Did you Earth Hour...

Yesterday, after an event for a partner group at the Folk Arts Theater, I headed to SM Megamall to pick up some DVDs that I ordered. I wanted to be at the mall before 8, since I wasn't sure whether they'd turn their lights off for Earth Hour or not.

On the way to Megamall, I called Carlo to see if he was free to meet up, and he was so that was good. Fifteen minutes before 8PM, an SM employee was going around the mall carrying an Earth Hour poster and ringing a bell to inform people about the "event."

Carlo and I made our way to Maxim's for dinner. At the restaurant, we asked the guy waiting on us if they were going to participate in Earth Hour and he said yes. That was good, I thought.

By 8PM, most of the lights were turned off. Almost all the shops turned off not just their signage lights, but also the lights inside the store. All the shops at the level where the art galleries are turned off their lights. At Maxim's, the waiter brought out candles for the diners.

I wanted to see what it was like out in the streets, whether the billboards along EDSA were turned off. But I wasn't able to check it out because by the time Carlo and I headed to Seattle's Best for coffee and tea, the lights were back on already.

At home, I called my brother to remind him to turn off the lights as well and I'm happy that they did do so.

I'm even happier that the company I work for also joined Earth Hour. Not only were all the lights in the building turned off, all the billboards along South Luzon Expressway were also turned off. That was great I thought.

I hope that that one hour of lights out in several parts of the world gave our "ailing" Mother Earth some "relief," even if it's of the smallest amount.

No weekend for Angelo...

No weekend break for me this week. Last night, I got home from work at 2 in the morning. A partner group is having an event today and the company is one of the major sponsors. So last night, I was at the Folk Arts Theater waiting for the exhibit booth guys to finish setting up the booths. Once they were done, some colleagues and I proceeded to putting up our exhibit materials. It wouldn't have taken so late had the guys started setting up the booths at the area where we were designated. Anyway, even if I finished at 2AM, I had to get up and be at Folk Arts by 8AM for the event. When I got to the venue, I was a bit surprised by the huge number of people who attended the event. It was the 15th anniversary of the group and there were many activities for the members. It was good. From Folk Arts, I headed to SM Megamall to pick up some DVDs. Since I was going to be in the area, I gave Carlo a call and we had dinner and coffee. That's it. It's Earth Hour, too and I'm really glad SM joined the worldwide event. Tomorrow evening, there'll be another event which I have to cover along with some colleagues. I'm not complaining. I'm always happy to have my hands full. Woohoo!

The hills are alive...

The hills of our country are alive with the sound of homophobia...

I was in a cab on my way home last night. Went boxing and since I was dead tired, I didn't care about a thing - the traffic, the honking of vehicles - as soon as I settled in the back seat. What caught my attention was this song playing on the radio.

It was the first time I heard that song and I wasn't sure who sang it. Thank heavens for Google though. The song was "Hindi ako bakla" by actor/comedian Michael V.

Though the guy is a good actor and a comedian, this one song wouldn't definitely be drawing any laughter from me and I'm sure from 10% of this country's population.

Anyway, here's nice news - Mike Enriquez is really a media guy to be respected.

This morning, I was listening to the radio again on my way to work. A police report was airing. The correspondent was describing the suspect involved - "Mike, the guy who tried to steal the bag is a big guy. He's dressed neatly. You wouldn't suspect he has bad intentions. But also, he admitted... he admitted that he's gay." - followed by a snicker.

Mike Enriquez responded to the last description, "Okay, although that has nothing to do with what he was accosted for."

Thank you, Mr. Enriquez. We need more media people like you.

737-1000 is passport assistance savior...

I was at DFA once again yesterday, because personal appearance is now required when applying or renewing your passport.

Anyway, I was naturally welcomed by the fixers and the long lines, but it was a much more pleasant experience this time. I was still early though (7AM), and when I got to the office I was supposed to go to, there was a DFA/Pilipinas Teleserv guy who assisted the 737-1000 customers.

We were ushered to a special area (and by special, I mean monobloc benches but near airconditioning) where we waited for about an hour more because offices open at 8AM. Since I was first in line, I was the first person to be called as soon as the service windows opened.

