FiReWoRkS!!

12.18.10

I was in Manila to attend baby Jewel Merari's dedication and afterwards met up with my sister in her favorite coffee shop. We were at a mall and I knew they were gonna have a fireworks display at around 8 so I was surprised when at a little after 7, i noticed people scrambling outside all looking up so I knew it somehow started early. I grabbed my digicam since I haven't ever used it for fireworks and now's the best time to put it to the test so to say. Problem is, there were a bit of clustered small trees (we were in a sort of sky garden) and since I was late, all good spots had been taken. I had to balance myself on an outcropping of sort and started just snapping away, it was over almost immediately. Gaaahhh! my camera was lagging like crazy in between shots, 2-3 seconds really, probably because it was low on battery, and when you're trying to capture fireworks, up one second, gone the next, it made it as impossible as catching a falling star on cam, that is, if you even knew there would be one. So anyway, i tried to make do with what I have, I have only one decent shot really, so I had to use the most basic but often pleasantly surprising editing tool: cropping lol.

K-Movie: Tae Guk Gi: The Brotherhood of War.

video credit: zinnia112


Video Link (in HD!!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DL7ygTVJ0h8&feature=related.
CREDIT:wait4ba http://www.youtube.com/user/wait4ba

Synopsis:
In 1950, in South Korea, shoe-shiner Jin-tae Lee and his 18-year-old old student brother, Jin-seok Lee, form a poor but happy family with their mother, Jin-tae's fiancé Young-shin Kim, and her young sisters. Jin-tae and his mother are tough workers, who sacrifice themselves to send Jin-seok to the university. When North Korea invades the South, the family escapes to a relative's house in the country, but along their journey, Jin-seok is forced to join the army to fight in the front, and Jin-tae enlists too to protect his young brother. The commander promises Jin-tae that if he gets a medal he would release his brother, and Jin-tae becomes the braver soldier in the company. Along the bloody war between brothers, the relationship of Jin-seok with his older brother deteriorates leading to a dramatic and tragic end.


Credit: asiatorrents.com


My take:


ok, so i've been searching for this movie last year when a friend recommended it to me but I couldn't find a working video anywhere, so imagine my excitement when while searching for youtube clips of Mother (another Won Bin film), i found that someone uploaded the whole movie a few months ago, in HD glory! So i went ahead and loaded the clips and prepared myself to enjoy a really good movie.  Onset of the film, it was straightaway enthralling, so absorbed was i that i didn't realized i haven't turned on the cc cap yet and was watching the movie unsubbed til maybe about 4mins into it. A minute after, in fact even before the timer hits 5:00, I'm already crying..by half hour into the movie, am already letting out a stream of profanities..(which i sometimes do when the scene is too much too handle). Gosh! this is easily one of the best war movies ever made. In a nutshell, as posted in my FB:


"Platoon + Saving Private Ryan + 71:Into The Fire = Tae Guk Gi: The Brotherhood of War x 5. rating F: most number of F* uttered in a single movie. Best War Movie ever, and that's still an understatement (for me)"


On a side note, with what just happened lately between N. Korea and S. Korea, i think it's timely that both sides watch a film like this and be reminded that nobody ever wins in a war, NOBODY.


P.S.
After watching the film, i looked it up on wikipedia and discovered  it was directed by the same guy who did Shiri, a Korean movie i saw about a decade ago, when I was in college. It made such an impression on me that the one time I was on the same flight with some Koreans (who were here for religious purposes, this was when i was working already), I asked the one beside me what Shiri means, she then in turn asked her companions and that's how I found out it's a kind of fish. If you do spare the time to watch taegukgi, watch Shiri too, and then Mother. Oh, Won Bin, no wonder even celebs are crushing on you. such a great actor.^^

J-Movie: Nana (Live Action)

credit: XBanryuX


Synopsis:
Two girls, both named Nana and of the same age, coincidentally meet on a train trip to Tokyo. They soon find theirselves living with each other under the same roof because of an even bigger coincidence. Even though they share the same name and age, they differ in just about everything else. Even so, through hard experiences in love and life, a strong friendship is born between them, as both Nanas grow through their hardships and struggle to win the odds.
credit:  asianrice.tv


My take:  I was a bit apprehensive to watch this cos well, the synopsis doesn't really tell much, nothing intriguing there, but then it's got a fairly good rating of 3/5 stars so I said ok.  and it didn't disappoint, now i know not to ignore public ratings next time, lol. While the movie doesn't really have an intense high-and-low moment, or that feeling that every scene is building into a huge climax, it did have its really good, chills inducing moment. And my most fave scene ever, one I personally think is enough reason to watch the movie, is a live performance of the song above by the fictitious band Black Stones, you really have to watch the movie to appreciate how great the moment is. two words. goose bumps.

Tokyo Boy (東京少年, Tokyo Shounen)

TRAILER (sorry can't find an english subbed trailer)

credit: http://www.nipponcinema.com

FAN MV


video credit:  scrabbleface http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4GPB9D5wLI&feature=related

Synopsis:

Minato is a young girl who was traumatized at a young age by being orphaned and left with her grandmother. She frequently corresponds with a pen-pal named Night, a boy about the same age as her that she's never actually seen in person. Although Minato and Night are very different - Minato is upbeat while Night is brooding, they get along anyway and she regularly updates him on the happenings in her daily life. Minato is even willing to confide in Night that she's falling in love with a boy she's recently met named Sho.

