Random Snaps

While waiting for the Sagada service van, listening to my E-heads playlist (because I won't be able to freakin watch their concert!), I scrounged up for photos I got in my phone (which I might be selling soon because I want the black version of this N82!).

Here be some...

attack of the standeemaniac... Manong Jet and our serbesa-of-choice!

choco sundae... yub yub!

hotel mariott
After chopping up portions of Villamor Air Base, this side of the former Air Force headquarters went to Mariott.

Fact: I actually lived for like a year and some months on a transient house where a portion of this huge hotel-to-be stands now.

wonder twins Lei and Liz
Ambilis nila lumaki... waaaah! With how events and activities turn out in my life lately like mach-2 jets on a drill, I'm anxious I might just wake up one day and tadaaah... dalaga na sila, and I can't goof around and play with them anymore! Argh.

a corner artwork in Lipa Cathedral
The parish of Lipa was administered by the Augustinians from 1605 to the end of the nineteenth century. Lipa, which was located formerly on the shore of Bombon Lake, was destroyed by the eruption of Taal Volcano in 1754, but was reconstructed on the present site. This church was built under the supervision of the Rev. Benito Varas, O.S.A., parish priest from 1865 to 1894. The diocese of Lipa was created by Pope Pius X on April 10, 1910. The Augustinians encouraged the extensive cultivation of cacao and coffee.

Fact: Kinopya ko lang yung pangungusap sa taas sa isang lapida sa dingding ng Katedral. Elibs na sana kayo no!

Premier Showing of 'Eagle Eye'

The Singles Apostolate of St. James the Great Renewal Movement will sponsor this year's premier showing of the movie "Eagle Eye" at the Festival Supermall this coming September 24.

I, as part of the latest Singles Apostolate batch (SE14... wooot, represent!), is inviting you... yes YOU... in behalf of my batchmates, on this fund raising activity wherein the proceeds will benefit the Joseph Gualandi School for the Hearing Impaired in BF Homes, Las Piñas and the next 65 singles who will comprise the participants of the next Singles Encounter Weekend batch 15 (SE15) and bring them a step closer to God.

As a personal testament, I never thought the community would introduce me to a better understanding of my spirituality and in turn, I would like to share this unique experience so we've been praying (in much advance!) for the success of the SE15 Weekend to be held some time December. We're doing this without even knowing personally who will gonna be this 65 souls who will join the retreat! But in order to get things going, we first have to make this fund raising click so PLEASE support our movie premier (prayers will do as well!).

Just imagine a portion of your moolah is gonna be responsible, on part, for somebody to get closer to God. PLUS you will be able to enjoy a very very good movie! Good bargain, if you ask me.

Our batch, SE14, spearheads the whole project in behalf of the apostolate and I, myself, was assigned to head the publications team. As part of our task, I wrote a short article as a teaser for the upcoming movie. No spoilers. No spills. Just a starter on what to expect from the movie "Eagle Eye".

Catch!

*****

All Eyes for "Eagle Eye"
by Obi

"If you want to live, you will obey."

If this tagline from the upcoming action-thriller movie is enough to engage movie-goers' interest, an in-depth look on what to expect from it will sure make their imaginations flare even more.

"Eagle Eye" follows the story of Jerry Shaw (Shia LaBeouf), a wayward youngster, and Rachel Holloman (Michele Monaghan), a single mom. Both have been perfect strangers until their paths crossed as they are framed as terrorists by a mysterious caller. Through apparent technological capabilities, their omnipresent caller knows their every location and watches their every moves. It even provides them with unwanted resources for the pair to carry out its enforced crime... worse, it has the capability to harm them if they don't cooperate.

Forced into an unwanted alliance by this circumstance, Jerry and Rachel are to accomplish a political assassination to avert the threats in their own lives. With the FBI hot on their trails and their caller's continual harassment, they will have to outwit the mastermind behind this plot to expose the real terrorists behind the calls and to prove their own innocence.

At the helm of the production team is director D.J. Caruso, famed for his direction of hit thrillers "Taking Lives" (2004) and "Two for the Money" (2005). He added a stunning memento on his career last year with the release of the award-winning action-thriller flick "Disturbia". It is in that movie where he first teamed up with rising-star Shia LaBeouf, who also starred in "Transformers" and the latest "Indiana Jones" sequel.

Critics expect a reprisal of performance from the director, whose past works should give him enough skills to come up with another movie masterpiece of the same genre. Likewise, his previous experience working with Shia puts them in a position that they must deliver an equally satisfactory film as "Disturbia" while making "Eagle Eye" a totally different experience from it. Then came Michele Monaghan, whose breakthrough performance is as the lead actor's wife in "Mission Impossible 3". In spite of it, she still has a lot to offer for an action movie and her promising portrayal for the Rachel Holloman role is something to anticipate.

Of course, the entire movie will not be without the executive producer, none other than Steven Spielberg himself. Rumor has it that Spielberg is even slated to direct this movie if he has not been busy working for the latest sequel of his "Indiana Jones" project. Having been familiar with the quality of his films and by just considering that he conceived the idea behind the movie's screenplay, the expectation for "Eagle Eye" raises into much hype.

The movie is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association of America.

*****

official poster for the movie...
So ayun! You can get the tickets from me at 300 bucks a piece. For those people who goes to mass at St. James in Ayala Alabang Village, I think we'll be setting up a booth there for ticket selling.

Yung mga taga south dyan! Invite your friends, family, neighbors, and officemates to watch. Yung mga hindi taga south, dumayo kayo! There's a lot to see down here! Hehe... just help out!

For inquiries, just call or text me or leave a message here. I'll post a calendar entry regarding this.

C'mon, mamon!

Huwag Ka Magkalat, Zohan

Watched this film a little over a week ago when I went out malling with the family.


You Don't Mess with the Zohan
Spoiler Alert! Spoiler Alert! Spoiler Alert!

The spoiler:
An Israeli special forces agent, Zohan fakes his death to travel to America and fulfill his life-long dream to be a hairdresser. In New York, he worked for a small downtown salon located on a Middle Eastern neighborhood. There, despite his unusual success as a hair stylist because of his "extra" services, several complications troubled him which basically stems from cultural differences between the Arabs and the Jews.

What happened next in between this part of the film is fairly inconsequential as most scenes seem to appear as "extenders" to justify an hour-long screening time.

A significant part is that in the end, Zohan allies with a high-ranking Palestinian terrorist (his own ex-nemesis, Phantom) to thwart some rednecks' plan to frame the Jews and the Arabs against themselves. Their alliance heralds the story's resolution which basically comprise of Zohan being able to setup his own salon with his new Palestinian wife and his folks finally approving him of leaving the military service to pursue hairdressing.

The verdict:
Brainless hillarity. It's typical Adam Sandler-fun with much zaniness and slapstick antics. It has several frivolous scenes and it seems that a lot of unnecessary stills are forced into the movie for it to have a sense of a story or maybe to further lengthen it and have extra airtime for more comedy... be it funny or, for most of the part, not. In spite of it, I have to admit that I had a few good laughs for the jokes' sheer dumbness especially when Zohan does his gesture of goodbye. He pats his chest dignifiedly then his uber-crotch.

...on the casts,
As said earlier, it's a typical Adam Sandler over-the-top goofy acting reminiscent of "Waterboy" and "The Wedding Singer" performances. This time, he put himself on another ridiculous role where, no matter how predictable his silliness can be, he can still pull it off and make people laugh. He oddly sounds and, sometimes, act like Borat in the film though.

I'm not familiar with Emanuelle Chriqui, the lady who played as the owner of the salon where Zohan part-timed as a hairdresser, but her credential is fairly extensive. Still, her role doesn't have much challenge and she just acted appropriately. Rob Schneider is equally silly as Sandler. Although I'm leaning towards appreciating his acting skills in this film more than Sandler's in that when you look at it, you can feel that there's more effort and "mind" put into the role. John Turturro (the Phantom) looks overacting. I dunno if that's the design for his character.

...on the story,
The humor behind the story mostly borders on racial stereotyping. If this is not your type of laugh, the movie will sure bore you. The plot is satirical in a "deposit your brains by the entrance to the movie house" kind of way. It's done for outright fun (although you have to stoop down to the filthiest meaning of it) so overanalyzing the film contents is just NOT worth it.

It wants to nudge the political concern of the Arab-Israeli conflict but the use of such brainless hillarity as a medium will not deliver the point as intended. Take it as this: they set their viewers to NOT THINK deeply of the movie by doing mindless humors then want them to UNDERSTAND a serious political message conveyed in it.

...on everything else,
I can't get the Mariah Carey obsession and it even get worse with her appearance. Eh?? I dunno if the Zohan got a BAM-BAM-BOOM from the singer for this much lame promotion.

In the movie, when a scene is funny, it totally is. But the rest (which constitutes most of the airtime) are either disgusting or uninteresting. Watch this if you have nothing to do in a mall, waiting for your folks to finish in the grocery or your car to get fixed. But to allot time just to see it? Forget it.

4.5 out 10

Laso

Happy Birthday Ribbons!

Utal ko yan (babaeng utol).

I'll just treat them for dinner tonight sa John and Yoko, Greenbelt 5. I've been aching to go back since the last time JB treated us for dinner there. Nakahanap na ako ng rason ngayon! They should already be in Glorietta by this time.

L-R: Sponklong, Bon, Mommy Groovy, a goat posing as me

Make your long weekend worth it.... sleep! Hahaha.

Happy weekends!

Commune with Nature!

I saw a promo from this Multiply Group that I'm a member of regarding a Sagada tour package.

CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS.

I want to join! The date set for this particular hike is just right. That's before I will get totally busy with all the hecticity (that's not a word) of my incoming activities.

