L'Autrichienne English Subtitles

Sigh... Where can I find a copy of the movie "L'Autrichienne " with English subtitles! I have been looking everywhere but to no avail! I'm seriously considering to study the French language just so I can understand the French movies. That way I can watch any French movie about Marie Antoinette without feeling so frustrated because of the limiting feeling of the language barrier. If I'm going to study another language it will be like I'm in kindergarten about to start learning my ABC. It's different when you're a kid and you're learning a new language. It's easier because a child is a tabula rasa. They learn without difficulty, like breathing. It comes to them naturally. While older people have so many things in their head that it's hard to take in new things sometimes. Besides, personally, it's not my passion to learn a new language. I studied Spanish but I didn't continue. It's not really hard. I understood the rules but I'm too lazy, I guess. Besides, I don't see why I need to study Spanish. Well, so far, I don't see the need to study it. Maybe in the future. Anyway, that's beside the point. I really think I need to study the French language. I really want to understand the conversation in the movie "L'Autrichienne ". It's the best movie about Marie Antoinette that's ever made so far.

If you have stumbled on this blog, you must be looking for L'Autrichienne subtitles, too. Please drop a comment when you finally found it. Thank you.

Micheal Ball and Josh Groban

Haha, I was laughing so hard as I was watching the video, where Michael Ball and Josh Groban were singing together, on Youtube. I was very, very pleased with the video because I have often wondered about how it would be if Michael Ball and Josh Groban sing together. Now I know! Well, not really yet because, in the video, they were just fooling around. I want to see them together in a musical play, singing seriously. Michael Ball is one of my BIGGEST favorite Broadway singers/performers of all time and Josh Groban's voice captivates me. I love, love, love listening to them sing. There'll never come a day where I will grow tired of listening to them. :)

Orla Fallon

I'm so happy I bumped into her music. I must admit it was just by accident (but a fortunate one). I was looking for Charlotte Church’s music video “Carrickfergus” because I really loved that song, then I saw Orla’s video and clicked on it. To my amazement her voice is very angelic. I'm mesmerized by the quality of it… so soft and relaxing. I can’t get enough of her music. In fact, I’m listening to her song, “The water is wide”, right now. Her voice, though has a similarity with Enya’s, she has her own technique. Enya’s way of singing reminds you of mountainsides, of seascapes, of nature… it will also make you think of nymphs and other mythological characters, while Orla’s is like a lullaby that lulls you to sleep… but both she and Enya have hypnotic voices and they both are my favorite. Enya had always been a favorite of mine since I heard her voice and music and now, in addition to my favorite, is Orla. I saw a video where Orla sang one of Enya’s songs, “Orinoco Flow”, with her band-mates in Celtic Woman and they did great. It’s nice to see that she paid tribute to Enya that way. I already have all of Enya’s albums in my collection and now I’m going to buy Orla’s albums. :)

Fun at Orchard's Ville

I just created another blogsite, in addition to my "Orchard's Ville" and "Cook with me at Orchard's Ville", It's called: "Fun at Orchard's Ville". It's a place to chill, enjoy, talk about friendships and relationships. :)

Valkyrie

"I'm a soldier, but in serving my country, I have betrayed my conscience." - Col. Claus von Stauffenberg

Valkyrie [Blu-ray]

I just watched the movie “Valkyrie”, again, yesterday. This is one of my most favorite movies! It’s very touching, it makes you examine yourself – the kind of person you are, and it revives your hope in humanity.  A thought also crossed my mind… I thought to myself… since Hitler, initially wanted to be an artist, what could have happened if he was able to pursue that career? Will WWII happen? Will he be selling his artworks, instead of using his words to convince people to go to war? Or, will Hitler be using his artworks to convince people to go to war, nonetheless? I will never know the answers to these questions but, one thing is for sure: even though so many evil things happened in WWII, it was also the age of heroes. War can bring out the best in some men. One of these brave men was Claus Von Stauffenberg, a devout Catholic. He, and other brave men like him risked their own lives attempting to save so many others. Heroes, like them, make this world a better place to live in. Valkyrie is the kind of movie that will make you reflect and ask, “What will I do if I was in that situation?” I’m really glad that Tom Cruise decided to make a movie of Valkyrie. I’m glad that he decided to immortalize these men in the hearts and minds of the people. They all deserve the honor to be remembered and to be thanked. Their efforts were not in vain because they helped people to see that, in the midst of evil, like fascism and hate, there are people willing to sacrifice their lives to fight these evils. In the end, justice will always be served.

