The BATMAN finally begins...


Finally, two new movies that give justice to excellent comic storylines and characters. I'm of course talking about Frank Miller's SIN CITY and BATMAN Begins which introduces Christian Bale as the new face of Bruce Wayne. Both easily making it to my list of all-time favorite movies, although I'd have to say that the former movie is by far the most faithful rendition of a story from comics to movies...and it just grabs you from beginning to end, kudos to the genuises behind SIN CITY!.

Batman is my second most beloved character of all comicdom, next to you-know-who. I was really happy that the story unfolded quite unhurriedly and displayed a sense of believability to it all... unlike most action movies done today that just go out kicking and screaming from beginning to end( well, that's good too sometimes). And you just have to admire the cool cast of powerful actors, Liam neelson as Ras Al' Gul and Michael Caine (that's his name right?) was just perfect for the role of Alfred. Although I could come up with other actresses that may have been better for the role, Katie Holmes didn't do too bad afterall. And Christian Bale was superb, being able to display the humanness, hesitation and humor of Bruce Wayne...and effortlessly transform into the cold and scary Dark Knight of Gotham... not since Michael Keaton has anyone else achieved this. Gary Oldman was a treat to portray Gordon on his pre-commissioner days, and he got to ride the batmobile, haha! It's amazing how all these actors brought to the screen a presence that the characters they portray display in the comics. And I love the new theme!!! Can't wait for the 2nd installment...

Can't wait...can't wait....

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Funny Batman quotes!!!
from the stupid zip-pow sitcom waaaaay back then

Catwoman: "If I were to kiss you, would you think I was a bad girl?"
Batman: "Bu...uh...no...No of course not Catwoman."

Batman: "I'll do everything I can to rehabilitate you."
Catwoman: "Marry me."
Batman: "Everything except that."

Catwoman: "I could give you more happiness than anyone in the world."
Batman: "How do you propose to do that?"
Catwoman: "By being your partner in life, I mean it's me and you against the world."
Batman: "What about Robin?"

Batman: "Perhaps crimefighting is better left to the men, Batgirl, perhaps not. But this isn't exactly women's work."
Batgirl: "But I'm no ordinary woman, Batman."
Batman: "Agreed."

Robin, about Batgirl: "Do you think she's trying to double-cross us?"
Batman: "No, but she's a woman, Robin, with a woman's inborn desire to outsmart men."

Batman: "What's your name?"
Molly: "Molly."
Batman: "You interest me, strangely."

Batman: "I'm afraid you're under arrest, Madam."
Queenie: "Couldn't we talk it over, handsome?"
Batman: "Poor, deluded child."

Blaze: "No wonder I'm starved, it's after lunch! Oh Batman, would you get me a candy bar please?"
Batman: "Candy? Actually, fresh fruit is much more healthful."

Joker: "Who are you calling?"
Catwoman: "Lucky Pierre. The world's greatest and luckiest criminal attorney. He's never lost a case."
Batman: "Is it a toll call?"

Shame: "Don't make a move Batman, or I'll fill you full a' lead."
Batman: "You can't frighten us with a vague threat, Shame."

Catwoman: "Felix, you can brush my pussy willows before you leave."

Catwoman: "Karate isn't effective unless accompanied by yelling. Let him howl until he sprains a vocal chord. Then get him."

Catwoman: "From now on, pussy willows galore!"

Pussycat: "I wanna be alone with you, Robin."
Robin: "Alone with me? But why?"
Pussycat: "I can see a very important part of your education has been grossly neglected."

Robin: "You can't get away from Batman that easy!"
Batman: "Easily."
Robin: "Easily."
Batman: "Good grammar is essential, Robin."
Robin: "Thank you."
Batman: "You're welcome."

Robin: "Boy! That was our closest call ever! I have to admit that I was pretty scared!"
Batman: "I wasn't scared in the least."
Robin: "Not at all?"
Batman: "Haven't you noticed how we always escape the vicious ensnarements of our enemies?"
Robin: "Yeah, because we're smarter than they are!"
Batman: "I like to think it's because our hearts are pure."

Catwoman: "Let noone say that Catwoman is not the best-dressed woman in the world."
Batman: "There are no fashion shows where you're going, Catwoman."
Robin: "And how could a feline feloness like you also be a fashion model?"
Batman: "Ah-ah. Give credit where credit is due, Robin. She may be evil, but she is attractive. You'll know more about that in a couple of years."

Batman: "What took you so long, Batgirl?"
Batgirl: "Rush hour traffic, plus all the lights were against me. And you wouldn't want me to speed, would you?"
Robin: "Your good driving habits almost cost us our lives!"
Batman: "Rules are rules, Robin. But you do have a point."

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The City of Golden Friendship

That's Cagayan de Oro for all you people out there who didn't know(haha, nangaway daw). And that's where I spent the former half of my summer for work. It wasn't all that bad, everything was paid for by the "client"...airfare, accomodations, food and even the materials. Oh, the work I'm talking about here is a painting commission, my very first...hopefully not the last. She (the client)wanted specifically a painting of the view from her mountainside resthouse of the sun setting by the sea of the city. Of course, sunsets being one of my own favorite scenes, I was rather relieved. But for the most part, I was really intimidated by the task simply because she was a rather big art patron and as I've mentioned earlier, I've never really had the experience of selling artworks. But I had to, I could definitely use the money...though that's hardly an incentive, as most psychologists would tell you, money is a not a motivator but a demotivator--> simply meaning, if you know that you are underpaid, then chances are that the quality of your work decreases. But on a normal day, if the boss pays you ooober cash for work, it doesn't necessarily follow that the quality of your work would improve. Anyway...I'm straying from the topic, ehe.

