Happy Holidays!

Have a Hobbit Birthday!

2004-10-31T13:09:00.000+08:00

Two amazing gentlemen are celebrating their birthdays today, and both have something to do with The Lord of the Rings!

Happy birthday to Peter Jackson! If you've never heard of him, where on (Middle-) earth have you been? He is the acclaimed director of The Lord of the Rings films, and Best Director of this year's Academy Awards (of course for LotR).

Peter Jackson (left) giving pointers to Orlando Bloom (Legolas)

And another happy birthday to Kuya Hec! Fellow Lord of the Rings fan and member of The Philippine Tolkien Society (TPTS). This man is blessed with a load of talents, including filking and lots of Tolkien knowledge (some of the stuff I never knew I learned from him at a Moot). Check out one of his filks here, I tell you, great work!

To the two of you, thanks for contributing to the fan that I am now (yeah it's your fault in some way :P) Keep the LotR zeal burning!

Truly A Super Man

2004-10-15T23:31:00.000+08:00

I am one of those many who grew up loving Superman. I especially loved Christopher Reeve's portrayal of the comic book/movie icon that everyone knew and looked up to.

That is why it saddened me to know about Christopher Reeve's passing a few days ago. I have always known about his condition, that he was paralyzed from the neck down 9 years ago because of a riding accident, but I always believed that someday, he could walk again. That even though he can never be Superman once more on film, he would someday show the world a miracle, that paralysis can be cured.

I found these thoughts some of his most memorable co-stars have expressed about the loss of a legend:

Margot Kidder

Margot Kidder, who played Lois to Christopher Reeve's Clark Kent in the four Superman movies and now plays "Dr. Bridgette Crosby" on Smallville, has also spoken about his loss. In an article in the News-Telegraph, Kidder says "I am just heartbroken and so sad. I just don't know what to say right now. He grew into such a glorious example of triumph over everything."

Annette O'Toole

Annette O'Toole has been associated with the world of Superman for over twenty years now, having starred alongside the late Christopher Reeve in the 1983 film Superman III, as Lana to his Clark Kent.

"What can you say about such a man as Christopher Reeve? He embodied all the best that a human being can hope to be. To continue life in the face of such adversity and to make things BETTER for other people and to continue to contribute so much is a miracle. He was so kind and generous and funny. He was a prince. His presence in our lifetime has given us all an example of how to live our lives. I am so grateful I knew him. And while I am so sorry for the loss his family must now endure, to me he will always be a constant source of comfort and hope and will remain up in the stratosphere where he has always been in my eyes."

Michael Rosenbaum (Lex Luthor in Smallville)

"Christopher Reeve played the role of one of the most memorable and heroic characters ever created... Superman. But it is obvious to me as I'm sure it is to others, that he was far more of a Superman than he could have possibly imagined."

Some of the most memorable quotes from Christopher Reeve...

"When John Kennedy promised that by the end of the 1960s we would put a man on the moon. Everybody, including the scientists, shook their heads in dismay. But we did it. We can cure spinal cord injuries too, if there's a will. What was possible in outer space is possible in inner space."

"So many of our dreams at first seem impossible, then they seem improbable, and then when we summon the will, they soon become inevitable."

(via)

The Lord of the Rings Symphony

2004-10-08T21:20:00.000+08:00

Take a musical journey to the realm of Middle Earth as more than 200 musicians and singers take the stage in "The Lord of the Rings Symphony: A Symphony in Six Movements," a spectacular performance showcasing the works of Academy Award-winning composer Howard Shore. This multimedia event will feature music from all three films in the motion picture trilogy and illustrations by artists Alan Lee and John Howe. After sold out shows around the globe, The Lord of the Rings Symphony is an event that will be enjoyed by everyone.

(via)

For sure it will be enjoyed by many, including a good friend of mine. The shows are on October 8 & 9, 8:00 pm, at the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago, Illinois and Laurice will be going to the first day. How exciting is that?! Hopefully, she will be able to hand a gift to Howard Shore (whom I dreamt about, hee). The gift is a TPTS pin. And she will tell us all about the experience as soon as she can. Have a nice time, Lau!

