Part 2: 2009 And The Lessons I Learned About LOVE LOVE LOVE

I write this while still waiting for that love which will shape and ultimately define the saga of my life’s love story. I write this while still waiting for that guy who’ll sweep me off my feet. I write this with the acknowledgment of all the pains I’ve gone through in the name of love this year. I write this with faith and hope in destiny that someday, LOVE will come and consume my heart and soul. I was deeply and passionately involved in two love affairs this year—one in fantasy and another one in reality. These love affairs have redefined my ideas and beliefs about love. Most importantly, they added another layer of toughness to my ever so vulnerable heart. And so here are some of the things I learned about LOVE this year.

LOVE WITH ALL YOUR HEART
In this day and age where relationships are becoming more of a liability than it should be, where the odds of getting your heart broken is as sure as the MRT train being late during rush hours, it’s so hard to lose grip and give your heart away completely. But if there’s one thing I learned this year, it’s that you should never hold back when it comes to love. The euphoria of being in love comes once in a blue moon these days. The joy of finding true love is like winning the grand price in a lottery. And so when you find love, in the smallest of possibilities it offer, grab it and let your heart guide you. Let yourself be consumed by it and love like there’s no tomorrow for life is so short and being too afraid to get hurt is not giving justice to God’s gift of life. Never be afraid of getting your heart broken cause at the end of everything, after all that’s been said and done, the only thing that matters is how much you have loved.

NEVER GIVE UP ON LOVE
I’ve been through so much emotionally this year. Everyone knows my obsession with boy-next-door, the guy in my dreams who happens to be a real human being in the person of our then neighbor at 13th Ave. as well as my overwhelming relationship with my ex-boyfriend, Dan. You see, sometimes loving and relationships in general can be so exhausting physically, psychologically, spiritually, and of course emotionally. You get your heart broken every now and then and sometimes you ask, what for? When you’re hurt so much by love, at times, you lose hope—hope that someday you’ll still be in the arms of true, unconditional love. To be perfectly honest, there are still nights when I cry myself to sleep thinking what’s wrong with me. I reached the point when I’m on the verge of totally believing that maybe I’m destined to be alone. Maybe I’m meant to be single for life. But as soon as this idea comes up, I am immediately killing it because I know that this feeling of solitude is not for long. I know that my mind is just entertaining that idea because it wants me to feel self-pity. Love will come someday. I certainly know that. Maybe not now but it will come. I never want to give up on love because I believe everybody deserves to love and be love in return. I never want to give up on love because though it has cost me much hurt and anguish over the years, still, there’s no better way to measure my existence by how abundant I was loved and how deeply I have loved.

CLOSURE IS ESSENTIAL
I’ve been to numerous relationships these past few years. I’ve professed time and time again to be in love and never felt that feeling before. But I believe the first time I ever really fell in love was last summer with Dan. Of course today the relationship seems more of summer fling than a serious one. I say it was the first time I ever did fall in love because it was the first time a guy made me feel that way. He treated me the way I want to be treated. Yes, I was head over heels in love with him. I really thought he was THE ONE. I really thought that relationship is for keeps already. I really thought he’s the one I’ll grow old with. He was the first real romance I could have committed the cliché, “I will love you and fight for you against all odds”. I swear I was madly in love with him that I can give up even my family for him. But as Mariah Carey perfectly sang it, “something got a hold of us and we changed” the relationship ended without the other party really knowing why they broke up. It’s torturing to think of what probably that “something that took hold of us” is, especially when you’re still crazy in love with him. What I’m trying to point out here is that two people shared love and built dreams together then when something went wrong with one party it’s inexplicably foolish and stupid of him to just end the relationship all at once without even talking it out with the other party. I mean hello?! You were two consenting adults who were involved in that relationship and in as mush as it’s his right to get out of the relationship for he’s not happy anymore, it’s also the other party’s right to know what went wrong. Did he cause the problem? Is there something wrong about him? It’s very hard for the one being left behind to move on and let go without him knowing what really went wrong. This year, I learned that in separations like what happened to me and Dan, it is both parties’ responsibility to give each other a nice and decent closure that honors what they had.

LEARN TO LET GO
Ending a relationship is never easy. Amicably or resentfully, break-ups in general are never easy because amidst all the hurt and pain, you can’t discount the fact that you two have shared love and intimacy. And sometimes relationships end though we’re still not ready to let it go. But things happen, relationships fail, love fades, and we can’t let ourselves be stuck on the memory of a love gone wrong. Eventually, no matter how painful it is, you have to let go. You can’t keep on wishing it’s still you in his heart. You have to let go completely, for until then, you won’t be able to shelter a new, healthy, and lasting relationship. It’s never easy accepting the truth that sometimes, relationships fail because it’s just not meant to be but you have to help yourself move on so when that new love comes, you will be able to give it the fairness it deserves. Letting go of all the dreams built together, of all the cherished memories, of all the pain, of all the love you’ve come to nurture is easier said than done but learning the art of letting go is the only way you could give your heart the ability to reach its total potential when it comes to love.

NEVER REGRET A FAILED RELATIONSHIP
Sometimes you look back and question, with your strings of failed relationships, what have I got? But along with the hurt and anguish a break up brings, are lessons learned so that next time when you fall in love, you’ll be able to do things differently and who knows, that relationship might just be the one. I think Kris Aquino said it very well in one of her shows, “Lahat tayo nagkakamali along the way pero lahat nung pagkakamaling yun pala is part of the path that will lead you to where you should be.” so more than considering them as a disadvantage, better to think of them the other way around.

HE’S NOT FOR YOU, SUCK IT UP
I can’t begin to count the many sleepless nights I’ve spent questioning why I am not the one for boy-next-door. Thinking about it, I am so much of her girlfriend except one thing—she is a girl and I’m not. When already in this state of mind, I start to think of all the other guys I adore, who, given the chance, I would definitely give up anything and everything just to be with him. I’ve fell in this emotion of being infatuatedly obsess with a guy I really really admire. I dunno if it’s just me or other people also experiences this as extreme as I do. I feel so weird already that I get attached so easily to guys I find attractive. I say it’s weird because most often than not, my attraction to a guy, both attainable and unattainable makes me sad and very depressed. It’s incomprehensible to be a broken Bea Alonzo record line, “bakit hindi nalang ako? Ako nalang…” in my part, it’s painful every time a guy I think is so perfect for me crosses my path and yet he’s not mine and he will never be mine because to me, infatuation always borders to obsession. But then I realize this is life. You can’t wallow on bitterness questioning ‘why in the world is he not meant for me?!’ I’ve been a victim of being deliriously depressed because of this phenomenon over the years and that’s the sad thing about life and love, you can’t always get what you want and it doesn’t follow that if you love someone, he’ll also love you back. This feeling will never end, this longing will never cease till I find THE ONE who will love me for as long as he lives. At the same time, I can’t stop cute, HOT, yummy guys from leaving their homes just so I won’t get depressed. And over the years, I swear, the roller coaster emotion of being easily infatuated has brought me so much pain than I ever could imagine. Yes, it’s so hard to be at peace with the truth yet I realized that this is just God’s balancing equation. How rowdy this world will be if your object of affection/infatuation can instantly be in love with you? I can just imagine! And seriously, with humans’ unending struggle with discontentment backed up by human nature’s greatest fear of aloneness, I feel it’s so selfish of me desiring so badly to be with THE ONE I THINK IS PERFECT FOR ME while God on the other hand is busy preparing THE ONE HE PERFECTLY CHOSE for me. I just need to strengthen my faith and have overwhelming patience because in the end, it’ll all be worth it.

