mayroong mini review tungkol sa libro ko doon sa latest sunday inquirer magazine. sinulat ito ni ruel de vera. hindi ko siya kamag-anak pero may sinabi siya na katumbas sa pagkain ng tatlumpung kilong haligi ng talangka dahil nakakataba ito ng puso.

Continue reading "In your eyes of mourning the land of dreams begin" »

Posted by batjay at 09:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (33)

isa sa mga paborito kong pinoy na salita ang...

bukang liwayway - sunrise. ano ba ang literal meaning ng salitang ito? "break of dawn", siguro. bukang liwayway, bukang liwayway, bukang liwayway. banggitin mo ng banggitin at matutuwa ka dahil punong puno ito ng pangako at kahulugan. pero pag naririnig ko ang salitang ito, naalala ko si elias na namatay na di man lang nasinagan ang bukang liwayway. medyo corny nga for a dying man to say, but what the heck. here are his last words...

Continue reading "if a restiveness, like light and cloud shadow passes over your hands" »

Posted by batjay at 12:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (19)

Ang Mabuting Balita ayon kay San Hudas

Mabuting Balita #1

itong martes ng gabi, sept 26, babasahin daw sa conspiracy garden cafe ang exerpts ng kwentong tambay book sa isang event for global pinoys sponsored ng Cultural Center of the Philippines at U.P. Institute of Creative Writing. kung mayroon kayong oras, imbis na mangulangot eh baka gusto ninyong dumalaw doon para makinig at manood. kakanta raw si gary granada at noel cabangon para may pampagana. nakaka antok kasi pag puro salita lang. mas masakit pag talsik laway yung nagbabasa. si tina nga pala ang magbabasa ng passages sa libro. malamang naman eh hindi siya talsik laway.

Continue reading "FOUR THOUSAND HOLES IN BLACKBURN, LANCASHIRE" »

Posted by batjay at 11:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (11)

Continue reading "KWENTONG TAMBAY BOOK SIGHTING" »

Posted by batjay at 06:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (31)

Continue reading "LIPAD BATJAY, LIPAD!" »

Posted by batjay at 03:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (86)

ang tawag ni lynda barry sa libro niyang "one hundred demons" ay "autobifictionalography". a book that is part autobiography and part fiction. ito'y isang graphic novel na ginawa through simple and achingly lovely cartoons. the type of artistic work that is so simple and elegant, you think it's so easy to do. but if you look at the details, you'll find out that hundreds of hours must have been spent doing each page. marami kasing mga detalye kaya masarap basahin ang gawa niya ng paulit-ulit dahil may nakikita kang bago parati. si lynda ang aking bagong idol na author. kung gagawa man ako ng libro tungkol sa buhay ko, gagayahin ko siya at ganitong style din ang gagamitin ko - part fiction, part autobiography at hindi mo alam sa storya kung ano ang tutuo at kung ano ang imbento lang.

Continue reading "ONE HUNDRED DEMONS" »

Posted by batjay at 08:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (17)

kakatapos ko lang basahin ang "teacher man" ni Frank McCourt. siya yung kilalang author na gumawa ng "angelas ashes", isa sa mga paborito ni jet na libro. dito siya nanalo ng pulitzer prize at ginawa rin ata itong pelikula. marami ang hindi nakaka alam na bago naging isang sikat na author si mccourt eh naging guro muna siya. in fact, "teacher man" is a memoir about the 30 years he spent as a new york city public school english teacher. kung mayroon kayong mga aspirations na tulad kong maging isang guro one day, magandang inspiration ang librong ito. ang balak ko kasi ay uwuwi sa pilipinas one day at magturo na lang. wala, gusto ko lang ibalik lahat ng mga natutunan kong katarantaduhan sa buhay. baka nga pwedeng pagsamahin ang mga gusto kong gawin pag retire ko. iniisip ko nga during the day time ay teacher. pag gabi naman ay karaoke singer.

Posted by batjay at 12:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (16)

Continue reading "It is what you read when you don't have to that determines what you will be when you can't help it" »

Posted by batjay at 11:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (27)

ano bang mga bago mong binabasang mga libro? "time's eye" ni arthur clarke, "bamboo in the wind" by nina azucena grajo uranza, "sideways" ni rex pickett, "out" ni natsuo kirino, "The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy" ni tim burton at "twisted flicks" ni jessica zafra.

