I wasn't really that keen on the korean movie, "Il Mare", when a good friend passed her copy to me, even though the lead actress is one of my favorites. It didn't pique an ounce of curiosity. So, I just left the video gathering dust on the shelf. Then, I saw this news item that Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves' plan to make a hollywood version. Hmmm.... Maybe it's time I should take a peek after all.
True to my fear, the first few minutes were confusing and boring. I kept on crunching my eyebrows as I tried to unravel the mystery. One thing's clear though, the mailbox was a time portal that connects 1997 to 1999.....
Without me actually noticing it, I began to feel the excitement brewing as the the two lead characters start to share their thoughts, feelings and dreams through their unique correspondence. I guess the main theme of this film is that true love knows no bounds, be it time or space. True love will find a way for the lovers to meet and it will prevail.
Oh yeah, the romantic in me celebrates this film and has been berating the cynic in me for ignoring it. More than the "and they lived happily ever after" ending, I believe this film is really about choices. They both made their choices. Their choices might have disrupted the balance of life, yet, life does go on. And it will continue to go on, as long as there are lovers brave enough to overcome the obstacles life hurls on their ways.
Monday, May 30, 2005
Saturday, May 28, 2005
helplessness
who would you turn to
when no one seems to care
what would help you through
when it feels too much to bear
this helplessness is nothing like before
although i had faced a lot
darkness surrounds me with the closing of the door
this will take more than what i got
sighing helps to ease some of the pain
but it's still here staring at my face
i need to know who can stop the rain
or if somebody can take my place
when no one seems to care
what would help you through
when it feels too much to bear
this helplessness is nothing like before
although i had faced a lot
darkness surrounds me with the closing of the door
this will take more than what i got
sighing helps to ease some of the pain
but it's still here staring at my face
i need to know who can stop the rain
or if somebody can take my place
Thursday, May 26, 2005
Headaches
As far back as I can recall, I started having these headaches when I was in college, more so during the three terms I was enrolled in the MBA program. It was a blinding sort of headache. It felt like the veins were hopelessly entangled and some obnoxious brats were thumping their drums non-stop inside my head. The weirdest thing was that the pain was confined only at one side of my head. Before, I would always blame the excessive (Yeah, sure!) studying (Actually, what I meant was cramming! ha ha ha). But now, I still have these headaches and it's been like forever since I finished school.
In an attempt to figure out how to prevent these headaches and be permanently dependent on painkillers (what a scary thought!), I've listed down the possible causes.
1. Stress - Oh boy! I can honestly say that "stress" is my middle name at the moment. With all the things (especially when I still didn't know who would be the next American Idol! ha ha ha) happening around me, I've been getting only two hours of sleep for the past week. I know that I should try to take it easy but there are things you just can't ignore. Maybe I should take up cross-stitching again?
2. Food - Oh yeah! I've been eating a lot of fast food stuff lately instead of eating the "good" food.
3. Coffee - There are a lot of conflicting health reports regarding the effect of caffeine that I'm at a loss here. Should I or should I not? Oh well, I do try to limit my daily intake to two mugs. Let's see...
4. Heat - One thing's for sure, headache or no headache, this (*%^%&)&*%^^$(* heat is killing me.
What to do now? Hmmm..... maybe, it's time to slow down and take a break? Maybe I should consult with a specialist? Maybe, I need to get a real life? ;)
In an attempt to figure out how to prevent these headaches and be permanently dependent on painkillers (what a scary thought!), I've listed down the possible causes.
1. Stress - Oh boy! I can honestly say that "stress" is my middle name at the moment. With all the things (especially when I still didn't know who would be the next American Idol! ha ha ha) happening around me, I've been getting only two hours of sleep for the past week. I know that I should try to take it easy but there are things you just can't ignore. Maybe I should take up cross-stitching again?
2. Food - Oh yeah! I've been eating a lot of fast food stuff lately instead of eating the "good" food.
3. Coffee - There are a lot of conflicting health reports regarding the effect of caffeine that I'm at a loss here. Should I or should I not? Oh well, I do try to limit my daily intake to two mugs. Let's see...
