August Journal Entries

Yeah, like I could ever say goodbye to her. I hope she does not message me in the next days, months, years, or never again, or else it's back to the drawing board for me. Again, that's besides the point. Another month draws to a close. The days are surely passing by so fast. Now, it's September again, another month I hate for some reason. When you think about it, I hate every month there is for one reason or another. Not even my birth month holds any significance to me, aside from being my birth month which is pretty much the same thing, year in and year out. Let's see if this year would be different.

I have yet to see Pirates of the Caribbean in the theaters, hardly have time to watch it, alone. Only had time for one movie last week, Spy Kids 3D, a movie I only watched because it was in 3D and of course came with this cool looking 3D glasses. The movie was fun, since it was in a videogame world, but had a simplistic story. A lot of fun cameos though. A movie I'd recommend if you want to experience a 3D flick, if not, don't even bother.

I don't want to say when I'd see Pirates in the theaters because it may never happen, hopefully though I'd have some time on Tuesday. Let's just see to what happens. Days are awfully short ever since I started working. Can't even play Ragnarok anymore to think that I just topped-up my account a month ago, but I have yet to play it. Atleast I am able to play on the Playstation2, testing out Resident Evil: Code Veronica X which happens to be the hardest Resident Evil I have played, considering that it has no modes for difficulty. Pretty much breezed by RE2 and RE3 on normal difficulty. With such short time for anything else, the game is testing my patience. I'll buy another game next time, an RPG I guess. Need to catch up on Grandia Xtreme or Suikoden 3.

The week at work was fun and entertaining. Hardly did anything aside from Speechcraft. Am starting to wander how I can develop my English speaking skills now that Speechcraft is over. The general comments I've received from there is I tend to be choppy when speaking, sort of speaking in fragments. I hardly notice that though. Man, if I could only speak as well as I think, then I'd have no problem at all. I hope I do get to develop this over the course of my stay in this company. A good way of practice would be reading this journal out loud as I type it or after. That would be helpful as well in checking for grammatical errors as I never read these things again. I just type them as they come out of my mind.

Spent the weekend sleeping most of the time. I guess I have started to adjust with the current work schedule as I wake up around 3 in the morning. Luckily, it's not such a task for me to fall back to nocturnal slumber. Since I sleep early, it's only normal that I wake up early, i.e. in the MORNING as compared to waking up after noon back when I had all the time in the world. Sadly, this has made the days even shorter. Am going to dish the idea of sleeping early then waking past midnight to do several things. It would be better if I did everything I wanted to do first then sleep until 3 in the morning. Forget about off-peak hours. There are prepaid internet cards out there, and since am earning my own money, I could shell out a few hundreds for that.

Before when I was having my "vacation", I wanted to atleast have some money for spending. Now that I have, I don't know what to spend it on or save it for. Have yet to buy anything significant out of it. It has to be something useful, and one that I'd benefit a lot from. Upgrading this system of mine, at first, seems like a great idea, then if I do upgrade it, my brother would start using it as a game machine. Well, I would do the same thing, but I hardly use it. A nice wide screen TV (a year's savings, I guess) would be better, but again, I'd hardly use it at all since am rarely home. My best bet is to just save as much as I can and maybe buy a decent digital camera by the end of the year, a perfect birthday gift for myself. DVDs are quite tempting too, but without a DVD player at home aside from the PS2, it isn't such a grand idea especially if the only working TV set at home is a 14-inch set.

This is me alright, making myself get all confused and then depressed over such a small thing.

Wait, I said depressed?

Give Me A Topic [Thursday, August 28, 2003 @ 1:20 am]

As much as I wanted to, I did not get the chance to watch Pirates of The Caribbean: Curse of The Black Pearl today. There was a company GA and we were required to go, and it ended by 4 pm. At this point, I just missed the 3 pm showing and would probably have to wait till 5 for the next screening time and that would mean I'd get home late, with almost no time to sleep and do anything else.

I know I should not have used videogames as my topic for speech yesterday. We have another speech for later regarding conviction, and I have no idea what I'd talk about which am really sincere and certain about. If I did not use videogaming yesterday, I could have talked about videogaming violence. Now, at 1:26 in the morning and just hours to go, I have no freaking idea on what I'd be talking about later. And now that I really think about it, it would have been better to use perfecting loneliness as my topic yesterday, rather than videogaming. I always make the worst decisions.

After lying down, staring at the wall for several minutes, I still have no freaking idea on what am gonna do for my speech tomorrow. There are a lot of things I am currently thinking off, but it has to be one I know a lot, as to reduce the time I need to prepare to zero. If I pick something outrageous, I'd have to make it look good and actually prepare for it, unfortunately time is something I don't have.

Again, I'd be using the jeep ride later as a venue to collect my thoughts and ideas.

Am working on something that would allow this site to accept comments from visitors adding a little interactivity. This is one thing I didn't want to add until I could use PHP on my site, unfortunately I don't have the time and I think I'd never get hosting over at Neopages. So this would have to do for now, until I could find a host that supports PHP. It just dawned on me, I know nothing about PHP.

