Years When I Was A Child Outside (movie)

Bangkok International Film Festival 2008 is showcasing 6 Filipino movies and "Years When I Was A Child Outside" is the first one that I watched.

Like most independent movies, I was able to see some familiar faces--people in my university's performing arts circles. I also saw my mentor's name, Vim Nadera. I won't say anything anymore about my frustrations.

Back to the film, this one is theme-based so people should not expect a plot nor a definite character development. Some of the audio were recorded live and some are done in a studio. Some of the audio are inaudible and I have to thank the subtitles to help me out--that is not good.

Anyway, the film maker was gracious and very sincere in answering the questions given by moi and other people in the audience. Of course, most of the non-Filipinos do not know the political and historical references in the movie.

This is not a movie that should be shown commercially. It is really an art for art's sake movie and should be shown to the director's own circle of film makers.

Ever-Changing Look of My Blog

Last March, I had my heart broken and I did not mention anything about it on my blog. And I still will not mention the details of that experience. I just want to share something that came out of it.

On our second date in December, the man gave me violet-coloured orchids and I found the gesture very sweet. I put the flowers underneath the glass top of my dresser. The stems, the leaves and the blossoms dried out but they retained most of their colors.

Months have passed and yet the gift still bears a lot of emotions and I was very afraid to let go of it eventhough I do not feel the same anymore for the person who gave it. I have to move out of my apartment and I could not bring the flowers with me.

This is why I decided to take pictures of it and it inspired the new look of my website. I know I still do not have a fixed idea of what this blog will be about but I believe I am getting there.

Maybe, my blog reflects what I am right now and it will change as often as I change. And I hope that is for the better.

Japanese Bitch In My Apartment Building

Every night, I come home and see a Japanese women in her 50s leafing through newspapers and of course, oftentimes, I would see her reading Japanese newspapers. But that is not all: she also reads English language papers. At first, I thought I was going to demand a Tagalog-language newspaper until I noticed that she also reads Thai newspapers.

The fucking bitch is at least a trilingual!

Of course, this reaction has more to do with me than with her. I really never lifted a finger studying the language of my adoptive country. I could not even order in Thai. I could not even count in Thai.

10 Top Shabu Shabu Buffet Tips

All my friends know that I am the expert when it comes to fine dining and I define "fine dining" as leaving the restaurant with a stomach full of food that will last you for two days. I am a huge fan of Shabu shabu, a setup in a restaurant wherein food are put on conveyor belts to be consumed by generally couples who want to date but they do not share a common language (quite common in Bangkok). And this is where they have an excuse to shut their traps for 75 minutes.

1. Be prepared. Make sure you have enough money for the meal and a cab ride home. You might not be able to fit in the driver's seat. You might also be too stuffed to walk to the train station or bus stop. Tip the cab driver if he has to carry you to your doorstep.

2. Eliminate the competition. Do not invite a date or even a friend. If you are seated beside a person you know, you might feel hesitant in grabbing the food that is already in his hands. Be guilt-free: go to the restaurant alone.

3. Feel the fire in your stomach. Skip breakfast. Or better yet--make sure you have not eaten for at least 12 hours so you can make up for the food that you were craving for. Nothing beats an stomach full of acid. It will also ensure that the food you are going to put in there will be digested easily.

4. Timing is everything. Do not go there during the lunch hour and definitely avoid it during dinner time. Best time to go there is from 2 PM to 4 PM.

5. Dress appropriately. Wear pants that have elastic waistlines and a shirt that is two sizes bigger. These will ensure you have room for everything.


6. Location location location. Survey the scene and find out where the kitchen is. Position yourself on the side where the food comes out so that you would have the first pick of everything.

7. Don't settle for second best. Stay away from the rice because you can get rice from 7/11. Don't even think of getting the veggies because you can grow them in a pot. Pick only the fish, beef, chicken and pork. Money is more important than your cholesterol level.

8. Don’t flush your money down the drain. Do not drink water or any liquids unless you are choking but then you can ask an attendant for a Heimlich maneuver. Liquids are there to make you feel full so avoid them at all costs.

9. Keep your eye on the goal. Do not talk to your seatmate because it is very probable that the restaurant has hired him to keep you from eating their food. Stay focused and keep your mouth full.

