My First Time in Enchanted Kingdom!

This was my first time in Enchanted Kingdom since it was Dylan's Family Day in his school. I really had a lot of fun there as Dylan was fearless in doing all the rides, although we weren't able to do a lot because of the long queues, but I'll definitely be back to do the rides we weren't able to do and get some souvenirs as well! 

Channing Tatum and Foxcatcher

Last year, when the Oscars gave the movie Foxcatcher five nominations, I had no idea what the movie was about and why a comedian like Steve Carrel, was able to snag a Best Actor nomination in a very crowded category.

Anyway, this movie's DVD has been on my desk for months now, so I finally popped it in last night to see what the fuss was all about.

OMG! This is probably one of the best psychological true crime dramas that I've seen in a long while and my psychologist friends like Eden Tamayo should have a field day analyzing the different relationships between the characters and power structures they find themselves in.

Well, one good reason to watch this movie is just to see how f******ly sexy and hot Channing Tatum is! He plays a wrestler in this movie and just watching him almost with no clothes, wrestling with another guy, with almost clothes, is definitely worth the movie ticket price LOL I should've watched this on a theater big screen!

Seriously though, the movie is a very sad story and I was moved because I am always moved when the nicest character in a movie or a TV show is the one that gets the short shrift.

This is not a gay movie and there isn't much published research that says that the main antagonist in this movie was homosexual, but any practicing homosexual can see easily what the character of Steve Carrell wants to achieve. It is the same thing that many gay men do when they see delicious, poor, and out-of-luck men with a body like Channing Tatum.

They take advantage of the situation and do a power trip. Some scenes in the movie show how this happens but they don't explicitly show any gay activity but for gay men who may see it, "alam na" would be the appropriate phrase that they would certainly use.

The director of the movie, Bennett Miller, has been very cautious and very subtle about this treatment and just lets the audience draw their own private conclusions.

Mark Ruffalo, who is nominated this year for a Best Supporting Actor nod for Spotlight, was also nominated for the same category in this movie. This guy SHOULD win an Oscar soon. He's just so effective in delivering the right dose of emotion to the character he's playing, I admit I was in tears at the end of the movie! Mark draws you in to love his character and then bang - the shit hits the fan.

While Jim Carrey a decade ago failed to win Oscar's vote when he turned to dramatic roles, Steve Carrell has been more successful. He's almost unrecognizable - and unlike his many successful comedies - you'd revile his character in this movie.

Like many ordinary people, I have always been fascinated by the frivolities and eccentricities of the obscenely wealthy.

This movie will show you what an emotionally and sexually stunted and physically unappealing human being, with so much wealth at his disposal, can do to hapless mortals like us.

Restaurant Review: Gourmet Gypsy Art Cafe

I live near this restaurant just about 5 minutes away and I've been wanting to try it for ages! Finally, I had the right excuse when we were looking for a place to eat to celebrate my birthday!

The place was perfect for my birthday. We were around 11 guests and they gave us the biggest table in the resto.  The interiors were eclectic but well-thought of. It looked cozy and homey so para ka lang din nagbirthday sa bahay!

The food was an adventure!  I loved the bread because it was freshly baked!  Panalo talaga! Ditto for the calamansi drink!  The rest of the food we eat was a culinary delight and we feasted mostly on vegetables since most of my friends refused to eat meat.

Birthday Treat From My Friends

The homey and relaxed ambiance of the Gourmet Gypsy Art Cafe provided the backdrop of my birthday celebration this year for my original gym buddies, although this would be the first year, I won't be celebrating with my usual birthday partner, Heidih.

I am lucky to have the most generous friends in the world as I received some bountiful booty for my birthday!

Thank you ladies for all these years of friendship and chikahan and may we have many more years of these in the future!

Excited to Read Anderson Cooper's New Book with His Mom!

When Typhoon Yolanda happened a few years ago, I was amused that Korina Sanchez picked a fight against CNN's Anderson Cooper.

Sa isip ko lang, "Gaga, wag mong awayin si Anderson! You will never get invited to a New York high society event, EVER! Nag-aambisyon ka pa namang maging First Lady."

Oh well, based on surveys, I don't think Korina will get to Malacanang but I am very excited to announce to all gay men out there who's had a crush on Anderson (I did, around 10 years ago, only to learn he had a hot Latino bf pala, b****!), and to all the social climbers in the Philippines, that he is releasing this book which he and his Mom co-wrote!

I'm sure all of you who are in the know, know of Anderson's tragic private family life - and I am sometimes confounded why such rich people feel so lonely and sad.

Anyway, I hope this book gets released here in Manila. I'm sure ubos agad eto ng Manila's 400 natin plus all of Manila's social climbers who can read good English! Mga feelingera tulad ko!

Once a Bookworm, Always A Bookworm!

Never let me near a bookstore talaga! Lalo na yung mga secondhand bookshops. It's such a treasure trove for me!

I love this set I bought because I got a biography of Patricia Highsmith! Babae pala ang nagsulat ng The Talented Mr. Ripley.

And who would have thought she can also write about lesbian love (as essayed now by Oscar nominees Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara in the movie, Carol).

It always pays to get lost in "other worlds" everyday, even just for an hour.

Padi's Point SM North EDSA

It was my first time to have drinks at Padi's Point in SM North EDSA.

It reminded me of my favorite drinking place along Sukhumvit Road in Bangkok - where you can also see the BTS Skytrain pass by.

Channeling Jean Valjean

We had to celebrate our masses outside of our church last week including last Sunday, as someone apparently stole the monstrance in our prayer room.

It just reminded me of Jean Valjean of Les Miserables. The thieves must be in pretty desperate straits to steal something from the house of God!

I didn't even know those things had some market value.

But anyway, like Valjean's character in the novel, I hope they find their redemption through the kindness and compassion of the people they meet.

Martin del Rosario and Sebastian Castro in Karelasyon

I rarely watch local shows unless I like the local talent in it.  This is one of the few times since both Martin del Rosario and Sebastian Castro are in it.  It's going to be on in a few minutes and the show is called Karelasyon.

Nadai Fujisoba: A New Discovery

I should go out more often.

I was shocked to see that the SM Hypermart area in SM The Block had already been renovated. I realized then I haven't been to that mall for ages!

So anyway, for tonight's food trip, I insisted to my friends that we try some Japanese noodles, because, except for Vic, none in my family is really into Japanese food, kaya I never get to eat in a Japanese resto.

Well, we tried this new place called Nadai Fujisoba and the prices were pretty reasonable. (I still get shocked having to pay for 500 peso noodles!)

And I then realized why some noodles cost 500 pesos and why some just cost half the price. It's the taste, the texture and the ingredients (or the lack of it) that explain why we pay for so much more in other places.

I'm sure this place would survive, because I am not really a Japanese food connoisseur, and I am more conscious of the cost, so this is fine with me.

But I'm sure for those who are really into Japanese food, they might find something lacking.