So I start out by first buying the materials and making my own canvas. Then I arrange to have a day of picture taking around the farm/resthouse. It was a very nice place with a very spectacular view indeed...and there were horses! real horses...not the kind that looked like malnourished ponies. And another cool thing was that I actually saw a hawk...it was simply floating...as in floating(hovering) on top of a certain large tree and didn't mind me from the distance. too bad I didn't get a picture of it though...darn!

So I take some pictures of the resthouse, the view and the horses and finally find a nice place to sit and wait for the sunset. It was pretty quiet except for the panting labrador that they had which sat right beside me. It started to drizzle a little later but not before I got to take pictures of the sunset...so pretty much I was done there and headed back to the University of Liceo (that's where I was staying).

The University of Liceo...
This is where my dad basically works, among other things. It's not that big if you're someone from UPD(yabang!hehe)but it's ok. Roughly half of the university grounds though is off limits to the public and students since it's where the private garden, museum and house of the owner(my client) is. The garage is to drool for, having two vintage Jaguars (one of them a convertible I think), a rolls royce(?), two Mercedez Benz cars and a few others...wow! The garden reminds me of a greek garden...only that it's gathered moss through the years. Along the garden path to the museum you pass through 2 large aviarys, one containing a parrot and the other a rather large eagle who's species escape me...but it's colored white and gray. There's a greenhouse of sorts and a large gazebo overlooking the nearby river. It's really quite a place. Then theres the museum, and my dads room is in there so that means thats where I'll be staying too while I'm here. It seems a bit eerie outside the room with all the old paintings and faded photographs and relics hanging around so I stay inside the room most of the time painting and watching the tube.

And so...

So I paint and paint and paint. I'm just suppose to do one but I try to make three at the same time by different intervals to keep the interest going and to prevent myself from getting too frustrated with one particular painting. I end up finishing two sunsets and one watercolor painting of a horse(I'm rather proud of this one). But I'm such a dim-bulb that I forgot to take commemorative photos of the paintings before giving them to the client. Bummer.

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All in all, summer wasn't bad at all though I didn't get to go the beach at all. Got to spend a lot of time with Dad and found out a lot about him...like... he wanted to be a writer. Ha! finally, he kinda admitted to have some kind of frustration, hehe. But he told me of the stories he wrote, and I'd have to say...they weren't bad at all. Huh, who knew? I also got to catch up with my real journal... some thoughts are really just best left private y'know. I just hated the fact that in the span of just two months, I had taken 5 flights altogether...brrrr.

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"Love does not begin and end the way we seem to think it does. Love is a battle, love is a war; love is a growing up."
-James A. Baldwin

Finally, my favorite Sergio "the Latin Snake" Mora wins The Contender competition and is the one man who did not get to hang his gloves on the graveyard wall. I have got to say that this series got me hooked (even the replays!) and thank God it ran over summer break or I wouldn't have been able to watch it. Though I had my doubts of him being able to make it to the finals since he wasn't much of a hard-hitter, but he is one heck of a smart and lucid boxer, proving there's more to the sport of boxing than just brawn...and he looked like he could use the money; and like the Sly said, "He deserves every penny of it".

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My dad tells me that that there is no room in this world for philosophy and romanticism. He tells me this over lunch, giving me a pep talk of sorts... something to do with me still being a dinosaur in college. Of course he means that I'm too much of a philsopher and a romantic...I will not contest the former, not too sure about the latter though. He goes on to tell me that way back when he was still in college, he never got the chance to choose what course he wanted to take, but in the end he still ended up pretty successful. He concluded that "love for what you do" is overrated and one can do without it. So how can I argue against that? I don't. But it doesn't mean I'm convinced...not by a long shot. So I'll just keep mum...I knew this kind of talk would come sooner or later, I guess time will tell what "truths" are in store for me.

And while I'm on the subject of parents, I've found out that mine bring out the worst in each other. My moms pretty ok when she's on her own and since I've been spending most of the summer with my dad, I can say that he's also in pretty much in a light mood without my mom around. So what is it that makes them tick? I have no idea. Could it be financial problems they always seem to argue about? (it might pay to marry a hot rich mama to get past this problem, hehe) I dunno. Or could it be that a promise of forever made 30 years ago is never really meant to last "forever"? I don't know. But thinking more about it scares me...maybe I am a romantic afterall.

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I try to soak up as much rays as I can when I can, from tv that is. Summer is about to end in basically a week and it's back to the busy city life of quezon city once again for me...bummer. I'm not really that excited to go back and I figure this would be the most uneventful(pertaining to sicial life, hehe) schoolyear for many reasons. But that's not what really bogs me down, it's the environment. I've been there over six years but somehow the general feel of the place still seems so cold and people seem so artificial (mostly). I love my trips hope, save for the fact that I have to be on an airplane to do so, because it somehows brings a sense of calm to me I cannot seem to find anywhere else. Sometimes I think I remember who I am and I get to breath alittle easier and think a little less darker, But when I get back... it's like there's this different person. Of course, this are things people will never really see or notice...but I know people go through changes and are never really the same all the time, everytime, anytime. I'm babbling again...

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"Hell is other people" -read this sign at the gate of a juvenile hall, hehe