mob

"Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport. General opinion's starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but I don't see that. It seems to me that love is everywhere. Often, it's not particularly dignified or newsworthy, but it's always there - fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, old friends." --- Love Actually

Here's a mob I actually wouldn't mind being a part of.

yosi kadiri

If you are a smoker and is contemplating to quit, moving to the UK, I'm certain, will make it easier for you to kick the habit.

Above is a picture of a vending machine that sells cigarettes. At £8 a pack, that's really pricey considering there are only 16 sticks inside the pack. I'm sure it's a wee bit cheaper if you buy your fags in the supermarkets but generally speaking, it's still expensive.

There is also a smoking ban in the UK. It's illegal to smoke in all enclosed public places and enclosed work place in the country. Offenders are fined and some may be taken to court too.

I quit 6 years ago. Back then I wasn't planning on quitting. I got ill and for 2 weeks I stopped smoking. When I realised that I spent almost £120 in the 4 weeks prior to my being sick, I had to at least try and kick the habit. Surprisingly, it was quite easy. I didn't have any withdrawal symptoms and any behavioral changes.

Whilst I do advocate freedom to choose how people live their life, ever since I quit, I developed a some sort of aversion to smoking. I do think about it sometimes though. After all I loved it when I was still smoking, however, I don't think I would ever go back to it. It's bad for the health, pocket and the environment.

By the way, you can't call yourself an evironmentalist if you continue to light a cigarette and smoke like a chimney.

Be smart, quit now.

15 books

My cousins Lala and Rain and my very bright inaanak, Yuan, tagged me on Facebook. Yes, I'm on Facebook and whilst I'm a wee bit disappointed with myself for signing up, I take pride in the fact that I only have 58 friends (more than half is actually family) compared to others who has thousands of random strangers whom they refer to as "friends". Being popular was never really a childhood dream. Eating a whole lechon with the crispiest skin and not having to worry about cholesterol and hypertension, now that's a serious head trip.

But I digress, here are the rules of the game.

Don't take too long to think about it. Fifteen books you've read that will always stick with you. List the first fifteen you can recall in no more than fifteen minutes. Tag fifteen friends, including me, because I'm interested in seeing what books my friends choose. (To do this, go to your Notes tab on your profile page, paste rules in a new note, cast your 15 picks, and tag people in the note.)

1. Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

2. The Rosales Saga by F. Sionil Jose

3. Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

4. The Harry Potter Series by J. K. Rowling

5. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

6. A History of Violence by John Wagner

7. Hope for the Flowers by Trina Paulus

8. The Books of Abarat by Clive Barker

9. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

10. The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger

11. Girlfriend in a Coma by Doulas Coupland

12. Amsterdam by Ian McEwan

13. High Fidelity by Nick Hornby

14. America is in the Heart by Carlos Bulosan

15. The Stranger by Albert Camus

33

Happy anniversary to my beloved Teatro Tomasino. The university-wide theatre guild of The University of Santo Tomas celebrates its 33rd year today.

My stint in UST was definitely memorable because of Teatro. They say most of life's important lessons are learned outside the claasroom. And it couldn't be more true in my case. UST gave me the diploma eventually but Teatro Tomasino molded me into the person of strong will that I am today. The organisation and its members shared knowledge and wisdom to me that I will be eternally grateful for. Most importantly, the guild taught me how to love. I lost it but because of Teatro, I found another one that's even more beautiful.

Incidentally, this year's first production is "Ang Kalungkutan ng mga Reyna" by Floy Quintos. I invite you all to watch because I can't. Check out their FB page for more details.

Happy Birthday Teatro. As we say in theatre, break a leg!

summertime

In my eyes, Jackson Pollock's Summertime is the most beautiful piece of Art in the universe. It gave me goosebumps the first time I laid eyes on it. It was like looking at one of the great wonders of the world.

I love the energy of the painting. The colors are inspired, the madness of the strokes are moving and electrifying. Amidst all the perceived mess, everything, amazingly, is in order and well balanced. And the size of it, I keep forgetting how big it is.

There's a film about Pollock's life starring Ed Harris. You should see it. Did you know Pollock was married to another artist? Lee Krasner was his wife. It's a shame that her reputation as an artist was eclipsed by Pollock's popularity. Krasner was an influential and talented artist too.

The painting in the background is called Gothic Landscape. Painted by Krasner a few years after her husband's death. Notice the thick vertical strokes? They're meant to be trees and the violent and expressive brushstrokes reflected her feelings of grief.