One day she wakes up and finds Sho acting extremely distant and tentative around her. She suspects Night may have something to do with this so she arranges to meet him at the mail box. However, he never shows. As it turns out Night is actually Minato's overprotective split personality and has been trying to drive Sho away by bullying him whenever he had control of her body.

credit: http://eiga.wikia.com

My take: 

less than a minute into the movie and i loved it. i really, really love how the movie opened with a black and white sequence. although, as usually the case is with Japanese movies, it's not for everyone's taste. I'm familiar with the phenomenon/medical case Multiple Split Personality Disorder but i had a hard time accepting that a 2nd personality can fall in love with the host. But i guess, love comes in different forms. I loved how the movie ended though. and the closing song Love Song by Mariko Hamada. Funny, this is the only movie I can say where my most favorite scenes are the opening and the closing. If you're a fan of Horikita Maki ( Nobuta Wo Produce), this is a must see. 


VIDEO LINK: 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuvOyZfNYEM&feature=related 
credit: oXoBeatOfAngeloXo thanks for uploading the entire movie ^^

Death Note (live action movie,not the anime!)

video credit: treeapricot
SYNOPSIS:


Light Yagami is a university student who resents the crime and corruption in the world. His life undergoes a drastic change when he discovers a mysterious notebook, known as the "Death Note", lying on the ground. The Death Note's instructions claim that, if a humans name is written within it, that person will be killed. Light is initially skeptical of theDeath Note's authenticity, believing it is just a prank. However, after experimenting with it and killing two criminals, Light is forced to admit that the Death Note is real. After meeting with the previous owner of theDeath Note, a Shinigami named Ryuk, Light seeks to become "the God of the New World" by passing his judgment on criminals.

Soon, the number of inexplicable deaths of reported criminals catches the attention of the International Police Organization and a mysterious detective known only as "L". L quickly learns that the serial killer, dubbed by the public as "Kira" (derived from the Japanese pronunciation of the English word "Killer"), is located in Japan. L also concludes that Kira can kill people without laying a finger on them. Light realizes that L will be his greatest nemesis, and a race to prove mental superiority between the two begins.

(Taken from Wiki) 


VIDEO LINKS (Make sure you have downloaded Veoh Web Player).


DEATH NOTE
http://www.veoh.com/static/flash/players/veohplayer.swf?permalinkId=v17395060WTazE6wN


DEATH NOTE: THE LAST NAME
http://www.veoh.com/static/flash/players/veohplayer.swf?permalinkId=v19334408249DHan4
DEATH NOTE: L CHANGE THE WORLD
http://www.veoh.com/static/flash/players/veohplayer.swf?permalinkId=v19334189QeCg4twd

Video Source: http://www.instantz.net

okay, so i stopped watching Asian horror/thriller movies sometime in 2005 simply because i've had too much of it. I was immensely enjoying them til i got a case of... am not quite sure what the term is..but you know when you really like a certain food and you eat nothing for a week but that food? then you lose your taste for it, right? I think that's what happened then. Wishing Stairs. Acacia. Doll Master. A Tale of Two Sisters (which gave me such a headache), etc.  If I'm not mistaken, the last one is (or the most memorable? since i remember it all too well and cannot recall any others after it) the movie Three. I was scared witless. Maybe it's because it was the last full show that night, and I was the only one in the cinema, and i remember by the 3rd story i was standing at the back with my back at the wall so I could see the entire cinema and see anyone approaching me (sooo paranoid!).


Soooo anyway, I decided to revisit this genre because of Ken'ichi Matsuyama. I loved him in Detroit Metal City (which reminds me I'm yet to blog about), i think he's such a great actor.. that I just had to see this movie. The movie's really entertaining, and it'll make you think and try to keep pace with the characters thought and actions, like try to stay ahead in the game (that's why I love FBI profiling) and L (Matsuyama) is like an Asian Sherlock Holmes here, a combination of Holmes' deductive reasoning and Dr. Reid's (Dr. Spencer Reid of Criminal Minds) genius and quirky nature. Am not sure about you but I haven't read one single comics of the manga so I can't make a comparison but If I may give my 2cents, skip the 3rd movie: L Change The World.

i tried really, really hard..

.... to refrain from posting about work here anymore and be all negative and whiny and all. i didn't want bad vibes here but. If say, you just stumbled into this blog by accident, remember this is a personal blog and works like an online diary for me. So i guess that allows me to say anything i want on how i feel about things at the moment. vent. rant. cuss. now, i may or no longer may feel the same way about this at the moment. notice the word "feel", this is all about what i feel and is not intended to badmouth a company or a particular person, hence, no name will be mentioned. 


      i lasted 4 long years, and i don't really feel like those are long years, in fact i can't believe it's been four years already. And there was a lot of times when thoughts of what-the-hell-am-i-doing-here, why-do-i-put-up-with-this-bs, so ^%#$& it's unbelievable. But when i think of the trade off: great workmates/friends, traffic-less commute, none of Manila's pollution, a nice enough apartment, i tell myself, its worth it. the lack of career growth opportunity, self-development, long-term benefits, a break-even pay, i kind of turned a blind eye on those things. The people i worked/studied with before, they're out there chasing after their dreams, but I decided to stay. I was happy. I was contented. and ok, maybe a bit lazy as well. But now, it's getting a bit of a challenge to continue looking the other way. I feel really,really sad that the situation is forcing me to rethink things. 


