Ratatouille Movie Review

Overall Assessment

Five stars out of Five.

The latest Pixar movie, Ratatouille, simply is, without question, the outstanding animation movie of this past year. There is so much positive things to talk about that I am struggling just to write something which doesn't sound like a run-on sentence of multiple thoughts, or an 'overall assessment' that goes beyond the space of your monitor screen.

For once, it might be more concise to itemize the negative impressions I have. But this is not going to be that kind of review. We shall rise up to the challenge, and describe, with no compromises, why this author believes Ratatouille is worth 10 times what you paid for at the box office.

Story / Plot - 4 out of 5
Dialogue - 5 out of 5
Character Development - 5 out of 5
Acting (or voice) - 5 out of 5
Cinematography / Animation - 5 out of 5
Music - 5 out of 5
X-Factor (variable element*) - 5 out of 5





Plot Theme
On the surface, the plot did not make use of the same material recent animations have -- talking animals, animals loose on the city, animals making their way in the world, etc. Yes, we did have talking rats. But the plot wasn't about the talking rats. It was about one talking rat's dream. The plot was about the dream! On a closer look, the plot gave off a strong flavor of "partial benefit symbiosis" -- where two 'uniques' merge as one for partial benefit to each individual. It was less subtle in this movie (because it was a movie with a much younger audience), but it has parallels to the likes of Cyrano de Bergerac.

In other words, the plot had multiple levels to it -- it was about a rat's passion and dreams. It was about the benefit and harmfulness of a symbiotic relationship. It was a foodie (food-lovers) movie. It was about the relationship between the value we find in what we do, and the value we put into family. It was a 'coming-of-age' movie (for those who like to overuse that one). And it was a funny movie with jokes for the kids, and adults.

Character Development
The characters had depth, because they dealt with problems that aren't too far off from what we deal with in real life. How many of us feel estranged against a parent. Disagree with them about who we are, and what we're capable off. How many of us have dreamed of something better for ourselves. A better job, somewhere we can be happy, friends. How many of us have been jealous for not being recognized, or a sense of wanting to be someone, somebody.

These are all easy to notice on live-picture movies. But in the world of animated films, its hard to see Zebras or Giraffes, Emperor Penguins or Squirrels, Cars or Robots exhibit these emotions. The challenge of character development in animation is whether I can see myself as that character, walking in the same shoes (or paws, claws, etc.). In Ratatouille, I can easily see myself as the aspiring cook Remy, rat-persona, or no.

Dialogue
The dialogue is one of the smartest and most moving I have heard from animation AND live-picture movies in a long while. It is easy, especially with children's movies, to fall back on time-tested dialogue and humor that is funny because it has been laughed at so many times already in the past. Some movies shine with one conversation or two which stand out. Ratatouille is a movie that overdelivers this. Not snobby, pretentious smart. And not teary-jerk, heart-on-their-sleeve, puppy-dog-eyes moving. But smart because it makes you understand life. And moving because it makes you care for what the characters care for, forgetting for a moment the fact that it is a fictional work.

Examples of the smart-moving dialogue:
1. "Where are you going?" says Remy's dad. Remy says "with any luck (pause) forward."
2. "In the past, I have made no secret of my disdain for Chef Gusteau's famous motto: Anyone can cook. But I realize that only now do I truly understand what he meant. Not everyone can become a great artist, but a great artist can come from anywhere."says Anton Ego.
3. "Food always comes to those who cook (fade)." - Chef Gusteau

Animation
I will not pretend to know much about how difficult or easy it is to produce a work of animation. What I can talk about is how much I appreciate how beautiful it was. Notice that the whole movie seemed like it was shot with a camera - the background sometimes being out of focus when it's the forefront that's clear, and vice versa. And the animation of Paris lights, while I doubt if truly reflective of real life, was always breathtaking. The animation of the food was life-like - from preparation to finish.

Music
It had none of the campy, sing-song music that children moviegoers will be singing for weeks. No "I like to move it, move it", or such. And I'm saying that's a good thing! The music raised the level of the movie dramatically - from kids movie, to a heartwarming story. I for one cannot remember any of the songs played in the movie, nor hum any of the melodies. But I will certainly like to have those songs in my music collection someday. They just seem to evoke the right mood, a mix of meaningful happiness and fulfilling activity.