Cracking the Damn Shell [Wednesday, August 27, 2003 @ 12:39 am]

Shucks! I missed posting an entry yesterday.

Pirates of the Caribbean is opening tomorrow and am already excited about it. Welcome me back, Robinson's Metro East. It's been quite a long time.

I don't know if I have slept enough yet. This new schedule is simply not for me. I sleep during the day, and not during the night, and at 6 pm to booth. I am a nocturnal being. Wasn't able to catch any sleep at all yesterday, as for today, I probably slept for less than 4 hours. My brothers cellular phone was charging and it just rang by 8:30 pm and that ruined my sleep. I hope tomorrow I could sleep more, but that won't happen as I'd be home later than usual as I have some movies to watch first.

First day of soft deployment at work, and the shift starts with a two-hour speech class, aptly called Speechcraft. Had table topics today, and I hate how I fumbled after using the word "kickout". I was in search of a different, and friendlier way of saying it, but with the current sentence I had, no other word would blend in more seamlessly than kickout.

I hate it. How I wish I could speak as good as I could type/write stuff down. I don't know why this is so. Other trainers said that thinking of what to say in English is better than thinking in Filipino and then translating it into English. The thing is I am doing that, I have always been doing that. I guess this damn shell is a lot tougher to crack than I expected, but I sure hope I could.

This is one of the reasons I decided to work for Etelecare, with hopes of cracking this shell than prevents me from conversing comfortably in English. I know it's in their somewhere. Damn security blanket!

Anyway, have to prepare a 3-5 minute speech for tomorrow, and I have no ideas in mind aside from the obvious. I am definitely NOT going to talk about websites again. It would be my very last resort. In the meantime, I am thinking if I would really prepare for it intensively. I guess that's something I could do while on the jeep going to work later, which is better than thinking of depressing thoughts.

Movie Day Monday [Monday, August 25, 2003 @ 9:19 pm]

Pirates. Pirates. Pirates. Pirates.

Two days to go till Pirates of the Caribbean opens in theaters here in this country. Yes, I have seen it weeks before, but am dying to see it again on the big screen. This week, we have a new and better schedule, better in the sense that it allows us to do more things and there's certainly nothing better than watching a movie after work. I don't have any plans for a movie tomorrow, as I need to condition myself with this schedule first. But Wednesday is a different story, I am definitely going to catch Pirates of the Caribbean. Come Thursday, there is Spy Kids 3D. Then on Friday, hmmm, I don't know what's on then, but I have other plans for that day.

Oh my God! I can already see the additional expenses this new schedule brings. At least the old one forces you into spending as minimal as possible, just for transportation and lunch.

So what exactly did I do today, considering it's a free day? I can some it up all in one word. Nothing.

Spent the day watching movies on video, which is almost like a tradition I do every week. And on the menu today were servings of S.W.A.T., Freddy vs. Jason, and The Italian Job.

S.W.A.T. is an interesting movie, but it was again too long. By the end of the first CD, nothing has happened yet with the story, they were still building up to that point. Considering that from the start they were showing glimpses of were it the movie was heading, they really dragged the story as I was eagerly waiting then wondering on when that would happen. But nonetheless, I still liked it. Scenes that reminisce first-person shooters such as Rainbow Six and Counter Strike, though much more the former than the latter.

Next on the list was the showdown between two B movie horror franchises, Freddy Krueger from Nightmare on Elm Street and Jason Vorhees of Friday the 13th in Freddy Vs. Jason. An excellent idea for two dying franchises, but with poor execution. The story was not that great, but doable, and the actual showdown was actually funny with the two mascots flying all over the places and hacking away at each other non-stop. Here's an easier way of reviewing this movie, it is better than Jason X but don't expect much, it's a B movie after all. Oh, and the blood was entertaining, fountains everywhere.

Of course, I always save the best for last, The Italian Job, a movie that I bought on VCD because my brother asked me to buy a copy as I was planning on seeing it in the theaters. Sadly, I wasn't able to squeeze it in last Saturday, but if ever I'd find the time, I'm sure I'll watch it in the theaters. Maybe on Friday.

With a cast including Mark Wahlberg, Charlize Theron, Seth Green, and my favorite actor, Edward Norton, I could not go wrong with this movie. I loved this one so much, especially the Mini Coopers. I want a goddamn red Mini Cooper! Though, I'd also settle for one of 'em blue ones. The movie itself was entertaining and quite sequential. The story was well developed and the overall length of the movie is just right. It's actually a remake of an old movie. One thing though, as great as the Mini Coopers are, Los Angeles isn't the place for them, and they distinctively stuck out like a sore thumb. It is not such a big deal, it's just that Mini Coopers don't belong in LA as opposed to the Mini Cooper chase scene in The Bourne Identity, which blended in with the European location. You should know how Americans love big gasoline chugging machines as opposed to Europeans. Anyway, the Mini Cooper chase scene was excellent, and I can't wait for the PS2 game or my very own Mini Cooper. And for the record, I don't find Edward Norton's moustache disturbing at all, as opposed to what Tom said before.