    I put up with a LOT of things. and believe me after being with a great company that offers great benefits ( on my 1st job), it's hard for me not to compare. I quit my 1st job cos the workload was crazy, just plain cutthroat, and also since I could afford to have a lower salary since my sister whom I was helping finish college financially already graduated... and decided to rest awhile while earning so that's the whole story on how i got into the call center industry. whew! seems like I've had a very long "rest". Now i remember reading about a US president who had a habit of making a list of benefits and disadvantages before making a decision (forgot who). I don't have a similar list yet, but i've been weighing things on my mind.


1. HMO - four years, and i could vaguely remember the last time we had medical insurance, 6mos at most. I swear it wasn't even from a reputable one, accredited hospitals are limited, doctors even, and i can't even have my parents covered  (no accredited hospital where they live, what's the point). and with the kind of work environment I'm in, working graveyard shifts, commuting at night, unbelievably undisciplined public/private drivers who can't seem to determine the difference between a highway and pedestrians lane/ side walks (come to think of it, are there proper pedestrian lane around here? maybe that's why some motorists take me by surprise sometimes, they're right behind me when I'm walking to the jeepney stop, one step to the side and I'm headed to the hospital, sans health card o-m-g.).I also remember this one time, i had a really bad tonsillitis and after getting myself checked with an E.E.N.T specialist (at my expense,to be refunded after several weeks), the doctor said it's the type that could lead to a heart disease and that I must have my tonsils removed. I do understand cases like it and i know some people who had theirs removed. I was so grief-stricken like I'd been sentenced to death. But ok, I'm willing to part with my tonsils if it means i don't have to worry about my heart. So the doctor gave me some papers to give our HR dept so we could schedule the operation. I went to the office, the person in charge's not in yet ( it's past 8am mind you) so this other office girl took note of my name, account, supervisor, and mobile number, on the forms. I called twice to make a follow up, and for some reason I could never get a hold of the person in charge. It's been weeks and I was feeling a lot better  so I decided what the heck! I'll just wait it (my throat) out and did not follow up anymore. I guess that sort of, saved my tonsils, tho am always panicky every time i feel a sore throat coming. But that experience left a really bad taste/feeling in my mouth, like losing trust that if something is gonna happen to me...


While I do appreciate our good co-employees from another department paying us a weekly visit when it's almost Christmas to distribute goodies like a piece of fruit or a bar of chocolate ( not being an ingrate here ) what I'm dying to see is for us to finally have a decent health card. cos these goodies just reminds me of the 2 kinds of charity - one that is convenient, and one that is lasting, canned goods vs livelihood to a poverty-stricken town. I'm fervently wishing for it not just for myself  but for my friends, my workmates. It's just so sad that as of the moment I'm not really seeing an effort or a solid plan to acquire one (if there is and we're just not privy to it, i'll be most happy to be proven wrong). so I guess my wish this Christmas is: Maxicare/Intellicare/Medicare card for everyone!! lol a girl can dream.


2. lack of regular evaluation of supervisors by agents - and vice versa.. well, we agents do get a sporadic coaching but the former gets none at all. in my old job, we evaluate each other all the time. in college, students evaluate their professors at the end of the semester. And I've seen how it worked so well for everyone. I mean, seriously,how can you expect to improve if you don't even have a friggin' idea how you're doing? we can't rely on hobnobbing with who's who every time, can we ( or am i just being naive)? cos it only works on one side of the spectrum. We're no longer kids so I don't think if we're made to evaluate a supervisor, that we're just gonna plain bash them. i'm all for constructive criticism.  I mean, i find it out-of-this-world-unbelievable,  this absence of performance appraisal and feedback tools..i don't know how the company managed to operate without it for so long. oh, wait.. i know! 


on a side note: I have met supervisors who really work hard tho and knows exactly how to deal with agents,  and I have great respect for them. It makes me wanna work hard as well cos it's kinda embarrassing not to. also, i wonder why there aren't a lot of leadership/management training for supervisors?  I mean like out of town or something. If they do, i wonder cos they're ALWAYS on the floor, which is expected though I'm sure it'll be a great help for them to take a breather sometimes and have one of those team building/trainings.


Now, i remember one question thrown at me when I was applying to transfer to another account. " You've been here for a few years now, why haven't you applied for a position?" And I gave some lame answer about how there wasn't an opening for a project i have enough knowledge about, and I don't wanna apply for an opening on an account i have zero knowledge on. but the truth is, i really only have this one life, and i don't wanna spend a portion of it kissing asses.


3. no bonus? - oh yeah, this is one of the things i missed the most. this and the following comparisons are like, just minor things, icings on a cake. The first two are what i feel so strongly about. It's just that it's Christmas time and I kinda envy my sister since she already got her Xmas bonus plus 13th month. Just last month, they got their 4th quarter bonus. Man, I'm missing mid- and year-end performance bonuses.


4. no career dev't seminars/trainings/workshops - again, icing on  a cake. can live without it but..


5. company financed p-r-o-p-e-r team building - team building in it's true sense, not some 1 hour brunch somewhere. That's not team building. Sports Fest or similar events? I've blogged about it before, ain't a pretty memory.


