More of these here.

"The splitting of the atom changed everything except man's mode of thinking. Thus we drift towards unparalleled catastrophe." - Albert Einstein

I'm curious to see your reactions to this speech by Helen Caldicott.

A friend sent me an email earlier today, an angry one with her thoughts on the war, and at the end she talks about an Australian student who was holding a placard that read "I cut History today because it's repeating itself."

War's on. I was watching the news last night and was curious about this group (their name escapes me) of voluntary human shields, hailing mostly from the UK but comprised of different nationalities. They rode into Baghdad in two bright-red double-decker buses. Quite a sight. Anyway, I admire their conviction. They're there, doing what they can, laying their lives on the line.

Congratulations to Jeline on getting a Dean’s Award! She certainly deserves it. :)

--

Eerie: Not only does the recent Richard Kadrey nanotale “Black Neurology: A Love Story” bear a slight resemblance to a short story I submitted to my English class in freshman college, it also contains a William Blake quote I keep in my wallet. If you’re interested, the quote goes “Those who restrain desire, do so only because theirs is weak enough to be restrained.”

Occasions like these, when work from people I admire and respect hits a theme or bears a resemblance to something I’ve done or thought of, tickles me pink. It’s a special kind of feeling, an almost giddiness. I did a stupid comic story in high school called The Man House, about an insane professor who could shrink people to miniature sizes and kept them in a large dollhouse as his prisoners. Around 5 years later the same plot was used by my god and idol, Alan Moore, in a short Cobweb story in Tomorrow Stories. Man, that made my week. I mean, what am I going to do? Cry “He stole my idea!”? Give me a break! Just knowing that Alan Moore and I came up with the same plot at separate points in our lives gives me the strength to go on. It’s like getting a great compliment from the universe. There’s a Moore concept called Ideaspace that is illustrated by this example. Basically, there’s a dimension of perception wherein instead of matter, you have concepts. Ideas. And this “Ideaspace,” can be tapped by anyone with a consciousness. And Ideaspace has seasons and things like weather, which would explain why the steam engine was discovered by 3 different people in two different continents roughly within the same month. Why so many movies with directly competing “hooks” have been coming out (Volcano/Dante’s Peak, Shrek/Monsters, Inc., Antz/A Bug’s Life, Armageddon/Deep Impact, Independence Day/Mars Attacks, etc.).

--

QUICK HITS

So Close sucked. Sorry, I wanted to like it but it’s terrible. Even its guilty pleasure quotient was surprisingly low. It’s such a shame because you can see its potential, too. But what more should I have expected from the director of The Transporter? It’s written by Jeff Lau, who is apparently very famous and successful in Hong Kong, so much so that he is a featured artist in this year’s Hong Kong International Film Festival. So far I am not convinced. The leaps of logic are the real special effects here; the action blocking is creative but shot poorly, and they move so slowly it’s unimpressive. Plus the effects are too noticeable. It’s a ridiculously over-the-top film that sometimes tries to be emotional but falls absolutely flat on its face. Plus, there’s a sudden lesbian undertone that emerges at the end! What the--?! Sad.

Narc is terrific. The recent “indie film with lots of buzz” lives up to it. Gritty, exciting, filled with moral swamps, I thought it was great. Acting’s terrific. Heard the director’s kind of arrogant, which is a shame, but he’s got the chops. Heard he’s taking over M:I-3 from David Fincher, which I’m happy about so Fincher can go do some other project I have more anticipation for than Mission: Impossible. Joe Carnahan also did my favorite of the Season 2 BMW Films, Ticker.

I enjoyed Chicago immensely, much to my surprise. I can see why the Academy is in love with it, and will not be surprised if it wins Best Picture, which is beginning to be more and more likely. It was consistently entertaining and surprising, which is hard to maintain, but it went the extra mile. The planning must’ve been intense. Plus, performances were pretty good all around, and best of all, each piece had a distinct look that separated it from the rest. I particularly loved the tap dance and the ventriloquist scenes. The one with the mirrors, too. And an excellent script! Plot and dialogue shine. Now I want John C. Reilly to win too.

Just saw The Majestic tonight, which has a lot of problems but as a feel-good movie kind of won me over at the end. Some scenes felt completely lifeless, though I couldn’t quite pinpoint why.

Star Trek: Nemesis was not as bad as people portrayed it to be. It’s not my favorite Trek film but it’s not the worst. Scenes where they shoot each other with lasers have no suspense at all, though. Still, I love anything that has to do with Data, and at least they’re continuing to do new things with the franchise. The philosophy has always been the core humanity (especially of The Next Generation crew), and that’s suitably on display here.

Am in the middle of reading Howard Cruse’s Stuck Rubber Baby, which is slow going. Very detailed art, and an ambitious scope. Up next will either be Dylan Horrocks’s Hicksville or Grant Morrison’s The Invisible Kingdom.

IDOL

I submit for your consideration, Takashi Miike. A Japanese director who’s become fairly popular in recent years due to the worldwide success of Audition, he has the same birthday as me, and is a damn workhorse. Of course, his movies prior to Audition have given him a cult following in countries other than Japan, but it was Audition that really got his name out there, and now all his movies are being invited to various international film festivals. Check out these numbers to see what I mean about workhorse: he only directed his first movie in 1991 (at the age of 31), and at the end of 2002 had 57 films to his credit. His slowest year was 1992, when he only put one film out (A Human Murder Weapon). His busiest was 2001, when he directed 9 films. Runners-up include 1996, 1999, and 2002, when he directed 7 films each year, and 1995, 1998, 2000, when he did 5. In Japan, you have to direct a number of films each year to make money. You just have to be busy. But look at that output. It’s amazing. And almost all his work is better than your average Hollywood movie. At his age, that’s astounding.

--

Gosh I wish I had cable internet. Better yet, DSL. Or one of those super-broadband networks they already have up and running in Hong Kong. Anything that could play decent video and internet radio. This dial-up stuff just isn’t cutting it anymore, though at less than 4 pesos an hour I’m still paying significantly less than I would be otherwise. Sigh. For you lucky ones:

http://www.vietnambla.com
http://www.indiepopradio.com

STUPID, STUPID, STUPID

I kind of organized my links box over on the left side. Finally added Lala as well. And found Joey’s 3rd blog. And do you like the new userpic? Thought so.

Check out Daypop’s Top Word Bursts. It’s an interesting looksee into what people are blogging about right now. And here’s something to look at while eating.

