Thursday, November 29, 2007

Exciting Makati

How can you not enjoy being in Makati, financial hub of the Philippines and centre of excitement? Walk where the earth literally moves under your feet. Shop at the explosive Glorietta Mall in the Ayala Centre. Stay at The Manila Peninsula where locals go to see and be seen through a haze of teargas. Join us in this wonderful city and experience the Philippines like no other!

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Deal or No Deal

Got this from my officemate. I just had to share it. I need things like this on particularly stressful days.

*****

Subject: banat inday!

nang sumali si inday sa deal or no deal...

Kris: Magandang gabi mga kapamilya, sa gameshow na ito importante ang sagot sa nag-iisang katanungang Deal or no Deal. Ang ating player ngayong gabi ay walang iba kundi ang fastest-rising household services manager na si Inday!

[umentra si Inday at nagpalakpakan ang mga tao]

Kris: Ok Inday, choose a briefcase.

Inday: Kris, I would opt for case #4 please.

Kris: Briefcase # 4... si Sharmel. Inday, matanong ko lang, how did you come up with the number 4?

Inday: Oh, do you really want to know Kris?

Kris: Oo naman. I'm sure kaya ko naman maintindihan yung sasabihin mo eh.

Inday: The number 4 was acquired based on a probability distribution function that involves integrating up to an area greater than or equal to that random number which should be generated between 0 and 1 for proper distributions.

Kris: Syet. tanong tanong pa kasi eh. Ok Inday, choose 6 briefcases to open.

Inday: I would opt for 7, 24, 12, 2, 15 and 20.

Kris: Wait lang Inday, usually isa isa lang ang pagbubukas natin ng case...

Inday: Why is that? As if I can change the outcome if we're to open a case each time I blurt out a number as opposed to opening each case immediately one after the other right?

Kris: Hayyy...babaguhin pa talaga mechanics (bulong sa sarili). Anwyay, di bale na lang nga... tuloy tayo. Number 7. Natalie buksan na!!

[Yung audience sumisigaw ng LOWER!! LOWER!!!]

Kris: Teka lang, bago natin buksan... Inday, usually ang mga contestants naten ay sumisigaw ng "LOWER" every time magbubukas ng case.

Inday: Kris, I guess that's not the way I was taught in grade school. You see, I was taught that we should only use the comparative form of the word or add "ER" to the adjective if we are comparing two things. And since it is only the first briefcase that we are going to open, we have nothing to compare it to. Am I right?

[natahimik ang audience at napaisip]

Kris: Oo nga no! Sige Natalie, Buksan mo na.

[Ang laman ng briefcase 7 ay Piso... Palakpakan ang mga tao]

Kris: Good start! Ano yung next case mo ulit?

Inday: Case number 24 please.

Kris: Chloe... buksan na...[Audience sumisigaw ulit ng LOWER!! LOWER!!]

Kris: Wait lang guys, Inday may nabuksan ng case baket di ka pa rin sumisigaw ng "Lower"?

Inday: Oh my goodness Kris, how long have you been doing this? Have you ever encountered a value that is lower than a peso in this game? Tell me, is there any value left lower than the one we just opened? Sheesh.

[Napaisip ulit ang audience at natahimik]

Kris: Aarrgghh!!!! Chloe buksan na lang nga, pati na rin yung 12, 2, 15 and 20 buksan na rin para matapos na.

[naiirita na]

[At sunod sunod na ngang nabukas ang mga case ni Inday]

[nag-ring ang phone]

Inday: Ahh Kris, to save more time can you tell Banker that I'm not interested in his first offer. In the history of this game of chance, I have yet to see someone accept a first offer from the banker. It's quite pathetic and pretentious for contestants to pause and look around the audience as if asking for advice before ultimately rejecting the first offer. I mean come on, isn't that a waste of airtime?

Banker: Potahhh!!! [narinig sa set kahit sarado ang kwarto ni banker]

Ito ang unang pagkakataon na marinig ng mga audience ang boses ni banker sa Deal or no Deal.

Sunday, November 25, 2007

Better The Second Time Around?

But before I begin, I must say: nevermind the father, check out the son! This is Michael Gaiman. Oh. My. God. What a hottie.


So, we knew Neil Gaiman was in town. But it wasn't until Bianca read his blog that we realised he brought his son Michael along and that there were was a Fully Booked event separate from the Ad Congress. Alia was trying to get an interview, bagged it, and took us along, too. We were all hoping that the Fully Booked staff would let us in. And they did! (Thanks, Tals!). There we were - Bianca, Alia, Paige, Tristan, Jan, Riannon and Kris - and Tals announced that Neil was on his way to the presscon. Bianca looked out and said, "Bring out your camera! Here comes Mike!" And when he walked in, I think half the women in the audience forgot why we there.

Neil (uyyy, feeling close haha!) talked about the history of the Philippine Graphic/Fiction Awards, the launch of Expeditions (books featuring the finalists and winners of the 1st Philippine Graphic/Fiction Awards including the work of Benjor and Joonee), what he thought of the second round of the Awards (the short stories in the second round were better than the first, and the comics in the second round were worse than the first - nice one, Benj and Joon! We're proud of you!), and the launch of the third round.

He then opened the floor to questions where I shot my arm up, he looked to me and said "Yes?" and I asked what, in his opinion, made Philippine literature so distinct. He said it was the self-deprecating humor, among other things (he had a really long answer). What got me was that the whole time he was answering the question, he was looking directly at me. As in, looking straight into my eyes. I turned red, smiled like an idiot, and died. I never dreamed that seeing him in person a second time would be better than the first. *swoon* What a beautiful, intelligent man. Bianca got to ask a question, too. Unfortunately, Paige and Tristan froze up.