The guy just asked me to check and ensure that my name is spelled correctly, and then I was asked to put my thumbmarks on the form.

It was over in less than 10 minutes.

Now, all I have to do is wait for the passport to be delivered to my office in about 10 days.

Wooohooo!

Zendagi migzara... life goes on...

Finished two books over the long weekend - Michael Thomas Ford's Changing Tides and Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner. Both have been good reads.

In a previous entry, I said that The Kite Runner the movie left me with two memorable lines. Now that I've finished the book, another line stands out.

Zendagi migzara. Life goes on.

This is one reason why I love the written world. You're surprised with little lessons when you turn to a certain page.

Anyway, I was glad to have found that phrase because...

I've been living in the past for who knows how long. While the people I once knew have moved on, here I was... am... still stuck on the past and dreaming, longing for the old times. But it's not going to happen. It's about time I face that reality. It's about time that I too do what they've done long ago - move forward.

Zendagi migzara. Life goes on.

Lenly, Albert says HBD...

It was the birthday of friend/former officemate Lenly yesterday, and the above were my gifts to her. Hehe!

I think it was last year when she saw my photo with Albert Martinez at another event when Lenly told me that she has a major crush on the guy. (Crush?! Who the heck still uses that term these days? Haha!)

Anyway, I remembered that so when I found out that I needed to help organize a press conference for one of Albert's projects, I thought of asking for his autograph and a photo op for Lenly. I was a bit hesitant though. And it wasn't because I was shy to ask for a photo (haha! I think the celebrity wall project would show that I could be shameless when it comes to fan pic). It was because it felt weird at one moment to be in a business meeting with him, and then to suddenly just ask for an autograph. Hehe!

But opportunity came during the press con itself. While waiting for the press to arrive, I took out the birthday greeting printout and approached Albert to ask for his autograph and photo. Hehe! I told him it was for a friend who's been in love with him for the longest time. Thanks, Mr. Martinez for being so accommodating.

The biggest joy, however, came from hearing Lenly's reaction over the phone when I emailed her the photos. Hehe! And I'm glad because all the "minor" hassle was worth it.

Happy birthday, Lenly.

I wonder if someone would do the same for me. Hahaha! Celebrity of choice: Gisele Bundchen, Madonna, Angelina Jolie. Okay, okay. I'll be happy with Sharon Cuneta. Seriously. Hehe!

Enchanted by Enchanted...

Bought three DVDs for the long weekend - Enchanted, Sweeney Todd and Love in the Time of Cholera. I was looking forward to watch all three, but after seeing Enchanted, I didn't get to see the other two anymore.

I just fell in love with the Disney flick, and I watched my favorite scenes over and over again. Hahaha! And I think the video clips above are enough to say which scenes were my favorite. Haha!

Weekend thoughts...

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Gone for the long weekend...

Not sure if I'd be able to post in the next few days, since it's a long weekend. While other people would probably be heading out of town for a break, I'm most probably going to stay home and do some cleaning and organizing. I want to organize my photos and computer files. Anyway, the next few days would also be a good time to reflect on the first quarter of 2008. Alright, enjoy the long weekend and advance Happy Easter.

Passport Renewal Horrors...

(note: This entry is just oozing with frustration and disappointment. I have nothing against the DFA or the people in government service. In fact, they're to be somehow admired for having the patience and the perseverance to deal with limited resources day after day. I'm just really annoyed at the whole situation, and this is one of the moments when I dream of what it's like to live in a First World country.)

This morning, I was at the Dept. of Foreign Affairs to have my passport renewed. Since I knew I wouldn't be doing any out of country trips, I didn't renew my passport immediately, and it has expired for about two years now. That was a major mistake.

Anyway, when I got my passport seven years ago, it was a nightmare. The lines were really long. The waiting area was poorly ventilated. Office employees were yelling around. Unfortunately and really saddening, it was what could be expected of a government service of a Third World country.

I thought that since several years have gone by, things would have changed. Apparently NOT.

