For Halloween

...I went to school/work as Wednesday Addams, from the Addams Family. I googled her and everything, trying to get the look down pat.

I sort of thought I got it right.

But for some reason, almost everyone who saw me said, "Esther! Orphan!"

I'm off by a decade. Esther is this generation's psycho doll-child.

Around The World In Two Days

For UN week this year, each section transformed their classrooms into their assigned countries. It was such a thrill to hop from room to room and see stunning replicas of the world's most famous landmarks.

Mt Fuji

The Sydney Opera House.

St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow.

The Leaning Tower of Pisa.

The Statue of Liberty, whose birthday we celebrated last October 28, 2010.

More pictures tomorrow, maybe.

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At The MRT Station

My brother sent in this photo of himself, taken at the MRT station in Quezon City with a cellphone camera to the National Geographic Asia photo contest. Go to this link to vote for him by clicking the "Like" button :)

Hunger Games: The Movie

They say that after you read a book - you've already created the movie version in your head. Complete with cast, set, soundtrack. Well for The Hunger Games trilogy, I did.

The very first person I cast was the evil President Snow.

He had to be snake-like and sinister. And so, Ben Kingsley as President Snow.

Next was the leader of District 13. There was no other person in my mind.

Strong, authoritative, ambitious. Helen Mirren as Coin.

I thought Rue and Prim were also pretty easy to cast. You just need a frail, pretty little girl with big, big eyes. And because Dakota Fanning is old --

Her younger sister, Elle Fanning as Rue or Prim or both.

Her role as Professor Umbridge is still quite fresh in my mind. And I think Effie Trinket is a lot like Umbridge. Must be the pink.

Imelda Staunton as Effie Trinket.

For Peeta, it had to be a big guy, who was soft and marshmallowy and kind. And harmless.

I couldn't think of anybody, and so -- the guy from Glee as Peeta.

For Cinna, when I was reading the book, he struck me as kind of effeminate, but at the same time he's quiet and smart and talented. I thought, maybe...

BJ Novak as Cinna. Because I want to cast someone from The Office.

Finnick Odair is suppose to be hot and strong and.. hot.

Chace Crawford as Finnick Odair. Actually, any other hot, blonde, blue-eyed boy would do.

For Haymitch, my first instinct was Jim Broadbent or Robbie Coltrane. Someone fat and boorish. Because Haymitch was always drunk right? But I remembered, that you had to have a sense that Haymitch used to be young and deadly and sharp. He had to have a hint of his glory days. And so...

My favorite ex-junkie, Robert Downey Jr. as Haymitch.

One of the hardest to cast is the lead herself. Because, in my mind, young Hollywood is full of pink and fluff and pop. But then, there's always....

Camilla Belle as Katniss Everdeen.

Help. I have no Gale yet!

Gin Blossoms in Manila

A couple of weeks ago, I substituted in a sophomore English class. One especially friendly student, Julian, chatted me up about music. He was all praises about the music of the 90s, the music of my generation. And no, he wasn't referring to the Spice Girls or the Backstreet Boys.

He was talking about "alternative music," and how he was soooo jealous that I got to be a teenager and have Gin Blossoms and Matchbox 20 and Third Eye Blind be the soundtrack to my angst.



And all at once, it came back. Those wonderfully edgy and jangly songs, with those bittersweet lyrics that to me, sounded like the best kind of poetry. The compilation CD called "Alternative Tongue," with its red jacket and songs by U2, The Red Hot Chilli Peppers, The Counting Crows. It was one of the last things I could remember that my sister, my brother and I agreed on, before we led our separate, adult lives.

I remembered that conversation with Julian this morning, when I read in Facebook that Gin Blossoms will be playing in Manila this November.

click the image for a larger view

I remembered also, the dark hallways of my high school, the nervous anticipation as we waited to go onstage, where my friends and I did a cover of "As Long As It Matters."

Tour dates are as follows:

November 18, 2010 at Araneta Coliseum in Manila
November 20, 2010 at Waterfront hotel in Cebu.

Inspiration Board

For when I get married...

The Office Seasons 3-5

Clarise is the sweetest. She felt sorry for me when she heard that I was contenting myself with bloopers and fan-made videos of The Office on Youtube because I haven't gotten a chance to swing by Metrowalk for pirated DVDs yet.

So she bought me Seasons 3 to 5.

I finished Season 3 last Wednesday. The Beach Trip was my favorite episode. Not only did Michael Scott bring them on a Survivor themed trip, (where Dwight named his team "Gryffindor" and Jim countered with "Voldemort") Pam finally mustered the courage to tell Jim that --

"There were many reasons to end it with Roy. But none of them really mattered, until I met you."

Pam and Jim from Season 4, The Office

Teacher's Day and Fully Booked

At Fully Booked, Eastwood,where the idea for the 500 movies blog was born..

The Reedley English Department with Birdy and Burglar

A Wedding In The Family

Christ The King Church

EDSA Shangrila Hotel