Eucalyptus, Bandages and Dice

Events and a Whole Lotta Cuteness

2006-06-11T06:57:00.000+08:00

My procrastination is incredible. Heh. After promising myself to update the blog every so often, suddenly every so often becomes "after a few months."

Anyways, those few months have been incredibly complicated. First of all, there's the tons of final wedding preparations. Meeting the wedding planner to discuss the events of the big day, confirming people's seat reservations, finalizing the flower arrangements, looking for a cake and pie maker, taste-testing the food... IT's enough to drive most people insane. It's easy to see why some couples get shocked post-wedding. They spend so much time planning for that huge event, and then afterwards, they realize for the first time that the wedding's over, and now they have this thing called a marriage to handle. Of course, Mitch and I are way too mature to fall into that kind of rut. With the baby and all I mean.

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Why do people in this country have this annoying habit of getting an RSVP invite, then don't bother contacting you? We didn't even write "RSVP." The invitation gave explicit instructions to "contact us if you will be in attendance." Did we have to give a direct threat that "if you don't respond, your reservations will be given to someone else?" Was that necessary? Are Pinoy's so full of their own self-importance that they feel that they can just pop up, and a seat decorated with gold, silver and precious stones be waiting for them?

If the person invited was part of the entourage, then YES, they can make that assumption. You wouldn't make someone part of the entourage unless they pre-confirmed their attendance. Anyone else? They have to give enough respect to confirm attendance. Especially when the budget is tight enough as it is.

Thank you to all those that didn't have to be called to confirm their attendance.

Everyone else? I respect you all greatly, but please save the next couple the trouble by calling them, and not them calling you. Even just a simple, "I think I can go" when receiving the invitation is all it takes.

As such, we've already done the seating. Anyone else who arrives without confirmation gets sent to one of two buffer tables, allocated at random. We don't plan on any last minute rearrangements. And if the buffer tables fill up? They can watch outside or go home. That's just the way it is. No offense meant, but you gotta give way for those who bothered to confirm. ^_^

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So where's the cuteness? Here ya go! Little Cayleigh Evelaine Tiongson is now 3 months old and THRICE as cuddly! The little wonder puffs just sprout up like weeds don't they?

This is our cheerful 3 month-old baby! Happy in the morning just before we change her diaper (which, when you think about it, may explain the excitement). And yes, to all her critics, her hair is still as thick and luxurious as ever. Hwehehehe.

Look at her eyes! Her right eye is a lighter shade of brown than her left. You can really see it in this picture. Another thing you can clearly see in this picture, is that Cayleigh now has no neck... ^_^;;

Cayleigh in her pretty new dress. She's still getting used to it. And that wonderful smile. She can laugh and coo and babble now, too, which is extra cute.

A better perspective of our little girl, this time with her dress pulled down properly. I think she looks best in profile, don't you? A far cry from when she was born. She's put on a lot of weight, and has a personality now. Just looking at her, she's practically screaming "I'm adorable! Love me!!!"

Gift from Heaven

2006-03-06T19:47:00.000+08:00

I'm a father!

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I... AM... A... FATHER.

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That there is the essence of this entire post. I should stop writing now. I might dilute the meaning of those words. So instead, I'll just post this pic:

That's my daughter, little Cayleigh Evelaine. She's soooooo adorable!!!

And there's more!

The first few minutes are often the strangest. Still wet and bewildered.

My wife and daughter see each other for the first time.

Exactly 15 seconds later, they're both unconscious. Go figure. @__@

Home at last, and sound asleep. She's barely 48 hours old and she can already turn to her side on her own. Amazing.

That's all I have to say. I have to be with my daughter now. ^_^

Winners and Losers

2006-01-30T19:24:00.000+08:00

It's been over a week since my last post. Lots of stuff has happened since then, which is probably why it took me this long to update everything. This is probably gonna be one of longish entries. ^_^

I'm documenting a bunch of losers and winners to help keep the entry cohesive. The more perceptive of you will note that the winner or loser for each entry is actually me, and not the person or people that the entry seems to refer to.

Winner - Quite literally. I was in the top 4 of my pod during the Guildpact Prerelease event (latest Magic the Gathering expansion). That meant 4 free booster packs and more importantly, a Guildpact shirt. The fact that I smashed face with a deck I initially felt sucked was pure icing. Props to my pal Tinne for inspiring me to use white-black as a combination in a Sealed Deck format. That reminds me, I gotta start posting my sealed/draft decks here sometime.

Winner - Wedding of my cousin Mike
Back when we were kids, my cousin and I were close. That's kinda what happens when you get to meet every few months for birthday parties and such, despite me living in Mandaluyong back then and Mike living in Paranaque (read: very, very far away). Then the innevitable occurence of puberty and teenage-to-adulthood angst came by and we lost touch. Go figure. But last Thursday, the dude got married to one of the scions of the Golez family (dad's a politician... don't ask for details). Congratulations. The dude made me a reader during the wedding mass. Luckily for him my off days are Thursday-Friday and I was actually able to attend. A bonus was that my wife and I took a lot of notes on nice concepts to include in our own Church wedding, and not-so-nice concepts to leave out completely.

Winner - Wedding of my old friend Al
What's that? TWO weddings in the same week? Just three days apart? Oh yes... We couldn't attend the wedding ceremony itself since it was at 930 AM and my wife had just come from dubbing the night before, which means that she actually got home early in the morning. We did arrive for the reception, which was at this cozy little resto along United Nations Avenue. What was the reception all about? Cream-filled swans, uber-good lasagna and surprise speeches.