Village of Shadows

This movie starts out interestingly. I got hooked by this suspenseful mystery about the story of “Ruiflec” (the name of a village, central to the plot). Ruiflec has a dark past that has left the village being haunted by one of its former residents. The movie begins with two cars full of friends heading to Ruiflec, as tourists. Four friends are in one car and five in the other. As they draw closer to the village, the car with four passengers, meets with an accident, and within 30 seconds, the four passengers mysteriously disappear. Both cars stall. The remaining five friends inspect the site of the tragedy but they can't find a trace of their four friends. With no working car, they decide to walk towards Ruiflec, to look for a phone, in order to ask for help. As the movie progresses, the group's number mysteriously dwindles one by one. The few that remain continue to look for their friends, while searching for clues to their disappearances. They finally discover the entity behind the mystery. This entity was a victim of a cult that hunted people for ritual offerings. This French Revolutionary cult hoped to gain immortality by killing eight people. This eighth victim was a child when he was sacrificed and returned from the dead with a vengeance and hatred. So great was this rage that it consumes everyone in its path, through the centuries, 'til this day. It would have been a better movie, with its effective elements of suspense and mystery, but the ending is very disappointing, at least for me.

Portrait Paintings vs. Portrait Photography

As I was making a sketch of Marie Antoinette for my digital painting, I couldn’t help but feel frustrated about the lack of references I have of her. The only references I could find are paintings of her. Paintings are not like photos. Photos tell you exactly what the person, or subject, looks like. That’s what portrait paintings lack because artists have their own impression of the subject that they’re painting, and it’s only natural that it’s what they will apply on their canvas. That’s the reason why, even though I’m grateful to the painters for giving me a hint of how Marie Antoinette looked like, I find the fact that I don’t have any reliable reference of her exasperating. Nevertheless, I did the best I could with the references that I already have.


Here's my first attempt at making a portrait of Marie Antoinette:

Here's my second attempt:

Pinup Art

I created this artwork as a commemoration of the 50’s pinup. Sometimes it is referred to as "vintage pinup". I want to make more pinup illustrations as soon as I have enough time. For now, here's a sneak preview of what I'm going to do, and I will make sure to get better with it. There will be more to come! By the way, it’s done in both Photoshop and Illustrator CS3.

The Help

Since I like stories inspired by historical events, I decided to watch this movie. Also, I was really curious about the story; how it will go and where it is going. I, personally, avoid drama movies but I liked this one. There are funny parts, too, so it’s not all about tears, like I expected in most drama stories. There are heartbreaking parts but, at the end of the story, there’s a feel of hope. It’s a very good movie to watch.

Avatar for my recipe site

I created this today for my recipe blog http://mealsonlinerecipes.blogspot.com/. This is purely done in Illustrator. 

Creamy Mediterranean Spicy Beef Recipe

Ingredients:

2 ½ tbsp of olive oil

2 tbsp of McCormick® coriander powder

McCormick® marjoram

McCormick® dried oregano

Black pepper

2 sliced tomatoes (seeds removed)

4 cloves of garlic minced

1 onion finely chopped

2 whole jalapeños

1 can of sliced button mushrooms

½ kg foreshank beef, thinly sliced

250ml of cream

Salt to taste

How to cook:

In a bowl, sprinkle salt, marjoram, black pepper and dried oregano on the thinly sliced beef and mix them well. Set aside. In a skillet, sauté garlic in olive oil until golden brown and add the chopped onion. Next, add the tomatoes. Add the mushrooms. Add the coriander powder, a sprinkle of marjoram, a bit of salt, black pepper and oregano. Mix them well. Next, add the beef to the skillet mixture. Stir all the ingredients in the heated skillet until the herbs and spices are evenly distributed on the beef. Put a lid on the skillet and let the beef’s water come out. Let it boil, slowly. Stir it from time to time until the water evaporates. When there’s little water left, add the cream. Lower the heat and stir until the sauce is thick. Good for 7 servings.


(For more of my recipes, go to: http://mealsonlinerecipes.blogspot.com)

My other sites

I finally attended to my other sites: Weebly and Tumblr. I didn't get enough time until today. Actually, I started doing this last night, now it's already morning.