Great music is that which penetrates the ear with facility and leaves the memory with difficulty. Magical music never leaves the memory. -Sir Thomas Beecham

Where words fail, music speaks. -Hans Christian Andersen

the good, the bad... and the precious

2004-10-04T13:54:00.000+08:00

What's good about this day? Oh yes, it's already October! That means, two or so months to go, and I will be free... in the scholastic sense, that is. No more sitting for hours trying to make something "run." If you don't know what I'm talking about, well, just figure it out. I vowed not to mention that torture of a thing here. Hehe.

I'm putting off bringing up what's more exciting: 81 days until Christmas Eve! And 87 days until New Year's Eve! Hey, don't you think Christmas Eve is more fun than Christmas Day itself? It is for me! I love that holiday feeling of preparing for the Noche Buena, playing Christmas music all day, lounging around the house, receiving holiday greetings from friends and family, and watching all those Christmas programs on TV.

Now comes the bad... it's been exactly a month since our house has been burglarized. By far, it is the most traumatizing thing that has happened to me this year. September 4, 2004 was a little far from ordinary day: it's when all August-September birthday celebrants in our family (immediate relatives included) went to my Tita's home to have a little get-together. The day started out quite dull for me, I didn't even want to go to the gathering. Unfortunately (which turned out to be otherwise later on) my makulit of a brother insisted on me going with them. I don't know how he did it but I soon relented. So the day wore on at my Tita's house until it was about 12:30am of September 5. I even fell asleep in my 7-year-old cousin's room because my parents and my titos and titas were still at it: chatting and talking about life's ups and downs. Finally, we all said goodbye to each other and I hopped in the car groggily. A few minutes later we stopped in front of our house and my mom went out of the car to open the gates. All groggy and wanting to just plop down into bed and continue my snooze, I followed her into the house. When we reached just behind the door of the living room my mom inquired if I had anything to do with the groceries strewn out on the floor. I shook my head and began to ponder it a bit. It was the start of that uneasy feeling: I saw the door to the master's bedroom wide open and I wondered why it was so, seeing as how my mom always kept it closed. Apparently my mom felt the same nervy sense and we both had the realization that there must be someone in there (or had been there). Backing out of the house we called my dad and told him to come inside. Following my dad into the house and into the rooms, our uneasy feelings were confirmed: someone has broken in. All our drawers and cabinets have been ransacked. It was so shocking my eyes were wide open in a few seconds, sleepiness gone. The perpetrators tore off the grills and bore a hole through the screen of our back window. We suspected there was a child involved because the hole was too little for an adult to get through. We also supposed that they were interrupted because we found some of their would-be loot scattered in the kitchen at the back of the house. The period it took for my mother to open the gates must have given them enough time to escape. It was a nightmare because we never thought that could happen to our home. Seeing my room in a mess, and the (really infuriating) thought that a criminal has touched/held my stuff... it's enough to wish for that person's ruin. Needless to say, we didn't sleep well that night. And the days after that were just horrible. We were more anxious of our home's safety now that we have felt what it was like to be intruded like that. We never felt secure at home again.

Thankfully, not much was taken away, our two laptop computers were spared. Some of the items that have disappeared, however, are my diamond-studded Anne Klein watch (its straps have these stones that make it a true thief magnet), some of my fancy jewelry, my dad's watch, a couple of my parent's jewelry and my brother's new Sony discman. It must have been frustrating for them not to get any cash value, all my wallets are empty (but they didn't find my wallet with ten dollars on it). One more reason to be thankful: nobody was hurt and home at the time. And I have my kuya to thank for that.

Now I'm going to talk about loot that ain't obtained by illegal means. Hehe.

What would you do if you woke up this Christmas and found these under your Christmas tree?

Me? I'd jump all over the place! Hehe. What you see in the picture is the Return of the King Gift Set. The gift set (perfect gift set ever, I might add) includes:

The Return of the King Special Extended Edition DVD (4 precious discs!). And "special extended" means "over fifty minutes of never-before-seen footage integrated into the original theatrical release, along with an additional two-discs of bonus material".

a Sideshow/Weta statue of Minas Tirith (look at that baby far right!)

"Creating the Lord of the Rings Symphony" DVD featuring Howard Shore

more drool-oozing pictures and info HERE!