X-Factor
For this movie, the X-Factor was the thought-provoking message of the movie. Not every kids' movie has one. And not every kids' movie that has one goes beyond the overused box of moral lessons. Be yourself. Dream, and make it happen. Overcome the odds. One against many. Courage of your convictions.

Ratatouille had -- anybody (not EVERYbody) can be somebody great. This is pretty subtle, and it took 2 days for the right meaning to sink in to me. Subtle. Unique. Beyond cliche. Concise.

Closure
I will end not with my own words, but in the words of Anton Ego, the critic-character in the film. The following dialogue is his words in the film, about his experience eating from Remy's creations:
"In many ways, the work of a critic is easy. We risk very little yet enjoy a position over those who offer up their work and their selves to our judgment. We thrive on negative criticism, which is fun to write and to read. But the bitter truth we critics must face is that, in the grand scheme of things, the average piece of junk is more meaningful than our criticism designating it so. But there are times when a critic truly risks something, and that is in the discovery and defense of the new. Last night, I experienced something new, an extraordinary meal from a singularly unexpected source. To say that both the meal and its maker have challenged my preconceptions is a gross understatement. They have rocked me to my core. In the past, I have made no secret of my disdain for Chef Gusteau's famous motto: Anyone can cook. But I realize that only now do I truly understand what he meant. Not everyone can become a great artist, but a great artist can come from anywhere. It is difficult to imagine more humble origins than those of the genius now cooking at Gusteau's, who is, in this critic's opinion, nothing less than the finest chef in France. I will be returning to Gusteau's soon, hungry for more."

I wish I could be coming to the defense of something unappreciated and unrecognized, new and brilliant, a work I see that has great value. Alas, this time, I come to the defense of all these things, except that Ratatouille is neither unappreciated or unrecognized. I join the ranks of many on this one.

Plot Synopsis:
Remy is a rat, constantly risking life in an expensive French restaurant because of his love of good food, as well as a desire to become a chef. Yet, obviously, this is a rather tough dream for a rat. But opportunity knocks when a young boy, who desperately needs to keep his job at the restaurant, despite his lack of cooking abilities, discovers and partners the young Remy. Its up to the two of them to avoid the insane head chef, bring the rest of Remy's family up to his standards, win his partner a girl, and, of course, produce the finest Ratatouille in all of France.

Innocent experiments, part two

Well, I didn't pass away from eating what I had cooked. So Hooray! for that. :)
But I got a small migraine a couple of hours after eating the relyenong bangus I cooked -- so out to the trash the rest of it went. Other than that, no problems.

I've decided the other day to stretch my experiments to more 'advanced degree' filipino dishes, so I cooked myself some Kare-kare (oxtail and tripe in peanut butter & achuete sauce) and Lechon Kawali (pieces of pork belly deep fried to a crisp).

Kare-kare:








Lechon Kawali:








have eaten them already, with my friend Jake, and suffice to say -- I am alive. :)
YUM!

Innocent experiments

Having no better thing to do all saturday, and since I woke up too early -- I decided to cook another round of dishes to last me a couple of days.

This time I decided to stick with filipino dishes:
- Chop suey (vegetable stir fry with pork and quail eggs)
- Giniling (ground pork in tomato sauce with carrots and potatoes)
- Paksiw na Bangus (milkfish in vinegar-like broth)
- Galungong (fried fish)
- Adobong Pusit (boiled squid with tomatoes, simmered in its own ink)
- Squid fritters (fried breaded squid)
- Relyenong Bangus (milkfish stuffed with fish meat, tomatoes, carrots and raisins)

I was only able to take pictures of four of the dishes:

Chop suey:










Relyenong Bangus (i wrapped it with aluminum foil):










Paksiw na Bangus:










Adobong Pusit:










The "paksiw" didn't turn out right. I mistook how I was supposed to cook it -- proper way is on a wide pan, with the water-vinegar at shallow levels -- NOT in a pot with the fish entirely submerged in the mixture.

But I am pleased with the relyenong bangus. I mean, 'stuffing' a fish isn't exactly a normal kitchen activity. It was exciting. But I won't be doing it again anytime soon.

