Buy Then, Pay Now

<sarcasm>Don't you just love it when the bills arrive</sarcasm>

Bills, bills, bills. Big ones, little ones...

And yet, I just ordered Seasons 2,3, and 4 of Futurama, along with a good deal on Sealab 2021, season one from Amazon. It's scheduled to ship early-mid October, just around the time I need to pay for it.

Spending money you haven't gotten yet. Bad, bad, bad.

--

Current events. I'd like for Myanmar to get rid of their military rulers and try democracy, all for the selfish reason that I want to visit the Shwedagon Pagoda at some point in my life. Almost anybody can actually visit it anytime they want. But I personally don't want to go under this shroud of fear, and the idea of spending my hard-earned cash to support the junta.

--

One of the things that crossed my mind a few days ago, is thinking of the possibility of this life/work setup: Work for nine months of the year, Holiday/Study/Travel for the remaining three months. Sounds interesting, right? I haven't quite figured out how to pull off such a thing. Of course, you'd have to be earning a lot, and work on a contractual basis. The three months doesn't have to be all bumming around and doing nothing. I'd imagine, you can get special training, go back to school to teach and/or learn, set up a business, work a different type of job.

But let me think about it some more.

Aftershocks

Talking to a friend early in the morning:

Tonton (9/13/2007 7:53:16 AM): sheesh, lumilindol ata
Tonton (9/13/2007 7:57:09 AM): lumilindol nga, tagal din

If some experts are to be believed. There may yet be another big one coming.

--

It's been a lazy weekend that's always almost over too soon. I can't really say I haven't achieved anything this past two days even if I mostly just slept it off.

I got new glasses this week, after thinking it's the solution to my headache problems. Worked well anyway. I bought one with transition lenses, and I collected it a day later. I know I should have my eyes checked every year. This one's more than a half year due. So that's done.

As for the weekend itself, I was able to do way overdue house stuff. Washing/changing the bedsheets is one. Rearranging the bedroom is two. Bringing old stuff out is three.

The second one included printing out a lot of pictures to hang on the wall and to put in albums. Good memories. I'll print some in Manila to leave in an album there somewhere.

On that last one, I plan to send a big ol' box of junk home for them to give away or recycle or whatever. Junk would include clothes and shoes and whatever else I don't need.

---

Speaking of home, I made flight reservations to go home to Manila for Christmas and New Year. As usual, they've jacked up the prices for the holiday season. It's almost twice than what I would normally pay to fly back. Besides, I haven't gone back since January. My mom made me promise to go home, so there. They'll be back from the U.S. in late November, early December. I'll be there from December 21 to early January 2. I'm already planning side trips in Tagaytay and Subic. I hope Greenhills will already have iPod Touch units by that time.

---

Recently, I also realized that not only do I like Futurama, I love it! The problem is I only have season one and there aren't any DVDs of it in Singapore (as of time of writing). I've heard that they show it in Adult Swim, Cartoon Network, but I don't have the schedule.

SO. I'm seriously considering ordering seasons 2,3 and 4 online. Singapore Post has this thing called vPost, that allows you to order from U.S. online shops, have them deliver it at an address in the U.S., then have them ship it here for an extra fee.

As an added incentive, I think Amazon.com dipped down the prices for Futurama to about 40+% off retail prices. Think, think, think...

Sorry, I couldn't resist

*Disclaimer: I have friends and relatives who are De La Salle University Alumni including my sister.

You know, most of the people out there will never, ever understand the rivalry that exists between Ateneo and La Salle. So, not a lot of people will get why I find this extremely funny. But I just had to share.



It works on so many levels!

Jetlagged, so I might as well post something

So...

I arrived at two in the morning yesterday with one luggage more than when I left. The flight back was not so uneventful, but not too alarming either. It was bumpy going to and coming from Tokyo-Narita. I think there was also one passenger who fainted or something, which prompted the pilot to ask if there were any doctors on the plane. I just slept them off or ignored them totally while watching Ocean's Thirteen and Surf's Up.



