mas tamad pa kay juan

Follow-up ito nong isang posting ko last October 27 (title: Kalas) which discussed the proposal of Bahrain government to the GCC leaders to revise their policies of employing expats in the Gulf Region. In that proposal, gusto ng Bahrain government na i-limit to a maximum of 6 years ang stay ng bawat foreign workers in all member states of the GCC.

Last Monday (Jan 28), lumabas ang balita sa Arab News under the byline “Gulf States Warned of Asian Tsunami”. This is a quote from Bahrain Labor Minister who warned the GCC states na dahil sa sobrang dependence nila sa foreign labor, parang tsunami daw ang effect ng milyones na foreign workers sa GCC.

He even highlighted na sa 17 million foreign workers na nasa GCC ngayon, most of them mga Indians, may dala daw itong “danger worse than atomic bomb”. Ewan ko lang kung yong amoy ng mga itik ang ibig nyang sabihin.

At hindi raw sya nag-e-eksads pag sinabi nyang ten years from now, that 17 million will balloon to 30 million. Sinisi nya ang katamaran ng mga kababayan nya (or mga ka-region) kaya ganito ang dami ng manggagawa sa kanilang mga bansa. Sa UK daw, ang isang milyonaryo, naglilinis ng kanyang sariling sasakyan. Dito raw sa kanila, magpapa-abot pa ng isang basong tubig samantalang kayang-kaya namang abutin.

Naghihinampo ang nasabing minister dahil siya pala ang pasimuno ng proposal na 6-year cap ng foreign workers. At ang proposal na yon, dinedma ng mga GCC leaders. Wala na raw follow-up, mukhang namatay na at nabaon na sa limot.

Napahiya tuloy ako sa prediction ko dahil sabi ko noon, baka ma-approve ito sooner than later. For reasons that I mentioned like patriotism and the high rate of unemployment na dinadanas nila ngayon. Yon pala, walang pakialam ang mga hunghang. Keber sila sa patriotism at lalong wala silang pakialam kung marami man ang walang trabaho sa local population nila.

At sabi ko pa, kahit ma-approve ito, matagal naman bago ito ma-implement. Eh paano pa nga mai-implement kung ganyang hindi man lang pinag-lamayan, basta na lang ibinaon sa disyerto ng walang marker!

Well, mali man yong mga predictions ko, masaya pa rin ako dahil maganda ang epekto noon sa atin. (At pasalamat ka Madam Auring dahil hindi pa kita pwedeng kumpetensiyahin! Hahaha!!!)

Totoong-totoo naman yong sinabi ni minister. Na katamaran pa rin ang pinakamalaki nilang kalaban. Dahil ang mga kababayan nya, ayaw talagang magsipag-trabaho ng maayos. Umpisahan mo man sa mga matataas na posisyon sa kumpanya, mga director, managers, hanggang pababa sa mga superintendents, supervisor, technicians at kahit mga drivers. Laging may isang expat na nasa likod nila na sumasalo ng talagang trabaho.

Kaya kailangan pa rin nila tayong mga foreign workers para hindi bumagsak ang mga planta, negosyo, pabrika, public utilities, health services, educational institutions at lahat halos ng sektor ng kanilang lipunan.

Pasalamat tayo dahil ganyan ang level ng kanilang katamaran. Dahil hangga’t ganyan sila, makaka-asa pa tayo ng matagal-tagal na pagkita ng dolyar sa lugar na ito. Ganon pa man, ulitin ko lang yong sinabi ko dati…. Mabuti na yong habang nandito tayo, nag-iipon tayo at naghahanda para sa kinabukasan.

Oo nga’t pwede pa tayong magtagal dito. Pero hindi naman ibig sabihin non ay pwede na tayong mag-stay dito forever and ever. Malay mo isang araw, biglang binawi ang sumpa ni Juan sa kanila! (Naku, masisira na naman yata ako sa prediction kong to!)

no. 6: takot ako ehhh!!

Ang number one fear ko is injection. You can give me all the tablets and syrups in the world, iinumin ko lahat yan, wag mo lang akong bigyan ng injection. Lagi akong kinakabahan at nanglalamig pag nakakita ng syringe.

Of course hindi naman maiiwasan that I have to go to the doctor. Lalo na sa dentist, naka-tatlong tooth extraction na ako. And whenever I have my tooth extracted, pipikit na lang ako pag alam kong sasaksakan na ako ng anesthesia.

Takot din ako sa ahas. Any form of this scaly cold-blooded reptile, kahit pa yong mga albino python na nilalagay ng iba sa kanilang shoulders, hindi mo ako mapapahawak nyan.

Takot din ako sa dilim. Although hindi pa naman siguro nyctophobia ang level ko. Basta ayaw ko ng madilim na lugar as in talagang walang ilaw. I sleep with all the lights off but it’s not totally dark because of the led lights ng Tv, satellite receiver and vcd players – all on stand by mode! Kaya parang may lamp shade na rin akong naka-dim.

Takot din akong tumingin sa mga mukha ng patay na naka-burol. Sa sobrang likot ng imagination ko, nadadala ko ang mga hitsura nila sa pagtulog. Kaya hangga’t maari, hindi ako lumalapit sa casket. Pero kung hindi maiwasan, lalapit man ako pero halos ipikit ko na yong mga mata ko. Or I’d pretend to read the messages kunwari don sa mga ribbon. Pero never akong titingin sa face ng bangkay! Ngggiiii…

Kung number one fear ko is injection, let me end this article with my last and worst fear - rejection (rhyme naman huh). Yes, fear of rejection. Dahil nga Leo ako, I always have this humongous ego that bursts out easily whenever I feel I’m being rejected. Syempre masakit yon huh. Fortunately, kakaunti pa naman ang instances na naranasan ko. At hindi pa ganoon ka-grabe. Either in my career o sa personal relationships, hindi pa ako nakakaranas ng major rejection that blew my ego to million little pieces. Kung baga, na-wasak na sya minsan pero in manageable pieces na madaling nadikit ng epoxy!