FIGHT FOR LOVE
You cry endlessly because of the pain yet still hunger for love insatiably. Human beings are designed to be this way. Anyway, no one ever said loving is easy. Love and pain is a package deal. One can never love without getting hurt so as willingly we accept and take love, we must also be willing to take pain. Live by the idea that everybody gets hurt. You’re not a precious one to just be the one hurting. Though love takes a lot of compromise, hurt, risk, and sacrifice, I promised myself that come what may, I’m going to fight for it till the very end for I believe that love is worth all the pain. Also, excluding everything, no matter how much you cried the entire night, nothing beats the feeling of waking up in the arms of love.

LOVE IS AN EVERYDAY DECISION
It’s never an assurance that a good start has a fairy tale ending. It’s never an assurance that being together for a long time means you will never go separate ways anymore. I know a gay couple who’s been together for almost 25 years but still, recently, they just parted ways. Love requires full commitment and effort to couple up in this uncoupling world. If you’re not put up for it, spare your victims from heartache. With relationship’s sometimes unreasonable demands of hurt and pain, you always have to be certain that you can still keep up with love’s untiring stamina.

DESPERATE LOVE WILL NEVER DO YOU ANY GOOD
It’s true that not all kinds of love are right. Some of it is wrong upfront. Some of it is just too painful and unfair for someone to even bear living with it. After being in and out of relationships over the years, I realized that maybe one of the reasons why my relationships aren’t the kind that’s lasting is because I always choose to have a desperate kind of love. I used the word choose because really, loving gives you a lot of choices and one of these many choices is what kind of love are you going to share to somebody. Love for it to be able to grow and last long needs a healthy foundation and so much so a breathing environment. While it is indeed true that love is all about compromising, it is also very important that you don’t lose your individuality in the process. Relationships are sharing of mutual emotions such as love, trust, and above all, respect. You can’t love believing that if you don’t do that or do this, your boyfriend will be unhappy and leave you. You need to have your life outside of him. Your world shouldn’t revolve solely on him.

In many ways, loving first and foremost is acceptance. Accepting the person you love for who he is along with all his imperfections. You can’t be in a relationship that sacrifices so much of your life just so your boyfriend won’t leave you. That’s not compromising at all, that’s desperately begging for love. Do not be afraid to be who you are and who you’re not in a relationship because a relationship is a partnership between two individuals with two different beliefs, characters, and values. It’s a give and take process and if you feel like you’re relationship is already unfair because it seems you’re the one always doing the giving, do something about it. Be wise enough to see through the blinding haze of love.

Base from my experience on my realized relationship pattern, desperate love is exhausting and it will never last long because after sometime, it drains you and all you just wanna be is to be out of that relationship. It is of utmost importance that before being in a relationship, you make sure you are mature enough to handle one. Love should never complete a person. It should only add color and excitement to your already accomplished, complete, and individualistic life. Doing the opposite will just make you clingy and needy which is the risky and slippery road leading to breakup. Love yourself first. Reach for your dreams first. Be an independent, consummate individual first in terms of career, emotional stability, etc. before you commit to a relationship. More so, your happiness shouldn’t be dependent on love. Because for one, love is a fleeting emotion and anything can happen in a relationship overnight. So ground your happiness on something sturdier. It should come from within that if something happens like a breakup; you won’t be distraught feeling you’ve lost not only your source of happiness but your life as well.

As I look back now, I find it ridiculous how I’ve manipulated my life to solely revolve on my love life. These past few months I saw how my name is already synonymous with (better if it’s only love but no eh…) love, boys, and kalandian among many others. I wish to change this world’s perspective about me this year 2010. I am now convinced more than ever that indeed there’s more to life than romance. Also, while it’s true that I do want to have a man in my life and be in love again, I know that now is not the right time. As I’ve already shared, I believe that there is a right time and a purpose for everything. There is a reason why I’m still single today. There is a reason why boy-next-door or Dan or any other guy I’ve been infatuated with this year were all not meant for me. I know at the right time love will come and seize me until then I’ll just keep my faith and prepare myself for LOVE LOVE LOVE’S arrival.

Part 1: 2009 And The Lessons I Learned About LIFE

Four days have passed since 2010 started and like many, I find myself thinking what year 2009 has been for me. As I write this reflection of my year 2009, I have only one goal, and that is, in one way or the other, whatever I’ll be sharing here will somehow touch the life of who ever will come across and read this. These are not startling realizations I’m going to share but important truths I have always taken for granted.

When I graduated from college October 2008, I didn’t plan to work right away. I chose to give my physical well-being the rest it very much needed. I chose to give myself a few months to enjoy the things I want to do but can’t because I’m busy studying. I chose to give myself the liberty to be where I want and need to be in the middle of the day without having to worry an appointment it might compromise. I wanted to give myself the privilege of waking up at noon and stay at bed all day just reading or watching DVDs not worrying anything at all. Above all, I wanted to savor the pleasure of being free to do what I want to do. Of course all these are but normal. What would make it abnormal is the decision on how long you would want to live like this.

I just wanted a few months to take sometime off and be back in the game again probably a month or two. But first of the many realizations I had this year is that indeed, PLANS DO CHANGE. Nothing is ever so permanent in this life but “change” itself. I was perfectly enjoying my self-imposed break when I realized three months have already passed. I started asking myself, “Oh my! It’s been three months! Should I start looking for a job now? All my friends are busy looking for a job and what am I doing killing time like this? Should I stop bumming around now? But I feel like I haven’t had enough.” With all these questions floating in my mind and the never ending pressures from friends both close to me and those just “feeling close” to me (take note: from friends and not even from my parents who’s been supporting my welfare financially speaking), I pressured myself into job hunting thinking that if not now, then when will I start?! So summer of 2009, I obliged myself to look for a job but to be perfectly honest, I’m not happy. It felt like I was doing it not for myself but for other people.