Winner - AEGIS Open Meet
For an unabashed gathering of gamer geeks, it was pretty good. Lots of fun games, meetings with old friends, and new encounters. And what was amazing is that it started on time. I woulda loved to stay longer, but there's this nasty thing called work that I had approaching later that evening...

Loser - Overstuffed Saturdays
Naturally, the wedding and the AEGIS open meet occured on the same day, within hours of each other, giving me precious little time to rest properly before my night shift that same evening. My brain felt like it was swimming in molasses the whole night. More than one guy I talked to said to me, "What did you just say?" And I then realize that my last statements must have been pure gibberish. It didn't help that the next day, post-shift, I had to stay for a meeting, go to SM to buy some folding clips at National Bookstore, then go to Podium to prepare the baby registry for the baby shower later in Februrary. The kicker was when my folks decided to meet my wife and I there for Sunday lunch. I totally passed out when my head hit the pillow. @_@

Loser - Night Shift
It's not that I'm not used to a night shift, but I miss my wife's snuggliness when I go to bed. Night shift means I sleep in the day, meaning most of the time I sleep alone. Bah. And my wife is soooooo adorable in her present thrid trimester pregnant state. A fluffy pillow just doesn't match up. It isn't warm, and it doesn't hug you back. Did I mention that due to delayed scheduling format for February, I'll be stuck on night shift for a little longer than usual? Blegh...

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It's coming...

It's also pushing...

And squirming...

^_^

Slice of the Pie: Update Jan 2006

2006-01-20T00:31:00.000+08:00

Specifically, this is a slice of my pie. What am I up to? What am I doing? What should I be doing, but I'm not? And so on...

Is this a way to remind myself of what my responsibilities are? Maybe I'm just advertising my life to the general public?

Dunno. ^_^ On to the list!

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What am I playing in my spare time?
1. X-Men II Legends (Any game that allows you to play Magneto is a good one)
2. We Love Katamari (Naaaaa-nana-nanana-nana-nana-na-nana-na...)
3. Magic the Gathering (Guildpact)

What do I wish I was playing?
1. WoW (duh, like who doesn't)
2. D&D (or any other tabletop RPG... this is with friends though)
3. Final Fantasy XII (c'mon Square! What's with the delay?!)

What am I taking care of?
1. My pregnant wife (only a two months to go)
2. Wedding preparations (Church weddings are so much more complex than civil ones...)
3. Canadian emmigration paperwork ("I'm leaving on a jetplane...")
4. Fixing networks for unappreciative people

Things I should be taking care of:
1. Oil change and detailing of my car
2. Taking down the little x-mas tree (yeah, it's still up, so sue me...)
3. Cleaning up the bedroom (and I don't mean something as simple as making the bed)

What do I wanna buy?
1. A copy of WoW (redundant, that I am)
2. Nintendo DS (Castlevania for me, Nintendogs for my wife)
3. A large pad of watercolor paper (I'm still learning... give me some time)

People I need to talk to:
1. My brother (more often...)
2. My priest
3. My conscience (I'm not feeling guilty about anything yet, he's just a good conversationalist)

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List done... hopefully the next slice will be more interesting.

Funny thing about lists. The longer they get, the easier it is to lose sight of them as a whole.

A Commitment to Me and Then Some

2006-01-20T00:14:00.000+08:00

Fine. I'll work on the damned Blog. Everyday if possible. ^_^;;

Life is a generally simple thing that we make complicated by our own designs. We may complain that everything is already complicated and that we never have time for everything, but the reality is that everything we put ourselves we choose to do, whether it's being too busy for this or that, or ending up in situations which we believe we have no control over.

Then I remembered something someone once wrote, that no one is ever so permanent that he cannot simply stand up and walk away from who he is or what he is doing, and make a total change.

So here I am making a commitment to stick with this journal thing on a daily or near-daily basis whether or not I have anything really worthwhile to write. Personally, it doesn't matter to me if people like reading my most recent entry or not. What really matters is that I can read this again someday and laugh. Or cry.

Point is, it's a little fragment of me at one point in time, and even for a brief moment, I can look back at all this and realize who I was then. Time in little digital bytes. Or bites.

Cute concept.

What Comes in Threes?

2005-09-06T23:06:00.000+08:00

As a genius philosopher once said, "Nothing comes in threes. Nothing comes in Twos, or Fours, or Sevens, or Sixteens. Everything comes in ONES. It's just coincidence that a lot of Ones can come together to form patterns."

But still, a friend zapped me to take this quiz, so here I go:

3 names I go by:

Ritchie
Koala
Babu

3 screen names I have:

Otaku Oniji
Purple Jester
GM-Koala

3 physical things I like about myself:

freckles
brown eyes
I can wiggle my ears

3 physical things I dislike about myself:

oily hair
chronic allergic rhinitis
sweat easily

3 parts of my heritage:

American (mid-Southern)
Spanish-Chinese (immigrant)
Pretoxican (a little-known precursor race... don't ask unless you're a Robotech fan)

3 things that scare me:

taxes
the infinite stupidity of humanity
dropping things I value from a great height and seeing it smash into a thousand pieces on the unforgiving ground below (complicated, ain't it?)

3 of my everyday essentials:

Chiko
internet access
coffee

3 of my favorite musicians:

Peter Cetera
Kenny G
Jim Chappel

3 of my favorite songs:

Will of the Wind
Maybe It's You
Go the Distance

3 things I want in a relationship:

Chiko
Chiko
Chiko

3 lies:

There is no God.
My life sucks.
There's never enough time to do everything I want.

3 truths:

I've got some of the best friends a guy could ask for.
I don't just wanna exist, I wanna LIVE.
This ring on my finger feels good.