Have you ever had a crush on a fictional character? you bet - snow white, lady chatterly, si galema na anak ni zuma, death.

what are the books you would bring if you were stuck in a desert island? "the world according to garp" ni john irving, "Songs of Distant Earth" ni Arthur Clarke, "COSMOS" ni Carl Sagan, "Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair" ni pablo neruda (sorry follks, hindi kasali ang "THE HOLY BIBLE")

nagbabasa ka ba ng porn? nung nagbibinata ako, bumibili ako ng bed time at burikak sa recto.

Continue reading "THE MELANCHOLY DEATH OF OYSTER BOY" »

Posted by batjay at 11:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (20)

KASALUKUYANG NILALARO: ang pototoy ko. kaya puro kalyo nang kaliwang kamay ko eh. "Oddworld Stranger's Wrath" for the XBOX. walastic, nabighani ako rito. ang galing at bagay na bagay sa aking sick personality. sa larong ito, ikaw ay si "stranger", isang bounty hunter sa oddworld (na kung saan, ang mga inhabitants ay mga taong manok). kailangan mong hanapin ang mga wanted na mga characters all over oddworld to get enough bounty money for stranger's operation. ano ang parte ng katawan niya na ooperahan? di ko pa alam. wala pa ako sa kalagitanaan ng kwento sa game eh.

KASALAKUYANG BINABASANG COMICS: "Alias" 1, 2, 3 and 4 ni Brian Michael Bendis at Michael Gaydos. kwento ni jessica jones, isang superhero na nagsawa from being a superhero kaya nag decide na lang siyang maging isang detective. marami siyang hang ups sa buhay. her life is shitty, she sleeps with the wrong people, she drinks and smokes a lot at malutong pa siya kaysa sa akin kung magmura. my kind of hero.

Continue reading "MGA KASALUKUYAN" »

Posted by batjay at 02:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (19)

tuwing aalis ako, parati akong may bitbit na mga libro at musika. para silang mga kaibigang travel companions. sa trip ko bukas, covered ko na ang music kasi dadalhin ko ang aking iPod. dito nakaload ang mahigit limanglibong kanta na galing sa music library namin ni jet. sinimulan namin itong kolektahin more than 14-15 years ago. sa sobrang tagal, di pa yata ako tuli noon. hehehe. ito ang musika na naging kaparte na ng aming pagsasama at di ko ipagpapalit kahit kay rio locsin ibebenta kung may mag offer man na bilhin ito. masarap na may dalang music player while you're on the road. imagine mo na lang, nakasakay ka ng bus somewhere tapos kumakanta si springsteen ng "thunder road" sa background. or imagine you're in an airport bar, tapos bigla mong maririnig si bruce hornsby na kumakanta ng "mandolin rain". tatayo ang balahibo mo baby.

Continue reading "THE MOTORCYCLE DIARIES" »

Posted by batjay at 10:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (18)

eto na naman ako with my weekend listahan ng musika, libro, pelikula at laro. mga kalipunan ng mga ek-ek na gusto kong i-share. isa isahin natin sila:

SONG OF THE WEEK: "imitation of life" by R.E.M. isa na namang paboritong kanta galing sa isa sa aking paboritong grupo. masaya ang kantang ito at pwede mo itong patugtugin kahit saan. ako nga, pinapakinggan ko ito pag nagluluto ng weekend breakfast namin ni jet.

KASALUKUYANG NILALARO: ang toto ko. bwahaha. seriously, "HALO 2 Limited Collector's Edition". ang galing talaga ng game na ito. editor's pick sa lahat halos ng mga reviews. yes virginia, the master chief RULES.

