Over this Christmas break, I’ve also been watching numerous films off my computer. And because I have quite a handful of time to spare, I decided to put up a new blog for my movie commentaries, instead of piling them all up in an entry category within this blog. I’ve only done a handful the past days, however.

I also placed a pseudo-disclaimer at the blog. I don’t claim to be a professional film critic nor a film academic, so, I don’t claim to write fair objective reviews. I also have many biases. Though I employ a linear rating scale, I do not judge films from different countries with the same mindset. I always take to consideration how, when, with what budget the movie was produced, among other contextual considerations. My comments on certain movies can also be dependent on the types of movies I’ve seen beforehand, or the perceptions I have of certain elements within the film. It can also be dependent on how much I like or dislike an actor or a genre. In other words, my movie commentaries blog can be very subjective. And I don’t want fangirls or fanboys flaming me for ‘bad’ reviews. Or professional critics picking on my commentaries. Hehe.

Anyway, I’ll try to catch a few Metro Manila Film Festival movies tomorrow and get to comment on them.

Christmas is a time when kids earn quite a handful. I’m sort of grateful I’m still considered a young grandchild or a young nephew or godchild. And thank god, I didn’t have to dance boom-tarat like most younger kids to amuse the grown-ups. Don’t you find it amusing how kids have a national theme song to which grown-ups will make them dance to every Christmas season. There was the the chocolate a year or so ago, the ocho-ocho, the spaghetti, the macarena, the shalala when I was much younger. Oh god.

Christmas with the extended family is enjoyable because of the younger kids. Christmas is always fun because the joy the children are experiencing can be contagious. I may not find Christmas as magical anymore, but Christmas is still Christmas. Today I refused to allow some bad news about Virgilio Garcillano or the thought of millions of other families experiencing hunger ruin my day, I just surrendered to the joyful Christmas virus. This virus has made me go on eating and eating from morning till midnight today, it’s unhealthy already. I’m going to be reprimanded for gluttony.

Today we went to Amadeo and to Indang in Cavite for my paternal relatives. Then we also dropped by our Bulacan town later today.

This is indeed the season to be a pig. We just came home from another Christmas gathering, and I feel like some stuffed bloated teddy bear. It doesn’t feel good to realize how gluttonous one has been over Christmas. But I personally can’t help it when I’m faced with such gastronomic feasts. It doesn’t help the guilt when I think about my ‘religiosity’. I haven’t been the most pious or spiritual person the past year. In mass a while ago, as it has been for a long time, I dozed off for a few minutes. I don’t feel very Christian or Catholic anymore. I’m not sure if it’s a bad thing. In fact, I’m dreading the thought of having to attend another long mass tomorrow for Christmas eve. This is such a change from my prude Ateneo high school days. God knows how much evil and naughty stuff I’ve been up to the past year/s. In other words, Christ is missing in my Christmas. Okay, no lectures, please.

It’s just a little more than a week before I go back to the university. What things have I got left to do for the next few days?

1. Brush up on my violin and organ playing (for Film 183)
I have to get down and literally brush on my violin because our Film 183 (Music in Film) lecturer required us to learn an instrument because we will do our own musical scoring for our works. Here’s me thinking, “What?! We’re film students, not music majors!”

2. Review Spanish lessons
Exams first thing the first week of school.

3. Learn and practice editing videos
This is really shameful to admit, but I’m only learning how to edit videos with Adobe Premiere now. And I’ve been a film student for almost three years.

4. Register at Quezon City Hall to be able to vote in May
I’ve been meaning to do this last week, but I didn’t get to do it. There’s less than a week left before registration closes so I better really do it. I’m not a very big believer in our democracy and in our elections, but what the hell. It won’t do me or the country harm if I vote in May.

5. Exercise!
Gluttony is unhealthy. Better get back to being healthier.

6. Do a bit of organizing in my perennialy messy room
I never get this done, but let’s put it in my list nonetheless.

7. Rest well and enough for a new year of stress

Merry Christmas eve, everyone.

I went caroling with some of my UP MCO and UP CAST orgmates last weekend. The two orgs were requested by our college dean to go around some of Manila’s posh subdivisions and sing for our college’s affluent alumni for money. We were able to raise a few ten thousands last weekend.

On Saturday, I went with my MCO orgmates. We practiced at Mass Comm’s empty halls that afternoon then we proceeded to Ayala Alabang to sing at an alumna’s house.

