Sandino Martin: New Coco on the Block

Coco Martin started out in gay indie films and other indie movies.  Now that he is a bonafide celebrity, another actor is starting to make waves by following on his footsteps.  His name is Sandino Martin and he's currently in the movie Unfriend.  He does very well in the movie although he plays a tragic character.

Victor An's Victories in Sochi My Most Favorite TV Program This Week

Short skate speed skating isn't a very popular sport in the Philippines but the exploits of Russian speed skater, Victor An, was very exciting since he really won it tactically!  Just goes to show what a very smart guy he is!

Here are my ten favorite TV shows for the week ending February 28, 2014 -

#1 TV5 - short skate speed skating - Victor An victories
#2 TV5 - 4man bobsled
#3 CI - Border Security Canada - Pinoy fined CA$800
#4 AXN - Amazing Race 24 - Guangzhou, China
#5 CN - Oggy and the Cockroaches - Kitchen Boy
#6 beTV - Everybody Loves Raymond - call me Ma
#7 TV5 - Closing Ceremonies Sochi
#8 Disney - Finding Nemo
#9 Diva Universal - trip to Ireland - Honeymoon for One
#10 CI - Pathology

Movie Review: Unfriend is Unsettling

If you're still planning to watch Unfriend, don't read on because I'm giving a hint as to what happens in the end for one of the guys in the movie.

Except for the three fresh-faced guys in the movie, whom you'll see making out in different scenes throughout the movie, I'd have to warn you that the movie is a bit of a downer. I am always mystified as to why local gay cinema would always portray Pinoy gay men as tragic characters. 

The word gay was introduced I think in the 90s and it means happy, but majority of the local movies made about gay men (even foreign ones) portray us as mentally unhinged, needy, creepy, emotionally unstable people and someone always has to die in the end.  Even in the Oscar-winning movie, Brokeback Mountain, Jake Gyllenhall's character had to die a horrible death!! 

Like because you are gay, you have to be punished by a horrible death - at least that's what the world of gay cinema has been subliminally showing gay people.  As if we needed more persecution, now that Putin and the government of Uganda and Iran want to eradicate us from the face of the earth.

Anyway, the movie is well-made, by local gay cinema standards.  There is actually a story, and characters, and Boots Anson-Roa to give it some class and integrity.  The boys can actually act and make out like they really like each other - and the way it's shot is like Black Swan where everything is very near the face of the one being shot.  Maybe to make it appear realistic and gritty.  The movie also uses music effectively, which I think is rare in local cinema.

I admit I too was surprised by the swift turn of events and how quickly the main character decided to just end it all that way.  Oh well, it did happen in real life.  I think they patterned the story of this movie after that suicide pact of two gay men in a mall in Pampanga a few years back.  I may be mistaken but I'm sure that incident had some influence on the story of this movie. 

Bravo though to the filmmakers for having this movie screened at the Berlinale, probably the most snooty film festivals of them all!  I can see why the screening committee there liked this movie.  They always like their movies there to be dark and gritty.

Cheese Pizza Lovers!

Dylan and Laura are both certified breaddies and soup lovers!! Last weekend, we ate at Bigoli's and all they wanted to eat was the bread sticks and pizza made out mostly of cheese!! Wala nang ibang sangkap, juste fromage!!

J'aime fromage aussi donc I have no complaints so last night, it was cheese pizza all over again with their favorite mushroom soup! Such simple taste in food!

Excited for the Teams in Amazing Race 24

To all Amazing Race fans there, there's a new race pala, I just discovered it today by accident while I was channel surfing!  It's at AXN around midnight Tuesdays. 

It's a mix of the old teams so there's nobody new to discover which can be a drag but since we know each of them already, we can immediately enjoy each team sa race 1 pa lang! 

They flew to Guangzhou and wow, China is really rich na pala talaga, if Guangzhou looks that developed!  I can watch tennis there pala kasi their metro looks very developed.  If you ride the MRT, you would cry seeing how pathetic our metro system here is.  Hayyyy, Philippines, we move like turtles talaga.....

