pahabol para sa buwan ng wika

A few hours from now, it will be September.  That means Buwan ng Wika (month-long celebration of Filipino Languages) will be over.  For the past two weeks, I wanted to write a post in honor of Buwan Ng Wika or Linggo Ng Wika (depending on how long you want to celebrate it) but I have been too busy finishing up all my trimester requirements for grad school, i just couldn’t find the time for it.  Nevertheless, as they say… huli man at magaling ay magaling pa rin… um, that’s not right …ano nga ba yon? …huli man ang matsing ay magaling pa rin? or huli man at magaling ay matsing pa rin? …oh, heck, di bale na…ingglisin ko na lang: Better on the last day than never!

(AFTER TWO HOURS OF THINKING…)

As it turned out, I have nothing to say pala!  Haha!  So I will just do what all bloggers do when suffering from ‘writer’s block‘ (or so they claim, hehe)—pose pictures instead!

Here’s to all things Filipino:

In schools, Buwan ng Wika is celebrated with programs, contests, fiestas, etc.  It is an occasion to mainly celebrate Filipino languages but as it turned out, we celebrate anything that is traditionally Filipino. Students and teachers are tasked to wear Filipiniana costumes, too.  Over the years, the only costume i can come up with during occasions like these was a malong draped over black t-shirt and jeans.  Not very imaginative, I know but if I were to wear a Filipino costume for Buwan ng Wika, I would wear this:

…But not this:

If I were to eat a Filipino snack right now, I would like to snack on this great combo of crispy-thin ukoy (shrimp fritters) dipped in spicy vinegar and puto biñan:

…But not this (I haven’t tried balut or duck embryo and probably never will):

If I would want to see a Filipino movie right now, I would choose this (classic suspense 1971 film noir, Lilet by Gerardo De Leon-remake! remake!):

And this, too… 1961 ensemble fun movie, Beatnik (feeling nostalgic):

Before: At TLC eleven years ago, I was usually tasked to make stage decors and props for Linggo ng Wika (and sometimes, to host as well):

Now: Still doing it, a prop (100 peso bill painting on a 20″ x 60″ illustration board) that I made for Linggo ng Wika stage program at my practicum school eleven years later:

And lastly, if I were to try out a Filipino ride, I would try this (but not when I’m in a hurry, of course):

Sakay na!

Maligayang Pagtatapos ng Buwan Ng Wika!

 

shows to look forward to

I have been so busy and more scatterbrained lately (or is it ‘scattered-brain’?).  I just can’t wait for this trimester to end.  Juggling work, studies, practicum, and other duties is real hard…so hard that I forget things that I have to do, misplaced important items, got left out in some gimmicks, and had been missing my favorite shows and some movies that came and went (like ‘Mamamia’)…sob 😦

However, I will definitely NOT miss the following shows (come hell or high water!)…

“wall-e” will finally be shown here on Aug. 13…why so late? WHYYY?

Project Runway Philippines on ETC/SBN 21, Wednesdays at 10?

Did it start already? …Aaargh! I missed the first episode!!! I don’t watch reality shows much but if it is about REAL creativity and talent…then this show will give it to you! No one will be able to fake it…it’s either you’re in or out, alright.  (pic courtesy of ETC)

Watching out for ‘Watchmen’ in March, 2009

I don’t know anything about the comic book series…but I saw the trailer and heard a lot of buzz about it. Looks real good so far…

I better note them all down in my planner now…um, if I can only remember where I placed it, that is…

 

Having a Stroke…of Genius!

Rainy days and Mondays…always get me down.

Well, today IS a rainy Monday. And I’m not feeling too good…feverish, got a sore throat, cough, and a throbbing headache. I was not able to go and do my practicum today for grad school…which is a real pain.

However, a movie shown this morning on HBO helped me beat the doldrums. It was one of my favorites–the 2005 film adaptation of the musical, “The Producers.” Even if I watched it several times, I still laugh at the comical quips that come one after the other. I just love it. Thank you, Mel Brooks. He was, as one of the lines in the film go, “having a stroke…” “What?!” “Of GENIUS!”

