Itching for MGS4

Here's a funny ad for the upcoming PS3 game, Metal Gear Solid 4. God, I need a PS3.

Countdown to Extinction...

Tomorrow, I'll be heading back to the Big Red Dot. Time sure flies fast when you're home. While it was a really short vacation, I'm also glad I'm going back. To work, to walk the streets of Orchard, Bugis, see my IFS buddies and be with my partner, Guia. I'm sure it was hard for her while I was away.

One reason for being here is attending the wedding (3rd actually) of my pal Sherwin and his wife Claire. Also to see my godchild Sheriz who's their adorable baby. So yesterday was the big day for them and I wish them all the luck in the world and happiness together. Thank you for treating me as part of the family. See you all tomorrow on the flight back to SG.

Today, I watched Indiana Jones: Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. I won't be reviewing it but I'll just say a few things about this flick. I appreciate how they tried to make this fit in the first trilogy, like making it look old and a bit outdated. The actors were obviously inside a soundstage in most scenes but it's okay. But that's the thing, when a CG element pops in the scene, it sticks out, looks out of place.


SPOILERS:


The first time I saw the CG prairie dog, all I could say was, "EH?!" I hope that was it... until I saw more of them, even fighting monkeys for Pete's sake. And why were the monkeys attacking the villain?! For no apparent reason as far as I can tell, except maybe because they felt Shia was one of them and they had to represent. It was a definite "what the fuck?!" moment for me. There were a lot of things that were just totally absurd and unbelievable, which should not be since Indy movies are supposed to be like that. But this takes the cake... freakin' unbelievable. For alien movies, I'll probably just watch the upcoming X-Files movie. I was a huuuge fan of the series as well as conspiracy theories about extraterrestrials during my youth. Back to Indy, the cast is still adorable and quite fun. But it all just feels like an introduction or a bridge to more Indy movies probably having Shia wearing Indy's fedora. We'll see. While i love Shia's performances, just end it, Indy is Harrison Ford, no one else.

You might be wondering what the hell's the title got to do with this post... it's sort of internal. No, no, I don't have a terminal illness, but it's something. Something we have to deal with in time... WTH?!

Here's the link to the Uniqlock: uniqlo.jp
I suggest getting the Cashmere Knit and the Dry Polo screensavers. The girls are cuuute!

Back Home

I'm back home! Since the 16th actually, but I was too busy watching TV! I missed watching TV coz back in Singapore, we still don't have the budget to buy a good LCD TV. Priorities. First thing I ate here aside from my mom's home cooking is... Jollibee ChickenJoy! And I was quite surprised how food prices soared here. Everything actually, movies cost P160-170 now?! WTF happened?! Though if you think about it, SG movies cost more, around P300 if you convert it here in peso, but its different, the standards of living there are higher and you earn more than what you do here. So purchasing power is greater there than here. Here, you feel every P100 that escapes your wallet (escapes, not take out).
I really missed home, but if I really think about it. I just missed my family and friends. Not this hell hole of a country. It's not fair to compare but you really see it. Politics have not changed since I was last here. They're still talking about that ZTE deal that went wrong. And the perpetrators are still the same corrupt family who's caught red-handed but still tries to deny involvement. For other news, bank robbery, 10 dead, and 2 days later, another massacre in the same province involving killing a family with kids. Thats is just depressing and makes me appreciate the peace and safety of Singapore even more. I used to really watch the local news everyday, since Erap's downfall, I've been hooked and even watch court hearings religiously on ANC. But now, I've lost interest. It's like watching a sentai show. Every week, it's the same boss villains, different minion, same results every show.
I still have a few days before I go back so I intend to spend it well. It might take another 6 months for me to come back, maybe less, we'll see. But I do miss Singapore as well, my girlfriend who I left there, my friends, the studio, the food, the places, the weekends at Orchard and Bugis. Someday, I will take my family there and live peacefully permanently. That's the master plan. One step at a time.

Time for more TV.

Oh, the Uniqlock you see on the sidebar is cool, the screensaver is better though (might be a previous version). -------------------- >

At Long Last...

WAH-LAU!

At long last! A real update! After 6 months of silence, I'm back. It's been a hectic 6 months here in IFS Singapore. And I promise I'll try to publish whenever I can, After all, I don't have enough time to chat with my friends so at least through here, they can be updated... as if anyone cared, right?