Book Review: The Godmother A Relaxing Read

Welcome to the world of Tessa King!  Sounds a bit like my world so it was a character I could relate a bit!  It's a relaxing read since the issues here are not that heavy, although I warn you, it gets a bit sad towards the end.  

However, Carrie Adams acquits Tessa towards the end!  Maybe because we all want our heroines to have a man with them in the end!  What's the point of having a single woman end up alone after reading the whole book!  That would've been tragic for the reader!

Dancing with Ram of G-Force!

I discovered hip hop more than 10 years ago in my former gym at Fitness First ABS-CBN.  It was still known as Cardiofunk.  Through the years, I have been dancing to hip hop in that gym, just for fun.  However, my new gym at FF Trinoma does not have any hip hop classes and my favorite teachers from FF's other branches got injured as well!  Que horror!  So I haven't had any hip hop classes for almost 4 months now which can be a bit depressing!

Good thing my BFF Jen told me about these hip hop classes taught by the members of the G-force!  I learned about the dance group in Markki Stroem's concert last year at the Music Museum.  I don't watch ASAP so I only learned about them in that show. It's great that they're sharing their talent to ordinary mortals like us.  We really just dance to forget the stress and release the endorphins!

Today, Jen and I attended Ram's class and he was very kind to allow us to join the class even if we were so disgracefully late!  The Rak of Aegis musical ended around 6:11PM and we had to rush from PETA to the G-Force's dance studio!  Buti na lang, I checked their address earlier and it's so near the house naman.  

Yun lang, wala pang parking!!  So we just parked in the periphery.  Good thing maraming parking sa gilid, but the building should reserve parking space soon, otherwise, mag-uunahan ang mga students sa paghahanap ng parking!

As for the class, Michael Jackson's Rock With You was a very good choice from Ram!  Nothing like MJ's songs to rev up one's dancing muscles!  Ram is very cool and he doesn't intimidate you by showing off too much.  And his instructions are very clear so it's not so difficult to follow.  

There was this really young girl in front of me so there was a bit of pressure not to fuck up too much since most of the class were young girls!  I like the dance studio.  It's cool enough and the are mirrors in the front and on my side, which was pretty helpful.  Good thing also that they don't allow people to watch the students dance.  It can be a bit distracting kasi.

Now, Jen and I are mulling about joining their summer classes which has this recital at the Araneta as part of the package.  It's a bit pricey at 8500 pesos for 12 sessions but the opportunity of dancing at the Araneta is tempting, kung papasa of course haha!  Nakakahiya naman sumayaw in public tapos epic fail naman!

Anyway, I'm planning to check out their other classes.  Sana nga I can find time for some of it.  Buti na lang malapit lang sila sa house so if the kids don't need any tutoring, I can just pack up my gym bag and hie off over there!

Searching for Bieber's Bottom

Love this pic!

The Finals of the Sochi Women's Figure Skating: My Most Favorite TV Program of the Week

My whole TV programming this week has been dominated  by the sporting events at the 2014 Sochi Olympics, with the women's freestyle program in figure skating as my most favorite TV program this week.

Here are my ten favorite TV shows for the week ending February 21, 2014 -

#1 TV5 - women's figure skating finals - freestyle program
#2 TV5 - women's figure skating short program
#3 TV5 - men's finals figure skating
#4 TV5 - Ice Dance finals - American pair
#5 Nat Geo - Scam City London
#6 GMA News TV - Bontoc Road
#7 CI - The Man in Black - Wales killer
#8 TV5 - aerial jump men's final - Belarus
#9 TV5 - aerial jump women
#10 TV5 - speed skating 1500m women

Hunky Chase Boys

Here's some shirtless hot boys to perk up your morning coffee!