Continue reading "Charades, pop skill, water hyacinth, named by a poet, imitation of life" »

Posted by batjay at 10:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

narito na ang aking week end recommendations. listahan ito ng mga pelikula't libro na pwedeng ninyong panoorin at basahin (lalo na para sa mga nasa pilipinas dahil long weekend gawa ng araw ng patay bukas). patok na patok ang mga recommendation na ito. pag hindi ninyo nagustuhan, ipapaputol ko ang titi ko ewan ko na lang. umpisahan natin sa libro. susundan ko ng pelikula at panghuli ay isang poetry collection. here goes... IF you have time to read only one book this weekend, maghanap kayo ng kopya ng "persepolis: the story of a childhood" ni marjane satrapi. isang memoir (pano bang pag pronouce dito - memwoyr? mem-wah? parang tunog ng plastic na halik) tungkol sa growing up years ni satrapi sa iran nung islamic revolution. nakakatawa at heartbreaking at the same time - the story is told in simple black and white graphic images. kung mayrong kahit kapiranggot na pagka-artista at humanity sa inyong mga puso, you'll fall in love with this novel.

Continue reading "THINKING, TANGLING SHADOWS IN THE DEEP SOLITUDE" »

Posted by batjay at 02:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (15)

KASALUKUYANG BINABASA: "the rule of four" nina ian caldwell at dustin thomason. excited akong basahin ito dahil isa na namang secret sect and ancient code story in the tradition of the "da vinci code". pero according to some of the reviews, it would be a disservice to the authors if you simply compare this new book with the work of dan brown. hekshuli, nabasa ko na ang first chapter and if this is the basis of a comparison between the da vinci code and this book, i would say that "the rule of four" is much better written. sana hindi ako ma disappoint sa huli. ang hula ko eh mamamatay lahat ng mga bida in the end. hehe.

KASALUKUYANG NILALARO: "ang toto ko" - pero minsan-minsan lang (parang si kevin spacey sa "american beauty"). hehehehehehe. seriously - it's "Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2005 for the Xbox". ang isang gusto ko rito ay ang "game face" feature kung saan pwede mong i-customize ang hitsura ng player para maging kamukha mo. weird nga ang pakiramdam when you see a replica of yourself inside the game. parang absurd "out of body" experience. di pa ako nakaka hole in one pero ang dami ko nang natalong mga professionals at marami nang mga endorsements. feeling ko nga, playing professional na ako, kahit sa Xbox lang.

Continue reading "SHARING THE THINGS WE KNOW AND LOVE, WITH THOSE OF MY KIND - LIBATIONS, SENSATIONS THAT STAGGER THE MIND" »

Posted by batjay at 11:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (22)

"dennis the menace doesn't look like his father. could he be illegitimate?"
-valdimir nabokov, c1970

"McSweeney's Quarterly Concern Issue 13" by Chris Ware. dahil na impress ako ng husto sa award winning "jimmy corrigan, the smartest kid on earth" graphic novel, susubukan ko itong bagong anthology na edited ni ware. sa cover pa lang mukhang pamatay na - it unfolds into a huge supplementary cartoon na puno ng mga maliliit na panels with intricately drawn scenes that is so typical of ware's comic books. featured din ang mga rough sketches ni peanuts creator charles schulz at naroon din si art spiegelman, ang author ng pulitzer prize winning comics na "maus".

"The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen - Volume II" by alan moore. kalimutan na ninyo yung pangit na film adaptation and just concentrate on the graphic novel. dito sa 2nd installment ay tuloy na naman ang mga adventures ng grupo. and like the first volume, this one rocks. the story revolves around the "war of the worlds theme" pero nagulat ako dahil nagkatuluyan pala si allan quartermain at si mina. nag sex nga sila eh (ng maraming beses) - very graphic. hehe. ang galing - if you have time to read just one book, make it this one. or, make it chris ware's book. either of the two will do.

Posted by batjay at 12:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (10)

lahat ng perang pambili ko supposedly ng sigarillo ay napunta na ngayon sa pambili ng libro, DVD at CD. sa isang banda ok na rin. healthy na, enjoy pa. dito sa singapore, makukuha mo halos lahat ng mga gusto mong books, film and music. unless may "pornography" at topics na against the government. hehe. may censorship pa rin. pero maraming mga loophole para macircumvent mo ang mga censors. pinakasikat dito ang mga online stores tulad ng "amazon.com". pag di available ang mga gusto ko, dito ako kadalasan bumibili.

matagal na rin pala akong di nagkukwento ng mga latest books, films and music na bagong sali sa collection namin. eto ang catalog, baka gusto ninyong subukan...