One thing I am going to miss are the pirates that come out late at night, meaning I won't be able to but any VCDs anymore. How sad.

Am excited with the new schedule, yet at the same time scarred as I am spending my own money now. I hope I'd still be able to save enough for a nice digicam by December. Let's just wait and see.

Way Down South [Sunday, August 24, 2003 @ 4:04 pm]

I have so much to say and don't know were to start.

So let's try to make it as sequential as possible.

Had the whole Saturday planned out since Friday, well, I only got into the details when I woke up around 10 am and messaged some people. We were to meet at Glorietta during the evening, meet up with everyone, and collectively go to Rock Radio Cafe in Alabang for the Admit One gig there.

It was foolish of me to think that I'd be able to squeeze in a movie in between, as I prepared leaving around 3 pm and it was nearly 4 pm when I left home, meaning if I get to Glorietta before 7, I'd be able to watch a movie, which most probably would be The Italian Job. As usual, wishful thinking. I totally forgot what day yesterday was, and what exactly happened on the same date a year ago. Let's see, should I or should I not. Well, I guess I should then.

August 23, a year back, was the last time I saw her together with one of his loyal lapdogs. A planned date reduced to nothing more than a momentary meeting in order to give me something, materials needed for the book report she asked me to do. A split second passed by, there wasn't even a chance to sit down at all. Anyways, that's all in the past now (stingeyes: Oh really?! HAHAHA...) and I didn't even remember the date if it wasn't for something that happened yesterday.

I was stuck in Teresa because of a procession of sorts.

I remember how I was pissed off by this traffic jam last year, because I missed Slam Dunk then. Yesterday, I got to see the procession and realized that I was also stuck last year, (a Friday back then) though I didn't know for what reason. I was pissed since it directly translated into "No movie for you today.", but what could I do. Atleast, I'd still get there early.

It was past 7 when I arrived at Glorietta. Met up with a couple of friends, ate dinner and walked around the mall, waiting for other people to show up. By 9 in the evening, everyone was present and decided on how we'd go to Alabang, since we were all people of the North. Taxi cabs solved that problem. I don't recall when exactly we got there, but it was around 10 pm and Daydream Cycle was already performing.

Other bands up that night were Fatal Posporos, Dicta License, Twisted Halo, Sugarfree, Sandwich, and Imago. I want to get into detail with this, but it's quite late and am lazy. Plus, I have to make a decent article for Altercation so nobody will throw stones at me because of my silly grammar.

Admit One...Pare

What better way to end a 75 day gig-less slumber than with an Admit One gig with a twist, a southern one at that. Admit One has been one of the premier events in the northern part of the Metro and saying that it is quite a success is a definite understatement. Regularly happening during the first Saturday of the month at Freedom Bar in Anonas Q.C., only time was keeping it from spreading and infecting more, specifically the people down south.

Rock Radio Cafe and 106.3 FM, a southern FM radio broadcast, sponsored the first ever Admit One gig down in Alabang. Incidentally, this was also the very first time the place was packed, the highest grossing event of all time. Daydream Cycle, Imago and Sandwich were on the line-up that night along with the Admit One regulars, Dicta License, Fatal Posporos, Sugarfree and Twisted Halo.

The event opened with Daydream Cycle followed by Fatal Posporos, both with energetic and great performances, but with a crowd so different from the usual Freedom Bar people, one could dismiss this to be another lackluster gig where hardly anything "different" happens. Thanks to intoxication, a broken drum set, and a few standup shows, things started to get better despite the unfamiliarity with the new place. Dicta License was up next and half way through their set, the drum set just gave up and took quite sometime to fix. Dicta License performed a "drum-less" version of Falling Earth while the drum set was being fixed. Jorel of Happy Meals, who was the usual host during Admit One gigs back in Freedom Bar took over with an act akin to a stand-up comedy show. With the drums all set up and tweaked, Dicta continued with their set followed by Twisted Halo. Intoxication added more animation to the already lively set of Sugarfree, and mind you, not from the band but from someone in the crowd, who probably has no recollection of what he did. Sandwich came up next and pumped up the crowd a bit asking people to atleast stand up and come near the stage. Imago, being a south-based band, capped off the night close to 3 in the morning, with their own unique set.

A mutually beneficial and successful event, opening the door for Admit One in the south and giving added exposure to Rock Radio Cafe to people from the north. And for those in the southern part of the Metro, save the 3rd Saturday of the month for Admit One.

Ack! That took quite some time to write down. Knowing that it would be included in a zine made me conscious about my words and grammar, as someone pointed out to me in my previous article. Anyways, it's done, though short, it's good enough and isn't just some piece I'd rip off my journal. Being a contributor for Altercation has it's benefits, so am not complaining.

Let's see. What else happened that is not appropriate to add in the article for Altercation. Oh, I know.

I am such a dimwit. And I though I have changed a bit.

The place was filled with great looking women and there was this one who really caught my eye. And again, I emphasize my stupidity. Amusing Note: Nirvana's Dumb is playing in the background.

