Astroboy is excellent (movie review)

Over the Vampire weekend, I was almost peer pressured into watching that movie. But when we saw the lines that snaked all the way to China, we decided to see the movie with the least number of people lining up for tickets. So we saw Astroboy.

I was ready to be bored and fall asleep. Boy, were we in for some huge surprise.

Astroboy is a brilliant piece of film making and it certainly delivered the goods. Based on the Astroboy manga of our childhood, the movie is set in futuristic Japan where humans live side by side with robots which basically do everything for them, from the laundry to fighting wars.

The wonderful thing with this film is that it’s not afraid to take risks in the writing of its story. The audience, most of which are kids, are made to deal with difficult issues. Immediately at the start of the movie Dr. Tenma’s son, Toby, dies. Immersed in great sadness, Dr. Tenma builds a robot version of Toby. Using Toby’s DNA, the robot version has all the boy’s memories. But soon Dr. Tenma rejects the robot boy and abandon’s him. Toby, now Astroboy, realizes his robotic nature and leaves the city with a broken “heart”.

The film courageously tackles difficult themes: destiny, finding one’s place in the world, self sacrifice and what it really means to be human. But what’s great is that the weight of its themes is neatly wrapped in sequences and lines that are witty, visually stunning and exciting.

A character at the end of the movie says that Astroboy has more humanity than all of us. And that speaks of the movie itself which has more heart and soul than most non-animated flicks out there, certainly more than that vampire movie.

I give this movie a B+.

Too bad, it might not survive the Twilight weekend. Not even Astroboy can survive the rush of tween girls hungry for some brooding paleness.

Summer Love (Movie Review: 500 days of Summer)

Sure, I downed some bottles of beer, and maybe a few shots of Tequilas, after watching 500 days of Summer, but I truly enjoyed it. In fact, I've seen it twice. Goes to show how much of a masochist I am. 

If you've ever found yourself looking at the fb page of someone you used to love and obsess about, someone you thought you'd love forever, someone you once thought you couldn't live without and find that after all these time what remains are only traces of that pain and obsession, mere fragments of the ache you once suffered for the lost of that one person you thought you'd be spending your whole life with, then you'll know what the movie is talking about. Sure enough, as the disclaimer says at the beginning of the movie, this is not a love story.

Tom(played by Joseph Gordon Levitt) falls head over heels, crazy, madly in love with the alluring and enigmatic Summer (Zooey Deschanel). It's not so hard to believe that men would be falling for the Summer effect given that Zooey seems to have mastered the role of a beautiful and extremely charming woman, floating above everyone's heads, without a care in the world, but to experience everything with such freedom and carelessness. She's so free-spirited and detached from everything else that she doesn't understand how Tom can fall for her when she specifically told him from the start that she didn't want commitment.

But Tom does fall in love and she doesn't end up with him. His heart is broken. He has built his whole life around her and he might as well be dead. So he cries, mopes, wallows, drinks and waits for death.

But he doesn't die and he moves on. Without her. And that is life. One we've all experienced before in one way or another. We fall in love, we have expectations that clash with reality, we get our hearts broken, we suffer extreme pain and then we're alright again. It's such a common story, which is why it's so easily relatable.  Joseph Gordon Levitt plays the hurt guy so well, we almost feel his pain and we want to comfort him and break plates with him.  

The narrative is presented in a non linear manner, jumping around time, showing glimpses from the future and snippets from the past, we don't always know what's going on but we're stimulated and we're curious.  But other than that story-telling technique and the music from the likes of The Smiths, Feist and Regina Spektor, there's nothing really very special about this movie. It tries to have depth and insight, look edgy and smart through overused indie film techniques but all it does is reveal an overdressed movie pretending to be something it's not.

The film's real strength though lies in the simplicity of its story, the innocence and severity of love and how we all move on eventually, whether we like it or not. It may not be a love story, but it sure is a hopeful one.

I give this movie 4 out of 5 stars. Don't see it with a broken heart, though. Or maybe you should

If the shoe fits

I just got back from jogging. Yes I jog at 1 in the afternoon. It was weird considering all the students were transferring classrooms and there we were sweaty and running in the middle of the day.

After the jog I noticed something different in my stride. I was having a difficult time running, my right ankle began to hurt. My right shoe's sole had started to gape open, which means its time to buy a new one.

And because I run often, I think I should invest in some sturdy sneakers.

