I don't usually blog about my school and the things that happen in it because I am not that type of blogger but let us make an exception this time because I'm starting my second year in the university and moving on to another year entails a lot of changes.
Here is a letter "e" observed under a LPO microscope. Because of its asymmetry, it is easy to observe the flips the optics of a microscope do to an image. Twice a week I have a four-hour lab with a separate lecture class this semester and they're not all that I'm taking. This is a tough semester.
The Loyola School Recruitment Week (LS RecWeek) is the time for the organizations of Ateneo to seduce entice members of the student body to join. Organizations in the Ateneo share a belief in "the more, the merrier" so RecWeek becomes this fun carnival of people in costumes, dancing to music by Nicki Minaj or that pubescent boys in a band.
It is fun. Organization life in the Ateneo, as a learning experience, is very rewarding and you get to meet a lot of people too!
I joined two organizations because I learned from my freshman RecWeek that it is not about signing up, it's about keeping up and being active.
PMSA was probably the only org I was worthy of membership from last year. I signed up on every registration sheet I could find but ended up not participating - except, of course, in PMSA. As a pre-med student, there is a constant need for inspiration and the PMSA, while doing the public good, offers exactly that: medical missions (where you get to assist doctors), talks (where you listen to doctors) and a lot of mingling with fellow aspiring MDs. Pre-Medical Society of the Ateneo is only one of its kind. And my first year with this org was too awesome to not repeat.
I have a blog because I am a frustrated writer and as a frustrated writer, my greatest desire is to get my work read. Well, not really. I'm content with the one-way blabbing I do here. But moving on, I joined The Guidon (pronounced "Guide-on", it was an embarrassing mistake). The Guidon is the official English paper of the Ateneo and of all the issues I have taken from their stands, all the articles were of wonderful quality. Consistent quality everywhere! It's definitely a big thing so the application procedure is not easy at all. So I will try my best to do all the requirements and make it to the deadline alive. If I ever get in, I'll be a happy, busy boy.
I'm really focusing on school this semester. Most of my activities will have some kind of affiliation with the university. Am I learning to focus? Or am I feeling the sharp bite of conscience? I have no idea.
If you can't grasp the concept of moodiness (intended to use bipolarity instead but realized it was too extreme and worrying), you should meet me. I've been really down the past few days. Quoting "Breakfast at Tiffany's":
Holly Golightly: You know those days when you get the mean reds?
Paul Varjak: The mean reds, you mean like the blues?
Holly Golightly: No. The blues are because you're getting fat and maybe it's been raining too long, you're just sad that's all. The mean reds are horrible. Suddenly you're afraid and you don't know what you're afraid of.Do you ever get that feeling?
It might sound really, really sappy and unreal, but I turn into art when I'm sad so that is why I read or attempt to read and write poetry and lose myself in things beautiful (like Twitter, haha).
Coffee
Wrapping the fingers
around the feverish ceramic mug
of night in swirling milk.
Hot, as if it is sun.
Bitter. Boned barrels down my throat.
Triggered by the lack of reflection
or echoes that do not fit.
Caffeine drops on ailing corneas
Melt and liquify the edges of my body
so that the ceramic mug won’t be the bowl,
barrels touching the walls of my hope.
Explode! - and help me breath.
Wrote "Coffee" just tonight because something that I have been trying to lose by letting it fall off is coming back and I don't like it at all. What a bad stretch of days but I won't worry too much because as usual, it will be too dark and bad that the only way to go would be up.
PS: I have a feeling I'm only being emotional because I can't find my Apple earphones. Earphones are a necessity and my pair was already turning yellow because of loyalty and durability. Hate this. =(( Ironic: iTunes Philippines just opened.
I have a 25-item quiz on Biology tomorrow but do I care? No. Because I have to watch episode 8 of Game of Thrones as backlogs are bad things. I was on the brink of worrying about the status of my education but something epic just came in (to my Facebook).
Two Door Cinema Club (Hereafter TDCC) will be launching a new album and they're calling it BEACON*.
*This is the part where we pee our underpants.
"The devil will want you back, and you'll never find love in an open hand"
- new song from the preview!