In fact, it seems like it's gotten worse. I was at the DFA office by 7AM. Offices were still closed (or it looks like it), but the line was really, really, really long already. Before I could even enter the gates, there were these men (and women) wearing some ID who'd surprise you with questions, "Do you have an application form? What about photo? Can I see it?" I knew better. I don't think they're even employees of the dept. So I say, "Yes, I have an application form. Yes, I have all the requirements."

The guy goes on to ask, "Where did you get your application form?" I could feel my eyebrows rising. I wanted to say, "Uhm, you know, there's this thing called the Internet, where you can download the form." But I choose not to.

And then he sees my the background of my passport picture and says, "That's dark blue. That's not royal blue." He shows it to the DFA guard, who agrees with him. I wanted to have a heart attack. So as expected, I was directed to some studio, which charges an insane amount of P170 for passport photos.

And then, it occured to me that it must be that expensive, because the guy who stopped me will probably get a cut, the guy who agreed that my passport photo background is dark blue and not royal friggin blue will also probably get a cut, and who knows who else is going to get a cut from that P170.

As soon as I entered the DFA premises, the really, really, really long line was still there. To make it even worse, there was a security guard roaming around holding a loudspeaker saying the bad news, "Those who just arrived would only get an appointment date and then you have to come back on that date. The ones who are already inside the hall (read: basketball court) have been here since dawn. Some of them even stayed here overnight."

I was really running out of patience and I wanted to answer back, "So what you're saying is we should all be camping out just to be here early. Yeah, talk about service, huh."

Before I get into a verbal argument and dragged out of the DFA premises, I take out my mobile phone and call the 2GO Passport Renewal service. They're charging about P600 to how much the usual expedited processing fee costs, but who cares. If P600 would mean not having to stand in line, not having to put up with the hassles, then by all means, charge me P600 more.

Oh, here's one more thing that's really annoying. I was hoping to get my passport by next week because a business trip might come up. When I looked at the DFA website, it said: "... for Overtime Processing, it takes only TWO (2) working days." Whoops! Don't celebrate yet. When I checked the details on the application form and it said: "...Expedited Processing: SEVEN (7) working days..." Annoying, right?

When I spoke with the 2GO person, she said that the earliest I could get my passport would be April 5.

That's what? Three weeks?! Wow!

Saturday Night at Bonifacio High St...

Saturdays are starting to become a routine. Since I would sleep in late Friday night, I'd wake up late Saturday morning - around 9 or 10. The next couple of hours would be spent at home either reading or watching a DVD or daydreaming. By 4PM, I'd get my boxing stuff ready. And then by 5PM or so, I'd be inside the ring sweating like a pig and panting like a mad dog. The routine stops there. After boxing, I don't have anything scheduled to do so it's either I head home and sleep early, or if I'm lucky, go out to see some friends. That's what happened last night. From the boxing gym, I went to Bonifacio High Street to meet up with Erica and Pat. Ian, Pat's hubby, and his band had their second album launch. Since I was a bit early, I hung out at the relatively new Fully Booked. It was huge!!! And it was pure heaven for anyone addicted to the written word. I only got to go around the fourth level (fashion, photography, architecture, graphic design, audio section). There were a lot of good titles but most titles were expensive. Augh! It makes me want to cry.

I did end up buying a couple of things though - DVDs. Haha! How ironic is it to get DVDs from a bookstore?! I got the Madonna's I'm Going to Tell You a Secret, the indie film Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros, and the most pleasant surprise - Camp the Musical DVD. The last two are precious additions to the growing queer DVD collection. (And yet, most people think that the only queer films around are Brokeback Mountain or porn. It's saddening really.)

A last minute addition was Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner. I've been meaning to get a copy of the book, after I saw the movie. I forgot about it, so it was a good thing that I saw some copies displayed on the shelves by the checkout counter. I also saw a new title from Sophie Kinsella, but since I haven't ready Shopaholic and Baby yet (just finished Michael Thomas Ford's Changing Tides), I thought of delaying the purchase.

