2011: I Will Miss You

Since I've pretty much made a summary of how my 2011 went, I believe I only have space to blog about the lessons I learned this year. 2011 felt like that year where I feel I've grown the most, a crucial transitioning from child to adult, and while I cannot I am completely there, I can say that my progress to becoming the man, whatever that means, has taken quite a huge step. I can say that 2011 is my best year. Too many significant things happened this year, and I can say quite feels like the twin of 2012: a prelude of the things to happen this 2012, a joint appendage, if you may. I just hope 2012 is as good. 2011 is hard to let go of, and will always hold a special place in my heart.

Anyhoo, here are some of the lessons I've learned and would like to share to everyone. Hope you pick up something good.

Accepting your flaws is the first step to loving yourself ; loving yourself is the first step to optimism; optimism is the first step to growth; and growth is the first step to success.


Life is short, do what makes you happy.


Fear is a reasoning, and for every reasoning, there is a counter-reasoning. Courage, is therefore, simply a reasoning on your fear.


Always keep your promises, that is the easiest way to build yourself to people.


Sometimes, the only closure you can get is the lack of it.


Choose your friends, they probably choose theirs, too.


Patience pays.


Once you take your fight to the Internet, you've already lost.


Remember that all this exercise and keeping in shape is for the ultimate goal of finding that someone you wanna get fat with.


Use simple words, life is hard already for you to make your emails / posts / tweets a chore to read.


Enjoy everything that comes your way; everything ends. Cherish them while they last.


Hold on to your happiness, find that connection. Then pass it on. You can only make others happy if you are happy to begin with.


Try new things; that's our difference with animals, we try things out of our instincts' dictations.


It's ok to cry, be angry, be sad, be hateful, but you have to let that go, else you're missing on a lot of great things being consumed by such emotions.


Heavy emotions are just as bad as drugs, never do anything under their influence, the consequences range from irredeemable shame to severed ties.


Smile. People who smile are beautiful.


Everyone has an interesting story to tell. Listen.


Widen your perspective, you're not the only person in the world.


With a good sense of humor, you can survive just about anything.

2006-2011: The Best (?) of Jerky in Pictures

I was browsing across my old blog, the link of which I will not give you even if you threaten me with a machete, and I came across some pretty interesting old pictures from c. 2006 to 2009. I am including some photos from 2010 to recent for the very vain reason that I want to have something to go back to 5 years from now and laugh at and feel ashamed for sharing to the Internet (it's a guilty pleasure!). I also want to use this opportunity to show my (small) audience the person who has been writing all these shih tzu and how he looks like from 2006 forwards and not anymore further back because that is social suicide already. To my friends, this would seem like a run of The Best of Jerky and maybe it is, but in a way, you'll know what I've been doing for the past 5 years, socially at least. Without further ado, let's begin the a run on bad wardrobe and haircut!

2006, me with Tina our recep. Saw how matching my shirt is with
her uniform so I sat with her and took a snap. Notice the hair.

2006 at a friend's condo. Little did the idealistic me knew what
compromises he'd take in the future. Would I have been happier
had I stayed idealistic? Probably. In another universe.

My first birthday in CYMA was in 2007. I went there with my
HS friends and it was awesome. What I am wearing here, not
so much. Haha!

Clockwise from left, KC, Bowdy, Me, Jeff, and Karen. 2007. This
was taken at Gateway. I miss that red polo shirt. Twas my fave.
Would it fit me better now that I have some more, er, muscle?

Me with office friend Chard and friend Jhen. This was
Christmas season 2007 at Star City. Yep, my idea. Wanted
to try something old new so Star City.

Sometime Nov. 2007. Got hospitalized and had a major operation
to free up my sinuses. Doctors broke a small bone.

Me with my HS friends Karen and Jeff. This was taken in trinoma, 2007.
We were there the first month it opened. We even witnessed the
collapsing ceiling.

2007 at the office. See how brown my eyes are? Nope those
aren't contacts. That's how brown my eyes are without those
contacts. Kidding. I love these glasses. I lost them, btw.

October 2008. Karen was wearing her cowboy boots and I wanted
to play dress-up with her and put on mine, but didn't have the
cowboy jacket. Rats. KC's birthday! :D

2008, I finally started fixing myself up and wearing the right size
of clothes. No more 2 sizes bigger! Haha. Spell vain.

At Shang, this was 2008. My 22nd birthday with my officemates.
Beside me is my officemate Nelson who has nearly the same taste
in movies as I do. This was the second time I celebrated in CYMA.

Sep 2008. Out with my friends for one birthday round. I think
the biggest change this year was the hair product I use. And
I have since remained faithful to that hair product. OSIS no. 2

Me and my 2 friends at a party in Makati. Taken in 2009, it's
one of my rare pictures with these guys, Ken and JR. I have
rarely seen them around as they've moved.

2009. This is my first self-portrait taken with my SLR (bought March)
and edited in Photoshop. The reason was that it was too
"contre-jour." People mistake it as a studio pic, but it was taken in front
of a wide window with a very low ISO and high exposure settings.
Concept was taken from Beyonce's Halo video. Doesn't look it, right? 

This was 2009, Badeth's 24th birthday. How did I look so young
here again. Everyone says I look 30ish, and that's fine, but here I
positively look 29! Holy! Photo taken by Badeth and is one of my
most favorite photos of me of all time.

2009. Would you believe that the blazer I am wearing is worth
more than my running shoes? It's from 5cm and for that money,
I could pick up something smarter at say Zara or Topman. Lol.
This was my very first "Circles" with my HS friends.

Feb 2010: Possibly my most favorite profile pic, taken during
the days I  was dabbling with photography. This was taken by
my good friend, Abe, who was posing for me that day. My
officemates have since kid about this facial expression as
Jerky's cold steel blue look.

A picture of Team Megamall. This is one of my most memorable
trips ever. For a lot of reasons. A lot. I owe a lot to these people
their friendship came at the right time and have been instrumental
to my growth as a person. They helped me pick up the pieces
and be the person who I am now. I am more grateful than I ever
allow them to know.

Me with gym friends Benjie, Desire, and Nahlea, taken from the
same trip mentioned above. August 2010.