10. No pain no gain. Do not leave your seat until your time is up (in some restaurants, it is 75 minutes). During the last five minutes, stuff as much as you can in your mouth. Again, make sure that these are meat items. If you are a sushi fan then probably you can also stuff in any raw meat in your mouth. Then rush to the cashier and pay for your meal. Remember: do not purge!

Desperate Housewives Season 2 (TV)

I am starting not just to like this TV series but to love it. The stories are heartfelt but not cheesey. They made me learn something without being preachy. I found myself shedding a tear in some of the scenes and that no TV series has done that to me.

The characters are evolving meticulously. I am sure some of you may find it surprising but I find Susan Meyer's character very despicable. She is as ruthless as Edie Britt but the former hides behind a sweet innocent-looking face. At least, Edie is honest--she is just a bitch. Bree's relationship with her children are very touching. Most of my tears for this season are for her. Alfre Woodard has a very commanding presence in the small screen. Eventhough Betty Applewhite role is not that interesting, she made it real and relatable.

Peter and I have been discussing about the writers and I do not think they are all gay. I am sure some of them are mothers because I cannot imagine gay men knowing about the pressures and stresses of motherhood. Those women's concerns are too alien to me and it is nice to learn about them.

I wonder if there are more gay men in the next season.

Desperate Housewives Season 1 (TV)

I have already watched this season in the Philippines and I still find the program very funny and clever. The characters may be colourful and stereotypical but the theme is actually extremely dark and morbid. The combination is not forced though. It makes me wonder: are people really happy with their lives?

The clothes and makeup are great although not as flamboyant as the single women in Sex and the City. Many of the characters use tailored clothes and I do not think the look will get old easily.

The actors are very funny and talented. Marcia Cross as Bree may be over-the-top sometimes but I can imagine such a person existing. She is a conservative Republican--someone I hate in the real world but she is also someone I can relate to. I want everything in my life to be perfect and I do not want to settle for second best. Cody Kasch as Zach Young has a tremendous task of portraying a possibly psychopathic teenager.

The writers are ridiculously good. The lines seem effortless but of course, they are calculated. I wonder if there is any effect on this TV series during the writers' strike.

Short 12: 12th Thai Short Film & Video Festival

It is strange that two Filipino movies featured in this film festival use two colonial languages: Spanish and English. But then it was deliberate as both movies present bitterness towards the colonizers.

The first one "A Short Film About the Indio Nacional" was a project from my Alma Mater (University of the Philippines) and it narrates the experiences of Indios in the hands of a culture, religion and circumstances that are not really theirs. It is sad in some parts and hilarious in others. The ending and some of the moments near the end present blood-curdling anger.

The second movie "Bontoc Eulogy" was made by a Filipino-American who is trying to re-construct the history of his Ifugao grandfather. The latter was sent to the US to participate in an exhibit showing native lives in other countries. Their traditions and culture were not respected by the Americans so there were incidents of violence. This movie has touched me because I am an expat myself and in living far from my country, I am learning more about it.

I have seen some of the entries and they are really bad so I am proud that the entries from the Philippines are really good.

My First Pole-Dancing Class

I have been working out in gyms for about ten years now and I am bored with it. I just cannot quit and forget it because I do not want to acquire my mother's diabetes nor my father's heart problems. But something spiced up my gym work outs and that is pole-dancing.

I have been waiting for this class for several weeks and finally, it matched my schedule. I went there a lot earlier than I would allot any other class and I was welcomed by smiling instructors (most of which are male homosexuals for obvious reasons).

There were around 8 students and two are men (including myself) but the other guy was too distracting. He was too handsome--he should have been barred from attending the class. I could not spin the way I am supposed to because his gyrations are too distracting.

Anyway, I did not think it would be very strenuous. I thought my shoulders would get dislocated because we had to carry our own weight lots of times. I am sure tomorrow my arms will be as stiff as the pole I was dancing with.

Pole-dancing does not feel sexy for the dancer but I am sure it does for the spectator. I hope this will help me get laid. Hmm...where can I get my pole? Hmmm...I can practice while I am riding the Skytrain!

Applying for a Thailand Police Clearance

I found the information on where and how to get the clearance from the Royal Thai police online. It looks simple and easy and I thought there will be some problems when I get there but it was a lot more than I expected.

I was impressed beyond belief. I found the huge compound easily because it is near my office (a commercial area). Most of the Thai police at the gate do not speak good English and yet they tried their best to give me directions. And they did it with a smile.

