What I think about "Transformers: The Last Knight" movie

- When I went out the cinema, I feel half-entertained, half-insulted.Then I rode the taxi going home. Now, I just feel insulted.

- When I see Michael Bay in person, I want to punch him in the face just because of this movie. It's his last Transformers movie. He should have retired with flying colors, not with angry fans and disgusted critics. I think Michael Bay intentionally made this movie bad. Even before, when he was receiving scathing reviews of his Transformers movies, he didn't take them seriously. He even answered negatively to some of them. In fact, all the things wrong about the previous films in the franchise, according to the critics, are still in The Last Knight. And he made it bigger. I'm imagining him saying, "You don't like this? Here's more of it!." He knows the movie will rake big bucks in the box office, so he didn't care if he made trash.

- It certainly wants to win the Chinese audience.

- Optimus Prime made sure that everyone knows his name.

- I can buy the whole premise of the story. And I can see it as a much better movie if it is executed and written well.

- I can't even remember how many times I cringe in the many lines. Comic reliefs (both human and robots) are not relieving at all.

- I decided to watch the movie because I want to see robots heavy robot action scenes. It didn't disappoint (and much bigger than the previous films). The movie is visually pleasing with the great CGI and knowing it was shot with IMAX cameras (that's one good thing).

- Why does Optimus Prime get all the good lines? Except the closing monologue, it so... meh. It's like it was written on the last minute because all the other movies had Optimus Prime's monologue and they forgot to write one for this movie.

- I tried to love the characters, even the little girl, but the movie didn't give me anything enough to do that. I was happy to see Josh Duhamel but the way the story was written made you realize that the story will not change much if he was not in it.

- I enjoyed watching the robots, both Autobots and Decepticons, and those mini dinosaur robots are so much. It's so shiny and tiny, I wanna die!

- There were Easter eggs from the previous movies, I didn't care for it.

- As a fan of the franchise, I was not happy with the movie. Some of the reviews say this can be appealing to fans. It was not for me. 2 out of 5.

Let's talk about your Facebook feed

A piece of my (pakialamerong) mind: (This is a very lengthy post).

I have almost a thousand friends in FB. Compare to other people, that is not a lot. But that's a lot of people of different character, behavior and mindset. I don't expect all of them to agree with me on my opinions on certain things. I bet some people already unfollowed or unfriended me because I post too much stuff about things like superhero movies. I am sure all of us are guilty with this, and it only differs in interest. A mother who posts a lot about her kids. A baker who posts all of her baking masterpiece. A gamer who updates his friends of the latest games that he plays. A gym buff who posts a lot of shirtless selfies. There are people who use FB as their diary.

People of different opinions. Some are more loud. Some are more persuasive. Some are more abrasive. And there are times that we don't agree with them. Some are very active in posting their rebuttal in the comment section. Some just let it slide. Some of the posts can tick you off and sometimes you get tired of reading it to the same person. Do you choose to comment and engage in verbal jousting or live the life of reading your FB feed in peace?

That is YOUR feed. That is YOUR page. You can control what you want to see or read in your FB feed. I have unfollowed and unfriended a lot of people because of this. And reading my FB feed is more bearable and enjoyable.

But if you want to create chaos or constantly debate with people on ideas that you don't share the same sentiments, or make them persuade that you are in the good (and good luck doing that) by all means, do it. If you want your daily experience of FB feed surfing a challenge and infuriating, it is all your decision. YOU can always choose to live a peaceful life or swim in chaos.

What I think about the Wonder Woman Movie

- Wonder Woman saved the future of Justice League and DCEU!

- Gal Gadot, kahit saang anggulo, malayo o malapitan, honggondo!

- Chris Pine might not be the most beautiful man in Hollywood but he is really charming.

- Un naman pala. The skirts are too short because they are warrior. They need more leg room to throw those kicks and long skirt is not a comfortable to wear if you are on a horse, charging to war.

- Everything looks dark pa rin except Themyscira. Tatak DC movie talaga.

- The humor is really good. Hindi nagmukhang pilit para lang masabi na may comedy. Well-written and effectively timed and delivered. See DC, you can still keep the dark elements of your movied and can throw a few laughs. We loved it.

- Ganda talaga ni Gal Gadot!

- Etta is a good example of minor character that has a very little screentime but she always delivers and can steal the show.

- Aquaman's trident? Bane's source of strength? Are these important easter eggs? Are these easter eggs even?

- Sarap sakalin si crush ng Lasso of Hestia ng magkaalaman na.

- Did I mention that Gal Gadot is so pretty in this movie?

- I give it 4 out of 5. Highly recommended!

Backpack and Baneg: Episode 1: Koh Lanta

It in in my list this year that I will travel alone.  The experience being out there, on an unfamiliar place with nothing to mind but yourself.

Koh Lanta happened last summer.

A glimpse of an extroverted introvert traveler.   I didn't meet new people, but I enjoyed observing and watching tourist having fun and loving the sunny weather and beautiful beaches and islands of Thailand. I didn't go out on local bars and talk to new people but I enjoyed sitting in a corner table, drinking alone and listening to a lice band playing reggae tunes.  I didn't spent hours walking on the beach and greet people along the way but I enjoyed my visit on an animal shelter.

I was a lone on the trip but it was not a lonely trip.

And I promise myself that this will happen again and more often than before.

Looking forward to episode 2!

The Stage is Calling me

The stage has called me and I answered.

Ever since I was a kid, I love performing. My father is a good singer and knows how to play some musical instruments and my mother used to perform in barrio when she was a kid. I guess it is in the genes since all of my siblings are into singing and dancing. We used to perform in parties in our neighborhood and during barangay fiesta. I was almost present in all programs in my (early) high school, joined dance competition and my early college years and joined the dance troupe in my senior year.

