Melted by Summer Heat

Random sabaw thoughts because of the extremely excruciating summer heat:

• I became darker for swimming in the pool for three hours compared to six days at the beach.

• Thank the chemists for Methathione. HAHAHA. at least I'm starting to get back to my normal skin tone (hmm yeah, still mocha brown. : )Though I pretty much like my tone too. ala Derek Ramsey. haha

• After all the summer trips I had so far, this is the only time that I get to rest one whole day at home. Alas, it didn't spare me from tiring myself in working out and fixing the files in my laptop.

• I need to maximize my free days this summer anyway. I will be having summer classes starting on Wednesday. I'll be having PolSci, Basic Spanish and Money & Banking. I expect heavy readings from them. *gasps*

• I'll be heating the beach again this weekend! AEA Plansem in Batangas. woot! Okay, someone buy me another bar of Metathione please. =))

• My workout is becoming more and more worth it! My flabs (a.k.a. bilbil) basta that side section of the tummy, are now becoming flat. Goodbye bulges! Hello, curves!

• After my Bora trip, of which I soent my own money, I have to admit that I am so broke right now. No more summer shopping for me. :(

• But I found these cute pair of shoes somewhere. I need to save up for it!

• And I must save more money. I need them for fun and leisure.

• Could I just say once more, this summer heat is killing me!!!!! @!^#@&#(@!!!

• And lastly, is it worth the wait??? :D :D :D

REVIEW: Lysistrata

"Lysistrata"
Tanghalang Ateneo

Genre: Comedy / some musical
Director: Ricardo Abad / BJ Crisostomo
Original Story: Aristophanes
Translated by: Pete Lacaba
Cast: Maria Carissa A. Alejandro (Lysistrata), et. al

Rating: 8.5/10

This may be quite late for a review, but oh well, this is just the Fil paper that I made for it.

***

Sex as Art. Sex for Peace

Nitong mga nakalipas na panahong pangteatro, nagsulputan ang iba’t ibang mga dulang tumatalakay sa mas matured na nilalaman. Hindi rin ito nakalagpas sa Ateneo, datapwa’t isa itong akademikong institusyon na nasa pangangalaga ng mga paring Heswita. Nariyan ang “Fluid” ng Fine Arts Program; ang “Tarong” ng Entablado; ang “Bare” ng Blue Repertory; at kamakailan lang, ang “Lysistrata” ng Tanghalang Ateneo. Lahat ng mga nabanggit na produksyon ay may ekstensibong eksena patungkol sa pagtatalik at kung ano pang mga sexual acts.

Sa papel na ito, susuriin ang dulang “Lysistrata”, na hinango ni Pete Lacaba mula sa dula ni Aristophanes at sa direksyon ni Ricardo Abad at ni BJ Crisostomo. Bilang isang dula na may malaking pagtuon sa sex, maraming mga bagay ang dapat isaalang-alang at intindihin para unawain ang dula higit pa sa pisikal na dimension nito.

Hindi patungkol sa sex ang pangunahing tema ng dulang “Lysistrata”. Ito ay kwento hinggil sa digmaan at kapayapaan at pakomedya ang pagtalakay sa mahahalay na eksena. Dahil sa hindi matigil na giyera sa pagitan ng Sparta at Atena, isang grupo ng mga maybahay mula sa Gresya ang nagtipon-tipon upamg mag-isip ng paraan kung paano nila maibabalik ang kapayapaan sa bayan nilang nasadlak sa dahas. Sa pamamagitan ng pinuno nilang si Lysistrata, napagkasunduan ng mga maybahay ng mga sundalong Gresyan na tatanggi silang makipagtalik sa kani-kanilang mga asawa hanngang hindi natatapos ang digmaan. Nagtago sila sa Acropolis at nang lumaon, inatake ng kalibugan ang mga lalaki at pilit nilamg kinukumbinsi ang kanilang mga asawa na lumabas na at bigyang-tugon ang mga pagnanasang karnal.

Sa conflict na iyon pa lamang, tumatatak na ang pangunahing isyu na bibigyang-pansin ng dula at ang resolusyon na magaganap ukol dito. Isa itog matingkad na halimbawa ng Feminismo dahil sa nabibigyang kapangyarihan ang mga babae laban sa kanilang mga asawa. Kung sa digmaan ay masasalamin ang “machismo” dahil panay mga lalaki ang kalahok sa giyera, iba naman ang nangyayari kapag nasa bahay na. Ang mga pagkakataon gaya ng pagtatalik ay patunay na kailangan ng mga lalaki ang mga babae upang makapamuhay sila ng maayos – at puno ng nag-uumapaw na ligaya. Sa usaping sex, parehong naipapakita ang kahalagahan ng lalaki’t babae sa isa’t isa. Syempre ba naman, mas masaya ito kaysa sariling sikap o magpakasilahis sa kapareho mong kasarian.

