Philippines

So beautiful? Are you kidding me?

/ iamsupercarla / 2 Comments

The Aquino government (no, not that, the recent one) is yet again facing criticism for its newest tourism campaign.  The new administration appears to be itching to replace everything the Arroyo administration cooked up during its reign.  So from this:

To this:

Really?  Are you kidding me?  “Ang ganda”?  That’s the best your hand-picked crew can come up with?

According to PNoy’s crew, this will still be up for discussion and focus group testing before its public release in January.

I mean, I get that it’s aiming to highlight the goodness of Filipinos.  I get that the administration wants to make the Filipinos known for their good values.  I get all that shit.

But do they also get the similarity between “Pilipinas” and “Filipinas”, the latter usually mistaken for mail-order brides?  Don’t they fear that the country will be known for pretty ladies instead of pretty people?

It’s just so open and raw and so vulnerable to be easily lost in translation.  It’s almost not okay.

And I have this feeling that the current administration  just wants nothing to do with the previous one.  It seems to be desperate to erase every single trace that the Arroyo administration “was here.”  But whether they like it or not, that administration’s tourism slogan leaves no room for misinterpretation.

And it certainly did not and will not potentially upset the Polish government.

Let’s see how PNoy can turn this around.  He may be a flop when it comes to first impressions, but he tends to be quite graceful at recovery.

 

Can someone introduce me to Miss Grey?

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Yes, this is Cecile van Straten’s newest line, Heather Miss Grey.  It’s available at Bleach Catastrophe, Greenbelt 5 and TriNoma.

So for Christmas, this is included in my list.  Hint Hint People!!!

Photo credits to Chuvaness.

Here’s the challenge. Are you ready?

/ iamsupercarla / 2 Comments

A few days ago, a friend of mine presented a challenge.  To be frank, I really did try to comply, but I missed Day 3 last night.  I realized, I won’t be able to do it, until I announce it and make it official.

So here’s the challenge posed by a really good friend:

Do you think I can do it?  I’m starting to doubt it, but hey.  I’m up for the challenge.

I just restarted and made visible that site counter on the upper right corner of this blog.  To make this blog more interactive and more fun to visit, wait for 10,000 hit.  Better yet, make it reach 10,000 and see what I have in store for you. :)

So there.  Here I go.  The 30-day blogging challenge starts now. :)

The kings and queens of Promise

/ iamsupercarla / 4 Comments

Like I said the other day, Dylan and I grabbed some Cheetos and watched The Legend of the Guardians at the SM Mall of Asia 3D theatre.  Like promised, here’s my take on the film.

When I first saw the trailer, I was immediately interested, mainly because the owls reminded me of Harry Potter’s snow white owl, Hedwig.  It’s quite unusual really, when you come to think about it.  Looking back on your childhood, did you really imagine that owls can be so fierce (and by fierce, I mean warrior fierce, not diva fierce)? 

Anyway, the film is visually SPECTACULAR.  I am going to be brave and say that it can rival Avatar when it comes to landscapes and settings and movement and detail.  It was so amazing.  And funny, because when we watched it, there was a kid in front of us that kept raising his hand, probably trying to touch the characters.  But his mean dad kept scolding him.  Note to self:  hate that kid’s dad.

However, the movie in general is just an average movie.  I think one of the main mistakes they made was having the same animal.  It’s a movie for kids, and unfortunately, kids have a hard time distinguishing personalities when they look alike.  That’s the reason why Lion King was of epic proportions; mention a character name and you’d know right away how it looks like and (better) what kidn of animal it was.

I am not discounting the fact that the story wasn’t rich with characters because it was.  Soren is the dreamer, the evident protagonist.  Eglantine is the youngest sister, the one that idolises Soren.  And if you have three kids there, there’s bound to be one that is envious and spiteful… hence, the existence of Kludd.

It’s the tragic story of Mudblood and Pure Blood.  Of course, it was narrated by the most animated narrator I’ve ever heard.  Just so you know, it’s an all-British cast, so when you bring your kid to the movie, be prepared to answer the question “Ano daw? (What did s/he say?)” 

I enjoyed the movie very much.  To be frank, even if the story didn’t blow to large proportions like the visuals did, it was still a very enjoyable family movie.  Guaranteed, you’ll fall in love with the female owls, go gaga over Eglantine, and just be awestruck when you see the perfect combination of flight and water.

And when your jaw drops because of the amazing theatrics, please give me a call. :)

Score:  3.5/5

Book backlog

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I’ve always loved books.  I remember back when I was a kid; I first fell in love with Archie comics.  I’ve always wanted to be Betty because she’s always so considerate and sweet and giving.  But of course, in the end, I ended up being more like Veronica.  Minus the rich part.  Hahaha.

Anyway, I kind of am reminded that I have a book backlog when I got home from work today and saw a pile of books I was supposed to read.  Before MAP started, I joined this community online whose goal is to finish 50 books in a year.  I managed to complete that list, and shared quite a handful of reviews, but because I decided to become more serious in planning for my future (or at least having a plan), I only got to complete 50 books for a year.  BUMMER.

And this is my stinking pile.

Got this about a couple of months ago. I think.

I got this with the other one and the next one. Bought it from the National Bookstore big ol’ sale.

Of course, I had to buy a classic. :)

Bought this when I was with Dylan, just last week.

The only book I managed to start reading

At some point, it did become depressing.  I really love reading.  I actually see JK Rowling as a heroine because she made kids fall in love with reading again.  I am so thankful for books because they fueled my imagination.  And I would hate to neglect my first teachers, but I already am.

Contrary to the saying, I really do judge a book by its cover.  I want the cover to age with me:  gracefully.  I want a cover that will actually look like it’s been touched and felt by time.  A cover that remains uncovered, so that as the book is borrowed and passed on from one reader to another, their hands leave an imprint on the cover.  And the book would know it’s been read.

Most people find that weird, and most people disagree with my “care” (or lack of).  Most people would cover them with plastic and preserve the crispness of the pages.  Not me.  I imagine myself being 60 and my floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall bookshelves filled with books with yellowed pages.  Hmmm.  Perfect.