Saturday Movies Galore

Hmm... Today looks like a good day to see a movie... Oh yeah, make that two! ^_^

I was supposed to spend the day out with friends - Kim and Jun - on some movie galore. (And maybe even score libreng lunch courtesy of Jun's, err, generosity! Hahaha!) I was also planning to meet up with my folks who's also going on a date (Yup, you read it right! 26 years of marriage and they're still going out on dates.) in SM Mall of Asia to score a free ride home. That was the original plan, until I found out that mom and dad were meeting up with some relatives and wanted me present on the occasion. So I had to do some last-minute cancel with Kim and go with my parents instead. (Make it up to you next time, dude!) It was almost lunch time when we got to the place, so we decided to have lunch in Pizza Hut Bistro while waiting for our relatives who'll be coming all the way from Laguna.

Allow me to segue just a bit to share how lunch was. Me and my parents ordered pasta for the main course. We ordered Pasta Jambalaya, Spaghetti Bolognese with Meatballs, and Penne in Tomato Creme. For side dish we had Steak Fries and Garlic Mushroom. Man, the serving was BIG! As for the taste, it was pretty good and I loved how my mom's order of Pasta Jambalaya was just the right spicy and tomato-rich; my Penne in Tomato Creme could do a little more workup on the taste, though. So far, I give it a 3-star, considering the food and the overall service.

Clockwise from top-left: Steak Fries, Garlic Mushrooms, Spaghetti Bolognese with Meatballs, Pasta Jambalaya, Penne in Tomato Creme, and refreshments

In the middle of lunch, one of my elder cousins sent an SMS to my mom, apologizing because apparently they won't be able to make it since one of the bagets was running a fever. I guess lunch helped a lot for me not to be annoyed, after having had to bail out on Kim and his friend.

Anyway, my parents and I decided to just check out what's showing in the box office. Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Death Race was showing, and since we had an entire day to spend, we just bought tickets to both movies, with back-to-back screening times. ^_^

Movie #1: Star Wars : The Clone Wars - I've seen all six installments of the whole Star Wars saga, and The Clone Wars makes a 7th, but the whole computer-animated theme just didn't appeal much to my personal movie taste. If it was a real movie, I would've been more impressed. Still, I'm sure die-hard Star Wars fans would say otherwise.

Movie #2: Death Race - I think it was pretty ok except am not a big fan of Jason Statham, the male lead for the flick. (But my dad is, and he's the one who's ecstatic to see the movie.) I love the action and the race-your-way-to-freedom theme of the movie, though. The movie was kinda bloodthirsty, yes, but it was hopeful towards the end. ^_^

There goes another weekend spent at the movies. Oh, and while I'm typing this entry, I'm doing comedy flick marathon with my cousin using my laptop. (We're watching Big Stan and You Don't Mess With The Zohan back-to-back since my cousin hasn't seen both movies yet.) Not so much of a movie buff, eh? ^_^

T.G.I.F. - Finally!!!

Whew, it’s the weekend already and nothing could be better! The week that was has been a bit of a bore, not to mention that I still have a hangover from my ‘extended’ long weekend.

*Sigh*

Oh well, at least I’ve got a few good things to look forward to in the coming weeks, like school, amongst all things. Yep, I was finally able to enroll in what’s HOPEFULLY my last academic term before my thesis proper in graduate school. Still, it’s gonna be a long way before I’m done but I’m aiming to get it done by next year. Anyways, classes will start on the second week of September, which means I still another week of mild slack time before I say hello to assignments, projects, and the ultimate struggle to keep myself focused in class at such unholy hours of 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. during Wednesday after-office nights. Still, I’m looking forward to it. (Geez, I hope to score a cutie classmate… wala lang, just for kicks! ^_^)

Oh yeah, remember that ugly insect bite I told you all about in my previous post? Well, it’s already healed and doctor gave me the go-signal to wear closed shoes again. This means I’ll be able to wear my sneakers again and work out in the gym. Woohoo!!!

As for work, well… it’s still work BUT I’ve been acting on some changes that I’m aiming to accomplish by the year; hopefully it turns out well. I won’t dwell on that for now but I’ll share it some other time when matters are already in place.

