And so it ends

In a few hours, 2011 will be over. Thank goodness.

2011 is a year of unbelievable loss, extreme mood swings, and major career changes. It is a year of people telling me I could handle something even if I am telling them straight up that I CAN'T  (ye gads if I have to deal with this again next year, I will run amok); it is a year of disappointment and hardship.

So, what was great about this year that's about to end? It is a year of breakthroughs - career-wise, education-wise, and everything-else-in-between-wise. I am still working on getting myself back to normal, but I know that 2012 can only be a better year. If 2011 got me down, there's nowhere to go but up.

Now, excuse me while I watch Ironman 2 while waiting for Tangled to come on Star Movies.

Happy na, New Year pa.

Christmas/New Year

In bullets:

• Candlelight service. I don't think I can handle another one. Don't ask, I just can't.  =,=
• Reunion with the family on Christmas day went really well, in spite of the major family losses this year.
• Working on the last week of the year for the first time is...well...uneventful. XD
• Manila Ocean Park with the cousin/nephew/brother was lots of fun, but extremely painful for the pocket.
• Rizal Day will be spent at Malolos Memorial Park.

I think I'll be posting something that doesn't involve bullets tomorrow/Friday.

Asante sana, Disney 3D

As (I have) promised (myself) in an earlier post, I watched The Lion King 3D tonight. I actually was planning on watching it tomorrow, but when I looked at the schedule, I didn't think it would be a good idea. So, I decided to go for tonight instead.

OHMAYGASSS GAIS IT WAS EPIC. THE GRASS WAS GREENER, THE SMOKE SMOKIER, THE STARS STARRIER!!! EVERYTHING WAS AWESOME AND NOTHING HURTS. 

I know I’ve got a big TLK bias, this being my all-time favorite Disney movie, but if you’ve watched the movie countless times like I have and you think you’re getting the same (asante sana squash) banana, you’re not. They added so many layers of detail to this movie, so much so that it’s as if Zazu’s wings popped out of the screen when he was flying towards Mufasa, the stampede scene became even more ravaging, the stars actually sparkle (and it was very believable too - when Mufasa said, "Look at the stars," I actually stared at the stars for the rest of the sequence), and the rising sun scene at the start of the movie … ye gads, I got goosebumps all over. The colors seriously pop out of the screen - they don’t look faded or worn over compared to when you see it on DVD or Disney Channel.

I almost cried when Simba found Mufasa dead. I almost cried when Circle of Life was coming to an end. And the "Simba, you have forgotten me" sequence - TEARS. Some things never change. =)

The 3D version is so awesome that I think I will always refer to the 2D as substandard from here on in. (HOHMGIWANTBLURAYNAO)

As expected, part of the crowd tonight were families with small kids. After Circle of Life ended and the loud beat of the drum sounded off and the title in red over black showed on screen, I heard a kid ask his parents: "Tapos na?" I had to smile, because that was the exact same reaction I had when I first watched it 17 years ago (wow, it was that long na pala...)

Fast forward to after the stampede - when the screen showed that Mufasa was dead, the same kid (I'm assuming) blurted out, "He's sleeping!" Again, I smiled (while trying not to cry - which surprisingly, wasn't so hard) because that was what I thought at first too when I watched it as a kid. Looking back on it now, it was not actually Mufasa's death that was traumatizing, it was Simba's reaction to it that scarred me for life.

After Simba was banished by Scar, not a sound could be heard from the kids watching. I wanted to see if any of them were crying, but I was just so engrossed with the added detail that I couldn't afford to look away.

Anyway, again...if you loved TLK but you're thinking twice of watching it on 3D - DON'T THINK, JUST DO IT. I don't think you'll have any regrets. =)

"It's so magical that words cannot describe"

For this post, indulge me/yourselves by listening to this song sung by this awesome man to the left. This was taken from the 2011 SMTown Winter album (when was the last one released? LOL I can't even remember).

Was I expecting a ballad? Of course I was.

Was I expecting an English song? HOLY MOLEY GUACAMOLE NO. You could just imagine what my reaction was (in the office, to boot!) when I heard "I loved you the first time I saw you" - it took every ounce of dignity and professionalism for me not to freak out and say "HOHMYGODBBILOVEDYOUTOOTHEFIRSTTIMEIHEARDYOU" or something like that...hahahahahaha!

