Roosters for Pele

Well if my heart’s soaking wet, boy your boots can leave a mess
Hey Jupiter, nothing’s been the same
So are you gay? Are you blue?
Thought we both could use a friend to run to

-Tori Amos, Hey Jupiter
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Although Tori Amos sounds like the last thing one should listen to when depressed, her songs can actually be therapeutic for anyone willing to go beyond the apparent opaqueness of her kooky lyrics. Tori’s (arguably) best work is Boys For Pele, her third release with a title that alludes to offering boys to the Hawaiian volcano goddess. First impressions tell us it is an angry album. Tori is angry at many people: at boys she wronged, at boys who wronged her, and at girls who took boys from her (Along with Mary Magdalene, Courtney Love seems to be her favorite female subject. See Professional Widow, Mr. Zebra and Taxi Ride for perfect examples). As the seemingly man-hating record progresses however, Tori reveals her vulnerability. From a screaming, angry woman, she becomes sympathetic, pathetic, needy, guilty, remorseful, tender, and hopeful. Apart from Hey Jupiter, other Pele highlights include Caught a Lite Sneeze, Father Lucifer, Marianne and Putting the Damage On.

One of my favorite lines comes from the deceptively sweet Doughnut Song. God forbid I’d be channeling this in the future:

You told me last night you were a sun now
With your very own devoted satellite
Happy for you and I am sure that I hate you

Here comes the sun

Since ’summer’ is almost here, some beach recommendations! Seven best destinations within 4 hours of Manila.

7. Botolan, Zambales. Deserted, quiet beaches if you know where to look. (3.5-hour drive)

6. Nasugbu, Batangas. Nothing but fond memories here, although it’s been 5 years since my last trip. (3-hour drive)

5. Subic Bay, Zambales. Accessible, if a bit crowded, white sand beaches. (2.5-hour drive)

4. Puerto Galera, Mindoro Oriental. Peace and quiet is still present here if you stay away from White Beach. (2-hour drive and 1-hour boat ride)

3. Anilao, Batangas. Best diving in Luzon. (3-hour drive)

2. Laiya, Batangas. Laid-back beaches and some good snorkeling. (4-hour drive)

1. Anawangin Cove and Capones Island, Zambales. Stunning describes Anawangin, a place where the mountains meet the sea and where pine trees grow on white-sand beaches. Capones, meanwhile, is a rocky island with serene white sands, grassy hills, and a picturesque lighthouse. (3-hour drive and 30-minute boat ride)

In less relevant matters, summer haiku!

Let’s (#51)

sunsets melt on sand
where simian eyes stare back.
brown hills are pretty

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Laiya (#53)

silent westward drift
I watch deep blueness pass by.
a boy dreams awake

Ate Anne’s Bibbo Billboard

You know my heart it beats for you
It beats for you, so in time we beat
Your thoughts align so in time with me

-My Morning Jacket, It Beats For You

A wonderful weekend wedding at the beach courtesy of Dave and Yo. Best wishes to you both! Photos of beautiful people here.

I think I’ve accepted the fact that my dove of hope is nothing but a paper bag. And strangely, this does not bother me a bit. I know the silliness will continue (because that cannot be avoided) but I’m sure it will be of the more rational type. I’ve been impatiently waiting for the day when, with objective detachment, I would scoff at the embarassing things I’ve done and thoughts I’ve entertained over the past couple of months. I could finally smell this day in the air. Can’t wait to be a productive citizen of the world again.

Kapanatag

Quick predictions in time for the Oscars.

Picture: Slumdog Millionaire > Milk > Frost/Nixon > The Curious Case of Benjamin Button > The Reader. Thin line-up but Slumdog Millionaire is the most exciting and entertaining.

Director: Danny Boyle > Gus Van Sant > David Fincher > Ron Howard > Stephen Daldry. It’s sad to see Daldry, responsible for the sublime The Hours, stoop down to the level of The Reader.

Actor: Mickey Rourke > Frank Langella > Sean Penn > Richard Jenkins > Brad Pitt. Deserving nominees except for Brad Pitt.

Actress: Kate Winslet = Anne Hathaway = Melissa Leo = Meryl Streep > Angelina Jolie. I’m a Kate semi-fanboy but this is a tight race with equally great performances from the four nominees. Also secretly rooting for a Hathaway upset.

Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger> Philip Seymour Hoffman > Robert Downey Jr > Josh Brolin > Michael Shannon. No surprise here.

Supporting Actress: Viola Davis = Penelope Cruz >Marisa Tomei > Taraji Henson > Amy Adams. Davis stole Doubt from Meryl and Penelope was wonderful on many levels.

Original Screenplay: Happy-Go-Lucky = Milk > WALL-E > Frozen River (In Bruges not yet seen).

Adapted Screenplay: Slumdog Millionaire > Frost/Nixon > Doubt > The Curious Case of Benjamin Button > The Reader.