4. Heat - One thing's for sure, headache or no headache, this (*%^%&)&*%^^$(* heat is killing me.
What to do now? Hmmm..... maybe, it's time to slow down and take a break? Maybe I should consult with a specialist? Maybe, I need to get a real life? ;)
Monday, May 23, 2005
Amazing Race 7
Finally, it is over!!!! It's been a heart-stopping race towards the ultimate prize that is a million dollars!
First, I have to admit this. I'm not a certified Amazing Race fan. Usually, I just wait for the final race before I sit down in front of my trusty TV set and savor the excitement. But this season is a bit different. How so? Rob and Amber, that's why!
I never watch a single episode of Survivor. I can't understand what's so great about it. So when I heard that a Suvivor couple would join the race, I went "Duh?!?" But, then, my curiosity was somehow piqued with the things I've heard about them. Besides, I figured out that it's time I follow the race from the beginning.
There they were. The 11 pairs were trying not to be the first to be eliminated. Hmm..... There seemed to be nothing extra-ordinary about Rob and Amber, well, except that my blood curdled at the mere sight of Rob's smirk.
So, the race went on. Oh my!!!!! I was aware that the Amazing Race was a competition and there was absolutely nothing wrong in wanting to win. But conspiring with the driver not to open the door? It might have appeared to be a harmless prank to some but I was beginning to clearly see the meanness in Rob and Amber.
Ok, without a doubt, they were a strong team and they were actually very good in outwitting the other teams. But, in order to survive in Life's race, you just don't need a working mind, you also need to have a beating heart. You need a heart that is big enough to go for the win and, at the same time, be considerate towards the people with you.
I guess, in a karmic sort of way, that's where Rob and Amber lost to Uchena and Joyce. The former were so engrossed in their "win" that they forgot life is a cycle. You reap what you sow. It may not be immediate but it will happen accordingly.
I'm not saying that Uchena and Joyce didn't deserve to win. They do and I'm sure most of the audience were cheering them on. It would be hypocritical to say that they joined the contest not because of the money. They wanted that one million dollars badly but, somehow, they're able to prove that helping your fellow racers won't hurt your chances. It would instead "guide" you to the right patch and everything will fall into it's proper place. Uchena can never be more right when he said that he gave out love that's why he got love in return.
Good luck to Uchena and Joyce! May God grant their fondest wish!
First, I have to admit this. I'm not a certified Amazing Race fan. Usually, I just wait for the final race before I sit down in front of my trusty TV set and savor the excitement. But this season is a bit different. How so? Rob and Amber, that's why!
I never watch a single episode of Survivor. I can't understand what's so great about it. So when I heard that a Suvivor couple would join the race, I went "Duh?!?" But, then, my curiosity was somehow piqued with the things I've heard about them. Besides, I figured out that it's time I follow the race from the beginning.
There they were. The 11 pairs were trying not to be the first to be eliminated. Hmm..... There seemed to be nothing extra-ordinary about Rob and Amber, well, except that my blood curdled at the mere sight of Rob's smirk.
So, the race went on. Oh my!!!!! I was aware that the Amazing Race was a competition and there was absolutely nothing wrong in wanting to win. But conspiring with the driver not to open the door? It might have appeared to be a harmless prank to some but I was beginning to clearly see the meanness in Rob and Amber.
Ok, without a doubt, they were a strong team and they were actually very good in outwitting the other teams. But, in order to survive in Life's race, you just don't need a working mind, you also need to have a beating heart. You need a heart that is big enough to go for the win and, at the same time, be considerate towards the people with you.
I guess, in a karmic sort of way, that's where Rob and Amber lost to Uchena and Joyce. The former were so engrossed in their "win" that they forgot life is a cycle. You reap what you sow. It may not be immediate but it will happen accordingly.