How shall I describe her then? She was SO pretty, morena, slim, the right height (say, perfect), did her hair in such a way that was so lovely and the eyeliner she put around her eye was perfect. And oh, she had braces. Anyway, I noticed that we were somewhat always near each other, sometimes she would be beside me, and other times her friend would be between us, who actually asked me for a light and I hope she doesn't smoke. There was this time when someone passed between us, and we like glanced at each other for a second or two and smiled at each other. I think I muttered "Hi!" or something, but am not sure, and that was it. After that, I noticed every time I looked at her she'd look back.

With a confidence level way below zero, I wasn't able to do anything, not even a simple hello. And two red horses didn't help either. Yes, more regrets.

Sadly, this is what living like this does. I wonder if I'd ever see her again, like during the next Admit One gig in Alabang. Right, wishful thinking.

Hopes Of A Brighter Tomorrow [Saturday, August 23, 2003 @ 3:45 am]

It's already the 23rd of August and this is just my 10th post, weakest month so far, in terms of number of journal entries.

Pretty busy with work lately. Wait, I hate using the work busy, so I'd just rephrase what I said. Am pretty occupied with work lately. Come to think off it, am not really too occupied by it, it's just that it is draining a lot of my time.

Hopefully, next week would be better as we are moving back to Eastwood Libis which is "closer" to home. Add to that a more "convenient" schedule, from 6 am to 3 pm. Convenient, in the sense that I could go home earlier/faster than before hence would be able to do more things. As someone suggested, I could sleep once I get home and ate, then wake up around 12 midnight, and go on straight from there. This would allow me to log online and do my stuff.

At the moment, I have no idea on how I would be able to do this as I don't sleep anywhere before midnight for as long as I could ever remember. I guess two to three days straight, without sleep would push me to sleep at any time I please. I surely hope this stratagem works, or else, am fucked.

Wait, speaking off convenience the new schedule brings, it allows a better movie viewing time table. Pirates of the Caribbean is opening on Wednesday, and I am just in time for the 4 o'clock screening at Robinson's Metro East, my favorite mall for movie viewing. Damn, I am so happy. The only problem with this schedule is that it opens the window for additional expenses as it is quite tempting to pass by a nearby mall and pick up a few things.

Oh well, like I always say, you can't have it all. You win some, you lose some. But there is one thing I am dying to have.

75. That's the number of days I have lived without attending a gig/concert, and if you know me quite well, you'd know that is totally abnormal. There was even a point in time were almost every week, I was going to AT LEAST two gigs in a week. How I long for the soul soothing ambiance that Mayrics, Freedom Bar and Kafe Katipunan brings me.

Am planning to end that abnormal streak tomorrow, and I sincerely hope there is a decent gig tomorrow. As far as I now, this is the first month that there'd be two Admit 1 gigs in a month, and I remember someone mention it would be tomorrow, in Alabang. Have to check my mails and verify that info first before I get my hopes so high and avoid falling from such a lofty position and incidentally, avoid breaking my neck.

Smile Therapy [Tuesday, August 19, 2003 @ 3:25 am]

The next time you see me smiling for no reason whatsoever, do not worry, I am not going crazy. Am just depressed. Hmmm... Now that I said it, it does not sound crazy, it sounds disturbing and creepy.

I don't know why but this depression has been eating me up lately. Well, that's something that ain't totally new. Anyways, am having this itchy feeling on my left wrist.

What then have I to say today? Nothing I guess, nothing really spectacular happened. For some reason or another, I am not in a chronicling mood right now.

Anyway, there is nothing to tell.

I just wanna play Ragnarok.

But wait, this is amusing. There is no dial tone. Pathetic. What the hell shall I do now?! Sleep?!

Finding Captain Nemo [Monday, August 18, 2003 @ 2:42 am]

At last!! After 37 long days, I've finally got the chance to watch a movie in the theater, and not just one, but TWO. Hahahaha...

Saw The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and Finding Nemo, but hardly had the time to go shopping since I was walking back and forth two malls, looking for an ATM since Megamall was so fucking crowded being a Sunday and all. It was scary.

Spent most of the time walking around Megamall, looking for a suitable ATM with not that much people around. Probably circled the whole mall around five times. Then walked all the way to Shangri La and back again to Megamall. It was so bloody tiring. Good thing I was wearing my trusty sneakers, a pair I wore for almost everyday in more than a year's time. Missed that pair, since I have to wear leather shoes to work and didn't dress down last Saturday.

After all the walking around in circles, I decided to satisfy my hunger. I was slowly drifting off into depression when this kid was waving goodbye to me. Weird but cute, and made me smile for a moment till I drifted again into depression. Just caught me by surprise.

With my belly full and satisfied, I hurried up to Cinema 1 since LXG just finished and I had to see all the trailers. If you've been reading through this journal for quite sometime, you'd remember that I've seen it at home, and liked it so much meriting a theatrical viewing.

