She's Leaving On A Jetplane...

.:Don't Know When She'll Be Back Again...:.

A while ago, Hun went through the sacrament of Confirmation, and she was asked at least thrice by different people if she was doing it to get married. I didn't even know that was a thing.

In the past years, I've really avoided writing about my lovelife. I guess it's because I've been avoiding giving myself a chance to be mushy here in my blog, as I seem to be asking for it in the event things don't work out and I end up backtracking over my posts some time later.

But you know what? I don't care anymore, because it's my blog, and they're still my memories, for better or worse.

The past few weeks before Hun headed off to the States have been wonderful. Unexpected, even. Things fell into place, and I couldn't be more grateful. I couldn't be more grateful to feel loved and cherished.

Especially after this.

Who knew that courting friends and family was this challenging? Oh, wait. I always knew that. That's why I shirked from it back then. This time, I didn't. As socially awkward as I am, I realized that if I wanted to make a difference, I had to do some things differently. So I did.

I can't speak with absolute certitude about the future, but what I know is that I incrementally bettered myself as a human being each step of the way to get here. Is this it for me? Is this the one? Only time can tell. What I know though is that I believe this could very well be it, and I should treat it accordingly.

Whoever said love isn't a choice but merely a feeling ought to rethink that, in all honesty. Ayoko magsalita ng tapos, pero masaya ako ngayon. At masaya rin siya. Yun naman ang mahalaga, diba?

I guess that's why even if she's half a world away as we speak, I'm still happy. I know she and I may be apart physically, but our hearts remain beside each other. It also really helps that traveling and communicating despite the distance has never been easier than it is at present.

And to think that it all started from her watching Switch Improv in Burger Company by pure chance. You never can tell when things would fall into place. You really can't.

When I went with her family to bring her to the airport, I was exhausted. But fulfilled. I didn't sleep at all, but I wanted to see her off. And though I'm not entirely sure when I will see her again, one thing is for certain: all of these changes, all of this hurly-burly and insanity, it's all been worth it, and I can't thank her enough for coming into my life.

Thank you, Hun. You're really a keeper.

... and the woman of my dreams, apparently.

Project 52 2014 (42/52): The More You Ignore Me (The Closer I Get)

.:Project 52 2014 (42/52): The More You Ignore Me (The Closer I Get):.

Need I say anything more? Happy birthday, dearest!

Before I Fly Off...

.:All My Bags Are Packed, I'm Ready To Go...:.

So yeah, I'm headed out to Thailand in a couple of days, and won't be back 'til I'm 31. And already, there are a lot of changes. Great changes.

Pictured: Love at first sight.

Well, yes, that's a PS4. And yeah, that's a bit of treat I had for myself after the windfall I finally got because of all the work I've been doing since I quit my job.

But that isn't really the biggest change, obviously. This would probably be the biggest change...

It isn't with the PS4.

And I have to say, I'm happy. It came at the right time. It came at a time where I knew I was ready for it, rather than at a time where I just needed a distraction. In fact, things came together so quickly I haven't even figured out a code name for her yet. But needless to say, it was a long time coming, and even if she changes her mind tomorrow or the day after, I can safely say that this was a relationship I was prepared for.

It's refreshing to find someone who regards you as an equal instead of a subservient. It's a good change of pace to be appreciated for who you are, and not just remembered when there's nobody else to turn to. Ultimately, it's great to realize you are far more than just somebody's last resort. But it didn't happen overnight, because you built yourself over time to become that kind of person. And it's when someone realizes that about you that you begin to understand that the changes weren't because you just wanted to be with someone, anyone.

The changes were because you want to be a better person, period.

So I don't know where the next coming days will take me, but it's an exciting journey I'm rushing headlong into with eyes wide open. Because I don't wanna miss a thing.

But for now, even if this post isn't part of my Project 52, allow me to share a song with y'all...

The Great Outback Trip Mega-Post!

.:The Great Outback Trip Mega-Post!:.

Guess where I was.

To say that this recent trip I had to Australia was life-changing would be an understatement. I’m still writing with a broken heart, yet all I could think is I wouldn’t have traded this holiday in for the world.

