My daughter spent the entire evening miserable because the old people wanted to watch a movie and therefore her current favourite DVD, Lion King, which she calls “Jungle” cannot be played.
She was writhing and wailing on the floor and I pretended not to make big deal about it. Flashbacks of me crying on our stairs looking down at my parents watching the news, when I had wanted to watch The Muppet Show, made me sagely shake my head and smile. Goodness me, I was exactly the same if not worst than my daughter! At least she had the tears. I didn’t. I just had this really annoying wail that would have driven my parents bonkers.
Not people who believed in the rod, they nagged us to death. But in extreme cases, my mother would just ignore us. Such a case when one of us would whine or cry like a baby in need of feeding and immediate nappy change.
So I ignored my little girl while she was building up a storm. After about an hour of forever, she stopped, totally exhausted and eyes sore from all her tears. I went to her and kissed her as asked “iiyakan mo kaya nang ganito ang borfriend mo?”
I’ve had more tears shed for movies of Sharon Cuneta than all my past relationships combined. Makes one wonder if indeed, tears are good indicators of pain and vice versa.
Tuesday, March 15, 2005
Tuesday, March 08, 2005
Merchant of Venice and lightsabers
Stunning performance from Al Pacino as Shylock in the most recent cinematic rendition of Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice. As usual, I fell in love with the fair and clever Portia. As in the book, the scene I loved most is the court/trial of Antonio and Shylock seeking his revenge by means of a pound of flesh.
Portia cleverly argued that Shylock could indeed take a pound of flesh off Antonio but without the blood as that was what was stipulated in their agreement.
Whilst this scene was unfolding, I thought of ways to help poor Shylock gain his somewhat misguided vengence. I say somewhat because indeed he had reason to despise those who in turn despised him. He is after all only human. So how to sever or in much blatant terms, whack off, one pound of flesh off Antonio without the spillage of blood?
I am reminded of several scenes from the Star Wars movies. In Episode 1, Quigon Jin was struck by the laser spear of the Sith. It seared his flesh thus no bloodshed but eventually was fatal. The Sith was cut in half. But no sight of even the slightest drop because the lightsaber would clinically burn the wound and seal it off. In Episode 2, Anakin himself lost his hand and a good part of his arm to Count Dokoo's expert swordsmanship, equalled only by the amazing Yoda (can't wait for the 3rd outting of this film!)
So, to go back on track if indeed there is one, had Shylock the friendship of a Jedi or even a Sith, so long as lightsabers are available, he would have successfully taken his pound of flesh and been satisfied.
Or perhaps a magic wand from one of the Hogwarts characters...?
Portia cleverly argued that Shylock could indeed take a pound of flesh off Antonio but without the blood as that was what was stipulated in their agreement.
Whilst this scene was unfolding, I thought of ways to help poor Shylock gain his somewhat misguided vengence. I say somewhat because indeed he had reason to despise those who in turn despised him. He is after all only human. So how to sever or in much blatant terms, whack off, one pound of flesh off Antonio without the spillage of blood?
I am reminded of several scenes from the Star Wars movies. In Episode 1, Quigon Jin was struck by the laser spear of the Sith. It seared his flesh thus no bloodshed but eventually was fatal. The Sith was cut in half. But no sight of even the slightest drop because the lightsaber would clinically burn the wound and seal it off. In Episode 2, Anakin himself lost his hand and a good part of his arm to Count Dokoo's expert swordsmanship, equalled only by the amazing Yoda (can't wait for the 3rd outting of this film!)
So, to go back on track if indeed there is one, had Shylock the friendship of a Jedi or even a Sith, so long as lightsabers are available, he would have successfully taken his pound of flesh and been satisfied.
Or perhaps a magic wand from one of the Hogwarts characters...?
Monday, March 07, 2005
Mira is free!
As I heard it first hand from Japs during the PSC alumni's gimik at Trellis last March 5th, I sent a silent prayer of thanks to the Almighty for making it possible to free Mira and her colleagues. I sighed a huge sigh of relief, like a sharp pang of fear has been released, upon hearing this good tidings.
Now I marvel at the speed at which information is being transferred and relayed. Imagine it if this were pre-Internet, cell phone and text messages time. She and her companions would have been dead by now! But thank goodness to people who kept calling and forwarding text and emails and just never let it go until news was heard and reached the right people who can do something, this new age of information at a click of a button indeed can be rewarding in situations like this.
Although it comes like a two-edged sword. Mis-information and Dis-information happens twice as quickly on a day-to-day basis. How many lunatics have access to the Internet and may own several websites accessible by even young children? Name it, all the weirdness, horniness, anti-everything and biases or worse can be gleaned upon on the information superhighway. Freedom of expression without the responsibility of such a power can be damaging.
Spiderman's uncle keeps resurfacing in my memory...saying the lines, "With great power comes great responsibility." Makes me think twice what to write when I blog and twice harder still when I read other's blogs.
Is it the truth? And if it truly is, will it make the world a better place? Would it make someone (who reads it) be a better person or at least hope to be a better person?
In this computer age we often rush at things just clicking away without even thinking. The meat of the matter is - computers may give us what we want...but is it really what we need?
Now if my laptop can do laundry and iron my clothes at the same time...then perhaps it is something that I really need!
Now I marvel at the speed at which information is being transferred and relayed. Imagine it if this were pre-Internet, cell phone and text messages time. She and her companions would have been dead by now! But thank goodness to people who kept calling and forwarding text and emails and just never let it go until news was heard and reached the right people who can do something, this new age of information at a click of a button indeed can be rewarding in situations like this.
Although it comes like a two-edged sword. Mis-information and Dis-information happens twice as quickly on a day-to-day basis. How many lunatics have access to the Internet and may own several websites accessible by even young children? Name it, all the weirdness, horniness, anti-everything and biases or worse can be gleaned upon on the information superhighway. Freedom of expression without the responsibility of such a power can be damaging.
Spiderman's uncle keeps resurfacing in my memory...saying the lines, "With great power comes great responsibility." Makes me think twice what to write when I blog and twice harder still when I read other's blogs.
Is it the truth? And if it truly is, will it make the world a better place? Would it make someone (who reads it) be a better person or at least hope to be a better person?
In this computer age we often rush at things just clicking away without even thinking. The meat of the matter is - computers may give us what we want...but is it really what we need?
Now if my laptop can do laundry and iron my clothes at the same time...then perhaps it is something that I really need!
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