Movie Date: Kung Fu Panda 2!

*no preview about the story here, so much of it in the net already; just plain general opinion:)

Kung Fu + Panda- the combination could've been conceived from a joke; but those genius guys from DreamWorks who are behind what I consider as one of the best movie series ever made certainly made sure it would be the bomb diggity of animated movies; and true to its tagline, Kung Fu Panda 2 is no doubt, AWESOOOOOME! I could watch it and Kung Fu Panda over and over again and still laugh at the jokes even when I'm expecting them. With that said, I think it's more than awesome! And I could go on and on telling how much I love Kung Fu Panda and everything in it!

There's information that the original idea for a kung fu panda movie was meant to be a parody. Whoever decided that it would be great and so much better as an action-comedy animated film had, I believe, God's blessing. Because if it had been a parody, it would still make me laugh I guess, but I wouldn't love it as much as I do now. I love it so much because it's hilarious and so much more! Jack Black and the rest of the cast who lent their voices to the characters were just perfect; the beauty, the intricacy, and the accuracy of the details in the animation were excellent; and I just love it- the screenplay, the characters, the teamwork of Po and the Furious Five, the feet of fury, the wings of justice-the MOVIE (just to be done with it)- I love it..period...oh, I really really love it!!!!..double period...make that triple...which makes it an ellipsis...and which would stand for I love it, I love it, I love it, I love iiiiiiiiiiiiit!:)

my favorite poster- i love this scene in the movie as well:)

But what I really appreciate about it (i'm not yet done..haha) is the plot and the message it clearly delivers.The story's so well-written, it made me laugh and cry at the same time. It needed no effort to make its audience fidgety, challenged, or overly excited- it simply told a story- in the most awesome way possible!:) But seriously, kids are part of their big target audience so it's supposed to be simple. How they delivered it to be able to touch hearts- that's special.

I'm not a very credible movie critic because I have a bias for "kids movies", animated films, comedy, and those with animal and FAT characters in them. I don't watch horror movies because I don't enjoy the feeling they give me, but I take pride of myself and the God who always assures me of my safety, for not being scared of the dark, spirits, and the dead. I don't have the luxury of time nowadays so for planned movie dates, I only go for the 'feel good' ones. Boring, others might say, but for me it's about getting my money's worth, and getting more out of the experience of just plain 'watching a movie'. The movies I love are those that make me learn, and Kung Fu Panda (i'm so not yet done..haha) is a treasure box of values, stories, and jokes:) I also had to miss church worship practice for it (with Kuya Mark's consent) so it had to be epic...haha

Last Saturday's movie date was a treat from Ate, thanks a lot! Micah and I didn't spend a dime from the moment we went out of the house until we got back safely- it was all on Ate's tab, much to our added enjoyment. It was raining but I had the tickets reserved already via sureseats so we were determined to go. We weren't able to claim the tickets on time but thanks to Trinoma for the leeway! I didn't eat lunch so I was already feeling hungry even before the movie began. I started eating popcorn while still on the line and before all the ads and promotional teasers were done, we all finished the popcorn, free ice cream scoop and my jamaican patty..haha

The movie ended past 8pm I think, and I was feeling bloated this time for drinking much of the lemonade. We bought some stuff and paced around the mall undecided on where to eat until we landed in this japanese restaurant. It wasn't one of our best food escapades because we were too full to finish everything that we ordered. The food was good but I didn't like the sauces for the shrimp tempura and pork tonkatsu...buti na lang may chicken teriyaki. We ended up taking the leftovers home together with our mediocre kani salad. When we ate it at home together with my homemade mixture of soy sauce, vinegar, onions and sugar; andami kong nakain- I dunno if the problem was with their recipe, or with my jologs tastebuds...haha...I had a disappointing discovery though- I became poorer with chopsticks:(...I'm not good at it but I usually get by; but that night wasn't chopsticks night for me because they kept slipping from my fidgety fingers until I gave up and asked for a fork..haay

But no disappointment, especially a petty one, could ruin our night. It was Micah's first time to watch a movie at Trinoma and it's one of the precious times we share among us siblings that we truly treasure. I'm actually looking forward to our next eat-out already:) DreamWorks said that they're going to release a total of 6 movies for the Kung Fu Panda series so we have so much more to look forward to! Thank you again to Ate for sharing your blessings with us! Love you sizztahs! meow

