swedish massage I usually get every once in a while.

Therefore, it's time for another massage!

It'd be awesome to get another massage at Blue Water Day Spa like the one I had a couple of months ago. There's a branch in Capitol Hills, which is really near our house in Tandang Sora. I would LOVE to get a full body Swedish massage there, be all relaxed and stuff, and go straight home and sleeeeeeeeep! Just look at the relaxing view inside and outside:

What'd I tell you? Awesome, right? You get to breathe clean air, and drink in the scenic green meadows before and after your massage. And guess what: they have a contest that just might let me get my massage for free!

Here are the contact details, in case you'd like a massage, too.

BlueWater Day Spa Capitol Hills Branch
Capitol GreenStreet Commercial Center
Capitol Hills Golf Annex Building
Capitol Hills Drive, Old Balara
Quezon City
Telephone Numbers: +63 (2) 4730455, 9524829, 4350114

Jack Daniel's Global Music Tour at NBC Tent

2009-04-18T18:06:00.006+08:00

Last night was The Jack Daniel's Global Music Tour Event at NBC Tent, the Fort. The main perormers were Cynthia Alexander playing at the same time with Nyko Maca+Playground They're going to be our country's representative to the Jack Daniel's Global Music Event at Singapore! Awesome, awesome combination. Also playing last night were Corporate Lo-fi, Taken By Cars, Urbandub, Razorback and more.

Met with Kuya Tim, Nicole and Carlo and the boys there. Fun, because there were many of my other friends there (Peryodiko, Kuya Marcus and Ate Bernie, Paul, MJ, Nye, Dyan, and the bloggers all over the place).

Outside at the lobby, the JD Peavey guitar being raffled was displayed for photo op, and there was a booth for Rock Band (though I wasn't able to play). Also, Pirates of the Caribbean cosplayers were roaming the venue. Cap'n Jack Sparrow is PERFECT! He's no Johnny Depp, but he got the character spot on!

Many thanks to Cris Ramos of Revolver for the invite, and to Marcus Nada for the VIP pass. Corporate Lo-fi=AWESOME! And thanks to Karla for taking the Cynthia Alexander and Nyko Maca+Playground pics while I took videos.

More photos~

NinjaKyusi April 16 2009

2009-04-17T17:49:00.002+08:00

It's been so long since I've been to NinjaKyusi; it's about time I visited again. So, since the lineup was WOW, I brought a camera.... But forgot the memory stick. FAIL! Good thing Ate Steph miraculously had a spare memory stick in her bag. It was just 32MB, so I could only afford to take one photo per band. But it's better than nothing, yes?

Sugarfree - played songs for the new album. Feels Like (debut on a lve stage haha!), Manong Driver, Hay Buhay (I am so loving this song, srsly)

The Ronnies - usually I know *at least* one song in their playlist... But last night I knew none of the songs. Fail. But, as usual, I had fun watching all the people who knew the songs! They knew dance steps and everything.

Chillitees - played a hot set. 'Nuff said. Oh, and can I just say that I am loving Uela's fashion style?

The Itchyworms - ARGH! Freak Out Baby was AWESOME! First, Radioactive Sago's brass section joins the band onstage. And then Lourd comes up for the spoken interlude. And then, in the last chorus, the three roadies (not one, like in Saguijo, but THREE!) come up and do the dance! Needless to say, the crowd went wild during this number.

Radioactive Sago Project - As usual, this band rocked. How can they not?

Bagetsafonik - NinjaKyusi's resident band. Ang galing nilaaaaaaaaaaaa! I so can't wait for the new album :)

Also, while Kel and I were getting a breather outside, Jugs asked him to do that fork trick for them. Lourd's reactions to it was hilarious. Haha! Kel's client base is getting so big, it's awesome ^_^

Slumdog Millionaire review

2009-04-07T15:47:00.003+08:00

Slumdog Millionaire is, to put it simply, a film of beautiful, brilliant storytelling. Although the casting is awesome, the acting superb, and the dialogue candid, I, for one, think that this movie's genius is in how the story was told.

