“(Hair)spraying” Happiness

I have never seen a film so sincere and remain very entertaining. The movie musical Hairspray radiates with so much optimism that it can brighten your view of the world! It will leave you smiling even after the credits have ended and you’re out of the cinema. Hairspray is an adaptation of the Broadway musical of the same title (also adapted from the 1988 comedy film by John Waters). The story takes place in `60s Baltimore and revolves around Tracy Turnblad (newcomer Nikki Blonsky), a plump teenager whose dream is to become part of the “coolest” teenage dancers in the local TV program of WYZT station, The Corny Collins Show. She finally gets her chance when Corny Collins announces that one of his council kids (the teenagers who dance in the show) is taking a leave of absence and there will be an audition for a new dancer. Tracy’s timid best friend, Penny Pingleton (Amanda Bynes)-whose mother won’t even allow Penny to watch the show, accompanies her to the audition. But Tracy is instantly turned down by Velma von Tussle (Michelle Pfeiffer), WYZT’s station manager because of her size and her support for the integration of the white and black people of America. Velma also choreographs the dances in the show. She is also Amber’s (Brittany Snow) mother–one of the council kids-and being such makes sure that her daughter gets the most exposure in the show. When Tracy finally gets in the Corny Collins show, she becomes a threat not only to Amber’s popularity but to the latter’s relationship with the show’s heartthrob Link Larkin (Zac Efron), as Link becomes increasingly fond of Tracy.

Hairspray is one movie that is able to gather a perfect set of cast. No one can be more perfect for the role of Tracy Turnblad than Nikki Blonsky, who instantly caught my attention the moment she appeared on the screen, singing “Good Morning Baltimore.” She did her role very well as the vibrant, hefty high school teenager. She’s so optimistic about the world and even believes that “fairness is just gonna happen.”

Amanda Bynes, despite her few lines, faultlessly played her role as Tracy’s best friend, shy and unsure but always supportive of Tracy nontheless. They’re total opposites, yet they get along, understand each other and Penny always has nice words to say to Tracy.

After a long time, we see John Travolta dancing again. But this time in a fat suit (and in high heels!), playing Tracy’s mother Edna Turnblad who had shut herself inside the house working as a laundress, because of her appearance. I enjoyed seeing Christopher Walken dance, who played Wilbur Turnblad. If there is one touching scene in the film that I won’t ever forget is Wilbur’s admission that his heart “only beats for the size 60″ woman who is his wife. And that was complemented by their duet “(You’re) Timeless to me.”

As the wicked Velma and a true stage mother, no one can question Michelle Pfeiffer’s performance. She’s manipulative and will do anything (even cheat) just to make sure her only daughter will not be outshined by anyone.

Queen Latifah always shines in any role that she does. She’s simply vivacious as Motomouth Maybelle, a local R&B deejay who hosts the Negro Day on Corny Collins Show.

Relatively unknown actors that simply steals the screen without effort are Elijah Kelley (who played Seaweed, Maybelle’s son and Penny’s love interest) and Taylor Parks (as the energetic Little Inez, Seaweed’s sister).

Hairspray is so fun to watch that slow-paced moments passed unnoticed. It’s so joyful and unpretentious. It’s a candy-colored celebration of the outsiders. Humor is always a good tool to make a political/social stand about inequality and discrimination. Yes, they do exist and most of us forget that the people we consider “outsiders” or some of us tagged as “uncool” have feelings, too. Most of all they have talents, maybe much better than us.

I recommend Hairspray as a must-see film. Really worth your money. Great singing, great dancing. I had a great time watching!

Hairspray is directed and choreographed by Adam Shankman; written by Leslie Dixon; music by Mark Shaiman, lyrics by Scott Wittman and Mark Shaiman. It stars John Travolta (Edna Turnblad), Christopher Walken (Wilbur Turnblad), Michelle Pfeiffer (Velma Von Tussle), James Marsden (Corny Collins), Amanda Bynes (Penny Pingleton), Queen Latifah (Motormouth Maybelle), Zac Efron (Link Larkin), Brittany Snow (Amanda Von Tussle), Elijah Kelley (Seaweed), Taylor Parks (Little Inez), and Nikki Blonsky (Tracy Turnblad).

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I’m currently enjoying the songs in the film! “Go, mama, go, go, go!”

In My Dream

I dreamed of you again.
Yes, you—
    your eyes, your lips, your smile;
    the feel of your hand, warm against my skin.

I dreamed of your voice
Such sweet melody—
    soft as a whisper
    hushed as the wind in May.

You gaze at me
Your eyes—
    dark as burnt umber
    soothing a wearied heart.

I dream of you
Every night, in my sleep
    as though the Heavens have conspired
    wrapped us together in a sea of stars.

Yet, still, you’re unknown to me.
It’s always you—
    as I close my eyes,
    in my dream.