By now, if the person reading this knew me just a bit, they would know that I went to Australia to see someone: a fulfilment of a promise years in the making, and perhaps a way to bring things back the way they were. This isn’t exactly the happy ending I’ve always dreamed of for myself, but it’s also a new beginning, and perhaps, rightly, as Ramon Bautista would say, now is my chance to do amazing things.

My trek started with a quick detour to iBlog, since I wanted to make sure that I never missed the event in every single year that it happened. It was fun, really, and it was heartwarming to know how many people in the room already knew of the 8List even before I plugged it while I was talking very briefly about the website. From there, we made last-minute preparations for my trip, and I was stoked and all set to go.

I flew into Sydney around Saturday night, after spending eleven hours trying to catch some sleep in the Kuala Lumpur International Airport. The layover fell smack dab in the middle of the night, so it wasn’t a good idea to try my luck and take in the nightlife of Malaysia, with not a single Ringgit to my name. Nonetheless, the flights were uneventful, although I was pretty impressed by how sprawling and modern KLIA looked, even when compared to the Sydney or Melbourne airports.

Around 7:15 in the evening or so on June 1, I finally hopped off the plane and it took a while before I finally saw My Beloved. There she sat, waiting for me, beautiful as she has ever been. We had very little time for courtesies as we made our way to the bus station just outside of the airport, where I noticed just how crazy cold the weather was in Australia. I wish I went here in summer, but alas, Beloved’s birthday fell on June 2, and I had no intention of missing that for the entire world.

After unpacking a bit and then repacking for our trip to Melbourne, the two of us went to Sydney Harbor for their Vivid light show, and what a sight it was. The whole place was just so picturesque, save for a mild drizzle that really got in the way of us enjoying the night. Like a pair of vagabonds, we intended to sleep at the train station before catching it to go to the airport, but sadly, that apparently wasn’t allowed. I watched over My Beloved that night as she tried to sleep outdoors, and the weather wasn’t really cooperating with us. Not really the perfect way to kickstart her birthday.

And, oh. One of the first things that greeted me in Sydney was a near-rumble that happened right in front of us just outside a Hungry Jack’s (aka Burger King). Apparently, a security guard wasn’t getting along too well with one of the employees from Jack’s, and they were getting in each other’s faces, shoving each other, and shouting obscenities. This guy who struck up a conversation with me inside the store, a British dude named Johnny, proceeded to drunkenly insert himself into the near-melee, and the fight quickly never began because it was going to be a 2-on-1 involving the Jack’s employee and Johnny on one side, and the scrawny security guard on the other. After that, Johnny and his female companion turned to us, and sarcastically exclaimed, “Welcome to Sydney!”

Soon as we got to Melbourne, it definitely felt different. For starters, while I was walking around Sydney, I probably saw a whole lot more ethnic Asians than Australians. If I would hazard a guess, I’d say it was 70-30, even. That ratio flipped around when we got to Melbourne. No value judgments there: just a pure observation which I found pretty fascinating.

Maybe Beloved tainted my opinion here, but I found Melbourne to be a much nicer city than Sydney, although I wouldn’t really say Sydney was bad or “the gates of hell,” either. The people were surprisingly friendly, and would actually say hi to you just by virtue of running into you. I think back to how surly we Filipinos have become, and begin to wonder if we reserve our much-vaunted hospitality only for foreign guests, and if the people in Melbourne actually did the same, albeit it seemed to me they were indiscriminately friendly to obvious tourists and locals alike.

Just one of the many sights in Melbourne. No, not the lady on the right side. The church!

We took the city bus tour of Melbourne, and I got myself acquainted with a few of the sights and sounds of the place. June 2 was already Beloved’s birthday, and I must admit, it was a bit embarrassing that she should have to celebrate her birthday sleeping on a bench in Sydney under the rain. I should have made the call to go to the airport instead, had I known that the trains would kick us out at half past midnight. How was I to know? While taking that very train en route to the harbour, I saw a bunch of people sleeping at the station!

The city tour was fine, and we even had a nice meal at this really good Malaysian place. I’m a sucker for crispy noodles. We went around some more, and even took a quick look at the Queen Victoria Market, where they had just a staggering amount of stalls selling all sorts of things. I would have been impressed if Greenhills didn’t exist. Heh.