I immediately went back to work a couple of hours later. The people in the office seem to like the 150 pieces of chocolates that I brought. And they have the impression that I just went to Las Vegas. I can't really imagine how you can spend more than a few days there.

--

Dear Ninong,

Thank you so much for flying over to see me and be my ninong.

...

See that? Not even a year old and she can write already. Just kidding. But I am looking forward to see her again next year, Christmas time. We're planning to have a Mickey Mouse Christmas.

This is a picture of me not knowing how to hold a two-month old baby:

--

The US 2007 photo collection is complete. I took pictures almost every day of nothing and everything. I should do a blog post on each set because I've got so much to say. I can do that this weekend, hopefully, unless my lazy old self takes over.



You might see some pictures there which are strange to the eyes, like Jollibee in one set. All will be explained in further detail soon.

Whoa-hoa

Hey, that was fast!

I'm off to the airport to fly back to Singapore.

I get to sleep a few hours after arriving home before bravely going back to work, jetlag and all.

So see you from Singapore, where I get to post more stuff like the trip to Yosemite Park.

It's been a great three week vacation! :D

Up to Speed

While I have all the time to go around, buy stuff, and do all the things that I want to do, what I don't have is the time to blog.

You can just about see what my camera sees, though, via flickr.

The last post in this blog was back in San Francisco, the second day I arrived. Since then, I've gone around San Francisco, touring the sights of the city and around it.

I also made a trip to various outlet stores. It's what makes the US so great to shop in, except that you have to travel a long (and expensive) way here to get to them.


And then there was the point of the entire trip, which was to be a ninong.

After that, it was off to scorching Las Vegas for a short two day getaway. I got to watch one of the Cirque du Soleil shows, Mystere in Treasure Island. I could've enjoyed it a lot more without the prevailing jetlag. Nonetheless, it was a trip to remember. And I'd gladly go back, maybe even if just to have fun and win some money. (I didn't get to gamble this time)

I had to shortly go back to San Francisco in order to fly out to New York because that's the way I arranged the trip. Las Vegas being a relatively last-minute decision.

And so, I am here in the Bronx, in the Hernandez household. Since I've been here, I somewhat went around Manhattan and had dinner with friends. The also gone around the uber-excellent American Museum of Natural History. Great stuff.

Another first for me is to be able to drive in this country. I drove some seventy-plus miles to Six Flags in Jackson, New Jersey. Also thanks to Noel for letting me borrow his brand new (just a 600 miler) Toyota Matrix. No problem with driving, just a little more alert with speed limits, stop signs, and merging lanes. That was a fun Six Flags day. We managed to ride on all the major thrill rides and get a sunburn as well.

And for those who see me online in Yahoo Messenger, you've probably seen me showing off my Homer plush toy, which I won in one of those water-shooting games. Woo-hoo!

If you haven't seen it, let me show it off one more time.

First Family Picture in Years

Hey! So I'm here in San Francisco (after ten years). The flight wasn't so bad, except that it's really long (totalling around 17 hours). And since I'm just borrowing this connection from my sister. I've got to vamoose for now, and just hijack it again later.

For all my contacts around this part of the world, I've got myself a T-Mobile number which you can get on request ;)

Will upload pictures tomorrow.

So...

Done packing.

I'm finally off to a three week leave, I guess :)

One Night in กรุงเทพมหานคร

IMG_7758, originally uploaded by ton2fig.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ton2fig/sets/72157601565188256/

Planned back in May, this Bangkok trip was a jampacked two-day getaway that covered a lot of ground. Arriving in Suvarnabhumi (which in Ancient Thai means "big-ass airport"), we headed straight into the heart of Bangkok.

I'll go into detail in future blogposts. For now, just have a look at the flickr album. I'm, uhm, a bit busy.

