The Summer of '05

Monday, June 06, 2005
Where were you in '05?

It's the last day of summer. It's last time summer will ever be very distinguishable from school season. Tomorrow is my first official day in university, and right now, I feel like I'm in American Graffiti.

I woke up extra early today. Normally, I would try to get as much sleep as I could whenever school is around the corner, but I seem to be welcoming college in a whole different manner. This is a dream coming true before my very eyes except for the part where I'm in Oxford taking Archaeology. Kidding aside, I couldn't be any happier.

I was actually very paranoid today. I want everything to be perfect, so I kept thinking, What if Freshman Assembly is not tomorrow but today?! Everything will be ruined! All I did today was pack my stuff for school, watch the 3-part The Science of Star Wars special in Discovery Channel (and lament on how the rigid Assumption curriculum never really allowed me to pursue hobbies and interests other than my academics), choose my outfit for tomorrow, and play some text adventure games.

Speaking of text adventure games or interactive fiction, I seem to have gotten hooked. A few months ago, I was doing last minute reviews for the final English trimestral exam when I stumbled upon Hamlet - The Text Adventure. I didn't know anything about text adventure games, except for that opening scene in the movie Big where the boy is playing this text-based game on his ancient computer.

Text adventure games or interactive fiction are the computer games kids used to play in the 80's. Memory then was so little that you can't play a game that had content, graphics, and sound all at the same time. All they had then were words. With these words, they unleashed a whole new world of gaming, where the players make characters talk and interact just the way they want them to. It may seem crude and boring for kids these days, but I have absolute fun playing them. While today's generation get dumber everyday by playing today's brainwashing hi-tech video games, their Gen-X counterparts grew up playing IF, which in turn, stimulated their imagination and most probably also improved their grammatical command of English. I mean, you wouldn't get anywhere in a text adventure game without knowing how to read the clues and correctly typing your next moves. It's amazing how much fun and adventure you can have with a plain screen with text. Plus, these games are so small, they download real quick.

**********
Now, as I walk up and down the house, drinking down the last Coke bottle of summer, I ponder on how far I've gone. I don't know what's going to happen, but I seem to feel like, in the process of entering something new, I'm also leaving behind something old.

In the ending of American Graffiti (spoilers hereinafter), Richard Dreyfuss, who was initially reluctant on going off to college, boards the plane and heads off for university. Ron Howard decides to stay home instead. Dreyfuss is shown leaving behind that crazy chapter of his life. My life isn't as dramatic. I'm not boarding a plane to get to college nor was I ever reluctant on going, but I kind of feel like Dreyfuss's character, and just like him, I'm going to college.

-------------------
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Thursday, May 19, 2005
Better Than Your Average Podrace

"If you're not with me, then you're my enemy." - Anakin Skywalker, The Revenge of the Sith

"Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists." - George W. Bush

"For whoever is not against us is for us." - Mark 9:40, the gospel for May 18, 2005

The Revenge of the Sith premiered last night. I was supposed to watch it with my Star Wars friends, but a spur-of-the-moment decision landed me and my two sisters with tickets to a May 18 premiere of the much-awaited flick at Shangri-La. It was just fitting that I watched the last Star Wars film in the very same place where almost a decade ago, in the Summer of ’97, I was formally introduced as a Solo-ish skeptic to that galaxy far, far away. Stickers, magazines, a lightsabre, and a research paper later, there I was waiting for the last major Star Wars project that George Lucas has up his sleeve.

The last installment of the beloved Lucasian saga was finally previewed by a bevy of unenthusiastic moviegoers save for a couple of fandroids like me. The only sign of any Star Wars memorabilia came in the form of a worn-out Darth Maul t-shirt sported by a bearded guy (you’d think he wanted to look like Lucas) and a foreigner wearing a cape (the reason why the foreigner was a so happy was because he gets to watch Sith ahead of his New York buddies at one-sixth the price). I entered the new and fancier Shangri-La Cineplex armed with Qui-Gon Jinn’s lightsabre. After an endless run of trailers (normally, I like trailers), the famous 20^th Century Fox-Lucasfilm intro finally appeared with its rousing musical score. My heart was beating so fast. A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…I was breathing almost as loudly as Darth Vader. Then, John Williams’s famous theme blasted into my eardrums. I nearly hyperventilated.

***Spoilers start here***

I never thought I would get this hyped up about it. Now, I’m not lying. I’m not exaggerating, but I was teary-eyed by the time the introduction was rolling into the screen. This is it. This is the last time this will ever happen. That was the last time I was to enter a movie house to watch a Star Wars film that I’ve never seen before. I thought of how Lucas’s buddy Francis Ford Coppola may have influenced him in the scene where Anakin (now Darth Vader) goes off to kill all the Jedi. It reminded of that killing montage near the ending of The Godfather I.

The last scene, which showed Luke’s Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru Lars carrying him as a baby, looking into the two setting suns of Tatooine’s horizon the way Mark Hamill did in A New Hope, was so moving that I was literally dumbfounded. I couldn’t move. I was stuck to my seat, and my eyes were stuck to the screen. I love the way the closing credits surprise you from an intense final scene. I didn’t talk on our way home. I didn’t even talk when got home. That night, I went downstairs and brought out Star Wars magazines I’ve collected through the years. I fell asleep with lightsabre duels and laser blasts going on in my mind.

I’m not going to talk much about the film per se. A lot of critics will do that for me. All I have to say is that Lucas kept everything for this last film. The Younglings are this trilogy’s Ewoks. Yoda and R2 are adorable as usual. A surprise appearance by no other than Chewie himself was my only link to Han Solo that night. Natalie Portman is so pretty (though I still like the Princess Leia character more), but I can’t stop remembering Closer. Where’d they get that Peter Cushing dead ringer? The best by far in the new trilogy, Sith literally left me dumbstruck. What a way to go.

***Spoilers end here***

This premiere’s boring turnout is in stark contrast to the fanfare at Shang 8 years ago when Star Wars Special Edition premiered. I still remember that fateful day. It was Sunday morning, and I was watching TV as usual. My dad comes into the room and tries to convince me to watch A New Hope. He said they were releasing a Special Edition of the Star Wars Trilogy. I was far from willing. In fact, he had to drag me to the old Shangri-La cinema to watch it. I was so grumpy and annoyed that I even said, “I’d rather watch a Barbie movie than this!” I thought Star Wars would just be some Star Trek rip-off.

When we got there, there was already a very long line. We lined up, and upon entering the theatre’s lobby, I was immediately impressed by loads of glass-encased Star Wars memorabilia. The movie blew me away. The first guy I recognized was none other than Mr. Harrison Ford, whom I remembered as Indiana Jones. I left that movie house a whole new person. I was never the same again.

