 | Hello! :-) | Oct 13, 2006 |
Thank you for dropping by my scratching post! ;-) | The Call | | The Chronicles of Narnia - Prince Caspian | | Regina Spektor | | | This Is Home | | The Chronicles of Narnia - Prince Caspian | | Switchfoot | |
 | Sigh... | Jun 13, '08 12:02 AM
for everyone |
|  | Details |
| | Most unique, fun and creative resort we've ever stayed in |
| | Still had a great time in spite of the stormy weather! |
Actor Heath Ledger, dead at 28.  One of the better-looking and better actors of my generation. The one who made 10 Things I Hate About You a step above a usual teen flick. May he rest in peace. “I feel like I’m wasting time if I repeat myself” - Heath Ledger  | Back | Jan 11, '08 1:07 AM
for everyone |
I've neglected this site for some time now. I haven't posted anything since October! So what have I been up to? A new job, for one thing. Though I loved the people in my previous job, it's really time to move forward. I like my new job. And finally, I'm not the only writer in our department! It's also a big challenge since we're tasked to promote a make-or-break brand. More about it when we finally launch. I also love the perks of the new job. Internet galore, for one thing, haha! We're actually encouraged to sign up and actively maintain accounts at social networking sites such as Facebook, Friendster, etc. and maintain blogs. The downside is that we have to closely monitor ourselves - or at least try very hard - para hindi mag-petiks, haha!  It's also ok to be on YM the whole day. Believe it or not, there are actually days when I'm just sick of the Internet! Funny thing is that I neglected this site just when I'm on the Internet most of the time. It's just that I've been busy exploring other stuff.  Have a nice day, everyone! Everyday, I pass through almost the exact spot in Glorietta where the bomb went off. That is the route I take to get to the Ayala MRT station. I went cold all over when I found out about the location of the blast. What if it happened between 5:30 to 6 that afternoon instead? Thank God also that none of my family or friends were hurt. Well, in the case of friends, none that I know of as yet, and hope it would remain that way. As with tragedies like this, there are so many questions in the aftermath, foremost of which is the person or group that is responsible for the attack. Right now, two theories abound: the usual suspects – Islamic terrorists; and the government (surprise! surprise!) that badly needs a diversion from all the controversies. Much as I am fervently hoping that the present administration could not stomach committing such an atrocity, I just can’t shake off the niggling suspicion brought about by (in)Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez’ (surprise! surprise! again) highly defensive response, expressed with uncalled-for irksomeness. Then again, it’s also what comes naturally from him, so we can’t really accurately decipher anything from his statements. As for the terrorists, I could never understand the reasoning behind their cowardly methods of war. I guess that’s why it’s called terrorism. They strike every now and then to sow fear and paranoia. But we shouldn’t let them succeed. Though I was still shaken, I refused to give in to fear and hole up somewhere. I bravely rode the MRT, went inside another crowded mall and had dinner with a friend. I don’t want to think of it as foolishness or thoughtlessness. It’s called fighting back by going on with life as usual, even though it feels a little strange and uneasy knowing that just in another place nearby, countless other lives have been disrupted. Enough of that now. At this time, I refuse to waste my thoughts and emotions on the perpetrators and the kibitzers. I’m focusing them instead on the innocent lives lost or changed forever. My thoughts and prayers are with them and their families and friends. May they rise from this, keeping their hope and faith alive. 
| | For the second time, I have a fellow Orcom officemate. And as usual, bihira talaga ang straight guy sa Orcom! :D |
 | Category: | Movies | | Genre: | Foreign |
Loved the city, loved the movie. This is one of the gems of the 2007 Cinemanila Film Festival. The idea of the movie is to have short stories set in each of the 20 districts of Paris. However, 2 stories fell through, so only 18 were filmed. The title of each story is also the name of the district where it was shot. Each episode has a different cast and director. Not all the episodes were excellent, but these are only exceptions. Majority of the stories were really good, covering a broad range of human emotions and eliciting the same from the audience.
I'm not giving away the stories, but here are the best episodes in my opinion: Tuileries (quietly hilarious); Bastille (mature romantic drama with a touch of comedy); Tour Eiffel (funny story about mimes); Quartier de la Madeleine (one of the best, and most applauded, episodes – considering that there wasn't a single line that was spoken); Père-Lachaise (miscommunication comedy); Fauborg Saint-Denis (heartwarming romance minus the cheesiness); and Quartier Latin (great scriptwriting by Gena Rowlands).
Most of the film is in subtitles, so be prepared to read, though there are still some sprinkling of English. There are some minor disappointments (especially the episode with Maggie Gyllenhaal), but collectively, the film is great. I'm definitely getting the DVD! 
| | Ginawang excuse ang isang project para mag-project :) |
It's already July and it's barely even raining. Well, it does every now and then, but you know what I mean... I miss waking up or falling asleep to heavy raindrops on the roof and howling winds. I miss walking in the streets while it's raining. I want my rain!!!  Maybe I should just sing to make it come. Kidding, kidding!!!  
| | Isang araw sa loob ng office at sa ATM at BDO-Leviste cor. Rufino...
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It was supposed to be a movie night, but I had this what-i-thought bright idea of just going window shopping and having dinner to catch up on each other's lives. We haven't done that in a while. Oh well, the best laid plans...take out the window in shopping, and you get the drift. Well, we had fun anyway, and I got this cheeky shirt at Tomato for only P200.  Dinner wasn't so good. We finally tried out the Mongolian at the Megamall food court. While it wasn't bad, it wasn't really good either. We've tasted better stuff. The best Mongolian in my book is still the one in Baguio, near Burnham Park, and the one in City Grill at Tektite (not sure though if this restaurant is still there). Next up, Harry Potter and The Order of The Phoenix at MOA I-MAX theater. Disclaimer: I am in no way a professional photographer - just an enthusiast who's actually not bad at the craft. And I'm not a model...feeling lang, haha!
This came about from a conversation with Anna when we agreed that we're tired of tsk-tsking whenever we see what could've been good photo ops ruined by bad posing, bad lighting or bad choice of background. Acknowledgments to my dad also who tried to teach me photography basics even when I was still a kid and could barely even hold a camera.
Lesson # 1: Lighting
Never ever shoot against the light - unless you intentionally want a silhouette shot. Lighting from the side is not so good either since it casts a shadow on one side of the subject (or you, if you're the one posing). Again, this is only good if you intentionally want that kind of effect. For most souvenir photos involving human subjects, best lighting is from the front.
Rule of thumb: If you're the photographer, light should be behind you. If you're the subject, light should be in front of you - or slightly diagonal.
Lesson # 2: Background
Don't just stand anywhere and take a snapshot just for the sake of it. Look for the nicest background possible. If you're gonna have your picture taken, wouldn't it be much nicer if there's more beauty to the picture aside from your own face?
Lesson # 3: Posing
Sometimes, in our eagerness to take snapshots, we forget what's in our hands - or we forget to tell the designated photographer whether we want a full body shot or just from the waist or the chest up. Once we review the photo for a longer time - and at a moment too late - we realize that our feet/legs were at an awkward angle, or we forgot to hide that unsightly plastic bag or package.
Picture na!
| | Photo taken from the office balcony, using my cellphone. No Photoshop tricks here, just plain nature's doing. Pardon the poor image quality, though - low-tech phone. :D |
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