AWEFULL

‘What’ and ‘if’ two words as nonthreatening as words come. But put them together side-by-side and they have the power to haunt you for the rest of your life: ‘What if?’…”

I don’t know how your story ended. But I know that if what you felt then was love – true love – then it’s never too late. If it was true then it why wouldn’t it be true now? You need only the courage to follow your heart…

I don’t know what a love like that feels like… a love to leave loved ones for, a love to cross oceans for… but I’d like to believe if I ever felt it. I’d have the courage to seize it. I hope you had the courage to seize it, Claire. And if you didn’t, I hope one day that you will.

———–

The letter was taken from the movie “Letters to Juliet” (written by Sophie, in response to Claire’s letter for Juliet 50 years ago).

The movie talks about destiny, chances and second chances.

While I’m on the verge of losing hope due to tragic circumstances in the past, this movie made me believe that true love does exist.

I may never be a believer of destiny but I guess it won’t hurt to have faith in it now, even just a little.

Sure, it’s a chick flick.. but chick flicks are always successful in giving me shots of bliss.

Last night I went out with the girls to catch Sex and the City 2. It was also some sort of “despedida” for my friend, Nheng, who left this morning for Singapore. She was offered a teaching job there for two years.. and it’s effing sad that little by little, special people in my life leave. But then again, I am happy for her knowing that she prayed hard for it and now, she’s starting to reach for her dreams. She may consider her lovelife as a failure, but I know God has given her more than what has hoped for — awesome career and loving family that has always been supportive of her endeavors.

I was smiling all throughout the movie coz we can relate so much to it. The girls and I have been together for 10 years, so we can say that apart from being friends, we are sisters. We went to the same university, enrolled to the same course, belonged to the same bloc, shared an apartment.. even borrowing clothes and shoes from one another. We are a group of 8 girls, but little by little, the group got smaller coz some of us have their own lives now (some got married, went abroad and had children).

Sex & the City might be a chick flick, but for us it goes beyond fashion and glamour. It depicts the kind of friendship that not all people are fortunate enough to experience. I’m lucky coz I found a family in them.

We have our own Samantha, someone who knows how to have fun with men but is accustomed to living alone. And though she has this uber strong personality, she has this certain trait that I adore, her loyalty and love for friends. She’s just so sweet and caring to her friends.

We have our Charlotte, the most conservative in the group; someone who’s always driven by emotions and not just purely lust or desire. She’s someone who’s willing to give up everything, even career, for her family and settle for a simple life.

We have Miranda who’s career driven and gets a little cranky at times. Hahaha! She’s also a bit skeptic about men and relationships.

And of course, there’s Carrie who loves to write and shares her musings about love and relationships. She is someone who has been on an endless search for true love before she finally settled down with Big.

PS: LSS-in on this song…

I am woman, hear me roar
In numbers too big to ignore
And I know too much to go back an’ pretend
‘Cause I’ve heard it all before
And I’ve been down there on the floor
No one’s ever gonna keep me down again

Oh yes, I am wise
But it’s wisdom born of pain
Yes, I’ve paid the price
But look how much I gained
If I have to
I can do anything
I am strong (strong)
I am invincible (invincible)
I am woman

You can bend but never break me
‘Cause it only serves to make me
More determined to achieve my final goal
And I come back even stronger
Not a novice any longer
‘Cause you’ve deepened the conviction in my soul

Oh, yes, I am wise
But it’s wisdom born of pain
Yes, I’ve paid the price
But look how much I gained
If I have to
I can face anything
I am strong (strong)
I am invincible (invincible)
I am woman

I am woman watch me grow
See me standing toe to toe
As I spread my lovin’ arms across the land
But I’m still an embryo
With a long, long way to go
Until I make my brother understand

Oh, yes, I am wise
But it’s wisdom born of pain
Yes, I’ve paid the price
But look how much I gained
If I have to
I can face anything
I am strong (strong)
I am invincible (invincible)
I am woman

Oh, I am woman
I am invincible
I am strong

I am woman
I am invincible
I am strong
I am woman

A few days ago, my Facebook status says, “Pwede bang bumalik sa simula? Yung di tayo magkakilala.. Mas ok un.” A friend commented and said, “makipagkasundo ka kay Rumpelstiltskin….” then I asked why. She said, “basta panoorin mo na lang si Shrek.”

Actually, I’ve been looking forward to see Shrek Forever After with my bestfriends. We were able to watch last Friday after work. It was really good. And by that I meant, it teaches a lesson or two.

