Showing posts with label Information load. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Information load. Show all posts

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Cinemalaya 2012


Now on its 8th year, Cinemalaya announces the finalists for the 2012 independent film festival, which will be shown from 20 to 29 July 2012 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) and Ayala Mall Cinemas (Greenbelt and Trinoma). Below are the different indie films that made the cut:

New Breed Full Length Feature
  1. Emmanuel Palo’s “Santa Nina”
  2. Gino Santos and Jeff Stelton’s “The Animals”
  3. Vincent Sandoval’s “Aparisyon”
  4. Mes de Guzman’s “Diablo”
  5. Lemuel Lorca and Jerry Gracio’s “Intoy Syokoy ng  Kalye Marino”
  6. Alfred Aloysius Adlawan’s “Ang Katiwala”
  7. Marietta Jamora’s “Ang Nawawala”
  8. Paul Sta. Ana’s “Oros”
  9. Julius Sotomayor Cena’s “Mga Dayo”
  10. Loy Arcenas’ “Requieme”

New Breed Short Film
  1. Nadjoua Bansil’s “Bohe: Son of the Sea”
  2. Sigrid Andrea Bernardo’s “Ang Paghihintay sa Bulong”
  3. Mario Celada’s “Pasahero”
  4. Sheron Dayoc’s “As He Sleeps”
  5. Marianito Dio Jr.’s “Sarong Aldaw”
  6. Emmanuel Escalona, Jr.’s “Balintuna”
  7. Hannah Espia’s “Ruweda”
  8. Chuck Gutierrez’s “Ulian”
  9. Richard Legaspi’s “Manenaya”
  10. Jarell Serencio’s “Victor”

Director’s Showcase
  1. Adolfo Alix, Jr.’s “Kalayaan”
  2. Joey Javier Reyes’ “Mga Mumunting Lihim”
  3. Raymond Red’s “Kamera Obskura”
  4. Jun Lana’s “Bwakaw”
  5. Lawrence Fajardo’s “Posas”

Cinemalaya is a project of the Cinemalaya Foundation, Cultural Center of the Philippines, Film Development Council of the Philippines and Econolink Investments, Inc. It is an all-digital film festival and competition that aims to discover, encourage and honor cinematic works of Filipino filmmakers that boldly articulate and freely interpret the Filipino experience with fresh insight and artistic integrity.

The film festival is held every July of each year. Previously, screenings were only held at the CCP. But during recent years, participation of Ayala Malls have been secured to increase awareness and promote more public viewing by showing the finalist movies at their Greenbelt and Trinoma cinemas.

Every year, organizers invest PHP 500,000 to ten independent filmmakers (directors, producers). These ten finalists are selected from an annual average of hundreds of entries from all over the country. Their films debut at the festival, together with in-competition short films, as well as various out-of-competition works (showcase). The purpose is to help provide exposure to various quality indie films whose creators lack enough resources to produce films as compared to big-time, established mainstream film companies.

I try each year to watch as many featured films as possible. Apart from being entertaining, Cinemalaya films always try to present a fresh and "different" artsy look, which serves as a break from the traditional and typical Filipino films (which are mostly overrated, over-promoted and of less substance and quality). The stories of these indie films are unconventional, sometimes even weird (in good taste), and the overall worth are, most of the time, promising. There's no surprise that a number of Filipino independent films have already competed and won awards from film festivals around the world.

Sources:

Sunday, July 1, 2012

Sidney Sheldon's novels I've read

During my relatively long staycation, I managed to read a lot of novels. Most of the books I've read were written by master storyteller Sidney Sheldon. Here are the different titles I have read.

Master of the game
Who is Kate Blackwell? She is the symbol of success, the beautiful woman who parlayed her inheritance into an international conglomerate. Winner of a unique position among the wealthy and world-renowned. And she's a survivor, indomitable as her father, the man who returned from the edge of death to wrench a fortune in diamonds from the bleak South African earth. Now, celebrating her ninetieth birthday, Kate surveys the family she has manipulated, dominated, and loved: the fair and the grotesque, the mad and the mild, the good and the evil -- her winnings in life. Is she the master of the game?

My rating: 95%

Memories of midnight

In "The other side of midnight", they played the ultimate game of love, lust, and death.

Now, in "Memories of midnight", the survivors meet to play one last time...

Shadowed by tragedy and burdened by amnesia, a beautiful woman desperately tries to return to reality. She is Catherine Douglas, destined to once again challenge the cruel, charismatic power of Constantin Demiris, the Greek shipping tycoon who murdered Catherine's husband. Now, in the glittering capitals and carefree playgrounds of post-war Europe, Demiris sets his deadly sights on Catherine -- and the single, treacherous secret whose shattering truth is known to her alone...

My rating: 80%

Rage of angels
Jennifer Parker is a brilliant, lovely attorney on her way up. But less than twenty-four hours after joining the district attorney's office in Manhattan, Jennifer finds her career threatened by a Mafia prince. Michael Moretti is a compelling, charismatic crime lord who seeks to expand his domain. He will let no one stand in his way... no matter her beauty or ambition.

Thus begins this mesmerizing tale of two relentless players struggling for absolute power in the greatest city in the world. And in their dangerous battle is a love more destructive than hate.

My rating: 100%

Tell me your dreams
Ashley, elegant yet haunted... Toni, sultry as well as vivacious... Alette, lovely and totally without conceit... three beautiful young women suspected of committing a series of horrifying murders. Now one of the most bizarre murder trials of the century is about to begin -- and reveal an astounding, startling piece of medical evidence almost impossible to believe. Sweeping from London to Rome, from Quebec to San Francisco, this tale from the world's reigning master storyteller is so much more than a mystery: It is a searching, riveting, and, finally, triumphant foray into the dark, wild depths of the human heart.

