Presence Of Heart

As I type this, everyone is probably at the Ateneo High School Covered Courts for the Silver Jubilee Celebration. It has been 25 years since the year we graduated from High School - can you even fathom the thought? I am sad, of course, because I am not able to go - but there are just things in life that do not work out and this is one of them, and I just have to accept it. But it is great to know that I was missed - I have gotten messages from people, and in a very strange way, I feel that I am there. My presence is definitely felt. I told them to Skype me, but alas, they were not able to. I may not have physical presence over there, but I have presence of heart. I wish I was at the dinner though, because it looked like they had great attendance: Bubs, Tito, Jun Jun, Joseph, Jake (and his bf Francis), even Joey was there. Sigh. Well, there will be other times, I hope. 

"Self-love, my liege, is not so vile a sin, as self-neglecting."

- William Shakespeare

Missing Me

What They Did

It's freezing...and depressing. And maybe this is why I found myself watching this horrid television show "What Would You Do?" on ABC, which is like a Candid Camera kind of thing, only not (intentionally) humorous. Tonight, they had a set up at a suburban cafe wherein a 17 year old male teen comes out to his homophobic father, and see how people around them would react. It is so sensationalized that I found myself squirming...when I wasn't crying. It was good to see most people reacting with disgust to the parent's homophobia (They alternated between a homophobic mother and father) and there was even a situation wherein a straight man was obviously so distraught with the homophobia. There was a woman who gave an impassioned speech, it turns out she has a 19 year old son in Rutgers, and she cited Tyler Clementi, who went to he same school, and around the same age. I don't know if people would have the same reaction 25 years ago, when I was 17 years old myself, but it is veyr nice to see some positive progression in the world. Indeed, it does get better. 


The cold weather is getting to me. I went out briefly and when the cold wind hit my face, I just felt defeated. I ran my errands and went home. But the good thing about winter? Entenmann has started to sell their Coconut Custard Pie again. They only sell sell it during colder weather because the custard melts otherwise. So... all is not lost!

Music is the way our memories sing to us across time.

~ Lance Morrow
  

Your Love Is a Drug

First things first, since I know what is most important to everyone. Jake Gylenhaal is naked in this movie. A lot. Even a brief full-frontal glimpse. He has a fine specimen of a body, if a bit a little too over-worked on for my taste, but still - only a fool would push him out of bed. And he is in bed a lot in here, this way and that way, that angle and another one. Amidst all that flesh, though, I had a realization: he isn't as good an actor as I thought he would be. Maybe because I expect too much from him. In LOVE AND OTHER DRUGS, he is given such a multi-faceted role, yet in the words of Dorothy Parker, he "runs the gamut of emotions from A to B." You know what gave him away? Anne Hathaway. She has truly become one of the best younger actresses working today. She brings a welcome effervescence to a role which is basically one of those heroine-in-medical-predicament types that Bette Davis used to play. You never truly feel sorry for her, yet you undoubtedly feel her pain. Maybe, i the end, she was just too good a match for him. On a better movie, it wouldn't have mattered. But this one is flawed, so it stood out like a green thumb.

The movie is four movies in one, and director Ed Zwick could only be given an A for Effort. Make that a B+. He wants to make an adult romantic comedy, a la "Love Story" perhaps, but he peppers it with imbecile boner jokes, and a juvenile sub-plot straight our of a Judd Apatow movie. The other major storyline, a satire of the pharmaceutical industry seems to be fighting with the tome of his romantic angle. Whenever the movie went there, it get interminably boring. Half the movie is good enough, the other half was a paint to sit through. Even the aforementioned naked bodies of Anne and Jake couldn't keep me awake. 

Jake and Anne have pretty electric chemistry, and they try their damnedest to give the movie more weight. I especially liked the last part of the movie, when it got "serious." Love is a drug, for sure: it cures you of your ailments, yet at the same time it could be the one most debilitating thing you could give yourself. 

Pyrophobia

I have always had a fear of fires. Pyrophobia, is it? I was startled earlier this evening when I heard loud sirens and saw, through my window, firetrucks in front of the house. Then I saw firemen going to the back of the house across the street, and I actually saw flames. It was scary. I watched the flames get a little bigger, and then saw the firemen contain it until it became white smoke, and then...nothing. The whole thing happened quickly. I saw them clean the whole thing up, and eventually they left. Yikes. I wonder what it looks like in daylight, was it just a backyard thing, or if it did it destroy anything.


What a nice sunny crisp day today, especially after yesterday's all-day, all-rain, all-dreary cold mess. It was one of those days when the sun seemed golden and you just wanted to be out and touch it. 

