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

Ryan Bang Visits Reedley

One of my Korean students has made it to the big time - ever since his stint in ABS - CBN''s Pinoy Big Brother, he's been a familiar, funny presence on TV.

Ryan during graduation with me and my other student, Nicole.

He was the type that scraped just enough to get by in class, but outside of the four classroom walls, he was a student council phenomenon. The kind, gracious, funny, charismatic president who was popular with Koreans and Filipinos and everybody in between. He endeared himself to everyone with his mix of incomprehensible English and atrocious Tagalog.

Last summer we watched as he skyrocketed from anonymity straight into the heart of most Filipino households with his unique, unaffected brand of comedy. It was all at once -- absurd, slapstick, endearing, clueless and comical.

Ryan Bang was the topic of many lunchtime conversations -- we felt a sort of ownership over him, and a mixture of a mother hen's protectiveness and pride. I for one, felt conflicted with the fact that pretty soon he would officially become public property.

Anyway he dropped by for a visit today, bringing his lunch to share with us.

He looked good. But he also looked tired. The thing was, that he was just soooo busy. Too busy to contact his old friends John and Chase. Too busy to do anything else besides taping and tours. Too busy smiling and accommodating people's requests to take pictures.

During a short break from all the students, teachers, secretaries and canteen vendors who asked for a photo op, he shared that sometimes he wished for his old life back.

What's the use of fame if you can't keep in touch with old friends or have the luxury of indulging in anti-social tendencies? What good is it if you don't even have time to peruse the dozens of websites devoted to you and Google your name just to see what other people are saying about you? I hope he figures out if this, in the end, is all worth it.

Ryan with me, Miss D, his Student Council Adviser and Miss Rolle, his class adviser.

Late Bloomer

They're already on Season 7 and Michael Scott is leaving, and it's only now that I've come to fall in love with The Office.

I've heard about it from friends of course. One of my friends dressed up as Jim for Halloween. My best friend would tell me to watch it from time to time. But it was only after Clarise lent me her iPod (to watch Paris JeT'aime actually) that I caught the Jim and Pam wedding episode.

Next thing I knew I bought Seasons 1 and 2 (pirated version, Metrowalk dibidi). And I'm hooked! Especially with the Jim and Pam love story.


Jim is so cute, the way he's secretly in love with Pam (still on Season 2 hehehe), always looking out for her.

Season 2 ended with Jim telling Pam how he felt. I am dying to get my hands on a copy of Season 3!

Some Vietnam Sights I Will Have To Miss For Now

Mia proposed this itinerary, for what she likes to call our "sojourney weaver" to Vietnam and Cambodia.

November 1: ETD: 11:30 PM Manila

November 2: ETA: 12:40 AM Saigon (Ho Chi Minh) : Whole Day Saigon

November 3: ETD: 7:00 am Saigon (via Bus) ETA: 2:00 pm Phnom Penh whole day PP, overnight PP

November 4: ETD: 7:00 am PP (via Bus) ETA: 2:00 pm Siem Reap whole day SR, overnight SR


November 5: whole day SR  

November 6: ETD: 7:00 am SR (via bus) ETA: 8:00 pm Saigon

November 7: ETD: 1:00 am Saigon ETA: 4:00 am Manila

One Sunday we decided to go online and talk about what to do and where to stay. The thing is, I would have wanted to stay a bit longer in Vietnam, to be able to visit sights such as Halong Bay, Hue and Hanoi.

Mausoleum of Tu Doc in Hue (from virtualtourist.com)

Limestone karsts in Halong Bay

We toyed around the idea of extending our trip in order to accommodate the side trips to Vietnam's other sights. But then we remembered Camarines Sur. Nine straight days and non-stop traveling and we were getting on each others' nerves.

So we decided to stick to the plan and settle for a city tour of Ho Chi Minh (funny how all the interesting places in Vietnam start with an H.) So we decided to split the planning - Mia would take care of the Cambodia leg of our trip, and I would oversee Vietnam.

It's the most overwhelming thing actually. There is just too much information from all sorts of sources. I've browsed through the Lonely Planet website, scanned a Frommers Travel Guide in a book store, hopped from one website to another.

I'm giving myself a deadline. Tomorrow, I will post an initial list of hotels and sights that I've collected. I'll try to connect with someone from Vietnam on Facebook as well. Let's see how that goes.

All Things Are Made New

This weekend was rather full - the Ateneo Rizal library tour on Friday, the batch dinner of the seniors on Friday, the death anniversary of my grandfather on Saturday, and the school's varsity basketball games and church on Sunday.

The Ateneo De Manila Rizal Library

The funny thing is/was, I was revitalized come Monday. These were activities that filled my mind, my heart, my spirit. It's a great week to come, it's a great life ahead.