Continue reading "JIMMY CORRIGAN, THE SMARTEST BOY ON EARTH" »

Posted by batjay at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (22)

gusto ko lang i feature ngayon ang poetry ang aming kaibigang si belle. matagal na naming hinihintay ni jet ang mga bago niyang tula. busy kasi ang lola natin sa pambansang paaralan. busy rin ba sa kakapanood ng oblation run? after a long wait however, naka publish na sa kanyang "Short*Poetry" website ang mga bagong katha.

si belle ay talagang pinagmamalaki namin dahil her work has been featured in a number of poetry sites. more importantly, some of her poems were published recently in a book called "the sakura anthology of haiku poems. isa pa ay maganda siya, mabait at nanglilibre pag pinupuri mo. punta kayo sa poetry site ni belle and enjoy her work.

belle, bilang tribute sa iyo. gumawa ako ng haiku. eto...

may isang palaka
tumalon sa inodoro
nakulong sa septic tank

Posted by batjay at 12:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (24)

old pictures... punong puno ng ala-ala. i remember when this photo was taken. sa bahay ito ng mommy ko sa novaliches. dito pa kami nakatira nung araw. siguro mga 1994 ito, kagagaling lang namin sa simbahan ni jet at sinusubukan ko ang bagong bili na camera. that was a long time ago. correction, that was many pounds ago. much younger, bolder, reckless at wala pang masyadong pakialam kung anong mangyayari sa hinaharap. parang kanta ni springsteen: "at night we ride through mansions of glory in suicide machines... 'cause tramps like us, baby we were born to run."

nakita ko ang litratong ito na nakaipit sa isang lumang librong binabasa ko nung nasa hospital ako. di ko sigurado kung ano - either yung "american gods" ni neil gaiman or yung "a soldier's story" na world war II memoirs ni omar bradley. typical sa akin kasi na gawing bookmark ang mga paboritong larawan. mas typical din ang iwanan ang larawan sa loob ng libro pagtapos basahin. ulyanin kasi ako.

Posted by batjay at 01:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (22)

it's a bird, by steven seagle and teddy kristiansen

nahilig ako sa comics dahil sa daddy ko. parati niya kasi akong pinapasyal sa avenida para bumili doon during the 70's. di na nawala ang love affair ko with comic books to this day and i do have quite a lot in my collection already. i've been looking at it recently to see where my tastes for stories in this genre (dyen-re? 'zhânru, gago! hehe) has led me. lately pala, my collection is being populated ng mga gawa nina neil gaiman, alan moore, grant morrisson, garth ennis, warren ellis, mike carey, john bolton at frank miller. batman? marami, kaya nga batjay ang pangalan ko eh. superman? in the last 10 years, isa lang ang binili ko. yung "death of superman" special edition. frankly, i hated it. nung bata naman ako, i did like him. pero, later on, i started to drift away from anything superman related. why? because he didn't make sense at saka corny na yung mga "feel good" stories about "truth, justice and the american way".

kung di ba naman mainsulto ang iyong intelligence: di ba kayo nagtataka kung bakit hindi nalalaman ng mga taga metropolis na si clark kent si superman. either malabo ang mga mata nila o kaya tanga silang lahat. nagtanggal lang ng salamin, nagsuot ng underwear over his pantalon at kinortehan niyang "S" ang kayang bangs - totally clueless na ang lahat sa kanyang identity. mas may sense pa nga si darna, sa tingin ko.

Continue reading "LOOK! UP IN THE SKY!" »

Posted by batjay at 09:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (19)

kakatapos ko lang basahin (ulit) ang "my movie business". ito ang memoir (memoyr? memwah, gago!) ni boss idol john irving. ang libro ay tungkol sa kanyang 14 year odyssey ng pag sasapelikula ng "cider house rules". magandang dalhin ito sa eroplano. it's short and you'll probably finish it on a long haul flight from manila to aLA-eh with enough time for a movie or two.

to appreciate this book, you need to read the novel and watch the movie (in that order) because a lot of what the memoir talks about, revolves around how the screenplay and the eventual movie was created. this is an insiders account on the art of making movies, or to be exact, the art of how to make a movie out of a book. kung interesado ka sa mga nobela at mga pelikula, this book is for you. if you're a budding film maker (like tanyaloca), this is a helpful book.