I'm thinking of getting these Nike Air Zoom Vomero 4.

According to reviews, the extra cushioning adds comfort. Plus it's very flexible.

The Nike Air Zoom Elite 4 also looks great. apparently it's perfect for people who do a lot of training since it's lightweight and durable.

I also want to get my hands on the Adidas Supernova Glide. Not only is it extremely comfortable, it's cushioning is designed to give your heel a push. And the gender specific feautures are almost accurate.

I just need to save up. I'm sure any of these shoes will improve my running. Whether they will sustain my desire for running, that is the question.

Nerdo Adventure: Vigan! (Promdi outside Manila)

I've always wanted to go to Ilocos because I've heard so many great things about the architecture and ofcourse, the food. Since Salvador Bernal's class in college on Aesthetics, I've had a thing for appreciating local architecture, how their design and functionality reflect the Filipino ideals and way of life. Last month, thanks to work, I finally got the chance to (which means I got pad to travel! yay!)

If you're a nerdo like me, minus the huge glasses and geeky laugh, and consider museums the ideal place for adventure, then you'll love Vigan. Vigan is one giant museum, complete with exchibits, artwork, souvenirs and culinary delights!

I arrived there straight from the airport at night because the only flight to Ilocos is at 6pm. Vigan looks amazing, elegant and magical at night, particularly Calle Crisologo, with its cobblestone streets, yellow flickering lights and vintage buildings. Plus, everyone's asleep by 9pm so you can run around the streets and no one would give a shiz.

In the morning, we swore we'd eat nothing but Vigan delicacies to compliment the Vigan sites we were going to explore. So we immdiately started sniffing around for some Vigan longanisa. Unfortunatey all the good restaurants were still closed by then. But we refused to eat at Jollibee or anywhere else that did not serve pure Vigan longanisa. So we found Max's restaurant. Yes, that Max's restaurant. They had a special menu that served Vigan classics.

The longanisa was great, with a bit of spice mixed with the sour taste of vinegar and you're good to go!

We were told that the best way to go around Vigan is via the kalesa, a horse drawn carriage. And they were right. Sure, it's a bit bumpy given the cobblestones and our seemingly constipated horse, but for 150php/hour you get an authentic old Filipino ride around the city and a friendly driver/tourist guide who will not only bring you to museums and Churches, he'll also tell you stuff about them.

Vigan by day is grey, old and devastatingly beautiful. The houses in Calle Crisologo looked so fragile and formidable at the same time. No wonder the UN declared it a heritage site. You can almost believe ladies in baro't saya will soon open those capiz windows to drop you a shy, conservative smile.

Our first stop as directed by manong was the St. Augustine Bell Tower. The tower, made of bricks stood magnificently beside one of Vigan's many churches, that could easily trump the ones in Intramuros in terms of architecture, design and history.

The problem was, I have a thing with heights. Okay, okay, I am afraid of heights, I get sweaty palms and my heart jumps out of my chest every time I look down from a 3 storey building. But curiosity, which curiously also killed the cat, got the better of me so I slowly but surely climbed the wobbly stairs (or was that just me shaking in fear.) The view from the top of the bell tower was breath taking. You could see the farmlands of Vigan spread across plains. The air was so fresh, I almost died. Then I looked down and remembered I was afraid of heights, so I sat down.

We also visited museums. And boy are there a lot of museums in Vigan's. We saw old libraries, cars, gardens, pottery, paintings, guns, furniture, telephones, piano. You name it, they've got in old, vintage style.

Last stop was Chavit Singson's Balwarte, which was a zoo/gambling center for Chavit and friends in the time of Erap, when they were still besties. Considering the amount of taxpayers' money that goes into the maintenance of the place, Balwarte is impressive. The gardens are well manicured, the tigers, camel and ponies well fed. The butterflies were abundant and floated around you and you feel magical.

By 11 am, while teasing the tigers at the risk of losing our hands, it had gotten so hot we wanted to run naked and dip into the artificial falls. Travelers are advised to wear comfortable clothes when in Vigan, because, men, it's just really hot.

We ended the day by having ourselves some Basi, sugarcane wine, and Bagnet ofcourse!

A trip to Vigan is one I'd most certainly do again. It's a cheap way to enjoy and learn at the same time.Museums usually don't charge visitors, just give them a donation for maintenance and that's it. Plus, the food is great and the ambience, romantic. Go see for yourself!