Unfortunately, no drool buckets provided. :P

The Gift Set costs $79.92 (Php 4,475.52). The Extended DVDs alone would be $39.99 (Php 2,239.44). Are the prices totally killing you? Just think of what having these preciousss in my hands would do to me. And all these will be available on December 14, yay! In Pippin's words in Fellowship: "I'm getting one!"

Happy birthday, dear Jamie!

2004-09-23T13:48:00.000+08:00

Today is Jamie's 19th birthday. She is my closest cousin ever (her mom is my dad's sister). But we see each other less than 10 times a year lang, during family reunions in September, All Souls Day, Christmas, New Year, and if we're lucky, a couple more times during the year. That's why we'd both be surprised to see each other a bit grown from when we've seen each other last. (by the way, we're both 5'6") But being together often is the least of our problems. Kahit na minsan lang kami magkita, we still have that bond that we've had since we were little girls. Pag nagkita kami it's like there wasn't any time lapse at all, at ease na agad kami with each other. We've shared a lot of fun experiences together growing up. Once, she slept over for a few days at our home with her sister Tracy, just for the fun of it. Mga one week ata yun and on the Saturday of that week the whole gang went to Puerto Azul, which was super fun. On the way there in our family car, me and Jamie were pretending like we were in a television show called "Dalaga Ka Na!", and we tagged that show for the day "Live in Puerto Azul". Hahaha! It was so silly. There are lotsa other stuff we've been through together. We've been a candle to each other's 18th birthday celebration. We've also escaped a few times when our titos and titas would make us sing every Christmas in exchange for some more aguinaldo. We'd hide in a room in the house and laugh like crazy kasi one of my titas would use the microphone na to call us, yet we'd pretend like we couldn't hear her. She's so fun to be with, but what I love most about Jme is that she's loyal to her loved ones. Ipagtatanggol ka talaga nya. And she speaks her mind. She should be a lawyer, but she's taking up Nursing. Hehe. She loves Harry Potter din pala. The books lang, not the movies. Somehow I still can't quite convince her to be a Lord of the Rings fanatic. Hee. Once in January 2002, we chose to watch Lance Bass and his other *N Sync pals in On The Line over LotR. That's 'cause I wasn't a fan back then. The thought of it makes me laugh till now kasi we were so early in the theatre that day, naabutan pa namin yung Lupang Hinirang. Haha. And obvious na excited talaga kami mapanood yung movie. I know more memorable moments are in store for us, and I'm looking forward to them.

Happy birthday, Jheng! Best cousins 4ever!

Wenham wonderland

2004-09-21T01:21:00.000+08:00

This post is especially dedicated to David Wenham! You probably know him as Faramir in the two final installments of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Well, he's an Australian actor who ties with Hugh Jackman on the Aussie hot-o-meter. Maybe even hotter. (; Some more tidbits on Dave:

Born September 21, 1965 (that makes him 39 today! bummer) in Marrickville, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

The youngest of 6 siblings (5 sisters and 1 brother)

Has a long-time girlfriend named Kate Agnew (oh...)

Has a daughter named Eliza Jane born October 10, 2003 (I guess that cinches it for me...)

Nicknamed "Daisy": "It's a very, very simple thing. It's an Australian thing, the old shortening of guys' names, from Gary to Gaz and whatever. One of my sisters quite simply went from David to Dais and eventually a "y" was put on." (yikes, naalala ko tuloy yung character nya sa Moulin Rouge... haha!)

Favorite moment in Return of the King: "When Sam picks Frodo up and carries him towards Mordor. It encapsulates so much of what the books and films are about." (that was my favorite moment, too!)

What would you toss into Mount Doom? "Ignorance." (whew! I thought he'd say "screaming fan girls"... like me! )

David is also known as an excellent actor because of his versatility. Want proof? Check out these photos!

as Richard Shorkinghorn, A Little Bit of Soul (1998)

as Ethan, Russian Doll (2001)

as Audrey, Moulin Rouge (2001)

as Luke, Dust (2001)

as the 'starer', Basilisk Stare (2003)

as Faramir, The Lord of the Rings (2002, 2003)

as Carl, Van Helsing (2004)

So, which David did you like best? Ako syempre I liked him best as Fafamir--I mean Faramir.

confetti in heaven

2004-09-20T11:00:00.000+08:00

My friend Kristel turns 20 today. Sadly, I can't go to the celebration because it's in a venue I can't get to at the moment. She's having her birthday party in heaven.

