Third World Writer

Yesterday was an interesting day at the office — people wearing blood-red clothes, women holding bouquets like they validated their self-worth, and men scrambling to buy chocolates and flowers from the makeshift shop at the cafeteria. There seems to be a season of celebration in the air. I found it interesting. I didn’t know so many people celebrated Friday the 13th.

Or were they perhaps celebrating this “Valentine’s Day” I keep hearing about. It can’t be. That sort of thing went out of style back in high school.

Valentines is for people who have forgotten how to be in love. As my roommate put it, some people need to be reminded. What is most unfortunate, though, is that their chosen form of expression is something utterly predictable, and even expected. How does one expect something expected to make someone happy?

Chocolates I can understand. I mean, you can’t argue with chocolates. But flowers confound me. Do women use them to enhance the beauty of their surroundings? Do they carry them around all day to proclaim, “Hey, someone loves me enough to.. give me flowers on this day where boys are expected to give girls flowers for no other reason than it’s just that day of the year..” Huh? I’m confused.

This day of hearts is actually both sweet and sad. It’s sweet when you see a girl with a single rose beaming with delight, clinging lovingly to her boyfriend’s arm because he gave her a flower. And it’s sad when you see a girl with a single rose beaming with delight, clinging lovingly to her boyfriend’s arm because he gave her a flower.

I mean, it’s a flower. All it does is die.

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.