Star Wars means a lot to me. Though I’m not the first gawky, wide-eyed kiddo to be entranced and forever captured by the Jedi spell, I’m probably one of the few people my age who became a fan even before The Phantom Menace ever came out. I was a freak. A Star Wars freak. I was that girl running around our 4^th grade corridors, mimicking Vader’s husky, muffled voice. I was that girl who, in an attempt to win a game in class, used her wristwatch to contact Luke and the gang for help. At that time, not many people cared for Star Wars while I regularly put myself to sleep with my Star Wars sticker book.

There are different kinds of Star Wars fans. There are those who are into the action figures and video games. There are those who are into Harrison Ford, Ewan McGregor, Hayden Christiansen, or even Mark Hamill. There are those, like me, who experience Star Wars in an almost spiritual level. Now I’m not pulling your leg. I really did feel the Force. I’m not kidding. I would go on normally as a student most of the time, but there would be those unexplainable moments wherein I would just be filled with this powerful sensation. These moments were Star Wars moments, and I knew it was the Force. Sadly though, I haven’t felt it in years. I guess you don’t understand, so ignore what I just wrote.

I never had enough money to buy all those expensive Star Wars toys. It would take 2 more years before I would get addicted to the internet, so I never got to be like those other Star Wars fans in the net. The kind of things that excited me back then as a fan were new Harrison Ford movies, a new book by Carrie Fisher, how Grover sounds just like Yoda, or that Michael Jackson music video that featured Billy Dee Williams. I would look through the entertainment section of every newspaper and magazine in the house for anything Star Wars. That’s all I had, but it felt like so much more.

Star Wars came during the outbreak of my wonder years. There are 4 things that I remember from 1997, and that’s Star Wars, Titanic (which I hated), and the deaths of Princess Diana and Mother Theresa. It’s pretty much safe to say that Star Wars triggered my consciousness and woke me up. My eyes were open to the world outside me. Ever since 1997, I’ve been reading the newspaper every single day. In the process of looking for Star Wars stuff in the news, I ended up in the other sections of magazines, thus exposing me to everything else, from politics to sports. My grandmother was once amused at how I would be so engrossed in reading Time and Newsweek. Because of Star Wars, I became a constant viewer of E! News Live with Steve Kmetko. Although I had other favorite films before it, Star Wars can be credited as the movie that exposed me to the entertainment industry. In the same way that The Beatles influenced me into playing the guitar, Star Wars influenced me into becoming a film buff.

I am now proud to admit it, but being the only Star Wars fan within a 30-meter radius was hard. I was perceived as a weirdo—a loser Star Whatever geek. Oh come on. Admit it. You did find it weird then. Yes, I’m talking about 4^th grade. You didn’t know a Tie-fighter from a X-wing fighter back then, so you didn’t give a damn and thought it was foolish and pathetic. I was never popular. Heck, I was never even accepted into the normal-average sector. I was always one of the losers. Why? Because I liked the weirdest things. I liked The Beatles. I liked Star Wars. I loved reading classic books. Don’t deny it. I know some of you still remember.

Maybe I tried to be a closet Star Wars fan for a while, but I stuck to it and to the other things that I loved. I risked being called a weirdo. I suffered the consequences of being eccentric in grade school, and guess what? When The Phantom Menace came out, they all forgot that I was one of the original Star Wars maniacs. Suddenly, all these new fans popped out of nowhere, and no one even remembered that they once ostracized me for loving the very thing that they’re so in to now.

It was frustrating, and it wasn’t the last time it happened, but if there’s one thing that I’m proud of, it’s that I withstood all the humiliation that comes with being unique so that I could be who I really was. Star Wars reminds me of that.

Whether I do become a filmmaker or not, Star Wars will have its effect on me. Just a few months ago, I made a research paper on Star Wars and Nietzsche for English class. Just as Lucas may have been unconsciously influenced Nietzsche, Star Wars has influenced me in more ways than I am aware of. Star Wars is an experience. You don’t just watch one film. You won’t get it. You watch them all. The magic of Star Wars isn’t really in its special effects. The magic goes beyond the films, into that galaxy far, far away…

-------------------
May the Force be with you.

posted by Ana, sgtpepper72687@yahoo.com
6:43 PM

8 Comments:

ana alcala! howre you? i havent seen you in ages! ;( i'm at comptuer class. when does your school start again? - olivia

By Anonymous, at May 24, 2005 8:59 AM

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May the force be with you too, Ana.

--Mara Gar

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Saturday, May 14, 2005
Iskolar ng Bayan (Part III)

May 11
Day 3 (Freshman Orientation)

I arrived exactly 5 minutes to 12nn. The flyers and posters said I had to be there by 12. There was horde of freshmen outside the School of Economics Auditorium. People who know me know that I hate Eco. Eco pretty much ruined my life...haha...okay, not really, but I did get my lowest ever grade in high school in Eco. Anyway, my last encounter with the UP School of Economics prior to this orientation was when the church choir (in which I had a very brief stint) had rehearsals in one the classrooms.

There was a Nescafe Ice booth which gave out free ice coffee. I didn't know where to go since I was actually scheduled to attend the orientation the previous day. I went to the information booth and found out that I can attend this orientation, but I'll be the only Film person there. I figured it was okay since I'm pretty much the loner already anyway.

When I signed in, the gave me my block. I'm block K-4. I have no idea what that means, but in DLSU, Patty, Manna, Sam, and Moira are blockmates. Whoa! How fun! That's like AC all over again. That's the exact opposite of what I'm going through.

At the auditorium's entrance, there was a bunch of upperclassmen distributing stuff. They gave me this brown envelope that said, "Mabuhay Ka, Iskolar ng Bayan...UP Diliman." They gave me free Dough Boy Crossini. Now how did they know I was hungry? Haha...I didn't like it, but my sisters did.

The guy who checked my Form 5 suddenly cried out, "O! BA Film siya!"
Apparently, the folks at the entrance were from Mass Comm. One of them asked what high school I was from.
I said, "Assumption."
"Antipolo?!" said the other
"No, San Lo."
"Ah...AC..."

Inside, the auditorium was just half-filled. I was led to my seat. The guy beside me was not the talking type, and there was an aisle separating me from the Muslim girl on my right, so I practically spent the whole afternoon like a mute. I was pretty bored waiting for the whole thing to start. I took out the papers from the envelope. The schedule of activities said that the program was to start at 1pm. Great. What am I going to do for an hour?

I admired my surroundings. It was a pretty neat auditorium. They decorated the stage to welcome us. I looked around for familiar faces. Of course, I found none. After an endless wait, two hosts finally stepped onto the stage to start a 30-minute session of "unfreezing." Back in AC, we called this kind of thing "icebreaker."

They, among other things, made impersonations of the different personalities that are distinct from college to college. They made a survey on which colleges were the students present from. They called out those that were scheduled for today. When they jokingly asked if anyone from another college was present, I didn't raise my hand. I was shy again.

