america, amreeka

In recent years I’ve always been on the lookout for good films from different parts of the world (or at least about other countries, basta outside the premises of Hollywood). That’s why I found gems like Secretos de Sus Ojos (Argentina), The Soong Sisters (China), Le Petit Nicholas (France), Howl’s Moving Castle (Japan), Trade (Mexico), La Mome Piaf (France) and just recently Centurion (Britain). Syempre, lahat na-review ko na dito sa DS.  And now I have a new addition to that wonderful collection – Amreeka.

Although it was produced by a Canadian/American independent film outfit, Amreeka is authentically Arabic. Afterall, Cherian Dabis, the director, is a Palestinian American and her wonderful ensemble of actors is all of middle-eastern origin. Wala ditong big-named Hollywood actors na kasama. Puro never-heard ang starring and yet you’ll be amazed how good the acting came out.

It’s the story of Muna, a divorced mother and her 16-yr old son Fadi who lives in Ramallah. They had the fortune of getting a US visa. Noong una ayaw umalis ni Muna but for the sake of Fadi, she went ahead and took the opportunity. She left behind her mother, brother and sisters and a job in a bank where she worked for 10 years.

Just like any other immigrants, they were taken in by Muna’s sister Raghda who has lived in Illinois for 15 years with her husband Nabeel, a successful doctor, with their 3 girls, a nice house, a benz and generally a life most immigrants would dream of.

But of course starting anew in a foreign land is never a walk in the park. Pinakita doon yong mga hirap na pinag-daanan nilang mag-ina. Muna, despite her professional credentials, landed on a job in a burger house. And young Fadi had to cope not only with the culture shock, peer pressure and school bullies, but also with the growing racism against Arabs. Nagkataon naman na on-going ang Iraqi invasion (the film was set in 2003).

Bumabagsak na ang medical practice ni Nabeel dahil nag-lalayasan na ang kanyang mga pasyente simply because he is an Arab. Raghda is bent on leaving Illinois and returning to Ramallah. The good boy in Fadi seem to have disappeared at nag-iiba na ang ugali dahil sa mga dinadanas nya sa school. But Muna showed strength of character and as the film ended, alam mo na magiging successful din sya sa bago nyang buhay sa Amreeka, este America.

The film, despite the fact that it is treading on very sensitive political issues like xenophobia, didn’t try to veer away from its main purpose. Of course it had political undertones and statements scattered here and there pero dahil alam mong everything is being told from a Palestinian perspective, hindi mo mararamdaman na namumulitika yong pelikula. It didn’t come out preachy. At sa ending, ang makikita mo lang ay yong kwento noong mag-ina na umalis ng sariling bayan at nakipag-sapalaran sa America. Mga totoong tao, sitwasyon at kwento (now I have to mention na based on a true story pala ito).

It successfully gave us a picture of individuals’ lives marred by misconceptions, prejudices and branding that is commonly going on. Like hindi lahat ng arabs ay dapat i-associate sa terorismo. At hindi rin lahat ng amerikano ay may prejudice against Arabs. At kahit anong nangyayaring kaguluhan sa paligid, we’re all but human who faces the same challenges in lives. And what’s getting us through is the help, understanding and respect for each other.

I was impressed to learn na debut film pala ito ni Cherian. Not only was her directing superb pero pati yong script matino. The use of Arabic music is also very good. The cast, though relatively unknown outside the Arab world, all delivered strong performances. At syempre ang pinaka-malaking selling point noong pelikula ay yong poignant story na sya rin (Cherian) ang sumulat. It wasn’t too dramatic like a tearjerker soap pero tatama ng husto sa puso mo. At hindi mo agad makakalimutan yong mga characters na nakita mo on screen.

According to its website, it has already won worldwide critical acclaim as well as top honors in various film festivals like Sundance and the very prestigious Cannes. To top it all, binili ng National Geographic Entertainment ang rights nito kaya sila ang nagrelease nito commercially. And we all know National Geographic wouldn’t lend its name and credibility to something below par.

Kung ikaw ay katulad kong utang-uta na rin sa slambang CGI-enhanced films na walang katapusang sinusuka ng Hollywood, try Amreeka and the other films I mentioned at the start of this review. It will give you a wider, deeper perspective of cultures more interesting than what you’ve normally seen. At masasabi mong tama ako when I say that Hollywood doesn’t have the monopoly to quality films.

Alam mo ba kung ano ang ibig sabihin ng pangalang Matt sa Arabic? At kung ano ang origin ng phrase na Check Mate sa chess? Well, thanks to Amreeka, ngayon alam ko na!

hotnothot 38

unfortunately wala akong makitang ka-hothot sa mga balita kaya puro nega tayo ngayon.  here we go...

