Tagged!

I was tagged on Facebook with this Note. It’s about listing some random things or facts about yourself. At first I was kind of hesitant to repost and make a list of my own, but it turned out to be a lot of fun! I never thought I’d have a great time doing this. It actually inspired me to think some of the more interesting ones, but for now 25 will do. Anyway, here’s the note I posted:

25 Random Things About Paul Ignatius

1. Loves his childhood, and sometimes wishes that he’ll stay as a little boy forever.
2. Makes a very mean menudo! Yumyum!
3. Loathes Math and anything with numbers in it.
4. Smiles every time he hears the word Batibot, Choc Nut, cherryballs, Shaider or anything nostalgic.
5. Once appeared in TV Patrol, but the interview part wasn’t aired! Dang!
6. Admires and looks up to Chico & Delamar, Oprah Winfrey, Lea Salonga and Joey De Leon.
7. Collects (men’s) magazines and old notebooks.
8. Used to write poems; and loves the one about his first love.
9. Named the Internet as his new and everyday bestfriend.
10. Wants to learn and study Spanish and French languages, for the longest time now!
11. Has a pile of dvds he hasn’t watched yet.
12. Misses Boracay very much and would love to go back the soonest possible time.
13. Is excited for the 81st Annual Academy Awards and the 8th season of American Idol.
14. Can squeeze his blackheads in public.
15. Joined a talent contest in Eat Bulaga when he was 6 years old.
16. Is a frustrated (professional) singer, but already given up the idea, and learned to get contented to sing in the shower or with family and friends at the videoke.
17. Has a Friendster, Multiply, Facebook, WordPress, YouTube, Peyupi, Crunchyroll, Ebay.ph, and Myspace accounts; but only gets to regularly update the first three.
18. Currently thinking of quitting his job, and finding a much better one.
19. Doesn’t believe in love at first sight.
20. A big fan of reading books!
21. Is amused with the idea of procreating and with all the facts that entails it.
22. Believes that music runs through his veins. Naks! haha!
23. Sometimes a crybaby and a slow poke, depends on the mood.
24. Loves cute lil puppies so much, and terribly misses the feeling of having one.
25. Is feeling triumphant that finally he had to stop raking his brains out to think of more random thoughts about him! But loved the idea of listing some more.

LSS

Geez, has it been two freakin’ weeks since I last posted here?! I guess the answer’s yes. Well, almost. Not in the blogging mode, I suppose. And, again,  I’ve been busy being in-charge here at home because mom is in the province and will stay there until Valentine’s Day. Anyway, since my brain’s all messed up right now and I can’t think of what to post, here are two songs that are currently ruling my everyday life. Songs that are on repeat mode in my mp3 player. Last Song Syndrome, as many would call it. Been bitten by the emo bug hehe! But these are killer songs, I tell yah. Even if it’s been playing and ruling the airwaves for quite a while now, it would definitely have a lasting effect on me. I mean, I can listen to both songs the entire year. I would never mind.

YOU FOUND ME, The Fray

I found God
On the corner of first and Amistad
Where the west was all but won
All alone, smoking his last cigarette
I Said where you been, he said ask anything
Where were you?
When everything was falling apart
All my days were spent by the telephone
It never rang
And all I needed was a call
That never came
To the corner of first and Amistad

Lost and insecure
You found me, you found me
Lying on the floor
Surrounded, surrounded
Why’d you have to wait?
Where were you? Where were you?
Just a little late
You found me, you found me

In the end everyone ends up alone
Losing her, the only one who’s ever known
Who I am, who I’m not, who I want to be
No way to know how long she will be next to me

Lost and insecure
You found me, you found me
Lying on the floor
Surrounded, surrounded
Why’d you have to wait?
Where were you, where were you?
Just a little late
You found me, you found me

Early morning, City breaks
I’ve been calling for years and years and years and years
And you never left me no messages
You never send me no letters
You got some kind of nerve, taking all I want

Lost and insecure
You found me, you found me
Lying on the floor
Where were you where were you

Lost and insecure
You found me, you found me
Lying on the floor
Surrounded, surrounded
Why’d you have to wait?
Where were you, where were you?
Just a little late
You found me, you found me