The two hosts were upperclassmen from the College of Home Economics and College of Mass Communication. They mostly made jokes about the Engineering people. They joked that we better clap for them now because next year, they'll no longer be Engineering students but Home Ec or Mass Comm students. Also, they told the Engineering students that, since jobs are hard to find nowadays, they should study hard because they were to become our future call center operators.

They impersonated College of Science people as weirdos who communicate without talking but by reading brain waves. The Bio majors are the plant lovers. The Public Administration people talk without parting their teeth. What about the Mass Comm people, you ask? Well, you know, they did the usual round of inaccurate Assumptionista impersonations. You know, how you can't go to CMC with a 3310. I found that part funny in particular because I'm going to CMC, and I use a 3310.

They finally started with the program proper with the National Anthem and an invocation. You'd think they'd forget the invocation, but we still had to pray. I couldn't stand it anymore, so I left for the CR. When I came back, they were introducing a video about the UP System and UP Diliman. Although it was a bit dated because the students depicted were still so 90's, it was very inspiring. You have to understand that this was my dream school, and finally facing the reality that I was there as a freshman was very moving for me. By the end of the video, I wanted to cry.

After a series of jokes (apparently, joking is the medium of orientation in UP) by 3 Speech Comm people, they introduced 3 College of Music singers who were to provide our intermission number. I wasn't too interested at first, but I suddenly jolted when one of them said, "We're going to sings some songs from Les Miserables."

I practically jumped. Some of you know that I've been planning to establish The Society of the Friends of the A B C here in UP. It's an organization patterned after the coterie in Les Miserables that was established by the fictional graduates of the other UP, the University of Paris (another UP I know of the Ivy League-member University of Pennsylvania).

Okay, maybe I was the only Les Mis fan in the auditorium, but why then did I hear sighs and squeals at the back? Those are the people to invite! Hmm...

They sang a medley. I was just mouthing the lyrics, but I'm sure I looked weird to some people. They first sang "At the End of the Day," and then a soloist sang the ever-popular "On My Own." After that, the other girl sang "I Dreamed a Dream." She was very good, but she was out of tempo. Then, the only guy tried his hand on "Bring Him Home." He was good as well, but you could really detect that he was training to be an opera singer. This is bad because the reason why Colm Wilkinson was chosen to play Valjean and why he was good as the Phantom was because of his rock voice.

They ended the medley with the rousing "Do You Hear the People Sing?" I would never take intermission numbers for granted ever again.

After the intermission, they introduced a final video. They joked that the videos being shown to us were very recent. Anyway, a few minutes into the mini-film, we found out that it was made by a Film student as part of his course requirements.

The video depicted life in UP. It was sort of like UP Life 101. A Freshman Survival Kit of sorts. The guy invited a couple of famous UP alums to be part of the film. The film ended with a clip of The Eraserheads performing in one of the many UP Sunken Garden concerts. This reminded of how Ely Buendia started out as a UP Film major. Then it hit me.

Is everyone in UP a Film major?! Aaargh!

After the film, we had an open forum. The hosts even stepped down from the stage. Unlucky for me, I was along the aisle, so I was attacked first. He "sensed" that I had a question. Well, I surely didn't sense the Force. He asked if I had any questions on where my classes were, but I knew where each building was, so he left me. That was a relief.

The questions varied from sensible to senseless. Someone asked if it was possible to get from Palma Hall to the Math Building in 15 mins. I guess I wasn't the only one who had that problem. Well, they said it was possible, but I'm still glad I don't have to go through that yet.

Someone asked why the Sunken Garden was sunken. UP people have wits to match that of the incoming wise guys. One of the hosts explained that the Sunken Garden falls along the Marikina Fault Line, causing it to sink an inch every year.

Someone also asked why maroon is the school color. The same host then jumped into the Legend of the Maroon:

Sometime in the early 1900's, one of the UP founding fathers wondered, "Why is that school green, while that other school is blue? Do we have a school color?"

"Meron yata."
"Ahh...Maroon..."

There ya go!

Anyway, after the open forum, they introduced the UP Pep Squad at which point I just starting laughing inside. I remembered Patty telling me that her brother said that in La Salle, your first class meetings are dedicated solely to teaching freshmen the various La Salle cheers. I can just imagine Manna and Sam flailing their fists about. Hahaha...

We did a series of UP cheers, starting from the classic "Push On UP" varsity song and ending with the popular "Unibersidad," which they claim was the first-ever Tagalog cheer. It was fun actually. One of the Pep Squad people wore a Rasta wristband. I remember telling Olivia that I will never wear my Rasta wristband in UP. Sure, I might find a Camileon or a reggae fan, but some others might think I smoke marijuana.

Before we left, we were invited to join the campus tour. I thought it would be unnecessary, but it's a good thing I waited for the next batch because a lot of tips were given through the tour. They jammed us into this UP bus which looked like that rickety AC bus that surprisingly took 4 sections to Baguio and back. Up to now, I still can't believe that that bus reached Baguio. Anyway, this bus is different in a way because it's not air-conditioned, and it's rustier.

The tour bus took the Ikot route. Here are just some of the things I learned in the tour:

The International Center is a dormitory that is unique in a way that you have a kitchen and your very own bathroom and Japanese roommate.
The isawan that I love is actually the Ilang-Ilang isawan. The isawan that I don't like is the Kalayaan isawan. Ilang-Ilang and Kalayaan are dorms.
There is a Persian restaurant hidden in the University Arcade which houses no arcade but an Olympic-sized pool.
Two ways of detecting if a student is a freshman: He/she calls the AS Building "Palma Hall." He/she calls the Infirmary "UP Health Service." My father joked that I'm even "older" than the upperclassmen because I call the Shopping Center "Dilimall."
We passed by the Kalayaan Dormitory, immortalized by the first line of The Eraserheads's song, "Minsan."
At the Procurement Center, dormers can buy P5 boxes in which they can pack their stuff for trips home to the province.
Bahay ng Alumni has the best CR and the fanciest restaurant, The Chocolate Kiss.
At the UP ISSI, they have a yearly Jag and Lee sale. They also have a Tree House, a great gimmick place for anyone who, of all things, wants to gimmick in UP.
The field in front of Plaridel Hall where daddy used to fly his kite is actually the UP Golf Course. Nothing fancy. Just dry grass.
The Balay Chanselor, contrary to it's name, isn't really where the Chancellor lives. It's just where dignitaries are welcomed in formal functions.
There is actually a shortcut from AS to Math Building. There is a path in the College of Science that can save you a couple of minutes.
The best lamb chops and steaks are found in some building that I forgot.
The College of Education is where you can find, at night, strange figures dressed in white. This is rumored to be the most haunted building in UP. It was a barrack in WWII.
The College of Music holds free jazz and classical music concerts.
The Carillon Tower bells peal every 5 or 6 pm...I'm not really sure.
Don't just swoop in the ROTC place because they have certain rules there. I think you have go inside running, and you have to tuck in your shirt. Our tour guide once went in without doing the necessary procedures, so everyone started saluting her. They thought she was an officer.
And of course, you can watch uncensored art films at the UP Film Center at very low ticket prices. I once watched Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace there for FREE.