Maybe I’m just too lucky. O dahil maingat din ako. And very objective. I don’t dip my fingers on wars that I know I can’t win. Pero may regrets din ako syempre. Lalo na yong one or two na taong dapat nasabihan kong ‘alam mo, you’re hot’. Bwahahaha!!! Jowk lang pow!!!

a prime cut

If you’re buying meat from a butcher, you’d ask for a prime cut. Either on beef, pork, lamb or whatever, prime cut will give you the best portion of the whole thing. And that’s exactly what Prime Note is all about – the best cut of acapella music from an all-male, all-OFW choir.

I first saw them perform their maiden concert in Al-Khobar back in 2002. Little did I know that I was being a part of a history in the making. Coz here they are, six years later, already an internationally renowned group who represents a country that is so unlikely to surface in an international music competition, much more in the choral music scene.

Yep, the group is composed purely of Filipino workers based in Saudi Arabia. And that’s what makes this group quite extraordinary. They hold day jobs, earning to support their families back in the Philippines, and yet these incredibly energetic (and of course talented) creatures still find time to do something as noble as this.

For someone like me whose laziness manifests on dodging commitments and responsibilities as much as I can, this group is the ultimate epitome of the words hard work, dedication and commitment. Obviously, each member has to commit themselves 100% to the goal of the group (not a very easy goal, mind you). They have to work doubly hard (I won’t even contemplate on working part-time after my 8-hour job) and dedicate not just a whole lot of their time, but in most cases, their resources to keep the group going.

It’s not just to keep the group intact, not just being content on being labelled as ‘the first Filipino acapella choir in Saudi Arabia’, but also maintaining a stature they have already earned from numerous local and international performances.

And by stature I mean not just standing ovations and a showering of good reviews from a respected Arab News correspondent and Star Magazine columnists. But a gold diploma and bronze medal in a choral competition in Xiamen, China in 2006. And the adulation and respect of music aficionados when they showcased their talent in Nancy, France last year. That’s something they have to prove once again in a competition in Graz, Austria in July.

And that’s the reason why I’m writing this. They need support. Prayers are very much appreciated of course, thank you. But when I say support, I mean some legal tender being accepted by travel agents in exchange for a plane ticket that will bring their talent to that side of the world. Through this blog, I’m hoping to find people who’s got philanthropic bones in them to help the group in their Austrian trip. Who knows, Bill Gates might be reading my blog! Hehehehe!

But seriously, we don’t need Bill Gates to pull this off. Just the old, reliable bayanihan spirit of Filipinos. Specially if it’s for a good cause. Coz believe me, I’m not exaggerating when I say these guys are making history. Something that I believe in. Because it is something we can all share and be proud of as OFW’s. And Filipinos for that matter.

For contributions, pledges and support, visit http://www.pne-choir.com/ or e-mail primenote@gmail.com

Disclaimer: I'm just a supporter/believer and not, in any way, connected to PNE. Though one friend is a member of the group, I do not stand to benefit in any way from whatever funds this campaign may generate. Just an honest attempt to help the group.

more mattshots

i've already mentioned matt in my previous posting. sya yong amateur photog sa grupo namin who, despite being new to the craft, is already showing some awesome talent. in fact, if you've noticed, lahat ng ginagamit kong pics dito sa header nitong blog ko is from him (hope he doesn't charge me later hahaha).

lately he's been producing some incredible shots that are just too good not to share. so here's a few of my favorite mattshots. let me know if he deserves the attention i've been giving him! hehehe...

and of course, here's a pic of the future paparazzo! hehehehe

a sporting note

It looks like the start of 2008 is not good for most of my favorite names in sports.

Justin Henin, to me the best in women’s tennis circuit these days and seeded 1st at the Australian Open, got stumped by 5th seed Maria Sharapova on their quarterfinals match. I was hoping she’d win the first grand slam of the year but there she was, defeated quite early on.

I knew her draw was tough – she will face Serena Williams next if she got past Maria. And when Serena was beaten by Jelena Jankovic, a Henin-Jankovic match would have been a different story coz Justin had the better stats between the two.

But hey, to most oglers in tennis, the championship match was the best – Sharapova vs Ivanovic – two of the youngest (both in their 20’s) and sexiest players in the women’s tour. Sharapova has long replaced Ana Kournikova’s posters in men’s locker rooms while Serbian Ana Ivanovic was touted by journalists as the Catherine-Zeta Jones of tennis.

But still, it’s about tennis, not a beauty pageant. And I would have enjoyed it more if Henin is playing. Her forehand and backhand volleys are a lot sexier than Ana’s short skirt and Maria’s annoying grunting.

The biggest disappointment was from the Men’s division where my top two faves got trounced. My number one, the divine Roger Federer who was also the top seed, was outplayed by 3rd seed Novak Djokovic on their semi-final round. It would have been a glorious win for Roger if he captured this year’s Aussie trophy because this will put him at one win closer to tying the grandslam record of Pete Sampras who has 14 trophies to his name.

My second best after Roger, Rafael Nadal (2nd seed) was humbled by an unseeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga also on the semis. That’s a double blow to my pride! And oh yes, it hurts!

To top it all, my favorite in men’s figure skating, France’s Brian Joubert, faltered in his free skate program and finished 3rd in the final standing of the European Championships in Zagreb. Tomas Verner (Czech Rep) got the gold and Switzerland’s Stephan Lambiel got the second place.

