Hazel, The Dreamer

One of my favorite bloggers recently posted about her childhood dreams. The post actually inspired me to think about what I wanted to be when I was younger. As dreams go, I had plenty and looking back made me realize how far I’ve gone and what else I can still go for.

1) I wanted to be an archaeologist-slash-teacher. My parents introduced me to the Indiana Jones series as a kid and I was totally hooked. I wanted to be like Dr. Jones–a college professor who goes off to exotic places on an adventure. I was devastated when I learned that you needed to have a lot of money to go on those trips. I was also surprised to find out that most archaeologists spend little time in the field; majority of their time are spent in museums and colleges. But the Dr. Jones scenario isn’t that far-fetched; I’m taking my masters so I can teach at a university. At least half of the dream can be realized.

2) I wanted to be a writer. I remember scribbling stories in notebooks and actually starting a Young Writer’s Club in school. I joined school publications just to see my work in print. My dream was realized a year ago when one of my papers got published in an academic journal. I also have a renewed interest in writing a short story or a screenplay. It’s a good thing that writing is one of those things that you can just keep doing. All you really need is something to write on and you’re all set.

3) I wanted to be a veterinarian. My parents dissuaded me. So instead of taking care of other people’s pets, I spoil my dog rotten.

4) I wanted to be a lawyer. I actually took my undergraduate course primarily as a pre-law course. A number of things contributed to my non-pursuance of a law degree: I fell in love with Video Production and I got disillusioned with how lawyers had to defend their clients regardless of whether or not the client’s right or wrong. I couldn’t stomach what I deemed was a lack of morals in the profession. I satisfy my “lawyering” urges by having healthy debates with friends. Less tricky and I can stick to what I think is right without consequences.

5) I wanted to be an actress. Although I had training in theater, I gave it up since I don’t know how to sing. I did one TV commercial when I was a kid but my dad didn’t let me go to other auditions. He said my studies would have suffered. I don’t know why but when I got into UP, I didn’t really “perform”. I shied away from performance orgs and preferred to just be part of the production instead of getting oncam. Maybe it’s time I voice out an interest to friends who produce indie flicks. Am I ready to audition?

Funny how none of my dreams as a kid involved “money” or “getting rich”. Oh well…the innocence of the young.

So far so good. I guess I’m not such a failure after all. My 10-year-old self would have given me a thumbs up seeing that I was able to fulfill half of my childhood dreams. And there’s still time to realize the rest…

On Ces Drilon

Although Ces Drilon is not among my favorite news anchors, I was among those disturbed by her abduction. I was also among those who silently cheered when she and her companions were finally released.

I have a new appreciation for her, especially after hearing her interview. This was so unlike the Ces I’ve seen on television through the years: she was obviously humbled by the experience and constantly apologized to her children and her family.

RG Cruz in his blog writes:

Ces’ trip to my mind is justified. Whatever story it was—-it was worth the trip. But—-there are many ways she could have done it and that is something she now admits. She would have still had the same results if she had resorted to less risky ways. Its upto her to justify why she defied logic and reason and risked her and the her crews lives.

I did not go into journalism because I did not have the drive for it. Speaking as a non-journalist, I feel that there’s no story worth dying for–but that’s just me. I’ve been hearing a barrage of negative comments about Ces–that she asked for it, matigas kasi ulo nya, mayabang.

Personally, I thought she was just doing her job. Granted she may have made wrong decisions but I don’t think she asked to be kidnapped. What happened to her should be taken as a reminder to everyone who works in the media–we are not untouchable. Members of the media sometimes become victims of our own arrogance and what happened to Ces should be taken as a wake-up-call.

Dressed Up Macbook

My macbook, Junior, is now six months old. Since I got her in January, my spending has been nonstop and my savings account hasn’t been replenished. Here’s my recent desktop:

Kumusta naman diba? I was feeling narcissistic…

I can’t seem to stop buying stuff for my macbook. I had to seriously stop browsing the internet for accessories and I kept myself from going into electronics shops. It’s addictive.

The first item I bought was this funky sleeve I got from NOYP. Their designs veered away from the usual plain black laptop sleeves and they’re proudly Filipino made. I got this sleeve for just P800.

The search for the perfect laptop bag was next. I searched the net for a local supplier of laptop bags that don’t look like laptop bags. I got my brown, fashionable laptop bag from LapDance. It’s just perfect for days whenever I feel like dressing up for work. The good thing about it is that it’s not too expensive: I got my LapDance bag for less than two thousand pesos at Manel’s in Glorietta Mall.

Of course, I just had to get another bag for the more “casual” days. This proved to be a little more difficult since I shied away from the usual and very obvious laptop bags. I finally found this cute messenger bag from Beez at Microwarehouse.

I love my macbook bare but when I saw my office mate use a red uniea u-suit on her macbook, I was tempted. Ironically, when I finally decided to get one for my own, I couldn’t find one anywhere! Thanks to my fellows at philmug, someone directed me to Liteware in Kamuning, where I got my marble pink uniea u-suit for under two thousand bucks! I even bought a couple of hamburger speakers while I was there since I got the u-suit for such a bargain.

I’m thinking of getting another laptop bag but I’m forcibly stopping myself. It’s been a while since I actually shopped for me…maybe I should get a pair of new shoes before buying Junior something new. I think it’s about time mama gets something nice for a change.