Now I'll be enjoying these creations in the days to come.
I'll post again soon, hopefully if I'm not overcome with food poisoning. ;)

Linguistic Harmony

"As you continue on your path, you will lose some friends and gain new ones. The process is painful... but often necessary. They will change. And you will change. Because life is change. From time to time, they must find their own way. And that way may not be yours. Enjoy them for what they are. And remember them for what they were."

Anyone who has heard this before, who knows where I have quoted this from -- they are blessed with a good story. Penetrating insights often come from remarkably strange places.

Good night. :)

Visual DNA

For those curious about my previous post -- its a personal kind-of pictograph that you can custom make for yourself. It showcases pictures instead of words to describe the kind of person you are.

Try it out.
--> imagini.net

Just click START. :)

My Visual DNA. :)

Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™

Book Review: The Fifth Vial

Entree

It was a boring friday night, and I decided to pass by the bookstore on my 5 minute walk back home. As I paid for my weekly 'Economist' magazine, some of the fiction novels on 'highlight' caught my eye. A book I hadn't seen before was there - pristine white except for the title and a graphic of a large test tube on the cover. Many times I've passed by the same bookstore and that 'highlight' shelf without actually taking a book. The cashier, done with my purchase, asked again if there was anything else. I quickly browsed the inside flap of the new book - it was a 'medical' mystery / thriller novel. Still high on this week's excellent House M.D. Episode (3x20 - 'Family'), I pick it up and pay for it. The rest of my weekend was spent reading 'The Fifth Vial' by Michael Palmer.

Overall

An overall grade of B.

Being my first 'medical novel', it was a good read. The topic - illegal organ trafficking on the 'grandest' scale - was as good as any. The best reason I have for giving a modest 'B' was that it did not oversell itself. From the little I read on the inside flap, there was no promise of 'great adventure', 'a shocking earth-shattering secret', or 'brilliant twists and turns.' It was a medical story, and in that sense, it delivered. There was enough puzzlement at the beginning to catch my curiosity, enough emotional connection to get me through 40 chapters, and enough closure at the end that I don't feel the urge to look for a sequel. It was good storytelling.

Weaknesses

What it lacked was excellence in certain areas - namely pace, character development of antagonists, and a setting that emotionally connected.

The story's pace was both a blessing and a curse. There were sections which moved like a snail - unnecessarily repeating emotions and connections already made, and focusing too much on minute, irrelevant detail that doesn't move the story forward. However, at places the pace was quick, and on a couple of times, inventive. More on this when I talk about the pace as a strength.

While emotional rapport was certainly built between the reader and heroine and hero (though the book is certainly more a heroine than hero story), no such connection was made with the antagonists. While not necessary in all fiction, I've found that a reader who is heavily invested in both protagonist and antagonist tends to walk away from the book with a richer experience. Take Silas for example, from 'The Da Vinci Code', or Wednesday from 'American Gods'. Certainly in 'The Fifth Vial', the malicious intent of the 'Guardians' (the story's antagonists) was solidified in the first 3 chapters - hence forcing the reader to take sides too early in the story. I found this 'spoiled' some of my reading appetite; making me read mostly because I wanted to find out how the 'good guys' get to kick the 'bad guys' asses in the end. Sometimes painting the enemy with more than one color can be a rewarding investment in character development.

The setting also did not resonate with me - flashes of Boston and Texas, with most of the story happening in Brazil and Cameroon. While the description of the setting was vivid - the research center in Cameroon, the surgery hospital in Brazil -- they were just too far from conventional reality. While I felt the characters could've been real, the settings were less so.

Strengths

Many virtues of good storytelling abound also - good protagonist character development and connection, a medical narration that gave the right balance between being layman-friendly and medically-based, and so on. But one strength I found here, which I do not find in most other fiction books, was the exercise of control in telling ALL parts of a story. Instead, the reader is treated (mostly) to the important parts of the storyline, with certain events happening between the pages and chapters not written, but to be assumed and perhaps later explained in hindsight. This was creative storytelling I felt -- making the reader fill in the blanks with his own imagination, while only writing the important ones. It kept me pleasantly surprised to where and when I would find the characters next, despite their motivations being plain well beforehand (see weakness extolled earlier). A lot of other fiction writers can learn much from Michael Palmer in this redeeming writing style.