Enjoying Payne

I just learned now that Nebraska is showing in Robinson's Galleria and SM Megamall this weekend! This will be the 5th straight Alexander Payne movie that I will see in a big screen - so he has a better track record than Woody Allen whose movies are never shown here (the last one was Vicky Cristina Barcelona pa!).

To the local film distributors, hindi po bobo ang mga Pilipino, we can understand well-written, subtly directed, talky English movies na walang action na nangyayari! Mataas po ang EQ and IQ namin at hindi lang po pang Avengers and Iron Man ang kaya naming intindihin!

Movie Review: The Book Thief - Beautifully Photographed, Half as Compelling

My love for World War II literature and film is due mainly to Papa's interest in the subject matter. He has so many fiction books about World War II, it was not surprising that I could actually narrate what happened in World War II Europe - in chronological order, when I was only in Grade 3. I was such a geek sometimes I scare myself with the useless information that I know.

The film version of The Book Thief (which is currently showing now) still shows the horrors of WWII but it doesnt have the dread which one really felt in Steven Spielberg's masterpiece, 1993's Schindler's List. I guess every single WWII movie made after that classic will always be compared to it. The only interesting thing about this movie, at least to me, is that it shows the lives of the Germans at that time, so the focus is finally on them, and not the Jews.

Incredible Women's Figure Skating Competition in Sochi

What an incredible competition the women's figure skating event was last night! This event always delivers every time, in drama and intensity of competition - and I'm really amazed how these women look so calm and composed under tremendous pressure!
The three medallists were really deserving of their medals. In any other given Olympics, I think each of their performances today would have won them the gold! They were really all gold medal standard! Pity only one had to win.....
Like the judges though, I always thought Adelina Sotnikova just performed sensationally, in both the free and the short programs - and she was not even Russia's #1 women's figure skater going into the Olympics. She is now!
Looking forward to the 2018 competition in South Korea!

Adelina Sotnikova: My Bet in 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics Women's Figure Skating!

Grabe, only 0.8 points separate the top 3 skaters in Olympic women's figure skating going into the freestyle program tomorrow!  So it's really anyone's gold for grabs, since the points given in the freestyle competition tend to be much higher because the ladies are afforded more freedom in their choreo!

There were so many excellent performances last night but Adelina Sotnikova of Russia was my most favorite! 

Fil-Norwegian Anna Line Gjersem also did a great job, enough for her to qualify for the finals later at 24th place.  I believe Anna did well yet her performance was only good for 24th place, ganun katindi ang competition!!!

Enjoying A Neruda Sonnet

My friend posted a snippet of this Pablo Neruda sonnet on her wall for her husband last night.  It was in English, of course, but since I have several Hispanohablantes en mi FB, I decided to post the original Spanish version of the poem. 

Read and weep at how elegant he uses the words do describe the imagery!

Disfrutad mis amigos!

***********************************

Te amo sin saber cómo, ni cuándo, ni de dónde,
te amo directamente sin problemas ni orgullo:
así te amo porque no sé amar de otra manera,

sino así de este modo en que no soy ni eres,
tan cerca que tu mano sobre mi pecho es mía,
tan cerca que se cierran tus ojos con mi sueño.

The Delicious Cakes of La Gordita

My dearest friend Honey bakes the most excellent cakes which are uber-deliciuex! When I got home around midnight last night, eto na lang natira sa cake na binigay niya! Parang kinain agad ng mga piranha!

Congratulations once again to you and her daughter's pastry brand, La Gordita! Yum yum talaga ang cakes niyo and the sky blue flower icing decor was really beautiful!

Thank you for the delicious gift!

You may reach the cake bakers of La Gordita at this number 09178477996.  You won't be disappointed!  Masarap talaga sila magbake and they don't scrimp on the ingredients!

Plastic Na TV Journalist

Sometimes the public personas of celebrities don't match their private ones.