--

I rarely remember my dreams, but this week, out of the blue, back-to-back nightmares: in the first, I’m in a burning house. In the second, my two front teeth fell out. The second creeped me out more. The sensation of your teeth falling out is just frightening: an altogether different kind of fear that is reserved especially for dental horror. I’m serious. You may laugh, but it’s utterly terrifying, the feeling of your teeth coming loose (in the dream, at least, there was no pain; I don’t know if that made things better or worse), seeing the damage in the mirror…

I certainly hope these dreams aren’t some ill omen.

--

Can it get any worse than Halle Berry as Catwoman? Apparently it can.

Just found out that J. Lo and Richard Gere are trying to make a remake of Masayuki Suo’s Shall We Dansu?. Dear God NO! If you’re good for anything, Hollywood, you will quash the chances of this happening! Nice to see that Entertainment Weekly still have their sense of humor, though: “If the film follows its overseas counterpart, Gere and J.Lo won't have any love scenes together. Instead of hooking up with the dance instructor, the character is supposed to find new love for his wife after brightening his life by learning to dance. But come on, this is J.Lo.”

In better casting news, Jonathan Glazer’s remake of Hideo Nakata’s Chaos will star Robert De Niro and Benicio Del Toro. No word on the woman yet, which is a pivotal part.

And it’s nice to see that Chris Cooper is rooting for Christopher Walken to take home the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. I’m kind of divided about this particular race. Because while I would love to see Christopher Walken honored, I think that this year it should actually go to Cooper. Because his role in Adaptation was his best in an already-stellar career, whereas Walken in Catch Me If You Can was fantastic, but not his best. And then there’s Paul Newman, who’s always great.

--

Just fucking LOOK at this: Congress has changed the name of French fries to Freedom fries, to show displeasure with France. Bush is turning America into one big joke. You think the French give a damn? They’re probably laughing their ass off, as is the rest of the world. In my case, I’m just getting angrier, and wondering how this fucking moron got elected (oh, that’s right: cheating, and Florida). I agree with Neil Gaiman when he says it’s surprising this isn’t an Onion article. He also says: “Coming soon in America: sticking your tongue in someone's mouth will be known as freedom kissing. In Congress they will breakfast on Freedom toast, smear Freedom mustard on their steaks and drink, well, Californian Wine, I expect.”

Besides, was the fact that they were called French fries ever even a compliment anyway? Next thing you know they’ll be returning the Statue of Liberty.

eggy_tioseco: why am i not listed under idols in your links?
eggy_tioseco: damn.

--

Sweet.

--

Damn I wish I was an artist. I’d give anything to be able to draw well. Or play an instrument well. I’d love to be a musician. I think music is the best invention in the history of humanity. It’s truly universal. It’s a separate language that requires no training; can be appreciated by infant, by octogenarian, by beast. Interesting to think about the fact that music doesn’t actually exist, not in any physical way. It’s temporal, ethereal. You listen, and then it’s gone. Or you play it again, on a recording, or on an instrument. It exists for as long as it takes to hear, then disappears, or becomes engulfed in the next notes. But it lingers in your head, you hum it unconsciously as you walk to wherever you’re going. Last Song Syndrome. It doesn’t matter if you don’t know the lyrics. Just the melody. And then you listen to songs and they remind you of things: memories, emotions, places. People. Things. The smell of a van occupied by 5 other people. The feeling of being alone. High school. Grade school. The first rush of being in love, when you don’t feel time passing at all until you look at your watch and realize how late it is.

How I would LOVE to be able to make such sweet, beautiful music.

Last Friday was the 3rd anniversary of Neva and I as a couple.

Wow.

3 years.

I can’t believe it’s been that long. And yet, at the same time, I can feel the weight of each day, and three years sounds about right.

My thanks to everyone who greeted and texted us. We ate and ate and ate, because it was also the day that Neva became a full-fledged director for Mary Kay, so aside from our lunch and dinner we had a small handaan at her dad’s in Marikina, where she played with her dog Mittens. And if you read her blog, she’s downplaying it a little. Her deadline to get the directorship was March, but since she reached her quota in February, she gets an all-expenses paid trip to Dallas this July. So go over and congratulate her on her blog, which she’s been updating like a madwoman.

We met up with Quark, Mich, and Chris later that night, and then went to a strip club/brothel named Pegasus. It’s fairly popular, the one on Quezon Avenue? I’d always wanted to go there in high school, but I guess it had to wait until after I graduated college. It was fairly interesting, but that’s for another post.

Also came up with this: if you’re in a relationship, can you imagine something worse than accidentally killing the one you love? Is it worse than hearing that they’ve been raped and murdered, for example? I mean, they’d both be events out of your control, but would it be worse if the death were by your hands, albeit inadvertently? If you can, post a comment. I’m curious what’s worse than that.

--

Blogger’s been screwing up lately. Not that that’s a surprise to anyone. Neva said they’ve been bought by Google, so that may be one of the reasons. And if it’s not Blogger screwing up, it’s Haloscan. I blame Bush.

I also blame him for the fact that last Tuesday, me and Neva went to two malls looking for Hero only to find out that movies were changed a day early because it was a holiday. Damn, I really wanted to see it a second time. Now it’s only playing in far-away malls like SM City Fairview and Manila. When you’re all set for Hero it’s depressing to be confronted with Treasure Planet and Legend of the Crocodile.

--

I’m disappointed with this year’s Eiga Sai. The annual free film fest is usually the best of the bunch (and one of the first), with actual themed programming (most of these festivals just get what films are available). Last year or so it was all animated films, etc. This year was intriguing: it’s focused on one director, Kiyoshi Kurosawa. I’d never heard of him prior to the festival, but was intrigued because he was called the “new face of Japanese horror.” And for the country that gave us Ringu, that’s not to be taken lightly. But the thing is, none of these films are horror. The closest is Cure, which made him famous, but it’s a serial killer film. And the rest of the films they selected just aren’t that good. So while he may be a celebrated director (he does about 3 films a year, and will be writing one for Takashi Miike to direct), the 6 movies showing at Eiga Sai this year don’t really cast him in a nice light. All the movies I’ve seen so far have been slow, boring, and with not much happening. Hopefully the last two will prove better, since they sound the most intriguing.

I’ve also been watching the movies alone, which is an experience I’m not used to as much anymore. I mean, I watch movies at home alone all the time, but I haven’t watched a movie in a theater alone in a while. But I used to, a lot, especially in the first 2 years of college, when these embassy-sponsored free film festivals started popping up (usually at Shangri-La Plaza), and the lines would stretch to the parking lot.