My rating: 95%

The best laid plans
He wanted power. Oliver Russell is fated to rise to the pinnacle of power, the office of President of the United States. She wanted revenge. Leslie Stewart is his betrayed fiancee, a woman dedicated to a single purpose -- the downfall of Oliver Russel. Amassing her own media empire, marshaling all her forces against him, she stands poised to destroy Russell on the eve of his most dazzling triumph.

From Sidney Sheldon, the unchallenged master of bestselling fiction, comes a story of blazing ambitions and thwarted love that enthralls and surprises with every page...

My rating: 90%

What I love about Sheldon's novels are the excitement it brings which makes me continue reading and not put down the book as much as possible. Sheldon manages to tell a story that catches your interest, develops the story and then suddenly surprise you with a twist or an unexpected event.

Sidney's books are not all about the excitement. While reading his novels, one realizes that there are new knowledge imparted to the reader about politics, law, crime or whatever the story is about. He was able to incorporate facts without making the art boring.

I know there are a lot more other novels written by Sheldon that I haven't read. I am totally looking forward to spend time again reading his books.

Source:
http://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/sidney-sheldon

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Nicki Minaj Live in Manila

Globe and BlackBerry offers its subscribers free access to one of the biggest concert parties of the year - Nicki Minaj Pink Friday tour concert at the newly opened SM Mall of Asia Arena this 11 July 2012, from 8:00pm onwards.


Who is Nicki Minaj?
Onika Tanya Maraj (born December 8, 1982), known by her stage name Nicki Minaj, is a Trinidadian-born American rapper, singer, songwriter and voice actress. She was born in Saint James, Trinidad and Tobago and when she was 5 years of age she moved to the New York City borough of Queens, where she grew up.

After releasing three mixtapes between 2007 and 2009 and being signed to Young Money Entertainment in August 2009, Minaj released her debut album, Pink Friday, in November 2010. It quickly became a commercial success, peaking at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 and being certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) a month after its release. She became the first female solo artist to have seven singles on the Billboard Hot 100 at the same time. Her second single, "Your Love", reached number 1 on the Billboard Hot Rap Songs chart, making Minaj the first female artist to top the chart unaccompanied since 2002. She also became the first female artist to be included on MTV's Annual Hottest MC List. Minaj was named the 2011 Rising Star by Billboard. Her second studio album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded was released on April 3, 2012.

Her current hits popular in the Philippines include tracks like "Super Bass" and "Starships."

How to get free access to the concert
Globe subscribers availing of the new BlackBerry Curve smartphones are in for the biggest treat of their lives with a free and exclusive access to a night of great music as they move and groove to their favorite Nicki Minaj hits. Subscribers getting a new BlackBerry Curve 9220 are entitled to one (1) free ticket (Gen Ad/Upper Box/Lower Box 2 area on a first-come, first served basis), while those purchasing a new BlackBerry Curve 9320 get two free (2) tickets (Lower Box 1/VIP/Patron area on a first-come, first served basis) to the concert party of the year. Existing subscribers outside their lock-up can opt to re-contract their account subscription and get the BlackBerry Curve 9220 or the BlackBerry Curve 9320 for the free tickets, while those within lock-up can either get a new postpaid line or purchase prepaid phone kit.

Everyone can get the newest BlackBerry Curve smartphones from Globe now by visiting www.globe.com.ph/blackberrycurve, going to the nearest Globe Store, or calling 730-1010 to become boom-ified with the Pink Friday gal herself, Nicki Minaj.

The tickets to this Exclusive Access event are not for sale. One will get FREE tickets when one avails of the latest BlackBerry Curve units with Globe Postpaid’s MySuperPlan. Both new and existing Globe subscribers may avail of the tickets. For more details on how to get tickets, one may visit www.globe.com.ph/blackberrycurve, visit any Globe store or call the Globe hotline at 730-1000.

SM Tickets will not sell tickets. It will just be a venue for one to claim the ticket that comes free from Globe and BlackBerry. One will just need to present a signed copy of the print out of the email from Globe that contains the QR Code of your ticket. After validation, one will then be given the actual ticket that needs to be presented at the venue.

Nicki Minaj Pink Friday Tour is brought to the Philippines by Globe Telecom, Blackberry and Wilbros Live.

Our free tickets
After applying for a new extension line for my mom (from my account) and availing the BlackBerry Curve 9220, I was able to get a free Lower Box ticket for the concert.

Last Saturday night (23 June 2012), Globe announced on Twitter (via username @enjoyGLOBE) that it will give away 2 free tickets each to the first 999 loyal Globe and BlackBerry users (postpaid and prepaid) which will sign up at the website provided on Twitter.

I was lucky enough to have read the tweet once it was posted and was able to sign up for me (2 tickets) and my sister (2 more tickets). I was able to claim another 2 Lower Box tickets for my principal postpaid account. However, due to technical issues with the email sent by Globe to my sister's email account, Globe had to resend an email with the QR code. Due to the 1-day delay, all Lower Box tickets were already given away and we were only able to avail additional 2 Upper Box tickets (free seating).

Through the promos, we were able to secure 5 free tickets - for me, my 2 sisters and 2 cousins. Amazing! It seldom happens that free tickets are given away just like that.

Thanks to Globe and BlackBerry for giving us free access to this cool concert! I'm sure we'll have a great time enjoying true blue R&B and pop entertainment from Nicki Minaj herself.

Sources:
http://blackberrycurve.globe.com.ph/
http://mypinkfriday.com/media/photos/26673/790733
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicki_Minaj
http://www.philippineconcerts.com/foreign/nicki-minaj-live-in-manila/

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Lifespan of a social network

Screenshot of mIRC
During the early years of the internet, social networking was unheard of. When I was in high school (1997-2001) and early college (2001-2002), the "in" thing then was chatting via mIRC. If someone asks for your photos, you give them the link to your yahoo profile, pic link, or other photo uploading sites.

