Third World Writer

The year is about to end, so I thought I’d catch up on the things I’ve been meaning to review.

The Terraces – Ayala Center Cebu

I don’t usually review malls, but I was so impressed by the Terraces that I just needed to mention it. It’s nice Ayala-class landscaping that I’ve never before seen in Cebu, adding that long-awaited art to consumerism that this little city has long needed. Before this came along the higher-priced dining places have been scattered around the city, in places easily confused with one another (The Gallery, The Crossroads, The Whatchamacallit), because “the mall” fell out of style after high school, but with this new infusion of design and dining places, Ayala has managed to re-market the mall to those who imagine themselves to be Cebu’s high class.
9/10 VERY GOOD

Bigby’s – The Terraces

The first time I tried Bigby’s, I loved it. I ordered the carbonara and raved about how it was one of the best I’ve tasted, and I made sure to eat there again.
Last week me and my zee tried Bigby’s again, my first meal after landing in Cebu, and again I ordered the carbonara. It sucked ass. Everything was burnt, from the meat to the garlic to whatever the fuck they put in it, and I couldn’t taste anything remotely like carbonara. Zee and I left our plates half eaten, and I must remember to never set foot in that pretentious piece of crap restaurant again.
3/10 VERY BAD

That place by Krua Thai – The Terraces

I forgot the name. Twas okay, not really spectacular, but they had curry, which I love to death. I found their calamare a bit oily and tasteless, but they crispy beef thingies were excellent. (I really need to write these reviews earlier so I remember the names of the things I ordered, or at least of the restaurant.)
6/10 FINE

Pizza Hut Bistro – The North Wing, SM City Cebu

Dammit, I really don’t remember the name of that thing I ordered, the pasta thing with cheese inside. Anyways, it sucked. Zee ordered the Chicken Cordon Bleu, and while we agreed that the chicken and the bacon and the rice were nicely done, we also agreed that the cheese used added nothing but a strange texture to the taste. It’s not the kind of restaurant I’d recommend.
5/10 AVERAGE

Jose Maria’s – The Gallery, Mabolo, Cebu

Mozzerella Pollo was okay, the lemonade was worthless, and while I didn’t really see much of a problem with it, my classmates seemed to hate the service. Taking that into consideration, plus the fact that The Gallery is a bit out of the way, I don’t think it’s worth visiting again.
5/10 AVERAGE

Chocolate Truffle Cake (?) – Starbucks, IT Park

Didn’t like the consistency. Tested less like a truffle and more like a thick chocolate jelly or sorts. I expect more for “truffles” than the smooth consistency; they need to melt in your mouth and dissolve into dark chocolatey goodness, and not have to need chewing. All in all, I didn’t like it much.
5/10 AVERAGE

Play 2 Learn – Ayala Center Cebu

The place to get smart toys and games in Cebu, which gives it instant plus points, but only because there’s no Landes and Hobbes here yet. Here you can be sure the Monopoly board (800php) hasn’t been changed to use Philippine landmarks, and you have the chance to buy some games not found in other stores in Cebu (like Taboo, 1400php).
I must mention, however, that this woman who seemed to own the place was a total bitch. I only asked them to hold Taboo for me for a few minutes while I got some cash from the ATM, and she asked me a bunch of questions insinuating that I had no real intention of buying it, as though I hadn’t just bought Monopoly from them a while ago, and like customers weren’t at all important to them because they were the only ones in town who sold Taboo. That’s no way to treat customers, what the fuck?!
4/10 BAD

Taboo – a game

Love it. As soon as I got my hands on it at Red and Tin’s wedding and found I had a knack for it, I knew I had to buy one for the sibs at home. It’s like charades, only using words and no gestures, where you try to get your teammates to guess a word (or phrase or name, etc) by saying anything you want (in English) without mentioning any of the taboo words on the card. The rules are easy to pick up, and it’s easily playable in small groups, big groups, or as a free-for-all in a taxi cab.
I’m not so sure about replayability though, and I hope there are expansion decks available out there.
9.5/10 MASTERPIECE