I'd like to end this series of articles with an Ikot jeep anecdote told to us by one of the orientation hosts:

Passenger: (hands over her money) Manong, Bahay ng Aluminum, po.
Everyone on board looks shocked and stares at her.
Passenger: Ay! Sorry, house pala.
Everyone laughs.

-------------------
Ad astra per aspera

posted by Ana, sgtpepper72687@yahoo.com
4:43 PM

11 Comments:

Hi Uhnuh!

Buti naman at tumatataas na nang lubusan ang ating career! Album launch ha! Sa May 20! For the fans ito! :D

On a serious note, your Blog entries never fail to fascinate me. Nabasa ko yung three parts ng "Iskolar ng Bayan" mo, at ang masasabi ko lang ay sobrang natutuwa ako palagi kapag pinag-uusapan mo ang U.P. Diliman (or generally, pangkalahatang UP). Talagang hilig mo ang film, at matagal mo nang hinangad na mag-aral sa unibersidad na ito. Kasi kapag nagkukuwento ka ng kahit ano tungkol sa U.P. "life" (freshman na siyempre!), naaalala ko yung mga pinsan ko na halos ay taga-UP. Maraming taga-UP Manila; kaso, ganoon din yun kasi nag-masters rin naman sila sa Diliman e. Yung boyfriend ng nakatatandang pinsan ko (parang pinsan ko na rin yun), ang daming kinukuwento sa akin tungkol sa UP! Kung may time ka (para maintindihan mo ang UP raving ko), please please please do read my entry sa Tabulas. Ang pamagat noon ay "UP Naming Mahal." Ang dami kong kasiyahang na-experience doon kahit na isang araw lang ako tumambay ng UP Diliman. :-)

Proud na proud ako sa iyo, katoto! Hwaw Taga-UP na si Raspie! :-) God bless! Meesh na kita!

By Anonymous, at May 19, 2005 11:30 AM

Uh-yie! I'm very flattened!

FYI, nabasa ko na noon yung post mo...regular reader ako sa Tabulas moÜ

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Iskolar ng Bayan (Part II)

May 10
Day 2 (Registration/Enrollment)

As planned the day before, we went back to CMC to meet Prof. Piano. Once again, luck was not on my side, and I couldn't find him. I noticed, however, that there were a couple of students waiting at the lobby. I sensed with the Force that these were the film transferees that Prof. Piano was interviewing, so I waited with them. Luckily, I was right. I realized that all I need now is a set of Jedi garb, and I'm all set...

He was able to squeeze me into his schedule, and he quickly made the changes and signed my Form 5a. I was happy although I felt that he didn't really get to alter my sched the way I wanted it to be.

I rushed to Palma Hall. The student volunteers from some frat asked for my entrance credentials. I brought out, among other things, my report card. For a brief moment, I glanced at the AC logo on the front cover. I was in UP, my new school, and that report card seemed like a lonely remnant of a life that I have left behind...

Well, actually, because of some complications, I had to go back to AC again...

Anyway, when I got to the lobby, I realized I had to wait for my turn. That would've been okay, but the line was soooo long. It was a good thing there were chairs provided. I don't really know how long I waited, but the wait gave me ample time to prepare my stuff and to stop sweating.

Finally, it was my turn. I was relieved until the woman made me return my Form 137 to AC. She told me to give them this letter indicating that they had to mail UP an official transcript. I was pretty worried, but she told me that I could still enroll anyway.

I moved on to the next counter. I spent such a long time on this counter that they told the student manning the counter to take a break after he's done with me. You see, this was the counter where I had to add/cancel some subjects. I soon realized that, maybe, I should've just gone straight to Palma Hall and made my schedule changes here. The poor kid had to dictate to me all the options I had. In fact, we already came into a new schedule (with Math at 7am), but I went back when I realized that that was too early (hehe) and Math at Math Building would come right before Kasaysayan 1 at Palma Hall.

After minutes of rescheduling and rearranging, we finally settled into this schedule:

Mondays and Thursdays
8:30-10:00 am Kasaysayan 1 at Palma Hall
1:00-2:30 pm Math 2 at Math Building
Tuesdays and Fridays
8:30-10:00 am English 12 at CAL
11:00-12:00nn Archery at Archery Range
1:00-2:30 pm Physics 10 at Palma Hall
2:30-4:00 pm Creative Writing 10 at CAL

With my new sched, I lost the 2 and half hour break on Tuesdays and Fridays; however, I now have a 3-hour break on Mondays and Thursdays. Also, even though Phys 10 is right before CW 10, at least Palma Hall is right beside the College of Arts and Letters.

Finally, they gave me my Form 5. All I had to do was copy the stuff in Form 5a to my Form 5. After this, I waited for my mother to come with my tuition fee payments. Ah...you may wonder, What is Ana's tuition fee? Well, I'll have you know that my now-La Sallite buddy Patty was flabbergasted when she found out that, compared to her P48,000 per term tuition fee, mine for this semester is:

P 5,291.50

Yes, my friends. My mother said that would just have covered my books in Assumption. Heck, my iPod shuffle is more expensive than that! That is precisely why, as the College Secretary said, everyone in UP is more or less an Isko. The government subsidizes the tuition fee using money from taxpayers. That is also why, being given this privilege, a UP student must do well and return this to the country in the form of service and excellence.

Anyway, I waited for my mother for a pretty long time. You'd think she'd be there right away since we live so near. I was pretty bored, so I walked around. I was so tempted to cross the street and buy fishballs, but I was afraid my mother would be furious and forever banish me from going to this institution, so I didn't. Well, apparently, my mother says she wouldn't have minded.

I walked up and down the staircase of Palma Hall. In the course of my journey, I saw two upperclassmen listening to their iPods. Well, I figured if they could listen to theirs then why shouldn't I? I then whiled away time by listening to Petit Leblanc. The Force was strong in me again, and I sensed my mother. Sure enough, she arrived already. She brought my little sister along. I explained to her that this was going to be my new school. I also told her that I wouldn't be wearing a uniform anymore. She said it was just like in the schools in Kim Possible and Sabrina the Teenage Witch.

I was moments away from finally being registered, and I had to mess it up and delay it even further. My mother paid, and the woman asked for my Form 5. While the printer was printing something on my Form 5, she gave us our change. I only had one free hand, so when I reached for the sukli, I dropped one of the coins into the printer. Needless to say, the printer jammed.