Why’d you have to wait?
To find me, to find me

**********

NORTHERN DOWNPOUR, Panic at the Disco

If all our life is but a dream
Fantastic posing greed
Then we should feed our jewelry to the sea
For diamonds do appear to be
Just like broken glass to me

And then she said she cant believe
Genius only comes along in storms of fabled foreign tongues
Tripping eyes and flooded lungs
Northern downpour sends its love

Hey moon, please forget to fall down
Hey moon, don’t you go down

Sugarcane in the easy morning
Weathervanes my one and lonely

The ink is running toward the page
It’s chasing off the days
Look back at both feet and that winding knee
I missed your skin when you were east
You clicked your heels and wished for me

Through playful lips made of yarn
That fragile Capricorn
Unravelled words like moths upon old scarves
I know the world’s a broken bone
But melt your headaches call it home

Hey moon, please forget to fall down
Hey moon, don’t you go down

Sugarcane in the easy morning
Weathervanes my one and lonely

Sugarcane in the easy morning
Weathervanes my one and lonely

Sugarcane in the easy morning
Weathervanes my one and lonely

Sugarcane in the easy morning (Hey moon, please forget to fall down)
Weathervanes my one and lonely (Hey moon, don’t you go down)

Sugarcane in the easy morning (You are at the top of my lungs)
Weathervanes my one and lonely (Drawn to the ones who never yawn)

Sugarcane in the easy morning (Hey moon, please forget to fall down)
Weathervanes my one and lonely (Hey moon, don’t you go down)

Hey moon, please forget to fall down
Hey moon, don’t you go down
You are at the top of my lungs
Drawn to the ones who never yawn

Idol day!

Yey! The moment has come! It’s American Idol 8th season premiere later tonight! And what better way to start an AI day than to listen to an alumni, last season’s David Archuleta. I bought a copy of his debut album yesterday as a friend’s birthday present and it’s currently on my player. Yeah I’d have to admit I instantly liked Crush, and had the same feeling after listening to A Little Too Not Over You the first time. I have yet to listen to all the tracks but You Can and To Be With You sounded good to me. These are songs that really defines our ‘lil kid Archie. Anyway, I’ll just do a full review soon.

So, I hope this season will be a great one. Not that season 7 wasn’t, but people are expecting more great things from this well loved show. With all these changes and stuff, I know they can still pull it off. Well, we can all but hope for the best!

Raving Reviews 6

It’s the start of the year. And what better way to welcome it by watching movies. Great and worthy movies, that is. You know what people say that when you started the year doing a certain thing, most likely that’s what you’ll end up doing the entire year? Yes, I think movies will rule my year this time. I have already watched several, but here are the three that really stood out. Not because Oscars is just around the corner that’s why I picked them for this entry, but these three are wonderfully made films worth raving for. Simple as that.

I really love watching movies that will leave you with a lot of questions in mind. A strong proof that it made a mark and made you think about a lot of stuff. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button wouldn’t be an exception. This movie had strucked me in a way. A way that never in my imagination would occur. I guess that’s just how I liked the movie. It’s a lengthy one, but I was never bored the entire time. It’s like having a hamburger but only getting the bun haha, wait, that sounds like Simon Cowell. Nah, watching it is like wishing I am Benjamin, or just even having the feel of what it’s like being him. I know it sounds crazy, but yeah, maybe I am crazy haha!

I haven’t read the book, so I don’t have anything to compare it with. Just the sole feeling I had while watching it would suffice, I think. Brad Pitt did great, I should say. Good acting. Same with Cate Blanchett and Tilda Swinton, whom I thought were the same person haha! They look exactly like each other in this movie. Well, maybe not exactly exactly, but for me they do.

A bit of a footnote here. I watched this by myself yesterday. This one’s, I think, the fifth movie I watched alone in a cinema (The Lion King, Titanic, Romeo & Juliet, and the last one was Hotel Rwanda). Had no one to accompany me, that’s why. We all should spend some time alone, don’t we? At least I left the movie house and went home with a smile on my face.

