Unwinding at The Legend Villas

Don't you just love three-day weekends?!  I had a chance to stay (for free! which means my sis paid for it, he he) at The Legend Villas at Pioneer for a two-night vacay with my twin and nephew.  I always love staying at hotels, love the feeling of clean, uncluttered rooms and hot water baths.  I love breakfast buffets and someone else making my bed.  It's my moment of Hakuna Matata…

The Legend Villas has a rustic, old Filipino charm about it.  We stayed at one of its premiere villas which offered in addition to its standard amenities, a jacuzzi, two televisions and a large spacious bathroom.  There's a feature in the bathroom which I find so Filipino, a small shower head (a bidet) near the toilet for that thorough cleaning experience, sort of a sosyal version of the tabo. The beds and pillows are firm, just right for my taste as I get dizzy with soft pillows. The temperature of the hot shower is just right.  Ooooh and though the swimming pool is quite small, it has a jacuzzi! The buffet breakfast was okay, (the hot chocolate was quite heavenly!) I loaded on lots of sugar and carbs that I feel like running.  But no! I'm off to soak in the jacuzzi and sleep the  carbs off till afternoon.  Talk about being the total bum!

Another big plus is that the hotel offers free Wi-Fi.  So here I am blogging and surfing using my sister's laptop and the free wi-fi.  Indeed, things have a higher level of enjoyment especially if they're free.  Nevertheless, I checked the rates, quite  reasonable and less expensive than most hotels.  Very interesting….

I'm off to soak in the tub and bathe myself until I'm squeaky clean. Happy! Happy! Happy! Then I'll sleep in that bed while listening to my iPod.  I'll leave my life's worries for awhile and enjoy this moment for myself. 

Sigh. Hakuna Matata.      

The Rain Hates Me

That does it.  It's because I blamed my life's hangups on the rain that it turned and bit me on the arse. Well more of drenched me with its powerful drops. As if I don't already hate the rain that it did a number on me this morning. The rain wanted me.  It wanted revenge as it angrily beat down against me teeny umbrella and my freshly ironed shirt and favorite jeans.  Damn! I even took the time to blow dry my hair that morning. But no! The rain was so inconsiderate it even deprived me of one of those perfect hair days.

I should have stayed home.  But I had a deadline at work and we're planning to visit the wake of a co-worker's dad and so I ditched my suit and wore denims to work.  I even had the foresight to leave home early. 45 minutes early for a 25 minute travel.  But yeah, the rain whipped its revenge for there I was soaked to the bone and stuck in an hour long traffic.  I arrived at work at 10:32 am.  

I wasn't even able to get any work done since I had to change to my spare workout clothes I had at the office and warm my freezing body with two mugs of coffee.  And just when my mind was ready to tackle the task I needed to do, GMA suspends work. 

That does it!

The rain fuckin' hates me.  

Rainy Day Woes

It must be the rain. 

Yes, it's the rain.  It brings out my gloomy side. Perhaps the sound of raindrops on my umbrella makes my heart rule my head. Then, my head wanders to that part of my soul that I unconsciously  and consciously ignore. Unconsciously — because I am more engrossed with work and responsibilities in life and consciously –  because I take pride  in  my strength as an individual. 

I am ignoring MY LONELINESS.

So tonight. As the rain keeps pitter-pattering  on the roof, as I sat, with sleep elusive, and my heart on my sleeve, I set aside my pride and strength, and meet my loneliness head on. There's no real reason, really. Everything is fine. I just feel…there's that word again…lonely. Let me wallow in it, just for this night. 

It started when I was walking home earlier this evening. As I take the short commute home, I was cursing the heavens because of the rain. I must be the last person who left the office and as the guard bid me the customary farewell, I found myself feeling dismal of the fact that no one was there to pick me up. No car who would pull upfront and wait for me.  No one to greet me with a smile as I open the car door and we drive home as I talk about my day.  No one to hold my hand or touch my shoulders. No one to tell me that everything is all right. 

My heart is filled with loneliness that I am almost numb.  I feel my life dwindling away passively.   I need to feel alive again.   I need to feel my heart thumping against my chest. 

This woe is here. I can feel it, that tinge of regret.  That vision of myself twenty years from now, feeling, wondering, why I gave up on my happiness. Oh please no. Let me feel complete in my loneliness.  It's easier this way and less complicated.  

