twilight

After Bangkok Dangerous, i'm now on my next not-a-movie-but-a-movie-titled blog. Books for me are like diphenhydramine - with sedating effect. This will actually be my prescription for the insomniacs, hyperactive and zombees. It works for me, i just dunno if reading books has the same effect with the general public.

Enough of the introduction. okay. While i was stucked in Bangkok, Marie called me and said she watched a vampire movie - Twilight. Not just once but thrice! It was Edward Cullen's appeal that made her go back and watch it 3x. Hmmm, i wondered why (malamang pogi, ganyan din siya kay coffee prince at nagagalit saken pagsinasabi kong kamukha ni kuya kim atienza (matang lawin) si gong yu, hehehe)?

On my first day back in office, my friend gave me an audiobook version of the twilight saga. "Now, this is cool, let's see if this will keep me awake, cuz i will definitely not read the book version, knowing that the Twilight Saga is 4 books!".

Let me try this nonconventional way of "reading". And so i started. It was the unabridged version narrated by Llyana Kadushin. Is the audiobook version as diphenhydraminic as the visual book version? To my surprise, its not! This version actually made me "thirsty" for more. Such a lovely voice! A few minutes passed and twilight consumed me. It seems i'm under the spell of Bella's voice that i have to continue "hunting" the book. Ahhh, Bella, Bella, Bella. The accident-magnet Bella, my Bella.

I guess i have to stop from here. So? did i like this nonconventional reading you might ask? I'm now in Book 3 - Eclipse. Hooked. Enchanted. Bellafied.

(for the movie version..... i'll probably stick with the audiobook version for now, i'll probably wait for the clear dvd (blue ray daw) copy in Quiapo)the hunt is on!

its been a while

It's been a while.

I know i can give hundreds, make it thousands, of excuses why i suddenly put my blog into hiatus. oh well, if my blogpost can rant, he would probably cussed me for abandoning him.

if simon cowell can say his apologies before the anouncement of this season's American Idol, then I can pretty much say whatever i want (this is my post anyways). Sorry po, subukan kong magpost ng mas madalas.....

so what's up?

excuse #1 - briefly, i'm still in the wonderful world of corporate pharma but no longer in Global City Taguig (a.k.a. The Fort). I'm now in Makati Central Business District. Yup, am in a new company. And i thank all the people from company A for giving me all the necessary knowledge and skills to survive in this business. I definitely wouldn't be at Company B if not for the training and experience i got from Company A, i will be forever greatful.

excuse #2 - busy life. adjustment phase. some stuff to read. new therapeutic area. getting to know a lot of new faces. travel here and there. start anew. ilovemyjob.

excuse #3 - i cant think of any..... ah yeah, i'd spent a lot of time watching korean movies during weekends (Biscuit Teacher and Star Candy, The First Shop of Coffee Prince, A love Story in Harvard, Il Mare, Eraser In My Head, The Classic, Addicted, Sad Movie, and a lot more). Thanks to the very "accessible bangketa's" with the ever accomodating vendors selling "DVD, DVD, DVD"

excuse #4 - ..... i'll park for now. until my next blog, when? hmmmm.....

*wink

of Korean movies

Of Koreans and Movies.

During my residency days, I remember my batch mates set up a mini-movie house at our call room – an all-around laptop, an LCD projector, speaker, a white blanket placed on dilapidated wall and viola! Show starts after endorsement (which is around 8-9 pm, at least earlier that the last-full show at Robinson’s). All activities put on halt for a two-hour visual pleasure.

From jologs to classy. From English, Filipino and yeah, the most popular ones – Koreans. There has been a surged of everything-Korean on this part of the world. The Koreans invaded the Philippines (yes, they have out numbered the Japanese and Americans entering the country)! We have a Korean actress – sandara park, we have gazillion teleseryes from Korea - princess lulu, full house, sassy girl, etc etc etc (though I’m not an avid fan of teleseryes because you have to watch it daily – such dedication I cant afford). Now we have kimchi, K cars, Korean language studies and Korean Video Houses (take a walk along Ermita area, you’ll see lots of them).

Since I’m not fond of watching teleseryes (mini-series), watching a movie is the thing for me. And lo and behold – they have great movies. I think they have mastered the art of making quality films. You don’t have to speak their language and appreciate such masterpieces (ok, ok – subtitles is a must). After my residency, I have watched a handful. Their best at melodramas. The style of telling the story and presenting the TWIST usually near the end (which explains how, why and the whatevers of the movie) is totally brilliant! We are fond of watching western movies, it’s about time we try our neighbors’.