Congratulations COMELEC!

aI really can't get over the COMELEC's insipid decision to prevent ANG LADLAD to run for office on the grounds of immorality. So I'm posting this, taken from here.

My dear Commission on Elections (COMELEC) of the Philippines,

I wish to congratulate you for doing such an act of pure love and piousness when you upheld God's Law in your decision regarding the petition of Ang Ladlad LGBT Political Party. Invoking Romans 1:26-27 was a brilliant idea! I feel so blessed that you guys are doing the job that the Constitution of the Philippines mandated you to do. And I feel so relieved that you guys are there to save my soul from being infected by the presence of a lesiban,gay, bisexual, and transgender political party in the 2010 elections.

I try to share the wisdom of your decision with as many people as I can. When someone tries to defend the homosexual lifestyle, for example, I simply remind him that Leviticus 18:22 clearly states it to be an abomination. End of debate.

I'm really convinced that you are very right. You know, just like you, I take the Bible seriously in a very literal way because the Bible is the word of God and God is definitely very clear in whatever He's saying. However, I do need some advice from you regarding some God's command in the Bible. I will deeply appreciate if you tell me how to best follow them:

a) When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it creates a pleasing odour for the Lord (Lev. 1:9). The problem is my neighbors. They claim the odour is not pleasing to them. Should I smite them?

b) I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in Exo. 21:7. In this day and age, what do you think would be a fair price for her? How much did you sell your daughters for? I’m really, really curious.

c) I know that I am allowed no contact with a woman while she is in her period of menstrual uncleanliness (Lev. 15:19-24). The problem is, how do I tell? I have tried asking, but most women take offense. Do you allow your female staff in COMELEC to work during their menstrual period?

d) Lev. 25:44 states that I may indeed possess slaves, both male and female, provided they are purchased from neighboring nations. A friend of mine claims that this doesn’t apply to us, that only Chinese people can have us as slaves and not the other way around. Can you clarify? Why can't I have a Chinese for a slave?

e) I have a neighbor who insists on working on the Sabbath. Exo. 35:2 clearly states he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself? Oh, am I allowed to kill President Arroyo when she works during the Sabbath? And, YES, am I allowed to kill you if I caught you working during the Sabbath?

f) A friend of mine feels that even though eating shellfish is an abomination (Lev. 11:10), it is a lesser abomination than homosexuality. I don't agree. Can you settle this? I know a lot of our political candidates eat selfish! O No! Please the 2010 Elections can't be infested by them!

g) Lev. 21:20 states that I may not approach the altar of God if I have a defect in my sight. A lot of political candidates are wearing glasses, a lot of our former Presidents wore glasses. Are they immoral too?

h) Most of our male political candidates get their hair trimmed, including the hair around their temples, even though this is expressly forbidden by Lev.19:27. Can we tolerate such immorality among our political candidates?

i) I know a political candidate who has a farm. I think he violates Lev. 19:19 by planting two different crops in the same field, as does his wife by wearing garments made of two different kinds of thread (cotton/polyester blend). Is it really necessary that we go to all the trouble of getting the whole town together to stone them? (Lev.24:10-16) Couldn't we just burn them to death at a private family affair like we do with people who sleep with their in-laws? (Lev.20:14)

j) A lot of Filipinas work as domestic helpers in other countries. A lot of them are beaten by their employers. Should I condemn their employers or should we just allow them to be beaten up as long as they can get up after a day or two as what Exo. 21:20-21 wants us to do: “If a man beats his male or female slave with a rod and the slave dies as a direct result, he must be punished, but he is not to be punished if the slave gets up after a day or two, since the slave is his property.”

k) Erap Estrada seems intent to run again as President. I just wonder whether you’ll approve his candidacy, specially that he is a well-known adulterer. The Bible said the punishment is death, why is he still alive? Is there something fishy going on?

l) Deut. 23:20 said that we shall not demand interest from our countrymen on a loan of money. Are our banks immoral? How should they be punished?

I know you guys have studied these things extensively, so I am confident you can help. I still have many questions but that’s all for now. Thank you again for reminding us that God's word is eternal and unchanging.

Faithfully yours,
Juan de la Cruz

home away from home

When I packed my bags and left for Manila to study years ago, Katipunan in Loyola Heights,  Quezon City became my second home. 

