Liv in a Life Well-Lived

What's the one movie you watched as a child that has utterly fascinated you in a horrific way? . I believe we all have one. That movie adults will mostly think campy or ridiculous but our impressionable minds totally wrapped itself around it. And it's usually gory and bloody and we can't help but have nightmares about it. Admit it, most of the twenty-something generation today were at least once terrified by one of the numerous Shake, Rattle and Roll or Stephen King's horror flicks (remember the one with the hundred cats???). . Of course when we watch it now, that terrifiying movie would just be inane. But then still... once in a while, you have to pry your fingers from the armrest where your hands unconsciously gripped it. And then push your butt backward away from the edge of the seat. Now whyever did you do that? Huh. . Well, for me, one of those unforgettable bad movies include Tremors. Remember this? The one where people get stuck in a valley where there were humo...

When I was a kid, I wanted to do a lot of things when I grow up. I really believed I’ll have the coolest job in the world because I’ll make it so. Hay. Kids. Everything was possible. At one point or another, I wanted to be a: 1. Nun – because my Mummy said I was conceived after two barren years she promised the Virgin Mary she’ll do her best to convince her child to have a religious vocation 2. Housemaid – when I was younger, I liked housework. It made me feel grown-up. Now, house work is in the same line as tooth extraction and assisting in a circumcision 3. Doctor – I wanted to cure heartache because I seriously thought that was what causes heart attacks (I may be on to something there though) 4. Lawyer – I wanted to look tough and talk tough 5. Actress – I practiced receiving the Oscars and the Emmys in the bathroom. I still do. 6. Professional ice Skater – I wanted to be famous and skate with the Stars on Ice team 7. Dolphin Trainer – is this the coolest job or what? You get to sp...

Maybe the Fates are trying to screw me. For some reason, my sister wants to see Twilight. During opening weekend. And the only thing I can ask her is "Why?!#%!" No hyped-up movie aside from the Lord of the Rings is worth seeing on an opening weekend. And even then we decided to watch LOTR3 on a weekday. So what is so special about Twilight that we have to watch it with the rest of the mindless hordes? It's bad enough that I forced myself to read the books so when some adoring Edward Cullen fan spitefully challenges my opinions by asking :"But have you read the book?" I can look him / her squarely in the eye and answer, "Yes, all 4 books, because I kept hoping it'll get better, or something must be there to hook so many people. But it started from dismal to appalling and I suffered the most tortorous hours of my life." Never let it be said I didn't give it more than a fighting chance. But now she's asking me to watch a pasty-faced Cedric Dig...

No, the world was never fair. We grew up happy keeping to ourselves, ribbons untangling in our hair. Our world was complete We were all we need What there was, we took, we shared. Then the world shook and broke down. We searched, we wailed, We ran away, we sought and Listened hard but hope echoed no sound. We were angry and we cried, Asked more questions than There were answers to be found. Now the world is trying to tell us we're not special. We have become the average Part of the faceless mass the hopeless, the insignifant, the nominal. Little sister, let them try. But the world cannot take this away: How we laughed, how we played Bright like fireflies or the sun's warm ray How we loved and how we lost How we carried on at whatever cost. How we keep believing still The wounds we have will someday heal. Yes, I know we're back at the start Painful and humbling to our once proud hearts But ordinary, not special --- that's not us Even if we're now less witty or not so...

\When was the last time you bought shoes that cost Php 6,000? I really need to know because I need to know if I am the one who’s insane. My best pal in the office is obsessed with brands. When I left him in his cubicle, he was browsing through the Macy’s on-line catalogue looking for shoes. The one he wants will cost him between 6-7K. Given, he’s only shopping online because he’s got a friend in the US who’ll be sending or bringing the stuff home for him, so that’s saving on the shipping cost. Yet still. Six thousand friggin’ pesos. And looking at the shoes, it isn’t so extra-ordinary. Looks like Rusty Lopez, except the tag will Say Kenneth Cole. It’s not like he doesn’t have tons of Kenneth Coles and Lacoste shoes. Add to the fact that men’s shoes rarely change designs. If he was a girl, with styles and colors to choose from, I may (stretching it, but I may) understand. I may have also overheard him wanting to buy a Diesel belt worth 2k. So you see, it’s a disease. Some would say it’s...

