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Monday, October 04, 2004
ALARM CLOCK
Adunay alarm clock among subdivision, dili kani kinahanglan ug battery. Pero dili nimo pwede ma-off. Hulaton lang nimo nga ma-off lang ug iyaha. Sa entiro adlaw makabalo ka kung unsa na nga oras, maski dili ka motanaw sa relo. Unsaon?
Kung mo-agi na ang pandesal boy ug nag-syagit-syagit na ug “Paaaaaannnnndddeeessssaaallll….” ang pasabot ana, alas-quatro na.
Kung mang-agi na gani ang mga trabahante sa TADECO ug STANFILCO, pasabot ana alas-singko na.
Kung maka-dungog na gani ka ug radyo nga hastang kusoga, ma-FM man o Ma-Am, alas-sais na.
Kung ikaw estudyante, ayaw hulata nga mu-agi si Nang Susa sa inyong balay para mangolekta ug lamaw kay sigurado, late na ka, alas- siyete na na sa buntag.
Kung ikaw trabahante sa munispiyo, ayaw na sad hulata nga mu-agi si Nang Susa gikan sa pagpangolekta ug lamaw kay sigurado, alas-diyes na, perti na nimong late-ta.
Kung ikaw katabang, ayw hulata nga mahutdan ug trisikad sa kanto. Palihug lang,ayaw hulata nga mamingaw ang dalan kay wala na’y mga trisikad nga ga-pundo, kay alas-dose na gyud na,tingpani-udto na.
Kung ang silingan kay madungog ang kakusog sa ilang radyo,ilabina kung maka-dungog ka ug programa sa Bombo nga “Handumana sa Usa ka-Awit”, tulog na,kay ala-una na gyud. Siyesta time!
Kung mo-agi na gani ang bata nga mamaligya uy pan de coco o diba kaha si Nong George kay namaligya ug bingka, mata na kay alas-tres na. Maklaro man sad nimo nga alas-tres na kay kung ang inyong silingan magtanaw ug TV, madungo nimo ang “The Three O’clock Prayer” sa TV, kanang sa ABS-CBN gani.
Kung mobalik na ug agi si Nong George sa inyong balay kay nahurot na ug baligya sa iyang bingka ig kung mangutana ka sa bata kung naa pa bay pan de coco human mo-ingin siya nga wala na, hala, paghinay-hinay na ug limpyo sa balay, kay hapit na na alas-kwatro. Pag-luto na pod.
Kung daghan na gani trisikad nga mang-ngagi sa inyong balay, kanang magsunod gyud ug labay, murag prosesyon, andam-andam na kay tingpauli na sa mga estudyante ug mga trabahante. Alas singko na.
Kung maka-dungog ka ug intro music sa TV Patrol, tingpanihapon na. Murag ang oras ana naa ra sa alas-sais sa hapon o diba kaha mga alas-siyete na. Depende kung uns aoras mahuman ang SCQ Reloaded.
Kung tingkatulog na gani maklaro man na kay mahilum na nag tanan. Ang madungog na lang kay ang mga ng videoke sa pikas kanto, gawas sa subdivision. Mga alas-nuwebe na na o diba kaha alas diyes o alas-onse.
Kung madungo nimo ang tingug sa mga mga dice sa mah-jong o diba kaha mga katawa sa mga lalaki, ala-una na.tulog na kay momata pa ka ug sayo.[shiella a. ildefonso]
Posted at 08:55 pm by iskolar
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THE REAL SCORE ON CHURCH WEDDINGS
When we were young a cousin of mine wanted to get married on a Sunday church wedding, full of guests and have a grand reception with of course a very exotic honeymoon trip. After so many years, I was shocked with the news that she was getting married right then and there. Now she wanted to get married as soon as possible – no church wedding, no guests, no reception and no more honeymoon. It was a quick decision after she discovered that she was three months pregnant. And I was even more shocked about the pregnancy-issue. Well, years of having no communication, things must have changed. She used to be the most reserved person I’ve known. She wouldn’t go out and play with us – running in the rain, riding bikes and climbing hills. She’d rather do the cross-stitching and knitting then play syatong with us. She wouldn’t even talk to her neighbors, except when she was asked. We jokingly assumed what her future would be. She would be the kindest nun, and the church would get more rich with her angelic face for donors would flood in the parish or a telephone operator, since she only talked when she was asked. And I was astonished with the thought that my cousin was getting married in a week. She must have changed after all. I wondered who’s the father of that child. Her mother said she stopped schooling and rather worked in a factory, where her mother was working there too. But in a month, my cousin resigned and wanted to go back to school. So her mother sent her to Davao City and stayed with my other aunt. But after a semester, she’d asked her mother to let her work again in Davao. And I don’t know how much consideration did my aunt had to give when her daughter was totally lost with her life. Funny, but when we were young, she was the only child who’s future was clear, unlike us – kids with no direction, that time. And now, I know it would be unfair to judge her easily. But whatever her reasons were let her keep it for herself.