Recommendation

If you've already read most of your must-read-fiction-list and are looking for something new and fresh, I suggest you pick this one up. But if you're thinking between reading some other book you're sure you like and this one, I'd rather suggest you pick the other book you already know you like. This book is best read with no expectations, especially not versus another book you already like. But certainly, it leaves a fresh aftertaste.

Book Summary (from inside flap)
In Boston, a disgraced medical student is sent to deliver a research paper that could save her career. . . . Four thousand miles away, in a jungle hospital in Cameroon, a brilliant, reclusive scientist, dying from an incurable disease that threatens to make each tortured breath his last, is on the verge of perfecting a serum that could save millions of lives, and bring others inestimable wealth. . . . In Chicago, a disillusioned private detective, on the way to his third career, is hired to determine the identify of a John Doe, killed on a Florida highway, with mysterious marks on his body.

Three seemingly disconnected lives, surging unrelentingly toward one another. Three lives becoming irrevocably intertwined. Three lives in mounting peril, moving ever closer to the ultimate confrontation against a deadly secret society with godlike aspirations and roots in antiquity.

Medical student. Scientist. Private eye. Three people who will learn the deeper meanings of brilliance and madness, truth and deception, trust and betrayal.

Three lives linked forever by a single vial of blood—the fifth vial.

mirroring exercise...

There's this friend I saw on Yahoo Messenger tonight, who for the past few weeks I've observed has been having ups and downs in her life (noted from the many 'multiply' posts I get, plus her status messages).

I decide to send her a nice message about what I observed, and to get her to cheer up... only to realize that I was actually describing myself in the process.

Message goes:
"you know... minsan (sometimes) im confused na... you seem so... happy yet at the same time sad. like there are things and days that really make you smile, pero sometimes you have thoughts which run deep and make you question the road you are on. wala lang (nothing)... observation from the many multiply updates i get plus your long ever-changing YM status msgs"

Funny. I caught myself just before I pressed 'send.'

sorry guys. no expounding post tonight.

I had planned to put up a good, lengthy review of 2 new movies I saw -- 'The Reaping', and 'Sunshine'. Unfortunately, the best laid plans are always flawed... and I again underestimated how much work I'm stuck with.

By morning, I have to finalize 'breakthrough' ideas, get a major multi-market analysis done, prepare to defend 3 forecasts, and manage all my adhocs.

Sorry. At least I made 10 minutes to write an apology. :(
Will try better next time.

i feel like this now...

forgive me for my sins

"It's hard to soar like an eagle, when you're among turkeys."
- Fr. Joaquin Bernas, Society of Jesus (Dean, Ateneo Law School, Philippines)

I'm not condoning the friends and colleagues who surround me everyday -- that is hardly the case. It may never be obvious, or show itself plainly, but I love all the people in my life. Sometimes my love can be tough love though; lots of disagreement, miscommunication, the occasional jealousy, and plenty o' plenty of arguing. But that's not why I brought up the quote...

It's hard to aim for my goals, when I always always keep on repeating the bad habits I've grown. I've taken care of so many 'turkeys' now (bad habits), I can hear the *bok*bok*bok* in my ears.

For most of the nearly two years I'm here, I've gained bad eating habits. I've lost touch with dozens of friends, inspite of the geographic barrier. I've unlearned a lot of basic communication and speaking skills that helped me earlier in life. I've watched more TV, and read less literature. I've slept more hours, and feel less energetic throughout the day. I've learned to start my day at 9am, instead of before at 7am. Worst of all -- I've temporarily lost perspective on the goals and life-truths I hold dear.

I know I didn't grow up this way. Before my working life (and hence secure income) came, my life wasn't as physically comfortable (or 'like this'), but in retrospect, it was happier and I was content. Back then I knew how to live without airconditioning even during hot summer months, or how to commute the 'long' way (ala bus+train+'jeep'/'tricycle'). I knew how to be happy with a 3 year old laptop, or 'lutong bahay' (home cooked meals). (On a side note, I grew fat FROM home cooked meals... but that's a different 'sin'). An example beyond materiality, I knew how to laugh at simple things - something we filipinos call 'mababaw ang kaligayahan/tawa' (laughter that is shallow / easily laughs). Point is -- in times when I had limited resources, I knew how to make MOST of what I had in life. And that made me happy.