Unfortunately, I was in Megamall which has the lamest cinemas in town as it is designed for the masses and for a large crowd. Each theater is humongous. Cinema 1 had guaranteed seating so I chose a seat a little closer to the screen, in the Deluxe area to be exact, since I wouldn't be able to see so clearly if I sat so far. Well, I thought that when they renovated the place they changed the angles of the seats, but they didn't and is exactly the same with the other cinemas except for the seats. The angle was pretty bad, and I was sitting at the back of the Deluxe section.

As for the movie, nothing new about it. Ha, what did you expect? I still like it and enjoyed viewing it on the big screen.

Checked the movie schedule again for the times of Finding Nemo, as I was having doubts of seeing it in Megamall. Since I had almost an hour before the next screening time, I dropped by the record bar for some CDs. This is one of the few decent things in Megamall, the record bars. Picked up a copy of Glassjaw's Worship and Tribute and Moonstar 88's Limited Edition 3 in 1 Collector's Pack right before the store closed. This is one of the cases when the saying "Good things comes to those who wait" holds true. I've been thinking of picking up Moonstar 88's two albums before, but I was a poor little boy back then. Now I get their first (Popcorn) and second (Press to Play) album plus a video CD of their music videos for 449 pesos. I had my eyes set on the Glassjaw CD a long time ago.

Speaking of Moonstar 88, wow, Acel Bisa is SO lovely. She really is and not just because she reminds me of someone. Am SO in love with her. The last time I saw her (them) was during the MTV Lokal concert in Baguio last May.

Browsed through some DVDs, thinking if am ready to start collecting them. Didn't see any titles I really wanted such as Fight Club: Limited Edition, Back to the Future, etc. I'd probably buy the Band of Brothers DVD or Godfather DVD next time. Right, and come home and watch it on my Playstation 2 with a 14 inch television set. Pathetic.

Now let's talk about Finding Nemo, but first of all let me tell you how hearing the national anthem being played in the cinema almost made my eyes teary. Can hardly remember the last time I watched the last full show for a day. How I miss my dorm and college days. Finding Nemo was an excellent animated film, I enjoyed the movie a lot. Through the years, Pixar has perfected the talent of creating characters that connect with the audience, bridging the gap between computer animation with real human emotions. Currently, the movie is the top grossing film of the year. The movie is just fascinating, humorous and crazily funny. Had lots of good laughs. But, I still think Monsters Inc. is the best CG-animated film ever along with Shrek. I don't quite remember Toy Story as I wasn't much of a movie fanatic back then. The short film they had the beginning was hilarious as well as the teaser for their next project, The Incredibles. I don't have much to say about the movie, aside from liking it so much, the characters, the humor, the water, the story, and others are top notch. Definitely a movie everyone should see.

Let's see. What else have I to say? Can't think of anything much, aside from the time being 4 am already meaning I have to log online and upload this stuff.

Virginal Experience [Saturday, August 16, 2003 @ 7:46 pm]

Had my first experience with an ATM, operating it that is. Don't you get any funny ideas now. Hanged out with office friends after work, and it was great although there were a few disappointing surprises. No big deal really.

Anyway, had one lousy bottle of beer, the restaurant we chose closed early and we weren't able to make any other additional orders on top our initial orders. Yup, not even beer. Well, we did arrive there past 1 in the morning, so can't really complain about them closing early.

This is real lousy and pathetic. Am actually cheating this, I just wanted to use the title "Virginal Experience" to describe my first ever ATM transaction. And everything I was supposed to say here has wondered into oblivion. Hence, the senseless and short journal.

Oh, and I updated the layout a bit, which explains the v. 1.3 on the title bar. I dumped the whole image map idea for something more fancy, IMO. This allowed me to use one image for the whole background, increasing the speed a tad and fixing one alignment error when viewed with Mozilla. Also fixed the script for the pictures area as someone over at Neopages suggested. It actually looks better now.

I Give Up!!! [Wednesday, August 13, 2003 @ 3:28 am]

Honestly, I give up. And now I am sacrificing everything I once loved and had for a measly amount.

What am talking about is insisting on commuting to and from work, it is too time consuming and tiring. Sure, I can manage, but normally, when I get home I just sleep, forgetting about the real reasons as to why I am doing this, which is to be able to save anything from what my life used to be before working.

Sacrifices associated with GROWING UP. I hate them.

Finding Nemo officially opens in theaters tomorrow, though some malls have been showing it since Saturday, and am thinking off when I could see it. Currently, there is this idea in my head that suggests to go to work early, and catch the first screening for the day. This is possible if I would stay in Pasig. There's also the option of seeing it on Saturday, but I need the day for OTHER things. This is one movie am deliberately avoiding on VCD which is what I should have done with Pirates of the Caribbean, which opens on the 27th of August. I am definitely going to see this film again in the theater.

Am about to top-up my level-up game card so I can continue playing Ragnarok Online. (What, continue playing? You can hardly find the time to log-on to the Internet, much more, play Ragnarok? Man, you don't think do you? Well, it is your life and yeah, you are satisfying my thirst for videogaming. -- stingeyes)

I downloaded the teaser trailer for Lord of the Rings: Return of the King and I'd be lying if I said I didn't like it or was not moved by it in anyway. All I can say is that I'm off to hunt people down and prevent the Metro Manila Film Festival for December, hence, allowing us to see the movie on December and NOT a month after which is the case with the first two installments.