A scene with a young Indian man being forcefully interrogated opens the movie, promptly pitting the audience into puzzlement and curiosity, before launching them into the past, present, further into the past, and back again. The story pace goes from heart-pounding fast to agonizingly (yet deliciously) slow to just right. We are taken on a cultural tour of India without looking like a promotion made by the Department of Tourism. (For the record: I really don't know if they had anything to do with the movie. I doubt it.)

It's taking a mystery story, a romantic epic, and a slice of life film, and taking a wire whisk and blending them together to a seamless treat.

(Yeah, I know. There I go again with food analogies.)

On watching it in the movie theater
I first watched this at home with my family a couple of months ago before getting to watch it on the big screen last night. What's fun about watching it on the big screen is hearing the collective reactions of the theater (laughs, gasps, and synchronized exclamations of "ewwyuck!"). What's fun, however, with watching it on a home TV is... well... The game show "Who Wants to Be a Milllionaire" is a major key in the story, and that game show is mostly watched at home instead of in the theaters. So if asked which screening I liked better, I think I'm going with the home version. This movie deserves a spot in your video library.

And, by the way. Buy the original DVD. It'll definitely be worth it.

On it getting the Oscar for Best Picture
I love the movie. But -- and I know I'm going to step on many toes here, but I'm going to say this, anyway -- I still don't think it should have won Best Picture. So sue me. To each his own, yeah?

The soundtrack

Iz awesome!!! It deserves its own heading.

Slumdog Millionaire starts showing in Philippine Theaters on April 11, 2009 under Viva International Pictures. Many thanks to Azrael, Viva Internation, SM Mall of Asia and SM Cinemas for the advanced screening.

Dragonball Evolution on D-Cinema

2009-04-03T23:13:00.007+08:00

Last night, the movie bloggers and I went to watch Dragonball Evolution at The Block. Links to their reviews will be listed at the end of this post.

I actually had fun, believe it or not. And let me express, before anything else, my gratitude to SM Cinemas for treating us to a premier screening of this film. And on the D-Cinema, no less.

Anyway.

Let this be known: Dragonball Evolution is NOT a film adaptation of Dragonball. Not even close. It's a movie based on Dragonball. Some elements and names were used, but the movie was much too different from the original series to be called an adaptation.

Like most of the people I know, the moment I saw one of the initial posters of Dragonball Evolution, I thought, "Oh, Lord, please, NO!" Sorry, but the poster then spelled "low-quality movie" in big, bold letters. For months, I was fully convinced that I would NOT pay to watch this movie. That's why I'm so grateful to SM for letting us see it for free.

Was it good? No.
Was it terrible? I wouldn't say that...
Was it bad? Kinda. But not as bad as I had thought it would be.

Wanna know why? Because most of the comedic parts were really funny. I mean, within the first fifteen minutes, I caught myself laughing heartily at the comedic dialogue and the banter between the characters. I wouldn't go as far as saying that it was hilarious, but it was enjoyable, nonetheless.

Sadly, though, as the movie progressed, the comedy became a bit more lame (why, Chow Yun-Fat? Whyyyyyyy?) and the serious parts were...well...comedic. No, seriously, I swear. At the serious parts, I was either rolling my eyes or laughing. Most unconvincing.

But I don't quite understand how this happened. I mean, the actors, although not exactly having phenomenal careers, did okay in their other movies. And the director? I liked his other movies. The One, for example, was an entertaining action movie. Maybe it's their combination that didn't work? Maybe the budget? Or maybe it's the casting, because, come on: even if the actors were good, if you're not the right actor for a role, then your character will suck.

I think that's the film's major mistake. The casting. And the effects. Aiyayay.

I must admit, though, that the Kamehameha wasn't that bad at all. It was pretty good. (Might be because we were in the D-Cinema?) But the other effects? Argh. Not as ancient as Power Rangers, but very substandard, given what you can do with technology today.