3 physical things about the opposite sex that appeal to me:

her eyes
her butt
her smile

3 of my hobbies right now:

tabletop role-playing games
Magic the Gathering
badminton

3 things I want to do really badly now (with a special someone):

walk under the stars
cuddle
make love, repeatedly, with variance, over a period of at least 3 hours

3 careers i've considered doing:

novelist
game designer
teacher

3 places would like to go to vacation to:

Scotland (the highland moors)
Bora-Bora
Middle Earth (okay, I'll settle for New Zealand)

3 kids names I like:

Katarina
Gwynedd
Alexander

3 things I wanna do before I die:

see the world
hold my grandchildren in my arms
spend my last moment telling my wife how much I love her

3 ways that I am a stereotypical guy:

I'm a grade-A, 100% pervert
I like food
I like to play games

3 way that I am a stereotypical girl:

I'm emotionally vulnerable to rejection
I give names to cute n' cuddly thingies
I think the world would be a hundred times better with women in charge

3 people I would like to see take this quiz:

Chiko
My spud
Jesus Christ (hey, anything's possible)

Whew! That's done. Lots of ones in groups of threes. Oh yeah, that philosopher I mentioned at the start of this entry? His name's George Carlin.

Back from the Void

2005-09-06T22:05:00.000+08:00

Change is constant.

Ponder that for a while, and you'll realize just how insane "reality" is, and how everything and nothing is real.

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Enough inane pondering. I've been out of the blogging loop for months. Internship will do that to you. The regular ground and pound of spending 36 hour shifts in a setting that doesn't appreciate your work just drains everything away. Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating that they don't appreciate our work. They do appreciate it somewhat. They pay us a generous P1000 per month! Wowza! For 36 hour shifts! Damn! It makes a doctor feel good, that we labor our asses off and get paid less than coal miners, or janitors, or grocery baggers, or tennis ball boys...

...

Did I mention that I've quit internship? Like, forever? I've had it with the Philippine medical scene. The return of investment is, to be frank, dismal. And you know what? I've also had it with the Philippine political scene. It's a crap-slinging warzone. I bet that if we replaced every congressman, senator, and cabinet member with a two-year old chimpanzee, we'd be better off. And we might as well replace our vice president with a baboon, and our president with a duck. At the very least, she can lay eggs. Even poor people can eat balut.

So I've quit. And I'm making plans to leave. Greener pastures y'know. Well, maybe not greener. Whiter. And not pastures. Mountains. Whiter mountains.

Yeah. Canada. I'll be a better off as a doctor there. I won't be extremely wealthy. But I'll be cozy. And cozy is good for me.

Immigration could take a while though. Twelve to twenty-four months. So in the meantime, I've got other things to do. Find a job to tide me over. Learn to live away from my folks. Get married to my wonderful fiancee.

Live.

On my own terms.

It's about damn time.

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See you on the other side.

A Much-Needed Update: Turning Back Time

2005-04-15T21:24:00.000+08:00

Where does the time go?

In my case, the last few weeks have been busy... stressed... bustling... crazy... but still fun for the most part. The problem of being so busy is that you lost time for other things. Including blog updates. @_@

So maybe it's time for a flashback? I think so. At the least, it will help me keep myself in perspective...

Where to begin? The bad news. Always begin with the bad news and build it up from there. Ahem... My grandfather died. Yeah, that's no joke, unfortunately. Mother's side. With his death, and with the previous deaths of two other grandparents, I'm left with one grandparent, my grandmother on my mother's side. The funeral was... potent. I suppose it helped that it was at an exotic locale (La Union), and that 10 of my 13 aunts and uncles were there with their families. Was I sad? Yes, but not for my grandfather. I barely knew him. I was sad because my mother was sad, and I was sad because I never knew my grandfather for the man who he really was. But I know he's doing fine, now, wherever he is.

That's over. Onto other things. I start with my post-graduate internship in Medical City this May 1. Yep. I'm gonna labor on Labor Day. How funny is that? Almost as funny as the beginning of my clerkship year in 2003, when I began on April 1. Someone in the medical profession is sick in the head, and it isn't just me.

On more fun things, the fantasy tabletop RPG I run every Saturday is finally on its final chapter. It's shaping up to be an interesting ending, quite deserving of the fact that the epic story has been going on for over 2 years in REAL WORLD time. Ah, the memories I shall cherish, or psycho killer cyborg babes and crippled miserly noblemen and good-aligned drow deathknight sorceresses casting spells like "Cone of Fat."

Hehe. Mundane stuff now I suppose:

Things I'm watching on TV: Air Crash Inverstigations (why am I fascinated by people crashing and burning?), Mythbusters (these guys are nuts... I like them!), CSI New York (go Gary Sinise!), CSI (Grissom's going bye-bye), Gundam Zeta (so... stupid...), Shaman King (why did they voice Ryo like that?!?), The Contender (anything with Sly Stallone and Sugar Ray Leonard has got to be good), The Amazing Race 7 (someone please kill Rob and Amber), F1 2005 (Ferrari still hasn't won a race!), WRC 2005 (diehard Subaru fan).

Things I'm doing on the internet: PPG Doujinshi (hey, it's made by a Pinoy), Bob and George (I always loved Megaman), Penny Arcade (the oozing sarcasm... woooo), Nodwick (poor little fella...), Dork Tower (I'm glad I'm not them), L5R (back to the best CCG ever made)

Things I'm playing on my PS2: Musashi Samurai Legend (cell-shaded... interesting), Champions of Norrath Return to Arms (for mindless fun), Devil May Cry 3 (hardest... game... ever...), Metal Gear Solid 3 (Tsuchinokos are so hard to find...), Grand Turismo 4 (it's got the Delorean... you can step back in time to redo races... wooo...)