There was a high level of anonymity in using this internet relay chat client because you can basically use any username (that may or may not be related to your real name at all) and you are not required to upload a profile picture.

It is up to the users to post on the main channel pages and attract other users to chat with you. Many people post their location (e.g. "Makati anyone?") so that someone nearby may send them a message and start a conversation. Some post their interests ("Who among here reads the Harry Potter series?") for the same purpose.

Yahoo! Messenger also became a big hit because of its customize-able look (font, background, profile photo). This chat application also has different channels where a user can join conversations. There is less anonymity in this chat platform because it is connected to your personal email account which can be hacked.

Come 2002, social networking was born through the creation of Friendster.com. It is a networking site where a user can add his friends, family, schoolmates and acquaintances as part of his social circle. With the success of Friendster, other sites like MySpace and Facebook were created to challenge its success. MySpace became very successful in the US and became number 1. Friendster remained stable and strong in some countries like the Philippines until Facebook and Twitter became the new leaders, making the fall of Friendster inevitable.

I was lucky to have been able to copy all my photos uploaded in Friendster before it completely transformed itself to the social gaming site that it is today. Good thing I tried to read all messages and notifications on a regular basis even if I was more busy with Facebook and multiply then (year 2009).

http://vincimendoza.multiply.com/
Multiply.com is another social networking site that gained popularity here in the Philippines because of the ability that it gave users to create their own site where they can upload photos, videos, blogs, reviews, announcements and other stuff. However, the site also reached its dormancy stage and transformed into a marketplace (buy-and-sell) website that it is today.

Oh how I miss my multiply site. I dedicated a lot of time customizing it to give it a "me" look. Now, barely anyone visits my site. My problem now is how to transfer all the media that I have uploaded to this site to this current blog and/or to my Facebook account. I can't remember if I have a back-up of all those files so I might end up with the copy/save-as method which is very time consuming and cumbersome.

Today, Facebook and Twitter dominates the social networking world. What made Facebook an instant hit is its simplicity - no background design and customization, just posts - which made it easy to load and access, whether through a computer or a mobile phone. Still, it has all the features a social network should have.

Twitter logo
As for Twitter, it is also as popular as Facebook because it complements it. Its features do not directly compete with those of Facebook. Twitter, dubbed as "the SMS of the Internet," enables one to post tweets (up to 140 characters only) to update your followers on things that you are doing, your thoughts, feelings, share quotations, share links, make announcements and even advertisements.

The problem now is the ability to back-up everything a user has posted to these 2 major social networking sites. I started using Facebook last 2008. Right now, I know the company is still stable. But who knows when its demise might be, right? By then, how will I be able to compile all the photos, videos and other media that I have uploaded and shared? Sounds very difficult right? Same as with Twitter - as of now, I have posted 8,700+ tweets since I joined the site and I still have no idea how to compile all my tweets from inception to date.

With all the ups and downs that these social network sites have gone through, I think it's always safe to have a backup of one's media files (photos, music, videos, blog posts, etc.) so that whatever happens to these sites will no longer pose a problem in terms of recovery. In the past, people used to print almost all pictures taken with film cameras - and one can easily look back at those memories. Today, digital cameras allowed users to save their numerous photo files on their computers and simply upload them somewhere in the internet. Indeed, a reliable backup and recovery tool (e.g. USB's, external hardware) is the solution.

Let's stay connected. Whether we admit it or not, it's what keeps us sane. Feel free to add me on Facebook and Twitter, or send me an email. Cheers!

Thursday, June 21, 2012

How I will write a review

Since I've been fond of writing reviews lately, I realized I might as well have a clear structure on how to create my reviews so that I won't be always thinking (and hanging most of the time) of how to even start one. Well I have to confess, upon thinking about this, I immediately typed "how to write a review" on google. Haha! And the first few links that showed up were pretty helpful in giving me ideas (refer to sources at the end).

Based on my quick readings, I have decided to follow the logical structure below:

  • Introduction - genre and synopsis/storyline of the movie
  • List of criteria to judge the movie or book or whatever, and whether they meet these criteria
    • Movie/TV show:
      • Storyline - was it exciting or boring? well thought of? too complicated? predictable?
      • Acting - were characters realistic? were acting believable? consistent?
      • Look - cinematography, lighting, special effects; were they good? looks fake? effective?
      • Things worth noting - important issues and lessons
    • Book:
      • Storyline - was it exciting or boring? well thought of? too complicated? predictable?
      • Characters - were characters realistic? believable? consistent?
      • Things worth noting - important issues and lessons
  • Overall judgement/reaction
  • Score

I guess I just have to keep it that simple and let my thoughts flow into the structure as I start writing. Let's just see if my next reviews would make better sense.

Sources:
http://deamer.wordpress.com/2007/06/12/how-to-write-great-reviews/
http://suite101.com/article/how-to-write-a-review-a77379

Monday, June 18, 2012

Living in the South of the Metro

Yes, there is a sub-region in Metro Manila that we call "south" - where there's less stress and where people are laid back. This area covers the cities of Paranaque, Las Pinas and Muntinlupa. We can also include the nearby greater metropolitan areas of Bacoor (Cavite province) and San Pedro (Laguna province).

