CRAZY ABOUT HAIR....

I think it's time to change my hair color and style. I'm sooo bored with my hair right now. I have black brown hair after lightening it using ultra blond hair color last weekend and still it looks black. There is a little bit of light brown when I am in open light though. I went to have my hair cut from my favorite hairstylist last weekend. I am obssesed with my hair ever since i can remember. For the past years I have changed colors and styles and even colored my hair four times in one day (from brown to orange to pale blonde to brown) ... but have not really grown my hair to more than 5 inches, which I am planning to do now - to grow my hair really long. I always have short hairstyle and even had army haircut a lot of times, i think to make myself really look butch... but then sometimes, I look like a bloody lesbian. Right now, my hair exactly looks (not my face) like this! I chose this model since his face closely resembles my face which is a bit oval to round. Three months ago, and for the past years, I always have this clean stylecut especially if i go to work - just imagine with the black brown hair. Which I quickly restyles to this bit trendy look when I go to parties or other social events, my weekend look. And this hairstyle ( a bit darker color though) is what I am trying to achieve. Isn't this so cute, I have seen a lot of asian guys who really look good with this hairsytle.

THE BLOSSOMING OF FILIPINO FILMS

ANG PAGDADALAGA NI MAXIMO OLIVEROS I have been following the journey of this Indie Movie to the film festivals and the movie world via Jessica Zafra's blogsite. Recently it gathered awards in the Berlin Festival and gain approval from other film critics. From the time, I read about it and saw ad photos in the website, I have been wishing for a DVD with English sub. I know that this is gonna be interesting. I am just sooooooo excited. Maybe bec i saw myself as a young Maxi and this reminds me of my first crush. Just awhile ago, I saw a movie clip in TFC channel and it seems to be really funny - as in Maximo was cleaning or arranging the "pinagtulugan" (making up the bed of his crush) while acting like a princess. Hmmm, a lot of gay guys could really relate to this. Write up of the film as follows: Gay, pre-teen Maxi is unquestioning and good-naturedly devoted to his family of small-time criminals. He cleans house for them, cooks for them, washes their underwear, mends their tattered jeans, and, if push comes to shove, covers their tracks for them so they wouldn't get caught. His world revolves around them. That is, until he meets Victor, a principled, idealistic and handsome policeman who inspires him to aim for a better life. The purity of first love is pitted against the squalor and corruption found in the slums of Manila, the setting for Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros (The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros). Maxi befriends Victor and falls in love with him and in the process starts aspiring for a better life which causes Victor to earn the ire of Maxi's family. In the end, Maxi is caught in a love triangle between his family whom he wants to protect and Victor, his first love who is determined to uphold the law in whatever way he can. In his first ever starring role, Nathan Lopez plays the big hearted Maxi while model turned actor JR Valentin play the role of the honest policeman. Though a new comer in the local movie scene, Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros isn’t exactly 14-year old Lopez’s first foray into show biz. He was one of the 25 finalists in the first Star Circle Quest and was recently seen as the deaf and mute kid in the ABS-CBN teleserye “Mga Anghel Na Walang Langit.”Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros was written by Michiko Yamamoto (who wrote the script of the much-awarded Magnifico) and directed by Auraeus Solito. It is the first of two productions from ufo Pictures, a new film company composed of young scriptwriters Yamamoto, Raymond Lee (Milan, Anak), Ned Trespeces (Jologs), Jade Castro (D’Anothers), and Emman dela Cruz (Kailangan Kita and director of the second ufo movie Sarong Banggi due out next year). Even before the movie’s nationwide release, it has already earned acclaim in various film festivals such as Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival 2005, Jury Prize for Best Picture, Best Actor (Nathan Lopez) plus an award for Best Production Design, Montreal World Film Festival 2005, winning the Golden Zenith Award for Best Picture, imagineNative Film Festival 2005 Toronto, bagging the Best Picture Award and nominations at the Asian Festival of First Films 2005 Singapore, for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor (Nathan Lopez).Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros is distributed by ABS-CBN Film Productions (Star Cinema) and will be shown nationwide on November 30, 2005.

YES MATE, YOUR NOKIA BATTERY IS FAKE!

For nearly two months now I have been finding my new Nokia 6270 low on battery every other day - and I have not even used the radio or camera or anything that would probably eat up a lot of power.

Could you imagine going out one day and expecting an important call and all of a sudden your mobile died on you even as you just charged it the other day. Honestly, i am bit frustrated with the mobile - despite all its features which I am not using anyway. I was happy with the previous one (Nokia 6600) although it was a bit bulky and the photos are lower in resolution.

