Paris, Je T'aime

Movie Review
Paris, Je T'aime
Various Directors

Thank God for SQ and its line of good movies in its in-flight entertainment system, I got to see another fine movie. Paris, Je T'aime is actually a collection of short movies done by various directors revolving around the theme of Paris, beauty, and well you guessed it, love. The stories range from the very normal to the very strange and the movie genres are mostly drama, comedy, some a mix of drama and comedy, some abstract, one, strangely, horror.

A dizzyingly pleasant journey of various stories, Paris Je T'aime will surely please those who are looking for movies with Indie vibes, and a lot of romance. I will not do a review for every single one of them, because to tell you the truth, I don't remember all of them. All I could say is that not every one of them is good (there are really great ones, and some downright boring), but on the whole, this montage delivers. Heck, it gave me a lasting impression. That must've count for something, right? Paris, here I come. And, well, this is where the movie succeeds: the celebration of Paris as a city of love and romance.

Not for casual movie-goers, this movie is definitely recommended for those who like indie movies, art movies, and especially those who are just plain serious movie maniacs.

Still Alright...More Than Alright, Actually

Music Review
Alright, Still
Lily Allen

Every now and then I would find out about new singers and their debut albums. It could be either from a website, or heard about it from someone. I found out about Lily Allen's Alright, Still from a website called meebo. They have a room dedicated for her fans in there. Didn't know that she was a singer until I found her album accidentally in Amazon.com. Found out that she's the daughter of an actor named Keith Allen. Till the moment I'm writing this review I don't know who the fuck Keith Allen is, but what the heck I'm writing a review of her daughter's new album so I'm just gonna let him be for now.

Now, I don't usually give music review because to me, music is a little bit hard to explain. My opinion stands that people should listen to the music to understand it, but instead of giving only a one sentence review saying that "I love it, you might too, get this damn album straightaway', I'm gonna give it a shot and write a review that is at least 2 paragraphs long.

Done, it's more than 2 paragraphs now.
Kidding.
Some of the songs in Alright, Still got a quite a bit of a reggae flavor, which give a bit of a not-serious vibe to it. The tunes are quite playful in almost all of the songs, and Allen's voice has a bit of a witty, feisty, British accent to it. Add that to the fact that the lyrics are full of British-colored humor, the listener's in for a fun, playful, adolescent/teenager-theme inspired music. The theme might not be of the sunshine, happy day variety, but Allen carried the songs in a light-hearted, un-serious, and (I'm used this word again), teenager-playful way.

Some of my personal faves in this album are: Knock 'Em Out, a song about some guy trying to get friendly (and fantastically unsuccessful in his effort); Everything's Just Wonderful, a song about not being happy with the way things are, but couldn't help going with the flow; Smile, a song about having fun while one's ex is in a bad time; and Alfie, a song about a brother who's a pod smoker and shut himself in his room most of the time.

That's it, my first music review. A good album overall, if you're into reggae-pop, some light-hearted theme, and quite a lot of British playfulness. Lily Allen, I'd say that it's still alright.

Rat in the Hat (Errr...chef's hat, that is)

Movie Review
Ratatouille
Directed by Brad Bird

Pixar has quite did it again this time. Let me get some things out of the way first: since it is made by Pixar, comparison with Pixar's previous masterpieces is inevitable. I still think that Finding Nemo is their best one so far, with The Incredibles coming in a close second. With that said, Ratatouille is still an excellent movie, an animated one of course. A worthy and excellent addition to Pixar's growing library of computer graphic animated movies.

First, let us begin with what Ratatouille is all about. Remy is a common rat, but he has one thing unique that differentiate him from other rats: he has good taste in food, and a highly sensitive nose to complement that taste. At first, his talent go to waste at the hand of his father, who uses his sensitive nose to detect whether or not a food is laced with rat poison. One day, however, due to an event (spurred on by none other than himself) that separates him and his family, he ends up in Paris and his only chance in proving that he's a great chef (next to his idol, the dearly departed Chef Gusteau, who's also the image of Remy's conscience) lies in a seemingly helpless cleaning boy named Linguini who doesn't know a thing about cooking.

When I see this movie, I thought to myself that computer graphic animation has really gone a long way. From the technical stand point, the movie really shines. Everything looks close to the real thing (they must have invest a lot of time and technical prowess in making the food looks real...and delicious, they make my stomach growl a bit during some of the cooking scenes), however Pixar still put in some touches that reminds the audience that after all, this is a computer graphic animated movie. They opt to portray the rats as close to the real thing as possible. There's almost nothing cute about them, but the saving grace of this decision is the facial animation. The facial animation is top-notch, something that is to be expected out of Pixar but still worth mentioning nonetheless. You should see the interaction between Linguini and Remy. The nods, head shakes, and shrugs that Remy does, they're just short of amazing.

The story concept itself is every bit imaginative and vintage Pixar all the way through. There's struggle, there's intrigue, there's romance (the backdrop of the movie is, after all, Paris, and what's Paris without a little romance? The end of the world, surely...), there's comedy (oh, how can we live without it!), there are revelations and realizations, and there's a story about accepting who one really is and what's he/she destined to do/become. In other words, this is one rat that's out to prove to the whole world (well, at least, Paris) that he's a great chef. And then there's always the truth. In whole, while it doesn't push Finding Nemo out of the throne of Pixar's best animated movie in terms of storyline, the story in Ratatouille still a delight to watch and follow.

The voice acting is top notch as well, with Patton Oswalt voicing Remy and Peter O'Toole giving an excellent performance as the voice of Anton Ego, the famous food critique. I must say that the chemistry between Remy and Linguini isn't as strong as what you witness between Marlin and Dory in Finding Nemo, but it is still endearing to see. Once again, this is Pixar, and you can leave it to them to create wonderfully animated characters. Remy, of course, is the star of the show, with Anton Ego coming in second in my opinion.