I just watched one this morning – Sassy Girl. They said, its part 2 of Wind Struck. Such a beautiful movie of love, relationship, pain and destiny. Don’t want to tell the plot, you have to see and appreciate, and remember – they always have a TWIST, which makes their movies worth watching until the end.

Ah, of rain and snow, of love and tragedy, of comedy and action. Their culture is not very different from ours, hence we can relate. Forget about their names (I didn’t remember a single bit) but watching every movie (or reading the subtitle at the same time), I assure you, they have movies far better than those made in Hollywood. Here’s some movies I recommend you watching.


Memories/Moments to Remember (50 first dates is no match with this one)
The Classic
Wind Struck
Sassy Girl
Sad Movie
Bungee Jumping in their own way
Am still looking for the Korean original “Lake House” - IL MARE




You have to watch the first 2 movies…..! So? How do you say hello? Ania sayo!

can i have a date too?

My weekend was a blast! After a very hectic week, 2 days off work is like heaven. At the same time my wife, (who, at the moment, is living the real doctors-for-the-people experience by being a resident in the biggest government hospital in the Philippines) had her weekend off. Enough time to spend our valentine’s ahead of the 14th plus quality time with the kids plus plus a visit with lolo and lola.

Valentine’s. We went to Makati and watched midnight cinema, curse of the golden flower (bosoms) – chow yun fat, gong li, jay chou. (I know, this movie is not for the season of hearts, I was actually inviting marsmyloves for a mushy “Holiday” movie, but it already started 30 mins). So, we watched a Chinese movie, I initially thought was dubbed in english (like the Jackie Chan’s) but to my surprise it wasn’t! Thank God there’s subtitles. I thought my date was ruined, but it turned out quite the contrary, my wife liked the movie and told me “I don’t need to watch mushy movies, I already have you” ahhh, I love you mars. J Walking along vibrant Makati district, you can see yuppies (young professionals) and highschoolers probably from their prom night. It was a nice evening, some enchanting evening indeed. Then we went to a joyride, its nice to drive without the traffic.

Sunday morning. Yuan was asking where did we go last night? We said ,we watched a movie at the “big tv”. “You had a date?” he asked. (At the age of 4, kids already know what date is?) Smart kiddo, “yeah we had a date”. “Are you getting married?” he added. “Yuan, we’re already married, that’s why we have you and Kyan.” Sometimes, you wonder, how do kids get ideas of dating, marriage, etc. if we think our lolos and lolas as old fashioned, how do kids think of us now? And the question of the day popped out! “Can I have a date too?” endless questions from a kiddo, sometimes you worry that you might actually run out of answers. And yes, it does happen! So, I carried little Yuan, put him in my lap and told him. “Of course! But always remember, you don’t have to hurry, you have all the time in the world, when you grow up, you will have plenty of dating (daddy will not fund it though, hehehe) but for now, you can only date mommy together with daddy and little Kyan. Deal? He smiled and gave me a confused look (I wonder why, hehe) ….. then, he went straight to the room and had a “date” with the playstation!

Happy Valentines! Marsmyloves, I love you!

not Lost in Translation

i watched house of flying daggers today. a chinese movie (thank God there's english subtitles)about ancient martial arts of knives and swords with an impressive performance of zhang zi yi (and actors takeshi something and andy something something). Chinese movies are really amazing! Action-packed (i think they have mastered the use of slow motion and fast forward, plus the jumpin-like-flying stunts and weapons being hurled all over,tragic love (tri)angle, picturesque locations. And zhang zi yi, uh beatiful, a face everybody will love.

anyways, back in residency, i have watched a lot of korean movies. dunno the names though (how can you remember their names anyway?) from action, adventure, love story, and their tear-jerkers(the most popular ones). Worth mentioning are The Classic and Memories to Remember.

what am i drivin at? well, we filipinos love western movies (mostly holliwood films) so much, that we actually never noticed our asian neighbor's equally impressive (or should i say even better) masterpieces. This week alone i watched kung fu hustle, shaolin soccer, and house of flying daggers. and i think am going to watch more the coming days. i may never know (and i think may not learn to recall ever) the names of the actors/actress but what the heck, its the whole package that matters most.

speakin of movies, the 32nd Metro Manila Film Festival (all Filipino) is already on its 1st week, have you watched one yet? :)

happy new year to everyone!