I hope he does better at the World Championships. I’d love to see him again kill unconventional routines like his Matrix and James Bond programs – more powerful and more masculine than that of the just-recently retired Plushenko’s ballerina-like skating.

I hope my favorite track stars fare better when the athletics season start. I’d have to watch closely how Russian Yelena Isinbayeva and Jamaican Asafa Powell will do on the track later. Hope they’re luckier.

tubong pinoy

Lately may mga narinig akong mga Pinoy na gumagawa na naman ng ingay sa You Tube. Kaya kahit wala akong tyaga sa streaming, hinanap ko pa rin ang mga kababayan natin na ngayon eh mga celebrities na – genuine or otherwise – because of this site.

One Hilarious AI Audition

Una kong hinanap si Renaldo Lapuz. Ang Pinoy na gumawa ng eksena sa American Idol Season 7 auditions. At talaga ngang sikat na ang kababayan natin dahil in 4 video postings na nakita ko about him, may combined total hits ang mokong na aabot ng 1 million! Yup, ganon sya ka-popular sa You Tube.

Ang nabuksan ko ay yong stylized version na ng audition nya. It’s a full 6min++ video na pinakita ang mga litanya ng kababayan natin with his matching English na barok and very funny accent na kung hindi ko alam na kababayan eh mapagkakamalan kong Chinese or Vietnamese.

At huwag isnabin ang get-up! Talagang mala-Elton John na all-white pero may cape na itim na parang si Batman! At nang kumanta na sya, riot! Kengkoy na kengkoy ang paulit-ulit na kanta nya ng isa or dalawang verses lang na kanta. We’re Brothers Forever daw ang title non at sya raw mismo ang nag-compose.

Ngayon ko lang nakitang nakipag-lokohan si Randy na unang tumayo at sinayawan si Renaldo. Tinawag pa nya (Randy) si Ryan Seacrest at maya-maya ay nag-join na rin si Paula who did some wacky dance steps. In short, naging riot yong audition ni kabayan.

Buti na lang, in good mood si Simon. He even complemented Renaldo na maganda yong song na ginawa nya. May melody nga naman yong kanta kaya lang, comedy ang naging dating.

Natatawa akong naaawa kay kabayan. Siguro intention nya talagang gawin yong ganon to catch attention. Dahil alam nyang hindi sya magku-qualify, 28 yo ang cap ng AI and he’s 44 na. Siguro, he just wanted his 5-minute share of fame. Nakuha naman nya dahil more than 6 minutes pa nga yong video nya.

Pero sa halip na matawa ako sa kanya, I feel so sorry for him. Just like anybody else na nag-audition sa mga ganitong klase ng reality show who just make a fool of themselves. At dito kay Renaldo, napapa-ngiwi ako out of embarrassment for him.

Sabi nga ng mga comments don, tinalo na nya si William Hung as the funniest audition in AI ever. At ngayon, may ka-kumpentensya na si Jasmin Trias in her claim to fame via that talent show.

One Rare, True Talent

Sunod ko namang hinanap ang nabasa ko sa mga on-line newspapers na bagong lead vocals daw ng Journey. Ni hindi ko nga natandaan ang pangalan. I just used Journey sa search. And there he is – totoo nga pala at hindi lang chika ng mga tabloid. Arnel Pineda pala ang pangalan ng kababayan natin na na-discover ng Journey dito mismo sa You Tube.

The first video I opened ay yong teaser ng banda entitled Journey 2008 kung saan kasama na si Arnel and being introduced as the new lead singer of the group. In this video, ang isa sa mga all-time favorite ko ng 80’s pop music ang kinakanta ni Arnel - Broken Wings ng Mr. Mister. At talaga nga palang maganda ang boses nya coz he did the song effortlessly samantalang isa yon sa mga pinag-aambisyonan kong kantahin sa videoke hanggang magdugo na ang tenga ng mga nakikinig. For people who don’t know the song, ang taas po kasi ng key ni Richard Page (lead vocal ng Mr. Mister) and for you to do justice to the song, talagang kailangang mataas ang boses mo pero matatag.

Yon ang boses ni Arnel. May kaunti lang siyang problema sa pronunciation at may ilang English words siyang hindi maganda ang bigkas. I guess he has to go through a crash course on speech bago sya isalang sa recording. But his voice more than compensates for that.

Pero hindi lang pala yon. When I opened the other video, a clip from a US news channel kung saan binabalita ang pagkaka-discover kay Arnel, he was singing a cover of a Journey song. At nakaka-goose bumps dahil kung hindi mo titingnan ang video, you would think the original Steve Perry was singing! Kung patay lang si Steve (not that I am wishing he is), iisipin kong reincarnation sya (Arnel) ni Steve na naligaw ang kaluluwa at napunta sa isang lugar sa Pinas!!!??

And now that he is with the band, nakakatuwang tingnan ang isang Pinoy, still young looking kahit late 30's na sya na kasama na sa isa sa mga well-known bands worldwide. And in effect, sya pa ang magdadala ng group to whatever concerts, album sales and popularity it will further achieve.

Kung sa video clips ni Renaldo ay hindi ako nag-post ng comment, dito kay Arnel ay nag-comment talaga ako. Something to the effect that he makes me proud to be a Pinoy. Nakaka-proud po talaga sya. And yeah… he’s another proof that Pinoy talents rock! Go Pinoys Go!!!

questions with no answer

It was a bit of a shock hearing this morning that Heath Ledger is dead. First thing that hit my mind is “sayang”. Normal na reaksyon natin pag may namamatay na kakilala natin – personally or otherwise – na bata pa. At ito palang si Heath eh 28 lang. Sayang dahil magaganda ang mga films na nagawa nya. He’s got a steady career going for him. Tapos ganon lang. Just like that, he’s gone.