Ah...Paris...je t'aime...(No, not the movie), and the food is excellent as well. To close this review, I would like to say that like a great chef, Pixar has once again prepared for us another great meal to enjoy, a worthy addition to the other items already in the menu.

Oh yeah, fun fact I would like to add: Ratatouille is a name of a dish from France. For real. Nice, eh?

Yippy Kay-Ay, Motherfu-!

Movie Review
Live Free or Die Hard (Die Hard 4.0)
Directed by Len Wiseman

They finally came up with another Die Hard movie, after all these years. After a summer full of so-so sequel, I don't have a high expectation over this one. But I was not disappointed, since the movie turned out to be a real Die Hard movie all the way through. I heard that the rating PG-13 was much talked about, especially from fans fearing that the action would be tame. Well, the character John McClane is a little bit more reserved: he doesn't talk that much or swear that much either, for that matter (no worries, he's still got some nice taunts in him). It is to be expected however, because the guy is older and has gone through a lot. However, the action is pure Die Hard, and the character casting turns out to be an excellent blend.

This time around, the story is about cyber-terrorism. A mastermind hacker managed to hack almost everything that is connected to the internet and started creating havoc within the United States. John McClane (Bruce Willis) got dragged into the mess while he was asked to escort another hacker named Matt Farrell (Justin Long) to safety. I guess it's the story writers' intention to pit McClane against technology advancement that they chose cyber-terrorism as the theme of the movie. It also made the movie more relevant to the present time (technology and terrorism), even though in an extreme way.

Putting Willis and Long together as a hero/sidekick pair turns out to be an excellent decision. Even though Long's portrayal of a hacker isn't entirely that convincing, his role as McClane's reluctant, wide-eyed sidekick is excellent. Long's Farrell is like a counter-balance to Willis' more reserved McClane, who has a strong been-there-done-that vibe about his character. McClane provides many of the actions and some hard-hitting word-play when he was taunting, while Farrell provides many of the wacky quips and some technological updates for McClane, who's obviously haven't been keeping up with the times.

Other casting works out just fine as well. Timothy Olyphant gave an excellent performance of a villain who is not that entirely composed at times but quite cold-blooded and determined in achieving his goals. Maggie Q and Mary Elizabeth Winstead also provided some classy eye candies, with Maggie Q playing a villain whose character is reserved, well-composed yet highly desirable and Winstead as McClane's daughter, who obviously has some of her father's traits.

Enough about casting and performances. This movie is Die Hard, afterall, and Die Hard has always been about action. And regarding action, the movie delivers. A police car ramming into a helicopter, a trailer truck going against an F-22. Those are just glimpses of the action that you'll find in Die Hard 4.0. McClane's more cold-blooded and brutal this time around, with an air of effectiveness in dispatching the bad guys (been there, done that). He gets down and dirty, as always. It is also worth reminding that many of the actions are pure stunts and not computer-generated.

In the end, Die Hard 4.0 is another worthy addition to the franchise. Aside from that, it's also one of the best summer movies of this year.

"Where did you get these guys? Did you dial 1-800-Henchmen?" - John McClane -

That's POLICE OFFICER to You, Mister!

Movie Review
Hot Fuzz
Directed by Edgar Wright

It's amazing how you can discover good movies out of nowhere. To be fair, a lot of other people might have discovered this movie sooner than I did and were already talking about it. But, well, I wasn't expecting this much fun and quality when I chose this movie out of the list of in-flight movies available during my flight from Singapore to Manila last Tuesday.

At first I didn't realize it, but this movie's style brings to mind another movie that I watched quite awhile ago but I couldn't bring into mind what it was. Thanks to IMDB.com, I found out what it was. Just read the title of this review and you know which movie I'm talking about. Turns out that the director was the same. Those who are fans of the zombie genre and British comedy might have known a movie called "Shaun of the Dead" from a couple of years back. Wright's take on the zombie movie genre, with a lot of wacky and decidedly British sense of humor, was a fun and entertaining piece. The movie will either make you grin like a fool or plain burst out laughing.

Yes, I was talking about "Shaun of the Dead." However, this review is not about "Shaun", right? But you might as well talk about "Shaun" when you talk about "Hot Fuzz". The camera style is the same, the action's style is the same, the sense of humor is the same, the story...well, of course they're different but still in the same vein as "Shaun". To top it off, even the 2 main characters are played by the same actors as those who played the 2 main characters in "Shaun" (Simon Pegg and Nick Frost). And what's more, Bill Nighy made an appearance in both movies.

The story itself is about a serious cop, Nicholas Angel (Pegg), who got transferred from London to a small countryside town called Sandford for being overzealous in carrying out his duties as a cop (Angel would voice his objection, saying that it's "Police Officer" and not "cop"). Everything seems to be normal in the small town until a series of unfortunate incidents where people got killed occurred. With the help of Danny Butterman (Frost), a bumbling but sincere local police officer, Angel tries to uncover the truth behind these bizarre incidents.

Pegg and Frost are the stars of the show, with Pegg being the straight guy and Frost delivering many of the punch lines. Pegg portrays quite an interesting character, a serious cop who's serious about what he does, but has a knack of being gullible at the same time. Frost's character, meanwhile, is more or less like Ed from "Shaun". Special mention must also be made of Timothy Dalton, who plays the "obviously-the-villain-of-the-movie" character, Simon Skinner. How can he not be? With that dashing smile, thin mustache, and squinting eyes, his character screams "villain!" from a mile away.