Katy's Crushing History

Let me share an article from Coelho, whose books I enjoy reading over and over again, which I got from his blog. It may sound bitter, especially with that emo picture of a man sitting lonely in the desert (sitting on a chair?! in the desert?!), but don't be deceived because this isn't an ampalaya-tasting post:)

Convention for those wounded in love

Published on August 21, 2010.
Promulgated by Paulo Coelho

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General provisions:

A – Whereas the saying “all is fair in love and war” is absolutely correct;

B – Whereas for war we have the Geneva Convention, approved on 22 August 1864, which provides for those wounded in the battle field, but until now no convention has been signed concerning those wounded in love, who are far greater in number;

It is hereby decreed that:

Article 1 – All lovers, of any sex, are alerted that love, besides being a blessing, is also something extremely dangerous, unpredictable and capable of causing serious damage. Consequently, anyone planning to love should be aware that they are exposing their body and soul to various types of wounds, and that they shall not be able to blame their partner at any moment, since the risk is the same for both.

Article 2 – Once struck by a stray arrow fired from Cupid’s bow, they should immediately ask the archer to shoot the same arrow in the opposite direction, so as not to be afflicted by the wound known as “unrequited love”. Should Cupid refuse to perform such a gesture, the Convention now being promulgated demands that the wounded partner remove the arrow from his/her heart and throw it in the garbage. In order to guarantee this, those concerned should avoid telephone calls, messages over the Internet, sending flowers that are always returned, or each and every means of seduction, since these may yield results in the short run but always end up wrong after a while. The Convention decrees that the wounded person should immediately seek the company of other people and try to control the obsessive thought: “this person is worth fighting for”.

Article 3 – If the wound is caused by third parties, in other words if the loved one has become interested in someone not in the script previously drafted, vengeance is expressly forbidden. In this case, it is allowed to use tears until the eyes dry up, to punch walls or pillows, to insult the ex-partner in conversations with friends, to allege his/her complete lack of taste, but without offending their honor. The Convention determines that the rule contained in Article 2 be applied: seek the company of other persons, preferably in places different from those frequented by the other party.

Article 4 – In the case of light wounds, herein classified as small treacheries, fulminating passions that are short-lived, passing sexual disinterest, the medicine called Pardon should be applied generously and quickly. Once this medicine has been applied, one should never reconsider one’s decision, not even once, and the theme must be completely forgotten and never used as an argument in a fight or in a moment of hatred.

Article 5 – In all definitive wounds, also known as “breaking up”, the only medicine capable of having an effect is called Time. It is no use seeking consolation from fortune-tellers (who always say that the lost lover will return), romantic books (which always have a happy ending), soap-operas on the television or other such things. One should suffer intensely, completely avoiding drugs, tranquilizers and praying to saints. Alcohol is only tolerated if kept to a maximum of two glasses of wine a day.

Final determination:

Those wounded in love, unlike those wounded in armed conflict, are neither victims nor torturers. They chose something that is part of life, and so they have to accept both the agony and the ecstasy of their choice.

And those who have never been wounded in love will never be able to say: “I have lived”. Because they haven’t.

Naah...I'm not wounded in love...I used to be, since even not having a boyfriend since birth can't exempt one from going through these 'part of life' things. I've employed most of the rules discussed above in dealing with my pain (only in a different context) although when I first encountered this 'convention notes' months ago while I was randomly browsing through the net, visiting seemingly interesting links one after the other; it never occurred to me that I would even come close to applying Article 2 months later. Thankfully, God answered my prayer with a discovery, which ended my 'where-did-that-come-from?' hopes and imaginings before they could blossom into something else. Now I can set my eyes (and my thoughts) on more important things- on greater hopes, for the fulfillment of God's greater promise.

Haist, crushing (I mean having a crush) on somebody was never serious for me the last time I checked. I'm really a late bloomer when it comes to these things. My grade school crush was more pilit than natural; I was just pressured to have someone whose name I can write on my classmates' autographs on the line after that compulsary 'Who's your crush?' question. My biggest crush in high school wasn't a classmate or a schoolmate; it was Jude Law!!! I fell in love with him after watching Enemy at the Gates, and I remember there was one night that I failed to review for a test because I was browsing randomly through the channels when I saw his face on tv and was enamored by his cleft chin, sobrang kinilig ako I had to watch the entire movie..haha. I fell out of love just as fast though when he had this scandalous relationship with the nanny of her kids that resulted to her breakup with Sienna Miller- my high standards for character just couldn't let it pass..as if he cared..waha