From Fully Booked, I walked over to Magnet cafe where the album launch was. The band was great. It was my first time to see and hear them perform and I thought they were really good. Their music isn't too loud but it's not too soft either. There's something enigmatic about the music, and I guess that's one thing why people liked it. The band's name, by the way, is Drip and the album is Identity Theft. You should check it out.

After their performance, I decided it was time to go. While I did love hanging out with friends, the place was turning out to be too straight for me. And the last time I checked, I'm still playing for my team. Hehe! Just kidding. So that was Saturday night.

Still...

I still haven't found what I'm looking for. Yeah, that's right. Bono is blaring off the iTunes as I type this entry. That's my song right now.

I still haven't found what I'm looking for.

I thought I have. But as I get to know this "thing" more and more, the more that I'm becoming afraid of it. I'm afraid I might forget what my aspirations really are. Is this "thing" what I really want? Have you ever been in such a situation? At first, you want it so badly. You pray for it. You wish for it. You think that it is the solution. You think it is what you've been waiting for for a long time.

And once you get it, for a certain time, you believe all these. Until you get yourself deeper and deeper into it. That's when you realize, "I still haven't found what I'm looking for."

What is one supposed to do? Just grin and bear it til one can? Or stay and be the change you want to be (as Michael Scofield once said to Sarah). Or should one keep on looking?

I could use a life coach right now. Back in college, I had one. He was a good friend from the university. We'd have these weekly conversations, and during those conversations, we talked about how things are going on for me - school, family, troubles, triumphs, what to do next. Those chats gave me a sense of security and guidance. It was some sort of validation that what I was doing was right, that the path I was creating for myself was correct.

When I decided to face the "real" me, that's when my life coach and I parted ways. Uhm, it's nothing bad. I made my choice, he had to make his. And that was it, really. Since then, I haven't found a new life coach. Every now and then, I would be blessed to bump into someone who would provide me with momentary talks. It's all for the better I guess. I can't really have someone holding my hand every step of the way, right? But I guess having someone older (?) and wiser who could impart some nuggets of wisdom when needed wouldn't be that bad either.

And the grant goes to...

Had a press conference yesterday. It wasn't the first time I've helped put together a press conference, but it was the first time I've had a press conference for the entertainment press and that's what makes it different. The day before the conference, I was having a meeting with celebrated actor Albert Martinez for the press con. How surreal was that, huh! Anyway, the press con was for the announcement of the grant recipient of the project he's heading. It's for indie filmmakers. The guy who got the award was a young Atenean who I'm quite sure will do well as a filmmaker. I don't know. I guess it's because I got the whole "I'm ready to conquer the world" vibe from him. So that's really refreshing for a guy nearing his 30s and who's rapidly turning out to be jaded and cynical. Haha! I'm not sure though if I should already say who got the grant. Maybe I'll wait for the press release to come out first, which means I should send out that press release early next week. Also, the morning wasn't too good.

Good luck, Erica...

Last night, colleagues/friends from work went to the nearby bar to honor a colleague who'll be starting a new job in two weeks. Erica is one of the youngsters in the group, but she is definitely no baby. Though we've only worked together for a short while, I know that she's a gem to the group. The fact that she's also a fantastic friend makes it more difficult to see her leave. She's a superwoman because she can cover out of town events on her own, write kickass press releases and news articles, be a fantastic colleague, and on top of all the work stuff, still be the great mom to her daughter. Even if she's only moving to a nearby building, she'll probably be preoccupied adjusting to the new job. But I'm sure we'd all still get to hang out every now and then. And if we don't, it would probably be because she (or maybe us) would be busy taking care of the public relations concerns of her new company. And we all know she'll do such great work. So, good luck, Erica! *applause applause applause* for the fantastic two years.

PS... I love you...

Someone recently went on a little shopping. Hehe! Got a little something so I decided to treat myself a bit. Hehe! Uhm, I've been eyeing the Springfield neckwear for the longest time. I thought about getting it after Christmas, but decided not to because I wasn't sure what to do with it. When I visited the Springfield shop over the weekend, I saw that it was still there so I took it as a sign (or as an excuse) to go get it. Hehe! I'm sure it'll be of many uses.