Hotnot: The IIRC Report. Lumabas na ang investigation report ng madugong hostage taking na nangyari last month where 8 Hongkong tourists died. The report recommends filing charges against recognizable names (the first set of names include 12 and there are still 2 or 3 unnamed) including Manila Mayor Lim, Vice Mayor Ishko Moreno plus a host of police officers and media men like Raffy Tulfo. Sabi ni PNoy, ipapa-review pa raw sa Malacanang legal team ang report bago mag-file ng kaso laban sa mga na-identify. I’d say that is already moot and academic considering the fact that the head of the investigating panel is already the highest legal person – Justice Secretary De Lima herself. What if after the review, sasabihin ng team ni Pnoy na hindi dapat kasama si ganito, si ganyan. It will not only cast doubt to the credibility of the review panel dahil kung may ililibre sa mga pangalan na recommended for charging, siguradong pagdududahan sila that they’re only playing favorites. Palakasan. Bad for PNoy’s credibility. Besides, what does that make of De Lima and the team that she headed? (PS:  China daw is ok with the report but not HK. Aba at ang mga tinamaan ng magagaling!  Ano'ng gusto nitong mga ito, isama ang buong ka-Pinoyan sa kakasuhan?  OA na kayo ha! Kaya ako hinding-hindi ko kayo patitikimin ng dolyar ko.  Isaksak nyo sa baga nyo yang Disneyland nyo.  May Enchanted Kingdom ako sa labas ng bahay! Hmmppff!)   

Hotnot: Robin’s Folly. Minsan talaga if we act impulsively without thinking things over, we get into sticky situations. Look at what Robin did. Siguradong spur of the moment yong ginawa nyang wedding with Mariel with an Ibaloi priest officiating. Nakalimutan nyang may mahigpit na batas ang Islam na buong yabang niyang niyakap noong nakulong sya. Nag-react ang mga kapatid nyang Muslim. Super explain sya lalo don sa part ng dugo ng baboy na pinahid sa kanya. Nevertheless, nagalit pa rin ang mga kapatid nya sa Mindanao. Paano pa sya ngayon magiging peace negotiator kung ganyan that he has earned the ire of his brothers? Worse, ginalit pa nya ang Ibaloi priest na nagkasal sa kanila because of his denials. At kung ako ang fans nila, magagalit din ako sa palusot niya na porke part daw yon ng bagong show na gagawin nila. Sobrang cheap na non huh. Tsk, tsk, tsk. Can love really make us do stupid things even if we’ve gone past our teenage years centuries ago?

Hotnot: Weekend homework no more. Nakakatawang nakaka-inis itong DepEd natin. Sa halip na mag-focus maige kung paano mai-elevate ang quality ng education sa atin which, unfortunately, has been on a downward spiral for so many years now, ayan at may ibang gimik na naisip. Bawal na raw magbigay ang mga teacher ng homework kung weekend. Ang dahilan? Para daw makapag-bonding ang mga anak sa mga magulang! Whaaattt???? Saang tambakan ng basura nyo napulot ang idea na yan? Sigurado ba kayong kung may free time ang mga bata during weekend, kakabit sila sa Tatay at Nanay nila? Hindi kaya mas marami ang gigimik kasama ang mga barkada Friday night pa lang? Hindi ba mas magandang bonding ng parents with the kids kung magtuturuan sila ng homework during weekends kung saan most of the parents ay wala ding pasok? Tell me if I’m just too dim to comprehend your ideas. O baka naman kayo ang pinanlalabuan na ng paningin at pag-iisip kaya ganito ang pinag-gagagawa ninyo!

Hotnot: Jueteng na naman!!??? We’ve seen the fall of President Estrada dahil sa eskandalong dala ng jueteng. Eto at kabago-bago lang ni PNoy, jueteng na naman ang pinag-uusapan sa Senate. Lingayen Archbishop Cruz faced the Blue Ribbon Committee and divulged names of prominent politicians/businessmen allegedly accepting jueteng payola. Kasama si DILG Sec Puno, retired PNP Chief Versoza, Pampanga Gov Pineda, pati si Tony Boy Cojuangco kasama daw. Ang sa akin lang naman, ang tagaaaaaaaalllll-taaaagaaaalll na ng jueteng issue na yan wala naming nangyayari. Napapalitan lang ang mga pangalan, ang mga mukhang sangkot pero nandyan at nandyan pa rin (although 2nd time na nitong si Puno na mapangalanan). Hangga’t maraming Pinoy ang tumataya, hindi mawawala yan. At tataya at tataya ang mga kababayan natin for the hope of getting easy money. Sad to say, naging part na ng kultura natin yan lalo na sa mga probinsya. Hangga’t hindi nagkakaroon ng improvement ang malalang poverty level sa atin, marami pa ring Pinoy ang tataya sa jueteng na nakakapag-bigay sa kanila kahit kaunting pag-asa na makahawak ng perang mas malaki sa nahahawakan nila araw-araw. At ang mga bida sa Senado, magbabangayan lang, magda-drama sa national tv at pagkatapos ng ilang araw, wala na. Move on to another ‘hotter’ topics. Ganon lang.

