On Takipsilim
Guys, I think you're forgetting that this series is not for you. If you don't like it, then don't watch it. Remember that ABS-CBN is a channel for the masses. If you're not one of them, then it's not for you. Stop acting all elite-like and saying "Filipinos are copycats" because we are part of one nation, therefore you are including yourself. I just find it hard to believe how we cannot understand our own culture sometimes, how much we love to hate ourselves for every little mistake that we have...
It's always "Ang Pilipino kasi ganito, Sa Pilipinas kasi ganyan..." If you don't like it, then leave. If you can't be happy here, that only means that this culture is not fit for you. Try finding happiness somewhere else. Don't get me wrong, I am annoyed by a lot of things in this country of mine, but it doesn't mean I have to hate on it.
And besides, there's nothing original in the world anymore. The Philippines copies US, US copies Europe, Europe copies Asia, and all the permutations you can think of. It's just a cycle that's meant to go round and round.
Can you imagine how many Filipinos have not yet read or even heard of Twilight before? The Philippines isn't just Manila. Not everyone can afford to buy the book or see the movie. ABS-CBN's decision, aside from the ratings, is in the context of how the general masses will receive the series. So good on them.
BTW, I'm not a big fan of Pinoy showbiz either and I don't intend on watching this series since I'm not a big fan of Twilight anyway but I think it's selfish to judge how it operates just because I don't like it. PEACE OUT!!!
WWJD (What would Juntee do?)
Holiday blues
I was in Seattle's Best Greenbelt this afternoon with a hundred people around me. There's a special Christmas performance on the stage, with coiffed up opera singers and a 6-piece band. They sing carols of joy and happiness that Christmas brings to everyone. I was sitting alone drinking my latte listening to my iPod instead. I'm not really in the mood to listen to sappy Christmas songs.
That's how much I miss you. I understand that you have to leave for Christmas and we cannot be together, but that doesn't mean that I can stop myself from feeling this way. It's hard enough seeing couples and families all around me looking very happy together; it's harder knowing that I'm going to come home to a cat, a television, and a noisy electric fan. No one to greet me "Hey, dudie! How's your day been?!" and kiss me gently on my lips, and say "I love you". That's what I miss most about you: you're so generous with those three words. Three simple words that take away all this heaviness in me.
You left me a note when you left, and I cried while I was reading it. No one has ever bought me a card with that strong a message on it. You didn't even have to write a personalized message because I already appreciate the effort of finding the perfect card for me. I will keep it with me forever.
I'm not sure if we will be together forever. Life is too unpredictable to tell. But so far I’ve had THE BEST time of my life. I know four years is not a lot in the bigger scheme of things but it’s been the best four years I’ve had in my entire life.
Maybe that’s why it’s hard without you during the holidays. I’ve spent most of my days for the last four years with you. I’ve shared countless moments and recounted limitless stories with you. Sometimes I feel there’s no one else to turn to but you.
I know this love is dangerous. I can’t even imagine the day coming when we have to part ways. Because we will part ways, one way or another. It pains me thinking of that moment.
I need to be honest with my feelings. I can't walk around looking confident and happy, because I am not. And I hate you for that. I hate how you’ve made me feel so self-assured that I don’t feel the need to be assured by others. And when you’re gone my conviction evades me. I feel like I am nothing. There’s this emptiness inside me that no one can fill. Only you. Only on your return, when I look forward to going home with your arms waiting for me.
Salingkit
I wasn't doing anything on a Saturday night (i.e. big fat loser) so I did a little bit of blog surfing. And guess what I found? A picture of me!!! :D
T-shirt by D&G, pants from Bangkok bangketa, red socks, and Vagabond shoes HAHAHAHA!!! That's me in the background with the red socks. I find it funny since I'm not the focus of the picture. 'Saling kit' is how we refer to it. Sho there....
And here's another one from my friend's Facebook page. It's actually fun not being in the center of attention, and just catching a glimpse of it. (Naaaaaksss, what a statement.)
Shirt from ukay, pants H&M, and Puma shoes (like you can see them)
Buy th'way, I did not win the Sprouse t-shirt. I wasn't really wishing to since it would have gone WAAAAAYYY more than how much I am willing to pay. Oh well, there's always next time...
Bigger Things
I'm beginning to hate watching the news. I always like being in the know about what' shappening in the country. Now I'm beginning to realize "how" controlled the media is. I've been shuffling between Channel 2 and Channel 7 but I don't even see the news about US funding being withheld mainly because of corruption. I think that this is one big news that ALL networks should be having a special about.
