‘A Soft Place to Land’ by Susan Rebecca White, a moving-on book, too!

Image via Wikipedia

‘A Soft Place to Land’ by Susan Rebecca White http://ow.ly/5Q2I8

‘Muli’ as a moving-on indie film

Image via Wikipedia

‘Muli’ as a moving-on indie film http://ow.ly/5Ldnd

Moving on as d main topic of ‘Laruang Lalake’ (or Boytoy aka Censored Dreams)

Moving on as d main topic of ‘Laruang Lalake’ (or Boytoy aka Censored Dreams) http://ow.ly/5L9nL

Notes to the links above:

My main review’s found in the original write-up, which I’ve posted in my blogger.com page. What’s extra fascinating with this indie film‘s really more of the observation that it’s an in-your-face-film, which you either like or dislike (with no option to remain in the middleground) it as you partake of its moving images on screen. And you’d only wish the characters shown in this film were given longer treatment so your curiosity as to how their lives on screen would proceed. For example, would you be seeing the film director becoming famous eventually? Would you be seeing each of the actors in the film-within-the-film gain fame in the movie industry and move on to other artistic endeavors? But no, nothing like this will actually happen as this film’s all about how quick-indie-films-are-being-made so they’ll be shown soon and hopefully be appreciated by finicky, hard-to-please, pleasure-seeker viewers whose judgment will serve as the main source of motivation for filmmakers/producers to keep on churning out indie films. In so many words, it’s a fictionalized version of mini-stories of what normally happens in the movie-dom. Well, probably the feedback has been great, which would have included more moolah that would enable the artists to make more movies that are close to what their hearts want and what the audience secretly wants.

Let’s just hope for the best outcomes to happen for all these quirky, fascinating Filipino gay indie films (plus other regular ones) to grow and become staple fare to meet entertainment and creative needs of all those involved in their making.

Related articles

• Help me identify this recent indie film set in Baltimore (ask.metafilter.com)
• XY Boytoy All Grown Up & Having Legal Regrets Now that He’s on MTV (queerty.com)

Why i got engrossed by ‘Pulupot’ (Clingy)

Why i got engrossed by ‘Pulupot’ (Clingy) http://ow.ly/5L7c6

 

my book review on Jonathan Franzen’s ‘The Corrections’

Image via Wikipedia

my book review on Jonathan Franzen‘s ‘The Corrections‘ http://ow.ly/5IgON

Notes on the link:

The review is originally in my Goodreads account, where I also lodge most of my book reviews.  It took me sometime to start finally reading Jonathan Franzen’s ‘The Corrections’ because its thickness somewhat intimidated me. But once I started reading it, I finished it in less than a month, which is unusual as I tend to read many books at the same time (though I don’t really tell myself to finish reading them all together soon).  I’d always go back to it after doing my other activities as well as in being done reading some pages of the other books I’ve got.  I was most entertained by Franzen’s book and this is not the first material of his that I’ve read (I’ve read his articles at the New Yorker as well as those materials found online).

‘The Corrections’ is guaranteed to give foreign-born readers (i.e., those whose languages include English, among others) like myself with more level of illuminated awareness (I like to believe there is such a thing, OK?) on what makes the USA succeed,  particularly the members of its egalitarian society, and which society is being threatened with upheavals mainly by outside forces. After reading it, I got confirmations on a number on doubts I’ve got about my friends who were born and raised in the Midwest and who have since then moved and lived their lives here in NYC (where I’ve lived for over 5 years as of this writing).

The way the book’s over-all tone was written has been almost sounded panicky and hysterical (although of the subdued kind mostly), which I sensed practically althroughout its pages. It’s been primarily because of the numerous run-on sentences that are all found in its many pages. It’s also guaranteed to bring out loud laughter from scrutinizing its narratives that read like a long  winding farce. I had a good time reading about the minute details of the lives of its numerous characters who make up the Lambert family.  They all looked sexy, passionate, beautiful, scared and intelligent to me.

If ever you’ll decide to read this work, take all your sweet time perusing its contents It’s a must-read for all writers who may get reminded again that it takes a lot of hard work just being able to find time to read, write, and re-write again and again.