After minutes of trying to pry the coin out of the printer (and discovering that there was another coin, previously unnoticed) and almost fully dismantling the printer, we got the two coins out. We kept one; she kept the other.

Of course, they had to bring my Form 5 to an official so she could verify it since the printer jam messed up the letters and numbers. I finally got my copy of the Form 5 with "Registered" stamped on it. Before I left, I got my ID picture-taking appointment slip. I'm scheduled for May 20.

What's next for me? Well, the Freshman Orientation is tomorrow. Then, I have to go to Assumption to fix this whole transcript thing.
-------------------
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2:07 PM

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Wednesday, May 11, 2005
Iskolar ng Bayan (Part I)

This series of articles will chronicle my first UP experiences as an incoming freshman.

As I mentioned in a previous post, after receiving my admission letter, I had to confirm online that I was enrolling at UP. A few weeks later, I had to go online again to start pre-enlisting for the subjects I wanted to take for my first semester. I was to find out on registration day if I got the subjects I pre-enlisted for.

Speaking of subjects, one of the most hilarious things that Ive encountered so far in UP is PE. To give you an idea, some of the choices for PE are duck-pin bowling, scuba-diving, tap-dancing, and (the most absurd) walking-for-fitness. I understand that people take walks to stay fit, but for PE?

After days of annoyingly stressful shuttling from doctor to dentist, I finally was able to get my medical certificate, declaring me Fit to Enroll. Of course, thats many thanks to my tito whos a doctor and a tito whos a doctor at UP Infirmary.

May 9
Day 1 (College Briefing)

To be honest, the day before college briefing, I still had no idea where it was going to be held. I knew that registration was already transferred to Palma Hall, but I had no idea where college briefing would be. I figured that maybe its at my college since it is a college briefing by the college dean, so I went to Plaridel Hall, and sure enough, college briefing was there.

This was an interesting experience. They made the different departments heads sit in front of us. I made a little game in my head since, as usual, I had no one to talk to, and no one was talking to me. I kept on thinking, If Liza had chosen UP over Ateneo, then wed be together right now. Anyway, I decided to guess, before they were introduced, who was the head of which department. I figured that the Dan Rather-ish man wearing a long-sleeved polo shirt must be the head of Broadcast Communications. I saw this simple-looking lady with glasses. I figured that she was the studious type and concluded that she was from Communications Research. Then, there was this younger-looking guy with messy, gelled hair and a broodingly artistic seriousness upon his face. Ah, this must be the Film guy. Guess what, I was correct with all of them, except for the Journalism person. She was late. Well, thats very journalistic in a sense. You know, meeting-the-deadline kind of thing.

Anyway, they showed us a Flash presentation about the College of Mass Communication. The presentation uncannily resembled my Piet Mondrian-inspired World History Flash Portfolio in 3^rd year, which made me happy.

Each of the important CMC people gave talks. Among the department heads, only the Film guy talked in straight Filipino. He told us that what sets a Film student apart from the others is that they are the groggiest and most eccentric of the Mass Comm people. He also said that BA Film & Audio-Visual Comm is the only course in Mass Comm that is under an institute. The UP Film Institute was established when they joined the UP Film Center and my degree program, or at least, something like that.

The College Secretary then informed us about the different rules and guidelines that we had to know. One of the things she told officially confirmed a fear of mine that has been building up for the past months. She told us that, recently, the Film department has boomed, and currently, it has the most number of students at CMC. Dagnab it! For the love of--! There goes my job opportunities. Everyone, according to her, wants to be a star. Well, admittedly, I dont mind being a star, but I also care about making socially-significant films as a director or screenwriter, but with all this competition, I might just be unemployed in the future.

We also had an intermission number from a Broad Comm org. Theyre called Broad Ass. Dont ask. Anyway, they wrote us a song and gave us a rendition of Seasons of Love from Rent. Awww.

DZUP (1602) is the Universitys radio station, aired right from CMC. When asked about where to find the AM stations frequency, the Broad Comm guy quickly responded that you dont really have to know. Its the very last station to the far right. Some radios dont even reach that frequency anymore.

Contrary to popular belief, comfort rooms in UP are not really horrible. Of course, the Math Building CR that oh-so scandalized Jessica Qua Hiansen of the Ateneo was bad, but the CMC CRs arent bad at all. The toilets actually flush. Up until two years ago, AC toilets rarely flushed.

At the end of the briefing, they announced where each department will hold their own briefing. After waiting for the announcement for Film, they told us to just ask the College Secretary next time because ours was still being scheduled. Okay, that gives me more time to enroll. Apparently not for dummy like me. Before leaving, we sang, for the very first time, "UP Naming Mahal." I realized that I wouldn't be singing the Assumption School Song for a very long time.

We were supposed to go straight to the Records to get our Student Directory and Form 5a. In the Form 5a, the subjects that got into were listed. I was so happy that I got all the subjects I wanted that I quickly forgot to check if I got the timeslots I wanted. I hurriedly submitted my Student Directory with the 2x2 ID pics and had my adviser sign my Form 5a so that I could enroll already.

To be advised by the adviser, I had to go to the Film area. I had no idea where that was. It was a good thing that I saw this co-Film freshman and asked her where I had to go. She directed me towards the UP Film Institute office. Its at the lobby of the CMC Building Annex. Movie posters line the walls towards that office, and upon entering in, you notice the cans of film that are stocked in the cabinets of the office. You know those film cans that are being restored by Turner? They looked like that. I felt like I was at MGM.

Well, I was too dumb to understand that the adviser is there to help you pick the right classes. I was too dumb to realize that, although I got all the subjects I wanted, I didnt exactly get the timeslots I wanted. By the time I realized that I have Physics 10 at Palma Hall right after Math 2 at the Math Building, I was already at home eating lunch. I quickly panicked.

How am I supposed to go to Palma Hall from the Math Building (located at the outskirts of UP territory) in a split-second?! Apparate a la Harry Potter? Beam-up a la Star Trek? Do mind-reading a la Mork calling Orson to listen to the discussion? Definitely not (though it would be fun).

By the time I was back at the UP Film Institute office, Prof. Piano was gone, interviewing transferees. Aside from being really annoyed at myself for not noticing that schedule conflict, I was further disappointed to find out that still more people want to take Film.

I ran around CMC trying to figure out who could advise me and fix my schedule. I kept calling the office. Prof. Piano was still out; however, by some magical twist of fate, Prof. Piano passed by the office right when my mother called up. He told us to meet him the following day after lunch.

I couldnt do anything but postpone my enrollment to the following day. That meant not attending the Freshman Orientation the following day but on Wednesday. That is if I can fix my schedule right away.