I had a HUGE job application towards the end of summer. I really really like that job but I have to be honest that while investing so much time and energy not to mention offering tremendous amount of prayers to get the job, I know that those efforts are not coming from the heart. But still, I gave my very best for that application for it is my belief that IT IS MY DUTY AND RESPONSIBILITY AS AN INDIVIDUAL TO GIVE MY BEST COME WHAT MAY. They called me for an interview and eventually I passed for the second screening and after that they never called again. I’ll be a hypocrite if I say I wasn’t hurt or disappointed at all. But that’s life. YOU WIN SOME, YOU LOSE SOME. LIFE DOESN’T ALWAYS GO YOUR WAY. And looking back now, it sure is the best that time.

I stopped looking for a job again after that HUGE application. Initially, it was because I wanted to wait for the result because they told me to give them at least a month or two to process and decide. That statement was 50% factual and 50% press release. I’ll address this now, IT’S EXHAUSTING TO DO THINGS WHEN YOU WERE JUST FORCED INTO THAT SITUATION. SACRIFICE AND HARD WORK BECOMES LESS OF A BURDEN IF YOU’RE DOING IT FROM THE HEART. And I’m not. Once again, I fell into one of the biggest mistakes a person could ever commit to himself—rob yourself of your own freewill and let the waves of pressure take you. By this time, I am aware that I was just looking for a job to hiss those people pressuring me. I was looking for a job that sudden because it’s what normal social convention is asking from me.

When I paused for a while from job hunting, I got busy taking care of the construction of the new house we were building. And eventually the big move to the new house took all of my time. Now, I can go ahead vindicate my guilt and say I was forced to this decision by an unexpected circumstance or by my family, or say “kasi naglipat kami eh sobrang hassle naman pag sinabay.” Though these can be all true, it’ll be unfair if I put the blame on someone or something because truly, I did have a choice and I chose to further stretch being a bum. I could have chosen the other path but I chose the one where I am right now. Truth behind all this, that time, I don’t think I’m ready to quit being a bum yet.

So when will I be ready? N-O-W. Some people say “there’s no right time”. The concept of right timing is just an excuse for the inconsistencies of human beings but if there’s one thing I learned this year, it’s that THERE IS A RIGHT TIME FOR EVERYTHING. And it is God who creates it. He is so gracious and powerful that He will let you know the right time for everything. I don’t mean to sound so preachy here but if you think about it, if it’s God’s will for me to work already, it was so easy for Him to just give me that HUGE application last summer. It’s so easy for Him to work His mysterious ways and present to me a job I couldn’t turn down. But He didn’t. Maybe He knows I’m not yet ready and I just wouldn’t be happy if I force it then. Looking back, I’m now convinced that God wanted me to turn down all those job offers I’m getting from August to November of this year. Maybe He’s sending those to remind me that soon I have to make a decision and quit being bum for there’s more to life than this.

GOD HAS A MASTER PLAN FOR THE LIVES OF EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US. It may not always be pleasant and good, at times it may even shock as BUT NEVER FOR A SECOND THINK THAT GOD IS NOT WITH YOU IN ALL THAT. I believe God willed for me to bum around this long because HE HAS A PURPOSE. I was able to do the things that I want to do with so much pleasure during this year of bumming. I was able to know myself even more and be at peace with my inner self during this entire year. Of course there are regrets but YOU WILL NEVER BE HAPPY WITH REGRETS. Some of my choices have made me feeling sad and depressed. There are days when I still think what if I started looking for a job early on? Maybe now I’m already working and earning my own money. What if? But you see, I’m already here, I’ve already made those choices. It’s time for me to be an adult and own my decisions. Why wallow on blame and regret now? Wouldn’t it be nicer to just suck it up and start reorganizing my life where I am right now and with what I have?

I lost one of my best friends this year so suddenly and too tragic and I realize just how short our life is. It can be taken in just split seconds of time and I don’t wanna waste mine feeling sorry for making those decisions I’ve made. Now, if I die tomorrow, at least I can say, I was able to do the things I’ve missed when I was too busy to do them. And I’m happy because I didn’t squeeze all them in two or three months of taking some time off. God gave me the chance to enjoy life and its pleasures for a year. IF YOU WANT SOMETHING, YOU HAVE TO MAKE IT HAPPEN. Am I sorry for all those opportunities I didn’t grab? No because I don’t have to be selfish and grab whatever opportunity is coming my way. AND THOUGH IT’S TRUE THAT SOME OPPORTUNITIES COME INTO YOUR LIFE JUST ONCE, IT IS ALSO TRUE THAT IF YOU DIDN’T HAVE IT INTENTIONALLY OR UNINTENTIONALLY, THEY’RE JUST NOT MEANT FOR YOU.

I know it’ll probably be more difficult for me to find a job now. But that’s life. You made a choice, be responsible enough to take its consequences. You can’t let your life hang just like that. Do I fear the consequences of my decisions? Yes and No.

YES because I’m still a human being who doesn’t know what 2010 has in store for me. YES because though I’m ready to face whatever consequences my choices entail, those I haven’t anticipated might come up and I might not be strong enough to handle it. BUT ANOTHER THING I LEARNED ABOUT LIFE, YOU CAN’T LIVE IN FEAR. YOU CAN’T LET FEAR GET IN TO YOU BECAUSE TRUST ME; IT’LL BE A TKO WITH YOU AS THE SORE LOSER IN ALL OF IT. Fear is there for you to conquer. Most importantly, FEARS ARE JUST CHALLENGES WE HAVE TO OVERCOME FOR US TO BECOME BETTER AND TOUGHER INDIVIDUALS.

NO because despite the complexity of being at peace with the constant struggle of my human heart and mind. I know that GOD HAS A PURPOSE IN MY LIFE. I may not know His entire plan but I know it is a plan that is best for me. He willed for me to be in this situation and there’s no way He will leave me here and not help me get out of this. I believe in destiny. I believe that if something is for me, it’s for me but of course, I have to make it happen. I can’t just leave it to fate. But above all this, I believe that GOD IS WITH ME. NEVER DID HE LEFT MY SIDE AND I’M PRETTY SURE WHATEVER ENDEAVORS 2010 HAS IN STORE FOR ME, I WILL BE BRAVING IT WITH THE LORD’S GRACIOUS MERCY.

Finally, I’d like to end this on a positive note. Christmas Eve, I got a greeting from my friend, Mares Palma saying, “I’ll expect s0mething biG fr0m u nxt year!” Indeed, I’m also expecting BIG from myself this year. January 2010 is the end of my self-imposed hiatus as I put everything in my life into perspective. I will not start and stop again because now it’s coming from the HEART…I AM READY!