October 2010. I wanted to keep this picture even if it
is blurry because this is a snap of how a drunk Jerky
looks like. This was taken in Il Pirata at Eastwood (Now TGI
Fridays). I just had one glass of their strongest drink and BAM
I was humiliating myself and my friends by dancing weirdly. I
made everyone laugh, I want to keep that memory. This
drunk Jerky eventually gets its own name: Flerky. As in
flirty Jerky. Not really!

December 2010 at the Makati Shang for our annual Circles celebration
By 2010, I had taken a fancy to cut my hair military short. This was
one of the sadder Circles reunion as we are losing one of our friends
to America to get married to her bf. Happy for her, sad for us. 

January 2011. Boracay with Megamall Team.
My first time in Boracay. Me with Gym buddy
Atty Migs. This could've been my best photo
and what did I do? I closed my eyes and bit
my lip. I don't know what I was thinking. I got tanned
so much, the henna tan lines saw our next Boracay trip

Welcome 2011 and I met these great guys from the gym
called UL, short for Ultraloungers. We all decided to get
shirts with prints to celebrate the birthday of our friend John,
lowest right, who runs a shirt biz. The print on my shirt is the
word on my ex's tattoo. After my ex and I broke up, the shirt
mysteriously disappeared. True story.

Me with Dianne and Jezonne at Boracay, April 2011. The idea
was to look far into the horizon, but Jezonne caught up late.
Notice my tan lines, those were from a henna I got late January. It
was from this trip that Flerky was born. Ramon called me that and
eventually it caught up with everyone that I just decided to play
along with it. I shake my head.

Me with my HS friends. Our 5th year for the annual Circles
tradition. Some things you know are just worth keeping.

My 2011: Blog About the People You Used to Love and Alienate Them More

2011. I ended 2010 feeling pensive, hopeful, and a little bittersweet. But guess all of 2010's been swept under the rug by the much better 2011. 2011 is so far my best year ever! So much so, I am perpetually afraid it's gonna be a downhill from here. You know, we all have this weird feeling that when everything is doing well, we have this fear that something will just get shitty and ruin everything and snowball into something larger than you can manage. But I've somehow acquired the skills to live beyond that fear. Fear in itself is a reasoning and with any reasoning, you can always have a counter-reasoning, equally fitting, equally wise. And that was my 2011. Keeping the fear, but reasoning with it.

50% Alcohol

I basically spent the first half of my year drunk. I mean really, since January, I never had a weekend I am not drunk, it's either I am drunk or dipshit drunk. Those were the only choices. And a weekend where I didn't get drunk is a bad weekend. It came to a point where I drink alone at home if I cannot go out like if it's raining or I finished up my budget. I was basically just brandishing myself an alcoholic. No, seriously it wasn't that bad, but it was bad enough that I crave for that precious, little, painful hangover every Sunday morning and looking forward to drinking that Pocari Sweat, which miraculously removes the hangover (and it comes with a cool lime-y taste). This stupor only concluded sometime around June or July when I realized that it's expensive to be drunk all the time. And also, not cool.

Walk the Shore
In 2010, I avoided the beach like a plague. For some reason, I've only been to the beach once last year, and it wasn't even during the summer; and when I did go to the beach, I got stung by a jelly fish. What gives, right? But in 2011, I've been to the beach 4 times and got stung by jellyfishes zero times. Huzzah! Twice in Boracay, and twice in Batangas. 3 of those spent drunk, 3 of those during the first half of the year and one of those spent very pensively and sober.

Few people understand my hesitation to travel far. I am stressed out by the unfamiliarity of a foreign place and the effort of packing and traveling with 3 large bags, accompanied by the possibility of being asked to work remotely (my server has a habit of crashing while I am on a vacation--no matter how I prepare ahead of it, it's Murphy's Law dumping shit on me). I canceled my Indonesia trip last February due to some irrational fear of traveling and some financial hesitations. But as I am still not very fond of traveling far from my comfort zone, which is Metro Manila (go, laugh), so to speak, the money supposedly for Indonesia went to Boracay on an April. I must have fallen in love with Boracay during January that I decided to spend my hard-earned money on it again on the same year for instead of going elsewhere. But it's more of being acquainted with it, and the familiarity with its beauty that made me decide. That said, I traveled this year, took baby steps to conquer my self-induced agoraphobia. And mostly, all those travels were spent walking on the shore. I love being on the beach alone, it gives me so much time to think and acquire humility in the presence of the sea.

It is by the sea that I recovered myself and realized that I can survive possibly anything.


Burn
Financially, I've recovered. I've had 400% more trips this year compared to last year, but I've recovered this year. Started investing, too and I expect myself to be debt-free first quarter of next year. Looking forward to this, actually. It's a happy thought and a goal that makes me so proud of myself. I also avoided spending on gadgets this year, which is something that I believe is an achievement already.

Career on the other hand has been more stressful compared to last year. I am experiencing a paradigm shift and is expected perform a different role next year, although its toll I've started to feel.

Luckily, I have not been to any sort of trouble this year, didn't get hospitalized or whatnot, and I managed to get "some" abdominals and really really flat stomach. It was surprising when I realized where I've gone to, only to lose it weeks after as it is nearing the holidays and binge eating is fun, especially when depression from insomnia sets in. Haha!

I've also read, well, 1 book this year! Crappy compared to my records way back, but hey, I just got back to reading and writing again, and hopefully this is something I can continue. I've also seen some of the old movies I really really wanna see like Gone With The Wind and Pulp Fiction, and oh, the joy they brought me!


Feel like I'm Living the...
Things from 3 years back came rushing forward to slap me on the face this year, and if anything I can now relate to how that living the Teenage Dream feels. Twice. I felt giddy when it comes to matters of the heart. Ever since the second half of the year, it's all been a roller coaster ride, bipolar swings if you may. Sometimes extremely high and positive, sometimes low and dreary. But all is good, thank God. Just one major heartbreak during the first quarter, and one really filled with questioning and self-doubt. Probably that caused my stupors to rampage into something addictive, but what's good was that it taught me a lot. It really did and I am thankful that happened. It was sad, but I got a lot out of it. I got a new me. A better me, I believe.

I did get some things I want this year in this department. I am very thankful to have spent some time with good people who treated me generously and kindly during our time together. But, at the end of the day, I am concluding this year alone. Thing is, I am satisfied with the fact that I am single during this time of the year. I mean, can you imagine having to join your partner shopping for gifts? On my own, I cannot manage traversing a mall, what more if I am with someone. Seriously speaking, I am quite satisfied. Not that I don't want to be in a commitment, but sometimes, well, you don't have a choice. Haha! You know, you don't work out with the people you like, and you are left alone, waiting for something good to come. And I've learned this year that it pays to wait. I waited three years. And it paid off. Thanks for being part of my 2011.

