July 24 is fast approaching

 CATS in Manila is drawing near.

 Performances start on July 24 at Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (and I still don’t have a ticket). =^.^=

Below are the showdates and ticket prices (from http://catsinmanila.tumblr.com/)

Ticket Prices:

Matinee
SAT (3:00pm) 
SUN (2:30pm)
PhP7000 PhP5000 PhP3500 PhP2000 PhP1000

Evenings
TUE, WED, THU (8:00pm)
SUN (7:30pm)
PhP6000 PhP4500 PhP3000 PhP1500 PhP750

Evenings
FRI, SAT (8:00pm)
PhP7000 PhP5000 PhP3500 PhP2000 Php1000

Ticket Prices are exclusive of Ticketworld fees.

SHOW DATES (as of April 2010)
SAT July 24 Matinee
SAT July 24 Evening
SUN July 25 Matinee
SUN July 25 Evening
TUE July 27 Evening
WED July 28 Evening
THU July 29 Evening
FRI July 30 Evening
SAT July 31 Matinee
SAT July 31 Evening
SUN August 1 Matinee
SUN August 1 Evening
TUE August 3 Evening
WED August 4 Evening
THU August 5 Evening
FRI August 6 Evening
SAT August 7 Matinee
SAT August 7 Evening
SUN August 8 Matinee
SUN August 8 Evening
TUE August 10 Evening
WED August 11 Evening
THU August 12 Evening
FRI August 13 Evening
SAT August 14 Matinee
SAT August 14 Evening
SUN August 15 Matinee
SUN August 15 Evening

 Visit http://catsinmanila.tumblr.com/ for more info.

Ten Indicators

…of a sleep-deprived vampire student:

1. You open the fridge, try to dig into your brain why you did so. Closed it. Returned to your desk, and then remembered that what you wanted to do is to return throw pillows to where those are stocked (definitely not inside the fridge);
2. You were at the 23rd floor of a building in Ortigas when the earthquake last Sunday night happened, and you were completely ignorant of it;
3. You miss your bed with the ‘cats are my bestfriends‘ and ‘have a fish, have a friend‘ bed sheet cover, with many, many, many, many, many faces of cats;
4. You live totally without music. You don’t charge your mp3 for one week since you don’t use it often, anyway (you don’t even update the playlist);
5. You completely alienated yourself with the outside world (that is, cut off all communication lines by not replying to emails and text messages that are not acad- or work-related);
6. You speak a different language from those people around you;
7. You almost forgot your brother’s birthday;
8. News such as oil price and fare increase, typhoons, earthquakes, pacquaio fight, and the like reach you when everybody else has heard of it;
9. Given the chance, your body simply refuses to sleep, having enveloped tiredness into its system and fearing of changing its clock; and
10. You have updated the term ’sleep’ in your vocabulary and now referred to it as a luxurious activity one involves in doing.

(Written July 11, Multiply) 

Buses and Trains.

(Written July 15, Multiply)

Ordinary buses are in.

…with the sky-rocketing fare increase. If you don’t have an idea how high, let me give you a clue.

The then fifty five-peso (Php55) student fare in an air-conditioned bus from Pacita (Laguna) to Philcoa (QC) is now sixty three pesos (Php63) in an ORDINARY bus, student fare.

Do the math.

Trains.

The venerable *ehem* MRT station, despite its unfriendliness and violation to my state of personal space, is also valuable. Not only will it take you to places along EDSA without the hassle of heavy traffic. It also doesn’t use oil to run.

You just simply have to endure sharing spaces with gazillion others - that is, included are the smell, noise, sight and touch of.

Boses.

(Written July 16, Multiply) 

Imagine Kasuy going around the first and second floor of the Cultural Center of the Philippines accompanying ten children, all boys, of varying ages. Not to mention going around strutting them with so many film enthusiasts, film makers, producers and actors such as Ricky Davao, Boots Anson-Roa, Eddie Garcia, Meryl Soriano and the like.