I am at that fork in the road…take that uncomplicated path to that celebration of individuality or take that path searching for happiness with no promises.  Which path mcbeal ?…Think.

I heave in a long drawn sigh. long…long sigh. Might as well sleep. I'm hoping tomorrow I will be relieved of the woes I am feeling now.  Hoping tomorrow the sun will shine and I will be my bright, sunny self again. 

And hoping all this crap I'm feeling is because of the fuckin' rain.  

Of Love and Death

I have always been a sucker for love and death themes in movies, books and television.  There's a sense of bittersweet torture in witnessing a story of true love found when death is inevitable.  That's why I find myself watching A Walk to Remember for a number of times and re-reading my dog-eared copy of Love Story.   To me, love and death stories are the epitome of that "It is better to love and lost" crap that I find so excruciatingly appealing. XD

So even if I wasn't looking forward to watching Vic Zhou's Silence, the love and death theme appealed to me.  Actually, I wasn't planning on watching the drama but I chanced upon it at a DVD stall.  The salesman sweet talked me into buying it, "Ma'm, si Hua Ze Lei yan ng Meteor Garden, natatandaan nyo?" I scoffed at his sales pitch  but didn't have the heart to tell him I was a freakin' fan and a once active part of the Vic Zhou movement in the Philippines! (Which is a past I'd rather hide but remember quite fondly. ;p ) . So for 65 bucks, I bought the DVD thinking someday I'll get around to watch it as meron naman kaming pinasamahan ni Zai Zai.  I mean, aren't you curious to look what's happened to your "ex-boyfriend" once in a while. Plus, it's a story of a dying man finding true love…think Dying Young, think Sweet Dreams' P.S. I love You and ultimate love-death movie A Walk to Remember.  

 Well, A Walk to Remember it's not. XD  I never appreciated the Taiwan-Korean touch of Silence.  I had to wade through a number of subplots that I don't have patience for.  (Off-topic…Why don't they just focus on the freakin' main story and not  those subplots that steer the attention away from the main plot.  This is why I appreciate Japanese doramas more and why I prefer Mars and Meteor Garden 1, two of Zai Zai's manga-based dramas). I found myself fast forwarding through a number of parts. 

I appreciate the plot though.  A cold hearted young businessman who rediscovers his true self and his capacity to love with a mute girl, who founds her voice because of love, all happening in the throes of impending death due to a terminal illness.  Gosh! Is that romantic or what!? And guess what? He has only three months to live! That's fuckin' ninety days!  How could you love till your heart's content in just ninety days?  

Though it's not a great drama, Silence has its moments.  I love the way Zai Zai portrayed the terminally-ill Qi Wei Yi.  Park Eun-Hye is passable as the mute Shen Shen.  Competent actress.  They do have chemistry despite the language barrier. I love that scene in the final episode when Shen Shen uttered three lines… "Qi Wei Yi…Wo Xi Huan Ni (I like you.)…Wo Ai Ni ( I Love You).  And Qi Wei Yi utters, "I know".  Heartbreaking.  The bittersweet scene comes at his death, on top of a wide grassy knoll, both lovers wearing crisp white outfits, where Qi Wei Yi promises, as he lay in Shen Shen's arms, "Next time, I won't leave you this early."  Ah, that promise of eternity, the promise of love even in the next life. 

One thing I noticed about Silence though is that it lacked passion.  I mean if the love of your life has only three months to live and he happens to look like Zai Zai, you might really want to make love to him. Don't get me wrong, I'm not just after the sex (Nyahahahaha ;p) But making love is the most intimate expression of love. It's a union of bodies and souls.  And if time is not by your side, you just might want to take your relationship beyond chaste kisses or have his baby before he goes.  I suddenly missed Chen Ling and Qi Luo (Mars), now that's a couple who loved with passion.  

With all its flaws, watching Silence has its rewards especially if you like Zai Zai.  It's a must for those who like that Korean touch.  And even through the muck of ancillary stories, it still gets its message across…That you'd still want to be by his side, loving him till the end of his days, or more poignantly, as Kyra Sedgewick uttered in the movie Phenomenon, "I'll love you for the rest of mine (my life)".

Indeed, it's better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.

Hurdling the CEO Exam

Today is a significant day for me. 