She died from a car accident in California a year ago. She and her boyfriend were driving home from a school dance that night when the guy fell asleep on the wheel and the car went over the bridge. My friend was sleeping at the time so her life was claimed almost immediately. When her dad found her, her head was blown up due to internal bleeding. Her boyfriend survived the ordeal.

I learned of her death while I was at the office having my practicum. It was a nightmare I thought I would be able to escape after some time. But I hadn't. It's heartbreaking because I will never again be able to see her, except maybe in pictures. Her funeral was in the U.S. and she was also buried there, and I couldn't get to both. All I could do that day was stare at her picture and cry.

She was 18 when she left the world. Such a young age for someone's life to be taken away. But I know the Lord is in control of everything. Yes, there was a reason for it all. You see, Kristel was a Christian and we've been going to the same church in the Philippines when we were little. She and her family went to the States to start a new life there. And I didn't really know a lot about it, but Kristel had been active in their church, particularly in the youth choir. She must have grown a lot in her faith over the years because she made a difference with the people around her. During her funeral, several kids came and received Christ as their Lord and Savior because of her testimony. It was a rewarding feeling despite the sorrow we were going through. She is much missed.

Well, a birthday bash in heaven is tons more fun than any party one could have here. For one thing, the weather is definitely more pleasant there. ^_^

Happy birthday, girl!

Kristel & Liann, August 2001

In loving memory of Kristel
September 1984 - May 2003

PD2

2004-09-14T09:00:00.000+08:00

Last night, my folks and I went to the 10:05pm screening of The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement at Cinema 10 of the Festival Supermall in Alabang. That was after I finally convinced them with the reason that in a day it will be out of the theatres already and I really wanted to see it in one. So we went and there were just about 10 of us in the cinema, considering it's on its 3rd week and it's the last full show. Anyway, I think the first PD is still better than Royal Engagement. Although the sequel is much more elegant in terms of costume and location, I enjoyed the simplicity of the first more than I did with PD2. Still, kudos to the production crew for doing an amazing job considering Genovia was just a bare backlot in Universal Studios, California transformed by very creative people into the magical place beheld in the movie. PD2's an okay film, IMO. Yun nga lang, I think it would be enjoyed more by a younger audience. Para kasing naging pambata yung some aspects of the story, like Princess Mia's slumber party (though I would love to try mattress surfing!) and during the parade, when she let the little girl feel like a princess for a day. And the love angle between Queen Clarisse and Joe the bodyguard was not very convincing. Parang walang chemistry between them. And the actress seemed much more seasoned (meaning older) than the actor. Hehe. Anyway, cute pa din naman. And for those who hadn't noticed, Viscount Mabrey (the old man who tried to pull Mia's throne right out from under her) was portrayed by John Rhys-Davies, the actor who did Gimli and Treebeard in The Lord of the Rings. It's weird actually seeing JRD in his full height, haha.

If there was one thing I loved about the movie, it's the costumes and the music. Okay, make that two things. Kelly Clarkson's "Breakaway" and Jesse McCartney's "Because You Live" are pretty nice tracks. Oh, I also loved the whole archery feature. If I could do Photoshop I would have edited the above pic to include my face and Orlando Bloom's as Legolas. Heehee.

All in all, okee siya. Looking forward to the next PD follow-up, kung meron pa. I'd like to read the books by Meg Cabot. I think there are about four volumes of The Princess Diaries.

Special message to Sheryl Chua: She, sorry I watched PD2 already. I know we talked about watching it together pero I haven't had the chance to set up the date eh. And pawala na siya sa theatres. Maybe another movie some other time. (:

dreaming of Shore

2004-09-13T10:00:00.000+08:00

Experts say we often dream about what is in our subconscious. I wonder if talks about the upcoming Lord of the Rings Symphony a friend of mine is planning to attend brought about this dream I had last night.