Ahh, that welcome air of the weekend – sooo love it! I’ll probably make the most of it on movies and food with friends and my family. Checking out the box office, I’ll most probably be watching Star Wars: Clone Wars and Death Race since I’ve already seen some of the recent flicks in the Metro. (Think: Hellboy II: The Golden Army, Big Stan.) Let’s see how it turns out and then I’ll let you know ‘bout it. ^_^

Once Upon A Musical

Last night, a couple of my girls and I had the chance to watch the farewell run of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella staged at Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP), starring none other than Ms. Lea Salonga. The play was scheduled to begin at 8:00 p.m., and by 7:57 p.m., we were making our way into our respective seats just in time for the play to begin.

As expected, Lea was stellar in her performance as the beloved fairy tale character – seamless pitch, clear diction, and a charm onstage that is so hers alone. Of course, the other casts had their moments, too – the big-bosomed Fairy Godmother who looked more like Aretha Franklin from a distance, the King and Queen (Who kinda reminds me of from Karen Walker the TV sitcom Will & Grace), the evil and ugly stepmom and stepsisters Joy and Portia, and the dashing Prince Christopher Rupert and-whatever-the-rest-of-his-long-name-is-since-I-can’t-remember. Some of the few memorable songs from the play are In My Own Little Corner (performed by Cinderella), Impossible; It’s Possible (performed by Cinderella and Fairy Godmother), and Do I Love You Because You’re Beautiful (performed by Cindrella and the Prince). *Sigh*

Honestly, blogging about the experience is nothing compared to experiencing the magic of Lea Salonga’s performance live. But what’s even better is to be able to share the experience with girlfriends who can give you the bestest fit of hysteria even at the middle of the Prince’s melodramatic scene. (Of course, the night wouldn’t be complete without the so-called bloopers.)

Remember what I said about me and my mom planning to watch the play when it runs in Singapore? Well, now that I’ve actually seen it, I think the experience is worth a second time, don’t cha think? ^_^

Prologue To A Fairy Tale

For a couple of days now, I was already resigned to the fact that I won't be able to catch the Manila run for Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella - starring none other than Philippines' pride, Ms. Lea Salonga. In fact, mom and I were already making plans to catch the Singapore run, which will be staged in Esplanade sometime early 2009. (Mom has always been a BIG Lea Salonga fan.) And then last Wednesday, I just found out that Allen, a friend whom I've met during my stint with my previous company, actually did buy some Cinderella tix for a couple of girlfriends, including Cassey and me, on it's farewell run, which will be tomorrow night. Bottom line: looks like I'm going to see Lea Salonga on-stage after all! ^_^

Ooookay.

First thing that came into my mind: shoes!

Since this is so late of notice, I didn't have time to scour for shoes. (Or at least coax my mom to buy me a pretty pair of slip-ons for the event! ^_^) Hahaha, gosh! This is so not me - being the fashionista to worry too much about the get-up I'll be wearing. This is more of Cassey's niche. ^_^

Oh yeah, I've got an infection on my left foot that's caused by some nasty insect bite. (Blame it on über-sensitive skin, baby!) I'm already taking prescribed antibiotics anyway; hope it gets well in time for work next week. (Thank God for long weekends! Woohoo!) Dad said I was being impossible when I told him I'd still be going to tomorrow night's play despite my foot infection that's been causing a slight limp whenever I'd get up on my feet and walk. Besides, all I'll be doing is to sit back and enjoy the play - nothing strenuous or exhausting for my feet. ^_^

Am I excited for tomorrow night? Much! This will be my first Lea Salonga musical, and I can’t wait to experience it and share all about it next time.

^_^

Reunited, The French Way

It was no one's birthday nor any other special occasion to celebrate that day; my friends -Cassey and Mike - and I just thought of getting together for lunch somewhere at The Fort, especially since it's a non-working holiday which synchronizes our schedules in "bakasyon mode". And today, French is the gastronomy of the day.

Since it's a holiday, traffic was pleasantly tolerable even when I'll be coming all the way from the South. Since we're supposed to meet around 12 noon, I left the house at 11 a.m. Some 20 minutes after, I received an SMS from Cassey saying she's gonna be late.

Cassey: Myk, lisa male-l8 aku.
Lisa: Mike, Cassey.. Ako din! Wahahaha! Cvite p ung bus.
Mike: Lisa, Kc ako hindi

Point taken.

A little less than an hour later, I met up with Mike at Market! Market! and decided to just wait for Cassey at Cuillere where we're supposed to eat.