Get Away From It All

My sister brought up a most brilliant suggestion to our ever-evolving itinerary:

Kitty Anne Marzan: tapos check mo din online ang yosemite tignan mo picture then let me know kung interesado kang puntahan

She's talking about Yosemite National Park, of course. And I'm very much interested in going. It's one of those places where you'd like to stay after getting tired of the rat race. Probably, like The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari. By the way, I haven't read the book, but would like to. If it's any good or bad, someone tell me. I'd like to have a good book to read for while traveling or commuting.


See, now who wouldn't want to gaze on this view? (photo credits from http://wikitravel.org)

Weather permitting.

--

Of course, all over the world, it's wacky weather time. Floods, heatwaves, droughts and typhoons.

Over here, near the equator, we could be thankful in between rain showers. Walking at night is pleasant with the cool breeze. The kids could sport their cool weather clothes outside the chilly shopping centres.

--

And speaking of clothes, I window-shopped today, checking out the general prices of clothes. This way, I'll be sure that I'm getting a good deal when going to the outlet stores in the U.S.

For example, Banana Republic just opened their first store in Singapore. It sits right in fancy-pants Paragon Mall. Boy, is it expensive.

Anyway, here's a list of things I need-slash-want to buy for myself:

1. Belt - the one I'm wearing is a bit old already. A brown one would be good as well to match shoes (see below)
   
2. More long-sleeved shirts - for the office, to go as far away from "common" G2000 office shirts. Also, try to find french-cuffed ones (see next entry).
3. Cuff links - makes me look more respectable and dignified.
4. Leather shoes - another pair of black office shoes and brown gimik shoes.
5. Rubber shoes - for basketball, maybe another for running/all-around
6. Casual clothes - stuff you can't find anywhere around Singapore (for cheap).

Sorry but buying love or happiness don't make the cut on the grounds that I don't know where to buy them. If I do, I wouldn't buy them on discount.

--

You could say I'm changing wardrobe as well.

Old clothes and things are being put in a box and sent home to Lita, who will gladly distribute it among her relatives. How's that for charity? I've actually learned to let go of old things; especially things that could be better left in somebody else's hands.

In return, I'll have more space around the house for more new things.

--

Less than 10 days to go. I've washed my jackets and sweaters, and I'm ready to pack. I'll run a couple of errands during the week, like paying bills, finishing work, getting money. Pre-trip tasks like printing tickets, vouchers and documents can be done during office break times. At home, I need to clear up SD card memory, charge cameras, iPods, and laptops. I also may need to charge my cellphones. I think I'll bring two. One for the office line, and another for the prepaid card I'd be buying when I get there. I also need to have my aircon with the busted remote receiver pulled-out and fixed while I'm away.

Just to complicate things, I need to parallel-plan going to Bangkok on Saturday and Sunday. It's something that was booked way before the U.S. trip. So I need to figure out what stuff to wear and bring on that weekend. And after that, I need to do one last batch of laundry before leaving.

Then Tuesday night, hours before the flight, I should finish packing and cleaning the room. Get a few hours of sleep. I'll wake up at around 2AM, have a nice bath, pack the toiletries and head for the airport.

At the airport, probably go around and explore the facilities including the massage/spa centres if possible.

Six o' clock, Wednesday morning, I fly out. Next stops, Tokyo-Narita and San Francisco International.

Sweet!

Two Weekends To Go

Last night, we went to see Kjwan play near the Esplanade for Baybeats 2007. It was just a short set, running a little over half an hour. I thought it was really cool that they took the stage with a flag of the motherland.

A bit after the performance, I got to chat with Kjwan members and old classmates Marc and Kelley down at Glutton's Bay. They're hitting the road (flight) to Iloilo for another gig. So if you're in the area, go catch them.