Siguro hindi lang ako ang nag-sabing ‘sayang’. Milyon siguro ng mga movie fans around the world said the same thing (of course in different languages naman!). Pero bakit nga ba yon ang unang reaction natin sa ganitong sitwasyon? Dahil ba talagang nanghihinayang tayo sa pagkawala nong tao? Or is it because yon lang ang naisip nating sabihin in the absence of other better things to say?

Ako, both. Nanghihinayang ako sa pagkawala ng isang taong alam mong gagawa pa ng maganda sa buhay nya. That is, of couse, base sa mga nakita mo nang ginawa nya in whatever length of time he lived his life. Syempre, hindi mo naman sasabihing sayang kung isang maton or pusakal na kriminal yong namatay. You’d probably say ‘buti nga’.

Pero more than sa panghihinayang, sa mga ganong pagkakataon, ang dami-daming tumatakbo sa utak ko. Thoughts that race like mad dogs inside my mind. Mostly mga tanong. Like ‘bakit kailangang mamatay sya at an early age?” or “ano bang kasalanan nong tao para bawian agad ng buhay”.

I even had worse questions in my heart and in my mind nong mamatay ang pamangkin/inaanak ko from drowning, barely a month before his 13th birthday. Mga tanong na puno ng hinanakit, may kasama pang galit. Hindi ko na lang babanggitin dito. Nagpaka-lalim na lang ako para mawala ang mga tanong na yon. Nagpaka-philosophical na lang ba.

But it only led to bigger, more complex questions. Hindi na lang question about life and death. Magtatanong ka na kung bakit nga ba nandito tayo, nabubuhay sa mundong ibabaw.

Ano nga ba ang ginagawa natin dito? Bakit parang pinadaan lang tayo sa face of earth tsaka mawawala rin. Para ba tayong mga inflatable dolls na nilagyan ng oxygen? Some full tank – yong mga umaabot ng katandaan, while others konti lang ang oxygen kaya namamatay ng maaga? Ako kaya, full tank din kaya ang oxygen ko or ¾?

O para ba tayong mga chess pieces – may pre-determined path, hindi pwedeng gumawa ng sariling hakbang, may isang nagdidikta kung paano tayo gagalaw, kung hanggang saan tayo aabot at kung kelan tayo mama-mate?

In short, what’s the point na may buhay na tulad natin sa Earth? At bakit sa Earth lang? Kung meron sa ibang planets, sa ibang galaxy siguro. Pero bakit sa galaxy natin, in all our nine planets, tayo lang ang tao? What’s the point?

At kung totoong tayo lang ang tao sa known planets according to scientists, totoo rin bang ang Diyos, according to religion, eh sa atin lang nakatutok? Kasi, sino’ng imo-monitor nya sa ibang planets – bacterias, planktons and other microbes? O baka naman too much to handle na tayong mga tao lang sa Earth kaya hindi na gumawa pa ang God ng ibang cluster of human kind in any other corner of this infinite universe?

At kung may ibang life form ba sa ibang galaxy, do they have the same God, o may ibang Diyos silang sinasamba? Do they also go through the same cycle starting from a healthy sperm hitting a fertile egg, incubating in a mother’s womb for 9 months, ipapanganak, lalaki, mabubuhay tapos mamamatay din in varied fashion and timings? Bakit nga ba kailangan pang mabuhay para patayin din?

Or is it because we will not learn what is life kung walang death? O baka naman limited ang slots ng nabubuhay kaya kailangang may mamatay para may mabuhay na iba. Pero mabagal ang rate ng death kesa birth, kita mo nga at bilyones na ang population sa mundo and over population has become a concern for most nations.

At saka totoo ba yong sinasabing life after death? If yes, saan yon? Figurative lang ba yon? If not, then ano na ang nangyayari sa atin? The body decomposes then what? Malalaman lang ba natin ang truth about life after death kung tayo na mismo ang mamamatay? Kaya ba walang makapag-prove na totoo yon kasi hindi na makabalik ang isang namatay to tell everybody na “hey – totoo, may life after death”.

Ay teka, lumayo na yata ako ng husto! Sabi ko nga sa inyo, my thoughts are racing like mad dogs pag mga ganitong sitwasyon. Wala rin namang inaabot. Puro tanong. Walang sagot. Kasi wala pa naman kahit sinong genius or biblical scholar ang makakasagot ng mga tanong na ito. Some attempt to answer. Some even pretend to be wise and try to explain. But the truth is, nobody really knows the mystery of life. Nobody really knows when we’re going. And where. Heck, nobody even knows why we’re here in the first place.

my latest fave

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looks like this site has gone mute again. it's so silent i'm beginning to wonder...have all my friends gone awol or something???

good thing i got this cool sound. i guess i'll just listen to it until somebody comes knockin back to my flower shop! hehehe

winter 08

Well, I was glad na pagbalik ko eh kasagsagan na ng lamig. Coz I always said I like winter better than summer. Pag summer kasi, konting galaw mo papawisan ka. At ako yong klase ng taong hindi kumportable na napapawisan unless I’m doing some rounds of exercise. Pero yong lalakad ka lang ng isang dipa eh sang-timba agad ang ipapawis mo, which is always the case pag summer dito sa Saudi, yon ang hate ko.

I like winter kasi bukod sa hindi ako pinapawisan, masarap talaga ang feeling na para kang naka-aircon all the time. Feeling ko nasa Europe ako. Ganda-gandahan pa ang complexion pag winter di ba. Try mong magbakasyon sa Pinas after winter. Outstanding ang mamula-mula mong kutis, para kang may glow na hindi galing sa olay. In short, halatang-halata na galing kang abroad.