When we got to the place and settled into our table, we told the attendant that we'll be having our orders in a while since we're still waiting for someone. After what seemed like 30 minutes of still without any trace of Cassey ("The Perennial Late-Comer", as Mike calls her. ^_^), Mike and I had our orders. (Mike had Grilled Lamb Shoulder and mine was Chicken a la Crème). Our food arrived shortly just in time when Cassey walked in. Bon a petit!

So what can I say about French food? Well, as far as Cuillere is concerned, it's straightforward yet delicious - nothing fancy nor intricate with the way the dishes are served but they do have their own signature taste. Cassey ordered Tagliatelle Carbonara, by the way. As for dessert, Cassey and I had Cuillere's famous Carabao Milkshake - cheese flavor for me and dark caramel for Cassey. I love how there were lots of cheese bits in my milkshake, while Cassey thought hers came in a little too strong in flavor. I'd have to agree; maybe she should have ordered the regular caramel instead. As for Mike - well, he's abstaining from too much sweet, he said. Ang arte ha! ^_^

Clockwise from top-left: Grilled Lamb Shoulder, Chicken a la Crème, Carabao Milkshakes - cheese and dark caramel, Tagliatelle Carbonara

After lunch, we headed back to Market! Market! because Cassey's looking for a suitable gift for a baby boy. (We're supposed to visit baby Aedan, Froi's baby boy who happens to be Cassey's, ehem, ex-boyfriend.) I think it's only my third time to the place but the jam-packed mall almost gave me the migraines. Sheesh! Cassey managed to buy a cute Tigger overall for the babe. Poor Mike hasn’t had any sleep yet so he didn’t come with us anymore. After hailing a cab and saying goodbye to Mike, Cassey and I were headed to Makati (Somewhere in JP Rizal) to drop off the gift for the baby. Whatever happened there, it’s Cassey’s turn to share! ^_^

I missed these guys... ^_^

*Sigh* There goes a so-called long weekend. Good thing another long weekend is up and coming after this one.

^_^

Two Movies And A Babe

Unlike most timid Saturdays which I'm almost always used to, today I woke up a little early than usual - I'll be getting ready to play ninang to Gaby, Pau's baby of four months. Pau and I go a long way since our good old Intel days - we were both process and equipment engineers in Test Engineering for CPU. We became close friends when we got the chance to travel alongside fellow engineers during a month-long engagement in Penang, Malaysia. Now, we're both working in different companies but haven't lost communication since.

Gaby's Christening was held at Holy Trinity Parish in Bacoor. My folks drove me to the church, and as early as 9:00 a.m. we're already parked outside the church grounds, waiting for the rest of the party to arrive. People started coming in thirty minutes after, and by a little past 10 a.m., the baptismal rites were celebrated together with the other ninongs and ninangs. It was followed by a simple celebration at the Baller residence which, I just discovered yesterday, was just 10 minutes away from ours. But I guess the bestest thing that happened is seeing the familiar faces I’ve come to be good friends with. Of course there’s my kumareng Pau, then there’s John and Art – both are co-Intel Alumnus and good friends as well. Oh yeah, Kuya Lerry, who was Pau’s former boss, was also there. Too bad I wasn’t able to stay longer because me and my folks still have somewhere else to go. Nevertheless, lunch was a sumptuous treat with an Ilonggo twist, kwentuhan, and kodakan moments. (Pixies will up in my Multiply site soon!)

SShhh, sleeping babe on board... :)

John Sanchez and Art Villones (Si Mayor at si Congressman! ^_^)

The latter part of the day was spent on a double-movie date with my parents at SM Mall of Asia. Since we’re all filled up from the delicious lunch at Pau’s, we decided to watch X-Files: I Want To Believe first since Wall-E isn’t showing until 4:00 p.m. that day (The earlier screening times for Wall-E were blocked for a corporate booking.) Here’s my take on the flick: true, the entire storyline was a bit of a drag BUT somehow it was a huge relief for me as an X-Files TV series fan that they actually opted to deviate from the usual alien-abduction-turned-FBI-experimentation plot that we’re so used to back in the glory days of the series. It’s a good thing, too, that both Moulder and Scully have aged quite gracefully plus the fact that the chemistry between have simmered up a little and a little more of human nature have been displayed by the two protagonist of the story. Prior watching the movie, most reviews I’ve read regarding the movie commented that the movie came a little too late for loyal fans and new fans alike. Well, a bit true; but I guess it’s never too late for Chris Carter to want to be able to bring redemption to the characters of Moulder and Scully. Overall, I give the movie a three-star rating. Not bad, eh?

