Lake House and Il Mare

I am a sucker for love stories. I love reading a book or watching a movie about a great love story as they always make me feel better. I also almost always end up having a crush on the male protagonists in the story. Anyway, I just want to share two of the most beautiful love stories I have seen – Lakehouse and Il Mare. The story is interesting and magical because of the concept of time travel. Others may find it boring though. 


 IL Mare 




The Korean film Il Mare stars Jun Ji-hyun and Lee Jung-jae was released in 2000. I saw this just a few weeks ago and I find it better than the Hollywood version. Il mare is sadder though and has more silent moments that others may find tiresome.



  

The Lake House 


The Hollywood version -The Lake House was released in 2006 and stars Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock. One noted difference of this version from the original is the ending. I prefer the ending of this version.

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Not So Cool Book Review

I have a blog post about Fifty Shades of Grey e-book and I have declared that I am actually giving away free ebook copies of it. However it doesn't mean that I love the book. I have read the book up until the 10th chapter then I realized that reading it is a waste of time. I have wanted to put the book down in the middle after Chapter 1 but I have given it too many benefits of the doubt. I hate the concept and I hate the writing. And I don't even find it erotic. I have compared it to Mills and Boons and Harlequin but i think those books are even better. The idea of a sadist 

I am so disappointed because I have great expectations. I also don't understand why 50 Shades is actually breaking record in terms of sales. I think the reason why it has become a bestseller is because of people buying it out of curiosity.

 

MO

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Turning 30

This post is not new- it was written years ago before my 30th birthday. I just stumbled upon it tonight and was amazed at my thoughts then. Turning 30 is quite a big deal then. I just want to post it here in my blog.

30 long years! God…it’s quite scary when I think about it and more so as I write about it. It’s funny how I seem to cringe at the thought of its impending and inevitable reality. I’ll be 30 in a few hours and as I struggle to believe that it will just be another birthday, there is something about the number that feels like I am starting over a new phase. I feel like I am leaving something behind and moving on to the next level. I ponder - am I finally about to leave my comfort zone?  Am I ready to face the real world?

One of the most important realizations I have is that life is mysterious and magical and that no matter how you prepare for it, many things still leave us unprepared. It is amazing how you turn 1 with a bang but you are clueless. Often than not, a huge party is arranged and your parents will bring you to a portrait studio to have your picture taken. You are unaware, uncaring of what is going on yet even so, you managed to look nice in your one-year old picture, right? After a few years, you turn 7 and are just grateful for the gifts and the celebration. Then you turn 12, very excited and impatient to be 13…as you believe it is when high school and the fun start. Then you turn 16, life’s a breeze and everything’s easy. Age 21 comes and you are quite sad that your teenage years are physically over but in your mind are wondering why you still feel 15. You dread age 25; because you feel that you should have something to boast of by now. Yet when year 25 comes, you still feel like 15 and still feel so unaccomplished. Suddenly you are about to turn 30 and all you can think of is that you have probably spent half of your lifetime.
Can’t remember when I stopped getting excited for my birthday. I mean time comes when you don’t really count the years because it is a bit scary to realize that you have been here too long but feels like you hardly noticed it. All those years have come and gone so fast, you long for a rewind, a repeat performance. But one can never return and can even pretend that some things never happened or existed.
Thankfully, I can say that before I turn 30, I have a few accomplishments to boast, learned a lesson or two, and have seen and experienced quite a bit of what this world has to offer. My life is far from perfect and I have not really followed the so-called right path. But at least I will turn 30 carrying my wonderful plans and dreams for the many years to come in my life. My journey is just starting and I intend to experience more of what this world can offer.

I think being 30 sort of scared me because in a lot of ways as it seems that the years just roll but I remain the same. It is funny because I am certain that after 10 years when I turn 40, I will start wishing I am 30. Oh we make life so complicated!

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Old Movie Reviews: Tangled and Black Swan

 I was arranging and deleting old files in my laptop tonight and happen to saw these old writings that I intend to publish in this blog. The blog posts are almost done and only needs a bit of editing but for some reason, I forgot to post it. I can’t just delete these files so I decided to post them here anyway even if they are very very late. Please pardon me for these super late movie reviews and blog posts.

Tangled Review

Tangled Review: Golden Hair and Flying Lanterns

I was lucky to win a pair of invites to the red carpet premiere of this new Disney movie so last Thursday my husband and I went to Mall of Asia to watch this movie. My invites was given by 96.3 Easy Rock as I am a member of their Facebook fan page and won by being one of the first commenters.