Book in Hand: The Thirteenth Tale Song in Mind: Sama ko, sama ko diyan, doobi doobi doobi yeah... (blasted bus radios) There are days when I feel so exhausted and looking to the future brings no comfort because I still have many hurdles in sight (think Frodo when he crested the last mountain and he caught sight of Mordor. So near yet so far…). Days like these, nothing beats a complete surrender to another reality. These are the days I watch a movie totally alone. I LIKE watching movies by my lonesome. I am left to my own thoughts. I don’t have to explain the plot to anyone. I don’t have to pretend to laugh even if I don’t think it’s funny, I won’t have to hide my cringe if it gets too sappy. The possible pervs don’t scare me. I can always grab their patootie and yank it off if it gets too near me. And I always have a bottle of mineral water which I can bonk at someone in case they are not within arms reach, but within sight and sound. Anyhow, it has only happened to me once, and I thre...

heart Psych. . Just finished watching all of Season I and II. I can't wait to see the rest of Season III. I don't feel this a lot when it comes to TV shows. You know, that I-can't-wait-for-the-next-episode feeling. When I get it though, I relish it. More if it's as laugh out loud funny as this show is. . Hurray for Shawn and Gus!

You can almost smell Christmas! And so, I can also feel it coming back again. I’m getting sick a lot which probably means I’m stressed a lot which probably means I’m rounding out on the nth phase of my depression. I’m not pretending anymore that I don’t have it. Nor can I pretend I can shake it off for life. It comes and it goes, depending on what I’m going through with my life. Christmas was almost lethal for me last year, remember? 2 weeks in the hospital diagnosed for having illnesses ranging from the pedestrian to the esoteric (read: allergies to herpes) ((Oh, they were both revoked by my doctors by the way. They had to settle with unidentified immunity disorder). Geez. What would this Christmas bring, I wonder? AIDS? Cancer? Forgive me, I can only jest about it now. I wouldn’t be this chirpy in a couple more days so I might as well pour it all out. Ho. Ho. Ho. There, that's about it. Christmas sucks without them.

If we’re going to talk about fantasy boyfriends based on book characters, I have my own thing. I love Harry Dresden. Working as the only wizard in the Chicago phonebook gets him the oddest and dirtiest jobs like hunting down vampires and cleaning up after faeries and chasing ghouls. But he does what he thinks is right even if it means he’ll get hurt. Sure, to some that’s idiocy, but on him, it’s almost noble. He gets scared. Terrified, most of the times. But he keeps his priorities intact. And if everything else fails, he still saves the girl (or vampire or werewolf) even if it meant dying in the effort. He feels lonely. He seeks comfort, but knows it will always avoid him. He knows he will die alone, but carries on nevertheless. He cracks me up. It doesn’t matter if he’s being hounded by killer zombies, he can still find the funny things to keep himself sane. Beats shouting “Ludicrus!” He’s wise. Not all of the time, yes. But he’s got a deeper sense of humanity, our desires and our ...

After suffering from a dearth of good fun movies the last three months, it seems the Universe is going to make up for it this November. Here’s my list of movies to watch out for: Inkheart Why? Because Paul Bettany is in it. So even if the annoying Brendan Fraser also stars in it, I shall brave the insanity and sally forth for Paul. I really like him that MUCH. Besides, Andy Serkis (Gollum in LOTR) is in it and it’s bound to be interesting to see him act without the corrupted hobbit suit. 17Again Matthew Perry has made movies, which has all miserably flopped. Zac Efron on the other hand could so much as burp on film, and it’ll sell like hot pancakes. Let’s see who will reign supreme for this movie, eh? Perry is a 37-year-old drone who gets a chance to live his life again by being magically zapped back to 17 years old. Probably stolen from 13 going on 30 (that Jennifer Garner sweetheart movie?). Efron plays his younger self, looking all buffed and purty. I Heart Efron. And back off my ...