--

The Summer months usually bring a vacation and you may be ready to make a big splash. With Mercury now moving through your 9th House of Journeys, it may be time to pack up and take that special trip you have been thinking about. Even if you can't get out of town, at least plan some activities over the days ahead that have nothing to do with work so you can enjoy yourself more.

Saturday, August 4, 2007

--

And just now, I gave up on joining the basketball team today and instead opted on staying home and watching TV and playing Wii.

Also, I'd be devoting some time on refining my trip plans for the U.S. Again, particularly, on the budgeting side.

And speaking of...

I still find it hard to believe that I'm going on that trip.

Let's See...

Well, your run-of-the-mill what's been happening sort of post.

I went to the dentist twice this week (once last week) to get another root canal. I'll be getting the permanent crown in two weeks. And it damn well costs a lot of money. But better to be done with it before the trip. Also, IT HURTS LIKE SHIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

--

And the other things that hurt are my ears from hearing about the Big Ticket Kevin Garnett being traded to Boston. Let's see what happens to this one. I don't really care that much. Season's still faraway in November and my favorite teams (Warriors, Lakers, Cavaliers) are just chillin'. Nothing really exciting going on, except for that Tim Donaghy gambling fiasco. Ho-hum.

Anyway, Garnett is a workhorse but he needs people around him. So let's hope this turns out good for his career, because otherwise he'd have been stuck in that quagmire of a team called the Wolves.

--

The fallout for me from this year's Great Singapore Sale, which ended last July 22 was six pairs of G2000 pants. All bought for at least 30% off. It fits nicely, and makes me look slimmer as well. The shirts, I've resolved to buy in the U.S. if I find good looking ones. The thing with G2000 is that it looks great, except for the fact that everybody else is wearing the same thing in the office. So office pants are no problem, just keep the shirts unique. Here's to hoping I find a good deal on shirts over there.

All these remind me, of course, of how many people own Louis Vuitton bags all over the island. I see them everyday in the trains, malls, offices, parks, etc. It's because there was a big sale a couple of weeks ago. Huge discounts. Now if everybody has LV, how can an owner stand out anymore? I think that was the point of buying LV.

--

Speaking of slim, I've inadvertently managed to get my weight below 150lbs. I say "inadvertently" because I believe this is due to the late nights at work and the stress of the past few weeks. There's still a lot more work to be done but it's much, much lighter and much more manageable. Hey, just like me!

--

This would be another of my "must-see" list for New York City: Angel of The Waters Fountain.

--

I've got less than twenty days to go before the trip. It's getting ever-closer. I need to wash my coldwear clothes. I haven't washed them since London last year.

Today, part four of our series of the agonizing pain in which I live...

This blog won't be the same without the usual dose of angst.

But before we get to that, I feel it is my duty to tell you what I think about The Simpsons Movie (% on the biiig screeen %). The bottom line is, I like it because it feels like a movie unlike the usual problems that plague TV-to-movie ventures. Of course, you can't please everybody who's watched some of the 400 (and counting) TV episodes, spanning almost two decades. I felt there was a lot lacking, as a matter of fact, but I also thought it was forgivable. Sooooo, quick switch to the lists:

[Here be spoilers]

Things that I like:

• The gags
• The homage/nods to the fans
• The self-referential humour
• The pop culture references

Things that were OK:

• Plot was OK. Nothing groundbreaking.
• Characters who were involved (more on this later)
• Using 3D animation ala Futurama, which, I maintain, is the only true logical and underrated successor to the show.
• Shallow sight gags

Aaaand, to the Things that were bad/disappointing:

• Mr. Burns' cameo-ish role
• The story, in my opinion, could have been taken a lot further
• Not the Best. Movie. Ever.

Recommendation: Go watch it... in 2-D!

--

Anyway, angst, angst. I'm twenty seven years old and I still have angst attacks. Around this age, my parents had already married and are about to have their first child. My sister had her first kid last month, not counting Christopher Dominic (God rest his soul). And I, I only have angst.