I found the office and it was really comfortable inside. It was air-conditioned and they had rows of clean desks with smiling employees. They asked sensitive questions in a professional but friendly way. Then they took my picture. And they did everything with a smile.

Most of all, everything is free! Beat that Philippine National Bureau of Investigation!

Google Chrome

This is my first tech review. I am doing it because I was wowed the first time I used it and it is only the beta version.

I heard about Google Chrome on CNN and was surprised that my favorite email, my favorite search engine, and my favorite blog will also be my favorite browser.

First of all, I am amazed at how fast it loads. It is even faster than Opera and Firefox (both installed on my computer). But it slows down a bit when I add several tabs. But that is a given already.

Second, it is easy to migrate from FF to Chrome. It actually lets you import your bookmarks, usernames and passwords while you are installing it. It is very probable that it will enable users to import from other browsers as well.

Thirdly, it looks very simple and easy to use. The title bar is automatically a search bar. Frequently visited websites are available as soon as you open the program or a new tab. You can also customize the look of the browser.

There are still some compatiblity issues but I am sure most will be solved by the time Google launches this fantastic browser.

You can learn more about this nifty program here: http://www.google.com/chrome

Lost Season 4 (TV series)

This season has 13 episodes only and I am not surprised. They are hyperextending the idea already and they are at a risk of boring their audience. I am sure they have thought of giving Vincent the dog some flashbacks or back stories as well.

I have a feeling that they changed some of their writers because the style has changed a bit. They also have flash forwards aside from flashbacks. (Edit: I just found out that the production suffered from the last writers' strike in Hollywood.)

There is one thing that I have noticed in this series for a very long time is their use of gun (rifles and hand guns) butts to knock other people out. They have used this to women, men, young and old. I am surprised they have not used this technique on children (especially the baby Erin) and on Vincent the dog.

They have a few fancy fight scenes. Sometimes, it makes me feel like I am watching a judo match.

Matthew Fox is actually becoming better in this series. Or maybe in real life, he is just a tortured soul. I have noticed that he has been going to the gym and spending time having his body waxed. In the first season, he was hairy and somehow on the island, a professional made him baby-smooth.

The final season will be aired early next year.

Lost Season 3 (TV series)

Why do people waste their time watching silly TV series like this one? Why am I watching this story of how a group of plane crash survivors endlessly look for a way to get off a weird island? Why am I even writing about this?

I believe that once in a while, it is OK to just have fun and chill out. I do not need an intellectual stimulation every hour of the day. Sometimes, it is healthy just not to think.

So I will go back writing about this TV series. The third season of Lost is again spent on finding ways to get off the island amidst people and things who want them to stay in the island. I feel that the flashbacks used are already fillers. They do not fit in anything anymore.

Are there memorable performances in this season? None really. The character of Michael Emerson (Benjamin aka Henry Gale) is becoming bland. There are no more twists and turns in his decisions. He is just one mad leader trying to control a brainless herd.

Production-wise, it is still not impressive. There is one episode that was supposedly shot in Phuket and I cannot tell the authenticity of the setting because I have not been there. But the Thais in that episode definitely have an American twang in their speaking.

Shlosh! Shlosh! My brain has turned into a goo.

Lost Season 2 (TV series)

I love pork scratchings and fried pig intestines not because they are good for me. I eat them because they are delicious. In fact, they are actually bad for me and I could feel my cholesterol shoot up everytime I have one.

This TV series is like that: it entertains me but I could feel my brain cells melting away. I probably won't stop watching it.

Lost has some good elements though. One of which is the high production value and scheduling. I am just amazed by the number of the cast and how they are able to schedule all of them in different scenes. Some of the scenes are obviously shot in a sound stage and others are on location.

I love Michael Emerson as the mysterious Henry Gale. I could not keep my eyes off him because he is just so commanding. He is both scary and sympathetic. Too bad many of the main actors are not really very good.

Off to the third season!

Me love you long time!

I have always been mistaken as a prostitute here in Bangkok and this one of the reasons why I really want to move out of here. I know myself and I know I should not feel bothered but when it happens everytime I go out, it gets to me.

I visited DJ almost everyday of his stay here in Bangkok. I am OK if the reception asks me for my ID but last time, it really went too far.

There was another guest at the reception. I already handed in my ID and the female staff of the Regency Hotel (near Phrom Pong station of the BTS) asked me the most horrible question:

"Long time or short time?"