Monopoly – a boardgame

Haven’t played monopoly since I was a kid, so I decided to get one for Christmas (from Santa). Much of the game is controlled by the roll of the dice and the flip of cards, but I found that, on occassion, I had really exceptional luck. I could invoke the powers of the universe so that my token wouldn’t land where I had to pay rent, much to my brothers’ protests. On such occassions, I could even try to lose, but the universe just wouldn’t let me. ^^
And then there are occassions when I’d try my darndest to win, but my littlest sister would kick my ass. So yeah, randomness is fun.
I like that the new Monopoly included an optional speed die, as monopoly games tend to last longer. The speed die is hell, and my luck with it has always sucked, but that’s just another element of fun.
9/10 GREAT

Zack and Miri Make a Porno – Movie

Best friends since high school are strapped for cash and decide to make a porno for money. Crazy fun, okay story, not safe for work. But in a good way, not slutty or anything. The cameo by Clark Kent was hilarious. ^^
7/10 GOOD

Forrest Gump – Movie

Watched it again since I had nothing to do at home, and loved it. ^^ Just thought I’d mention it.
10/10 MASTERPIECE

Yeah, I hate Christmas.
But I guess you enjoy it.
So, Merry Christmas.

In the spirit of the season, I figured I’d make a list of everyday people I hate. Just for kicks.

1.) Smokers, obviously.

2.) People who fart in the MRT.

3.) People who cough or sneeze without covering their mouths, especially in enclosed spaces.

4.) Drivers who stop in the middle of the road, or on a pedestrian lane.

5.) People who park on sidewalks.

6.) The cashiers at Rustan’s who never fail to shortchange me every single time, without so much as an apology, and even though they obviously have enough change.

7.) Idiots who push their way into the MRT at rush hour, as if doing so makes things any faster. Especially when people are still trying to exit the train.

8.) People who stand on the exact center of escalators, blocking the way and refusing to move to one side for people who want to walk through. Similarly, slow people who walk in groups and block the way, and people in groups who block a sidewalk.

9.) People who tell spoilers.

10.) And smokers, obviously.

And if you’re none of these people,.. try checking with Santa. He has a much longer naughty list.

I don’t normally like to comment on American politics, but I must say Obama is making some very smart appointments in his administration. Specifically, I’m referring to his appointment of professors Stephen Chu and John P. Holdren.

Chu is a 1997 Nobel laureate in Physics. He is the Professor of Physics and Molecular and Cellular Biology of University of California, Berkeley and the director of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, which is working with businesses to develop technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. He is also a member of the Copenhagen Climate Council, and is a vocal advocate of added research into biofuels, solar power and other forms of alternative energy. Stephen Chu was appointed Secretary of Energy last December 15.

Holdren is a physicist with degrees from MIT and Standford University. He is the Professor of Environmental Policy at Harvard University, and the director of the Science, Technology, and Public Policy Program at the School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. He has focused his work on global environmental change, energy technologies and policies, nuclear proliferation, and science and technology policy. If The Boston Globe and The Washington Post are to believed, John Holdren will be the next Scientific Adviser to the President.

It’s nice to see that actual experts are being assigned to the posts that require them, and that science will not be ignored as it is in the current US administration. While Bush does have a Scientific Adviser (John Marburger, who has a pretty flimsy Wikipedia page), I find it funny that the only thing I’ve read about him is his response to a report, Scientific Integrity in Policymaking, published by the Union of Concerned Scientists that criticized the Bush administration for the “manipulation, suppression, and misrepresentation of science” and for choosing members of scientific advisory panels based on their business interests rather than scientific experience. Marburger dismissed the report as “biased”, “false” and “a distortion”. The UCS rebutted by saying Marburger’s claims were “unjustified”. Marburger has since kept quiet.

I must say, I am a little excited about what policies will be put in place by the Obama administration. I’m tired of seeing movies like The Day The Earth Stood Still, where the government blatantly ignores key scientists’ advice until after the attack-first policy has failed. And hopefully, with these guys in charge of Energy and Environmental concerns, Klaatu won’t be visiting anytime soon.

This is all total crap and unsupported by any scientific study, but like a lot of unscientific crap it is fairly interesting. I’m a type A+, and while a few stuff are definitely wrong, they did get a few lucky hits and a few maybe’s.