Lesson of the day: People go to college because they want to be smarter, wiser, and more responsible. They dont go to university to be dumber. They dont go UP to complicate an already simplified enrollment procedure.

-------------------
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8:49 PM

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Saturday, April 30, 2005
The Movie Meme List

Here's the perfect meme for an incoming Film student. The rules are to highlight which ever movies you've seen, then add 3 more films which you feel should be part of the list. This list is the American Film Institute's list of 100 Greatest American Movies of All Time.

1. CITIZEN KANE (1941)

2. CASABLANCA (1942)

3. THE GODFATHER (1972)

4. GONE WITH THE WIND (1939)

5. LAWRENCE OF ARABIA (1962)

6. THE WIZARD OF OZ (1939)

7. THE GRADUATE (1967) (I didn't watch it from the beginning.)

8. ON THE WATERFRONT (1954)

9. SCHINDLER'S LIST (1993) (Halfway)

10. SINGIN' IN THE RAIN (1952)

11. IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE (1946)

12. SUNSET BOULEVARD (1950)

13. THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI (1957)

14. SOME LIKE IT HOT (1959)

15. STAR WARS (1977)

16. ALL ABOUT EVE (1950)

17. THE AFRICAN QUEEN (1951)

18. PSYCHO (1960)

19. CHINATOWN (1974)

20. ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST (1975)

21. THE GRAPES OF WRATH (1940)

22. 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (1968)

23. THE MALTESE FALCON (1941)

24. RAGING BULL (1980)

25. E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL (1982)

26. DR. STRANGELOVE (1964)

27. BONNIE AND CLYDE (1967)

28. APOCALYPSE NOW (1979) (I haven't finished it yet.)

29. MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON (1939)

30. THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE (1948)

31. ANNIE HALL (1977)

32. THE GODFATHER PART II (1974)

33. HIGH NOON (1952)

34. TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD (1962)

35. IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT (1934)

36. MIDNIGHT COWBOY (1969)

37. THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES (1946)

38. DOUBLE INDEMNITY (1944)

39. DOCTOR ZHIVAGO (1965)

40. NORTH BY NORTHWEST (1959)

41. WEST SIDE STORY (1961)

42. REAR WINDOW (1954)

43. KING KONG (1933)

44. THE BIRTH OF A NATION (1915)

45. A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE (1951)

46. A CLOCKWORK ORANGE (1971)

47. TAXI DRIVER (1976)

48. JAWS (1975)

49. SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS (1937)

50. BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID (1969)

51. THE PHILADELPHIA STORY (1940)

52. FROM HERE TO ETERNITY (1953)

53. AMADEUS (1984)

54. ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT (1930)

55. THE SOUND OF MUSIC (1965)

56. M*A*S*H (1970)

57. THE THIRD MAN (1949)

58. FANTASIA (1940)

59. REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE (1955)

60. RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (1981)

61. VERTIGO (1958)

62. TOOTSIE (1982)

63. STAGECOACH (1939)

64. CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND (1977)

65. THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS (1991)

66. NETWORK (1976)

67. THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE (1962)

68. AN AMERICAN IN PARIS (1951)

69. SHANE (1953)

70. THE FRENCH CONNECTION (1971)

71. FORREST GUMP (1994)

72. BEN-HUR (1959)

73. WUTHERING HEIGHTS (1939)

74. THE GOLD RUSH (1925)

75. DANCES WITH WOLVES (1990)

76. CITY LIGHTS (1931)

77. AMERICAN GRAFFITI (1973)

78. ROCKY (1976)

79. THE DEER HUNTER (1978)

80. THE WILD BUNCH (1969)

81. MODERN TIMES (1936)

82. GIANT (1956)

83. PLATOON (1986)

84. FARGO (1996)

85. DUCK SOUP (1933)

86. MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY (1935)

87. FRANKENSTEIN (1931)

88. EASY RIDER (1969)

89. PATTON (1970)

90. THE JAZZ SINGER (1927)

91. MY FAIR LADY (1964)

92. A PLACE IN THE SUN (1951)

93. THE APARTMENT (1960)

94. GOODFELLAS (1990)

95. PULP FICTION (1994)

96. THE SEARCHERS (1956)

97. BRINGING UP BABY (1938)

98. UNFORGIVEN (1992)

99. GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER (1967)

100. YANKEE DOODLE DANDY (1942)

I will forgo adding my 3 picks. It's sad that I've only seen around 30% of this list.

-------------------
Ad astra per aspera

posted by Ana, sgtpepper72687@yahoo.com
4:47 PM

10 Comments:

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Thursday, April 28, 2005
Must-See TV for the Summer Couch Potato

This article is for people who are bored. This encompasses those who did not take any lessons this summer, did not apply for any summer job, and are sick and bedridden. You are probably bored. Why else would you be roaming around the net, reading blogs, especially obscure ones like mine? Enjoy…

Out sheer boredom and the uncanny urge to fill up my blog, I have come up with a list of the best TV shows to watch this summer. In my current list of 16, I have 5 sitcom re-runs, 2 that are still running, one talent show, 2 identical makeover shows, 2 entertainment news shows, a crime drama, a comedy-sketch show, and 2 late night shows. Since I am a Destiny Cable subscriber, I am deprived of certain channels like Star World, so don’t be surprised if I’m lacking some good shows. I’m going to update this list if ever I discover any more shows or any timeslot changes. If you think I missed mentioning a good watch in this list, feel free to suggest it.

====================

Joey (Studio 23: Sun@8:30pm)
Starring: Matt LeBlanc, Drea de Matteo, Paulo Costanzo, Andrea Anders, Bobbie Morganstern
My first post in this blog was solely about this show. You can just scroll down to see what I have to say about it.

Friends (ABC-5: Mon@7:00pm; ETC: Mon@7am&pm/Sat&Sun@2pm)
Starring: Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, David Schwimmer
My favorite 90’s sitcom. Right up there in my list.

American Idol (ABC5: Wed&Thu@10pm, but it’s usually delayed, so don’t hurry)
Starring: Ryan Seacrest, Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul, Simon Cowell
I still like Season 3 better, especially after they voted Anwar Robinson off. Nevertheless, the contestants are still very talented, and it’s still a fun show to watch. Many people who have Star World sneer at the ABC5 editions, thinking that they’re weeks late. Excuuuse me, but we’re as up to date as you guys are.