Things I WISH I was playing on my PS2: God of War (want the blood! oh yes...), FFXII (can't wait... must have), Kingdom Hearts 2 (can't wait even more...), Ico (I missed this old game when it first came out...), Beyond Good and Evil (missed this one too...)

Things I'm working on: Full Metal Alchemist scripts, Canadian immigration, my sanity.

And that's that... ^_^

Teen Titans Go!

2005-03-26T11:56:00.000+08:00

News for Teen Titans fans in the Philippines: The third season comes out next week, Friday, 6pm on Cartoon Network. Previews hint that this season is going to be all about Cyborg, with Brother Blood as the uber-villain. While I'm not downplaying the capabilities of Brother Blood, I do hope that Slade still finds a way to pop up and ruin everyone's day in the end. Hehe. ^_^

My fave character is still Raven. But I'll have to wait till season 4 methinks before she gets her own spotlight.

Segue: My Beloved is a d4!!!

2005-03-21T10:19:00.000+08:00

As a little post-script to my taking the Polyhedral Quiz (see below), I would like to announce to the world that my beloved fiancee, who I love with all my heart and soul is a d4. I am very happy that her true, wonderful, and insidious nature has at last been confirmed. Why am I so glad? Well, for those of who who are into Chinese Horoscopes, she's a Fire Snake like myself. That's enough of an explanation. If you aren't into Chinese Horoscopes, you should be. More on that later. Cheers!

Take the quiz at dicepool.com

You are a four-sided die, a d4. Otherwise known as a tetrahedron, a "Caltrop", or (to a lesser degree) "Ol' Pointy". This crap bores you, so I'll get to the point. Others tend to see you as petty, conniving, manipulative, argumentative, defensive, greedy, and needlessly antagonistic. You see yourself as focused, effective, efficient, influencing, shrewd, tactical, and direct. Both points of view are in fact correct. You always know the best way to get things done, a fact that never wins sympathy with others. Whenever you manage to gain control of a situation, your solutions are swift and brutal. Unfortunately everyone else is convinced that granting you such power is, "a bad thing" and often conspire to keep it out of your hands. Such short-sighted fools!

Formula for Success

2005-03-21T10:07:00.000+08:00

At last, after so many years, it's shaping up to be a great 2005 Formula-1 season. It's a good sign that Michael Schumacher (and his Ferrari co-driver, Rubens Barichello) hasn't won yet after 2 races. Indeed, Schumi hasn't even gotten a podium. He crashed out in the first race, and managed only a 7th place in the second. Rival constructor Renault on the other hand has won two straight races, each with a different driver. Shades of the 1997 or 1998 season rivalry? I can only hope. Happy day!

Yes, I am a Michael Schumacher fan. But fans get bored when their main man doesn't get good competition. The best in someone comes from pressure and adversity. And honestly, it wouldn't hurt if someone else won a few races here and there. ^_^

What Polyhedral are You? --- A Surprisingly Accurate Quiz

2005-03-14T23:22:00.000+08:00

This online quiz is a little silly, but quite solid. ^_^ Try it!

Take the quiz at dicepool.com

You are the rare, the overlooked, yet incredibly useful dodecahedron: the d12. You are a creative, romantic soul. You often act without thinking, but make up for your lack of plans with plenty of heart. You easily solve problems that stump others, but your answers tend to put you into even deeper trouble. You write long, detailed backgrounds for all your characters, and are most likely to dress up as one or get involved in cos-play. You can be silly at times and are easily distracted by your own day dreams, but are at the end of the day you're someone who can be depended on.

The Wonders of SPAM

2005-03-03T13:18:00.000+08:00

I love Spam. And before you guys think I'm insane, I'm talking about that wondrous, salty, canned luncheon meat made by Hormel, not not the mindless electronic drivel that fills your email/chat with a couple of million messages daily.

But before I begin raving about Spam, here's something to think about. What surprises me the most about Spam is that a LOT of first world Westerners hate it, especially the ones belonging to the younger generation. I've contemplated this incomprehensible mystery many times. My first theory was that because Spam is so ubiquitous there, they get to eat it all the time, and because they get to eat it all the time, they're just bored sick of the stuff. But somehow, that seemed a little far-fetched, since they could just eat something else... I had to add detail to the that idea. So onto my second theory, which evolved from the fact that the ones who hate it the most are kids and teens. What was the original purpose of Spam and luncheon meat? It was a long-lasting camping ration, originally developed for soldiers in the field. So maybe when they went camping or traveling, that was the time they had to eat Spam. Lots of it. So what was wrong with eating lots of Spam, since it was only for short periods of time? Hmm... More thinking necessary. Then, some input from a foreign cousin finally clinched it for me. And a shocking bit of input it was. Apparently, most British and American families DON'T COOK THEIR SPAM. They eat it right out of the can, in all its cold, wet glory. Sacrilege. @_@

Don't get me wrong. Spam CAN be eaten out of the can without cooking, but there's almost no reason to do so. Spam deserves cooking. The heat brings out and magnifies the flavor, as well as reducing the moisture inside. If you HAVE to eat it raw, at least let the moisture drain out using paper towels or something. But you're missing a lot. A little frying pan or oven toaster or microwave action, and you have a meal fit for kings. If the Greek gods were still active in today's mundane world, they'd be eating Spam. Me? I indulge in the stuff anytime I can. It's expensive, but I pamper myself once in a while. One of my all time comfort foods is thinly sliced Spam, fried over high heat with just a little oil until they are wondrously crispy. Drooooool! I can eat that right off the plate, but it's also good with garlic rice or even freshly baked pandesal.