After watching X-Files, we still had an hour to spare before the next movie so we just had lite snacks at Bread Talk, then went around for a lazy stroll in the mall. Thirty minutes before screening time, we bought our bucket of popcorn and drinks before settling in our reserved seats for our next round of movie. As for Wall-E, well… one word: BRILLIANT! While I'm never a big fan of Disney-Pixar movies in the past, this one's got my curiosity roused from the moment I saw the full theatrical trailer a couple of months back. And although my expectations for the movie was high, it never dwindled when I saw the flick on the big screen - in fact, it was more than I expected. In short, I love Wall-E (Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth-class)! ^_^ Everything about him - his curiosity, his innocence, his appreciation for life, and his affection for EVE (Extraterrestrial Vegetation Evaluator) was altogether funny, touching, and - believe it or not - downright romantic. *Sigh* I give it a two-thumbs-up rating, truly a must-see for the young and old alike. ^_^

"In short, it's going to take a robot's love to help make the world go round. " - Andrew Stanton, creator of Wall-E.

Sometime around 6:00 p.m., we were on our way home. We were supposed to have a pitstop at North Park along Macapagal for dinner but decided otherwise since my parents wouldn't want to risk getting caught in a post-payday traffic along Aguinaldo Highway. So dad just drove us straight home and we had dinner at home instead.

A Fruitful Week

The past few days have been a turtle-slow pace spent at work and at home. That's why I can't help but hope and pray that this week would be more productive for me - something which I've been able to accomplish so far. ^_^

After months of hiatus from working out in the gym, I was finally able to muster enough willpower to work out, again - this time in a different fitness club. See, I use to work out in Fitness First - RSC. But since Gold's Gym came up with a corporate tie-up with SMART that offeres much, much lower membership rates to SMART employees, me and my girls at the office signed up - just in time with the expiration of my 12-month account with Fitness First. So far, I've only been able to work out for 2 days, having started on Wednesday, plus my system's still getting the hang of working out after months of hiatus. And by the way, I haven't finalize my schedule yet since I'm no longer staying in Manila, but hopefully I'll be able to come up with something more stable next week.

It's a Friday today, and I just had coffee with Vic at Gloria Jean’s Coffees in Glorietta about an hour ago. (Ah yes, it's that enticing aroma of coffee that's like aphrodisiac to the senses! ^_^) Since it's UAAP season (With the DLSU Green Archers defending their championship title from last season. Animo La Salle! ^_^ ), I ordered Season 71 Gang Green tees for the entire family and, as usual, Vic was where I got the shirts from. So I headed straight to Glorietta from the office, and by a little past 6:00 p.m. we were seated quite comfortably in one corner of the cafe, taking turns making kwento and catching up with each other's lives in between mocha chillers (Vic ordered Mocha Chiller in Cookies n’ Cream while mine came in Chocolate Mint.) and a heavy downpour in that part of the metro. Our topics ranged from sports (basketball and UAAP, in particular), work, life during and after Intel (Yeah, he's also a so-called Intel Alumni just like me and some other friends like Cassey, Mike, and many others.), graduate school, career plans, and lots more - including, ehem, love life. There's just so much to talk about and with so little time. Hopefully there will be more times like this for coffee soon.

As I'm composing this blog on my mobile phone, I'm on-board the shuttle that's homeward bound to Cavite. Tomorrow I’m playing ninang to lovely Baby Gaby, Pau's little angel. There's gonna be a separate blog for that one, and pixies as well. Capping it off, I'm glad it's been a productive week. It's a long weekend by the way, and I'm going to make the most of it. Tell y'all about it next time!

^_^

Sundays and Gerry's

Sunday = family day.

After hearing the 9:30 a.m. mass in our parish, my family and I decided to check out the newly opened Gerry’s Grill in SM Bacoor. When we got there, people were lined up outside, waiting to be seated. We were 5th on the list, so mom and dad decided to get busy checking their menu for stuff to order. Looks like seafood will be the choice for the day. (Excluding shrimp, that is.). In a couple of minutes, we were provided our table and a waiter took our orders.