ang pinaka issue ng novel, film at memoir ay tungkol sa abortion. in particular about the history, morality, politics and controversies surrounding abortion related issues in the united states. habang binabasa ko nga ang libro, iniisip ko how this issue relates to the philippines.

tamang tama naman ang email sa akin ni idol ibet, ang kaibigan namin ni jet na nagtatrabaho sa africa. she is in manila on vacation at nabanggit niya na nanood siya ng dula na "BUHAY NAMIN" ni luwalhati bautista. ito'y tungkol sa abortion sa pilipinas. she started giving out figures that surprised me. for example... are you ready for this? "400,000 abortions are estimated to occur each year in the philippines". there's even a report that says "one out of four pinay women have had abortions secretly". pakingsheet! at dahil illegal ang abortion sa bayang magiliw, most women resort to quack doctors o kaya umiinom ng pampalaglag. which is why "some 80,000 women per year are estimated to be treated in hospitals in the philippines for postabortion complications of induced abortion". ilan sa kanila ang namamatay? i can only wonder.

Continue reading "MY MOVIE BUSINESS" »

Posted by batjay at 09:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (24)

"well madam, i will tell you one thing. you are back in india for a good shaking.
here you will dance with death and be reborn. you will be a chameleon of karma..."

Holy Cow : An Indian Adventure by Sarah Macdonald. true story ng isang babaeng pumunta sa india when she was in her 20's - asar na asar siya sa init, bahu at dami ng tao. she vowed never to return kahit na hinulaan siya ng isang bumbay na pulubi na babalik siya sa india dahil sa pag-ibig. after 11 years, nagkatutuo ang prophecy ng pulubi nang mag resign si sarah sa kanyang trabaho at bumalik sa india to be with the love of her life na isang reporter assigned to cover the sub-continent. nakakatawa ang novel na ito at if you've been to india, you'll find out that everything she says is so true. kung di pa kayo nakakarating sa india, eh this book is the safest, most hassle free way to do it - ie alang amoy, bakang naglalakad sa gitna ng kalye, makukulit na taong mahilig mangalabit, etc.

Top 10 by Alan moore, Book's 1 and 2. what would it be like if you were living in a world where everybody is a superhero - ulitmo mga basurero at pok-pok girls and boys ay may kanya kanyang kili-kili powers. maganda ang comics na ito, at highly recommended if you're into this genre. paano ba ito bigkasin, "dyen-reh"? hehehe. john-rah, gago! parang ren-des-bus? run-dee-buh, gagi!

Posted by batjay at 04:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown.

I was just talking about the "so-and-so-i-forgot-oh-it-was-so-long-time-ago" fibonacci series in my blog a month ago then I buy this novel soon afterwards and start to read. Lo and behold: one of the main clues in solving the murder in the story revolves around the fibonacci series.

Synchronicity.

Posted by batjay at 02:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

1. "top ten" by alan moore

2. "watchmen" by alan moore.

3. "the last temptation" by neil gaiman

4. "the sandman, endless nights" by neil gaiman

5. "wolves in the walls" by neil gaiman

6. "animal man, book 1" by grant morrison

7. "the invisibles, say you want a revolution" by grant morrison.

Posted by batjay at 04:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

just finished reading "The Fourth Hand" by John Irving. galing man, this is a great read. even more memorable dahil sinimulan kong basahin ito sa singapore, tinuloy sa america, tinuloy-tuloy sa china at tinapos dito sa flat ngayong gabi. all throughout the reading of this novel, while going around the world, maraming nangyari both professionally and personally in my life. and now, all those places and faces are forever associated with the story of this book.

idol ko itong si irving ever since nabasa ko accidentally ang aking all time favorite na "The World According to Garp". naalala ko pa kung kailan ko ito nabili. nasa crossing ako nung 1989 at nagpapalipas ng oras. bago pa lang akong nagtatrabaho at walang kapera-pera para sa mga bagong libro. pumasok ako sa isang used book store at nag browse. naron sa isang sulok yung "garp". binili ko siya and my world was never the same after that. hehehe.