The Twilight Saga: New Moon

4.5/5

Awesome, HOT, and incredibly terrific, New Moon is every Twilight fans’ ecstasy!

As Stephenie Meyer ‘s Twilight saga continues in its second installment, Bella (Kristen Stewart) found herself happy and contented with her smooth sailing relationship with gorgeous vampire boyfriend, Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson). But an unfortunate incident at her 18th birthday party thrown for her by Edward’s sister brings their bliss into a halt. Edward decided to leave, totally convinced that Bella is better off away from vampires like him. Depressed and grief-stricken, Bella got fond of engaging in reckless activities because of the hallucinations it brings. Bella also grew closer to best friend, Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner) in the absence of Edward. For a moment, she took comfort in the arms of Jacob but not for long as it was revealed that he is a werewolf. And given the fact that vampires and werewolves are eternally at war with each other, Bella found herself torn between two men very dear to her heart and if it’s not enough, both are very much in love with her.

I am a big fan of Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight saga, setting aside my obsession with it and being totally objective about this movie, I have to say that it lived up to the great expectations of fans. First and foremost it is one of the best decisions Summit made to replace Catherine Hardwicke as director. If only Twilight was directed like this, maybe it has sustained fans’ and non-fans’ anticipation of the sequel. But be that as it may, I’m pretty sure New Moon will still do well in the box-office.

Chris Weitz did a marvelous job with Twilight’s second installment. Just BRAVO! The core, essential flow of the plot was perfectly executed. It didn’t confuse moviegoers whether they have read the book or not. It’s not like Twilight wherein the storyline jumped from A to E then B to P and viewers were just shocked in astonishment with “What the heck is this, Catherine? Are you sure you can direct???” Call me boring but in my own honest opinion, movie adaptations should always stay close as possible to its book counterparts. After all, that’s the main purpose of it, to give life to the book’s story through audio and visual media and not altering it. What is really praiseworthy about New Moon is that it stayed as accurate as possible with the book. It’s a tough thing to do given the fact that they had to compress the book into a 2-hour film. And let’s face it, the books were all phenomenal and fans of these types of literature wouldn’t want major alterations in the storyline. I believe one of the reasons why New Moon’s way way way better than Twilight was because it stayed faithful to the original text that made millions fall in love with Meyer’s characters and narrative. Hands down to Chris Weitz for the excellent depiction of major scenes which were all the way I have imagined them to be. The necessary and vital components of the story were all chronologically present in the film and really smoothed out the general flow. There was also right amount of suspense in this movie which is essential in the general feel of the plot.

I will never forget to commend Melissa Rosenberg, who wrote the screenplay for doing such a wonderful job in this movie. She also wrote Twilight’s screenplay and last year in my Twilight review I did say that her worked sucked but now I am truly contemplating if she’s the one to blame for Twilight’s rottenness or the director. But overwhelmed with her work with New Moon, I’d like to think all the blame was really on its infamous director, Hardwicke. Of course details were so much richer in the book but including the essential dialogues into the script was just perfect! It made readers smile in sheer outpour of emotions and surely did with viewers too.

Special effects were superb! Action sequences were more realistic and depicted excellently. I love it when the pack transforms into wolves. And the chasing sequence of the wolves and Victoria was just awesome. Cinematography was also a lot better this time. Over all editing was passable though of course in some scenes the film still fails to depict and make the idea of “time passing by” believable. Backdrops, locations, and shots were all just perfect and totally complemented each other. I’d also like to take note that the make-ups and prosthetics leveled up in this movie.

Acting wise, this movie fails big time but what the heck this movie is not intended for Oscars. And the market to which this movie is intended for doesn’t really care about best acting performances. Kristen Stewart in my opinion should really thank whoever the reason for her being cast as Bella Swan. She will always be remembered in Hollywood pop culture as Bella in Twilight but not because of her acting. She acts so rigid and not at all convincing. I really felt Bella’s pain when Edward left her and almost cried, that is, when I was reading the book. But watching Kristen in those particular scenes where she could have showcased herself, I couldn’t bring myself to cry cause to me she looks like someone suffering LBM and badly needs to run to the bathroom.

Thank God Robert Pattinson is HOT because he couldn’t act! He’s such an eye candy; a deliriously delicious vanilla ice cream you’d like to lick forever. But that’s just it. I love his accent…his voice is still heaven to me but the way he delivered his lines, seriously?! I do believe that Pattinson’s strength is really in his facial expressions and boy oh boy his eyes are his best asset. Despite his bad acting, I still think he is HOT and I’ll say it again, Robert Pattinson can send you to your wildest orgasmic mode!

Taylor Lautner is nothing but a shrimp to me. Desirable, mouthwatering, almost glorious body but completely unattractive. He did have his moments in this movie and he delivered most of the powerful lines in this installment but his stiff delivery makes him ineffective as an actor.

The inclusion of Dakota Fanning is fantastic! I love her! Up until this very moment, I’m still mimicking her facial expression and the way she delivered her infamous line, “This might hurt just a little.” Love it!

Of course I also drooled over the wolf pack. Dammit! Their buddies were OMG!!! HOT HOT HOT! And they’re handsome ha except Sam. He doesn’t appeal to me but Embry, Quil, and omg PAUL!!! Dammit! YUMMY!!!

This second installment in the Twilight saga, is a must watch movie. It’s a whole lot better than the first one. It improved in a lot of aspects and will totally bring you to the mystic world of vampires and werewolves. Fans will of course take time to fall in line and watch this movie but I think even non-fans should watch! After all, it’s very enjoyable. And it is a reminder to us all that NOTHING CAN EVER MATCH THE PAIN AND LOSS OF BEING SEPARATED FROM THE ONE YOU LOVE.

In My Life

5/5

Acting in its finest! Just when you thought a movie almost close to perfection will never be possible again in Philippine cinema, comes Star Cinema’s “In My Life” which in my opinion, is the Best Movie of 2009 and one of the Best Movies ever produced in Philippine Movie History.


Shirley (Vilma Santos), a librarian, annulled, and mother of three is a lady who has been stuck with the old ways. She’s so used to the comforts of her life’s routines that she has blocked any new changes in her life and in the lives of the people around her. Everything has evolved with time except Shirley. But her life soon welcomes change when she moved to New York and lived with her gay son (Luis Manzano) and his partner, Noel (John Lloyd Cruz). As Shirley adjusts to life in New York, unconsciously, through the exquisitely deep and special romance of two men, she’s been able to open her life to a fresh new start and gradually allow change to consume her for the better.