Now, the other purchase from the London fashion house known for its multi-color swirls is a best buy, trust me. I've been eyeing the holdall for quite some time now and I finally took the plunge and got it with my eyes closed. Hehe! It was a good purchase though, especially after I felt the soft lining and I thought that the design was really one of a kind. Hehe!

Now, the other bag from the same house has a brother.

Alright, I think I shall be living on crackers and instant noodles for the next few months, after these buys.

Say it with me....Bah-len-see-AH-gah

There was one lunch at work when the conversation somehow was steered towards the correct pronunciation of designer names. Hehe! The lunch get-togethers of our department is worthy of being aired on national television. The things we discuss. Haha! Anything and everything from politics to health to diet to sex to relationships to beliefs. Anything and everything. Hehe! Anyway, found this on some site and since there's nothing else to post, this will do for now.

Agnes b: Anne-yes-Be

Azzedine Alaia: Azz-eh-DEEN Ah-ly-ah

Balenciaga: Bah-len-see-AH-gah

Bottega Veneta: Bott-EH-ger Ve-ne-Tah

Bvlgari: Bull-gah-ree

Cartier: Car-tee-yay

Chanel: Sha-nel

Chanel 2.55: Chanel two fifty five (Not Chanel two point five five, don't say it in a mathematic way)

Christian Dior: KREE-styaan DEE-or

Christian Louboutin: KREE-styaan Lu-bu-THAN

Comme Des Garcons: KOM Day Gahr-SOHN

Dolce & Gabbana: DOL-chay and Gab-BAH-nah

Dormeuil: Dor-meh-ee

Ermenegildo Zegna: Err-men-eh-jill-doh-Zen-yer

Gianfranco Ferre: Jee-an-fran-ko Ferr-ay

Gianni Versace: Janni Vir-Saa-Che

Giorgio Armani: Jor-ji-o Ar-ma-nee

Givenchy: Jee-von-she

Gucci: Goochie

Hedi Slimane: Eddy sli-mahn

Hermes: Air-mehz

Hussein Chalayan: Who-sane shall-i-an

Issac Mizrahi: Eye-zak Miz-ra-hee

Issey Miyake: E-say Me-ya-kay

Jean Lanvin: John Lon-van (with an almost non-existent n in "ven")

Jil Sander: Jil Sunder

John Galliano: John Gall-lee-a-no

Karl Lagerfeld: Ka-ral La-ger-fell-d

Kris Van Assche: Kris Van Ash

L'Occitane: Lox-ee-ton

Loewe: Low-ehh-vay

Louis Vuitton: Loo-wee Vee-tan

Manolo Blahnik: Muh-no-low Blo-nick

Marchesa: Mar-kay-sa

Martin Margiela: Maar-tan Marjella

Miu Miu: Mew Mew

Monique Lhuillier: Monique l'oo-li-ay

Moschino: Mos-quee-no

Nicolas Ghesquiere: Ni-co-la guess-key-air

Olivier Theyskens: olivi-ay tay-skins

Proenza-Schouler: Pro-en-za Skool-er

Pucci: Poochie

Raf Simons: Rough Seemon

Roberto Cavalli: RO-ber-to Ka-VA-lee

Rochas: Rosha

Salvatore Ferragamo: Sal-va-tor Ferr-A-ga-mo

Tsubi: Soo-bee

Yigal Azrouel: Yee-gal As-roo-elle

Yves Saint Laurent: Ee-SAY-lor-hon (To skip the troublem, just say YSL)

See, it's not that difficult.

The Millennials on Time Style and Design...

Look what I found at National Bookstore yesterday. Whoopppeee!

The Spring 2008 issue of Time Style & Design. Burberry girl Agyness Deyn is on the cover, and she does the fashion spreads featuring the colorful prints of the spring/summer collections.

This issue focuses on "Millennials" - the twenty-something consumers from established and emerging fashion markets around the world. The features include a luxury survey of U.S. millennials (comparing their spending habits to the boomers aka parents), and a couple of interesting stories about young consumers of Japan, plus the emerging young markets in China and Middle East, particularly Dubai.