Soooo... Justice League-HP, Shak Boyz, SE peeps, Screaming BB's, Team AIM... sama na kung sino available!!!

Sagada, Mountain Province
I inquired earlier and got this response... (thanks Grace!)
1. how many people do you expect to join?
*the last tour it was around 30 people now we're roughly 20 persons on our latest registration but we still have 10 slots available , usually 36 slots all in all.

2. how can we avail of the early bird rate? up to what date will it be?
* u can avail Php2,900/person up to the 3rd week of august then after Php3,000/person up to the last day of registration which is aug 31,2008

3. what's the method of payment?
you can deposit to a bank account .will send you your travel voucher via email

*****
Hanging Coffins of Sagada
Check the itinerary and tour package on the link above. I still have at least until this weekend to confirm and might as well grab the extra hundred bucks discount. I mean, c'mown mamon... how easier can it get! Saves me the trouble of organizing a hike myself.

I was aiming for another mountain climb kasi since late June. Iniisip ko pa sana magsama ng ilang SE peeps who have stated interest to climb. BUT the series of activities and funky weather din't allow me to even attempt a plan, so maybe this will gonna be my next nature trip instead.

Sana matuloy.

*cross fingers*

He is Awesome

I've been mulling over the reading from our CC last night and came up with this short haiku (redundant yata ang "short" and "haiku"... haha).

*****

Not Worth a Crumb by Obi
SE14 CC - August 14

I'm not worth a crumb
but I was given a loaf
so praise you, my Lord!

*****

The reading was from the Book of Matthew 15:21-28.

Thinking over the verses and listening from the discussions, I realized how good life has been to me even when compared to most, I din't had a well-off upbringing... it was even a wavering journey, in fact.

I guess the keyword right there is "contentment".

I've always fought against the vagaries of living and most of our familial problems had been none too uncomplicated. But through all the difficulties, in between brief respites, there I was accepting what was thrown my way... ranting but never whining, sabi nga ni Gelo. And then, I'll be okay. As if God has His own way of making me feel that He was sharing my burden. That He WILL get me through things. That simple wants begets simple joys.

I was never spiritual but that's the only thing I can think of why I had been this contented all my life when others might feel that I should not be. God is with me along my rough and tumbling journey.

I remembered a friend saying something in the line of "magka-problema ka naman!". That got me into thinking. Oo nga. Bakit mukha akong walang problema? I know I got lots - wait - I got TONS of them, if I just think about it. But here I go sail, do mountaineering, play airsoft, basketball, bowling, badminton and heck God-knows how many other sports and still has time to paint, write, read, play in a band, do this, do that... *gasp gasp gasp* like I don't have time for problems at all!

And then I realize, it's just that I have ways of accepting problems as a reminder that "Hey buddy, it's a good thing you've got something to worry... it just means that you're not yet DEAD!"

Ma-kuntento lang. And let God do the rest. He's a very very very unselfish God (and naluluha na 'ko at this point... haha para akong tanga.) Ma-kuntento lang talaga...

It's through this that I get to enjoy life and SIMPLE things that God gave me.

It's through this that I am humbled by His blessings to me and my family.

It's through this that I am chastened with His presence... that despite my wrongdoings, my failures, my misgivings, He is still right here unfaltering with His vigil over me... a sinner.

What did I do to deserve such love when I'm not worth a crumb but He gave me a loaf.

Thanks be to God!

Siete Cosa

Overdue tag from Treiz's blog.

Seven things you like the most:
1. ogling at the miniature figures i painted
2. tumugtog sa banda
3. basketball
4. umakyat ng bundok
5. sailing
6. airsoft! bang bang!
7. Starwars!

(kulang ang pito... lintek. dami pa eh.)

I need a passage to Alderaan! Or iL Jedi mind-trick your arse.
Seven important things in your bedroom:
1. gitara
2. KAMA!!!
3. my books and magazines
4. pen and paper
5. wardrobe
6. dumbbells
7. piano

si RJ the acoustic guitar
Seven random facts about you:
1. don't let the physical feats i do confound you. i'm a Geek, with a capital "G".
2. side sleeper
3. i wear my belt clockwise (baligtad daw ito?)
4. learned reading at age 3 through a local newspaper comic strip "Kuyug"
5. had a pet iguana. ang pangalan "Spike"
6. i love God
7. may Mang Tomas sa harapan ko ngayon

Seven things you plan to do before you die:
1. write for a film (Karlo beat me to it!)
2. procreate
3. publish my own novel
4. makatugtog sa banda... internationally, amidst a jampacked crowd
5. paint a timeless masterpiece
6. rule the world
7. have a charity org named after me
(say a school for special kids... Obi's Gifted Angels Gathering - OGAG... saya di ba?)

Seven things you can do:
1. maglakwatsa (kahit walang tulog)
2. write
3. gawing ulam ang sisig sa inuman
4. play guitars (bass and standard) and piano (a bit)
5. draw
6. play Counter Strike the whole day
7. bore people

Counter Strike tayo?
Seven things you can't do:
1. play drums
2. grow more hair
3. manligaw?
4. go on a diet
5. watch "Jojo A. All the Way"
6. wear contact lenses
7. backflip

Seven things that attract you to the opposite sex:
1. cute smile
2. sinkit!
3. outgoing
4. smart
5. chubby
6. appreciates things i do
7. geeky despite all these

Seven things you say the most and are known for saying:
1. psh!
2. astig
3. *Batangenyo words and phrases* (can't help it... lumalabas minsan!)
4. olats
5. men
6. lintek
7. kamustas

Seven celeb crushes:
1. Katrina Halili (oo na, oo na!)
2. Song Hye Kyo (Autumn in My Heart)
3. Rachel Weisz
4. Lougee Basabas (Mojofly)
5. Gabby dela Merced
6. Catherine Zeta-Jones
7. Natalie Portman

i mean, c'mon?!? yoohoow, any contenders out there??
Seven people you want to torture to take this stupid meme:
1. Jai
2. David Beckham
3. the Dalai Lama
4. Manong Fishball sa UP
5. Gelo
6. Bayani Fernando
7. Jimmy Kimmel

Ang Ikatlong Nanay: Libingan ng Butiking Emperador

Watched the third installation of "The Mummy" last Friday in Lipa before attending Wendy's wedding. Here be my review...

The Mummy 3: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor
Spoiler Alert! Spoiler Alert! Spoiler Alert!

The spoiler:
The O'Connell's are back from retirement as they are tasked to bring an artifact (The Eye of Shangri-La) in China. Along with it, their son Alex discovers the tomb of a cursed Emperor of Qin and later on accidentally free it from its millenium-long stasis. With backup from radical Chinese militants, the Dragon Emperor schemes to conquer the world with his terra cotta army but first, he has to consolidate his powers by bathing at the pool of Immortality. This being guarded by the same witch that cursed him and his army.

The Qin Emperor later on succeeds and he is transformed into a shapeshifting megalomaniac. With the ragtag band composed of the O'Connell's, old pals Jonathan and Mad Dog, the witch and her cute daughter, and a bunch of comic Yetis, they hunt down the Qin Emperor and thwart his evil plan armed with the only blade that can send him back to Death.

Of course, we all know that they'll win.

The verdict:
I watched the film half-knowing that it'll suck. I've seen its previews and sans the fact that hot-mom Rachel Weisz will not reprise her role as Evie, it's still plain to see from it that the production team is overdoing something and the casts are otherwise cashing in badly.

...on the casts,
I can't see the flare of the prequel Rick (Brendan Fraser) and Evie (formerly Rachel Weisz) on this movie and it owed much to the lackluster portrayal of the new Evelyn O'Connor (Maria Bello... who is she anyway?). Brendan's output lacks the dashing appeal he showed on the first two films and this is matched by the equally flat performance by Luke Ford who played the grown up Alex O'Connor. Repeating his role as the feisty Jonathan Carnahan, John Hannah is a comic relief to the entire boring casts. Michelle Yeoh (the witch, Zi Juan) and Jet Li (Dragong Emperor Han) could have acted better but they are underexposed on the screenplay, the latter being a CG monster on almost half of his screen outing. Argh. Have to be partial for Isabella Leong (Zi Juan's daughter, Lin). I watched the film just for her. She's cute and I just can't resist chinky chicks. She did her stunts well but her emotions are mismatched.

not another chinky girl, messing my review opinions haha...
Isabella Leong as "Lin" ...take me home!
...on the story,
It's a typical "Mummy" film. The entire franchise is based on a formula plot: Chief Evil Mummy goes alive, Chief Evil Mummy raises army, Rick's Gang musters own army, Rick's Gang's Army on the verge of being defeated by Chief Evil Mummy's army, Rick's Gang defeats Chief Evil Mummy back to wherever-land, Rick's Gang's Army saved... and so is the world!

It's just a consolation that the story setting interests me (Imperial China) but you should not expect much of a twist on the storyline. The plot has been very outright from the start of the film and you'll gonna have a near-prescient guess of how the story will go. An unexpected surprise comes from the appearance of the Yeti pack that although stirred in some good laugh, sealed my conviction that this movie's going to be corny. They're just unnecessary and even made the storyline even more sooo dragging.

CGI works is mediocre in quality but the overdone presence of the computer generated monstrosities made it look that they're there just for the sake of having beasts on the film. I've always liked the "Mummy" concept but they should have stick with a more realistic approach on the story. Making it exaggeratedly fantastic by forcing in elaborate CG beast-works is a show off that din't do any justice for the "Mummy" plot in general.