At approximately 4:20 pm, I learned from an officemate that I was one of those who passed the Career Executive Officer Exam. It hit me from out of the blue since I was not expecting its release till October.  Who would have thought that the results will be posted online just over a month when I took the exam last June 10?  I must say I am feeling pretty proud of myself at the moment.  *smug smile*  

Actually, I have been putting off taking this exam for about five years now.  A lot of colleagues were telling me to take it, even at the time when the exam was easier.  I was too chicken. Perhaps it was the pride in me. Having passed the CS Professional Exams and the Bar Exams before, I didn't want to see myself fail an exam which, though it is moderately difficult, is not as grueling as the Bar Exams.  Ika nga, Bar Exams nga one take lang ako, ito pa kaya. But don't get me wrong, there are lawyers who take this exam and fail.  That's why, it's kindda scary. Even scarier if people around you make presumptions that you will pass. "Ikaw pa! Di papasa!"  

I'm glad that my mediocre efforts in reviewing for the exam paid of.  Heck, people may say I'm smart but I'm not the type to take an exam without some sort of review.   It's the OC-ness and "Sure"-ist in me.  And to think, I even considered enrolling in an MSA Review class that would cost P7,000.00.  Good thing I decided not to.  Sayang yung 7k, nyahahahaha.  I just relied on the two reviewers from MSA (available on National Bookstore) and around three visits to Starbucks to review. I also did some practice tests using Barron's GMAT.  But it was mediocre effort, modesty aside, since I was lazy most of the time and I did the actual crammig two days before the exam.  The effort was so unlike the bar exams. You can't cram for the bar unless you're a Super Being. And then again, you can't compare this to the Bar exams. There's no contest which is more difficult by a mile.  

So right now, I am feeling pretty smug.  My thought bubbles are filled with obnoxious statements of just how smart I think I am. This is so different from my feelings immediately after the CEO exam where I was slightly plagued with attacks of self-doubt.  Right now, passing the exam is another affirmation that I am, smart.  Wehehehehe.

I am also quite humbled.  I am not a religious person.  But I did pray for this exam.  I prayed to God for guidance. I prayed to Him to let me pass.  At the risk of sounding preachy, passing this exam is another affirmation of God's love for me.   

As I end this entry, the excitement of passing is already wearing off. Darn, just three hours after.  So unlike the euphoria of passing the Bar Exams.  The euphoria then lasted for months. I guess victory is sweeter when you put blood, sweat and tears into it.  In this exam, it's just sweat.  (I suddenly remembered the classroom where I took this exam. Fuck, no airconditioning. And the chairs! so uncomfortable!) 

Maybe if people start congratulating me again tomorrow, the euphoria will return.

And I'll be feeling mighty smug again.   ^____^

P.S. I made a screencap of the website for posterity. And I'm not saying which my name is.  

P.S. II - Just learned:  A TOTAL of 375 or 12.97% of the 2,891 examinees passed the written test of the Career Executive Officer Examination conducted last June 10, 2007.

An Absolut-ly "Blastin" Weekend

Last weekend (June 30 to July 1) turned out to be an  absolute blast for me! It's been quite awhile since I partied..really partied that I just had to 'blog' this down for posterity. Here is an account of my blastin' weekend: 

9:30 am Woke up still groggy with the cold.  This is what I get for taking two Neozep Forte ( Forte ha, the no-Drowse kind sucks! lol) and lots of juice. I was in tra-la-la till kingdom come.  The drugs were well worth it, slept the runny nose off! Woohooo!! 

9:45 -12:00 Spent the hours watching "The Office" Season Three on DVD.  Steve Carell is great as the boss that sucks.  

12:00nn-1:00 pm Lunch. Had Leftover spaghetti,  Too ketchupy for my taste but it will do.

1:30 - 2:00 Prepared for a trip to Gateway to watch Transformers.  Aiming for the 3:40 showtime, enough time to get to Makati and meet drinking buddies for overnight drinking debauchery. (Woohoo!!)

2:45 -Arrived at Gateway with Twin Clone and her offspring. Gah!  Traffic was  a little bad my  nephew fell asleep.  We had to wake him up when we arrived. The little boy was annoyed and he kept making anti-Transformers speeches.  Can't blame the Danny Phantom-Spongebob Squarepants fan, he was born way after the era of Transformers. Nephew was adorable in his annoyed state. And it didn't dampen my excitement for the movie. 

2:50 - Arrived at Gateway's Cineplex…Whatda! Fuckin' lots of people.  Darn, should have reserved the tickets. Sigh. Can't help but fall in line.