First I dreamt that I was at this mall, and there were advertisements of a Howard Shore-conducted orchestra performance everywhere. If you haven't heard of Howard Shore, he's the man behind the wonderful The Lord of the Rings soundtracks. He composed the music that gave such profundity to the story and gave life to the different races and cultures of Middle-earth. Anyway, somehow my dream brought me to the place where Howard Shore and the cast and crew of The Lord of the Rings were staying while on tour. Then I was chatting with Howard Shore. He was showing me around the place and while we were about to go up to the second floor, I asked him, "How friendly is Orlando [Bloom] among the cast?" Mr. Shore replied, "He's second to the least." My face fell.

When we reached the second level, I found shelves...shelves everywhere. Shelves with hundreds of DVDs/VCDs of various titles. I figured they were the films Mr. Shore composed soundtracks for. I even spotted a Harry Potter SEGA game left uncontinued on the floor. We chatted and chatted and soon I started telling him about The Philippine Tolkien Society (which I am a part of in reality) and how much we wanted to give him a pin/button with the TPTS logo. I also told him how one member of TPTS had already given one to Sean Astin (he was Sam Gamgee in LotR) and that the organization is planning to give one pin to each member of the Fellowship of the Ring. That's all I recall of our conversation, but I remember talking to him very heartily so. It was probably one of the most memorable conversations I've ever had with anybody, even if it was just in my dream. I wish I could have remembered more, but it's great I even remembered this much. I hardly recall the details of my dreams.

Back to the dream... Before long I was in the living room, waiting for the rest of the cast and crew of LotR to arrive. No sooner than I was seated, they came through the door in a single file. The first person in the line I didn't know, but the next I recognized immediately. It was Orlando. And he was frowning... I guess that confirmed Howard Shore's answer to my question earlier. Of course, I was disappointed. Then after the rest had come in, several more people came to sit with me on the sofa and I recognized one particular local female actress. It was strange because I see no connection between her and my LotR fanaticism... Then I woke up.

Sigh. Maybe I really wanted to go to the performance, but it's way too impossible, so my wish just turns out in my dream (in some other form). Laurice is sooo blessed! She gets to see The Lord of the Rings Symphony perform at the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago on October 8, conducted by Howard Shore himself. And the Chicago Children's Choir will be singing in Elvish. I sure wish I could go to one...

Pictures na lang ni Mr. Shore ha, Lau. (;

I am there

2004-09-11T22:56:00.000+08:00

You say you will never forget where you were when you heard the news on September 11, 2001. Neither will I. I was on the 110th floor in a smoke filled room with a man who called his wife to say "Good-Bye." I held his fingers steady as he dialed. I gave him the peace to say, "Honey, I am not going to make it, but it is OK...I am ready to go."

I was with his wife when he called as she fed breakfast to their children. I held her up as she tried to understand his words and as she realized he wasn't coming home that night.

I was in the stairwell of the 23rd floor when a woman cried out to Me for help. "I have been knocking on the door of your heart for 50 years!" I said. "Of course I will show you the way home - only believe in Me now."

I was at the base of the building with the Pastor ministering to the injured and devastated souls. I took him home to tend to his Flock in Heaven. He heard my voice and answered.

I was on all four of those planes, in every seat, with every prayer. I was with the crew as they were overtaken. I was in the very hearts of the believers there, comforting and assuring them that their faith has saved them.

I was in Texas, Kansas, London. I was standing next to you when you heard the terrible news. Did you sense Me?

I want you to know that I saw every face. I knew every name - though not all know Me. Some met Me for the first time on the 86th floor.

Some sought Me with their last breath.

Some couldn't hear Me calling to them through the smoke and flames; "Come to Me... this way... take My hand." Some chose, for the final time, to ignore Me.

But, I was there.

I did not place you in the Tower that day. You may not know why, but I do. However, if you were there in that explosive moment in time, would you have reached for Me?

September 11, 2001 was not the end of the journey for you. But someday your journey will end. And I will be there for you as well. Seek Me now while I may be found. Then, at any moment, you know you are "ready to go."

I will be in the stairwell of your final moments.

God

big bro's day

2004-09-03T10:08:00.000+08:00

Happy 21st Birthday, Kuya!!!