...on the fight scenes,
I rarely scrutinize much on this part of movies since as long as they are visually swashbuckling, they are good to me. However, just for the lack of any good reasons to look forward to in this movie (except again that pretty Chinese girl, Lin), they did considerably good battle scenes in fairness. I always looked forward to this scenes on the Mummy-series where both good and evil armies clashed on an open battlefield. The complexity of generating two massive armies clashing leaves me in awe and this film din't disappoint me on that aspect.

The Michelle Yeoh versus Jet Li duel is lacking in intensity.

...on everything else,
I missed Rachel Weisz because of this movie. I can imagine several Evie scenes that could have been more effective if she's the one delivering it. She has this sense of composure and sophistication that Maria Bello just can't assume. The spunky Evelyn O'Connor role became just a meer plain woman on this sequel. I can't blame Rachel for turning down the role upon looking at the screenplay (yes, it's the rumour).

Watch it for the underexposed Michelle Yeoh and Jet Li but take a good nap on the rest of the film.

I was convincing myself for a 6 of 10 rating (even 7, after watching it!) just because of Jet Li, Michelle Yeoh, the army battle scene, Lin, and the pretty Chinese army Lieutenant. But the general blandness of the entire production deserves a 4 out of 10.

And I know I'm still being kind.

The Ilocos Roadtrip and Film Shooting - Part 2

Part 2 of the Ilocos trip journal...

*****
More photos in my Multiply account...
Album 1
Album 2

*****
Day 3 - Saturday
Alad's Bar and Resort, Vigan
* 7:55AM - Wake up!
(They did some more shoots.)
* 11:19 - Packed up and ready to go!
(Our next stop is Bangui, Ilocos Norte. I rode with Arvs as Jake opted to stay in Vigan for extra Z-time.)

* 12:14 - JTC Mall stop
(Bought supplies for the long Ilocos Norte trip.)
* 1:15 - Ilocos Norte - Ilocos Sur boundary
(From the Ilocos Sur side of the boundary, the place is called Sinait. This is where I spent my first two Ilocos trips care of Dan the Flash!)

* 3:20 - Bangui, Ilcoos Norte
- Globe and Smart, no signal!
(Look't the long haul me and Arvs did. We went ahead of the convoy to scout things up. Along the way, we stopped at the scenic Cape Boreador Lighthouse to snap some artsy fartsy photos.)

Burgos, Ilocos Norte
* 3:25PM - Bangui Windmills View Deck
(Ongapala, along the way, pabugso-bugso na yung ulan and the clouds were really really ominous. Eh ang habol ng crew sa Bangui e sunshine kaya medyo nag-aalala na kami for the shoot. We were not aware that a storm was heading towards the Ilocos region.)

* 3:49 - KANG KANG Windmill Cafe!
(Now THIS caught us offhandedly! Sabi kasi nila Karlo bago kami nag hiwalay sa Vigan, we'll going to rendezvous on this bar or resort of sorts. Problem was they already forgot the name of the place and told us the name just sounds funny. So ayun, cruise kami ni Arvs sa Bangui looking for a funny name. Tapos nilampasan namin itong signboard ng "Kang Kang Windmill Cafe" with a smile on our faces... that turned into chuckles. Right then may idea na kami na eto yung place na sinasabi nila Karlo. Then through SMS, Karlo confirmed it. Tama sila... nakakatawa talaga yung pangalan! For those who don't know what "kang kang" means in local colloquialism, just throw a PM my way.)

Welcome to Kang Kang Windmills!
* 3:54 - WINDMILLS! They're huge!
(Photo ops with Arvs. The windmills look like gynormous alien space crafts stranded by the beach of Bangui. If you looked at them from afar, they were like "photoshopped" on the background. If you looked at them up close, you'll be humbled!)

* 4:10 - Kang Kang Cafe!
(Now we know why it was named "Kang Kang"... the barangay itself was named "Kang Kang"! Haha. No offense to the locals but it's just funny. We also realized that an "utong" is a kind of vegetable. Hehe.)

* 4:26 - Kumain kami ng pakbet at IGADO (ulit!)
- pickup boys arrived
(We haven't had a decent lunch yet so seeing the IGADO at the cafe, we chowed down on it... just as Karlo and the Bebop carrier arrived with news that the rest of the crew were shooing at the Bangui proper already.)

* 4:43PM - Petron - Bangui Proper
- Film shoot

* 8:00 - too many things happened to keep track!
- Kang Kang Windmill film shoot
- Dinner! (May IGADO pa din!!! 4th Igado meal of my Ilocos trip!)
- Double rainbow appeared
- Rode the pickup with the cameramen
(Wasn't able to pickup my notes when the shoot at the Bangui proper started. After that shoot, the rest of the crew went back to Kang Kang Windmill Cafe while I rode with the cameramen at the back of Arvin's pickup to shoot Jason along the way. There was also this scene where Allein has to substitute for the actor for some more "complicated" bike stunts. Shooting resumed by the beach of Bangui as the funky weather gave us a short respite and a glimpse of sunset! Double rainbows in tow. Galing!)

With actor Jason Abalos and stunt rider Koya Allein
* 8:47 - Take off from Kang Kang
(Next stop... Pagudpud! For the post shooting celebration and wrap up!)
* 10:01 - Arrival at Pagudpud (Northside Resort)
- We got lost like thrice
(That was only my second time in Pagudpud. Mas gusto ko sya kesa sa overrated Boracay!)

* 10:41 - Inuman time!
Grub: sisig, bagnet
(After room assignments, we headed to an adjacent resto to fill up our tanks with barley!)
* 12:46 - Sleeping time!

Day 4 - Sunday
Northside Beach Resort, Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte
* 7:35AM - Wake up!
(I went outside to read this book I brought with me. Sabay kape. Ahahay. This is life.)

* 9:18 - Breakfast!
Grub: daing na bangus, egg, sinangag, kape (ulit!)
* 12:59 - Pack up!
- We had the Mindoro Sling (Mix of rhum, juices, and sprite)
- We're going ahead of the convoy
(Arvs fetched Jake in Laoag. After arrival, Jake sampled this concoction, Mindoro Sling. Then a couple of hours more, we packed up to travel further North to hunt Kilometer 666! FYI: Pagudpud is around the Kilometer 580 area.)

The Pagudpud Sling
* 1:16 - Take off to Patapat Viaduct
(This was where we bid goodbye to the casts and crew of the film. Personal na lakwatsa na ito, as they prepared also for their way back to Manila. Anlakas na ng ulan. Bagyo-quality na siya!)

* 1:40 - Patapat Viaduct, and it's fucking storming! (Yes, i wrote the "F" word there on my notepad.)
(The view is breathtaking already... at umuulan pa! How much more kung hindi umuulan? Wait, di pala umuulan... BUMABAGYO! It was a hazy gray sea line on our left and an almost 90 degree wall of clay and grass on our right!)

* 2:01PM - We got past Ilocos Norte - Cagayan boundary.
* 2:27 - Back at the Patapat Viaduct!
- Photo ops in the rain
- We backed out after passing some barrios in Cagayan for lack of gas (...and gas station!)
(We decided to head back after reaching around the Kilometer 600 area. Wala na kasi kaming madaanan na petrol station at paubos na din ang gas namin. The next petrol station we can recall seeing was past Pagudpud pa. Back at the Patapat Viaduct, Arvs insisted on having a picture by it. Malakas pa din ang bagyo pero gusto ko talaga magka-picture dun kasi we never know when are we going to get back again. So tinakluban lang namin ng basahan yung camera sabay sugod sa bagyo at posing!)

rain, rain, go away...
* 4:33 - Laoag City!
* 4:30 - Laoag City Public Market!
(Brief stop to do "good son" duties and buy pasalubong for the folk at home.)
* 5:05 - Bagnet, 350 per kilo
- Vigan Longanisa, 200 per kilo
- Igado!!, 40 bucks isang takal
(I bought 2 kilo bagnet, 3 kilo longanisa, and a scoop of Igado! The longanisa I bought is the best! I rarely eat longanisa and even rarely liked Vigan longanisa but this one we got from Laoag is just uhmm uhmmm uhmmm! Binigay na lang sa amin ng libre yung isang takal ng igado... yub yub yub!)

* 5:26PM - Empanada run! 35 bucks a piece.
(I bought home 10 pieces.)
* 5:40 - Ang sarap ng Laoag empanada!!!
(We sampled the empanada and it was like nothing we ever had before! Walang panama yung empanada na kinain namin sa Vigan days before. Bihira ko magustuhan ang empanada but that one... I can eat that shit for a week! Saraaaap. Punong puno ng laman at manipis ang crust. Alam na namin kung san bibili sa Laoag next time ng empanada. And NOT in Vigan! Daming extenders.)

* 6:22 - Ilocos Sur!
* 7:18 - Vigan City
* 8:38 - Candon (Chowking!)
(Quick stop in Chowking to eat dinner. Kinain ko yung binili kong igado sa Laoag. Yub yub yub! 5th igado meal ko na yata for the entire trip and di pa din ako nagsasawa! Never. I also bought some chichakorn at kalamay para sa opisina at sa bahay.)

* 9:06PM - Done Chowking... we're back on the road.
* 9:55 - La Union

Day 4.5 - Sunday
National Highway, Pangasinan
* 12:20AM - Urdaneta City!
* 12:42 - Tarlac - Pangasinan Boundary
(At this point, nagpapalitan na ng drive si Arvs at Jake dahil sa antok. Problem is I can't and should NOT sleep. Kelangan ko constantly makipag-usap on who's on the wheels para di sila antukin.)

* 1:55 - Tarlac City
(We took a very short break at a petrol station. Kape lang sabay kain ng tsokolate. Energy boost ba.)
* 2:43 - Dau Tollgate!
* 3:22 - NLEX-Manila Tollgate!


