Australia

Australia the movie has been described as an epic romantic adventure which impresses upon the viewer that it is more than that three word description. It has a bit of everything from a Western, a World War II epic, a Romantic movie, and even Historical-Social Awareness of Australia's past. It even felt like a travelogue with the dramatic landscapes of the country being featured in the movie.

I was curious about this movie because it created so much backlash on Nicole Kidman on her acting and I can't seem to grasp why an Oscar award winner would garner so much harsh criticism from the blogosphere. Being blessed again with an invitation to the press premier of Australia here in Manila, I didn't let the chance pass by to check out the reason why, because from what I read in Newsweek in their December 8, 2008 issue, it seemed to praise the movie and Nicole Kidman in a good and a moderate way.

The movie runs for almost 3 hours and I know how most of the time a movie that runs that long could become tedious, I never felt that with Australia. Visually it was captivating. What it showed the world was a part of Australia that would make anyone want to take on an adventure to experience and see those parts of the country. Add to fact that Hugh Jackman was simply pleasing to look at, proving that he really is the sexiest man alive. There's something about the movie no matter how grand and how visually stunning it was made me felt that there's something lacking. Believe it or not I still felt it needed something which I cannot fully express after almost 3 hours in the cinema. The movie didn't disappoint though I was entertained, it served its purpose to entertain me and transport me into another place and time.

One other aspect of the movie that has grabbed my attention right from the very start were the costume and props. Nicole Kidman's character Lady Sarah Ashley was exquisite right from the very opening scene and that luggage set she used was just divine. From what I have read in the Media Kit that was handed to me during the movie premier the luggage set was custom made by Prada and the footwear is from Salvatore Ferregamo. The costume alone felt like it was a part of the cast rather than pieces of clothing worn by the actors.

Australia is a departure from the hyper energized movies that Baz Lurhmann is known for. In Australia he focused on emotions, from the romance of Lara Sarah Ashley with the Drover, Hugh Jackman's character and the bond that formed with Lady Sarah and the half caste boy named Nullah, played by the newcomer Brandon Walters. Mr. Lurhmann succeeded in conveying the emotions across the viewers, I swooned when the Drover made his entrance to the ball, I cried when Lady Sarah and Nullah were forcibly separated at the pier and I was happy that Lady Sarah, the Drover, and Nullah had a happy ending while the bad guys meet their proper fate and demise.

a very good 2009

this year i chose not to write the about the best christmas gift that i received; truth is i didn't receive much last christmas which was perfectly okay with me because i got more than what i wanted for, before christmas day and after christmas day. last december 18, 2008 i received an email from marie claire philippines that i won gift certificates from l'oreal from a contest that i joined featured in the magazine last november; a lovely surprise indeed. i haven't claimed the gift certificates as of this time as there were changes needed to be done on the gift certificates but hopefully sometime next week i'll be able to. it was for me something to look forward to since i would be claiming it by january 2009 when offices resume business after the long holiday.

i got a bigger surprise when i saw this while updating my resume for a renewed effort to job hunt in jobmarketonline.com. this made me blink and stare at the page for a minute or two. i was so delighted and overly ecstatic, it may not be my dream laptop but i won it and now it's part of my collection of lucky charms. for the past week that i have it i can't seem to contain my joy. i would use my new laptop and a smile would be plastered on my face. i also can't seem to stop saying how cute it is. its features does have its shortcomings but i can live with it. i still need a laptop bag and a router here at home but i am bliss still from winning something significant.



for years now, one of my biggest pastime is to join contests, whether online or raffles from department stores or magazine promos. i have won quite a number of them. i even won the lotto once for about P2,000. i can't say i am very lucky but i do have my lucky moments. these prizes were a wonderful way to welcome 2009 which makes we want to say "keep 'em rolling".

Yes Man

The best things in life are free and I have to say that's true. I have to admit that I was a bit hesitant to say "yes" to the invitational press premiere of the movie "Yes Man" because to be honest I'm not a very big fan of Jim Carrey. I'm glad I said yes, after all a free movie is a free movie, besides I'll be in the area where the premiere will be held anyway.

The movie is about the life of a man named Carl Allen who's stuck in a dead end job and a very boring existence out of choice after what seemed to be a presumably very sad episode of divorce. Out of choice he cut himself off from his friends and his idea of fun was watching dvd after dvd of just about any movie he could find in the local friendly neighborhood video store. Carl's life changed when he attended a seminar recommended by an old colleague, the "Yes Seminar". Somehow in the process after attending that seminar he said yes to life and life happened for him. The movie in my opinion comes out of typical romantic comedy cookie cutter type in Hollywood. Sad guy finds a reason to start life again, finds a girl, trouble brews along the way, girl leaves guy and then guy finds a way to get the girl and they live happily ever after. The usual Jim Carrey antics were present but entertaining this time and not at all distasteful. The one redeeming quality of the movie that makes it a must see is the fact the from the moment it starts it guarantees a laugh fest. After the credits rolls everyone in the cinema clapped their hands because truly it was funny and it was fun. The idea of saying yes to every thing that life presents seems promising because of that movie.

Now, I am ready to say "Yes" to the next movie premiere.

additional chritsmas message

while i skipped on e-cards this year. i wrote this email to everyone on my yahoo contacts unfortunately i forgot i have 4 other email addresses but i think that yahoo email address after owning it for so long covers almost everyone i know and have known in my life. what inspired me to write this email is the homily of fr. gerry batad, sdb on christmas eve. i was jolted by his message and how he describe chritsmas of today the commercial and the religious one. i came to realize that although i loved christmas for as long as i could remember, i have been celebrating christmas the commercial way and even the joy of shopping for gifts and carefully wrapping each gift myself, slowly each year, it was becoming a daunting task and the joy of giving is slowly dissipating. i sat in front of the computer for a while and i decided to re-examine my thoughts on christmas and before i left for a dinner invitation on christmas day of 2008. i decided it wasn't too late to write this:

this christmas while i was able to do my snail mails, i kind of decided to skip my almost yearly e-cards. i thought i'd get a better on time response on yahoo messenger and sms. so i skipped sending out e-cards for christmas, went on texting everyone on my phone book and left offline messages on my ym list. i got a better response in terms of those who replied but i still felt a bit underwhelmed on myself, it is as if there's something missing. one big reason i skipped e-cards this year is that i can't seem to think of what to write and what i really would like to relay across. the holidays seemed to blur through me because i was so wrapped up in my last week before i resigned at work i never really had any moment to soak up the holiday feeling. as usual it is work that made me into almost "scrooge like" mode. i get so immersed in work i always end up not living my life. by the time i had time in my hands, i am just scraped bare and i really can't seem to share christmas cheer. today christmas day, i somehow realized what i want to say, a very simple and heartfelt "merry christmas to everyone". no politically correct "happy holidays" but good old merry christmas. christmas isn't about me and whatever is wrong in my life, it's the celebration of the nativity of christ. i seemed to have forgotten how i use to love christmas no matter what. i hope that everyone just like me will realize that christmas isn't just about us, it's about christ and it's a day we should celebrate no matter what.

merry christmas everyone!

i found joy and i felt christmas while writing and sending it to my friends. somehow the spirit of christmas was with me. i went to that dinner invitation feeling that christmas truly has came.