Getting around
The area is quite far from the center of the happenings in the metro (Manila for many universities, Makati as central business district). However, transportation is easy, safer, and less hassle compared to commuting in other cities in the metro. Did I say safer? Yes, there are still news of snatchers and hold-up gangs in the south but not as rampant as in other cities. And if you have your own car, transportation should not be a problem. Also, riding a taxi in the area is seldom heard of. People in the south have been accustomed, used to and seem satisfied with riding the usual jeepneys, buses or FX's. Taxis are not so much in demand, unless you are in a rush to go to other places in the metro. However, some of the hassles that face commuters and drivers alike when traveling to, from and around the area are:
  • Heavy traffic during rush hours - Roads are relatively narrower in the mentioned cities compared to EDSA, Roxas Boulevard, C5 and other major roads in the metro. The high number of private and public vehicles in the south causes traffic jams during weekday mornings and late afternoons to early evenings.
  • Toll fees collected at Coastal Road and SLEX - The rates of toll fees in SLEX have become outrageously expensive! Good thing toll fee rate in Coastal remains affordable at PHP 24. There are alternate routes that do not have toll gates. However, expect travel to be considerably longer.
  • Taxis - If you're coming from other places of the metro and you took a cab going to the south, most probably the driver will ask for an additional fare on top of the meter reading because they will reason out that it will be difficult for them to get a passenger on their way back to the metro's center. As I mentioned, taxis are not in demand in the south.
What's unique about the south is you can travel within chains of subdivisions and villages to get from one place to another to avoid heavy traffic along the highway. In Las Pinas, this is called the "friendship route." However, one has to have a car sticker ("friendship" sticker) so that security guards will allow you to pass through their subdivisions.

Malls
Some of the famous malls that people go to in the south to shop, dine or watch movies are:
  • Paranaque - SM Sucat, SM Bicutan
  • Las Pinas - SM Southmall, SM Center, Starmall
  • Muntinlupa - Alabang Town Center (or ATC for short or fondly called "Town" by people in the south), Festival Supermall, SM Muntinlupa, Metropolis Alabang
  • Bacoor, Cavite - SM City Bacoor


Food trip
Apart from the malls that offer a variety of fast food chains and restaurants where one can dine, below are some restaurants that make the south famous for its food:
  • Soderno (at Molito Complex, Alabang, Muntinlupa) - considered as the Mercato of the south. See my blog post on this. (http://thevincidavinci.blogspot.com/2012/06/check-out-soderno-molito-alabang.html)
  • North Gate (Alabang) - mostly fast food chains and some new restaurants that cater to call centers and other offices in the compound.
  • West Gate (Alabang) - upscale restaurants and coffee shops.
  • Maty's tapsilog (Don Galo, Paranaque) - the tapsilog is simply one of the best in the country!
  • BF Homes (Paranaque) - Aguirre Avenue has a lot of restaurants to choose from.
  • BF Resort (Las Pinas) - BF Resort Drive and Gloria Diaz Avenue also have a lot of restaurants.
  • Sinangag Express (or "SEx" to young people) - this famous fried rice specialty restaurant actually came from the south, with its first branches in BF Homes Paranaque and Las Pinas.

Night life
The south seem to have a culture of its own when it comes to night life. Unlike other cities or places in the metro (Malate, Makati, The Fort, Ortigas, QC) where young people would most probably end up clubbing, people in the south prefer to chill and relax - to chillax. In fact, the term "chillax" was coined by people in the south (not sure if fact; this is debatable).

If you have a barkada or a groupie, the group would most probably have a favorite house - a friend's house where the group hangs out most of the time just about for everything - to eat, drink, watch TV or DVD's, play games, gamble, or whatever activity your barkada loves doing. These activities are collectively called "chillaxing" or house partying - trademark of the south!

There are also some people who want to go out to drink and have fun. The south actually offers some cool places to go to for this purpose:
  • BF Homes (Paranaque) - Aguirre Avenue has a lot of bars. Famous bars are Central BBQ, Tides, Cabooze, Laiya, etc. Central BBQ and Tides which now have branches in other cities in the metro actually originated from the south.
  • Festival Supermall has an area where there are bars that are open until the morning.
  • BF Resort (Las Pinas) - BF Resort Drive has bars like Central BBQ, Ultimate Liempo, etc.
  • Alabang-Zapote road (Las Pinas area) - one can find bars (e.g. KTV) along this long stretch.

Beware though - people in the south are pretty much laid back so you don't want to make a scene in the bars by dancing or being wild. Just sit back and chillax. After all, these places are not clubs! You can sing with the music you hear but cannot go crazy. It's a south thing, and one has to respect that culture.

Fashion sense
Unlike people in cosmopolitan cities and areas like Makati, The Fort, Ortigas and QC where people tend to dress up (wear pants or even dress formally), people in the south can basically get away with wearing shorts, shirts and slippers. Again, we're laid back.

People
Because the area is not overpopulated like other cities, the south seems like a small world. If you grew up here, everywhere you go, you might probably just meet people who know some of your friends (common/mutual friends) - most probably from high school, neighbors, relatives or whatever.

As mentioned above, people in the south are pretty laid back but are definitely as competitive as other people in other areas of the metro. And because of our unique culture, we often brag about being from the south as we believe we are more friendly, peaceful, sosyal (yes, we think highly of ourselves because many of us live in subdivisions and have studied in private schools *wink* ) and "cultured" (*double wink*). Nothing personal though, it's just a south thing.

**********
These are just general observations and not conclusive traits of people in the area. There can still be many exceptions of course.

Fellow people from the south, feel free to add or correct some information that I have mentioned in this post. Everyone, feel free to share your thoughts!

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

The Filipino society as I see it

Society plays a vital part in shaping a country, together with politics and economy. Social weather more often dictates what laws can be passed. People's culture and tastes are basis of the different products that companies can profit from. Most of the time, things that are against social norms are ignored and rejected.

