Matandang Dalaga

I love films and every now and then, when I have nothing to write or when I remember or just saw a really good film, I'll write about must see foreign films. This week, it is SWAY. When Takeru (Joe Odagiri), a high profile and successful photographer in Tokyo, returns home to his mother’s funeral, he reunites with two important people in his life. Minoru (Teruyuki Kagawa), his elder brother who stayed behind   to care for their parents and run their small family business and Chieko (Yōko Maki), Takeru’s ex-girlfriend with whom he broke up with when he decided to pursue a career in Tokyo. His return brings feelings of regrets, envy and resentment none of the three characters knew ever existed. Takeru was also surprised to learn that Minoru had feelings for Chieko.  Detachment from their Roots  Takeru's return highlights how he has become so detached from his roots. His leather jacket, strategically disheveled hair and dominantly black ensemble made h...

Does looks matter? Common humanity will dictate that it shouldn't. However, age has this unbelievable capacity to turn a huge amount of one's childhood idealism to brutal practicality. I've been in a long-term relationship. We never lived together but after a three years, I started seeing how "he really looked like". After a while, I started seriously contemplating whether I want his genes in my future children. Given that we weren't exactly blessed in that department, the worst thing I can do is mix my mediocre physical looks genes with a below average physical looks genes. My future children has no way to go. Either way their genes swing, they have not much of  future in that department. Earning A Lot More Than The Guy, Is It Really Not An Issue? I can hear people saying beauty is the eye of the beholder. While that is true to a certain extent, that's also also a lot of bull to a huge extent.

Who wouldn't be 30 single and depressed with this kind of freakin' family? I swear this family is designed to kill its members. It's bad enough that one of our nieces got pregnant at 15 making us all grandmother and grandfathers well into our early 20s. It was horrendous, I contemplated disowning her. Last Christmas, I told the family I was going to leave soon and asked my nieces and nephews to not get pregnant before I leave. I just don't want to personally see another baby born into the family that isn't mine before I leave. Read about the story on how I became a grandmother.  Considering 711 sells condoms 24/7, I was confident they'd agree to my request. Apparently, my request seems impossible to grant because another niece is pregnant. What the fuc% is wrong with the women in our family? Can't you just make a detour in 711 and buy one of those Php20 a piece condoms? There are ones with flavors, you know? You can chew the gaddum effin' godfo...

I've never had a traffic ticket but there have been a number of times when I actually have come close but, obviously, I was able to get away from each of them. Here are some tricks that I use. 1) Beg The one thing that women have and men doesn't is the ability to beg for mercy while being cute. Blame it on the chromosomes but it's just how it is. We can beg and look pitiful while we maintain some cuteness. Believe me, I'm the last person you will call cute but when the need arises, the guddam cute DNA surfaces.

My bestfriend's first born was baptized last weekend. I was a godmother once again. I have always had more male friends than female friends but but I've always had more female office mates than males. While with my college friends, I realized that only half of the group is married. The rest are still single, voluntarily or accidentally. Back in the advertising agency where I worked for 7 years, less than half of the women are married and most of them were in their late 30s. Click here to read "In my next relationship, I promise I will..." Most of our female bosses were either married or separated but the lower ranking ones are mostly single. It was the same with the other company I worked for. What is even more interesting is that most married women, especially those that have been married long, tells us all that they would never undo the marriage because they got their children out of it but, objectively, marriage is something they can live without. In fact, ...

I wonder how this concept of  "God gives the greatest test to his strongest soldiers" works? I'm not saying it's not true, I'm just... puzzled at the whole concept. Is it right to "test" your partner's love or fidelity? In fact, I wonder how much truth there is in all these concept of God testing his people. I understand how God the Father then tested Abraham and asked him to sacrifice his son. I don't want to start asking questions about the accuracy of the story but assuming it is true, had God not evolved in how He treats his people now? I mean, if God was to appear before me and I have full certainty He is God, I will most likely do everything He asked mo do anything, I will do it because He is God. To quote the Priest: If I had certainty that there is God, I could take on all the agonies of the world and it will be alright.

A blog entry inspired by the song of LeeSsang of the same title . It's amazing how time can clear your perspective. When I was a kid, I looked at the world and know I can be anything in it. I wanted to be a TV journalist at some point. Then, I wanted to be a Hollywood writer. Then, I wanted to become a natural scientist. Then I had to go to high school and high school is the one place that could bring you so much misery. It was torture and totally inconvenient. Click here to read about how I quit my high paying career in my 30s.  Then college came. First job. Second job.... and before I know it. I was in a high paying job I totally didn't like. I had a house, a car, I was traveling but I was doing something I intentionally avoided for years. Before I know it, I was closer to the benefits of fulfilling my dreams but farther from my dreams.

I've done a lot of stupid thing in my past relationships, haven't we all? But there are things I vow to never again do in my next relationship . 1) I will never be with a guy who is lazy with his work or profession. I don't care what that profession is, for as long as it is legal and moral (for me). I just need him to be a hard worker and smart worker. 2) I will never be with someone who has no passion. 3) I will never be with someone who will make me pay for dates. I know that as the relationship progresses, I will of course give my share and I'm not a leach. I earn my keeps and I've earned my own money since I was 15 but the guy should never rely on me. When we do get married and we hit a bump, then of course we will be partners but while we are going out, I will never pay for him. If he wants me enough, he needs to work hard to provide our future family a decent life .

On my father side, the generation before us has or had solid relationships. There are six of them siblings and all of them are still with their partners. The second one is already a widow, proving true to their wedding vow, 'till death do we part'. It's quite a feat considering life hasn't been easy on them. From childhood 'till much of my college years, one four families were sharing one bathroom and restroom. I don't know how we survived thinking about it now. We were poor and I mean poor. Apparently, the poverty made them stick together even more. "Be worth the mistake." I also know for a fact, some of them weren't completely faithful but I guess people decided to go beyond their limitations to make it work. The result is this, a relatively peaceful lives with their partners now that the "children" are all grown up. Us cousins are all way past our 30s. We have our own lives now and they are left to enjoy the grandchildren and...