Proof that I suck as a photographer. "Een Victoria," indeed.

We saw a couple of beautiful churches, and even met one of Beloved’s friends under the clock in Central. That clock was pretty cool. From there, we headed to Planetshakers Church, and enjoyed ourselves in there. It didn’t take too long before we started moving around and figuring out where the Ritz for Backpackers was, as that was where we were going to stay the next two nights. It didn’t take us long, and we finally got there.

The Ritz is definitely one of the best backpacker places you could ever pick, since they had communal wifi, clean rooms, and a distinct lack of chalk body outlines on the floors. Of course, you weren’t going to expect royal treatment, but for about $30 a night, what were you exactly going to expect, right?

The next day was punctuated by a walking tour around the St. Kilda beach area, since I promised to swing by the Nuffnang Australia office for a while just to talk to Kruppy and the rest of his team. Sadly, we came in just ten minutes before they had an important meeting, so the visit became rather brief, but we made up for that by finding the time to go around the Acland and Chapel shopping districts, where Beloved felt like a kid let loose in a candy shop.  Our highlight of the night was a lovely dinner in Ciccionila, which was heartily recommended by the Nuffnang Australia team. I’m glad I listened to them.

Forgot to have a picture taken with them! Darn.

Ciccionila was really awesome! From there, we had a nightcap of cake in the Acland Cake Store, and then made our way back to the Ritz, where they were having movie night. Before I went back up to tuck in, I saw that they went from Taken 2 to The Green Hornet. Interesting choice of films, if I do say so myself.

Very awesome, indeed.

After all that, we then took a plane in the morning to go back to Sydney, where we met a pair of Rowena’s friends, Coleen and her husband. They were the ones who looked over the stuff we left from our trip to Melbourne, and it was funny how they referred to me as the “ex ex,” and they were nudging Beloved in my direction.

Nice, but not terribly effective (sigh).

After a good lunch in a Thai restaurant, we then headed off to the train, all the way from Sydney to Lithgow, and from there, we were going to take a bus all the way to Orange, New South Wales, where Beloved was staying. It was mostly an uneventful bus ride, except for that time we ran over a kangaroo, and the kid up front sounded so traumatized about it.

From there, we went to the car My Beloved left outside the train station in Orange, and we were horrified to discover that it was forced open and completely stripped clean of any valuables. To make matters worse, this was a car loaned to Beloved by one of her closest friends in Australia, and it was *his* stuff that was stolen. Had it only been clothes or similar valuables, it would have been fine, but it appears that even some of his documents were taken, too.

The drive back home was agonizing, and we had to view the aftermath of the crime. Beloved was beside herself in guilt, and obviously, her friend was upset, but doing his best not to lose his cool. It was a disaster, and knowing that she took that car to the station because she was going to go get me from the Sydney Airport, a part of me felt responsible for the whole sordid affair. And remind me to tell you how much I hate this “friend” of hers, too, by the way. He is *married*, after all…

To top it all off, if I thought Sydney or Melbourne were cold? Dammit, Orange is much colder! I’m surprised my fingers are still actually moving and typing as I sit here in front of the computer. I mean, despite never having experienced snow, I’ve been used to cold weather thanks to annual trips to Baguio in the past, where the weather can hit 10 degrees Centigrade, but our first night in Orange was probably 6 degrees, and it just got progressively worse.

The next few days would prove to be an adventure in domestication for me. I helped fix things around the house, wash her clothes, do the dishes, cook a bit, do the groceries with her, and our time for bonding has been mostly spent watching episodes of Elementary before we went to sleep. It’s ridiculously cold in Orange, so the blankets we sleep in are something fierce. She enjoyed her present, by the way. At least, the one involving Sam YG, not the Ascension set. It’s too bad I didn’t get Xian’s message, though. That would have really been perfect.

I’m especially proud of the fact that my steaks have been very well-received, even the kangaroo steak that I didn’t have the foggiest idea about. We functioned as a pretty good team, really, and it was a taste of what might have been for My Beloved and I. If I do say so myself, we looked natural together. She saw it. Everyone around us saw it.