Instead I see the boat that sunk in Cagayan and the fire in Makati. I don't mean to be insensitive to the "victims" but this is old news recycled. This has happened before. It's not the first time that a boat sank because of overloading nor a row of wooden houses burnt down because the firefighters could not pass through the small alleys.
What I'm trying to say is maybe it's time for us to think about the bigger things in life that affect us. Overloading is not new because we are an overpopulated country. This is not an issue about boat operators putting too many people in one boat because that is a given fact, because we are overpopulated and our facilities are not that well developed. It all stems from the bigger picture of overpopulation and corruption. When are we ever going to learn?
It's all because of Rei... and Junya... and all those Japanese coolies...
The lighting was too nice to pass up this opportunity.
Yosi break outside Lane Crawford.
Three New Fave Spots in Hong Kong
I love Hong Kong! Not only is it my favorite shopping destination but also my favorite city so far. It's the first city I visited internationally and I fell in love with it the moment I saw its magnificent skyline.
I've only been there thrice in my entire life and I only take short trips (usually three to five day trips) and I always feel like there's always new things to discover. It's got too many facets to it that a weekend cannot cover.
Anyway, I had my pre-Christmas celebration with my special someone just last weekend. I took a leave off work, told them I was sick but of course I'm just lying. I'm not gonna bore you with all the details of the trip so here are my top three highlights.
1. Pret-a-Manger. They claim to sell the freshest sandwiches as they have an in-house "chef" who prepares the sandwiches right then and there. They also have signages on their shelves that if they run out of the sandwich, you can still request it at the counter and they will customize it for you. :D
We ordered the Christmas lunch (Cranberry and Turkey with lettuce and tomato) and the Super Club (Chicken breast and Bacon with lettuce and Tomato) plus coffee and a Strawberry Yoghurt with crumbled Oatmeal cookie. YUMMMM!!! They really live up to their claim. My Super Club tasted so good and fresh, not like other sandwiches that taste bland and blame "low calories and low fat" for its lack of palatability. Plus look at the packaging and the presentation! I'm telling you it's the best idea for a quick lunch or snack, perfect for Hong Kong's fast-paced lifestyle. I'm sure it's not gonna work here in Manila since we're used to 2-hour power (read: takaw) lunches with friends and officemates.
2. Charlie Brown Cafe. I'm not the biggest fan of Snoopy. I don't think the cartoon is even funny. But the concept of this store is just lovely. Plus it's just across the road from the hotel where we stayed. Bonus points for walk-ability.
All around the cafe you see Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and all the Peanuts characters. There's the Snoopy shop where one can buy all sorts of Snoopy and Charlie Brown merchandise. The whole decor of the cafe revolves around the characters. Tables are shaped like Charlie's head, and walls and lights are adorned with the character's faces. They even have a wide projector screen showing episodes from the old cartoon series.
But my most favorite part of all is their coffee. How cute is that?! I asked if they were selling the stencil (or whatever it's called) for the shape but I guess it's exclusively for store use. I'll just make one on my own then! :-)
3.
The Landmark cafe, Central. When we stay in Hong Kong, we usually prefer Tsim Sha Tsui since the trendy inexpensive shops are just a few blocks away from our hotel. We decided to venture into the Hong Kong island more for more exposure and stumbled upon this gem of a mall. There's nothing too special about the architecture but the ambiance is just perfect. I guess it helps that it shares the same building with Mandarin Oriental, as well as Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Dior, et al. It's not as crowded as the more famous Pacific Place or the dreadful Sogo in Causeway Bay
(I'm never coming back there) so it's very peaceful and calm and quiet. If I was a shopping for high-end stuff I'd definitely go here. Just like in Paris: I'd prefer to shop in Avenue Montaigne than Champs Elysees.
Of course I can't buy anything here so we settled for breakfast at the cafe instead. It's got perfect natural lighting and the most delightful service. The cutlery is sleek and the china fine. They really know what quality dining experience is, even though we were just having breakfast. I don't have a lot of good pictures so just settle for the orange juice (which by the way is so fresh you think the tree is just behind the building). Just google the place if you want to find out more.
Power trip
I was having yosi at RCBC Plaza a while ago and I decided to sit down in front of the HSBC bank. Not long afterwards, a guard approached me and asked me – in a nice way – to not sit around. I asked why. He said: “Because this is a bank and it’s our orders.”
I just have a couple of questions:
1. Do I look like I have tools to break into a bank? All I was wearing was a jacket, a vest, and a t-shirt. My jacket was wide open exposing my t-shirt. I don’t think I look like I have a bomb.
2. Supposing I have tools to break into the bank, what is he there for? Isn’t he supposed to prevent people from breaking into the bank? It doesn’t look like I was even CLOSE to the door.