Hotnot: Sheltering the prodigal host. If we are to believe entertainment reports these past few days, mukhang lilipat na nga raw si Revillame sa TV5. Ayan at may bago raw show na gagawin come Oct 10 (10.10.10 na ewan kung anong relevance sa feng shui pero para sa akin 1 lang o bokya ang magiging score nitong show na ito). So, ano’ng nangyari sa contract niya with ABS-CBN? Was he finally given a release? Ang alam ko hindi pa and in fact nag-demand pa ang company ni Mr. Lopez na bayaran sila nitong si Revillame ng almost half a billion pesos for whatever damages they said Revillame’s kahambugan brought them. Kung true itong magsu-show na si Revillame sa Ch5, ibig sabihin umaatikabong bakbakan sa korte ito. Baka kaya malakas ang loob ni Revillame dahil may backer syang Manny na maraming money? Manny Pangilinan of course na alam nating bilyon ang binuhos na pondo for TV5. So anong mangyayari, pahabaan na lang ng pisi ang mga Lopez vs Pangilinan while Revillame is laughing his way to the banks once again? Anong nangyari sa legality ngayon ng mga kontratang pinipirmahan kung madali din palang isuksok sa shredder? Pasalamat kayo at wala kayo sa Saudi. Or else nakasuhan na kayo ng paglabag sa rule ng NOC!

back to work... jeezz

Whoa! Nine days gone in a zap? Tapos na agad ang bakasyon ko! After officially screwing my circadian rhythm, kailangan ko na namang gumising ng maaga bukas coz back to work na ulit? Darn! Bitin pa kaya ako.

I could do more marathon snoozing hanggang 1pm. Tipid non huh, skip ng breakfast pati lunch. Sarap magbabad sa kama at bumangon kung kelan lang talaga ayaw nang paawat ang reklamo ng tyan ko. Makakagiling lang ng pagkain ang bituka ko at 2 or 3 pm. At kahit ano lang ang mahagilap ko sa ref pwede na.

Ano bang nagawa ko nong 9 days? Wala. Except for an unplanned dinner kagabi with a couple of friends sa Applebees, it was an uneventful holiday. Nasa bahay lang. Happily slouched on my couch in my tattered pambahay. At syempre, bawing-bawi sa sa internet fee kasi babad na babad on-line.

Found a few albums from free sites na matagal ko nang gustong hanapin. Like Carly Simon, The Motels, Fleetwood Mac and my long-time fave The Boomtown Rats. Kakasing-along ko sa I Don’t Like Mondays di ko alam tapos na pala yong tambak kong plantsahin.

Of course I’ve watched a few movies na sinipag pa akong i-review dito sa DS. At syempre, sinipag naman akong mag-post para hindi naman ako totally out of touch sa mga adiks.

At least nakapag-organize ako ng mga gamit ko. I’ve sorted things inside my closet na matagal-tagal na ring parang hinalong nilugaw. Pati mga electronic files ko naayos ko rin. Sinumpong din ako minsan ng konting sipag that’s why I managed to do some cleaning. Major major effort na yon huh.

Well, I hope makatulog ako ng maaga ngayon or else pahirapan na naman ito bukas. But I doubt it. 11pm na pero buhay na buhay pa rin ako. Hmmm… mag-extend na lang kaya ako ng leave? Let’s see….

ewwwww!!!

i'm sharing two interesting reports from al-jazeera.  one will test how morbid can you go the other how strong your guts can be...

insect buffet, anyone?

in laos, there's widespread malnutrition according to this report from al-jazeera.  and they're finding nutrition from the most unexpected source - insects.  they're eating all sorts of them: bugs, ants, grasshoppers and anything else. i hope we'll never have to resort to this kind of remedy.  last week nga pinag-uusapan ito ng mga adiks na ewan ko naman kung bakit over lunch pa.  hindi ko kinaya.  mahina ang sikmura ko sa ganyan and just the thought of putting a cricket inside my mouth is already turning my guts to turmoil.

the coffin academy

in south korea, there's a place where people go and experience dying.  they lie in a coffin for ten minutes and experience quiet moments which, according to people who experienced it, gave them the real meaning of life.  well i don't think i need to go to that extreme just to find what my life is all about. i can only come near a coffin when it's absolutely necessary.  but not for a weird trip like this.

innamorare

I went to Italy today. First,I went to Verona then to Rome. Well, at least sa mga pelikulang pinanood ko. Letters to Juliet and When In Rome – two rom com films that brought me to Italy and gave me an overdose of mush i’d probably not watch another love story for a year. And though i’m not a fan of cheesy films, i-review ko na rin sila just in case plano ninyong panoorin.