Here's some news to all you other Filipino Spam lovers out there. Hormel over the past year has been bringing the other varieties of Spam to the Philippines. In addition to the ever-fave Spam Classic, we now have access to:

Hickory-Smoked Spam - smokey and bacony goodness

Spam Garlic - for garlic and Spam lovers alike, this is sure to keep the vampires away

Spam Hot and Spicy - a little extra kick and bite to the flavor

Spam Oven-Roasted Turkey - an alternative to the usual red meat

Spam Low Sodium and Spam Lite - options for the health-conscious Spam addict

I've tried all of them except for the garlic... and they're all so good. It's now hard for me to pick which type I want to eat.

Recently, I have entered into a new chapter with Spam. Gourmet Spam! I have attempted to go beyond the traditonal sandwich filling or breakfast match, to try out the salted delectable in other dishes. Here's my latest experiment:

Spam Spaghetti Aglio a Olio
500g spaghetti
1 can Spam chopped into cubes
1 tbsp ground chillies or 2-3 finely chopped sili labuyo
2/3 cup olive oil
1 large garlic head sliced as thinly as possible
1 cup grated hard cheese (ex. queso de bola)
Chopped parsely (optional)
Salt and pepper

Cook spaghetti until al dente' consistency is reached. While it is cooking, heat olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and chillies, cook until the garlic slices just turn lightly golden. Add the chopped Spam and cook until the cubes are browned on all sides. Add the cooked spaghetti to the pan and toss until the noodles are glossed by the flavor-infused oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with 1/2 of the grated cheese and chopped parsely just before transfering to a serving dish. Serve immediately with the remaining cheese as a side. Use different types of Spam for a change in the flavor.

Enjoy! I know I will. ^_^

Anticipation Interrupted o_o

2005-02-23T19:44:00.000+08:00

Apparently, the director of Batman Begins isn't Tim Burton. I watched the second trailer and noticed that while the cinematogrpahy and art direction was appropriately dark, the setting didn't appear to be gothic and surrealistic enough to be in Tim Burton's flavor or style. My pal confirmed my fears, but it turns out it wasn't that bad. The director is Christopher Nolan, whose most noteworthy work prior to Batman Begins is the suspense flick Insomnia. While he's no Tim Burton, I'm reassured in that he's not Joel Schumacher either, or Quentin Tarantino. Lol.

And I got more good news in the reason why Tim Burton didn't do Batman. He's the director of Charlie and the Chocalate Factory! Burton and Depp back in business. Because of that combo, the mvoie has changed in my mind from a "nice to watch" to a "must see." And there's more! Any of you remember that best of stop motion animation films, The Nightmare Before Christmas? Tim Burton's written another such movie, also in the same cool stop motion style and visuals, entitled Corpse Bride. It's going to be released (appropriately enough) this Halloween 2005. Niiiiiiice! Did I mention that Johnny Depp voices the lead character? Joy again! ^_^

Anticipation Overload @_@

2005-02-23T12:18:00.000+08:00

Too many.

That doesn't happen very often, but now there's too much. Too much of what, you ask? Shows and movies. I love watching the stuff for the stories they present. And right now, there's so much stuff showing and coming soon this year that I'm losing track, given my absent-mindedness. Lucky I have this blog thingie where I can write it all down for future reference. Also, it gives people a clue as to the stuff I like watching. So what am I watching and waiting to watch? Read on.

WATCHING NOW:

Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam - It's Gundam. It has Char in disguise with girly hair and a suggestive alias. It has Kamille Vidan, arguably one of the most powerful Newtypes ever. This is great. If this trend continues, we'll be getting Gundam ZZ soon. How cool is that?

Shaman King - It's surprisingly more amusing and better dubbed that I thought it would be. So now I'm watching it. Odd that the spirits in this anime are so much better looking than the human characters, but I think that's completely intentional.

CSI - Latest season, and the one where Grissom leaves the cast. Lots of speculation as to how he's gonna leave the cast. I'm leaning toward the "victim of a crime but doesn't die" theory. What's yours?

American Chopper, Rides and Monster Garage - These three shows are all from the Discovery Channel, and each one is about modifying and customizing vehicles and motorbikes. Absolutely fascinating. And these guys get hundreds of thousands of dollars per vehicle. Who says mechanics can't make the big bucks?

WAITING and WAITING:

Formula 1 2005 - Another season of Formula 1. I wonder who will get second place this year? Hmm... maybe I should explain that. You see, for the last six years, Ferrari has won the Constructor's Championship. During that same period, Michael Schumacher has won the Driver's Championship FOUR times. That type of dominance gets kinda boring, so to make it more exciting, I'm speculating who gets second place.

Teen Titans Season 3 - I heard from a pal that each season was gonna highlight one of the 5 characters. Season One was focused on Robin, with his obsession over the archvillain Slade. Season Two was about Beastboy and his relationship with sometime ally, sometime foe, Terra. Season Three is supposed to be a Cyborg spot, with the villain being Brother Blood. Action and antics in a perfect mix all over again. =D

Justice League Season 3 - The highlight of the 3rd season is supposed to be that every episode will have many different leaguers (both standing members and on-call backup members) participating. There will be few episodes where the mainstays will all be there. Y'know what? I don't really care. It's all about Batman. I want to watch the eps with Batman. He's so good, the writers weren't able to put him in every episode because his skills would end the story prematurely. Therefore, the really good eps are the ones that go the distance even with Batman being there. Pretty good for a guy whose most powerful ability is his unequalled wit and intellect.