What's the difference between them and me? For one thing, they've got it all figured out, so to speak. While I (still) don't have a clue what to do and what to make of this life. What is it that makes you happy? or successful? or wealthy? or healthy? or content? Is it money? An acronym for a title? Friends? Family? Loved ones? Respect? Dignity? Recognition? Fame? Fortune? Enlightenment? Accumulation of knowledge? Broadening the mind?

The problem, of course, with life, is that it gives you a lot of choices and that sometimes choosing one path effectively seals all others. The worst case being, not being able to decide at all what you want.

Which is where I'm headed at this point.

There's that nagging feeling that I'm not good at what I do, even if that's the only thing I know how to do. Or at least, I won't be the best at what I do. So what now? Change careers? Move countries? Adjust anew? Keep running?

I mean, what's the point? [This is the typical angst question, by the way]

But let's turn this on its head. Who is the happiest person you know (or know of), and why? I'm dying to find out. If possible, none of the religious type people and deities.

--

Postscript:

There's a good chance I've been hit by angst because I've only just recently watched Cars. While this movie is not at all about finding out what you want, it touches on how wrong we usually are in thinking about what matters in life. Just a thought. Good movie, by the way.

Smashing Pumpkins? I love doing that!

[A little break from trip-planning]

I'm currently listening to the new Smashing Pumpkins album, Zeitgeist, which has some pretty cool tunes in it.

Also, I'm reading a couple of Amazon.com comments of how these are NOT the Smashing Pumpkins, of how it sounds like Zwan, and that people either hate Zwan or love it, etc.

I am not in any way an authority on the Smashing Pumpkins. I got hooked in the uber-excellent early 90s album, Siamese Dream (totally skipped Gish). In my personal opinion, this album should be in every rock/alternative lover's collection. I love each and every song, and so do a lot of people. The song Drown, which is in the Singles [movie] soundtrack (also a great album) was one of my early adolescent favorites. I wasn't into Pisces Iscariot a lot but I probably just need to give it a chance to grow on me, since I don't own a copy. On the other hand, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness is a brilliant collection of music that displays how the band makes great music. I don't think a great number of people liked Adore, but I appreciate it a lot. It's a bit somber and mellow, and it totally works for me. After that album, I sort of drifted away from their music but still heard from a couple of their songs like The End is the Beginning is The End (from the Batman and Robin) soundtrack, and One from The Aeroplane Flies High, which I think is another uber-collection of songs. Finally, The Smashing Pumpkins - Greatest Hits - Rotten Apples and Machina, the latter not so bad but still different.

After all that, came the breakup. Then came Billy Corgan's new band, Zwan which, and I share this with a lot of fans, is a good effort and their album Mary Star of the Sea is one of the albums in my iPod that I often listen to. I think Billy Corgan went solo after that, not being able to go away from making music.

Amidst all the debate, I think Zeitgeist is also a good album, but not great. Whether having half the original band makes a difference or if James Iha and D'Arcy Wretsky really count at all, the brand is back. I'll give it a couple more album listens to decide if I like this album or I love it.

In English, "The Meadows"

Kitty Anne Marzan: sabi taviks, mag-las vegas kayo. sayang naman daw. may $200 per person daw. kasama na hotel accom

True, true. What it costs to get to Las Vegas from San Francisco is just about the same as going to Singapore from Manila, and this is with accomodations.

With proper planning and budgeting, I might just be able to squeeze in a trip like this just before heading for New York. And as long as I'm spending, there's a good chance I'll swing by and do the Star Trek Experience (geeeeeeeek!). I'll just work off the money I will spend (gulp!) for that sidetrip in the next few months.

--

[10:39] mlauno: di ka abot ng 1st week of
september sa NY?
[10:39] mlauno: andun ako e

Talk about good timing.

--

Yo, Ton,

Come in around the same time so we can hitch a ride together at LGA [LaGuardia Airport in NY]. Start practicing cause we are playing ball and eating White castle.