Thinking just now, I recognize my bad habits fall into one theme -- we choose and we set our own boundaries in life.
Being given financially much in the past 2 years has made me insensitive to how I make most of my life. I lost sense of what 'optimal life' meant, and instead thought it meant living the best life i can afford.

Regardless of anyone's income status, a great life is never about living the life you can afford, but living the person you want to be. We are in control of who we are and want we want our life to be. Our income and status in life are only one of life's 'enablers', and should never be a 'definer.'

Let me begin to relearn the life-truths I've scattered on my way here. Let me begin with this.

Review: The Fountain (Movie, January 2007)

Three stars out of five.

"The Fountain" had potential to be a great movie. Only something got lost somewhere between the screenwriters' imagination and the movie-goers eyes. The movie's theme and message was very good. But the creative execution -- multiple timelines and flashbacks / flashforwards / multiple realities -- only gave rise to confusion. Instead of making a brilliant idea come alive, the movie's choice of storytelling made it much more ambiguous. The directing and acting we're just right, but not at all memorable. Here, the creative execution is again to blame. It forced you to focus more on figuring out what was happening, versus seeing how well the actors did justice to their written characters.

My advice - watch the movie, but lower your expectations. And don't worry if you can't make sense of the ending.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A brief summary of the movie follows. For those who have been 'spoiled' enough by what I said above, and still want to watch the film, don't read ahead. For everyone else, caveat emptor and read on.

The year is 2000 A.D. - the present. Tommy (Hugh Jackman) plays a medical scientist in search of a cure for brain tumor (a kind the movie does not delight in specifying). He has a personal stake in it, since his wife Izzie (Rachel Weisz) has been diagnosed and will eventually die from said brain tumor in the near future. He discovers a promising cure -- ingredients from some 'tree in South America'. Meanwhile, Izzie's condition worsens, and she is hospitalized. Despite his efforts, Tommy is unable to make a cure from his recent discovery. Beaten, he decides to spend time with Izzie in the hospital. She dies a few hours later, despite Tommy's protests against it. Fate and life chose to take spite on Tommy as well, because then his experiments give him the results he needed to save Izzie. Tormented by the powers that be, he goes back to his experiments. But now his new goal is to find a cure for death.

In her last days, Izzie writes a book -- The Fountain. Set in the time of the Spanish Inquisition, the book is about a conquistador (named Tomas) on a mission from the Queen of Spain (Queen Isabel). The mission: go to South America, among the Mayan country, and find the 'Tree of Life', beleived to give eternal life from drinking its tree sap. Before dying, she leaves Tommy with one last request - to finish writing the last chapter of her book. The book is the second story timeline of the movie.

The third, and most confusing story timeline, takes place in 2500 A.D. and in space. We see the same Tommy as we saw in 2000 A.D., but we are to infer he discovered the secret to eternal life. With him is a dying tree, who I beleive is Izzie (the tree having been planted on top of her grave, and in Mayan beliefs the tree is her re-created life). They journey towards a nebula wrapped around a dying star -- what Mayans beleive to be Shebalba. Shebalba is the underworld where death creates new life. Tommy is hoping to bring the tree and himself to Shebalba, both to be recreated.

As he journeys closer to the tree, he is tormented by Izzie's memory - reminding him to finish the last chapter of her book. He refuses, and clings to his hope of reaching Shebalba before the tree dies. And for the second time, Izzie (in the form of the tree) dies, before they could both reach Shebalba. Tommy's new grief along with Izzie's final request, convinces him to finish the book. He finishes the conquistador's story by letting Tomas find the Tree of Life and letting him drink from its sap. But in doing so, Tomas dies at the foot of the Tree of Life, with a hundred new flowers growing from his body. Tommy then realizes what he must do, as the pursuit of new life only begins with death. Tommy acts to push himself into the dying star, bringing about his own death.

In one final moment to confuse the movie-goer, the movie flashes back to a critical moment in 2000 A.D., when Tommy is about to begin the work that leads to his discovery (of the tree, of eternal life). Only this time instead of beginning his work, he abandons it to spend time with Izzie instead.