My hormones were more active in college and liking the guys I saw on tv, from actors to basketball players, came so easily perhaps also because I had my new friends and dormmates to share them with.  I had only one schoolmate crush, on my last year at that, on someone I hardly knew. I first saw him in one church in Baguio but he was still in high school then and he didn't appeal to me much. He was a freshman when I was in my senior year; I didn't know his name but I was contented with the feeling of wanting to smile impulsively on the rare times that I saw him. God knew that, which was maybe why I only used to see him on my few bad days- very effective stress-reliever..hahaha


Then came that period after graduation, when I almost had a chance at a relationship. It didn't push through though and I had my first lesson in love. Many months later, I'm back to crushing again:) I didn't realize it really (was in denial stage for a few weeks) until he came up to me one day and asked my name and I just couldn't stop smiling...waaah...I can't go beyond crushing on him but once again, I'm contented with this wanting-to-smile feeling that seeing him invokes in me. He's my new Jude Law, and until God shows me him who's meant to be the apple of my eye for life, my raging hormones and kilig feelings are free! But there's always a chance that it could be him....haha...why not coconut? The world is an endless sea of possibilities! And I'm excited for what could just be the biggest surprise of my life:)


Father, I'm still not praying for a partner because I'm not sure if I'm already ready for one. And I'm not gonna make a big fuss out of it or my unpredictable feelings (whether of infatuation or love) to avoid the danger of over-analyzing because in truth, I really have no idea about any of these things. I'm only sure of your love for me and that's what I'm gonna keep on holding on to in the coming months and years. Help me guard my heart and be my comfort when I feel like I'm missing something (a boyfriend..haha) in my life. And again, take away the feelings which are not from you, and help me live each day with love and contentment in my heart as you continue to prepare me for that moment of all moments:) Let's get it on! meow

Someone's sick at the office today...

I'm staying late and extending hours in the office today to look after Kuya Bert, my officemate who just had an excruciatingly painful and weakening experience....heartache? naaah, that can't be excruciatingly painful, or could it? I'm talking about hours of intense abdominal pain, LBM, and vomiting. It has finally subsided, praise God! though his tummy's still a bit painful so I'm giving him time to rest before waking him up to have him continue resting at home. I've been through the same thing, woke up at 3 am before the first day of my final exams back in college, so I know how it feels to be dehydrated, so weak and in pain all at the same time- and all that on such a stressfully important day! It was my friends (2nd year college buds Francis, Gladys, and Belle) who made that day even possible for me so now it's my turn to pay it forward, aside from the fact that I'm really his only choice for a caregiver. Nakakatawa lang talaga when nurses take care of each other in a non-healthcare setting such as the office.

Scenario:
Kat: (talking to Kuya Bert's patient over the phone) Thank you so much for the successful transmission. I'll just inform Bert, the lead nurse for ______ regarding this and he will be calling you later to inform you about your schedule...
Kuya Bert: Whaaa (vomiting) Di ko na kaya talaga
Kat: (to patient) or if he won't be able to call today then I'll have him call you tomorrow. Have a great day!

I dealt with the patients while Kuya Bert was lying on the floor with a few blankets and a pail on his side, complaining and feeling so helpless with the pain and continuous LBM and vomiting. Kuya Lem, who was supposed to go home early that day was stressed, no longer because he wasn't able to go home early as planned, but more because he's about to go on leave tonight to fetch his wife at the airport pero mukhang mapupurnada pa. (We're all 4 nurses in the office and one's already on leave. Kuya Bert and I are the only ones who're supposed to go on duty tonight so changes would have to be made if he won't be able to make it to work.) While attending to Kuya Bert, I assured Kuya Lem that Kuya Bert will be ok soon- which wouldn't qualify for a false reassurance because I had previous experience and scientific knowledge to base on naman. He would still be needing rest though, but he can just go tonight and rest in the office, I'll take care of all our patients the best way I can; he only has to be around so I wouldn't have to serve duty alone especially since I'm on probation and I'm just supposed to be everyone's assistant.

It was Kuya Lem who bought Gatorade for him, which was another funny scenario, because he just left the big bottle on Kuya Bert's side on the floor and he was like, "Ano ba namang klaseng nurse to? Ganyan ko na yan inumin?" in his Ilonggo accent while I was laughing at the background, getting a glass from the pantry.

