"Even in literature and art, no man who bothers about originality will ever be original: whereas if you simply try to tell the truth (without caring twopence how often it has been told before) you will, nine times out of ten, become original without ever having noticed it."
- C.S. Lewis
20 April 2012
19 April 2012
You know it's love if there's bacon and hash brown.
While the beginning of this week sucked balls, today certainly more than made up for it. I woke up early to catch up with deadlines while my husband did the nicest, sweetest thing ever: he made me a BIG breakfast and there was no free, eat-all-you-can breakfast buffet at any five-star hotel that could have made me leave the house this morning.
From someone who isn't exactly an active participant in the kitchen, the gesture was enough to make anyone's heart melt. He slaved over the stove for a couple of hours or so preparing Tender Juicy hotdogs, bacon, and hash brown - and seeing them together, all my favorites, was enough to make my mouth water and my heart palpitate from the anticipated cholesterol shock. There was also bread, butter, coffee, fried rice (his own "recipe"), orange juice, and fruit. It was positively the most delicious breakfast I have ever had in my life. And the presentation wasn't bad either. He even took time to do this:
I thought it was the sweetest thing ever. It was hard for me to eat those hotdogs but yeeeah, I ate them anyway. I did not even care that I was supposed to be on a self-imposed diet. Heh. (Anyone who knows my husband will agree that he could be a tough nut to crack and is surely not one to back down from a fight. But he can also be such a sweet, delicious butterball sometimes.)
Having stuffed my face to the point of shame, I found that my husband's hard work and the delicious meal he made motivated me to do my best at work - and that was precisely what I did. I was able to accomplish what I needed to accomplish and it is just the best feeling in the world, isn't it?
I also had another important realization from Monday's Misfortunes (wow, that'd be a fine a book title); a realization that has inspired me to never stop trying to outdo myself. I realized that sometimes, losing things makes you better appreciate things -- both the things you have lost and the ones you have left. Everything happens for a reason and it seems that losing this important contract served to remind me that I am lucky to have a source of income and to not mess things up again. It was like... I just felt like a brand new person.
From someone who isn't exactly an active participant in the kitchen, the gesture was enough to make anyone's heart melt. He slaved over the stove for a couple of hours or so preparing Tender Juicy hotdogs, bacon, and hash brown - and seeing them together, all my favorites, was enough to make my mouth water and my heart palpitate from the anticipated cholesterol shock. There was also bread, butter, coffee, fried rice (his own "recipe"), orange juice, and fruit. It was positively the most delicious breakfast I have ever had in my life. And the presentation wasn't bad either. He even took time to do this:
I thought it was the sweetest thing ever. It was hard for me to eat those hotdogs but yeeeah, I ate them anyway. I did not even care that I was supposed to be on a self-imposed diet. Heh. (Anyone who knows my husband will agree that he could be a tough nut to crack and is surely not one to back down from a fight. But he can also be such a sweet, delicious butterball sometimes.)
Having stuffed my face to the point of shame, I found that my husband's hard work and the delicious meal he made motivated me to do my best at work - and that was precisely what I did. I was able to accomplish what I needed to accomplish and it is just the best feeling in the world, isn't it?
I also had another important realization from Monday's Misfortunes (wow, that'd be a fine a book title); a realization that has inspired me to never stop trying to outdo myself. I realized that sometimes, losing things makes you better appreciate things -- both the things you have lost and the ones you have left. Everything happens for a reason and it seems that losing this important contract served to remind me that I am lucky to have a source of income and to not mess things up again. It was like... I just felt like a brand new person.
16 April 2012
Something really messed up...
...happened to me today. (As if that's news.)
A client since 2010 suddenly terminated our contract this morning- for very understandable reasons - and gave me a low feedback rating to boot. The truth is I've been messing up things between us for quite a while now and as expected, things eventually blew over.This client was my first on oDesk and he was still paying me a lower hourly rate. Only reason why I kept working for his company is a perhaps misplaced sense of gratitude for giving me a chance.
Just a couple of months back, I summoned the courage to politely request for a higher rate but the email I sent was either ignored or lost within the depths of his spam inbox. I did not follow up, for fear of rejection. I should have called it quits then (or long before that, even) but instead, I took on jobs from clients who'd pay my current rate, thinking I could handle the work, only to end up neglecting work from this client week after week until... well, today.