There are so may things that we can be proud of our society and our culture. Some notable parts of the Filipino culture that I am aware and I can see around are:
  • Strong family ties - We love our families so much that we continue live with them even if one is old enough to be independent (based on other cultures' standards - e.g. 18 years old for Americans) and even if one already has a family of his/her own. Extended families are everywhere. This is one of the positive values that Filipinos have that show how much they love and want to stay with their families for a long time. Even in independent situations, Filipinos miss their families a lot, especially those who are in other countries for whatever reason. That is why reunions happen most of the time during holidays and special occasions like birthdays and anniversaries.
  • Bayanihan culture - Filipinos cannot take or even tolerate suffering of their fellowmen. Hence, they extend help to achieve common goals. This is evident in the hardest of times like when someone dies, people give money or "abuloy" to the relatives of the deceased. Rich people and even people living simple lives donate what they can to victims of calamities.
  • Hospitality - We are naturally warm to our guests may they be local or foreign. We serve food, clean for them, provide a place to stay, and even give them stuff to bring back home when they leave (pasalubong).
  • Religious practices - These are manifested in times of religious holidays when people flock to visit their churches to attend services. Major religious holidays in the country are Christmas and Holy Week/Easter for Christians and Ramadan for Muslims. In their own times, people pray a lot whether to ask for favor from the gods, ask for forgiveness, praise and thank the gods for all the blessings.
  • Fiesta celebrations - The country has a lot of feasts in different regions that make seasonal tourism a lucrative business for many. These are also chances for various provinces to boast their celebrations whenever they are featured on media. Government even declares national non-working holidays for major feasts, making the Philippines one of the countries with the most holidays in the world.
  • Sense of humor amidst poverty - People love to just laugh about almost everything, even the simplest of things. People can even find humor in the major events that they see in the news - even bad news. Jokes are evolving; everyday; there can be new jokes out of new events.
  • Filipino pride - We take so much pride in the achievements of our fellowmen. We love to announce to the world how great Filipinos are, even those only with less than full Filipino blood (if there's such thing as pure Filipino blood) in other countries. You can see on social media like Facebook and Twitter how easily Filipinos can make their fellowmen trend worldwide in their times of glory.
  • Love for food - People just love to eat! Even during simple events, we celebrate by eating. This love to eat strengthen the ties that families and friends have for each other, because they spend time with each other. With this big love for food, you can still hear a lot of people saying they will stick to a strict diet for them to lose weight but the next minute, you see them munching on food again. This is, however, a watch-out for people because one of the major causes of death in the country arises from unhealthy diet.

Sadly, there are so many other Filipino habits that I believe hinder progress, and more often than not create misunderstandings and even chaos. Below are some of them.
  • Colonial mentality - This is in irony with our Filipino pride. We may not be aware of it at times, but there are many instances where we value western culture, people or products more than our own. More Filipinos watch American idol (vs. local talent shows), NBA (vs. PBA), and other international TV series. Foreign films make more money than local films. People are willing to pay thousands of pesos just to watch concerts of international superstars, but do not want to watch a local performer even for free. We prefer international brands of clothing than our own. We make a big fuss about international franchises of food that come into our country, rather than favoring our local delicacies. And most of all, many people lack pride in the "Filipino look" - brown-skinned, short-nosed, etc. We spend a deal of fortune just to make our skin fairer, and some go as far as going under the knife to look "imported." Skin whitening products are everywhere and it's a big shame that Filipino marketing graduates from top schools in the country sell these soaps and creams. More so, local companies are profiting and growing from selling papaya soaps and gluta products that whiten skin.
  • Crab mentality - Admit it, more often than not, we easily get envious of other people's success. And this envy sometimes results to finding flaws in a person to the point of destroying another, pulling them down from the throne of their triumph, so that one can steal the spotlight.
  • Belief in misconceptions - We tend to believe in a lot of absurd things like:
    • All gay men dresses and acts effeminately.
    • Gay people look for love from straight men.
    • Gay men want to become women.
    • Misconceptions related to certain sicknesses that are totally false.
  • Superstitions - Educated people know that superstitions have no scientific basis. But there are many instances when we still follow these things, thinking "There's no harm in believing anyway" - even at our own expense.
  • Too much integration of Church in politics and society - This is one of the reasons why the Philippines is still poor. We cannot pass bills on reproductive health, divorce, death penalty, marriage equality, etc. because the Church (led by the CBCP) interferes a lot. Religion is good, they teach a lot of values to its followers that make them live good lives. But this is a democratic country where the government and society should stand on its own. Government should be able to enact and enforce laws that majority of the leaders deem would be beneficial for the entire country without anyone telling them that this is inconsistent with the bible. Different sectors of society should be able to express what they feel through are without fear of persecution from the church just because their belief is different. The Church is becoming pathetic; it seems like they just want to be involved in everything even if they're not invited. They just want to be heard even when people are not asking for their opinion. They just want to stop everything - even the progress of this country. Someone should do something about this. Many other countries progressed because they did not let religion stand in their way.
  • Tendency to complain/whine/blame - When the weather is hot, we complain. When it's raining and it's cold, we complain. We can't seem to be satisfied with just about anything. When something goes wrong, we simply whine instead of doing something about it. When we hear bad news, we tend to blame different people or sectors of society - instead of finding a solution for the problem.
  • Machismo, sexist/discriminative tendencies - Until today, many men believe that they are better than women. A perfect example is when a man is driving or is just on the road, and sees an accident or just a bad driver, he immediately says "Babae 'yang driver (The driver is a woman)." Chivalry is okay, as evidenced when men give up their seat in a public transport and offer them to an old lady, pregnant woman or a mother with a child. But nowadays, many women are stronger and doesn't give a damn. They can do everything that men can. No doubt about it. But words that Filipinos love to say often brings back these sexist tendencies. An example is "Kalalaki mong tao, ang duwag-duwag mo (You're a man, yet you're a coward)." It's as if males are not allowed to be scared of anything, and women are licensed to be afraid of anything - as if they're the weaker sex. And what hurts me the most are our tendencies to look down on gay people. When people say "Mayaman nga, bakla naman. (He may be rich, but he's gay anyway)" It's as if being gay makes one less of a person. Also, Filipinos relate cowardice to being gay. People say, "Bakla ka pala eh (Oh you're a fag)" whenever someone chickens out on a challenge. Gay people can look like strong masculine men too, as I have described in my blog about non-straight men (http://thevincidavinci.blogspot.com/2012/06/non-straight-guys.html). Sad to say, these discriminatory acts and beliefs towards gay people are reflected and magnified in media by stupid gay directors and writers themselves.
  • Racism - No one can say I am wrong about this. We laugh on the color of black people; we think it's dirty. We deliberately and mockingly call them "negro", "egoy," "negrito," or what have you without being politically correct (African, African-American, black). We think all Indians and Arabs have bad body odor because of the spices in the food they eat. We think blondes are dumb. The list could go on. Yet, the worse part is, we react so negatively when other people throw racist remarks against Filipinos, like when they imply that we are only good in providing domestic helpers to other countries, we are good-for-nothing monkeys who love to kiss a foreigner's ass for money, we all want to become Americans, among others.
  • Love of gossip - No need to elaborate so much on this. Gossip shows and columns are everywhere - and they sell even if most of the time the facts have been distorted or exaggerated. Serious conversations come to a halt when someone comes in who have a "juicy blind item." People love to hear about the private lives of local and foreign celebrities, even politicians.
  • Too much influence of media - This is highly debatable, but I believe many people rely most of their decisions on what they see on TV and other media. An example is national elections - people tend to vote for the candidate who has been very strong in surveys, and most of the time these candidates win. People listen too much to bad reporters who have bad manners like Mike Enriquez and Tulfo brothers, when strictly speaking, they shouldn't have qualified to become journalists. Media has become opinionated; they are sometimes very deliberate in taking sides, even if the word media (from the word medium) implies objectivity and neutrality. Money from advertising has indeed driven Philippine media into the rubbish it is today while sadly, people still listen to them as if they are totally reliable.