Type O
You are the social butterflies. Often popular and self-confident, you are very creative and always seem to be the center of attention. You make a good impression on people and you’re often quite attractive. Organized and determined, your stubbornness will help you reach your goals. You make good leaders. Lovewise, O is most compatible with O and AB. Common career choices: banker, politician, gambler, minister, investment broker, and pro athlete.

Type A
Type As may seem calm on the outside, but inside, you’re filled with anxiety and worry. You’re perfectionists and often shy and sensitive. Usually introverted, you’re stable and thoughtful. You make good listeners and are sensitive to color and your surroundings. You like to be fashionable and are up on the latest trends, but never flashy or gaudy. You like romantic settings and often shun reality for fantasy worlds. A is most compatible with A and AB in the love department. Common career choices: accountant, librarian, economist, writer, computer programmer, and gossip columnist.

Type B
You can be very goal-oriented and often complete the ambitious tasks set before you. Outgoing and very charming, you’re good at reading people and providing support. Though critical of appearance (but not your own), you aren’t picky and are unlikely to dwell over the little things. Type Bs are impulsive individualists who often create their own path in life. You are very strong and optimistic. B is most compatible with B and AB lovers. Common career choices: cook, hairdresser, military leader, talk show host, and journalist.

Type AB
Not surprisingly, ABs can be quite dualistic, possessing both A and B traits. You may be shy and outgoing, and hesitant and confident. You often stand out from others, don’t like labels, and are nice and easy going. You are logical and determined to do things correctly. Usually trustworthy, you like to help others. You often speak in a serious manner. Your patience, concentration, and intelligence are admirable. AB can find a soul mate with any other blood type. Common career choices: bartender, lawyer, teacher, sales representative, and social worker.

(source: divinecaroline.com, used without permission)

09:45, Ayala MRT Station, Stairs.

Me, late, in a hurry.

People, people, people. Slow people on long stairs.

Damn slow people.

In front of me, two women, short, fat, in their forties.

One fat woman’s hand on the purse of girl in front of her.

Careless girl clinging to boyfriend’s arm, pushing purse behind them both.

Purse with magnet strap, no zipper.

One deft flick, one fat woman’s hand in a purse.

Two fat women squeeze together, obscuring my view.

People, people, people on the stairs, pushing, bumping. No one seeing.

I see. I don’t care.

Pass two women, short, fat, oldish.

One woman holding a black wallet. Opens wallet, closes wallet, slips wallet into a black
purse.

White cloth over her arm, over her black purse.

Both women holding fans.

Bottom of the stairs. Careless couple go separate ways. Two women disappear.

Miss, miss, your bag is open.

Oh, thank you.

Girl looking inside bag, girl closing bag, flimsy magnet strap. Goes on her way.

Me, late, in a hurry.

Fuuuu~~

So getting a website up is not as easy as I thought it’d be. The application’s up, sure, but all this pressure I’m putting on myself to make the content as perfect as possible is paralyzing me. After weeks of mulling I haven’t been able to put up anything more than “under construction” notices, and even those are sounding pretty unprofessional. Fuuuuu~~~ Annoying. Time to take a break.

There’s just five days left until I’m back in Cebu (yay!), meaning I have just five days left of unlimited internet connection (boo!). It’s been a while since I’ve gone a day without the internet, so the two weeks of Christmas Vacation are bound to be.. interesting. I think I can survive ‘interesting’.

Between failing at NaNoWriMo and putting up my website, I haven’t been thinking about depressing shit as much as I used to, which I have to say is something of a relief. For a while I’ve managed to forget about MyLai, Nanking, Josef Fritzl, Brooke Bennett or Junko Furuta, and have instead immersed myself in lolcats, failblog, xkcd and wii.

Fuuu~~

That’s the sound of me breathing a sigh, by the way.

So NaNoWriMo is over and, wonder of wonders, I didn’t make it to fifty thousand. ^^ I started the month out pretty excited, revving to go right as the clock struck midnight on November 1st, but as soon as I realized that I was writing crap, it became difficult to keep up the word count.