My kuya RJ's birthday is three days after mine, yet he's the older sibling. That's 'cause I was born before he even had his first birthday. Each year we become the same age for three whole days. Pretty neat, huh?

twenty-one reasons why I love having a kuya

2004-09-03T03:56:00.000+08:00

A lifetime companion and friend. My kuya RJ is the only brother I’ve ever had. There’s a saying that it is by chance that we have relatives, but it is by choice that we have friends. With Kuya, it is both.
My bodyguard. Well, not all the time, but I know he is my unspoken defender and protector whenever I need him. This goes for both physical and emotional situations.
On-the-spot escort. When I had my debut celebration 2 years ago, he was the first choice. Thankfully, having no “someone” was not a problem at all.
A prompt movie buddy. With Kuya, it’s just “Nood tayo ng [insert current movie playing here].” Two hours later, we’re off to the nearest cinema. I can’t count all the movies we’ve seen together, but it was always fun everytime. We’ve seen Van Helsing (in which we laughed gaily at David Wenham for his monk portrayal), Peter Pan (which he slept through), and Shrek 2 (in which we chortled like we were back in our kiddie years).
A walking Bible. Kuya has always been a Bible reader. I consider it one of his best characteristics. Not just because whenever I’m searching for the particular book and chapter where a verse is, I can just ask him right out, but because I know that this habit has helped him grow more as a child of God. He uses these verses as a weapon against transgression. I wish I could be the same Bible fanatic that he is. Oh, and this has helped him win a few Bible quiz bees, too.
Absorber of my moods. We spent half of our college years living in my auntie’s loft in Manila. So we had to endure each other. Unfortunately he had to do more of the enduring because I am a moody person. My brother must have seen me in a cranky state countless of times. Thankfully, he didn’t seem to be too affected and didn’t lash out at me in return. (:
My steady Valentine. For all those times I didn’t have that “someone” everyone’s supposed to spend Valentine’s day with, my brother filled that nothingness by giving me a V-day card or flowers every Hearts’ day.
Someone to influence my obsessions with. I am talking about my Lord of the Rings fanaticism. Although he has never reached the level of a fan that I am, he loved the movies and the music from the films as well. I think it’s just natural when at home I must have seen the DVDs (and HBO screenings) countless of times and played the soundtracks time and again.
My personal Santa. When I express my desire for certain things but am not financially capable of obtaining them, my brother remembers those wishes and gives them to me as presents when occasions turns up. For instance, last Christmas season we were at Tower Records and I was mooning over an Orlando Bloom calendar. Well, wouldn’t you know it? A few days later, Kuya gave one to me as a Christmas gift.
The only athletic member of the family. With the exception of my father when he was younger, Kuya is a good basketball player and fanatic. The only true Michael Jordan fan who has each and every pair of the legend’s shoe versions starting from XIII (I think). My own athletic capabilities, you ask? Well, I’m more of the cheerleader. I cheer my brother on when he plays in leagues in our subdivision.
Testimonial generator. Yes, I am referring to Friendster here, haha. My brother’s testimonial for me meant a lot the most. Feel free to read it.
My personal driver. Actually, this is soon-to-be. He has just been to driving school and is still a beginner. But I just know he will gladly drive me to wherever I need to get to when I ask him (or beg) when he becomes a pro already.
My Fort Knox of Secrets. I have yet to fully test this characteristic because when we were in elementary school, I remember having a crush on his best friend. One day, word just slipped to the friend about my silly admiration for him. Well, you guessed it right. Kuya was the culprit. Of course, it’s all different now. I’d like to think that my secrets will be safe with my brother when I entrust them to him.
Someone to joke and laugh with anytime. Kuya and I have this understanding when we joke on things. If you didn’t know what we were talking about, then you wouldn’t understand what was so funny. We’d often laugh at and mimic funny scenes from movies, funny lines and even actions and facial expressions. And this can go on every time even though we are not watching the film.
Commuting companion. There were times when I had to commute from Laguna to my school in Manila. And I disliked commuting to and fro alone (the reason elicited by unpleasant experiences traveling by myself). That’s why it’s such a relief whenever my brother had to go to school on that particular day also. I’m more comfortable when I have someone to accompany me.
Two of a kind. We are a singing duo! When we were younger, we used to do duets in church singing Psalty’s music and other kiddie Christian songs. We even had some choreography, courtesy of my mother. Hahaha. Now, we ditched the choreography and we just stick to the singin’.
More responsibilities are given to him. Such as setting the example. Hehe. Actually, as a girl, I am expected from more when it comes to household work. That’s hard, too. :P
No proper comparisons can be made because he’s a boy and I’m a girl. People can’t say that one is prettier or more handsome than the other, heehee. Although attitude-wise, there could be.
Someone to be proud of. Although I haven’t said this to him, I am very proud of my Kuya. He graduated college just this past June with a gold medal for outstanding thesis. The best part of it was that I felt like a winner, too. I guess it’s just that way with siblings.
Someone to look up to. Even though he’s had his share of mistakes and failures, my brother will always be my role model, especially on the spiritual aspect. His fervor for anything relating to Christianity is by itself admirable. He never stops questioning and looking for answers when things boggle his mind. But even the human mind cannot conceive everything. Sometimes, only our faith can give us the answer.
Someone to call “kuya.” A short Pinoy word that makes it all the more meaningful when you really have one. You can call older relatives and acquaintances “kuya,” but nothing beats the feeling of having an older brother to cherish your whole life. I could not ask for a better sibling than my Kuya.