Foreign Language Film: Waltz With Bashir (Israel)

Animated Film: WALL-E

Documentary: Man on Wire

Cinematography: Slumdog Millionaire

Editing: Slumdog Millionaire

Art Direction: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Score: Slumdog Millionaire

Song: WALL-E

Costume: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Makeup: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Visual Effects: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Sound Editing: The Dark Knight

Sound Mixing: The Dark Knight

Pangingilo

Oh I could drink a case of you darling
Still I’d be on my feet
Oh I would still be on my feet

- Joni Mitchell, A Case of You

New seasons of geek favorites The Amazing Race and Survivor returned recently and they are welcome objects of distraction. It’s awkward to see nerds (e.g., me) becoming obsessed about things that are beyond the usual realms of geekery (e.g., people). At the very least however, I’ve realized that I’m actually flesh-and-blood human. As one action starlet once put it, “saging lang ang may puso.” So there you go.

In other news, Sabah jump shots killed my left leg again. Goodbye jogging!

Kangkong belacan

From the trip to Kota Kinabalu I bring home shirts, magnets, Malaysian grocery items, eight haiku and a potential flu. Malaysia may be too sanitized for my taste but the four days were very enjoyable. Food was excellent every meal (especially the seafood!). The ubiquitous presence of warm Filipinos (Sabah is Philippines after all) made things a little less stressful. Sabah may not be particularly picturesque but it has its unique charms. Mt. Kinabalu, the tallest mountain in Southeast Asia and the youngest non-volcanic mountain in the world, is unspectacular at first glance but has a magical aura that grows on you. The white-sand islands were relaxing and well-managed. Everything in Malaysia is well-managed. I like order but I love chaos.

The clogged nose and heavy lungs are killing me. Maybe a haiku or two would help me feel better. Methinks I need some good old mwahugzzz right now.

Maps (#44)

Prophecies have drawn
Neural maps of my wasteland
Cruel April will pass
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Whys (#47)

Freeways and airspace
Clog with a traffic of whys
City ignores me
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Well, that was cheery.

Soldier down! Soldier down!

I’m gonna be lonely for the rest of my life
Unless you come around.

- Rhett Miller, Come Around

So I guess today is one of those days. And no one can really do anything. Except maybe join me in heaving a deep sigh. Haaaaay.

The flight to KK is tomorrow but I haven’t even thought of beginning to pack. Because I’m cool. And stupid. And I can’t find that damn ID. Fate toys with me yet again.

I know Leopold would disapprove but hey it’s almost the 14th so it’s excusable to roll out some verse.

Moon (Haiku #36)

Full moon casts beams of
Longing that I shoot out to
Wherever you are

Cheesy neurotics of the world, unite!

Aldrtz

I want to walk around with you
Just you, just you, just you, just you
- Animal Collective, Summertime Clothes

Sing-tamis ng wine, sin-tatag ng sunshine
-Aegis, Sinta

Blissfully Yours is an afternoon of romance via Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s surreal mind. And as with his other, extraordinarily-crafted creations, the film is funny, languid, meditative, mildly shocking and very weird. Fans of Apichatpong staples like jungles, rural scenery, irrelevant yet hilarious dialogues, unexpected pop tunes, and long, static, quiet scenes will not be disappointed. The sound of gurgling stream water, which dominates the soundtrack of the last third of the film, is enough to relax any agitated soul. Anti-cheese for the Valentines! Trailer.

Tongkat Ali

And if I’m hanging on to your shade
I guess I’m way beyond the pale

-Tori Amos, Doughnut Song

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Ten things that are not resolutions (because I rebel at the first sight of that R word):

1. Eat more. I’m shrinking incredibly fast. Today, I was looking at myself in the mirror and the image I saw reminded me of the young Brad Pitt in Benjamin Button. No, it is not a good thing.

2. Avoid fried and fast food. Whoever discovered frying?

3. Avoid alcohol. As much as possible. Liver lover boy. Wag kang aayaw. Think positive!

4. Less internet. Too much of it drives people like me insane.

5. Finish Mason and Dixon. Pynchon is too good to be reduced to two short chapters per week.

6. Win more eggplant relays. Healthy for the competitive spirit and for the hips.

7. Do some actual work. Yes, I know, it’s been far too long.

8. Don’t feed the chemicals. After reading this interesting article about the chemical oxytocin and its behavioral impacts on humans, I was convinced that I was probably suffering more from some sort of pathological disorder than from emotional immaturity. Thank goodness! A good plea to absolve me from blame. Point the finger on chemical imbalance instead.

9. Write more prose. I was rereading bits of fiction that I’ve written since January 2007 and realized that, at this rate,  I’ll never finish the whole thing despite its supposed brevity. Which is sad because I happen to think it is by far the best work I’ve ever written.

10. Avoid resolutions.

Lactum Food Pyramid

Gazing up into the darkness, I saw myself as a creature driven and derided by vanity; and my eyes burned with anguish and anger.

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I never tire of this last sentence from Araby. I am forever grateful to my Humanities I professor for introducing me to the world of James Joyce. I do not know if living would be the same without Joyce’s wise words of disillusionment.

Meanwhile, some objections have been brought up by Mr. Leopold Bloom himself about the haiku. Of the cheesiness, he says:

Spare us Leopold
From your cringe-worthy verses
Epic poet fail

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Spare us Mr. Bloom
From your grand self-delusions
There is always prose

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Spare us Ulysses
From pathetic miseries
What were you thinking?

In other important news, the Eva Fonda finale was disappointing. No rape scenes at all? How anti-climactic. Although props to it for going full circle.