CSI New York - Another CSI. Gary Sinise is the boss in this one. I love how they use different styles and thematic templates for each of the three series. The original CSI has its contrasts with its garish neons and blacks, CSI Miami has its soft yellows, oranges and reds, and now CSI New York, with its subdued blues and greys. Nice. And with Grissom leaving the Nevada cast, I think this is gonna end up my fave.

Batman Begins - Did I mention that it's all about Batman? What I'm really looking forward to here is the successful return of the great Tim Burton as the director. After the franchise was ruined by the odious gayness of Joel Schumacher, I didn't think they could climb back from the pit without bringing Burton back. I'm SO glad I was right.

Star Wars Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith - This is it. The last one. And the tragic one. The mournful events of this movie are supposed to set the stage for A New Hope, so don't expect it to be funny or happy. It's gonna make you feel bad in a way that makes Empire Strikes Back look lame. At least, that's the theory. Let's hope this time that Lucas looks past the SFX and focuses on the story, which is what really matters.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - It's another take on this classic tale, ideal for both young kids and adults, but the more important thing is that one of my fave actors of all time, Johnny Depp, is playing Willy Wonka. I can't think of any actor who could possibly play the quirky candy-maker any better. Okay, possibly Jim Carrey, but I think Depp is the better choice.

Cars - It's Pixar's latest flick. The lord of the computer animated motion picture has just been getting ebtter and better, so it would be a crime not to watch this. I seriously doubt it will be better than The Incredibles, but it will still be great. On a side note, there are already rumors that a sequel to The Incredibles is in the works. Not really surprising, given its success, and that the superhero genre is capable of spawning infinite sequels.

War of the Worlds - I'm watching this one for the Martians. I'm all for any movie that involves aliens smashing the puny humans. Lol.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Earth go boom! No more puny humans! 'Nuff said.

Sin City - Wahoo! Frank Miller is coming to the silver screen. This for-sure R-rated film is gonna be great, with Bruce Willis playing the dark antihero lead character. Almost none of the visual and plot elements were changed from the comic series, which means this unique setting is going to be presented in all its original grit and blood.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe - After JRR Tolkien comes his best friend CS Lewis. This is supposed to come out in December. I can look forward to December again! This recent December was pretty boring when it came to films, the Manila Filmfest being partly to blame. Three straight years previous to the last, my friends and I have spent our Decembers at the premier to the greatest movies of all: The Lord of the Rings trilogy, so this December was extra dull. This year, I get to anticipate more fantastical goodness. Plus the sets and costumes and props were all made by Weta Workshop (the same dudes who made LOTR). Joy! ^_^

~ ~ ~

That's a lot of stuff, and there's more that I've probably forgotten even as I wrote this. Now if you'll excuse me, my brain is throbbing. I need a nap. @_@

He Just HAPPENS to Be Named John Constantine

2005-02-20T16:44:00.000+08:00

Last Friday my pals and I watched the movie Constantine. Being a casual reader and fan of the Hellblazer series of comic books, I was both anticipating and dreading this particular film. Anticipating because this was a huge step for Vertigo, placing one of its marquee characters into the wide screen spotlight for the first time. If this film was successful, surely more projects would follow. The Books of Magic, perhaps? Or dare I hope... The SANDMAN?!?

Dreading was natural for me because I am a purist at heart. And the purist in me shuddered at the thought of who was playing the lead: Keanu Reeves. His face was all wrong. He wasn't speaking in a British accent. He wasn't even British in this adaptation for all I know. They didn't dye his hair blonde. Gods... the costume department didn't even bother putting him in a trenchcoat. ~_~ Of course, these are what some people will call "superficial details," and will say that "the important thing about the film is how it's presented."

I couldn't agree more to the second statement. In order to give myself freedom to enjoy the film for what it was, I told myself, "It's not Hellblazer. It's an adaptation, and the lead character in this adaptation just happens to be named John Constantine." So overall, how was the film? Entertaining, and suprisingly true to form despite the lead actor's lack of "superficial details." Constantine was played with most of his trademark mannerisms, angst, sarcasm and ever-present bitter resentment of everything the other realms were throwing at him. The storyline was also good, despite a few alterations and errors from the canon Hellblazer, but again, that's the purist talking. All my friends who weren't familiar with the comic series were very pleased.

So what would I give this film? From my purist side? 3 1/2 stars. From a common movie watcher's perspective, I'd give it 4 stars straight. It's something that you can watch more than once just to while away the time. This is something that deserves the wide screen setting, or at least, a very large TV with full surround sound.

The Cheese DOESN'T Stand Alone

2005-02-18T09:20:00.000+08:00

This is sort of an addendum to the last food commentary. One of my close friends read last Thursday's blog and mentioned that McDonald's does have a few good burgers. So I asked her what they were. She replied that she liked the Double Cheeseburger and the Quarter Pounder with Cheese...

I had to laugh, and responded, "You're proving my point. The only reason those burgers even taste good is because of the CHEESE."

Most people will agree with me on this one: Cheese can make anything taste good, from broccoli to bland McDonald's hamburgers to old shoe leather. Okay, the shoe leather won't be any easier to chew on, but it will taste good. Don't ask me how I know. I just do.

Cheese is sacred. Cheese is holy. Get any food children don't like, such as the aforementioned broccoli, add a liberal helping of melted cheddar, and instantly it's a favorite dish. Miraculous. Get a great-tasting sandwhich or hotdog, add the cheese, and suddenly good food becomes better. I can hear the angels singing hymns as they sprinkle grated cheese on the clouds.