* 4:25AM - Home sweet home!
- Thanks God for everything... You're so GREAT!
(After the looong hike, I slumped in our sala - my backpack still on me - and bid a silent prayer of thanks to Him. For safety. For enjoyment. For the opportunity. For the experience. For the gift of life! Ang galing ng LAHAT. I just went on to unpack and then hit the bed for a very very very long sleep that day.)

The Ilocos Roadtrip and Film Shooting - Part 1

The end of an SE meeting last week, Wednesday, was the start of yet another interesting 5-day ride up North for me!

Several weeks ago, our friend, the Riderman (Karlo), was cool enough to have his script chosen to be filmed by Cinema One as an independent movie. The last leg of the shoot was decided to be located in Ilocos and to show our support (and just to call our wanderlust), me, Arvs, and Jake joined the caravan.

Two vans, a pickup carrying Bebop (an SRV Yamaha Soulful V-Twin Special Edition vintage bike), and Telula (Jake's FX)... this has been the convoy for the rest of the Ilocos expedition comprising of casts and crew of the indie film, the bike's caretakers, and our tropa (the tag-alongs from Shak).

*****

Quick Facts:
Working Title: MotorCYCLE
Direction: Raymond Red et. al.
Casts: Jason Abalos, Kat Alano, Noni Buencamino
Production: Cinema One
Gist (for confirmation): After his father's death, a boy embarks to search for his estranged sister, bringing him back to his roots and recall long-forgotten memories.

*****

From the SE meeting in Pasay Road, I hurried home to pack my things up. I already listed the stuffs I have to bring along on my handy notepad when I was in the meeting. The small notebook also doubled as my travel journal for the trip and here goes the entries in verbatim...

Day 0.5 - Wednesday
Home, Pasay
* 11:22PM - Finished packing up.
* 11:28 - Alis bahay Gang.
(Nagpaalam lang ako sa sambahayan. Baka kasi pag balik ko, hindi na nila ako kilala. Ulet.)
* 12:16 - Shak arrival!

Day 1 - Thursday
Da Shak, Kamias
* 2:30AM - Jake arrives with Telula. Got to meet Arvin in "Classmates" in Quezon Ave... well, near it.
(The casts and crew rendezvoused on this village and here was where I got to meet most of them. One thing of note was that the film has 4 directors although it was the award-winning director, Raymond Red, that helmed the group.)

* 3:53 - We're off!
* 4:34 - Stop #1, Petron - NLEX
- film shots
(I was sleeping in between journal entries. Wala pa kong tulog e.)
* 6:07 - We moved to Shell - NLEX
- film shots
(I overheard from a conversation that we moved to Shell because people were noticing already that we were shoting.)
* 6:38 - Back on road. This trip will gonna be long!
(The plan was to film Jason riding Bebop on different locations as we go along the way to Ilocos. This will take some time so I had coffee from the local Istarbuko branch to pep me up.)

wala pang tulog
* 9:30AM - We (in Telula) stopped somewhere in Pangasinan, taking an alternate route.
- The rest of the convoy took the main road as they continue the shoot.
- It's rice paddies on both sides of the road. Pee time!
* 10:00 - Talk with locals.
- Contact Pork at da Shak to coordinate our location with the Karlo Convoy (the rest of the group)
- Off we go!
(We had a short stopover in this "short-cut" that we usually take when going to Baguio. Nakipag kwentuhan kami sa isang magsasaka tas inalok namin ng meryenda na bitbit namin. It was a nice stretch. Nawala na yung antok ko.)

* 11:17 - Agoo Church
- film shots
(Stop #2 for the crew. We were able to catch up with the Karlo Convoy. While they were shooting, we roamed around the place for a while.)
* 11:38 - Bye Agoo!
* 12:23 - Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (San Fernando, La Union)
- Pork calls.
- Jake eats... again!
- lunch break (Jo-ann's Bacolod Inasal)
Grub list: spare ribs inasal, sisig tuna, chopsuey, molo
(We had lunch ahead of the crew while they shoot. But the rain made them decide to call it off for a lunch break too. Good food for a good price!)

* 2:16PM - Trek resumes.
* 3:23 - Ilocos Sur - La Union Highway Boundary
(This time, we were ahead of the convoy so we parked beside the archway to wait for the gang. Arvin was moved to the pickup as substitute driver. Karlo has no sleep yet for two days straight. Talk about excitement for his baby project. I fell asleep too as baboy-reflext kicked in after lunch.)

* 3:55 - Met the Karlo Convoy, trip resumes.
* 4:45 - Candon City
- Pee break!
- Ice Cream (Black Forest Brew) and Pizza (Beefy Sausage) in "Ice Cream House"
(We had ice cream and pizza while we wait for Karlo. This trip has been all about food and sleep for me so far.)

* 5:01 - Off to Vigan!
- Vanessa Carlton music in iPod. Now I'm starting to love her songs just by continuous listening.
* 5:40PM - We're back in the convoy again.
* 6:27 - Vigan Heritage Park
- film shoot
(Pinagkaka-guluhan na dito si Jason. I never thought he was that big, all the people knew him except me!)
* 7:26 - Empanada fest!
- Move to hotel.
(We sampled the local deli while the shooting took place. After that, we went on to much remote places to look for a place to sleep in.)

doesn't look like a starving artist to me
* 7:45 - Arrival to Lodging #1 (Playa de Oro)
(Masyadong malayo ito. Lampas pa ng Vigan Air Strip. It was by the beach side. Ang problema sira ang water lines sa bawat rooms.)
* 8:04 - We're backing out.

* 8:33PM - Ocular inspection, Lodging #2 (Alad's Bar & Resort)
(The crew stayed here for the night. After a petty misunderstanding over room allotments, me and Jake decided to look for lodging back in Vigan proper instead.)
* 9:21 - Arrival to Vigan Heritage Hotel
(First lodging we looked on...)

* 9:44 - Checked in at Aniceto Mansion, Room #5
(We also looked at the adjoining Vigan Plaza Hotel but the rooms were too expensive. But the concierge was a hot chick, much to Jake's disagreement. He feigns taste, I say! Anyway, Aniceto Mansion was just behind the Vigan Heritage Park right beside Vigan Church and a stone-throw away the Spanish-era style Heritage Houses. Nice location.)

Aniceto Mansion morning
Day 2 - Friday
Aniceto Mansion, Vigan
* 7:30AM - Wake up for free breakfast.
(I had tocino.)
* 8:50 - I had short walks around the Heritage Houses.
(Bought some souvenir shirts for the family back home. Sabi nga ni Jake, "playing the obligations of a good son". Early morning bolahan with the Manangs in the souvenir shops.)

* 9:27 - Extras needed for the shoot.
- Off to Heritage Park again.
(After walking around the place, I went back to our lodging only to get a call from Arvin. They were already at the Heritage Park and doing the first shots of the day. Kelangan daw kami as extras so we set off again on the streets to rejoin with the crew.)

* 11:49 - Pack up.
- Did extra-works for the movie.
- Ate breakfast PART TWO!
Grub list: Igado, Chikken, Turon, Cox
(The scene went like this... Jason asked us for directions to the Munisipyo but we, being tourists, din't know the place so we asked him instead to take a picture of us. Ganun lang. After that, me, Arvs, and Jake roamed around the place again while the shooting resumed. We had ANOTHER breakfast prior to meeting the guys then we checked out of Aniceto after the logistics lady from the crew told us that there were spaces for us at Alad's.)

* 11:52 - Check out.
* 1:47PM - Shoot ends.
- Lotsa cheering students from the adjacent school (Divine Word College).
(By this time, a lot of people around the area knew of the shooting already. May scene sa kalsada sa tabi ng school at sooobrang nagkakagulo na dun. The students were jampacked up to the walls and every floors of the adjacent building! Know what was scary? May mga lalake (bading) na nagsisigawan ng "ANG GWAPO MO JASON! ILABAS NYO ANG MAHAL KO!" Bwahahaha! At buong buo yung mga boses, not the typical pa-boses babae. Laugh trip! The teachers could barely restrain them already.)

one of the scenes in Vigan
Divine Word students, waiting for the shoot to resume
* 3:21 - Shoot ends.
- Had lunch at a local eatery.
- McDo tambay with the crew.
Grub list: Tinaktakan, Bistek, Igado, Papaitan, Cox
(The shoot was delayed when Bebop the bike had some trouble. Inayos pa nila Allein and Joff. I wish I photographed the look in Karlo's face when Bebop went back to life! Very late lunch break followed. It was the second time I had "igado" during our Ilocos stay, and read out the rest of the entries... iL have more igados to eat! The crew had lunch in McDo. They would never get us to eat there. We din't haul our arses 12 hours from Manila to Ilocos just to eat effin McDo.)

* 3:29 - Set off for cemetery shoot.
* 3:54 - Back to resort (Alad's Bar and Resort)
(Hindi natuloy yung cemetery shoot for reasons that escaped me. We went back to the resort for a break.)

* 5:00 - The crew went off.
- We rest for now.
(The convoy went off to continue the shoot but me and Jake decided to stay behind to rest and play Warmachine!)
* 5:18 - Settled at Room #8.
* 8:58PM - Warmachine game ends. I win!
- Andito na ang crew, kanina pa!

ang angas na sana...
...nakatali pala! bwaha!
* 10:41 - Buffet time.
- Plans ironed out for tomorrow.
(Socialized with the crew and petiks mode for the rest of the night. Additional casts arrived from Manila and other logistics ironed out for the next day's round of shoots. Food buffet! Pero di na ko makakain sa sobrang busog. Pa-saging saging na lang ako and pa-pitik pitik ng bagnet!)

* 10:52 - Nyu-nyu land!
(Zzzz...)