If we’re going to talk about fantasy boyfriends based on book characters, I have my own thing. I love Harry Dresden. Working as the only wizard in the Chicago phonebook gets him the oddest and dirtiest jobs like hunting down vampires and cleaning up after faeries and chasing ghouls. But he does what he thinks is right even if it means he’ll get hurt. Sure, to some that’s idiocy, but on him, it’s almost noble. He gets scared. Terrified, most of the times. But he keeps his priorities intact. And if everything else fails, he still saves the girl (or vampire or werewolf) even if it meant dying in the effort. He feels lonely. He seeks comfort, but knows it will always avoid him. He knows he will die alone, but carries on nevertheless. He cracks me up. It doesn’t matter if he’s being hounded by killer zombies, he can still find the funny things to keep himself sane. Beats shouting “Ludicrus!” He’s wise. Not all of the time, yes. But he’s got a deeper sense of humanity, our desires and our mo...

Let go. Don’t let go. Love. Forget. Have you been here? At the crossroads of a love that is either possible or impossible and you are caught between choosing to let go or hold on; terrified you’ll break your heart, but even more frightened of missing out on something real this time around. I’m sure I’ll break my heart. Who could love someone so… pedestrian? I do not have that delicacy men find so attractive in their women. Nor am I feisty enough to awe boys into adoration. I am not rich and cultured. I do not exude an aura which screams “better-than-you.” I do not have the prescribed curves. I cannot be literally swept off my feet unless I plan to work in cohort with an orthopedic --- imagine the men who will try only to break their backs. I am odd, awkward, silly, alternating between genius and idiot, ingénue and naïve. Who would want such a roller coaster ride? It could be so easy to just walk away, if only I can shake off my worries about regretting. What if all it takes is a little...

First, I stepped on dog poop and fouled up the vehicle we were riding to Laguna. I hate poop. Much less stepping on it. Then, I was eating lunch, slurping my sinigang na baboy happily when my spoon revealed I was about to slurp on a small caterpillar. Between images of the poop on my shoes and that dead cattypillar, my appetite went kaput. So I didn't eat enough and suffered hypoglycemia. My hands went clammy, my ears went ringing, and my head hurt through out the afternoon. Then my sister called because tomorrow is the due date of our electric bill, and i neglected to leave my ATM card so they could withdraw the money. While I was congratulating myself on this supreme idiocy, I bit down into dinner's pork chop and nearly lost a tooth because it was rock hard. I could throw it to the dogs and instead of touching it, they'll sue me for manslaughter. That kind of day. Yippee kind of day. Days which tells you, tomorrow can only get better.

I frankly think America needs the change. I'm not saying Obama's the next superhero, but I do think he will do as much good as anyone who's been the underdog too long. Let's see what he can do.

I stumbled upon a copy of Kushiel's Dart written by Jacqueline Carey. I know Mariel loves the books; I know the copy she found during the September book fair was prized and cherished. I just didn't get why. I think it's because the first time I saw the book in National, I chanced upon a page which described weird kind of ... adventures. As in S&M stuff which I wouldn't touch with a ten-foot pole. But Mariel's interest reigned in my distrust. There must be something to it if my girl friend likes it. So I read through the first of the series.... and was genuinely surprised that it wasn't as ewwww-y as I first thought. . Phedre is a real person, and her adventures weren't just about... uhm... worshipping Namaah...(read the book to find out what that means). It's about politics, and deceit and love as well and discussed in a tasteful manner. It isn't anything like the love scenes you read in romance novels, at ALL. I was completely rooting for Joscel...

I have a deep love for doors and doorways --- They seem to me a promise Of people who Fate may yet bring; Of news that may bestow bliss; Of things that cause hearts to sing. And one of them, yet unknown, Will bring my Love to me Bright, beautiful and wholly strong A fit, a match, a key. I search for doors and doorways Trusting the day will come When it is suddenly your face I can finally look upon. - liv

Call me utterly sappy, but for some reason, I get heart burn everytime I hear the song "After All" by Peter Cetera. And the line which gives me butterflies in my stomach the most? "And after all these stops and starts, We keep coming back to these two hearts, two angels who've been rescued from the fall..." I really have no idea why. But it spoke to me when I was a teenager, and it still speaks to me now. It's not like I can relate it to anything in my life. But there it is. Of course I do have other tummy-tingling songs which are more updated, i.e. Breathe In, Breathe Out, but this one gets me all the time. :) Arrest me, I have no alibi.