you know you're in the province when...

- your neighbor's videoke reverberates throughout the neighborhood.
- marami nang napapaaway dahil sa "my way" at "bakit ngayon ka lang."
- the nearby pool is the river.
- a dip in the river won't be complete (if you're not lucky) without women doing their laundry or a carabao taking a dip upstream from where you're swimming.
- watching the moon rise is entertainment.
- uso ang "bedtime stories."
- fresh air won't be fresh air without a whiff of dung.
- a trip through the fields won't be complete without a close encounter with dung.
***
photos by trixie. that river is the one a few meters from our home in tuguegarao city, cagayan.

this one taken in the middle of a carabao pool party. gate crashing with trixie is gradually becoming an expertise.

***
"tara, beybeh. ibubukid na kita."

bluetights

bluetights.net is bryan singer's video blog. it chronicles his current project: superman returns, due out in 2006.

and by the way, according to rumer, brandon routh has just turned 26. just thought i might want to know daw.

i can hear rumer screaming from dubai: "thaaaat's mah boy!!"

hotdogs are made from earthworms

I remember it vividly – it was lunch time, I was in 2nd grade, when one of my table mates said that hotdogs are made from earthworms. There was the collective gasp and "eeeew!" from the rest of us. And as with all other discussions that start with a supposed urban legend, we were attempting to dismiss it by being – ahem – rational. However, the harbinger of this substantial information insisted that he (or was it she?) saw it in the news… or that his (her) mom saw it. Or that his (her) friend’s friend’s mom saw it… you get the picture.

I was unsure of what to believe. I could very well have given up on hotdogs that very day. However, I was skeptical, bordering on being in a state of denial. Whatever the reason, I continued on with hotdogs despite the disgust.

And then this: "Is the ingredient earthobate in hotdogs really earthworms?" Apparently, it isn’t "earthobate" but erythorbate.

Sodium erythorbate is an antioxidant similar to Vitamin C and made from
sugar. It's added to hot dogs, cured meats and a few other foods to preserve
their flavor and color when exposed to air. It's been around for thirty
years.

The Cooperative Extension Service at the University of Illinois
suggests that the rumor might have come about from the Middle English word
erthe, which means "earth."

That clears things up. So any ideas on the veracity of cat meat being in siopao?

P.S. I have given up on hotdogs the past 3 years. I’m currently on the lookout for veggie dogs for variety in my diet. Any tips on where to find them?

you know you're growing old when...

... you have to emcee the games in a children's party.

... you say "the price for the winner is P30," and all the little kids laugh.


e allowance ko lang yon nung araw, ah!!

the echo (sigaw)

That’s the Hollywood title given to the 2004 Filipino movie Sigaw.

Yam Laranas' horror flick will be featured in this year’s L.A. Screamfest (October 14-23). For those unfamiliar with it, it's the biggest genre film fest in Hollywood. It's also where Asian flicks like The Ring and The Grudge premiered to American audiences.

Hollywood producer Roy Lee confessed: "I found myself jumping at certain scenes and I have seen many other horror movies where that never happens" Roy Lee was the one who brought Japanese horror movies The Ring, The Grudge and Dark Water to Hollywood and turned them into critically acclaimed, international box office hits.

Just how did Sigaw find its way to Roy Lee? This is where the power of word-of-mouth came into play. But Director Yam Laranas relates that Rachel Belofsky, the founder and director of the filmfest, read a Variety magazine story by Tessa Jazmines wrote about the Metro Manila Film Festival and the horror film entries. What happened next, said Yam, "is that I got an email from Belofsky. Then, I sent her a DVD copy of Sigaw. It took a while before she wrote back, saying she liked the film."

Having been marketed on the Internet these past months have allowed The Echo to be viewed by critics in the U.S. According to The Movie Blog, "The cinematography and sound are very strong aspects of the movie, perhaps the strongest, and there are some superbly visualized and filmed scenes." In fact, most reviews point out the same qualities. However, how the suspense was built received mixed reviews. Some found it dragging, while others feel that the story built to a good climax.

Despite the negative feedback, not one had any criticism on the acting. In fact, they found it excellent.
I haven’t seen the movie, but I have intentions of buying a VCD. I only buy original filipino CDs and VCDs. Patriotic daw.

The Echo will premiere at the L.A. Screamfest on October 19 at the Loews Universal Studios Cinema.

For more on The Echo, check out the following:
The official website /
Story
The story/reviews -
UCLA International Institute
Beyond Hollywood
FilmCritic.com
IMDB page

break na sina barbie and ken!

cute 'no? pero siryus 'to. huli na ako sa balita, pero malamang kayo din.

Behind the Barbie-Ken Breakup
Did America's favorite doll dump her beau for a surfer dude? Is her longtime steady gay? BW Online's Barbie historian sorts it all out
By Patricia O'Connell


nakakalungkot ba? hehehehe!