*****
Days 3 and 4, to be continued...

Random Snaps

While waiting for the Sagada service van, listening to my E-heads playlist (because I won't be able to freakin watch their concert!), I scrounged up for photos I got in my phone (which I might be selling soon because I want the black version of this N82!).

Here be some...

attack of the standeemaniac... Manong Jet and our serbesa-of-choice!

choco sundae... yub yub!

hotel mariott
After chopping up portions of Villamor Air Base, this side of the former Air Force headquarters went to Mariott.

Fact: I actually lived for like a year and some months on a transient house where a portion of this huge hotel-to-be stands now.

wonder twins Lei and Liz
Ambilis nila lumaki... waaaah! With how events and activities turn out in my life lately like mach-2 jets on a drill, I'm anxious I might just wake up one day and tadaaah... dalaga na sila, and I can't goof around and play with them anymore! Argh.

a corner artwork in Lipa Cathedral
The parish of Lipa was administered by the Augustinians from 1605 to the end of the nineteenth century. Lipa, which was located formerly on the shore of Bombon Lake, was destroyed by the eruption of Taal Volcano in 1754, but was reconstructed on the present site. This church was built under the supervision of the Rev. Benito Varas, O.S.A., parish priest from 1865 to 1894. The diocese of Lipa was created by Pope Pius X on April 10, 1910. The Augustinians encouraged the extensive cultivation of cacao and coffee.

Fact: Kinopya ko lang yung pangungusap sa taas sa isang lapida sa dingding ng Katedral. Elibs na sana kayo no!

Premier Showing of 'Eagle Eye'

The Singles Apostolate of St. James the Great Renewal Movement will sponsor this year's premier showing of the movie "Eagle Eye" at the Festival Supermall this coming September 24.

I, as part of the latest Singles Apostolate batch (SE14... wooot, represent!), is inviting you... yes YOU... in behalf of my batchmates, on this fund raising activity wherein the proceeds will benefit the Joseph Gualandi School for the Hearing Impaired in BF Homes, Las Piñas and the next 65 singles who will comprise the participants of the next Singles Encounter Weekend batch 15 (SE15) and bring them a step closer to God.

As a personal testament, I never thought the community would introduce me to a better understanding of my spirituality and in turn, I would like to share this unique experience so we've been praying (in much advance!) for the success of the SE15 Weekend to be held some time December. We're doing this without even knowing personally who will gonna be this 65 souls who will join the retreat! But in order to get things going, we first have to make this fund raising click so PLEASE support our movie premier (prayers will do as well!).

Just imagine a portion of your moolah is gonna be responsible, on part, for somebody to get closer to God. PLUS you will be able to enjoy a very very good movie! Good bargain, if you ask me.

Our batch, SE14, spearheads the whole project in behalf of the apostolate and I, myself, was assigned to head the publications team. As part of our task, I wrote a short article as a teaser for the upcoming movie. No spoilers. No spills. Just a starter on what to expect from the movie "Eagle Eye".

Catch!

*****

All Eyes for "Eagle Eye"
by Obi

"If you want to live, you will obey."

If this tagline from the upcoming action-thriller movie is enough to engage movie-goers' interest, an in-depth look on what to expect from it will sure make their imaginations flare even more.

"Eagle Eye" follows the story of Jerry Shaw (Shia LaBeouf), a wayward youngster, and Rachel Holloman (Michele Monaghan), a single mom. Both have been perfect strangers until their paths crossed as they are framed as terrorists by a mysterious caller. Through apparent technological capabilities, their omnipresent caller knows their every location and watches their every moves. It even provides them with unwanted resources for the pair to carry out its enforced crime... worse, it has the capability to harm them if they don't cooperate.

Forced into an unwanted alliance by this circumstance, Jerry and Rachel are to accomplish a political assassination to avert the threats in their own lives. With the FBI hot on their trails and their caller's continual harassment, they will have to outwit the mastermind behind this plot to expose the real terrorists behind the calls and to prove their own innocence.

At the helm of the production team is director D.J. Caruso, famed for his direction of hit thrillers "Taking Lives" (2004) and "Two for the Money" (2005). He added a stunning memento on his career last year with the release of the award-winning action-thriller flick "Disturbia". It is in that movie where he first teamed up with rising-star Shia LaBeouf, who also starred in "Transformers" and the latest "Indiana Jones" sequel.

Critics expect a reprisal of performance from the director, whose past works should give him enough skills to come up with another movie masterpiece of the same genre. Likewise, his previous experience working with Shia puts them in a position that they must deliver an equally satisfactory film as "Disturbia" while making "Eagle Eye" a totally different experience from it. Then came Michele Monaghan, whose breakthrough performance is as the lead actor's wife in "Mission Impossible 3". In spite of it, she still has a lot to offer for an action movie and her promising portrayal for the Rachel Holloman role is something to anticipate.

Of course, the entire movie will not be without the executive producer, none other than Steven Spielberg himself. Rumor has it that Spielberg is even slated to direct this movie if he has not been busy working for the latest sequel of his "Indiana Jones" project. Having been familiar with the quality of his films and by just considering that he conceived the idea behind the movie's screenplay, the expectation for "Eagle Eye" raises into much hype.

The movie is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association of America.

*****

official poster for the movie...
So ayun! You can get the tickets from me at 300 bucks a piece. For those people who goes to mass at St. James in Ayala Alabang Village, I think we'll be setting up a booth there for ticket selling.

Yung mga taga south dyan! Invite your friends, family, neighbors, and officemates to watch. Yung mga hindi taga south, dumayo kayo! There's a lot to see down here! Hehe... just help out!

For inquiries, just call or text me or leave a message here. I'll post a calendar entry regarding this.

C'mon, mamon!

Huwag Ka Magkalat, Zohan

Watched this film a little over a week ago when I went out malling with the family.


You Don't Mess with the Zohan
Spoiler Alert! Spoiler Alert! Spoiler Alert!

The spoiler:
An Israeli special forces agent, Zohan fakes his death to travel to America and fulfill his life-long dream to be a hairdresser. In New York, he worked for a small downtown salon located on a Middle Eastern neighborhood. There, despite his unusual success as a hair stylist because of his "extra" services, several complications troubled him which basically stems from cultural differences between the Arabs and the Jews.

What happened next in between this part of the film is fairly inconsequential as most scenes seem to appear as "extenders" to justify an hour-long screening time.

A significant part is that in the end, Zohan allies with a high-ranking Palestinian terrorist (his own ex-nemesis, Phantom) to thwart some rednecks' plan to frame the Jews and the Arabs against themselves. Their alliance heralds the story's resolution which basically comprise of Zohan being able to setup his own salon with his new Palestinian wife and his folks finally approving him of leaving the military service to pursue hairdressing.

The verdict:
Brainless hillarity. It's typical Adam Sandler-fun with much zaniness and slapstick antics. It has several frivolous scenes and it seems that a lot of unnecessary stills are forced into the movie for it to have a sense of a story or maybe to further lengthen it and have extra airtime for more comedy... be it funny or, for most of the part, not. In spite of it, I have to admit that I had a few good laughs for the jokes' sheer dumbness especially when Zohan does his gesture of goodbye. He pats his chest dignifiedly then his uber-crotch.

...on the casts,
As said earlier, it's a typical Adam Sandler over-the-top goofy acting reminiscent of "Waterboy" and "The Wedding Singer" performances. This time, he put himself on another ridiculous role where, no matter how predictable his silliness can be, he can still pull it off and make people laugh. He oddly sounds and, sometimes, act like Borat in the film though.

I'm not familiar with Emanuelle Chriqui, the lady who played as the owner of the salon where Zohan part-timed as a hairdresser, but her credential is fairly extensive. Still, her role doesn't have much challenge and she just acted appropriately. Rob Schneider is equally silly as Sandler. Although I'm leaning towards appreciating his acting skills in this film more than Sandler's in that when you look at it, you can feel that there's more effort and "mind" put into the role. John Turturro (the Phantom) looks overacting. I dunno if that's the design for his character.

...on the story,
The humor behind the story mostly borders on racial stereotyping. If this is not your type of laugh, the movie will sure bore you. The plot is satirical in a "deposit your brains by the entrance to the movie house" kind of way. It's done for outright fun (although you have to stoop down to the filthiest meaning of it) so overanalyzing the film contents is just NOT worth it.

It wants to nudge the political concern of the Arab-Israeli conflict but the use of such brainless hillarity as a medium will not deliver the point as intended. Take it as this: they set their viewers to NOT THINK deeply of the movie by doing mindless humors then want them to UNDERSTAND a serious political message conveyed in it.

...on everything else,
I can't get the Mariah Carey obsession and it even get worse with her appearance. Eh?? I dunno if the Zohan got a BAM-BAM-BOOM from the singer for this much lame promotion.

In the movie, when a scene is funny, it totally is. But the rest (which constitutes most of the airtime) are either disgusting or uninteresting. Watch this if you have nothing to do in a mall, waiting for your folks to finish in the grocery or your car to get fixed. But to allot time just to see it? Forget it.

4.5 out 10

Laso

Happy Birthday Ribbons!

Utal ko yan (babaeng utol).

I'll just treat them for dinner tonight sa John and Yoko, Greenbelt 5. I've been aching to go back since the last time JB treated us for dinner there. Nakahanap na ako ng rason ngayon! They should already be in Glorietta by this time.

L-R: Sponklong, Bon, Mommy Groovy, a goat posing as me

Make your long weekend worth it.... sleep! Hahaha.

Happy weekends!

Commune with Nature!

I saw a promo from this Multiply Group that I'm a member of regarding a Sagada tour package.

CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS.

I want to join! The date set for this particular hike is just right. That's before I will get totally busy with all the hecticity (that's not a word) of my incoming activities.