Unahin ko na yong When In Rome. This Kristen Bell/Josh Duhamel starrer could be the best date movie para sa mga teenager na getting to know each other pa lang ang drama. With a comedic, fantasy plot na simple lang, mae-enjoy ito ng mga kabataan dahil very light at madaling intindihin ang istorya.

Beth (Kristen) is a young curator in Guggenheim Museum. She went to Rome to attend the wedding of her sister. Na-meet nya don si Nicholas (Josh) na best man doon sa kasal. They flirted briefly pero may nangyari kaya out of disappointment, napagdiskitahan ni Beth yong coins doon sa Fountain of Love na malapit lang sa venue ng kasal.

She came back to New York with the coins not knowing na may spell na kasama yon. Then crazy men showed up and started chasing her, obviously enamoured by her. Yon na nga daw yong spell nong coins na kinuha nya don sa fountain (which, conveniently naman eh nasa New York lahat yong mga guys).

With the loonies chasing her, akala nya kasama don sa spell si Nicholas who is also ardently pursuing her. Hanggang sa bandang huli, pwede naman daw isoli na lang yong coins sa mga taong may-ari, not necessarily na ibalik don sa Fountain of Love sa Rome. Sinoli ang coin kay Nicholas pero hindi naman pala talaga kasama sa spell si Nicholas so her doubt that his love isn’t true is unfounded afterall. At syempre, kinasal sila.

With Danny De Vito (as one of Beth’s spell-bound suitor), Don Johnson (as her father) and Angelica Houston (as her boss), at least may credibility yong cast. Pero sa lead, wala akong chemistry na nakita sa dalawang bida lalo na’t pagkatangkad-tangkad ni Josh at nagmukhang midget si Kristen. At yong gumanap na kapatid ni Beth, ang layo ng mukha nila they don’t look like family at all. Whoever did this part of the casting eh mukhang nakatira ng wd40.

Nag-shoot sila sa Rome pero mostly interiors kaya parang wala rin. Except for the Fountain of Love na pwede naman kahit sa studio lang i-construct at doon sa taxi ride ni Beth from the airport to the venue ng kasal, wala na akong ibang nakitang shots that could have justified the title. Dapat When in New York or When In Guggenheim na lang ang title nito.

At yon nga, yong istorya na may kasama pang spell-spell, pang-teen ager lang talaga ito. This film isn’t asking you to take it seriously. It’s supposed to entertain you for the 1hr and 30min you’re watching it. Paglabas mo ng sinehan, kain ka ng burger sa McDo and kaput, wala nang effect yong pelikula.

Now, punta naman tayo ng Verona.

The opening credits of Letters to Juliet caught my attention coz i saw three favorite names. Gael Garcia Bernal who I loved in The Motorcycle Diaries and Y Tu Mama Tambien. I’m glad he’s now in mainstream Holywood and I do hope he’ll soon be another Javier Bardem with his talent and Latino charm. Then there’s Vanessa Redgrave and Franco Nero, two giants in the movie world na matagal ko nang hindi napapanood and I was curious how they look like now. Well, both of them aged wonderfully but still haven’t lost their magic in acting. So I wasn’t disappointed with the three – they’re all in their elements in this film.

In fact, maraming magagandang elements itong Letters to Juliet aside from the three supporting giants. The casting director didn’t go wrong with Amanda Seyfried and Christopher Egan who makes a good on-screen couple. Maganda ang production values, maganda ang script with some obviously well-thought dialogue all over the film. And the story? Well, I really liked it.

Sofie (Amanda) is an aspiring writer working for a publishing company in New York (again!). She’s engaged to a very passionate Chef Victor (Gael). They went to Verona (Italy again!) for a pre-wedding trip but it turned out Victor was more engrossed with meeting his suppliers (for his resto) kesa mag-spend ng time exploring the city with his soon-to-be wife Sofie.

Kakalakad mag-isa, Sofie stumbled upon the house of Juliet (Verona being Juliet's hometown, remember?) na dinadayo ng mga babae from different places, nag-iiwan doon ng sulat about their love life. She also found out na may sumasagot talaga sa mga sulat na yon, called the Secretaries of Juliet.

