rate your parents: a tribute to our ever reliable gene-donors...

(Disclaimer: This article is not intended as a blog post. It was more of a "sharing" post intended for some people at another venue other than this blog which explains the bilingual unedited form...hehe, this post might be on a limited time, i might get reprimanded for disclosing this here because of its "too" personal nature, bwahahahahaha..)

as for people marrying at a very early age (my mom was 18 when she got pregnant, and 22 tatay ko) with no jobs then, well i think they did a pretty good job as parents. they are not perfect but they raised me in a way that i am way past 23 and still single, hehe...

like any young couple, pinagdaanan din naman nila yung mga typical stories of "hindi pa napagsawaan ang pagkadalaga at pagkabinata", not to mention my erpat's black sheep reputation. naalala ko pa when i was just five or six, we used to live at my grandma's house kasi wla pa nga kaming sariling bahay nun: when i was left at our room the whole day tapos both of them would come home drunk at magsisipagtulugan nalang, hihihi...nevertheless, di sila nagkulang sa akin. those times, my mom taught me my ABCs (my session kami pag hapon kasi stay at home pa nanay ko nun, mga 1-2 pm, babasahin namin yung "Sleeping Beauty"storybook na bigay ng tita ko) and my erpats was my math teacher (pag gabi or sundays, he would close the wooden jalousies ng room at instant chalkboard na). they were pretty patient on doing that kasi inisip daw nila noon na dapat maging magaling ako sa skul kasi they were not sure if they really can even send me to college (kasi they were thinking baka maging loser sila for the rest of their lives, hehe)...but slowly they came to their senses and eventually nung hiskul ako, naging okay naman, my erpats already had a job which enabled my mom to go back to skul and became a teacher. i was already free sa skul nun kaya menos gastos. dun na mejo nag okay pamumuhay. ako lang din kasi isa, natrauma daw sila sa pagpapalaki sa akin (not that im pasaway, but sa responsibility involved)...kahit ako nga, at this point, di ko pa naiisip mag asawa, how much more magkaanak. it didnt turn out so bad for them, for us, afterall...and definitely they did not become losers as what they were thinking then...of course meron pa rin namang mga buhol2x along the way, but the 24 years of marriage, and both are now quite active at our local church-that is already a feat for them...

my parents are not the doctors, the lawyers, the academicians or the richest in town, they are just any other "in-their-40s" parents out there, but they are the best, not perfect though, they have their own flaws too... sila yung tipong dahil maliit nga yung age gap namin, mashado kaming nagkakaintindihan. sila yung parents na tamad at di mahilig magluto, yung tipong pipiliing mag order sa labas kesa magluto sa bahay. we practically grew up together kaya ngayon, we treat each other more like friends. minsan nkakalimutan kong parents ko sila pag nag uusap kami, hihi. since i had no siblings (which means when id outlive them ill have no immediate family anymore), they raised me to be self reliant & independent, adaptation skills super emphasized. kaya nga nagtataka yung iba how come pinapayagan nila akong magliwaliw kahit ako lang ang nag iisang anak. hehe mashado kasi nila akong naiintindihan..kahit nag overstay ako sa UP ng 2 years nung college, may mga konting parinig at tanong, pero di nila ako tlgang pinressure na grumadweyt, hehe..

we had our "not so good" episodes din naman, but at the end of the day, yung tipong ang maalala mo lang are the good things. super dami kasi naming napapag usapan e pag nasa bahay ako, from world history, to pop culture, to political affairs, to psychology, religion and spirituality with my erpats, and with classical music, showbiz, (love)life and times of people in the community (including mine), and responsibilities with my ermats. hehe kaya di kami matahimik sa bahay eh, usap kami ng usap. and ang pinakabonding moments namin ng erpats ko ang movies sa HBO while ukay2x shopping at the nearby tiangge ang kay ermats. haaay....

for all those i give them a 10....

i miss them. now that i am in manila and in grad skul, i cant wait to go home to davao this break. sana i could give them a good report about school. sila yung pinaka inspiration ko. cant wait to get home. sana time will come, i can give them what they have always dreamed of when they were younger, yung di nila nakuha because of me: a travel/tour for my erpats somewhere na may memorial ng WWII, and a piano for my mom. she learned to play it when she was only 10 or so, but never had the chance of owning one...
haaaaaay.....