I wondered what happened to her dreams about church weddings and stuff. Well, it was too perfect to imagine. Like in movies or even in real life, church weddings were always the most beautiful event. It celebrated two people taking their vows and making their dreams to spend a lifetime together. It was also the most dramatic event for the groom and the bride and even the invited family and friends and for the gatecrashers, too ( the EXs and the like). But all in all, the wedding would turn out to be fine and the guests would go home happy and full. And some went home carrying plastic bags containing the paid catered food. And that was it all about wedding. And after a year or so, the couple would separate and the marriage would be annulled. Now, that’s what they get after paying an expensive wedding. End of the story.
But really, were weddings are always about happiness? Was it an easy thing as 1-2-3? If I wanted to get married, especially in our country, can I be married then and then? I don’t think so. Reality check. My mom worked in the municipal civil registrar in our town and she knew how was the marriage-thing was done. And I knew too, I worked there during summers (with pay of course!) and I witnessed all the complicated papers that needed to be filled-up.
Marriage contract was the most legal document being used aside from the birth certificate. In claiming benefits from insurances, a spouse beneficiary needed proof that he or she was the legal spouse by showing the marriage contract.
How can the couple get a marriage contract? If a couple wanted to get married in a church wedding, it was always a must that both of their parents were also married in a church wedding. Next, the couple must go to the Civil Registrar’s Office and comply the following requirements: a family planning seminar, depending on the schedule and a two-day PRECANA seminar. Couples must also present their birth certificate, baptisimal certificate, confirmation certificate and GKK ( Ginagmayng Kristohanong Katilingban) certificate. Then, there would be a 10-day posting period, where the names of the couple were posted outside the office. After ten days, the wedding license would be released. The marriage contract document would be signed during the ceremony.
The fact here was that, church weddings weren’t really easy. Talking not just about the financial aspect but for the time it consumed in preparing for the documents and waiting for the license to be released. It was really not that exciting as what we have seen in movies. In reality, nakakawalang-gana. But then again, if couples were determined to be married and have their church wedding come true, then they have to undergo such effort-demanding procedure. And as for my cousin, it didn’t matter whether it was a church wedding or not, as long as her baby has a father. That’s all it mattered to her. [shiella a. ildefonso]
Posted at 08:40 pm by iskolar
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yourself or someone like you : have you found yourself?
Artist: Matchbox 20
Producer: Atlantic Recording Corporation
Yourself or someone like you (1996) talked about break-ups, lost love and emptiness. It spoke of your emotion and gave you the yes-I-felt-that-emotion-too experience. It satisfied the hunger to fill in the spaces of yourself or someone like you. It was a powerful combination of five talented and music enthusiasts that created one album that dig the deepest unspoken feelings if a man. This one male-centered album explored and explained the silencing of every guy in dealing with heart problems. Each track was based on the point of view of a guy with regards to a failing relationship, a lost love, and everything that were hidden inside a man’s heart. This outburst of male emotion was a unique way of admitting the softness of the male.
Matchbox 20 had crawled out from the typical alternative band. Unlike other rock bands whose theme in every song were anger and hatred and the means of sending the message was through shouting and heavy guitar chord combination, this band sent their message in a subtle way yet very striking lyrics.
The first track was a complaint of the Real World and how he wondered to be somebody else. The message of this song was hidden behind the upbeat, happy-rhythm song. The complaint was disguised in a jolly roll of the drums. I wish the real world would just stop hassling me. I wonder what it’s like to be the head honcho. I wonder what I’d do if they all did just what I said.
All songs were written by the vocalist Rob Thomas, except Push and Back 2 Good, which were written together with their producer, Matt Serletic. The band was a great combination of individual prowess, experimenting with their instruments and taking in simple subject matters but presenting them in a new way.
Like, Push, the carrier single of this album, may be interpreted in many ways. But reading the lyrics well, it discovered the men’s position on a question whether a relationship would go on or not. This track was an expression of how hard for the guys to decide on whether they would hold on to a relationship or not. Well, this ain’t over no not here not while I still need you around.
In the whole album, the songs were always addressed to a girl. And the emotions of the guy were clear and straightforward. On issue of martyrdom or “the-waiting-in-vain-moments” were also expressed from still a stiff standpoint of men. In Hang it said, It would be good to go away someday but if there’s nothing there to make things change if it’s the same you. I’ll just hang.
And lastly, one song, Argue explicitly admitted that men were also keep “sentimental” thoughts with them during break-ups. She tells you that its over. Boy, don’t you hate it. When its over, I guess something just got lost.
But really, this album wasn’t just about male-sentiments but I guessed it catered female emotions as well. All in all, this album was YOU – everything about you.
[shiella a. ildefonso]
Posted at 08:37 pm by iskolar
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HUMOR WRITING
IN TAGLISH
READ AT YOUR OWN RISK
BEED OF ROUSES
Rowena Rose M. Lee
My roommate, my adamant I-will-remain-a-virgin-until-I-got-married roommate apologized to me for a minor fault, and said as a way of explanation, “Na-libog ako eh.” Ahhhhh, her horniness got in the way of rational thinking. What joy! What utter joy!
Only here in Mindanao do I hear these things. I do not know if this is a case of my Manila-born idiocy bubbling out or I just plain don’t get it. Someone tells me, ‘Uy, taas na yung buhok mo.” And I smooth down the top of my head thinking that I must look like a troll with my hair up high.