Okay, the song has its rough edges -  the rs and the ls aren't as distinct in some parts, there are a few words that I couldn't understand at first (granted the accent). The song is, again, the template power ballad you'll expect Kangta to sing - complete with the piano intro and strings that drive said template power ballad into predictable positive results. The lyrics of the song are predictable, not poetic to say the least (in one word - commercial).

Having said the negatives, I CANNOT KEEP CALM WHEN I LISTEN TO THIS SONG. The way he sings the song sans accent, r-l differentiation fail and fool-proof song formula is fan-freaking-tastic that I can't find the words to express it. The dynamics, the vocals, ohhh myyy starrrrsss. The"design" and the "cannot" parts in the chorus are just...beyond!

And this, people who read this blog, is exactly why Ahn Chil Hyun-sama (ORZ ORZ ORZ) is one of my muses. It's not just random one-volume singing, it's about knowing when to be p, to be pp, or to be ff or f, or to do the < or > (hahahahahahaha!). I'm rambling, but if there's anything that's just as important as proper breathing and placing of vocal cords, it's dyna-freaking-mics.

I'm so tempted to do a meme that says something like this:

EVERYTHING I NEEDED TO KNOW ABOUT SINGING
I LEARNED BY LISTENING TO AHN CHIL HYUN 
or something like that...

It's not really the whole truth, but ye gads, listening to how he sings and applying the same principles makes so much difference, you have no idea. Secret: When I have to sing a song, especially when I'm singing it for the first time, the first thought that will always come to my mind is WWKD - What Would Kangta Do? By the way, this includes church songs. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

In the words of Austin Kleon, you steal like an artist. 

Movie time

As (I have) promised (myself) early this year, I watched The Adventures of Tintin today. It was supposed to be yesterday in 3D, but stuff happened. So today, I got to see it but in 2D only. I think the experience would have been complete if it was in 3D.

Anyway, IT WAS AWESOME. Watching this series as a kid and seeing it rendered with such detail (even in 2D the rendering was so beautiful, everyone looked near-human) made the Php180 worth it. Personally, seeing Snowy chew through the rope had nostalgia written all over it.

Now, I'm not really a Tintin purist. Yes, I've read the comics when I was in grade school, but I'm not so much of an addict that I can remember if I read the comics from which this film was adapted (which Wikipedia says is a combination of The Secret of the Unicorn, Red Rackham's Treasure, and The Crab With The Golden Claws). Some say that it didn't stay true to the comics, which is (of course) not really surprising - it's rare that a Hollywood adaptation stayed true to its novel/comic roots anyway.

Having said all of that, being someone who watched this on TV and read some of the comics as a kid, this was such a treat watching on the big screen. I did feel that the Thompson/Thompson slapstick could have used more effort, but everything else was very satisfactorily done. If there's a sequel, I'm definitely watching it. I hope there will be more characters in there, like Professor Calculus.

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The next movie to watch on my list is my favorite Disney movie of all time - in THREE-FREAKING-DEE! The Lion King 3D opens tomorrow! I really want to watch on opening day, but alas, I have commitments. I intend to watch it on Saturday lunchtime (which I can do since finals is over and done with).

I wonder if I'll cry watching Circle of Life, or watching Mufasa die, or the Mufasa-in-the-clouds-saying "Simba, you have forgotten me" - in 3D...gosh, just thinking about it right now makes me want to watch it even more! 

(By the way, when I watched this for the first time as a kid, those were the three scenes where I cried. Not even Finding Nemo came close to this.)

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The last two days have been nice. I go back to work tomorrow. I hope to have more consistent posts this time around. =D

Two weeks of survival

This thing right here? IT IS FINISHED.

December 3

• School: I have a reporting on product placement, specifically in movies and games. While I was reading the material, my top-of-mind examples were [1] the Panasonic phone that Cloud used in Advent Children and [2] the futuristic Nokia smartphone that was installed in the car that young!Kirk was driving. This isn't really hard, but there's pressure involved because there's ...
• Work: I have to manage an afternoon-to-night event for aspiring authors, which is happening in Makati. I'm really excited about this event since I get to meet authors who have won the Palanca...plus a person that I have idolized before I took up marketing in college (rubbing elbows kind of interaction, oh the perks of this job). I have to take off early from class to go to the venue. Hay, the wonders a working student can do. #bibidibabidiboo

December 9

• Work: I've got a golf event to manage. I know NADA ZILCH NIL about golf, and this event has not made me a convert. I'd rather play jackstones than golf. Or read Twilight than golf---OH SNAP! (LOL) The event will begin during the wee hours of the morning towards very late in the evening. This is a very big problem because on ...