Posted by batjay at 09:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

kasalukuyang binabasa para di masyadong mainip sa train at bus...Stephen King & Peter Straub's "Black House". ito ang pagpapatuloy ng una nilang collaboration na pinamagatang "The Talisman" na binasa ko last year. mamamatay kaya silang lahat sa huli? tingnan natin. sobrang kapal nga ng libro pag nilagay ko sa bag ko eh ang laki ng umbok. parang binatang nakakita ng seksing naka bikini.

katulad ng " The Prey" na natapos ko na, masarap itong basahin sa byahe dahil nakakatanggal ng inip ang pace at suspense ng kwento.

Posted by batjay at 06:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

1. Y: The Last Man, Book 2

In the summer of 2002, a plague of unknown origin destroys every last sperm, fetus, and fully developed mammal with a Y chromosome - with the exception of amateur escape artist Yorick Brown and his surly male helper monkey Ampersand.

2. Batman, The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller

probably, the best Batman story of all time. this was done by Frank Miller in 1986 and the story is still fresh and exciting as it was when it was first published. kwento ni Batman nung matanda na siya, ravaged by age at hindi na kasing bilis nang dati. he comes back 10 years after retiring. this is a diffferent Batman story...darker, violent, twisted.

kakatapos ko lang ng Batman, Year 1, also done by Frank Miller. this is also a great comic... the storyline tells of the alternative origin of the Batman, Catwoman and Commisioner Gordon.

di ko pa nasisimulan yung Batman:Manbat. i've looked at the artwork done by John Bolton though and it looks like a great read. incidentally, it was also john bolton who did the artwork for neil gaiman's "harlequin valentine", "books of magic" at yung "sandman presents: the furies". bolton, in my book, is probably the best artist working in comics right now.

3. "Prey, Michael Crichton". binabasa ko ito sa bus at train. magandang pampalipas oras... fast paced at easy read. basa lang ng basa, di mo alam bababa ka na pala.

lumayo kayo! kumakain pa rin ako ng durian hanggang ngayon. hehehe.

Posted by batjay at 07:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

nung umuwi ako last week, hinalungkat ko yung library namin para kumuha ng libro na babasahin ko sa eroplano pabalik dito sa singapore. pinagpipilian ko eh either of the two of my favorite science fiction novels. yung una ay yung Songs of Distant Earth ni Arthur C. Clarke at ikalawa ang Beyond the Veil of Stars ni Robert Reed. mas maganda ang storya ni arthur clarke pero pinili ko yung kay robert reed.

siguro, pang limang beses ko na itong binabasa. maganda naman kasi ang pagkagawa ng librong ito. tapos, makakalimutin pa ako. ito lang ang masarap sa medyo ulyanin: pag tagal kasi, nakakalimutan ko ang mga detalye ng istorya. pag binabalikan ko ang mga lumang libro, para ulit akong nagbabasa for the very first time. like a virgin? perhaps.

if you have time to read only one science fiction book, take a pick between these two books. di kayo magsisisi.

PS: oo nga pala, nabasa nyo na ba yung short story ni arthur clarke na "THE NINE BILLION NAMES OF GOD"? ba't ko ba ito nabanggit? wala lang, it's a killer title for a story kasi (and to my great relief, it is a great story).

Posted by batjay at 08:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

1. Batman: Manbat
2. Batman: Year One
3. Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
4. Death: at Death's Door
5. Preacher: Until the End of the World
6. Preacher: Proud Americans

pesensya na, ngayon ko lang na-e-enjoy. medyo kasi nahinto ang pagbasa ko sa comics nung bata ako eh. ngayon lang bumabawi.

Posted by batjay at 09:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Q: what have i finished reading?
A: really old comic books

"Ronin" by frank miller. its release (20 years ago) was a graphic novel milestone. probably where some ideas on the matrix story came from, i'm not sure.