I first learned of the whole grandiose schedule of Cinemalaya last week from Eejay’s Multiply. Though I know it was highly impossible - given my wonderful acad/field/workload - for me to see ANY of the films, BOSES happened to be one I would have wanted to watch, alongside 100, Brutus, Concerto, HulingPasada, My Fake American Accent, and Ranchero (meaning, almost all the entries).

When I came this afternoon to the center/temporary shelter for street children where I’m doing my fieldwork, I found out that ten out of thirty children were invited to watch BOSES at CCP. Long story short, they asked me to accompany the kids. There were pros and cons, of course. The big PRO is that I’ll get to watch BOSES for free, enjoy it and at the same time earn fieldwork hours. The cons, however, are (a) I just barely recovered from severe cough and fever, and I can’t afford to worsen my health condition, and (b) that would mean going home later than the curfew which is 9pm, and I don’t want special treatment from our landlady.

THE REVIEW.

This is what’s written on Boses’ synopsis:

” BOSES (VOICES) by Ellen Ongkeko-Marfil is the story of a musician, who regains back his humanity by giving violin lessons to a child of the slums.  In turn, the child, through the instrument, is able to get back his voice from a muted, abused and desensitized existence. This is a story of a friendship founded on the sublime beauty of music. “

Onyok, the abused child rescued from his own biological father, is only one of the many cases of child physical abuse - and this I think is the reason why they invited children from different centers. Though it is an “indie” film, UNICEF supported its making together with other child-oriented organizations like Children’s Welfare Commission (CWC). I don’t know which came first, the ask of support of the filmmaker to UNICEF, or UNICEF’s Children Against Violence project. Nonetheless, UNICEF and CWC both want the film to reach as many kids and parents as possible, most especially those exposed or are vulnerable to physical violence.

MUSIC.

Need I say more? It has violins! And pianos! What more can I ask for? Mostly pianos for the musical score, those scenes needing background music. Violin with Ariel and Onyok’s lessons, practice and performance.

CINEMALAYA GOES TO U.P. had BOSES scheduled on August 4, 5pm.

Advocacy Letter: CHILDREN AGAINST VIOLENCE

BOSES is the story of a musician, who regains back his humanity by giving violin lessons to a child of the slums. In turn, the child, through the instrument, is able to get back his voice from a muted, abused and desensitized existence. This is a story of friendship founded on the sublime beauty of music.
CINEMALAYA GOES TO U.P. scheduled BOSES on August 4 (Monday), 5pm.

Got the letter from the gala screening of BOSES at CCP last Wednesday (my review here). Posted/reproduced online with permission.

—————————

“Mankind owes to the child the best it has to give.”

- UN Convention on the Rights of the Child

Dear Friends,

Thank you very much for gracing our affair tonight. Your presence in the screening of BOSES goes a long way in our campaign to end violence against children.

BOSES is a tale of pain and suffering. But it is also a tale of hope and healing. Because the film is not just an advocacy against violence on children but also a paean to the sublime beauty of music and its power to heal and transform lives.

Onyok’s story can be any child’s story. Violence against children is real and rampant. And the children remain silent victims out of ignorance and fear. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Children can be equipped with the capacity to protect themselves and their rights. Thus, the campaign is called “Children Against Violence”.

Children, being children, cannot face this challenge on their own. They need all the support they can get. Many are willing to help but are in search of the right vehicle to do so.

BOSES can be this vehicle. Film can be a powerful advocacy tool, provided it is able to reach the greatest audience possible. And that is the objective of the educational film circuit which we hope to set-up by October 2008 in cooperation with UNICEF, CWC secretariat and DSWD who will be helping us through networking and curriculum development for post-screening discussions. It aims to bring movies on children and children’s rights to the people, wherever they are.

The educational film circuit can be an opportunity for those who wish to contribute to the campaign for the protection of children’s rights. This participation can come in several forms, to wit:

• One can volunteer and be trained as a Child Rights Film (CRF) Advocate who will bring the films to schools and communities;
• One can bring the films to his/her own school or community;
• One can recommend areas for the showing of the film where he/she has contacts who can facilitate the showing of the film;
• One can be a sponsor;
• One can recommend other possible ways of using the film as a tool; or
• One can let us know how he/she would like to participate.

