Tragedy

Posted on September 27, 2006 at 10:14 pm | 10 Comments
Filed under Featured Flicks • School Sabotage

Just a few hours ago, I and my blockmates watched a modern dress bilingual production featuring Shakespeare’s most known masterpiece, Romeo and Juliet.

In the play, it’s not just students who starred, there were also instructors. I can say that the audition must be tough, the actors and actresses were absolutely great especially the Nurse (Juliet’s personal attendant) and Lord Capulet (father of Juliet). Actually, the Nurse had a louder applause over the title holders (Romeo and Juliet) from the audience after the play. But then again, the Nurse was the comic relief of the play, who won’t enjoy and laugh during her acts?

I think there were some changes in the play that I saw. Is the ruler of Veronica a prince? If yes, then, in the play we saw, they changed the ruler into a dutchess (who made the “no deal” sign two times). But then again, if the director could not find the “perfect prince” he does not have a choice but to make the changes, right?

Oh, there was also this actor (Mercutio) who looks like one of my blockmates. And now, I think, he’s being called as Mercuito. Lol. Well, I’ll see tomorrow if he’s still being called Mercutio. Also, the play was bilingual, meaning, some part of it is in English and the other part is in Filipino. No, it’s not the konyo type English. If the actor or actress started his/her dialogue in English, he/she will end it in English also without “Tagalog interjections” like “na”.

There were also kissing scenes. From what my blockmate had told me, there were a total of ten kisses during the course of the play, where four, give or take two of them were not just ordinary kisses. Wait, there was also a bed scene. Romeo’s almost naked! Hey! We need the MTRCB to rate this play! Lol! I thought they will cut out those scenes in the final script. But then again, I suppose the parents of the actor and actress who played the title holders were informed about it and expressed their approval about it. Rumor is that the actor who played Romeo is younger than the actress who played Juliet. Also, there is this rumor circulating that states that the actor who played Romeo is a homosexual! Waaaahh!

And these were all done live! Oh, I was in the third column, the row nearest the center aisle.

Love is very powerful. It can reach every corner of the world. Let us be reminded by the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet that nothing is impossible with love.

Wait, why is that Shakespeare loves writing tragedy? I hate tragedies!

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And the race is on

Posted on September 19, 2006 at 8:58 pm | 13 Comments
Filed under Bulky Books • Tube Talk

My computer’s processor is only Pentium III and the OS that I’m using is Windows XP. Actually, I don’t really care whatever processor my computer has or if the OS that I’m using isn’t the latest. What I really care about are the programs that are installed. As long as I have the necessary programs that I will need for school and for creating a website, I’m already okay with it.

There are only three games that are currently installed in my computer other than the preinstalled ones (Minsweeper, Solitare, etc.) and I’m planning the remove them soon as I’m not playing them anymore. Last weekend, we slept somewhere else in Pampanga. As I can’t bring my computer with me and I can’t resist surfing the internet, I spent some of my time in an internet café. And instead of surfing the internet, I ended up playing Prince of Persia. And now, I want to install it in my computer. But then again, it is okay for me even if I don’t have it.

What I always play is a game that I call “Make-a-layout-that-suits-my-taste”. I like doing layouts (especially if I had time and I’m not on a layout block) and most of the time, I end up with layouts that I personally don’t like. Game over. I have to start all over again. If I passed level one, of course, I would proceed to level two where I have to code the layoutÂ… and you know what happens next and the next after next… I don’t have to write it here, really.

(Wait, who told you that this was your computer? Lol.)

*****

Yesterday was the start of the Amazing Race. Actually, I watched both the via satellite and the prime time telecasts of the said show. It looks like Tyler and James will win the race so I will go for them, if they were eliminated before the last leg, I would go for the beauty queens! I did not expect that two teams will be eliminated by the end of the first leg. What’s more, the ones who were eliminated were the teams who were introduced with profound faith. On the other hand, I can’t believe that Kimberly (the one who was wearing a prosthetic) was able to scale up the Great Wall of China using a rope even though she struggled for some time.

I think some of the excitements of the Amazing Race have gone but I’m looking forward to see the next episodes. And I want to see what are the new twists the writers did in this season.

*****

Currently, I’m reading a novel called Lost and Found by Carolyn Parkhurst. You know, it’s addictive. Lol. I already finished the half of it. The only bad thing is that it is expensive. If it was not on sale, it would have cost me PHP 589. But since it was on sale, just slash 20% from the regular prize and the answer you’ll get was the amount of money I paid for it. Just do the math okay?

It’s a story of the people who are playing in a reality based show. At first I did not know why the title of the book was like that but after reading the first few pages, I found out that it’s also the title of the show. This reality based show is like the Amazing Race and Treasure Hunt rolled into one. It’s just like I’m watching the Amazing Race when I’m reading it. The only difference is that there are also behind the camera scenes.

The contestants have personal secrets and have undergone audition because the producers hope that they will burst during the course of the race which can make the ratings of the show higher. It’s a story of a mother and her daughter who had some sort of misunderstanding, a married couple who proclaims themselves as “ex-homosexuals”, two brothers (one of them has a sick child), a pair of a former child stars (one of them wants to reach the peak of her career again), a couple of weird millionaires, a couple of former high school sweethearts and a pair of flight attendants. (Actually, the last three teams are just some sort of extras because the story is not really evolving around them).

As I already mentioned homosexuality. I want to say this: one of my teachers accused Sam Milby as gay. What do you think?

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Invasion

Posted on September 14, 2006 at 10:16 pm | 9 Comments
Filed under Random Realities

They are everywhere! In the television, in the malls and in my case, in school! My day will not be completed if I had not seen one of them. They are what I and my classmates call “Invaders”. It’s as if they came out of the television. Who are they? They’re the Koreans.