The Reverse Path
I always like the saying, "Trust God's design. He made the world round so that even when two people chose to walk two opposite paths, they would always meet somewhere in the middle." I never got to reconcile with that friend from 2010, but the thing is, I couldn't care less about it. It was just, I don't care anymore. I mean I gave it my best, made myself look like a fool and all apologies have been thrown to my face like a dirty rug, and I took it all. I took it. I braved that. And still nothing. And that's when I learned when to quit and accept some things work that way. Work better when they are broken. Sometimes, I overvalue closure. Sometimes, the only closure you get is the lack of it. And you have to respect that.

I gained a lot of great friends this year, anyways. My efforts to open up to new people paid off and I met a lot of new great people who helped me so much in the past year. These guys taught me a lot about myself and what I am capable of and what's my value--this I tend to underrate. I actually thought that with these friends, I don't need to be in a relationship. Them along with my other friends made me feel so much loved that I could not have asked for anything more.

I managed to nourish old friendships and make new ones. And I owe a lot to these people, to my friends, as they help me become better everyday.

In very vague points, let me highlight my 2011, this part is useful if you didn't read anything above.

10. No Shiny New Toy
9. Be Polite and Say Goodbye
8. Keep Moving Forward
7. Fear of Flying
6. Kissing in the Drunken Dark
5. The Sea
4. Relocate the Stapler
3. The Corrections
2. Lounging on the Ultra
1. The One that Got Away

Jerky Talks: Let Them Eat Cake

Before I continue on writing, let me just express that I am not one given to writing much about personal matters or socio-political affairs. The world is diverse and filled with opinionated individuals; opinions written down on such matters often cause alienation, flaming, hatred, and unnecessary discussion / drama, which I do not want. I do not blog about these things because I dislike the internet culture of bullying. People have opinion, I choose to respect everyone's opinion and still be able to express mine. That does not seem possible, but I will proceed anyway with that in mind. In short, please be kind. I'm but a humble blogger with little to no fan base to back me up. :D Going back to the topic in hand:

Last December 18, a controversial twitter "peek-a-boo-boo" and I meant a boo-boo, really, between several PH goverment officials and Ms. Valerie Concepcion, caused a stir on the Internet community. The issue being discussed by Valerie Concepcion and the other government officials is the party happening in Malacanang, and in attendance is none other than PNoy. 489 miles from Malacanang, however, 20,000 families have lost their homes, and  a vast part CDO / Iligan, can you imagine this, has been converted by Typhoon Sendong (TS Washi) into a brown sea. Sendong, which made landfall on Mindanao last December 16, has brought in torrential rains that triggered flash floods, claiming 632 lives (as of this writing) with hundreds still missing.

Contrast the jovial scenario at the palace and the dreariness of people dying and suffering over at CDO. That's what everyone did who's been criticizing the party at Malacanang last night, and that's understandable. People get angry over these things. As a race we do tend to have overly high expectations of people in power, and as a race, we do tend to behave contrary to people's expectations once we're in power.

What fanned the fire was a continuous deletion of tweets by Valerie Concepcion and several misinformed ones by palace spokespersons Manuel L. Quezon III and Abigail Valte offering vague ideas and denials about the party currently taking place. There was simply no response on when PNoy is to visit the makeshift brown sea that was once CDO. And people were eager to have the president thrown to CDO and do things expected of a president in times of crisis.

In the short time Noynoy has been president, I can conclude these things about him: 1. He is always calm until he gets to the mic to lambast his enemies. 2. His action is always geared toward fighting corruption, previous or recent, and 3. he always makes Binay do the dirty work, such as foreign relations with China and calamity response, for which Binay obliges.

What prompted me to write is the call for PNoy to be at ground zero on day one, not the party or whatnot, but the reaction over his not being there on day one and only this Tuesday. 

I am no PNoy fanboy. Far from it, actually, and I hated that he ran last 2010. But here's what. This is something that I do not understand. Why do we always want our head of state in a dangerous place? That's the effin' balding head of state we want to place in danger. I mean not just for Noynoy, but for the other presidents before him. We are so angry when they aren't there the day the relief operations has started. I do not understand that. The President is a very important person, why do we want him in an unsafe place? Isn't it enough that he has (or his subordinates) the army and the Red Cross mobilized to bring support and relief to those struck by the disaster. And if we need a figure of authority there, Binay is already there as soon as he possibly could. And by golly, the president is no expert in calamity and disaster response. He has people for that, and those are the ones who need to be there. Why do we want someone who's not adept with that sort of thing taking charge over that? Why? Just because he's the president, I really don't understand it. Just because he's the most powerful being in the country? Can't he use that power from a safer place? I mean that's the point of having people to do those things for you. So they would do it for you, so they'd get their hands dirty so you can attend to other things (parties included). I mean if I were in the disaster area, I'd very much prefer to see the soldiers doing their thing over a president lording around and talking on his phone attending to matters he left behind in Manila.

Now with that said, I think the most we can do is help. Follow this link to see how we may help the victims of Tropical Storm Washi.

Pick of the Week: Paper Bag

When the pawn hits the conflict, he thinks like a king. Yeah, this song is really old, but I only got to listen to it from the movie Bridesmaids. It's from Fiona Apple's sophomore album When the Pawn... released in 1999, and this one was released in 2000, subsequently used in 2011's Bridesmaids soundtrack. The track has a sad vibe backed by a catchy beat and a carefree singing. In case the video below won't play, you may try the alternative link I've provided which is basically just a mish-mash of Fiona Apple's other videos with half of it from the official Paper Bag video.

Hope you like today's pick. :)

Alternative video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcHYIEN16G8

Top 7 (+3) #4: Top 10 Movies of 2011

Overall, 2011 has more good films compared to 2010, but 2010 has more excellent ones than 2011. There weren't as many big budget / headliner movies that scored high on my cards compared to the ones in 2010 (Toy Story 3, Inception, How to Train Your Dragon). 2011 on mainstream cinema has more wit than budget than 2010, and if anything, 2011 is more of a lead-up year to 2012. In 2012, we'd have The Avengers, Brave, Men In Black 3(D), The Hunger Games, and Battleship to name a few of the expected headliners. We can also blame the MMDA film fest that would make sure we won't have access to good Hollywood films this Holiday season; films such as The Iron Lady, War Horse, Moneyball, Shame, A Dangerous Method, Hugo, etc would have to wait next year and wouldn't manage to enter my list.