 

Pinoy Idol Rants

Pinoy Idol didn’t turn out as phenomenal as everyone had hoped. Reasons may be as follows:

1) I don’t think Raymond Gutierrez is the right person to host the show. He simply has no rapport with the contestants; he seems too stiff and “controlled”.  The fact that he towers over all the contestants doesn’t help either. I think the hosting stint should have gone to Drew Arellano–I know he would have done a better job.

2) I’ve never been a fan of Louie Ignacio. In my opinion, he should stick to directing music videos and just leave variety shows alone. Lighting and stage direction are way, way off. Masakit sa mata.

3) I know Danny Tan’s probably one of the best musical directors in the industry but I noticed that whenever the band plays a rock song, it sounds “jazzy” or “pop-py”. Rock songs performed on the show turn into show tunes which affects the performance of the contestants who chose those types of songs.

4) There’s talent there but I was surprised by some of the people who got into the top 24. Granted Carol Leus is finally gone (she was just plain awful!), Daryl and Toffer actually made it to the top 12. I mean, they were among the best in the Philippines? Come on…!

5) I really have no major complaints against Ogie Alcasid and Wyngard Tracy as judges. One is an established singer-songwriter while the other is a certified starmaker; it can be argued that those are enough to make them judges. Jolina Magdangal’s the most displaced judge. Good thing though that she is finally able to speak out her criticisms with a little more eloquence. I cringed at how she overused the phrases “Ok sya,” and “Gusto ko sya,” in the first weeks of Pinoy Idol. Basically, the judges’ comments are inconsistent and they themselves look bored at what they’re seeing onstage.

Last week, two of the best singers in the contest were sent home. Until now, I still can’t get over the fact that Walton, Meryl and Regene were booted out this early in the competition. I really thought Regene brought something so different into the table (if you don’t believe me, check out her myspace page and listen to her uploaded songs). With a sense of doom, I realized that it’s downhill from there–kicking out its best contestants can’t be good for the already dismal show.

Last night, Carol Leus (finally!) and JJ Jr. said their goodbyes. I’m still a little pissed that Daryl made it into the top 12–it’s either his family has a lot money to spend on text votes or his fans are willing to overlook his lack of talent. My vote’s on Robby and Penelope. I also think Mae’s quite good but if she doesn’t make it as a singer, I think she can be “developed” into an actress. She’s pretty and she has quite an expressive face.

Next week will be the start of the gala performances–bigger stage and hopefully better performances (but with the likes of Daryl, Toffer and Jeni still in the running, should I dare hope?). The production team and the contestants have to step up to get the audience to take notice. The change of venue should be the perfect opportunity to regroup and find ways to make the show better. Hopefully, fans of the Idol franchise won’t be disappointed yet again.

For more on Pinoy Idol episodes, check out Idol Philippines.

Indy, a prince with an accent and a kick-ass Panda

I already voiced out my excitement over the new Indy flick so when I suddenly found myself with free time on my hands, I immediately went to the cinema and got myself a ticket. I wanted to love it. I mean, I waited years for another Indy flick.

I was disappointed. In a nutshell, I thought Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was not a bad film but it wasn’t good either. I felt that the script was lousy and the Indiana Jones character I loved was missing in the film-Harrison Ford looked out of place; his dialogue cliche and forced. The only scene where I felt connected to the old Indy was the one with the huge snake–just a short glimpse and it left me wanting more. Talents like Cate Blanchett and Ray Winstone seemed wasted on the film. Shia LaBeouf gave a credible performance (I am now a fan of this guy after seeing him “survive” in this movie) minus the Tarzan-vine-swinging scene (which was just so BAD!). The graphics were inconsistent: some were really great while others were just terrible. And the aliens plot line? Puh-leeese! As a long-time fan, I felt betrayed. Granted The Last Crusade was a tough one to beat but I know they could have done better–starting with a better script.

I watched Prince Caspian on my own, surrounded by parents and their kids. It was a conscious decision to watch this rather than suffer through the roughly censored Sex and The City (will just wait for the DVD release). I loved the Narnia books and I thought the Disney adaptation of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe wasn’t bad. Good points first: the story was well adapted. I mean, the film was easier to understand than the book. The film was chronological while the book had scattered back stories all throughout. Most of the visual effects were stunning; especially the river scene. The kids looked believable with their weapons; their sword fighting skills improved a lot since the last film. And Ben Barnes as Prince Caspian looked hot. Bad points: Ben Barnes as Prince Caspian just looked good. He’s just so…bland. And his accent started to annoy me as I got into the second hour of the film. The characters, except perhaps for Peter and the dwarf Trumpkin, were almost too two-dimesional. They were just plain good or evil. I found it hard to empathize with most of them. The saccharine goody-goody theme of most Disney films also got to me.

Just when I was about to give up hope on this summer’s Hollywood releases, I went with my boyfriend to watch Kungfu Panda a couple of days ago. It was money well spent. I laughed from start to finish. Yes, there were a lot of cliche, done-before stuff in the film but these were executed well. Dustin Hoffman as the kungfu master was just great (I kept remembering his capoeira scene from Meet the Fockers) and Jack Black never fails to crack me up. The story was great and the animation was superb; I especially loved the dream sequence. It was quite reminiscent of the Samurai Jack cartoon series in Cartoon Network. For everyone who just wants to relax and have fun, this is the best movie to go see.

Looking forward to The Incredible Hulk, The Dark Knight and Hancock. While waiting, I’ll go see the Katorse Shorts at Robinson’s Galleria–perfect for a break from Hollywood fare.