This year I’ve noticed some sad things: first, that because the screenings are free you sometimes attract people I’d rather were deterred from going. Like drivers killing time and use the theater as an airconditioned place to sleep in, and noisy squatter schoolkids cutting class who can’t shut the fuck up and giggle and laugh all the damn time. The absolute worst is loner creepy men and women (usually overweight, old, with gray long hair and slippers) who talk out loud when they’re all alone, and just repeat whatever’s happening onscreen. Makes my teeth gnash. I also hate it when gay men are noisy, because it’s obvious they just want the attention; they try so hard to come up with something witty to say, and it’s no accident that their voice is raised so that other people will hear their supposedly-priceless bon mots. The second sad thing I noticed is that if the film’s really quiet, like most Japanese films are, you can actually hear the buses’ horns on Shaw Blvd. Looks Sounds like Shangri-La’s theaters need a little renovating.

--

If you have a chance, drop by the Cinema Paraiso exhibit at the NCCA building in Intramuros. There are a lot of interesting things on display, like the original Tiyanak doll, a couple of spooky busts and face masks (one of Dolphy, another of Christopher De Leon) that reminded me of Ring 2, the original handwritten script of Aguila by Eddie Romero, scripts of Ishmael Bernal’s Pagdating Sa Dulo (which won the FAMAS Award that year for best screenplay, I discovered), Peque Gallaga’s Orapronobis, Lino Brocka’s Maynila Sa Mga Kuko ng Liwanag, Jose Lacaba’s script for Segurista, a hilarious photo-essay on kissing in Philippine cinema, really cool promotional t-shirts for the movies City After Dark, Bagets, Sister Stella L, and Kisapmata, posters for Maynila and Raymond Red’s Pepe, which may be my favorite Pinoy film poster ever. Joey took some fantastic photos with his new camera, so I hope he gets to upload them soon.

It continues to sadden me that our Golden Age of cinema occurred 3 decades ago, and we haven’t come close since. Especially going through the exhibit, I kept thinking, how sad that we can’t even preserve the best films of our country’s history. They’re hardly on home video, and their existing prints are deteriorating. Where are the film restorers/preservation societies? I wish these films would get DVD releases, so that they could be sent to international schools and festivals. I wish that book I saw on Lino Brocka in the exhibit would be back in print, or at least online. I wish we had our version of the Newmarket Press publishing notable shooting scripts with supplementary material. Reprinting posters for schools and film enthusiasts.

What’s worse: that our Golden Age was 30 years ago or that we’re doing nothing to preserve what made it our Golden Age? I really want to see some of these films, but they’re inaccessible. And I live here! Imagine the frustration of people in other countries interested in Philippine movies of the 70s. The ones we could be proud of. Christ, and these are just the 70s! We can’t find clean copies of Pagdating Sa Dulo, for example, Ishmael Bernal’s first film, which was made in the same year as fucking STAR WARS!!! Sorry, I’m getting upset.

May I also note that it really fucking pissed me off to discover that Mike De Leon and Clodualdo Del Mundo’s script for Bayaning Third World was published by La Salle (De Leon’s an Atenean! Christ, he’s got relatives teaching there!).

Lia gave a nice talk at Quark’s class today, on editing. She’d prepared a lot of notes, but didn’t refer to them too often; maybe she just made them to ease her nervousness. But they’re good notes; I was reading them after her talk and there are things in there that I’d forgotten about, or didn’t think of. Sometimes you think you know things, but then there are always little things that make you go, “Ah. Interesting…” and then more possibilities emerge. I’m lucky to have friends like that. Take Gabby, for example. He just had a screening of In the Mood for Love tonight at Brash, a fundraising thing for Something I Forgot. He’s a go-getter, this Mr. Narciso. Active in a lot of things, not just his job. I remember that in our carpool in high school, he was the only other person who had more than a superficial interest and appreciation for stories and their telling. So I’d tell him story ideas and he’d tell me his and we’d share opinions, impressions, reactions. It helped to pass the time on ungodly trips home stuck in Edsa traffic, pre-C5. And in these conversations, I’d get ideas. For what we’re talking about, sometimes for something else, but the thing I’m getting to is that it’s nice to have other people who you can bounce ideas off of, or who can show you things you don’t know.

So anyway, 13 people showed up for the screening, which is good since an average Brash screening has about the same number, and this was all Gabby’s doing. And they liked the movie, and asked questions, and even went through some of the features, and two of them might even buy the DVD. And any money I can send Wong Kar Wai’s way, I’d be glad to assist.

Oh, and I have to mention this. Joey and I were outside talking, and he was taking a few pictures with his digital camera so the flash was going off every now and then. Later, after the screening and after Joey'd left, Gabby tells me that the flashes occurred right at the scene where Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung were caught in the rain, making for an unexpected, romantic, and possibly eerie "effect." Ahh, serendipity...

Saw Harvey, Carlo, and Ernan last Friday night, to talk about a possible project. The actual talking about the project was quick, we mostly had dinner, and caught up with each other. I was glad to finally meet She, and Harvey lent me some more Blade of the Immortal books, which I’m reading now and enjoying. Carlo’s project sounds interesting and insane at the same time: I haven’t quite got my head wrapped around it yet, but maybe things’ll be clearer when we get to talk about it at length. I just know it’s a relationship/romance between two monkeys that evolve through I think four different phases. You can’t say it’s been done before, that’s for sure. I’m interested in what possibilities he sees in it to make it a full-fledged project…

I also saw Justin of Ciudad wearing shorts in a mall last Sunday. In Rustans. I greet him now as he’s enjoying his action-filled job at Accenture. He was on his way to buy a book: the hardcover Illustrated A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking. I remembered that I had it and recounted to him how I’d begun the book twice but still hadn’t finished it. Started the first time when I’d gotten it in high school, got derailed by a hell week, and then forgot about it. Unearthed it from being buried under other unread books in college, took another go at it, almost finised it this time (even took notes which are still in one of my notebooks), and then got derailed by another hell week. I hope I get to read that book before I die. (It’s a great book, by the way)

Neva’s been updating her blog, and even changed her template, so go take a look when you’ve got the time.

Mich sent me what now has to be one of my favorite text messages ever: “Quick help what happened in first lord of the rings i’m forced to watch second now with carol’s family.”