Please note that this list comprise of my personal favorites of movies produced in 2011 or late 2010 that I watched this year. This year, my taste went more for comedy than for drama. There are so many good comedies this year, in my opinion.

Anyways, before I unveil my favorite 10 for 2011, here are the runner-ups:

• Kung Fu Panda 2
• Captain America
• X-Men: The First Class
• Super 8
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
• Crazy Stupid Love
• Fright Night
• Our Idiot Brother
• True Grit
• Ang Babae sa Septic Tank
• The Adventures of Tintin

10. Friends With Benefits

Directed by Will Gluck 

Stars Justin Timberlake, Mila Kunis, Patricia Clarkson, Nolan Gould

The Offering: LA local meets New York headhunter and both, feeling strained from the pointlessness of having relationships, decide to content themselves with each other's company on the bed. Eventually feelings grew and things get complicated. Ends with a good song, though.

Admission ticket: People hate Justin, I found that out. Not a lot of my friends wanted to watch this movie because of J.T. Mila Kunis, however, is a blow-torch, and with the very good chemistry with Timberlake, the movie is saved. Not to spare Will Gluck the praises. Gluck has a knack for making the most mundane into something humorous and witty.

9. Insidious

Directed by James Wan

Stars Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne

The Offering: Husband and wife and two kids move to a suburban American home when they got plagued by ghastly visions and were prompted to move. However, the haunting continues, culminating to their son's coma. This soon prompted them to dig the family's past, leading to a shaky, yet passable, ending.

Admission Ticket: One of the few Hollywood horror movies that's actually scary, Insidious offers more than scare: it offers a scientific angle on the paranormal. That, plus that its offerings of horror just keeps going on an uphill rise to a point where keeping yourself seated near the end is an impossible feat without wanting to empty your bladder on your seat. Had the final act only been better. Tut tut!

8. Horrible Bosses

Directed by Seth Gordon

Stars Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, Jason Sudeikis, Kevin Spacey, Jennifer Aniston, Colin Farrell

The Offering: Three friends hate their bosses and conspire to murder each other's bosses to make their lives easier. However, things went from silly to real dangerous as one thing lead to another, culminating in an actual murder that might spell them time behind bars.

Admission Ticket: Jennifer Aniston! No, seriously, the whole cast just worked it on this one. The three leads were believable to have been long time friends and the villains were very effective, particularly Aniston who plays a nymphomaniac obsessed with the rather annoying Charlie Day. Spacey was detestable, too in portraying a psycho boss who tortures Bateman. The laughs come easy with this offering, and I think it was rather well-penned.

7. Thor

Directed by Kenneth Branagh

Stars Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston

The Offering: Son of Odin breaks the truce of the gods with the Frost Giants, putting Asgard in danger. He eventually loses his father's favor, sends him to Earth, all of which has been planned by his evil brother to usurp the throne. Soon enough, he falls in love, sacrifices himself and is deemed worthy again to be a god.

Admission Ticket: One of Marvel's A-list heroes finally goes to big screen and with a great sense of humor to boot. For something that has always been a riddle to make, Thor ended up passing my expectations. Branagh managed to balance it all out in this atypically good summer flick, not only avoiding to make it cheesy and convoluted, he made it breath-takingly good. The visuals were wonderful, the narration fast-paced, the script wonderfully done, and the storytelling makes you just want see the sequel right after the credits roll.

6. The Help

Directed by Tate Taylor

Stars Viola Davis, Emma Stone Octavia Spencer, Bryce Dallas Howard

The Offering: Black people are marching in New York for equality while the maids in Jackson, Mississippi, suffer oppression from the hands of their white employers, with some not being able to find work again and some landing in prison. But all that's to change when they meet a spirited female writer who help them propel themselves to a new level of empowerment.

Admission Ticket: An anthem to racial discrimination and rising above it fueled by powerful performances from Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer (very scene-stealing one, this is), Emma Stone, and Bryce Dallas Howard, The Help is a genuine reaching out and call to change. It is one of the movies of 2011 that has a true soul.

5. No Other Woman
Directed by Ruel S. Bayani
Stars Anne Curtis, Derek Ramsey, Cristine Reyes, Carmi Martin

The Offering: Husband cheats wife with a beautiful heiress, but wife fights the hell for her husband. A hackneyed material should not be entertaining to see, but Director Bayani made this film into one of the highest-grossing Filipino films of all time, all because it is extremely entertaining. Just have to bear the boring final act, but all else is fine.

Admission Ticket: This is possibly Anne Curtis' finest performance to date. She can shift from vulnerable to extremely frivolous to emotionally detached. The fine writing in this film is only undermined by the poor final act which stretches the film to unnecessary length. Having managed to stay in theatres for more than a month and breaking box office records, No Other Woman is one of the most memorable Filipino movies to date.

4. Contagion
Directed by Steven Sodebergh
Stars Matt Damon, Jude Law, Kate Winslet, Lawrence Fishburne, Marion Cotillard, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jennifer Ehle

The Offering: A silent medical thriller and a social commentary, Contagion is a series of vignettes and snippets that explore social breakdown in case of global medical crisis taking place. Also bolstered by an ensemble cast with fine acting and proper pacing.

Admission Ticket: Contagion is not for everybody. It's a medical thriller shown as a pseudo-documentary on how society acts in case of a global medical crisis. The plot is tight and the narration just keeps on mounting the suspense for one final hill in the end, which is the eventual discovery of the vaccine that featured a memorable redeeming scene over Christmas. Contagion is a well-acted and properly narrated Apocalyptic movie that 2011 needs.

3. Drive
Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn
Stars Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Ron Perlman, Bryan Cranston

The Offering: Driver gets enamored by a neighbor and eventually entangled with her husband's problems that involve a bunch of thugs with guns. The film seemingly reminiscent of a Tarantino work has a silent vibe jiving with an acquired 80s bistro feel.