NaNoWriMo’s motto seems to be something like Kill Your Inner Editor and just hit 50,000 words even if it turns out to be 50,000 words of crap, because crap is so much better than writing nothing at all. And I agree. But try as I might, I’m just not the type who can delay my cringe reflex long enough to write a respectable number of words. I have this almost obsessive compulsion to read and re-read every single word I’ve written, from the top, to make sure it adhered to a solid structure, a meaningful mood, and a sensible plot. Turns out my Inner Editor isn’t very “inner” after all, and every sentence I manage to type sets it loose to wreak havoc on my word count and my schedule.

Which is such a shame, really, considering that not only have I managed just 17,547 words, but because I’ve been constantly battling off my Inner Editor, it’s turned out to be 17,547 words of total crap.

*sigh*

Well, that’s fine. November is over, now I can go back to writing for fun. =) (I hate deadlines.)

The first thing I did after giving up on NaNoWriMo was enter this little contest of Jessica Zafra’s, a challenge to write a story explaining a mysterious piano in a forest. It seems short stories are more my forte, and I enjoyed my little submission immensely, so much more than anything I’ve written for NaNo. I lost again, sure, but the few votes I got made me so happy, and did so much for my self esteem that I’m forced to assess just how much of my art’s validation is dependent on other people’s opinion of it. I suppose I’m not nearly as self-validating as I used to think. I can’t seem to help but enjoy the feeling I get when people enjoy the things I create. ^__^

Oh, I did win a consolation prize though, for the best critique of another person’s submission. Hmm. Does that imply that perhaps I’m a better critic than I am a writer?

I told her to stop visiting, but she insisted. I would lock the doors, close the windows, cover up the hole on the roof, but still she found her way into the cabin. And in the middle of the night, while I was asleep, when even the nocturnal creatures of the woods went silent, she played.

Up and down went her melody, flowing freely into the cold air, waking me gently with a tune and keeping me until daybreak. And then, as the sun crept in through the misty windows of the piano room, she left.

Night after night she came, slipping in through locked doors, playing the sounds of that dreary November. It was never a tune I knew, or even understood, but after the eighteenth night I had grown fond of her music, and of her. I asked her to stay but she politely declined, smiling as her fingers danced on the keys. And when morning greeted us, she said her goodbye, and I never saw her again.

The cabin has long since crumbled, and I, too, have withered with time, but the piano she played on those November nights remained untouched. And there it remains, to this day, in the forest where we met, as I lay here waiting for the night when she should play again.

- – - – - -

A few weeks ago, police found a piano abandoned in the woods. No one knew who owned it, or how it got there, only that it was perfectly tuned, had a matching bench, and required at least six people to move. No one has come forward to claim the mystery piano.

Taking the challenge of Jessica Zafra to write a story explaining the piano, I wrote a little flash fiction, above.

=)

I should mention that the “challenge” is actually a contest. You can find the other entries HERE (my entry is #8, behindhiddendoors), and can vote for the one you like best HERE. I don’t know when the polls close, but there’s also a prize for the best critique. I don’t know what the prizes are, but I enjoy winning whatever contest I can. =) It builds self-esteem. =)

You might need to have a wordpress account to vote (post a comment), I’m not sure, but I do hope you try. =)

Cheerio!

Emotions is an old manga Dust and I tried making back in college, about five gods who’ve come to Earth in search of a powerful artifact hidden in a highschool student. We based the characters on our classmates (who hasn’t written stories based on their classmates?) and of course casted ourselves as the two main bad guys/gods. ^__^ It followed the normal high school lives of three friends who soon find their world falling apart when a transfer student arrives, when honor students commit suicide, and when close friends start killing each other after school.

Each of the five gods represented an emotion (if I remember correctly: Sorrow, Love, Anger, Joy and Desire), hence the unimaginative title. Although I remember very little of the original story we made, and forgot all about it until Dust posted about it yesterday, it does have a bit of potential that I think I might want to try it again someday. ^_^

After numerous plot outlines and character design drafts and studies in paneling, Dust and I managed to finish only two pages of our manga before school events got in the way. But still these two pages, however noob-ish, convinced me that some things really weren’t impossible. =)