A few months after high school graduation, whenever I have free time, my friend and I used to visit my high school and see out former teachers. That time, the teachers were busy preparing a stage play. We got to hang around during rehearsals. They asked us to join the play because they need policemen for a certain scene. No talking parts, we just need to hold the main's characters arm for about 5 minutes then drag her out of the stage. I agreed because the whole cast and crew will have an out-of-town trip after the run, free of all expenses.

We attended rehearsals and many times I was assigned as a prompter, a person on the side of the stage whispering lines to someone who forget theirs. This made me memorize almost all the the lines of the play. After rehearsals, we sometimes threw lines while walking out of the school campus. Me, reciting the lines of those who were not with us. A few days after the opening night, a little problem with the costume resulted to something I cannot even imagine. A cast member walked out the rehearsals. Then there was this awkward silence which was broken by the director when he said, "Philip, learn the lines. You will replace her." I jolted, left my mouth wide open for a few moments before agreeing. When I looked around, everyone were also aghast. After the rehearsal that day, they made me stay. The role is a supportive sister of the main character, who's always there for the family and witness how her cousin and nephew grew up. We rehearsed a few lines. The script didn't work for a male. Then director snappily thought of acting the role as a gay uncle. A flamboyant gay uncle. 

That's when I learn to love the theater. The ecstasy of performing. The way the heart beats of nervousness and excitement. When you don't want to know if you want to shout or throw up when that curtain opens. The feeling of accomplishment and relief after the curtain call. Theater has been in my blood all along. Then I graduated, got a job and the calling just fades away. Farther and farther until the ears can't sense the minute amplitude of its voice.

 Two weeks ago, I read from the Bangkok Community Theater Facebook page that they are having auditions for the Fringe Festival, a theater show composed of one-act plays and musicals. I stared at the post for a couple of minutes, considering to audition.

When I started working, gradually I started to fear crowds, or being in front of a crowd. The performing bug left me. Or maybe I abandoned it.  I am always shy to speak or perform in front of people. There were times that I need to be in front of people, and I hate the feeling of wanting the ground to swallow you whole just ti have that sweet release from torture. But I want to do well on everything that I do and I want to deliver. So I just sucked it in and do it. But every time I finish, I always say that I don't want to do it again.

I promised myself that I want to do something different and exciting this year. I felt like the past year was pretty boring for me. I love travelling but that is not the different and exciting that I want to do. I want to do more. I wanted to be challenged.

I was tearing myself inside looking at the BCT announcement on Facebook. There was a war and it seemed no one want to lose. And I didn't want to sleep on it and give myself more time to think. I was afraid I might forget it and lose this chance. But the feeling of being on a stage with people looking at you, watching you, judging your performance, waiting for you to fail is undeniably bad. 

When the stage calls you, you answer.

The stage has called me and I answered.

I will be playing a role in the opening musical number for the Fringe Festival. And this will not be a one-time thing. I will be joining the Bangkok Community Theater.

Theater, here I come. It's great to be back!

What I think about the Power Rangers movie

- It was not the best but it was really entertaining. The writing is a little off but I enjoyed most of it. You will see those classic exaggerated jumps and flips. You might hate it, or love it. For me, LOVE IT! (Sayang lang kasi walang group pose with cheap explosions sa likod). I'll give it a 3.5 out of 5.

- I want to have one of those Power coins. Magandang pamato sa piko.

 - The original (TV) Power Rangers were achievers, jocks, and brainiacs. These movie Power Rangers are in the opposite side of the spectrum. This is a story of redemption. A story of creating an identity. A story of acceptance.

 - The product placement is annoying but funny. You will shake your head while laughing.

- Watch out for Easter eggs! ...And the end-credits scene. I literally gasped in surprise and excitement.

 - The fans were right on "that" theory.

 - Red Ranger had these Zac Efron vibe going on...

- ... but Black Ranger is my favorite.

 - Oh, Elizabeth Banks! What can't you do?

 - The Megazord and Goldar fight scene is a little underwhelming and bitin. Parang sa tv series nun. 30 minutes show, ang Megazord fight, mahaba na ang 2 minutes.

 - The nostalgia is real! I was like a child clasping and clapping my hands on those scenes that took me back to my childhood memories of Power Rangers. If you are a fan of the Power Rangers, you really should see this. And take your kids or nephews or nieces with you. They will surely have fun watching it. Yung batang babae nga sa harap ko, panay turo kay Pink Ranger.

What the heck happened to this blog?

Just like the same hobbies that I had before, like this blog site, I got tired, bored and didn't have any inspiration or idea to write about. Or maybe the pace of life is moving at neck speed, I didn't have time to stop and smell the flowers (and write about them). Or maybe I didn't feel the importance of writing a blog anymore (who reads this anyway). Or maybe I can't just write anymore. But hey, at least, after 7 years, I have the time to visit it again. Man, the things I wrote about! But, I don't intend to delete them. Those are memories for keeps. It's 2017! Hasn't been that long? My last post was January 5 2010. I was talking about my first vacation in the Philippines since I worked here in Thailand. So I need you(anyone there?) to hang on to the next few sentences. I will let you keep up on what happened for the past 7 years. I went back home after 5 years. I tried to work in the Philippines. I got a job in a BPO company, a Customer Service Representative but more like Technical Service Representative since we help customers fixed their DSL internet connection. I finished the training but didn't work as a TSR per se. I bummed the 3/4 of the year in the Philippines. I went back to Bangkok and here I am now, working as a Science teacher in a Convent School. I won't bore you on the details of that 7 years. I will keep that in the next blog posts. I am back! And I will try to write as much as I can. Happy New Year!