sun dappled walks

3 Musketeers

2009-01-25T09:44:00.005+00:00

When I first saw the trailer for Slumdog Millionaire where the 2 boys didn't know who the third Muskeeter was, I knew that was going to be the million dollar question, or in India's case, the 20 ruppee question. I was like: This is SSSSOOOOOO Green Wing. I'm a self-confessed Caromac or Maroline or whathaveyou shipper and would never forget how Mac and Guy deliberated on the name of the third Musketeer while being literally in the pinnacle of death, on a seesaw trip in a bus over a cliff.

Every time I watch Irrfan Khan, I just love him more and more. Oh and as for Dev Patel, when I saw him I can't help but think OMG, that's the guy who got bilked by a Russian prostitute into rescuing her from her own husband!

I am not one of those people who watch movies just to escape reality or to be entertained. From time to time, I do feel the urge and I think one should know which movies to watch. But I love movies that show poverty and how life is shit too. In fact, I believe movies can't quite capture how shitty life can get. Just when you think life can't get any more shittier, it surprises you with the assurance that yes it can. So hurrah!

Way to Break a Girl's Heart

2008-10-26T15:47:00.006+00:00

I am forever going to remember Xabi for his totally accidental goal tonight. That guy is cute, but I refuse to acknowledge any redeeming quality of someone who ended, albeit not singlehandedly and with certain amount of self-destruct involved, the unbeaten home record of Chelsea which survived for 4 years and 3 managers, even Avram Grant for God's sake!

I am not an avid fan of football by itself. Prior to my unexplainable and spontaneous loyalty to Chelsea (which can actually be summed up by one sentence: The guy who allegedly rejected Paris Hilton's advances is cute.), I can't last 30 minutes of watching a game on telly before changing the channel. But when Jose took over Chelsea, you could just see that the players were becoming a team. They weren't exactly the best players in their respective positions, but they worked hard each and every game. The fact that Chelsea did not have the tradition of ManU or Liverpool didn't matter. You can see the start of something new, and it was good.

Jose is not the nicest person in the world. He received a lot of criticisms, some of which I agree with. But damn, I miss him all the time. Jose is a diva. Everytime he opens his mouth, something always comes out that would make a good tabloid headline. A lot of people hated him and the players. But it just seemed that it just pushed them to bond more. They defended each other in press conferences and even, yes, to the referee. I hate goodbyes, and even if a player is not that good, I still find it hard to cope with all the news during the transfer period when they get chucked. Eidur, Duffers, Crespo, Gallas, Robben and the latest, which I feel is the biggest loss, Macca. I'd feel better when Essien returns to the pitch and perhaps take over the holding midfielder role. Never mind Sheva, I wasn't bothered by his departure at all. I don't mean to be, well, mean. I actually feel sorry for him, but look at the devastation he left on his path, and it wasn't worth it at all.

I can't really say anything bad about Big Phil, but since the team's Centennial year Premier League win, I just find that some things are lost throughout the years, as some things are gained. There is an effort to find the best player for each position, I mean consider the price tags of the new ones. But that's just it, the most talented player is not actually the best player for the position unless he works well with the others. And even team spirit cannot equate to consistency.

I didn't really feel the players were desperately doing everything possible to keep the home record. It just seem to me that they all lost hope after the goal in the first 10 minutes, which did not use to be the case. Sad to say even JT, and I am a big fan, who looked like he was going to cry or throw something or someone after the final whistle. I guess I'm a little spoiled after several equalizing goals during extra time and other miracles and answered prayers in the past. At least he tried to move forward several times. That used to drive me crazy. I would usually yell at him to stick by his mark so that he wouldn't have to deal with additional shtick thrown at him. You don't need to be a genius to see that Lamps was also devastated. But he used to dominate the pitch, to a fault, and it just doesn't feel that way anymore. Also, maybe I should include Ricardo and Petr, just because they were original Mourinho boys, and I'm biased.