What do you see in our society today? Feel free to add and/or share your thoughts or even disagree with my opinions by commenting on this post.

Monopoly Deal

Last December 2011, I received a really nice gift from my friend Major through our exchange gift during our Christmas dinner - a set of Monopoly Deal cards (Hong Kong version). I just opened the card set and played with my friends on Christmas night in Tagaytay when we stayed in a hotel. Upon easily learning how to play it (through the instructions sheet), we got really addicted to it. I brought it in the office after the holidays and taught my colleagues how to play it during our break times, and they all got hooked too!

The game is very similar to the original Monopoly board game. But this time, there's no need for a banker, there are no more play money bills and miniature houses - just cards. In order for a player to win, a player simply has to collect 3 property sets so it is possible to win in a matter of minutes. Fast paced, but what makes it more exciting are the action cards like Debt Collector, Sly Deal, Deal Breaker and others that enable a player to either collect money or get properties from another player.

It tests a player's ability to manage the balance between available money and properties on hand (kept) or thrown down (already shown to all players). At the same time, it pushes a player to strategize wisely on using action cards - when to use them and whom to use them against. And of course, one's luck in picking the right cards also play a factor. In short - it's a game of strategy, courage, luck and fun!

Two to six players can play this game. If I'm not mistaken, there are several versions of the game - US, UK and Hong Kong (which reflects on the property and utility names). I think the Hong Kong version has more action cards than the other versions (Double Sly Deal, Go to Jail, Speeding Ticket, etc.), which makes it more exciting.

For more information on how to own your own set, here is the link to Hasbro's website: http://www.hasbro.com/shop/details.cfm?R=F3854DAA-728A-1014-B188-F10137905FA8:en_US&src=endeca&product_id=23453#. This is also available in local toy and hobby stores like Toy Kingdom, Hobbes and Landes and major department stores.

Frequently asked questions are answered at this site: http://www.hasbro.com/monopoly/en_US/discover/faq.cfm

Monday, June 11, 2012

Non-straight guys

Disclaimer: Some of my definitions and descriptions below may not be politically correct.

Okay, so there are the straight guys and girls. On the other side are the non-straight people. And below are my categorization of the non-straight:

Based on attraction:
  • Lesbian - women who are attracted to women
  • Gay - men who are attracted to men
  • Bi-sexual - men/women who are attracted to both men/women
  • Transgender - men/women who vary from the usual gender roles (e.g. transsexuals/cross-dressers); may/or may not be attracted to persons of the same sex
I'd like to focus on the non-straight men as this is where discrimination amongst each other occurs - something which I do not understand at all. I mean, it's hard living with the discrimination from those narrow-minded straight people; why do we have to discriminate other homosexuals just because they are out or they behave loudly? This discrimination is very rampant on gay dating sites and gay-oriented chat channels, which is unreasonable and should not happen.

So I'd like to lay out my further categorizations:

Based on behavior:
  • Masculine - acts, dresses and speaks very manly
  • Average - mildy masculine and effeminate, exhibiting both characteristics
  • Effeminate - acts, dresses and speaks very femininely
Based on whether discreet or out:
  • Discreet - limited number or almost no one knows of one's sexual preference
  • Out - many or everyone knows of one's sexual preference

After describing the 3 categories above, one can now properly describe one's self. Me? I am a gay guy who has an average behavior and one who is out. And I am proud of who I am. Out and proud!

Being gay or whatever does not make someone less of a person. Sexual preference should no longer be a basis to judge a person. This is the 21st century. Let's be reasonable, fair and civilized.

Furthermore, in the gay world, being effeminate does not make one cheaper than those who claim to be masculine. Likewise, being "masculine" does not put one in a better spot in society than those who love to be flamboyant.

Friday, June 8, 2012

Fifty Shades of Grey

Definitely not an advisable material for young (below 18 years old) readers, E. L. James' "Fifty Shades of Grey" tells the encounters of Christian Grey, a very young and handsome business tycoon, and Anastasia Steele, a smart-mouthed soon-to-be college graduate, in erotic details.