Here are just some of the many hysterical lines in the film that made me forget my blues for awhile:

Max Bialystock (in prison):

I’m drowning here! I’m going down for the last time! I… I… I see my whole life flashing before my eyes! I see a weathered old farmhouse… With a white picket fence… I’m running through fields of alfalfa with my collie, Rex. No Rex, not on the alfalfa. And I see my mother… I see Mama, standing on the back porch… And I hear her calling out to me…”Alvin, don’t forget your chores! The wood needs a-cuttin’ and the cows need a-milkin’! Alviiiiin! Aaaaalviiiiiiiiiiiin!”… Wait a minute. My name’s not Alvin. That’s not my life. Someone else’s life is flashing before my eyes. WHAT THE HELL IS THAT ABOUT? I’m not a hillbilly, I grew up in the Bronx!”

Leo Bloom (talking to Max):

I’M HYSTERICAL! I’M HYSTERICAL! (Bialystock splashes him with a glass of water) … I’M WET! I’M WET! I’M WET AND I’M HYSTERICAL! (Bialystock then slaps him) …I’M IN PAIN! I’M IN PAIN AND I’M WET AND I’M HYSTERICAL!”

Franz Liebkind (angry at the actors portraying Hitler):

The Führer vasn’t a mousy little mama’s boy! The Führer vas BUTCH!”

Carmen Ghia (answering the door):

Yesssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss…. (Max tries to say: I–) Sssssssssssssssssssss?”

Franz Liebkind (being arrested):

I vas never a member of the Nazi Party! I only followed orders. I had nothing to do vith the var! I didn’t even know there vas a var. Ve lived at the back, near Svitzerland. All ve heard vas yodelling… yoodle le he hoo! Hoo hoo hoo hoo hoo, Yodelay, Yodelay, Yodelay-WHO ARE YOU!?!”

Ulla:

Secretary-slash-receptionist? Okie-slash-dokie!”

Franz Liebkind:

AQAP! [pause] As quick (kvick) as possible!”

Carmen Ghia (on the phone):

Hello, the living room of renowned theatrical director Roger Debris, elegant of the eastside townhouse on a sunny Tuesday afternoon in June. Who may I say is calling? [Got angry] Listen, you broken down old queen, he was drunk, he was hot, you got lucky, don’t ever call here again! [Roger in other room: Who was that!?]
Wrong number!”

Ulla:

Ulla wake up at five A.M. every day. From five to seven, Ulla like to exercise. From seven to eight, Ulla like to take long shower. From eight to nine, Ulla like to have big Swedish breakfast. Many different herrings. From nine to eleven, Ulla like to practice her singing and her dancing. And at eleven, Ulla like to have sex. … What time should I get here? [Max and Leo: “Eleven”]”

Max:

Shut up! I’m having a rhetorical conversation!”

If you haven’t seen the movie-slash-musical, go and get one…AQAP!

 

My Blog’s Birth Pang Blues

My blog is relatively new (just 3 days old). It was my first time to use wordpress. I’ve managed a blog before–and it was with the other one, namely, blogger. There were times I wished I never switched at all…

My first post practically took me hours to manage and complete. I didn’t fare any better with the next one. Being mabusisi (detail-fixated), I go back, delete, drag and drop, move an item, browse, upload, link up, unlink, go back, delete, edit, re-edit, etc., all the time cursing and wishing, “Maybe I’m not cut out for this…” My uploaded pictures either disappeared without a trace or just won’t stay put…platial mapkit sucks…and lay-outing my posts generally took a lot of my patience and self-control that I felt I’ll go berserk in any moment. It was like Mr. WordPress was telling me ala Sergeant Foley in “An Officer and a Gentleman:” “You can forget it! GET OUT!” No way! I’m not a quitter…and so I persevered…

Aaargh! Ang hirap naman ng @#%*! ito!!! But I won’t quit…I can’t quit! I got nowhere else to go…I got nothin’ else…huhuhu!!! I lament as Grumbacher patiently looks on…

Now, as I look back…I think I did pretty good work for a start. The patience paid off. And in the end, I took back about wanting to go back to blogger.

WordPress is way cooler, more sophisticated, and much hipper than the other one. It may not be idiot-friendly (anyway, who wants to attract idiots?), a bit snobbishly-restricting (understandably, to protect against hackers and viruses), and had limited fixed themes (which is hard for me being an advocate for the right to be unique and different)…but it had its rewards. I’m glad I’m in it! Or you can say, I kinda lifted myself up where I belong…

Grumbacher (rolling his eyes): Oh brother!