Who Wants To Be A Millionaire: The Lord of the Rings Edition

2004-08-18T05:44:00.000+08:00

Test your LotR savoir-faire! Play 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire' with questions from The Lord of the Rings. Click here!

Haha! That was fun! I was stumped on the 'program for special effects' question, got the answer wrong, so I got back to the first again. I won the game on the second try! (although I used up all the "help" on the very last question. That got me so stumped!) The 'Concerning Hobbits' track was playing, I had to stop and listen to it first before clicking "Play Game". Cool, cool.

Archie Comics

2004-08-17T00:47:00.000+08:00

Images have been edited so the comics go vertically and would fit the page.

I love Archie Comics! I collect them and so far I have 1 Jughead with Archie, 2 Archie's, 1 Laugh, and 1 Betty and Veronica Digest Magazines in my keeping. My older brother and I started reading the comics since we were kids so there are some more lying somewhere in the house. I enjoy reading them 'cause you can read them anywhere. It's not like with my normal paperback when I have to lock myself up in my room in order to really enjoy the book. I mostly read the comics while I'm eating and re-read them at some point in the future. I find the script funny, pero siguro the funnier factor was the way the characters were drawn. Yung facial expressions and all, hehe. Archie Andrews and his friends are a weird gang though. Funny and weird. Hahaha. I can't figure out how Betty Cooper and Veronica Lodge can instantly morph from being the best of friends at one moment and when it's about getting Archie they start pulling each other's hair out. Archie is not even that cute, in my opinion. He's also extremely clumsy which only drives Veronica's rich dad nuts with frustration. That's another funny thing about the comics. And don't forget Big Moose, the one in the gang who makes use of his common sense the least, hehe. But then he's this big big guy whom Archie (and the rest I think) fear when he gets angry 'cause he'll beat the person at fault to a punch. The good thing with collecting these stuff is, you can still enjoy them even if they were published, like, 2 years ago. And if it's that old already they're also much much cheaper. I usually get mine at Book Sale. The down side... well, isang basahan lang sha and then you put it away na. That's why it's not a bad idea to borrow from others if you want to save up. Anyway, if you want a daily dose of Archie Comics, go to their website: www.archiecomics.com. There's some fun stuff in there, too.

Twenty-Five Questions for Mary

2004-08-11T19:54:00.000+08:00

Written by one of my favorite Christian authors, Max Lucado

From God Came Near

What was it like watching him pray?

How did he respond when he saw other kids giggling during the service at the synagogue?

When he saw a rainbow, did he ever mention a flood?

Did you ever feel awkward teaching him how he created the world?

When he saw a lamb being led to slaughter, did he act differently?

Did you ever see him with a distant look on his face as if he were listening to someone you couldn't hear?

How did he act at funerals?

Did the thought ever occur to you that the God to whom you were praying was asleep under your own roof?

Did you ever try to count the stars with him...and succeed?

Did he ever come home with a black eye?

How did he act when he got his first haircut?

Did he have any friends by the name of Judas?

Did he do well in school?

Did you ever scold him?

Did he ever have to ask a question about Scripture?