3:10 Line turned out to move quite fast considering the length of the queue. No, didn't get tickets for 3:40 or 4:10 screening..ended up getting the 5:45pm for better seats: A little far from the screen and middle aisle in order to catch all the details.

3:15 to 5:20 Ate very early dinner and strolled around the mall.  Went "bag" window shopping at Rustan's. Bought nothing as imported bags in the Philippines are overpriced. Hmp!

5:22pm Transformers time! Bought popcorn and sodas for the authentic movie experience. Arrived early at the cinema to watch the trailers.

5:25 pm Entered the cinema.  Got great seats! Seats were worth the wait. Prepared for twenty minute run of trailers.  I was hoping to see the Harry Potter trailer but alas! Trailer of Planet Terror freaked me out with the sight of Rose McGowan as an amputee with a high powered machine gun attached to her severed leg.  Yikes!  

5:46pm Finally the movie Transformers starts! Sat back on my comfy sit and prepared for movie magic to unfold!

5:46 to 8:05 pm Waaahhh! Was transformed to the world of Autobots and Decepticons. Theme of Transformers cartoons played at the back of my mind…"Transformers! More than meets the eye!" This is the freakin' coolest movie I have ever scene! I loved the scenes of Sam, Mikaela and Bumblebee.  Bumblebee, by the way, has a cheesy taste in music. lol.  Tuning out Drive and Baby Come Back…lol, panahon ko yang mga kanta na yan.

Favorite robot has to be Optimus Prime! Loved the scene when he first appeared, all metal, red and blue. Dang the CGI is so detailed even the spin of the wheel from his truck form was so real.   

I especially enjoyed all the "Transformation" scenes. Absolute coolness!  Story not bad. Effects…breathtaking!! Action scenes…kick-ass!!

I hail Transformers the perfect summer movie (although hindi na summer dito)! It was one heck of a ride. (no pun intended.)

8:15 Left Gateway and hailed a cab to go to hotel for the scheduled night of alchoholic debauchery! Yipee!!

8:40 Arrived at Shakey's Makati Avenue to meet up with drinking buddies as they were having dinner.  Didn't join them for dinner as I was still full from the early dinner I had. Hmmm, big mistake.

9:10- onwards (approx) Back at the hotel. Armed with booze and chips and Magic Sing.  Vodka was the chosen alchoholic potion together with lime juice, in tandem with Tanduay Rhum and Coke.  Not much of a vodka drinker but the tomador in me welcomed the adventure. 

Started with the preliminaries.  There were seven of us all raring to drink.  Well except for Cutieangel.  The woman is not much of a tomador but I admire her willingness to try.

Under the guidance of Dascha, Recluse attempted a mixture of lime and Absolut. Tried a sip and blech.  Vodka burns. Decided to tone it down with 7-UP (or was it Sprite?) . Better!

We usually combine drinking with Magic singing. But this time the party started off with an episode of Music Station on Animax. Who would have thought mimicking the dance moves of Tackey and Tsubasa to the tune of "Oh baby, baby.." will be a riot.  An award goes to Yobbie for best adapted choreography. 

Drinking starts finally.  We diverted from the 'tagay method" and opted for separate glasses as I had a cold that time. Big mistake. I was not particularly liking the taste of vodka so I shot every glass straight up, in one gulp. I noticed my friend Chains was always refilling my glass (the bitch!) but I was tipsy to care.

10:50 (I Think). Then it hit me. While Recluse was taking a video with Yobbie's camera and asked if I was wasted, I made a two thumbs up sign and said "Yezzz!"  I swear I could feel numbness in my cheeks and my arms felt sooo heavy.  Chains refilled my glass and my fingers lost control of the plastic cup causing me to pour Vodka over Dascha's denims.  Fuck! fuck! fuck!

I remember telling the group, "I'd like to make an announcement.  I am OFFICIALLY WASTED." Yobbie and Dascha had to assist me to the john where I had to puke over the sink.  I think I did that twice.  I think. 

Everything went hazy from then on. All I remember where bits and pieces.  Like the time Chains was showing off a magazine with Japanese idol, Shirota Yuu on its cover and me telling everyone that I'd "do" him.Lol. Hey don't get me wrong, I'd do Shirota even if I'm sober.  I mean, just LOOK at the guy! 
  

I remembered Chains asking that weird question but I thought she was not talking to me.  I wonder what prompted her to ask that.  Nyahahaha, I don't want to know.