Katipunan is surrounded by universities with vast flourishing grounds for trees: University of the Philippines, Miriam College and Ateneo de Manila University. Even the high way is lined with trees, although some of them were cut off a year ago by the MMDA. It was even rumored that actress Chin chin Gutierrez, a known environmental activist, hugged a tree to stop the MMDA men from cutting it down. Alas, this time the MMDA did their operations, like many other government operations, in the middle of the night, when everyone is asleep.

But still, Katipunan is still relatively more tree-friendly compared to its counterparts in Manila and Makati. You can actually take enjoyable walks with your friends and family.

I also like how everything is so convenient without it having a mall. Nowadays, when people think of convenience, they think of malls. But not here in Katipunan. The streets are lined with a variety of restaurants, from the fancy expensive Cravings and Ninyo, to the artsy and homey Xocolat and Mag.net and favorite fast food restaurants, Jollibee and McDonalds. There's also Cantina, Meat Shop and Drew's for cheap liquor and 711 and Bat Cave for a quick snack. If I'm craving for fishball and kwek kwek, U.P.'s a jeep away.

After the binge eating, I can burn all the calories away with a jog. I usually run inside the sprawling Ateneo campus. But sometimes I also enjoy jogging in U.P. where they've dedicated half the streets to joggers and cyclists.  One can also run in the nearby villages of La Vista and Xavierville.

But what I truly love about living in Katipunan are the people. You sit down in one of the many cafe's and just observe the variety of people running around, hugging each other, laughing or emoting away. There are the groups of Koreans clad in the most colorful of clothes. It's amazing that they don't seem to care that people ogle them. They're happy with themselves, with their orange hair and knee high socks and very loose shirts, and they couldn't care less. There's the conyo group, hanging out in Mc Donalds or in Starbucks, talking about their dates, their cars, their philosophy subjects. There's the future NGO worker, dressed down and ready to rally, just got back from area. Of course there's the academic enthusiast, with his nose always stuck in a book, sipping coffee in between chapters. 

If someday I get to have a family of my own, I'd raise my kids in Katipunan. I do hope that when that happens, they don't build another SM condominium. One is enough, Mr. Sy, okay?

Opa! (Restaurant review: Cyma)

The great thing about living in the metro is that you get to try out so many flavors, some good, some bad, all of them exciting! It's a food universe out here that's just waiting to be explored. One of my favorite restaurants , that's just begging to be explored over over again, so far is Cyma. 

Cyma is a greek restaurant. But since I've never been to Greece, I really can't vouch for the authenticity of their theme. I can, however vouch for the quality of its food. Located in several malls, like Trinoma, Eastwood Mall and Greenbelt, I can honestly say from the bottom of my very satisfied stomach that Cyma is one of the best restaurants out there.

The interior is cool to the eyes. Its clean white walls and sea-blue furniture actually reminds you of the Greece we often see in post cards and movies. When I first saw their menu, I begun to have cold sweats and started checking my wallet lest I end up washing their dishes. I fel it was too much to spend 300php on a salad. We're not actually in Greece, you know. 

from here

But what the hey. I ordered the Tonnos Salata. It was tuna with mixed greens, potatoes, black olives, feta cheese, anchovies, roasted bell peppers, boiled eggs and baked onions. When our salad arrived, we were amazed. It looked so good, and filling. This was not the salad of stick thin models. This was our salad. And amazingly it tasted great, too. The vinaigrette was sweet and tangy, the greens fresh. I wanted to know how they made the onions so sweet, you can hardly tell you're eating onions. And the tuna was in abundance. We ordered to share, but the salad could have fed an army.

from here

We were almost full when our Clam Shell pasta arrived. It was creamy and tasty. And the hint of lemon perfected the dish. And you know how much I love pasta. So when I tell you that this one's good, I mean it's good.

We also ordered the Chicken Gyro. The pita went well with the melted cheese and chunks of grilled chicken and tomatoes.
All in all it was a great dining experience. From the food to the ambience to the service. A great way to celebrate with a date, family or friends.

I give Cyma a 5 out 5! (This month alone, I've eaten there three times, which would explain the sad state of my wallet.) I'd gladly wash dishes for another serving of that salata!

The sweet smell of fresh blood

Commissioners Nicodemus Ferrer, Lucenito Tagle and Elias Yusoph must have had brunch with Mr. Isagani Cruz.