--

Am currently going through a lovely retrospective called Peanuts: The Art of Charles M. Schulz. It’s edited and designed by one of my favorite graphic designers, Chip Kidd, and some of the archival strips contained in the book come from his personal collection as well as the collection of one of my favorite cartoonists, Chris Ware. It is, of course, beautifully designed, and I was lucky enough to get a brand-new copy for almost 50% off the cover price. I read a few pages every night before I go to sleep, and I’m falling in love with Peanuts all over again. Peanuts, Snoopy, Charlie Brown and the gang, I grew up reading them, but never really thought about them deeply. I’d laugh at a lot of the strips, enjoy myself, but I treated it as just another routine. It’s like background noise; it’s always there, we’re just so used to it that we don’t pay attention to it anymore. And we end up taking it for granted. So when Charles Schulz died, it was a shock to everyone. We all thought Peanuts would last forever (it will, don’t worry). Schulz was a consummate draftsman, and worked non-stop once he had syndication. His very last strip was published the day after his death.

The book really is amazing; there are pages from his sketchbook while he was in the war, and it’s a little surreal looking at his drawings of adults and “regular” people when none appeared in any Peanuts strips (or the TV specials). It contains also the only occasion that Charlie Brown flew a kite without it being eaten by the Kite-Eating Tree (unfortunately, it spontaneously combusts), the only occasion that Charlie Brown got to kick a football (because Lucy is nowhere in the vicinity), the only existing drawing of the Little Red-Headed Girl (based, apprarently, on a real-life unrequited love of Schulz’s), the first appearances of every character, and lots more. The only appearance of a character named Charlotte Braun. Early strips where the characters were shaped differently and had slightly different personalities. Charlie Brown, for example, was quite a prankster and ladies’ man. Snoopy’s head wasn’t disproportionate to his body, and he actually looked like a beagle. Lucy wasn’t mean. Snoopy was the first beagle on the moon. I’d completely forgotten that Charlie’s father’s occupation was a barber. I also got to see Schroeder, Lucy, Linus, and Sally as babies. The very first toys and licensed products. The cover of the first paperback book collecting the comic strips. The first few comic books (interiors not drawn by Schulz, I learned to my surprise). Characters who stopped appearing around the late 60s, like Violet, Shermy, and Patty (not Peppermint).

Going through the book you can slowly see his art style and sense of humor evolve. Not a few times have I laughed out loud, late in the evening, over a joke that might not seem so funny in others’ hands, but is dynamite when executed by Schulz’s deft timing and expressive line. His talent for facial expressions and body language is incredible.

One thing that takes me by surprise are the strips that aren’t just humorous, but have heart. One strip, for example, shows a young Lucy losing a balloon and ends with her almost in tears. The reader does as well. Charlie Brown probably has the most of these strips, what with his insecurities, his unprofessed love for the Little Red-Headed Girl, his seeming lack of skill at ANY sport, etc.

Around the time I was ending grade school, my mother gave me an old Peanuts paperback she had as a kid. This is a book that basically was published in the 50s, and still featured Schulz’s old style of drawing. It still had the old characters, and Snoopy still looked like a regular dog, no Woodstock in sight. I was amazed at the time, not just that my mom used to read comics as a kid, but because I never thought that Peanuts had looked anything unlike how I saw it in the newspaper everyday. To this day it’s one of my fondest gifts from her. It was probably the first time I realized that something like Peanuts had a history wholly separate from my existence.

I end with one of the sweetest, most profound statements ever to escape a child’s mouth:

“They say that opposites attract… She’s really something and I’m really nothing… How opposite can you get?” – Charlie Brown, 1963

Sorry, but Daredevil sucks. I really wanted to like it, because the book hasn't been this good in years, but it just disappointed me. It's certainly no Batman & Robin, but I don't know why they gave it to the director of Simon Birch. What's the point of admittedly good fight choreography if your shots don't show it, and your lighting's insufficient? And I know puns may sound alright in a script, but once you start speaking them out loud it just gets ridiculous. Michael Clarke Duncan's Kingpin doesn't come across as intellectually imposing at all, which is a shame because he's such a master strategist and tactician. Colin Farrell's Bullseye was the most consistently-entertaining character but even he, towards the end, started to disappoint with his, well, one-dimensionality. Elektra wasn't bad, but had none of the exotic mysterious qualities associated with the character. Ben Affleck played the same character he's been playing since forever. Favreau was comic relief. And it has the worst music cues of this year thus far. Can we make it any more obvious that we want this to be a franchise? From the schmaltzy Elektra-in-the-rain music to that hip-hop-song-whose-name-I-don't-know going "I'm an outlaw" upon Kingpin's first shot. Yes, we get the point, he's the bad guy.

6ixtynin9 surprisingly better than I expected. Some problems with the execution but overall interesting, with a good story. Even Thailand makes better movies than us. It also subscribes to this theory I have of what the future of cinema will be like, but I'm not telling.

Just saw Storytelling. Todd Solondz is a sick, sick man. I can't help but imagine that he really hates his characters (and thus, all people) sometimes.

Just spent the last half-hour or so looking like an idiot, laughing out loud at the hilarious online comic strip Get Your War On, which you must read. Go. Now. The bits with Voltron are my favorite ("Under God?").

Been busy with Pelikula at Lipunan, trying to watch as much as I can. Have so far seen El Crimen Del Padre Amaro, All About Lily Chou-Chou, Hush, Pagdating Sa Dulo, and parts of Titus. It's amazing that suddenly, there's back-to-back film festivals: practically right after Pelikula at Lipunan, Cinema Paraiso begins, also an NCCA event, and then eKsperimento around the 26th, at the same time as this year's Eiga Sai, which is focusing on one director. Unfortunately, Cinema Paraiso and eKsperimento both are in Intramuros. I don't even know how to get there, let alone how to traverse the maze that it is. Christ, I'm going to be destitute after this.

--

Our helper has a better DVD player. It can play all regions, and PAL discs. Damn.

Last night's casualties included:

2 orders of Chicharon Bulaklak
1 Four Seasons
2 orders of Tuna Belly
1 Ripe Mango Shake
2 Garlic Rice
1 Sinigang Bangus
1 Chicken Fritters
1 glass of Red Wine
½ glass of Pale

Man was I full.

For some reason I am wondering how many couples broke up last night, and wish that I could have my own quick Amelie-montage of couples fighting, with me whispering the correct figure at the end.