It is clear that, while "Shaun" pokes fun at the zombie/horror genre, "Hot Fuzz" pokes fun at the cop genre, putting every element from this genre to the extreme, albeit in a humorous and entertaining way. They even put references to other well-known cop movies, some of them subtle; some blatantly obvious. The story itself is nicely paced, and the plot twists are out of the ordinary yet entertaining. You'll be guessing from start to finish, but I find that it's not about knowing who the bad guy is. This movie is all about the jokes and the many silly spin-offs they made out of the cop genre.

So, for those of you who enjoyed "Shaun", or fans of the cop action movie genre or British black comedy in general, or can appreciate all of these, then you definitely don't want to miss out on "Hot Fuzz".

Prepare for Glory!

Movie Review
300
Directed by Zack Snyder

*Expletives abound in this review*

Let me start this review by simply saying that 300 rulez!

Fuck those who said that the story sucks or that there's too much violence in this movie. This movie is about coolness. This movie is about action. This movie is about looking good in a minimum amount of attires. This movie is about a bunch of cool-looking Spartans beating the crap out of nasty-looking Persians.

Forget the story. Visual flair takes center stage this time. Every frame in this movie is especially crafted to give it a sense as if the audience is watching a moving comic book (well, it is based on a comic book after all). A treat for the eyes, and what a treat it is!

Acting wise, the actors and actresses are more than adept in displaying the characters in an epic story of an epic battle. Special mention must be made of Gerard Butler, who played King Leonidas. I can not see anyone else better to portray such fury, such determination, such elegance.

It's really nice to see Faramir, ummm, I mean David Wenham playing Dilios in this movie as well.

My only regret is that I didn't see this movie in the big screen. On computer screen, I did. In SQ's in-flight entertainment, I did. I bought the DVD as well, to make up for my sin of not seeing it in the big screen.

Yep, this is a guy movie. You won't find any "You got me at "hello"" in this movie. Go watch it and get your blood boiling. We need more of this kind of movie.

"THIS IS SPARTA!"

Lucky Seven Indeed, Potter!

Book Review
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
J. K. Rowling

At last, the famed Harry Potter saga comes to an end with this seventh and final book, 'The Deathly Hallows'. For those who are familiar with the series, Harry's quest in this final book is to find and destroy the rest of the Horcruxes. These are artifacts in which Voldemort, Harry's and the wizarding world's arch-nemesis, has sealed parts of his soul. With little to no clues to start with, Harry has a hard and unrelenting quest laid out in front of him. A quest that will test not only his character, bravery, strength and endurance, but also a quest that will put to the test the mettle of those who are closest to him.

It is endearing indeed, if one would look into the past books and realize how much Harry has grown, in size and in character. Sprinkled with the spices that is the wizarding world, the Potter series is not only about plot twists and unanswered questions, but also a tale of a boy's coming of age. The journeys and the wonders of the wizarding world has shaped much of who's Potter now. Rowling tells a triumphant story of an ordinary boy in extraordinary circumstances.

Revelations abound in this final chapter of the saga. Answers revealed, plot twists unraveled. I give nod to Rowling's ingenious device in leaving many important questions unanswered ever since book 4, 5 and 6. Even though it sacrificed a small amount of satisfaction in reading these previous books (by leaving questions unanswered), this helps build the tension for the final book, as Harry's final journey will reveal to him answers revolving around the true intentions of important characters within the story and also around past events going as far as book 4 (Goblet of Fire).

Indeed, in my opinion, the Potter saga's first three books helped established Rowling's wizarding world's many wondrous workings, while Rowling kicked into full gear starting book 4 in establishing the foundation stones for the preparation of the grand finale that is Deathly Hallows. In other words, Rowling is clever.

Now, enough of analysis. Visit your nearest bookstore, buy this book (haven't read the rest of the books yet? Shame on you!), and enjoy this brilliantly-paced, roller coaster of a ride.

Wish I Had A Dragon

Book Review
His Majesty's Dragon (Temeraire, Book 1)
Naomi Novik

Dragons are creatures of fantasy. They exist mostly in fantasy worlds in books and movies. They usually have bat-like wings, four legs, long neck, long tail, steel-like hide and if they're really special, they breathe fire. In this book, Naomi Novik has managed to create an interesting twist to dragon lore. What if dragons exist in this world? You know, as in, the world we live in right now? Novik has chosen the time of the Napoleonic War as the period where she put her dragon story to writing. And in the usual convention, dragons have only one rider. Not this time. Novik has applied the concept of naval battle to aerial battle. Instead of ships, a captain and his/her crew ride on top of a dragon. Battles are fought in the sky, with captains and crews clinging on to their dragons by means of harness and board enemy dragons just like in naval battle. But instead of plunging to the sea should they miss their jump, the crew is faced with the prospect of falling down to Earth to their death. Such is the law of gravity.

The story started with Laurence, a captain in the British Naval corps, accidentally coming across a dragon egg on a French ship he and his crew just boarded and defeated. As can be predicted, the egg hatches and the dragon chose him as her captain. This seemingly "innocent" episode turned out to be a life-changing experience for Laurence for a person who has been chosen by a dragon must abandon his or her previous life/occupation and be called into the service of British' aerial corps. Thus Laurence, reluctantly at first, must leave behind his sea-faring life and join the service of the corps and lead the kind of life he did not expect to lead.

Novik has successfully applied the concept of naval battles into aerial battles, certainly with modifications since the sky consists of a whole different substance than the sea. The results are captivating battles told in utmost detail, in the atmosphere/settings pertaining to that of the Napoleonic War. Add to that the fact that these dragons can converse in human languages, are highly intelligent, and show emotions not unlike that of humans, and you have an intriguing story on your hands.