I keep telling the people I talk to here that I am not Jude, or Lagi or Gani or Gilok, but that doesn’t stop them from calling me that anyway. I’m beginning to think that perhaps these appellations are part of a ritual name calling. You know, Japanese style of name calling like Koji-san or Sakura-san. In my case, its Weng-Jude. I know that the Filipino term ‘Lagi’ means always. But what is a Gani or Gilok. Is it alive? Is it a mammal? Is it an alien from the deepest reaches of planetary existence? And why the heck am I being associated with it?
Often too, people here seem to mistake me for some other Chinese person. Sometimes they tell me, (especially when I do something nice for them, “Si Weng Uy”, and I tell them that I am not Weng Uy, but Weng Lee. I swear to myself that one day, one friggin’ day, I will get to meet this Weng Uy, and set the world right.
Okay, okay, so I may be exaggerating things to a hilt. But it just seems more like a language shock rather than a culture shock to hear all this things from someone else’s lips.
I confine the term culture shock to little innocuous things that many Mindanaoans take for granted. For the life of me, I have never seen cows and carabaos and horses and goats and pigs co-mingling freely with people. I have never seen mosquitoes the size of butterflies before “… na baby pa lang yun.” I have never heard people speaking like a flock of mayas taking group baths. Oh, by the way, people correct me here when I call the mayas just that. They are langgam pari, they tell me – and a whole new debate issue arises.
Now I know why the dorm security guard and the house parent of the dorm looked mighty surprised when I complained that “Maraming langgam sa kuwarto ko.”
“Paano makakapasok yung langgam, may screen naman?” They asked me.
I was like, “Duh? Kasya kaya sila sa butas ng screen? Heller?”
They went into my room and looked at the ceiling. I pointed them to my walls and my tables and my floors. They laughed and they laughed. “Ah, amigas!” They said.
Good Lord! What have I gotten into? The dorm security guard and the house parent had ant friends they call “amigas?” In my part of sanity, my mother would introduce a close female friend as, “Eto ang amiga kong si …” I tried to hide the fact that in one corner of my dorm room, I had swept about a hundred of their friend’s carcasses unceremoniously.
There is too, the husband and wife tandem Boogie and Prunset. I seem to be always riding with them on the public utility jeepneys. The ‘konduktor’ or jeepney conductor would slam the vehicle’s sides and thump on the roof while yelling for Boogie. “Si Boogie, si Boogie …” they yelled and I wanted to yell on my own, “Putragis! Hoy, Boogie, bumaba ka na kasi… Galit na nga sila sa iyo, ayaw mo pang bumaba!”
But wallowing in this soup of confusion, I find that all is not lost for me. I am happy to report that I finally met Prunset. She is an elderly lady that smells like a fish vendor from Mintal wet market. When she hails the jeep, everyone just yells, “Nay Prunset! Nanay Prunset!” I almost jumped for joy. Finally, I have a face to go with the name. Nanay Prunset must be one very popular lady, though. Even when I don’t see her on the jeep, people still call out her name. One time, this ‘conductor’ tells me, “Miss Prunset!” And I’m thinking, he must’ve mistaken me for Nanay Prunset’s daughter.
Really, this article is stretching for any form of reason. It’s very difficult actually to concentrate on finding the differences in language. I am honestly, not very well versed in speaking or in the nuances of the English language. But when I go ride on the jeep down the length of Mintal Street and I see a side car with a tail sign that says, “Beed of Rouses” and stall signs that announce, “For Sale Honey Bee,” I stretch my brain, not for reason, but for some semblance of sanity.
Posted at 01:46 am by iskolar
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THE WORLD OF THE SUPERTASTERS
Rowena Rose M. Lee
What are supertasters? Supertasters are basically people who cannot eat without super flavoring their food. These are the people who can never be content with just salt and pepper as seasoning of their daily diet. They need to have an assortment of condiments on their tables to make eating pleasurable. In short, supertasters are us, Filipinos, whose dining tables includes the staples: vinegar, soy sauce, chili sauce, catsup, mayonnaise, fish sauce, Worcestershire sauce, kalamansi, etc. etc. etc. What is life if there is steamed ‘lapu-lapu’ without mayonnaise? or ‘nilagang baka’ without patis? or fried chicken without catsup? Ahhhh, this is the wonderful world of the supertasters.
A ROLL OF SLAVERING GOODNESS
The lumpia is a roll of slavering goodness – especially a freshly made one that just got rolled or one that just came out of the frying pan. It doesn’t really matter what is inside, whether it be meat, vegetables or fruits. What matters is the way it is cooked, and what condiments can be sprinkled on it or dipped it in with.
The Chinese tradesmen first introduced the lumpia to the Filipinos, along with pansit (noodles) and the siopao (steamed bread). But of course, us Filipinos were not content with just THAT, so we took the lumpia and recreated it into something our palates would appreciate more. There are now many varieties of lumpia, some of them have become indigenous to a specific locality, and most if not all of them have specific condiments to accompany the roll.
