Exaggerations

The only reason why I'm posting this is because a good friend asked me to take a quiz before she answers my question. Let me note that as much as there is truth, no matter how little, to most of the results, a lot, if not all, are exaggerations ok? I mean, how can this be valid considering how baseless and quick the test was? Whatever rocks your socks Jowie, for you, here are the results.

Btw, if I am not busy, I would really take time to debunk each result.

Color Test - Results

Your Existing Situation "Very social and needs a highly social environment with people who depend on him, in order to feel safe. she is a go-getter and can adapt to almost any situation. " Your Stress Sources "His normal flexible and stubborn attitude has become weakened because she feels overworked, tired and as if she is stuck in a rut. The situation seems helpless and is causing her to physically feel the strain, she is searching for a solution but she is unable to make a decision on how to go about making the changes." Your Restrained Characteristics His confidence is low but she is unable to admit that is the reason for her avoidance of conflict. Feels it is a situation out of her control and she is making the best of it. "Is emotionally demanding, especially during intimate moments, which leaves her feeling frustrated because she is unable to find a perfect union." Conceited and is easily insulted. Holds back emotionally but is able to find satisfaction through sexual activity. Your Desired Objective Lives life to the fullest. Has a high energy level and is always on the go. she is very active and her actions often lead to success. Your Actual Problem "Feeling tension and stress brought on by situations which are out of her control, leaves her feeling helpless, anxious, and in adequate. she escapes the situation by throwing herself into new activities and insisting she get her own way. Appears to be in control of himself, which she isn't, leading to outbursts of anger." Your Actual Problem #2 Is afraid she will be held back from obtaining the things she wants leading her to act out with a hectic intensity.

http://colorquiz.com/results.php?code=f,6,3,4,1,5,7,2,0,3,3,1,4,6,5,2,0,7,7&p=full

People of Panem, the Hunger Games IS FINALLY HERE \m/

The Movie Experience

   Pretty deserving to be my 1st Ultra 7 movie! Lazy boy recliner seats, UNLImited popcorn and drinks are the proper treatment to an avid fan who eagerly, later on anxiously, waited for months to witness the People of Panem come to life. A day after, I watched it again with my awesome officemates and the thrill was still there!

     As an avid reader of the trilogy, let me share my two cents worth on the film adaption:

PLAUDITS

a. Gale's acting, especially during the scene when he was saying goodbye to Katniss before she went to the Capitol. Or Gale's acting as a whole. Admittedly, he's natural charm and good looks make me biased. ;p

b. Rue's role of playing a prank on the Career tributes. This was witty.:) 
c. The solemn scene of Rue's death in the meadow.

d. Prim and Katniss's strong bond was established.
e. The CASTING! Jennifer Lawrence's acting WAS SUPERB.  Hands down, love it.

Wes Bentley as Seneca Crane

THE DIFFERENCES

The Capitol, specifically Seneca Crane's Active Role in Orchestrating the Games.

     The first time I heard that Wes Bentley was playing Seneca Crane's character, I thought that it was such a waste of casting talent since Crane hardly had any major scene except that of Katniss' private session with the gamekeepers. Little did I know that Seneca Crane suddenly became a central character in the movie, and for me that made A LOT of difference. It highlighted how the tributes were mere puppets to the show the Capitol wants to project. It underscored that they DELIBERATELY CONTROL EVERYTHING, from the instantaneous fire, the trees suddenly falling, the number of Mutts running after you.. which I think wasn’t really reflected in the books.

     Also, I loved the scenes of President Snow having subtle yet paramount influence on Crane’s decisions. Love the subtle yet loaded words by  President Snow to Seneca Crane:

    “A little hope is effective. A lot is dangerous. A spark is ok, as long as you contain it.” 

           

     On a minor note, even Haymitch talks to Crane and somehow ends up manipulating the game.

         Guess I loved this because it highlighted the Politics of the Hunger Games, ergo Panem.

Missed out on the little things that make such big impacts.

For me there are little moments in stories that you can’t leave out for they have irreplaceable effects on the understanding and appreciation of the reader. There are just some scenes that you CAN'T MISS OUT.Quick examples: 

1. The source and significance of the Mockingjay pin, IT'S SO WEIRD that it would mean so much to Katniss when it was just something she originally bought in a market right? Add how Katniss effortlessly gained Rue’s trust because of it. Now all that symbolism was just lost, because the story was changed.

2. Katniss and Rue’s bonding moments, like Katniss giving Rue the leg parts because Rue “never had (ate) a whole leg to herself before”. That wasn’t there, or established.

3. Now this is the most disappointing of all, Peeta and Katniss' little and subtle alliances that helped build their connection wasn’t even there! Their team up to convince Haymitch they’re worth it, how they leaned and depended on each other, especially in the carriage when Katniss was on fire.. etc. Now this for me Is unforgivable.

4. Peeta's pureness/quintissential devotion in saving Katniss. Everything he did was for her. Yet here, he seemed like a scared, insecure and overly-dependent kid.