Oh well, that's all I can remember for now. Too much is going on at work lately, lot's of conflicting emotions.i really feel for my fellow workmates, and hence, I just had to write about this pronto or else suffer a chest pain and a bad temper later. 

was it only in my dreams?

i was lying in bed, waiting for sleep to come. when there was a flash of an image in my mind. a picture of leaves on a tree, after a rain in the early morning sunshine.. with droplets on the leaves falling hesitantly as wind blows at them.. it was like an HD image. i dunno, maybe I've seen them on tv as a kid, a close up shot or something. i asked myself too, or was it only in my dreams when i was younger? but for some reason, it chose to resurface into my conscious mind this very afternoon. i scrambled to sit up, grabbed my laptop and fought hard to capture the image into words, as it was both beautiful and calming, and this is what i came up with:


was it only in my dreams?
the image of the leaves the color of fresh green
the soft light  of the early morning sun
reflected upon dew from last nite's rain
and the droplet of water falling  with a spark
..ever so hesitantly
as the wind softly blows
was it... only in my dreams?


if the words fail to conjure the image i had in my mind. i found a picture nearest to it. not quite the exact image, but close.
minutes later: oh well, it's a wallpaper and i tried resizing it several times but i still can't upload  the pic. will edit. dang! it's almost 2! i cannot be late again tonite. oyasumi-nasai! @_@

J-Drama: Hotaru No Hikari

info from asianrice.tv

Hotaru no Hikari

ホタルノヒカリ / Glow of Fireflies

Description:

Hotaru works for a famous interior design company. It's a glamorous job but Hotaru's private life is totally the opposite of glamorous. She lives alone, and when she isn't working she's mostly lazing about her rented house in training wear. She's not interested in men. In fact, she isn't interested in anything. "I'd rather lay around than fool around," is her motto.
Her landlord is a bar owner, and one day his son, who has just separated from his wife, comes to inspect the rental property, not knowing that someone is living there. He is shocked at the mess, but not as shocked as Hotaru. He turns out to be her boss, Takano. -- Japan Times Online

Yay! another gem!! I feel so lucky to have come across these Asian drama's, the experience when i forayed into this genre had been nothing short of amazing! maybe because I could actually relate to most characters, their actions are something i can imagine myself doing. ahhhh.. but there will never be a dull moment in this life from now on. Now with this Japanese drama (or jdrama/dorama, it should be noted as well that drama doesn't necessarily mean it's a tear-jerker), i swear I've never laughed so hard since Harold and Kumar GoTo White Castle, humor is totally different though. Amemiya Hotaru is like ME x 10. she's sooo clueless. God! her actions brings back memories of my clueless days as well. Plus, she identified what I am.. a himono-oona.. needless to say, I'm starting on Season 2 as I write this. ^_^

oh..no! i think i've become a himono-onna!!

i am so shocked about this realization i just had to post it immediately! more on this tomorrow.. gotta sleep..


edit: 11.20.2010 8:30am


ok, I have been watching this J-Drama Hotaru No Hikari which is sooo darn funny (but more on that later) and the character Amemiya Hotaru is what you would call a himono-onna. The impact of this word is sooo much that it became one of the top buzzwords in Japan in 2007. Now, there are several definitions of this word based on the drama:


pinktentacle.com:


 Dried-fish woman [himono onna - 干物女]: Himono onna ("dried-fish woman") is an expression used in the movie Hotaru No Hikari to describe the main character, a woman in her 20s who has renounced the pursuit of romance. She spends her evenings reading manga and drinking at home alone, and she spends her weekends lazing around in bed. She's a dried-fish woman.


urbandirectionary.com gives a more direct/straight-from-the-movie definition:


japanese slang meaning: "dried fish - woman". "himono-onna - girls in their twenties whom outside their home puts on a lively face, but as soon they get home, they change into their shirts and their hair are tied up like a samurai-style topknot, and they might even scratch their ass. snack in one hand, and canned beer in the other. on weekends they don’t go to blind dates, when they don’t have work they eat and sleep and eat and sleep and not a single guy around them." -- from Hotaru no Hikari (jdrama).


However, the definition that made me say "ahhh, so I am not alone afterall.." is this.. unfortunately, i forgot to copy the website cos at that time I just copy-pasted this into a notepad (if the author sees this,pls holler so i can credit you properly):


Interestingly, many Chinese young office ladies are leading such a life right now. Every weekend, they would rather stay in their apartments sleeping, listening to music or watching movies instead of going shopping or doing sports with friends. According to them, their work is really boring and exhausting, thus they only want to rest in their little private niche on weekends.


That, right there, explains it all in one go. Man, I am so relieved! I thought I'm like a freak-of-nature, behaving abnormally or against what society would deem as normal. Hah!! So everybody does it then, lazing around on weekends.:) Finally, there's a term for this, it feels like pretty much how one would feel upon discovering that there's a name for what ills them. When I think about it, this had been my lifestyle for about 7 years now, right after finishing college and entering the working world. I started living away from home after high school and from there, it became a series of dorms-boarding houses-apartments. ahh yes, work has its ups and downs, but mostly i find it tiring... it's numbing. *sigh* that's why i've been telling some people that I'm different at work and at home.. I can be really cheerful at work but at home, i just want a quiet atmosphere.. and i simply cannot be bothered on my days off. so yeah, that 3rd definition killed it, i couldn't say it better myself. i think it's my way of "recharging" myself. i may think and look at things differently from most people but come mon-fri, i have to present a facade that's socially acceptable. Thank God, i have 2 days when I can be a himono-onna!  


otp, i make sure i have my comfort food around when i'm on my himono-onna mode.. and one of the requirements for it to qualify as a comfort food are: it has to be easy to make, store bought, or instant. Like this one! <3 it soo much! so oishii!

..a fish out of the water.