What is inside the lumpia depends solely on to the cook’s imagination. Basic spring rolls like lumpiang gulay, lumpiang shanghai, and lumpiang turon can become an extravagant affair once a new ingredient is substituted or a whole combination of filling is conceptualized. Of course, part of the conceptualization processes is thinking of what dipping can be added to the roll.
For fresh lumpiang gulay, use the yellow egg roll pastry. These soft, pliant pastries are not usually available in the market because of their low shelf life. But you can order this in any of the Chinese shops or other specialty stores that abound in the metropolis. And instead of using the same togue, or mongo sprouts, try using vermicelli noodles. Use the same recipes you are accustomed to but try the vermicelli or some other noodles at hand. Surprisingly, instant noodles work as well. Also, use canned tuna or salmon sprinkled lightly with salt and kalamansi juice instead of pork and oh-la-la, its heaven. This is a very vegetarian meal without really tasting like one, and less grease too since you don’t fry it.
For the first time lumpia makers, however, I would like to clarify that for fresh lumpia, the other vegetables are pre-cooked first, cooled before being rolled in the egg roll pastry. For its sauce, simply melt 2 tablespoons of brown sugar in 1 cup of water, boil, add cornstarch until it thickens, all soy sauce and crushed garlic to taste.
Now, what about the same old boring lumpiang shanghai? Instead of using the same ground meat, try a lot of vegetables and fruits instead. Mince the vegetables and fruits with the same consistency as that of the ground meat and add lots of minced onions. Carrots give it a nice sweet crunch, but be sure to drain it well, as carrots carry lots of fluid. Singkamas are great for this kind of roll too, as with apples, but also you must drain it well. Potatoes or sweet potatoes will also do. Vegetables like kintchay and kutchay will give your lumpia a spicy aroma. Mix them well with your usual seasoning and just the egg yolk, and roll very thinly on lumpia wrappers, (preferably the white ones). Serve with sweet and sour sauce or sweet chili sauce.
You can actually try the same recipe as the one above but instead of mincing everything, cut them into shoelace strips. This takes additional cooking time so put your fryer on low heat. Substitute strips of pre-boiled chicken for the ground meat and roll into thick lumpias. For dipping sauce, crush a whole head of garlic very finely, mince a whole head of onions, add one part soy sauce to three parts vinegar. Add sugar and pepper to taste. Hmmmm, drool city!
Now here is a brilliant idea for the makeover of the innocuous lumpiang turon or simply turon. Instead of lacing the turon with strips of langka or jackfruit, try strips of hard edam cheese. If you are using this recipe I suggest you use ripe saba bananas, instead of the half-ripe, firm ones. Instead of rolling the adding brown sugar (as part of the customary recipe), sprinkle confectionary sugar very lightly on top of the fried roll to give it a frosted look. But let the lumpia cool for a few minutes before sprinkling the sugar or else, the powdery sugar will disappear into the crisp skin of the turon. Or, if all this is still not so toothsome, you can dip the turon in condensed milk to give it a very cheesy flourish. Viola! Turon extraordinaire!
Enjoy your lumpia meals with a vengeance. Remember, the lumpia is a very versatile dish in itself. You can mix it up, dress it down and basically just go crazy with it. Don’t be too zealous with the marinade, supertasters. That is what our dinner table condiments are for.
Posted at 12:49 am by iskolar
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Sunday, October 03, 2004
JAMES' SHOES What would it be like?
Duhaylungsod, JC
4 BAE
Profile
It was just another ordinary day if only I woke up at the right place and at the right body.
Early that morning, it was still 8:00am, I had a terrible urge to get up because my kidneys wanted to be unloaded. My body felt surprisingly heavy and I was wondering why the hell I was having a head ache. It seemed that I just swam in a pool full of beer last night and swallowed everything inside it because I always feel like this every morning when I just had a drink the night before.
The problem was, I did not drink last night. I stood up and went to the comfort room. I was about to go to the cabinet for a towel when I realized that my cabinet was not in its place. It was already at the other side of the room. Another problem was that it was not my cabinet. And only then did I realize that I was not at my room. But the room was familiar. Not that I had already been in to it. I was thinking that it looked like… a room in the Manoa Apartment which was an apartment next to my boarding house. Now, how the hell did I get here?
I looked around and on the bed was a naked body of a woman with her back against me. The lower half of her body was covered with a blanket, with another person’s blanket. Her hair was long and she had freckles on her back. She was definitely not my girlfriend. I was astounded that I suddenly became horny and was extremely horrified to see that I had an erection. The last time I checked my body out, that was last night when I changed my clothes, I still had a pussy. And pussies do not and cannot have an erection. I ran to the CR and saw for myself the most terrible experience that could occur in a person’s life: to be in James Paclibar’s body.
I did not wait for whoever-that-girl-is to wake up. I hurriedly took a bath – it was creepy I was seeing his penis (it was really small just what a friend told me when she recounted an “experience” with him) – and put on his clothes: I looked up for clothes that would fit my taste expecting that he had one and realized that we do not have the same preference for clothing. So I ended up wearing his jeans (maong na medyo fitting) and his shirt (black na medyo alanganing loose). I looked around for shoes but there was none. I stood in front of the mirror and suddenly felt how miserable it was to be literally in his place every morning, with a mirror to remind him how he looks like every time he dresses up for school. Does he have enough courage to look at his reflection every morning? Beats me! But if I continue to be in his place, I wouldn’t have.