Nah, I can't visualize myself doing THAT much work as killing people is such a mess, sometimes. Would be easier if I'd just go and grab some premier tickets. Hey, am working now. Remember? **evil grin**

A WEAKs Notice [Monday, August 11, 2003 @ 1:19 pm]

One week. That's how long it has been since I last used my computer logged on the Internet and updated my journal.

Certainly has to be the longest span of time it took me to update my journal. If I recall correctly, the longest before would be 3 or 4 days max. But one week is something out of the ordinary.

I've been sick for almost the entire week, which in a way would explain the recent lack of anything on this humble site. Started out with a simple cold on Monday, then later on, evolved into a fever complete with headache, cold, and cough. I actually feel better now though the cough is still there, which I sure hope disappears by tomorrow, as I hate coughing while in training.

Due to this infection, I started staying over at my aunt's place in Pasig. It is definitely closer, and much more convenient, but I would never go home there by myself during the wee hours of the morning. Travel time takes less than an hour as compared to before. The problem is, I've got NOTHING to do there but sleep and eat. No PC and that pretty much slits my wrists over and over. Total boredom. Good thing there is the phone and I could call someone, but if for some reason she is asleep, am stuck staring at the bare ceiling till 4 am, the time I USUALLY fall asleep. Then I wake up around 10 am, the time I USUALLY wake up back at home but it is too early to go anywhere yet. I really wish I had my PC there.

NO!!!

This can't be! More sacrifices for what cause? Is it even a noble one? Ack!!

So far, I have sacrificed A LOT of PC time, surfing, movies (in the theater), console videogaming, gigs, "quality-time" at home (right!), ear-splitting sound tripping, and a whole lot more, to the point that there is NOTHING left to sacrifice save my sanity. I HATE idle time as it makes me think of the most obscure things, events of a certain relationship starts to clear up and now everything makes sense (this is actually healthy), and depressed which is a normal thing for me. This happens the most before sleeping which may be anywhere from a few seconds to hours and while riding public transport, especially when listening to love songs and what have you. I wish there is a switch button for this, one that I could turn on and off anytime I please.

Over-exaggerating? Maybe, but this would not be the case if only our house was a LITTLE bit closer to Libis or Makati.

Anyway, what I get out of it is experiencing life in a working environment. Right! But I have these to say, people at work are quite a bunch of interesting individuals, and a day is NEVER boring with them. Yeah, I know some of you ARE reading this. Hehehe... But it is true.

Mentioned sacrificing movies, right? It has now been 31 days since I last watched a movie in a theater. And 31 days is TOO long for me, the time span is just SICK. 31 days, that's the longest in years. Insane.

Luckily, with the help of piracy, I have seen some of these new movies. And for this weekend, I had Bulletproof Monk and Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl.

There is nothing special about Bulletproof Monk, the movie was OKAY, and if you know me well, that is not a very good comment. The cheap-ass quality of the VCD further degraded the movie for me. This is not one movie I'd see given the time I have nowadays, if I was back in school and in my dorm, I would have. But in this reality, no. And one more thing, I DON'T like Chow Yun Fat, and this movie made me hate him more. To say the least, he was annoying in this flick.

Hmmm...That was easy. Now am having a hard part figuring out a way to start describing (raving) about Pirates of the Caribbean.

I regret seeing this movie on VCD, I simply picked up the VCD because there was nothing else available that caught my attention. Add to that, wondering when I would get the chance to see it in the theater. This movie is great. Everything about it is simply fantabulous, from the accent to Captain Jack Sparrow's gold teeth to the costumes and special effects. Jack Sparrow is now at the top of my favorite characters list along with The Butcher from Gangs of New York. Johnny Depp was downright amazing, with a certain mix of humor and charm into his character, as well as ingenuity. Johnny Depp is one of those actors who TRANSFORMS into the role he is supposed to be. He LIVES the role. Keira Knightley is angelic and makes me regret not catching Bend it Like Beckham when it was shown in Shangri-La during the British Movie Fest back in January. Oh, and this is the first movie, aside from LOTR, that Orlando Bloom's showed his potential, unlike in Black Hawk Down were he didn't show anything, aside from a stupid crew cut. The story is engaging and keeps you glued to the seat for two hours. I am definitely going to watch this film again next week when I watch Finding Nemo. I must see this movie in the theaters, under any circumstance it may be. If you haven't seen it yet, what are you waiting for.

It's Monday again. Back to work, but with something to look forward to come the end of the week.

Apologies for the lousy and lengthy entry. I don't have the luxury of time and am rushing this, typing unorganized thoughts popping out in my head.

Movie Marathon [Monday, August 4, 2003 @ 3:32 am]

How many movies have to be viewed in order for it to be called a "marathon"?

With the current work schedule that I have, it's impossible to watch movies in the theaters. So through the week, I have been purchasing VCDs of new movies with the intent of watching them over the weekend and catching up on things.