My verdict: 2 stars out of 5. Not a complete waste of time, but can still be enjoyable, somehow. Just...don't expect to be wowed by anything. It's actually worth watching, whether or not you're a fan, just so you can see it first-hand instead of basing your opinion on what other people say.

Dragonball Evolution will open in local cinemas, including the D-Cinema at SM North EDSA, on April 11 2009.

Anyway. Check out me fooling around in front of the huge poster lol. And here are the bloggers with me, and their reviews:
Brian - Dragon Ball Evolution at SM The Block's D-Cinema
Loraine - Dragonball Evolution
Joy
Edelweiza - Movie Review: Dragonball Evolution, Anime-Inspired Action-Thriller Film by James Wong
Edwin
Jori
Paolo - Dragonball Evolution
Jed - Dragonball Evolution: Movie Review
Vit

Many thanks to Azrael and the Movie Bloggers Club!

Parokya ni Edgar and Acel Van Ommen at 70s Bistro

2009-03-31T23:20:00.005+08:00

Went with Acel and the boys (and Jeng) to 70s Bistro last night

Originally, I had already marked that night as a 70s Bistro night since Moonstar88 was supposed to play. But for some reason, the band had to pull out; Acel to the rescue! Hehe. So Sandy, Mel, Jeng and I met up and went to 70s together. When we got there, the first act was playing (ack. I wasn't able to get the name of the band.) And MAN the place was PACKED!

While Acel and the boys set up, I took photos with the Sticker Happy piano (again). Tim of the Circus ML was there, too. Haha!

The place was so packed, the crew actually asked us to move from our table since we weren't eating. At first I raised an eyebrow since...well... that was the band's stuff! Where were we supposed to put four guitar cases and several bags? Hay. But since, as mentioned, the place was so packed, we had to make way for paying customers.

Anyway. Acel and the band played a great set. People asked for Torete, as always. I loved the different version! Too bad I wasn't able to video the whole thing; had to change camera batteries. Speaking of cameras... The only thing I didn't like about 70s Bistro is the fact that it's so hard to take photos of the whole band! Only the vocalist had proper lighting, and the drummer was so far to the right. *sigh* Oh well. Took separate photos, then.

Since (again) the place was insanely packed, we went outside for some air. Chito was already there, as well as Gab and Vinci, and yey I finally got to have photos with them! And with Dindin and Darius, too. Too bad I wasn't able to catch Buwi before they went onstage.

The boys rocked, playing Parokya hits, singing whatever the crowd asked them to.

"Ano? Picha Pie? Ngayon na? Aga, a. Sige!"
"O, anong sunod? Silvertoes? Game, game, Silvertoes!"
"Choco latte? Wag yun, hindi ko kabisado yun!" (And then Gab starts the guitar riff, and they end up singing the whole song, anyway. Haha!)

And, man, the Chito-Vinci banter was hilarious! I labs eeeeet! They also sang non-Parokya hits including Kaleidescope World, Elesi, and Hallelujah, among others. Chito does an awesome Bamboo!

By around midnight, right after Elesi finished, we piled up into Acel's car and went for kebab at Ababu. It was my first time to eat there, believe it or not. The keema was LOVE!

By the time we got back to 70s an hour later, Parokya was still onstage. Early into their set, Chito had said, "Lahat! Kantahin natin LAHAT!!!" I think they actually did. Man. What a party. Needless to say, the night was made of win. Thanks for the fun night, guys!

More photos here!

my recent brush with head injury. again.

2009-03-29T22:50:00.005+08:00

Epidural or extradural hematoma (haematoma) is a type of traumatic brain injury (TBI) in which a buildup of blood occurs between the dura mater(the tough outer membrane of the central nervous system) and the skull. The dura mater also covers the spine, so epidural bleeds may also occur in the spinal column. Often due to trauma, the condition is potentially deadly because the buildup of blood may increase pressure in the intracranial space and compress delicate brain tissue. The condition is present in one to three percent of head injuries. Between 15 and 20% of patients with epidural hematomas die of the injury.

