Thursday, March 29, 2007

sanctuary


calla
Originally uploaded by brightblade.

Eventually, I want to get married.

Eventually, I want to get married in this church.

But I don't want to spend half a million to just get married. I don't even want to spend anything. I believe that a lifelong commitment can be made without bells and whistles, designer gowns and a chocolate fountain.

And yet, I am resigned to my fate--white gown, calla lilies, and all. Because. It. Is. What. Is. Done.

I've loved throwing parties, but as the years went by, they became smaller and smaller ones, and I've found that the most meaningful ones are those spent with only my best friends. The thought of throwing one for 200 or so people, about a third of whom I do not know, frankly, daunts me. So is finding the perfect dress, the perfect caterer, the perfect coordinator. A less-than-perfect wedding doesn't mean a bad marriage, after all; neither does the wedding of the year/decade/what-not set the stage for a good marriage. Hello, Charles and Di, anyone?

What's important is that N. and I will be starting our life together on that day, whenever that will be. What's important is that the people who matter, the people we care about and who care about us, will be there to witness it. To heck with personalized napkins and onsite AVPs. For now.

Wednesday, March 28, 2007

congratulations, pam and jonathan!


centerpiece
Originally uploaded by brightblade.

Even if we had to wake up super early and still were late for the processional... we had a wonderful time at your wedding. At last... :)

Tuesday, March 20, 2007

happy birthday, jenny

It's The Obnoxious Levin's birthday today.

Check out the collage I made for her here. This was done while being (1) irritated with an episode of Sana Maulit Muli where Kim Chiu is crying althroughout and (2) irritated during Maging Sino Ka Man with the "dramatic pause" effect when Eli (aka John Lloyd Cruz) decides to accompany his forced bride Jackie (aka Bea Alonzo) on the vacation with her cousin Celine (aka Anne Curtis). I mean, honestly, would you be standing there staring at each other for the whole of two minutes?!?! Grrr. These writers.

Speaking of the Eli Roxas character, it's just funny because when I was in high school, my best guy friend was Mike Roxas and his best friend was Eli Santos. Haha. I know, I think of the strangest things.

Friday, March 16, 2007

beyond the wall of abs

I've always had a soft spot for the most famous last stand in history, the Battle of Thermopylae. I've always had a soft spot for Gerard Butler, since I first saw him on Lara Croft 2: The Cradle of Life. I have a soft spot for the droolworthy Rodrigo Santoro, since he emerged out of the water in Charlie's Angels 2: Full Throttle. And despite the portrayal of the mousy Carl in Van Helsing, I have a soft spot for David Wenham. And since I was introduced to Sin City, I've developed a high respect for Frank Miller. In short, I had high expectations coming in for 300, the movie. It did not disappoint.

Action, gore, sex. Breathtaking visuals. A wall of abs and a wall of the dead. Like Sin City, it was a comic book come to life. Never mind that it was historically inaccurate--no one gave a hoot that the award-winning graphic novel was historically inaccurate. Never mind that Rodrigo Santoro was unrecognizable as Bondage-Drag Queen-Xerxes. Never mind that unpleasant scene at Xerxes' harem/bordello. Never mind that the monsters were like two-bit copies of the Lord of the Rings ones. Never mind that portrayals were mostly two-dimensional.

300 was a fabulous trip. It hit the ground running and never stopped accelerating until the last moment. Frankly, if we weren't in Rockwell, I would have expected some moviegoers to get up and cheer. Heh.

I'm sure it's been lambasted by critics. It was awkward at times (err, director dude is famous for Dawn of the Dead!), and ear-splitting as well, what with a very modern metal score ala-We Will Rock You. It glorifies a tribe held in the highest regard by the Fuhrer himself, what with their infanticide and weeding out of the weak.

The movie was testosterone galore, a lot of shouting, a lot of killing, but definitely a whole lot of fun. After the movie, the SO and I were both smiling. It was a good end to the weekend. I brushed up on the details of Thermopylae again (the last I'd seen of it was a short docu on NatGeo). I'd want to read (but not buy) the comic. I'd watch the movie again. Totally.

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

adventures of the new dallas

adventures of the new dallas

Another addition to the clan. Meet Dallas, ver2.
Dallas v2

The future bro-in-law got it for zeester#2 after a fight. He's mahogany/black/white, unlike old Dallas (Dallas version 1) who was, rather is, tan/black/white. Dallas v2 comes from a line of champions. Hee. Not like we're going to show him or anything.