We know that there are individuals or organizations who would want to take part in the campaign to end the violence against children. This is the chance to do that.

Please let us know if you would like to be part of this important endeavor. Call/text Laarni Aranas at 09198274100 or email boses08@gmail.com.

Sincerely yours,

Ellen Ongkeko-Marfil

Producer-Director, BOSES

The Centennial Concert (June18)

Despite all the "mad" ramblings regarding the Centennial Concert tickets, I got in the first night! Yes, thanks to my over-determined classmates. The sole reason why I attended Wednesday morning’s events was to here news about the tickets.

After the opening with the "circle of balloons", after seeing a long line of students at Vinzons buying the ID lanyards, after the performances of By Hannah, PEP Squad, and Sitti at Vinzons UPgrade, and after the band and the 100 Oblation Runners, I resigned with the idea that we cannot make it to the night’s concert.

Come afternoon, I went to see my dentist at Makati, when my classmates texted me that they got in the bus. On my way to follow them at CCP, they texted again saying they already got tickets for us - of course, for free.

I don’t know if I’d call it luck or hundred percent determination. The night was really a once-in-a-century kind of concert. As they dubbed, "UP’s history through song and dance". A night full of talented performers you can never put together again in one event.

Plus, Julia Abueva was there. She sang "Next In Line", as a finale, preceding the "Our Beloved UP/UP Naming Mahal".

I’d say the highlight of the event is the interpretative dance of UP Filipiniana and UP Dance Company portraying THE OBLATION. Second would be the PEP Squad and Street Dance’s MOVE!

The concert started on time and ended at 10:45.

Equilibrium (2002)

It’s conflicting really. I’m reviewing the story here, the plot, the concept - and not any other factors. Reminds me of that long Korean video that looks like a phone commercial (with DBSK and Boa, and other Korean artists).

Peace, by elimination of emotions. Not only emotions, indulgence in books, music and arts are forbidden, too. Their world is controlled by someone called "Father" and their government, Tetragrammaton. They call anyone who don’t follow rules the "Sense Offenders". And then the lead character Preston (played by Christian Bale) discovered how to feel, how to let his emotions take the course of his actions.

What confuse me is that - if their world is completely void of emotions, why is it that they feel anger (shown when Brandt was supposedly arrested as an offender and in a couple more scenes)? It’s a contradiction. Is it only joy, happiness, the sense of life in arts, music, books that they want to eradicate?

Equilibrium, in the mere definition of this word, is maintaining balance. And, putting biases aside, no one can survive just by thinking or just by feeling alone. Objectivism doesn’t mean the eradication of emotions.

And I did get the message they wanted to convey; but somehow, in highlighting something that which is your point, you forget the "equilibrium" in the story. In trying to break the dominant by highlight what is subordinated, you somewhat distort the story by not giving equal emphasis to the other side.

But then again, people can argue, that’s not the point. The point is emphasizing the subordinated. Just like the authoritarian or fascist system controlling its subjects.

In the present world, however, especially in the Philippines, I can see that it is the emotions that is winning than objective and rational thinking. Take a look around you, you’ll notice what I’m talking about.

Sample lines:
Mary: Let me ask you something.
[Grabs his hand]
Mary: Why are you alive?
John Preston: [Breaks free] I’m alive… I live… to safeguard the continuity of this great society. To serve Libria.
Mary: It’s circular. You exist to continue your existence. What’s the point?
John Preston: What’s the point of your existence?
Mary: To feel. ‘Cause you’ve never done it, you can never know it. But it’s as vital as breath. And without it, without love, without anger, without sorrow, breath is just a clock… ticking.

Abstinence.

This is somewhat a reflection of or a response to Zafra’s Duh Therapy.