And aside from the fact na pag malamig eh masarap kumain at matulog, pag malamig, pwede ka pang japorms to the max. As in justified ang pormang Londoner mo. Nilabas ko nga agad lahat ng jackets and sweaters na ilang buwan ding nakatago sa aking closet.

Although kahit gustong-gusto kong mag-trench coat eh hindi ko magawa dahil unfortunately, it is now associated with the locals kaya wag na lang kesa matawag pa akong aso. And very seldom din akong mag-scarf kasi babanatan ka naman ng mga kababayan natin na mukha kang pana – them having successfully deglamorized scarf as far as pinoy fashion sense is concerned.

But just a few days of extreme cold made me reasses what I’ve always been saying. Parang hindi na yata maganda ang lamig ngayon. Dati nai-enjoy ko. Pero ngayon, parang hindi na sya nakakatuwa. May mga times na pag nagsa-shower ako, sumasakit ang bewang ko sa kakapigil ng pagkukumbulsyon ng upper body ko. As in pati yata konting bilbil ko eh intensity six ang pangangatog dahil sa sobrang lamig kahit pa may water heater.

Eto rin yong time na nag-ober kung ober ang suot ko pagtulog. Dati jogging pants at sweatshirt lang tapos isang comforter ang gamit ko. Ngayon, I had to sleep with my socks on at may bonnet pa ako dahil hindi kaya ng bumbunan ko ang lamig. And worse, hindi na kaya ng comforter lang so I had to buy another thick blanket para ipatong sa comforter. Saka lang ako nakaramdam ng comfortable warmth na ideal itulog.

Dusa nga pag mahihiga ka pa lang. Kailangan mong i-absorb yong lamig ng kama until such time na nainitan na yong bedsheet, unan at kumot from your body heat. Eh pag kumilos ka naman at napasok ng hangin ang kumot mo, panibagong lamig na naman ang bubunuin mo.

Ang masama pa, I had to get up at least twice bago tuluyang makatulog. Kasi jingle ako ng jingle pag ganitong malamig. So I had to repeat the warming procedure nong kama over and over. Brrrr and grrrr!!!

Hindi ko naman kasi naging ugali na mag-heater, either yong sa A/C mismo or yong mga nabibiling free-standing heaters. I tried it before at hindi maganda ang epekto sa akin. Sumasakit ang ulo ko at pati katawan ko. Kaya hindi na lang. Siguro kung talagang magma-minus 10 na ang temperature, mapipilitan ako. Pero hangga’t kayang daanin sa patong-patong na suot at patong-patong na kumot, don na lang muna ako.

Although ilang araw lang naman yon at ngayon it looks like balik na sa normal Saudi winter ang lamig. From 5degC na nakita ko at 7 am last week (at nag-minus 1 pa pala last Wednesday night), this week umaakyat na ulit sya from 11 (Saturday), 12 (Sunday) and 16 today. Yong tipong pang-Baguio na lang ang lamig.

So, tulad nga ng sabi ko dati, sino’ng may sabing ang Saudi eh puro searing summer heat? Hindi po! May yelo din po at hail dito! At ang lamig, yon nga, para ka na ring nasa Central Europe!

tagalog naman

baka naman sabihin nyo eh puro western films ang nire-review ko kaya heto, ikuwento ko naman sa inyo yong 2 tagalog films na napanood ko habang nasa bakasyon.

KKK

I’ve read so much about Kasal, Kasali, Kasalo siguro from paid movie reporters and mostly from Alfie Lorenzo’s columns sa kababasa ko ng Abante on-line. Kaya naintriga ako. I wanted to see why it won awards for Juday and Gina Pareno on last year’s MMFF plus a few more awards pa yata. Besides, nag-top grosser pa ito that year. So it was one of the first few titles I asked my suki nong tinanong nya ako kung gusto ko ng DVD ng Tagalog films.

Maayos naman pala ang pagkakagawa nong film kaya humakot ito ng awards at nagustuhan pa ng viewing public. Simple at walang kumplikadong story line, focused ang kuwento sa kina Jed and Angie who, after being friends suddenly jumps into marriage and along the way eh pinakita ang mga usual na problemang kinakaharap ng isang young couple mula sa pamamanhikan, pagpapakasal, pagsasama, pakikitira sa mga in-laws, pagbubuntis, pagkaliwa ni mister and in the end eh reconciliation.

At dahil dramedy, wala yong mga hysterical na over dramatic scenes you would usually see sa mga drama films noon nina Ate Guy at Ate Vi. Very light ant atake ni Jose Javier Reyes nong pelikula kaya nakaka-entertain and yet nakaka-relate ang masa sa mga sitwasyon na pinakita.

I’m not a fan of Judy Ann pero kahit hindi ko napanood ang mga kasabayan niyang actress that year, siguro deserving talaga si Juday sa kanyang award. Dahil natural na natural yong mga arte nya. Revelation si Ryan Agoncillo dito na first movie nya yata and yet he looks very comfortable and natural on cam. I’m sure ito ang nag-seal ng Juday-Ryan love team dahil heto at sa current MMFF eh may part two na sila entitled Sakal, Sakali, Saklolo.

And of course, hindi mo na matatawaran ang galing ni Gina Pareno ngayon na humahakot pa rin sya ng international awards sa Kubrador. Dito, walang duda na karakter na karakter sya as the baranggay kagawad na nanay ni Juday.

Ang ikinatuwa ko dito sa KKK, it didn’t disappoint me. Na-entertain ako, natuwa ako, nakiiyak at tumawa ako sa mga eksena. In short, naramdaman ko yong film. Hindi ako nabuwisit, nainis at nagsisi matapos kong panoorin yong pelikula, a feeling which, unfortunately eh madalas kong nararamdaman pag nanonood ako ng local films. Mukha ngang tapos na yong mga panahong puro pa-tweetums ang mga love team. Sana nga, tapos na yong panahon na nakaka-insulto ng matitinong manonood ang mga pelikula natin. At sana, dumating na at patuloy na ang panahon ng mga quality Tagalog films para matahimik na finally sina Brocka at Bernal saan man sila naroroon.