Er...yeah. What Wikipedia said. I learned this last night when my mom asked my to look up head injuries. This was after we got home from the Chocolate Workshop at Heavenly Chocolates. That was after I rushed to Heavenly Chocolates from AFP. That was after Ana's orchestra's concert. That was after I braved the pelting rain. That was after I was sitting on our kitchen floor for a full 5 minutes that seemed like an eternity.

And that was after I slipped and hit my head on the marble floor.

Our helper was polishing our floor that afternoon, and I was finalizing my plans for the day with Kuya Jabes while stepping down the stairs. Of course, because we were all distracted, nobody noticed that I didn't notice that I was about to step on an incredibly slippery floor. One moment, I was saying something about chocolate, and then in the next I was involuntarily yelling as much as my sore voice allowed, and then in the next I was staring at our ceiling, and my head was throbbing. My brother was immediately beside me, telling me not to move yet. I heard my dad coming down the stairs, too.

I felt slightly disoriented, but at the same time, I actually felt fine. Which was completely weird, because I was certain that I know for sure that I hit my head hard. I sat up and regained my bearings. I saw my foot underneath our kitchen counter, where our big, red Coleman cooler was supposed to be. Turns out that when I fell, I kicked the cooler out of its place, making it fly to the other side of the kitchen, and whatever was on top of it was thrown somewhere else. My dad was crouching behind me, holding my head and asking me if I felt dizzy or anything. I didn't. Nothing hurt.

It was then that I realized something. My dad was crouching behind me, right? Right behind him was the last step of the stairs. And my foot displaced the cooler, right?

Let's just say that the cooler wasn't empty. Let's say that it had a lot of stuff in it, like it always did, and it was heavy. If that was the case, then it would have stopped my body from completely slipping, and the back of my head would have not hit the floor.

Instead, the lower part of my skull would have hit the last step of the stairs... Which could have easily lead to serious brain damage, and even a fractured spinal cord.

Oh. WOW. Thank you, God.

But still, that didn't take away the fact that I hit my head. I was still a candidate for head injury. And what with Natasha Richardson's recent passing due to epidural hematoma, everyone was cautious. I almost didn't go to Ana's concert, but I promised, so I went there, and also to the chocolate tasting, for which I was late. Ahahaha. I was even supposed to go to the last leg of the Peryodiko's album launch bar tour at RJ Bar (Kuya Tim was playing with Nicole and Carlo there, too), but we decided that I shouldn't go.

When we got home, my mom had me look up symptoms for head injury. Turns out that after a head injury, there's normally something they call lucid interval, a time when the patient feels completely fine, even though there was already internal bleeding, after which the patient may slip into coma. Lucid intervals can last up to two weeks, and are usually indicative of epidural hematoma. Natasha Richardson, for one, had a lucid interval before she passed.

Needless to say, this information actually made me nervous, and for a moment I didn't want to go to sleep. But, you know, as Chique and my other plurk friends said, "hindi ka pababayaan ni God".

So, yeah. The fact that I'm writing this blog post obviously means I'm still alive, and I didn't slip into a coma, although a couple of my friends actually thought that I did, because I disappeared from the internet right after reporting that I was going to sleep. Hehe. Sorry for not updating you guys. :D

My mom told me that this was (at least) the third time that God saved me from rather dangerous situations. When I was around two years old, I fell from the stairs in Bulacan and landed on rocks. Injuries? Zero. And then when I was six, I fell from a wooden bridge and onto pretty jagged rocks (again). Injuries? None.

Thank you, God, for giving me a hard head. Pun fully intended.

Monsters vs. Aliens on IMAX

2009-03-27T19:38:00.000+08:00

The movie bloggers went to watch Monsters vs. Aliens last night at SM Mall of Asia IMAX theater. I've been (im)patiently waiting for the movie ever since I saw the trailer, and getting to watch it on IMAX made it even better. I think it's also necessary to mention that this movie was the first I watched on IMAX. Yey!

