This Post Speaks For Itself

Saturday, October 3, 2009 by Leia / Rome


















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Ten Minutes Of Solitude

Friday, September 18, 2009 by Leia / Rome

I noticed that since Wednesday, it's always raining during the end of my shift. Not sure if it was the weather telling me to extend my time at the office or my workload but Libis can be pretty shitty traffic-wise especially when it rains. It didn't help when I found out something bad about my timekeeping. I raised my sarcasm sign last Tuesday. It always went up a notch every single hour, moreso around yesterday afternoon. The last time I felt this much sarcasm was in 2001. A part of me wanted to find something to balance it out. Never realized that it would come from Mother Nature (or Metro Manila pollution?).

As I was getting some spare change to pay for my tricycle ride home, I thought I needed glasses because the streets leading to our place looked a bit hazy. It was only when I got out the tricycle when I noticed the air's biting chill. Did I mention that I went home late because I rendered OT? Anyway, I started to rub my eyes to check if I really need glasses. It was then that I realized that there's a soft blanket of fog looming above our subdivision. I got reminded that it was already September but I still wasn't convinced until I felt a small part of the walkway leading to our home. It was moist, dewy. So I stayed out for a while, staring at the dark sky, marvelling at the fog, enjoying the solitude. No vehicles passed for about ten minutes along our street, which is quite rare at nine in the evening. Then I felt a few warm tears. I closed my eyes and breathed. I wiped my tears and walked towards the house.

On our dark, hazy street, I was just me. I didn't have any labels, roles and even titles to fulfill or live up to. I felt bare, emotionally raw yet peaceful, still. The sarcasm sign was withdrawn even for a short time. And it felt good. Just when you think you start to feel numbed by life's curveballs, something inspires you. I sneezed a lot before I slept but it was worth it. Thank goodness, the moment presented itself when I needed it the most. For that, I'm grateful.

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Tales Out Of Left Field

Monday, August 31, 2009 by Leia / Rome

Last Friday afternoon, I got a text message from a very good friend, telling me that I won a pair of advance screening tickets to Land of the Lost! Thank goodness my shift would end early enough for me to do something else before the movie starts. Well, that is, if my work doesn't get too trigger happy with overtime. Even so, I'm confident I'll be there with enough time to spare. Glad to take along another friend with me. While I'm not exactly a Will Ferrell fan, the movie seems interesting enough. It'll be the first time I see Anna Friel on screen post-Pushing Daisies and A Midsummer Night's Dream. One dose of laughter, here I come.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

During that same Friday, I got shocked in a not-so-good way. It was so bad I think I was either gnashing my teeth or biting my tongue in order to hide my disbelief. Talk about literally being left behind. Even if I felt my new ATM in my pocket, it couldn't reduce that feeling of reckless abandonment. This is coming from the heels of an orientation wherein I was reassured that I will be asked to put out fires without seeing someone else demonstrate it first. Oh well, so much for great expectations. It's now becoming more obvious to me that it's how things are in that group. Oh, the irony of it all. Being greeted by that supposed seal of quality every time I exit the lifts exacerbates the irony further.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Last Saturday, my very good friend and I watched District 9. Having watched UP with her a week before that, she asked me to choose from either watching the same movie in 3D format or another movie. While I wanted to stick to our original plan, I was planning on watching The Time Traveler's Wife and District 9. I thought a new movie would be fun. Between the two movies, I was leaning more towards District 9 since I've been hearing a lot of great feedback from the movie critics I follow on Twitter. When I found out that she hasn't watched it too, I think that helped me seal the deal. Besides, I'd prefer watching a movie with a Sci-Fi/Thriller label with someone. For some reason, it helps lessen the chances of me having nightmares about such kind of movies.

Two hours after, not only were my fears unfounded, I was completely amazed by the whole movie. Gore notwithstanding, what caught me off-guard was the movie's unique brand of storytelling and direction. I think it helped that the movie featured mostly unknown actors (like Cloverfield) as it allowed moviegoers to zero in on the story. It was fluid, simple yet heartbreaking in spots. The special effects were amazing despite the movie's relatively low budget. The rough-around-the-edges look may suggest such but it only adds more depth to the movie. Neill Blomkamp proved a lot of things, enough for me to say that I'll be looking forward to his future endeavors. No wonder Peter Jackson stands behind him. I won't mind watching the movie again. For now, I'll immerse myself with the movie's virals which would definitely enrich my District 9 experience.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The past few months have offered a lot of unexpected twists and turns for me, even more in the last few weeks. It's all part of my life now, I guess.