Soooo... Justice League-HP, Shak Boyz, SE peeps, Screaming BB's, Team AIM... sama na kung sino available!!!

Sagada, Mountain Province
I inquired earlier and got this response... (thanks Grace!)
1. how many people do you expect to join?
*the last tour it was around 30 people now we're roughly 20 persons on our latest registration but we still have 10 slots available , usually 36 slots all in all.

2. how can we avail of the early bird rate? up to what date will it be?
* u can avail Php2,900/person up to the 3rd week of august then after Php3,000/person up to the last day of registration which is aug 31,2008

3. what's the method of payment?
you can deposit to a bank account .will send you your travel voucher via email

*****
Hanging Coffins of Sagada
Check the itinerary and tour package on the link above. I still have at least until this weekend to confirm and might as well grab the extra hundred bucks discount. I mean, c'mown mamon... how easier can it get! Saves me the trouble of organizing a hike myself.

I was aiming for another mountain climb kasi since late June. Iniisip ko pa sana magsama ng ilang SE peeps who have stated interest to climb. BUT the series of activities and funky weather din't allow me to even attempt a plan, so maybe this will gonna be my next nature trip instead.

Sana matuloy.

*cross fingers*

He is Awesome

I've been mulling over the reading from our CC last night and came up with this short haiku (redundant yata ang "short" and "haiku"... haha).

*****

Not Worth a Crumb by Obi
SE14 CC - August 14

I'm not worth a crumb
but I was given a loaf
so praise you, my Lord!

*****

The reading was from the Book of Matthew 15:21-28.

Thinking over the verses and listening from the discussions, I realized how good life has been to me even when compared to most, I din't had a well-off upbringing... it was even a wavering journey, in fact.

I guess the keyword right there is "contentment".

I've always fought against the vagaries of living and most of our familial problems had been none too uncomplicated. But through all the difficulties, in between brief respites, there I was accepting what was thrown my way... ranting but never whining, sabi nga ni Gelo. And then, I'll be okay. As if God has His own way of making me feel that He was sharing my burden. That He WILL get me through things. That simple wants begets simple joys.

I was never spiritual but that's the only thing I can think of why I had been this contented all my life when others might feel that I should not be. God is with me along my rough and tumbling journey.

I remembered a friend saying something in the line of "magka-problema ka naman!". That got me into thinking. Oo nga. Bakit mukha akong walang problema? I know I got lots - wait - I got TONS of them, if I just think about it. But here I go sail, do mountaineering, play airsoft, basketball, bowling, badminton and heck God-knows how many other sports and still has time to paint, write, read, play in a band, do this, do that... *gasp gasp gasp* like I don't have time for problems at all!

And then I realize, it's just that I have ways of accepting problems as a reminder that "Hey buddy, it's a good thing you've got something to worry... it just means that you're not yet DEAD!"

Ma-kuntento lang. And let God do the rest. He's a very very very unselfish God (and naluluha na 'ko at this point... haha para akong tanga.) Ma-kuntento lang talaga...

It's through this that I get to enjoy life and SIMPLE things that God gave me.

It's through this that I am humbled by His blessings to me and my family.

It's through this that I am chastened with His presence... that despite my wrongdoings, my failures, my misgivings, He is still right here unfaltering with His vigil over me... a sinner.

What did I do to deserve such love when I'm not worth a crumb but He gave me a loaf.

Thanks be to God!

Siete Cosa

Overdue tag from Treiz's blog.

Seven things you like the most:
1. ogling at the miniature figures i painted
2. tumugtog sa banda
3. basketball
4. umakyat ng bundok
5. sailing
6. airsoft! bang bang!
7. Starwars!

(kulang ang pito... lintek. dami pa eh.)

I need a passage to Alderaan! Or iL Jedi mind-trick your arse.
Seven important things in your bedroom:
1. gitara
2. KAMA!!!
3. my books and magazines
4. pen and paper
5. wardrobe
6. dumbbells
7. piano

si RJ the acoustic guitar
Seven random facts about you:
1. don't let the physical feats i do confound you. i'm a Geek, with a capital "G".
2. side sleeper
3. i wear my belt clockwise (baligtad daw ito?)
4. learned reading at age 3 through a local newspaper comic strip "Kuyug"
5. had a pet iguana. ang pangalan "Spike"
6. i love God
7. may Mang Tomas sa harapan ko ngayon

Seven things you plan to do before you die:
1. write for a film (Karlo beat me to it!)
2. procreate
3. publish my own novel
4. makatugtog sa banda... internationally, amidst a jampacked crowd
5. paint a timeless masterpiece
6. rule the world
7. have a charity org named after me
(say a school for special kids... Obi's Gifted Angels Gathering - OGAG... saya di ba?)

Seven things you can do:
1. maglakwatsa (kahit walang tulog)
2. write
3. gawing ulam ang sisig sa inuman
4. play guitars (bass and standard) and piano (a bit)
5. draw
6. play Counter Strike the whole day
7. bore people

Counter Strike tayo?
Seven things you can't do:
1. play drums
2. grow more hair
3. manligaw?
4. go on a diet
5. watch "Jojo A. All the Way"
6. wear contact lenses
7. backflip

Seven things that attract you to the opposite sex:
1. cute smile
2. sinkit!
3. outgoing
4. smart
5. chubby
6. appreciates things i do
7. geeky despite all these

Seven things you say the most and are known for saying:
1. psh!
2. astig
3. *Batangenyo words and phrases* (can't help it... lumalabas minsan!)
4. olats
5. men
6. lintek
7. kamustas

Seven celeb crushes:
1. Katrina Halili (oo na, oo na!)
2. Song Hye Kyo (Autumn in My Heart)
3. Rachel Weisz
4. Lougee Basabas (Mojofly)
5. Gabby dela Merced
6. Catherine Zeta-Jones
7. Natalie Portman

i mean, c'mon?!? yoohoow, any contenders out there??
Seven people you want to torture to take this stupid meme:
1. Jai
2. David Beckham
3. the Dalai Lama
4. Manong Fishball sa UP
5. Gelo
6. Bayani Fernando
7. Jimmy Kimmel

Ang Ikatlong Nanay: Libingan ng Butiking Emperador

Watched the third installation of "The Mummy" last Friday in Lipa before attending Wendy's wedding. Here be my review...

The Mummy 3: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor
Spoiler Alert! Spoiler Alert! Spoiler Alert!

The spoiler:
The O'Connell's are back from retirement as they are tasked to bring an artifact (The Eye of Shangri-La) in China. Along with it, their son Alex discovers the tomb of a cursed Emperor of Qin and later on accidentally free it from its millenium-long stasis. With backup from radical Chinese militants, the Dragon Emperor schemes to conquer the world with his terra cotta army but first, he has to consolidate his powers by bathing at the pool of Immortality. This being guarded by the same witch that cursed him and his army.

The Qin Emperor later on succeeds and he is transformed into a shapeshifting megalomaniac. With the ragtag band composed of the O'Connell's, old pals Jonathan and Mad Dog, the witch and her cute daughter, and a bunch of comic Yetis, they hunt down the Qin Emperor and thwart his evil plan armed with the only blade that can send him back to Death.

Of course, we all know that they'll win.

The verdict:
I watched the film half-knowing that it'll suck. I've seen its previews and sans the fact that hot-mom Rachel Weisz will not reprise her role as Evie, it's still plain to see from it that the production team is overdoing something and the casts are otherwise cashing in badly.

...on the casts,
I can't see the flare of the prequel Rick (Brendan Fraser) and Evie (formerly Rachel Weisz) on this movie and it owed much to the lackluster portrayal of the new Evelyn O'Connor (Maria Bello... who is she anyway?). Brendan's output lacks the dashing appeal he showed on the first two films and this is matched by the equally flat performance by Luke Ford who played the grown up Alex O'Connor. Repeating his role as the feisty Jonathan Carnahan, John Hannah is a comic relief to the entire boring casts. Michelle Yeoh (the witch, Zi Juan) and Jet Li (Dragong Emperor Han) could have acted better but they are underexposed on the screenplay, the latter being a CG monster on almost half of his screen outing. Argh. Have to be partial for Isabella Leong (Zi Juan's daughter, Lin). I watched the film just for her. She's cute and I just can't resist chinky chicks. She did her stunts well but her emotions are mismatched.

not another chinky girl, messing my review opinions haha...
Isabella Leong as "Lin" ...take me home!
...on the story,
It's a typical "Mummy" film. The entire franchise is based on a formula plot: Chief Evil Mummy goes alive, Chief Evil Mummy raises army, Rick's Gang musters own army, Rick's Gang's Army on the verge of being defeated by Chief Evil Mummy's army, Rick's Gang defeats Chief Evil Mummy back to wherever-land, Rick's Gang's Army saved... and so is the world!

It's just a consolation that the story setting interests me (Imperial China) but you should not expect much of a twist on the storyline. The plot has been very outright from the start of the film and you'll gonna have a near-prescient guess of how the story will go. An unexpected surprise comes from the appearance of the Yeti pack that although stirred in some good laugh, sealed my conviction that this movie's going to be corny. They're just unnecessary and even made the storyline even more sooo dragging.

CGI works is mediocre in quality but the overdone presence of the computer generated monstrosities made it look that they're there just for the sake of having beasts on the film. I've always liked the "Mummy" concept but they should have stick with a more realistic approach on the story. Making it exaggeratedly fantastic by forcing in elaborate CG beast-works is a show off that din't do any justice for the "Mummy" plot in general.