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The first university-wide caroling contest was held last Thursday at the University Theater. UP CAST, as the winner of the CMC Carol Fest, was sent Mass Comm’s representative to the university-wide event.

Since it was the first Carol Fest and UP CAST is foremost a film organization, we didn’t expect much. My orgmates were out there to represent Mass Comm well and have fun. Their performance is quite an entertainment number actually. No one else would dare rap and dance in a chorale contest. We were actually quite surprised when we saw how other colleges were taking it seriously, what with all their specially-tailored costumes and formal wear. We also grew quite apprehensive especially when one of the faculty organizers from the College of Music explained the criteria, which was full of academic musical jargon…

…which is why we were really pleasantly surprised when we learned the next day that Mass Comm won second place. We admittedly weren’t the best chorale, or the best in vocal blending, acrobatics, harmony or whatever. But I guess having fun and performing your best does pay. I’m really proud of my orgmates.

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Last week has also been quite a handful when it came to org stuff. Lately I’ve felt like I was missing out on things going on with my orgs. Last week was an opportunity for me to catch up with people.

Last Wednesday, we had an applicants’ orientation in UP CAST at the usual spot in front of Cine Adarna.

After the orientation, I was torn between leaving and proceeding to UP MCO’s Christmas party and staying in UP to watch the CASTpers rehearse for the university-wide Carol Fest, then go home afterwards. I had a bad headache and I had a 7AM exam the next day. It turned out I could do both and so I did. I watched my CAST friends rehearse their carol fest set at the Carillon till around seven in the evening. After which, I proceeded to Joma’s place for the MCO Christmas party.

When it got too late, I decided to sleep over despite me having to go to school first thing the next day for a 7AM exam. One of the more intriguing and interesting parts of get-togethers like this is the ritual spin-the-bottle confession game.

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According to the press release by Diliman Chancellor Sergio Cao, the much-anticipated annual Lantern Parade was cancelled due to threats to persons and property.

With our without administration support however, students from the College of Fine Arts pursued the annual Lantern Parade.

All afternoon, Ayeen and I were going around Mass Comm encouraging people to join the parade and gather at Quezon Hall. We talked to our dean but she highly discouraged us from pursuing the plan. Well, we didn’t heed. We still gave away the white laces and stars to people who stayed in Mass Comm and asked them to join us parade.

Our council chairperson actually berated me for this. Hay. It’s not that I didn’t lead people to the rally. It’s just that people weren’t that responsive to the idea. I was thinking the two aren’t that mutually exclusive of each other so Ayeen and I decided to gather everyone to parade, which was what they wanted. Anyway, I’ve said my piece in an email. Bahala na sila.

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The bitter in the bittersweet UP Christmas experience is of course, today’s final approval of the Tuition and Other Fee Increases (ToFI) for the entire University of the Philippines System. It has been a very exhausting campaign. We’ve been at it since summer. And because it was never finalized till recently when they’ll actually tackle the issue on the board, campaigns are exercised regularly the past months.

It’s just really sad that it’s finally taking effect for incoming UP students from next year thereafter. I wasn’t at the picket the entire time, due to numerous reasons. I even had some misunderstandings with some friends at the rally. Let’s leave it at that.

Oh, and to turn the tables upside down and increase the antagonism against rallyists, the UP administration also canceled today’s much-anticipated annual Lantern Parade due to ‘intelligence reports’ of planned attacks on persons and properties in lieu of the anti-tuition increase rally. How Gloria Arroyo-like, if I may say. It was very disappointing. We worked all day Saturday for the lantern and the belen and the parade props. How very ingenious of ‘em. First, schedule a Board of Regents meeting on the day of the Lantern Parade at such an odd hour–an hour before the parade–odd, because regular meetings are always held at 9 in the morning. Then, exaggerate reports of planned mass actions and cancel the much-loved event to create a backlash against ToFI oppositionists.

After meeting up with some friends in Mass Comm, we proceeded to Palma Hall to convene with other anti-Tuition Increase groups in coordination with Alpha Phi Omega’s Oblation Run, which carried the issue as well aside from opposing the Charter Change railroading.

It was my first Oblation Run, in my three years in UP. I didn’t see anything of that sort, personally. I let my camera with my arms raised up with it do all the picture-snapping. Geez. Looking at everyone’s reactions is interesting. Hahaha. This is so embarrassing for her, but our lady over here is too cute.