"Live every act fully, as if it were your last."

- Buddha

Visiting The City

Reading MARY ANN IN AUTUMN by Armistead Maupin is like visiting old friends. I remembering reading the Tales Of The City books in the 80s and falling in love with them. I even thought of them as "literature." Maybe I know better now, or maybe I don't, for I still love these characters so well, and want to stay "in touch" with them. I liked 2007's "Michael Tolliver Lives" well enough even though most didn't, though I must admit it was pretty self-indulgent, and the character of Mouse didn't seem so sympathetic there. Well, Mr. Maupin goes back to his roots in this latest installment of the series, which sees the reader playing catch up with most of the characters from TOTC. It is focused on Mary Ann, once the ingenue, now going into the "autumn" of her life. We get rounded up into her life, her dilemma, on where she is at this point in time. There are some very sweet side-stories, my favorite the little slice-of-life romance Jake Greenleaf has with a Mormon boy. Mouse is a lot less insufferable this time, maybe because there's a lot less for him to do. All the characters are tied together by an unbelievable murder-mystery plot that really turns me off, but a friend told me, "A murder mystery is not what you paid for," so I am reconsidering my disgust. It's a fun read still.

Over Thanksgiving

Where in the world were The Gang on Thanksgiving? 


Well, Pipo was in Hong Kong:

And Jeff was in London:

And here I was in the Caribbean:

December First

Time flies. It's already the First Of December, The First Day Of Hannukah, and it is also World AIDS Day. They say that people infected with HIV nowadays have it a little better, but it is still an epidemic, especially among the younger generation. It is so disheartening how a disease has just eroded a huge chunk of a community. I often wonder what the world would have been like if a lot of people who perished from this disease survived. I am saying a prayer for those people, as well as numerous friends I have lost. And it looks like the weather is mimicking the craziness - howling winds, rain, and as I was typing this, we lost electricity for a couple of seconds. But it won't stop the remembering...

Stomach Topsy Turvy

Post cruise stomach blues. I think I have been giving it a whirl the past week or so. On the last night of the cruise, I think I ate just too much and I was twisting and turning that night from pain. I did not even sleep a wink. My brother got me tea that morning, and I felt a little better but I threw up after. Then the whole day Sunday I just couldn't eat anything for fear that it would just go right back out. I just started eating again yesterday after we got in from the airport. The one good thing, though, is that I am now waking up early again, and sleeping "on time," so I hope I am at least partly done with my battle with insomnia. Now I am famished, though, and I am just not used to eating breakfast anymore. Oh, the things I go through - and this is just all so interesting for everyone, isn't it?


Everywhere I go now, it seems that Christmas has sprung. Before I left, not as much and now the streets are tinseled red and green. I don't feel too Christmas-sy yet, but I will try harder. I used to love this time of year, and now I can'e even bear to watch the treacly "Rockefeller Christmas Tree" special. All this commercialism of the holidays really gets to me, and I long for a simple, pure celebration.  

Blessings are oftentimes not valued till they are gone.
~ Thomas Fuller

Golden Trash

BURLESQUE stars two divas: Cher and Christina Aguilera, so at the very least it shows promise. I don't think the movie was aiming for "Citizen Kane," but at the very least it could give us this generation's "Showgirls." (I had high hopes for the latter) Sadly, though, it isn't either. Though it has hot flashes of camp, they aren't plenty enough to erase the boredom that the rest of the movie subjects us to. The most glaring omission of the movie is a major one: a story. 


I wouldn't call this movie a musical. None of the songs makes sense, never mind move the story forward. The musical numbers have enough glitter and glamour in them, but are soulless. Except for a song or two, they are tuneless and colorless (I said the same thing when I reviewed the soundtrack ) I thought that maybe contextually the songs would work better, but unfortunately they don't. (I do think, though, that uninspired drag queens will have a field day mimicking some of the numbers)


Cher comes off unscathed probably because she looks like she isn't taking the whole thing too seriously. Christina Aguilera, however, flops. I have never been a fan of her, and in here she tries, again, too hard. She dances like she sings: all over the place and devoid of any kind of subtlety. I am sure her fans would eat her up, but there's no convert here. Stanley Tucci has fun when he is on screen, but it just looks like he brought his character over from "The Devil Wore Prada." Eric Dane and Cam Gigandet look good, but they have personalities of cardboard.


I am very disappointed int he movie, probably because I wanted very much to like it. It clearly has the gay audience in mind - they use Madonna's 'Ray Of Light" and Barbra's husband, James Brolin, has a cameo - but gay men, in particular, have such refined taste that all the trash here would just be, well, trash in their eyes. No wonder how you cover them in gold, they will still be trash. For once, I say: Stop The Music!