I don't remember how I ended up in the bedroom.  The last conscious thought was my head hitting the pillow.  Lol, I can't even remember the walk from the couch to the bedroom. 
 

Yep.  Wasted.  Drunken to smithereens! And absolutely loving it!!

7:00 am.  Consciousness finally returned. It was morning. My head was throbbing badly I would have killed for a hot cup of java.  I was groggy when I stood up.

Saw A note on the table. Turns out that Zashi, Yobbie, OJGirl and Cutieangel left around six am. They left a note instructing us to leave the hotel money with me and "iwasan sukahan ang katabi.' I amost flipped up laughing but my hangover got the better of me.
  
Dascha was awake and was preparing to leave as she had a lot to do that day.  There was not much conversation between as, as we were still nursing our respective hangovers.  I wanted a cup of coffee real badly but had to settle for water.  Dascha said goodbye and I proceeded to take a bath in hopes that the cold shower will bring me to my senses. 

The shower helped.  It kind of lessened the throbbing.  I changed into a clean shirt and crawled back to bed.  I looked around and saw Recluse and Chains still flat down asleep.  It was a funny scene.  The three reputed "tomadors" all flat on their backs. Dead to the world.  It was a first as we usually are the last drinkers standing.

10:05 am.  Woke up.  Seems the nap did me good as I am no longer groggy.  My tummy had a woozy feeling to it. Chains finally woke up feeling equally worse.

Still craving for coffee. Damn!

Recluse then woke up and as we prepared to leave we recalled the night's events.  The drinking session was a resounding success as we all got wasted. It was a blast indeed but I swaer I would think twice before I touch vodka again. 

11:00 am.  Recluse and Chains invited me to lunch but the thought of food made my tummy do cartwheels.  Fuck that vodka.  It was NOT settling in my tummy well.  It's so unlike Tequila which should have been absorbed in my system by now.  The urge to throw up became imminent. 

11:25 am Locked myself in the john and proceeded to induce puking.  As I did the deed I was fucking cursing myself NEVER to drink again.  The feeling was so nauseating. 

Finally I was able to…you know. 

It's amazing how great I felt after.  It was as if a weight has been lifted from my shoulders. Now I can do lunch. 

We left the hotel with the room is quite a disarray.  Chains left most of her DNA on the couch.  Lol. I somehow wonder if they'll ban us from returning.

12:10 Lunch at McDonald's. Chicken Nuggets and Iced Tea never tasted s heavenly.  Enjoyed the company of Recluse and Chains.  Cool people.

1:00 pm.  Parted ways with Recluse.  Chains and I grabbed a jeepney to Landmark where we said goodbye.  An end to a great night of debauchery. ^___^

Was planning to go straight home but found myself strolling into Landmark. Windowshopped for shoes.  Nothing good. Walked into Glorietta. Damn, lots of people. I swear Glorietta has turned so jologs.  Suddenly remembered an earlier craving…

COFFEE! 

I went into Starbucks and ordered a Caffe Latte. Hot. And I sat down, finally enjoying my cup of Coffee while listening to Bossa Nova on my IPod. Made mental plans to go straight home and take a long bath and go to sleep. 

1:45 Walked to SM Makati to get to the MRT. Passed by the Department Store to took around.  I can't help it. I love looking around even if I had no intention to buy stuff.

2:)0 Passed by the display of Maxine clothes.  Loved this plus size label. Turns out they were having a clearance sale! Waaaa cool!  Can this weekend be any better!!?

2:45 I ended up buying two blouses and a pair of jeans! All at 400 bucks each.  The blouses used to cause 900 plus bucks and the jeans 890 something.  Damn more than 50% discount! Happy happy happy! 

3:00 Finally rode the MRT to Cubao and then an FX home.

3:45 Home sweet home. Finally had the long shower till my body was squeaky clean.  

4:20  My head finally hits my pillow. My body relaxed on the crisp sheets of my bed.  I channel surfed for a while but the events of the entire weekend got the better of me.  In no time, I was snoozing off to dreamland. 

Watching…Drinking…Puking..Shopping…

Absolutely blasting! 

Fan-girlin’ Moments

I've been through it.  The hysteria. Being on the verge of insanity. The addiction.  The feeling that is almost like falling in love but you know at the back of your mind you'll never ever get to meet him and worse he'll never get to fall in love with you.  But somehow, in that sick little world of your own doing, you'll meet, fall in love and have his baby. 