Transformers: From Metal Busters to Blockbuster

When the trailer of the recent blockbuster movie Transformers was released a few months back, I was a bit intrigued as to how Hollywood would turn giant robots into a live-action movie, and make a hit out of it. The big screen adaptation of the sci-fi cartoon series proved to be much more than I expected, even far beyond most people have thought it would as it reached the top spot in the blockbuster list.

Transformers was directed by the Michael Bay, the man behind the Bad Boys series, Pearl Harbor, Armageddon, among a list of other films that would surely ring a bell for the action-flick fan. It was based from the toy franchise Transformers and revolves around the storyline of two factions of robots from another planet, the heroic Autobots headed by Optimus Prime, and the Decepticons led by Megatron, its nemesis. Their continuous battle against each other became the central theme of the cartoon series released in the 1980s and early 1990s, which also became the rally point of the story of the movie.

Placing a science fiction into the “Earth” setting sure creates a whirlwind of storylines and plots which is a light-year away from reality as depicted in the movie. From fictional government agencies and gigantic finds hidden beneath the Hoover Dam, the movie is not intended for the questioning moviegoer. The unwavering battle of the good robots against the bad ones brought to earth by their pursuit of a certain magical cosmic cube called “The Allspark”, was intertwined with stories of adolescent pursuits and heroic acts. This concoction of plots and subplots from the “real” and the “science fiction” part added to the movie’s appeal and dramatic effect.

One of the noteworthy highlights of the movie is of course the superb graphic effects that showcased the robots in their majestic grandeur. No one has ever seen such grace in movement with such gigantic machines. They have masterfully made use of the slow motion effect that made the battle and chase scenes more excruciatingly breathtaking. They also have made use of the camera’s full potential by providing the audience the best shots. With an outstanding cinematography, no one would ever think that the main characters Sam Witwicky (played by Shia LeBeouf) and Mikaela Banes (played by Megan Fox) were talking to a dummy while shooting.

Aside from the effects provided by the camera, the background sound also made its mark by providing the perfect ambience for every scene (for instance, rock tunes rendered the scoring for some of the fight scenes). These of course made the movie more thrilling. The flow of the story will not be that effective without the comical antics by the actors, specifically LeBeouf and Bumblebee, who gave most of the amusing remarks. Thanks to the screenplay provided by Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman and John Rogers which incorporated all the emotions that one could ever think of.

On the other side, the amount of time allotted for fight scenes somehow got the bulk of the movie and of the camera. The shots of the scenes, especially towards the end of the movie, became scattered and somehow made some robots vanish in an instant without any explanation. The anticlimactic death of Megatron was also a bit sudden and uncalled for. I was expecting a death that would create more impact as the robots end but it wasn’t exactly satisfied. However, all these were overshadowed by Michael Bay’s brilliant direction.

Indeed the makers of Transformers did a great job in creating a highly entertaining movie that would surely be enjoyed not only by moviegoers of all ages. This is a movie worth recommending to those who would want to experience pure action-packed pleasure. It sure deserved that standing ovation it got from the crowd when I watched it a couple of weeks ago. You might want to after you watch it.

Random Thoughts on a Thursday Morning

The only reason why I am staying in this place is the fact that my work is here and it is where I am stationed for 12 months. Other than that, there is nothing else that is holding my presence in this not-really-my-idea-of-metropolitan-living city. It sure is livable with all its perks (every place has its own advantage) but I just can’t get my piece of happiness in every single day that I spend here. Misery is slowly eating me alive and the main culprit is Mr. Lonely.

So what transpired months ago that brought my presence in this place? The first thing that I could remember is that I decided to grab the first job that would give me a five-day work a week in the normal working hours (immediately disqualifying call centers and that sort of job) after having been unemployed for two months. I sporadically gave out my resume for every other hiring I could find in the internet during that time-a very intense gesture of desperation on my part to find work and end my 60-day monetary dearth. There was this one job that really made its way into my prayer list for a couple of nights after having seen the conditions and the possible financial remuneration that may be accorded to me. Yes I got that job.

Happy? Well, in time I learned this lesson the hard way: “Be careful what you wish and pray for or you might stumble upon Mr. Lonely with a scythe.” Got that?

Pouting alone.