Mark

This is turning out to be a small reunion of sorts. Basketball, eh? In New York? They'll eat me alive! Not only am I out of shape, but I got my ankle injured in a game just last Sunday. And for me, getting injured is the first step to not doing any healthy physical activity. Groan.

Planning Phase

Anticipating how big of a deal this U.S. trip would be, I've planned as early as last year, procrastinating until last month to push it forward. Getting the visa really got the ball rolling. Now, the real game plan has to be drafted ASAP.

For starters, I needed to book tickets. The original plan would bring me to San Francisco, Las Vegas, Dallas, Chicago, New York, Boston in a four-week triptastic holiday. Of course, the powers that be in the office wouldn't have it. So the longest I can have is three weeks. To add to that, I keep forgetting that I'm very, very far from being a millionaire (maybe in rupees or dongs, but not in pesos, much less dollars) and that going on a spending spree will greatly affect retirement funds. That brings it down to essential travel i.e. San Francisco (because of my newborn niece), and New York (because I want to go to New York). I was also determined to fly Singapore Airlines (SQ). However, after checking the prices, I decided against it. That way, an SQ flight from Singapore to San Francisco would even cost a bit more than what I ultimately got. The final flight plan is roundtrip from Singapore to San Francisco and roundtrip from San Francisco to New York, all the way via Northwest Airlines. Both of these booked through Zuji. And so it was written, so shall it be done -- on the 22nd of August.

--

Here's a draft of the ever-growing list of things to do over there. Now this is aside from most of the touristy stuff that I'll be doing (like going up the Empire State Building and riding the ferry to Liberty Island). Most of the things listed here I won't be able to do or go to. But listing them down allows me to plan the itinerary better.

Here we go:

1. Great America
2. Woodbury Common
3. Six Flags
4. Eat at Medieval Times - Cable Guy!
   
5. Eat at White Castle - Harold and Kumar!
   
6. Nathan's - Hot dogs! Hot dogs!
   
7. NBA Store - Getting my jersey
   
8. Napa Valley - Maybe not. I'm allergic to alcohol, after all.
   
9. Vacaville
10. Eat at Papa Johns - I saw this on TV
11. Eat at Krispy Kreme
12. Eat at Arthur's
13. U.S. Open - asa pa. But after the epic men's final at Wimbledon last night (between Federer and Nadal), who wouldn't want to see them face-off again?
    

Different States

[Heads up. Long read/rant]

Just today, a nagging itch in my life finally got scratched.

You see I was stupid enough not to have renewed my U.S. Visa back in 1998, when I was in college. I didn't know what I was thinking at the time but it turned out to be one of the biggest regrets of my life. It came and bit a big chunk of my ass in 2003, when I absotively-posilutely had to be there for my sister's wedding in San Francisco.

--

Way back when we were kids (late eighties), we were denied twice already for a U.S. visa and opted instead for a trip to Hong Kong. It was a good consolation at the time, of course. I didn't know what the fuss is about in the U.S. except for what I see on TV. On the third attempt, it would be the first time we went to the U.S. embassy ourselves and smiled at the consul. I remember he was of Asian descent and not particularly nitpicky. My father did all the talking and me and my sister did all the smiling. And that was it. We were given 5-years, multiple entry.

We went there in 1992, went around in San Francisco, Virginia/Washington D.C., New Jersey/ New York, Florida then finally, Los Angeles. Maybe one of the best trips of my life.

We returned in 1994 for our grandparents' golden wedding anniversary which turned out to be a big success, even if I remembered I lost my coat/blazer before the night started and had to borrow from somebody else. I experienced the great American long drive to New York from Washington D.C. Aside from that, it's mostly lazing around the house in good old Manassas, Virginia where my cousins live. Suburbian living at its finest.

1997, I didn't know, would be the last trip over there. It was a packed three-week vacation, going back to Florida for another run at Disneyworld/EPCOT, MGM, and Universal Studios. At this time, I just renewed and was given a one year, multiple entry visa.