I'm not saying that Uchena and Joyce didn't deserve to win. They do and I'm sure most of the audience were cheering them on. It would be hypocritical to say that they joined the contest not because of the money. They wanted that one million dollars badly but, somehow, they're able to prove that helping your fellow racers won't hurt your chances. It would instead "guide" you to the right patch and everything will fall into it's proper place. Uchena can never be more right when he said that he gave out love that's why he got love in return.
Good luck to Uchena and Joyce! May God grant their fondest wish!
Sunday, May 22, 2005
questions
who would you turn to
when no one seems to care?
what would help you through
when it feels too much to bear?
this helplessness is nothing like before
although i had faced a lot.
darkness surrounds with the closing of the door,
this will take more than what i've got.
sighing helps to ease some of the pain
but it's still there staring at my face.
i need to know who stop the rain
or if somebody can take my place.
i so want to surrender
but i knew it's not right.
i should instead be braver
to see all things bright.
but how can that be
when the noose is tightening?
will a miracle come to me
and let me see the blessing?
when no one seems to care?
what would help you through
when it feels too much to bear?
this helplessness is nothing like before
although i had faced a lot.
darkness surrounds with the closing of the door,
this will take more than what i've got.
sighing helps to ease some of the pain
but it's still there staring at my face.
i need to know who stop the rain
or if somebody can take my place.
i so want to surrender
but i knew it's not right.
i should instead be braver
to see all things bright.
but how can that be
when the noose is tightening?
will a miracle come to me
and let me see the blessing?
Saturday, May 21, 2005
muffled thoughts #07
This is not how I pictured my life to be. I had the grandest of dreams then. I was going to be a successful somebody and everybody will know who I am.
It was a nice dream but it didn’t appear to have a chance of coming true.
*****
My first ambition was to become a teacher. I used to line up all of my dolls and stuffed toys on the bed and carefully taught them the ABCs and 123s. I even had a small blackboard where I would write the lesson for the day. Using my older siblings’ story books, I regaled my "students" with fairy tales. Come to think of it, where is my pop-up Cinderella book?
When I started school, I began to see myself as a doctor, a pediatrician to be exact. Why? I had this notion that I would not encounter anything bloody if I specialized in children’s ailments. That is why again? I had, and still have, this aversion to blood. My knees involuntarily weaken and my hands tremble uncontrollably at the mere sight of that red liquid oozing out from wounds. Gross!
As I grew older, I became more fascinated with the workings of the human mind, the different personalities, etc. I was so excited to study more about it but I unfortunately met this ogre of a professor and I got scared. So, instead of going after my dream, I took the coward’s way out and settled for second best.
In hindsight, I should have majored in Literature instead but I guess some things are just not meant to be. Well, look at me now. I’m neither a somebody nor anybody.
What did I do wrong? I made a lot of wrong choices because I didn’t think. I was all for "Seize the Day" then. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that it’s not right to follow your instincts but it’s definitely wiser if we stop for a while and think of the possible consequences of our actions. All of us are born with the intelligence and abilities we need to survive but we still need to choose what, when and how to use them. If only…
Now that I’ve wasted more than half of my life, what is there for me to do? Should I continue to believe in my dreams? Should I attempt to salvage what’s left of my dreams? Should I start over again? Should I even try at all?
It was a nice dream but it didn’t appear to have a chance of coming true.
*****
My first ambition was to become a teacher. I used to line up all of my dolls and stuffed toys on the bed and carefully taught them the ABCs and 123s. I even had a small blackboard where I would write the lesson for the day. Using my older siblings’ story books, I regaled my "students" with fairy tales. Come to think of it, where is my pop-up Cinderella book?
When I started school, I began to see myself as a doctor, a pediatrician to be exact. Why? I had this notion that I would not encounter anything bloody if I specialized in children’s ailments. That is why again? I had, and still have, this aversion to blood. My knees involuntarily weaken and my hands tremble uncontrollably at the mere sight of that red liquid oozing out from wounds. Gross!
As I grew older, I became more fascinated with the workings of the human mind, the different personalities, etc. I was so excited to study more about it but I unfortunately met this ogre of a professor and I got scared. So, instead of going after my dream, I took the coward’s way out and settled for second best.