We then remembered that we had emergency people at the building and after calling them to ask for HNBB (Buscopan), someone came immediately to assess his condition. Communication was made with the doctor and we were about to call for an ambulance to bring him to the nearest ER as per Kuya Bert's plea but the doctor advised against it, thank God:)

And now, after two doses of Buscopan, he's been sleeping at our free room for almost two hours already so hopefully, he's on his way to a fast recovery. Father God let your healing touch be upon him and his entire body, we ask this in Jesus' name, amen.

I'll wake him up in a few minutes. Thanks to blogger for keeping me awake and busy while I let the time pass. Now that I'm almost done, I'm not even sure if this is blog-worthy but kudos to myself for amazingly, being able to write a post this long in my desire to kill the time...sayang naman if I don't post it. meow

Micah's Going to College!

Last April 7th marked Micah's high school graduation! Maligayang pagtatapos sa aming pinakamamahal na bunsong kapatid!

It was very early- we were expected to be in school at 7 am because the program was set to start at 7:30am. I don't think we came as early as 7, but did they really expect us to wait for 30 mins?...whatever happened to loyalty to alma mater?!...i hope no schoolmate or high school teacher of mine would take me seriously...peace:) I no longer kept track of the time- because I left my watch- but we still had a lot of time to take pictures so we weren't late.

It was the third high school graduation I've attended in that same place, with Ate Angel's being the first, and mine being the second, also with similar setups; only, our grads both started in the afternoon. The earliness isn't such a big deal really, Ate and I just kept making a big fuss of it because we were both in vacation mode..haha..with she on a real summer break from school, and me on a pseudo-vacation aka 'leave' from work. It's funny how just last year I was a bum so eager to get a job, and now I'm a working gal just as eager to go on vacation..haaay

True to our Catholic school's tradition, the ceremonies began with a mass followed by the program proper (diploma, awards, speeches, etc.) I wasn't the graduate so it was boring for me, with nothing to do but watch as students marched one after the other to get their diplomas. Papa cried when Micah came to them during the tribute to parents part and I was also teary eyed because we especially miss Mama on such occasions. What was funny about it though was the discovery that it was my sister who wrote the lyrics for the tribute song..oha..oha.. Papa was full of appreciation, while Ate and I were full of, oh well, laughter..hahaha My sister graduated with honors  (clap, clap) and we're very proud of her! Her last year in high school was particularly difficult, and the stress of having to balance her studies, with her leadership responsibilities and extra-curricular activities showed in her weight and academic performance. Now that it's done, we're just so grateful to the Lord for guiding and sustaining her, and all the awards she got are sweet icing on top of the cake.

We had lunch out afterwards, went home, then the three of us siblings all had a very long nap that took the entire afternoon, while Papa was busy cooking for a supposedly 'for guys only' celebration turned 'come one, come all' gathering for our neighbors:) We all had a great time, and I think much of the fun came from not having to stress ourselves out for the preparation. It was a small yet joyful gathering of family and friends, the perfect way to celebrate a milestone for our family.

very probinsiya lang ang party:)

She's going to UP very very soon and she's extremely excited! So excited that she left her notice of passing when we went for her pre-enrolment check-up last May 2nd (at hindi ko talaga makalimutan because I had to go all the way back home to get it..haha). She still has her lapses that sometimes give us trouble but she's determined and responsible so we're confident that she'll get by. After all, I used to be like her too..haha..but thanks to having to live independently away from home for college, I'm a lot more pro-active now:) She will be living with us though, for Papa's peace and our own (thank you Lord for the opportunity!), but still without the usual comforts of home. And now that I said it already, let me segue to sharing another great major event in our life-WE'VE MOVED!!!

Yes, we have MOVED!!! We have a new address now and since May 1st, the three of us siblings have been adjusting to and enjoying living on our own. Starting out is a little difficult with all the services we need to subscribe to and home things we need to buy but we're almost done. The only major things lacking now are chairs (so we could be done with eating like there's always a birthday party and finally eat at the dining table) and cable connection. Ate says we might not need one anymore since we rarely watch tv, but even in those short rare times, I really would like to enjoy watching without having to squint my eyes, trying to figure out what the characters in the screen look like..haha

School hasn't opened yet so it's too early to tell what our normal week would be like, but now that I work at night and Ate goes on internship everyday, we're like security guards serving duty at our 'police outpost' house from Mondays-Fridays. Saturdays and Sundays are our only days together, with Sunday as our ultimate free day! (church in the morning then bumming, napping, and snacking in bed the entire afternoon while watching tv)

Micah's arriving this Sunday so our cast of 'bahay-bahayan' is complete again! The only thing we're sad about this setup is that Papa will have to live on his own in La Union. Thank God for Tita Saline:) We only continue to pray that she could join Papa soon in going to church every Sunday, praying everyday, and serving God. We still don't know what lies ahead in the future for our family but we'll take one day at a time, filled with love, hope, and confidence for all the best things God has planned for our family:) meow

Happy happy birthday Ate!