Things I Learned After My Second Sailing On The Solstice

1. The Solstice, a little more than a year after I sailed her, has lost none of its lustre. The service is impeccable, and the rooms peerless. But, I must say, that the entertainment was horrid. The Cruise Director was ineffective, was nowhere to be found, and was not amusing when he was on. And a big majority of the choices were sub-standard: the jazz singer sang flat, the party band was a singing cliche. I never thought I would say this, but I was almost missing Matt Yee! On a related side note, I hear that Matt is now performing at the new Allure Of The Seas. 


2.  The food was fantastic, as always but I spoke to the Maitre'D and he did say that the menus for all Solstice-style ships are pretty much identical. So even though I love most of the choices (the Lamb Shank done Targine style is yummy as ever) I have tried most of the menu. But then again, I glance at most dishes and still see sa lot that are new to me, and I just end up confusing my own theory. 


3. Whenever I mentioned to someone that I was a past Atlantis cruiser, their eyes light up. No wonder. Apparently,  the crew loves Atlantis cruisers - they say they are most generous, most fun. The gays are tough, but fair. Plus, they make way more money on Atlantis cruises, apparently.  A bartender/server makes $1000+ a week. And how is this for trivia: the most ordered beverage on an Atlantis cruise: Grey Goose. 

It is impossible to be negative
while we are giving thanks.

~ Donald Curtis

He

One of the great things about going on trips, for me, is that I really get to catch up on reading. I "saved" the Ricky Martin memoir titled ME for this trip and I got so engrossed in reading it that I was already half way through the book on my flight in to Florida. Do I consider myself a big fan of his? Not really, though I always did think he was super cute. I wish his music had more depth, but as they are the musical equivalents of bon bons (shake your!) I don't complain much. Now, the book. Well, those expecting a salacious tell-all will probably have to look elsewhere. This is a very chaste and spiritual memoir. I sense that Ricky has gone through a lot of therapy and it shows. He analyzes and over analyzes his life, and there is a lot of psychological and spiritual mumbo jumbo that gets repeated over and over again. I appreciated it the first time 'round, but reading it pover and over again got to be a little tiresome. When it came to writing about details of his life, he was a lot too cautious. I mean, as much as I would love to, I know I wouldn't be reading detailed accounts of his sexual escapades, but he wouldn't even name the major loves of his life - men and women. Yes, I heard him in interviews saying he wants to protect these people, but throw us a little bone here, Ricky! As it was, the book got a little exasperating to read sometimes. I mean, even on his professional accomplishments, he is pretty skimpy on details. I think most of his fans would love to read about how he recorded and conceived his hits like "La Vida Loca." Besides saying that he collaborated with Desmond Child and Robi Rosa, we don't get anything else. I have read a lot of his fans saying that they love how dignified and classy the book came out to be, but a little dirt would have been nice. 

Back On Land

 ... And I am back on land! It was an exhilarating, and exhausting trip. I wish I coud say it was all fun and games, but amidst all the drama, it's not all roses and lollipops. I had all in all a good time - a cruise is always a good time - but I would be lying if I said that it was my most ideal situation. But still, it is a blessing, and since it is Thanksgiving, I can only say thanks to the Universe for the wonderful opportunity. Right now everyone else has gone home except for me and my Dad - our flight is tomorrow morning at 9 a.m. It's quite sad, after a week that we are all together. But we move on...

"Only the truth of who you are, if realized, will set you free."

- Eckhart Tolle

Rockefeller Gabby

Here is a picture of me and Gabby by Rockefeller Center. 

Annie-mate Your Holidays

One of the most puzzling things in the world is why Annie Lennox was dropped by her label, Arista. I think she is one of those artists who have never made a bad record. All her solo albums have been emotional journeys for me. But she is back, now on Decca, and has released a Christmas album. It is nothing short of a Holiday miracle. 


It is not your traditional Christmas album, though. You won't be imagining sleigh rides nor won't be seeing your momma kissing Santa while listening to these Christmas songs. Most of these are ancient chorale numbers, and indeed she recorded these with a South African choir. (Proceeds of the record will benefit women and children living with AIDS in Africa)  Imagine yourself in those atmospheric Protest churches, and add to that a dash of modern arrangements, and you will get the vibe of this album.  The songs aren't secular, but it doesn't matter, cause the message is the same. The great thing about Annie's voice is that it's so flexible - it is ancient, it is modern, it's always arresting.