What can I say? It was indeed seafood galore! For appetizers, we had Baked Scallops (love the way the scallops were covered with lots of butter and melted cheese!), then for the main course we ordered Tahong Ala Pobre (Spicy sauce and all!), Inihaw na Pusit, Pork Spareribs and Molo Soup, coupled with plain rice. We would have ordered the Blue Marlin Steak and the Chicken Kebab, but both dishes were out of stock for the meantime. (Wow, talk about bestseller! Sheesh!) For refreshments we all had fresh orange and dalandan juice. The verdict? The food was good, especially the baked scallops, but they could have done a little more cooking on the Tahong ala Pobre. As for the Pork Spareribs, they only serve 2 pieces per order, which makes the serving size kinda off, even for a small family of three like ours. Overall, it was a pretty good experience to the palate and quite friendly on the budget too, considering our total bill amounted to something less than PHP 1,300. It’s definitely worth coming back to again. ^_^

Clockwise from top left: Baked Scallops, Inihaw na Pusit, Tahong Ala Pobre, Pork Spareribs

After lunch, we decided to hang around and watch The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor on the big screen. Ok, this is like, what? The third installment already of the whole Mummy saga? As usual, the movie was all about some good old mummy fest, only this time the creators opted to put an oriental twist into the story. Of course Brendan Fraser is back, only this time minus Rachel Weisz. (This time, Maria Bello plays the role of Evelyn O’Connell.) Little Alex O’Connell is all grown-up now and oozing with testosterone. (Yeah, he’s the Brit boy who told the Pharaoh Seti I, “My dad is gonna kick your ass!”) Only this time Luke Ford, the actor playing the grown-up Alex O’Connell role, came with an all-American slang instead of the classy Brit accent that the character used to have. And of course, Jet Li was there playing the role of Emperor Han, the infamous villain of the hour.

Overall, the movie was a bit boring despite the many fight scenes; probably because I’m kinda sick of the whole idea of a mummy fest after watching The Mummy and The Mummy Returns. Plus, I think the production budget for the first two installments then was more lucrative compared to the last one. Nevertheless, my dad liked it anyway.

*Sigh* There goes another weekend, and tomorrow is a brand-new workweek at the office. I’m suffering from a mild case of tonsillitis that’s threatening to deteriorate due to the cold weather, I guess. I know it’s just Sunday, but am already looking forward to my next weekend! ^_^

Thoughts

There’s this boy in my head
He’s been there since God knows when
The mere thought of him makes me look up to the skies at night
And just like a child I pray for a falling star
So that if I see one, I’d make a wish
And hope that the Northern wind would bring my wish to the gods.

There’s this boy in my head
My dreams of him give me courage to sleep through the night
As if the so-called monsters in my closet have gone
And all I hear is the humming of the nightingale
I close my eyes whispering a prayer with a smile
Feeling as if all the love was tucked with me and my blanket

There’s this boy in my head
His laughter makes me see the beauty of the rain
How every drop comes with a promise, a hope
That tomorrow is a much sunnier day
It’s like hot coffee and music on the radio
That comforts my heart despite the many hues of greys

There’s this boy in my head
His love will be God’s gift to me of forever
I will be reborn in this lifetime, bearing his name
A promise to love and to hold
One that the gods themselves will bless
And we’ll live in this lifetime, even in the many more to come

There’s a boy in my head
And I don’t know his name
All I know is that he’s just out there
And someday, at one of the many crossroads in life
Our paths will meet
I’m not when nor how, but it will happen; God knows it will.

Loco Over Local

When Star Cinema came out with a teaser from an upcoming flick starring Sarah Geronimo and John Lloyd Cruz sometime during the first week of July, I said to myself, “I am definitely going to watch that movie on its opening day…” And I did. ^_^

One word: CUTE. Not that it’s any different from the signature love stories produced by Star Cinema – a typical boy-meets-girl, love blossoming when the two characters least expect it, conflicts (Could be an old flame, family-related, or just good-old identity crisis.) along the way, and a happy ending towards the end. Oh yeah, and did I mention the movie theme song? Anyways, as usual, John Lloyd looked dreamy (And yummy, if you ask me! Hehehe!) in the role he played while Sarah on the other hand was cute – not bad for her first starring role on the big screen if I may say. In fact, she had this innate comedian in her, plus she’s a fresh face that compliments Papa Lloydie. Overall, the movie was something that left me happy and a lot more hopeful during the end. It’s a fun movie to watch on the big screen – at least there’ll be lots others who’ll gush and laugh and cry with you as you watch. As for the ending, well… *wink*


Ok, this is the point where I’ll be closing my blog entry so that I may not type away and provide further spoilers. Just go and give yourself that small luxury of lounging in the movie house with a friend or a beau, share popcorn or two, enjoy a quality Filipino movie, and smile as you walk your way towards the exit in the end.

I just did. ^_^