After two slices of chocolate cake and a small bowl of ice cream, I'm finally up and ready to blog! My only reader, Ate Angel was asking me yesterday if I've blogged already, so what better way to pump me up than to indulge in the sweet remnants of her handa..haha

Yesterday, we celebrated her 24th birthday with a BANG!!! She's a year short of the possibility of going through a literal (hello 25th!) midlife crisis if she would have any, so we threw this very meaningful and fabulous party for her!

Sobrang joke 'yun...hahaha...we're not party people, nor are we good at organizing parties so quits lang...we do celebrate birthdays but we'd be happier with an intimate stress-free family dinner over an effortful birthday bash...birthdays after all, should be about what makes the celebrator happy!; which in our case, is being with family, eating foods that make us happy, then sleep and rest after..haha...what we do celebrate with our community are our milestones and successes...we celebrate birthdays every year but it surely isn't always that you get to graduate with honors, or pass the board exams. For Papa, it's a way of sharing our blessings and I think, a wonderful and happy way to let the people know how good and great our God is to our family!

So what truly happened yesterday was our typical day that ended in a 'special' dinner. By special, I mean that I didn't cook, and we had our new favorite Pizza Bianca plus Mojos from Shakey's with palabok and ice cream (whatta shameless plug..haha..GC please:). Now that Micah's still in the province, it's only Ate and I in the house and we only get to see each other for a few hours for dinner everyday, after she comes home from internship and before I go to work. I asked her what she wanted to have for her birthday the day before and she said that the frozen palabok in the refrigerator (which were left-overs from her pre-birthday treat last weekend) would be enough. I said I'd buy her ice cream but she said I didn't have to. Perhaps she's thinking that we still don't have the financial freedom to buy anything we want at the moment but I'd be glad to spend whatever money I have left to make her birthday extra special (touching moment here:) She arrived early that day so when I got home from the mall, she was beginning to sleep already. Then after a considerable amount of time thawing the palabok while eating the mojos because she was already hungry, we had her birthday dinner, eating in 'birthday style', with our plates on our laps because we still didn't have chairs for the dining table...hahaha. It was 'fun'-our way, and we laughed the night off reminiscing how we spent the past birthdays we both had alone (with friends but without family) while we were in college, and the birthdays we had when we were younger, when Mama was still with us. Before the night ended  though, three of her classmates came to celebrate with her (with cake and ice cream, yeey!) as I left for work so I figured she had a great day after all:)

 

Today is no longer her birthday and I'd probably ask her to wash the dishes tonight, but I'll always be thankful  for Ate in my life. She may not be as angelic as her name- she's a bully and a joker who never runs out of pranks to pull that mostly involve us; she can be scary and very serious at rare times, nonchalant when in her usual self; she gets irritated easily, being impatient; and she can boss me and Micah around, her privilege for being the eldest- but I certainly wouldn't wish for a better sister, because she's the best for us. She's my pillar of strength, my inspiration, my best friend, accountability partner, and soul mate. We disagree on a few things, but I could be in the most uncomfortable of places and still feel secure if only I am with her. She's excellent in everything she does and she inspires us to be the best in our chosen fields. She's brave and strong, and we know that she always got our backs, no matter what. It's because of her that we can say 'tanga-tanga' all out to each other when the need arises (an expression we only use among us siblings), but she inspires us to think, and to live up to the intelligence God has given us. She's our leader, and we wouldn't be who we are now if we had a different sister. I love you so much Ate! I know you don't like mush but this is me expressing how grateful I am for having you!:) Aside from the food, I don't have a material gift this time around but I always pray for your good health, safety, strength, knowledge, wisdom, and God's guidance in all your endeavors. I wish you all the best and may our good Lord grant all the desires of you heart according to His will and may you have many more birthdays to come!  

Happy Birthday Ate Angel!

And now to neutralize the mush, Happy Happy Birthday again taba! All the best fatso! mwahaha