Deco was pretty committed too, by the way, but I still can't get over all his diving for Barcelona. It is still weird to see him working with JT who once kicked a ball at Deco's stomach as Deco dramatically writhed from the pain of an imaginary injury. Kudos also to Bosingwa, who was substituted! I think Paolo, an original Mourinho boy, is cute and would usually want him on the right flank even if he makes all sort of mistakes, just to gaze at him dreamily, you understand, but Bosingwa is growing on me. Usually Anelka works on busting the moves to confuse the other team, but in this game the players were just walking, maybe resting, when they see that a teammate was already running for the goal. Allow me a short moment to reminisce and contemplate a different scenario if Jose was still around. Rest assured there would have been more shouting and dance routines at the sidelines. He would have been livid at the thought of 4 years work gone in a puff, and to the guys from The Kop at that!

So I'm pretty disappointed and hoarse and wailing. I had to force myself to watch to the very end, and that has never happened before. It's hard to say goodbye to that home record. But I always believe that loss often encourages one to fight more, and maybe this all mean that Chelsea will reclaim the Premier League trophy this season. That's a more comforting thought compared to thinking that the game was an omen of things to come.

To the other loyal fans, please don't hit me if you have a different opinion. I will still cheer for them even if they get relegated to League Two and lose week in and week out.

Little Girl's wish

2008-09-08T16:49:00.001+01:00

I have met a lot of people who could fulfill my emotional needs. Now I'm just looking for someone who would want to.

Mac and Caroline

2008-08-21T11:18:00.000+01:00

Kate and Dave: Desperate and Dateless

2008-07-16T23:47:00.010+01:00

Kate and Dave met for the first time when the girls had to help him deliver a calf on their way to a Bachelor and Spinster Ball. When Kate was complaining to the girls how she thinks their going to the party is pointless, Jodi told her that Kate might just meet the man of her dreams.

The first thing Kate heard Dave say was:

(Whistling) For one night only, Dave..and the Brewerettes!

and the first thing he heard her say was:

Well, you need to roll her to her side and stabilize her so you could get a firm grip on the calf and then turn the foot.

Dave: Hello vet.
Kate: Kate Manfredi. BSC Agricultural Science.
Dave: Dave Brewer. Sagittarius.

And when they were about to shake hands, Kate withdrew when Dave revealed his gloved hand that he used for the delivery. WAHAHAHA! How romantic!

Dave and the girls discovered that Kate keeps gum boots, garbage bags, first aid kit, scissors and a raincoat in the trunk of her car, and she can even rig up a stretcher. Hm, reminds me of the tote I carry around all day. Kate and Dave discovered a common interest in Adam Ant, the King of the New Frontier album and the New Romantic movement.

The girls had to chase down (or rather walk and hitch down) a hitchhiker who ran off with Kate's car, a graduation gift from her Dad. The guys were thrown out of a bar when Alex and Kane fought with a gang who wanted to take over the pool table. Jodi revealed that Kate slept with her Biology student-teacher, Mr. Porton. The girls then chanced upon the guys on a field on the side of the road where the Ryans' car broke down.

Kate: So, did you get into any fights?
Dave: Oh, no. I make it a point never to come between two men and a pool cue.
Kate: You're funny!

At the end of the day, they just decided to have their own party right then and there. While Nick and Tess are talking and Stevie and Jodie dance with Alex, Kate surreptitiously walked to Dave and chatted with him whilst sitting atop the hood of the car.

Kate: So then Brandon reckoned all we had to do was sit there and the bees will just come buzzing.
Dave: Well, he's got it all wrong! What you need to do is get the honey and pour it all over your naked body. Uh, forget about it.
(uncomfortable silence as Kate's brain tries to process this information)
Kate: So you reckon there's anything else I need to know about difficult births?
Dave: You what?
Kate: The cow this morning. Anything else I need to know, the next time?
Dave: Sometimes it's better not to know.