This hard-hitting journalist presents himself as a do-gooder in his TV program, helping oppressed people get justice.  However, when I saw him last night in church around 11:30PM, he just shooed away these sampaguita vendors who were trying to sell him their garlands.  Pati bodyguards niya tinaboy ang mga kawawang tindera. 

I mean, magkano lang ba ang 40 pesos for a string of sampaguita garlands?  Masisira ba weekly budget mo kung bigyan sila ng konti?

Which got me thinking, some celebrities talaga only do good deeds pag may camera.  But you can really see their true nature and how they treat simple folk, pag wala ng camera.  Where's the consistency?  Sa TV mega-aggressive kung tumulong sa mahirap - kasi may camera!  Pag wala ng TV cameras around to capture his 'good deed' - 'tse kayo' ang peg!

Epic fail ka sir, plastic ka pala!

Birthday Treat for my BFFs

In my more than 40 years in this world, I have gone through a slew of BFFs who have come into my life at different points. I have kept touch with most of them and FB has been very helpful in that regard. My current BFFs are so patient with me and just raise their eyebrows with every boylet misadventure I have. They also love eating, like me!

Lovin' Slammer Burgers

It's always great to discover something delicious to eat!  I have been hunting for delicious burgers for months now, burgers that are not of the fastfood variety - and I have come up with nothing. Most burger places that I've eaten in did not have delicious burgers - although they were fancy and very expensive!

Enter Slammer Burgers!  It was a quiet afternoon when I discovered this place in the Trinoma food court.  Ang sarap ng burgers nila!  I love the one with the bacon and the double cheese.  I love the timpla of the patty!  Yummy!  Tapos since they give you two, busog ka talaga!

Sunday Donuts Time with Bryan

Thank you Lord for giving me generous friends like Bryan, who always always brings donuts on Sunday afternoons during our workouts!  Love you dude!

Thanks also to my equally generous BFF Jen, gal pals Kat and Jacqui!  Mahilig din yan sila magbigay ng food sa akin!!

Thank You Lord for my 43rd!

Merci beaucoup á tous! ¡Muchas gracias a todos! Thanks to everyone who greeted me on my 24th birthday!

Eto pala ang feeling pag ganap ka na talagang adult! So excited to see how life blossoms as I grow a little bit older and mature, goodbye na talaga to all petty teenage and pre-adult stuff!

Walang kokontra!

Partying With my Body Jammer Friends

Body Jammers are doctors, bankers, architects, government employees, school principals, production designers - basically working stiffs who have to find a way to release the stress after a long day at the office.

They are also some of the most humorous, funny, irreverent and generous people one can meet - and they will not hold it against you if you cannot dance like Jamie King - all you have to have is the love for dancing!

Anyway, I am lucky enough to have met a group of guys and gals on this side of FF Trinoma, who love Body Jam as much as I do and we had a little salo-salo last night to celebrate my birthday! I would not delve anymore into the party details except to say that it was a bit of a raunchy party and what some of them did last night would make their mothers blush!

Sochi Pairs Figure Skating Event: My Most Favorite TV Program of the Week

The freestyle program competition of the 2014 Sochi Olympics is my most favorite program of the week.  In that event, two Russian pairs snared the gold and the silver.  Tatiana Volozoshar and Maxim Trankov of Russia won the gold medal.

Here are my ten favorite TV programs for the week ending February 14, 2014 -
 
#1 TV5 - pairs figure skating - freestyle program

#2 TV5 - pairs figure skating short program

#3 HBO - Django Unchained

#4 Animal Planet - Must Love Cats

#5 Fox - Walking Dead - taking prison

#6 Fox - Walking Dead - boy alone

#7 Fox - Walking Dead - Governor kills the men

#8 TV5 - men's short speed skating 

#9 GMA News Network - Fashbook - Solenn Heusaff / Markki shirtless

#10 beTV - Everybody Loves Raymond - Stefania

Meryl and Charlie Make It Look So Easy

Watched the finals of Ice Dance last night and it was quite entertaining and breathtaking to watch!  The American pair of Meryl Davis and Charlie White were the last to skate and they gave the most breathtaking performance from all the other pairs.  It was just exhilarating to watch - they just make it look so easy!