It was a rainy night and traffic was bad but we managed to arrive on time for the show. There are just a few people and most have free invites too. I think only a few people are willing to pay for a premier night event nowadays unless it’s a local film and celebrities will be present.

The good thing about this movie premier is that the movie is shown in Digital 3D and attendees were able to meet the jocks of easyrock. There were fun games and cool prizes before the show starts.

As for the movie, I have low expectations because Rapunzel is not one of my favorite fairytales. The Rapunzel book I have read as a child had a somewhat sad ending.

Surprisingly, Tangled is a must-see. The movie is funny and somewhat refreshing. The movie was successful in presenting the side of Rapunzel that desires true freedom. The reason why Rapunzel stayed with the witch for so long in an isolated tower is also explained. I especially love the part about the flying lanterns. It was so cute (especially in 3D) and wish to experience something like that in real life. The animators of the film did a good job as I can really feel the emotions of the characters. I find Rapunzel gorgeous. I envy her long golden hair.

I recommend this film to those who wants to watch a movie to relax and feel good.

The movie is cute and light - I loved it. Even my husband who loves action movies was moved by the story. It was a great movie-date- a perfect way to end a stressful day at work.

Black Swan: Beauty and Madness

I was able to watch “Black Swan” before it was shown in the cinemas and before the Golden Globe Awards so I deeply regret that this review is late. I got to watch it because a friend downloaded a copy of it on the net.

I requested it for a copy because I have always been a fan of Natalie Portman and because I am intrigued by the number of nominations the film got in Oscars.

I watched the movie with limited knowledge of the plot so it left me intrigued most of the time. The movie is crazy- I mean it will make you feeling crazy.

The movie shows what goes on in the mind of the main character so it is hard to decipher which events are imagined and which are true. Thankfully, it is not as complex as the movie “Inception.”

But I am so impressed with Natalie Portman’s dancing skills and her acting- she clearly deserves the best actress award.

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Home Decors and Housekeeping

My husband and I have been looking at interior designs of different houses in magazines and catalogs because we are slowly buying furniture and home decors for our house in Cavite. One thing I notice is how seemingly simple objects such as rugs, carpets and curtains can make a huge difference in a house interior.

Carpets are great house accessories because it is flexible, functional and stylish. You can hang it on a wall or you can just let it lie on the floor and it is already an interesting piece in a living room or bedroom. When we went to the mall to inquire about carpets- I find it not surprising at all that some carpets can be very expensive.

Of course, one thing that we take into consideration when buying stuff is if it is easy to clean. Carpets, curtains and other home decors only look good when it’s clean. So when it becomes dirty or dusty, I hope that the cleaning process would not be so complicated and difficult especially since I don’t have much time to do serious cleaning in Cavite. I sure hope there is also an eco-friendly rug cleaner new york here that can make housekeeping faster and less hassle. That rug cleaner that is available in New York would surely make housekeeping and house decorating much more fun and easy.

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Schedule of Japanese Eiga Sai Filmfest 2012 at Shangrila

 The 2012 Eiga Sai (Japanese Film Festival) is set to happen on July 6-15 at the Shangrila Plaza Mall in Edsa, Mandaluyong City.

 

Admission is free but the seats are limited. Movie goers are advised to be at the cinema at least 30 minutes before the movie schedule because they give out tickets around that time. There is usually a long line so it pays to be early.

 

The complete lineup:

 

Villain. Fukatsu Eri plays sales clerk Mitsuyo, a woman on the run with a murderer.

 

PEAK: The Rescuers. An adventure film and drama based on the popular comics by Ishizuka Shinichi, following the story of Sanpo, who volunteers as a mountain rescuer in the Northern Alps after having conquered the world's famous peaks.

 

Railways. Businessman Hajime, who is in line to be the head of a prominent electronics company, instead returns home after his mother falls ill and his best friend is killed in an accident. There he revisits his childhood dream of becoming a train conductor.

 

Happy Flight. Set onboard Flight No. 1980 bound for Honolulu from Japan, which is forced to head back to Japan due to technical failures and must be landed in the face of an approaching typhoon.

