Sadyah

Shorts A at Baby Angelo @ Cinemalaya

Buti na lang may tiket pa. Naubusan ako ng "100" at di ok sa sked ko ang "Boses" na maganda rin daw. Balak ko sana Shorts B pero may nagsabi na mas maganda ang Shorts A. Maganda nga. Magaling. Pinakagusto ko ang "Andong" saka "Angan-Angan." Hapi ako.

Pero sowee, di ako nakatiis sa "Baby Angelo." Lumabas kami ni PJ after an hour kasi may Iloilo trip ako the next day at parang sayang ang oras. Maganda sana ang concept (may fetus na natagpuan sa basurahan. Sino ang culprit?) pero di ako na-engaged sa dialogues (di witty, di rin philosophical) at kulang para sa akin ang pag-flesh out ng character (ng matanda sa compound na posibleng alam ang inside story o posibleng may kinalaman din o ang character ni Katherine Luna bilang asawa na may pagka-misteryosa o ang flirt na kapitbahay o ang isa sa grupo ng kabataang babae na lamyerda ang pinagkakaabalahan o marahil ang may-ari mismo ng apartment building na relihiyosa played by Ces Quesada, na maliban sa kanya, parang di masyadong na-internalize ng mga actors ang kani-kanilang roles):)

Suspense dapat ito pero wala akong naramdaman. Pati si PJ.

Ito ang reason kung bakit di ako bumili ng season pass, kasi ang parang sure na maganda lang talaga ang gusto kong panoorin :)

Anyway, inspiring naman ang Cinemalaya at wish ko lang, magkaka-film din ako years from now. Hehehe.

Watch "Namets" @ Cinemalaya

Watched "Namets" by Jay Abello and Vince Groyon with PJ. Love the script: the wit and humor; the short dialogues, and its subtle discourse on the good, old Negros (nostalgic dito kaya hesitant to embrace 'progress' as seen sa character played by Christian Vasquez, a self-proclaimed chef. Ang irony, quite ignorant siya sa local culture dahil sa 'hang-over' sa "glorious past" fueled by the boom ng sugar industry) vs. the present-day Negros that is open sa global influences (seen sa character played by Christine Jacob na nakapag-aral sa Switzerland. Embodiment siya ng "think globally, act locally") revealed via local cuisine (lots of sweets and oh yeah, chicken) and landscape (the mountains and the seas, the wet market, the historical landmarks plus the golf course - I'm glad not much of the usual 'hacienda' this time). My fave scenes: 'yung with the bata and Ronnie Lazaro as tatay (dahil sa poverty - contrast sa mundo ng 2 chefs - a father attempted na katayin ang mga alagang hayop ng kanyang anak. Pero dahil sobrang love nga ng anak - binigyan niya ng mga pangalan - na ganun nga sa Panay at Negros - walang magawa ang tatay kundi magparaya. Kumain na lang siya ng gulay:). Saka 'yung scene sa chicken restaurant where a father tries to educate his children sa proper way ng pagkain/pag-enjoy ng Bacolod inasal. Witty. Brilliant. Gusto ko rin ang opening at last scene, na pinagbidahan pala ni Joel Torre: ang pag-discover ng mga sinaunang tao ng fire at pagkain and how yummy it is. Panalo s'yempre ang acting ni Peque Gallaga as the boss. Perfect talaga for the role. Wala nang iba pa. Pati ang 'middleman' na I find satirical - present-day version - ng hacendero-kabo-sacada system. Gusto ko rin ang acting ni Christian Vasquez. On the other hand, I and PJ kept thinking sino kaya ang puwede pa sa role ni Christine (na may Negrense blood (?) at may certain celebrity status) kasi we were distracted sa kanyang Ilonggo accent. Hindi natural. Parang hindi rin masyadong ramdam ang onscreen chemistry nila ni Christian. I was imagining someone na simple - a natural beauty - with a degree of sensuality:) All in all, I'm happy with the film, lalo na dahil it promotes Negros:) Love the shots. Sana manalo:)

Rowing, Mama Mia, and Cinemalaya

Nag-rowing ako last Sat. with the DLSU Dragon Boat Team. Sa Manila Bay, CCP area. Wish ko lang blue at malinis ang tubig.