One of which was the answer to my question about going back to the beginning. As some of you know, Dr. Love and I belong to the same circle (he’s my good friend’s co-stand up comedian) and it is anticipated that we’re gonna bump into each other sooner or later after the breakup. It happened. Twice already. The first time was kinda bittersweet. When he passed by my table we just nodded and said “Hi” to each other but later that night he joined my group, sat beside me and had a chitchat with me (he said some things that I can no longer remember due to alcohol in my system). By the time the show’s over, when he was about to leave, he hugged me and kissed me on the cheek while saying “take care”. I was frozen and didn’t know what to do, so I just let him be. I didn’t cry. I didn’t show any emotion at all. But when I went home I called my bestfriend and cried a river. Of course, it’s really painful that you see each other but you know that things are no longer the same.

The following week, I didn’t expect that he would attend. I thought, maybe he wasn’t coming coz he was there last week. He might be on duty or probably spending time with his ladylove (ahahaha.. joke! ). But he came. This time we were both civil. He was seated at a table far from where I was situated. But the restroom is near his place. When I passed by his table (to go to the CR), he gently grabbed my arm.. probably he wanted to say hi again. But I opted to just wave my hand with no emotions at all. Then I went on walking toward the CR. I had to do it so that we can both build walls around us. Again, I was fine. But later that night, when he and the rest of the gang went home, I caught some tears falling from my eyes. I don’t know, it was never my intention to cry. But tears kept on falling.

After those two incidents I suddenly realized that maybe it’s too early for me to expect that my feelings would fade even if I see him or talk to him. Perhaps, it would be better that we continue to build those walls around us. Maybe it’s better that I won’t give in to his request of being my friend. Maybe we should treat each other as strangers again, like the way used to. Maybe.. just maybe.

And so, I was wishing that we go back to the beginning when we were just strangers to each other. Those times when I would see him but I didn’t even know who he was. That all I knew is that he’s my friend’s friend. But I know it would all remain as wishes. An impossible dream.

It’s like when Shrek wished that he be back to being an ogre for a day coz he’s tired of doing the same old things since he met Fiona. Once again, he wanted to be the creature that everybody’s afraid of. And that happened when he made an agreement with Rumpelstiltskin. Little did he know that it would complicate his life more and would make him miserable. It was as if he was never born and thus, never rescued Fiona from the tower. It was as if he never existed in Fiona’s life. So many things happened in Shrek’s life as an ogre for a day. Like what people say, one day can change your life forever. It made him realize a lot of things and one of which is contentment, another lesson that I got from the film.

If I can remember it right, when Shrek was ranting about how unhappy he is with his life, Fiona said something like “You have a wife, three beautiful children, friends.. etc etc.. you have a wonderful life and the only person who can’t see it is you.” (sorry, it’s not the exact line but the essence is still there).

You see, people tend to ask for more when in fact we already have everything. And if we think that there’s still lacking, of course we’ve got to do something to make it happen.

As for me, wishing to go back to the beginning when we were strangers to each other is like deleting some important parts from my story, or some lessons from my book of life. Who knows, in the future, I will still remember the moment he broke my heart while smiling and saying, “This is the answer.” And realizing how blessed I am for having a loving significant other (or probably a beautiful family) in exchange of letting go of the man and the stagnant relationship in the past.

It all boils down to this: everything has a purpose.

I wanna be like Fiona.

It’s been a while since I last saw a movie in 3D, I think that was Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire while my friends haven’t tried it yet. Last night, to let them experience 3D, we went to Robinsons Galleria to see Alice in Wonderland. Yep, Galleria already has a cinema showing movies in 3D, and so do SM Megamall and Shangri-La. I need not go to this farrrrraway land called Mall of Asia IMAX just to experience the thrill of 3D movies (but of course, watching in MOA iMAX is way way better than some other 3D cinemas here in Manila)

Sadly, though, there’s this thing that always bothers me everytime I watch at Robinsons Galleria — it’s the presence of those annoying/unnerving viewers who don’t know the word “concentration”. There was a group of 2 guys (or gays) and a girl who acted as if they own the whole cinema, they kept on talking while the movie is being shown. The moment they sat beside me, they started talking and saying stuff like “Ay ang galing, ganito pala yun pag nakasuot yung salamin”… then “Ay tingnan mo pag walang salamin doble yung image sa screen”.. then when Alice came out somebody from the group said “Grabe sobrang puti nya, gusto ko ganyan din ako kaputi” (yung lalake nagsabi non.. bwiset mag-overdose ka ng glutathione! o kaya magpakalunod ka sa sukang paombong nang mamuti ka!). Having heard that, I immediately blurted, “Ang ingay mo, Amae! (my friend)” but the guys seemed insensitive that they kept on talking.. verrrry LOUD. I stood up and transferred to the other side, good thing there were still vacant seats. And take note, even when I was already at the other end I can still hear their voice. Crap! Nevertheless, I was still able to keep calm and stay focused on the movie. Those infuriating “viewers” were not a hindrance for me to enjoy the night.

