Movies to Watch

Spent my evening previewing trailers over youtube. There are seven movies that will be shown from now until February that I'm excited to see.

Here they are:

1. The Pursuit of Happyness
Starring: Will Smith Based on a true story about a struggling salesman who can barely make ends meet and eventually gets evicted from his apartment. Together with his son (played by Will's real life son Jaden), he sleeps on subways and shelters by night but interns at a stock brokerage firm by day in pursuit of a better life for him and his son.






2. The Holiday
Starring: Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Jack Black
Two women who live thousands of miles apart find that they have something in common: man troubles. They meet through a site called "Home Exchange" and agree to switch places and go on a holiday, Amanda (Cameron) flying to England while Iris (Kate) jetting to LA -- hoping to forget their heartaches and accidentally finding love along the way.


3. Miss Potter
Starring: Renee Zellwegger, Ewan McGregor
This is the story of Beatrix Potter, the author of the beloved and best-selling children's book, "The Tale of Peter Rabbit", and her struggle for love, happiness and success.


4. Thr3e
Starring: Marc Blucas
The best-selling novel by Christian fiction writer Ted Dekker is now a movie! Yay!
It's the story of an elusive psychopath murderer whose strange riddles and impossible timelines force three people into a mission to end the game before one or all of them die.

5. Catch and Release
Starring: Jennifer Garner, Juliette Lewis
A woman named Gray struggles to accept the death of her

beloved husband but soon finds out that he had been keeping

secrets she must now deal with as she rebuilds her life.

6. The Invisible
Starring: Justin Chatwin
Nick, is a high school senior with a

bright future until, in a tragic case

of mistaken identity, he is brutally

attacked by a troubled girl, Annie,

and his body is left for dead. Now in

limbo, not quite dead but invisible

to the living, his spirit can only watch

as his mother and the police search

frantically for him, unaware that he is

only hours away from truly perishing.

7. Music and Lyrics

Starring: Drew Barrymore and Hugh Grant

The one that I'm looking forward to most! Hugh Grant plays

an 80's has-been who joins a reality show of musician has-beens and gets tasked to write a new song for this ala Christian Aguilera pop star. Drew plays the Hugh's plant waterer whom he discovers has a knack for creating beautiful lyrics to go with his music. Another romantic comedy must-see!

Fast Talk

It's just about that time of the year again -- a time I truly look forward to. I'm not talking about Christmas (although I do love Christmas!) or New Year's (although I love New Year's, too). I'm talking about the annual 7-day Prayer and Fasting that we as a church do every start of the year.

If we backtrack to three years ago, the word 'fast' would have only meant 'quick' to me. I've never been the type to deprive myself of food. Even when trying to lose weight, I've always resorted to physical activity but never to dieting. So when I first heard about fasting as a new Christian, I was skeptical. What on earth would not eating my meals do other than possibly giving me an ulcer?

So even if I didn't really understand what it was about, I decided to go for it. I wanted to see for myself what all the flack was about. I wanted more of God and if this was the way to have more of Him in my life and hear from Him, then I had nothing to lose.

On the second day of Fasting, I realized I hadn't just 'lost nothing,' I gained what (or Who) was priceless.

I remember singing a worship song at Galleria at lunchtime that second day and the Lord clearly told me that it was time to move on, to give up my job -- a job I enjoyed and loved. I was very fond of earrings at that time and I don't know why it was my first reaction but my automatic response was "But, Lord, if I quit my job, how will I buy all my earrings?" That exact moment, my knees buckled (that time I thought it was because I was hungry) and I lost my balance and found myself sitting on my bible. I felt led to look at the page my bible was on and when I did, the words of Isaiah 3:18-20 literally jumped right out of the pages. It said "In that day the Lord will snatch away their finery: the bangles and headbands and crescent necklaces, the earrings and bracelets and veils, the headdresses and ankle chains and sashes, the perfume bottles and charm.."

That was the first time I knew for sure that I had clearly heard from God.

For the first time in the two years I'd worked there, that second day of fasting, my fellow associate F found me in tears at my desk. I wanted out.

It didn't happen just yet that year and even now I feel I had delayed obeying as long as I could (not something I am proud of) but what I did realize then was that God wanted me somewhere else. At that time, I just didn't know where that somewhere was.

***

Prayer and Fasting is always a powerful time for me. I have experienced countless breakthroughs and encounters with God during and after fasting. So I'm excited. If you want to read more about fasting, check out this great book by Pastor Joey Bonifacio called The Mystery of the Empty Stomach (available at any Victory Resource Center). It explains what fasting is and what it's not and answers a lot of the questions that I usually get about fasting.