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Work Hard, Play Hard

by Leia / Rome

Come this Wednesday, I'll be on my third week with my new job. Same field but different industry. And surprisingly so. I never imagined I'd be able to work for such an organization despite my lack of industry-related experience. But I guess my communication skills won them over. After my three-day honeymoon, I was thrust headlong onto what could be one of the most stressful jobs I've ever had in my life.

Not that I hate stress enough to banish it from my existence. Stress is somewhat Work's bitter, evil twin sister. I remembered when I started working. I took it as hard as I could. I wanted to excel at what I'm doing, make a career out of it. Wondering what has changed since then? Oh well, I just had to deal with a little thing called quarter-life crisis plus a good dose of Stephen Covey and I declared war against my own workaholic self. Balance became my goal. It's a constant struggle to this day but I think I'm able to manage it already.

Despite the odd hours of my new job, my calendar is still filled with a good dose of non-work stuff. Name it -- watching movies or TV series, attending to fandom stuff, reading a book (although a little slowly, I admit), meeting friends for dinner -- I find myself making time for it. A bit more vigilantly, I suppose. Maybe that's my way of restoring balance. Even if there were instances wherein I'd loose precious hours of sleep, it's okay. Being able to do non-work stuff brings back some of that lost energy. Quite frankly, my life hasn't been... well... normal for the last few months. So why stop now? ;)

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The Purist In Me Is Not Happy

Saturday, August 22, 2009 by Leia / Rome

Most of my friends know, especially those who share my passion for The Twilight Saga, that among all the four books, New Moon happens to be my favorite. Breaking Dawn is a close second. So when all sorts of controversies erupted within weeks after Twilight was released -- from Catherine Hardwicke being replaced to possibly re-casting someone else for the role of Jacob Black -- I was particularly worried for New Moon. Despite Stephenie's reassurance that Chris Weitz will do a good job, I maintained a healthy amount of skepticism and detachment so as to not set any great expectations. However, my EQ couldn't stand not knowing anything because spoilers don't really wash away the excitement for me. And from what was known so far about New Moon's production, I noticed certain adaptation problems that made the meticulous ab lover... err... purist in me, a very unhappy girl. Let's start of with...


Adding more Edward in the movie

The same group of friends I mentioned above also know that I'm a fan of Robert Pattinson circa Vanity Fair days. I'm not a full-on Rob fan girl. If I see him in person, I'd probably not faint. I think I'll even manage to shake his hand, get an autograph and our picture taken, and ask how his day was. When rumors about incorporating a "force ghost" Edward to heighten Bella's hallucinations further, I was really worried. New Moon is a Bella/Jacob book. The relationship between both characters developed in this part of the series which will pave way for the love triangle in Eclipse. I find it odd that they had to resort to that tactic in order to keep the fans in. After seeing what the "force ghost" look like in one of the promotional trailers made for New Moon, it made me remember what was discussed during the lastest episode of the Danag Podcast: that scene really looked like a race game, e.g. Gran Turismo, and you get points for every marker crossed or completed. Oh well. Next on my hit list is...


The Bella/Edward Liplock in Volterra

Since fans have helped transform the Twilight franchise into Hollywood's shiny new toy, you know what comes next: paparrazi! When principal photography started last March 2009 in Vancouver, Twilighters were getting their fill of all possible gossip and spoiler-filled pictures. Therefore, you can just imagine the fandom explosion when this picture on the left appeared.

Was it hot? Scorching! Was it romantic? Kilig factor up! Was it accurate? A big flat NO! Why, you might ask?

This liplock should happen when both Bella and Edward have returned to Forks. Sure, Edward kissed Bella in Volterra but never on the lips! Both characters were uncertain what would happen to them, if and when they manage to walk away alive from the Volturi -- which they did after Alice allowed Aro to read her thoughts. The separation killed them, put them in too much pain. Both characters were gauging each other on their trip back to Forks. It was during the conversation in Bella's room -- in which their feelings for each other were reinforced despite the separation -- when Edward passionately kissed Bella on the lips. I'd like to think that this change is necessary for the adaptation. Therefore, I decided to look at other aspects of the production and I saw this...