I posted some samples of my artworks there. Feel free to email me.

My tumblr. avatar done in Illustrator

I created this for the purpose of using it as my tumblr avatar. I'm new to tumblr. but I want to personalize my page as much as I can, just like what I did here.

Sunflower oil: Natural beauty regimen

Since going natural is becoming a trend, I thought to give sunflower oil a try. I heard that it can help lighten your dark spots and scars on your skin.  I suffered a skin breakout on my face recently, so I’m doing my own experiment, to see if it really works if the scars, that my pimples left, will disappear. It was said that it doesn't only help lighten dark spots and scars but it can also lighten your skin (Here in Asia, light skin is the trend). I tried it both on my face and body. It's a good moisturizer, too. For now I feel greasy but it’s alright. Later it will be absorbed by the skin completely, which will make the skin feel supple. By the way, if you have pimples, I don’t think it’s wise to apply any oily substance on your face. Also, if you're conscious to get lighter skin, or maintain your light skin, only use oils like sunflower oil, or olive oil, at night.

The Beautiful Art of Exotic Dance: Pole Dancing

I watched a youtube video, that’s posted by a friend of mine on Facebook, of an exquisite pole-dancer’s performance. Her name is Jenyne Butterfly. It’s actually the first time I heard of her, and the first time I saw her. Surely it will not be the last time I’ll be watching her performance. She performs exquisitely like a feather in the wind; weightless and gracefully floating. Pole-dancing, I heard, is used to be performed by strippers but now it’s accepted as art, and rightfully so. Not everybody can pole-dance. I, myself, can’t, so I admire people who can do it, much more the people who can do it with excellence and sophistication. Even among pole-dancers that I watched on videos, I can say that Jenyne Butterfly is one of the best, if not the best. I’ve seen some pole-dancers perform but a lot of them don’t have Jenyne Butterfly’s grace. She dances so delicately. As she glides the pole with coolness and ease she seems weightless. I’m a fan of exotic dance. When I was small, I’m very fascinated with belly-dancing. The way the belly dancers move parts of their body, as if each part has their own mind, fascinates me. They remind me of serpentine movements of snakes; very graceful and mesmerizing. I like looking at snakes for that reason, and it's why I like watching dances with serpentine movements. I have a documentary about the “Beauty of Snakes” but I will tackle the subject about snakes soon. For now I’ll go back to pole-dancing. I have heard of Pole-dancing just recently, unlike belly-dancing, which I have heard of, and seen, when I was small. Pole-dancing is an art that not all people have the luxury to learn, whether it’s due to lack of time, or simply the lack of dance schools that offer to teach it, at least here in the Philippines. The only dance studio I know that teaches it is the one in The Fort Manila. Hopefully there will be more dance studios willing to offer this art and hopefully it will lose any stigma associated with it. 

What is up with dying at age 27?

It’s strange… it seems like a lot of celebrities die at age 27. It’s morbid. The very first one I heard was about Kurt Cobain’s death. He committed suicide. Second one is Amy Winehouse’s, who may have, or may not have, deliberately committed suicide. Either way, she was slowly leading herself to early death and whether she knew it or not, her demise was expected. Now it’s Rick Rypien, an NHL hockey player, although, it’s not yet confirmed if he committed suicide or not. He’s, apparently, the newest member of the 27 Club. Oh, before I go on, just right after I typed the name “Rick Rypien”, I went to check what’s on the news again, only to find out that another person died. It’s the ex-husband of Taylor Armstrong (one of the stars of the reality TV “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills”), Russell Armstrong. Russell Armstrong died at 47… 20 years older compared to the celebrities I mentioned above but, still, his death is as tragic. The police’s conclusion for the meantime is that he, too, committed suicide. It saddens me when someone commits suicide, whether I know the person or not. Suicide seems to be the trend among celebrities. I'm not saying that in a cold-hearted way but, it sure is a mystery why, although, just imagining the things they must have had gone through, as to have pushed them to that decision, is beyond me. Most of us have gone to a suicidal phase, I think, and had gotten over it but, a lot have actually committed suicide. It’s terrible. One of my favorite actresses also committed suicide. Her screen name was Capuccine. She was a very beautiful woman and very talented, too. She jumped from her eighth-floor apartment. I’ve watched some of her movies and she was really a very good singer. It’s a very sad event when things like suicide happen, especially to the people immediately affected by it, and definitely the persons, themselves, who are victims of it. May they rest in peace.