---
The idea behind the plot was inspired -- death as the beginning of creation. Not because death opens the door to eternal life (it may very well do, but that is not the point of the movie). But because death creates life. Not continues it (think "Constantine", "Sixth Sense", or "The Five People You Meet in Heaven"). But creates it.

Unfortunately, that message was lost in the movie's desperate attempt to both communicate a complex idea and to do it by using a non-linear timeline. Actually this approach has been done before (think "The Lakehouse"). The error here was in not explaining if and which of the time periods were real or not, and how the 'not so real' ones related to the 'real' ones. We do not know if the 1500 AD story (Tomas and Queen Isabel) were Tommy and Izzie's "previous lives", or were they simply Izzie's work of fiction that coincidentally symbolized what happened both in 2000 AD in their own lives. We are also puzzled in how real the 2500 AD story was -- with Tommy and a tree floating in space. Did he discover the secret to eternal life? If so, how did the tree survive 500 years as well? Did they leave Earth to pursue this nebula? Or did the Earth die, with both of them being the only survivors because of the secret of eternal life? The ending also compounded confusion -- since if he did not pursue his work on discovering the secret to eternal life, then the story taking place in 2500 AD would have been meaningless.

The Fountain aspired to be a movie with a deep meaning in a challenging creative execution. It fell short of its mark, and no points are awarded for simply just trying. Unmanaged complexity was its pitfall. You almost have to be Mayan to understand the better part of it.

What kind of day has it been, part three

Well, it was a bit better today. Got some ground regained, and looks like we're in for a leg and an arm over the next week or so. But nothing we can't overcome. :D

Waiting for midnight to come. For my day of jubilee.

What kind of day has it been, part two

fuck off.

What kind of day has it been

I didn't get shot, okay (for those who understand the reference with the title of the post).

But yeah, I might as well get shot with the day I've had. I didn't even realize lunch went by without me eating. Or that I was running like mad around the office, voice twice as loud. Sounds like my typical day, except for the fact that I'd rate my productivity at an appalling 2.0/10.0 (read: lots of work, hardly any new insights made).

On the other hand, beyond office life seems great. Making good progress on the weight loss. I've begun to make headways into a new book now ('The End of Poverty' - Jeffrey Sachs). I've found more time (which I thought was impossible).

Piece of advice to those who are looking for more time, or who feel they dont use their time as well as they want -- think "FULL ON." Whenever you do something, or give it more than 5 minutes of your time, try to be in a "FULL ON" mode; be engaged and enthusiastic about what you're doing at that point in time. Devote your attention to it 100%. A big reason why we feel we 'waste time' is because we feel we rather want to be doing something else at that point in time. And we concentrate on hating what we're currently doing, that it makes us even feel worse. Well, next time that happens, just do the opposite. Instead of doing that 'thing' half-hearted (yet still doing it), do it FULL ON! You have nothing to lose - you're gonna do it anyway (because it's required for class, or for work, or for family, or etc.), might as well be FULL ON while doing it. It doesn't change the amount of time you do it; but it really changes the way you feel about yourself before, during, and after you do it.

And of course, my special day of jubillee is coming soon.

Another art photo from my amateur photo skills, called:
"Forthcoming"

from an old friend

sa harap ng kamatayan, mapapapili ka maging maka-sarili o manatiling kapwa na sumasa-kapwa. ang mabuti ang siyang gumagabay sa iyong pagiging tunay na tao sa harap ng kamatayan. bagaman may hangganan ang buhay kung papanig ka sa kabutihan, di ka magpapakaabala sa pagsulong ng pansariling kapakanan lamang. ang mabuti ang gagabay sa iyo na hindi sumuko sa siguradong kasukdulan ng buhay. bagkus, patuloy ka pang magsusumikap hanapin ang kahulugan ng buhay. once we become aware of the frailty of human life, we can begin to live life for others sincerely. - KN

order and distractions

I've begun some progress on personal goals, and I am proud of that.
Now, persistence and perseverance start being a factor. We're on my turf; ready for round 2.

I have been watching too much TV. I tried to excuse it before as "background noise" while I work or read, or multitask. But at best it has kept my mood lifted, and at worst took time from making progress on other personal goals. Time to scale back on this habit. It starts to feel like I'm trying to get over an addiction. But if that's the perspective it takes to deal with this... then 'bring it on.'