--

I have to admit that most of my Bush-hating comes from Steven Grant, and his column Master of the Obvious. It's at Comic Book Resources, and yes, deals with comics. However, it also deals with world politics, reviews, popular entertainment, etc. The man's well-informed. If you're curious, just check out his columns. There's been a section in each column on American politics for a long while now, so if that's all you're interested in reading give it a look-see. You'll find out all sorts of sordid things that Bush and Ashcroft have been pulling seemingly behind the scenes, because most of the American people are either ignorant (by which I mean not paying attention to how laws are literally being rewritten without their knowledge, which should never be the case in a democracy) or misguided. When I wrote one of my major papers in Political Science last year I pretty much used Master of the Obvious as my main source of info (it helps that Grant also notes his sources, some from Slate). Meanwhile I'll let you read this piece from the Onion, which as usual is funny but seems all too true:

Saddam Enrages Bush With Full Compliance
WASHINGTON, DC-President Bush expressed frustration and anger Monday over a U.N. report stating that Iraqi president Saddam Hussein is now fully complying with weapons inspections. "Enough is enough," a determined Bush told reporters. "We are not fooled by Saddam's devious attempts to sway world opinion by doing everything the U.N. asked him to do. We will not be intimidated into backing down and, if we have any say in the matter, neither will Saddam." Bush added that any further Iraqi attempt to meet the demands of the U.N. or U.S. will be regarded as "an act of war."

I sort of wish that Iraq would suddenly announce that they just ran out of all their oil. See how quickly Bush's hard-on for war disappears.

--

Some interesting quotes from a Christopher Doyle interview I found:

"We break the record every year for film used in a Hong Kong film, and yet he discards 95% of it. And I don't care, because if the image doesn't hit the screen, it's still there. I had the visual, and the emotional, and the technical experience of having made that image, and I think that comes back on the screen."

I suppose I should explain this one a bit. See, Wong Kar-Wai doesn't really work with a script. He has a general plot, and basically comes up with scenes on a daily basis, and then allows improvisation and inspiration to affect the story's development. A lot of times he doesn't even know how they will end. In that sense his "filmmaking" is really done in post, the editing process, where he sculpts what will become his film. In other words, instead of building up, he removes what is extraneous. It's an expensive process, but his works are amazing, and very few people are allowed that liberty.

And here's one that made me laugh:

SAB - So in these movies- the guys have such incredible charm, like in Days of Being Wild, when Leslie says, "I'll remember this minute forever."

Chris - Yeah, "Give me one minute of your time... this is the beginning of the rest of your life' kind of thing.

SAB - Can you be that charming?

Chris - No, no, I wish. Those lines are all Wong Kar-Wai's lines. I don't know how he became so charming. (Laughter) That line was chosen by this film magazine as the line of the year, and you can imagine how many poor young girls in Hong Kong lost their virginity because of this line.

Happy Valentines to all lovers everywhere, young and old. You can get more of these heart-warming images here. For all you lovelorn types, and for those who just plain want a good laugh, please click here. It might take a while to load, but it's worth it. I particularly recommend it to Mich and Goldie. If you're not a lovelorn type, but still want to laugh, click here, especially if you hate Michael Jackson.

El Crimen De Padre Amaro kicked off the Pelikula at Lipunan film fest @ Megamall last Wednesday night. The fest is of course brought to you by Mowelfund, and this time they've tied up with the NCCA, which is celebrating National Arts Month. The film itself was just competent. I suspect that whatever acclaim/hype/buzz the film garnered is due mostly to the controversial subject matter, because I found the execution rather lacking. I don't see why it was nominated as Best Foreign Film (Mexico's representative). So I hope that Hero, deservingly nominated, kicks its ass. The screening was maddening, because first of all, things were ridiculously late. They only started letting people in (after "celebrities" and guests) 45 minutes AFTER the film was supposed to start. When Mowelfund savior Boots Anson-Roa gave a short introduction, she sort of mentioned that there would be some speeches from some guests (NCCA Undersecretary, Mexican Ambassador) and a lot of people audibly booed. The guests got the hint and kept all their speeches under a minute. More aggravating than that, however, was the fact that the airconditioning was turned off around halfway through the film. And by the last thirty minutes, it was really, uncomfortably hot. If you looked around you'd see almost everyone fanning themselves with some piece of paper. I really fucking got angry with that. What the fuck am I paying 100 pesos for?! And let's remember that 100 bucks is more expensive than the normal Megamall rate of 60. I really wanted to kick the shit out of someone after that screening. When we got out the first thing I wanted was a drink and a nice blast of airconditioning. Anyway, I calmed down some when we got some food and refreshment at Caltex, but I got a headache from the heat and headed home.

Just saw Volcano High again last night with Neva, who hadn't seen it yet. What a great film. And wonder of wonders, Neva's finally updated her blog.

On a more somber note, please read the recent nanotale of Richard Kadrey's, Crash Kiss. Wounds of Columbia aren't yet healed, but he handles it with his customary eye-opening insights, and gift for language. It's short, as are all his other nanotales, so you don't have any excuse.

Also, may I point you towards the Love Stories blog, which hasn't been updated in a while, but is still well worth a visit. Stories about love in whatever form (requited, familial, paternal, friendly, platonic, etc.), so long as they're true.

Great out-of-context quotes (some quite old):

Mich: Did you just spit?
Chris: I don’t swallow.

Mich: I’m so tired!
Me: Why?
Mich: I was supposed to do 150 guys, but they were so gay, so I just did mga 50.

(Me and Neva visit Mich at Fila, and see her driver, who has fever, in the lobby of the building)
Me: Manong, kamusta na sakit natin?
Mich’s driver: Ayan, nasa taas.

The only recent interesting things people have been searching for when accidentally visiting this blog are:

Billy Corgan + wife
Diva Plavalaguna porn

The rest are just Aubrey Miles nude, or variations thereof.

Happy birthday to Alexis, and belated happy birthday to Jenny de Dios.

Harvey says that Japanese anime has regularly outsourced some of its workload to Korean animation houses, which may account for how they were able to refine their methods and techniques. I also remembered that since Korea's where Rough Draft is housed, I probably shouldn't be as surprised as I am (see previous post). Rough Draft is one of the best animation houses in history, and their calling card seems to be not just fluid animation, but the ability to maintain the creator's specific style. They do The Simpsons, and the old Aeon Flux and Phantom 2040 series. So every frame of The Simpsons looks like it was hand-drawn by Matt Groening, but of course that's impossible, and every episode of Aeon Flux looks like it was hand-drawn by Peter Chung.