You must have heard it all by now. In an 8-page decision signed by the 3 wise men of the Comelec or the Apocalypse, Ang Ladlad party's application for accreditation in the party list to run in the May elections was rejected on the grounds that "it tolerates immorality, which offends religious beliefs."

I don't even know where to begin.

Ang Ladlad, headed by Ateneo professor, Danton Remoto, claims to represent the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transegender (LGBT) community. The party seeks representation in the house to push for laws which would protect the rights of the LGBT community since they too are law abiding citizens of this country. And in this country, even non-law abiding citizens have rights.

Coming from an all-boys Catholic school in the province, I know for a fact that a lot of us are not very tolerant of homosexuals. There was this one incident where a classmate of mine got pushed into a canal simply because he was gay. The sad thing is, everyone thought it was funny. I thought it was funny. The sight of that boy drenched in black water. The stink. He deserved it. He was gay. How ignorant was I then. How common is this scene? The LGBT has been prosecuted for being who they are so many times that it has become a common sight and yes, accepted.

They're not even pushing for gay marriage, for godsakes. They know the country's not ready for that, said Danton Remoto in 2007, when they were also first rejected by the COMELEC for failing to complete the requirements. They just want to enjoy their rights mandated in the Philippine Constitution which states that in the eyes of the law everyone, including the LGBT, is equal. They deserve the same protection that everyone enjoys from the state.

For, ahem, credibility, the Commissioners quoted the Bible and the Koran. Following the logic that led to this decision: the Bible and the Koran says homosexuality is a sin and is immoral. Thus Ang Ladlad is immoral. And so let's not give them a chance of being represented in the congress.

Brilliantly, the decision also mentioned how they meant to protect the youth, you know, from the immorality of homosexuality. Because it spreads like a disease.

I am not going to go against the arguments of the Church or any other religion here. I have my own opinions on that, which will take up a whole other entry. (Although the way I was taught, my Church is a very tolerant and loving church. It would not want harm on anyone. ANYONE)

The question is not whether the Church, the Bible or the Koran is right. The question is, why is this government citing the Bible and the Koran when they should be looking into the Philippine Constitution. I don't recall having been taught in class that to be gay is against the law. I haven't seen anyone put in jail for being a lesbian. Though I have seen people punched in the gut for being one.

Even the Commision of Human Rights know what I'm talking about.

CHR said however that the poll body's decision "smacks of prejudice and discrimination."

"Homosexuality is not a counterculture. It is part of the diversity of Philippine culture.
Homosexuals are part of the Filipino family and unavoidably must be part of our politics," CHR chair Leila De Lima was quoted in the statement as saying.

"There is no governmental policy which characterizes homosexuality as illegal nor immoral," De Lima said.

"There is or can be no basis in law to deny the registration of the party, directly or indirectly, on the grounds of homosexuality, much less on homosexuality equated to immorality. To make assertions based on their homosexuality is patently discriminatory," she said.

The statement highlighted as its basis the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, as well as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which it said both focus on the equality of all peoples. from here

The COMELEC needs to wake up and smell the blood on their hands.

Let me end with a forwarded letter from my previous officemate.


LTTE ito ni Dr. Guy Claudio


Dear Editor,

Is there anyway to impeach the following Comelec Comisssioners: Nicodemo T. Ferrer, Lucinito N. Tagle and Elias R. Yusoph?

They must be impeached because they have openly decided to turn the country into a religious state instead of a secular one. I am referring of course to their decision to outlaw Ladlad on the basis of upholding religious beliefs. They quote the Bible and the Koran forgetting that they should consult the Philippine Constitution instead. Only in the Philippines would we have high government officials who state that obedience to religious beliefs trumps other more cogent legal provisions as a basis for policy.

If stupidity were a basis for impeachment, the proceedings would be quite short. Their display of ignorance of current scientific knowledge on sexuality is quite appalling. They should have taken the simple expedient of asking any psychiatrist or psychologist who upholds the standards of organizations like the World Health Organization or the American Psychiatric and Psychological Associations. They would have been told that homosexuality was delisted as a psychological pathology more than 30 years ago. They either did not bother to read for themselves or consulted the psychiatric association of the Taliban when they decided that homosexuality is an abnormality.

