Wednesday, September 14, 2005

Week II of my Quasi-Vacation

Pinay Fräulein Goes Back To Germany

Unita Gaye's despedida slash reunion
Gaye and Carol. Click on image to see larger picture
Unita Gaye Galiluyo or Ünita, as her German theater ballet troupe friends fondly call her (we call her Gaye), flew in to our shores a few days ago to perform at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. It was a good thing that she was able to meet up with us, her high school buddies, despite her busy schedule. :D

Unita Gaye's despedida slash reunion
Gaye and Carol. Click on image to see larger picture
It was a sort of despedida-slash-reunion sort of thing since i haven't seen or heard of/from these guys for like an eternity. We didn' thave time to prepare for it since we met on a Friday and she's supposed to fly to Germany the next day in the afternoon and it won't be for another couple of years till she comes home again. Caroline Boncodin (who is now Mrs. Santos) was there, as well as Mr. and Mrs. Daniel and Therese Honrade and Venny Lex Santos and his girlfriend (sorry, I forgot her name). Michael Jeffrey Tomaneng was supposed to join us but I think he had a family thing going and Vinia Pamplona was performing with Douglas Nierras's Powerdance that evening.

Unita Gaye's despedida slash reunion
Mr. & Mrs Honrade and Mr. & Mrs. Santos to be? :D. Click on image to see larger picture
It was a fun night though, catching up on everything I missed, who got married to whom and how, what everybody was doing in their lives. Especially me, having missed some major reunions since I was sort of lost in my very own Twilight Zone (which wasn't necessarily filled with monsters or demons or the undead). Anyway, Unita will surely be missed. Unless I save up and start a "travel fund" of sorts. I would love to go on a Eurotrip and maybe visit Gaye on one of the stopovers. That's an idea... Especially now since I have my passport.

My Passport
My passport. Click on image to see larger picture
I've never needed one. Or my parents thought I never needed one since they're probably thinking that I won't be travelling anywhere outside the Philippines in this lifetime. But I decided that I DO need one and went out and got myself one. Easier said than done, however, especially with the "brilliant" system that our very own Department of Foreign Affairs has got installed. Applying for a passport in 2005 was like stepping into a time machine considering the process was so... medieval in a way... for lack of a better term. Line upon long lines to windows with nary a computer in sight, it kind of reminded me of the days of enrolment in the university where everything was written by hand (considering that everyone's benefitting from the beauty of technology today with online registration, you can probably tell that that was X number of years ago, hehehe). Anyway, to cut to the chase, (and I did cut to the chase literally by paying a little extra to have my passport delivered to me instead. I mean, what's 200 bucks compared to the toxicity of going back to that... that... ah well, you get the picture.) I now am a proud owner of a Philippine Passport. (cue dramatic, triumphant swell of music here).

And what better time to go get myself one as I might (or should I say WILL) be needing it soon due to the very good possibility of my getting a job in Singapore (I have my fingers, my toes, even my eyes crossed for this one). I strongly feel that I need a change of environment. If I had my way—not to mention abundant resources—I would go out and see the world. So far I've been only able to do that via Discovery Channel. Though I'm usually content with that, the prospect of working in another country and the possibility of earning a lot more than the lousy excuse for a salary that they're giving me here, is getting to be more attractive by the minute. Plus, the idea of having a "travel fund" is not at all impossible. (*Sigh*) Wish me luck...

Hot Loops Donuts
Hot Loops Donuts. Click on image to see larger picture
On a lighter note, Hot Loops Donuts came out with a couple of new flavors. Loco Cola and *somethin* Root beer (sorry, I should be paying more attention to details next time). The Root beer variant does taste like the drink which is kind of weird since you're munching on it instead of chugging it down. Root beer-flavored candy is fine but root beer... pastry? Not that it's bad or anything, after all I did like it. I just found it a bit weird. Same goes for the Loco Cola variant. It just felt weird.

My curiousity was piqued thanks to a vertical banner with the larger than life donut visuals and the names practically leaping out at you (thank god for Marketing!) Doesn't help that I've always had an affinity for soda--or rather the smell of it. I used to patronize this perfume line from Beauty Bar (yes, you heard that right. I shop at Beauty Bar. Metrosexual, anyone?) called "Smell This." They actually have crazy names for the different variants such as "Fresh Clean Laundy," "Beach Smells," "Piña Colada" "Peach Iced Tea," and other equally kooky scents. The one I liked in particular was called "Soda Pop Fizz" which smells like you sprayed Sprite or root beer all over you—without the sticky feeling hahahahah. People have complimented me saying that I do smell yummy! Too bad Beauty Bar doesn't carry that product anymore. *sniff*

The Machinist
The Machinist.
While I'm writing this, I'm watching The Machinist starring Christian Bale, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Michael Ironside. It's a complete mind-fuck and I love it. Yes, I glory in these kind of films, the ones that fuck with your mind. :-D

The Synopsis:
Trevor Reznick, a machinist, has lost the ability to sleep. But this is no ordinary insomnia. Trevor has not slept in a year. Fatigue has led to shocking deterioration of his physical and mental health. Suspicious of his appearance, Trevor's co-workers first shy away from him, then turn against him after he's involved in a shop accident that cost a man his arm. They blame Trevor for the accident. He has become a liability to himself and to others and now they want him out. Plagued with guilt, Trevor's shame becomes suspicion, then paranoia, when it appears that his co-workers are conspiring to have him fired—or worse. First he finds cryptic notes left in his apartment. Next he is told that a mysterious co-worker involved in the accident does not exist. Are these mysteries part of a plot to drive Trevor mad? Or is fatigue that is robbing him of his reason? Determined to find an answer, Trevor investigates the strange occurences that are turning his world into a sleepless nightmare. Yet the more he learns, the less he wants to know.



Sounds cheesy, right? I know. That's why I rarely read synopses.

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They're kind of old but here are a couple of DVDs of note: VH1 Storytellers: Sarah McLachlan and Tears for Fears Scenes from the Big Chair