We had some very fun (mis)adventures throughout our time in Orange. I especially enjoyed the trip we made to the gelatto factory, and was amused by the fact that I never once saw a live kangaroo, despite all the signs warning us about their presence. Such a disappointment! LOL.

For the next couple of weeks, we pretty much had a routine down pat: she would get up and go to work, I would fix up in the house, maybe go online in the city center, then she would get off work, we’d go to Kmart or Coles or The Reject Shop for stuff she needs, go back, cook dinner, and watch a few episodes of Elementary before we would fall asleep. Speaking of our routine...

Most. Appropriate. Shop. Name. Ever.

It was domestic bliss, and it couldn’t have been any better until the last few nights, where a turning point just happened by Friday.

This came to a head when on Saturday, while driving to Seattle since I was flying back to Manila the next day, Beloved’s car broke down, and I had to run around like a headless chicken as I tried to find a coolant for her car. I had to make do with water, but she couldn’t have been more grateful that day if she tried. It was, to her, the moment where she appreciated me the most, and I couldn’t help but feel loved and valued from that point on, until I left. That afterglow of appreciation lasted all of a few days.

Anyways. It’s been a very nice but ultimately fleeting picture of how spending my life with My Beloved could very well have been. Sadly, despite everything we’ve been through in the last couple of weeks, I still am not anywhere near her ideal, especially since she’s already been with her ideal in the past – had he not been a cheating, lying douchebag. Unfortunately for me, with that distinct lack of loyalty came the skillset needed to woo multiple women at the same time: to put it bluntly, he was an Alpha Male who could do the household chores, while I may be a Gamma already, and not just a Beta.

Y’know, I always thought I’d be much more broken up about this than I would as I write this right now, but I guess my defense mechanisms kicked in earlier on in this trip already. I made sure that as soon as I went back to Manila, she wouldn’t fear that I would hate her or refuse to have anything to do with her. It’s nothing that dramatic. For better or worse, we’ve made ourselves invariably a part of each other’s lives now. It’s just tragic that we don’t see eye to eye as to exactly what our roles in each other’s life ought to be.

She was gorgeous. She was wonderful. She was damned near perfect. And in case all this writing hasn’t indicated it yet, for those two weeks, Manila was not home to me at all: she was.

She was there to help me see that there is life after all this, with or without her. How soon I could start that life, though, I sadly have no idea. I guess to a large extent, she's living proof that sometimes, love just ain't enough.

But I love her. And I love her more than I ever have, longer than I ever have, and better than I ever have before.

And maybe, just maybe, she does love me, too.

Project 52 2012 (4/52): On Why Mush Is Icky (Unless It's Coming From You)

.:Project 52 2012 (4/52): On Why Mush Is Icky (Unless It's Coming From You):.

But, but... how is this icky?

Regardless of our own relationship status, fewer things cloy us and make us feel uncomfortable than seeing other couples all lovey-dovey and mushy-mushy right before our very eyes. It annoys more than a few of us, and you will always hear that omnipresent line, "get a room!" when the situation gets just a bit too awkward for everybody else to take.

For some odd reason, happy couples bring out the cynic in us, and this is whether or not we're part of a happy couple setup ourselves. For the most part, we can't seem to just find love on display cute or touching or sweet anymore.

Why is that?

It's not a mystery, when you think about it, but it does feel a bit strange that we only care about the mush when it's happening to us. Sure, we like seeing the Kimeralds and the Guy and Pips of our world have their moment in the sun, but if we don't find it vicarious enough, we don't just cease to regard it, we instead choose to revile it. Indifference rarely, if ever, seems to be a choice response to mushy couples, and instead, we just end up having very strong reactions either way.

Cases in point: Melason. Bieber-Gomez. Ashton-Demi.

Best game of "Alin ang naiba" ever? Or worst? You decide.

 

It's odd, really. And I say this as someone who has had more than his fair share of bitterness over seeing himself surrounded by happy couples all around. I feel a tad claustrophobic when that happens, yet at the same time, it's doubly cruel not just because you're reminded of what you don't have at this point, but also the fact that at some point, you did have precisely this. A vicious cycle of sorts, if you will.