On the realm of purpose and life-goals, some-sort-of-an event happened. Like a fleeting light in a dark cave, when you think you see a way out, a small shaft of light. No matter how far it is, how high it is. It is light. It merits more thinking, and more reading.

Despite earlier urges to either go to Europe or Japan/Korea, I've decided to stay in singapore during the Chinese New Year. I realized better priorities were elsewhere for the time being.

And a picture from my photos, entitled 'Light of my way':

only so many times i can go on...

Physical burn-out is one thing... mental, emotional, spiritual is another... but the breakdown of willpower - that is a whole new level for me.

Now I understand what people in solitary confinement or solitary exile go through, if only a little. The soul is a delicate thing.

Lord, give me the strength. I do not have it; but I know you will provide it when the time comes.

Photo Excursion - Jan 13

I started one of my new year's reolutions today -- be a little more serious about photography -- with a walking trip from my apartment to the city.

Took some good pictures, and im now keeping them in file for a rainy day.

Here's one I really like; I call it "I saw a sign"

Another long hiatus

Wow. Another long hiatus.

But before someone throws me out for laziness... allow me to saw... it was frikkin' December.
Cmon, at least on December I should be allowed to submit to my whims. Besides, it was too holiday-yee to be blogging.

Oh, but there's a lot to blog about now. A lot has happened...
Among others:
- plans for a Korea / Japan trip in february
- 12 new year resolutions
- new year, old friends
- Christmas family vacation in singapore! pics and more!
- my ticket to Phantom of the Opera
- my MACDOWS!!! (or WININTOSH!) - read: I'm now the proud owner of a Macbook that BOTH runs Mac OS X and WINDOWS.
- Marvel: Civil War series
- New books!
- Expanding my culinary skills -- cooking filipino pansit

Oh oh oh. But I just don't have the time right now. :(
I'll try to post my thoughts in the next few days.

Ciao my friends.
Warm thoughts.
-

One Day More!

Valjean:
Another day, another destiny,
This neverending road to Calvary.
These men who seem to know my crime will surely come a second time.
One day more.

Marius:
I did not live until today.
How can I live when we are parted?

Valjean:
One day more.

Marius and Cosette:
Tomorrow you'll be worlds away.
And yet with you my world has started.

Eponine:
One more day all on my own.

Marius and Cosette:
Will we ever meet again?

Eponine:
One more day with him not caring.

Marius and Cosette:
I was born to be with you.

Eponine:
What a life I might have known.

Marius and Cosette:
And I swear I will be true.

Eponine:
But he never saw me there.

Enjolras:
One more day before the storm!

Marius:
Do I follow where she goes?

Enjolras:
At the barricades of freedom.

Marius:
Shall I join my brothers there?

Enjolras:
When our ranks begin to form,

Marius:
Do I stay, and do I dare?

Enjolras:
Will you take your place with me?

Chorus:
The time is now.
The day is here.

Valjean:
One day more!

Javert:
One more day to revolution
We will nip it in the bud.
I will join these little schoolboys,
They will wet themselves with blood.

Valjean:
One day more!

Thernadiers:
Watch 'em run amuck
Catch 'em as they fall.
Never know your luck when there's a free-for-all.
Here a little dip

There a little touch.
Most of them are gonners so they won't miss much!

Rebel Students:
One day to a new beginning
Raise the flag of freedom high.
Every man will be a king.
Every man will be a king.
There's a new world for the winning.
There's a new world to be won.
Do you hear the people sing?

Marius:
My place is here
I fight with you.

Valjean:
One day more!

Marius and Cosette:
I did not live until today

Eponine:
One more day all on my own.

Javert:
I will learn their little secrets,
I will know the things they know.

Valjean:
One day more!

Thenardiers:
Watch 'em run amuck.
Catch 'em as they fall,
Never know your luck when there's a free-for-all.

Javert:
I will join these little schoolboys

Valjean:
Tomorrow we'll be far away
Tomorrow is the judgment day.

All:
Tomorrow we'll discover
What our God in heaven has in store.
One more dawn.

One more day.
One day more!