The Last Stand

I just watched the X-Men 3rd installment.

It was ok. Heh, I'm not a critic so I can't really say it more eloquently than that. But I'll do my best to expound on why I said it was "ok".

The main plot of the movie was a good choice. Like always, the X-Men franchise seeks to makes it's readers/viewers think about how something simple as a "cure" for mutation might be viewed with depredation. It's just a shame, however, that everything had to be squeezed in to a 2 hour movie; foregoing the characterization comics delve into to make everything mean something by the time the climax happens.

Ian McKellen reprises his role as Magneto. Although I've always seen this particular villain as robust, I am quite impressed with how the actor portrays him with such intensity. And his age somewhat enhances his menace.

Patrick Stewart plays Professor X with almost the same intensity. The reason I say so is because he gets killed off half-way into the movie. Thus, limiting what could have been a great role. I also found his I-don't-have-anything-to-explain-to-you very realistic and human. I've always pictured him to be upstanding and honorable. What I didn't know was how his choices showed his integrity and strength.

I have never been certain Hugh Jackman was the right choice for Wolverine. Namely because he's too...good-looking for the role. I am glad, however, that they made him more true to the comic book character by turning him into a fighter who isn't afraid to sink his claws into his enemies.

Halle Berry as Storm acted more of a mirror for Wolverine's I-don't-give-damn attitude; she was the clear-headed one in the team with Cyclops unable to perform the duties of a team leader. But her role seemed unnecessary as everyone was working together. Her reaction to the cure was...lacking in depth. I didn't feel there was any reason for her to get too upset over it.

Famke Janssen who plays Jean Grey/Phoenix ended up staring weirdly and crying most of the time. They could have given her more dialogue but the Dark Phoenix storyline was just a side plot. Which is a shame as they could have used it to further exemplify why the cure is so important.

We also see some other familiar faces such as Iceman, Rogue, Colossus and Shadow Cat. Of the young X-men, Kitty Pride grabbed my attention. Not because she was cute (hehehe!), but because her performance was unexpectedly refreshing. I wonder if they'll make a movie with her in the starring role.

So what did I get from watching the movie? I found the younger versions of Magneto and Professor X quite amusing; they managed to hide all those wrinkles well. I feel the death of Cyclops and Proefessor X was unfair and yet quite apt, since comics tend to make it seem plausible for anyone rise from the dead. Overall, it was a good cure for a boring day off as not only did I enjoy the movie, it got me to write this blog article.

Due for a Nervous Breakdown

I was on my home the other day when I realized how unstable I've become. I think I'm due for an explosion. Figuratively, speaking of course. It's just that I've felt like a ticking time-bomb waiting to happen. That morning, I shouted at a bus driver when he didn't stop at the corner and brought me across the street some distance away. Okay, maybe I didn't shout at him. I may have raised my voice and made a snide comment without looking. But that's not like me.

I've been worried about how angry I can become lately. I don't show any visible signs, certainly not outbursts like the one I mentioned above. But I find it disconcerting that I feel so easily triggered now by people's stupidity. I can imagine myself beating the shit out of people for the slightest provocation and feeling good about it. I'm trying to remember if this has happened before. It has, I'm sure of it. I can remember the feeling leading up to the explosion but not what happened in the explosion itself.

Maybe I shouldn't be carrying that bottle of mace...

Fiction, fiction, fiction!

I've seen the movie...so what's the big fuss? Almost every conservative group is all but heralding the end of the world with this movie. I enjoyed the 2 hours and 20 minutes I sat in the air-conditioned darkness with my mother and brother. It was well worth the P110 I shelled out for each of us. Neither of them felt their faith in God waiver, just the one in their fellow movie-goers for not getting the plot hooks and ideas quickly enough.

I really hate the idea there are some groups out there who think it is in their best interest to judge what I can or cannot watch. They act as if they know me and what's good for me. I also find it amusing how these same groups say that the common man won't fall for Dan Brown's heretical theories but "we don't want the movie shown because it might give the wrong impression."

Ha! To me, if your faith is that easily shaken, then you may be better off losing it there instead of on Judgement Day. And if you manage to renew it because of the movie, good for you.

It's not that hard to imagine men (not the Church, mind you) of performing the acts Dan Brown mentioned in his story. The Church may have been ordained by Christ, but it is still earthly institution ruled over by human beings. And human beings can be just as cruel as they are are generous, especially if they believe that they are doing God's will. If you don't believe me, you may want to do your research on something called the Inquisition.

The church is not perfect. It knows this because at every mass, the priest is heard to say these simple words:

"Look not on our sins, but on the faith of your Church."

Because if God did the opposite, I think we would all be looking something worse than getting sunburns and sunstrokes.

Baguio 2006

I know, I know, I owe you an update. I've been putting it off for the reasons I stated below; laziness and exhaustion is a bad combination. Also, somethings happened that I can't really talk about. I know that a blog is supposed to be a way for me to let people know what's going on in my life. But the fact is, there are somethings I won't talk about. And no, not everything that's happened to me is...unfortunate. Let's just say I don't kiss and tell.