Admission Ticket: A crime film fueled by a stylized 80s feel and tasteful violence and gore, Drive features a calm narration and silent but powerful acting from its cast. Gosling was at his most charming here. He speaks a lot less, but is all the more compelling and lovable, it's impossible to not have a man-crush on him. The intensity of Drive is not paralleled by any of the films I've seen in 2011. Its style and sophistication speaks volumes of just how well-planned this movie is.

1. Black Swan
Directed by Darren Aronofsky
Stars Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis

The Offering: A veteran ballerina lives in fear of being upstaged by a relatively new understudy, practices herself to insanity, and delivers a performance of a lifetime that cannot sanction an encore.

Admission Ticket: I know, 2010 film, what is it doing here? Black Swan was shown in theatres a week before the MMFF and continued its run 2 weeks after. That said, I managed to watch it only January this year. This film is a heavy Oscar contender last February, garnering 5 nods, with 3 being major ones, and a nomination for best Cinematography for fellow Filipino Matthew Libatique. What do we know about Black Swan? It is nothing short of breath-taking. Every scene is calculated and well-planned, the plot is properly developed, the acting is refined and well-schooled, and even with a greatly discussed dance double controversy plaguing Portman's performance, I believe this is her finest performance in a film, making this one of the most unforgettable films I've seen. And just like its companion, The Wrestler, which I've just only seen late this year on Blu-Ray, Black Swan is an art film, one that transcends pure viewing pleasure, earning its spot on my list this year at number, a tie it shares with...

1. Bridesmaids
Directed by Paul Feig
Stars Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Rose Byrne, Melissa McCarthy, Jon Hamm, Chris O'Dowd

The Offering: Woman suffering middle life crisis after her cake business comes down becomes maid of honor for her best friend's wedding. Slowly, she finds her life sinking lower and lower into bottom as she makes one misguided event after another for her best friend's wedding. Having reached bottom, she gets tough love from of the bridesmaids and starts fixing herself up to save the wedding.

Admission Ticket: It's basically a toss coin between Bridesmaids and Drive for the number one spot of 2011 (since Black Swan was officially released 2010), but given how much charm and recall factor Bridesmaids has, the choice is clear. Wiig is relatable, and everyone in the cast feels genuine, with the laughs coming from a cornucopia of SNL experience, Bridesmaids works and does not disappoint a single second. O'Dowd's chemistry with Wiig, Byrne's smiling plasticky evil, McCarthy's scene-stealing lines and quips just make Bridesmaids one of 2011's best cinematic gems, and for me, this gem is the brightest and the most memorable.

How about you? What's your 10 favorite films of 2011?

Hold Me and Never Let Me Go

A year ago, I was given a copy of Never Let Me Go in my SD card. It features Andrew Garfield, Keira Knightley, and Carey Mulligan. A cast of that power adapting a book by one of Britain's premier authors, Kazuo Ishiguro, could only perhaps make for a good film. So I hurried up home to watch the movie on my SD card and realized all too late that I've left it plugged on my friend's laptop.

Sadly, I never got to watch the film until last week. The film in itself is a bit drab, so to speak. The acting was good, but the storytelling was a bit too quiet for my own liking. It was like watching a sheep unravel wool. I don't exactly know what that means, but it was just too quiet, with pinches of emotions here and there. It was a tragedy and a silent type. As for the book, I haven't read it yet. I have had trouble looking for a copy to the point that I altogether got disinterested; and when I at last saw it again, I couldn't bare sparing money for it. But I digress. What the movie gave me is something.

It may not be altogether powerful to be basking in glory as with say The Wrestler or Drive or The Black Swan, but it was powerful as it was gentle. It brought me to tears, actually. Especially in the end when Mulligan was delivering her last lines as she stood on a field and imagining that her dead lover would eventually appear out of the horizon and be waving to her, or any figure she could actually displace as him. But none came, and all she had was tears and the wind. It was in here that she said that she was fortunate enough to have had any time with her lover and that she was thankful for it even if it felt like she never had enough time.

What I realized is that in life, we would always feel like we've had not enough time with the ones we choose to love: family, friends, lovers, etc. There would be things we would never be able to say, or acts we would not have been able to perform: a simple compliment, a brush of a hand, a hug for when they're sad. Things, simple or otherwise. But what the movie gave me is gratitude or the idea of being grateful for whatever time I've had with everyone I chose to love. Be it short or long: the ones I've loved and couldn't keep, and the ones who chose to walk a path opposite of mine. They've all contributed to what I am right now and the time I've spent with them is something that cannot be stolen.

Pick of the Week: Shake It Out

Florence + The Machine were 2009/2010's revelation to the world outside the UK. They got a big break when their song Dog Days Are Over was used for the Julia Roberts' film Eat. Pray. Love. Their critically acclaimed debut album Lungs have won them BRIT Awards and noms at the 53rd Grammy Awards for Best New Artist.

The lead single off their second album, Ceremonials, is called Shake It Out and is this week's pick. This is possibly Ceremonials' Dog Days as it features a joyful theme of "shaking out" various demons plaguing our minds. As with their other tracks, Shake it Out is very indie pop sounding and will make you want to sing along your lungs out. Without any further ado, here's Shake It Out. Enjoy.

Pick of the Week: Never Forget You

I know, I know! Pick of the Week, but hey, no pick until like what, 2 weeks after. Sorry, it's just hard to juggle everything I wanna do in life and you know still get to really update my blog like once a week. Heck, I don't even know why I named my blog "The Daily Anomaly," I really don't. Anyways. Going back to the topic on hand, yes, pick of the week.

This one is from Noisettes, and is a song very dear to me. A friend introduced this song to me a few months ago, and it has been on my playlist since. 

First, some backgrounder:

Noisettes is some sort of an indie rock / anti-folk band. The band's vocalist pictured above is an eccentric (or as I'd like to think) black woman by the name of Shingai Shoniwa. The Noisettes are based in the UK, and as such, well, you won't see them much in Billboard.

This week's pick is entitled "Never Forget You," it's about estranged lovers meeting up again after a long time, with Shingai saying that she'd never forget her old flame and that they were merely victims of circumstances. It's an upbeat song that has a sad feeling to it, a song I'd relate to the friends, and well, old flames I've lost along the way, and how it's never easy to forget someone who's been a part of you, even if briefly. And yes, I do feel that way about most people who's touched my life. So for you, dear reader, who's touched my life with your generosity of a visit, this week's pick is for you. The Noisettes with Never Forget You.