"Preacher: Gone to Texas" by garth ennis and steve dillon. hmmm... kung tatanungin mo sa akin kung may patayan dito sa comics na ito. hehehe... mayron. marami. definitely for mature readers only. it's gory, it's bloody, it's violent, it's really good. click the links above and read the reviews, tinatamad akong mag kwento eh.

and so, last weekend, in between taking naps and sleeping, i finished these two comic books. antonia came over last sunday afternoon for lunch. but other than than that, jet (bless her), just let me rest for the whole two days. one moment i'm watching tv, the next moment, it's already 1 AM and i missed "ocean's 11" and "six feet under" (that's 4 hours i spent in front of the tv without really watching. dang). tapos, in that state between waking up and sleeping, i read the comic books. this is the way to read, when you're in dreamland but already awake (or vice versa: you're awake but still asleep). somehow, the stories seem more vivid.

i used to do this a lot when i was watching the mangga classic "ghost in the shell" on DVD. i come home from work and am very tired, switch on the DVD and let the cartoon put me to sleep. galing. next day, i do it again, and agan... until i eventually finished the damn anime. isa pa itong movie na ito na nag influence ng matrix story.

what i'm (still) currently reading:
a cook's tour by tony bourdain

Posted by batjay at 11:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

"I have nothing but sympathy for how people behave—and nothing but laughter to console them with...Laughter is my religion."
- ts garp (bastard son of jenny fields)

Posted by batjay at 03:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

href="http://www.powells.com/review/2001_12_12.html">"a cook's tour" by tony bourdain. the travels of a new york cook around the world in search for the "perfect meal". great book to bring on a trip.

what i'm currently watching while i'm working at home: "beatles anthology, box set of 5 dvd's. kakalabas lang sa singapore at binili ko agad. if you want to find out how great the beatles were and how they shaped music as we know today, go and watch this 11 hour perspective of the life and times of john, paul, george and ringgo. the sound's really really great, especially if your player has DTS.

what i'm currently watching habang nagpapaantok: "purple rose of cairo" , written and directed by woody allen. "I just met a wonderful new man. He's fictional, but you can't have everything", so says mia farrow in the movie. di ko matapos tapos dahil parati akong nakakatulog. hehehe... i play the dvd and the next thing you know tapos na yung movie at umaga na. pinagpapalit palit ko yung aking other favorite na "groundhog day" at itong movie na ito para makatulog sa gabi. hirap talaga ng home alone ano?

Posted by batjay at 08:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

ibarra: "...iniibig kong kagaya ninyo ang aking bayan. di lamang sapagkat tungkulin ng bawa't tao ang umibig sa bayang maglalaan marahil sa kanya sa huling hantungan... kundi sapagkat utang ko sa kanya at magiging utang ko ang aking kaligayahan!"

elias: "at ako po, sa ganang akin, ay sapagkat utang ko sa kanya ang aking kasawian"

Posted by batjay at 08:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

ilang pahina na lang at malapit ko nang matapos ang librong ito. maganda at exciting ang mga kwento ni tony bourdain. kahit na ito ay tungkol sa pagluluto, sa pagkain at sa pagiging isang kusinero. ang estilo ng pagkwento niya ay labas sa conventions ng typical na autobiography. actually, kung tutuusin, para kang bumabasa ng isang blog. siguro, ito na rin ang pinakadahilan kung bakit masarap dalhin itong librong ito sa eroplano, sa bus o sa train. yung idea na nakiki-usyoso ka sa buhay ng ibang tao habang wala kang magawang matino eh talagang masarap.

na-identify ko rin ang style niya sa pagdiskarte sa kangyang propesyon. brusko, nagmumura at naninigaw, while, at the same time, minamahal niya at tinutulungan ang mga cook niyang mangmang. hehehe... parang ako, nung gumagawa pa ako ng mga project.

kung wala kang access sa librong ito, try watching "A Cook's Tour" every saturday evening, 7:00 PM (GMT+8) sa discovery channel and adventure. it is a great show at sulit yung 30 minutes na oras ninyo. isa ito sa mga pinapanood ko pag week-end.

ngayon, kung wala ka ring access sa tv show niya, eh magpunta ka na lang sa pansitan doon sa kanto at panoorin mo si mokong gumawa ng bihon guisado.