As with the other issues of Style & Design, this is another issue to be added to my growing collection. Haha!

Check out the issue here.

Oooh, also want to check out the new issue of Town & Country. Josie Natori is on the cover.

Blair Waldorf has the moves...

Was watching Gossip Girl (again!) last night, and I have to say that the scene above is one of the most memorable and one of my favorites.

This may come as a surprise, but yes, I found Blair Waldorf extremely hot in this scene. It seems like all the elements needed to make this scene what it was were present - the mood lighting, the cabaret music (Stripper by Soho Dolls), and the lace slip/multi-pearl strand/chunky platforms combo. That particular scene when Blair dropped her dress and revealed her ultra-sexy lingerie was wow! (Although still not wow enough for me to switch teams, if you know what I mean. Haha!)

Now I'm starting to understand why some lingerie - Agent Provocateur, Cosabella, La Perla, Victoria's Secret - could cost as much as a semester's fee at a state university of a Third World country. Hehe!

Way to go, Leighton Meester, for the great acting!

Earth Hour 2008...

March 29, 2008. 8PM.

Turn off the lights for one hour to tell the world that we need to act on global warming condition.

Please join millions of other individuals and organizations across the world, including, Copenhagen, Toronto, Chicago, Melbourne, Brisbane, Tel Aviv and of course, Manila.

Wednesday with friends...

Wednesday was a special day because of two friends. It was the birthday of colleague Nick. She is like a way, way young Grace Coddington who loves two Fs - Fashion and Feline. Hehe! And then my friend Jean who's leaving for Singapore this Saturday had her despedida in the evening. Since the venue for the despedida was near my former place of work, I ran into two good friends from Magsaysay-Rose and Mina. It was a good Wednesday.

OT Time...

Not much happening today. It's all been work. Did some research on online safety and security for a project. Thought of possible communication strategies for another project. Had a meeting with another project in the afternoon. Highlight of the day was hanging out at OT for some after-office drinks with Tey, Pat, Erica, Arlyn, Steph, and Mar. Went back to the office to make something for a surprise tomorrow.

My Big Love, Kite Runner and Daybreak

It's sort of been movie week.

Last Thursday, watched My Big Love with Rhyz, Steph and Chippi. As expected, the movie was oozing with cheesiness and all things romantic. I really enjoy the Sam Milby-Toni Gonzaga tandem. It started with You are the One, and then followed by Close toYou. Now we have My Big Love. Hehe! Not to be disrespectful to the director or the writer, I thought the movie was great but the main reason why anyone would want to see it is for the "Awww...they're in love" angle. As with other romantic movies, the story is kind of formulaic, but you enjoy it because of the feeling it stirs in you. In this case, I really, really enjoyed it because once again, I kind of remembered how crazy love is. Plus, I thought Sam Milby was completely cute. He looked extremely adorable when he was in the 300 lb body suit, he looked extremely adorable when he was his "real" self also. So if you're looking for something a movie that's heavy on love and laughter, go see this.

Friday night, while other people attended the Ayala rally, I took the MRT to Robinson's Galleria to see Daybreak with Carl. What I love about Galleria is that one cinema is dedicated to indie films, and lately they've been showing queer or queer-themed movies. Recently, the feature movie was Selda starring Sid Lucero and Emilio, which I missed and that kind of sucks. So when I read about Daybreak, I dragged Carlo to see it. The other movie I want to see is Lihim ni Antonio, and again I'm planning to get Carlo to see it with me. Hehe!

Alright, let's go to Daybreak. It's Adolf Alix's film and I was curious to see how it would be different from his last film, which also happened to be about two men. Daybreak stars Coco Martin (who has appeared in so many indie films already, and who I think is one good actor) and Paolo Rivero (this is the first time I've seen the guy on the big screen). Unlike male/female love stories, I guess what I love queer movies is that the element of surprise is almost always present. In this case, there are secrets to be revealed, there are conflicts to be resolved. And because the relationship is far from what several people in understand (at least, in this country), the story becomes even more interesting. Surprising as this may seem, I enjoyed the movie. Some would probably say that there was nothing spectacular about the writing, but here's my take on it.