Sya rin ang naka-discover ng isang sulat na galing sa isang Claire written some 50 years ago. Touched by the letter, she wrote back to Claire hoping that she’s still in the same address in England. After a while, heto na si Claire (aged but still beautiful Vanessa), para hanapin ang love of her life na nakilala nya noong nandon sya sa Verona. Kasama ni lola ang apong si Charlie (Christopher) na medyo maangas ang dating kay Sofie.

Sofie’s journalistic instincts prodded her to tag along sa paghahanap ni Claire sa kanyang Lorenzo Bartolini na nagkataong mahigit 70 pala ang may ganong pangalan within the vicinity of Verona. Nakakatuwa yong mga Lorenzo na nakikita nila dahil iba-ibang karakter. Along the way, nagka-developan si sofie at Charlie. Naglitawan din ang mga kanya-kanyang istorya ng buhay nila.

Just as when they were about to give up the search for Lorenzo, eto na at lumitaw na sya (old but still dashing Franco). And Claire finally had the realization of her greatest love na tinakasan nya noong bata pa sya. Eto yong pinaka-touching part nong film. It gives incurable romantics hope that love,if it is real, knows no time and boundaries. Tulad nong nangyari kay Claire at Lorenzo na after years na nagkahiwalay pero nagkita pa rin even at the twilight of their lives.

As for Sofie and Charlie, well this isn’t a love story kung hindi sila magkakatuluyan. That’s already a given sa mga cheesy films na tulad nito. Medyo may pagka-corny pa yong ending dahil sa balcony nangyari yong usapan nila and Charlie had to climb up to Sofie which is obviously a spin from Romeo and Juliet. Pero palalampasin ko dahil minor flaw na lang ito if I look at the entirety of the film.

Mainly because para na rin akong nakarating ng Verona because of the wonderful cinematography. Ang ganda ng shots ng countryside lalo yong mga rolling greens of vineyards. Karamihan ng shots parang postcard. Complemented din ng magandang musical score na may mga lumang Italian popular songs pero may ilang songs na bago na si Colbie Caillat ang gumawa kaya lumabas na very contemporary yong pelikula.

Thanks to the director (Gary Winick) and writers Jose Rivera and Tim Sullivan who came up with a story na hindi pa masyadong bugbog sa dinami-dami na ng love story na nagawa sa pelikula. A bit predictable, but at least fresh.

So watch these films and fall in love. Whether you’d go for the light one or the heavier story, still you might be inspired to fall in love. Kaya nga Innamorare ang title nitong review ko. So cheesy!

one gory but good film

Kung ikaw yong tipong natutuwang makakita ng mga dugong sumisirit na parang fountain, mga ulong nabibiyak na parang buko ng niyog o mga lalamunang nilalaslas na walang iniwan sa kinakatay na manok, then Centurion is the latest movie that can please your fascination of the gory. It’s one violent film not for the squeamish like me with gallons of blood a-squirting and decapitated heads a-rolling.

Released just a few months ago, Centurion is a British film written and directed by Neil Marshall about the Ninth Legion of the Roman Empire who, according to legend, met a bloody end against one of the last resistant forces who defended the Scottish highlands against the expansion of the Empire. The Picts, as this small band of rebels were called, was led by their king Gorlacon. With their familiarity to the land, they were able to eliminate the Roman outposts one by one using their guerilla-type method of warfare.

Sa istorya, Centurion Quintus Dias belongs to a Roman outpost na na-wipe out ng mga Picts. Nabihag sya pero nakatakas and sought refuge with another outpost, the Ninth Legion. Kaso nga, matatambangan din sila ng mga Picts. Ang ganda ng execution noong trap scene where the group was massacred by the ruthless Picts. Epic ang dating nito at walang dudang ito ang highlight nong pelikula. Yon nga lang, talagang titibayan mo ang sikmura mo sa mga ulong napupugot, bungong nasisibak at kung ano-ano pa.

Nakaligtas si Quintus and with other six survivors, tried to rescue their General na na-capture ng mga Picts. Hindi nila na-rescue si General, napatay pa ng isa sa kanila ang anak ni Gorlacon kaya hinabol-habol na sila ng mga bataan ni Gorlacon headed by the deaf (but not mute) Etain whose hunger for revenge drives her like a mad killing machine. Kaseksing babae pero parang pumapatay ng hayop kung makalaslas ng leeg ng mga kalaban. Bata pa kasi sya ng ma-rape ng mga Roman soldier, pinatay ang tatay nya at ni-rape at pinatay ang nanay nya sa harap nya mismo. Saka pinutol ang dila nya. Kaya ganon na lang ang galit nya sa mga Romans.