The perfect way to avoid something, anything at all, is abstinence. I vowed not to go to mall and be tempted to buy unnecessary things. I vowed not to buy any books until I finished reading all that I’ve got. I vowed not to overspend. I vowed to keep my financial statements organized. I vowed to avoid looking at posts online advertising gadgets, gadgets and more gadgets. I opted looking at anything free. Free workshops! Free seminars! Free food! <– (uh, not really). ^.^

And yet, I was subscribed to this blog which recently reviewed "HP Mini," the new notebook that would topple all the Asus EEE series. And damn, such good specs! 1-2gb RAM. 120-160 HDD. Super nice speakers. You can opt for Linux, Vista Basic or Vista Business with the respective prices 24,999, 29,999, and 34,999.

Somehow, I wanted to kick myself for opening that link, but then I only read the entry with the goal of reading all the unread posts on my reader.

Click here for pictures and first-hand account of the one who reviewed it: A Bugged Life.

Oh, and one thing more, no amount of optimism can make me appreciate Saturday shifts.

His Name is Stag.

There once was a boy named Stag. Let’s say he’s dead. When he was living, he actually didn’t know the intellectual capacity of his siblings. Not because he felt that they didn’t exist. More so because they did not actually had healthy or serious conversations at home that exercise their brains. They just cracked jokes and or teased each other.

Then, he was allergic to anything that has feelings. He’d rather have distance. He had lots of friends, though. As in met a lot of people who thought of him as a friend. But he really didn’t know what that word meant. When ‘friends’ ask him for help, he’d give out a hand alright. He would listen, give advise or anything he could offer. But when they start to become clingy, he’d move back to his own dungeon.

Sometimes, he wondered why his parents named him Stag. Is it from the word, stagnant? But then, he’d rationalize that being totally consumed with one’s own mind is not really stagnant. His mind was working, he just prefer not caring. Maybe his parent’s thought that his heart was stagnant. They even thought it’s what killed him.

McLife.

How do people hold on to their principles and beliefs in life? Do they flaunt it in the open? Or pretend to be someone else and be eaten by their own principles? They say that knowing one’s self is a lifelong process. Some people discover themselves - what they are, what they want to believe and how they want to be - early on in their lives. Some do when they reach adulthood and had plenty of ‘experiences’ that teach them lessons. Others, well, they only realize it shortly before they die.

The thing is, before you reach the stage where you really know the direction you want for yourself, when the principles you set for yourself is perfectly clear, there are people - close or not - who’ve known you in the ‘past’ who thought of you differently - most especially if you’re the type who don’t speak your thoughts out loud and lazy to correct the people around you. What you do instead is to offer them books to read.

Would you rather go tell everyone in your life that you’re not what they think you are, or would you just keep the same quiet, not-so-caring attitude and then write a blog entry about it? Would you rant about correcting them the difference between a person who like the nature and the environmentalists, or between a health-freak and the vegetarians? But then it will lead to a lengthy discussion with you telling your arguments, and then it will end up getting you frustrated for not airing them the way you want them to be understood.

Would you inform them you are an emotionless creature who’d rather be left alone with books to read and stories to write than converse with human beings? That would be hurtful, but then you try not to feel. How would you explain to them you don’t believe in the existence of love and you want to be single all your life, without them thinking it is out of bitterness or some ‘holy’ calling? How would you tell them it is a very objective decision, plainly drawn out from your sheer ’sense of living’?

Would you let them know you have discarded all religions and hasn’t been inside the church for months now? Or would you also avoid a lengthy argument regarding that? Would they understand that the church is only a vehicle for more poverty to continue? That what the church does is only a small portion of what the world is doing now.

How would you say that we live in a very stupid world that teaches selflessness, when it is the very thing we should teach against? Would you tell your own child to forget his or her self in pursuit of others’ happiness? When you go to ‘relief’ or ‘charity’ works, would you also teach the people you help - young and old - to be selfless? Think how would that help them to progress.

Things change. It is impossible for any person to know another person completely. We can only get portions of who they are. If you’re the quiet, not-so-caring, emotionless creature, might as well not to send wrong messages, such as ‘portions’ of exactly the opposite of your own principles.