B*shit Carabuena

First this:
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/256132/carabuena-apologizes-to-public-will-still-face-legal-sanctions

And then this:
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/256216/carabuena-rushed-to-hospital-case-will-continue-mmda-chairman

Can you believe this guy??? Is he being mentored by the ABCs -- the Arroyos, Bolantes and Coronas?

The hospital seems to become the haven of the guilty nowadays. If you can't answer to your misdeed, pretend you're sick and you're off the hook.

And you can't even trust the doctors. Either they're guilty of immoral acts themselves (Hayden Kho), or they don't know what they're saying (Dr Roberto Anastacio, Gloria Arroyo's cardiologist). http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/252570/no-need-for-arroyo-to-leave

So, is this Carabuena for real? He looked like a puppy, compared to his bulldog act on the road that day. I'd say he's just like the rest of them, the ABCs of the Orocan world.

Bourne lacking

Last Sunday, we finally got to see the movie Bourne Legacy at the Power Plant Mall. We had expected a thinner crowd, having allowed one and a half weeks from premier day to pass before we gave in. Surprisingly, the cinema's still crowded. In Rockwell, this is rare. But then, everybody's understandably curious about the Manila action scenes in this most-awaited flick.

Anticipating the typical "hit the ground running" movie characteristic of the Bourne series, we had a hearty lunch at Cafe Mediterranean first. A full stomach for a full-speed movie, I thought.

Mel and I ordered Gyro sandwiches, Kofta for me and Grilled Lamb for him. That should be heavy enough. Marthe ordered a whole Marguerita Pizza but ended up eating about 60% of it. Fides had a combination plate of Moussaka and salad, while Jules and Olive both had Grilled Chicken Plates with mediterranean and plain rice, respectively.

My half-eaten Kofta

Marthe and I at Cafe Mediterranean, Rockwell

Fides and I

We barely had a minute to spare when we finally entered the cinema, but we realized that we misunderstood the screening time and the movie has started. We missed maybe two plot locations. Who cares, it's all talk. Not much eye candy. Except when Jeremy Renner is flashed onscreen.

While the movie dragged on and we tried to understand the story line through the conversations, Fides fidgeted in her seat, as she always does. During a critical moment in the movie, when the entire audience was straining to catch the words of the actors, Fides moved several times and the plastic bag of books in her lap created a sound loud enough to drown the conversation onscreen. An American sitting in front of her looked back a couple of times.

I snatched the bag and placed it beside me to avoid any more noises. And then the action onscreen began so for several minutes I was glued to it. I just noticed many, many scenes later that Fides was talking. "No I'm not," she said. "Yes, you are," the American in front answered. I asked her, "Were you talking?" She didn't reply.

Finally, the Manila scenes came. (spoiler alert) First of all, when Rachel Weiss first mentioned "Manila", she had to follow it up with "The Philippines." It's sad that the scriptwriter and director had to add that part, appearing to explain where Manila is. They should have just left it to the viewers to research about Manila so they'd learn the more important things about our country, instead of highlighting the fact that the Philippines is unknown to the world.

However, I'd say, the Manila scene is the heart of Bourne Legacy. This is where the action is. There were many scenes edited, though, including the one I've seen being shot along R. Magsaysay last January. I was on my way to my high school at that time for a final practice and meeting for our Silver Jubilee celebration and was caught up in traffic on the opposite lane of the shooting. I watched as pretty Rachel and hunky Jeremy rode their motorcycle back and forth, followed by another motorcycle and a taxicab. The scene was repeated several times as cameras rolled. I don't remember seeing that location in the movie, but then again maybe they've weaved it into other scenes, making it unrecognizable.

(another spoiler alert) And then the Palawan scene came and the story ends. Bitin! Personally, I think it's lacking the usual heart-pumping action of past Bourne movies. It retains, however, the series' style of unraveling bits of the story one at a time. I still like it that way.

