~
Well, I was hoping that I could blog at least once in a week…

-

We have a saying here at work: You can leave anything on your table and it won’t get lost – your wallet, your mobile phone, a thousand peso bill, your jewelry - but never your pen. I don’t know how many pilot V5 sign pens I’ve lost ever since I came to this company. Good thing everything’s provided for by supplies.

The simplest explanation would be people just take the nearest pen within their reach when they need one and they forget to return them. The owner, after finding out that his/her pen has (again) mysteriously disappeared would just ask for another one from supplies. Here’s the thing, all of us here have the same experience and the company churns out a box of pens (about 30 V5’s) every month. Where the hell do those pens go? If the pens just keep going around changing its owners, aren’t we supposed to be swamped by pens scattered everywhere and in every corner by now? Do they just simply disintegrate into thin air?

--

~

By now, with reviews coming in from CTC, movies.go etcetra, we know that some people didn't like the sequel as much as the first one. Perhaps Dead Man's Chest just fell a little short. Most will probably feel like they just watched TLotR: Fellowship of the Ring or The Matrix: Reloaded. Figure out the similarities between the two.

Personally, I'd say go watch Pirates. It is more action-packed than Pirates 1 and has more humour and personal conflicts which even more developed the already lovable (or you-love-to-hate) characters. It kind of reminded me of the movie Cut-throat Island which starred Geena Davis (Long Kiss Goodnight). I'd recommend you to watch that one if you're into pirates and treasures. Cut-throat Island has the same feel and action into it as Pirates so the movie just won't grow old.

If you're a fan of Geoffrey Rush, you'll love the ending! (spoiler alert) But really, Dead Man's Chest I think served it's purpose - a purpose the producers kept from the viewers which is to build up for a third installment that's going to be real big. *shivers me timbers already* (whatever that means)

--

~

I was dusting one of my scratch journals of poems earlier and as I scanned the pages, I found this poem I had written in 1999. I couldn’t even remember my inspiration for writing it. I just remember this friend who confided in me about her hopeless story of waiting for a boy (who I couldn’t even remember anymore) and I wrote empathizing how desperate she was. Reading it again now, I could only get a clue on just how complicated the situation she must’ve been in so that she needed to keep everything within herself. I only know there was a reason she couldn’t speak up and I could just feel how hopeless she felt. I don’t think I was even able to finish the poem.

-

I am trying all I could to breakdown the wall
I’ve built over the years
With a desperate wish that I could
Let you in

I am here… just reaching out
Just waiting for you, although I am
Now weak to barely raise a hand

If only I could tell you to go on,
Just stay here where you are
And love me

If only I could let you
Know that I am waiting for you
To catch me

If only I could’ve told you to wait
Just for a while
If only you could hear my heart
Crying out for your name…
Please stay, please take me,
out of this place,
Hold me and never let me
Slip away ever
Again.

--

~

So I’ve been able to rush all the work I could possibly do so far and now I’m finally left with idle time. Perhaps a good time to write but no, I think I got burned out from the company projects and reports that my system is now rejecting my computer. Ok… take it easy, just relax, slow down… start rambling…

~

I recently found myself visiting the UST Center for Campus Ministry. I could’ve sworn I felt I was being drawn towards the as I finished a project needs analysis with a client somewhere near the area. I just had to visit the place. Work has been way in all over my head I desperately needed to land on safe ground. Perhaps on this case a sanctuary.

A book once said everything you needed to learn in life, you already learned in kindergarten but I have to strongly disagree. You don’t meet your most trusted friends in prep or kindergarten. You don’t get to fall in love and get heart broken that young either. You don’t get through tough emotional pressure when you’re below 7. Basically, behavioural psychologists would agree that when a person finishes high school, the traits and personalities that person has developed will likely stay that way until that person dies. Unless a major life-altering event takes place.

The campus still felt the same – home and safe. Until I noticed the huge new buildings abound. God, they now have a mall inside the campus. And I am not exaggerating. Not only do they now have a building filled with food shops like Taco-Bell, Dimsum and Dumplings, Kimchi, a grill house, a Mc Donald’s and (best of all) a KFC chain, the mall also has mobile phone shops, RTW’s, a bookstore and so on. If that’s not a mall I don’t know what is. Oh, the 3 level parking area attached to the building easily gives it away.

Anyway, I was able to make it to the campus ministry. No, I am not an atheist as you probably have concluded. I used to spend 70% of my time as a student being a volunteer. That was more fulfilling for me than getting top marks. And yes, I believe in a god or gods or even a goddess. If some religions like Shintoism believe that there might be more gods and goddesses to represent ethereal beings then I respect that and I can also take that principle in. So I may be agnostic. If it means that I can respect other religions and relate to their principles, then for me, it’s a good thing. The world needs more people like me so that war can be averted.

The campus ministry office still felt the same. It is a bit more cramped than ever but it’s still home. I went through the photo albums of our time and laughed at the pictures while I was there. There we were on the pictures, young and serving under one faith. Perhaps some volunteers by now would have developed other personal or Gnostic principles and theories about their religion but I know that once, the place was their home too as it had been mine and God was there.

--

~

The Insomniac is a bit toxic with much work to write but thankfully, we are still able to visit theatres. Here are quick movie recaps for now.

The Fast and The Furious: Tokyo Drift
I could see this movie ten times and still enjoy it. I’m a fan of the Need for Speed Underground game and Tokyo Drift just brought the game to life with flashy cars, outrageous tuning and the underground racing scene. The game is as close as I could get to burning Evo 8 wheels on asphalt.

The movie is totally detached from the last 2 Paul Walker titles but it surely faired well in theatres that carried the film for a minimum of 3 weeks. Not bad for a never-heard cast. It isn’t exactly inspiring when it comes to values etc. but car fans will sure get juiced up on tuning up and car-mods.

Superman Returns
It’s a good movie no matter what people say. The beginning titles of the movie was nostalgic to start with and I appreciated the effort to base the story on the designs of the first Superman movie. Brandon Routh couldn’t be more perfect. For a guy that just appeared on a Christina Aguilera video, the role is definitely a big jump. Suddenly, he’s a superhero icon from outer space. He’s got a striking resemblance to Reeve and he will most likely be type-casted. Who cares?

Kevin Spacey was another hit for the role. People will expect Luthor to be the best-acted role following Gene Hackman and Michael Rosenbaum (the only great actor in Smallville). I just didn’t buy his evil plan not one bit. I mean it was great that he discovered what Kal-el’s crystals was all about but that was the best thing he could think about? Well, they are villains straight from the comic books anyway. Lois on the other hand is a bit off as Zafra mentioned; she just doesn’t fit that fearless-reporter profile.

Soundtrack? Forget it. It was nice to hear the original John Williams score and a hint of "Can You Read My Mind' but other than that, you get nothing more that could've enhanced the visual experience.

The Omen
The Omen is 120 bucks wasted on 1.5 hours. I can’t imagine what the producers were thinking of remaking the original 1979 movie (or was it 1978?). Watch the original one. Even typing this review of The Omen is a waste of time.

--