round-up

What’s up, world?

Ma Maison

Newly opened Japanese fusion restaurant in Greenbelt 2. So new the server given to us was nervous and disoriented (didn’t read our orders back to us after taking them, took a long time understanding what we were ordering, brought the wrong food to our table). I was getting really pissed until management decided to give us a new server. The second server was too eager but at least was competent. (But still too eager. Ma Maison should control their people.)

Sorry for the lack of food photos. I recommend their Tonkatsu, but it’s their desserts that are the real winners. We had the Green Tea Mochi (Mochi ball filled with green tea ice cream) and Green Tea Brazo de Mercedes.

Paranormal Activity 3

Caught this at Gateway. There was some Coke event outside the mall that caused horrible traffic, but J wanted us to catch the film on time (I was there early, and I called to tell him that I can have the tickets I’ve bought bumped down to a later time, a call that promptly drained his phone battery), so he parked his car and ran across Gateway, hassled some guy so he can call me, didn’t get an answer (I was buying food!), ran around some more, and finally caught me at the foodcourt carrying burgers from Wendy’s. True love. I felt bad for him; he had to stress himself out trying to catch a film that would stress himself out.

I still vote the first film as the most effective in the trilogy. Most effective in the sense that it bugged me for several nights. And also in the sense that among the three, camera use in the first film was the most organic. Still not perfect, but the most organic. In the third film the presence of the camera POV just didn’t make sense most of the time. Why would you film yourself editing a film? Why wouldn’t you drop your camera after seeing someone you love suspended in midair (and possibly dead)? There were nice tricks, except that after screaming in the cinema you’d go get dessert and then forget all about it.

Last Shot

Had my last cervical cancer shot. Now I’m completely protected! And can now live without fear of further injections!

Junot Diaz in Makati/Dinner with a friend

Arrived at Greenbelt too late to catch the Q & A, and was too poor to buy a book to be signed. (I have a beloved copy of Oscar Wao sitting on my bookshelf in Bulacan.) FFFFUUUUU –

The lovely Lizzy, on the other hand, got there in time, had a book, and even managed to bring Junot Diaz some kutsinta and kapeng barako. I envy your life, Lizzy! She has a lovely post about it here.

On writing about the Dominican experience: “I write about the Dominican experience because America doesn’t need my help.” Being Dominican is at the very center of his being a writer and he sees no benefit in ignoring it. When asked if he could’ve written Oscar Wao had he and his family not left the Dominican Republic, he says, jokingly, “There’s no way to tell. Let me run a beta test life and see how things turn out.”

But Junot Diaz wasn’t really the reason I went to Greenbelt. Really! I found out he’d be there at around 11 in the morning, and by then I was in the office and it was too late to make plans. But I was chatting with Eula about grabbing dinner and that was the plan we were able to make. Pizza and pasta at CPK, rants about life and stress and unhappiness, and how, at 25, we’re still so unsure. If my nine-year-old self saw the 25-year-old me she’d be horrified. “Why are you fat? And how come you don’t own a condo unit yet?” The nine-year-old self who didn’t care about her hair and wanted so bad to be a successful, published novelist by the time she was 18.

She’s a fucking idiot.

Twenty-five is a strange age. You feel young and old at the same time.

Silver Monthsary

Went to S & R on our silver monthsary. (Term “silver monthsary” trademarked by Jaykie.) That place was huuuuge. They even have a decent mini-food court. But we only really went there to buy unhealthy things (Ruffles, Ben & Jerry’s, a dozen cans of Dr. Pepper). Junk food celebration! Huwag tularan, kids. Eat carrot sticks.

Komikon

Do you know that we drove for an hour and a half today just to get to Ortigas from UP Diliman? Fuck this shit. Missed Komikon. And here I was planning to horde indie comic books this time so I can read them and review them! Damn.

Well, anyway. Date at The Podium. J felt guilty for not being able to take me to Komikon (not your fault, silly boy!) so he bought me these:

J really didn’t have to apologize, or buy me anything, but it’s a sin to turn down books.

Wise Man’s Fear

A well-conceived world populated with well-written characters. Bravo, Rothfuss. Where’s Book Number 3?

So that’s it, world. How are you guys? What’d I miss? :)