I am trying to deduce something wrong or at least irrelevant with this film and I can’t think of any. I can’t even think of something that went wrong with this film. The script is just perfect. It’s never inadequate nor is it overly exaggerated. What’s truly remarkable about the script of this film is that it’s as real as it can get. The scriptwriter did a magnificent job for I never felt like I am watching a movie. The script’s honesty and grasp of genuine human emotions made me feel as if the scenes were really happening right in front of my very own eyes. Every line was perfect. Every confrontation scenes and dramatic moments were all straight pierces to the heart. Every dialogue was just flawlessly choreographed and as truthful as it can possibly be. The plot and all the inciting incidents of the movie were properly laid down and were brilliantly executed. Director Olive Lamasan didn’t do a wonderful job but an almost perfect, unbelievably great direction. The execution of the film’s dramatic voice was breathtakingly awesome! Every scene was perfectly placed in its right sequence. The editing and the entire motion factor were just excellent in every aspect of the film.

You would expect that the milieu or what we call the general feel of the movie is just a tear jerking, overly dramatic feel but what a perfect offset to the heavy drama are the sensible humor carefully intertwined with the story’s narrative. Also, this movie’s realistic narrative and story telling is superb beyond any description I can possibly think of.

Also, I have to mention that one of the best characteristics of this movie is the exceptional character building especially with the core characters. The fictive world of the movie is very much humanized because of the excellent character building. The Core Characters’ internal and external conflicts were properly ironed out even their quirks which are a very very important aspect of character building to create character hooks.

I can go on and on and on pointing out all the best qualities of this movie, “In My Life” but I think everyone will agree with me that the biggest come on of the movie, is the acting of the three major characters. For two hours I didn’t saw Luis Manzano, John Lloyd Cruz, and the great Vilma Santos. I was so drawn to their characters and they gave life to their respective characters in such a way that the audience will totally forget that they’re only portraying fictitious movie characters. WOW! And again I say WOW to acting in this movie.

Luis Manzano is the biggest surprise of in terms of acting. We know Luis as a good host and comedy actor but a dramatic actor? Some may have doubts; some may even raise an eyebrow. But lo and behold, he can act. He can cry. As a matter of fact one of the scenes that made me cry was when he was apologizing to Ate Vi in the park for once again disappointing her as a son. For his first dramatic movie, Luis Manzano did a good job!

John Lloyd Cruz is without a doubt one of the best if not the BEST ACTOR of this generation. He is the only actor who has the right to spit on Christopher de Leon’s (Maging Sino Ka Man, 2007) face and slap Vilma Santos in a scene. I bow down to this man. Wow! Every facial expression, every gesture, every dialogue, this man… this actor… has perfected his acting in front of the camera. He deserves every aspect of success his career can ever achieve for without a doubt, he is one of the finest actors in Philippine Movie History. Again allow me to say, JOHN LLOYD CRUZ IS JUST THE BEST!

I am a true-blue Vilmanian ever since I was a kid and liberating myself with any biases, I believe every Filipino, and even a Noranian can never deny the fact that MS. VILMA SANTOS is one of the GREATEST ACTRESSES in the history of Philippine Cinema. A VILMA SANTOS only comes once in a lifetime! WOW! ATE VI never fails to leave moviegoers in awe. Just when I thought she has already showcased her acting prowess in its every dimension of it with her tons of past movies, I am so wrong! Her acting in this movie is not only new but mesmerizingly inexplicable no matter how I turn my head around. She doesn't even need to cry hysterically but you can feel every bit of her character’s pain. She flawlessly gave genuine emotions to Shirley’s character in every body movement, dialogue, facial expression, etc. WOW! Just WOW! To everyone she’s The Star for All Seasons but to me, SHE IS THE ACTRESS! THE GREATEST of them all!

I believe it’s about time a story like this penetrates mainstream cinema. Gay relationships are so profuse nowadays that it deserves a serious narrative that’ll show the ups and downs, the genuineness, and the sincerity of gay romance. This is another look to gay relationships. Totally veering away from just the comedy dimension mainstream Philippine cinema has created for it or the indie movie understanding that gay relationships are just all about sex. It’s about time gay relationships are taken seriously in Pinoy movies. And maybe, I hope, this is one vehicle for Filipinos to see relationships of this kind as nothing but just the same as heterosexual relationships and treat it with proper respect that it deserves.

I watched this movie in its opening day, I’ll watch it again this Sunday and yes, I can get enough because I’ll still secure a copy when the official DVD is released. “In My Life” is the kind of movie that no one should ever dare to miss. It’s not every year that a movie as good as this will be produced. It’s not every year that a movie produced is as worth watching as this one. If there’s one movie you shouldn’t miss in your entire life, it’s this one. You’ll be missing a lot if you never watch this movie. It’s one of the BEST!

Kimmy Dora

4/5 stars

Comedy at its best!

Twins Kimmy and Dora (both played by Eugene Domingo) are heiresses to the multi-billion Go Dong Hae empire. Conflict arises mainly caused by the differences between the twins’ personalities. While Kimmy is all-brains and ruthless, her sister Dora is caring and thoughtful although a little slow, mentally. The twins’ personalities always clashes as Kimmy is very much jealous of the attention and special care Dora is getting from their father, Luisito Go Dong Hae, and from Johnson (Dingdong Dantes), the apple of her eyes. As peculiar events transpired, Kimmy and Dora finds themselves switching places with Kimmy in the hands of kidnappers and Dora now the CEO of the Go Dong Hae empire.

I’d like to say that this movie didn’t disappoint at all. There was enormous hype and promo for the movie and it’s all worth it. This movie stands apart from all the other comedies the Philippine movie industry has been producing these past few years because this particular movie actually offers a different type of Filipino humor, a comedy that has value. It’s not the cliché overly corny comedy we’ve all watched a thousand times before. Kimmy Dora actually tells a story with a perfect blend of stuffed comedy and passable drama.

There was never a dull moment in this movie and I never felt as if scenes were just included to fill-in the time as many mainstream comedy movies in the Philippines now do. I have to point out that though Kimmy Dora falls under the comedy genre and it’s obviously produced just to entertain and make moviegoers laugh, producers made sure that the storyline and the script itself is actually worth watching. And it proves that not because this is comedy, the narrative flow of the movie is already unimportant. I say kudos to its scriptwriter, Chris Martinez. I am so a fan of the works of this man. Editing was also worth mentioning above others because every scene was perfect in the story’s time line and this is a very important aspect many comedy films nowadays take for granted. With a beautiful editing like this, audiences will be drawn deep into the story even though the plot is just very very light. This is the only comedy movie Direk Joyce Bernal directed that I actually enjoyed. I am a big big fan of her romantic-comedies and only now can I say that she’s also good with comedy movies.