Yes, I have been a FAN.

Thus, here I am….sensible, respectable lawyer, a woman of the modern world…indulging in that guilty pleasure of fangirling.

So in chronological order, I present the men I have "fangirled" about from the time I was a teenager up to my adult life.

(I will not count Richard of Daimos as he is not a human being, but merely a drawing.  Even if at one time when I was seven, I wished I was Erica.)

Presenting…the men I loved before. Nyahahahahaha! 

#1 TONY HADLEY

The lead singer of Spandau Ballet was at that time the most gorgeous guy I have ever laid my eyes on.  Gosh! Look at that aquiline nose, those beautiful eyes, that cleft chin that you just would love to trace with your finger.  I remember loving the song "True" in Grade Six.  That was pre-MTV days.  But when music videos became a fad in high school and when I saw the video of True, and that close-up of the man behind the voice…I was in love. Here lookie:

I remember blowing my entire "sweldo" in a class "paluwagan" just to buy his poster at Books and Things (It was a bookstore near UERM) and that poster hung over my bed for two whole years (1986-1988).  I bought cassette tapes of their two albums, played them over and over in a mini Sanyo cassette player which I shared with my twin (which was adorned with stickers of Little Twin Stars, mind you).  I bought song hits and magazines and photographs! I watched MV2, Video Hot Tracks and Video Hit Parade just to catch Spandau Ballet videos. And I remember one video "I'll Fly For You" where Tony had a love scene with a woman…I was insanely jealous. No one could blame me…I WAS A WOMAN IN LOVE. The level of fandom was so intense, it was almost equal to guy no. 3.    

#2 SIMON LE BON

If Tony was my number one, I 'cheated' on him with Simon Le Bon of Duran Duran.  He was my 'bad boy'. While I'd marry Tony, on the other hand, I'd have a one-night stand with Simon. I named a doll I got at our class Christmas party, Simone, after him. She was our 'love child'. I stitched his nickname "Lardo" on an apron I made in sewing class.  I was in love with Simon, I got a boyfriend of a distant cousin to give his  Top 40 Duran Duran T-shirt to me.  The poor guy was so amused at my infatuation that he actually gave the shirt, off his back, to me. Labhan ko na lang daw. I was a little grossed out because he just wore the shirt and it was freakin' summer! (Although it was new)  I washed it several times before wearing it. Ahh Simon, we had great times didn't we?

#3 VIC ZHOU (Zai Zai)

I always loved beautiful guys. That's why it was not surprising that when Meteor Garden hit our shores I'd fall for the quiet, brooding and utterly gorgeous Hua Zhe Lei.  I wasn't in love with him in Meteor Garden 1, he was too boyish and scrawny then. But come Meteor Garden 2, he gained weight and I instantly fell, literally off my bed. I remember that first episode of MG2 in August 2003, I embarked on the most intense attack of ultimate fandom. Talk about joining an online forum, becoming friends with fellow fans. I attended EBs and parties, all in his honor. bought Zai Zai (ZZ) stuff like CDs, collected photos, books and tons and tons of burned cds of dramas, appearances and concerts.  I listened to Mandarin songs even if I didn't understand a single word. He has a beautiful singing voice, the type that tugs at your heartstrings.

I was a freakin' , screamin' fan!!  

I wasn't a teenybopper here.  I was 32 and a lawyer for Pete's sake! But I was a sensible fan.  I wasn't in love.  I just lusted after him lol. (especially upon learning that he was err…gifted). I didn't share any illusions of marrying him unlike younger fans out there. He was just the object of my desire.   My addiction.

Perhaps my addiction didn't become so intense if I haven't met my Tsinoy.com friends.  Having other fans fuel the fire of your fandom is guaranteed to bring you to the verge of craziness.  There was a time I thought that I'd be  his fan till I'm old and gray.  It was so intense I thought it was forever.  

But it wasn't forever.  May hangganan din pala. Come 2006, it eventually waned and died a natural death.  I still have a little fondness though because he brings back a lot of fond memories, a lot of great times.  But I guess like all good things, they do come to an end.  There's a part of me that still loves him a little, especially when I watch him in his MV of Remember I Love You.  