Semi-French Dinner

I was able to prepare ratatouille for dinner yeaterday! Now, I present to you my own version of the French dish.

What do you think? I served it with tender, peppered meat strips.

They–the family–told me it was delicious (my mom’s asking for the recipe ) and I don’t think they were patronizing me. Most of the time, I’m the worst critic of my own creation. But not last night. I absolutely love the dish! I like the combination of the tastes of each vegetable–which you have to cook separately then combine afterwards. You kind of preserve their individual flavor by doing that.

We were all marveling at its taste. Not a single veggie was left in the serving plate afterwards (hmmm… I wonder who ate the Bay leaf). Simut-sarap talaga!

i no longer cry

every minute of each day, i think of you
the shadow of your smile in my memory
clear as the sky on a summer’s day.
yet, i no longer cry.

i yearn to feel your body
swim in your wonderful scent-
sweet and innocent and young.
but i no longer cry.

carefully, i listened for music that wasn’t there
you said good-bye, instead
sorrow clouding your eyes
and i wanted to cry.

loneliness has engulfed my forlorn heart
your absence is agony.
but no more than a tear fell from my eyes
for i can no longer cry.

but amidst this woe, i know
once more, we shall reunite.
and on the day of our meeting
no longer shall i cry.

The Apology

The following statement from Malu Fernandez appeared in philstar.com today–an apology for the things she wrote in her column.

Statement from Malu Fernandez on the OFW controversy
Friday, August 24, 2007

I am humbled by the vehement and heated response provoked by my article entitled “From Boracay to Greece!” which came out in the June 2007 issue of People Asia. To say that this article was not meant to malign, hurt or express prejudice against the OFWs now sounds hollow after reading through all the blogs from Filipinos all over the world. I am deeply apologetic for my insensitivity and the offensive manner in which this article was written, I hear you all and I am properly rebuked. IT was truly not my intention to malign hurt or express prejudice against OFWs.

As the recent recipient and target of death threats, hate blogs, and deeply personal insults, I now truly understand the insidiousness of discrimination and prejudice disguised as humor. Our society is bound together by human chains of kindness and decency. I have failed to observe this and I am now reaping the consequences of my actions. It is my fervent hope that the lessons that I’ve learned are not lost on all those who through anonymous blogs, engaged in bigotry, discrimination, and hatred (against overweight individuals, for example).

I take full responsibility for my actions and my friends and family have nothing to do with this. To date I have submitted my resignation letters to both the Manila Standard and People Asia, on that note may this matter be laid to rest.

I hope she’s sincere. But then again, the damage is done. She should have thought of her words before putting them to paper and her editor should have read through her article before having it published. Journalists have resposibilities to the society. Freedom of expression has certain limitations. And freedom is not an excuse for carelessness.

(Another Case of) Misplaced Brain

Last month, I posted an entry titled Misplaced Brain. Then yesterday, I think I found another case when my friend Len sent me a link to an entry in Ederic Eder’s site about a certain newspaper columnist named Malu Fernandez. Those who know who the subject of my former entry, I’m a hundred percent sure, will agree that that person is saint if placed next to Ms. Fernandez. Anyway,  Malu Fernandez wrote a piece in People Asia June 2007 issue about her Boracay and Greece vacations. But, maybe, in trying to be cool about her experiences, she included demeaning remarks in her article. Sadly, the objects of her whining were also Filipinos, whom she considered inferior compared to her. You can read the whole article by clicking the following pictures, that I downloaded from Tingog.com:

                              

If I had been as privileged as she is, I would have considered the experience an adventure, not torture. For a true artist (writers are considered artists, right? Since they’re among the creative) there are no mundane events.  But if you can’t stomach being surrounded by “ordinary” people (like Ms. Fernandez) then don’t take the economy class. Postpone your trip and wait for a more suitable plane booking. I don’t know if bragging about your signature belongings should be part of a travel article or any article or column. I think being given a column in a newspaper or magazine is a privilege that one must utilize to inform and inspire. Her article’s like a diary entry of a bratty teenager.

It’s a sad truth that persons like her do exist. But knowing that, I can’t be more prouder that I belong to the “ordinary.”

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For detailed discussion, please go to Tingog.com. They have a campaign to fire Ms. Fernandez, boycott Manila Standard Today (where she has a column) and People Asia.

Big–Ratatouille Flavored–Dream

I finally had a taste of Ratatouille yesterday. Not the French dish, but the latest Pixar/Disney animated film. When I first saw its trailer, my impression was it’s melodramatic—a story of a sorry-looking guy who wants to be a chef and a rat that has talent in the kitchen. To say that I had fun is an understatement. Even my mom, who rarely watches animated movies, had a grand time. Ratatouille premiered in Philippine cinemas on July 25. The theater was surprisingly full when we watched, considering that it’s running on its 4^th week. And the film seemed to have attracted more adult audience than children.