*sigh* that perfectly describes how I'm feeling lately. a fish out of the water.. I feel like I'm not in my element, nothing seems to go right, everything seems to be out-of-sync. haaay, ang sakit sa dibdib. i absolutely don't wanna post anything about work anymore here, however this is the only place where I can rant without giving anyone bad vibes.  i just had a fight with my sister, one of those adult fights where no one wanted to be the one to break the silence..and then today, i got reprimanded at work. well, not really reprimanded, got a feedback that I'm not performing well, not as well as before, not as well compare to others. Now, I'm usually welcome to feedbacks if it helps me to improve but I just wish that the feedback comes with figures. I'm the type that doesn't generally respond well to external motivation and I'm certainly not motivated with monetary incentive, or discouraged by the lack of it. I always want to perform well, I love it when I'm doing well, I compete only with myself. I guess that last part can be both a good thing and a bad thing. However, what irks me the most is when I am being compared, especially without numbers, data, figures on areas that can be measured. I NEED to know where I stand, what areas I need to improve in, where I'm lacking, but for the love of GOD, I N-E-E-D figures!! Otherwise, I might just take the feedback as just an opinion... subjective.


God! I feel like I'm losing control. In a sense, I am. I've been used to doing outbound calls and we're usually totally in control. I have to admit I'm struggling with this switch to inbound cs/sales.. I feel like I always seem to be walking across thin ice. I never quite know what to expect. It's like that movie, "Life is like a box of chocolate, you'll never know what you're gonna get". In my case though, it just seems like a box of really bad candies, and my stomach is just about to turn. oh, someone is on the verge of a meltdown!


Ralph Marston to the rescue! I followed him on Twitter cos one of my supervisors from before used to post his quotes. I usually tend to ignore his posts but today they seem to be talking to me:

"Take a breath of fresh air. The past is behind you. Focus on what you can do, not on what you could have or should have done."

"Stop repeating to yourself the reasons why you can't. Begin reminding yourself why you must."

*sigh* then again, maybe, I am just making excuses. I should stop making excuses. ahhh I need to think about this some more... ha! grateful that we always get a new day to start over. Hope things will improve soon. i don't wanna worry too much about work. After all, i don't wanna turn 60 y.o. and realize I spent 50 of it slaving away in a cubicle.

J-Drama: Absolute Boyfriend (Zettai Kareshi)

Absolute Boyfriend 

Title: 絶対彼氏 / Zettai Kareshi / Absolute Boyfriend
Tagline: The Completely Perfect Boyfriend Robot
Number of Episodes: 11 

Japanese Cast: Aibu Saki, Hayami Mokomichi, Mizushima Hiro, Sasaki Kuranosuke, Ueno Natsuhi

Synopsis:
Robot maker, Kronos Heaven, finally develops “Night Tenjo”, the perfect male humanoid programmed to be devoted and completely loyal to his lover. The company chooses temp worker Izawa Riko to take part in a 5-day free trial. At first, Riko only sees Night as a household appliance. But when she finds out how deep Night’s devotion to herself is, Riko finds herself falling in love with him. Joining the love triangle is Asamoto Soshi, a distinguished young executive at her company who has feelings for her. –Fuji TV

cr: asiandrama.wordpress.com

*sob* *sob* just finished watching Absolute Boyfriend and it felt like I went on a rollercoaster ride while crying.. I've been watching this series for a week now and sacrificed a couple of hours sleep everyday. 
Yay!  was so happy today cos I could finally sit down and finish watching it without interruption. Picked up on ep  8 and wthin just about half an hour into it, i must have uttered more than 5 OMGs already. And by ep 9 all the way to the end, it was just me sobbing, and praying "Lord! Please please give me a good ending!" Although I would have wanted a different ending, but I know it wouldn't be logical. Damn! I hate it when everything has to be logical!^^ (after the finale, episode 11, they released a special episode that wrapped up everything for the series).


Now, someone made a comment on one of this drama's youtube clip:


 "one of the best goddamn dramas ever and its all bcoz of Night. T^T"


and I say, Hell yeah!! If I have 50 million yen to my name, imma buy myself my very own Tenjo Night.


*sigh* Night-kun, aishiteru!!


Definitely, one of the best Asian drama I've ever seen. It's on my top 5 ( along with Meteor Garden, 
Utada Kimi Wu Aishiteru, Cyborg-She, and My Sassy Girl). ahhh crap, my eyes are hurting and i have to go fix myself some ginger ale for my throat now... 

Let Me Hear Your Voice..

Koe Wo Kikasete ( 声をきかせて trans: Let Me Hear Your Voice ) - Ohitorisama OST

Koe Wo Kikasete is one of my favorite Bigbang (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Bang_(Korean_band)) songs. It was a breath of fresh air since it was the first time I heard them sing in Japanese. I loved it the first time I heard it, being an OST (Ohitorisama), the melody is really nice, loved GD and T.O.P's rap, and it also displays how good their vocals are. As usual, the language barrier definitely wasn't a problem. But then, when I came upon a translation of the lyrics, it just blew me away. whoah! who could have wrote this? I felt I just had to post it here. reading the lyrics, it is for me, "visually" arresting, especially the first and second verses. *sigh* i could almost feel the love and the longing in the words.

minutes later:
o-m-g!! i just found out it was Teddy who composed the song!!! I mentioned him before in one of my previous blogs - YG's producer (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teddy_Park#2006.E2.80.93present:_Producer_for_YG_Entertainment). I sooo love the guy to pieces! I knew he wrote most of the songs for 2ne1's debut album together with Kush but since this song was an OST for a Japanese soap, i didn't realize he wrote it too. wow! so now he writes in Korean, in English, and now in Japanese. haha I sooo envy his girlfriend. i may not know him personally but from what I've seen on 2ne1tv and bigbangtv, he seems like a really nice person. sooo happy to be a fan. Teddy-sshi, hwaiting! ^^