In hindsight, I should have majored in Literature instead but I guess some things are just not meant to be. Well, look at me now. I’m neither a somebody nor anybody.
What did I do wrong? I made a lot of wrong choices because I didn’t think. I was all for "Seize the Day" then. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that it’s not right to follow your instincts but it’s definitely wiser if we stop for a while and think of the possible consequences of our actions. All of us are born with the intelligence and abilities we need to survive but we still need to choose what, when and how to use them. If only…
Now that I’ve wasted more than half of my life, what is there for me to do? Should I continue to believe in my dreams? Should I attempt to salvage what’s left of my dreams? Should I start over again? Should I even try at all?
Monday, May 09, 2005
muddled thoughts #04
how can you find the answer
when you don't know the question?
how can you catch a glimpse of the sun
when you intentionally close your eyes?
how can you let go of the pain
when you continually stab the wound?
how can you think of a better tomorrow
when you can't even live your yesterday?
desperation is never part of my plan
i was all for the grandeur that dreams bought
but reality sets in when the sun rises
how can i live my dreams
when everything is just make believe?
how can i breathe easily
when tears never cease to choke me?
how can I see the light to guide my way
when misery has shrouded my path?
how can i even believe
when fate has taken everything from me?
frustration is the only emotion that my heart recognizes
maybe one day when the rain has stopped
maybe.....
when you don't know the question?
how can you catch a glimpse of the sun
when you intentionally close your eyes?
how can you let go of the pain
when you continually stab the wound?
how can you think of a better tomorrow
when you can't even live your yesterday?
desperation is never part of my plan
i was all for the grandeur that dreams bought
but reality sets in when the sun rises
how can i live my dreams
when everything is just make believe?
how can i breathe easily
when tears never cease to choke me?
how can I see the light to guide my way
when misery has shrouded my path?
how can i even believe
when fate has taken everything from me?
frustration is the only emotion that my heart recognizes
maybe one day when the rain has stopped
maybe.....
Monday, May 02, 2005
idol thoughts #1
Familiar with the little girl in the shampoo TV ad? She is the flower girl who shrieked her heart (and lungs) out for her mommy when the ring bearer messed with her hair. Well, I did something similar to it when I first heard about Constantine Maroulis being voted out of American Idol last week.
I first noticed Constantine during the auditions. There was a feature on him, with Ryan Seacrest tagging along, breaking the news to his band mates that he is leaving their group to join search for the next American Idol. Understandably, his band mates weren’t exactly jumping joy. There were, I recall, some shouting and a bit of musical instruments banging around. Anyway, to cut this story short, America must have seen something in this Greek rocker because he was voted in to the Top 12 finalists of this season’s American Idol.
Week after week, Constantine charmed the audience with his velvety voice and, as Simon Cowell called it, smoldering look. I didn’t, for one second, think it would be possible for anyone to break the spell he had over America. Well, until last week that is.
Ok, so maybe, he’s more of a performer than a singer (I just can’t seem to stop hearing Randy Jackson’s voice in my head saying over and over again, "This is a singing contest.") but I don’t believe his fans mind at all. In fact, he was never in the group of three finalists with the least number of votes since the start of the competition. So, what went wrong?
Song choice? The six idol finalists were asked to choose among the songs released from the year 2000 up to the present and Constantine chose . Personally, I don’t dig rock music but Simon and Randy were right in saying that a true singer is somebody who can sing any kind of song and people would willingly listen to him/her.
Performance? I almost swoon over his rendition of ‘My Funny Valentine’ during the Musical week and I was literally in awe when he sang "Bohemian Rhapsody" for their Birth Year theme. Boy, this guy really owns the stage or what! But, no matter how I tried, I couldn’t feel any semblance of excitement in his performance last week. Hmmm…… Maybe it’s because I’m not familiar with the song after all or I was just plain scared of getting hit by his kicking all over the stage? Whatever the reason was, I still didn’t think it was possible he would be in the bottom three, much less be voted out. My goodness! Constantine Maroulis is one of the more, if not, most popular idol finalist this season. There’s no way his fans would not vote for him Actually, I was more concerned for Carrie Underwood last week but that’s a different story.