Well, first of all, I just turned 29 (WTF?!) last 16th of April. Had a simple dinner with friends and Guia. It was definitely different here where the celebrant is not required to pay for everyone's food unlike in our beloved Philippines. Some of us played a little bowling and it's now confirmed, I suck at it. Well, we all had fun so it was a blast.

Last week, there was some sort of outbreak in the studio where one by one, people got sick of flu, coughs, the whole she-bang. I was one of the victims but luckily, I only had to endure around 2 days of fever and headaches unlike some who's still sick to this day. I hope they'll be okay this week so the gang will be complete once again.

I miss home so much, it's been 6 months since I last came back home. I'll be going back home this May and I'm just too excited I can't even think of what to do while I'm there. Definitely, I'll be going back to my usual Trinoma and SM City walks either alone or with my friend Kellogg. I'll be attending my good friend's wedding and I'll be a Groomsman (alalay as his wife called it). Hmm... I wonder when my time will be, soon hopefully. I miss my family, our dogs, my room, our house, everything. It's true what they say, there's no place like home and I'll be back whenever I can.

The picture above by the way is my home workstation here in Singapore.
We see:

• My lovely retro lamp from IKEA
• Posters of The Dark Knight and Iron Man from a local movie magazine
• My Compaq Notebook free from StarHub broadband subscription
• My Wacom Intuos 3 (widescreen) ... I luuuurve it!
  
• My Sony PSP
• My Gurren Lagann Impact Model from Konami (This coming May, the Revoltech GL figure will be released, 2 weeks more of waiting.)
• My Revoltech Frauleins, Rei Ayanami (had to buy the first from this line of Revos though I was never into the Rei thing), Rin Tohsaka (Not fan of the show but the figure looked cute and sexy... uhm... it has removable skirt... ahh, that's why.), and my favorite, Pocco designed by Shunya Yamashita (thebest sculpt so far but has the worst joints.)!

Well, hoping to see you all soon. Will try to keep updating this chee-bai of a page.

Update!

Singapura

My entire life, I have been moving from one place to the other. I was born in Manila, 1979. But moved to Camarines Norte, Batangas, Bulacan then back again to Manila. I kept changing schools naturally and had only a handful of friends that I still have contact with. Now, I am in SIngapore, working with the guys in Imaginary Friends Studios (IFS).
It was an exciting moment for me, I have idolized these people since I came to Deviantart and now being with them and seeing their works in progress up close, it is really a humbling experience. These guys are soooo good yet so young, I feel old and unworthy. But I will get there, I just need to find my own place, my niche among the greatness surrounding me and what makes them even greater is how nice they are as friends. I have nothing but respect to these guys!
Okay, lesse... the food here is great! Almost everything is great except the high price of rent! Haha! I haven't been to all the tourist places here coz I'm waiting for Guia to come over and enjoy the sights for the first time together. She'll probably be here next week so I can't wait for that day to come.
I really miss my family but it's a great sacrifice. This is for them and our future as a family, not kust for me and my artistic growth. Someday, I'll take them all here for a tour. Wow... gotta save for that. I love my family, take care there, guys! Papa, Mama and my sister Jennette!
I realized that whatever your friends are, Filipino, Singaporean, Malaysian, Indonesian, etc, they are all the same. You laugh at the same things, treat them the same way and uhm... boys will be boys. I have made some good friends there, they know who they are so guys, thanks!
And big thanks to my good friend, Sherwin, his wife Claire and his brother Alvin. They accepted me in their home (and I'm still here)and treat me as family. In time, I'll be able to give back to the goodness you gave me. Thanks!

Bourne

Had time to watch Bourne Ultimatum yesterday and I think its a good conclusion to a pretty good action trilogy. I love how he outwits other agents and stuff. One thing though, I really hate how hollywood is exploiting the shaky-camera way of shooting. Sure, it adds tension but when you dont see and understand whats happening with all the shakes... while zoomed in on unnecessary objects like say, a car door while there's a car chase scene and you get dizzy from looking at all the shakes and trying to figure out whats happening. It just makes me sick. So while I appreciate all the tension and the sort of "I'm-there-in-the-scene-taking-part-of-the-action" feeling, it just hurts the movie when all you see are camera shakes. I swear there were just 3 scenes where the camera was steady... okay, I'm exaggerating, there were only 2. Even when they were just talking, the camera cant seem to be steady. The worse scene here was the chase in Morocco, and the fist fight between Bourne and Desh. It seems whatevr they choreographed for those scenes, its a wasted effort since I didn't see anything. All shakes. Hate it.
It was a very good film though. Except for the shakes. I went out of the theater with a slight feeling of vomit.