It was a good thing that when whoever-that-girl-is woke up, I was already ready to go out and leave the room.
“Asa man ka?” she asked. But I just went out without answering. I brought his cell phone and his wallet along with me. The good thing about being James is that I would not have to worry about what to spend for the day. I heard from someone that he always have money.
I went directly to my boarding house. If I was at James’ body, it could be that, he was in mine. Where the hell would his soul go if I was placed inside his body? Mine! And god-knows-what he would do with it. I was surprised to see that a crowd had gathered just outside my boarding house. Alexis, who was my board mate and James’ brod, was outside waiting for a habal-habal.
“Mes, adto na ka ug UP?” Alexis asked James/me.
Now, how does James inter-act with his brods? In the atrium, where they usually congregate, he would throw a punch line regarding something he saw (a fashion disaster or a rumored easy-to-get-girl, or just the ordinary “gay” men in the campus) or heard or experienced the night or days before. Everybody would listen attentively to him, and then afterwards, they would all roar out with laughter. But in times like this, he would not, or any other person, make a punch line out of that simple question. Maybe I would just answer him straight.
“O, admin ko. Ikaw?”
“Sige, sabay na lang ta,” Alexis answered.
While in the habal-habal, I asked Alexis what was happening in their boarding house, in my boarding house.
“Ay, naa man gud mi boardmate na wala ka mata. Mura daw ug na comma,” he answered.
I was completely relieved by what I’ve heard. At least he will not be able to do anything with my body and with my girlfriend.
“Mes, asa day mo ato gabii?” the habal-habal driver asked.
“Hoy, Mes, gipangutana ka sa driver,” Alexis informed me. I have really forgotten that I was in James’ body.
“Uhmm…,” where does James, the overlord of all chauvinist dragons in UP Mindanao would spend his Sunday night?
“Naa man kay kauban. Chiks to nimo? Hamisa ato uy!” the habal-habal driver asked.
Maybe James was with whoever-that-girl-is last night. Now, how does the overlord of all chauvinist dragons in UP Mindanao would react with that kind of statement, which for me, is a very derogatory term used to refer to a woman. How would James see or understand that kind of statement referring to his girlfriend? Will he be a perfect gentleman and just pass the question off without answering it, in respect to his girlfriend?
But he’s a chauvinist dragon, right? Will he tell the habal-habal driver that they fucked each other last night? What word will he use? - iyot, romansa, lolo, made love, fucked –
“Naunsa man ka Mes na wala man ka katubag?” and then the habal-habal driver laughed.
“Lain akong paminaw ron bay,” I answered thinking that it would divert his attention to another topic, let us say, about my/James’ health.
“Hahahaha! Ikaw jud dong, hinay-hinay lang,” the driver gave a green connotation to a very innocent statement that I carelessly muttered.
It was a good thing that we already reached the Admin and I have gotten rid of that conversation with the driver.
When I was nearing the Admin, somebody from behind called me, and when I turned my head to see who it was, I realized that it was AJ, another of his brods. He invited me/James for a computer game, which he said that I/James promised the day before.
Putang ina, unsaon man ni pagdula ning animala ni!
I muttered to myself while I watched the screen of the computer displayed a match between two rugged looking men.
I cussed and ranted but to no avail, I just sucked up, together with my computer image and James.
“Na-unsa man ka Mes?” asked AJ.
“Lain akong paminaw,” I answered, still feeling uncanny hearing my voice sound so awful. “Adto sa ko ug Admin, magklase,” I continued to get away from playing with the computer.
Then AJ laughed at me. And then I gave him a questioning looked.
“Nag LOA man ka Mes,” and then he snickered. “Natingala gani ko nganong naa ka diri,” he continued.
“Asa man day ko dapat karon,” I asked him.
“Ambot nimo uy!”
I asked myself where would a chauvinist, super senior dragon like James, would stay during a week day? How will I spend the day being in James’ body? No, the proper question would be, how does James spend his day? Well, maybe like all of the other chauvinist dragons in the world.
The problem is, though I know how a chauvinist dragon usually act – be very arrogant when “chicks” are around, always think about how it would be like fucking them, add words in their Chauvinist Dragon Derogatory Words Dictionary, squeal about their own one night stands and sexcapades to their fellow chauvinist dragons, etc – I was really not sure if I can manage to be like that for a day, even if, given the circumstance that I am in the body of one.
Posted at 11:53 pm by iskolar
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(A Music Review on Linkin Park’s "Meteora") May Love L. Oniola
It used to be that when I am in one of those moods, the kind that borders between helpless melancholy and suicidal depression, I’d turn to my radio and listen to any of those radio stations playing sappy love songs that empathize with my blue mood. Some say that music sooths the soul – well, I say, that really depends on what kind of music that you listen to, because for my part, whenever I listen to these love songs, instead of soothing me, I feel more agitated, “bluer than blue.” There finally came the time when I got tired of feeling worse after listening to love songs. I decided that I needed the kind of music that’ll still express what I was feeling but will also help me get over that feeling. This craving for another kind of music led me to my discovery of Linkin Park.