I guess the fact that there were no lines that are worthy of being quoted makes the story more real and closer to the truth. Don't get me wrong, I love movies with good lines (think The Hours), and although Daybreak doesn't have those, what it has are lines that people really use. The dialogue between the characters is as real as it can get. And when you think about it, in our every day lives, how often do "Oscar-winning" lines come out of our mouths? (And not to be a sexist, but since the characters were both somehow "macho" men, I would be surprised if they started saying lines meant for Julia Roberts). So I guess what I felt while watching the movie was it was as if I was watching two friends talking about their relationship. They're just being true, and they're just using the language they know. And that's the reason why I liked Daybreak.

Saturday night, I found myself at Glorietta 4 together with Noreen for The Kite Runner. It was the perfect movie to cap my movie week. The movie based on the novel by was poignant and emotional. I was already intrigued by the movie when I read its synopsis, so I was happy that Noreen invited me to see it. And since it was based on a novel, you can expect several good lines and you can expect a lot of scenes that could move you to tears. The movie is the story of Amir and Hassan and their friendship. 80% of the story happens in Afghanistan, 10% in Pakistan, and 10% in America, so you probably already know that this is not your typical Hollywood movie. The story of the boys are heavily intertwined with the culture and traditions of their native land, and for someone who grew up in a free, (almost) caste-free country, even if it's a Third World country, I can't help but have a mishmash of emotions - happiness, grief, relief, confusion, to name a few.

I highly recommend seeing this movie. And I'm thinking of getting a copy of the novel. As with other novels-turned-movies, I'm guessing that several angles of the story could be found in the book, which would make me enjoy The Kite Runner to the fullest.

Favorite lines are “ There is a way to be good again.” And “For you, a thousand times over.”

I love NBS...

It's sale season again at National Bookstore, and I can't wait for next payday because I already have found a number of books I will buy. Eeeep!!! But the good thing is I checked out the books I plan to get and most of them are 40% off, so I guess that's good. (Because now I can buy more books. Hehehe! No!)

See the photo above. That's from the NBS in Robinson's Galleria. And that's the reason why I love National Bookstore has become a favorite when it comes to LGBT titles. They really have a shelf for it. Favorite authors Timothy James Beck, Michael Thomas Ford, David Stukas can be found on the shelves. Powerbooks does carry some LGBT titles, although the selection is very limited. Now, Fully Booked, I would have expected to have one, but I'm still not sure if they do. (I have yet to check out the Fort Bonifacio branch.) I remember I dared email Jaime Daez giving him a list of LGBT titles they can start with, and why those are the titles I recommended, but I don't know whatever happened to that email. I'm not even sure if reached him. Anyway.

Carlo told me about Bestsellers at the fourth level of Galleria. I think it was where Limits used to be. Anyway, I checked it out last Friday and it is total heaven for people who are in love with the written world. It's spacious and the lighting was good and you good spend several hours just going through their book selection. I was about to get six books, but after a serious debate with myself, I decided to put them down and get out of the place before I change my mind again. I promised I would go back there sometime next week to get the books. Hehehe!

If I had the resources, I'd start my own bookstore. But it would be a specialty bookstore, perhaps something like Borders or A Different Light bookstore. The bookstore would carry 80% LGBT titles and 20% chick lit-home-fashion-art titles. It would be small (think Hugh Grant's bookstore in Notting Hill) and the people who work in it can actually answer the customer's queries. They'll be there because they love books, and not really because they need something to pay the bills. (Or maybe both). Every month, we'll have a guest author do book readings and signings (and because the bookstore is doing well, we can fly in authors from abroad like Alex Sanchez or Noel Alumit). There'll be writing workshops with noted literary people. Coffee may be served. And in the storage room, there'll be hot men raring for some action. (Alright, that last sentence was a joke.)

I wonder what a good name for a bookstore would be - Margins... The Pink Room... Page 69... Odd Room... Happy Bookstore... Backdoor... Gray Area... Red Light... Happy Homo... The Queer Reader... okay, none of these seem right.