Monsters vs. Aliens is exactly what the title says it is. It's a movie with monsters fighting aliens. Sounds like a pretty common plot, I know, but this movie is everything except boring! The animation and casting is nothing less than Dreamworks Animation's high standard. And, okay, even though it's not as monumentally funny as Shrek, it's loaded with heaps of ROFL moments, parodies, exciting chases, and even more ROFL moments. Kids will love the adventure, and adults will love the dialogue. I'll gladly watch it on the big screen again, and eagerly wait to but an original DVD.

For me the movie itself is at 4.5 out of 5. But on IMAX? FIVE STARS.

It was also announced before the show that Monsters vs. Aliens is the first Dreamworks animated feature to be made available in 3D. First. Meaning there will be a second, third, fourth, and many more! Awwyeah! I can't wait for Up now!

Thanks to SM Cinemas and Azrael for the screening!

Peryodiko album launch bar tour - third leg

2009-03-19T12:33:00.005+08:00

The Peryodiko Album Launch Bar Tour comes to Café Saguijo, Makati!

It's Admit One night, and the bands were:
Nicole and Carlo. I wasn't able to catch them (I came from another event, so I was late), but I heard that they were really good last night.

Duster. When they were playing, I was currently travelling to Saguijo. So I didn't catch them, either.

Peryodiko. Even though I've heard their album hundreds of times, and I've seen them live seeral times the past weeks, they never fail to amaze me. You guys rock. And it was awesome to be able to take good photos of the whole band (really amateur ones, but decent ones, nonetheless). I had a really hard time taking photos the other night at 70s Bistro.

Sugarfree. Again, they didn't have a set list, which just made things fun! They played the Eraserheads' Tikman, which I haven't heard live in a while. They also played three songs from the upcoming album! There's Hay Buhay and Manong Driver, and Hangover. I've heard Hay Buhay a few times, but it always still gets me smiling. Especially with Bodgie, who helped out in a few songs, rolling out his dance moves and stuff. Haha! The highlight for the set though, has to be when Kaka handed the drum sticks over to Mitch, the first Sugarfree drummer, for Mariposa and Burnout. It was like a reunion! Thanks for jamming, Mitch!

After that, we made our way outside to the parking lot. Nicole, Carlo, Kuya Tim and I went for fishballs, but there weren't any fish balls, just squid balls. How can there not be squidballs? :( Hung around some more with the bands. Got to get a picture with the two Sugarfree drummers! (I was so frustrated, by the way, because I already had my Sugarfree CDs in my bag earlier that night, but I took them out and left them home because the current members had signed them already. And then here comes Mitch in a gig! ARGH! I shoulda brought them CDs... T_T)

My photo album is here!

Oh, and I MUST share this photo of Vin while he was selling the album. Haha!

Peryodiko Album Tour - 70s Bistro

2009-03-18T08:57:00.006+08:00

Last night I went to 70s Bistro with Kuya Tim and Nicole and Carlo for Peryodiko's Album Launch Bar Tour. The bands were just Peryodiko and Sugarfree, which gave way for long sets and lots of time for chitchatting. There weren't many people, either — the seats were all taken, but there was PLENTY of standing room — so the whole night felt like...well...jamming with friends. Or something.

I actually got there early, while the room was only half-full. Anton let me in, but since Kuya Tim wasn't there yet, I chose to sit at the bar. I was sipping my Cali Shandy when I turned to the right and—leGASP!!!—I saw something I didn't think I'd see in a long time. Ever again, really.

IT'S THE STICKER HAPPY PIANO!!!

Those present in the recent Eraserheads Final Set can probably remember that this piano was set on fire (literally) and jumped on, but LOOKIT! It's ALIVE!!! Not working anymore, of course, and the wood on top is already warped, and the keys are all dislocated, but... but... It's THERE, and looking oh, so rockstar-ish! And I was able to take photos. And touch it, even! Bwahahaha. If Anton wasn't so busy, I'd have gotten him to take photos of me with it.