But after that, the scenes started turning monotonous dahil puro habulan na ang nangyari. Lumaylay if not naging one-dimensional na ang story. Until the end where out of seven, tatlo na lang silang natira: si Quintus na bida syempre plus yong dalawa nyang naging ka-close during the habulan part. Nakarating sila sa Hadrian wall where they were hoping to find refuge. Kaso, abandoned na rin pala yong outpost don. Tired of running, hinarap na nila ang grupo ni Etain. Umaatikabo na namang siritan ng dugo.

With the movie running just 1 hour and 30 minutes, nasayangan ako dahil may potential sana ito to become another epic movie in the molds of Gladiator or Braveheart. Pero maiksi ang plot, wala na sigurong pwedeng idagdag na sub-plots kaya ganon kaiksi at ka-simple.

Magagaling naman ang cast kahit sabihing mapapa-the who ka sa bidang si Michael Fassbender (na nasa Inglorious Basterds daw accdg to Wiki). For me he’s real dahil hindi naman kapani-paniwala na puro gwapong Mel Gibson or Russell Crowe ang mga bida sa mga ganitong kwento. Malupit din si Olga Kurylenko as Etain. Dahil nga pipi, her facial expressions are more than enough to convey her inner angst.

Saludo na rin ako kay Neil Marshall for not stretching his story dahil baka lang maging boring. At mas saludo ako sa kanya for a job well done in directing this film. It’s violent, its grisly but at least I got sucked into the story and the characters.

Maganda rin ang production values because it was successful in depicting a 2nd century period na setting nong story. The real treat for me, however, is the cinematography. Hindi ko lang nakuha kung sino ang director of photography nito but the sweeping shots of the snow-capped mountains, hills, forests and the beauty of the whole English landscape is quite breath taking. Sayang lang dahil bluish-gray ang tone ng buong pelikula at absent ang vivid colors. But I understand it’s necessary to project the grim tale being told on screen.

Overall, it’s one entertaining film that was able to grab my attention from beginning till end.

hotnothot 37

Hotnot: The Sacrilegious Pastor. Terry Jones, a pastor of a tiny congregation in Florida who plans to burn a Quran could be the most hated man in the face of the earth today. Well, with his stupid idea he should be. Burning a Quran is not only sacrilegious but also totally uncalled for. It’s quite ironic to have come from someone who is supposedly an expert in the word of God. What happened to God’s commandment about loving one another? About respecting one another? Obviously he’s not living by the words of the Bible. And I can’t help but suspect that he’s one fame seeking idiot who wants to have his 15-seconds of fame. If he is, then he should realize by now that burning a Quran is definitely not the way to do it. It has wider repercussion than his pea-sized brain could ever imagine. Our Muslim brothers all over the world are already up in arms, some making their sentiments known less subtly. World leaders are already issuing statements condemning his senseless plan. But beyond the political effect it will have, I am more appalled by the fact that his selfish plan violates the basic principle of respect. I don’t want anybody burning the Bible. I, too, would be furious about it. Don’t do unto others what you don’t want others do unto you, remember? Maybe he should go back and read the Bible over again.

Hotnot: Rice gone to waste. So it’s not only a story that happens in the Philippines. Indian government is also guilty of letting tons of rice go to waste despite the fact that millions of their citizens are dying from hunger. Al-Jazeera reported that over a billion tons of food grain was wasted due to antiquated distribution system and poor warehousing conditions that led to the contamination of the grains. This volume should have been enough to feed 600,000 hungry mouths for more than 10 years. It could have made a huge difference for the 400 million poor in India who cannot even afford to buy a kilo of rice for their sustenance. Just as I commented when I heard the same case in the Philippines, heads must roll for such a waste. It should be considered as a crime against humanity.

Hothot: Miriam’s Bill 1852. She’s colorful, she’s unpredictable. But if there’s one Senator who can sponsor sensible bills, it’s Miriam Santiago. Kahit sabihin pang minsan ay ginagawa syang katatawanan dahil sa sobrang katalinuhan, we cannot deny the fact that she’s one legal brain the Philippine Senate cannot afford to lose. Ayan nga at pinalagan nya ang pagbabawal sa media na i-cover ang trial ng Maguindanao massacre. According to her, sub-judice (the rule that Philippine judges so conveniently invoke to clear his/her court of media) is a rule adapted from foreign justice system, particularly from the US, where judging was normally done by a jury. Kaya bawal ang media para ma-protektahan ang jury members who are normally common people picked for jury duty. Eh sa Pinas nga naman walang jury-jury kaya walang dapat itago sa mga nangyayari sa trial. Doon papasok yong right to information na hindi natin nakukuha kung walang media coverage. Hindi natin alam ang nangyayari lalo na sa mga kasong ganito kalaki na dapat mabantayan ng mga tao. I definitely find this bill cool. Kaya lang, dapat siguro isama ni Madam Santiago ang isang provision sa bill nya na limited to reporting ang magiging role ng media. To prevent reporters, anchors and editors drawing a different picture for the people to see. Dahil alam naman nating maraming media persons ang nagmamagaling pagdating sa mga ganyan. Crossing the lines by making their own conclusions and passing it on to their audience as if it was the truth. Mahirap lalo sa ganitong ka-sensitibong kaso.