Now, I am seriously thinking and worried that afterall the hassles in buying this mobile in Greenbelt, Manila, that I got a dud. Well, we spend almost two days finding out what is the best model and for the money spent for this it should be the best among the choices. Well, honestly, I only want a radio with the mobile so I only have to charge one equipment (instead of charging an Ipod or an mp3 player). FM radio is fine with me. And this model has a good radio feature in it.

So I went to Telstra and Optus mobile shops to find out what is happening. Only to confirm my suspicion that we do not have this model yet in Australia -( as in we are always late here in terms of mobile tech). Could not help me with anything except to change my charger which has the Aussie electrical plug in it - but basically it is the same as what I have.

Now I am being obssessed charging and charging - and compared with 6600, this one does not beep when it is fully charged - really erriee, as I am used to being beeped so I stop charging it. Have I overcharged my battery?

My next stop was to check the website of Nokia. After reading again all the features ( as I did not bother reading the manual), once could actually check whether the battery is an authentic Nokia battery. Yes, the battery has that golden hologram with logo and hands shaking with four black dots - and then with scratchable ink to reveal 20 digit codes. Came up my response from the online checking - my battery is valid.

So what is wrong with my mobile? Who knows! I would not even bother knowing now as long I could charge it - to solve the problem of persistent low bat - I bought two chargers- one at work and one at home. Well I just have to wait until this year ends and I am going back again to upgrade to a new better model.

So I could say bye to Model 6270, and until the battery stays alive for six or even five days, I definitely not recommending it to friends, despite its glorious features as you can see !

Nokia always recommends the use of original Nokia batteries with Nokia phones to ensure safety, performance, and warranty coverage. To make it easier to identify original Nokia batteries, as of late 2004 we've started adding a coded hologram to them. Please note that during the transition phase, many original Nokia batteries available on the market will not have this hologram. batteries with a Hologram Label Does your Nokia Battery feature a hologram? Now you can authenticate the hologram and code:

TRUE FRIENDS ANYONE?

Today I wasn't in my best of times, as I woke up with a major headache and had to drag myself to the shower fifteen minutes before 8:10 the time I need to go out of our backgate and to the trainstation catching the train at 8:20 in order to be at work at 8:30 or so. Anyway, I thought this is a day that I need to take my sickie but then I am not really sick and I thought that I better reserve this for the really stormy rainy days when I could not really get out of the bed and go to shower to work. (Whewww, that was a long sentence!). Anyway again, I was in deep morose mood and I kept on thinking about negative things - such as all my failures in life, lost friends, lost this and that, what could have beens, what would be the future, etc. etc... and my mind was just like an unending train of thoughts .... and things did not go well either at work, like everything that could go bad went worse and so on, like even my stapler did not staple very well in most instance and I kept on dropping things and when I picked them up they seemed to slip away from my hands again.... just like that, and i thought that i am getting really sicko....and that I maybe a secret cancer or disease is creeping on me like a thief in the night ... ohhh my paranoid self. Anyway, there was no one to talk to quickly .... except Ruthie, my friend who is now living in Brisbane with her husband.... Well, I called her and just told her that I am so tired and she immediately knew what was going on....she just said that all I needed was a big day of rest - like total getting away from everything...and enjoy life...(well, that is exactly what she is doing. After five years of toiling in Melbourne..she just decided to leave last December and went to sunny Brisbane and just loafing around) She said again that though it is a cliche it is true that ...life is so short and with what we are doing, we are not really enjoying and living life the fullest. We work and work - for what??? What is important is that we enjoy life and not just work, work and work.... Well, i thinks she is damned right and she made me smile and made my day so easy afterwards.... true friends are like that.... like a hot cup of tea that keeps us warm after a cold winter day or night.

HEARTBREAKER

If you have a weak heart, my advise for you is not to watch this movie.

The "shirts being together" scene, just wrenched my heart to pieces and I thought that I would have a heart attack.

The thought of making a big scene in the movie house filled with old people just stopped me from dying in there.

Anyway, this is just a friendly advise. Or if you insist, then bring someone with you (if you watch movies alone), just in case.

The Great Bare Back Mountain !!!

PET SHOP ME SERIOUSLY

PET SHOP BOYS Reinterpreted Seriously

One of the best shows I have seen this Midsumma is a stunner, and I was willing enough to pay $40 for this one 80 minute show, and of course that’s times two, as there were two of us. Well, I grew up with the music of Pet Shop Boys (Rent, What have I done to deserve this, It’s a Sin, Being boring, A Red Letter Day) are all highschool and college stuff ( 1980’s and even earlier) – and they are being played over and over again on the radio and in discos and clubs. Well, you could not stop yourself from tapping your feet, swaying your hips and start grooving and even do some slut dancing when any Pet Shop Boys are played - I lurv the intro for You are always on my mind.