When we got out, I asked Fides what that exchange with the American was all about. Apparently, she accidentally hit his chair when she shifted position, and the foreigner turned around and confronted her -- apparently already pissed off with her noise with the plastic bag earlier. I don't know why I didn't see that. My eyes were glued to the screen, I didn't even notice that he stood up, according to Jules. Well, I can't blame the American; Fides has that kind of problem. She can't seem to stay put. Still, he should have realized she's only a child. Maybe he didn't know she was a child coz she's tall. Well, at least, no other confrontation followed.

In the moviehouse, at least. But in the parking lot, a different confrontation happened. When we arrived in Power Plant at 2pm, we asked the attendant there to clean and wax the car. We told them specifically that we were staying in the mall for only two hours. We came out at almost 6pm (which is 4 hours after) and they have not finished washing the car. The wax was still there, it hasn't been buffed, and there was no one around! So Mel flared up, looked for the attendant and told them we're canceling everything.

What did they say? They said they'd finish it, it will just take 3 minutes. Are you kidding?!!! Wash an Innova for 3 minutes? We left without paying. Whatever preliminary cleaning they did, they can pay for it for all we care! That should serve as a lesson to them lazy workers.

And that was how our Bourne Sunday ended. Lacking. =(

Tap-taps in Diliman

I saw oblation again today, in all his naked glory, eyes toward the sky, hands extended by his sides. For over four years I'd marveled at what I imagine to be his message: "This is all I have. Take me as I am and mold me into the best I can be."

Offering what I have begins with the UPCAT. Like all the other students of my time who had high hopes for the future, I trotted to UP Diliman to take the dreaded but most anticipated college entrance test. I was one of a relative few who did end up taking my undergraduate studies in the campus. And still one of even a fewer number of iskolars ng bayan who graduated in the same campus.

Today, escorting my son as his turn came to take the UPCAT, I relived my days in UP Diliman. The walk down memory lane began with the Palma Hall steps. Jules' test venue is in one of those dimly lit classrooms with no aircon. I gave his cheek a good luck kiss at the gate and whispered a silent prayer that he would make it here.

Because I loved it here. My college days were among the happiest of my lifetime. I think I can never explain enough to someone who has not experienced UP how fulfilling life is inside.

From Palma Hall, I brought Mel and the kids to the Shopping Center to search for lunch, pointing my college haunts and former dormitories to them along the way. They found the SC shabby, as I expected, and I wondered why UP never bothered to spruce it up a little. It looked exactly the same as when I was here. Even the pharmacy is in the same spot at the end of the long low building.

The eateries were full, so we went out and trekked beyond PNB to see if Chateau Verde is still open. I haven't been back since about three years ago. Unfortunately, Chateau appears to be closed...I think, for good. The arched sign no longer exists and is covered entirely by bushes and vines. There was a little walkway by the side but when we attempted to take a peak, the gate was closed and the people inside said they were closed.

We drove back to the street behind the Main Library, parked in front of the College of Law, and took our pick of the food stalls lining the street. I chose a Rodic's tapsilog, my favorite during college, and so did Mel. The kids bought a sandwich from KFC but decided to have a takeout tapsilog for dinner. Olive preferred Ineng's barbecue.

(to be continued)

First day high

Yesterday, I was retrenched from the company I worked in for the past eight and a half years. The future is uncertain, but the package is substantial.

So today, on my first day of freedom from income-related stress, I:

- walked in the rain (under an umbrella, of course) with my husband and bought fish for dinner
- fixed a salad and had a leisurely breakfast with him
- read a few pages of Mary Higgins Clark's A Second Time Around
- slept in the middle of the day, with the book in my hand
- looked up the steamy pictures of Kristen Stewart and Rupert Sanders' cheating scandal
- read an old letter from a pen pal, to which I failed to reply
- slept again
- downloaded a Jumanji movie torrent for my kids to watch
- studied the miniature coffin of my son's dead egg project
- spent extra minutes in the shower enjoying the shampoo smell
- chatted with my mother on the phone
- opened my bedroom window and observed the neighbor

And in about an hour, after they've studied their lessons, I have an appointment with  my two girls to play scrabble.

Who says bumming around is such a boring task? I've already done tons. And it's just the first day.