#4 GERARD BUTLER

Now for every good boy (ZZ), there must be a bad boy too.  I 'cheated' on Vic Zhou with Gerard Butler.  Most people know him as King Leonidas of 300 fame…."This is Spartaaaa!!" But in my heart he will always be The Phantom of the Opera. I got to watch the movie on a *whispers* pirated DVD and in the wee hours in the morning I forgot about ZZ and fell for GB. I watched that video over and over again until it got scratched it couldn't be played anymore without skipping.  I eventually watched the movie on the big screen.

I love Gerard because we have a lot of things in common.  We're almost the same age.  He studied to be a lawyer. He has a naughty sense of humor.  Plus, I'm a sucker for those wounded soul types.  He is a recovering alcoholic.  I'm so proud he made it big in 300. 

Isn't he incredibly sexy!? Darn he's the type you'd go to bed with, no questions asked.  He's such a flirt too, a flirt to ALL women regardless of age, shape or size.  No wonder female fans love him. I love him too!

#5 WENTWORTH MILLER

Ahhh Mr. Miller. The guy who made me forget Mr. Zhou. My rebound guy. I wrote about falling for him in one of the earlier posts in this blog.  He's the reason why I still watch Prison Break even if the story sort of sucks now. Gorgeous guy and intelligent too. Gosh, he really does not look thirty-five. Lol! We're the same age right now. I'll see you in August Mr. Miller.  We'll continue our affair from there. 

*sighs* The men I went all ga-ga for.  Don't they all look sooo good! Ah yes, I do have great taste in men. Lol.  

What I Used to Believe….

They say that a mind at birth is a tabula rasa…a clean slate. Our brain is devoid of any mental content, and knowledge and memories are added as we learn and experience life.  Perhaps this is why children, as a general rule, are innocent since they have not acquired sufficient experience to perceive what we adults know as the 'truth'.  

I was a child once.  And true, once in my life I was innocent too. I remember being gullible and believing what adults made me believe in.  I also had crazy perceptions of reality which, at that time, where absolute facts for me.

And so as I sat here doing the 21st Century equivalent of journal keeping…i.e. blogging.  I start to reminisce on the facts that I used to believe were TRUE…

…I was about five when I was convinced that the world began in 1900.  I saw a tombstone in an old church where it showed that a woman was born in 1905.  I thought to myself, "Gee, she was just born five years from the time the world began. She must have met Adam and Eve."

…After my uncles watched Spielberg's Close Encounters of the Third Kind", they convinced me that the mountain my sister and I built out of clay was a vessel for the aliens.  My uncle said he could contact them and they'll take me to the Mother Ship. I stood waiting for my uncle to 'contact' them, he was chanting the 'tune'.  I chickened out on the last minute.  I was afraid. Looking back, I should have called him on his act.

…I used to believe I looked exactly like Linda Carter a.k.a. Wonder Woman

…I was convinced that if you placed the statues of the Three Chinese Gods right under the statue of the Sto. Niño, on one of those wooden estantes, it would bring about catastrophe with the mingling of Gods of different religions.  Think 'End of the World' catastrophe. 

…I used to believe that God actually opened my mom's tummy and placed a tiny microscopic baby which grew into my brother after nine months. I also thought that mommies always had they're babies with the doctor slicing their tummies open.  

… I was once awed that a tiny blue fish once lived in a small bottle of white flower.  It was ACTUALLY a piece of blue plastic. 

…I used to believe that Santa came through our window; that he can squeeze his fat body between those jalousies.  By the way, we didn't have a chimney in that small apartment in Sampaloc Manila.

..And finally, I used to believe that like Cinderella, I also had a Fairy Godmother.  

It's amusing that I used to believe these were ACTUAL FACTS. But of course, things are different now. My mind is no longer a tabula rasa. This makes me realize that as we grow older…grow more mature…grow smarter…our innocence goes.

And our own magical. mystical world along with it.

In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning…

Sleep evades me.  It's 2:17 am and I'm wide awake in front of my computer, which, fyi, is manifesting its three and a half life by making some weird whirring sound from one of its internal fans.  Insomnia attack…perhaps it's because of the two glasses of soda, and that cup of cafe latte that I had while waiting for my sister at Megamall. T'was dinner and a movie once again and move over Piolo, this time, I had a date with   *heaves sigh* George Clooney…(insert gorgeous photo of George here…)

By golly…with those eyes and that grin, I swear gusto kong isuko ang puri ko sa kanya.  Lol. how crude! and I doubt if George would want it.  But in the deep recesses of my mind, the place where no coherent thoughts exists, I'd be trapped on a deserted island with George.  