In Review: Drive

Drive, Refn, 2011

The Gist

Tight plot, solid acting, great script, curious characterizations, intense actions scenes, tasteful violence, and stylishly executed gore, these are the ingredients of the awesome sauce the powers Drive. With those in its engine, Drive propels itself into the realm of rare skillfully done and curiously entertaining action movies.

The Good

• fast-paced, beautiful cinematography, great narration
• solid acting with a great script to back it up
• remarkably entertaining for the amount of silence it has

The Bad

• the beginning chase scene has this very weird background music literally made my ears painful

Synopsis

The Driver (Gosling) works as a repairman at a local car repair shop owned by Mr. Shannon (Cranston) who was impressed by his driving skills. On the side, The Driver works as a stuntman and occasionally moonlights as a getaway wheelman for robbers. Impressed with The Driver's driving skills, Bernie Rose (Brooks), a businessman, along with his business partner Nino, a mobster, agreed to purchase a stock car for 300,000 USD for The Driver to race. Things however start to get messy as The Driver began to get involved with his married neighbor Irene (Mulligan) and her son Benicio. Soon, The Driver finds himself helping Irene's husband, Standard (Isaac), outsmart mobsters who he owes protection money from. This gesture of neighborly spirit soon ignites the fire to a bomb of grisly events.

Shut Up and Drive

Can I just excuse myself and say I've developed what we call a man-crush proper on Ryan Gosling for this movie. Seriously, Gosling outdid himself here. And to phrase it as a friend have put it, "Gosling did the as-is-were-is acting." It was as if he wasn't acting. It was so effortless and so effective anyway. It was like bland acting that finally found its proper spot in the world, like an idea that found its time. He was bad as Clint Eastwood, or as dashing as Harrison Ford without so much as an effort or a quotable line. He stood there with his bomber jacket, hair all combed, and killed people. He just had presence and it made the whole movie sing.

It's an Arms Race

What Refn did with Drive is reminiscent of a Tarantino film or something like an Eastwood. Both of which I enjoy greatly. Drive is classy and artsy and atypically cold and silent for an action film. It has guts but does not brag about it, nor did it need flashiness to get attention. It was an experience for me that I am liking a film with very little dialogue and whose main character is 1. unnamed and 2. bordering mute. But what it lacked in dialogue, it made up for wit and composition. The soundtrack spoke for it and so as the beautiful cinematography. It kind of brings you back to the 80s and makes you question exactly when the events in the movie happened.

A lot of the credit goes to Gosling's performance, true, but Cranston, Brooks, and Perlman also did well. Perlman was as every bit detestable as Gosling is every bit charming and worth rooting for. They both have their deep resolve and it was clearly fleshed out in the movie. Mulligan for all the screen time she had performed her role of damsel in distress well. In a sense, you would wish that the two end up together in the movie, especially near the end, and maybe it wasn't Mulligan herself or Gosling making you think so, but the way the movie has been so well put together that you wouldn't mind that most of the time, all the two lovers did were stand and stare at each other.

The narrative, well, it's dry, but the cinematography as mentioned above is worth noting and more than makes up for it. Drive isn't so fast-paced or dragging, it just speeds in the right direction with the proper amounts of Adrenaline rushes here and there. And those were also executed very well. The gore is not so distracting, but is tasteful enough to merit artsy status. The execution of the action scenes are also very fine and well thought of that they make your heart rush everytime there is.one. As for the ending, it was perfect.

In summary, how do I put Drive? Well, it's a movie I'd watch over and over again.

My verdict:

A flying and recommended mark of 5/5.

In Review: Bridesmaids

Bridesmaids, 2011, Paul Feig

The Gist

A comedy about the coming-of-middle-age drama that a person can have littered with affecting and real characters, Bridesmaids is a film with a punch, an oomph, and a genuine heart. Its own brand of humor, though not always high above there, is guaranteed to work.

The Good

• affecting characters, relatable and real
• great script; humor is incredibly good
• good acting

The Bad

• use of gross humor may not appeal to everyone
• not a lot of recognizable stars used, may be an off-putting factor for some

Synopsis

Annie (Wiig) was only too delighted when she found out that her childhood bestfriend Lillian (Rudolph) is getting married and that she has been selected as the maid of honor. What with nothing right happening in her life right now (her bakery closing down after the recession, losing her boyfriend, losing all her savings, being involved with an uncommitting single man, and working as a sales clerk in a jewerly shop),  this is nothing but a welcome relief from all the plunge she's been having. During the preparations for the wedding, Annie meets the other bridesmaids: the perky Becca (Kemper), the hungry angry tired Rita (McLendon-Covey), the spirited Megan (McCarthy), and the beautiful Helen (Byrne). Throughout the whole preparation, Helen and Annie continue to argue on how to prepare for the wedding, with Helen almost always stealing and outdoing Annie's ideas. And while the whole ordeal of the wedding preparation is going on, Annie continues her descent to rock-bottom, which tests her faith in herself and in her friendship with Lillian.

There's Something About Annie

Kristen Wiig is just so charming here in her own screwed up "Carrie Bradshaw" way. Where Carrie makes The Annie she plays mirrors certain types of people who are really wonderful beings but don't see it and instead choose to screw up their lives. And basically, the whole film is like a de-glamourized Sex and The City with a character whose main goal in life is to make poor choices and mope about it. In a way, Annie is charming and annoying, and she alone runs this show. And until you're there watching the movie, you wouldn't know how compelling Wiig can be.

The Next Sweetest Thing

The movie gave its lead star, Wiig, enough floor to shine, but that didn't stop the others from being equally charming. Byrne had her screen time as the movie's main antagonist by simply being so enviable, rich, successful, and scene-stealing, she's evil. McCarthy plays an angst-ridden tomboy who's just about as annoying as she is surprising. Let's not also forget the men in the background: Chris O'Dowd plays a charming British policeman, Nathan Rhodes, and Jon Hamm's portrayal of Ted couldn't be any more detestable.

Some gags are reminiscent of Cameron Diaz-starrer The Sweetest Thing, and I can't help shake off seeing some Sex and the City wit and writing here and there--just like how Wiig talks to herself from time to time when she speaks out her mind to herself--probably also because the movie has women on the forefront. Working hand in hand with the well-written script and punchlines is the equally fluid narration. It's neither too fast nor too slow, though for some scenes, you kind of get the point and you wish they hurry up and show you the next ones already. The plot and execution is effective in a way that you will both hate and empathize the lead character, and makes for an affecting movie.