Going back to the movie.. This is enchanting, not only because of the wonderland per se, but because it teaches us to follow our dreams. Persistence. Determination… that something is impossible only if you believe it is, as per the Mad Hatter. And as what the White Queen told Alice, she always thinks of 6 impossible things even before breakfast, one thing that she thought might motivate her to slay the Jabberwocky, that beast.. errr, dragon that is controlled by the Red Queen. This, I guess, implies that we should all learn to do our best in everything and never lose hope in achieving our goals.

As for the actors, Johnny Depp, once again has amazed me by portraying yet another odd but lovable character, the Mad Hatter. Helena Bonham Carter (as the Red Queen), on the other hand, was the “breather” from the magical world for her droll character. Almost all her lines brought me tears caused by laughing hard. I specifically liked the scene where she sat down and asked for a pig where she then rested her feet while saying “I love a warm pig belly for my aching feet..” Imagine having pig belly as a “furniture”? Also, who wouldn’t laugh at the sight of a flamingo (tama ba? o basta pink bird sya ) that she used as golf clubs and a beaver (tama ba ulet? ah basta small animal sya ) as her ball. And that remarkable line of hers when she and Stayne (her disciple slash loverboy) were arrested at the end of movie, “At least we have each other” (with matching twinkling of the eyes) Hahaha.. the look on Stayne’s face was absolutely peculiar. He looked like he was about to vomit, too.

The role of Alice was perfectly portrayed by a young Aussie actress named, Mia Wasikowska (according to the news, she bested some other “veteran” young actresses including Lindsay Lohan in applying for this role) because of her natural portrayal of a girl who’s strong willed yet timid, courageous yet shows cowardice, smart yet often uses her heart.  Like I said, she’s an Aussie so expect that she has this accent that most Filipinos won’t clearly understand. So better be attentive and listen carefully to her lines. Anne Hathaway was also impeccably chosen to play as the White Queen. She was effortless in showing off an almost NR face.. hehe.. just kidding. What I meant was, she’s just right for a soft-spoken character. I just realized one thing, Anne looked like Chinchin Gutierrez here.

My favorite character here is the Red Queen who I found really hilarious. Others that also caught my attention would have to be the twin fat boys named Tweedledee and Tweedledum. They’re soooo adorable that I wanted to get inside the screen and pinch their chubby cheeks. Their constant disagreement with each other is what made their character remarkable.

Another thing that I like about this film is the abundance of words of wisdom that are not only meant for children, but also for adult like me. Below are the quotes that I personally like and believe in:

“Nothing is ever solved with tears” – The Caterpillar

“If you knew Time as well as I do, you wouldn’t talk about wasting it.” - The Mad Hatter

“There is a place. Like no place on Earth. A land full of wonder, mystery, and danger! Some say to survive it: You need to be as mad as a hatter… which luckily I am.” — The Mad Hatter (then suddenly I remembered my friend, GB and his joke on how to survive in Cubao. (sorry, inside joke)

Alice: Which road do I take?
The Cheshire Cat: Where do you want to go?
Alice: I don’t know.
The Cheshire Cat: It doesn’t matter…
The Cheshire Cat: If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there.

——————-

Ohhh, and before I forget, when you see this film it must be seen in 3D. The colors are vibrant, the scenery is fantastic and the characters looked real when in fact some of them are actual actors whose physical features were distorted/animated just so they would look like cartoon character (see the Red Queen’s enormous head). See it in 3D and you’ll feel like you’re in wonderland, too. 

The plot is too simple for adult minds that crave for complex story, yet good enough for kids and childlike ones whose minds need to be filled with lessons in life.

“Time is meaningless when you are in love”

That is what Lolo Uly (Noel Trinidad) told Allan (John Lloyd) and Mia (Bea Alonzo) when he saw them together in a park. Something that stirred up my mind and prompted me to write something about love and time — this entry. Loaded with corn and cheese, I found it hard not to laugh while writing. Just please bear with my cheesiness.

When I was young I used to believe that love needs time to develop. I found it absurd to get into a relationship with someone you hardly even know. That’s why I never believed in LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT.