They are so cool during that time and even today they still get huge following – as in most of the pop music are born out of Pet Shop Boys dramatics. Of course Pet Shot Boys’s music, has a large gay and lesbian fan base as many lyrics are tinged with gay interpretations and the techno underlay appeals to the clubbers. The show as I said was fantastic – as it strung together most of the PSB’s music without losing the songs integrity and brought to life a show just like Mama Mia (ABBA) which I saw twice.

My favourite song of course is Rent: by : Tennant/Lowe------- (Again... Again... Again... Ooooh (Again... Again... Again... Again... ...) You dress me up, I'm your puppet You buy me things, I love it You bring me food, I need it You give me love, I feed it And look at the two of us in sympathy With everything we see I never want anything, it's easy You buy whatever I need But look at my hopes, look at my dreams The currency we've spent(Ooooh) I love you, oh, you pay my rent(Ooooh) I love you, oh, you pay my rent You phone me in the evening on hearsay And bought me caviar You took me to a restaurant off Broadway To tell me who you are We never-ever argue, we never calculate The currency we've spent (Ooooh) I love you, oh, you pay my rent (Ooooh) I love you, you pay my rent(Ooooh) I love you, oh, you pay my rent

FOLLOW THE RAINBOW

Since I arrive in Melbourne, six years ago, I have always been either an active participant or audience to the various activities of the Midsumma Festival which is held late January to February every year. Well, I always attended the Opening Night, Pride March, Theatre Shows, and park events. And I am all gay as ever! One of our gay friends who is living in Sydney with his partner for more than ten years has a very strong opinion against these gay rights celebrations as he said that these are activities that actualy "alienate" gay and lesbians from mainstream society. I really cannot understand what he is talking about - but he insist on saying that he mixes himself with other people (straight or normal as you may) and not only the gay stuff and he does other activities like going to church (as he is a devout Catholic where being gay is condemned), gym, etc. He does not go to gay pubs, churches, or other gay spots and events, as he believes that these are forms of alienation. Well, I think that this line of thinking sucks - for these are actually acts of liberation and with these events - we reclaim our pride and rights as human beings with equal rights.

Well, I for one just enjoy going to the Pride March (for as long as there ever will be) - and for now, I am even thinking of going to the Mardi Gras in Sydney this year.

GEISHA AND JAPAYUKIS : MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA

BOOK TO MOVIE I promised myself to read the book first before watching the movie. In five days, my mind and emotions were on rollercoaster ride off the world of Sayuri – the Geisha, the protagonist. I could clearly picture in my mind the characters, the narrations, the culture, colors and the beauty of the location (Gion, Japan) where the story unfolds. It is good to read a book that deals with human struggle and the protagonist’s success against all odds, rags to riches storyline always works. I could somehow relate to poverty and slavery and how Sayuri despite all these difficulties and series of unfortunate events (the horrible hopeless situation, cruel rivals) was able to rise above to became a famous Geisha and ultimately achieve her secret dreams. Thanks to all the conniving, scheming and game playing – by her friends and people who deeply cared for her besides their personal objectives. This is indeed a victim/survivor story at the backdrop of the early 19th century Japan. And it is worth reiterating that a Geisha is not a prostitute but an accomplished entertainer or artist. I love the way the book was presented in the movie. How they twisted, added or deleted some aspects which altogether made the movie an art on its own. For anyone who could not have read the book could still capture the essence of the story.. I was mesmerised by Sayuri’s enigmatic dance number – which seems to have transformed her more into a kabuki dancer than a geisha – though this was not in the book. The misuage test- doctor, groggy painter, the island scenes, the American businessman instead of Japanese, moving to New York…were some of the changes. Despite the some bad reviews, like casting non-Japanese born actors, movie being just a big drag show in a place that never existed, etc…. no one can refute that the movie is a beautiful film one should definitely see. GEISHAS AND JAPAYUKIS Well I could not help myself. I just love almost everything about the Japanese – even after the cruelty and devastation they did to our country during the war and towards our workers at present. I think they are worth emulating - still. They are just so focused on the things they do - which is a very good thing. Well, besides, the words honor, discipline, and courage - arts and culture is very important. Maybe that is the reason, why they are so successful as a country! The beautiful kimonos, the Japanese garden, the haikus, the daily life practices and tradition, tea ceremonies, the bath - are like bedrocks of arts that…. Translates into a river of people with spirit and hence people with purpose/direction which…. Translates into a country with technology and scientific advancement … translates into economic development, etc. It is just so sad that we Filipinos could not become just like the Japanese – - the best we could ever become are Japayukis (or Filipino Geishas and hopefully not prostitutes)!