Pasay Tour

When I feel like taking a day off from work, I visit the places I usually go to, but this time I sit, breathe in the fresh air, meditate, and take pictures in a way I don’t normally do when I’m with people.

When I’m alone, I can stay for hours staring at the carousel, manually adjusting my camera so I can get a good shot—not just pointing and shooting like I normally do.

I am an introvert who likes people-watching, so I go to coffee shops, amusement parks, and the Manila Bay area. I also found a spot in the Mall of Asia that is quiet and fresh, where you can just stare at the sky and let the wind blow through your hair.

So that’s what I normally do when I’m on leave: I just walk around, look around, and enjoy being alone.

Mall of Asia
Manila Bay
Harbour Square
Star city

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Goyo and Batang Heneral

• Photos 879 Notes
  goyongtrash:

  Remember who you are

  I don’t usually go to the cinema. But when I do, it means I am really interested in the film I’m about to watch.

  Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral is another film we can devour to feed our minds and quench our thirst for quality films.

  After watching this film, you will see how flawed Gen. Goyo was—not something our Hekasi or History teachers taught us. We only grew up knowing that Goyo was the youngest general and that he was brave when he fought the Americans. But that’s it. I didn’t know he was Aguinaldo's favorite. He was a womanizer. He ordered the torture of the Bernal brothers (the security escorts of Gen. Luna), and he was immature. Even his bravery is called into question: did he die for the country, or just for one man?

  However, the most outstanding and unforgettable scene has to be the one between Goyo and Manuel Bernal.

  
  

  

  
  

  When Manuel told Goyo “Gagawin mo ba talaga ang lahat ng inutos ng pangulo? Hindi ka sundalo, isa kang aso. Tahol goyo Tahol!”

  It felt so real and we can still use these lines until today.

  A lot of people compare it to General Luna and say Goyo is not as good as the former. Maybe because General Luna has a shock value, cursing endlessly, and he was very hot headed, opinionated and intense character while Goyo was very soft spoken and quiet. But I beg to differ, Goyo is as good as general Luna. The shock value is still there not with curse words but with the lines the characters tell. We hear Apolinario Mabini’s words that we can ponder and analyze.

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The land down under

I’m reminiscing about the days when I set foot in Land Down Under. Living in the Philippines, everything seemed extraordinary to me while I was there. The cleanliness, the cool weather, the laid-back vibe, and the very friendly people—I can’t blame immigration or the visa officers for being strict when a girl from a third-world country decides to visit. You can’t help but ask yourself, "Do I really want to go back home?" The immediate answer is, “Hell no!” But you know, whatever my hangups with my country are, it’s still my country—a place I can call my own. Even though it sucks sometimes, it’s still a beautiful place, and I think I could never leave it permanently.

Sydney, Australia

Canon Powershot S120

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Revisit Manila

Revisiting Manila

One cloudy morning, I decided to go to Intramuros to wander and get lost in this historic and beautiful city.

If you are like me and terrible with directions, you can take the pedicab tour they offer. It costs ₱150 per 30 minutes. My tour guide/pedicab driver showed me the must-see places. From Manila Cathedral to Baluarte de San Diego, I made several stops to take pictures, take a deep breath, and marvel at the charming, historical surroundings.

I am jealous of the students who study inside the schools in Intramuros. If I were a student at Mapúa or PLM, I would go to Casa Manila every recess to sit down, sketch, and drink coffee at the nearby café. At lunch, I would take maybe 15 minutes to eat, then go to Baluarte de San Diego to breathe in some fresh air, sit down, and just look at the Manila/Makati skyline. If I got tired of being a student, I could always walk along Muralla Street and imagine I was walking in Vigan. If I didn’t study for an exam, I could always go to Manila Cathedral or San Agustin Church to say a little prayer and ask for a passing grade. It’s crazy to think it’s so close to home, yet feels like stepping back decades into the past.

Tip: If you don’t want to take the full pedicab tour, you can just walk around, or if you get tired, take a pedicab to specific spots. My whole tour took two hours, so it came out to ₱600, plus a ₱100 tip. I know it’s a bit pricey, but I just think of it as helping a family provider trying to make a decent living. Seeing the big smile on his face was reward enough for a good deed that day.

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I'm drunk I love you

So, okay. I seldom watch Filipino movies. It’s not about being an elitist or whatever—you'll catch my interest when a movie is political or historical. I also love it when a film has a great soundtrack. I loved Ang Nawawala, and I watched The Breakup Playlist simply because so many real musicians were in it.

Then there’s I'm Drunk, I Love You. They used "Burnout" in it, which is one of my all-time favorite songs. That alone was enough advertising for me. They used it because it truly summarizes the entire movie:

“O, kay tagal din kitang minahal...”

Well, seven years to be exact. Carson has been in love with her best friend, Dio, for seven years. But it's an unrequited love.

The story is so simple yet so good—well, maybe that's just for me. The acting is so natural. Plus, the actor who played Gibson in Ang Nawawala [Dominic Roco] plays Jason Ty, Carson's gay best friend. He’s the one who always says “time check” to snap Carson out of her stupidity when it comes to love.

They go to La Union for a music festival. I love the simple, relatable moments that make it feel so realistic—like when they arrive, and Carson and Jason Ty go out for a drink while Dio stays in the hotel room to sleep because he drove for hours. Or when Carson lists all the foolish things she did each year starting from 2008. But the next morning, she sees Dio with "Pathy with an H." Pathy is his ex, and they are trying to rekindle their relationship.

I'm Drunk, I Love You is a tale of two best friends where one falls in love and the other just can’t feel the same way. My favorite scene is when Carson finally tells Dio she loves him. She bargains with herself, wishing Pathy would just stay in the restroom for five minutes so she can look at him and cherish those final moments, knowing that everything will change after that night.

In the end, they visit the bar where they usually hang out, but it’s closed because it’s a Sunday. There is a long silence between them. But when Carson starts to laugh, they begin talking again, and "Burnout" starts playing—drowning out their dialogue so we can't hear what they're saying.

Well, here is their actual conversation according to the creator of the movie:

In the end, I thought there might still be a chance between the two of them. I was confused by the final scene where they were in the car, just being sweet to each other. I wasn't sure if it was a video recorded before or after Carson said "I love you."

But it seems to be a video of their sweet moments from when they were first starting out as friends—especially now that I know what was said during that inaudible conversation.

Carson will move on. Dio doesn’t love her.

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