Also of special interest to readers is Laurence relationship with his dragon, Temeraire. Readers will be fascinated as these two characters develops a bond of trust and loyalty as the story progresses. Novik has put special affection in the telling of these characters relationship with each other.

Novik has made an excellent beginning to a series that will surely be loved by many fantasy fans. I, for one, will surely be following the stories of Laurence and Temeraire in Novik's future Temeraire books.

"Look, Mom! Big robots beating the crap out of each other!"

Movie Review
Transformers
Directed by Michael Bay

"More than meets the eye." If you're a Transformer cartoon fan (like I am), you should be familiar with this line. I don't know where it came from, but for sure I hear it in the opening theme song. I've always liked the cartoon series, and was quite into the toys. Due to lack of money and lack of space, I only had a couple of 'em. Really wanted Optimus Prime toy robot back then, but never did manage to get one because it was so hard to find in Indonesia.

Time passed by, and it's been quite awhile since I last heard of Transformers. Then a few months back I heard that they're making a big screen movie out of it. This time, instead of in a cartoon format, it will be set in the real world with the help of CG (you know, computer graphics). Having known Michael Bay's style in "The Island", I was quite curious, and truth be told, really looking forward to watching this movie. With a slight reservation, nonetheless, regarding how Michael Bay will transform (pun intended, duh) the source material so that it's silver-screen-worthy.

So, the day came when I managed to go and see this movie. Aside from being such a loser for watching this movie by myself, I had a great time enjoying it. Michael Bay's specialty is action, and this is where the movie really shines. The action sequences are intense and satisfying. They're strewn all over the movie with little or no pause in between. There was never a dull moment in the movie, thanks to good pacing between the talking and the actions. When it comes to action, Michael Bay really delivers here.

I also liked the many references Michael Bay made from the original source material. They're all over the place such as in the jokes, in the conversations, and also the choice for Optimus Prime's voice casting (Peter Cullen, the voice actor for Optimus Prime in the cartoon series, was the one who also voiced Optimus Prime in this big screen rendition). It shows that Michael Bay treated the source material with respect.

The movie also shines in the CG department. The robots look real, and the interaction between the CG characters and the real characters and environment looks very believable. It's as if they've created life-sized robots for the filming of this movie. Yep, it's that good. Watching this movie made me realize how far CG technology has gone.

Story-wise and acting-wise, these are where the movie does not excel. It's a movie about robots and robots beating the crap out of other robots, so I guess it doesn't really matter. The story is fantastically unrealistic and the pacing isn't as good as the pacing for the action. The acting is also so-so, however Shia LeBeouf's character really gave a certain touch of charm to the movie. Megan Fox also provided quite a pleasing eye-candy, and her character isn't exactly your usual sit-on-her-hunches, waiting-to-be-rescued, lead lady. Without spoiling much, let's just say that her character got her hands dirty as well.

Yes, people, this movie all comes down to about robots beating other robots and whatever gets between the way of doing exactly just that. And in this matter, it does not disappoint at all. Great CGs, and great actions. Plus, it pays quite a lot of homage to its source material. That's more than you could ever hoped for out of a summer action flick, right?

And yes, there are action figures coming our way. "Transformers, more than meets the eye!"

Shall I get Optimus Prime this time? :D

The First Few Days (US Trip Recollection, Part II)

After arriving on US soil on April 26th 2007 (US time, which is at the time 15 hours behind of Manila time), I went to the client's office in Concord the next day to take a look at it (so eager was I to get things started!). The office was a spacious, 4-story building with 4 "cores" and three indoor gardens. One garden was an ordinary garden with benches strewn from one end to another. Another one was only a space with several tables complete with matching chairs and red umbrellas. The last one drew inspirations from a Japanese garden, with stone steps and minimalist-styled wooden benches and veranda.

One of the Gardens in Concord Office

There are lots of things to like from this office. For one, they brew Starbucks coffee there, and you can drink them to your heart's content. A lot of vending machines as well, and automatic ice cube makers (for those who like to drink cold water, like me). And the space, man, they really know what it means by 'personal space' and provided an abundant supply of it. Even the guest cubicles were spacious. The only thing I didn't like was the fact that the office was a little bit too quiet for my taste. Lots of old people working there, and unfortunately they don't talk too much. Add to that the fact that the distance between one cubicle to another was quite far, you have one very quiet office.

I got lost on my first day there, looking for my other team members in that office and at the same time had quite an exercise walking from one end of the office to another. Finally I saw how my other colleagues looked like, having been communicating with them through only e-mails. An okay bunch, but a bit too "tame" for my taste. But still, there are some of them who are quite nice. And one thing, they loved to joke. Granted, they weren't my kind of jokes, however a sense of humor is still better than none, right?

All in all, the office where I would be working in for the next 2 months was okay in my book.

It was quite a quick day for me at the office, that Friday. Found out where I was supposed to be sitting and set up my PC there with the softwares I need to work with. People were leaving around 4 o'clock in the afternoon. I forgot what else had happened that day, remembered having a dinner with a couple of friends from Indonesia. But that's about it.

I laid my eyes on San Francisco that first weekend. My friend took me to Chinatown to have dinner. I was glad I brought my jacket, because it was a really cold day in San Francisco at that time. Truth be told, I was quite disappointed with my first impression of San Francisco. Its Chinatown was quite a gloomy and dirty neighborhood and there was no beauty to be found there at the time. I was wondering why people I knew were saying how beautiful the place was. I would found out later on how mistaken I was. But that didn't happen until 2 weeks after.