What a way to start a tragic story.

I hate goodbyes or the lack thereof

2008-07-05T23:47:00.012+01:00

Same warning.

After seeing last night's episode, I cried myself to sleep and could not write down a coherent thought until I have had my morning jog and appreciate how, pardon me as I plagiarize Jewel, the light lends itself to soft repose on everything in sight. Ah, I applaud Russell T. Davies for that ending which, although leaving one strangely unsatisfied, still does absolutely make sense.

A point of discontent on my part is the absence of goodbyes among the companions. I know that they had to pack in as many scenes as they can into one episode, but I just wanted to see a Jack and Rose hug. After all, Rose did not only change the Doctor, she could also be considered the turning point of "Captain Jack Harkness"' life. And if the brown-coated Doctor was never going to see her again, it would be more impossible for Jack to do so.

And another important goodbye would be the one between the brown-coated Doctor and Jackie. After Rose's family, I did not feel that kind of connection between the Doctor and the companions' family. Oh, how I love that little scene where the brown-coated Doctor was instructing everyone how to help, everyone except for Jackie. "No, Jackie, no no, not you. Don't touch anything, just stand back." WAHAHAHA! Only true love and affection could make him say that.

Again, Rose and Mickey, Mickey and Jackie, I mean Mickey was a part of their family. And how about the one-hearted Doctor, he was not able to say goodbye to Sarah Jane, Jack, Donna, Martha and Mickey and he would never see them again. A lot of not seeing each other again.

As for everything else, it just made me cry. The Doctor, the one in the brown coat of course, the one who's life we're going to see in the next series and perhaps for all eternity, ultimately showed how much he loved Rose by saying, "Does it need saying?" instead of "I love you." If he had said what he really wanted to say, even just once, she would have gone with him, no matter how comfortable and happy her life would be with the one-hearted Doctor and her family. By sacrificing his own happiness, the Doctor assured Rose's happiness.

I don't quite buy the whole bow and package story. Between the brown-coated and the one-hearted Doctors, I think the lonely one who saves the world every single day would need her more. I don't consider a bonus the fact that the one-hearted one grows old with her. And I cannot believe that Rose's motivation for staying are three little words or that she thinks he is the same being. Rose said it: "But he's not you."

I really wanted Rose to chase the Tardis and the brown-coated Doctor. That would definitely be the happy ending of the last episode of the last series in the parallel universe where Doctor Who is not a commercial endeavor. But in this universe where Russell T. Davies is going to be replaced by Steven Moffat and where we'll be seeing more Doctor Who episodes in our lifetime, it would make sense that Rose will be given that happy ending instead at Journey's End.

Anyway, I am looking forward to the future and anticipating the Nth episode or Christmas Special or Comic Relief of Doctor Who, guest starring an older David Tennant as the one-hearted Doctor, Billie Piper, Camille Coduri and Shaun Dingwall, where the newest regeneration of the two-hearted Doctor meets with, in a way, his child with Rose and with the Who and Tyler families. And who knows, considering how infinite the possibilities are when it comes to a TimeLord travelling through space and time in a box, there might still be a chance meeting between Rose and the brown-coated Doctor in the future. If so, I hope in my lifetime.

While waiting for that, I will be watching how Mickey and Martha are going to fit into the dynamics of Torchwood and watching out for any appearance of Thomas Milligan and the brown-coated Doctor's daughter and wife. I am quite excited for Steven Moffat's turn. The Empty Child scared me so much, I watch it all the time, by myself, in the dark. Maybe the brown-hearted Doctor will now make witty quips about the interactions of men and women a la Coupling, which is one of my favorite shows by the way.

Before that, I would just like to say: Hey Russell T. Davies, thanks for always grounding me in reality and for reminding me that saving the world is lonely. And for the other stuff, does it need saying?

Wild Horses...

2008-06-30T22:49:00.008+01:00

IF YOU ARE NOT UPDATED WITH THE LATEST DOCTOR WHO EPISODE, READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!!!