Synopsis
The story begins when Anastasia's (nicknamed Ana) bestfriend/roommate, Kate, succumed to the flu and couldn't make a scheduled interview with Mr. Christian Grey (who will be an honorable guest in their upcoming university graduation) for the school paper. Kate asked Ana to do the interview for her, and the latter did the former the favor. During the interview, Ana and Christian started to become attracted to each another.

This was Ana's first in everything - first romantic attraction to a guy, first sexual encounter (yes, she was a virgin), among others. On the other hand, it would also turn out to be Christian's first in softening his own hard method of romance.

The conflict comes when Ana was offered by Christian a rather quite formal yet different kind of relationship which would require her to sign a contract and bound by several conditions (non-disclosure agreement, health check-ups, soft and hard limits, etc.) - a BDSM agreement.

Style
James explores romance in this romance through non-conventional sexual preferences such as bondage & discipline, dominance-submission, sado-masochism, which many refer to collectively as BDSM. The author wrote the novel in too much details so as to describe not only the sex scenes, but also the dominant-submissive relationship between Christian and Ana.

Words were written in first person of Ana so as to make the readers feel more of Ana's point of view in everything - from her relationship with friends and family, feelings for Mr. Grey and his "Red Room of Pain", internal struggle with her subconcious and "inner goddess," among others.

Being originally a Twilight fan fiction novel, the love story was expectedly cheesy, as it was patterned to the vampire book series, but elevated this time for adult readers.

My thoughts
Here are my issues and comments about the book:
  • BDSM - I honestly don't find it taboo, because I'm sure couples (I'm not saying I've done it) add some kinkiness to their sexual encounters once in a while. But I don't see myself living it as a lifestyle, investing in my own room-of-pain. So I can't really relate so much to Grey's character who lives a secret life of ropes, whips, restrainers, or what have you! No, this is not for me, and the writer has not convinced me enough that there can be so much pleasure in hitting, and making it formal.
  • Christian Grey's character still remains a mystery at the end - the reason why he ended in the BDSM lifestyle was not fully explained apart from his years of encounter as a submissive for a certain Mrs. Robinson when he was still an adolescent.
  • Anastasia was described as learned (with above average GPA) woman with looks that can attract a man with the proper clothes and fixing. She's beautiful, but not in a modelesque or superstar kind of way. In short, she is a smart presentable-looking woman. Given this, it's hard to believe that an educated modern woman would succumb to being hit and disciplined by a filthy rich man in his kinky sex room. I wouldn't understand, would I?
  • I never expected the plot to be just plain and simple - in a level of storytelling for kids (picture this: irritatingly screaming fan kids). I shouldn't have been surprised given its background as a Twilight fan fiction. The conflict was easily laid out, and it's just been the same problem of the characters throughout the story. And for me, the story was full of too much cheesy scenes. Sometimes I'm confused if this was a novel for dumb teenagers but suddenly I realize it's for adults when the scenes become sexual. No-brainer, in other words. Would not qualify for literary awards, I'm sure.
  • Overall, "Fifty Shades of Grey" presented an anti-feminist tone through Ana's submission to Christian's "needs". So for me, there is a sexist overtone.
  • The novel's strengths are its ability to excite the readers, make the readers feel the emotions and thoughts of characters in detail, and the general controversy that its eroticism and BDSM bring.
To sum up my thoughts, the book entertained me in a way that let my boredom pass me by. But intellectually, it barely impressed nor enriched me. Nonetheless, I would still recommed people to read this. Why? It's the book everyone's talking about, hello?! Sometimes, we just have to be that shallow.

I have not read the 2nd and 3rd books of the series. Honestly, the first book has not excited me enough to go buy and read the other books. Besides, I have other books waiting for me to read them.

Other backgrounds (personal)
Everyone in our office was (and is currently) talking about the Fifty Shades series, and as an intrigued and bored individual, I looked for a copy in the local bookstore (Powerbooks Bonifacio High Street). Turned out, everyone was into it and there were no more copies of the first book anymore.

I BBM-ed my former boss who told me about the book, "Ubos na yung Fifty Shades dito sa Powerbooks High Street. Ang kakati talaga ng mga Pinoy. Haha." ("Copies of Fifty Shades were already sold out here at Powerbooks High Street. Indeed, many Filipinos are so sexual/horny. Haha.")

The store assistant asked for my name and contact details so she can include me in the reservation list. I said "Don't bother. I'll look for a copy in other stores." I started calling other bookstores and branches, and they all said copies were already sold out.

I was lucky to have called National Bookstore in Alabang Town Center and the assistant told me that their new deliveries of the book just arrived. I asked her to reserve a copy for me and that's how I secured one.

My rating: 65%

Friday, September 24, 2010

Is this insomnia or what?

I love my current job because my work shift is from 1:00 (or later) to 10:00 pm (or later). *Wink* I just wish my shift will stay like this forever. It is rare to find an accounting job with this kind of schedule, where there is no pressure for me to wake up early (unless there are morning meetings or events) and where there is still time for me to spend time with friends or whomever after work.

But one thing that really bugs me is the fact that I can't sleep when I get home. May I be home early (like 11:00 pm to 12:00 am) or late (3:00 to 6:00 am), I still don't feel sleepy at all, except when I'm really really drunk. Like I can just drink and drink everyday for me to easily fall into a deep slumber! Cannot be.