Not bad for 27

Only 18 minutes to go before midnight, before my birthday officially starts. I'm excited to turn 28. For some reason, I never really felt 27. It took me until February of this year to come to terms with being 27. I kept on saying I was still 26 and I started saying I was 28 as early as September. I don't know why but I didn't like being 27. Maybe I like even numbers better. I can't really say.

But whatever number is associated with this past year, I have so much to be thankful for. This year, I stepped out in faith and quit a job I've had for three years. This year, I experienced losing a loved one for the very first time. This year, after a year of living away from my mom's house, I took a step of faith and went back home. It wasn't pretty. The beginning of this year brought testing after testing and there were times I really thought it would never end. But it did and brought my relationship with God to a higher level. It made me stronger and made me realize so many things about myself. It brought me unexpectedly to the job I've been believing God for for the past two years. It brought me closer to my dad (whom I haven't seen since I was 11), to my mom, to my grandparents... It brought new people into my life, people I am excited to get to know.

Not bad for a number like 27... Not bad at all...

So I'm excited to be 28. I'm excited to see what God has in store for me this year. I'm excited about the deal I have with God, which officially starts today although I have been practicing this past week. I'm excited to just spend more time with Him, to know Him more, to love Him more. What can I say? Life just keeps on getting better.

Hello again, bloggers!

Hi, everyone!

I was MIA for quite some time because the PC in my room is still busted. So I'm just blogging using someone else's computer. Nothing much going on. I would have to say things have not turned out as I expected. It's been quite tough for me and I've been asking God a lot why he brought me back home when things were already good before everything changed. But deep in my heart I know that God is trying to teach me something. Little by little, I am finding out what it is. And the more it is revealed to me, the more peaceful I feel about everything. I want something else, to be somewhere else but until God gives the go-signal, then I need to stay here.

Goodbye, Summit...

I can't believe tomorrow is my real last day at Summit. My official last day is supposed to be on the 15th but since I need to move out of AIC to go back to Sta. Rosa on Monday, I will be taking my last three days off. It's surreal, really. I'm sad that I'm leaving and scared, because I have a new life. For the first time in three years, I'm not getting up in the morning knowing exactly what I need to do for the day. This is the life I've known and have come to love. That is why despite my complaints in the past, I never really wanted to leave Summit. This is actually a really good company. Everyone is so different that there is no room for envy or fierce competition. There's no one trying to sabotage another's work. Each person takes pride in what she (or he) does and each one respects the other (most of the time) because each one knows that every person has his own talent and plays a vital role to accomplishing our goal -- which is to give each person a magazine he/she will enjoy and learn from.

I have met the most interesting people on the job. I never thought I would meet (and actually talk to and be in the same car with) Myrza Sison. I have been a Cosmo reader since the Philippine edition first came out (although now I enjoy Marie Claire and Preview more--reason being I'm getting old!). I would be checking if the latest issue was already out a week before the magazine was set to come out. I have always admired her--the ultimate fun fearless female. And now, I actually run into her in the rest room and she says hi to me! Simple joys, I know, but even to this day, I still get starstruck by the big names in the magazine industry: Myrza, Pauline Suaco-Juan, Jo-Ann Maglipon. I still can't get over how perfectly polished the Preview girls are everyday. No fail, they always wear the perfect clothes and you see them most days having their makeup done by Agoo (oh the beautiful Agoo) at her desk. It's Sushi for Beginners come alive. I still can't get over how our big boss Lisa is not Ms. Lisa or Ma'am Lisa--she's just plain Lisa. She's so simple, she has a laugh with the staff (not me specifically but I like watching her kid around with the FHM people or Ms Jo-Ann, whom she calls lola) and she's just so passionate about the magazines. When I joined Summit, we had about 10 titles, now we have 22 plus Summit Books. I just admire that she's accomplished so much and yet remains so down to earth. I just wish I had an opportunity to be able to get to know her or have her get to know me. I remember one time I was at Bo's, doing one-to-one with a girl and she was buying coffee. I saw her waving wildly saying "hello!!" with a bright smile. I had to look behind me because honestly I never thought she even knew I existed but she did and that just made my day.

I can't believe I'm leaving. But I know I have to move on. If it's God's will for me to come back, I know He'll make a way. Maybe in editorial the next time around? Hmmm, gotta polish up on my writing skills...