Hotnot: The Adrianenssens report. Peter Adriaenssens, a church investigator released a harrowing report of about 300 cases of alleged sexual abuse committed by Roman Catholic clergy in Belgium. According to BBC’s report, Adriaenssens said the cases of abuse, mostly involving minors, are found in almost every diocese. It resulted to 13 victims committing suicide. The abuse dates as far back as the 1950s and were commonly committed in boarding schools. Two-thirds of the victims are boys while there are some 100 girls who also suffered. And so the report goes on and on with more revolting details. I can’t help but feel enraged about this. And this is just Belgium. I wonder how many more reports of this nature will come from somewhere. I just pray that this will be the last. Coz it definitely is disturbing. Something that could inflict irreparable damage to the institution we’ve learned to revere since the day we were born.

alarm clock-free mornings

It’s the first day of my 9-day vacation. Eid al-Fitr na kasi bukas (that’s the end of Ramadan) kaya next week wala akong pasok. 5 days off from work plus the two weekends kaya ang haba ng bakasyon ko. It’s something I always look forward to every year.

Some of my friends will have a day or two of duty. Yong iba todo-diretso ang pasok kaya ang dami nilang overtime pay come payroll. But for me, wala lang. I’ll spend the whole holidays doing what I like most – nothing!

As usual tutulog na naman ako kung kailan ko gusto. Pag ganitong mga araw, bakasyon din ang alarm clocks ko kaya gigising lang pag nagrereklamo na ang tyan for having missed breakfast, sometime even lunch. At least nage-effort akong gumising minsan pag 9am na coz that’s the only time I can watch my favorite Jeopardy in MBC4.

Most of the time, I’d most likely be online reading even the silliest news report from Yahoo or Philstar. I’ll also be playing my yahoo games over and over kahit ilang beses ko nang natapos ang expert level ng Build-a-Lot pati Ranch Rush which is actually better version of Facebook’s Farmville.

Nakakatamad kasing maglalabas kasi up until now mainit pa rin ang panahon. Di tulad nong mga dating holidays na medyo malamig na ang hangin. Or should I say dahil tumama na ngayon na September ang Eid holidays. Unlike two years ago na early December ito kaya babad ako sa kama noon dahil start na kasi ang winter.

So I’d probably be watching movies or tv, bahala na whatever caught my fancy. I might go to Khobar to see some friends. Hindi ko lang inugali na mag-lakwatsa farther than Khobar like most people I know na tumatawid ng Bahrain or Dubai kung hindi rin lang sila umuuwi ng Pinas. Laking gastos kasi non and I’m too stingy for that! Hehehe.

Besides, I never run out of things to do kahit nasa bahay lang ako. Baka maisipan ko na namang mag-rearrange ng room o kaya mag-general cleaning. But it all depends kung susumpungin ako ng sipag! Hahaha! And oh, hopefully makapag-blog din ako ng medyo marami. Again, sana sipagin ako. Hehehe.

Meantime, happy holidays sa mga tulad kong walang pasok. Enjoy lang po kayo. At sa mga may pasok naman, well good for you. Tulungan ko na lang kayong mag-bilang ng overtime nyo pagdating ng payroll!

a whiter shade of dark

A recent report by Al-Jazeera caught my attention. The program is called 101 East and the episode was entitled A whiter Shade of Pale. It’s about the booming skin whitening business in India. Napa-huh ako when I saw it. Dahil alam naman natin na ang ating mga kapatid na ‘itik’ as we fondly call them ay medyo mas maraming sunog kesa sa ating mga Pinoy. Maraming whitening cream ang uubusin bago mapa-puti ang isang galing sa Kerala.

But as the report says, kahit sa slums ng Mumbai where most people are scraping for a living, gumagastos sila ng average of 5US$ a month para sa mga whitening cream. Which makes it a billion-dollar business and still projected to grow this year by 25%. Hindi lang pala mga Pinoy ang obsessed na pumuti! Baka kailangan na ni Vicky Belo na maglagay ng branch doon! Hahaha!