--

And the Poveda Prom note is simply this: I never went to my prom (just the Senior Ball), Neva never went to hers, so it was our first prom. Unfortunately, it sucked. The emcees were charmless, and didn't realize their microphones were too far away from their mouths; the mobile sucked, so nobody was dancing; we didn't get the table we were promised, etc. But hell, we had a fairly good time. We danced. We talked. Good thing we were with friends. It was nice seeing all of us dressed up: all dresses and suits. I wish I had my camera but it was with my dad while he was in Baguio. Maybe Mich or Goldie will put up pics since they brought their camera. Lest I forget, Alexis and Hannah won Dancing King & Queen, and Goldie won Prom Princess. And Ciudad played a great set.

--

The Managing The Arts Program at AIM Batch 4 is ongoing now. Students include Laurice Guillen and husband Johnny Delgado (Goin' Bananas!), Nestor Torre, and Marvyn Agustin (who's dorming for some reason). Star-studded! I'm going to see if I can sit in on some classes. Neva, Mich, and Chris are talking about attending Batch 5 in June.

--

If you have nothing better to do, go here and vote for Newsradio, "full season" specs, please. It's one of my favorite shows of all time and I'd love it if the entire run were available on DVD.

What is it with Koreans? Why do they suddenly seem to have an influx of both money and insane creativity? Suddenly I’m aware that there even IS a Korean film industry, and that they’ve been coming out with some of the more interesting Asian films in recent memory. Normally I only hear about Hong Kong/China and Japan, but now you hear about Attack the Gas Station, My Wife Is A Gangster, and these two films I recently saw: My Beautiful Girl Mari and Volcano High. I saw My Beautiful Girl Mari about a week or two ago. It’s a lovely animated film about two boys who discover a portal into another fantastical world. Both the boys’ boring, lonely, troubled real-world life and the fantastic sequences in the other world are handled with equal amounts of imagination and sensitivity. The animation and art is beautiful. Far better than anything I would’ve expected from a country that wasn’t even on the map as far as animation goes. Volcano High I just saw Thursday night, and it’s amazing. It’s no Hero, certainly, but it’s a different kind of film anyway. It’s literally the best video game movie I’ve ever seen, except it isn’t based on any video game (as far as I know, anyway). It’s got some great wire work, interesting fight choreography, impressive cinematography, a ridiculously over-the-top, yet fun, story, even CG sequences. Where’d they get the money for all this? And the know-how? There’s some films here I haven’t gotten to yet, called Guns & Talks, which looks promising, kind of like an Ocean’s Eleven except they’re all young, good-looking, and assassins. And Phone, which looks like their answer to Ringu. And Christ, check out this trailer for a film called Wonderful Days. It looks amazing. Not just the animation, the matte paintings, but the character and vehicle design. The music’s terrific, too. I’ve been through it like 4 times already. Even in comics, though I know they have a rich history of manwah (the term for Korean comics, like the Japanese manga), the recently-concluded Angouleme festival had a special spotlight on Korea!

I am green with envy.

And since we’re on the topic of Korea, click here for a laugh.

My new wallpaper:



Last Wednesday night I watched Hero with Neva, Mich, Quark, and Lia, and all I can say is... Wow. WOW.

Actually, no, that's not all I can say. I can say a lot more. It's a fucking masterpiece. It's wonderful. It's the best film of the year so far, and I wouldn't be surprised if it stays that way, or at least in the top 5. You certainly won't find a more beautiful film this year, and though it's a bit early yet to say that, I daresay I'll still be right come December.

It's breathtaking. You can ask Neva, right after the introductory text, I already told her "I'm definitely watching this again." Once it started, I was just grinning from ear to ear like an idiot. I mean, I'd been waiting for this movie a long time. One of the best filmmakers, Zhang Yimou, working with my favorite cinematographer, Christopher Doyle, making a wuxia martial arts epic with a dream cast: Jet Li, Tony Leung, Maggie Cheung, Zhang Ziyi, and Donnie Yen. And, man, it was WORTH it. It's so rare for a film to live up to, and even exceed its hype, but Hero did it effortlessly. The first fight alone was worth the 160 pesos we paid (kind of expensive, yes, but Greenbelt 3 THX = P150 + P10 reservation fee is something I'm willing to pay for a film like this). It's operatic, it's grandiose, sweeping, epic, all the ridiculous adjectives you'd care to use. It's completely unlike anything I expected and yet I was satisfied on every level, and even some I didn't consider. The script, for example. I expected the great cinematography and the wonderful acting, but I didn't think the script would be that good. In a way, it has to be, because much of the film is silent. It's a film where what is said is just as important as what is unsaid. Where gestures are so important. And the structure of the film also took me by surprise: a series of stories within stories, somewhat Rashomon-like and yet not.

The visuals are just staggering. The colors are so alive, so vibrant, they just leap off the screen, and burn themselves in your retina. You could hang frames on your wall. The movement is fluid, graceful. The best wire work ever seen. The effects aren't distracting, and gladly aren't even that noticeable. I think it's a testament that the theater was mostly quiet throughout. No laughing at the wrong places. No talkative people, even in the many silences. Even us, as much as we make hirit sometimes, were just quiet, enjoying the spectacle.

Three scenes in the film brought tears to my eyes. Two involve Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung's doomed relationship, and one wasn't even about the story: the stunning fight between Maggie Cheung's Flying Snow and Zhang Ziyi's Moon in the forest. It's just so gorgeous, I found tears escaping my eyes, the kind that just appear out of nowhere without any preamble, the way they came out of Grima Wormtongue when he saw the army Saruman had amassed. Just by sheer, mindblowing AWE.

How many times do I have to tell you to watch this movie!? And I do mean in a theater. It's a theater movie. You'll miss so much if you just see it on video. I heard it's coming out in the US in November pa. Tough shit, folks. Here's one time I'm happy to be in the Philippines.

It's amusing to think about the connections among the cast and crew of Hero. Donnie Yen and Jet Li, for example, are both action superstars in Asia, though of course Li's more popular worldwide. They've both worked together before in the Once Upon a Time in China films. Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung were of course in In the Mood for Love, amongst other Wong Kar-Wai films, all shot by Christopher Doyle. And finally, Zhang Ziyi was discovered by Zhang Yimou when he cast her in The Road Home. And may I further add that I really liked Ziyi in this one, and am so glad she chose to accept the role despite its being relatively small and inessential. Then again, she'd have to be a fool to turn this down. Even on paper the project looked like a sure thing.