The only problem with Bridesmaids? Well, there's the relatively unknown cast. It's like watching an HBO TV-movie for some. None of my officemates apparently know Kristen Wiig and that can be off-putting for them. I mean sure, she's pretty big in Saturday Night Live, but for those who don't know she exists, and most of the other cast members for that matter, why would one watch this movie? Then again, so was Superbad when it was released in cinemas.

Anyway, so was Bridesmaids a success? A resounding yes. Would I force my friends to watch it? A louder yes to that.

My verdict:

A passing and recommended mark of 4.5/5.

In Review: Puss in Boots

Puss in Boots, Chris Miller, Dreamworks (2011)

The Gist

Nothing as charming, inventive, or groundbreaking as the original Shrek or Shrek 2, but Puss in Boots has its own brand of charm that will make you sit through an hour and a half, laughing silly over screwed up fairy tales and Spanish-accented cats who can put up a good swordfight.

The Good

• charming storyline
• great 3D animation
• witty lines and comedy without overusing slapstick

The Bad

• it's your typical Dreamworks animated film: funny, a bit charming, but not completely "there"

Synopsis

Prior to the events of Shrek 2, we meet Puss in Boots, a suave and charming outlaw slash "swordscat," out swashbuckling and running from the law. On one of his sojourns, he heard that the murderous lovers "Jack and Jill" have the mythical magic beans that he has been looking all his life. In an attempt to steal, Puss meets Kitty Softpaws and an old friend Humpty Dumpty who connive with him to perform the greatest heist in the times of yore. Unknown to Puss, old wounds run deep, and what seems like the heist of the century is about to turn into something unexpected.

Catfights and Spotlights

Latino / Latina cats in the land of screwed up English fairy tales are not far from happening, and when you have those, you expect showmanship no less, and well, gladly, Banderas and Hayek deliver (or rather the animation department does). What made me think, really, is why Dreamworks chose to make a movie about Puss. Surely, Puss is adorable and was a scene-stealer in Shrek 2--what with his cute kitty eyes trick that has managed to recur in this film still to a great comic effect--but the Shrek franchise has gone so passe that one can help but wonder, "is this just another effort to milk the green cow?" Luckily for Puss in Boots, that is not the case, though I now fear an inferior sequel to ruin everything that the first movie was.

A Cat's Tale

Maybe I am growing too old to be as fascinated as the 15 year old me who saw the first Shrek movie and had fun with how they reworked the fairy tale characters. Puss in Boots is enjoyable, for sure. But it's nothing groundbreaking as the first two Shrek movies.

On the plus side, great voice acting as usual from Dreamworks. There are some winning moments and witty ones that deserve praise, and some that don't really feel all too well, but there's more of the former than the latter. The animation is also solid and polished and the 3D made it shine. The script is also good, though a tad bit predictable as the story progresses, which, as you seat through the movie, will make you think that you really are an adult to be watching this.

And I think that's the problem with Puss in Boots. It does not have the charm of say, "Toy Story 3," or the affection of "How to Train Your Dragon" to warrant you not feeling too old for a movie like this. Sure it is rife with comedy, sure it is delightful, sure you'd wanna finish it and not feel ripped off after, but it does not have the oomph you wish it had. Then again, you probably knew that from the beginning and you're not too expectant by the time you're in the movie house, anyways. So what gives, just sit and enjoy.

My verdict:

A passing mark of 3.25/5.

Food Review: Haiku

Sushi Maki Plate

Teriyaki Donburi

Total repletion

Not exactly the best haiku ever written, but if there's any restaurant as poetic as a 17-syllabled poem, it would be, er, Haiku, located in Greenbelt 3.

Specifics

Location: Greenbelt 3 below cinema level
Cuisine: Fusion Japanese (as listed in clickthecity)
Type of Service: Casual
Target Market: Mostly Japanese due to near authenticity of the dish
Budget: 450 pesos / head, roughly around $7 a meal, $9 if you order appetizers / drinks.

Customer Experience
I read that an average New Yorker meal costs around $7. This is my measuring stick when choosing a restaurant. That is, if the price of a meal in that restaurant is above $7, then I file it under "expensive" and avoid it until there is an actual occasion for it (think birthdays or proposals, no?). Thankfully, Haiku managed to enter the $7/meal bracket, and come to think of it, Italianni's is actually more expensive.

So a casual eat-out and try-this-old-resto-sitting-there-forever-but-we-don't-really-wanna-try-it-out thing has to be had and I invited a friend to tag along to try out more stuff.

One thing I can say about the service is that they're friendly and prompt. The thing with Haiku is that you never need any reservations to eat here. Just walk in and eat.

We've had traditional Japanese dishes mainly as as my friend has it, "if they can cook the basic stuff, well, then they can cook the experimental / fusion ones better." So yep, that means we ordered Katsudon (Har har) and Japanese chicken curry. We also had a platter of their All Maki Platter, which sets you off at an incredibly low price of 299. 16 pieces of Maki, man such deal! 

And what can I say about the food? Delightful.

(I just have to take a mental note that for the last few days I've been eating out with friends, I always end up finishing my rice and they don't. It makes me feel fat and maybe I should watch out my own rice intake, really. Mental note down.)

The Katsudon is just perfect, the meat tender and the rice that they paired it with is the perfect Japanese kind of sticky. The curry was a bit on the spicy side, which I like but my system tends to disagree with as almost as short as 3 minutes into the curry, sweat beaded up on my forehead. The Maki platter has 16 pieces of maki, 4 Spicy Tuna, 4 Tempura, 4 California, 2 Salmon, and 2 Tuna makis, this is something 4 people can split. You couldn't go wrong with it, although at the end of it, I kind of wish we did some more experimenting and not stick with the basic Japanese. Maybe some other time.

Ambiance
Haiku is not particularly noisy at the time we were in and the air-conditioning is just proper. The lighting is a bit dim, suggesting that it be for more formal or romantic gatherings. My main gripe with Haiku is how unfinished their ceiling is, which is counter-intuitive to their beautiful furnishing. Also, the CR. Why is there no CR in there? The nearest CR is outside Haiku, near the escalators to the cinema level. This is inconvenient, especially with dates, as ladies often want to freshen up after dining.