To be honest, nag-ambisyon din akong pumuti noong mga unang panahon na nauuso yang skin whitening na yan. Early 90’s at wala pa sa kamalayan ng mga Pinoy ang pangalang Belo, uso na ang pagpapa-derma para magpakinis ng mukha. Kaya nong natigil ako sa Pinas ng 4 months waiting for my next contract sa Saudi, yan ang napagdiskitahan ko.

Pagdating ko ng Saudi, nagulat ang karamihan sa mga kaibigan ko. Pumuti nga naman kasi ang mukha ko. Actually it was pinkish, hindi talaga puputi dahil medyo malakas yatang mag-produce ang sistema ko ng melanin. But my face certainly looked lighter than the other parts of my body. Back then, I didn’t realize na nakakatawa yong hitsura ko. All I knew is that my fairer face made me feel good.

Ngayong matanda na ako, I realized that it was one of the few stupid things I did in my youth. Dahil ngayon, tinatawanan ko na lang yang mga ganyan. Lalo yong report ng Al-Jazeera showing some people obviously having darker skin tone than mine na nagpapahid ng kung ano-anong cream.

Lately natukso rin akong magdala ng gluta when I was coming back from vacation. Kaya lang mahirap magpasok ng mga ganyan dito sa Saudi. And I thought it wasn’t worth the risk. I wouldn’t want to be questioned by customs officers para lang sa pagpapaputi na yan.

In recent years din, nauso dito yong magic cream na ewan kung saan gawa o kung dermatologically tested talaga. Pero ang daming nabiktima ng magic cream na yon. Natatandaan ko off the shelf pa yon sa Kadiwa. Pero biglang nawala. Ewan ko lang kung gaano katotoo ang balita na pinatigil daw dahil may mercury content which, of course, could be hazardous to human health.

Bakit nga ba maraming gustong pumuti. Ayan nga at hindi lang sa Pinas kungdi pati sa ibang bansa pala uso na rin. Was it because we all want to look like movie stars? Yong mga tipo ni Kris Aquino o Ruffa Mae Quinto na akala mo ay wala nang dugong tumatakbo sa katawan dahil kasing-puti na ng papel. At kahit mga machong tulad ni Wendell, Dingdong or Cesar Montano na hinangaan ko dahil pinoy na pinoy ang kulay noong bago pa sya pero ngayon mukhang suki na rin ng skin clinic.

Siguro. Epekto kasi ng media na gamit na gamit ng mga kapitalista. Sa movies, lalo sa Tv, wala tayong nakikita kungdi mga magaganda at nagpuputiang mga tao. And we are made to believe that having fairer complexion is the standard of being ‘beautiful’.

Bukod pa doon, pag maputi daw mukhang mayaman. So ano, itatago natin na ang ating mga ninunuo ay ang mga aliping saguiguilid na taga-silbi ng mga taal na mapuputing insulares? And we will spend our hard-earned money for this vanity, uunahin ang whitening cream kesa ibili ng pagkain na isasaksak sa kumukulong tyan?  Fairer skin over a grumbling stomach? Well, it's individual choice na wala kahit sino ang may karapatang kumuwestiyon.  If it's what makes you happy, then by all means go ahead.

Ang sa akin lang, masuwerte ang mga pinanganak na talagang mapuputi dahil hindi na sila gagastos para sa whitening cream. At kung magpapa-Belo sila, konti na lang ang gagastusin nila compared sa tulad kong pinanganak na kulay-kape. But before you get me wrong, let me make one honest statement:  masaya na ako sa kulay ko.  

In all honesty, tinigil ko na ang pag-gamit ng Fair and Lovely. Matagal na ring lugi sa akin ang mga Papaya soap. At hindi pa natitikman ni Belo or even Calayan kahit isang kusing ng pera ko. Wala akong plano. I’ve now risen above these things. I can now call it vanity without feeling any guilt.

Hindi lahat ng maputi ay maganda/guwapo. Hindi rin naman lahat ng maitim ay pangit. Bakit si Venus Raj, major major ang ginawang paglampaso sa mga nagpuputiang co-contestants nya sa Miss Universe. Bakit si Mayor Binay, sumisikat ngayon not necessarily because he’s the VP’s son and Mayor of Makati.

Which leads me to my closing statement. Hindi tayo nagpapaputi dahil gusto nating maging mukhang artista o mayaman. There is a deeper reason behind it all. And that is the fact that we are never content on what God has given us. We are spending loads of cash to get whiter skin. While the Westerners are exposing themselves to skin cancer kaka-sunbathe para lang magka-tan. Need I say more?

Back to Al-Jazeera’s report, watch nyo na lang ito…