December 10 

• School: IT'S FINALS DAY. HOLY MOLEY GUACAMOLE. Seriously. I don't know how I'll survive. I have to make up a strategic plan for some make-believe company with make-believe market conditions within two hours. And as if that's not enough I've got a ...
• Raket: I have to sing for a wedding in the afternoon, and it's a Lea song. And I haven't practiced for it.

I survived, and I know I couldn't have done it without God's help (it's amazing what prayers can do...nearing these days I had none of those sleepless nights, plus I was completely confident that I had done everything I could to make all of these things happen in the smoothest, uneventful way possible) plus the people around me who have been so understanding (thank you =D) and yes I really had to copy the entire thing for emphasis XD

It's amazing that in spite of the hullabaloo, I was able to keep up with my reading: I think I've been driven to read out of sheer desire to get away from the chaos and find a means of escape. For the past weeks, I finished three Murakami books in a row.


A Wild Sheep Chase is probably my third favorite Murakami book - the first one being after dark, next Kafka on the Shore. I'm still figuring out if I like this one better or The Elephant Vanishes. 


And on this note, I think I'm more partial to Murakami's style of fantasy than his love stories. I liked Norwegian Wood and South of the Border, West of the Sun but you just don't get sucked in to the story the way his fantasy work does.

Next on my stash - which is still part of my MIBF loot, is Norwegian Wood. It's probably (so far) the Murakami book that I least appreciate. Having said that, I still could relate to what Watanabe is going through, especially when it came to depression due to a suicide-related death. Some of his thoughts were so real to me, it's like my innermost thoughts that I couldn't express myself put into a page. This book has got quite a number of dog-ear marks of quotes that I loved. (I know dog-eared folds on a book is a pet peeve of some, but I think this is better than highlighting books, right? I don't have a notebook handy always...)

I'm also not a sucker for the errr...love scenes. XD That's not really not my cup of tea when reading a book.

South of the Border, West of the Sun was better than Norwegian Wood, in my opinion. Though both of them were open-ended, this book was more profound that the other. My takeaway for this story is that we don't really appreciate what we have until it is taken away from us (or in this case, nearly taken away).

While I was reading this book, I was thinking, "how many times have I wanted for something else and yet not have the slightest feeling of being grateful for what I do have?" Norwegian Wood, though a book that's very relatable to my current circumstances, only seemed to sympathize with me rather than stimulate.


Next book in the list: 1Q84. =D =D =D

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On to the work stuff.

My December 3 event went really well. It was an aspiring authors' event, and since writing and reading will be two of my forever passions, this wasn't really a pain in the butt to organize and run.

I personally assisted author Grace D. Chong, who was kind enough to autograph my copy of Solo Flight. Oh, and if you check this entry in her blog, you'll see me. =D 

I also finally got my first marketing book autographed by the guru himself (oh be still my fangirl heart), Dr. Ned. I told him, "Dr. Ned, bago pa po ako nag-Kotler, ito muna ang binasa ko," sabay pakita ng book niya. He gladly signed it with my Sharpie (buti na lang nakabili ako ng Sharpie, hahahaha XD)

The golf marathon, which was last Friday, was quite something. It rained almost the entire day, but the participants were still game with finishing their assigned rounds of golf. They seemed to be pretty happy with their accomplishment (I mean, 72 holes in one day - with rain?! Who wouldn't be?).

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Oh, and the wedding song went pretty well. For me it was kind of pitchy at first, but then again I didn't really expect the song to be super perfect because [1] it's a Lea song and [2] I barely practiced it - the wedding day was the first time I sang it with a mic. Everyone else thought it was good (parang CD lang daw - which surprised me, as usual). I simply tried to do the song justice (and not shame myself). 

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And that's it, pansit! I'm looking forward to a happy Christmas and new year (more of a choice, really =D). I've got two days off from work to rest and recuperate, so all will be well. I intend to watch The Adventures of Tintin in 3D tomorrow, and probably *squeal* The Lion King in 3D sometime this week. It must NOT be missed. 

Also, new layout. =D