Related articles

• The post where I try to review Jonathan Franzen’s Freedom through the prism (if that’s the right word) of some quotes from the author, in an ultimately futile attempt to do something different around a book that has been written about enough already (waituntilnextyear.com)

weekend kayaking on croton & hudson rivers

Image via Wikipedia

weekend kayaking on croton & hudson rivers w/sundance http://ow.ly/5CZjp

Notes on the blog:

I can retrace now how I had totally enjoyed doing kayaking with other companions from Sundance Outdoor Adventure Society (we were with members of another group who joined us, but I can’t recall now its name). It was easily the best summer day yet that I’ve experienced here in New York. Having started close to noontime, we saw how hot it was being out there but I remember clearly feeling the breeze that went all about all the time during the kayaking period. I felt so much at home with the outdoors that day; I could like spending the whole out in the water. I was happy seeing families out there in picnic and making the most of the weekend. The waters were clean and didn’t smell a bit; it’s refreshing being out there.

I can only wish I could have taken more pictures showing us all in action but I was worried I’d have my camera wet so I just managed with what I could get. I didn’t dare bring out my camera to shoot as I might get distracted and get myself capsized. I saw some of my companions capsized, one of whom I tried to help get into the boat but instead hit his body with by pointed edge of my boat. I soon learned that in such situations when there’s already someone giving help, it’s best to just leave them by themselves, which one of the guides explained to me.

The guys from Hudson River Recreation who guided and instructed us on kayaking were friendly and fun to be with. I’m sure I’ll do it again  as soon as I have the chance plus the resources.

Related articles

• Quick Bite | Croton-On-Hudson: Baked by Susan – Westchester Quick Bite (nytimes.com)

Recipes: Beef tongue http://ow.ly/5z39y

Recipes: Beef tongue http://ow.ly/5z39y

Disadvantages to living in New York City

Image by houy.in via Flickr

Disadvantages to living in New York City 

Here’s my article as originally shown in my Helium.com page until the site closed down:

Living in New York City (NYC) has a unique set of great advantages that only us who work and live here may enjoy.  We have so much variety of cuisine choices, highly remarkable array of cultural demonstrations, among the best talent, among the wealthiest sectors of neighborhoods, the most intriguing minds, and the most competitive souls eking out their mortal lives in our midst (just like the rest of us). But, humans that we are (who can’t help but see the flip side of our relative state of contentment), we can’t help but stare at the other aspects we encounter while struggling to make a living here. We see a number of disturbing and annoying disadvantages.

1)    The rates of rents are outrageously out of sync with the rest of the country. The rates depend on which borough you live, but they’re generally among the most expensive in the whole country. The rates can only get you so much space. Most regular folks live here with roommates. Most live in tiny living spaces; a studio is probably equivalent to the bathroom and living room of a regular family in the Midwest, and this is not an exaggeration at all. 

2)    It’s easily among the noisiest places to live in. You hear all kinds of unwanted and unnecessary noise all day long. You hear the public bus honking and making stops; you hear trains speeding up; you hear noisy neighbors “wash their linens in public.” You hear all kinds of music that are maddening, and not at all appropriate on certain hours of the day. You hear the police siren at least once a day. And you “hear loud” expressions of varied lifestyles all the time, with how people lead and pursue their lives on and off the streets of NYC.

3)    It’s a dirty place to live in, too. Check the subways – you’d regularly see very intrepid families of rats competing space with humans who take the ride to and fro their destinations. Subway trains and the buses are dirty, too. Facades of certain old buildings are dirty-looking, and remain unkempt, too. You see homeless people plying their trade everywhere in NYC. Certain public bathrooms are dirty. If your standards of cleanliness are higher than most, you’ll have the shock of your life in NYC when you see how these issues are flying all over the place, anytime, in varying degrees. 

4)    It’s a very expensive place to live in, to exclude that issue about the rents. You won’t see the giant retailer Walmart anywhere in NYC (unless you venture into New Jersey or Long Island) that will somehow help you stretch your dollar. There’s the presence of other smaller competitors of Walmart but they’re simply not enough (considering that there’s at least 8 million now in NYC). The price of public transportation has been increasing so quickly you struggle with budgeting it with what you receive for your pay. Try buying a pack of cigarettes in NYC – and you’ll promise yourself to stop smoking soon. And there’s a long list of items in NYC that are priced higher by at least 12% than in most places in the USA, and we’re not complaining (we’re narrating the simple fact). 

5)    It’s still a place targeted by terrorists of all hues and persuasions. Remember, majority of those who perished in 9/11 originated from NYC.  You’ll live with the reality that any kind of violence brought about by terrorists may happen anytime while you’re in NYC.

But then, despite these lingering disadvantages, we still decide (and prefer) to live here. Great and kind-hearted fellows live within our midst. The burden of our daily struggles is shared most actively and passionately alike (in varying degrees) by every one here, rich and poor alike. We “heart” New York.