There must be reasons behind this. Let me think...
  • I watch TV when I get home. Cable TV offers so much variety of shows that catches my interest. I couldn't resist keeping my eyes fixed on those cool series or movies. So should I just throw away my TV set so that there would be no temptation? Absolutely not!
  • I surf the net. I am a total web rat - if you know what I mean. I am addicted to Facebook, Twitter, Blogger, YouTube, PR (know what this is?) and LO (how about this?)! Our home internet connection is open almost 24/7 and we have wi-fi access so I can browse via our PC, my laptop or my phone. No - I can't let go of this addiction.
  • I feel hungry at night. Yes, I may not look like a patay-gutom but I couldn't resist giving into my cravings at night - may it be a full meal or snacks. Then after eating, I wouldn't want to sleep due to fear of having nightmares and then die - just like the deceased Filipino matinee idol. So, in order for me not to fall asleep after eating, I either watch TV or surf the net, or both.
  • I keep on thinking about stuff. Even if I lose the appetite to watch TV, surf the net or eat, I lay down on my bed but still keep my brain busy thinking about things like work, friends, plans, memories, dreams, fantasies, fears, etc. So what choice do I have?

I seriously need help - professional help. Should I seek counselling and/or medication? But wait, is this the thing we call insomnia? I need to check its definition.

From http://www.medterms.com/
Insomnia: The perception or complaint of inadequate or poor-quality sleep  because of one or more of the following: difficulty falling asleep; waking up frequently during the night with difficulty returning to sleep; waking up too early in the morning; or unrefreshing sleep. Insomnia  is not defined by the number of hours of sleep a person gets or how long it takes to fall asleep. Individuals vary normally in their need for, and their satisfaction with, sleep. Insomnia may cause problems during the day, such as tiredness, a lack of energy, difficulty concentrating, and irritability.

So is this insomnia or what?

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

On number coding and traffic violations

I got this email from a colleague and I was so surprised to realize that my knowledge on these things really sucks. Read on and learn!

PRINT AND KEEP A COPY IN YOUR CAR:

1. No window hours: Makati , Malabon and Las Pinas. Number Coding is in effect from 7am to 7pm!
2. No number coding: Taguig, Marikina and Paranaque . So, feel free to roam around these cities anytime.
3. Pasig City has window hours of 9am to 4pm (note the 1 hour additional to the normal 10-3pm window).
4. San Juan has window hours now according to MMDA website.
5. Pasay City is implementing Number Coding except on the following roads: Ninoy Aquino Avenue, MIA Road , Domestic Road , Portions of Airport Road , Sales Road , Tramo.
6. EDSA, C5, Pres. Diosdado Macapagal Avenue, Roxas Blvd (Pasay) have window hours regardless of the city (meaning one can drive via EDSA in Makati any day).
7. For the rest of Metro Manila (Caloocan, Mandaluyong, Manila, Muntinlupa, Navotas, parts of Pasay, Pateros, Quezon City, Taguig, and Valenzuela) number coding is in effect (window hours of 10am-3pm is also observed).

TOOLS AGAINST MMDA OFFICERS

If any of these abuses seem familiar to you, Mr. Antonio Pagulayan (Personnel Officer) has asked that you call either the MMDA hotline (136) or call the METRO BASE at 0920 9389861 or 0920 9389875 and ask for an Inspectorate. They will send inspectors to the place where these MMDA officers are extorting, even while you are arguing out of your apprehension.

1. MMDA officers are not allowed to group together in order to apprehend. They are not even allowed to stand together in groups of 2 or more. The only time they are allowed to work together is for special operations (probably when they apprehend groups of buses for smoke belching)

2. Swerving IS NOT a traffic violation. Moving one lane to the left or right is not swerving, no matter where on the road you do it. And it is even less of a violation when you do it with a signal. Swerving is defined as shifting 2 or more lanes very quickly. So you can argue your way out of this, and call the Metro Base for help.

3. Sadly, using the yellow lane is a traffic violation and will get you a ticket. However, buses are really not allowed to go out of the yellow lane, so if you see selective apprehension of private cars only, you may complain.

4. MMDA has confirmed that your license MAY NOT BE CONFISCATED at a traffic apprehension. The only time they can do so is if you are part of an accident, or it is your third violation and you have not settled your fines yet. They are only allowed to give you a ticket, which you can contest. He recommends actually receiving the ticket in some instances, so that you can report the officer who did it.

5. Also, you are free to ask any of these officers for their "mission order", which is written by their supervisor. If they apprehend you for a violation that is not in their mission order for the day, you can report them and they will receive disciplinary action.

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Team building


Team building, in its most literal sense, means building a team. This requires not just building rapport and camaraderie, but also improving relationships and trust amongst each other, especially in a corporate setup. It may be a one, two or three-day event, but participants should remember that the lessons learned should not end with the event. It should be applied to the daily work environment or every penny spent on organizing the whole activity is just put to waste.

Our department had an overnight team building event last 18-19 June 2010 at the Forest Club in Laguna. To say that the group activities were tiring is an understatement. Nonetheless, we had fun and the tasks brought out the best in us. We also learned to overcome our fears and discovered some pretty interesting stuff about people we don't usually hang out with in the office. I think this is nice, especially when you already had some impression (or should I say judgement) of a certain colleague from a work-related interaction. It helps you understand why a person acts in a certain way and makes you feel comfortable about it.

The most exciting part was the evening party where lots of booze were served. There were no walls. Everyone showed one's true colors. As the saying goes, in vino veritas - in wine there is truth. People began sharing their problems, their strong opinions on some matters, and even their nastiest secrets. Until everyone went to bed or was brought to bed after passing out!

Even though there were no verbal discussions of the lessons learned, I believe (and hope) we are mature enough to have realized those things. I just hope that the cracks on the wall can still be re-painted so that we can be on the right track to our goal of being one.

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Street signs

Oh my gosh! I just saw this sign along Baclaran while driving. The traffic was kinda heavy, so I had the chance to take this picture. It seems the MMDA is really serious in warning people of the risks of jaywalking. But I think instead of posting signs like this, the government should just build fences along the island so that no one can cross the street at all. For me, it’s a better strategy than posting signs like this that are so straightforward and unprofessional-sounding.

English translation: No pedestrian crossing. Someone already died here.
11 June 2010
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