They definitely updated their sound! I don't know how to put it in words but TDCC's upcoming album would be an adventure from the previous awesome ones. Since "Something Good Can Work", I've been banging my (ear)drums to Undercover Martyn and What You Know. Last term break, we were playing sports on an XBox with Kinect and "You're Not Stubborn" instrumentals were on. Of course, we went wild. Microsoft, you awesome.
Note: Kill someone if release don't reach Philippine shores.
Update:
Speaking about the new album, singer Alex Trimble said: "'Beacon' is a much more intimate record than our first, but at the same time, it's much bigger and more inclusive. Trying to find that balance has been our goal for a long time and this record takes us one step closer to the band we've dreamt of becoming"
- NME.COM here. Full album details also available!
Awesome photo above released a few hours ago (which I immediately shared). Didn't know it was hinting the announcement. YAY!
As a young kid with a father who wore thick-ish glasses, I have always wondered how people with bad eyesight see (I am not bashing my father here, it is a fact of life). Having perfect eyesight back then left me wondering how spectacled people see the world without their glasses. I was curious for the manner of blur they saw (pixelation, doubling, etc)
Before I even neared the middle of high school, I got an answer. My eyes turned out to be late-blooming failures and I am doomed to wear seeing aids. In several cases, friends would wave their hands to acknowledge my presence and I can't say hi back with confidence because all I can see where their faces should be is a pastel mush of colors. And it is almost laughable how teachers would point at hazy figures on the board, especially when I'm sitting at the back of the classroom.
Of course, when choosing the spectacles, there is an inclination towards designer labels that cost too much money. And I have already exhausted several sets of those by either vandalizing them with deep scratches, or losing them. To solve the problem, I have come up with a solution: I will buy interesting cheap frames from cheap places!
The brown frame above already had my prescription lenses fitted in them back in Iloilo. Excuse the hipster-ness, my mother owned the frame and it was just lying around the house I was compelled to use it. The red one above is a cool, red plastic frame totally opposite of brown one. It has yet to be fitted with graded lenses.
No. I am not one of those who wear glasses for fashion or the lack of it.
*This idea actually comes from the awesome conquerer of the universe at JessicaRulesTheUniverse.com (she writes Emotional Weather Report for Philstar and my sister adores her).
A few months ago, I first encountered Miso soup. Orangey and would reduce to layers of unidentifiable Japanese matter when left alone but it had this heartwarming taste that I really, really liked. Walking like a ninja along the aisles of Rustan's I spotted Nissin's Japanese-style Miso soup. I am unsure if other nationalities have their own styles of Miso but I was sure that what I tasted and liked came from a Japanese place.
I bought several servings of the instant Miso (having previously heard the availability of awesome Miso soups in sachets) thinking it will be similar to what I have tried before. Wrong. The soup in this one is white and it tastes like sugar water (which is water with sugar in it). I don't like it. No offense, Nissin, but my personal preference disagrees with your grasp of the Miso flavor.
In other news, I have been learning Tagalog slang from my friend. They are not very nice words and I won't suggest usage - but knowledge is power. I have dugyot, olats and a few others unfit for public release. So there you go.
My life so far: Instant noodles and expletives. Joy to the world. #sabaw
Check out my poetry at LeoLutero.tumblr.com. Follow me please. Tumblr is an artsy place and my tumblr blog (or tumbleblog or tumblog) is my contribution of a rather embarrassing dream to become a poet.
Sample poem (I wrote this while trying to be emotional while packing my bags. I will be flying to Manila tomorrow morning.):
Is it wrong to dream of a career as a movie critic? Is bashing really unnecessary in personally assessing the quality of a film produced with truckloads of money which could have easily been spent on the welfare of the poor?
Quickly: the movie is a must-watch not because it is perfect (nothing really is) but the production has genius here and there and it is wildly entertaining.
I was initially excited to watch the movie because I have never seen any of the timeless tale remakes (Robin Hood, Mirror Mirror) that has been sprouting up these days. I was really into the dark magic, gothic, period quality in the film. And we can't not talk about the interesting assignment of roles, the girl who is perpetually poker faced on the Twilight series plays Snow White.