Boy, ang daming tao! This has gone too hyped up. Ang dami talagang sabik makakita ng mga hubad na lalaki. I wish everyone also took notice of the issues these naked men are pushing for.

I apologize for people who are searching for better pictures. These are all I can post. (Yea, go Oblation Run page hits!!)

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It’s almost eleven in the evening and I’m tired yet satisfied. I don’t care if I still have a 7 AM class to wake up to tomorrow.

We held our Carol Fest, a caroling contest among organizations and cliques in Mass Comm, this evening. For a first time event, it went by pretty well. We coincided a small Christmas party program with it, so it was also fun. We had some food and we lit up fireworks, how’s that! This should become a tradition!

Only four organizations participated in the first Carol Fest, but boy, all of them really prepared! In the end however, it was one of my organizations, UP CAST, which won! I’m really happy for the CASTpers. It was initially weird at first because UP MCO was also participating, and I’m a member of both. I refrained from joining any of their entries, to be fair.

Honestly however, my being part of the student council alienates me quite from my orgmates sometimes. I rarely get to hang out with UP CAST anymore. And to think I was really much closer and active in it the last two years. It makes me sad. When it was announced that they won, I really wanted to join their group hug. But, I don’t know. Bigla lang akong nahiya. I just took their pictures. Hay, anyway, this will be for another entry.

This event is probably one of the most enjoyable ones we held. It feels great to belong to this college during times like these. By the end of the day, we were one tired but satisfied student council.

I’ll upload the pictures from tonight in my Multiply page in a while. [EDIT] They’re here.

Seeing students from different organizations, even the freshmen, volunteer to help make the lantern and belen for Mass Comm, is quite inspiring, for student council members like me. I wish there are more ways and opportunities for more student involvement in such activities. It’s just that we’re so used to forcing and pleading for people to attend college assemblies, it always felt like nobody cared about college affairs.

This year’s Lantern Parade won’t seem to be too different from last year’s. Different colleges will have individual stationary booths where their lanterns are to be displayed. In other words, there won’t be much of a parade except for the Fine Arts lanterns. I don’t know how it will turn out. Last year, due to “austerity measures” the University administration said there won’t be a lantern parade contest. So our college didn’t make a lantern nor prepare for a presentation. It was quite a bore. It also was rather disappointing for me, especially because my first lantern parade experience in UP was really fun. We really paraded a giant “TV” and smaller “TV” lanterns around the academic oval and we even had a presentation at Quezon Hall. And we practiced for a few days for that. I always expected Lantern Parades to be like that every year, hence my disappointment.

—After spending an hour at the University Hotel’s gym, I was planning to walk straight back to Mass Comm. But I just had to succumb to the smell of grilled innards at a stall in front of Ilang-Ilang. It’s been a long time since I had isaw and atay and such. At that time, nothing would’ve beaten eating 20 sticks of assorted chicken and pork innards in solitude.

I really find it very astounding how badly our congressmen want to change our Constitution. Imagine, the insensitivity of shortcutting all the procedures, in a time when part of our country is just reeling from a terrible calamity, all in the middle of the night while everyone else is sleeping. Unbelievable. And they will be back at it by this afternoon. I wonder how things will turn out. These are the times I’m actually counting on the opposition to represent all those who dissent this incredulously dubious feat.

I have not against a systematic overhaul of our political system. But if these congressmen will be the same parliamentarians in the new order–then, there is no new order. This, aside from other less discussed issues within the proposed amendments, is what makes me oppose Charter Change, as proposed by the House of Representatives.

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During high school, whenever Speaker Jose de Venecia would be present at class gatherings, he would be made to talk, and when you make him talk, all he talks about are the virtues of a parliamentary form of government. When we had a class outing at their Pangasinan estate, he talked to us over merienda and, yes, he talked about the parliamentary form of government, aside from propping up the candidacy of President Gloria Arroyo. This was three years ago. And even when I browse through newspaper archives at the main library (for amusement, I’m weird like that), it appears that Mr. de Venecia has been at it for more than a decade.

Sometimes I’d force myself to suspend all doubts and believe that all his efforts are indeed selfless acts for the country. But, I’m sorry, I just can’t. Apologies to my friend and high school classmate for these dissenting opinion and such against his father.