Watched "Mama Mia" with Pearl sa MOA. We had a good time singing with the cast. Childhood reminiscience tuloy. At buti na lang, buti na lang, did not bring credit card kasi naku, naku, sale ang ever dream na skirts sa British India. Sowee, need to achieve something uli before another "me" treat. Bili sana kami ng Hiligaynon Bible. Wala sa St. Pauls. Baka may alam kayo sa'n ako makabili:)

Watched "Hubad" ni Denisa Reyes sa Cinemalaya sa CCP. Last Fri, watched the opening show na "Adela." Maganda, kaya lang dark. Parang mga posters nila na maganda pero ayaw kong bumili for a hundred kasi nakaka-depress if 'yon ang ilagay ko sa room ko, di ba:)

Napanood ko ang play version ng "Hubad" last year. Sina Irma Adlawan at Noni Beuncamino. Magaling. Ang film version na 'to, brilliant din. Syempre, sina Peque Gallaga, at ang real-life couples na sina Irma at Dennis at Noni at Shamaine. I love the music. Pinakagusto kong scene 'yung dance version ng kanilang love-making. Maraming layers itong pelikula. Pero di ko feel ngayon magpaka-prof. Kaya ito lang muna. For the record. Hehe.

Sa Wed. pa ako manonood ng "Namets" nina Vince Groyon at Jay Abello. Naubusan na kasi ng tiket last Sun. Nanood na lang kami ni PJ ng UAAP: DLSU vs. FEU. Salamat naman, talagang magaling ang Green Archers! Yehey!

The Madonnas of Leningrad

Finished the The Madonnas of Leningrad by Debra Dean, her first novel. It's about Marina, an elderly Russian woman now living in America, confronting the distant past with the German army when she was a tour guide at the Heritage Museum.

A good read. The language is fluid and luminous.

Summer Reading List

Enjoyed the following books:

The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai. Man Booker Prize for 2006. I love her language.

Bangkok Tattoo by John Burdett. Affirmed my plan for the 2nd novel.

The Brooklyn Follies by Paul Auster. Reminded me of careful attention to details and the fact that people read novels for emotions.

Why I Will Return to Saigon (Ho Chi Minh)

I have these words for Saigon: She is like a sophisticated farm girl. Her charm will surely captivate you, her wit will both surprise and challenge you; you can't help but to yearn for more. You will return. Because you know there's more to discover. And you'll love it, even if it will unsettle you: like the many possibilities it can offer. I was in Rosy Cafe when it occured to me to do a sort of 'cast away': forget everything in Manila (declare temporary amnesia) and ride a bus to Cambodia and Laos and Thailand and Singapore then back to ohPhilippines, my beloved country. 

I have no special reason to be there, except that I felt it must be Saigon this time. I knew no one and I was in for surprsies. Good thing, a Singaporean friend (it's you,Merson), told me to find a place in Ben Thanh area, where their famous market is.

Arrived early in the morning - yes, after surviving air turbulence courtesy of Cebu Pacific - by counting 100 down to zero and pysching myself the plane will not crash coz I still have to write my 2nd novel (bwahahaha) and the taxi driver brought me to Thien Ha Hotel. Paid 20 USD/day. The room is big, clean, with cable TV and hot shower, and there's free internet.

Walked down the streets for my first cup of Vietnamese coffee. Did people watching and waited for that infamous street scene: hordes of motorcycles in their masks coming from all directions.