Desperadas

Among the MMFF entries, ito ang inuna ko and was planning to see the others pero hindi na nangyari. Gusto ko sanang makita yong sequel ng KKK na ngayon ay SSS na (Sakal, Sakali, Saklolo), as well as Resiklo ni Bong na curious ako kung bakit nabigyan ng A ng CEB and most importantly yong Katas ng Saudi ni Jinggoy dahil super mega-relate tayo don. Kaso nga wala nang time. So eto na lang ang ikwento ko sa inyo.

I know Joel Lamangan is one of the credible directors today pagdating sa drama. But to handle a comedy film like Desperadas, parang nakulangan ako. Siguro sa screenplay ang diperensya.

Wala akong inaasahang acting sa mga lead – Ruffa, Ruffa Mae, Iza and Marian, puro mga actress in training pa ang mga ito. Lalo na si Ruffa na matagal ding tumigil sa pag-arte kaya parang masyadong pilit ang acting sa kanyang come back movie na ito. As Isabella, the eldest of the four step-sisters (one mother, four different dads), mayaman siya pero waldas sa pera at hindi rin alam ang gustong gawin sa buhay lalo na sa lovelife. Sadly, walang highlights ang part niya that would give her the moment to prove na she’s finally back in the business.

Si Ruffa Mae naman, the usual hysterically funny but very sexy bebot na dinadaan sa palakihan ng boobs ang bawat eksena. Buti na lang maganda yong part na napunta sa kanya as Dr. Patricia, the sex guru na mahilig mag-quote ng mga quotable quotes na sinasagot ng mga ka-eksena nya, mostly ng katulong nya na inspired by Inday, the sosyalerang maid na nabuhay sa pages ng Abante, jokes section.

Si Iza, well, sya lang yata ang medyo seryoso ang role sa apat as the lawyer na kinukulang ng dilig sa asawang doctor and almost got into a fling with a companero. She provides the moral backbone among the group although meron din syang moral dilemma sa sarili nya.

Marian plays Courtney, the youngest of the half-siblings. She designs sexy underwears and is also luka-luka tulad ng Ate nyang si Patricia. Na dapat ay hindi dahil supposedly eh iba-iba sila ng karakter na magkakapatid.

Inspired daw ito by Desperate Housewives. Medyo obvious nga kasi yong location nila, parang Wisteria Lane na magkakapit-bahay ang magkakapatid na sa sobrang lapit eh dinig ng lahat kung may isang titili sa loob ng bahay nya. May mga eksena rin si Ruffa na ala-Gabriel tulad nong hinatak na yong kanyang BMW dahil hindi sya nakakabayad sa financing company. Nag-linya sya na kunwari eh pina-paayos nya lang sa talyer ang kotse.

Pero kung talagang inspired ito by Desperate Housewives, dapat binantayan nila ang screenplay. Nang-gaya na rin lang sila, sana ginaya na rin nila yong short, witty and funny scenes sa Desperate. I mean not to copy it literally pero gayahin nila yong atake. Dito kasi sa Desperadas, maraming eksenang mahaba at sa bandang dulo ka lang matatawa. Minsan hindi pa. In fact sa bandang katapusan na lang nong movie ako humagalpak ng tawa in two or three scenes yata. But that’s it. Karamihan ng scenes, corny at over used na. Tulad nong pagpasok ni Courtney sa simbahan at sumigaw na itigil ang kasal samantalang obviously nasa maling church naman sya. Ho-hummm…

Sayang na trabaho ni Joel. Siguro natutuwa rin sina Gretchen, Dawn at Pops na hindi sila natuloy sa film na ito. Dahil hindi bagay sa stature nila, lalo na ni Dawn na magaling na actress na gumawa ng ganitong klaseng pelikula.

PS. Napanood ko rin yong Apat Dapat, Dapat Apat nina Ruffa Mae, Eugene, Pokwang at Candy - gusto ko sanang mag-relax at matawa kaya puro comedy ang pinapanood ko... pero sa halip na matawa ako eh nainis lang ako at gusto kong batuhin ng remote yong tv. Sayang lang ang binili ko ng dvd. Hmmppp!

the legend of charlie stardust

Here’s a few more films I’ve seen so far, I thought I’d share them with you specially to those film fanatics like our friend who signs on as “a movie fan”. Kaibigan, anong masasabi mo sa mga films na to?

Stardust

Adapted from a novella by Neill Gaiman na lumabas sa DC Comics, it is a film about sorcery, magic, love, greed and the usual triumph of good against evil. It stars Michelle Pfeiffer, Robert De Niro and Claire Danes. Although ang totoong bida dito is a relatively unknown English actor named Charlie Cox. Support lang sina Michelle who plays the horrifically funny lead of a triumvirate of aged wicked witch sisters, si Claire Danes as the fallen star na love interest in Tristan (played by Charlie) at si Robert De Niro who, because of his unquestionable acting prowess, eh hindi ko na ku-kwestiyonin ang pagtanggap ng role as a gay pirate captain in this movie. Siguro nga, if you’re as secured as he is in his stature, wala ka nang reservations to do a role like this.

And because it’s a fantasy film, major player ang animation crew who did some wonderful CGI that kept my niece glued to the tv set despite her usually short 8-year old attention span. Kahit ako, na-capture din ni Matthew Vaughn (Director) in his style of story telling. Ito yong tipo ng fantasy film na pwede kong panoorin ulit whenever it comes up on cable.