But my recent trip to Baguio has given me an opportunity to jumpstart this blog once again. Yep, I have finally gone back to Baguio after 23(?) years. I stayed away from excursions for the simplest reason that they were too much trouble. But I didn't have a choice this time around as my dad came home from the US to spend time with us.



We left in the morning of April 28 on a Toyota Altis from Budget. We decided to rent a car as we didn't think our Honda City would be able to handle the steep climb.



It proved to be a mixed blessing. Normally, you would take a bus to Baguio. To go around, you'd need to ride a taxi or take long walks between sites. Which would have taken too long and too much effort. Not to mention expensive. So it was a good thing we decided to go there with our own car.



Trouble was, Baguio has gotten pretty crowded as of late. I don't know if it was the days we decided to go there or just me, but the place was packed! People and cars were everywhere! If it wasn't for the foggy weather and cool climate, I'd have thought I was in Quiapo!



Which is a shame, really. To think of this place no different from dirty and crowded streets of one of Manila's oldest districts is kind of harsh but that's the impression I got as I travelled from tourist site to tourist site. One of our first stop was Baguio Cathedral.



It was a hard climb from Session Road. It took a while for us to reach the church which was about sixty steps up. That's another thing you'll notice about Baguio. Every site you go to seems to have a stairway attached to it. After the first day, I felt my feet ache and my calf muscles bulge. Good exercise but I could do without the palpitation.



Our next stop was Burnham Park. One thing I will say is that this park is well-used. Everyone in Baguio must have gone through here at least once. Either to sit on the grass, ride a bike or take a boat on the lake. I walked around it and was glad to note that the plants were thriving.



There were a lot of flowers which I took pictures of. I'm hoping to assemble a photo essay/album of sorts. I'll let you know when that's finished. In any case, if there is one thing I can say about Baguio, tis that it has the best collection of flowers in this country.



I can't really say what turned Baguio into what it is now. My brother says it's because it has become "too accessible." Since anyone who owns a relatively good vehicle can travel to Baguio, just about everyone comes here. SO not only must you contend with crowds, there's the possibility of choking on air pollution.



I guess if I had to point to one culprit, it would be this one:




I don't think Baguio has ever been the same since they erected an SM Mall at the top of Session Road. To me, this is one building that the city could use without. I suppose it's unfair for me say so as malls often make it very convenient for people to get what they want.

I've noticed that the Starbucks epidemic has infected nearly all the fast food chains; there's at least another outlet within a stone's throw away. Sheesh!

We visited some rather unique sites such as the Mansion, which serves as the President's vacation retreat and guest house. It's too bad we couldn't go inside. We just stuck around the front of it and took some pictures.



In front of the Mansion was Wright Park. Like Burnham, there were a lot of people and just about as many vendors who sold anything from plants to "samurai swords." One vendor even tried to pass it off as the "number one souvenir of Baguio." Yeah, right, and I'm the King of France. Did I tell you that it had a flashlight attached to it's hilt?



We also visited Cap John Hay. No, you read that right. CAP John Hay, not CAMP John Hay. Why they took out the M, I do not know. But that's how it was advertised in the posters around the place. What Cap is supposed to mean is beyond me either. I suppose they want to distinguish it from what it was before - a US base and golf resort.



We visited this place a total of 4 times. Namely because we never really knew what was inside of it until we went around exploring. Other than the gold course, the place has a Commisary. Here, there were several different restaurants. It's a shame we didn't get to try all of them. But one that we frequented (twice) was the Mile Hi Diner. It's a little pricey if you're on a tight budget but the food is good and the helpings are bigger than what you'd expect.



My friend Andre recommended we visit the Pet Semetary. It was actually a Negativism Cemetery. Interred within were all the negative thoughts that have plagued man. It was...ok. The idea behind it was actually pretty good. I still don't think it was worth the thirty pesos entrance fee.



There was also the Bell House, a museum dedicated to the man who oversaw camp John Hay for a time. It's an old house with old furnishings. You could pretty much smell the musk.



I went from room to room taking pictures. It wasn't really because I was interested in what "life" was like back in the 1930s. I was more interested in finding spooks captured in the shots. No such luck though. To be honest, the place felt...empty. As if no ghost thought of it as worth haunting. Oh, well.



Most sites in Baguio can be divided into two types: religious or historical. Our next stop was the former. The Grotto of Lourdes, constructed and maintained by Jesuits, had a stairway of around 150 steps. People would climb it as a pilgrimage and pray to Mary at the top. I took it in a slow pace, resting at each platform before moving on to the next one.



We also went to PMA. Unfortunately, there was no parade that day so we just wandered around the place. We took pictures of the relics on display as the exhibits and buildings. One thing I can say about the military is their commitment to maintaining order. I'm glad to see that the grounds were clean and free of trash. I can only hope the rest of Baguio was the same.



Our last stop was La Trinidad Valley. A friend of mine recommended we go strwberry picking. The unfortunate part was that we didn't find the strawberry field itself. Also, we were informed that the fields had already been picked clean. Ah, well. At least we were able to buy fresh vegetables and strawberry wine.



And that's how our 4-day trip went. If I sound disappointed, I'm not. I'm glad I was able to make this trip and see the sites. More importantly, I was able to do it with my whole family. I have my father to thank for that.



I hope you enjoyed this small trip through Baguio with me.