...on the fight scenes,
I rarely scrutinize much on this part of movies since as long as they are visually swashbuckling, they are good to me. However, just for the lack of any good reasons to look forward to in this movie (except again that pretty Chinese girl, Lin), they did considerably good battle scenes in fairness. I always looked forward to this scenes on the Mummy-series where both good and evil armies clashed on an open battlefield. The complexity of generating two massive armies clashing leaves me in awe and this film din't disappoint me on that aspect.

The Michelle Yeoh versus Jet Li duel is lacking in intensity.

...on everything else,
I missed Rachel Weisz because of this movie. I can imagine several Evie scenes that could have been more effective if she's the one delivering it. She has this sense of composure and sophistication that Maria Bello just can't assume. The spunky Evelyn O'Connor role became just a meer plain woman on this sequel. I can't blame Rachel for turning down the role upon looking at the screenplay (yes, it's the rumour).

Watch it for the underexposed Michelle Yeoh and Jet Li but take a good nap on the rest of the film.

I was convincing myself for a 6 of 10 rating (even 7, after watching it!) just because of Jet Li, Michelle Yeoh, the army battle scene, Lin, and the pretty Chinese army Lieutenant. But the general blandness of the entire production deserves a 4 out of 10.

And I know I'm still being kind.

The Ilocos Roadtrip and Film Shooting - Part 2

Part 2 of the Ilocos trip journal...

*****
More photos in my Multiply account...
Album 1
Album 2

*****
Day 3 - Saturday
Alad's Bar and Resort, Vigan
* 7:55AM - Wake up!
(They did some more shoots.)
* 11:19 - Packed up and ready to go!
(Our next stop is Bangui, Ilocos Norte. I rode with Arvs as Jake opted to stay in Vigan for extra Z-time.)

* 12:14 - JTC Mall stop
(Bought supplies for the long Ilocos Norte trip.)
* 1:15 - Ilocos Norte - Ilocos Sur boundary
(From the Ilocos Sur side of the boundary, the place is called Sinait. This is where I spent my first two Ilocos trips care of Dan the Flash!)

* 3:20 - Bangui, Ilcoos Norte
- Globe and Smart, no signal!
(Look't the long haul me and Arvs did. We went ahead of the convoy to scout things up. Along the way, we stopped at the scenic Cape Boreador Lighthouse to snap some artsy fartsy photos.)

Burgos, Ilocos Norte
* 3:25PM - Bangui Windmills View Deck
(Ongapala, along the way, pabugso-bugso na yung ulan and the clouds were really really ominous. Eh ang habol ng crew sa Bangui e sunshine kaya medyo nag-aalala na kami for the shoot. We were not aware that a storm was heading towards the Ilocos region.)

* 3:49 - KANG KANG Windmill Cafe!
(Now THIS caught us offhandedly! Sabi kasi nila Karlo bago kami nag hiwalay sa Vigan, we'll going to rendezvous on this bar or resort of sorts. Problem was they already forgot the name of the place and told us the name just sounds funny. So ayun, cruise kami ni Arvs sa Bangui looking for a funny name. Tapos nilampasan namin itong signboard ng "Kang Kang Windmill Cafe" with a smile on our faces... that turned into chuckles. Right then may idea na kami na eto yung place na sinasabi nila Karlo. Then through SMS, Karlo confirmed it. Tama sila... nakakatawa talaga yung pangalan! For those who don't know what "kang kang" means in local colloquialism, just throw a PM my way.)

Welcome to Kang Kang Windmills!
* 3:54 - WINDMILLS! They're huge!
(Photo ops with Arvs. The windmills look like gynormous alien space crafts stranded by the beach of Bangui. If you looked at them from afar, they were like "photoshopped" on the background. If you looked at them up close, you'll be humbled!)

* 4:10 - Kang Kang Cafe!
(Now we know why it was named "Kang Kang"... the barangay itself was named "Kang Kang"! Haha. No offense to the locals but it's just funny. We also realized that an "utong" is a kind of vegetable. Hehe.)

* 4:26 - Kumain kami ng pakbet at IGADO (ulit!)
- pickup boys arrived
(We haven't had a decent lunch yet so seeing the IGADO at the cafe, we chowed down on it... just as Karlo and the Bebop carrier arrived with news that the rest of the crew were shooing at the Bangui proper already.)

* 4:43PM - Petron - Bangui Proper
- Film shoot

* 8:00 - too many things happened to keep track!
- Kang Kang Windmill film shoot
- Dinner! (May IGADO pa din!!! 4th Igado meal of my Ilocos trip!)
- Double rainbow appeared
- Rode the pickup with the cameramen
(Wasn't able to pickup my notes when the shoot at the Bangui proper started. After that shoot, the rest of the crew went back to Kang Kang Windmill Cafe while I rode with the cameramen at the back of Arvin's pickup to shoot Jason along the way. There was also this scene where Allein has to substitute for the actor for some more "complicated" bike stunts. Shooting resumed by the beach of Bangui as the funky weather gave us a short respite and a glimpse of sunset! Double rainbows in tow. Galing!)

With actor Jason Abalos and stunt rider Koya Allein
* 8:47 - Take off from Kang Kang
(Next stop... Pagudpud! For the post shooting celebration and wrap up!)
* 10:01 - Arrival at Pagudpud (Northside Resort)
- We got lost like thrice
(That was only my second time in Pagudpud. Mas gusto ko sya kesa sa overrated Boracay!)

* 10:41 - Inuman time!
Grub: sisig, bagnet
(After room assignments, we headed to an adjacent resto to fill up our tanks with barley!)
* 12:46 - Sleeping time!

Day 4 - Sunday
Northside Beach Resort, Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte
* 7:35AM - Wake up!
(I went outside to read this book I brought with me. Sabay kape. Ahahay. This is life.)

* 9:18 - Breakfast!
Grub: daing na bangus, egg, sinangag, kape (ulit!)
* 12:59 - Pack up!
- We had the Mindoro Sling (Mix of rhum, juices, and sprite)
- We're going ahead of the convoy
(Arvs fetched Jake in Laoag. After arrival, Jake sampled this concoction, Mindoro Sling. Then a couple of hours more, we packed up to travel further North to hunt Kilometer 666! FYI: Pagudpud is around the Kilometer 580 area.)

The Pagudpud Sling
* 1:16 - Take off to Patapat Viaduct
(This was where we bid goodbye to the casts and crew of the film. Personal na lakwatsa na ito, as they prepared also for their way back to Manila. Anlakas na ng ulan. Bagyo-quality na siya!)

* 1:40 - Patapat Viaduct, and it's fucking storming! (Yes, i wrote the "F" word there on my notepad.)
(The view is breathtaking already... at umuulan pa! How much more kung hindi umuulan? Wait, di pala umuulan... BUMABAGYO! It was a hazy gray sea line on our left and an almost 90 degree wall of clay and grass on our right!)

* 2:01PM - We got past Ilocos Norte - Cagayan boundary.
* 2:27 - Back at the Patapat Viaduct!
- Photo ops in the rain
- We backed out after passing some barrios in Cagayan for lack of gas (...and gas station!)
(We decided to head back after reaching around the Kilometer 600 area. Wala na kasi kaming madaanan na petrol station at paubos na din ang gas namin. The next petrol station we can recall seeing was past Pagudpud pa. Back at the Patapat Viaduct, Arvs insisted on having a picture by it. Malakas pa din ang bagyo pero gusto ko talaga magka-picture dun kasi we never know when are we going to get back again. So tinakluban lang namin ng basahan yung camera sabay sugod sa bagyo at posing!)

rain, rain, go away...
* 4:33 - Laoag City!
* 4:30 - Laoag City Public Market!
(Brief stop to do "good son" duties and buy pasalubong for the folk at home.)
* 5:05 - Bagnet, 350 per kilo
- Vigan Longanisa, 200 per kilo
- Igado!!, 40 bucks isang takal
(I bought 2 kilo bagnet, 3 kilo longanisa, and a scoop of Igado! The longanisa I bought is the best! I rarely eat longanisa and even rarely liked Vigan longanisa but this one we got from Laoag is just uhmm uhmmm uhmmm! Binigay na lang sa amin ng libre yung isang takal ng igado... yub yub yub!)

* 5:26PM - Empanada run! 35 bucks a piece.
(I bought home 10 pieces.)
* 5:40 - Ang sarap ng Laoag empanada!!!
(We sampled the empanada and it was like nothing we ever had before! Walang panama yung empanada na kinain namin sa Vigan days before. Bihira ko magustuhan ang empanada but that one... I can eat that shit for a week! Saraaaap. Punong puno ng laman at manipis ang crust. Alam na namin kung san bibili sa Laoag next time ng empanada. And NOT in Vigan! Daming extenders.)

* 6:22 - Ilocos Sur!
* 7:18 - Vigan City
* 8:38 - Candon (Chowking!)
(Quick stop in Chowking to eat dinner. Kinain ko yung binili kong igado sa Laoag. Yub yub yub! 5th igado meal ko na yata for the entire trip and di pa din ako nagsasawa! Never. I also bought some chichakorn at kalamay para sa opisina at sa bahay.)

* 9:06PM - Done Chowking... we're back on the road.
* 9:55 - La Union

Day 4.5 - Sunday
National Highway, Pangasinan
* 12:20AM - Urdaneta City!
* 12:42 - Tarlac - Pangasinan Boundary
(At this point, nagpapalitan na ng drive si Arvs at Jake dahil sa antok. Problem is I can't and should NOT sleep. Kelangan ko constantly makipag-usap on who's on the wheels para di sila antukin.)

* 1:55 - Tarlac City
(We took a very short break at a petrol station. Kape lang sabay kain ng tsokolate. Energy boost ba.)
* 2:43 - Dau Tollgate!
* 3:22 - NLEX-Manila Tollgate!