It wasn't as much as the ending of the contract that's depressing. Honestly, this would have been a relief if not for the low rating client gave me based on my performance for this last project, which I was unable to finish. I worked hard building around 30 websites with the company the past couple of years and I believe he should have at least considered all that when he gave me a rating. I know my mistakes, ones I will never ever commit again. I just hoped he wasn't so unfair.
Just a couple of months back, I summoned the courage to politely request for a higher rate but the email I sent was either ignored or lost within the depths of his spam inbox. I did not follow up, for fear of rejection. I should have called it quits then (or long before that, even) but instead, I took on jobs from clients who'd pay my current rate, thinking I could handle the work, only to end up neglecting work from this client week after week until... well, today.
It wasn't as much as the ending of the contract that's depressing. Honestly, this would have been a relief if not for the low rating client gave me based on my performance for this last project, which I was unable to finish. I worked hard building around 30 websites with the company the past couple of years and I believe he should have at least considered all that when he gave me a rating. I know my mistakes, ones I will never ever commit again. I just hoped he wasn't so unfair.
Sigh. I think I'll get my nails done later.
30 March 2012
This is Why I Don't Watch Local Films
Someone had been kind enough to warn me to not bother watching Corazon: Ang Unang Aswang. But do I listen? Do I pay heed? NO. Me and my husband ended up paying dearly for our childish eagerness and curiosity by having about a couple of hours of our lives wasted watching Erich Gonzales crying/screaming/crying/screaming, Derek Ramsay pretending he's pissed as hell, and the two of them trying to act horny for each other. Ugh.
I have nothing against these two people (no doubt they are nice and beautiful) but pardon me for saying that the only good things about the movie involve the remarkable acting skills of Mark Gil (of course) and Epy Quizon. Even Mon Confiado, whose name you may not recognize but whose face you see everywhere, was a welcome sight.
Corazon was directed by Richard Somes, who also directed Yanggaw and Lihim ng San Joaquin in one of the Shake, Rattle, & Roll franchises. Alas, it was not exactly what I would call a step in the right direction. This makes me sad in a way because Yanggaw, low-budgeted as it was, had been fantastic and San Joaquin captured an authentic and unique feel to it such as what we always seek in new films featuring aswangs and local mythical creatures - and what was missing in Corazon. I guess entering the cinema with wrong expectations contributed to our disappointment. We really thought that this is going to be like aswang films of old; eerie and exciting, but again: NO.
Corazon turned out to be a love story (a cheesy one if I might add) between a woman who went crazy after having lost a child; who "coped" with the loss by eating children in the neighborhood, and her tall, dark, and handsome (and also very devoted) husband, who, although he was portrayed as a good hunter in the earlier scenes, failed to track his crazy wife when she ran to the woods in a frenzy after the tragic incident. How long she was gone we are not sure, but somehow, in the end they finally find each other again and then the husband was faced with the choice to either kill his wife - who by then has gone far beyond "saving" - or let the townspeople do it. What do you know, a simpler solution presents itself. They decide to escape the ugly situation by deciding to run away together, and so they ran, holding hands, disappearing into the night, surrounded by the mist, forever.
Corazon is peppered with bland, underdeveloped characters, questionable motives, and a sloppy narrative. Yes, yes. I get the story's intention of opening a discussion on how the myth of the aswang started - basically a recipe that includes gossip, superstition, prejudice, a fearful post-war mentality, and a woman's exceptional DIY skills. [Scene: Corazon wearing the carcass of a wild boar as she attacks the villagers, supposedly explaining the myth behind aswangs having the power to transform into animals at will, including boars]. It is actually a very promising premise botched by the production team having perhaps decided to pay more attention to getting Corazon's hobo-slash-white-lady look right rather than working on a more believable and better crafted narrative.
I just realized that I spoiled everything for potential readers/viewers without warning. I don't care. Even the spoiler Nazi in me has been numbed down by this ridiculous movie.
Somebody please tell Philippine schools of acting (wherever they are) that crying a river is not necessarily the only way to express grief, whether or not it's the kind of grief that drives you mad. Good film actors can "act" without extreme shows of emotion, we all know that. They can show hope, hesitation, sorrow, inner turmoil, etc using only their eyes and bodies - without being too theatrical about it too. You can do it even without the need words.
