HIStory

Corny title... even cornier day. I had my first official mid-term test... I think I pretty much blew it - well, not quite.

For the most of it, the questions were pretty straightforward, the answers were also equally obvious. The kicker here is about the way I was supposed to answer the questions. i'm not sure whether or not my answers were as it should be in the instructions, but to have facts as proof of elaboration seems a pretty vague and quite broad requirement for an hour and half test.

I'm not complaining about the time limit or the fact that it's most probably my fault anyways, but I guess I thought too much about what to answer and I'm guessing my answers are not exactly up-to-par as my prof would want them to be... dilemma.

Apart from that, I think I fared pretty well (I'll only know in a few days time).

I still think my group's play rocked!!! It wasn't fair cos ours was definitely easier to interpret as a short presentation, but in all honesty, the issues raised by the play are definitely no joking matter (although the play itself makes fun of the main issue of war and its toll on the human soul). Pretty stoked to be going to Baguio this weekend! I'm delayed for a group meeting for my report on an Indian art house movie "Pather Panchali" but I think we'll manage.

Anything else?

Oh ya, check out this chiquita. Her name's Grace Lee, she's 26 years, a DeeJay for a local station here (Magic 89.9) and she's SMOKIN' HOT!!! And she speaks tagalog too!!!

(Source: WikiPedia. Thanks!!!)

What You Will

A lot has happened over the past week. I acted in a short dramatic presentation, watched a few movies which were still no where near as inebriated as the Dark Knight was, learned of some valuable lessons in being penny-wise; pound-foolish, and that no government is perfect... and those who think they are are the worst of the lot!

That being said, it was pretty eventful so much so I'm just too tired to write more about it... but I'll say this much; Malaysia had better make up its mind on which side of the globe it's standing on otherwise as our populace goes - we'll all end up in the most awful rojak situation ever!!!

Cheers!

Mother Courage and her Loud Mouth

I'm almost not convinced that the world needs to be a better place.

After reading this play for the umpteenth time, it seems that there is always a reason to have a war, and the more reasons that we can think of, the more war we will have. But I'm just blowing smoke.

Recently, I was (automatically involuntarily) assigned a reenactment report presentation of a play, actually one of the greatest plays in history titled 'Mother Courage and Her Children', written by a German play-write, Bertolt Brecht. It basically revolves around a central character (Mother Courage) and her travails between Sweden and Germany during the War of Thirty Years in Europe. Written during World War II, the play exhibits many anti-Nazism and Fascism subtleties yet has almost a distancing between the characters and the audience. It's quite a moving tragedy to immerse yourself into, but I suggest an open mind and a good glass of wine to go with it.

So here I am with the play, and leading a group of nine (including myself...duh), I'm setting the context of the report and the play. It's refreshing to get suggestions and opinions from a totally (not really) different background of mentalities (it's a good thing) and perspectives because I began to also learn different approaches to a lot of thigns in life... yes, I'm suddenly being melo-dramatic... it's a real pain in the ass but let me rant!!!

Rehearsals start Monday (but there's a catch) and subsequent evenings within the week.

Why there's a catch on Monday? Well, in the Philippines, the President has a State of The Nation Address, which is a platform where she can preach her propaganda without having to bother about the objections of the Nation... pretty ironic considering it's supposed to be a State of The NATION Address. Anyways, on one side of the highway in front of the Uni is the locale where she will be holding her speech, on the other side (and the front of the Uni) will be a congregation of protesters who call themselves the People's SONA, rallying and marching towards her location. Pretty intense stuff as it's rumoured that she has called on the military (roughly 6000) to act as her bodyguards!!! I'm interested to join in, but then again, I've got other responsiblities and I'm not exactly obligated to join this rally... maybe when there's a nationwide protest (why can't there be one in Malaysia... cowards!).

Til the next post, VIVA LA REVOLUCION!!!!

What can I say...

OMHFGG!!!!

I won't elaborate on the acronym but this is definitely the defining moment of my celebration of the skin art of tattooing! Calvin having my nick signed under his beautifully inked tat! I swear I was shivering as soon as I saw the final design, not as dull as what I had originally drawn but nonetheless, a work of art and when I scrolled down to where my name was placed, I was touched!

Cal, ( I know you hate me calling you that), to put my nick down there means the world to me! I can't tell you how much that honor truly means when you've got (a paraphrased version) of my work and initialed my name along with it. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!!!

Here is the original design:



...and the final work:



I'm... stoked to say the least!!!

Now's my turn... hehe...