Cheese is multicultural. Every society in the world that loves milk, loves cheese, and has its own local cheese-making blends and methods. Italians in particular love the stuff. They're best know for their Mozarella and Parmesano Regiano, but they have almost as many types of cheeses as they do shapes of pasta.

And you gotta admire the sheer versatility of it. Hard or soft, sharp or mild, better cooled or better heated, solid or melted, sliced or chunked or shredded or grated: It doesn't matter what form it takes, cheese is good. Use it with eggs, meats, vegetables, stews, casseroles, breads, pastries, pastas, stir-fry, and salads. Cheese is friendly and intelligent, and if asked nicely enough, will give you advice on life's problems and may even write your next term paper or report.

So if anyone asks you why God created man, it's for two things: Making plastic, and making cheese.

The Perfect Date

2005-02-15T13:04:00.000+08:00

Yesterday was Valentine's Day, the over-hyped universal holiday of love, at least in western-influenced nations. Did I spend it with my beloved? Yes. Of course I did. Did we make a big deal out of it? Read on.

I'll break down the essential elements of yesterday. We didn't go to a exotic locale overlooking the ocean or the city skyline. We dressed in rubber shoes and exercise gear and played badminton in the local park for an hour. We didn't go to a fancy restaurant. We had dinner at my house, a home-cooked meal of kebab-style pork barbecue, sauteed vegetables, brown rice and papaya. It wasn't about Valentine's Day or any other perceived holiday. It was my fiancee and I together, all afternoon and all night, talking, laughing, hugging, kissing. And we would have done it the same way if yesterday was any other day.

Was it romantic? Of course it was. Was it special? Quite so. Was it the perfect date? Absolutely YES. No matter the situation or emotion, if you're with someone you love, that moment is perfection.

~ ~ ~

Happy Valentine's Day people. Live and love. Doing one without the other isn't an option.

It's Not For The Burgers

2005-02-10T14:54:00.000+08:00

Why do people go to fast food restaurants? Most people go there because they're in a hurry and want something quick, relatively cheap, and filling. But what makes you choose one fast food place over another, especially when a lot of them are superficially the same in menu and presentation?

Me? Depends entirely on what I'm craving for at the moment. I'm a very picky person when it comes to fast food cravings. Lemme run down my typical craving list...

French Fries? Definitely McDonalds. That's all I really want from McDonald's. Their fries. To quote my lovely and wonderful fiancee, "You do not go to McDonald's for their burgers." I'd have to agree on that, since their burgers are probably among the worst out there. The only reason you'd go for their burgers is if you prefer bland burgers, which is probably a reflection of your personality or personal life. The only remotely good tasting burger they have is the Big Mac, and that's only coz of that horrible excuse of Thousand Island dressing they smear on it. Ugh. But french fries? McDonald's can't be beat there. McDo fries are the Mentos of french fries, crunchy on the outside, soft and warm on the inside.

Since I ranted about it, where do I go if I want hamburgers? For a classic burger with nothing extra but ketchup, tomatoes, onions and lettuce, I'd have to go for either the ultra-juicy Jollibee Champ or the well-stated Burger King Whopper. For a specialty burger, like say, something with mushrooms or bacon? Wendy's. For a deluxe burger with exotics like jalapeno mustard or garlic cream cheese or sauteed caramelized onions? Either the popular Brother's Burger or better, the little-known Bite Club.

Chicken sandwiches? Personally, I'd turn to Carl's Jr. if I can find one. For spicier fare, I'll take a KFC Zinger or the equivalent sandwich from Popeye's. If neither was avalaible, I'd fall back on McDonald's McChicken Sandwich.

Spaghetti? Back to Jollibee for me. It's the only Filipino blend spaghetti that I actually enjoy. If I wanted Italian style spaghetti, I'd forget about fast food and go to an Italian resto. Big duh. Then again, if I was at an Italian resto I wouldn't bother ordering plain spaghetti. On a side note, Jollibee also serves their own version of Palabok, which is pretty good.

Other chicken dishes, especially fried chicken? Heh. For chicken-based dishes, I will always go to KFC. These days, I'd chow down on their healthy Go-Go pita meals or their chicken salads, occassionally munching on a tub of Hotshots. But for straight up fried chicken? I prefer Popeye's spicy chicken over the KFC variety. So sue me, I like cajun spices. I like Popeye's mashed potatoes too.

Regarding snacks, I'll choose donuts. Mr. Donut over Dunkin Donuts. Why? Mr. Donut doesn't soak its products in oil and sugar. I personally think that Dunkin Donuts smears its goods with this greasy oil-sugar marinade before baking. Blech. Mr. Donut doesn't overwhelm you with sweetness. And they have the best brewed coffee available in fast food restos.

There. Those are the only real fast food cravings I have. The rest of my food wants flow more to the "casual fine dining" type of resto. I'll talk about those next time.

~ ~ ~

Oh yeah. I'm talking about food coz it's Thursday. I always talk about food on Thursday.

@_@

Angels, Bards and Roses

2005-02-10T01:48:00.000+08:00

Just watched the movie adaptation of the uber-popular musical Phantom of the Opera. Very good movie. As far as movie musicals go, it was right up there with Moulin Rouge and Chicago. The set design and cinematography are able to extend the viewer's awareness to places a theatrical production could never go. The opening scene was particularly gripping. That intro really sets the mood for the whole film. Of course, being a movie, it falls short of a few things compared to theater, in particular the loss of the wide angle view and the potential majestic impact of a few scenes, such as the masquerade sequence.