 

I think that really, when it comes to love, we collectively need a little less cynicism to go around. And that advice definitely goes double for me. It's pretty easy to get all negative and all suspicious of every good thing in our life, but you know the hard part? Just shutting up, grinning, and enjoying the good things for once.

Try it. It might surprise you.

A Quiet But Steady Month

.:Monthsary? Whee!:.

It's really hard to speak about relationships without some measure of skepticism or paranoia after what yours truly has been through, but I'm surprised to find myself here right now.

At the moment, I'm really just glad. Chanty has been just wonderful, and I can't quite explain how good we have been for each other. One month in, and it feels every bit as sweet and as surreal as it has since day one.

It's a great time for us right now, and I'm all smiles.

Ultimately, there isn't any reason to look back on what was and what came before this. All that matters is that what was, what is, and what will be all melt in the face of the truth.

And the truth is, she has been wonderful. And she has made a positive difference in my life. Is there anything else one can ask for, really?

Happy monthsary to us, Pancakes.

Project 52 (42/52): Count On Me - Bruno Mars

.:Project 52 (42/52): Count On Me - Bruno Mars:.

Some of you might know this by now, but last Saturday, I finally dived right in and am now officially in a relationship with Chanty. I won't gab too much about it lest I drown you in mush and all that goofy love-love feeling, but it was the most sensible thing I have done in the past two years, in my opinion. I'm happy, she's happy, and that's really what matters.

This song just so happens to be the song that I dedicated to her because it kinda fits, in all honesty.

Nothing more needs to be said here, except the fact that I sorta started saying we should call each other "Pancakes" and "Cookie", and pretty much on the same day we started doing so, we ran into Bobby Andrews.

It's a sign, I tell you.

Film Review: Rango

.:Film Review: Rango:.

Not the best movie poster shot ever!

Rango
Your typical hero’s journey. And I mean typical.

So Jazminne and I managed to watch yet another film together, and this time, it was one I wasn’t going to feel uncomfortable seeing with her. Rango is typical kid’s fare, if a little too typical. Despite that, the film decidedly had some child-unfriendly themes, and it was compounded with a clear-cut love letter to Westerns of old that I just couldn’t quite appreciate as much as it target audience clearly would’ve appreciated more.

Rango follows the story of, well, Rango, an earlier-unnamed pet chameleon who thinks himself a great thespian while living out his fantasy life in his terrarium. En route across the Mojave desert, he ends up in the middle of the desert, and now finds himself in the town of Dirt, who are facing a water crisis.

Finding this to be his chance to make a name for himself, he musters up his swagger to pretend to be a ruthless gunslinging lawman, which lands him the job of sheriff in the town, a thankless job as he now has to address the town’s water crisis, not to mention their mayor’s shady tactics, bank-robbing moles, and a host of other challenges.

What will happen to him once the people of Dirt find out that he’s a bald-faced liar?

The eternal hero’s journey is summarised in the following important points: (1)The Call To Adventure, (2) The Refusal Of Adventure, (3)The Crossing Of The Threshold, (4) The Road Of Trials, (5) Meeting With The Goddess, and (6) The Return. There are other steps in the journey in general, but these are the most important parts.

When you think about it, this movie fits all of these stages quite handily. This made the movie pretty rote and predictable to me, as I knew more or less what was going to happen at which point. The first act when he found himself out of his terrarium was his call to adventure, and at first, he refused this call. He ended up crossing the threshold when he realized that the town of Dirt wouldn’t know who he really was so he could do anything he wanted, really. Trial after trial then came: he had to deal with the moles, he had to deal with the hawk, and he had to deal with the mayor, among other things. After his fall from grace, he met with the “goddess” who was, in this case, a CGI version of Clint Eastwood, I believe. Then finally, he had his triumphant return.

It was so by the numbers, but it was so well-done, particularly since the voice acting for the entire film was top-notch. Johnny Depp acquits himself very well as Rango, and the rest of the cast really do justice to their roles.

This isn’t a bad film. Not by a long stretch. It’s just that... I can’t bring myself to care about it. Beyond watching the film with Jazminne and really enjoying my time with her, I could hardly care less what was going on with the movie.