During the second week of this semester, our English instructor did not turn up. Instead, a Korean entered our classroom. She thought us how to speak some usual phrases in Korean like “Hello” and “Happy birthday” I wasn’t really listening, I was doing something while she was trying to teach my blockmates how to pronounce the Korean words properly. Besides, I can hardly hear anything. She has a soft voice and my blockmates were so noisy especially those guys who had a crush on that Korean (yeah… she’s indeed beautiful). They were shouting “You’re beautiful” in Korean which sounds like a bad word in Kapampangan. And by the time she let us to go home, they had a mini-pictorial with her. Lol.

I don’t know when exactly that these Koreans sprouted like mushrooms out of nowhere. Or was it during the time the first ever Koreanovela had its debut in the country? But what do all of these Koreans are doing in the Pearl of the Orient? Most of them are students. And I suppose some of them migrated here in our country to have a peaceful life.

*****

The only Koreanovela that I watched thoroughly (I’m not even sure if it’s) was Only You. Mind you, Koreanovelas are better than the local soap operas (except for some and which were released in other Asian countries). Also, the actors and actresses are good looking. The only thing that spoils Koreanovelas is the dubbing part. What’s new? The dubbing industry in this country is not that good. Expect that the lips and whatever the actor or actress is supposed to be saying does not match. Nahuhuli ang labi…

Have you noticed that Koreanovelas have a common theme… a humorous love story of a young couple. But then again, watching Koreanovelas is a good way to kill some time. How I wish I have time to watch them.

How I wish I have a Korean friend. All I’ve got are Filipinos and two Thais.

Oh, a credit goes to Neil for giving me some inspiration to write this.

*****

Okay, this has nothing to do with the “invaders”… I want a Palanca Award!

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Not a coincidence

Posted on September 12, 2006 at 10:35 pm | 4 Comments
Filed under Daily Dose

DO NOT WEEP
…Do not stand at my grave and weep.
I am not there, I do not sleep.
Do not stand at my grave and cry.
I am not there, I did not die.

Mary E. Frye

How I wish I can take this poem literally.

Five days ago, my grandfather (from my father) had passed away; he is now in heaven with his parents and God. I don’t really know well how and why he died, all I know is that he had a rectum cancer which was detected and removed last year.

I am so glad that I was able to had a grandparent like him. He was so generous to me. I can still remember during my pre-school years that he brings and gets me to school everyday and if there is a new toy available from one of the two biggest fast food chains in the country, he will bring me there and buy me the toy that I like. And during the years when I graduated from playing with toys, he gave me money. And now that he’s dead he still continues to bless and guide me. It was a Thursday when he died, we did not have any classes the following day because here in Pampanga, September 08 (for this year only) was a public holiday. I thought I will be absent on the following day (Saturday) for NSTP and then, I received a SMS from one of my blockmates saying that our instructor was sick! Can you believe that?! Personally, I don’t think that it was only a coincidence. My grandfather wanted me to be on his wake and burial.

I’m sure he is happy now that he is in heaven, that he can only rest.

To end this entry, I leave you a quote…

Death ends a life, not a relationship.

Morrie Schwartz (Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom)

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Restrooms in peace

Posted on September 3, 2006 at 11:38 am | 10 Comments
Filed under Pinoy Pride • Random Realities

Yeah, you read the title right. I’m going to talk about restrooms. If you’re eating right now, I suggest that you stop or finish whatever you are eating first before you continue reading this.

I saw a road sign a couple of week ago that says:

*Insert the name of a famous fast food chain here*
1km away
With restrooms

It has still a touch of advertizing. I think they put there the words “with restrooms” so that people who are travelling and are being called by the nature will drop by that fast food chain and somehow, they’ll be enticed to buy their products. But it does not mean that if you will use their lavatories, you have to look at their menu and order some food. You see, itÂ’s just another way to attract customers: have some clean restrooms in your establishment!

I just got this memory out of my preconscious memories: I’m not sure if this was in Baguio but what I know is that there was this restroom whose roof has a text that says “Clean restrooms”. I haven’t tried doing my thing in a restroom like this (lavatories in malls and the like are okay for me) because from what I believe, these toilets that are supposed to be clear are not clean at all. Sometimes, you’ll see mud and human waste are scattered everywhere and the floor is wet! What’s more is that if you pissed, you should pay a certain amount of money. If you did more than urinating, you should pay two and a half times the payment for pissing. And if you took a bath (yes, took a bath), that is five time the payment for pissing.

Now, I believe that nowadays, there’s no free in this world. Lol. Would you believe that? Urinating in a dirty restroom will cost you some money!

Oh, I also know a school whose lavatories were under in the mercy of the students. I mean the restrooms in that school will only be immaculate and smell like flowers for only half an hour. Lol. There was also this building in that school where you have to pass this certain male’s restroom and you will be able to smell this pungent odor, the odor of urine. (What is the English translation ofmapanghi?) Oh, there were also no available mirrors because some student had already broken it and the management did not dare to buy a new one. The faucets were not working because the knob used to turn on and off the faucet was already missing and the mechanism used to flush the toilet bowl was already broken. And even if the flushing mechanism worked, you could not still flush it because there is something that clogs the toilet bowl. What do you expect? A sickening restroom! Yuck!

The last time I went to that school, the pungent oder was still there and the floor was wet.

I’m glad that the restrooms in the university where I’m currently enrolled have clean restrooms. And if I’m not mistaken, they are being cleaned by working students.

Let us be considerate. Let us show our respect by flushing or by using the toilet properly to the next user or to the one who is responsible for cleaning it. Let us keep in mind that it’s not just us that is going to use it. We are only using it and it’s not us who owns it.

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