English Sub:

Koe Wo Kikasete ( 声をきかせて trans: Let Me Hear Your Voice )

until now, the rain kept falling

and the smell of ashphalt lingered in the city

over there.. it's stopped raining, hasn't it?

in the west, it's begun to clear

in the mornings, will you get up every day without trouble?

even now, that's the kind of thing I worry about

the sky that's spreading, the freedom

neither of these things have changed

right now, it's just that.. it's just that you aren't by my side

let me hear your voice

if we can be honest with each other, surely

we could understand each other

open your heart

let me hear your voice

the path that we've walked, we definitely took

an important step towards the future

the first time that I met you

was the same season as now, wasn't it?

the lit up streets

they glowed beautifully

the cry-baby you were; you, from that time, often

would place your forehead on my shoulder

and cry - that warmth

I felt it so strongly

every person individually, no matter who they are carry 

troubles as they live

and desperately hold onto their broken heart

let me hear your voice

if we become gentler

we're bound to love each other

don't avert your eyes from mine,

let me hear your voice

let's move on, from these insecurities and this loneliness

our feelings in this moment become a bond

yeah, since you went away hasn't been the same

in my heart, all I got is pain

could it be that I played a game to lose you, I can't maintain

sunlight, moonlight, you lit my life, realize in the night

while love shines bright

cant let you go; we're meant forever, baby let me know

this past without you, can't forget you

letting me be, the cloud hanging above me

raining on me; missing your touch

nights get long and it's hard to clutch

we're apart breaks my heart

it's all for the best girl you're my world

in time my love unfurls

he will then wait for you girl

let me hear your voice

if we can be honest with each other, surely

we can understand each other

open your heart

let me hear your voice

the path that we've walked; we definitely took

an important step towards the future

credits - mori90 @ soompi

what if you were deleted...

.. from a "friend"s facebook friend list? Honestly? I really couldn't care less. I'm just confuse why people left and right are posting a link that would enable one to find out who deleted them on facebook. Like really? Like you'd really spend a minute of your day getting that FB application so you can check who erased you from their online social life?! First of all, if they deleted you, that means they're not a real friend.Secondly, nahhh, it's just not worth it. Besides, I do this all the time too, but only to those who are "friends" with me only so they could flood my wall with pictures of merchandise they're selling online. Also, i would understand if some people would delete me, I mean if they're strongly averse to a certain music genre that I'm really into, they might need to delete me since I like sharing music and videos on my fb. If there are artists that i like who's coming out with a new album for example, i spam my wall with teasers and all that lol. So, with anything online, I suggest just taking it with a grain of salt.

I Kissed Dating Goodbye...

One of my workmates had been telling everyone that personally, she doesn't wanna settle down yet... the biggest factor in her decision to take the plunge is that she already wants to have a baby.. that's it. she feels 
pressured that she's nearing the big 3-0 and that she might have a difficult time conceiving if she'll have it 
in her 30's... and well.. she has a point. but i feel like giving her my 2 cents... i told her " well, it's 
like, welcome to the rest of your life. if you can imagine yourself spending the rest of your life with him 
then by all means, go ahead." 


Pondering on this later, i thought, that, right there, is the reason i'm still single. I'm not gonna make the jump just for the hell of it. That, and the book called I Kissed Dating Goodbye which I read in high school. I didn't 
realize the impact of that book on me until much, much later. Basically, what the book says is that when you're 
not ready to buy, don't go shopping. When you're not ready to settle down, don't date. which is quite fucked 
up really. well, to some extent, it has its logic. But when you think about it, there's nothing really wrong 
with dating. it's basically like two friends having a good time over dinner or something, right? uh,i wouldn't 
know. Reading such a book at such a young age left a big impression on me, so much so that I really didn't go out with anyone my entire college life. i was sooo scared of this phenomenon called "getting-pregnant-out-of-wedlock" that to prevent that from happening, i didn't, at all, dated. ok so yeah, there's condom and pills and all that, but I wasn't gonna sleep with just anyone. There has to be emotions involved. And you get emotionally attached with a guy if you know them, right? if you're going out with them? so to cut the nip in the bud, so to say, i didn't. that zeroed out the probability. So yeah, I was naive, make that IS naive. am living in the past. am a cave woman. was a freak. lol. am taking back that last one. But that's me. Fast forward to the working world, and I had another excuse. too busy. And i think, to be brutally honest with myself, I also think it's because am too lazy and selfish too. lazy.. like a flower waiting for a bee (can a flower chase a bee?! lol crazy thought). selfish... i want ALL my time to myself. i treasure my ME time so much. i love sleeping. i love just surfing the net.. watching a movie. reading a book. I am happy with just myself. Though I'm completely aware that a few years from now, this line of thinking will change. That, as cheesy as it may sound, I'm gonna need someone to complete me. I know, I may be happy in my single blessedness now but I could still be happier if I have someone. And I'm not gonna lie and say am not hoping to find that someone that's meant only for me. 5 billion people. oh man, the odds are not looking good. Especially for someone who miserably failed Dating 101. In the end, the thought of dating for me is... just that. just a thought. My take on it now is that I'd have a greater chance learning a new language than settling down anytime soon. 


On second thought, a potted flower can go places. hhmmmm. =)

old blogs...