What do you think he thought when he saw a prostitute offering to the highest bidder the body he made?

Did he ever get angry when someone was dishonest with him?

Did you ever catch him pensively looking at the flesh on his own arm while holding a clod of dirt?

Did he ever wake up afraid?

Who was his best friend?

When someone referred to Satan, how did he act?

Did you ever accidentally call him Father?

What did he and his cousin John talk about as kids?

Did his other brothers and sisters understand what was happening?

Did you ever think, That's God eating my soup?

Interview with Ms. Levine

2004-08-10T19:02:00.000+08:00

Encouraged by the movie (same case with Lord of the Rings), I picked up the book Ella Enchanted. It was a nice piece of literature and I enjoyed it a lot. In fact, I thought it was way way better than the film's storyline. Of course, the film had its charm all in itself. And so does this book. Here's an interview with the author Gail Carson Levine (she mentions Tolkien, which I thought was brilliant of her).

How did you think of the languages in Ella Enchanted?

"I always liked the languages in JRR Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy. As a child, I used to say the evil languages of Sauron to myself. In Ella, I wanted to make each language distinguishable. If kids look closely they will see that Gnomic is punctuated backwards and a capital letter is at the end of each sentence. If they look at Ogrese, every time there is a double consonant or vowel, those two letters are capitalized. For the giants' language, Abdegi, the letters of the word are the first six letters in the giants' language. The giants' language only has vowels and percussive consonants. They have fewer letters than our alphabet because they are simple people. They also have emotive sounds such as shrieks and howls.

I was writing Ella Enchanted for the kid I used to be. I would have loved Ella."

What was the process of publishing Ella Enchanted like?

"Ella was my first book. I was pretty sick of sending my work out and facing the rejections by myself. So I sent two chapters of Ella Enchanted and some query letters to some publishers and to an agent. The agent wanted to see the whole manuscript and I sent it to her. But, I left out page 222 inadvertently, and she called me at my job in complete desperation for that page. I knew then that she was going to represent me. And she did. Then, through a combination of circumstances, another publisher had Ella for a very long time and we got discouraged and sent it to HarperCollins. HarperCollins loved all my beautiful words. But the other publisher wanted me to cut about a third of the book. I wanted to go with the publisher who saw the book the way that I did."

Princes and Fairies

2004-08-10T17:34:00.000+08:00

...A wicked stepmother, stepsisters, a pumpkin, seven mice, a coachman, six white horses, glass slippers, and of course, the poor girl herself, make up the most celebrated fairy tale in history, Cinderella. But what happens if you put in some ogres, a company of elves, a party of gnomes, a talking book, and a birth curse meant to be a gift? You got Gail Carson Levine's volume recently made into a major motion picture, Ella Enchanted. The film starring Anne Hathaway was officially released April 9th, but only made it to Philippine cinemas in July 28. And I made it to its opening day! I remember seeing The Making the Saturday before and it just seemed a cute film to check out. Ok ok, I'm not only referring to the film itself, but to one of the characters in particular, Prince Charmont, played by Hugh Dancy. Hugh who? Hehe, I've never heard the name before too, but guess what, he was in Black Hawk Down (which I watched if only for Orlando Bloom) as Kurt Schmid and in King Arthur (which I watched if only for Keira Knightley) as Galahad. So you see, I wasn't exactly looking for him in Ella but boy, oh boy, how I made quite a discovery that day. The guy had an adorable English accent like Orlando. Overall, his role as Anne's Prince Charming fit him great. Lots of cute scenes, but I especially liked him bouncing off like a rabbit in one funny moment in the film. Hahaha! Too bad he's already 29...

My Blog's Birthday

2004-08-09T23:00:00.000+08:00

This is my first ever post in my personal blog. Yay! I'm hoping that by writing down (or typing) my thoughts for each day, people who already know me may know me better and my ups and downs through time.

For this first one, I would like to share this homecoming song from the book "Ella Enchanted" by Gail Carson Levine. It was sung by Prince Charmont (more of him later, heehee), and I wonder how the tune goes...

"Oak, granite,
Lilies by the road,
Remember me?
I remember you.
Clouds brushing
Clover hills,
Remember me?
Sister, child,
Grown tall,
Remember me?
I remember you."