I've observed that most of our actors resort to being hysterical when someone dies onscreen. You see them not only in movies but in soaps as well. Somebody make it stop. Well I guess, whoever facilitates these acting workshops do not know anything nor care about subtlely. Everyone (including the audience of course) still gets off on over-the-top acting. It's not even Derek's nor Erich's fault that they act this way. It's how they were instructed.
I have nothing against these two people (no doubt they are nice and beautiful) but pardon me for saying that the only good things about the movie involve the remarkable acting skills of Mark Gil (of course) and Epy Quizon. Even Mon Confiado, whose name you may not recognize but whose face you see everywhere, was a welcome sight.
Corazon was directed by Richard Somes, who also directed Yanggaw and Lihim ng San Joaquin in one of the Shake, Rattle, & Roll franchises. Alas, it was not exactly what I would call a step in the right direction. This makes me sad in a way because Yanggaw, low-budgeted as it was, had been fantastic and San Joaquin captured an authentic and unique feel to it such as what we always seek in new films featuring aswangs and local mythical creatures - and what was missing in Corazon. I guess entering the cinema with wrong expectations contributed to our disappointment. We really thought that this is going to be like aswang films of old; eerie and exciting, but again: NO.
Corazon turned out to be a love story (a cheesy one if I might add) between a woman who went crazy after having lost a child; who "coped" with the loss by eating children in the neighborhood, and her tall, dark, and handsome (and also very devoted) husband, who, although he was portrayed as a good hunter in the earlier scenes, failed to track his crazy wife when she ran to the woods in a frenzy after the tragic incident. How long she was gone we are not sure, but somehow, in the end they finally find each other again and then the husband was faced with the choice to either kill his wife - who by then has gone far beyond "saving" - or let the townspeople do it. What do you know, a simpler solution presents itself. They decide to escape the ugly situation by deciding to run away together, and so they ran, holding hands, disappearing into the night, surrounded by the mist, forever.
Corazon is peppered with bland, underdeveloped characters, questionable motives, and a sloppy narrative. Yes, yes. I get the story's intention of opening a discussion on how the myth of the aswang started - basically a recipe that includes gossip, superstition, prejudice, a fearful post-war mentality, and a woman's exceptional DIY skills. [Scene: Corazon wearing the carcass of a wild boar as she attacks the villagers, supposedly explaining the myth behind aswangs having the power to transform into animals at will, including boars]. It is actually a very promising premise botched by the production team having perhaps decided to pay more attention to getting Corazon's hobo-slash-white-lady look right rather than working on a more believable and better crafted narrative.
I just realized that I spoiled everything for potential readers/viewers without warning. I don't care. Even the spoiler Nazi in me has been numbed down by this ridiculous movie.
Somebody please tell Philippine schools of acting (wherever they are) that crying a river is not necessarily the only way to express grief, whether or not it's the kind of grief that drives you mad. Good film actors can "act" without extreme shows of emotion, we all know that. They can show hope, hesitation, sorrow, inner turmoil, etc using only their eyes and bodies - without being too theatrical about it too. You can do it even without the need words.
I've observed that most of our actors resort to being hysterical when someone dies onscreen. You see them not only in movies but in soaps as well. Somebody make it stop. Well I guess, whoever facilitates these acting workshops do not know anything nor care about subtlely. Everyone (including the audience of course) still gets off on over-the-top acting. It's not even Derek's nor Erich's fault that they act this way. It's how they were instructed.
28 March 2012
Shibumi
"As you know, shibumi has to do with great refinement underlying commonplace appearances. It is a statement so correct that it does not have to be bold, so poignant it does not have to be pretty, so true it does not have to be real. Shibumi is understanding, rather than knowledge. Eloquent silence. In demeanor, it is modesty without pudency. In art, where the spirit of shibumi takes the form of sabi, it is elegant simplicity, articulate brevity. In philosophy, where shibumi emerges as wabi, it is spiritual tranquility that is not passive; it is being without the angst of becoming. And in the personality of a man, it is . . . how does one say it? Authority without domination? Something like that.”
-Trevanian, Shibumi
-Trevanian, Shibumi
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