Naiiba at fresh ang storyline. Maganda ang production values, camera works, lighting, scoring at makinis ang pagkakagawa ng pelikula.

Ang hindi ko lang masyadong nagustuhan is the fact na mis-cast yata si Claire Danes dito. Coz her facial features suffered pag katabi na nya ang love interest nya. Charlie Cox is a cute, pleasantly boyish type of guy. Kaya naha-highlight yong hindi kagandahang face ni Claire. What I mean is, hindi na nga maganda si Claire, itabi mo pa sa isang good-looking guy, eh di lumabas na pangit. It’s not that I don’t like Claire (although nagmaldita sya some years back when she said something bad about the Philippines). But let’s face it, she’s far from the likes of Reese Witherspoon na kahit pointed ang jaw eh cute tingnan. Or Sarah Jessica Parker na kahit medyo matigas ang facial features eh maganda pa rin ang mukha overall.

If I were the casting director of this film, si Sienna Miller na lang ang gagawin kong love interest ni Tristan instead of playing a minor role coz she’s a lot more pleasant to the eye, and she looks like a star (the role) more than Claire. Wag pong magagalit ang Claire Danes fans, but I’m talking about suitability to the role here.

Other than that, nagandahan pa rin ako sa film and I would suggest you watch it lalo na kung mahilig kayo sa mga ganitong films. It’s highly entertaining.


I Am Legend

Next picture pa lang ito in theaters pero kumalat na ang DVD (obviously pinirata). At kahit advocate din ako ng anti-piracy, wala akong choice kungdi bumili sa bangketa dahil hindi ko na aabutin ang regular theater run nito.

Sabi kasi sa isang entertainment program na napanood ko early December, blockbuster daw ito sa US. Kaya na-curious akong panoorin. But after I watched the film, wala akong makitang reason para maging big hit ito. Corny and highly improbable ang istorya. Para sa akin, ito yong mga fiction films na hindi convincing kaya lumabas na pangit.

It tells the story of Robert Neville (Will Smith), a brilliant scientist in New York na naging ghost town dahil tinamaan ng deadly virus na pumatay ng lahat ng tao within the city leaving him (Neville) as the lone survivor. Ang siste, hindi naman pala talaga sya lone survivor dahil sa gabi, lumalabas ang mga mutants – mga taong tinamaan ng virus pero hindi namatay. Parang combined zombie and night of the living dead ang kwento huh. May kasama pang Rambo dahil si Doctor Neville eh hindi lang brilliant scientist, he is also a machine gun-toting macho man na pinag-bababaril ang mga mutants pag sinasalakay sya sa gabi.

For three years daw he was living alone in the big expanse of New York city. Tapos everyday, he’s sending radio calls to reach out to any survivor. Eh bakit hindi na lang kaya sya nag-drive to other cities like New Jersey or crossed to Canada na lang? May dalawa syang sasakyan plus the thousands of cars, buses and all forms of transportation that stood still na parang na-freeze ang frame except for Robert. Ay, sabi nga pala sa byline, The Last Man On Earth daw. Kaya pala wala na siyang mapupuntahan. Pero teka, last man on earth? Eh New York lang ang pinakitang naging ghost town ah. Pano naging last man on earth? Di bale sana kung pinakita rin ang ibang major cities like London, Tokyo, Sydney at Paris na ghost town na rin.

Tsaka, saan nanggagaling ang news program na pinapanood nya? And oh, by the way, who’s running the basics like water and electricity kung sya na lang ang natitirang buhay, that is, normal na tao, sa mundo? Ano ba…. paulit-ulit kong sasabihin, kahit fiction ang story, dapat naman may logic.

Tapos heto na nga at may na-meet syang mag-ina na galing sa New Jersey na papunta sa isang state where there is a community of survivors. Eh buti pa yong mag-ina, hindi naman brilliant scientists pero alam na may colony somewhere in Vermont.

Hindi sumama si brilliant scientist sa mag-ina and chose to stay and be a hero. Pinasabog na lang nya ang mga mutants nong umatake sa bahay nya. Of course kasama sya sa na-dedo don sa pagsabog. Kaya I Am Legend ang title. Aggghh!!! Legend ka dyan!

Sayang si Will Smith dito dahil ho-hum na naman ang nakuhang role. After I heaped praises on him on The Pursuit of Happyness, semplang na naman sya dahil sa kagagawan ng mga walang kwentang trabaho ng mga writers at ni Francis Lawrence (Director). Though yong book daw from where it was adapted, I Am Legend written by Richard Matheson in 1954 was a big hit. Siguro sa mga mahihilig sa zombies, hit talaga to. Whatever.


Charlie Wilson’s War

Powerhouse cast ito. Puro Oscar winners – Philip Seymour Hoffman (Capote), Julia Roberts (Erin Brokovich) and Tom Hanks who had two (Forrest Gump and Philadelphia). So you would expect brilliant acting and yon nga, nominated sya for 5 Golden Globe Awards including best motion picture (comedy or musical), screenplay (Aaron Sorkin), lead actor for Tom, supporting actor for Philip and supporting actress (?) for Julia. Tingnan na lang natin if they will win (Jan 13th yata ang awards night).

Adapted from the book of the same title by George Crile, it is based on a true story of Texas Congressman Charlie Wilson, Tom was somehow convincing as a politician who lobbied for the US government to spend billions of dollars to support the Afghan rebels to win their war against the Soviets. Somehow convincing ang sabi ko dahil may isa akong problema sa portrayal nya – he was from Texas pero bakit walang Southern drawl akong narinig from him? Saludo na sana ako and I was ready to give him back the praises I took away from him after that disastrous role in The Da Vinci Code. Pero parang hindi ko gagawin in this film. Not yet. It was better than TDVC, but not at par with his wonderful portrayals of previous roles.