And this is unfortunately why I can’t really analyze the movie the way I normally do. I wasn’t too particularly impressed, and it really, really could’ve been better.

That being said, your moment of Zen for today...

Yiheee!

Film Review: Black Swan

.:Film Review: Black Swan:.

I swear! The movie poster is just right behind us. LOL.

2010-2011 Transition Roundup

.:Back On The Poc!:.

It’s missing one particular visual gag, but my latest article is up on the POC now. Pretty fun stuff, if I do say so myself.

.:The New Year Roundup:.

That’s how you spend New Year’s Eve Eve. Yep. Eve Eve. Not a typo.

12/12/12: A Wedding Proposal For No One

.:12/12/12: A Wedding Proposal For No One:.

Beautiful girl, wherever you are...

To whom it may concern,

If John Mayer could do it in a song, I figured I could take it to a whole 'nother level in prose.

I don’t know how you’d take it, but over a year before you or I even contemplated marriage, I already booked a church for you and I on this date, 12 December, 2012. It’s our last chance to have a wedding date as symbolic as this until 12 December, 2112, which I doubt either of us would live to see. Given that we’re together, I’d like to think that you and I are both sentimental fools who would certainly want nothing more than a date like that. At worst, I doubt I’d ever forget an anniversary as significant as 12/12/12 no matter how senile I may get.

But hey, don’t get me wrong: this is a wedding proposal, and that means you're free to reject me and break my heart into a million pieces. I’d be the last person to force anyone into something they don’t want to do, and quite honestly, it may strike you as a bit strange that I would do this, but I figured that being married on 12/12/12 would mean as much to you as it would to me.

As I write this right now, I have no idea who you are, or if I’d actually just be wasting at least half a hundred grand on a church I would never get to use by the end of it all. All I know is that you would probably feel overwhelmed at all the effort I’m putting out for someone whom I may not have even met yet, if only to give you a special day and arguably the luckiest three numbers of this century.

And that’s really how crazy love is. I’m a hopeless romantic at heart, and while some people may find it weird or even pathetic, those who know me would realize that it’s a sincere and grand gesture coming from a very good place. I’m building this future for someone, because by the time that future becomes my present, it would all be worth it just to see the look in her eyes to know that I anticipated her all this time, and I stopped at nothing to give her the wedding date of the century – not even her apparent non-existence in my life while I write this.

All I know is, by the time all of this becomes reality, I will be loving you more than I have ever loved anyone else, and will be more than willing to keep it that way for the rest of my life. Maybe we’ve been friends for years, or we just met a few days ago from when I publish this, or I will meet you tomorrow from when I publish this, or you came back into my life just when I thought you were going to be just a memory, but it’s not the gesture or the number or the church I’ve reserved for us way before I should’ve that I hope you take away from all of this. It would be my willingness to do this for someone who will receive all the love I’ve had to give all my life. The kind of love I’ve been longing to shower upon someone who could love me as well, imperfections, quirks, and sappiness not aside, but well-accepted as part and parcel of who I am.

So to my dearest future bride, if you do exist and exist in time for this wonderful once-in-a-century date, I hope you don’t mind that I took the liberty of making this special, although really, none of this is really special unless you say “yes.” One word. Three letters. That takes on far more meaning than a very early reservation for a church for a would-be bride I have yet to be with.

Or perhaps, I could simply be fooling myself into thinking that I will find you. It matters not. This world is filled with cynics and misers, myself included, and lest I get swept into that Einerlei of cynicism and misery, I choose to keep just one beacon of hope lit in my heart for you. Whoever you are. Wherever you are. Whenever you are.

And so to you, my dearest, my most beloved, I give to you my heart, my soul, my world, my everything. All you need do is come into my life and accept it.

Giddiness Galore

.:Giddiness Galore:.

So...

Last Tuesday, I performed with my friends from the Comedy Cartel for a comedienne’s birthday in 77 Cafe. Now, this was a blast, and our open mic the next day was more of the same, but something about Tuesday night really stood out, and I can’t help but think about it with utter giddiness.

See, I was introduced to the comedienne’s friends as Kel, and one of them, upon finding out that I was a comedy magician, asked me if I knew a Marcelle Fabie. I looked at her, blinked, and said meekly that I was Marcelle. She didn’t recognize me, and neither did I recognize her.