3. How come he can’t decide for himself whether I am a potential robber or just a weary walker wanting to experience the comfort of a level surface where he can rest his ass on?
Which leads me a dozen more questions: What’s up with us? Is terrorism and crime that bad here? Are we that paranoid to the point where we cannot trust anyone with public property? Is it bad to sit down anywhere we want? If this country is a democracy, why is power tripping / “following our orders” so prevalent everywhere? Do we have trust issues with every Filipino we see?
I went to HK this weekend and had to make a call to to the Philippines, but it was very noisy outside so I decided to go into the Cultural Center backstage (at the waterfront) to make the call. The guard did not even stop us. She did not ask for an ID or what we were going in for. In fact I was the one who approached her as a sign of courtesy.
Really. What’s up with us? Haaaay, we really have a lot of things to figure out as a nation…
B**jing Weekend
I love travelling! I love breaking stereotypes of people. I love realizing that I was wrong all along.
Take for instance the Chinese and China. Here are just some of the stereotypes we (or maybe it's just me) usually have with Chinese people.
1. Everyone is short, frail and thin.
2. They are rude and boisterous, shoving people in public.
3. Most are super traditional businessmen who have discipline and follow all rules.
4. Beijing is exactly like Hong Kong but bigger. Big tall buildings, small little alleys, and lots of people.
So when I went over to Beijing for a weekend, I was struck with lots of tall Chinese, some even taller than me. I guess it's the newer generation; I read/watched/heard somewhere that they younger generation is generally taller than the older one. It's a matter of better nutrition and better living conditions.
Aaaaanywaaaay... My first overseas trip was to Hong Kong so it shouldn't be very surprising that my initial contact with the Chinese are bad ones. Hong Kong Disneyland was the worst place to encounter them since everyone was shoving and trying to cut you off in lines. I was surprised that Beijingers, unlike other Chinese, are quite the cultured crowd. Everyone was very polite and quiet, unlike their southerly brothers.
Nevertheless, there are some rulebreakers. Not everyone is as disciplined as I thought they would be. There are still swervers and drivers who beat the red light. It is a pretty organized city though. There's not a lot of traffic, except for rush hour at the Financial District.
Day 1 was the Wangfujing day. One of the busiest streets in Beijing, it is dubbed the "Shopping Capital" of the city. Which isn't really. It was very disappointing because it's very... touristy. Lots of tourists flock the street for the biggest bargains, which I'm not interested in because I can always just buy the stuff in Divisoria. I was actually disappointed with a wallet I bought for 10 Yuan (converted to around P 70) which I saw in Divisoria a week after for P20 apiece! Oh well, it's the thought that I bought it in China that counts.
Day 2 was Chinese Culture 101 day with a visit to Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. I've always thought that pictures NEVER do justice. Most of the time I just don't take pictures because it's a bother and it ruins the experience. I guess I always try to capture the most that I can to share to my friends but I'll have to study photography first.
Tiananmen Square is just that: a square. You just have to think about the hundreds of students died here to realize its historical significance. Forbidden City, on the other hand, is a whole different story. It is SOOOOO BIGGG!!! And I'm not exaggerating. The picture above is just a portion of the whole city. It really is a city. It's got 5 more of these when you enter the door in the middle, plus dozens of courtyard at the back and sides, and it's got a massive mote surrounding the whole area.
Night time was meant for the Olympic Village. I just realized that maybe the city is so beautiful because of the recent Olympics. I finally saw the Bird's Nest!!! It doesn't look so big from outside because you only see one part but I bet it's bigger from the inside. The Ice Cube looks so weird, it looks like its about to take off. I just found out that the bubbles are, in actuality, real bubbles! It's made of this special plastic that is held together by metals creating the bubble effect. AMAZING!
Day 3 was Once in a Lifetime Opportunity day with a climb to the Great Wall. I guess I don't need to explain more. Just read any other blog of people who have been to the Great Wall and I would have the same reaction.
Day 4 was Funky Shopping day with the coolest neighborhood in Beijing: Sanlitun. I should have skipped Wangfujing and went straight to the Village. It's a really nice mall with stuff that I would more likely buy. As a matter of fact I did! My only important purchase in Beijing was a Puma First Round Sketch in Gray. In conclusion, shopping here still has a long way to go as there are not a lot of selections and prices are considerably high.
Oh and by the way, it's nowhere near Hong Kong. It is a pretty flat city, with the tall buidings concentrated only in the Central Business District, the rest are low-rise buildings. The only explanation I could think of for this is that there is a law that prevents construction of anything higher than the highest point of the Forbidden City. Makes sense, doesn't it?
I'd love to come back! I feel there's more to this city to explore and more stereotypes to break. :)