As a Filipino citizen who is neither Christian nor Muslim; as a practitioner and teacher in psychology and sexuality; as someone who cares that we do not look like backward bigots to the world community; I urge the impeachment of these men who have violated morals, scientific truths and our laws against discrimination.

I am so upset. I'm gay starting today and until Ladlad get accredited.

Sylvia Estrada Claudio, M.D. PhD.
Director, University Center for Women’s StudiesProfessor of Women and Development Studies
University of the Philippines

I couldn't have said it better myself.

Take me to the beach

As much as I enjoy life in the city, what with each day becoming more and more of an adventure (oooh flood waters, bring out your surf boards!), I can't wait to go to the beach, read a book and just be by my lonesome self. 

At the end of this month, I will hopefully be able to go back to Camiguin, where the beach is immaculately white, the waters blue as the sky,  the food is cheap, the people are friendly and the skies are clear. And yes, where lanzones is abundant and not extravagantly priced!

For now, I'll just have to enjoy looking at the pictures.

I can't wait! I can already taste the lanzones.

Movie Review: Showers and a million ways to destroy the world

So apparently there's a meteor shower going on outside.

picture from here

Iggs and I did stay outside for about 5 minutes. Then we got bored and stiff neck. So we went back inside the house. It's too bright to see the night sky anyway. That's the problem with living in Manila. The whole place is always lit up. We're so entertained by shiny billboards, lamposts and signages that we forget to look up and watch Orion.

In the 5 minutes we spent outside waiting for the sky to start falling, I unfortunately remembered the movie I just recently saw. 2012. Sure, that makes no absolute sense given it's in another movie that a big fat asteroid destroyed the Earth.

But man, 2012, that was a bad movie. Okay, it's not that bad. The effects were amazing. If I'd been one of the thousands stuck on the roof of their house during typhoon Ondoy, I wouldn't watch this movie. I'd probably start crawling under the seats at the sight of a giant wave conquering the Himalayas. I'd probably pee my pants watching Washington get swallowed by the ocean.

My friend and I concluded that the Philippines would probably be one of the first countries to be wiped out if the galactic alignment which would somehow cause continents to shift and destroy cities, happened.

My problem with the movie was one, it was too long. How many times do we need to see cities destroyed. Yes we get it, the world is ending. And in every possible way. Great floods, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, glaciers, tsunamis. You name it, this movie's got it. What, no frogs falling from the sky?

The movie is so saturated with destruction that you eventually get to a point when you actually wish for the earth to open up and swallow you whole so that this movie would end.

Then there are the speeches. Director, Roland Emmerich, does not only have a fetish for destroying the world (he also directed Independence Day and The Day After Tomorrow.) He's also a fan of long, cliche laden speeches. My gulay, how can all these people have time to talk about their love for their mothers, the greatness of human sacrifice and the resilience of the human spirit, when the whole state of California has just disappeared from right under your feet.

The cast was okay. Everyone did what was expected of them - scream and run for their lives, hold hands, and look frightened. And yes, John Cusack must have been a cockroach in his former life. He just won't die. Man, that's one lucky guy - getting to ride two planes to take him to China, while Las Vegas burns and the Vatican falls, and finding a ride in the middle of the Himalayas, the driver of which just happens to , tadaaa!!, have a way of getting them on board the only ship that could withstand Earth's destruction.

And the ending, what can I say? Africa's the place to be. Let's go I want to see the giraffes!

I give this movie a c+

Oh the stars might have started falling already. See you.

Welcome!

First, let me introduce myself. 

I am a promdi. Promdiprovince. 

I was born and raised in Tarlac, the city of Noynoy, Cory and Ninoy, and yes Danding, Peping, Tingting,  Mikee, the land of endless farmlands, cows, goats, Don Bosco and more farmlands. And in a couple of years, the land of another SM. I grew up right beside a farm where we used to fly kites and play patintero in the afternoons after school, right before our mothers and grandmothers screamed dinner time.

In college I had to leave my province and move to the country's capital - the city of skyscrapers, pollution, museums, clubs, malls, EDSA, floods and material for a Gabriel Garcia Marquez novel -  to study college. 

Boy, was I in for an awesome adventure and then some. This blog will be about those adventures the places I've been to, the people I've met, everything I've experienced. Of course it won't always be about people and place I come across in Manila. Sometimes I also get the opportunity to go to other places, but the perspective remains, that of a boy eternally amazed by the world outside his small town life. 

But I'm getting ahead of myself.