Bewitched (Studio23: Tue&Thu@2pm; Hallmark: Sun@12:30pm/Mon-Fri@2pm&6:30pm&12:15am)
Starring: Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick York, Dick Sargent (later episodes), Agnes Moorehead, David White
Studio23 used to air this in the same hour as I Dream of Jeannie. These two rival shows were both filmed at the same time and at the same lot. That’s why they used to use each other’s sets. Montgomery’s role as the witch-cum-housewife Samantha Stephens is a pop culture figure, famous for twitching her nose (her lip actually) whenever she wanted to make any magic. The jokes and special effects may be a bit dated already, but it’s still fun. Trivia: The role of Darrin Stephens was played by two actors. Dick York left due to health problems, so they brought in Dick Sargent. By the way, my dear friend Samantha Potenciano was actually named after Samantha Stephens. Also, they’re coming up with a feature film version of this show this year. It will star Nicole Kidman as Sam and Will Ferrell as Darrin.

Who’s the Boss? (Hallmark: Mon-Fri@2:30pm&6:00pm)
Starring: Tony Danza, Judith Light, Alyssa Milano, Danny Pintauro, Katherine Helmond, Rhoda Gemignani
Think of Tony Micelli as an 80’s housekeeper version of Joey Tribbiani. Isn’t that fun? Tony Danza’s daughter Samantha is played by a very young Alyssa Milano.

Seinfeld (ETC: Weekdays@6pm)
Starring: Jerry Seinfeld, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Michael Richards, Jason Alexander
One of the most popular and highest-rated sitcoms of all time. It was the show to watch. I was too young to really appreciate it back when it was still running, but it hasn’t aged one bit. Elaine’s hair may already be too early 90’s for us, but the jokes are still one of the funniest, wittiest, and cleverest ever to be uttered on TV.

Queer Eye for the Straight Guy (ETC: Mon@9pm/Sat@7pm)
Starring: Kyan Douglas, Ted Allen, Jai Rodriguez, Thom Filicia, Carson Kressley
The best makeover show. One of the best TV imports of 2004. It’s peculiar how a show for straight guys appeals mostly to females. I don’t know. Maybe it’s Kyan Douglas.

Queer Eye for the Straight Girl (ETC: Mon&Tue@12nn/Thu@9pm/Sun@7pm)
Starring: Honey Labrador, Robert Laughlin, Damon Pease, Danny Teeson
Just like the original, but not quite. Though not as good as Guy, the girls seem to be more pampered and rewarded than the guys.

Entertainment Tonight (RPN9: Mon-Fri@1:30pm; ETC: Mon-Sat@10pm/Sun@11pm)
Hosted by Mary Hart, Jan Carl, Mark Steines
This was the show that filled the void left by E! when E! suddenly disappeared from Philippine TV. (I hear E! is now back in Lifestyle.) ET keeps me updated on the industry that I would soon want to enter. Like American Idol, ET is up to date.

The Insider (Studio23: Mon@11:30pm; ETC: Tue-Sat@10:30pm)
Hosted by Pat O’Brien and Lara Spencer
Another Hollywood news show. The hosts don’t overact as much as the ET hosts do.

Saturday Night Live (ETC: Mon@9am/Sat@3pm&9pm/Sun@3pm)
Starring: Depends on the season
Many comics have come and gone to pursue successful film careers, but SNL still retains the classic hilarity that made this show so phenomenal. ETC used to air the classic episodes with the legendary originals like Chevy Chase, Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Bill Murray, etc. I’m not sure if still does, but the ones that I’ve seen lately are several months late.

The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (ETC: Mon&Tues@1pm/Wed-Sun@6am&12nn/Tues-Sat@11pm)
Starring: Jay Leno, Kevin Eubanks, John Melendez
The Tonight Show’s long history has proven it to be one of American television’s greatest contributions to the world. Jay Leno has kept up very well with the show’s reputation

Late Night with Conan O’Brien (ETC: Wed-Sun@1pm/Tues-Sat@12mn)
Starring: Conan O’Brien, Max Weinberg
Conan is wackier and zanier than Jay. He’s a very funny guy and has gained a lot of fans with his show, so it’s just right for him to be named as Leno’s successor. Now, I'd like to take this opportunity to talk about something that has been baffling me: I have been likened to Conan O’Brien several times, and frankly, I don’t really know how to react to these comparisons. I mean, sure, Conan is a comic genius. He never fails to crack me up, but I don’t exactly want to be him. Maybe it’s flattering, or maybe it’s their effort for me to further despise John Stevens. I mean, if you’re going to liken me to a comedian, why not a comedienne? Why not Tina Fey? Well, I guess this is the closest I can get to achieving my dream of becoming a redhead.

Will & Grace (Studio23: Sun@9pm; ETC: Mon@7:30pm/Sun@2:30pm)
Starring: Erik McCormack, Debra Messing, Megan Mullally, Sean Hayes
I started watching this show only recently, sometime during Friends’s last months. I guess it helped in making the end Friends easier for me. The whole ambience of the show reminded me so much of Friends. The shows’ jokes, the characterizations, and the sets have similar styles. Also, Grace Adler is very Rachel Green-ish, and while we’re at it, Debra Messing reminds me of Jennifer Aniston. Sean Hayes is hilarious as my favorite character, Jack McFarland. Friends worked for me, and so does Will & Grace.

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (Studio23: Wed@8:15pm)
Starring: William Petersen, Marg Helgenberger, Gary Dourdan, George Eads, Jorja Fox, Paul Guilfoyle
It took some time for me to start getting into this show. Maybe it’s because I never really ventured into crime drama shows before. Maybe I was scared of watching crimes being committed and seeing the inner workings of a dead human body. Maybe I have a hard time appreciating a show when I am constantly being coaxed into watching it. I eventually accepted and admitted that I liked the show, simply because it was cool.

Mr. Bean (Disney Channel: Sat&Sun@9:30pm&12:30am; Studio23: Sat@6:30pm)
Starring: Rowan Atkinson
The earliest memory I have of my best bud Patty was in 2nd grade, when I ended up as her seatmate after one of those quarterly re-shuffling procedures. I remember that her crayons were labeled “Nica.” Back then, I didn’t know Dudu yet. We weren’t close at first, but the silence was soon broken when she asked me, “Do you watch Mr. Bean?” The rest, as they say, is history. Well, it still took 5 years before we actually became best friends. Anyway, that’s how much Mr. Bean appealed to us. Just like my all-time favorite sitcom Mork & Mindy, Mr. Bean is the kind of show that makes kids laugh without severely polluting their minds and entertains the adults who are babysitting them, simultaneously.

====================

Well, that took me hours to write and edit, and if you’re still bored, here a couple of channels that have good shows and movies to watch. I’m not sure, though, if other cables have these channels.