5. Katniss's voice. Well it didn’t make me stop and listen, unlike how its described in the book. Her voice, the talent she got from her dad, makes the birds stop to listen. But hey its decent.

Hence the 3rd point, Lack of Build Up.

I think this is a reiteration, or more of a consequence of my 2^nd point. I mean THERE’S TOO LITTLE BUILD UP. The relationship of Rue and Katniss wasn’t as meaningful as it IS. What more for Peeta and Katniss? Cmon Peeta is as big a part of Hunger Games as Katniss is, or just a bit less, yet it was depicted like he was just an insecure boy with a crush on Katniss. He’s much more than that.  I mean with the way he’s depicted it’s a no brainer who you’ll pick between Hutcherson or Hemsworth. The merging of Peeta and Hutcherson’s qualities produced an insecure, juvenile and vertically-challenged boy. How can you match up to Gale played by Hemsworth with those mix?

Height Difference Much? - Josh Hutcherson, Jennifer Lawrence and Liam Hemsworth

The WORST SCENE which wasn’t given justice. – For me, it had to be the epic scene when the decision was reversed and only one tribute would be the victor. What was required of Katniss and Peeta’s acting was just SHALLOW. Where’s the internal struggles of Katniss who in a microsecond found herself playing the game the way its supposed to be, hence wanting to kill the other victor alive, and then feeling disgusted with herself when she saw Peeta offering his life for her to win? The purity of Peeta’s devotion in protecting her even if he was scared shit that he had to die to do so? How in a way they were being coerced to turn on each other and that actually worked for a second or two? THAT SCENE was supposed to be more dramatic, it should have been given more time, more lines, more acting. But it wasn’t, what a bummer .

EVERY Second of the Actual Games Itself, is BRUTAL, DEADLY, and just plain DIFFICULT.

Yet it looked too easy on Katniss and Peeta compared to how it should really be. Just look at how clean and unwounded they were? In the book, after the Cornucopia countoff, Katniss almost died looking for water; Peeta was literally being dragged to the cave..etc. If you read the book, you’d be on the edge of your seat because Katniss was so near death every 10 pages! The movie  wasn't able to capture the gravity of the life and death situations of Peeta and Katniss, or the others. The Careers did have an alliance, but they weren’t THAT CHILL AND JOLLY in killing. They did feel the filth and disgust with the necessity of killing.

Point is, the Hunger Games IS BRUTAL, but somehow, it only seemed like a bloodier version of the reality show Survivor.

Minor Point: From the casting District 12 didn’t look like the underdogs. But hey I’m fine with that since I love the Casting.

Totohanan na 'to.

Naiinis ako sa sarili ko kasi hindi ko maovercome ang pagiging late at minsan pagiging pasaway ko; nachichismis tuloy ako.


Naaasar ako kasi pinapalabas ko na wala akong pakialam at di ako naapektuhan ng chismis, kahit sa loob loob ko, nasasaktan ako. 


Nayayabangan ako sa sarili ko kasi kahit di pa man napapansin ng iba, alam ko na mali ko, at may kagustuhan akong ipaliwanag at humingi ng paumanhin pero nauunahan ako ng takot at pride.


Nahihiya ako kasi parang wala kong sense of loyalty kahit di lang alam ng mga tao kung gaano ko kaayaw ng paiba-iba.


Napapaisip ako kung tama bang iiwan ko to, kasi ang babait ng halos lahat ng tao dito, lalo na mga boss. Tao ka kung ituring, may respeto, may konsiderasyon, may malasakit.


Naprapraning ako kasi panibagong pakikisama na naman ang tatahakan ko; paano 'pag puro weirdo at bwisit mga tao sa lilipatan ko at hindi ko sila ma-take.


Nae-emo ako dahil mamimiss ko ang lunchouts, coffeebreaks, dinner at inuman, asaran at ang walang kamatayang Pinoy Henyo na paborito nating nilalaro.


Nalulungkot ako kasi aalis na ko, kahit dito ko natutunan na POSIBLE palang makahanap ng MASAYANG SAMAHAN at TOTOON G PAGKAKAIBIGAN sa opisina.


Nandidiri ako kasi para kong tanga, na-attach na ko sa mga hinayupak na kaopisina ko kahit wala silang ibang ginawa kungdi mang-asar at mang-bully.


Nanghihinayang ako kasi kahit ang saya ng pagkakaibigan dito, kahit di man aminin, pag umalis na ko, mababawasan at mababawasan yun.


Natatakot ako kasi baka hindi ko to mapanindigan; baka hindi ko majuggle ang trabaho sa umaga at pagaaral ng law sa gabi.


Nabwibwisit ako dahil sinisira ang pagdradrama ko ng kirot ng bwisit na puson na to, HASSLE it's that time of the month. 


Nasasaktan na ko, LITERALLY, lumelevel-up na ang kirot, kaya kailangan ko na itigil 'tong pangungumpisal na to pero may kailangan pa kong ipahabol.


Nagpapasalamat ako, ng sobra sobra sobra, kasi kungdi dahil sa leniency ng trabahong to, hindi ko mababantayan Lola ko sa ospital, hindi ako nagkaron ng privilege na alagaan at paglingkuran siya sa huling 2 buwan ng buhay niya. Buong buhay ko yung ipapagpasalamat.



