ROAD TO PERDITION

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Peter O’Sullivan: “Why are you always smiling?”
Conner Rooney: “Because I find life so fucking hysterical!”

isa siguro ang american beauty sa current top 10 list ko. una, dahil sa storya. from start to finish, magaling ang nakakatawa, nakakaiyak at very original na script ni alan ball. incidentally, siya rin ang writer/director/producer ng “six feet under”, yung isda best na series sa HBO.

pangalawa, yung cast – from kevin spacey to chris cooper to annette bening to thora birch, walang tulak-kabigin sa mga artistang gumanap dito. bukod sa “the usual suspects” ni x-men director brian singer, ang “american beauty” siguro ang pinaka magaling na pelikula ni spacey.

ikatlo, yung cinematography ni (the late great) conrad hall, in particular, yung laro ng light and shade sa set. ikaapat ay yung musica. magaling ang score at yung soundtrack ay espesyal sa akin. lalong lalo na ang eksena na pinatugtog ni mena suvari yung “don’t let it bring you down” ni neil young na cover ni annie lenox – it kills me everytime i watch it.

at panghuli, yung direction ni sam mendes – in particular, yung subtlety, yung pace at yung takbo ng buong pelikula… ang galing. di ko na ipapaliwanag, panoorin nyo na lang. hehehe.

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BOOKS I AM CURRENTLY READING

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1. “the last vampire” by whitley strieber. this is either too predictable or perhaps i have had too much of the genre. i’m halfway through and there’s a small voice that’s telling me to dump it.

2. “road to perdition”. graphic novel by max allan collins and richard rayner. made into a film by “american beauty” director sam mendes. this book should be read, at least, twice. once for the story. twice, for the artwork. highly recommended. as much as i respect the work of sam mendes a lot, i think the novel’s a lot better as a book than the movie is as a film.

3. “to father” tranlated by dava sobel. the letters of sister maria celeste to her father, the great astronomer and inventor, galileo. synchronicity again: while i was scanning the book this morning, my random song playlist started playing the indigo girls song called…”galileo”.

BEING TAKEN OFF THE SARS LIST

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Singapore is on the brink of being taken off the WHO list of SARS-affected countries as the Health Ministry has confirmed that the IMH cluster of patients and staff who came down with fever last week do not have SARS.

with singapore SARS free, makakauwi na kami, kami kami! hehehe… GARDEMET. philippines, my philippines. i may see you in june! june! june! (ayan, sa sobrang tuwa, may echo na naman)

SUMUKO na KAYO… KAYO… KAYO. napapaligiran na namin ang hideout NINYO… NINYO… NINYO. hehehe. may ECHO. parang cheap karaoke. hehehe.

NAUTUSAN LANG BUMILI NG PATIS

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aalis kami ni jet ngayong hapon para bumili ng patis. hehehe… you can take the pinoy out of the philippines but you cannot take the philippines out of the pinoy.

consider this:

  1. babyahe kami ng bus to the pasir ris train station, 10 minutes
  2. MRT from pasir ris to city hall station, 30 minutes
  3. transfer train, ride again from city hall papuntang orchard, 10 minutes
  4. get out of the train station, walk to the filipino stores at lucky plaza, 10 minutes

total cost of trip: $ 2.00 taymis 2 equals $ 4.00 dibaydibay 0.033 equals 121 pesoses.
cost ng isang boteng rufina: $ 2.50 (75 pesoses)

BWAKANGINANGYAN… all that time and money para lang sa patis.

TAKEOUT LUNCH

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ngayong lunch ay nag takeout ako: giniling na baboy, fried chicken, ginisang toge at kanin na may curry gravy sauce. typical malay-chinese topping meal. total price: S3.80 (around 114 pesos). mahal ito dahil nasa airconditioned na commercial area. kung sa regular turo-turo, around $2.50 (75 pesos) and price ng kinain ko. on the other hand, mura na rin, considering na ang mcdo value meal dito sa singapore ay around $6 (180 pesoses).