Posted by batjay at 06:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Peter O'Sullivan: “Why are you always smiling?”
Conner Rooney: "Because I find life so fucking hysterical!"

isa siguro ang american beauty sa current top 10 list ko. una, dahil sa storya. from start to finish, magaling ang nakakatawa, nakakaiyak at very original na script ni alan ball. incidentally, siya rin ang writer/director/producer ng "six feet under", yung isda best na series sa HBO. pangalawa, yung cast - from kevin spacey to chris cooper to annette bening to thora birch, walang tulak-kabigin sa mga artistang gumanap dito. bukod sa "the usual suspects" ni x-men director brian singer, ang "american beauty" siguro ang pinaka magaling na pelikula ni spacey. ikatlo, yung cinematography ni (the late great) conrad hall, in particular, yung laro ng light and shade sa set. ikaapat ay yung musica. magaling ang score at yung soundtrack ay espesyal sa akin. lalong lalo na ang eksena na pinatugtog ni mena suvari yung "don't let it bring you down" ni neil young na cover ni annie lenox - it kills me everytime i watch it. at panghuli, yung direction ni sam mendes - in particular, yung subtlety, yung pace at yung takbo ng buong pelikula... ang galing. di ko na ipapaliwanag, panoorin nyo na lang. hehehe.

mas lalo mong maiintindihan ang pelikula kung panoorin mo ito sa "Awards Edition" na DVD. dahil bukod sa pelikula, may 3 1/2 hours pa na extra goodies. ang standout dito ay yung explanation ni sam mendes at conrad hall sa mga subliminal na effects na nagagawa ng lighting at shadows. kung ikaw ay isang film buff, yung commentary ni sam mendes all throughout the film ay isang classroom type lecture kung papaano gumawa ng isang pelikula (kung may pera lang ako, bibigyan kong lahat ng director sa pilipinas ng kopya ng DVD para naman di na parating lovetriangle-sex-action-massacre ang napapanood natin).

segue tayo sa "road to perdition". dito medyo disappointed ako. altough first rate pa rin ang cinematography dahil na rin ulit kay conrad hall, sa tingin ko eh medyo na-engross ata si sam mendes sa photography. sobrang ganda nito na nakalimutan na nya yung pacing, yung story at yung casting. di naman pangit totally ang film, hindi lang ito kasing ganda ng dati niyang pelikula. isa pa, di bagay si tom hanks na gangster. hehehe... sana si daniel day lewis na lang ang kinuha nila. in retrospect, siguro malaki lang talaga ang expectations ko from sam mendes to top "american beauty".

and so, if you have nothing better to do on a sunday afternoon like this, kumuha ng kopya ng "road to perdition" at "american beauty" at panoorin ito in that order. kung may oras pa, get a copy of the "road to perdition" graphic novel and read it afterwards.

Posted by batjay at 02:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

1. "the last vampire" by whitley strieber. this is either too predictable or perhaps i have had too much of the genre. i'm halfway through and there's a small voice that's telling me to dump it.

2. "road to perdition". graphic novel by max allan collins and richard rayner. made into a film by "american beauty" director sam mendes. this book should be read, at least, twice. once for the story. twice, for the artwork. highly recommended. as much as i respect the work of sam mendes a lot, i think the novel's a lot better as a book than the movie is as a film.

3. "to father" tranlated by dava sobel. the letters of sister maria celeste to her father, the great astronomer and inventor, galileo. synchronicity again: while i was scanning the book this morning, my random song playlist started playing the indigo girls song called..."galileo".

Posted by batjay at 02:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Mga Kababayan, magsitago na kayo.... andyan nang mga Hapon!!!

ang title sa isa sa mga binabasa ko ngayong libro ay "ghost soldiers". it's about a little known rescue of a japanese POW camp in nueva ecija during the liberation of the philippines.

nabili namin ito ni jet nung MPH booksale. one week after buying it, nalaman ko na nagkaroon ng dedication ng memorial site doon sina ambeth ocampo at ang NHI. parang Synchronicity many times over - nalaman ko rin na isa na itong malaking hollywood movie na pinamagatang "The Great Raid". tapos, through reading an interview of Rex Navarrete (alala nyo pa ba si MARITESS vs the SUPERFRIENDS) sa isang diyaryo, nalaman ko rin na kasama si cesar montano dito bilang isang guerilla leader who helped the americans rescue the camp.

Synchronicity? Plaka ni Sting at ng Police - mga kanta rito: Synchronicity; Walking in your footsteps; Oh my God; Mother; Miss Gradenko; Synchronicity II; Every breath you take; King of pain; Wrapped around your finger; Tea in the Sahara

Posted by batjay at 04:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)