It had been a loooongggg week so allow me to be a little insane.  If you're overworked and frustrated as I was this past week, you'd allow yourself the luxury to daydream.  Good thing I have my taebo/dance class to vent off some steam. Whoever said that exercise releases endorphins (the happy hormone) must be right. I plan to do some Turbo Jam tomorrow and some jogging on Sunday. Time to get back on track.

Darn, I feel tired…but still not sleepy…I'll be tossing and turning again. Oh well…

Come on George…let's go to bed.

*Giggles*    

Friday Movie (Piolo) Fix

Nothing beats ending the workweek with a dinner and a movie. That's why my sister and I caught a screening of Paano Kita Iibigin after a light dinner. I must confess, Piolo Pascual is one of my guilty pleasures. Throw him and Judy Ann Santos in a movie and you will see me lining up to watch it. (Though a little shy to admit it…kaya nga guilty pleasure eh.. )

So on we went to watch Papa Piolo's movie. I was mildly excited because aside from the fact that Piolo Pascual is one of our finest actors, he is so GORGEOUS to look at! To quote Judy Ann Santos, in the movie Till There Was You: "Ngiti pa lang, ulam na." Oh and Piolo sure did not disappoint me in this movie: He had that sumptuous smile, those broad shoulders and tapered body plus the scruffy look that was to die for. Yes people, Piolo was most of the time unshaven in this movie, he had this messed up, dressed like he has been through weeknights of drunken debauchery for most part of the movie. He even has  this crass, devil-may-care, broken hearted, wounded coyote attitude that makes you wonder if you want to  nurture him or attack him. Piolo does all these and still manages to fill the cup of yumminess to the brim. 

It was a fairly good movie with minimal surprises. Piolo plays rich boy Lance, who after a tragedy in his life, becomes a wounded soul, continuously masking his pain in meaningless pursuits.  It is evident that his character failed to pick up the pieces of his life after that tragedy. Regine plays Martee, a single mom of a sickly but precocious son, Liam. The two crossed paths when Martee and son vacationed at Lance's neglected Heaven's Resort (which he was trying to sell in order to fix a plane…go figure.) And in true Jerry Maguire fashion, Martee helps Lance in putting his life back in gear, mom and son become closer to the broken hearted Lance, add in a few conflicts here and there, and viola! You got yourself the typical Pinoy sugary, drama-laden with the comedic doses throw in to complete the formula, type of romantic movie. It's not spectacular as other great movies but I believe it's still worth the price of admission.  In short, it substantially meets the requirements of that Friday movie fix or in this case my Piolo fix. 

Acting-wise, Piolo is a gem in this movie. His portrayal as Lance is pristine. He nailed that wounded, messed up guy with lots of emotional baggage to perfection. His character is the one  which I truly understood. As for Regine, her acting was competent but somehow I found myself confused. Martee can be volatile at one time, lukewarm the next. The way she portrayed her character was a cross between hysterical overacting to a muted, low key performance. She showed a wide range of emotions but not in a good way. Neverthelss her acting was passable, if not forgivable.      

Aside from Piolo's glorious performance, Eugene Domingo's portrayal as Liwayway, Heaven Resort's resident cook was a blast! Eugene's punchlines were a riot indeed. She should be nominated for a best supporting actress in this movie. She almost stole the scene from the main characters but like a seasoned actress, she successfully complemented the movie, if not saved it from mediocrity. You should see her "Heaven's Resort" spiel. Absolute gem!

Whenever I watch a Filipino film. there's always something wrong with it. I seldom come across a Pinoy film that is cohesively strewn together.  Sadly,  this was not one of them.  Somehow,  there's a piece missing, here and there that it failed to reach that level of high that I expect from a romantic flick.  It could be loopholes in the script, or the lack of character development or the less than admirable cinematography. 

The soundtrack was beautiful though.

I guess it's hard to get that romantic fix if you got that high in other great chick flicks like Notting Hill, Pretty Woman or Jerry Maguire.   But don't get me wrong, the movie was not a disappointment. It's a little more than "Pwede na."  Eugene Domingo elevated the movie for me.

And of course, Papa Piolo, who, to heck with the rumors, is indeed one MIGHTY FINE specimen of the Pinoy race.  

Sighhh, now I'm done with my Piolo fix. Right Jane? *winks*