One of those surveys again

1. Do you like Chinese food~ Yes, I do. But my favorite is still Japanese
2. How big is your bed?~ a single
3. Is your room clean?~ yes, it is. :)
4. Laptop or Desktop computer?~ Desktop
5. Favorite fashion icon?~ Gwyneth Paltrow, Carolina Herrera and a bit of Sarah Jessica Parker
6. Do you like yourself?~ Yes, I do, but I'm still a work in progress
7. Does anyone like you?~ Yes, I believe so, I have many friends
8.. Sleep with or without clothes on?~ with clothes, of course!
9. Who sleeps with you every night?~ Nobody, just me.
10. Do long distance relationships work?~ I think it would depend
11. How many times have you been pulled over by the police?~ By the MMDA, about 3 times before
12. Pancakes or French Toast?~ Pancakes with a lot of maple syrup
13. Do you like coffee?~ Yes, I do although it's not something I need to have everyday
14. How do you like your eggs?~ depends on the ulam (hehe...)
15. Do you believe in astrology?~ No.
16. Last person you talked to on the phone?~ my cousin Denise
17. Last person on your missed call list?~ Kris
18. What was the last text message you received?~ A forwarded message from Fida
19. McDonalds or Burger King?~ McDonald's
20. Number of pillows?~ three
21. Last thing you ate?~ Ruffles Cheddar and Sour cream
22. Last thing you bought?~ KFC chicken for dinner
23. What are you wearing right now?~ a black shirt, jeans and chucks
24. Pick a lyric, any lyric or song?~ "People get ready, there's a train coming, Don't need no baggage you just get on board; all you need is faith to hear the diesel hummin', you don't need a ticket, you just thank the Lord" -- wonderful song revived by Alicia Keys and Lyfe Jennings for the movie Glory Road
25. What kind of spread do you like on your sandwich?~ cheez whiz
26. Can you play pool?~ only with someone directing me
27. Do you know how to swim?~ yes, I do.
8. Favorite ice cream flavor?~ vanilla, double dutch, dulce de leche, cookies and cream, strawberry cheesecake
29. Spin the bottle?~ when I was younger pero yung Truth or Consequence lang
30. Ever attended a theme party?~ Yes, but I'm not really good at theme parties
31. Ever do a keg stand?~ No, what's that?
32. Craziest place you've slept after a night of drinking?~ Don't drink anymore.
33. What is your favorite holiday?~ Christmas
34. What is the first music video you ever saw? ~ I can't remember pero parang Video Killed the Radio Star
35. Favorite quote ~ "Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail; they are new every morning." Lamentations 3:22-23
36. Where is your favorite saturday hangout?~ My house
37. Best friend/s' name?~ Kris
38. How long have you known them?~ Almost 7 years
39. Last time you laughed at something stupid?~ Hmm... I can't really remember
40. What time did you wake up this morning?~ 8:00am
41. Woke up next to anyone?~ No.
42. Best thing about Summer?~ Summer convergence, campus harvest and the beach!
3. Name a couple of favorite colors:~ white and green
44. How old are you?~ 27
45. What month is your birthday in?~ November
46. Do you think pirates are cool or overrated? ~ I don't think about pirates at all
47. Favorite song?~ Better than life - Marty Sampson and Knees to the earth - Watermark
48. What are you doing this week?~ Turning over stuff, preparing to move back home

Musings on Memoirs

Just came from the premiere of Memoirs of a Geisha at Greenbelt 3.

I found the movie visually stunning and it made me more intrigued to know more about Japanese culture. They say this movie is heavily westernized but I still liked it, quite a surprise because I'm not really a big fan of Asian culture (except ours of course). Funny, I read in a lot of reviews that the movie should have been done in Japanese because first because it's set in Japan and so that the actors could act better speaking in their native tongue. Another reviewer pointed out that although the film is set in Japan, the book is written in English so why would anyone want to translate it to Japanese and then include English subtitles? Plus, the main actors are not even Japanese so it wouldn't really be their native tongue.

On my way back to the office, I remember what Sayuri (Zhang Ziyi) said towards the end. She told the Chairman that every step she'd taken since she was a child was to get closer to him. I could relate. But what was striking was that I was able to relate, thinking about my former Object of Affection. Although I was quite guarded when it came to him (just because I'm the type of girl who is uncomfortable around a guy I like), I made many decisions and many moves to get closer to him but as my friends know, nothing came out of that. Then I began to think:

"Can't you see? Every step I have taken, since I was that child on the bridge, has been to bring myself closer to you."

The only one who truly deserves this line is Jesus Christ. I began to think of the many times I had wasted thinking about how to get closer to a person but exerting only a portion of my effort to get closer to Him. Despite my bible reading every night, despite my prayers, or the services and prayer meetings I attend, I know I can devote more of myself to Him, to bringing myself closer to Him. As I embark on a new challenge this March, that will be my primary goal.