Ratatouille is a story of two unlikely protagonists-Remy and Alfredo Linguini-both confronting impossible misfortune. Remy is an extraordinary rat who resists eating garbage. He prefers the good stuff, food prepared in human kitchens. And because he loves good food, he has also developed an exceptional sense of smell (this characteristic reminds me of Jean-Baptiste Grenouille in the film Perfume. Although the similarity ends there. Jean-Baptiste is more Voldemort-like in character). Sadly, this trait also makes Remy an outcast from his own kind.

Linguini, on the other hand, is the new garbage boy at Gusteau’s Restaurant (now being run by Gusteau’s former sous chef Skinner). In a way, Linguini’s situation is worse than Remy’s. He’s a human being who loves food but can’t even toss a decent meal. And he possesses no other talents than being miserable and feeling sorry for himself.

The paths of our two heroes cross when Linguini accidentally messes the soup on the stove. Hoping to save it, he randomly drops ingredients and spices-thus, making a bigger disaster. Seeing all this, Remy made a move, salvaging the soup and creating the first best thing that the restaurant has ever prepared after the famous French chef’s death. So, here begins a partnership and friendship of two outcasts trying to find a niche in this faultfinding world.

Putting all technical aspects aside (because this film did it excellently), Ratatouille stresses the importance of friendship, appreciation, family, talent, the uniqueness of each individual, dreaming big and making a go to realize it. It also made me realize what a friend had told me once-that food is more delicious if you put your heart in preparing it. Like what Remy did when he chose to make his own version of the French dish (ratatouille) be served to food critic Anton Ego. Remy’s dedication to his craft/art brought tears to Ego’s eyes and brought him back to his childhood and his mother’s cooking.

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View the movie trailer:

Yahoo!Movies

YouTube

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You can get ratatouille recipe from the links below. Choose which of them you prefer. I promised myself to prepare this dish one these days, although I might need to alter some of the ingredients. I might not find some of them in the local supermarket.

1. Ratatouille Niçoise

2. Ratatouille Recipe

Bon appetit!

Laugh at your heart’s content

Laughter is one of the most natural human reactions, next to crying. I don’t think anyone can do a practiced laugh, or maybe only very few can.

The following are among my favorite personal photos. For me, they’re more beautiful to look at compared to shots where we’re smartly dressed or fully made up.

  

      

  

Mirth is God’s medicine.  Everybody ought to bathe in it.  ~Henry Ward Beecher

Indeed, no medicine is more effective than laughter. Laugh as often and as loud as you can. Be happy!

Happy Birthday… to me!

There are a lot of things I wish I had on my birthday, like this topsy turvy cake that I saw in pinkcakebox, which looks chaotic but definitely fun or their quinceañera cake because it’s decorated with butterflies, and I do love those creatures. But I’m no quinceañera celebrant (that’s more than a decade ago) nor am I from the Latin Americas to celebrate that.

I wish I had a grand party and received tons of presents. I wish I had bought something for myself, like a new phone or other electronic gadget.  

I can go on and on with my wishlist, but wishing for material things is too childish. I’m happy with the quiet celebration I had on my birthday on the 12th–with the family and me and Yki blowing the birthday candle together. And I got a hundred greetings from friends and family as early as midnight. That’s more than enough.

And so I’ll ask for things that have no monetary equivalent: wisdom for better judgment, better health, stronger faith, and more friendship.

The Quinceañera cake from pincakekbox. Pretty & sweet isn’t it?

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P.S If you plan to give me some belated birthday present, I’d be glad to accept them!

Chorva in everything

Like many others, I thought that the term “chorva” was just invented and added to the rich and still getting richer Pinoy gay lingo. It sounds funny and really gay. I remember using it in one of my IM conversations with a friend, and then she asked me what it means. I told her it’s a universal filler (I deduced my definition from how the term is used); when you don’t know the right term to use, “chorva” comes handy. I found out later on that “chorva” was coined from a foreign word and that my definition is somehow true. “Chorva” was derived from the Greek word cheorvamus, which means “for lack of the right word to say” or “in place of something you want to express but cannot verbalize.” Now I’m starting to believe that old man in My Big Fat Greek Wedding, that all words have Greek roots! I remember him saying it in the movie, trying to prove his theory to anyone-“Give me a word… any word, and I tell you, its come from Greek…”

“Chorva” is a very flexible term, too. It can function as noun (May bagong chorva sa tindahan.), verb (I-chorva mo na `yong narinig mo kanina!) or even as an adjective (Ang chorva naman ng mukha!).

So, if you find yourself at a loss for words when talking to your friends, classmates or in any informal conversation, try “chorva”! Who knows, it’s the term that will liven up a boring, rainy afternoon.

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Variants of “chorva” are churva, chorla, chuva, chuvanes. If you find other meaning or functions of this term, share it with me, too. CHORVA to us all!