Going to the website, you can read a bit about the film. The part I remember most is the story behind the filming of the forest fight, where Zhang Yimou had a man in the forest to keep an eye on the changing colors of the leaves, sending videotapes to him, and when it was just the right color, the whole production rushed there. Crewmembers had to gather all the leaves after every take and arrange them according to three levels of brightness: A for in front of the actors, B for behind them, and C on the floor.

You can get wallpapers here.

Something is wrong with my mouse. The pointer only moves sideways, and not vertically. Which pisses me off. Terribly. It's quite difficult to use a computer using what few shortcut keystrokes you know. Somehow I was actually able to go online, but it was driving me mad. There's a post about being surrounded by prostitutes last Wednesday night that I owe, and a note about the Poveda Prom we attended last Saturday.

Anyway.

Finally saw 8 Mile last night, and just finished watching Catch Me If You Can. Both good films. I can see why people compare 8 Mile to Rocky, but it actually reminded me of The Karate Kid more than Rocky. Which, as Chris pointed out to me, were both directed by the same man. I enjoyed Catch Me If You Can a great deal, never once looked at the time or checked my phone through its 2 hour 18 minute running time. Loved the Saul Bass-inspired titles (which took 4 months to do), and as usual, terrific cinematography by Janusz Kaminsky. Also appreciated that the film had a lot of heart, that at its core it's actually about family.

Tomorrow: HERO! And The Eye.

Check out the reminders bar to the left, there’re a lot of new events coming up you may be interested in. Also added Wanda to the links box.

I sometimes forget about who reads this blog. A feeling of insularity becomes comfortable because it seems like the only people who read it are the ones who comment, or my close friends. So it still comes as a surprise to me when I get a nice email from my blockmate Criselle about the Ed being drunk post, or when Wanda chances upon the blog when we haven’t seen each other in months, probably since we were both technically students. Or when there’s an entry in the guestbook from someone I don’t know.

--

As if the new Macarena, that “Ketchup” song, weren’t dumb enough (and remember, the lyrics to the chorus are literally gibberish), we now have a contender in the post-ketchup-success-race-to-cash-in-on-people’s-stupidity: a twin act named the Cheeky Girls. In the video, Monica and Gabriela wear a spaghetti-strap tight top and really short shorts (or as they are affectionately called by Dos, “pukeh shorts”: “Kita mo na kaluluwa niyan e!”) and they have their own childishly ridiculous dance move but by far the best thing is the lyrics. The chorus goes, and I shit you not: “Don’t be shy/Touch my bum/This is life”

You can’t make this stuff up.

--

I just saw Guillermo Del Toro’s The Devil’s Backbone. I liked the movie a lot; it wasn’t what I expected. I thought it would be a scare-fest, but it’s actually a bit of a coming-of-age drama, except with a vengeful ghost. I’m just so glad it’s completely unlike this idea I have for a horror film. Nice to see that it was produced by Pedro Almodovar, since this film is leagues away from the kinds of films he makes. Also don’t remember the last time I saw a film lensed by Guillermo Navarro. Was it Jackie Brown?

And all of a sudden, there are good movies out. I still haven't seen 8 Mile, and I plan to watch Femme Fatale and Catch Me If You Can, and The Two Towers at least one more time. Most of all, though, I cannot wait for next Wednesday, Feb. 5, when both Zhang Yimou's Hero AND the Pang Brothers' The Eye come out. Wooh!

Last Saturday I was able to attend two events: the Levi's launch of their Type 1 Jeans at Visual Workshop, and the SugarFree album launch at Freedom Bar. The SugarFree launch was fun, even if I didn't get to see the band perform at all. The reason was we came late, so when we got there the place was already so full it was impossible to get in. At the door were people standing, packed like hamsters c/o SBC. So we hung out outside where we got to see so many friends, some we haven't seen in a while. Jeline, who's got a hapon man now (half-Japanese boyfriend). Her sister Jenny, on vacation from Japan. The Itchyworms!. Ciudad and Quark. Echo and Akon. Ruby Ang. My Comm blockmate Genie Ranada, who did the beautiful art for the album, called Sa Wakas, and who happens to be lead singer Ebe's significant other. Cog's Yagi and Eric Perlas (also a blockmate). Katrice and Le Sexy Mark Lavin from the Flip Sweatshop. Alia. Doranne. Joey and Jason of Twisted Halo. Ciudad-monger Kathy, who gave me two cool buttons (danke ulit! :). Carlo Eustaquio of the defunct blog. Sigh Maano from Heights. The Fatal Posporos girls, and Earnest and Buddy, who showed off pictures of their baby girl Veda, who's grown but is still adorable. Two grade school classmates, Rody and Carlito. Dicta License and fellow C-man Kelley Mangahas, with another high school classmate and ex-Dicta drummer Bryan Makasiar. Also met Lala and (who I assume to be her) husband John, red as a beet from Boracay. I must be forgetting some people, I'm sorry. So it was a great big catching-up. And you go home with a great album, to boot. Caught up on some chismis, too.

As for the Levi's launch, well… it was apparently the first in a series of launch parties for the Type 1, each party serving a particular niche. In this case, Artists. The next one is for Stylists/Fashionistas, which Mich has been invited to also, and we speculate the next two are for Yuppie Fucks and the Boring Rest. Either that or Trekkies. Maybe People Good At Trigonometry? The party scheduled for 6 began slowly at around 9-ish, kicking off with Lyle Sacris's thesis short film. So we were treated to 3 screens playing simultaneously, beginning with a man masturbating to a mineral water bottle and culminating in a 20-foot close-up of a singing vagina and Lyle biting down on a razorblade, blood coming out his mouth while the camera circles him. Groans from some of the audience. The party took place in an empty studio, with artwork hanging on one side. I have to admit that some of them were pretty interesting, and Mich wanted to buy one but the price given her was, to me, extreme. I'm sure people like Carlo can do much better. Across the artwork was the stage, and betwixt the two, pillows and tables for people to sit and eat free food from Cibo and free alcoholic beverages from who knows. Honestly, who cares? Free anything always tastes good, as us C-Men always say. The crowd was mostly pretentious faux-artiste types, the comfortably rich, unemployed stoners who think procrastination is an art form, or something to be lauded. Not everyone was like that, though. There were some honest, sincere types. Just outnumbered. Occupying the table beside us was Mylene Dizon and Ryan Eigenman. It amused me to be near stars of Agimat and Lastikman.