That was, until she started jogging my memory. First, she reminded me that I was the aunt of a friend of mine. Unfortunately, I had three friends with the same name, so I was still drawing a blank. Then, she told me she was the mom of someone I knew very well, because this girl was someone I was very smitten by the first and only time I met her.

As the rest of the night unfolded, things just went unbelievably well, and while nothing is set in stone, hey, I definitely broke into a genuine smile for once in a long time.

I’m giddy. And I deserve to be.

Film Review: Paano Na Kaya?

.:Film Review: Paano Na Kaya?:.

Intense!

Paano Na Kaya?
Mahal mo ba, o mahalaga lang?

I watched this movie, and let me tell you right now, I wanna watch it again. It’s just that good, and I’m sure Hao would agree with me, as she caught the film with me.

Anyways, “Paano Na Kaya” follows the tale of two best friends, Bogs and May, as the former tries to make his car shop work while the latter is struggling to make her clothing business grow. As they go about it, the twists and turns they encounter with Bogs breaking up with his girlfriend, Anna, and the subsequent and inevitable rebound that happens, just makes for compelling storytelling.

I’ve caught Kimerald’s films from the get-go, and I’ve seen their acting improve over the years. The romantic tension between the two was so believably palpable in this one, and this outing was blessed with a solid script, and classic one-liners. The tandem looks much more natural onscreen, and I must say, the way the relationship developed, with May being in love with Bogs for years and just standing by him as his best friend no matter what, is something I could certainly relate to.

Anyways, the acting has improved substantially, but some bits of dialogue went on longer than they should’ve. I wished that the exposition wasn’t this gratuitous, but the sweet moments and the character development more than made up for it. As formulaic as it may seem, though, the supporting cast in the film really helped carry the Kimerald vehicle to unparalleled heights. I’ve always liked Kimerald, but I was the first to admit that their acting has always been less than spectacular. For this film, there was something that just clicked, and it’s worth watching if you’re a fan of keso-filled moments.

I love the chemistry between Bogs and May. The way their friendship progressed and how much of a martyr May seemed at the start while being not-so-secretly in love with Bogs may seem contrived, but I’ve found myself in that situation often enough to know it can be very real. How many of us have heard the expression, “ladies, there’s no such thing as a male best friend?” Personally, I do see where people get the idea, and it just confirms that I’m not the only one who can relate.

There are so many good lines, I don’t even know where to begin! I think it’d be a treat for you to just watch the movie yourself, and then relish the wonderful lines throughout.

Anyways, I won’t spoil the movie too much, because I still plan to keep watching it again and again. Let me just give it my glowing recommendations, albeit with the caveat that you really shouldn’t watch this movie alone.

Did you know that two Atenean Philo majors wrote the script for this one? Wow. Maybe I can write the next Kimerald film, then? :P

Fun Evaluation: A+
Critical Evaluation: B+

Happy Second Anniversary, My Beloved!

.:Two Years With You... Two Years I Couldn't Be More Grateful For...:.

Through thick or thin, you know I love you so much. As we celebrate our second anniversary, here's to more years with you, My Beloved. I love you so much, and I can't wait to see you again.

I hope you're enjoying yourself in Japan, but not too much.

I LOVE YOU!!! I can't say it enough today. I'm just overflowing with love for you, and you know you're the first and last thought in my mind each day, My Beloved...

I Miss You...

.:Though You're Far Away Right Now...:.

MERRY CHRISTMAS, MY BELOVED!!! Thinkin' about you always!

All I Can Think Of Today...

... is how much I love my Beloved, and how awesome what she told me today was...

Posting Next Time, But...

... I'm happy.

Giddy, even. :)

All Those Dead People, And What Does Superman Do?

.:Ahahahaha!!!:.

What Would Superman Do?

Ganked this from someone on Scans Daily.

.:Exhausted, But Happy:.

Money flow has been a lot more liquid, and now, I must say I haven't been this happy since an entire year.

It's amazing how it works out that two fiery tempers can give way for each other such that it never happens that both are in a foul mood at the same time.