And I discovered their shops and got crazy over embroidered clothes. Oh those fabrics, those cuts, those designs - they were all for me. No wonder I have to be there. First, it was MaBelle at Ly Tu Trong. Michelle Ngo, the top designer who studied in Houston, Texas, personally attended me. Yes, I had those clothes altered to my fit for free. The shop is so chic and the staff all courteous: really, my idea of what a shop is, should be. They further assisted me by giving me the name/address of the bookstore and restaurants for authentic Vietnamese cuisine. And there was Li of Thuy Khue. She was amazed of my enthusiasm for her designs that she took me off on her motorcycle for free. Off I went to the bookstore (forgot the name, sorry, my notebook is not with me now) and was amazed: from classics to bestsellers to books on Taliban - they are all translated into Vietnamese. Books in English are only about Vietnam! Or perhaps I should have stayed long. But then, I was stunned. So envious. No wonder, only few Koreans there. Hehe. And I was mistaken as one. Grrr. Their sidewalks are really for walking and I went gaga - again - for this shop: Puri Chori. More expensive so I just posed, to which the attendant happily obliged. Night came and I continued walking till I saw a concert hall and I went in, of course. Here's what I got - in Vietnamese. Their music was haunting that I can't help but remember "Miss Saigon."

This is a resto where it took several waiters to understand I needed a fork. On the last day, I figured out that because it must be chopsticks for them, for everything. Coz they just gave me spoon.

Not much billboards there like in Manila. But kept seeing this one.

I will return coz I still have to see those tunnels, those palaces, and yes, the cruise of the Mekong River.

Again, as always (hehe) I felt so proud of myself I did the trip. There's so much to learn, especially about out neighboring countries. I am now making this as a goal: to tour Southeast Asia by 2010.

The flight back home was calmer. There was no rain and traffic that welcomed me that I fell in love with Manila again. Now, back to reality: ohmy, those bills, those bills:)

Watch "Ploning"!

Set in Cuyo, Palawan, in Cuyonon (?) - baby language of Kinaray-a (99% naintindihan ko). I'm not familiar with the writer-director pero magaling siya: compelling narrative with enough attention on details/images, subtlety, and philosophical waxing; interesting and round characters (interesting ang stranger/native discourse); effective POV (omniscient kaya na-backstage tuloy ni Mylene Dizon si Juday; which is not a bad thing din naman. Pareho silang magaling. Hmm, sana, mas cute o sexy si Digo:); convincing ending (politically correct: positive ang representation dito ng Taiwanese, which in effect, blurred the issue of race. As in sinasabi ng pelikula na lahat tayo TAO: marunong magmahal:) Saka natuhog lahat ng detalye), at syempre, mananalo ito ng BEST PICTURE at BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY.

Basta maganda, watch n'yo! Think a bold move for Juday to produce at dafat lang - as reinvention of herself - kasi, di vah, nagdadagsaan na ang mga batang artista. 

Hmm, i-pitch ko kaya sa kanya ang nobela ko. Hahahaha. 

When April Means Graduation, Workshop, and Festival

From IYAS Writers Workshop at St. Lasalle-Bacolod (April 20-26), go ang beauty ko - via ferry - to UPV-Miag-ao, Iloilo, last April 22 to attend PJ's graduation, our  youngest sis. So here's my beauty in my summer dress and reliable bag - with my two adorable sisters - amidst white monoblock chairs and Miag-ao hills.  In Bacolod, we discovered their No.1 coffee shop named Kuppa. One afternoon, with Sir Danny Reyes, John Teodoro, and May Ann Pernia, we tasted their coffee and cake and vowed to return once we are back down there.Btw, I find it amusing these days that I've been mistaken for a Koreana: sa taxi ("Sobra, Manong, napaka-brown ko." Sagot n'ya: "Singkit ka kasi.") at pati mga friends ko. Ano ba 'yan:) Sa tutuo lang, di ko alam if I'll be flaterred or be sad. One thing for sure, talagang Asian Malay beauty ako and proud of it. Hehehe.   