All of the popular songs from the musical were in the movie, with a few barely noticeable lyrical tweaks. They were performed quite admirably by Gerard Butler as the Phantom, and Emmy Rossum as Christine. Even Minnie Driver was superb as the diva-esque Carlotta (surprise, surprise...). Critics might say that the singing in no way equalled the original performances of Michael crawford and Sarah Brightman, but then again, why would you expect it to? Every version or production of the Phantom will always be compared to the first, and every one of them will most likely fall short of that wondrous pioneer performance.

I for one was content to enjoy this film for what it was: an excellent and successful adaptation of one of the world's greatest musicals into the film medium, to be enjoyed by everyone who doesn't have the capacity to watch the theatrical version. If you haven't seen it in the theater, watch the movie. You won't regret it.

~ ~ ~

On a small RPG-related side note, this is the second movie in a row I've watched with an evil bard that absolutely rules (the first being Kung Fu Hustle). I am now fully convinced that bards rock, and evil bards totally rule. I'm never underestimating a bard ever again...

For those of you who doubt that the Phantom is a bard, let me explain in as simple a way as I can. Passionate about music? Check. Stealthy and skillful? Check. Wide knowledge about many things? Check. Fights with a rapier/sabre? Check. Charms with his melodious speech and song? Check. A little insane? Check.

There you go. Evil bard.

Is It Fair?

2005-02-07T09:48:00.000+08:00

I found out yesterday that my aunt, who has been battling colon and liver cancer, is now in a terminal stage of the illness. Over the last few months, she's had an operation to remove the colon tumor, and has undergone several chemotherapy sessions. Despite those measures, a biopsy discovered that the liver cancer was still growing, albeit at a slower rate.

She's been given 4 months to live. At most.

I also found out that though she knows that the chemo is only delaying the progression of her cancer, she hasn't been told the prognosis. She wasn't told how much time she has left.

Is it fair, I ask myself, keeping her in the dark like that? If I was in her position, would I want to know?

I know my aunt. She gets anxious about the littlest things so easily. You can expect that this entire ordeal has been a great burden on her mind and soul. She has accepted her fate, she says, but still sighs from time to time. I ask her why, and she says that she's worried about all the problems she'll be leaving behind for her children to carry. Unfinished business.

I suppose she would worry even more if she knew how little time the doctors thought she had remaining. That's why my cousins didn't tell her. That's why they asked her doctors not to tell her.

But is it fair?

I don't know. Are my cousins keeping it secret for my aunt's sake? I'd like to think so. I would want my aunt to enjoy her remaining time, before she is led to the next realms. I wouldn't want her to burden her with a fact that at this stage is moot.

We all have our allotted span. We are all given the same gift. From another perspective, all of us are granted the same thing: a lifetime. After that, there are only legacies and wisps of memory blowing in the wind.

Is it fair? No. Life isn't fair. Nothing is fair. It doesn't have to be fair.

Life simply is.

That's what makes it frustrating and happy and annoying and beautiful all at the same time.

Trains and Tracks

2005-02-05T10:55:00.000+08:00

I finished watching the entire Full Metal Alchemist series yesterday. If I were to give the whole series a rating, I'd give it 4 stars. Some FMA fans out there might wonder why I didn't go and give it the full 5 stars. The reason is simply it doesn't deserve the maximum score. Why?

Let me put it this way, did you watch Matrix: Reloaded (the second Matrix movie)? FMA as a series was like that movie. Great action, good suspense and plot build-up, and the whole thing played like an elaborate video game. Unfortunately, the ending leaves you scratching your head and wondering why there wasn't MORE. Sometimes that can be a good thing, but not when you leave too many plot threads unresolved or worse, HALF-resolved.

One or two more episodes to make the ending better would have helped. At the very least, it would have left the viewer with some sense of fulfillment. Instead, it ends like a partly-eaten slice of apple pie a-la mode, all soggy from melted ice cream.

I can't say I'm really griping about the whole thing. It was a good series but the conclusion didn't live up to the build-up of the middle part of the series. Nevertheless, I highly recommend it to any anime fan.

Whimsical Genesis

2005-02-04T11:01:00.000+08:00

And lo, a great electrical surge swept over the cyberscape, and whispered "Let there be text."

And thus, there was text. Pretty blue text. Someone out there must really like the color blue. Either that, or it just looks good on this dark background. Someone must like dots too. Reminds one of the dots used in the World of Darkness RPG setting.

~ ~ ~

Yeah, I know. Like a lot of people I decided to make a blog pretty much on a whim, with the prodding of a good friend of mine who in all likelihood just wants me to incriminate myself in some way online. Not that it's going to happen. I'm way too intelligent and clever to mention my numerous intellectual property rights violations.

~ ~ ~

I might as well get to the nitty and gritty of today, since I got a lot to do. I could rant on about how annoying it is that my car is color-coded today and can't be used till this evening, or about how I used my last bit of cellphone credit just to send "Ok" to someone, or about how I looked in the mirror and realized that I need another haircut.

But I won't.

This is too nice a day to be groaning about things like that (on a rainy day, I'd rant till forever). Instead, I think I'll have me a nice shower, play a little Tantra (it's a MMORPG, for those of you who are thinking of other things evoked by the letters t-a-n-t-r-a), and anticipate my fiancee coming over with the last 10 episodes of Full Metal Alchemist.

I'll probably end up commenting about that anime sooner or later. And why not? It's one of the better ones.

~ ~ ~

I'll end my first post for now. I think it turned out well for someone who has no idea what he's doing.

Now if only I can figure out ow to edit my member profile... ^_^;;