Well, actually, Linkin Park songs had been playing inside our house for some time, courtesy of my brother. Linkin Park already had three albums before I learned to appreciate their music. At first, whenever my brother listened to them I’d tell him to pipe down the “noise” because that was all that I heard then – noise: electric guitars whose guitarists seemed to have the worst kind of Parkinson’s disease; the growling-screaming voices that seemed to be an integral part of rock “music;” and those other background noise that I could not quite identify.
But then I read the lyrics of their songs. And I was surprised how accurately the songs were able to say every dark emotion I had inside me – something that no love song has ever been able to say yet! That was when I began to take an interest in the Linkin Park songs, especially with Meteora, their follow-up to their debut album Hybrid Theory.
Meteora got my attention from the other two albums (Hybrid Theory and Reanimation, a collection of remix versions of some of Hybrid Theory) because of the album’s packaging. On the cover of the cassette tape (we didn’t have a CD player yet when my brother bought the tapes and besides, CDs cost too much!) was a guy wearing gas masks, spraying paint on the floor; the picture had a combination of sepia and black colors, which then offered me a picture of an almost subdued but very troubled (read: angry) person. When I read the album’s lyrics, my speculation was proven true: it was an album full of held back anger and despondency of a person towards someone who held power over him or her.
Like the song “Numb.” It begins with the beat that brings to mind the falling of a drop of water on a surface – very peaceful. Then the drum’s sharp beats and the guitar’s wild strums come in to meld quite effortlessly with the beat of the falling water. Chester Bennington begins the song with an almost crooning-pleading voice: “I’m tired of being what you want me to be/ Feeling so faithless/ Lost under the surface/ I don’t know what you’re expecting of me/ Put under the pressure/ Of walking in your shoes/ Every step that I take is another mistake to you.” And in between breaks, Mike Shinoda quietly pipes in with his hip-hop beat: “Caught in the undertow/ Just caught in the undertow,” as though he is the person’s subconscious mind, repeating this line over and over again at the back of his head. Then Chester suddenly breaks into a frenzied growling (like a dog roused from a much needed sleep) for the chorus: “I’ve become so numb/ I can’t feel you there/ Become so tired/ So much more aware/ I’m becoming this/ All I want to do/ Is be more like me/ And be less like you.” With the hoarse screaming voice of Chester, one sees the person pointing an accusing finger to that other person that he hates so much.
Throughout the entire song, Chester and Mike successfully blend in their voices (the rasping, growling and the calm) that create the atmosphere of barely-held-back anger and misery in the song. Whenever I hear this song (indeed, the whole album), I always find myself nodding my head, with my eyes closed, to the beat of the guitar. I let the “angry” voices, the thumping of the bass flow all over me until I feel like I am the one singing the song – pouring out my everything into the song, until the very last beats of the song: the quite falling of water, until nothing more falls.
I think that the charm that this album has on its audience – at least to this audience – is that for each of the cuts in the album, a catharsis happens. The artist and the audience purge all of their dark emotions together, they scream until their voices become hoarse, they bang their heads until they fall down on the floor, and they revel in the feeling of being able to let everything come out in the open, which is really the intention of the album. As Chester Bennington said, the things written in this album happened to them and to the people around them.
No one would like to hear them on the radio because they’re dark. But they are important to them. And it was up to the Linkin Park to say things that nobody dared to say – it’s like being the bearer of the bad news: nobody in the world wants to do the dirty work, but somebody has got to do something – somebody has got to do what needs to be done.
Posted at 10:44 pm by iskolar
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Melting with Love
(A review of the Fifty First Dates Official Soundtrack)
Lysette Maurice R. Narshall
01-61644
Behind every Love story is a Romantic, Sentimental Love Song (or could be an entire album)
But this soundtrack gave a twist to the romantic-sentimental mood of songs that spoke of love.
The soundtrack was released two months before the movie came out, and I was curious of how good could this album be, to induce the audience to watch another love story, retold in another hopefully-exciting version.
The soundtrack is not an ordinary one.
50 First Dates is a romantic movie starring Adam Sandler as Henry Roth and the beautiful Drew Barrymore as Lucy Whitmore. It tells the story of a Hawaiian Veterinarian who shuns commitments in every way he can. He instead dates girls who are tourists so it would last only as long as they're there. But he then finds his match when in a small restaurant, he sees Lucy Whitmore, who has everything he was looking for, including a short-term memory loss, which makes commitment a no issue. Maybe it is the fact that she cannot remember him the next day or the day after that since she suffers from short-term memory loss from a car accident.
The soundtrack features songs from the 80’s, reinterpretations by modern artists with a twist of reggae beat. The album has twelve tracks; eleven revivals of the 80's hits and the last track sung my Adam Sandler in such a romantic mood. The lyrics of “Forgetful Lucy” is what is interesting than the way he sung it. Some music critics say that the album is a cover album, I guess to prove them wrong, the last track was included. A song was recorded as if it was directly taken out of the movie. But the husky voice of Sandler gave way to my appreciation of a simple love song.
The music of the 80's is incomparable.
The opening track is a version of Wayne Wonder of Thompson Twins classic ‘Hold me now’. I think it has one of the better renditions in the entire album. Not soppy and sentimental for a remake.