Over the years I have witnessed a lot of friends breaking up with their significant others of 5 years or so. Painful, indeed, but could be worse had they prolong their cul-de-sac relationships. I have also seen acquaintances who got hitched after just a few months of being together as a couple. I would often shrug it off as I never had faith in unions done impulsively. I made judgments based on what I think is reasonable and realistic. But this made me curious at one point in my life — does the time spent with someone really determine the amount of love that you have for him/her?

When I had my first taste of “impulsiveness”, I realized that yeah, time and intensity of love don’t come hand in hand. You can be with your boyfriend/girlfriend for a long time without having concrete plans for the future while you can fall in love in an instant with one person you just randomly met somewhere and think about being with him/her for the rest of your life. I had 2 serious boyfriends in the past; both relationships lasted for 3 years. But it didn’t constantly occur to me that I’m gonna be Mrs. Madrigal or Mrs. Sanchez in the future. Of course, when you get into a relationship you would never want to waste your time on someone for nothing– but not everything is of shades of red and pink. Mine was like that. There were hopes, dreams and sometimes, plans. But those were all “half-baked”. Perhaps due to the fact that 3 years is long enough to never step-up. And I thought, maybe it’s about time I get serious and plan for the future. But nothing really materialized. I wasn’t even sure of how I feel back then. There were lots of problems and I wasn’t happy anymore. I didn’t end up with any of those men — those 6 years have gone to waste. And so did my feelings for both of them.

Just recently I got committed with someone who literally defy all my rules in love and relationships. I may have known him for more than a year but he was never part of my group. We were never introduced. He was a total stranger to me until that night when we shared a table and started chatting with each other. That moment I instantly felt that he’d play an important role in my life — that is to love me and take care of me. True enough. He does. More than what I have expected and hoped for.

We may have been together for barely 4 months but I’ve never been this sure about how I feel. I’ve never been this thrilled to see what the future holds.

Time, indeed, is insignificant.

PS: I got my own Mr. Cruz.

Just like any other typical romantic comedy flicks, Valentine’s Day won’t require much analysis as everything was depicted in a very comprehensible manner. It just needs a little sensitivity as it’ll tickle you to the bones. Forgive me, this is a chick flick.. and I’d like to believe I’m a chick.

This is a star-studded film (though not everybody had his/her own shining moment in the film), from Taylor Swift and Taylor Lautner (yes, that wolf in New Moon) to the veteran ones like Ashton Kutcher, Julia Roberts, Jennifer Garner, etc. It’s nice that in Hollywood, even big stars don’t mind having small roles. They never seem to believe in small roles, it’s how much impact they made on the viewers that matters. And I hope the same goes here in the Philippines (Okay, talk about pride and all…)

It has shown love in different generations: puppy love, teenage romance, the mature kind of love and the one that goes as far as decades. It may be shallow, but there’s a lot of truth in it. But then again, it amused me that everything had to be told within 24hours, hence the title Valentine’s Day.. coz everything happened that day. They seem to have energy to the highest level that they had a day full of activities (Jennifer even had an RT LA-SanFo that day, went to the hospital where her boyfriend works then created a scene in a restaurant.. then back to Ashton’s place in LA) yet they still managed to survive and even had the strength and wit to find out bunch of facts and truth in just one day. Imagine, when he woke up, Reed (Ashton Kutcher) was so in love with Morley (Jessica Alba) that he proposed and in the middle of the day, Morley decided to call it quits then come night time, Julia (Jennifer Garner) the bestfriend and Reed seemed to grasp the truth that they love each other only after they broke up with their significant other.

Oooops, enough of scrutiny. I just told you, it won’t require much thinking.. but I’m still thinking pala. Hahaha! Kaya enough na.

To sum it all up, the movie is cute. Funny and inspiring. You know, sometimes I need a “feel good” movie like this.. just a breather from the toxic corporate world. Something that won’t make me cry.

BTW, I just realized that Taylor Swift is so cute and her role pretty much painted a “hilarious” text on her forehead. I was laughing hard while watching all her scenes.. talk about CRAZY in love. Literally. Haha! Also, it was amusing that McDreamy is part of the movie. He’s also a doctor here.

PS: The soundtrack is really cool I might download it as soon as I can.

One of my favorite Pinoy films of all time, One More Chance, goes animated.

This is soooo cute. Watch nyo.

I just saw this on my friend’s Facebook wall then searched it on Youtube, it was posted by a certain grandevouz. I’d love to give credits to whoever did this, but I don’t know who he is. Thanks for sharing, whoever you are.