Twitter Pic of the Day - Martin Del Rosario Says Hi From Gen San

Law and Order SVU Episode: My Favorite TV Show of the Week

An intriguing Law and Order SVU episode is my most favorite TV show of the week.

Here are my ten favorite TV shows of the week.

#1 Universal - Law and Order SVU - FBI woman kills serial killer but kills herself
#2 beTV - Everybody Loves Raymond - vacuum cleaner
#3 TLC - Jamie's Great Britain - lobster
#4 CI - After 48 hours - killed family for Tara
#5 CI - The Family That Slays Together - Darlene George killed stepfather
#6 Universal - Motive - woman killed lawyer - steals from old man
#7 Universal - Psych - killer framed
#8 Universal - Law & Order - end of the world emails
#9 beTV - Teen Wolf hunks
#10 Animal Planet - The Most Extreme cleaners - dung beetle

Watching Olympians Than Worrying Over Vhong

I really hope young people here would watch the Olympic Games coverage rather than tweet or talk about the lives of our walang kwentang artistas. 

The sports event is interesting to watch kasi parang novelty kasi nga Winter Games and these are Olympians, very disciplined people with very clear goals!  They can learn more from these athletes than from artistas who just sleep around kahit na may girlfriend and asawa at anak na!

Latin Masses in My Parish Church! Que quay!

Since my sister is with Opus Dei, I was exposed to singing in Latin at a young age, and I actually enjoyed it!  So anyway, our parish pala celebrates the mass in Latin!  Nasa poster ang schedule.

So if you want to hear mass in Latin, you can PM me and I will give you the address of our parish church.  Medyo maraming pasikot sikot coming here but may Google maps naman.

And many people go! Lalo na the women wearing belo! Not Belo ha! So nice to see! Para kang nasa time warp!

Pissed at a Priest's Sermon: Blaming the Gays Again in Destroying the Sanctity of Marriage

I was a bit pissed lang sa sermon today with our parish priest because since it's the Feast of the Holy Family, he was wailing again about the destruction of the family and that gay marriage will destroy the family!

I wanted to raise my hand and say "Ah, father, gay people are not destroying the sanctity of marriage, the straight people are already doing a great job at it" or "Don't blame us father, blame Britney Spears." or "Ah, father, single po ang mga gay people, di nga po kami makapag-asawa, how can we destroy something which is not even our right yet" or "Ah father, I can give you a LOOOONNNGGGG list of my gay friends who are supporting their nephews and nieces with their schooling because their straight brothers and sisters are walang kwentang magulang, so don't tell them they are destroying the family at isa isa ka naming sasampalin."

Or "Father, tinawagan na po ni Lord si Pope Benedict at pinaretire na, si Pope Francis na po ang bagong Pope."  Hay naku, am I still living in Rizal's time - Padre Damaso is that you?

Remembering My West End Wicked!

There is a bit of spoiler alert here so if you've not yet seen Wicked, wag mo na lang basahin, dyahe naman sayo.  Otherwise, read on.....

I was very tired and sleepy the first time I watched Wicked. It was the finals of the women's singles which Amelie Mauresmo won and I was very happy that day but very nog-nog from all the sun exposure and fatigued from all the walking and queueing which are de rigueur when you watch Wimbledon.

Wimbledon is very far from Leicester Square and it would require me to take a bus and then ride the tube to Paddington station and make sure I'm in the right station that goes to Leicester Square!  I have made mistakes before and it's a waste of 30 minutes to an hour if one is shonga and rides in the wrong station.  And the walking is grabe!  You have to remember that I drive in Manila so the longest walk I ever have is from the parking lot to my gym!

So my feet were sore, my face was so sunog na and I'm sure I smelled of the sun when I got to HMV Leicester Square around 6:30PM.  We usually choose HMV or the McDo there kasi we can either eat or browse for music while waiting for whoever we are waiting for.