The movie is definitely not for kids. There is a lot of blood (not all coming from humans) and a lot of death involved.
Let me examine the film with the use of some of the film's characters. I am compelled to do so because the characters were very interesting in the film.
The Evil Stepmother/Queen Ravenna played by the gorgeous Charlize Theron
Her majesty queen starts off as an impressive portrayal. The genius of the wardrobe, production design of the movie becomes apparent with scenes that involve The Queen. (Take note of the scene where she bathes in milk (or some white paint) because although not entirely new, was very beautifully executed.)
Because the queen's power is mysteriously connected with avian entities, she will wear a gown made of black feathers. It was so nice. Sorry but my fascination with fashion must come through. It reminded me of an S/S 2001 piece from the awesome late Alexander McQueen.
For movies like this one, it was fairly easy to assess the production value by its ability to double as a fashion film. This Queen was so well staged it could have been an entire collection she wore inspired by her (also notice the bird skull details used on one of her gowns).
For the role, the shrieking and awkward intonation reveals a certain level of craziness from the queen but it becomes sort of repetitive approaching the middle of the movie. She keeps on shouting the same set of tones and volumes that you begin wondering if that was actually an accent.
Snow White by Kristen Stewart
One of the things that delayed me from watching the movie comes from several reviews that said Stewart's look was unsuitable for the role. I'm not sure if it is the affiliation with the bestial and necrophilic (but at the same time, a blockbuster) series Twilight that turned her into this actress unimaginable as a muse. And I was heavily distrusting her skills when it comes to screen acting. We can't say that she showed us a promising future with her previous performances. I'm sorry to make it sound like a pageant but let us place her beside Theron for a moment and ponder.
Then, after several scenes in the movie, it is apparent why Stewart was casted. Her look was different and this movie was supposed to be different. Stewart's image is pale, the red thin lips give an unconventional twist. Her not-so-feminine, introvert image was perfect for the Snow White they created. But the acting was just off.
When Stewart dares to veer away from her poker face, she shows a look that could only mean either "where the fvck am I?" or constipation. There are scenes in a lot of films where you have to get a very important yes or no from a character's facial expression and guessing from Stewart's face is just futile. I think that a perfect workshop for Stewart would be exposure to the average set of human faces and their corresponding meanings.
Even Stewart's comatose is not convincing.
I don't hate Stewart but her performance did not deserve a lot of claps. Although I don't understand the reason why her fame rocketed I am still hopeful for some critical success in her career.
The Huntsman by Chris Hemsworth
There is some peculiar visual coordination between Hemsworth's physique and weapons with a handle.
His character is a drunkard who had a painful past - a background I am not a big fan of. The Huntsman kind of pops out of nowhere in the film which is sad because he plays such a significant role. It felt like his existence was solely to make a story therefore irrational. And the verbal background here and there doesn't do it. The guy is a good actor. He plays the role well.
The Seven Dwarves
I am sure that the developers of the film spent days on developing the dwarves' characters. They were adorable in a grown up man hero way which I am not particularly sure how to explain. They were nicely and smoothly included in the movie.
The movie has some hits and misses (like the Catholic Church references which were unwarranted). The hype was good that it led me to reading the lyrics of Florence and the Machine's featured song Breath of Life which I had liked long before the release of the film. The whole movie is watchable but the only problem is that there were a lot of cramped elements that made the film too short and hard to understand totally. Of course, there are films that compel you to complete them inside your head but this one just becomes "Eh, that is what it is." Still, it's a bad thing if you miss watching this movie.
I'm in the middle of a dramatic decision-making process whose output can definitely affect my future existence. The problem is I don't find it appropriate to actually say what it is now so it is very hard to squeeze a decent blog post out of it. So what to talk about now?
Cool cat V-neck shirt from Lonely Planet (nux, fashion blogger)
I'll be making my way back to Iloilo in the afternoon tomorrow. Then I'll have five nights before my ticket to Manila expires. This blog post is just to alleviate the pain of having to move every now and then.