I left to go to the SugarFree thing but when I came back Epy Quizon had joined his Lastikman buddy. Strider was in the house! So was John Sobrepena, who I wanted to catch but his set was too late for me. Quark's poppa Atom was there, and Hannah had joined Goldie and Mich. Oh, the things we do when we're drunk. By the time I got back Mich was hammered. Goldie had already done her pass out bit but had already woken up and actually seemed sober. Usually the interns are noisier than Mich but this time it was the other way around. Mich was so drunk she didn't realize she was screaming. Even before I got back I was receiving text messages saying "Kami na ni Epy!" and when I got there she'd tell me again and again as if it was late-breaking news. Actually, screamed is more appropriate. And then five minutes later: "I love him!" Two minutes more: "He's cheating on me!" and I look and he's sitting with a girl me and Mich both know. While they're within earshot she shouts "He's only using [name] for sex!" For once Hannah and Goldie are the docile ones, sitting on the floor watching the bands. Later, yet another spectacle: Mich takes 4 pictures of her crushboy. Back to back to back to back. And there's also a verbal exchange that is too precious, I think I'll let her blog about it instead. On Monday I quizzed her about what happened; she only got about 70% right.

--

Saw Confessions of a Dangerous Mind recently, and loved it. Watch it. Surprisingly, George Clooney's is the best directorial debut of the year. The script by Charlie Kaufman is pitch perfect, though actually this kind of film I would have expected more from Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski, whose forte is biopic scripts (Ed Wood, Man on the Moon, The People Vs. Larry Flynt). Actors were all terrific, cinematography and colors were amazing, style is suited to the material, just a brilliant piece of cinema that came without too much expectation and blew me away. Awash in the post-viewing buzz, there is no better high than experiencing art that takes you by surprise, takes your breath away, sows seeds of thought and idea and concept that keep you up until the wee hours.

--



Two important film people died recently. Kinji Fukasaku, director of Battle Royale, The Green Slime, and co-director of Tora! Tora! Tora!, died of prostate cancer on January 12 at the age of 72 while in the midst of prepping Battle Royale 2 (you can find a 15-second teaser here), and now the project is in the hands of his son (who wrote the screenplay for both films, and was I think 19 at the time of the first). Hope he does good by it. Fukasaku is a pretty old director, but he has 61 films to his credit, and is cited as an influence by people like John Woo and Quentin Tarantino. However, it was only with the Kubrickian Battle Royale that he became known all over the globe. At the same press conference where he announced he'd be pushing through with a sequel to Battle Royale, he revealed that his cancer, which had been in remission, had returned. He said, however, that he wanted to use his remaining time left continuing to make movies.

"I hope to be able to continue to find wonderful projects with great directors and go on forever." - Conrad L. Hall

Which he had in common with cinematographer extraordinaire Conrad L. Hall. A legend in his own lifetime, Hall also succumbed to cancer, dying last January 4. He lensed 35 films. Some of his more famous films include Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Cool Hand Luke, and In Cold Blood. Myself, I only really came to know him from his Oscar-winning work on American Beauty, but his best work in my opinion is his last: Road to Perdition. You could take every shot from that film and hang it on your wall. His son's also a cinematographer; he shot Panic Room with Darius Khondji. Of all people, Tom Cruise recommended him to Sam Mendes, who hired him for Beauty and didn't let him go for Road. I wonder who he'll get now that Connie's passed on. One of the great things about Hall is that he's just a nice guy. He enjoyed working with young and first-time directors, and kept abreast of new technology (though mostly eschewing effects-heavy stuff) and people in his field, particularly giving props to women cinematographers.

Raise a glass for both men.

Which Battle Royale Character are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

The only other test I was marginally interested in.

I do believe this is the first time I've ever answered one of these things.


Which Ringwraith are You?
By Lisa

Am in Iloilo right now. Been here since Wednesday afternoon. The trip began badly because I lost my ticket and had to pay twice what I was going (and ready) to. Damn. Still, it's been tremendous fun. I'm here with Neva and PJ, one of my best friends from high school. As soon as I arrived we went to the local SM. Wow. Anyway, played some really old high-school-era arcade games, and I got PJ to buy a book that I will probably buy myself when I have the time, Donna Tartt's The Secret History. We also checked out this exhibit of various tribal costumes, which wasn't too interesting. However I did enjoy the adjacent exhibit, which featured all sorts of Sto. Ninos. There was a black one, a fat one (the creepiest, he looked like he'd eaten another poor Sto. Nino), even a female! Then all of us had a monster dinner, watched the Blue Roast videos from our respective batches, and went to sleep.

The next morning we went to Neva's family's mango farm in Guimaras, then another monster lunch, shot pool, and hit the beach for a couple of hours. Beach was fantastic: strong wind, coffee-mate sand, strong waves, freezing cold water that becomes better after a minute or two. best of all, practically secluded. After that we went to the Trappist Monastery, the only one in the country. There a decidedly gay monk gave us a tour, and we kept asking typically ridiculous questions. They're vegetarians who only eat once a day (you can choose the time), cannot leave the compound unless it's urgent or necessary, and cannot speak when inside the grounds proper (which is off-limits to visitors). The gay priest was quite proud of his order, showing off their two chapels (one donated by a couple who lost their only child in an accident when he was aged 27), pointing out how the bricks were made from Guimaras's natural limestone, etc. After all that, we went back to Neva's farm, had another monster dinner, talked and drank 'til 11 PM.

It's good to see PJ again. I miss his jokes, unfunny or successful. He told us about the people he's met in San Diego, the things he misses about the Philippines, the fears and wants we have for our future. As he said, "I can't remember the last time I had an intelligent conversation!" Must've been the beer.

We slept at the farm. It was unexpectedly cold, Baguio-cold, and we were wearing nothing but shorts and flimsy excuses for shirts. So we slept in the fetal position, under blankets, scared of the wind which would snap tarps against the windows every now and again. Of course, this being the province I should mention that the moon was bright as hell, like a spotlight bright. You could see the craters. The stars were also out in force, since there's no light pollution, and especially past 9 PM, when pretty much everyone on the island is asleep, you could walk outside without bringing any light. And the wind was so strong, you could actually watch clouds zoom past. Amazing.

And I forgot to mention that we of course had the sweetest mangoes for dessert. Mine had a hint of tanginess to it, but that gave it personality. Personality goes a long way.

Next morning we visited the Trappist Monastery again and bought some pasalubongs to shut my family up. PJ had to leave early but I'll be here until tomorrow afternoon. Am at Neva's family's house in Iloilo, and will probably watch something stupid like The Tuxedo while I wait for them to get back from a meeting. Had batchoy for lunch. I think I might gain a few pounds while I'm here.