When American Idol host Ryan Seacrest gave a hint at the start of the result show that the person to leave the competition has a cumulative votes of 35 million, the possibility still didn’t cross my mind. Then, there were two groups, Carrie and Bo Bice, and Vonzell Solomon and Anthony Fedorov. Ryan asked the remaining finalists seated on the sofa, Constantine and Scott Savol, to choose the group where they want to be in. Both joined Carrie and Bo before Ryan announced them to be the top group and Constantine was in the wrong group.
I could feel the shock waves engulfing the studio. Constantine in the bottom 3? Unbelievable! But the worst is yet to come. After Ryan asked Vonzell to join Bo, Carrie and Scott, he dropped the bomb. Constantine is out of the competition.
"AAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!! Constantine!!!!!!!!" I couldn’t believe it then and I still wouldn’t believe it now. It really boggles the mind until this very minute how Constantine ended up with the least number of votes last week. One thing is for sure though, everything is possible in American Idol.
I first noticed Constantine during the auditions. There was a feature on him, with Ryan Seacrest tagging along, breaking the news to his band mates that he is leaving their group to join search for the next American Idol. Understandably, his band mates weren’t exactly jumping joy. There were, I recall, some shouting and a bit of musical instruments banging around. Anyway, to cut this story short, America must have seen something in this Greek rocker because he was voted in to the Top 12 finalists of this season’s American Idol.
Week after week, Constantine charmed the audience with his velvety voice and, as Simon Cowell called it, smoldering look. I didn’t, for one second, think it would be possible for anyone to break the spell he had over America. Well, until last week that is.
Ok, so maybe, he’s more of a performer than a singer (I just can’t seem to stop hearing Randy Jackson’s voice in my head saying over and over again, "This is a singing contest.") but I don’t believe his fans mind at all. In fact, he was never in the group of three finalists with the least number of votes since the start of the competition. So, what went wrong?
Song choice? The six idol finalists were asked to choose among the songs released from the year 2000 up to the present and Constantine chose . Personally, I don’t dig rock music but Simon and Randy were right in saying that a true singer is somebody who can sing any kind of song and people would willingly listen to him/her.
Performance? I almost swoon over his rendition of ‘My Funny Valentine’ during the Musical week and I was literally in awe when he sang "Bohemian Rhapsody" for their Birth Year theme. Boy, this guy really owns the stage or what! But, no matter how I tried, I couldn’t feel any semblance of excitement in his performance last week. Hmmm…… Maybe it’s because I’m not familiar with the song after all or I was just plain scared of getting hit by his kicking all over the stage? Whatever the reason was, I still didn’t think it was possible he would be in the bottom three, much less be voted out. My goodness! Constantine Maroulis is one of the more, if not, most popular idol finalist this season. There’s no way his fans would not vote for him Actually, I was more concerned for Carrie Underwood last week but that’s a different story.
When American Idol host Ryan Seacrest gave a hint at the start of the result show that the person to leave the competition has a cumulative votes of 35 million, the possibility still didn’t cross my mind. Then, there were two groups, Carrie and Bo Bice, and Vonzell Solomon and Anthony Fedorov. Ryan asked the remaining finalists seated on the sofa, Constantine and Scott Savol, to choose the group where they want to be in. Both joined Carrie and Bo before Ryan announced them to be the top group and Constantine was in the wrong group.
I could feel the shock waves engulfing the studio. Constantine in the bottom 3? Unbelievable! But the worst is yet to come. After Ryan asked Vonzell to join Bo, Carrie and Scott, he dropped the bomb. Constantine is out of the competition.
"AAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!! Constantine!!!!!!!!" I couldn’t believe it then and I still wouldn’t believe it now. It really boggles the mind until this very minute how Constantine ended up with the least number of votes last week. One thing is for sure though, everything is possible in American Idol.
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