Nang mawala ang mga babae, hindi ito kinaya ng mga lalaki sa kadahilanang hindi napupunan ang kanilang pagnanasa sa sex. Sa pamamagitan ng pagtanggi sa kanilang mga asawa, naipakita ang kakayahan ng mga babae na maging independent sa kagustuhan ng kanilang mga asawa at ng patriarchal society na mayroon tayo. Kaya ng mga babae na bumalikwas sa nakagawian na at i-udyok sa lahat na meron din silang mga karapatan at kapangyarihan. Sa huli, natigil nga ang giyera at napatunayan ng mga babae na kaya rin nilang magdulat ng panlipunang pagbabago at kapayapaan sa kanilang bayan.

Ngunit may kinalaman pa din sa usaping Feminismo ang weak point na makikita sa dula. Parang nailalarawan ang mga babae bilang mga “kasangkapan” na lang para makipagtalik. Sa medaling salita, nagiging obheto na lamang ang mga babae at nawawalan ng saysay at halaga ang isang sagradong bagay gaya ng sex. Noong una na hindi pa pinagkakaitan ng mga babae and mga asawa nila ng pakikipagtalik, hindi pinapahalagahan ng mga lalaki ang mga babae at pilit binabalewala ang kanilang mga opinion at saloobin. Subalit nagbago ang ihip ng hangin simula nang nag-init amg mga lalaki at nahumaling sa kanilang mga sexual desires. Ang mga lalaki na ang naghahabol sa mga babae at nagmamakaawa sa kanila na punan ang kanilang pagkukulang. Lumalabas na handa lamang bigyan ng karampatang-pansin ng mga kalalakihan ang kanilang mga asawa kapag oras ng pangangailangan.

Isa pang kapansin-pansin sa dula ay kung paano tinahak ng produksyon ang mga maseselang eksena na tungkol sa sex. Kung tutuusin, halos buong dula ay parang ganoon nga. Gumamit ang director at manunulat ng mga devices upang hindi gaanong bastos ang labas ng dula. Kailangang “lambutan” ang ilang mga eksena dahil ang pangunahing tagapanood naman ng dula ay mga mag-aaral ng Ateneo, na ang iba ay mga minor pa o di kaya’y masyado pang inosente para tanggapin ang ilang mga realidad ng mundo. Sa pamamagitan ng komedya, nabalanse ng dula ang mga mahahalay na eksena nito. Imbis na “maganahan” o mandiro sa kung ano man ang nagaganap sa entablado, nagkakaroon ng kaunting pagkitil dito dahil sa mga linyang binigyan ng wit and humor.

Binigyang kulay din ang produksyon gamit ang mga malilikhaing bagay gaya ng entablado na sa unang tingin pa lang ay kita ang hulma ng mga ari ng babae at lalaki. May ibig ding iparating ang ubod nang laking mga penises at breasts. Nagkaroon din ng makabuluhang audience interaction dahil sa pagganap ng koro at paglapat ng awit at sayaw sa ilang parte ng dula. Ang mga ito ay nakabuti sa pagbibigay ng panibagong buhay sa natatanging likha ni Aristophanes at nabigyang-hustisya naman ito ng Tanghalang Ateneo dahil lutang ang layunin nilang bigyan ng bahid ng pagka-Pinoy and dulang Greko.

Ang pagsasadula ng “Lysistrata” ay isang magandand opurtunidad para sa mga manunuod nito, lalo na sa mga Atenista, na mabigyan ng bagong pagtingin hinggil sa maselang usapin ng sex. Sa postmodernong panahon, ang mga bagay na itinuturing na taboo noon ay dapat nang mabigyan ng kaukulang-pansin ngayon. Sa pamamagitan nito, mas lalawak ang kaalaman ng mga tao tungkol sa nasabing isyu at makatutulong sa kanila na gumawa ng mga responsableng desisyon nang hindi naisasakripisyo ang sariling prinsipyo at paninindigan.

A Toast to Summer

This may be the hottest summer ever (literally), but I know this will be the best. :)

Subic, check!
Galera, check!

To go:
-Bora
-Tagaytay
-Splash Island
-Tagaytay again

Then off to summer classes.


Can you imagine my color after all these? =))

Tsap Tsing

Is it bad to name this post with a Chinese cuss? Hahaha.

Wala lang. I'm just so fucking disappointed.

A chance was given, yet it's so stupid for me to let it loose again. Ugh. Talk about sheer unluckiness.

I hate my so-so performance this sem.

I need motivation. :|


Beach beach beach come to me.

I'm Now an Australian Shopaholic Runner

Someone restrain me from shopping please. I chanced upon this sale in Glorietta last Saturday this shop has some Team Manila products at huge discounts. I ended up draining the credits of my ATM. Hahaha.