Verdict
I would like to be cheeky and hand out a verdict in 17 syllables, but the exercise above already told me that I suck at writing haikus. Good thing, eating one is not that hard.

Service - 4
Product - 4
Ambiance - 3

3.7 out of 5

Food Review: Bubble Tea

Bubble Tea at SM Megamall

Well, well, well, we meet again Bubble Tea, my first milk tea love. What separates Bubble Tea from all the other tea stops is that they're no noob in the Philippine market. They've been in Manila for more than a year and the fact that they managed to raise their prices all the while expanding and retaining their customer base is by far no simple feat. Back in 2009, their Large (which is actually medium in Serenitea) Royal Milk Tea is priced at 80 pesos, and their most expensive milk tea, the Coffee Milk Tea (which I have not tried!) sits comfortably at 100 pesos. Came late 2010, the prices got jacked up to flat 115/125 for regular and medium prices respectively across all the milk tea drinks. What turned me off with this move is the fact that I used to buy this stuff for 80 bucks, why should I pay 125 for it when its virtually the same? And with price in the equation, is Bubble Tea worth your money? Read more below.

Specifics

Location: Megamall, Building A, Lower Ground near food court (other locations: SM North EDSA, Tomas Morato)

Concoctions: Milk Tea, Tea, Milk Tea Slush, Japanese Food

Type of Service: Casual Dining

Target Market: Yuppies, Tea Drinkers, Chinese

Price Range: 115 to 150 pesos

Customer Experience

Compared to other tea stops that propose Chinese authenticity, Bubble Tea claims Japanese origin. The servers will greet you, "Irrashaimase!" once you step in and offer you their menu. What I loved about Bubble Tea is they improved their customer service after their price increase a year ago. The waitresses are always smiling and the new casual dining system just makes everything work more easily. You sit and no longer need to fall in line. Very convenient. The downside to this is that expect to pay more. For instance, the Royal Milk Tea you get here will set you off at 125 pesos, where as you get a (very) Large Earl Grey Milk Tea at Gong Cha with triple Js for the same amount. Kind of feels like ripping you off if you look at it that way. I asked the manager of Bubble Tea why their tea is more expensive than others and I was offered the explanation of the casual dining system and that their ingredients are imported from Japan. Besides, their tea comes with pearls by default so that shouldn't be so bad, though would have been better if you are given the option to throw those out and have pudding instead, right?

The star of Bubble Tea's menu

Service is quite fast. The waitresses won't make you wait long before your order is served.  Food is almost often served as fast as the drink you ordered. One misgiving I have is that often when you order a drink, they would miss giving you tissue. Yep. They sometimes miss, so if you're particular with that as I am, I suggest you always pay attention because the moment you start drinking that milk tea, you might forget about everything else.

Offerings

I've practically tried everything in Bubble Tea's menu, save for the Coffee Milk Tea which is just confusing (I mean coffee and tea in one?) and the hot teas. The Green teas I didn't spare either, though there's something so acidic about their Apple Green Tea that makes my stomach crunch with pain at the end of each medium-sized cup.

Taro Milk Tea

At this rate of familiarity, it is safe to say that it's hard to go wrong with Bubble Tea. Their Royal Milk Tea is just that: Royal. The milk and the tea just mixed right and not a hint too strong or too weak. It's like drinking something so refined, you can't tell the ingredients apart. The Royal Milk Tea is the base of all their other milk tea drinks and since it is good, every product derived from it is also good. Though, I tend to disagree with the Japanese Green Milk Tea, it's just not a good fusion. Royal, Taro, Strawberry, Chocolate, Almond, Jasmine, Honeydew Melon, you can practically have one everyday. As for their Cold teas, you can go Apple, Strawberry, Lemon, Yocca (Yogurt green tea), and Peach, all are terrific! Their milkshakes are good, too.

I haven't asked if we can remove the bubbles from the tea, but I guess you could. I once ate there with a friend who disliked the bubbles (tapioca pearls, that is), but we missed the chance of having them taken out. As far as I know, you can tweak the sugar level and even add pudding or vanilla ice cream (but seriously, vanilla ice cream?).

The Seafood Korokke, 5 pcs of potato balls with microscopic seafood in them, priced at 135. Can you believe that before it's only 60 bucks and does not go with that icky salad?

The best thing perhaps about Bubble Tea is that you can also order savory. They have dishes, Japanese Fusion dishes, ranging from Maki and Sushi, to baked rice melts. I thoroughly enjoy their Chicken Teriyaki Doria and their Curry plates, which comes with a side salad--which I don't eat!

The tea taste and the savory dishes just makes Bubble Tea one of the tea stops to beat in my list.

Competition
It's hard to really pin down who Bubble Tea is competing with directly. Their price point is way out of everyone's league, except maybe perhaps for Saint's Alp. You can perhaps think Bubble Tea is competing with Teriyaki Boy, which they edge out on by offering the current fad--Milk Tea. Then again if it's just milk tea and milk tea we're talking about, Bubble Tea is in a bit of a difficult position. Their prices are too steep compared to say Gong Cha or Serenitea. Happy Lemon is another story as Happy Lemon's milk tea offerings are, well, questionable at best, compared to Bubble Tea. Cha Time is of no concern, I already dubbed it as the "tea place to go to when there's just nothing else," and almost everyone I know agrees with me on that.

The Black Tea with Japanese Cream Cheesecake. I say, yum!

The good thing about Bubble Tea is that with these new competitors (milk tea stops), they made new products like the Yocca Green Tea (which is yogurt on your green tea, which is really good, and the Japanese Cream Cheesecake drinks (their version of Happy Lemon's rock salt and cheese), but where as the competition has "drinkable cheese," theirs is more of ready for the scooping. Yep. Stubborn as an ice cream, that cheese, though it's really good and pricey (135 bucks for a large cup).

Verdict
So like an estranged lover, I went back to Bubble Tea after trying all these other tea stops. Taste for taste, nothing beats these folks. Their service is also good and well beyond reproach. But with price in play, you would think twice. A similar tasting Earl Grey can be purchased at Gong Cha for a relatively lower price, so why bother paying 125? Then again, if I am in Megamall and it's fancy Milk Tea that I want, well, I know where to go.

Service - 4
Product - 5
Ambiance - 3.5


4.17 out of 5 stars.