Edward's Eyes Are Supposed To Be Black, Not Golden

Every Twilighter knows that the Cullen's eyes turn golden when they've fed, black when they're hungry. Bella noticed that Edward's eyes were black and had dark circles when they, as well as Alice, were sent to the reception area to wait for further instructions after their freedom has been granted by the Volturi. Bella even suggested to Edward that he should go and eat despite her own feelings of not wanting him out of her sight/reach.

Apparently, this bit got lost in adapation. The picture on the left is a screenshot of the latest promotional installment for the movie: the Meet Jacob Back featurette that was shown before Bandslam in the U.S., which is another Summit Entertainment production. Now, if you'll look closely, Edward's eyes are golden! Does that mean he was able to feed himself before he was tortured by Jane? Canon-wise, I don't think so.

I could cite a few more reasons that scare me about New Moon's adapation, such as Chris Weitz's vision of the Volturi or the insertion of about two or three scenes that weren't in the book. The latter makes me weary. More weary than Chris Weitz's version of the Volturi. Still, it doesn't lessen the frustration that I feel.

Since New Moon will be released in a few months from now, all I can do is to start lowering my expectations. I sincerely hope that I won't nit-pick the movie when it hits the cinemas.

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A Filipina Like No Other

Saturday, August 1, 2009 by Leia / Rome


A wife who bared the injustice and the death of her husband. A leader of the famed bloodless revolution. A president who governed over a time of transition. A mother, not only to her children, but to all. A loyal servant of God. A woman of grace and substance. A Filipina like no other.

Maria Corazon Cojuangco Aquino (January 25, 1933 - August 1, 2009)

You braved a great yet arduous fight. You lived a life worth emulating. May you rest in peace. Our prayers are with you and your family. You will be missed.

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Ground Zero, Square One

Tuesday, July 28, 2009 by Leia / Rome

In about 7 days, I've been a bum for 3 months. Well, not exactly. A professional job hunter. Yeah, that's sounds better. You'd probably be wondering why it's taking me this long to get a job? I'm wondering about it too. It's not as if I haven't looked for opportunities. I did some interviews already. However, the turnaround is as slow as a sure-footed turtle. I find myself often contemplating where did I go wrong or if I haven't exhausted all possible avenues. Now, at this juncture, I'm starting to flirt again with an industry that I've somehow managed to, consciously or not, avoid for as long as I can remember.

The first time I've flirted with this industry was when I was fresh out of college. The company, one of the most prestigious banking & finance organizations in the country, was in the middle of setting up their first 24x7 customer support facility. I was going to be one of the pilot members of that facility. Now, lo and behold, that miniscule pilot team has become this massive business group which by far is one of the best places to work in, if you were to consider the C&B package of a typical banking and finance organization. If I pursued that, I may be either one of the group's senior executives/managers today.

The second time I've flirted was two years after I started working. I was merely doing it as an exercise to test my marketability. The company's industry is similar to where I was working for at the time: telecommunciations. For some strange reason, I was probably one of the few candidates who were subjected to a panel interview by none other than 3 of the senior executives/managers of that business group. They were impressed by my qualifications and candor during the panel that they immediately considered me for a senior agent post with the promise of becoming a senior trainer upon regularization. It probably would've happened if I pursued it and eventually be one of those in the panel today. Like the previous one, the company is also a best place to work in.

You might wonder why I didn't pursue those opportunities. At the time, customer service wasn't really my cup of tea. I knew I wanted to be in training. My ideals got the better of me, I guess. To a certain extent, those choices served me well because of what I know and can do now. No regrets really. I made the decisions I needed to make at the time. It was all worth it.

Now, I'm flirting with the industry for the third time but with a clearer mindset and a more assertive heart. Maybe it's time to plunge into those waters, maybe not. All I know at this moment is that I need a job. I'm tired of being a bum. I want to feel the stress that comes with work. I want to feel useful again.

Three months ago, I hit ground zero. Three months later, I feel like I'm back at square one.

Like a phoenix, will I be able to rise from my ashes soon enough? Before I come undone?

I hope so. I really, really hope so.

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