A View of San Francisco's Chinatown

In any case, the Chinese restaurant was quite okay, but not as good as those I knew back in Indonesia. After dinner, we went back to Pleasant Hill through Golden Gate, stopping at one of the vista point on the way to take some pictures. Too bad that it was already late and the sun had set. The pictures of Golden Gate bridge that I took weren't that good thanks to the lack of lighting. I would have better pictures later on, though. San Francisco would also prove that my first impression of it couldn't be more wrong.

A Graffiti in Chinatown

The last day of the first weekend was spent having a wine tour in Napa Valley, a place in California well known for the wineries. I forgot to charge my digital camera's battery so I only managed to get very few pictures of the place. Napa was beautiful, however. Indeed, one of my lasting impression of Napa Valley, and California in general (at least, the places near San Francisco) was of beautiful rolling hills and the sense of wide open space I felt there. I would come to deeply appreciate these later on, however, because that weekend my psyche was preoccupied with having one of the biggest shocks of my life. Shocks of how different the US was compared to Asian countries. Add to that a shock due to the immense feeling of loneliness I felt there (probably spurred also by how different it was there than Asian countries).

Regardless, the first few days in the US were quite an eye-opening experience for me. The days ahead proved to be more and more interesting. Having been to Asian countries only, now I understand how those kids who went to the US for education must have felt when they first arrived in the States.

More on the US trip in later posts.

Charting the Clouds

Book Review
Cloud Atlas
David Mitchell

To say that David Mitchell is a gifted writer would probably be an understatement. I probably had said that in my review of Ghostwritten (the first book that I've read which was written by him), and I don't mind saying that again here. After reading Cloud Atlas, I must say that I was very impressed. His writing styles are now more distinct and unique from one story to another, and he explores each story and its main character deeper compared than in Ghostwritten. His talent of writing in different story-telling styles truly shines in this book. That's probably because there are less stories here compared in Ghostwritten.

Before I get ahead of myself, I should explain how the book is like in general. Cloud Atlas is just like Ghostwritten in that it's like a collection of short stories with their main characters interconnected to one another across stories in various ways. However, unlike Ghostwritten, whose characters are interconnected in small, sometimes insignificant ways, Cloud Atlas' many main characters are interconnected across stories in more personal ways. These stories are broken off half way, each to be concluded at the second half of the book. In short, it's like reading stories within stories.

It may sound gimmicky, but Mitchell managed to quite pull it off. And unlike Ghostwritten, where one story to another can almost be read independently from one another, Cloud Atlas could not be treated that way as one story's connection to the other is stronger compared to those in Ghostwritten. And what intriguing and entertaining stories they are! The main characters are told in rich details, and the stories are told in different genres from one to another.

All in all, Mitchell delivers another interesting and entertaining book. And those who appreciate talents will appreciate this book due to Mitchell's capability in writing in many different styles/genres.

"California, here I come!" (US Trip recollection, Part I)

Can you believe how much shit must I go through just to secure my US visa? Because I requested for a work visa instead of a tourist visa, matters became complicated. It was good enough that the company took care of everything, but still what was bad was the waiting time. Waiting for the interview schedule and then waiting for the passport to be returned by the US Embassy. What was especially worse was the waiting for the passport to be returned. I felt like I was in limbo. Will I go? When do I go? And to top things off I had to reschedule my flight many times over.

But finally, I got news that my passport has been returned on that Monday, April 23rd 2007. After yet another flight schedule rearrangement, it was finally decided that I was to leave Manila on April 26th 2007. 3 days were good enough time for me to prepare for logistics, but 3 days were not a good enough time for me to be mentally-prepared to leave Manila. It was not that I wouldn't be coming back, but leaving a place that I've grown accustomed to to live in another place for about 2 months brought a tinge of sadness to the whole matter.

However, going to the US was something of a lost hope to me, considering that if I go there by my own, I would be left penniless. Getting a US visa after 9/11 seemed to me like a rather uneasy affair as well. Personally, I used to dream about going to the US when I was younger. Why? It's America! Who wouldn't wanna be there? San Francisco, Hollywood, New York (not to mention all those vending machines!). But I lost sympathy and respect for the great U. S. of A. after Bush junior took the wheel. So, I wasn't really hoping much regarding traveling to the US unless I get paid for it. Which was exactly the case this time. That was why, I was so looking forward to coming here at the time that the matter of leaving Manila, a place where I have grown to like, was not a big deal. I was the lucky son of a bitch (no offense, mom).

So, on that Thursday night, April 26th 2007, my driver dropped me off at Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila. I was a little giddy and nervous about going to the States. You know how it is: airport security checks, whether or not they'll accept my visa and passport, whether or not they will strip me down to complete nudity for security checks, whether or not they will send me back to Manila without my clothes on and make a damn fool out of me and and so on and so forth. And I was going there alone. That was the second time I had to embark to a foreign land on my own without any companion whatsoever. I was a little bit unsure of myself, but I kept telling myself that, hey, the embassy okay-ed my visa and I got all the docs that I need. My luggage was packed neatly and I got everything I need. So, nothing to worry bout.

Security checks at Ninoy was as annoying as ever (thanks to the US). Good thing I came prepared. No belts was on me, and I made sure that the pair of shoes I was wearing was easy to slip into and slip out of. Had to take out my laptop from my backpack, but that was to be expected. Soon enough I was boarding the Philippine Airline plane heading off to San Francisco. The flight wasn't so bad, it only lasted for about 1o hours which was an hour earlier than expected. I had to sit between two old coots (oh how I hate NOT having an aisle seat), and one of 'em even had her one foot up on her seat. It ain't your house, lady, and you ain't here alone! Have some manner, please. It wasn't a big deal though, it was just me not liking uncouth behavior in public spaces. Aside from that, thank God that I didn't have to make more than 2 toilet visits during the journey. Did I mention I hate NOT having an aisle seat? I slept like a baby almost all the way through. Phew.