After seeing The Stolen Earth last Saturday, I have been having trouble sleeping. At 2 am, I find myself sitting on the sofa and staring at space whilst shoveling food in my mouth, again, thinking about what will happen next. I mean, Rose absorbed the time vortex and brought Jack back to life in The Parting of the Ways, then she "dies" and was trapped in a parallel universe after narrowly escaping being sucked into the void in The Story of How Rose Tyler Died (Yes yes, I know the episode is called Doomsday, but I can't get my head around that title instead.), then Jack and the Doctor was tortured for a year before being saved by thoughts in the last series, what more can the writer think up?

I am going crazy with oh so many questions...whoever shall replace David Tennant when the Doctor regenerates? Did he actually regenerate? Didn't he look too healthy? Wasn't Harriet Jones' sudden return and unsolicited assistance just a little suspect? Although I still find that introduction of hers very cute and not a bit annoying. But they never actually showed her being killed and in soap operas, that is usually a telltale sign that someone survived. Following that train of thought, and if the spoilers out there are right that Harriet was a pawn of a trap for the Doctor, that means the Osterhagen key given to Martha was actually useful since Harriet prohibited its use.

What about the unresolved plotlines of the series? They usually package the series and tie it up with a bow, all neat and pretty, so I'm thinking appearances by Jenny and River Song, if not in Journey's End, then in the next series? What about Donna's stuttering husband?

So, so far, at this moment, this is my thought, until the next hour, this is what I believe will happen. Mickey and Jackie will be appearing, and they won't be the bumbling idiots needing to be saved this time. So I guess they'll be doing some saving with Pete and Jake? And will we have a glimpse of Baby Tyler? And how about Donna, what loss will come to her? Her family, her memories, her form? When Rose told her that she was the most important person last time, was it only for that episode? What is still on her back? And Martha, will she ever get married to that dreamy Thomas Milligan? And Jack, well I'm not as worried about him since he turned immortal. And same with Sarah, I mean obviously they will live, otherwise there would be no spin-offs anymore. How could there be a The Sarah Jane Adventures without Sarah Jane. And how about Torchwood with just Gwen, Ianto and Rhys?! Maybe Martha would join them since there is no more Doctor Owen Harper.

It was so pleasant seeing all recent characters together, although when I saw Rose and the Doctor start running towards each other, I just knew something bad was going to happen, so there was a little predictability too. For anyone who still hopes that Rose Tyler will be becoming Mrs. Rose Who in the future, I feel a little bad for you because I have just narrowly escaped your predicament. After The Story of How Rose Tyler Died, of course I was devastated and had a hard time accepting that they will never see each other again. Their goodbye kept running around my head all throughout the third series. But after Billie Piper kept appearing in this series, I prepared myself for the fact that they will have to say goodbye again, and may not even have the chance to. The appeal of Doctor Who is that he can live on forever, so expect further revivals of Doctor Who if you live to be a 100 years old. As a consequence though, a permanent companion is a no no, therefore each companion must have a memorable ending, or a spin off.

I am sort of thinking that Rose is the most faithful companion who will die this Saturday. I think the Doctor will be able to say I love you and then she will die. There is no other bigger ending for Rose that I can think of.

Whatever may happen, I just can't wait. The suspense is killing me.

True love as true insanity Part 1: Dashwood, Bathsheba and Daleks

2008-06-26T21:28:00.006+01:00

I still have the Doctor Who hangover. I keep thinking about Rose and the Doctor, as if they are real persons, as if the real problems in this world that need facing don't keep me occupied enough. I feel like Alice Tinker-Horton, always worrying about those people in Geraldine's jokes. The Vicar of Dibley is one of those shows I keep on hand just in case I need a quick dose of sunshine and it is raining buckets outside.