**********

“How do you break free without breaking apart?” The tagline alone is enticing enough for a moviegoer/Oscar freak/Leo & Kate fan not to watch. I am a bit of all three. You had no idea how freaky I’d become waiting when can I see it.  And so finally, just earlier this morning, I have.

Seeing them both together in a movie after 11 years is giving me goosebumps all the way. I am a huge fan of Titanic, that’s why I find it hard to finally identify them out of that movie. But it lasted only for a few minutes, around five I think. After that, they are Frank and April Wheeler. I love their characters and how they played it. Such an astounding and moving performances! Kate Winslet never fails to amaze me. Although I have only seen three of her films (Hideous Kinky, 1998; Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, 2004: and Heavenly Creatures, 1994), I’d have to say that this is her best to date. DiCaprio, on the other hand, fits the role really well. No one could be a better Frank Wheeler than him.

I like the conflicts and struggles of this movie. Simple yet riveting. I won’t discuss it in detail, I hate to spoil it to some. Nor I will praise the movie any further, I am such a fan so I’ll be biased for sure. Just go ahead and watch it and see for yourselves. A film worth waiting, worth watching. Will surely blow you away.

**********

I’ve been wanting to see this one for the longest time. Although I have to admit, I got interested because it was shortlisted at the Oscars. But I have always loved watching indie films. Some say it’s boring, but I most of the time supports these type of movies.

I am not much of a movie critique to discuss its technicality and stuff, but I admire this wonderful piece. Not all the time you’d get to watch quality Filipino films nowadays, that’s why Ploning is such a breath of fresh air. The approach they made was a bit different and unconventional. Although I’ve read some reviews who didn’t liked the way the story was told, still I’d give it a thumbs up. The beautiful Cuyo in Palawan and its amazing and picturesque scenery complements the movie really well. Cuyo is breathtaking! Feel like going there right after watching the movie.

The acting is solid rock. Judy Ann Santos is perfect for the character. Gina Pareño, Tony Mabesa, Eugene Domingo, Mylene Dizon, among many others who made Ploning a gem one would rather not forget. The natives were great, too. The kid who played Digo is such a darling. A+ for all of them.

My favorite part has got to be when Ploning was dancing with his father. Nice effects, and the story behind that scene is one of the film’s highlight. And also when young Digo was running his way home then suddenly banged the can of lychee on a big rock while crying, because he thought his Nay Ploning already left him. Such a heartbreaker. Anyway, January 22 is when they will announce the official nominees and I really hope Ploning will make it! This film truly deserves our first ever Oscar.

Happy New Year!

I hope you all enjoyed and still enjoying your New Year celebration with or without your loved ones wherever you are! It’s the year of the Ox for 2009. I’ve checked some predictions for someone born on the year of the Dog like me, and I somehow liked what it said. A general overview would be change, and that I have to keep moving forward to success. One site mentioned that this year would be a great start to pursue my plans abroad. I’ve been wanting to do that for the longest time, but all I did so far was plan, no actions yet. That’s why it really made me smile. Who knows, that could be true. It gave me the further push I needed. Another link I checked out warned me about driving away the bad luck. And for me to do that, aside from being busy and enjoying the movements and changes, I should donate blood, repair our house, give birth or have baby, and get married! I was like, seriously?! haha!

Anyway, 2008 was such a great year for me! I got to spend a lot of time with my family, loved ones and friends. I still have a job, which I might say supported me financially quite well. Although I’ve been thinking of finally resigning after 4 years (part of the change and moving forward, like the prediction hehe). But, what really defined my 2008 is the word TRAVEL. Never had I thought that I’d be traveling all throughout the year. Not that I’m complaining, I totally enjoyed it of course. Been to Puerto Galera last March, to Cagayan De Oro (my birthplace) last April, Boracay on November, and to cap it all off, Zambales at the remainder of December. I’m glad I was able to explore our dear Philippines this year, and I am so looking forward for more next year.

So, let us all hope for a great and amazing 2009! We might have different ways on welcoming the year ahead, but let us all be positive that this would be a much better one. Enjoy the year of the Ox! Para ox na ox!