viva españa but next stop, asia

download a pdf of my new book (1.8MB)

long time, no blog. part hibernation to get myself rested for the biggest trip of the year (and loading up on what seems to be an overdose of movies). part creation to get my spain book done. and finished it is. and it was actually shown at an art show in chicago right last thursday. too bad though was that i couldn't be there but no worries—most important part is that the book is done and im rather happy with how it ended up being. i still do plan to add a few spreads but for now, the book is in a finished state, enough for sending over to that art show. tomorrow, i find out if it won any awards as last year's book did.

viva españa is a nice little part 2 to last year's spreek je filipijns. the hope is of course to have a little souvenir book of all the trips im taking from now on. meaning, expect nagtatagalog ka ba before the year is done coz yup, i'll be in hongkong then manila by this time next week. a nice 3-week holiday with none other than the flying dutchman, il cone.

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the hibernation mode has led to an overflow of movies, both rented and in theaters. thankfully, all good ones, in each of its own right. part of it i guess is that i do try to pick the films i actually see.

first off, jesus camp—"a documentary on kids who attend a summer camp hoping to become the next billy graham." bit freaky movie, actually. one of those that takes you to an entirely different yet real world. bit of a caricature but not really coz the people in it are just as exagerrated as they are in real life. interesting to see though the lengths with which they'd take their faith to. watching it is like laughing at a train wreck in progress. bit sick obviously.

the departed—"two men from opposite sides of the law are undercover within the massachusetts state police and the irish mafia, but violence and bloodshed boil when discoveries are made, and the moles are dispatched to find out their enemy's identities." a scorsese classic. one that id like to watch again eventhough at times the movie couldve been quicker. reminds me of boondock saints.

the boys of baraka—"An engrossing account of a year spent at a Kenyan boarding school by 11- and 12-year-old boys from a crime-ridden Baltimore neighborhood." one of those films that documents the lives and transforation of at-risk kids. i couldnt help but compare it to "born into brothels" although i liked that one better. nevertheless, was good to see a part of baltimore which i didnt really get to see for that daytrip there a few weeks back.

united 93—"A real time account of the events on United Flight 93, one of the planes hijacked on 9/11 that crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania when passengers foiled the terrorist plot." i had no intentions of watching this film really. but good thing i did. really gripping moving tale of an otherwise hideous day in history. a definite must-see. but probably not the best one to see when ones preparing for a long flight out.

catch a fire—"A drama about terrorism in Apartheid-era South Africa, revolving around a policeman (Tim Robbins) and a young man (Luke) who carries out solo attacks against the regime." was a good film to see especially for one who doesnt really know much about that part of history. though the movie gets a bit didactic, it is nonetheless a good watch. nice little eye opener to the atrocities created by too much emphasis on human differences.

borat—"Kazakhstani TV talking head Borat (Cohen) is dispatched to the United States to report on the greatest country in the world. With a documentary crew in tow, Borat becomes more interested in locating and marrying Pamela Anderson." one of the funniest movies ive ever seen. pushes the limits of comedy. not for the conservative obviously but not really coz the jewish grandma seated right next to me in the theater was laughing her brains out too. great movie and great inspiration for what might be the theme of this upcoming trip to manila. the thrilla from manila brings his friend, the famous dutch actor cohen van aramislaan to scout for the location of his next big film, safe haven. sounds like a good plan. some people are going to get punked.

dutch actor on location in belgium

anyway, enough of these movie reviews. time for some real action. actually, time to sleep. me gots to gets some rest. big trip in just 5 days. hong kong and manila. and bohol and batangas here i come. (he il cone, if ya reading this, make sure to bring your brilliant acting skills for our trip. james bond suit optional. its gonna be fun. oh and make sure to practice your chinese too coz otherwise we're the ones punked in hong kong. ha...)