I woke up seeing the sun through the window of the plane. If I didn't know any better, I thought it was morning. It was 7 pm in the evening, however, and the sun was still shining bright as if it's only 3 pm in the afternoon. The first sign that I was in foreign land.

Soon after that the plane landed at San Francisco International Airport. I was finally on foreign land. My first impression of SFO was that Changi Airport in Singapore was still way better in matters of interior design-wise and the availability of shops. The affair at the immigration was far better than I expected it would be. They didn't whisk me away to an enclosed room for interrogation or did such thing. All they did was took my photograph (the immigration booth was equipped with web cams) and asked for my petition documents. The immigration officer even said "Welcome back", as if I was once lived in the US. Trouble free immigration, very much unlike what I had in mind and what I heard from other people's experience. Probably because my Visa was published in the Philippines, not Indonesia.

The air was really cold outside, and in the parking garage I almost thought that the garage was air-conditioned. Another definite sign I was in foreign land. You see, I always associate cities with hot weather. The reality that was San Francisco hit me like a wall of cold air.

The driver who picked me up was a tall Caucasian. At first I thought he was an American until he opened his mouth and started talking. His English was rather stiff, and he had an accent. I later found out from him that he was a Russian. Divorced, with two kids. Told me to be careful with women, because they were liars and only love you for your money and not who you are. Asked me how old I was and told me that I was still young and try not to rush into marriage because that's the way women trapped us. Enjoy life while you're still young, he said. Be careful of women, he warned me. I took his words to heart (with a grain of salt, no doubt).

There were other things we talked about. Asked me how much people like him (a driver) make in the Philippines a year. I told him that I didn't have an exact figure, but at least I could tell him that drivers in the Philippines in general make a lot less than he does in the US. Told me that in the US, it was all about the money and nothing more. Not a very encouraging words for someone who just set foot on a place he's been dreaming of going to, but understandable and actually made sense to me later on. All I had to do is to turn the TV on and see all those ads for consumer goods and other stuff and I understood what he was talking about. In any case, the most important thing about visiting a country for me is not about buying stuff, but seeing new places. And I would dearly love to see the US. And what better place to do that than California, right?

My first impression of California, visually, was that there were lots of highways. Lots. And they are massive in size. So much space! And the bridge where I passed through (which I would later found out called Bay Bridge) were so big and long. And the second impression of California, for me, was that it was such a big place. So many highways, so many massive structures. At least, space is one of the things these Americans can afford to spend. So...spacious, California was. Other than that, due to the sun already setting, I didn't see much else except the city lights.

Client's office was in Concord, but I was to stay at a small town 45 minutes from San Francisco (and only 10 minutes from Concord) called Pleasant Hill. Arrived at Summerfield Suite, the hotel-slash-apartment where I will be spending most of my resting time for the next (then planned) 2 months. Told my driver sorry for not being able to tip him (since I didn't have a denomination smaller than USD 100 at the time), but he said that it was okay because it was already included in the fee. Took my two luggages and a backpack inside with me. A colleague went down to see me and make sure that everything was taken care of while I was registering my name and my stay there at the hotel.

Went to my room, number 207, and realized that the place was smaller than my apartment back in Manila. No matter, as long as I have the place all to myself. It has everything that anyone would ever want in an apartment (you know, the obligatory TV, a kitchen modest in size but generous in cooking equipments, a bed, sofa, table, sink, a cupboard to store clothings, a bathroom, and, thank God, internet connection) and I was content. Tired from the 11-hour journey, it didn't take long for me to doze off comfortably on the bed. Couldn't wait to see how the client's office looks like the next day.

It was April 26th 2007, Pacific Time, and I was happy. Later days would prove to be quite trying (especially during the first few weeks), but at the moment (and in retrospect) the only thing I could think of was: one of my life's dream had come true earlier than I'd expected.

Very Interested in This Movie (Install Quicktime to View it)

Batangas: Fun!

As I sit here in my temporary cube in Concord, California (more on that later...), contemplating the fact that I am once again about to leave a place I just got accustomed to, I tried to recall the significant events that happened during the course of my life starting on early April 2007 up until this point. Trying to put them up here before I lose steam and the stories become more like entries without any passion inside them. Just see my Baguio entry, I believe I could make that one better, but before my memories fail me (and before it gets overwritten by newer, more memorable ones here in California), I decided to quickly write it up and get it over with. The result was okay (see for yourself), but still I pretty much believe that it could have been better if I got it done soon after the trip rather than two and half months later.

Anyhow, what's done is done (and the fact that I still could edit it should any old memories surfaced puts me more at ease). Now, another quite memorable event needs to be written down. Sometime in mid April, the gang decided to go to one of the beaches near Manila (near being around 2-3 hours drive). Having nothing better to do during the weekend (which is usually the case there in Manila during weekends), I signed up without thinking twice.

There was supposed to be more people coming with us, but some of them cancelled during the last minute. That didn't matter though, those who did go was a fun bunch anyways (there was Do, Put, Yang, Win, Mul, Ro and myself). The journey took us about 3 hours and we stopped a couple of times to stock up on food supplies and gas.

The first thing that we did when we got there was to find the best spot to have some sea-side fun in the sun (oh yeah, the sun was shining pretty bright that time of the year). The first place that we got to offered us a pretty steep fee for a beach side package (a bungalow, buffet meal that we don't really need since we got our own food, and to add to the insult, the place wasn't really that nice either). So, we went away a bit disgusted but still keeping our hopes up high to look for a better place with a more reasonable price.