It's weekend again, and so my alter-ego is brought to life. Signing on: CarlaHearts2ne1...lol. Sooo, I'm downloading a vid in youtube and it's gonna take about a couple hours or so and I decided to quit  procrastinating and close out all the other social networking sites I've had years before that I never visit now. Friendster. Multiply. MySpace... While doing so, I came across some blogs I wrote and decided to repost them here..well, just for the sake of if ever I get curious as to what I was into during those years. There were some vids too but I'm still trying to figure out how to upload them here when the original videos are long gone.. will edit .

Love means never having to say you're sorry.. 06/18/06

Jun 10, '07 7:27 PM for everyone

Love means never having to say you're sorry..

At long last, I finally found out what this means. I watched the 1970 movie Love Story over the weekend primarily because I got fed up with paying overdues from renting all those new, but overnight only movies. Going for classics not only ensures you'd be watching a film worth your time, but you also get to return them in 3 days or more..

About the film, I expected it to be really cheesy but what I got rather are very sharp and witty dialogues. The story's not new, as I've seen it a million times from romantic movies which clearly have been benchmarked from it. Sure, there were cheesy encounters, but doesn't love used to be cheesy, and subtle, and innocent? Think Lucy and George of A Room with A View..

Love means never having to say you're sorry. I read this everywhere, hear it from everybody, but I didnt really know what the hell it exactly means. Thanks to the movie, I got to thinking, and I think I know now what it means. You are never sorry after a relationship, or after a love ends. Because you are not sorry for having spent time with each other, for having shared a part of your life with one another, for knowing the person, for what you become after the relationship.So really, after a breakup, don't say sorry.. Thank you is more like it.

Oh man, now I'm getting cheesy. I think I'll watch one of those Marvel  movies to get me out of this mood. But then again, I've had such an overdose of this from the movies that's been hitting the cinema, animations, the dead coming back to life, all sorts of demonic possessions.. Oh please, enough already.

Before I forget, if you haven't already, please watch 

Manhattan

, The Spanish Apartment, Y Tu Mama Tambien, Four Seasons, and tell me what you think.

And for a more recent film, if you liked 

Sin City and Ocean's Eleven, watch Domino. No comparison, it just reminded me of the two. Besides, Keira's hair was to die for... Now, why did i get that haircut a week before seeing the film?

haha.. it's not often that I rant about a movie so when I found this..it all came back to me..soo funny.

White Lady robbed me of my hard-earned P60.50!!! 07/23/06

Jun 10, '07 7:29 PM for everyone

White Lady robbed me of my hard-earned P60.50!!!

Ok, so I'm such a sucker for horror / suspense films, so even if im more often than not skeptical on watching local films, i trekked on the cinema on the 2nd day of showing here. And add to that because ive been gullible enough to believe everything they say in the papers abt the movie. Heck! there's been a lot of talk about it, from the 30 mins or so they spent on the special effects, to the perfectionist, young blood director ( they say they shot each scenes up to ten takes?? ) so people can expect something different. yeah sure! so why is it that sitting thru the movie, i cannot pinpoint a scene thats different from what ive already seen from other movies? Why can i not help but be a critic through each scenes? its a good thing the person i was with feels the same way, otherwise i could have gotten thrown out of the theater. For starter, the movie kept reminding me of other films of the same genre. Say for example...

.... when the ghost dissolved into an army of rats, didnt it remind you of The Mummy?
... and the well or manhole, for some reason I thought of The Ring.
... and the mirrors, may be its just me but it reminded me of The Skeleton Key too
... and walking doll, man, can i help it if i recall a Korean horror movie entitled The Doll Master?

.... and up to now, i dont get it why the ghost seems to be asking for help from P. Luna ( the ghost was seen scrawling the words Buligan nyo ko or something on the board ) when she is clearly beyond help? it seems to me she's out for revenge alone...

... and that dragging scene outside a theater where they held the audition for the all girl chorale? what was that all about?  clearly there was an audition going on and they could have incorporated the rest of the details on the teachers' script, instead of wasting seconds on the posted announcement.

and lastly, im assuming the setting is UPLB based on the van that took an injured friend away. i finished from another campus of the system too but i do not recall witnessing paper throwing in a classroom. i mean they were supposed to be college guys right? i mean the scene was straight out of a high school movie featuring brats.

and lastly lastly, why is Pauleen Luna's wardrobe like that? her stylist could have opted for flimsier blouses and be a straightaway copycat of Carrie Bradshaw's style. well well..

so if anyone would ask me if i enjoyed the movie, ill throw back another question. If you sat for a movie that kept reminding you of other movies all throughout.. would you enjoy it?

Go figure.

Prev: Love means never having to say you're sorry.. 06/18/06
Next: Butterfly Effect 07/24/06

OH YEAH, i remember catching last full shows after work hours.  2006? what a year that was.

screamfest this week! 07/29/06

Jun 10, '07 7:31 PM for everyone

and so Chito Roño did not disappoint. i mean Feng Shiu is a tough movie to top, but top it he did. I caught the LFS of Sukob last wednesday after work, still wearing my office uniform ( ick!) coz i didnt want to watch a left over, meaning tira-tira ng napagkwentuhan na.. and even tho i like watching movies by myself, even those Korean horror (?) films, i had the good sense to drag some friends with me. but im glad i did, coz for all the screaming that ensued, it would have been a tad harder for me to scream as loud, if i was by myself. now that is a new "by myself" challenge, may be next time :) you wanna know what Scream Fest is all about? watch sukob. now, i am being redundant with the word scream here, but it literally was a scream fest from like 5 minutes into the movie til the very end. the movie was really good, good pacing, superb story telling, that was  a real mean scene opening.all those old houses, it makes you think what horror stories each of these houses yearns to tell as well. and the Flower Girl, she was the real scene stealer, personally, i think both hit makers Kris and Claudine was clearly upstaged. altho of course, the movie has some loose ends, like i would have liked to know what became of those lost bodies. and i also would have liked to know of the Flower Girl's own life story, why was she haunting all these people, what was she so hung up about? may be in another movie? :)

anyway, my hats off to Chito Roño.  but it really shouldnt come as a big surprise. it isnt like he's a newbie in this genre. remember Patayin sa Sindak si Barbara of the mid 90's? that was his brainchild too.

thanks to him, i came to scream and i ended up screaming like i havent in a LONG time.