26-foot-tall Marilyn Monroe Statue: A Work of Art

The unveiling of the 26-foot-tall Marilyn Monroe statue both wowed and displeased people. If you ask me, I would say, “WOW”! After the controversy, here in the Philippines, involving CCP with their garbage of an exhibit called “Kulo”, made by a certain Mideo Cruz, the larger-than-life Marilyn Monroe statue is a sight for sore eyes (no pun intended). To me, it’s very artistic. I have a very deep appreciation for artworks, especially those of a human form. The Marilyn Monroe statue is very beautifully made. It’s a classic pose; many women, since Marilyn did it, have tried to imitate this iconic film moment. Yes, I understand that it may be less than appropriate; it’s being displayed in public, especially since many consider Marilyn Monroe as a sexy symbol. The obvious purpose of the original cinematic pose was to be seductive; in this re-enactment, in sculpture, it’s supposed to bring tourism; I hope that it does. I like it. I don’t think it's scandalous. It may not be classy but… it surely is remarkable. People all over the world know who Marilyn Monroe is and that particular pose is simply memorable. It will surely attract tourists. I, myself, want to go to Chicago and see it in real life. I’m not a Marilyn Monroe fan but the way the statue was made; the details, the engineering skills, it’s a masterpiece. An artwork like this would be wasted if kept hidden away. To me, it’s not vulgar. Maybe I’m not scandalized by it as some people are because I appreciate the human form, plus, I find the details amazing; the folds and the flow of the dress, it really seems that the material is made of light fabric and that the wind is actually blowing at it, and the knee caps… they really did a good job with the body; it’s well-proportioned, everything is detailed. The human form is my favorite subject to draw. The underwear is not an issue for me, personally, because nowadays, people have seen bikinis that are far more revealing than this statue’s. Don’t get me wrong, though, I don’t blame the people who are offended by it, I see where they’re coming from and I honestly sympathize with them but, at the same time, I couldn’t help but appreciate the statue, besides that, I have recently seen one of the most despicable eyesores done by that mediocre, Mideo Cruz; an attempt at fame by a pseudo artist via creating a controversy. At least the 26-foot-tall statue of Marilyn Monroe was done from scratch and wasn’t made using the works of other artists and vandalized them by putting phallic-shaped objects, like what that mediocre Mideo Cruz did. The news said that the materials used in the making of the 26-ft Marilyn Monroe statue are stainless steel and aluminum. It will be displayed until spring of 2012. It’s available for all tourists to see until then. So, to all tourists going there, bon voyage! 

Vandalism vs. Art

The CCP (Cultural Center of the Philippines) is involved in a controversy with regards to the exhibit called “Kulo” that they have allowed to be exhibited in their gallery. This controversy revolves around the provocative and inflammatory works of Mideo Cruz that depict Christian religious symbols and figures, defaced with phallic objects. This defacement has caused violent reactions from both camps; Christians who are horrified at seeing sacred objects defiled and, on the other side, secularists whose lack of Faith leaves them, apparently, incapable of understanding how seriously this defacement hurts the Faithful. If the secularists do, in fact, want to hurt the faithful, they’ve done a good job. If they do indeed know that this is so hurtful then why should they call it art? Why don’t they just call it Cultural War? The Philippine Government, with taxpayer’s money and the trust of the 90% Christian electorate, should not sponsor cultural and religious warfare under the sheep’s clothing of “art”.

People who give their full support to CCP and the “Kulo” exhibit threatened to create more blasphemous pieces but, can those pieces be called art? Is that how they define art? If it is, then Philippine art has become a mediocrity that only uses shock value as its medium.

When you go to museums all over the world, admiring beautiful artworks, study the broad spectrum of religious themes. There are so many to choose from: Christian, Hebrew, Islamic, Hindu, Egyptian, American Indian and so many others. These themes span thousands of years of human Belief and Wonder. They include some of the most beautiful pieces of art in the world. Now, compare these fine works to the artistic attempts of secularists that aim, solely, to ferment public reaction by defacing religious themes, icons and artifacts. There is an inherent difference in the quality of these two artistic approaches.