What's this? No white sandy beach? Boo...

Which we finally did. At first, we were a bit disappointed with the place. Why, you asked? Going to a seaside resort WITHOUT a strip of white sandy beach is pretty much like NOT going to the beach at all. And this is the Philippines for crying out loud! There were only concrete tables to have (not much of) a picnic, and right next to it is just plain sea water where a bunch of families swim and just plain have some wet seaside fun. But no sandy beach. Bummer. Luckily, one of the guides there pointed out that he could arrange for a small boat to take us to a place with good view and a strip of white sandy beach for us to play with. And guess what, the price was just right! Not THAT cheap, but still reasonably cheap.

Doesn't the sight of water just calms you down...?

The boat whisked us away from that mediocre picnic place with its jet engine, and along the way, the guide told us that we could stop by where the water was clear and we could see tons of fish underwater. Mul, our happy-go-lucky friend, is one that can not resist the charm of the water being a boy who grew up near a beach. In no time, he jumped down into the water and just go a-swimmin' along with the fishes (no, I'm not talking metaphorically, you crazy Italian mafia). Infected by his cheerful manner and complete abandon when it comes to watery fun, we joined him in the water soon after. True to what the guide told us, the water was quite clear and if you equip yourself with a goggle you could see them clearly. We spent about half an hour or so in that spot, just soaking in the water, having fun under the sun (yes, that rhymes and I love it), swimming along with the fishes and just enjoy the feeling of floating in the water.

No concrete table in sight!

After we had enough of watery fun with the fishes, the boat finally took us to our destination: a white sandy beach. It was located not too far from where we had set off, but the difference was quite obvious. Nice, white sandy beach; beautiful palm trees skirting the beach; and small cliffs marking the borders between one small sandy beach haven from another. A nice little paradise (with no concrete picnic tables in sight!).

The beach, the cliff, and the sea

Soon after we cast ashore, Do and Put started putting together a sand castle, others started to play beach volley. Mul was practically everywhere. I guess he missed his home town in Bangka. The white sand was dastardly hot, so I stayed in the water most of the time, enjoying the warm sea water and taking in the beautiful view around me. Took a bit of photo snaps here and there, as always, while keeping in mind that my digital camera is not water-proof. After we all had our fun on the sand, we went to the water to just play around or float around and enjoy the day while the sun was still up.

Sailing away...

It's one of those days where you wished that it wouldn't end. But that's no fun, right? So, as the sun was beginning to set, we thought that it was time to wrap things up and go back to Manila. The small boat took us once again to where we were. We took a shower at the many shower stalls you'd find in beach resorts, get ourself dressed up properly again, and finally set off for Manila. As always, we made a couple of stops again on the way, one of them for dinner.

We got back to our apartment to find Pil waiting outside. He just came back from his flyback to Jakarta. It would've been great if he were there in Batangas. All in all, the trip was a lot of fun, especially since it had been quite awhile since I last had a blast on a white sandy beach.

Back to reality here in Concord office. Time to adorn this post with resized photos. I'm going back to Manila soon enough. Hope there will be more white sandy beaches.

Beautiful Baguio

"So, we'll be going to Tagaytay and Laguna then, since you told me that both are quite near. But we won't be going down to the crater since I don't think my mom could stand the boat ride and the horse ride," I told my driver, Lito. He nod his head, but I could see that there's something bothering his mind. Before I could ask, however, he went ahead and said "Sir, I think it would be better to take your mom and her friend to Baguio, since they're only here from Friday to Tuesday. It would be a complete waste to take them to Tagaytay and Laguna since Baguio is much better."
"But, it takes at least 6 hours to get there during daylight, right? You told me so. And the only way we could go there faster is to go during midnight and arrive there around 5 or 6 in the morning."
"I don't mind."
"Really? You don't?"
"Yeah, I know how to get there, and it's been quite awhile since I last went there."

So, with that, I settled my plans to take my mother and her friend to Baguio........

It's been awhile, hasn't it? I was there in March 2007. It was probably one of the best times in my life...it was in the period where I was so full of life and full of love. It's amazing how love could really bring colours into life. And I was like a cup brimming full of that wonderful concoction...I was in love, in love with life, and in love with the whole notion of love. That's a lot of loving there ha ha ha.

So, as I sit here in my comfortable Concord office, I tried to recall as much as possible my tour in and around Baguio. 2 months ago...feels like an eternity has passed.

Anyways, back to the story...

Mom and her friend arrived in Makati on Friday, March 23rd 2007. My driver and I picked her up at the airport at around 9 in the evening (after a very satisfying promotion dinner party). We first put their luggages in the apartment and packed some necessary stuff to bring to Baguio. The next stop was my friends' apartment, where we usually hung out. We had a one-hour chat so that Mom got a feel of what my friends were like, and then around 12:30 in the morning we headed out of Makati to go to Baguio.

We made a couple of stops along the way, and after 6 hours of driving we finally got to Baguio. One thing I noticed during that first morning light was that the hills around us were quite steep. I noticed also that there were signs of landslides. My driver told me that landslides happened quite frequently during the rainy season.

First order of the day was to find ourselves accommodation for the one night that we would be staying there. After looking around for options, we finally settled on a small hotel (which name I forgot) and rested there for about 3 hours. We woke up quite refreshed and ready for lunch.

Baguio's Pink Cathedral

We drove into town to find a restaurant and we did. Lunch was quite tasty, probably due to the fact that we just went through quite a tiring 6-hour journey. Mom saw a church along the way and was interested to pay a visit there. It was Baguio's Cathedral. I saw the photo once in a brochure I got from my driver about Baguio, and it was white. But it seemed that someone came up with an idea and painted it pink, which gave it a rather cheap image. Took a couple of pictures here and there, and the place look quite good inside since there was a wedding on that day and the decorations were beautiful. Not long after the photo session we were off on the road again.

