Merry Christmas...Hope everyone has a great holiday!
>>>
by antibiotyx >>>
Gran Torino
Saturday, December 20, 2008,5:07 PM
I watched this film a while ago, and I hated it (for making me cry), I mean, loved it (because of Clint Eastwood's brilliant performance)! Setting aside the contrived set-ups and cliched racial issues, Gran Torino is a remarkable, melodramatic film that punctures straight to your heart, very typical of Clint Eastwood’s cinematic vigor. If you're disappointed with Changeling, Eastwood has definitely redeemed himself with this one. It's funny, nostalgic, sentimental, sweet, tragic but lovely.
I used to consider myself as a jinx when it comes to raffle, but not anymore. I was "exceptionally" lucky yesterday at our company’s Christmas party held at City Garden Hotel in Makati. So lucky that I won two major raffle prizes: a rice cooker and a bulky entertainment rack. On top of that, I also got a mousepad-slash-calculator for being the Best Dressed Male (special thanks to my sukingukay-ukay shop in Biñan for my 60s-inspired attire, lol!). Could this be the start of something even bigger and better? Why not!?
>>>
by antibiotyx >>>
Dance, Dance, Dance
Tuesday, December 16, 2008,3:03 PM
Good music are rare these days. This is Lykke Li with Bon Iver performing Dance Dance Dance in a park in L.A. She sounds great in this "hippie" acoustic version. Love her!
>>>
by antibiotyx >>>
Néih Hóu!
Monday, December 15, 2008,8:41 PM
My recent getaway to Macau is way different from my previous backpacking trips. Besides being the shortest, I was also with my mother and sister so I had to plan everything ahead of time – our itinerary, hotel accommodation, etc. As early as October, I made an online room reservation at San Va Hotel, the cheapest guesthouse I could find on the internet.
We opted for a 180$MOP (roughly 1,000Php) twin-bed room which is a pretty good deal for hotels in Central Macau are too expensive especially during weekends.
Day 1: Our first day in Macau was exhausting. We started our walking tour early in the morning in Senate Square (Largo do Senado) in the heart of Rua Central. This popular park is only a few minutes away from our hotel in Rua da Felicidades, which is Macau’s former red light district.
Senate Square
Largo do Senado houses different colonial and heritage buildings such as Banco Nacional Ultramarino, Central Post Office and Santa Casa da Misericórdia.
Across the Square is the Leal Senado Building which now serves as a municipal chamber with exhibition gallery and public library. Adjacent to the shops in the area is a small, yellow cathedral known as St. Dominic's Church.
After a few minutes of walking, we got hungry. We couldn’t find a decent restaurant that morning so we decided to buy instant noodles from 7-11. After eating, we headed our way uphill to the famous St. Paul’s Ruins then proceeded to Na Tcha Temple, Museum of Macau and Monte Fort. At noon, we went to the Harbour Area then had our lunch for only 25$MOP in a Chinese restaurant.
St. Paul's Ruins
Na Tcha Temple
Our next stop was the Penha Peninsula. This is the particular area in Central Macau where a number of churches can be found. From Senate Square, we followed the road (Largo S. Agostinho) that goes to St. Augustine's Church. Built in 1586 by the Augustinians in 1586, this church enshrines the statue of Our Lord of Passion. On its right is a Chinese library and the Chapel of St. Joseph Seminary. Opposite is the Dom Pedro V. Theatre, which is the “oldest European theater in China.” We walked uphill until reaching the Portugese Embassy where we had a very nice view of Macau Tower and the entire city. At night, we headed north where most luxury hotels such as Casino Lisboa, MGM and Wynn are located.
Macau Tower
Day 2: We went to Coloane, one of Macau's main islands, which is only 30 minutes away from Macau Peninsula. Coloane is such a quiet little place to escape the hustle and bustle in the city. There we visited Chapel of Saint Francis Xavier, Tam Kung Temple and Tin Hau Temple. We had a sumptuous lunch (118$MOP) in a Chinese restaurant infront of the chapel.
Tin Hau Temple
Chapel of Saint Francis Xavier
Day 3: For our final day in Macau, we went to Taipa Village for more sightseeing. This small community is home to popular restaurants, museums, colonial architecture and, of course, Chinese temples. We had lunch along Rua da Cunha, Taipa's food street. Chinese sausage (longganisang Macau) from Yummy Yummy Restaurant was really good!
Merry Christmas...Hope everyone has a great holiday!
I watched this film a while ago, and I hated it (for making me cry), I mean, loved it (because of Clint Eastwood's brilliant performance)! Setting aside the contrived set-ups and cliched racial issues, Gran Torino is a remarkable, melodramatic film that punctures straight to your heart, very typical of Clint Eastwood’s cinematic vigor. If you're disappointed with Changeling, Eastwood has definitely redeemed himself with this one. It's funny, nostalgic, sentimental, sweet, tragic but lovely.