Back in Antique, I found myself in the company of old friends, in a sort of lunch-meeting about what we can do for our beloved province(Kasi mga think tank kami. Hahaha. We missed Glenn Mas)at John's farm in Maybato, San Jose: Nonong Egida, the Tourism Director; Acai Flores, Paranubliun-Antique's head; Dani Misajon, ever the cultural worker, John (of course), and Dr. Alice Magos, retired UPV anthropologist. Secret na lang ang mga pinag-usapan namin:)

Here's a handful of kamunsil,for 20 pesos. Going home means munching that. Of course, of course, April is not only about writers workshops and meetings, it's also about beauty pageant. Here's one, from our baranggay. S'yempre, mga pinsan ko ang nanalo d'yan:)  

Yes, I Defended My Dissertation and Got It!

Defended my dissertation, a novel and a critical essay, on April 14. My mentor, Dr. Cirilo F. Bautista and panel composed of Dr. Isagani R. Cruz, Dr. Ben Medina, Dr. Efren Abueg, Dr. Fanny Garcia, and Dr. Jerry Torres gave me the Outstanding Dissertation Award. I'll be graduating this June with High Distinction, too.

   Wala si Dr. Torres kasi malalim naging ubo niya at nawalan siya ng boses. When he texted me that morning that he can't make it, medyo nag-senti ako. Pinigilan ko, of course, mahirap na masira ang beauty. I was so grateful kasi vongga mga panelist ko. Sayang, wala akong picture. Ako lang kasi:)  Ang ganda ko pa naman that day. Bwahahaha. A week before, I rewarded myself na: bought a flat TV (LCD). Deprived kasi ako. Imagine, after 8 years of working here in Manila, ngayon lang ako nagka-TV. Hahaha. May cable, s'yempre. Thanks, ang bilis ng pagkabit ng mga Destiny guys:)

Kaya 'visual fatigue' ang sakit ko ngayon. Hmm, about my novel, bili kayo kapag na-pusblish, ha:) Mwaaaah.

February at Its Best

1) My pre-Valentine personal drama (buti na lang di s'yadong tragic. Buti timing sa nth revision ko ng novel) and surprise, surprise...prudence worked.

2) Yehey, congratz to myself! Finished the revision my mentor asked for and enrolled in final defense, which also means, more nights of "passionate patience" till April. Send me lots of goodluck, friends.

3) Yehey, the Cagayan de Oro-Camiguin trip with two of my former students came true! Photos are coming soon. Hehe. As my digi cam is not water proof. Did white water rafting, checked caves and hot springs, waterfalls, islands, a cemetery, hills, churches and plazas, and of course, the tiangges. Hehe, bought some DVDs at CDO.

4) Watched the ff:at CCP, for free: "EJ," a rock musical on the lives of Edgar Jopson and Evelio Javier. Inspiring, especially dahil got to finish the nth revision of my novel. Kaya lang, rebulto lang dun si Evelio, our Ninoy Aquino in Antique. Love the script of E.Maranan and the music of the The Dawn. Then there's the play of my good friend John Teodoro staged by DLSU's Harlequin at CCP, "Unang Ulan ng Mayo." Glad students love it. Had lunch with John and encouraged him to write more musical. Last night, Feb. 28, watched the Virtuosos concert. Fabulous:)

5) Watched, at last, "Desperate Housewives." Dude, I'm hooked:) Got interested only after a smart middle-age friend commented that she loves it for being down-to-earth. Got curious what she meant by that and resolved to find it myself. Hehe, it took me to be at Cagayan de Oro to finally shell out 60 bucks for it:)

6) Yes, I was at the Ayala Peace Rally 2008 for truth and accountability. Joined DLSU's group with Kate and her Mom and cousin. Walked in the rain for that; the Makati streets being my treadmill that afternoon:) Missed that feeling...that anger...that hunger for truth and accountability. Shed some tears for my sad republic.