Since Saturday was used up due to our so-called reunion, I had only Sunday free and sacrificed time which I could have used for working on my layout and using it for watching movies. And I was able to watch four, which was all the movies I bought over the week.

And I had Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life, Bad Boys II, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, and Jackass: The Movie on the list. These are movies I don't intend to see in the theater.

Began the so-called marathon right after lunch, which was the time I woke up. Picked Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life, since my brother wanted to watch and he hasn't seen that one yet. What can I say about the movie? It's Tomb Raider, a movie based on a videogame but features an actress such as Angelina Jolie. Fine, that was lame. The movie wasn't what I expected, as I have said in numerous times before, I was hoping it would be better than the first. After seeing it, I'd say they are more or less the same. Heck, I'd even go out on a limb right now and say that I think the first one was more action packed with the robot and Croft Mansion sequences. But it doesn't necessarily mean that I liked the first one better. It's been awhile since I saw that and viewing this new Tomb Raider on 14" television with a bootleg copy, hardly makes this opinion unbiased.

Popped Bad Boys II in the player next. I do not like this film, I was sleepy and this movie further induced my sleepiness. Though I didn't fall asleep while watching it, I find this movie, at 2+ hours, too long and boring. The story is dragging, and every scene is something we have seen before, and I don't mean scenes you've seen once or twice, but scenes you have seen numerous times over in over. It is that kind of action flick, big flashy explosions with a boring and dragging story. Hardly anything original in it, it was just scenes/ideas taken from all other action films pasted into one, and they really tried to pack everything in this movie which led to the story dragging on forever. It's been ages since I saw the first movie, so I can barely compare the two. I liked the first one because of Tea Leoni, plus the idea was still a bit fresh back then. But for an action film like this to come out now with the same old stuff as other action flicks and absolutely nothing new on it is totally lame. And only with a producer like Jerry Bruckheimer can it still make $80+ million in two weeks. Jerry Bruckheimer owns us and is doing so by releasing crappy films like Bad Boys II and Kangaroo Jack. On the other hand, he isn't totally EVIL as Pirates of the Caribbean has received good marks from critics.

After two movies, I decided to have a bath as I could smell myself already and my poor little eyes were begging for a break. I was watching on a 14" television set which I say is a real eye strain. Whatever happened to the nice big TV?

Took the liberty of having my dinner early so I could continue watching more movies.

Next up was The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen or LXG for short, which is better since it sounds better than the somewhat cheesy title. This film was loosely based on a graphic novel of the same title, so don't blame the producers if the title is somewhat tasteless. Am glad that I saved this movie for last, because among the three, I liked this one the most and comparing this to the other two is simply way out of line. (Jackass isn't really a movie but one long gag show, more on it later) If I ever have the time next weekend with no new movies to see, I'd definitely choose this one and watch it again in a theater. The characters were great and drawn out from literary classics such as Captain Nemo of the Nautilus from Jules Verne's classic Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, Dr. Jekyll (along with Mr. Hyde of course), Tom Sawyer, an invisible man, a vampire, an immortal, and a sharp shooter. I am not sure if they are all literary characters, would have to research more on that. Anyway, the story may need a little work, but it does a pretty fine job as it is. The ambience and mood of the film is another thing I loved about it, dark and mysterious. Dr. Jekyll's transformations into Mr. Hyde are not as great as The Hulk but is nice still considering that he is just one part of the cast unlike The Hulk which is one big movie devoted to himself. As anyone who reads this site knows, I am a great fan of monologues, and Dr. Jekyll's conversations with Mr. Hyde were excellently portrayed using shadows and mirrors. If there is one thing I hate about this film it has to be Tom Sawyer, as he is "American" and was just thrown in to the mix of characters. The actor playing him, Shane West, makes Tom Sawyer a more dislikable character. There isn't anything wrong with him, it is more of a personal choice. Nonetheless, I love this movie and is one flick I'd watch again at the theaters given the time.

Last on the list was Jackass: The Movie, which isn't really a movie but more of an extended R-rated version of Jackass on MTV, you know, stuff you can not show on TV. Anyway, this movie is stupid fun, and I made the right choice of not watching this at the theater. Was good for laughs if you actually watched it with someone and while at home so you could react to it aloud without thinking about other people giving you weird looks. The car is a must see scene. Can't wait to see the Son of Jackass. When is that again? 2063?

Here's a recap if you are too lazy to read through all that, though if you are lazy you wouldn't be reading this part as well. The first three films I watched are still playing in theaters with LXG opening on Wednesday, and among the three I'd definitely recommend LXG, then Tomb Raider, and Bad Boys II last, or better yet, not at all unless you are a fan of big flashy explosions and don't get tired of them at all. Jackass is something you should go out and rent on video then watch it with friends and if you are with people crazy enough reenact the scenes. I wonder how a doctor here would react to the car? Makes you think, doesn't it?

Let's see what movies I'd buy this week and collect for next week's Movie Marathon. Am thinking Pirates of the Caribbean, but that's one movie I certainly want to see in the theaters first.