EUGENE DOMINGO IS THE BEST! A STAR IS BORN. I am a fan of Uge since time immemorial. If I admire her talent before, I adore it now. I believe everything with regards to this movie is perfect timing. This is the perfect launching material for a talent like Eugene’s. In my opinion, she deserves every title being given to her today because she’s really a one of a kind actress. Her comedy is genuine and spontaneous. And she can affect audience with her drama. With her versatility and innate acting abilities, I dare say, EUGENE DOMINGO IS THE ACTRESS of all our lady comedians nowadays. She is a precious talent and really THE ONE AND ONLY! Hail to the Diamond Comedy Queen and hopefully, the 2009 Box Office Queen!

Kimmy Dora is in every aspect a worth watching movie because aside from the laugh it’ll give you, it’ll also unconsciously touch you in many ways. And hello naman just for Uge’s talent being showcased in this movie it’s already a must watch. I am saying this now, this movie is worth every peso you will pay for it and I believe this comedy movie will be one of the classics Philippine cinema has ever produced. Super congratulations to Spring Films and Ms. Eugene Domingo.

The Time Traveler's Wife

3/5 stars

Beautiful, romantic, tear-jerker but insufficient in many ways, “The Time Traveler’s Wife” just wasn’t enough.

Henry (Bana), is a librarian with a genetic disorder that lets him travel through time. It’s an uncontrollable disorder that throws him in the past or in the future naked, and totally lost where he is. One thing though was constant in his time traveling…Claire (McAdams). Claire first met Henry in her childhood, in the meadow near her parent’s home. From then on, Claire was a recurring character in Henry’s time traveling. By chance of fate, one day, they finally met when Henry’s not time traveling, in the library where Henry is working. They soon fell in love and got married but how can their romance go on with Henry’s genetic disorder causing him to always disappear and making Claire wait till who knows when he’s coming back?

First and foremost, I wasn’t able to read the book. In a way, I’m glad I didn’t because there’s still a little satisfaction left in me to give this movie credit for an attempt to depict Audrey Niffenegger’s masterpiece into the big screen. I’d like to believe that the epic theme of Claire and Henry’s romance diminished in the movie adaptation. There are just so many untied loose ends totally disrupting the movie’s romantic element. The development of romance wasn’t executed very well thus leaving the audience in a rush to follow the character’s build-up from falling in love to “I Love You”. The story in general is a little confusing with the use of the concept of time traveling. Gladly, the idea that Henry was naked when he time travels saves the audience from further confusion. At least you know that there’s something constant and that when he’s naked in the scene, that means he’s time traveling. Direction was passable but if the director was more technical about the effects maybe he could have executed the time traveling clearer. In such a way that it doesn’t add more bizarreness to the already complex storyline. Because of the plot’s complexity, the confusion that arose from Henry’s constant travel back and forth makes the movie a little mind-boggling but nonetheless, the romantic element was still intact.

What’s very very commendable about the movie was its cinematography. Wow! I specifically loved the part when Claire and Henry’s daughter was born and to save running time while showing the years that passed, frames were interconnected to each other that simply created a delight for the eyes. As I’ve said I wasn’t able to read the book but I am not very happy about the movie’s script. In my opinion it wasn’t written very well causing flaws in the build up of romance as well as in the movie’s over-all development of tension in the plot. Also, the script lacks a lot of important dialogues that will draw the audience flow with the plot. If this movie was trying to pull off a “show! don’t tell” case, I dare say it wasn’t successful at all.

Rachel McAdams, I think is our generation’s Meg Ryan only, with better acting. She was perfect for the role of Claire and her facial expressions are admirable. I love the fact that McAdams was able to convey different emotions with just her facial expressions. She doesn’t have to be hysterical but by just looking at her, you’ll be able to feel her pain or any other variety of human emotions needed in a particular scene. Eric Bana wasn’t superb in his acting but rather okay. There were scenes that his acting was insufficient that’s why some scenes appears to be raw if we’ll talk about the emotions that should be conveyed. What I have to say about him is how HOT he is. As in OMG!!! If only for his hotness, I am so drawn to this movie. One star in my rating is actually for Eric Bana’s hotness!

In many ways, ”The Time Traveler’s Wife” is still worth the watch. I am not saying it’s superb but it’s ok. It’s confusing and mind-boggling at times but concentrate on the romantic element of the plot and surely, this movie is very much enjoyable. It’s very heartfelt and touching. I was actually super crying during the last 30 minutes of the movie. Once you get the flow of the plot, you’ll already be drawn to the character’s love story which in my opinion is true love in its truest form.

After watching “The Time Traveler’s Wife” I realized that we all wait for true love. We all dream and wish for it but sometimes love takes a lot of effort. A lot of times loving breaks all conventions that we human beings are all just bound to adjust for love. They say at one point, we all have to wait. But there’s no denying that waiting is never easy and it’ll never be easy in any situation. But I guess what the story of “The Time Traveler’s Wife” is trying to tell us is that ultimately, SPACE AND TIME IS THE TRUEST TEST FOR TRUE LOVE. And no matter what happens, no matter how long, no matter how painful, your true love will wait for you.

And I Love You So

4/5 stars

Full of emotions, romantic, and sexy, “And I Love You So” is this year’s HOT movie everybody shouldn’t miss.

24-year old Pres-school teacher Lara (Bea Alonzo) suddenly lost her almost perfect husband Oliver (Derek Ramsay) when he suffered brain aneurysm on the very day of her birthday. Grief-stricken by the passing away of her first and one great love, Lara didn’t know how to pick up the pieces of her heart and continue living when the one person worth living for is already gone. Dying together with the love of her life is her will to continue living. For her every waking morning is another day of misery. But like any other widow, she forces herself to move on and carry over the pain. Starting over came hand in hand with other life problems for Lara and in a series of chance encounters she met Chris (Sam Milby), a hot, playboy, newly-separated from his wife club DJ who will tremendously help her in starting a new beginning. As they grow closer to each other and romance made its way, can their love survive the conflicts of their broken hearts? Can Chris really help Lara let go and make her fairly love him too? And ultimately, will Lara be able to open her heart and give love a second chance?

Director Lauren Dyogi’s big screen comeback, I must say, showed a lot of improvements from his other films namely, “All My Life” and “Now That I Have You”. There were of course glitches but at least his execution is improving. I just have to point out that probably one of the few problematic executions in the film was Bea’s realization that she’s been mourning for quite sometime already. What? Just by looking at her engagement ring and wedding ring? It seems too raw for a turning point like that.