I wanted to sink my fingers in her eye sockets but I calmed myself down and replied "We are going down immediately."

I should have said "Short time--I have another appointment in three hours!"

My BF wins gold in Beijing

Oh yes, my current boyfriend, Matthew Mitcham, wins gold in the 10 meter platform dive. If you have been living under a gargantuan rock, he is the young Aussie Olympian who outed himself before he flew for Beijing.

I wonder if he is ready to bear my kids after the competition. We are going to have very beautiful mongrels.

I love you, Matt!

See you in Australia, DJ

I am not really sad that DJ is now at the airport waiting for his flight to Korea. We have had a lot of fun exchanging stories the past few days. It is like having an extended all-girls party but we have penises.

DJ, you are a fun guy to be with and I am sure you will find your man soon. I was not able to take a picture of you on this trip so I hope you do not mind this one that I took of you in Manila. We had a lot of fun there as well, right?

I am crossing my fingers that you will come to Adelaide next year. You will love the people, the food and the fantastic beaches. Plus there are tons of Asians there and no money boys!

Return to Oz part 3

The Australian Embassy in Bangkok called me yesterday to tell me that I was granted the visa. I have yet to pick up my passport on Wednesday.

I have booked my ticket already and I am going to leave Bangkok on the 2nd of November. I will be in Australia for about two months.

Thanks to Peter for supplying some of the documents. Thanks to all of my friends in Adelaide who are helping me with this namely Kerry and Chris.

I have never met anyone (apart from my family) who is this excited to see me. And I am also excited to see them.

Fight Club (DVD)

Despite the title, "Fight Club" is not the most violent movie that you will ever see. I actually think it is "Schindler's List" but we are not going to talk about that now.

"Fight Club" has more testosterone than any porn flick available. It is not all muscles but pure machismo and posturing. It is very entertaining to watch yet it does not make you feel that you are stupid. The twist in the end is much more interesting than any M. Night Shyamalan movie.

Helena Bonham Carter is fun to watch as Marla Singer although she does not have a perfect American accent. Edward Norton's role is very difficult but we have already seen him in many violent movies. Brad Pitt--well, he will always look good but that is about it. Meatloaf, together with his udders, is a scene-stealer.

The action sequences are of course, bloody. But the CGI scenes will age well in my opinion because they are not really there to impress. They are not there to show the latest digital imagery but they merely show a good storyboarding.

The DVD is not really full of extras although I like the commentary tracks of the main actors and directors. I wish they were together in one recording session though. Better yet, they should be in separate audio tracks.

This is actually a perfect Saturday night movie with some mates and not with a date.

Dexter (Season 2)

Please do not ask me how I was able to watch this TV series with my limited budget right now.

Dexter Morgan is still looking for answers surrounding his past. Some of them have been answered but there are some more questions that were also "uncovered". Dexter is becoming a celebrity that is both feared and admired and some new characters want to share some of that.

The visuals are still gory but I am no longer affected by the scenes. I am not sure if the concepts are scientifically correct but that did not deter me from understanding what they are talking about.

The new actors are good especially Lundin (played by Keith Carradine). I must admit he is handsome even if he is really old. His ass is still up there. Jaime Murray as Lila is effectively scary and sometimes, scarier than Dexter. But her surgically enhanced face sometimes bother me. She tries very hard to have variety in her expressions because she had taken too much collagen. She could not even squint. And her lips look like beaks already. They are way too firm.

I can understand why this series has been getting a lot of complaints as the producers decided to show it on broadcast TV. I did end up rooting for a serial killer. Whether or not people are subconsciously affected by it, I really do not know.

Wall-E (movie)

Wall-E may not be really intelligent but he is all heart.

This latest film from Pixar takes adults to the time when we are not jaded. It is a time where everything will be OK as long as there is love. Some people may say it is naïveté but I call it purity.

The story is very simple. It is about two beings that are very different from each other. One romanticizes love and finds it and the other one finds it even without looking for it.

The love theme is the most obvious but there are other themes here that viewers can learn from. One of them is commercialism and the effects of it. When it is the most powerful, commercialism will dictate our lives and our future. It will cut us off from each other and prevent us from appreciating the simplest things in life. We only want to have more and more.

I am sure it was a challenge for the animators to portray emotions through steel but it was very successful. The characters (even the smallest ones) are very unforgettable.

I really love Pixar movies. It is only a shame that the Disney name is already attached to it.