We've had him for almost a week now. The parentals don't know a thing about it since they had already left for the province when he arrived. Now that they're coming back, zeester#2 has to find a way to keep the father-unit from tripping all over him (as the doggie is constantly nipping at someone's feet), and to keep the mother-unit from developing asthma.

Dallas v2 thinks Otto is his mom. The Yorkie, meanwhile, is warily eyeing him, sometimes he rams into the new arrival (poor puppy) and one time, Otto actually jumped over Dallas! Haha.
kids at play

For those who can remember, this is Dallas, ver1. Dallas, by the way, is the FBIL's favorite NBA team.
Dallas 1

Sunday, March 11, 2007

i am...

You Are 54% Burned Out

You're fairly burned out, and it shows.
You probably have been feeling a little rundown and irritable lately.
If you can, drop a few of your minor responsibilities and focus on what's really important.
You have too much on your plate, and it's catching up with you.



Last Song Syndrome : Merci Bon Dieu by Harry Belafonte - don't ask why, just know that I am singing it in my head as best I can

4:24am

This Neozep Non-Drowsy works a little too well.

Wednesday, March 07, 2007

evangelocales

I brought the camera, good and all, but unfortunately, I forgot to even take it out of my bag while traipsing around the Evangelista area in Bangkal, Makati. So, no photos of last Saturday's excursion. Err.

Ah, Evangelista. When I was in high school, we would go to Jesi Mendez or Hair 2000 on Evangelista to have hair and makeup done for special occasions, this aside from Hair Performer across from the Blue-and-White. Evangelista was Makati's Banawe, auto repair shops all in a row. When Mr. Z died and was interred at Magallanes, Evangelista was the route of choice going back to the Green-and-White after each visit to the wake.

I don't know when Evangelista became the segunda mano capital of Makati. All I know is it was featured in one of Real Living's first few issues in 2003 and I wondered, Evangelista? Where we used to go? Yes, one and the same.

Fortuitously (and fortunately), we ran into Vic and Marian, high school friends of the SO who help run Marian's family's two shops in the Evangelista/Hen. Hizon area. They walked around with us and then pointed us to other places outside the Evangelista/Hen. Hizon main strip which yielded some interesting finds. We then ate at Jolly Dopey a few blocks away (still on Evangelista), and found more-than-passable spaghetti. Marian said the owner/cook used to work at Pancake House. For me it was more like that eatery in that little alley in front of the Blue-and-White whose name escapes me at the moment, but which we frequented well into the Green-and-White years until it closed down.

Marian was selling her collection of bridal magazines at their store, too. Hee. People sell anything and everything in this little flea market haven. I saw Fire King cookware, Limoges porcelain, amber bowls, Troll dolls (!), and a newish copy of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time sharing display space with furniture of all shapes and makes, old narra aparadors, marble-topped console tables, and a hutch that looked like it was made of kamagong. There were carved wooden chairs with battered upholstery, two of which I was interested in buying--Marian agreed that they were very "boudoir" rather than dining table, but they were in quite bad shape. If they're still there during the next shopping trip, I'm haggling them down to 350 per (which is not bad for a nice frame) and having Mang Hesus fix them up.

Some stores sold delightful chandeliers still in great condition, one store had a paper shredder among its merchandise, and in one store, I saw a copy of Evolution, one of the Time-Life books that I grew up with. The saleslady was puzzled when I picked it up and searched for the dog family tree (how all dogs are descended from little Tomarctus or something). Reminiscing.

I was suddenly queasy about the baul though. I've always wanted a baul, but now that one was staring me in the face, great condition, smooth finish, and well within the budget (the lady was giving it at Php2,500 and seemed good for haggling), I was suddenly overcome with strange feelings of what-if-they-put-a-dead-body-inside-like-Desperate-Housewives. Oh well.

Carlos Celdran has an Evangelista tour which starts at Fat Michael's. I've never been to Fat Michael's myself, so maybe on the next shopping day (March 17 probably), we can start out or make a pitstop there.

Last Song Syndrome : the weird song someone keeps on humming here in The Hub (sa San Miguel daw yun)

Tuesday, March 06, 2007

ajar


ajar
Originally uploaded by brightblade.

Welcome to my abode...

Friday, March 02, 2007

belated happy birthday, you


carnation
Originally uploaded by brightblade.

I thank the Almighty for bringing you back into my life, older, wiser, more driven but still the same kid I knew. And loved. Twenty-seven years you've been walking this earth, and I'm glad to say that six of those (technically, four) were spent with me... and then there's forever to look forward to.