Lit0, our driver, took us through a park called "Burnham Park", a park named after the original city's planner. It was quite packed that Saturday morning, so we decided not to get off the car and instead we went to a place called "The Mansion".

Outside 'The Mansion'

The Mansion is, well, a mansion. It is usually used by the Philippines' presidents during their official visit to Baguio. We didn't do much there except take pictures, but that day was an especially fine day with blue skies and nary a cloud in the sky. The pictures taken was exceptional and the place felt peaceful. Nothing else to mention except that mom and her friend bought some oranges. But that's not saying that it was bad. It was an exceptionally fine day. That's why we bought oranges. I think...

Mines' View Many Pasalubong Stalls

Lito suggested that we go to Mines View next. So, that was where we headed after our little sightseeing at the Mansion. There was a lot of stalls there selling many 'pasalubong' (souvenirs in tagalog) of many kinds, from trinkets, clothes, to variety of food. But the (supposedly) real treat was a natural veranda overlooking the valley nearby Baguio. I (finally) managed to get there, after having to wait for my mom and her friend buying souvenirs and gifts. The steps were quite steep, however, and considering my mom's knees condition, I told her to wait at a nearby shop while I take a look down. The veranda was jam packed with people, and I managed to take a shot or two there, but nothing much. The view was indeed good, but according to Lito, there was less houses down at the valley from 11 years ago when he was still there. I guess that means that the view must have been more beautiful in the past, uncluttered by houses and concrete.

Valley cluttered with houses

View from the top of the Grotto

Lito took us to a place called Lourdes Grotto. Lourdes Grotto is basically a shrine dedicated to Mary, mother of Jesus. It sits atop a hill. You can go there either by a winding road or climbing the 250-something steps at the side of the hill. We went by the road since my mom wouldn't be able to climb the steps. It was getting foggy at that time, and it was drizzling as well. After saying a quick prayer in front of image of Mary, we went for a quick tour around Camp John Hay. The place was, to me, a resort for rich people. Some areas inside were restricted, and we were only able to see the houses from the outside. Oh well...

Zola at Session Road

The last place we visited that Saturday was Session road. Dinner was in a cafe called 'Zola'. Pretty nice place with wi-fi internet connection (wow!) for those who has their laptops with them. After dinner we took a stroll along Session to see what they have in store. It was nice to see the road full of activities: people walking here, there and about; many restaurants serving many kinds of food; stores selling many different merchandises and 'pasalubong'. On the whole, I would say that this road is Baguio's equivalent of Singapore's Orchard Road or Yogyakarta's Malioboro road...probably more to Yogyakarta's Malioboro but less ethnic. The road was full of activities, something that I really like. We ended the day feeling very tired, but very happy and relaxed.

Actually...


Before we called it a day, we had a short visit to Burnham Park. It was only a big park with a large pond in the middle where people could go on a paddle boat to enjoy the day. But since it was around 9 in the evening, the place was rather deserted and quiet. We didn't do much there except walk around the perimeter of the pond to enjoy the night breeze and have a little chat. Nothing special there, so we didn't spend too much time and not long we were on our way back to our hotel to finally call it a day.

A good spot for a morning exercise

In the morning the day after, I went to Lourdes Grotto again with Lito. Something he said when we were there the day before intrigued me. He told me that once, he went up the stairs up to the Grotto while praying along the way for his wish to come true. He said that anyone that climbs the stairs up to the Grotto will get his or her prayers answered. At least, he got his answered (he got his promotion in his previous job). I found this to be quite intriguing, not in the religious sense but more to a stamina-testing sense. So, I went there in the morning for some exercise (and hopefully get my prayers, whatever they are, answered along the way).

The climb wasn't too bad. 255 steps were not as hard as it sounded. Sure, I was out of breath by the time I got up. But I was not THAT out of breath. The weather that morning was really good, the sky was clear and there was no fog. After saying our prayers and taking some pictures, we went back down the stairs and went back to the hotel to grab breakfast and pick up mom and her friend to go attend Sunday mass at Baguio Cathedral. The Cathedral was quite packed with people coming for Sunday mass. We took some pictures again after the mass, and again we went to Mines View. It seemed that the previous day's 'pasalubong' session was not enough for my mom and her friend.

Mines View Veranda

I took the opportunity to take more pictures there in Mines View (since the ones I got from the previous day was still lacking in matter of quantity). While waiting for mom and her friend to finish up, Lito told me about the big earthquake that happened a long time ago there. It was so big that it altered the course of a river.

We experienced a bit misfortune there, however. The key to the car we were using were broken and Lito had to go to town to get some tools to start the car without the key. He managed to do that, so after about an hour of waiting we were on our way again to have our lunch. We ran out of idea so we went yet again to Zola on Session road.

Before we left Baguio to return to Manila, we went to Philippine Military Academy. Nothing much special there, so we just took a couple of pictures and we finally left Baguio for Manila around 4 o'clock in the afternoon. We went through a slightly different route on the way back and the view was much, much better than the view we saw on our way there. Lito pointed out a bridge without water underneath it. That was where the river whose course got changed during the big earthquake used to be.

Sunset near Baguio

Baguio is a beautiful city. So, if any of you happens to be in the Philippines and have a couple of days to spare, definitely a place worth checking out. Planning to go there again when I have the chance. There are so many things that I missed out during my short stay there. Until then, I said my good bye to Baguio. Till the next time I see you again.