After that, the long exile.

--

My sister planned to get married late 2003; I wanted/needed to go.

I thought I'd still be able to renew my visa via dropbox since I was still just about in the period when I could still do that. But, after September 11, 2001, you know you just can't. In fact, on 9-11, watching TV, I truly thought, 'Now how the fuck are they going to give me a visa now?'

So we set out arranging everything for the interview, gathering requirements, and paying the necessary fees. The only thing missing was (get this), what the consul asked for. The lady had asked for an invitation to the wedding. Being as it was still relatively early, there were no invitations made yet. Bam! Denied.

Ok, so we get it. Try again. With wedding invitations this time.

Another $100 and a couple of weeks later, second try.

Standard questions: What is the purpose of the trip? To attend my sister's wedding (shows invitation). How long have I been working? How much am I earning? Where are my relatives at the moment? etc, etc , etc

"When is your sister's wedding?"
"November 29th"
(types something) "I'm sorry I can't give you a visa"
(me, speechless. then...) "You can't? Why not?"
"I just don't find you qualified"

Bam! Denied. In. My. Face.

I was pissed. My father was pissed. My family was pissed.

So I missed the wedding. I was alone on my birthday and on Christmas 2003. Well, it basically fucked up my life then and there. The whole not being there for the family on a once in a lifetime occasion. The whole thinking I'm not good enough. The whole thinking when will I ever be good enough. For us Pinoys, it's difficult not to take it personally. It wasn't any different.

--

Another thing about Pinoys is the infatuation with the land of opportunity. In some cases, it borders on obssession. Check out this conversation with my cousin:

Luis: lipat ka na ba dito tapos magtatago
Tonton: di ah. iba-blacklist ako sa bangko
Tonton: sabay sa buong banking
Luis: haha

Or this with my mom:

Mama: sabi ni Nanay ( ni Mike) ihahanap ka daw niya ng mapapangasawa dito.

Sigh.

As if being there is everyone's ultimate life goal. But true enough, it's what millions, maybe billions of people risk everything for: a chance to make it in the U.S. To wait decades for the petition to push through, to marry an American citizen, to give birth in the U.S., to unethically beef up the resume, to suffer long periods of unemployment and underemployment, to sneak across the border, to spend life savings, to leave family behind. Just for a chance.

Meanwhile, guys like me, who have honest intentions and earnest reasons get the disappointing and truly disheartening stamp on the passport. "Application received." Denied.

--

This time, however, armed with a new set of personal particulars, a couple of notable stamps on the passport, the glimmering surface of an issued U.K. visa, and the employment pass, things were looking good.

I booked the early morning appointment, wore my best office attire and smile, and waited for my turn. Answered the standard questions.

"You can pick up your visa on Monday, between 2:30 - 3:30, on the receiving window outside."

"Monday, 2:30. Thank you, Ma'am" [Face stapled with a smile that lasted throughout the day]

More than Meets the Expectations.

I have seen, and I be-lieve, brothers and sisters! Testify! Transformers is one of the coolest movies of recent history.

I don't say that just because I'm admittedly a fanboy; but rather, like Spider-man and X-men, this movie was long overdue and yet it delivers!

[Spoilers start here]

Overall, if I hadn't been too obvious already, I liked the movie a lot. But similar to recent Star Wars installments and The Lord of the Rings, there's just too many humans and not enough fictional beings (robots in this case). Time for the lists!

Things that were good:

1. Optimus Prime voiced by Peter Cullen. Iconic.
2. Realism. Oh you'd believe that you're watching robots fighting. And that they change into vehicles.
   
3. Oh my, Megan Fox and Rachael Taylor. Droooooool...
4. Shia LeBouf who's everywhere this year. Fine actor.
   
5. Blackout (the chopper), who I don't remember from the canon. But pretty cool entrance as the intro to the story. And good as a secondary character.
   