* 4:25AM - Home sweet home!
- Thanks God for everything... You're so GREAT!
(After the looong hike, I slumped in our sala - my backpack still on me - and bid a silent prayer of thanks to Him. For safety. For enjoyment. For the opportunity. For the experience. For the gift of life! Ang galing ng LAHAT. I just went on to unpack and then hit the bed for a very very very long sleep that day.)

The Ilocos Roadtrip and Film Shooting - Part 1

The end of an SE meeting last week, Wednesday, was the start of yet another interesting 5-day ride up North for me!

Several weeks ago, our friend, the Riderman (Karlo), was cool enough to have his script chosen to be filmed by Cinema One as an independent movie. The last leg of the shoot was decided to be located in Ilocos and to show our support (and just to call our wanderlust), me, Arvs, and Jake joined the caravan.

Two vans, a pickup carrying Bebop (an SRV Yamaha Soulful V-Twin Special Edition vintage bike), and Telula (Jake's FX)... this has been the convoy for the rest of the Ilocos expedition comprising of casts and crew of the indie film, the bike's caretakers, and our tropa (the tag-alongs from Shak).

*****

Quick Facts:
Working Title: MotorCYCLE
Direction: Raymond Red et. al.
Casts: Jason Abalos, Kat Alano, Noni Buencamino
Production: Cinema One
Gist (for confirmation): After his father's death, a boy embarks to search for his estranged sister, bringing him back to his roots and recall long-forgotten memories.

*****

From the SE meeting in Pasay Road, I hurried home to pack my things up. I already listed the stuffs I have to bring along on my handy notepad when I was in the meeting. The small notebook also doubled as my travel journal for the trip and here goes the entries in verbatim...

Day 0.5 - Wednesday
Home, Pasay
* 11:22PM - Finished packing up.
* 11:28 - Alis bahay Gang.
(Nagpaalam lang ako sa sambahayan. Baka kasi pag balik ko, hindi na nila ako kilala. Ulet.)
* 12:16 - Shak arrival!

Day 1 - Thursday
Da Shak, Kamias
* 2:30AM - Jake arrives with Telula. Got to meet Arvin in "Classmates" in Quezon Ave... well, near it.
(The casts and crew rendezvoused on this village and here was where I got to meet most of them. One thing of note was that the film has 4 directors although it was the award-winning director, Raymond Red, that helmed the group.)

* 3:53 - We're off!
* 4:34 - Stop #1, Petron - NLEX
- film shots
(I was sleeping in between journal entries. Wala pa kong tulog e.)
* 6:07 - We moved to Shell - NLEX
- film shots
(I overheard from a conversation that we moved to Shell because people were noticing already that we were shoting.)
* 6:38 - Back on road. This trip will gonna be long!
(The plan was to film Jason riding Bebop on different locations as we go along the way to Ilocos. This will take some time so I had coffee from the local Istarbuko branch to pep me up.)

wala pang tulog
* 9:30AM - We (in Telula) stopped somewhere in Pangasinan, taking an alternate route.
- The rest of the convoy took the main road as they continue the shoot.
- It's rice paddies on both sides of the road. Pee time!
* 10:00 - Talk with locals.
- Contact Pork at da Shak to coordinate our location with the Karlo Convoy (the rest of the group)
- Off we go!
(We had a short stopover in this "short-cut" that we usually take when going to Baguio. Nakipag kwentuhan kami sa isang magsasaka tas inalok namin ng meryenda na bitbit namin. It was a nice stretch. Nawala na yung antok ko.)

* 11:17 - Agoo Church
- film shots
(Stop #2 for the crew. We were able to catch up with the Karlo Convoy. While they were shooting, we roamed around the place for a while.)
* 11:38 - Bye Agoo!
* 12:23 - Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (San Fernando, La Union)
- Pork calls.
- Jake eats... again!
- lunch break (Jo-ann's Bacolod Inasal)
Grub list: spare ribs inasal, sisig tuna, chopsuey, molo
(We had lunch ahead of the crew while they shoot. But the rain made them decide to call it off for a lunch break too. Good food for a good price!)

* 2:16PM - Trek resumes.
* 3:23 - Ilocos Sur - La Union Highway Boundary
(This time, we were ahead of the convoy so we parked beside the archway to wait for the gang. Arvin was moved to the pickup as substitute driver. Karlo has no sleep yet for two days straight. Talk about excitement for his baby project. I fell asleep too as baboy-reflext kicked in after lunch.)

* 3:55 - Met the Karlo Convoy, trip resumes.
* 4:45 - Candon City
- Pee break!
- Ice Cream (Black Forest Brew) and Pizza (Beefy Sausage) in "Ice Cream House"
(We had ice cream and pizza while we wait for Karlo. This trip has been all about food and sleep for me so far.)

* 5:01 - Off to Vigan!
- Vanessa Carlton music in iPod. Now I'm starting to love her songs just by continuous listening.
* 5:40PM - We're back in the convoy again.
* 6:27 - Vigan Heritage Park
- film shoot
(Pinagkaka-guluhan na dito si Jason. I never thought he was that big, all the people knew him except me!)
* 7:26 - Empanada fest!
- Move to hotel.
(We sampled the local deli while the shooting took place. After that, we went on to much remote places to look for a place to sleep in.)

doesn't look like a starving artist to me
* 7:45 - Arrival to Lodging #1 (Playa de Oro)
(Masyadong malayo ito. Lampas pa ng Vigan Air Strip. It was by the beach side. Ang problema sira ang water lines sa bawat rooms.)
* 8:04 - We're backing out.

* 8:33PM - Ocular inspection, Lodging #2 (Alad's Bar & Resort)
(The crew stayed here for the night. After a petty misunderstanding over room allotments, me and Jake decided to look for lodging back in Vigan proper instead.)
* 9:21 - Arrival to Vigan Heritage Hotel
(First lodging we looked on...)

* 9:44 - Checked in at Aniceto Mansion, Room #5
(We also looked at the adjoining Vigan Plaza Hotel but the rooms were too expensive. But the concierge was a hot chick, much to Jake's disagreement. He feigns taste, I say! Anyway, Aniceto Mansion was just behind the Vigan Heritage Park right beside Vigan Church and a stone-throw away the Spanish-era style Heritage Houses. Nice location.)

Aniceto Mansion morning
Day 2 - Friday
Aniceto Mansion, Vigan
* 7:30AM - Wake up for free breakfast.
(I had tocino.)
* 8:50 - I had short walks around the Heritage Houses.
(Bought some souvenir shirts for the family back home. Sabi nga ni Jake, "playing the obligations of a good son". Early morning bolahan with the Manangs in the souvenir shops.)

* 9:27 - Extras needed for the shoot.
- Off to Heritage Park again.
(After walking around the place, I went back to our lodging only to get a call from Arvin. They were already at the Heritage Park and doing the first shots of the day. Kelangan daw kami as extras so we set off again on the streets to rejoin with the crew.)

* 11:49 - Pack up.
- Did extra-works for the movie.
- Ate breakfast PART TWO!
Grub list: Igado, Chikken, Turon, Cox
(The scene went like this... Jason asked us for directions to the Munisipyo but we, being tourists, din't know the place so we asked him instead to take a picture of us. Ganun lang. After that, me, Arvs, and Jake roamed around the place again while the shooting resumed. We had ANOTHER breakfast prior to meeting the guys then we checked out of Aniceto after the logistics lady from the crew told us that there were spaces for us at Alad's.)

* 11:52 - Check out.
* 1:47PM - Shoot ends.
- Lotsa cheering students from the adjacent school (Divine Word College).
(By this time, a lot of people around the area knew of the shooting already. May scene sa kalsada sa tabi ng school at sooobrang nagkakagulo na dun. The students were jampacked up to the walls and every floors of the adjacent building! Know what was scary? May mga lalake (bading) na nagsisigawan ng "ANG GWAPO MO JASON! ILABAS NYO ANG MAHAL KO!" Bwahahaha! At buong buo yung mga boses, not the typical pa-boses babae. Laugh trip! The teachers could barely restrain them already.)

one of the scenes in Vigan
Divine Word students, waiting for the shoot to resume
* 3:21 - Shoot ends.
- Had lunch at a local eatery.
- McDo tambay with the crew.
Grub list: Tinaktakan, Bistek, Igado, Papaitan, Cox
(The shoot was delayed when Bebop the bike had some trouble. Inayos pa nila Allein and Joff. I wish I photographed the look in Karlo's face when Bebop went back to life! Very late lunch break followed. It was the second time I had "igado" during our Ilocos stay, and read out the rest of the entries... iL have more igados to eat! The crew had lunch in McDo. They would never get us to eat there. We din't haul our arses 12 hours from Manila to Ilocos just to eat effin McDo.)

* 3:29 - Set off for cemetery shoot.
* 3:54 - Back to resort (Alad's Bar and Resort)
(Hindi natuloy yung cemetery shoot for reasons that escaped me. We went back to the resort for a break.)

* 5:00 - The crew went off.
- We rest for now.
(The convoy went off to continue the shoot but me and Jake decided to stay behind to rest and play Warmachine!)
* 5:18 - Settled at Room #8.
* 8:58PM - Warmachine game ends. I win!
- Andito na ang crew, kanina pa!

ang angas na sana...
...nakatali pala! bwaha!
* 10:41 - Buffet time.
- Plans ironed out for tomorrow.
(Socialized with the crew and petiks mode for the rest of the night. Additional casts arrived from Manila and other logistics ironed out for the next day's round of shoots. Food buffet! Pero di na ko makakain sa sobrang busog. Pa-saging saging na lang ako and pa-pitik pitik ng bagnet!)

* 10:52 - Nyu-nyu land!
(Zzzz...)

*****
Days 3 and 4, to be continued...