God's Kitchen [Sunday, August 3, 2003 @ 7:30 pm]

If you know what God's Kitchen is, am sorry but this is nothing like it, or mentions anything much about it.

Went out yesterday with my college barkada, since one is already leaving the country but would be back in a years time. Thanks to him, the barkada got a chance to go out again as one whole and complete group, except for a few exceptions, or should I say, one exception. The last time we saw each other or went out like this was back in February, right after our graduation. Have been planning since then about going out, but something always comes up or someone won't be able to arrive. This time, it was different as everyone was there. I'd make a guess on why this happened. Since the time we haven't been together as a group has been TOO long, everyone tried their best to show up and be there. And that alone was great. Non stop laughter and stories, something you cannot do alone and at home.

Anyways, we dined at Crocodile Grille having a few bloopers going there. After that, we headed to Pier One at The Fort so that smokers could atleast "enjoy" the night. God's Kitchen International, which was sort of a rave party, was happening just a block away so we decided to pass by and check it out. The others were having fun looking around, but I can't say the same for me as I didn't have my glasses so I wasn't enjoying myself that much. And with a few bottles of beer, my vision is blurred even more. After standing there at the entrance enjoying the sights, we decided to just go home, ending one terrific and rare occasion that only happens once in six months.

I love Makati. They have a smoking ban in all public places, meaning no smoking in bars, restaurants and other areas. I don't smoke at all, and personally, I don't have anything against smokers, though it is a turn-off if a girl does. When at bars and restaurants, I don't complain about it because it comes with the place, it is a normal thing. But thanks to this ordinance in Makati, we can breath freely now without worrying too much about the amount of nicotine and carbon monoxide you'd inhale.

And for those who complain that this law/ordinance is unjust, I have nothing to say to you because you know it IS NOT unjust. I see cigarettes as a multi-billion dollar industry that kills people. It's more of a principle for me than simply opting not to smoke for whatsoever reason/excuse it maybe. But, as a friend asked me once before if a tobacco corporation came up to me with a 80 thousand offer to work for them, what would I do? Of course I am not stupid, I'd accept the offer. Fuck principles, as long as I don't smoke, that's good enough.

A State of Consciousness [Saturday, August 2, 2003 @ 1:11 pm]

Three cheers for another weekend. That was one tiring week, which went by pretty fast. Now it's time to rest, catch up with missed movies, and work on this site.

God. Am lost for words. I can't think of anything sensible to say. It's a weird feeling knowing that someone actually reads through this stuff, and **gasp** enjoyed it. Am not used to the attention. I think it's making me conscious about what I'd write. Hahahaha...

Yes! Am going out later with old friends whom I haven't been with collectively ever since graduation. Here's looking forward to one great night.

OMG! This is very unusual of me. I am really lost for words.

What is with Jerry Bruckheimer productions?! Even a film like Bad Boys 2, rakes up $88 million in just 2 weeks. Heck, even the dismal Kangaroo Jack made big bucks. Then we have 2Fast2Furious which gets my vote as the most poorly conceived title of all time, has $127 million in its pocket. I have no idea how the first films of the said movies did when they were released, but they are doing pretty good right now.

On the other side of the fence, there is Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life, Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, and Legally Blonde 2: Red, White and Blonde. Tomb Raider opened the week with only $21 million, which is definitely lower than the first, just shows how everyone hated the first movie at some point. Charlie's Angels 2 has yet to break the success made by the first. Have yet to see Legally Blonde 2, but with 4 weeks already, it has just made $82 million. Well, it is expected that it would stay in the top ten and float around there until it reaches a hundred million.

Surprisingly, Finding Nemo has already made $313 big ones since it was released, making it the biggest release of the year, surpassing The Matrix Reloaded. The movie is already ranked number 12 in the highest grossing movie of all-time list.

All these data came from Movies.com, and only represents domestic release (North America only).

Ack. I should stop this senseless mumblings before I say anything more incoherent. I simply have nothing sensible to say.

A Substantial Month [Friday, August 1, 2003 @ 1:57 am]

WHAT?! It's August already? July seemed to pass by so quickly.

Well, not really. If you gave sometime to look over what has happened over the last month, saying A LOT has happened is definitely an understatement. Okay, that's over reacting. Let's just put it this way, a lot of SIGNIFICANT things happened this month. Yeah, that's better.

Where do we start? There's my dad's death anniversary, the anniversary of when the BIGGEST LIE in my life started, reading through the W3C recommendations for CSS specifications and eventually, applying them, job fairs, getting employed, and of course, let's not forget the excessive whining and complaining about everything under the sun, which is a given considering my apparent lack of satisfaction with anything at all.

I'd say it was the most substantial month for 2003, I actually concentrated on learning something (CSS) which was abruptly cut by being hired and having to go and work my ass off for some money. Two weeks spent reading through CSS specifications then 2 weeks of work.

The downside. No gigs. No movies. Hardly any videogaming (less than 24 hours for the whole month). No life. The sacrifices being made are just too great to simply forget. At least, I am still able to log-on online and surf the net every night.

AUGUST JOURNAL ENTRIES

New Sked. More Opportunities. Added Expenses.

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