Religious art is not always “easy” to look at. The themes are sometimes painful, such as the stoning of people, the Crusades, the Inquisition, even torture and martyrdom. These themes have historical perspective but the art came after these events; excluding depictions that are mythological in nature and/or those that foreshadow the end of the world.

Lately, Pop Culture artists have fused socio-political/religious commentary into their creations to incite and provoke a historical event. This seems to be the cart leading the horse.

Do religious and cultural provocateurs have such a restricted vocabulary and have so little bravery, self-respect and self-esteem that they cannot ply their trade and pronounce their ideas in the streets? Do they seek the solace and contemplative galleries that are built, sponsored and visited by the Culture that these “artists” target to “enlighten”?

The legislation and regulation of Free Speech is never, and will never be, unlimited, unrestricted and, otherwise, open-ended. This is because words and expressions have power and there is no legislative, religious or cultural entity that can stand and prosper without a satisfactory amount of decorum. This may be sad, this may be unfortunate, yet it is true. Anarchy and utopia simply don’t prosper.

Where the lines of decorum should be drawn is in heated debate, but let’s be clear: Let’s call it Debate, not Art.

We should all aspire to tolerance, even when we are deeply hurt. This controversy at CCP is not, and should not, be about freedom of speech and expression; this controversy should be focused on whether our government should be in the business of offering their museums and galleries as a soapbox for these cultural and religious battles. A government that takes freedom of speech and expression seriously should provide its constituents with policies and avenues of dissent. Art galleries should not be over-restricted, yet an accountable, well-educated and culturally-aware jury or committee should promote an open-dialogue with the community and its artists as to the use and exhibition of art, within its walls and environs.

Provocative Pop Culture art can, and has been, inspired, promoted, forged and tempered in the streets through human history. Some of these art forms have eventually become recognized as iconic new standards of art. The private sector and its galleries are the perfect, decent and rightful laboratories and nurseries for this type of artistic evolution. National galleries should be reserved for the finest examples of the People’s Arts.

With government-assured freedom of speech and expression, all disenfranchised artists should exercise their trade within the social and legal guidelines that the overwhelming majority of citizens support and legislate. Dissent should always be possible, while not unlimited in scope. The majority becomes the majority by simple means, its numerical advantage. This makes dissent historically difficult but it should not make it impossible.

The creative soul and artistic vision can be imperiled by manufacturing editorial artworks and installations. This is what I mean when I suggest this warning: It’s easy to start a fire; it’s easy to start a riot, it takes no skill, one simply provokes nature or human emotion and allows things to take their course. The conflagration and mob’s destructive forces are not artistic; they don’t come from art. They come as calculated and predictable results of revolutionary dissent. The question here is whether an artistic artifact or quasi/pseudo art object can withstand its tumultuous impact. Few works of malicious art survive unconsumed by the firestorm that they create. It is possible to shock people artistically and have the art, itself, survive as a reminder of a certain sort of emotional transition but this is rare. So here we have the current dilemma: Should graphic, provocative and probably inflammatory art be supported and promoted by the Philippine Government using taxpayers’ and donors’ money? I don’t think so. Street art is best left in the streets where it can be tempered and forged by the people who produce it, view it and comment on it. At this point, and only after this refining process, should it be entered into an appropriately juried process to be displayed in this national museum; a museum founded to support and display traditional Filipino arts, crafts and culture.

Art Lesson: How to render 3D in Illustrator CS3

Note: If you want to know how I applied gradient using Illustrator CS3, click here: How to make gradient in Illustrator CS3

I found a very, very cute site!

Cute gifs! It’s a site where you can find various gifs that you can use for your blog, or any comment box. I'm so happy I found it. I can decorate my blog with it! The moving artworks are just so cute and adorable!

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The image above is from cute gifs.

Hurray, yesterday I finished making my Adobe Illustrator CS3 tutorials!

I feel very fulfilled. I finished working on my tutorials yesterday. It took me a whole day but I wanted to make sure that my tutorial on Illustrator is as clear as possible to a beginner. After creating my first tutorial for my friends, I realized that I enjoyed it so I made another one, and I'm sure I will be making more tutorials!