While looking at pictures of the wedding of Coleen McLoughlin and Wayne Rooney a few weeks ago, I was quite disappointed. I can't imagine what five million pounds look like but I expected a gold-plated gown, gilded flowers, a diamond-encrusted cake, cars for souvenirs and the honeymoon in outer space, among others. If two people cannot resist the urge to declare their commitment to spend their life together to the entire world and would like a meaningful celebration with family and friends, I would rather suggest The Vicar of Dibley's guide to weddings.

The Love at First Sight Wedding

1. The Proposal. As the man you love asks you to marry him, make strange sounds in your throat a la Eleanor Dashwood played by Emma Thompson in Sense and Sensibility.

2. The Gown. Ditch the usual white poufy skirt, lacy veil, long train production and wear something you're comfortable in, such as your pajamas. Likewise, ditch your best friend's idea about wearing a beard or a very tall headdress more appropriate for the Ascot. Maybe you can reserve that for the honeymoon instead.

3. The Entourage. To make sure your wedding is sure to be remembered, allow your matron of honor to dress herself as Doctor Who as portrayed by David Tennant, the brown-coated one of course, and your bridesmaids as Daleks. WAHAHAHA!

4. The Motif. To offset the contribution of your wedding party to greenhouse emissions, go green by decorating the church with fruits and vegetables.

5. The March. For added impact, set off explosions while you are walking down the aisle. That would surely distract you from your deepest fear of making the leap into the unknown.

6. The Reading. Never mind the Epistle to the Ephesians. The Wedding at Cana won't do. How about the entire Gospel of Matthew?

7. The Kiss. Why stop at the groom, everyone needs to kiss the bride!

8. The Hymn. Well, there can only be one Jim's Hymn.

I wish you happiness and joy
And countless years together
And pray that things will never get
As bad as Paul and Heather

Oh, Heather and Paul, they started well
But many a marriage is made in hell
Fingers crossed, let's be optimistic
Yours won't be a divorce statistics

Disasters such as Charles and Di
Make us wonder: weddings, why

***

Nicole and Tom, Jennifer and Brad
Started happy, Ended sad
How rapidly the words "I do."
Become, "Get lost? To hell, we're through!"

But not today, Oh no this is
A marriage made of brick
They'll love each other
Through thin and thick
Unless Harry's a total prick

WAHAHA!

9. The Groom. Oh how can I forget! Only Richard Armitage could look that attractive whilst plagiarizing Gabriel Oak's proposal to Bathsheba Everdene, Whenever you look up, there I shall be -- and whenever I look up there will be you. Unlike Miss Everdene, say yes immediately, before Richard changes his mind.

Kate Manfredi and Dave Brewer

2008-06-17T15:56:00.012+01:00

I've been nail bitingly waiting for the final season of McLeod's Daughters. This Australian soap was one of my deepest guilty pleasures because I obsessively watch Kate Manfredi and Dave Brewer fall in love. Despite the fact that their story has apparently come to an end, I can't help but root for them, as I still do for Buffy and Angel.

Kate, portrayed by Michala Banas, reminds me a little bit of myself. She is so transparent and all her feelings are openly expressed with every delicate frown and worried smile. Her patent insecurity, brash righteousness, blind dedication and loyalty, her ineptitude when it comes to flirting and use of feminine wiles, her super organizational skills bordering on OCD, her fixation on displaying her five-year plan on a chart on the wall where she can see it every single day...ooh lala! Now, if only I know the different wool classifications, agriculture theories, animal husbandry and farming what-have-you.

Of course, it would only be natural that she would end up with the hunky vet, THE Brett Tucker, who I think looks a little bit like James Franco. See below. Imagine my confusion while watching the The Great Raid.

For most of the season I had to watch Kate's three-month relationship with Dave's brother, Patrick. And so it is probably understandable how frustrated I was, when feelings accumulated over two telly seasons and more than a couple of telly years were confessed and happily reciprocated but crammed in only half of an episode, the final episode of the season and the last episode of Brett/Dave at that. And then the presumably budding relationship was broken off in Kenya and off camera, leaving me and my hyperactive imagination to fill in all the horrible details.