6. Megatron being ruthless.
7. The score. Good music for action.
   
8. Action! Action! Action! Battle! Transform! Boom!
9. Paid homage to the fans. "One shall stand and one shall fall", "Autobots, roll out", Megatron and Starscream hate each other, etc.
10. The talk of a sequel. Droooooool...
    

Things that were OK:

1. It's a Michael Bay film, so it's OK to have sappy humanoid storylines in between Transformer scenes.
2. Supporting characters i.e. Transformers not named Optimus Prime or Megatron.
3. Bumblebee as a Camaro (2008 concept car). Borders on things that were good.
4. Bumblebee not being able to talk normally.
   
5. Megatron as an alien jet fighter. Did you want him as a .38 pistol?
6. Megatron voiced by Hugo Weaving. I heard the guy who voiced him in the cartoons doesn't have the same voice he had a couple of years earlier.
   
7. Humor. Can't live with them, can't live without them.

Aaaaand, here's where the fanboy in me is brought out. Things that were bad:

1. Exclusion of important characters in the cartoon (which will be completely unforgivable if they're not at all in the sequel), which deserves a list of it's own:
1. Soundwave
2. Laserbeak, Rumble and Ravage
3. Wheeljack
4. Perceptor
5. Skywarp and other jets
6. Constructicons and Devastator (a big Oops for the movie, since they named Brawl as "Devastator")
7. Omega Supreme
8. Dinobots!
2. Optimus Prime does not say things like "my bad", ever.
3. Optimus Prime does not need the fiery custom paint job.
4. Where's Optimus's gun?
5. Where's Megatron's gun?
   
6. Not calling them Spike and Sparkplug.
   
7. Why oh why did you kill Jazz? Was easily one of the coolest in the film.
   
8. Frenzy was an annoying robot Ewok.
9. Action scenes were usually dizzying and too zoomed in.
10. The climax/resolution. Huh? Sige na nga.

Anyway, go watch it! I want to watch it again and again until 2009, when the sequel is released.

It's Not All Bad

There's bound to be some good things in the world.

First of all, if you haven't seen Surf's Up, GO SEE IT! It's a bright spot in this year's awful movie season. Totally entertaining. Visually spectacular. Heartwarmingly funny. Any more cliches to add to the rave? Anyway, I can safely say that I love this film.

Also later this week, Transformers.

Harry Potter also looks promising.

And, like all fanatics, I have doubts on The Simpsons Movie. I just hope it's not too bad.

Give Me A Break

I'm tired.

We moved to the new apartment this weekend. It involved wrapping, packing, disassembling, carrying, pushing, pulling, placing, assembling, unpacking, and throwing away the junk. It also cost a lot of money, mind you. To add to that, we had to clean the old apartment; everything including the kitchen sink.


We're a bit more settled in already, two days after. I have two boxes of reject clothes for the Salvation Army or to send home.


Commute feels different, of course. It requires more walking under the humid weather and the morning sun. Serangoon MRT Station is just around 10 minutes leisure walk away. We can see it from good old twelfth floor.

I'm tired.



Two of my colleagues have decided to move on. That makes me the most experienced one in the team. Unfortunately, that event created a big hole in terms of system knowledge, and we have a big release coming up. One of the proposed solutions to mitigate that problem involved me possibly going somewhere again. But it's not likely to happen. Weirdly enough, I sense both disappointment and relief. Now the deadlines are inching forward, and the load ever increasing.

I'm tired.

I joined this basketball team in a tournament for Filipino IT people here in the country. I can't even join them in practice because I'm busy with work. Now, the tournament starts on Sunday. I haven't even paid my fees yet. The worst part, really, is that I'm not in shape to compete with younger, taller, stronger, faster, more driven and more talented opponents.

I'm tired. It's past 1am. It's raining hard. Please redirect all shit elsewhere.