Maybe watching 'Shopaholic' will help me limit my lucrative tendencies.

***

As I was going home that day, my driver's license nearly got confiscated. From Ayala Avenue, I turned right to EDSA. And behold, an officer of that stupid MMDA flagged me down.

It seems like turning right when the red light is on is prohibited. So there. Actually, I really didn't know (or forgot) (or didn't saw the sign that says so). And the car ahead of me turned right too, so I just followed him.

Luckily, I remembered that a friend of mine gave me before. I put on the best English accent I could muster (I admit, this is hard. haha) then explained that I am a balikbayan from Australia and I just got back to the Philippines two weeks ago. After five minutes of make-belief trash talk, he let me go! :D He might probably thought that he couldnt not extort money from me since I just came back from kangaroo-land and it follows that I don;t know the street trade here.

Yay, at least I consider that as a fun experience. Screw MMDA.

***

HURRAH!!! No more P.E. class for me. FOREVER! and evah!!

A while ago, I joined the Loyola Schools Fun Run, which kind of serves as the culminating activity and the finals for this sem.

I ran 5K. To get an A, we need to do the lap in 25 minutes, a feat that I considered at first as very unrealistic. I was jogging months and weeks before it and the best I could muster was around 38 minutes.

But then, miracles do happen. Or should I say, my efforts paid off. I clocked in 29minutes, 10 seconds!! Weeee! Even though I didn't finish it in 25 minutes, I'm still proud of myself. Harharhar. Like, I was fifth in my class or something.

Tralalalala.

But still, I need to work on my body more. Two weeks till summer. Summer = hotness = beach = _ _ _ _ = FUN!

Missing someone. Found. Yet missed again

I just posted something a while ago, but I think this thing deserves a separate entry. I also dont want to jump abruptly from a jubilant emotion to a somewhat frustrated feeling in one page.

***

So taking my cue from my previous entry, while I was reading through my readings, I suddenly remembered my grade school bestfriend, whom, believe it or not, I haven't got a chance to talk to since elementary graduation!!! X_X well except for this one time that I accidentally met him at the Ateneo Social Sciences open house.

He's Aguinaldo's great great grandson, but I don't think he earned the former president's stupidity. Hahaha.

Anyway, he is studying in UP and so there, I texted some of my UP friends and asked them to get his number if they saw him. Goodness gracious, why had I thought of this just now?? :))

Kath immediately replied and said that he is her classmate in Polsci!! Weee! She sent me his number and texted him immediately. Thankfully, he replied. I asked him how is he and all that catching-up stuff. But I dunno, he seems kinda lame and not interested. :(

Well I'm not sure. Maybe he's just like that through text but of course, I was expecting that he'll be so jubilant and excited that we get to communicate again. After all, he was my bestfriend. We were constant buddies in elementary. We shared the same interests. We would always eat lunch together. We were both members of the same orgs. We both ran and won in the student council. But too bad, he switched schools come highschool. :|

Cellphones, friendster, email weren't much of a boom back then so we really lost contact. Ever since highschool, I havent got any communication from him. I didnt know his digits and he didnt have an online profile! I know his address, though I'm shy to just barge in there.

I really dont know why just today is the time that I realized to contact him again. I'm not really sure if that is a good idea after all.

I want to catch up with him soon enough. I know that it takes time and the gap has became so much farther already. Well, I just miss him... He was the best guy friend that I had after all. :(

Hungry for Something Worthwhile

I had an interview for an internship at Ortigas earlier. It's my first time to do have a formal interview and swear, I like to repeat it again!! Hahaha!!!

Its so fun. I mean, I really thought that the ones who are going to talk to me are serious HR managers or mataray people, but no, they weren't. They're fun-loving young people. Haha.

And its kinda different from the interviews that I had in school when I'm applying for something. In school and org-related stuff, I tend to get nervous and have this feeling of backing out pero a while ago, parang wala lang.

I hope I get accepted. I really want to immerse myself once more into writing (and pressure). Plus I hope it could help me to find a career in media even though I'm taking Economics. woohoo!!

***

Going to school was pretty much useless today. I cut my Fil class then I'm like 20-minutes late for Histo. Just in time for the video presentation of our term project. It was so sabaw and all but at least, Sir Ambeth liked it. B! haha! I hope that it'll get higer when we submit the actual paper na.

And accounting was a free-cut today! Hurrah, no quiz too!! :))

So there, since I feel like going back south early today, I immediately left after my class. Just had coffee in Starbucks while reading the stuff that I have to study for Histo165 long test on Thursday.

Could I just say, Emilio Aguinaldo is so stupid. And selfish. I loved the way Apolinario handles things. So clever and brilliant. :)

In life, we tend to encounter terrible terrible lessons, learned at the price of untold sufferings. Forgetting those will make them all the more terrible.