After the presscon, some people were allowed to conduct one-on-one inteviews. Stupid me, I forgot to give Alia my copy of Fragile Things to have signed (I don't like it as much as Smoke and Mirrors, but I really like his short story, Other People. In 2005, he signed the first page of my favorite story, The Price, from Smoke and Mirrors. Why I didn't think of bringing Stardust is beyond me). So while Alia was working, our little group decided to do a little shopping and have mirienda. Bianca, Tristan and I were eating in Brothers Burger when we saw Michael walking around (with his girlfriend? Friend? Guide?). Bianca gave me the signal and I unashamedly whipped out my camera and forced it to zoom in like it never zoomed before. Yes, I need to get a life!

Then Alia came over after her show's one-on-one interview where she was able to have Paige's and Riannon's books and Jan's poster signed. And Neil signed her jacket and hugged her...twice! (and I thought I was the big winner in 2005 when I kissed him on the cheek and Sid was so shocked, he forgot to take a picture).


We missed the program in the courtyard, but caught Neil with Michael on stage talking about The Day I Swapped My Dad For Two Goldfish and Wolves in the Walls before heading off to dinner at Italianni's where Jay I. and Gabe joined us.
At this point, I must thank my Dad for recommending the Panasonic Lumix TZ3 with it's 10x optical zoom, and thank my boss Mark for buying it for me in Singapore. Without my beautiful little point-and-shoot, my media sister, and my eagle-eyed sister, I would never have become the stalker paparazzo I was today. Neil, I love you. Michael, I'm single.

For more pictures of today's event, head over to my Multiply photo page. Tune in to QTV's Livin' It Up on 8 December 2007 at 5.30PM featuring Neil Gaiman's return to the Philippines.

Saturday, November 24, 2007

Begun Jedi Training Has

We were supposed to wait until she turned 5 (and we agreed that she would see it in the same order we did), but while channel surfing this afternoon, we found Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope on Star Movies. And yes, my 2 year old niece sat through most of it. Hey, at least she started with the right movie and not The Phantom Menace. I brought out my red plastic lightsabre which she seemed to enjoy playing with it. She copied the sounds and movements when Luke Skywalker was practicing with the training droid (she's really one of us!). She only put it down during Darth Vader and Ben Kenobi's duel. Then held it up again and ran around making blaster noises (wrong sound effects!).

We're watching The Empire Strikes Back now, but Layla lost interest in both the lightsabre and the film sometime before Han Solo, Princess Leia, Chewbacca and C3-PO realised they were not hiding in a cave. I guess we really do have to wait until she turns 5 so she can sit down and concentrate on what's happening onscreen. I'm actually excited by the thought of ushering my goddaughter into this geeky new world. I want to see her reaction when Luke battles Vader in the cave in Dagobah and the mask burns off to reveal his own face. I want to know how she feels after Vader says, "I *am* your father". After watching Peter Pan so many times, she asked us to get her Nana for Christmas. I wonder if she will ever ask for her own C3-PO, R2-D2, Chewbacca or bantha like my sisters and I did. She probably will. The Force is strong with this one....

Some Enchanted Evening

After a fantastic caldereta dinner with the XB's last night, we caught the last full show of Walt Disney's Enchanted at the Alabang Town Centre. And it was a surprisingly good movie (3 1/2 out of 5 stars)! It's not the best movie I've seen this year, but yes, I enjoyed it more than Stardust (sorry, Mr. Gaiman. I love you, but...Claire Danes?!). Only Disney can make fun of Disney with that much flair! And it was great that Alan Menken (Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Pocahontas, Beauty and the Beast) and Stephen Schwartz (The Hunchback of Notre Dame) did the music. Watch out for normal people breaking out into song during or after the movie ("How does she knowwwww...?"). One guy actually did in the middle of the movie on his way to the restroom.

Amy Adams may not be the prettiest girl around, but seems to have been cast perfectly as Giselle. She did a great job! James Marsden as Prince Edward was absolutely hilarious! He was a lot like Beauty and the Beast's Gaston and was over the top. I just can't remember if he was wearing Prince Philip's costume from Sleeping Beauty or Prince Eric's from The Little Mermaid. Susan Sarandon as the Evil Stepmother/Queen Nerissa was simply amazing! Oh, and Patrick Dempsey has definitely improved with age ;) I wonder, though, why Idina Menzel (Rent, Wicked) wasn't given a song to sing.

Enchanted is a must-see for Disney fanatics. I was able to catch references to Snow White, Cinderella, Lady and the Tramp, Sleeping Beauty, The Little Mermaid, and Beauty and the Beast. I know I'm missing something that my sisters are sure to catch. The opening sequence was so Sleeping Beauty (I was half expecting someone to sing "I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream..."). I could have sworn I caught a glimpse of Bambi, and I think Todd from The Fox and the Hound was there. Ratatouille prepared me for the clean-up scene. I really liked that shot of the dragon over the city. It wasn't Malefacent (my all-time favorite Disney villain), but it was beautiful. From afar. I mean, up close, Queen Nerissa as a dragon was too Dragonheart for me (not a very well rendered dragon face, in my opinion. The best dragons were in Reign of Fire - bad movie, great dragons).

I want to see Enchanted again just to look for the Hidden Mickey and all the other Disney movie references. A lot of the nods are subtle like the clothes that the characters wear, and the names of places that they pass by. The kids won't get all of it, but they're likely to enjoy. Us big kids really had a blast! And that number in Central Park is a Disney parade in the making! I can't wait to see the real thing.

If you're off to the movies this weekend, check out Enchanted. It's not everyday that we're treated to well-produced mindless entertainment.