"Life can be unkind but only sometimes you're giving up before you start."

*taken from the song "All you never say" by Birdy.

Cobwebs are here to stay. 

2013 and Liebster Award

First day of the year (at least in the Chinese calendar) and though I want as much to start this post with a prelude of good things to come, I knew I’m headed for a rather frustrating (no decent photo to go with it) and disappointing one. Another not-so-good parts were the deaths I have to go through early on: my Lola passed away due to complications of her stroke, lost my five-year-old cat to cat virus and my soon–to-be-mine puppy died due to unknown reason. I think it’s because of an undigested bone.

My only compensation for this first 2013 post is that I was nominated by Dani of Awesome in Manila the Liebster Award. It’s something given to bloggers with less than 200 followers. The rules are simple: once nominated, post 11 facts about yourself, answer the awarder’s questions, post questions of your own and nominate 11 other friends. So let’s get going.

11 Facts about me 

1. Loves the feeling of sadness, melancholy and nostalgia.
2. Daydreams a lot.
3. An Ailurophile.
4. Prone to chapped lips.
5. Wishes to be taller (at least 5’5” please).
6. Fancies apple and molar-shaped objects.
7. Addicted to crime series (The Following, Bones, Fringe).

8. Likes to pet a bat, tarantula, tiger and a lot more.
9. Wants to be a Forensic anthropologist in the next lifetime.
10. Not a Buddhist but tries to follow Buddha’s teachings.
11. Never knew High School existed until last day of enrollment of the nearby High School.

October in a Nutshell

Let's see what October had brought me.

• Found out that the record of my singing when I was a child was lost (maybe erased) on the tape.

Just a little back story: Dad was fond of recording music/voice on tape. He was able to record my a bit of my of singing wooden heart. Sayang, I wanted to record it on phone or convert it to mp3.  I hope we can retrieve it again.

• Was able to find Cd's I've burned when I was still in 1st year high school. they are consist of M2M's two albums, an album of Mandy Moore and another one by Blue. So glad to find out that they're still working except for Blue.
• Attended a Karma, Reincarnation and Soulmates seminar with sis. Thanks Dad for sponsoring.
• Done with Fringe Season 2 finally.
• Watched a back-to-back Hayao Miyazaki films.
• Borrowed a vintage Polaroid camera. Will used as a prop for a future shoot.
• Was supposed to go to the cemetery with my family and Lola. We're already in front of the cemetery when Lola had a stroke (it was her third) and we witnessed it firsthand. It was a scary experience but she was doing fine now. Thank God. 
• Was supposed to attend 10th Eternal Death Wake Anniversary for the Halloween but we simply can't. So we just compensated by visiting the National Museum while it still had free entrance.

Hayao Miyazaki Back-to-Back

My cousins and I watched a back-to back Hayao Miyazaki films last week at CCP for free. I already knew that there were two films showing on that day but we opted to watch the first one since we didn't know what the second one was. When we learned what it was, we decided to watch it as well (even though I already watched it on DVD).

This was supposed to be brief thoughts about the film, but I ended up making mini-movie reviews instead. Oh well. In a nutshell, both films have stunning visuals and superb details. They also have both female leads and most of all, they are equally entertaining (at least for kids and those who are kids at heart like me). 

 Sprited Away (2001)

Chihiro and her family are on their way to their new home when her father takes a wrong turn. They suddenly find themselves in a seemingly-abandoned theme park. What they don't know is when the night falls, this place transforms into something beyond their imagination.

I find it a bit fast-paced in the beginning. Some scenes also lack the right establishments. Sometimes, the background music is overlapping with the dialogue. However, what I like about this is that, it has a clear plot. Also, the special effects are surely to blow you away.

My Neighbor Totoro (1988)

The Kusakabe family are happily living in their new home in the country side. Unbeknownst to them, they also have whimsical creatures for neighbors, including Totoro, a furry bear-like giant.

This one is set in 1958 and centers more on family. Unlike the first one, it is slow-paced and has a vague plot. I'm sorry, I know this has a lot of fans and all that but that's what I truly feel about it. On the other hand, the characters are way memorable. Who wouldn't be delighted to see Totoro and his cuddly friends especially that furry cat bus. Let's also not forget Mai's funny antics. It also has a cute opening credits (SA has a very brief one). Moreover, it has a good soundtrack.

Overall, each film has its own strengths and weaknesses but again, both are just entertaining. Kids will surely love them. Indeed, it's a well-spent day for us.

*All images are linked-back to their own respective websites. I do not own any of them.