During our quick McDo dinner, Vic said "We are watching Wicked tonight".  And I said, "Ohhhh the witches' play!  I hope I don't sleep and doze off."  Vic was very lucky to see the play in 2003 pa in Broadway, when it came out and he saw that flying scene without knowing about it kaya he was really impressed!  We usually watch one play or musical when we're in London kasi one is spoiled for choice and it's a way to meet Hollywood stars din, if one is lucky enough.

One technique din in West End is you can buy the nearest ticket to the stage kasi their prices are not as expensive because your head level is almost near the feet of the actors!  Medyo comedy but at least malapit ka di ba?

Yun lang, you have to look up if you want to see scenes which fly!  And anyone who has seen Wicked knows there is a flying scene so I remember I was really looking up for that scene and I was very impressed kasi she was still singing and moving her hands and broom, while she was up there!!

Also, bigla siyang umakyat and although I knew it already at that time, it was still breathtaking to watch.  Last night, it was not as breathtaking kasi nasa balcony kami e! But when you're down there, parang antaas ng nilipad niya!

I kinda dozed off after they sang Thank Goodness and woke up na when they were doing For Good.  Also, since I don't know anything about the Wizard of Oz, I could not connect the witch to the scarecrow and the tin man, at that time.  Oh well, wiz na ako paki kasi the songs were memorable naman.

Also, the actress there who did Kristen Chenoweth's original role was also as good as the actress who did it here!  Kuhang kuha talaga, all the giggles and the kabobahan - I remember talaga na she was such a riot!  Yun lang her only problem was the witch HAD to sing Defying Gravity - and that was the torch song for this play.

I remember Wicked very well kasi when I flew back to Hong Kong and had this date with this handsome theater director, I was always humming to Defying Gravity - and he was so amused!

Li Na's Championship Match: My Most Favorite TV Show This Week

Li Na won her second grand slam title this week!  She was in fantastic form all throughout the two weeks!  Dominika Cibulkova was also in great form but she faded in the second set. 

Here are my ten favorite TV shows for the week ending January 31, 2014 -

#1 Fox Sports - Li Na vs. Dominika Cibulkova championship match

#2 Disney Channel - How to Train Your Dragon

#3 Disney Channel - Oggy and the Cockroaches

#4 CI - I Didn't Do It - Twice Bitten

#5 Animal Planet - The Most Extreme 

#6 beTV - Sweet Home Alabama - I'm not gay guy

#7 Animal Planet - Croc vs. Hippopotamus

#8 beTV - Sex and the City - Miranda

#9 Cinema One - BFF - Sharon Cuneta / Ai Ai de las Alas

#10 TLC - Oli Pettigrew in Nanjing

The Lovely Ambience and Delicious Food of Garden Cafe in Luxent Hotel

To all my QC friends, Vic and I discovered this nice resto inside Luxent Hotel. It's called Garden Cafe and it's just in the lobby of the hotel!! I will convince my FF ABS barkada na dito na gawin ang joint birthday party dinner ko!

We ate here two nights in a row na, which is rare for Vic who is a bit picky about food! The ambience is nice - and I swear, andaming gwapo (guests and visitors) kanina kaya busy ang mga ate!! Anyway,the price of the food is standard restaurant price, just prepare around 350-400 pesos per person if may dessert and drinks pa. It's spacious and the parking is just 50 pesos flat rate, o di ba? Mura na for a hotel.

I actually like the food and the presentation is very good! Parang chef talaga ang gumawa kasi they serve it in these huge white plates. And the good thing is, di pa siya punuan kasi bago pa lang ang place so if you want a quiet night with your date, this could be a nice place for you to have dinner and chit chat.

Yun lang, walang privacy ha kasi nasa lobby kayo ng hotel so you see many people coming in and out, but the acoustics is good. You won't hear the next table's conversation!!