 

Tomorrow's Joe. An exciting live adaptation of Takamori Asao and Chiba Tetsuya's eponymous comic, regarded as a brilliant feat in Manga history. The story revolves around two boxing rivals—a recruit from the slums and a professional fighter—who engage in a fierce battle that will determine both their fates.

 

In His Chart. A medical drama based on the debut novel of Natsukawa Sosuke. An eye-opening glimpse into Japan's healthcare issues in its provinces, the film follows the growth of young doctor Ichito, who encounters terminal cancer patient Azumi and questions the very existence of medicine.

 

Colorful. An animated sci-fi and fantasy film showing what happens to a deceased soul that was transferred into the body of high school boy Kobayashi Makoto, who just committed suicide. With Kobayashi's body regaining life, the soul inhabits him and journeys deeper into the boy's story, eventually uncovering the truth behind the suicide.

 

Abacus and Sword. A family drama and film adaptation of Isoda Michifumi's book chronicling life in the final days of the Tokugawa shogunate from the household accounts of a low-ranking samurai.

 

Ninja Kids. A live action adaptation of Amako Soubei's well-loved ninja action manga, following the comical slapstick antics of a group of boys who are elite ninjas-in-training. In this film, the spotlight is on Ninja Academy first grader Rantaro and friends and fellow students Shinbee and Kirimaru as they commit constant blunders in school.

 

Permanent Nobara. A love story for grown-ups based on the popular manga series of the same title by Saibara Rieko. Naoko returns home with her young daughter, where her mother runs a beauty parlor and local women go there to lament their bad luck with men and laugh over dirty jokes. However, unbeknownst to them, Naoko has been secretly seeing her former teacher Kashima.

 

Schedule of Japanese Filmfest 2012 Schedule

 

July 6 (Friday)

2:00 pm: Railways

4:30 pm: Permanent Nobara

7:00 pm: Peak: The Rescuers

 

July 7 (Saturday)

2:00 pm: Ninja Kids

4:30 pm; Tomorrow's Joe

7:00 pm: Happy Flight

 

July 8 (Sunday)

2:00 pm: Colorful

4:30 pm: In His Chart

7:00 pm: Abacus and Sword

 

July 9 (Monday)

2:00 pm: Peak: The Rescuers

4:30 pm: Railways

7:00 pm: Villain

 

July 10 (Tuesday)

2:00 pm: Happy Flight

4:30 pm: Tomorrow's Joe

7:00 pm: Colorful

 

July 11 (Wednesday)

2:00 pm: Ninja Kids

4:30 pm: Permanent Nobara

7:00 pm: In His Chart

 

July 12 (Thursday)

2:00 pm: Abacus and Sword

4:30 pm: Railways

7:00 pm: Villain

 

July 13 (Friday)

2:00 pm: Tomorrow's Joe

4:30 pm: Happy Flight

7:00 pm: Peak: The Rescuers

 

July 14 (Saturday)

2:00 pm:  Permanent Nobara

4:30 pm: Ninja Kids

7:00 pm: In His Chart

 

July 15 (Sunday)

2:00 pm: Abacus and Sword

4:30 pm: Colorful

7:00 pm: Villain

 

For showtimes and inquiries on Eiga Sai Film Festival, contact 633-7851 loc. 113 or log on to www.shangrila-plaza.com.

MO

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Fifty Shades of Grey Free E-Book

As I am writing this, I am currently reading an e-book of Fifty Shades of Grey, a bestselling novel from E.L .James. I heard about the book from my officemates who were then trying to look for a copy. I got curious so I asked an officemate who seems to have a talent in downloading files to search and download it for me. He really is talented because less than an hour passed and I already have a free PDF copy of the whole trilogy.

I want to read it out curiosity. I have no idea about the book when I started reading it but I heard that it is soon going to be made into a movie. Then I heard that it is an erotic book. Well, I am currently just in the middle of Chapter One and so far, the plot is interesting enough. I haven’t gotten to the intimate parts yet and I see nothing out of the ordinary; it is a typical boy meets girl story for now. The character of the male protagonist is very intriguing. Christian Grey is described as very wealthy and very handsome- quite godly. The book kinds of remind me of Harlequin Romances and Mills and Boons and I am still reading it because I want to see how it is different from romance novels. I heard there is an unexpected twist to the story in the end.

The other day, I read a story in Yahoo about Fifty Shades of Grey breaking records in terms of sales. For those who want a copy of the e-book, I would be glad to give you a copy; just leave your email ad in the comment box below.

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