Notes to the link above:

Having lived in NYC for close to 6 years now, I can always pinpoint the many disadvantages of living in NYC. But I have to emphasize that I really like living in this city, even with all its disadvantages and irritants that get into me from time to time. Nothing is really new about that; most readers have read about these thoughts from papers; viewers have already seen repeatedly these not-so-pretty scenes on TV and from the movies.

1) It’s not the cleanest city you’ll ever visit in your travels; my friends would tell me this observation right away even if they live in another big city here in the US. I don’t mind that – it’s true. But it doesn’t mean it’s unhealthy. It’s just that certain parts of the city can, indeed, be dirty looking; it’s not only these parts as even some people you meet on the streets are dirty-looking themselves.

2) It’s costly. Nothing new about this, OK?

3) It’s can be lonesome even if you’re with good friends and family. Yes, it’s paradoxically lonesome even if you find yourself in the crowds. I think this gets highlighted with the changing of the seasons.

4) It’s annoying to meet so many people on the streets, in the subway system, in the parks, in the many attractions in NYC and they behave like they want to be treated like they’re ‘important people’ just like they’re so used to be treated back in their home countries. You’ll see so many of them, and you’d just wish they’d just write the announcements right away on their bosoms so you won’t need to figure things out when you come face to face with them. The best approach is to wear that ‘you-don’t-care-at-all’ attitude, and they will soon understand that. Just leave them in their illusion-filled world, and have fun with your own life.

5) It’s noisy. YESSSS, it’s really noisy!

6) Expect a lot of shocking events, people and activities you’ll face in NYC.  They’re shocking but not necessarily disturbing, I have to add.  For example, I’m shocked by seeing so much display of wealth and I’ll see homeless persons walking by.  The first time I saw a homeless person reading a thick paperback, that scene kinda shocked me — he was even asking for specific amount from me and my friends who happened to be chatting beside him.

7) Although public transport is still relatively cheap, there’s something REALLY troublesome with how the subway, the bus system, the Staten Island Ferry system have been providing their services to the riding public. Of course, its workers are indeed working hard; there’s no doubt about it. But remember that it’s a bureaucracy that is really become ineffective at its delivery of public transport services. Repairs go forever during weekends, so it’s best to make well-made plans when going out during weekends. The Staten Island Ferry is often late in arrival especially when it’s a nice day when so many tourists go about visiting the city — and if you live in Staten Island close to the Ferry, you’ll have to wait another 30minutes for your connecting trip to wherever you’re destination as the bus or the train would have left by then. And with the news that the MTA‘s top honcho gave up his job for a better paying similar job in Hong Kong, this just says that the system’s overall-leadership in providing such services is turning out to be a failure (probably in the long run?). This bodes badly with the rest of the system. Well, we can just hope (and pray!) the system can continue correcting and improving itself.

I have to add that I’ve met so many kind-hearted, helpful, real people in NYC, hence I’ve decided to stay here. And despite all disadvantages, NYC is still worth spending all your time to live, work, and love in.

Related articles

• A short trip to New York City and an even shorter blog post (michaeledwardkelly.com)
• The top 5 creepiest statues in New York City (gadling.com)
• Excellent to work with – New York City, NY (travelpod.com)
• The Big Apple – New York City, NY (travelpod.com)

Poetry: Every dog has its day http://ow.

Poetry: Every dog has its day http://ow.ly/5v4rs

moving on from verbal abuse of an ugly,h

moving on from verbal abuse of an ugly,homeless guy! whew! http://ow.ly/5v1i1

Being in the nude at Jones Beach

Image via Wikipedia

Being in the nude at Jones Beach http://ow.ly/5uVFq

Notes on the link above:

I was here again with a good friend on a weekend at the start of summer of 2011 at around 2PM. Of course, we were nude again and we were more like at home and at peace with the ongoing very natural scene all around us. Unlike the last time I was here, I didn’t really have to walk at least an hour just to get away from the crowds who were clothed while at the beach, and I presume scared of too much bared skin. At the location where we settled ourselves, there were a number of other nude people sunbathing and spending time at that section of Jones Beach, which is actually one of the best beaches here in the East Coast – I can say this claim from the context of someone who grew up in tropical Philippines where beaches are dime a dozen such that a few of the best ones are actually found on its shores.  Needless to say, it’s actually a lovely experience swimming naked; it’s just recalling wonderful minute memories of yourself when you were a baby being a given a warm bath by your loving parents. I was certainly in touch with myself this time, once again.