Buti pa si Julia as the politically-connected socialite na talagang nag-effort mag-drawl. She must have taken inspiration from my fave Meryl Streep na kahit pa anong accent ang kailangan sa role, ginagawa. Because it is part of the characterization. Kung galing South ka, you should have that heavy accent. Ang isa pang maganda kay Julia dito sa movie na ito, she successfully portrayed a classy, rich, powerful, bitchy, hypocritically god-fearing unfaithful wife whose involvement with the Congressman includes both vertical and horizontal activities. Iilan lang ang naiisip kong kayang gawin ang ginawa ni Julia dito. Nicole Kidman siguro, and Charlize Theron perhaps.

Yong role ni Philip ang hindi masyadong importante. I mean, it was third lead na after Tom and Julia and it could have been given to any other brilliant supporting actors. But hey, Philip’s got the Oscar too kaya sige, isama na siya sa cast as the former CIA operative na na-frustrate maging isang diplomat.

At dahil based on a true story ito, gumamit si Mike Nichols (Director) ng actual footages of the Afghan war. Maganda namang lumabas. Ang problema lang, huwag kang mag-expect ng maraming action scenes. Coz the film is not about the action in the Afghan war. It is about political maneuverings kaya most part of the film eh puro daldalan.

But if you’re the kind of film buff who goes for movies of political theme, I’d say you should watch this one. Maraming nakaka-intrigang revelations tungkol sa mga nangyayari sa corridors of powers ng US pagdating sa pakikialam sa mga problema ng ibang bansa.

There you go. Comments?

happy 2008

This is my first Christmas and New Year in Pinas matapos ang ilang taon na umiiwas akong magbakasyon sa ganitong season because of the gastos. Not only na marami akong inaanak sa binyag plus yong dalawang inaanak ko sa kasal (shucks, matanda na talaga ako!) but the many other gastos na hinaharap mo kung isa kang OFW na nagbabakasyon sa Pinas on Christmas season. Nandon kasi yong expectation na maghahanda ka, magpapainom at kung ano-ano pa kasi akala nila nag-uumapaw ang dollars sa bulsa mo.

Hindi ko masyado na-enjoy ang Christmas dahil nga naka-focus ako sa project ko. Though nitong New Year medyo hindi na ganon ka-hectic ang schedule ko kaya medyo pahinga na ako at nakalabas naman ako ng bahay before midnight para mag-light ng ilang pirasong luses na binili ko, plus yong fountain na hindi ako ang nag-sindi, takot akong maputukan! Hahahaha!!!

And as tradition dictates, halos mabingi ako sa dami ng mga firecrackers kaliwa’t kanan, plus the dazzling fireworks na pinkawalan ng mga obviously eh mayayaman kong kapitbahay. Tumingala na lang ako at nanood sa mga sumasabog na colors sa kadiliman ng midnight sky.

Ilang oras tumagal ang ingay. Makapal ang usok na akala mo eh nasusunog ang buong village namin, and probably the whole of Sta Rosa. And I’m sure ganon din sa lahat ng part ng Pilipinas and all the other New-Year celebrating nations of the world.

Amid the noise and the fireworks, gumana na naman ang utak kong wala nang pinatawad. Naisip ko, ilang libong piso kaya, o baka milyon pa, ang sinunog ng mga Pinoy sa paputok para lang i-welcome ang 2008. To think na mahirap ang buhay, ang baba ng palitan ng dollar na sumadsad na sa 40.80 kahapon.

Pero pag ganitong pagkakataon, kahit anong hirap ng economy natin, hindi pwedeng wala ka kahit isang sisindihan to welcome the New Year. Parang kawawang-kawawa ka pag wala ka man lang isang pirasong luses.

Nasa paniniwala na kasi yon. That we have to welcome the New Year with a bang para maging maganda ang pagpasok ng bagong taon. With that lies our hope and prayers na maging mas mabuti ang magiging buhay natin. That we will achieve success in our careers, o mas dadami pa ang pera natin.

Hindi yon basta pag-iingay. Hindi yon basta pagsusunog ng pera. It is a ritual na may kasamang pag-asa na kung ano man yong ginastos natin na pambili ng trompilyo, babalik yon in thousand folds sa panibagong taon na dumating sa atin.

Pero dapat ma-realize natin na hindi yon ang importante. Ang naisip ko kasi, pasalamat ako sa Diyos na inabot na naman ako ng pagpapalit ng taon na buhay na buhay at healthy. Pasalamat lang ako na umabot ako ng 2008 matapos ang 365 days ng 2007 na hindi nagkasakit or nagkaroon ng misfortune. Thankful ako na binigyan ako ng chance to be a part of the headcount ng National Census sa pagpasok ng 2008. Sana ganon pa rin sa pagpasok ng 2009 at ng mga susunod pang taon.

At yong pagpapa-putok, kung marami man ang hindi nakaka-intindi kung ano talaga ang ginagawa nila, sana marami rin ang katulad kong nakaka-alala kung ano ba talaga ang pinag-si-celebrate natin. Let’s close our eyes and say a prayer of thanks for the year that passed and thanks for the new year, na sa totoo lang eh parang renewal mo sa kontrata mong mabuhay sa mundong ito. It’s one big reason to thank God for.

So, sa lahat ng friends and guests ko dito sa Dantespeaks, I wish you all a blessed 2008.

At nag-light man ako ng luses kagabi, sorry po sa mga environmentalists. Alam kong dagdag problema yan sa global warming. But who am I to break the tradition? At sino naman ako para hindi rin mag-wish na sana maganda ang papasok na taon sa akin!