To name a few of the songs that captured the ears of someone who is not appreciative of music are “Lips like Sugar” by SEAL featuring Mickey Dread who, according to a critic, adds fun to the track. Ziggy Marley's version of the classic “Drive” made me smile.
But the track that convinced me to buy the album in the version of “Melt with You” by Jason Mraz. I heard of Mraz from a friend who introduced me to his music when we were in Diliman for summer class. I like the rhythm of his music, light and easy to the ears. “Sleep Allday” is my favorite song of his, but in this album he did outstand the other artists that were featured with his version of Modern English's hit song. The lyrics itself meant much and the repetition of the line made it all the more romantic. The rhythm is upbeat and soulful and it gave me a different drive to sing with the radio.
The storyline is unique and so is the soundtrack. It features a great line up of classic 80's songs and the overall reggae theme paved way to the good collection worth buying.
One thing that made the soundtrack attract a non-lover of music is the heart behind it. It is truly remarkable that it did not slipped into something cheesy or mushy.
Posted at 10:24 pm by iskolar
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MOVIE REVIEW: THE TERMINAL
Movie Review : The Terminal Studio : Dreamworks Director : Steven Spielberg Producer : Steven Spielberg Screenwriters : Sacha Gervasi & Jeff Nathanson Cinematographer : Janusz Kaminski Composer : John Williams Actors : Tom Hanks - Viktor Navorski Catherine Zeta-Jones - Amelia Stanley Tucci - Frank Dixon Chi McBride - Joe Mulroy Diego Luna - Enrique Cruz Barry Shabaka Henley - Ray Thurman Kumar Pallana - Gupta Zoe Saldana - Dolores Torres Synopsis of the Movie: "The Terminal" tells the story of Viktor Navorski (Tom Hanks), a visitor to New York from Eastern Europe, whose homeland erupts in a fiery coup while he is in the air en route to America. Stranded at Kennedy Airport with a passport from nowhere, he is unauthorized to actually enter the United States and must improvise his days and nights in the terminal’s international transit lounge until the war at home is over. As the weeks and months stretch on, Viktor finds the compressed universe of the terminal to be a richly complex world of absurdity, generosity, ambition, amusement, status, serendipity and even romance with a beautiful flight attendant named Amelia (Catherine Zeta-Jones). But Viktor has long worn out his welcome with airport official Frank Dixon, who considers him a bureaucratic glitch, a problem he cannot control but wants desperately to erase. SOURCES: • http://www.themoviebox.net/movies/2004/STUVWXYZ/Terminal,The/main-page.html • http://www.theterminal-themovie.com/main.html A Hellish Hankering for HanksRowena Rose M. Lee With all the hype that surrounded the movie Catch Me If You Can (Dreamworks 2002), I watched it for only two reasons: Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks. Leonardo DiCaprio was flushed right down the drain, and I didn’t even notice. So when I first saw the teaser for The Terminal in the movie house, I knew I had to watch it – like hell! The teaser was conservative, but enough to beckon me to the cinema house over and over. Hell, I even watched that watery soup of a movie Princess Diaries 2 just to see the trailer for The Terminal. It was sick-o to the highest degree, but I was glad enough to catch Tom Hanks, even if it was just a 2-minute-teaser.
It is quite obvious that I am a Spielberg fan. I am forever in love with his movies and TV specials. Let me rephrase that: I am forever in love with most of his movies and TV specials. Those blasted movies A.I. (2001) and Minority Report (2002) are still giving me blasted headaches.
Speaking of Minority Report, who cares for Tom Cruise anyway? His movies The Last Samurai (2003) and Vanilla Sky (2001) are flipping, flopping and dying of ghastly deaths at the box office, not to mention at DVD sales. Remove the special effects and blood baths from the Mission Impossible movies and Tom Cruise stinks. I am still totally sore at this guy. He leaves Nicole Kidman for Penelope Cruz.
Did they ever think, ever, that if they had gotten married, her name would have been Penelope Cruz Cruise? Sheesh…
Anyway, Tom Hanks is also my favorite actor. His recent movies are like, “Hell, man!” and “Well, yeah. For a few million dollars, I’d lose that much pounds too…” But not all his movies are good. I still manage to sleep through the movie Castaway (2000) every time we watch it on VCD.
The Terminal, however, is something else. It is a movie that makes me laugh, smile, feel sad, and basically makes me want to be more patient and persevering. It is hard to imagine that this movie is actually based on a real life story. As Viktor Navorski, Tom Hanks is infinitely lovable. He gains a few kilos for the role of a middle-aged man, a carpenter by trade, who ends up “unacceptable” to enter American soil. He lives in the airport (Area 67) for nine months! If that does not translate to patience and perseverance than hell, I don’t know what does. Tom Hanks delivers a very funny, yet smart and compassionate Navorski. He plays match-maker between a very good-looking-but-with-a-thick-moustache Diego Luna (Y Tu Mama Tambien 2002) and a very dark beauty Zoe Saldana (Center Stage, Get Over It, Crossroads). He makes friends and eventually becomes a hero to the people in the terminal. But eventually, he waits and waits for the fulfillment of a life long promise. And what is that promise that Navorski has to fulfill that he insists on staying at the airport for that long time? And what’s with the can of peanuts? Hah! I’m not about to ruin the movie for you. Watch it, dopey. It’s worth the cash.