P.S.

remember that Female Ghost movie that i wrote about a few days ago? not surprisingly, it didnt make it to a 2nd week run. goes to show that first day sales is never a guarantee that a movie is worth your time.

Prev: Butterfly Effect 07/24/06
Next: the real score... 08/20/06

Butterfly Effect 07/24/06

Jun 10, '07 7:30 PM for everyone

Ok.. so this review is much too delayed. Blame it on Demi Moore.. ;) crazy but i couldnt stand the thought of watching Ashton and be reminded that Demi's got him lolx!

anyway, i read in the papers that  Erika Durance ( Lois Lane of TV's Smallville ) is gonna be on the 2nd installment of  The Butterfly Effect, and because i happen to like her ( maybe if it was her  who played the role of Lois Lane in the movie Superman instead of Kate Bosworth i would've watched it ) I decided i must watch the first part. and im glad i did. It's a really good movie, very engaging, the kind that makes you pause a scene and think.. and think some more, and when THE idea dawns on you go ahh ok, then press play. The plot is something that a lot of us have toyed with in our minds. if you can redo the past to alter the future, to  make it better, would you do it? Not entirely new but the story was told in a fast paced, race- with- your- mind  sort of way ( think Tru Calling ). The story revolved around Evan Treborn ( Kutcher ) and his childhood friends and a series of traumatic events in their lives that catapulted  them  to a very undesirable  present. Evan grew up under the care  of a Psychologist  who told him to keep a journal of  day to day events in his life, as he was prone to black outs. Now in college, he discovers that the journal enables him to go back in time, reclaim his memories, redo the past, and in the process alter the future. He does this a lot of times and with each time, you cannot help but empathize  with him. are things better now  than it used to be? can he stop now? is his Playing God going to make things  better for him and his friends, or will they all end more fucked up than ever.

and at the same time you'll wonder... how much of these is real, and how much are just figments of his imagination?

the ending was abvious.. but you'll love it .

cant wait for  the 2nd part, i hope ashton is still in it tho.

EXTRA: Notice the comment below. That's from my ex., albeit long distance..  reason why we're no longer together? funny.. when I saw this blog and his comment again (since it's been while since i've thought about him).. i said to myself.. "ahhh... that just about sums it up..  i can't be with this guy..' :)

the real score... 08/20/06

Jun 10, '07 7:32 PM for everyone

the real score...

.. so there's been a lot on the news recently with the war going on between the Hezbollah ( hope i spelled that correctly ) and Israel. we know this bad blood between the Palestinianas and the Israeli's has been going on for so long now, all that we can fathom is what's on the surface, what we see on TV. we see this war remotely simply because we're here, safely, sitting in our living room watching the war ravage lives on the boob tube. but if you wanna feel the underlying emotion, the deep emotion of all those involved, you will want to watch MUNICH. its directed by Steven Spielberg but its not only that fact that makes the film worth your while. Heck! in this movie, you'll get to see a Palestinian and an Israeli ( each licensed to kill each other ) debate calmly on the ongoing war between the 2 countries. its touching because they  get to somehow have a glimpse on what each other really feel about the war, express their stand, all over a cigarette on a peaceful night, without the conversation ending in a graphic mode.

Ok im in a lousy mode today and in a hurry so i cant make this review sound better than i intend to but i assure you the movie is really good. whats more for the girls, Eric Bana topbills this movie!! :) yummy...

now i think ive certainly ruined whatever credibility i have here lol.

and while you're at it, go watch the Break Up also, initially i wanted to watch the movie just to see if Jen and Vince sizzles on screen.  they more than sizzle, their dialogues are really witty and funny, not the humor of Woody Allen's Manhattan but the sort of childish humor.. but this movie guarantees you a few laughs.

Prev: screamfest this week! 07/29/06
Next: getting old, and how i don't like it one bit 08/28/06

5 CommentsChronological   Reverse   Threaded

reply compassblue wrote on Jun 24, '07 Eric Bana made a passable Hector in Troy, but he belongs to the brigade of current actors who are trained to emote intensely rather than act. Life is about more than just who can glare at 1000W the longest. "Troy" missed one important aspect - The Iliad is *mythology*. There are supposed to be soothsayers and oracles, genuine priests and Gods who help and foil the Heroes. What we ended up with is just Muscles & Machetes. Oh well... Nooo! - the Break Up? It is such a lousy movie. This story is barely enough for an episode of a bad sitcom, it is *not* enough for a full length feature. The actors are no more than TV fodder, and they are simply not enough to fill the Silver Screen. Sizzle? There is none. I cant imagine there ever being any either. An anal girl who has to have a plan for everything, just as long as it is her plan. A slob of a guy who insists on living the bachelors life even though he is in a relationship. Geez...

reply oldworld wrote on Jun 24, '07 I haven't seen Troy, i hate Brad. But looks like