Anyway. By the time I got over staring at it and "playing" Blue Moon on the non-working keys, Sugarfree had already finished setting up. Here's where the whole laid back, jamming with friends feel comes in. Turns out that the band didn't have a set list, so they asked people to make their set list for them. Requests ranged from the possible (Mariposa, Burnout) to the unlikely (Allan Song, and my personal favorite, Wag Ka Nang Umiyak) to the downright WHUT?! (Bilanggo, Agawan Base).

Sugarfree has a new lead guitarist, by the way. RD...something. From Alabang. Ack, I forgot his family name. I'm not quite sure if he's going to be a regular, or just playing for that session. I should have asked Ebe about that.

After their set, I got to get my CDs signed (like, FINALLY) and got photos with them. Thanks, guys :) And nice to meet you, too, Trixie (tama ba spelling?), the road manager forever. Haha!

On to Peryodiko. Well. What else can I say? They're awesome. After they played their long set (which consisted of nearly the whole album), the people asked for an encore, so they played Sa Magkabilang Dulo, which wasn't in the album, but a great song, nonetheless. And after that, Dong Abay came up to the stage to jam with them! Yeyyyyy that was so awesome.

Needless to say, I had a blast. The next leg of the tour is tonight, March 18 at Café Saguijo, Makati! Bands will be Nicole and Carlo, Sugarfree, Duster, and, of course, Peryodiko. Entrance fee is P150, which also gives you a free drink.

Check out my photo album here.

Revolver Sound Expo

2009-03-17T21:13:00.004+08:00

Revolver 72 in cooperation with ENCM
presents
The Revolver Sound Expo

DRIP
YOSHA
TECHYROMANTICS
BARBIE ALMALBIS

featuring:
BATTLE CITY
MIKE ORETA

7pm, 19 March 2009, Thursday
Victory Malate Auditorium
Village Square, Harrison Plaza
Malate, Manila

Entrance = P50 only

To celebrate one year of the sharing, remixing and reusing their music, Drip will be offering Identity Theft at a student price of only 300 pesos (down from 425 pesos) at The Revolver Sound Expo at the Victory Auditorium in HP Square, Mabini cor Pablo Ocampo (formerly Vito Cruz) to be held on March 19, 7pm. But that’s not all, they’re also giving away - for free - a 19-song Remixes Sampler. Surely, this is an auralfest for any true Drippie.

Skin Diving Certification Course

2009-03-16T13:53:00.006+08:00

After going SCUBA diving last November, I kept wishing that I could get a certification. But, of course, stuff like that costs a lot. And I mean a LOT.

But then here comes Divemaster Noel Garlan offering the next best thing, for a price that's infintely cheaper than usual.

He will be conducting a 2-session Basic Skin Diving course which will combine classroom instruction and practical in-water experience. This course will get you certification by CMAS, one of the prestigious and oldest dive organizations in the world.

Registration fee is P600 only! How awesome is that? Here's the original post from where I got this info.

1st Batch:
March 21, 2009. Saturday
Lecture: 10am-12nn
Actual Pool Session: 1pm-3pm

2nd Batch:
March 28, 2009. Saturday
Lecture: 10am-12nn
Actual Pool Session: 1pm-3pm

Venue:
Dive Republic
L23 B6 Holy Spirit Drive
Don Antonio Heights (Across Ever Commonwealth)
Quezon City

I think it's awesome. Don't you think it's awesome? I think I'm going to go. I just have to tweak my schedule a bit. Haha!

Beatles Bag from Thailand

2009-03-15T23:11:00.004+08:00

My dad came back from Thailand tonight, weilding humorous stories about his trip, the tours, his snoring roommate, and how he wove through Thailand's market to look for gifts for us.

He got:
- several shirts and a bag for my brothers
- a couple of pairs of earrings for my mom (one ended up being given to me because my mom thinks it looks better on me)
- and, for me, this baby right here:

LOOKIT! It's a Beatles bag!!! It's good quality leather, and it's big enough for me to stuff my things in (and yet not TOO big). I love it. I really do. My father loves me. Haha!