WOWOW (Channel 55 in Destiny Cable)
This Japanese channel (I’m assuming it’s Japanese because it always features Ichiro Suzuki, Hideo Nomo, Hideki Matsui, and David Beckham. Then again, it may be Korean. Don’t blame me. Those Caucasians always mistake Filipinos for Thai, Malays, even Latinos)…okay, I have digressed…WOWOW airs great movies and shows. I don’t really know it’s schedule because it’s hard to read their website (it’s in Japanese). To give you an idea, I’ve caught movies and docus like To Kill a Mockingbird, Dog Day Afternoon, The English Patient, Fahrenheit: 9/11 and shows like Joey and CSI: Miami on this channel. Warning: This channel is very lenient when it comes to cutting violent and R-rated scenes. In fact, I don’t think it censors anything at all. It even has adult movies at night. Also, it has bad audio reception. It actually gets annoying sometimes. Plus, since it's Japanese, it's also hard to watch Japanese-English films (i.e. The Last Samurai). They provide Japanese subtitles for the English parts but naturally have no English subtitles for the Japanese parts.

Series (Channel 30 on Destiny Cable)
Series is a channel under the M-Net network in Africa. It’s dedicated to all kinds of new and old TV shows. You have your teen romance-drama, your soaps, your sitcoms, and your reality TV. So if you want to want to see young David Hasselhoff with big hair, talking to a talking car, post-I Dream of Jeannie Larry Hagman as a really rich Texan scion, or the original cast of E.R., then this is the channel for you. Do Beverly Hills, 90210, The Cosby Show, Jerry Springer, The Simpsons, Cheers, and Growing Pains sound familiar? You can watch American Idol, Gilmore Girls, Sex and the City, and Dawson’s Creek re-runs on this show. I’m not saying I like all these shows. I just mentioned them in case you liked them.

Discovery Travel & Living (Channel 22 on Destiny Cable)
You can never go wrong with this channel. If there’s nothing to watch on any other channel, you’re almost always certain that there’s something good on Discovery Travel & Living. If you love food, you can watch The Naked Chef, Nigella Bites, Made to Order, A Cook’s Tour with Anthony Bourdain (I don’t really like him though.), Kylie Kwong: Cooking with Heart & Soul, Floyd Uncorked, and more. If you love to travel like me but can’t get anywhere with a tight budget and 4 sisters who are too young to appreciate world cultures, then you may enjoy the original Travellers, Globe Trekker, and the other travel shows. If you like home makeover shows, then you might tolerate the Aussie accents in The Block and the interesting concept behind While You Were Out.

Now, you can go off to your TV and enjoy your life away, or at least until summer ends…but remember to also watch some news, exercise, and go outside once in a while. BBC makes the best documentaries.

posted by Ana, sgtpepper72687@yahoo.com
1:38 PM

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Monday, April 25, 2005
Food from the Bible

Unleavened Bread

Bedouin nomads still eat this, and it's very similar to the various flatbreads found all over the world.

Mix in a bowl:

1 cup flour
1/4 tsp of cumin or coriander
1/4 tsp of salt

Gradually mix in 1/2 cup of water. Then, knead the dough for 5 to 10 minutes or until the dough is supple and elastic. Cover the bowl and dough with a damp cloth, and leave it for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, roll the dough into balls. Flatten each ball and flour each side. Roll the dough with a rolling pin until the dough is very thin and flat.

Heat a flat pan or griddle. Place the flat dough on the pan. Brown each side while continuously moving the bread around the pan. You'll more or less know when it's cooked.

The kneading and rolling part is very messy. Make sure to flour your hands, the area where you're rolling the dough, and the rolling pin often. It's quite sticky.

The bread is delicious and will go very well with hummus or any dip of your choice. You can actually eat it with anything. You can even make burritos with it if you want. I, however, ate it with aioli. Aioli is basically garlic mayonnaise. You can make your own, but it's very tricky. If you loved Chem, go for it.

-------------------
Ad astra per aspera

posted by Ana, sgtpepper72687@yahoo.com
5:40 PM

12 Comments:

Is ana turning into a chef as well? heehee :D I miss you dear!

Oh and about Constantine it's okay hehe. I have to agree he's not the best but I still love him haha ;)

By Jacqueline, at April 25, 2005 8:11 PM

Actually, I once had Culinary Arts as my first course choice. Ü

...but really, I'm just bored...

By Ana, at April 26, 2005 9:37 PM

Really? Why didn't you then? hehe

I miss ya Ana! :-)

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Breakfast Recipes

Pukkolla

I was watching The Naked Chef, and Jamie Oliver started making this interesting breakfast concoction. It seemed like a fairly basic and simple recipe to me, so I gave it a try. What made it even more convenient was that Oliver used natural measuring devices. There's no need for measuring cups and the like because he measures the ingredients by the handful.

Pukkolla is basically, as Oliver said, "a bastardized, personally composed muesli." You can make the composed cereal ahead of time. This will last for months in an airtight container.

My version is less expensive (though still a bit pricey). I substitute the organic Scottish porridge oats with rolled oats. I use oat bran or whatever bran I find for the the ground bran. The recipe requires some dried fruits. Oliver used apricots and dates. I used apricots and sultanas. Use whatever to your liking. For the extra nuts, Oliver suggests almonds, hazel nuts, or Brazil nuts.

Composed Cereal:

8 handfuls of rolled oats
2 handfuls of ground bran
2 handfuls of the chopped dried fruit
1 handful of crumbled walnuts
1 handful of smashed nuts

Pukkolla:

Composed Cereal
Milk
washed, unpeeled, and grated Granny Smith apple
optional: sugar to taste

Oliver's suggestion for smashing the nuts is by bashing them with a tea towel. I, being not British, have no tea towels. I just place the nuts in a plastic bag and smash them with any heavy kitchen utensil. They leave identical results. He likes this procedure better because it leaves both finely and coarsely ground nuts. Mechanical processors leave equally ground results.

A Granny Smith apple is basically a green apple. Portion half an apple per person. Once you plan to serve Pukkolla for breakfast, Oliver suggests that you leave the mixture in the fridge with the milk and grated apple already added to it overnight. Leaving it in the fridge will prevent the apple from discoloring and will give the muesli a "smooth, silky, scrumptious texture." Oliver merely suggests this, but I strongly insist that you do this. Eating it right after adding milk to it isn't really good. It tastes very woody, and the texture is quite rough. Please, leave it in milk overnight.

The original recipe does not have sugar, but if you have a sweet tooth, then you may want to add some.

********************

Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwich

Elvis Presley used to eat 14 or 15 of these. It’s a famous Elvis favorite, but strangely enough, I got the recipe from Nigella Bites. It’s much simpler than Pukkolla and tastier for some people.

Ingredients:

creamy peanut butter
mashed banana
sliced bread
butter

Prepare the sandwich normally, using the peanut butter and mashed banana as spread. On a griddle or any other cooking pan, melt a dollop of butter. Brown both sides of the sandwich on the pan.

Enjoy!

posted by Ana, sgtpepper72687@yahoo.com
5:20 PM

10 Comments:

hahaha! ..bastardized, personally composed muesli..what a term to describe food!! =p keep making these articles ana, i like culinary stuff.hehe!

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