When I was in grade school, I remember there was this game me and my friends used to play during recess time. "Lady Look" I think was the name of the game but I am not exactly sure if it was really called that [eons ago]. The game usually starts with two teams about three or four steps away, having the same number of girls facing away from each other. There is this moderator who, apart from acting as the host (like in a competition), gives the signals and acts as a referee who checks if the teams are playing by the rules and gives the final decision of who wins a round. It's a pretty complicated game for kids our age (maybe 7 or 8) but when you get the hang of it, it's actually pretty enjoyable. The object is that you have to guess the person behind your back as fast as you can when the moderator calls your number as the other members face you and help you guessing without speaking a word. There are of course other things in that game but it isn't actually what I would like to talk about here. It just came into my mind as I was looking at the people in my immediate surroundings..."What would they be like if they line up like what we do and pose? Who's got the look?" (See how absurd my thoughts could possibly get?)

People who takes advantage of other people’s lack of discernment and proper education makes me think of hell. If someone would ask me why, the only simple answer I could give them is another question-“Is there any other place where people like that (colloquially translated as users) deserve a VIP reservation?”

In the issue of “Pacquiao’s fight for Congress”, I say to the administration “Go to hell!” To the person used as the object of the action, “Go and box!”

“Life is a box of chocolates.” - I remember quite exactly how I got this line from a movie. When you look closely, the line tells a lot of different things. It explains two contrasting mindsets. It gives a glimpse of which between these two extreme viewpoints of life a person would likely favor: pessimism or optimism. Just by simply asking someone what this line means to him, a great deal about what he’s made of is revealed. This is the reason why I revere long conversations with discussions on his stance for a particular idea because it can make or unmake a person’s impression. It is with this impression that the appropriate level of respect a person deserves should be determined. For each and every citizen to be like that is, of course, utopian.

To talk about other people and their lives are not merely the business of housewives when they get together during the afternoon siesta. Although stereotyped to them, any single human being, even children, is capable of doing such an act.

I used to believe that the degree of its severity and the tendencies to weave stories beyond the real facts seems directly proportional to the age of the people making such observations. I also used to believe that the likelihood of such tendencies is more prevalent to the female species than its male counterpart. Yet, as you live your life longer, you get to realize that it isn’t always the case because you get to meet a lot of people, one of which might be debunking your beliefs. In other words, you get to meet older men who are more excruciating story tellers such that what they tell are exceedingly damaging to the subject of interest.

Life is indeed full of surprises and a learning experience all throughout!

So what is it about me they say again?

It's funny how personality tests and horoscopes flood the internet these days. There's the coffee test (what type of coffee your personality fits in which I posted in my previous post in my friendster blog), the cake test, the animal test, and now here's the brain color test...
Though I never intend to be typecasted by the personality predicted by these programmed tests, I can't help but acknowledge the little truths that it offers. If you know me well, then you could decipher whether or not these statements hold true for me.

Your Brain is Orange

Of all the brain types, yours is the quickest. You are usually thinking a mile a minute, and you could be thinking about anything at all. Your thoughts are often scattered and random - but they're also a lot of fun! You tend to spend a lot of time thinking about esoteric subjects, the meaning of life, and pop culture.

What Color Is Your Brain?

To my First 2007 Post! Cheers!

Whew! New year again! January usually creeps me out because of the realization that all of us will get older again, just like every year. Nope, I'm not this bitter "age-denying" gal who would do whatever it takes for the number not to show up in my face. I just am so overwhelmed of how fast time flies...Oh no, "shoot" is the better term..

The new post is for the new year and as the OCiness-DNA gets the better of me, I am here trying to post another in this blogserver. I just cant stand having this blog lay on a standstill...

Anyway, i have a few blabs in my friendster blog but it seems that i just cant have the right words now. I was always wishing i was this prolific writer but then again, I realized that just like all the other talents God has been sporadically throwing out since time immemorial, I am one of those who didnt happen to receive that perfect seed for writing. More unfortunate for me, I was not even given the right fertilizers (translation: no formal training) that's why you'd notice how my writing is strongly influenced by just the specks of dust gathered from my readings. I sure hope though that you'd still find all these enjoyable.

So much for the disclaimer, im ending this with a toast...*ahem* To a year of faithful blogging, less scrambled words and thoughts, abstinence from "happy" drinks, and the final farewell to procrastination (am i out of my mind?!)...TO 2007!

(dAMN, i miss the booze that usually goes with this...)