My brain is definitely messed up. I feel sad and lost again.
Above is a bar of biscuit covered with a thin layer of caramel then chocolate (trust me, I will get somewhere).
When I was in elementary, my best friend and I would always buy two of this. It was thicker back then and when coupled with a pack of juice, it became our recess snack. It was a cheap option, leaving me with some of my money to buy toys in the novelty shop just outside my school beside a busy road. I was repeatedly told to never go there because it was too dangerous but I always disobeyed. Afternoon after afternoon, I would walk back to our elementary school campus cradling mangoes in plastic bags and cards with anime characters I don't even recognize.
It wasn't the thrill of disobedience that fueled it but definitely knowing what I want. Now, I don't have that. All is a blur. What people want from me, what I want for myself has become an unrecognizable blob in my head. Living a life without direction is too hard for me right now. I feel robbed of my ability to make decisions.
When I saw this bar in a Seven Eleven store, I felt so betrayed for some reason.
A guy runs for senator when he accidentally comes across a group of weird men in fedoras that adjust human events to make sure they happen according to plan. Just watch the trailer.
They navigate New York by going through doors that lead to different places. After watching this movie, I became paranoid but was immediately comforted by the fact that fedoras aren't popular within the Manila crowd (except for the occasional metrosexual). But what if, instead of fedoras, they sport those hideous Angry Birds shirts? We are doomed.
A well-deserved break for a book nut after a week of coupling college and an internship is a trip to Logos Hope - a ship that is also a bookstore (can I get a "wow!" please).
When I called my mom to tell her about my big plans of going to the harbor and visit the ship, she reminded me that I've been there before as a pre-pubescent being. It is heartwarming to listen to your parents remind you about your childhood.
The ship is the size of the average Superferry. Digression: I want to ride a boat this coming school break back to Iloilo. I've been watching too many period movies that had scenes of traversing the Atlantic. Ahh, the abundance of contemplative moments!
It houses a bookstore. So you need to get on board to check their selection of books.
Sorry for the lousy photos. I was too giddy with all the books around with the prices being outrageous. Bring a thousand pesos and you'll get books enough for months of consummation. Prices ranged from 50 to 700 (for the glossy art books) pesos. Most of the paperbacks sell at 150. They're obviously cheaper than the ones sold in land. I'm guessing because they never touch the shore, they don't have any tax. I could be very wrong because I shun legalese.
Of course, if you are more of a tourist than a bookworm, they also have spots for you!
With friends from high school that now go to neighboring U.P. That calculator shirt is a favorite.
I was thinking of captioning this "All aboard mate!". I'm a loser.
There is a 20 pesos admission fee and you can stay on board as long as you want. There is a cafe that sells imported canned drinks, chocolate croissant an a variety of other snacks right after the book store.
We went down the ship only for more photos. I haven't uploaded these on Facebook and I'm thinking of not doing so. Hahaha
I bought five books (fiction and non-fiction) including a thesaurus. I've been wanting one ever since because I want to start a hobby of highlighting my favorite words. I've always wanted to try doing that.
The ship departs Manille on March 14, 2012. A reliable source (a GPS in the form of a human friend) who brought us to the dock told me the ship opens at 1 PM every afternoon. It is definitely worth a visit. Go go go!
Its amazing how I look tired in photos. Makes me seem legit stressed from all my 'important' responsibilities. Ha!
If you’ve seen a Filipino movie featuring an old witch, the face below should be very familiar to you.
Lilia Cuntapay has become a nameless figure in Philippine show business. I would identify her if I saw her on pictures and films as “that old lady”. However, in the film “Six Degrees of Separation from Lilia Cuntapay”, the face which has terrified thousands of children and adults shines as herself.
The concept of six degrees of separation is that every person on earth is related to one another by at most six other people. For example (I am not using Kevin Beacon), Person A and Person B. Person A is a friend of Person 1, the queen of Scotland, who bought jewelry from Person 2. Person 2 was dating Person 3 who works under Person 4. Person 4 makes donuts at Person’s 5 coffee shop while Person 6 cuts the cheese. Person 6 is also the stylist of Person B. Its a beautiful concept that between every two people are only a maximum of six other connections.
In this film, Lilia Cuntapay becomes the Philippine Kevin Beacon (commonly used example as he has worked with everyone in Hollywood by at most six degrees far). Clever concept. It is a “mockumentary” so most of it is not true (but, according to the filmmakers, the character was deeply rooted on the true-to-life Lilia Cuntapay. I am guessing it was to suit attention-deficit viewers).
The film is fun and quirky. The documentary-style approach was called for because this woman is definitely an icon despite being technically unknown. There are interviews with big stars that don't even remember her name but could remember working with her if shown photos.
As the Loyola Film Circle is cool (I am an inactive part of the org; I will try better next semester!), they were able to schedule a visit from Ms. Lilia herself. She came in late from a taping for TV5 and when she finally walked in the venue, everyone rose from their chairs and clapped their hands, a standing ovation, for an awesome show of character on the film.
Sorry about the audio! Couldn't fix it.
I was clapping my hands too and was hoping she would be really pleased because at 76 years old, she should be really tired from the day’s activities. She was so overwhelmed to see everyone that she stopped a couple of times on her way to her chair and she even cried a little! Of course, I was starstruck! The woman whose face scared the pee back up my bladder in the dark of night is right in front of me.
Adorable grandmama!
When she got into her chair, she would sat down ready for questions and every time she answers she would stand up so that everyone could see her! So adorable! And she is really nice. There is excessive misunderstanding as she is often only seen upside-down with mouth wide open or hair standing on ends.
When asked if she gets annoyed by people telling her that her appearance strikes fear, she quickly replied:
“Pagnatakot ka, hindi ko kasalanan ‘yon!”
The film is a must watch and soon you will be able to! The assistant director shared with us that the film will be enjoying a commercial release. If it hits the mainstream theaters, WATCH IT!
I really wanted to have my picture taken with her, upload it on Facebook and gloat about it but I didn't have time. =((
I still vividly remember the days of being in my dorm room, reading a Dickens or thriving on the pages of other classics, wishing I had something else, something more social and productive to do. Now, my plate has too much and I arrive at each destination in sweat, running after my breath and fearing a systemic collapse.
But I love doing a lot of things, I just don't like getting tired. Coffee. Or a Palahniuk will shock my system back to life.
Guts by Chuck Palahniuk
Inhale. Take in as much air as you can. This story should last about as long as you can hold your breath, and then just a little bit longer. So listen as fast as you can.
I've been writing poems in secret for a few weeks already. You know the feeling when you're done with a test, especially the ones you are doomed to fail, and give it to your teacher then she goes through it in front of you? It is a bad feeling. You could feel every strand of your hair or every new pimple on your face. That is why I write in secret -- but I'll be posting some soon.
I just got an impermanent tattoo on the back of my neck. It says "Ach du" which is something like "Oh, you" in German. I liked it the first time I read the line in Plath's iconic "Daddy".
The bonsai tree in the attractive pot could have grown eighty feet tall on the side of a mountain till split by lightning. But a gardener carefully pruned it. It is nine inches high. Every day as he whittles back the branches the gardener croons, It is your nature to be small and cozy, domestic and weak; how lucky, little tree, to have a pot to grow in. With living creatures one must begin very early to dwarf their growth: the bound feet, the crippled brain, the hair in curlers, the hands you love to touch.
Aside from attempting to read my first Dickens (Great Expectations), I also got "To Be of Use", a collection of Marge Piercy's poetry. "The Work of Artifice" is the first poem in the compilation and it instantly hit me.