The time given to Kate and Dave to resolve their feelings was too short for my satisfaction. I mean, the greatest validation of their relationship had to come from Dave's ex, Regan, when she said that even she knows that Kate has never stopped loving Dave and when she theorized that Dave rejected her proposal due to his suppressed feelings for Kate.

This show has had its share of relationships going kaput. Tess and Dave did not last because she was in love with Nick, Jodi and Alberto's wedding was called off, Alex had to cope with Claire's death, Becky with Brick's, Alex and Fiona divorced because of her lies and his feelings for Stevie and Luke was dragged from Jodi to jail. After all these, I feel that someone would have to come up with a much stronger force to drag Kate and Dave apart. I know they have finished taping and have even sold the props and costumes but that does not stop me from concocting a more deserved happily-ever-after ending for these two.

Dave can come home after the end of his two-year stint in Kenya for he would want to see his brother. It is not that farfetched that he and Kate still have feelings for each other. They would reignite their relationship in the place where its first embers glowed. But Kate would be offered a great opportunity that would enable her to accomplish her five-year plan so she has to say goodbye to Gungellan and Dave. This time, Dave leaves everything to follow the love of his life in a bid to never be separated from her ever again. And they both join Tess and Nick in the Spanish spin-off novela set in Argentina, where Dave would conveniently find an equally fantastic development in his career as well. Later, Jodi and Matt also join them since Argentina is a much better hiding place and is farther away from the goons after them.

My fearless prediction does not only stem from my selfish desire to get what I want right now, but is based on truth, facts, telly logic and a little bit of telly magic. There are these rumors that some former cast members are coming back for the last season and Michala is leaving the show midseason. So Brett would not need to take that much time off from Neighbors to fill my appetite for even just another half hour of sappy twenty questions and braid-tugging. They don't even need to kiss for all I care. Though I could probably die happily if they get to wear again their outfits in the scene below, which is considered one of the soap's top ten memorable scenes, if not, I say, the most memorable of all. This time, I hope it is a real and more lasting conclusion for Kate and Dave and not just some awful dream slash nightmare.

sun dappled walks

2008-05-31T18:43:00.007+01:00

I love walking.

My favorite kind would have to be long sun dappled Sunday morning walks in the countryside. Think Elizabeth Bennet as portrayed by Jennifer Ehle and Keira Knightley. That must be why I love the 1995 and 2005 adaptations of Pride and Prejudice because there were quite a lot of walking. I was quite disappointed with the 1940 film starring Greer Garson where archery took the center stage instead.

There is also something to be said about rain-drenched walks. I quite like umbrellas and although this kind of walks is more commonly associated to romance, I actually prefer walking alone in the rain rather than share an umbrella with someone. I do not want to be reminded of a walk with a certain someone during a quite rain drenched night and how the quaintness of it all led me to unnecessarily dedicate a decade of my life to a one-sided relationship doomed to fail. I rather fancy solitary walks. I enjoy meandering puddles and slogging through mud by myself.

I also love traipsing through city streets with friends in the middle of the night, most likely in search for greasy food, when making do with pantry staples just won't...well...do. This is the best time to emulate a philosopher and develop various theories about the vast universe and the purpose of one's existence.

Of course, walking can be combined with an assortment of activities that are equally delightful. I adore how Elizabeth Bennet take walks while reading a book or letters. I wish I could do that every single day. However, this is a little difficult to accomplish unless you actually live in the Lake District or in one of those Midsomer villages in Causton. But the very idea is such a sensation overload. I mean two favorite things, both at the same time!

I also like eating while walking. Well, I love to eat no matter whatever else I am doing, that includes travelling.

The most satisfactory thing about walking though, above all, is that it affords you time to think, whether about inconsequential matters or about the most important decision of your life.

It is also, apparently, very good exercise.