The Dark Night

No, it isn't a typo. Rather, a rhetorical title to the theme employed throughout the movie itself. I saw it last Thursday on it's opening night here in the Philippines along with my 'aunt' and her entire sorority. It was... beautiful to say the least! Christian Bale's performance of the Bruce Wayne/Batman persona was near flawless as he pulled off a performance true to the comic book's description of the Batman himself. Commissioner Gordon was as usual impeccably flawed in all his righteous ways. The addittion of Aaron Eckhart playing the District Attorney/ Two-face was brilliant to say the least. For those who caught his performance of the articulate orator lobbyist in 'Thank You For Smoking', he elevates that charisma into pure mad-geniosity in the character he played. But in all honesty, the actor who stole the limelight even after his death was Heath Leder in his role as the Joker. I cannot stress how hideously beautiful was his performance! Brilliance only captures the essence of the understanding of the character when acted by the actor. Genius is only appropriate when the character itself is set apart from the intended persona. His performance was not only true to the psyche of the Joker, but it's as if every word, every move, every breath he took when acting the part just emanated the true persona that is the Joker. I'm ranting at a totally incoherent disorganized frenzy here but I swear and kid you not when I say, Heath's interpretation of the Joker somewhat induces and brings the term 'nervous laughter' to a higher level. In case you seem lost at this point, we all admittedly laugh at the most inappropriate act that conflicts with our understanding of what is right and wrong and eventually we tend to make it into a laughable matter. In this matter, it's as if Heath has somehow managed to release us from that nervousness and permit that laughter to be pure fun in the face of all that is inappropriate and taboo in our culture. I may speak only for myself but it's a hard fact to admit because we all feel this deep inside. I'm not villain but I am somewhat released from feeling repressed of that villainous person hidden inside.

We all have a little bad person in all of us... let what little of that person consume us throughout the 2 hours of the movie to better understand and appreciate what we cannot have.

On another note, the Phillipines isn't submerged underwater. We did not experience life-ending tremors. I'm talking about the 'earthquake prediction' by a 'brilliant' Brazillian teacher. Maybe he saw a vision of the Phillipine flag but it could have been just a replay of the quake that did hit the country... 20 years ago! Let it rest! I'm gonna send out an invite to all of you to come here for a vacation. I'll even skip classes to bring you around!


I'm gonna worship the evilness again tonight.

Hee hee hoo hoo haa haa!!!

p.s. Calvin's getting ink! Everyone slap him on his arm to congratulate his brave achievement!

...and again... and again...

Anwar's in jail, and out- again. Same charges, a little too convenient for comfort... one has definitely to think about the repercussions of the government's actions this time around.

Again, this isn't a politically directed blog, but a rant of what I as the writer come across in my daily living abroad. I'm a foreigner foreign to the land I live in and the land where I come from. It's always best to let pent up feelings out in the open before it implodes within... but that's being conservative at best.

There was something I heard on the radio that caught my attention, but I lost it... dammit.

Nope... still somewhere in the back of my mind... I'll recall it sometime tonight - if I don't get too inebriated.

The Dark Knight descends upon my gleeful eyes tonight! I'm not a Batmaniac but I have a soft spot for the realistic superhero who doesn't possess superhuman powers unlike Superman or the X-Men. But among the whole lot, I guess Batman stands out really for his ability to be a hero with elevated normal human abilities and an inexhaustible trust fund at his disposal... rich brat.

I envy him, but that's his burden to bear. Best thing about this screening is the after party!!! Woohoo!!! I better start with the whiskey-coke's... no beer if I can help it.

Still bugged about that radio comment... dammit, I'll have to remember it and remind myself about it for the next post. Asta....

Babes, babies and chow mien

Sometimes I feel that being human is just downright unfair.

Don't blame me for being a little depressive (most probably because of the rain out there) but I had a few interesting discoveries or revelations or... things... that really irked the living hypocrite out of me!

First off, there's this issue about a governor or senator (doesn't matter... they're all gonna burn when they die), that waged a war on the content of a few periodicals, namely FHM and Maxim, because of the pronographic material it published! Come on, it's a guys gloss, let us have some peace already about it! I don't wanna be caught in the socio-politico crossfires here (seeing as the Philippines is predominantly Catholic-thus the issue), but it's been a long time coming since the first publication of this beautiful magazine and now the issue of pronographic content? Where's the justice? Where's the manliness in that? I'm sure that after his own fair share of subscription and maybe due to being caught beating the sausage over the lovely pictorials does the 'sudden' desire to lash out at this innocent read. Something don't feel right here.
More on that later...

The funny thing is coincidentally, another issue was brought up regarding pro-choice supporters versus the rest of the country. There's a long-standing history of involvment here concerning the Catholic order and the state. It's also a known fact that as much as the P.I. has declared itself a Catholic state (or predominantly Catholic), it also follows very much a secular constitution which has been implemented since the fall of the Japanese and the American colonization. Now, how does a country that is embroiled in social and political turmoil, burdened by over-population and corruption, work this dilemma out? I'm only highlighting the two points for pro-choice on the basis that that's what matters at the moment. Yeah sure they can move out or even educate people on family planning etc., but there's a term used by economists that describes the advent of a collapsable cumulative effect (I don't know the term, if you're wondering), that implies the multiplication of population over the years versus the time it takes for the people to not only be educated, but also begin to practice family planning and the (supposed) positive outcome on the country as a whole. Now, defining that took some time on my part, how long do you think it'll take until a 'decent' plan can be applied effectively and permanently? I'm no expert but I think in all common sense, we must be able to weigh the cause and effect of our actions, be it intentional or accidental.

So back to why I detest being a human being. Back to the damsels in distress. Back to the wall that lets wave upon wave of problems wash up my entire self to the point of eroding nothingness... I think there's more than meets the eye to the issues at hand.

Other than that, life's been peachy but the rain got bad (some typhoon up north). It's a little cool and I've got a jacket wrapped around my bag. Time to bring out the ol' umbrella.