The build up of romance in my opinion is admirable. Its execution is very good. I saw and more importantly felt how first it was just attraction from Chris and gradually falling for Lara and finally he fell in love; the same goes for Lara’s character. I am pointing this out because it is very important in a love story or any stories for this matter that there’s proper implementation of the sequence of events. In that way the emotions of the audience flows along with the story. I also have to mention that the kilig moments in this film were really WOW. I can’t help but bite my lips giving in to so much kilig.

The movie’s main plot and script is very remarkable. The story itself is not new to us, we’ve probably seen it in another movie or perhaps on TV but because of a very beautifully written script, you wouldn’t notice that this story has been done before. Again, I regard Star Cinema and the script writer, Vanessa Valdez (I hope I got it correctly) for a script that’s not cheesy and not at all exaggerated. This is the kind of script that of course because of its genre, there are portions which seems to be out of this world already but what I’ve noticed with Star Cinema over the years is that their scripts are more and more realistic as time goes by. Genuine human emotions are depicted and stories are very realistic. I am so glad that the Philippine film industry today, Star Cinema to be specific has veered away from the “I love you I can’t live without you. Please don’t leave me” kind of scripts. It’s so refreshing and now Filipino love stories have become sensible enough.

Another high point of this movie is its take to a very heavy story and yet you don’t feel like it’s too much for you to bear. The drama in this movie is just enough. The addition of certain comedians to the cast is also a wise move because it balances out the tone of drama and pain already set at the beginning of the movie. As I’ve said it is very praiseworthy of Director Lauren Dyogi of how properly he executed the screenplay in such a way that even though the movie is dealing with drama and at times comedy, still, the romantic element of the movie is intact and dominating the entire movie.

I also have to mention how beautiful the shots were. Scenic view was just awesome. Cinematography was also a two thumbs up. I personally love the scene where Lara was letting go of Oliver and while she’s saying her final goodbye before she threw the locket where she’s kept Oliver’s ashes, Bea was in a boat with big cliffs of rock in her background, wow! It’s amazing!

Bea Alonozo and Sam Milby’s overly publicized love scene was shot very very well. Cinematography was just perfect. It was fierce and passionate but romantic in many ways. Skillfully done I must say. And yes, this is probably Bea’s most daring love scene to date.

In a recent interview Bea expressed her anxiousness about this movie because it is her first time to be paired in the big screen with other leading men after her consecutive box-office movies with love team John Lloyd Cruz. Also, this movie is her coming off age movie. She said she did this movie because she wanted people to see that she’s now a lady, an actress in her own right. I’d like to believe this movie did justice to that. Bea has arrived. Her acting is magnificent. Not over acting, not hysterical, just enough for her to convey Lara’s angst, fears, and pains. Indeed, this story is perfect for her. Director Lauren Dyogi was able to let the lady in Bea Alonzo shine.

There’s so much improvement in Derek Ramsay and Sam Milby’s acting in this movie. Truly, these two actors have come a long way. Not only is Derek Ramsay sizzling hot but hey the man can really act. His eyes are his best acting asset. Maging Sino Ka Man really honed Sam in many ways. One moment he’s the hot, irresistible bad boy then he’s the charming boy-next-door you’d love to bring home to mom. For two hours inside the movie house I forgot a Piolo Pascual is existing for boy oh boy Sam Milby is HOT!!! Also, aside from Derek and Piolo, Sam has the best abs among the actors in our generation!

“And I Love You So” is not the type of movie that’ll later on be a classic. Its plot has been depicted in visual arts many times before but this movie I have to tell everybody is the one you wouldn’t wanna miss. It’s a breather from all the romantic-comedies these days. It’s a sensible movie that’ll teach you how to deal with the pain of a lost love. It’ll show you that there is life after mourning and that ultimately, at a certain point, we all have to LET GO and open our hearts again. After all, LOVE ALWAYS DESERVES A SECOND CHANCE.

The Proposal

5/5

Enjoyable, funny, and filled with just enough romance, “The Proposal” is a romantic-comedy at its best!

Addicted to romantic-comedies as I am, it is a given fact that I will watch this in its opening day. I was actually aiming to see the sneak previews last week for I really can’t wait but I didn’t get the chance. After months of eager anticipation, this movie didn’t disappoint me at all. As a matter of fact, it’s now one of my all-time favorite romantic-comedies.

Facing an unexpected deportation after her visa renewal was denied, antagonistic, bitchy, and unsympathetic publishing house editor-in-chief Margaret Tate (Bullock) forces her hunky, naïve assistant, Andrew Paxton (Reynolds) to marry her. With a promise of promotion to being an editor, Andrew agrees with Margaret’s charades setting his own conditions. When government intervened, the two were forced to head to Alaska for a weekend with his family. Totally selling the lie, Andrew and Margaret were faced to an impromptu wedding at his hometown. Little that they know, as they spent more and more time together, they’ve gotten closer on a personal basis and have fallen in love. But at the eve of the wedding, Margaret couldn’t bring herself to stick to their plan and deceivingly say ‘I Do’ in front of Andrew’s family she’s come to love…

Being predictable is an inevitable element of a romantic-comedy. But what differentiates this movie among others was that there was a substantially rich story, cleverly written script, and excellent acting from the actors all rolled into one. The great combination of these three cinematic elements created a movie that made use of the cliché romantic-comedy formula but making you forget its predictability. Once you watch the movie, you will not notice time for you’ll be simply drawn to the story as it unfolds. It was hilarious at a certain extent and you’ll notice how fresh the comedy the story is offering. It veered away from the cliché comedy we’ve already watched in hundreds of romance-comedies over the years. There was ample amount of romance to stimulate our hopeless romantic side. Also, I wanna point out that the build up of romance between Andrew and Margaret didn’t appear as a rush. That’s one of the reasons why this movie sets it apart from other movies of its kind because the romance was properly executed. You as an audience wouldn’t question how the characters fell in love that fast as a matter of fact, while the romance was building up, you will feel how the fictitious love story is possible in real life. Just like with her 2008 hit, “27 Dresses”, Director Anne Fletcher was able to execute a love story that’s not so larger than life impossible. She was able to show it with so much realism in it.

There was an undeniable chemistry between Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock. A romantic-comedy will never be successful without this fundamental element and make no mistake Bullock and Reynolds’ chemistry will make you believe that this love story is happening in real life…right in front of you. Their acting was just enough for what every scene demands. Sandra Bullock with her charisma and wit is gorgeous and just right in this movie. Ryan Reynolds…a new matinee idol is born! He’s perfect for the character of Andrew and his innate calm, innocent humor was just the best, flawlessly combined to his boy-next-door appeal. And boy can I just say he’s jaw-droppin’ HOT HOT HOT!