Catherine Zeta-Jones plays Amelia, and hell, is she really pretty in this film. Well, I guess not as pretty as her character Elena in the movie The Mask of Zorro (1998). But that does not make her less pretty. There is a part in the movie when she confesses that she is (supposedly) 39 years old. She looks marvelous for her age, but her acting in The Terminal is very Meg Ryan. The way she nods her head is so Meg Ryan. The way she casts her hands in the air is so Meg Ryan. Even her smile is so Meg Ryan. But I still like Catherine Zeta-Jones in this movie. She’s neurotic, but she too has a compassionate soul – sort of like a misguided being with a generous heart – oh you know, that sort of crap. But in the movie, Amelia and Navorski’s relationship is definitely crap, and I like their constant allusion to Napoleon and Josephine.
There is also Kumar Pallana, an 85-year-old actor from India who plays Gupta, an Indian national who has a shady history. He speaks in his clipped manner and evokes more laughter when he doesn’t speak at all. He spins and juggles plates and walks away without so much of a break in his face. He sacrifices his security in the USA to give Navorski a chance to visit New York City – and hell, the way he does it too, is something so funny, so outrageous, so cinematic that I think only Steven Spielberg and Kumar Pallana can pull it off.
The movie has wonderful effects, and is also picturesque. Most of the scenes in the movie are in the airport lounge anyway, but still, there are some special scenes where Spielberg shows mastery of film making. For instance, in showing loneliness, he takes a close-up of Tom Hanks while he is in the middle of a very busy airport and then pulls the camera away, showing Hanks to be merely a speck in the sea of people. And of course, I cannot resist Hanks’ tearful realization that his homeland Krakhouzia is under a blanket of hostilities. I had to smile to myself too in that scene where Navorski finishes reconstructing a wall and is dancing in his undershirt.
I had a toe-curling moment when Navorski’s lifelong dream was almost fulfilled when he was asked to wait for a few more minutes. Ano ba? If I were in his position, I would’ve sat down on the floor, kicked my feet repeatedly and tore my hair in clumps.
But Navorski waits, oh ever so patiently. And that is when I figure out why the movie’s tagline is “Life is waiting.”
It’s a great movie really. And although I know this will ruin your movie viewing, I think it’s wonderful that in the end, the hero doesn’t get the girl. Yep. Navorski doesn’t get Amelia – but the audience is given this distinct feeling that Navorski is willing to wait for Amelia, no matter what.
Although I have doubts about Polar Express, I think I’ll still be waiting in line for the next Tom Hanks flick. The Terminal just makes my life so worthwhile right now.
Posted at 10:07 pm by iskolar
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Friday, October 01, 2004
Music Review
Heavenly Places (Un Lugar Celestial) is the debut album of one of today’s most popular contemporary Christian artist, Jaci Velasquez. This Mexican-born singer was then sixteen when this album came out in the market. Heavenly Places was released by Myrrh Records on May 1996. Produced by Mark Heimermann, this album includes the songwriting talents of Chris Eaton, Wayne Kirkpatrick, Dann Huff and Heimermann, among others.
This album is a total makeover of the Christian Music. It is totally different from most of the gospel songs that everyone knows, like “Alive, Alive” and “This is the Day”. Although the album mostly contains classic pop songs, Heavenly Places manages to display plenty of musical variation while still preserving its continuity. It is obviously influenced by (non-Christian) contemporary pop music. The conservative Christian denominations, especially the “solemn churches”, may not like the way Jaci’s kind of music. However, when one would just consider the message that each song brings, it would certainly make one feel the soul of the music.
Moreover, most songs are personal and intimate prayers for the Lord in pop beat. The songs “Baptize Me” and “We Can Make a Difference” reminded me of the kind of music that M2M and Mandy Moore sing. The title cut, ”Un Lugar Celestial “ (Heavenly Places), has a delightful Spanish/Latin beat which is almost same with J. Lo’s. The percussions-acoustic guitar ensemble would make one tap his/her foot with the beat. This song reveals Jaci’s regard for her Latin heritage.
The emotion of Jaci’s smooth, powerful voice gives her listener a different kind of meditation. One doesn’t have to be solemn when he/she listens the rhythm and message of her songs. The music itself would remind one of God’s unfading love to His people. The album seems to trend away from overtly Christian lyrics. One can’t find much direct quotations from the scriptures. The scripture or spiritual content is woven through every fiber of the songs.
Heavenly Places could have been better if it was a live-recorded concert like those produced by Integrity Music and Hillsong Australia. Christian music albums are bought mostly for Praise and Worship reference. The buyers listen to songs which they could teach and sing in church services. It would be an advantage for this album if the songs are appropriate to be sung in church services and not just for personal meditation.
Charisse Mae T. Ampo
Posted at 08:42 pm by iskolar
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A good essay must have this permanent quality about it; it must draw its curtain round us, but it must be a curtain that shuts us in not out. ~Virginia Woolf~
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