NAHULI ANG BABI

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lamang loob na baboy, nahuli sa malaysia-singapore border

1.7 tons na lamang loob ng baboy ang nahuli ng mga customs ng singapore habang ini-i-smuggle accross the johor strait. bakit hinuli? muslim kasi ang mga baboy na galing malaysia. hehehe… the real reason: mayron kasing sakit ang mga baboy sa malaysia at matagal na itong banned sa singapore. kung kaya ang baboy dito ay galing pa sa indonesia at sa australia.

yung company from australia na exporter ng baboy, cute ang pangalan: “AIR PORK”

KUMAIN NG MONGGO CONTRA SARS

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i shit you not, this is a true story

balita ngayon sa cnn… doon daw sa cambodia, may mga taong naniniwala raw na kapag kumain ka ng ginisang monggo tuwing alas dose ng madaling araw ng miyerkoles, di ka magkakaroon ng SARS.

(pregnant pause…)

ang paniniwala ko naman, pag kumain ka ng ginisang monggo at saka lechon kawali na may sawsawang sukang maanghang na may toyo tuwing lunes ng gabi, eh mabubusog ka.

HAPPY VESAK DAY

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ngayon ay isang malaking fiesta sa singapore, lalong lalo na sa mga buddhists… Vesak Day. ipinagdiriwang ang kapanganakan at pagkamulat ni Buddha at ang kanyang pagpasok sa Nirvana.

Come as you are, as you were
As I want you to be
As a friend, as a friend
As an old enemy

sa bahay lang siguro kami ni jet. bumili ako ng isang buong chocolate cake – kainin naming maghapon. hehehe… binili ko sa “bengawan solo”, ang paborito naming bake shop sa singapore. ito ay pag-aari ng mga indonesian chinese at isa itong malaking chain dito sa isla. marami silang kakanin na paborito ni jet. in fact, bumili ako ng isang kahon nung isang araw, inubos na niya ata lahat eh. masarap ang kanilang mga “sapin-sapin compatible”. halos kalasa na rin ng mga kakanin natin sa maynila. mayron din silang pineapple tarts na ubod ng sarap at ubod ng mahal! hehehe… kaya sa kakanin na lang kami (55 cents a peice) o kaya sa mga cake ($ 2.00 per slice).

SUPER SINGAPORE SARS BALITA

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di-dit-ditdididit-di-dit-ditdididit” (sound epeks na morse code na ginagamit sa radio news)…TIME CHECK…ang oras sa buong kapuluan: limang minuto, makaraan ang truck ng basura. Ang oras ay hatid sa inyo ng “Birch Tree Holland Powder Milk, Ang Gatas ng Dalagang Ina na may gata!”… ding-dong (sound epeks ng time check)…

BAD BAD News: Fears of new Sars cluster at IMH – MAY 14, 2003

After 15 days of no new possible SARS cases, yesterday, the Health Officials have announced of a probable new SARS cluster in the Institute of Mental Health. Ito yung pinaka “Mandaluyong-LOOB” nila. Just five days to go before the 20 day ALL-CLEAR, singapore gets a big whammy. patay…. Twenty-four elderly patients and six nurses at the Institute of Mental Health in Hougang are down with fever, and Health Minister Lim Hng Kiang said last night that they should be treated as a new cluster of possible Sars cases.

BWAKANGNANGYAN…baka hindi na talaga kami makauwi ng june. ang mangyayari kasi rito eh, hahanapin nilang lahat ang mga pasyente, bisita at staff ng hospital. quarrantine na katakot takot at pinakamasaklap sa lahat… back to day 1. count uli ng 20 days na walang SARS para mabigyan ng all clear.

mother’s day at parenthood dito sa singapore, part 2

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balansihin naman natin: yung isang office mate ko, 12 years bago nagkaroon ng anak. kung saan saan sila nagpunta para lang mabuntis ang misis niya at malaki ang ginastos sa mga fertility clinic. di naman sila nabigo at kinalaunan, nabuntis din si misis. as soon as nalaman nila ito, pinag-resign na niya ang kanyang asawa sa pagiging isang guro at naging full time housewife.

ang anak nila ay 6 years old na ngayon at kindergarten na. sa gabi, dinadala nila ang kanilang anak para i-tutor ng 2 oras sa iba’t-ibang mga klase sa kung saan-saang evening classes. monday, math. tuesday, english. wednesday, chinese. thursday, drawing. saturday, swimming. ang pag enroll ng mga anak sa mga extra courses para mag excel sa school ay typical din sa mga singaporeans parents.