With its wonderful balance of romance and comedy perfectly woven to a fantastic story, very well written and never exaggerating script, fine acting, and properly executed love story in camera, “THE PROPOSAL” is the romantic-comedy event of 2009! It is a love story that tells us love can never be boxed in how long or short time you’ve known a person for you to love him/her. It can happen overnight, over a weekend, who knows? But when love happens, it just does. You just gotta deal with it in every possible way. This movie is worth the wait and certainly worth the 160 bucks.

Ghosts of Girlfriends Past

3/5 stars

Entertaining, passable, and witty, this romantic comedy is a run-of-the-mill movie still worth your time and money.

Ghosts of Girlfriends Past is a story of a commitment phobic guy who wants to salvage his brother from committing the biggest mistake of his life—getting married. Connor Mead (Matthew McCounaughey) is a well-known photographer who thinks “love is comfort food for the weak”. He cares nothing but get a woman in bed and leave her afterwards. Reminded by her personal assistant that he is due for his brother’s wedding rehearsal, Connor makes a trip back home to convince his brother that tying the knot is a mistake. On the brink of totally ruining his brother’s wedding, Connor was visited by three ghosts that showed him the past, present, and future of his relationships. Starting off with his beloved uncle, idol, and mentor, Uncle Wayne—who appeared to him because he doesn’t want his nephew’s life to end up just like his. This trip back home for his brother’s wedding also reunited him with his childhood sweetheart and love of his life, Jenny (Jennifer Garner). And together with the three ghosts, Jenny will make Connor realize how awful his perspective of love has turned out to be.

Very very predictable, Ghosts of Girlfriends Past will remind us of the classic Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” ghosts-visiting-in-one night formula. The movie’s narrative is rich in substance that weren’t all maximized by Hollywood’s usual just to kill the runtime clichés. Very bad because the story has depth and some real sentiments that could’ve appealed more to the audience but the use of too much stereotypes has diminished the intensity of some great emotions in the film. However, bearing in mind that this movie belongs to the romantic comedy genre, being formulaic and predictable shouldn’t really be much of a concern because it is but normal that at the end, we already know that the boy and the girl will end up with each other. Not a shocking ending after all. Aside from the usual kilig and some sense or lesson you will deduce from the story, the characters’ journey to get to their resolutions in these kinds of movies is the main point of watching romantic comedies. With the ample humor and just enough twists and turns in every character’s conflict, it balanced out the tedious clichés used in the narrative. Just by that, this movie is really enjoyable.

McCounaughey was perfect as Connor Mead. I don’t think anybody in Hollywood is as right for the character as him. Garner on the other hand was a bit of mediocre in this film but in overall assessment, she’s ok in this film. But I have to say, there was nothing as in 0 chemistry between McCounaughey and Garner. In my opinion, Jennifer was never the leading lady type. The supporting cast really shined in this movie. They are another reason why this film is still worth watching.

Though not the kind of movie you would expect from the pairing of two big stars like McCounaughey and Garner, Ghosts of Girlfriends Past is a very entertaining movie. It’ll make you laugh at certain points and will also touch you without you noticing it. Conflicts and resolutions in the movie are unsurprising but the screenplay was very very good and that alone redeemed this movie. I say this movie is still worth it, because it’ll entertain you, make you feel kilig, and most importantly the movie will remind you to never run away from love because at the end of everything, nothing beats the feeling of waking up in the morning in the arms of LOVE.

25 Random Things About Gorgeous Dave

1. Sometimes, I wish I'm a straight guy. Surely, my life will totally be different. Not that I'm not happy being gay. It's just that maybe choosing a normal path will bring peace to me. Maybe the care and love of a girl is more pleasurable and satisfying than a man's love I'm forever longing for. Maybe I'll make one of the best husbands in town. Maybe I'll make a loving and caring dad. Maybe having a wife and children is what will make me truly happy.

2. The most romantic sexual fantasy I've ever imagined up until now is with my first year college General Psychology professor. His initials? M V.

3. I have gerascophobia more commonly known as fear of growing old.

4. I adore Kris Aquino! I wanna talk like her, be like her, think like her. I wish I'm Kris Aquino in my next life.

5. It's my dream to have my own talk show someday. I love to talk, talk, and talk. I feel like there are so many things I want to share. I really want to host and interview people.

6. I love being inside a bookstore, particularly, Bestsellers, Fullybooked, and Powerbooks. National kasi is so ingay and so gulo, i feel like there's always a fiesta. Whenever I'm inside a bookstore, I feel so calm and peaceful. I love being with books.

7. I'm in cloud nine everytime I buy a new book. I just love love love books! Of course, I also horde books. Hello? Even Kris Aquino still has plenty of books wrapped in their original plastics. What's important is I find time to read them one by one. To date, I still have 40 unopened books, still wrapped in their original plastics.

8. After reading all my K! The Kris Aquino Magazines, I put them back in their original plastics and store them in a place no one can make pakialam and make them sira.

9. Call me selfish but I don't like lending my books, CDs, DVDs, and magazines. Having them all in my room gives me peace of mind. It forms part of my self-security knowing that I have a copy of this issue or this book at home. It gives me joy to know that no matter what happens, I already secured a copy.

10. I have an obsession with jeans. I don't know what it is about them but they make me really happy. To date, I think I already have a hundred or close to a hundred.

11. All my clothes are color-coded according to the color wheel. And they hang inside individual garment plastics.

12. I so love Chuck Taylors for life!

13. I hate it when people accidentally or intentionally steps on my shoes. I feel like, "How dare you? This shoe is more expensive than you are!"

14. I can eat KFC Fried Chicken and their gravy for a month and still crave for it.

15. I go crazy when something goes wrong in my computer.

16. I feel like crying everytime my internet connection is down. It makes me crazy.

17. I'm such an OC! I double check everything. I want everything to be in order. I want all my files organized. I always double check (often times more than double check pa) if I've locked the doors, have I passed the requirement? Have I clicked the submit button? Have I place it on the right place? This sometimes bugs me na.

18. I am a frustrated singer. I really wish God blessed me with a magnificent voice.

19. I super love YAEL YUZON's voice!

20. I hate having to borrow things. As much as possible, I want to have my own because I don't want to have an utang-na-loob.

21. I dream of having a healthy, long, serious relationship someday. One like Boy Abunda and Bong Quintana have.

22. I'm an expert when it comes to loving from a distance as well as unrequited love.

23. I want to have an affair with a married guy. Forbidden is HOT!

24. In my dreams, I wish to have the wildest sex of my life with Robin Padilla!

25. After all the pain and heartbreaks I've gone through, I still believe that love will come to me. I still believe that special someone who will give me the unconditional love I'm dying to have will one day cross my path and finally appease my distressed heart.