Started: 2003H, March 14, 2012, Wednesday
Finished: 2031H, March 14, 2012, Wednesday

We may seem tough..

It takes too much imagination to see the sorrows of people we take for happy. Their real battles take place, like those of the stars, in some realm of light imperceptible to the human eye. It is a feat of the mind to guess another's heart. -The Confessions of Max Tivoli, page 114

And yet you can with me. Perfectly at that.

(Painting by Nicholas Panayi, source: http://www.cyprusevents.net/events/nicholas-panayi-polis-2009/)

Nice Dodge

Why did I do it?..

It is almost another kind of love, being loved. It is the same heat but from another room; it is the same sound but from a high window and not your own heart. Brave or carefree people will not understand..

But for some of us, the young or old or lonely, it might seem a palatable substitute and better than we have. We are not in love, but we are with someone in love, and the spare dreams of their days are all of us.

The Confessions of Max Tivoli, by Andrew Sean Greer, Page 66-67

It doesn't mean that I agree with this, but hey its a good explanation. ;p

My Current Read: The Confessions of Max Tivoli by Andrew Sean Greer

Currently reading "The Confessions of Max Tivoli" by Andrew Sean Greer, and I'm loving it. :) Special thanks to Jaja for getting the book for me! Mind you, it's not available in National Bookstore, Fullybooked or Powerbooks. At one point, I was too desperate  that I almost purchased it in ebay and have it delivered to the Philippines. Thank God for bookworm friends who scavenge nice reads at Booksale. 

Let me share my fave paragraph so far:


(Page 14)


"I should explain this disguise of mine. It's no excuse to say that I pretend to be a boy of twelve simply because I look like one, but the fact is that I do. I am small and freckled and lonely; I have patches on my knickers and frogs in every pocket. Only a careful observer would notice that I have too many faded scars for a child of twelve, too mean a squint, and that I sometimes stroke my chin as if I'd worn a beard. But no one looks that closely, I know it seems hard to believe, but the world is wholly convinced that I am what I claim to be, and not merely because I'm so good an imitator after all these awful years."


This book has a remarkable resemblance to the movie entitled "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" starring Brad Pitt. I really enjoyed watching that movie.

Thou Shall Not Let Laziness Get the Best of Me

(Segue) What I learned today: 

1.Ukay dresses/clothes have no sizes.
2. Nice Ukay counters would check the quality of the apparel your buying and would unsolicitedly seize the purchase from you even if you're not convinced of its damage.
3. Worse, they'd rip the dress in front of you just to prove their point and rub it in. So that's what "marupok" means, the heck.

Indeed, one needs to be cruel to be kind.

(Main Story, which is totally unrelated to my segue.)

"Napapagod ako eh." Was the excuse I told my friends when asked why I had to raincheck for the 2nd consecutive day this week.

"Kailan ka pa natuto mapagod??" Was their reply.

That made me laugh, BIG TIME. Kailan nga ba? I was so used to being overworked, overstressed, underfed and sleep-deprived.  So much so that even if all energy is sapped from me, I can somehow: drag my butt all the way to UP to tutor Econ or Math, travel to technohub to help a friend out with his/her thesis, replenish my body with enough kilojoules to do a night jog around the acad oval, take time to meet up and comfort a friend in need or be as perky as possible and join orgmates in drinking and merrymaking at Spazzio, Tkick, Drews or what have you. Take this, I'd even attend unplanned overnights. Point is, even if I end as early as 5pm or as late as 11pm, sumusunod ako NO MATTER WHAT.


So what happened? I'm not sure, let me think out loud.

1. Recently, my finances have been diverted to other stuff (ie. travelling, my new phone, shopping..etc).
2. It's only now that it sink in how incredibly near my workplace is to my house. Ergo, how hassle it is to travel and gimmick so far away from the vicinity.
3. Lunchouts, gimmicks and after work life with my colleagues have increased exponentially this year. To say that we became more clingy is an understatement. No complains here, it's real fun being with them even if they tease me a lot.
4. Finally, I learned how to say tinatamad ako and let myself give in to sheer laziness.

I do miss spending almost everyday with my UP friends/orgmates and I do my best to catch up at least once a week now. But somehow, its getting more normal for me to say no?

"Na-outgrow mo na college life mo!" Exclaimed a close friend.

Maybe, maybe not. Or maybe that wasn't even it in the first place.

Before I go, let me share this thought which bothered me a while ago. I realized, that from being such a workaholic, which was somehow coerced in my previous work environment, I found myself startled when I looked at the clock a while ago and realized that its almost 2pm and I HAVE NOT HAD any materiel output yet. As in NONE. So what did I do: surfed the net? Tweeted? Updated myself with NBA news? Read the news for most of the day??

Note to self: Thou shall not let laziness get the best of me.

(LSS for the day: On Broken Strings - James Morrison)

Started: 2105H, March 1, 2012
Finished: 2320H, March 1, 2012