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(Image is from Cute gifs)

A Sample of Line Art in Adobe Illustrator CS3 with the use of Gradient

Yesterday I posted a tutorial on how to make gradient in Illustrator CS3. Now I want to share a sample of my art work using gradient in Illustrator CS3. I wanted to use curved lines, so I chose to draw a female body. After creating the outer lines, I multiplied the lines from outside to inside, then created new lines, to emphasize some curves, and then I applied gradient, as a finishing touch, to some of the lines and got the desired look that I was aiming for. It's very easy to use Illustrator once you got the hang of it. It's a very helpful tool for you to achieve the work of art that you wanted to accomplish.

Illustrator Tutorial: How to Make Gradient in Adobe Illustrator CS3 for Your Artwork

Since people keep asking me about making gradients in Illustrator I have decided to make a tutorial of it.

If you have some questions, or in need of some clarifications, your inquiries are welcome! I'll do my best to help you. Thank you very much! Good luck with your art! :)

Here’s a step by step guide on how to make gradient in Adobe Illustrator CS3.

Art in Packaging: Enticing the Eyes and the Mind

Photo by Carmel Vilchez

I’m just thinking… a product’s packaging really does wonders. I remember when my Mom went to Singapore and bought some chocolates for us. She bought many, believe me. When we saw the packaging of each brand, in their interesting wrappers, my younger sister and I decided to take pictures of them at the rooftop, of our building, where the lighting is best (I am a food photography enthusiast, so I try to keep my camera handy when I see delicious and interesting foods). One of the products was wrapped like gold bars and the other product was shaped like merlions while yet another product had rounded chocolates wrapped in gold-colored paper. We decided to mix them all together and arrange them in interesting ways, so that when a person sees our photos they will say, to themselves, “Ah, I want to have some of those!” After our photo shoot we went back downstairs to finally taste each product. To our huge disappointment, the chocolates didn’t even taste like chocolate! They all tasted like sugar in some kind of bland mixture, except for the rounded chocolates. At least they had an outer wafer, covering the chocolate inside that’s mixed with more tiny bits of wafers. We gave most of them away to our friends. We just wanted to get rid of them because we didn’t like the taste or the texture. What’s the lesson in the story? Don’t buy foods based upon their expensive packaging. Looks can be deceiving and as they say, “You can’t tell a book by looking at its cover”. It’s no wonder that so many food producers invest so much money in their design and presentation. The packaging look luxurious while the chocolate itself tasted bland but I must say kudos to the artist behind them.

French Movie: The Extraordinary Adventures of Adele Blanc-Sec

This is a French movie about a woman, Adele Blanc-Sec. She is a writer who has an old, eccentric, yet genius friend who has found a way to connect his mind beyond the barriers of death. He communicates with people who have passed on with the use of antique artifacts and art around him. Adele is looking for ways to revive her sister  who lays in a death-like catatonic state, after a fatal accident that Adele feels so guilty about. In Adele's quest for her sister’s cure, she travels to Egypt in search for the mummy of the Pharaoh Thutmose’s doctor. With the help of her eccentric friend, she tries to talk to the doctor's mind, asking him to help her revive her sister. I don’t know if the sister is really dead or not but she sure looked dead, and the only possible way to bring her back to normal is by ancient knowledge of medicine mixed with magic or supernatural power from the underworld, or from death and beyond it. The movie is a mix of sci-fi, fantasy and adventure. So, if you’re into that kind of thing, this movie is for you. Personally, though, I don’t like the story of this movie because of the theme about talking to dead people and the like. But I must admit that it’s well-written and well-executed. The visual effects and the incorporation of graphics and digital manipulation with real-life people are really noteworthy. It’s kind of a bizarre movie but it’s worth the watch, actually, and it’s for that reason I have watched this movie twice. 

"Of Gods and Men" and Some Reflections

How far can one go for his, or her, faith? How far can one go for what he, or she, stands for? Yes, I have asked myself those questions after watching the movie “Of Gods and Men”. It’s about the Trappist monks who were assigned in a poor part of Algeria. There, they tended to the poor and the needy. They gave food and medical assistance, including medicine. Some people say that the only reason why Christians help the poor is because they want to convert them to Christianity but that’s not always true. These Trappist monks peacefully coexisted with the Muslims in that area. They never tried to convert the Muslims to Christianity. They were there to live their faith and to show the love of Christ, by example. As a Catholic, I know I have failed to show my faith in, I think, most aspects of my life (No, I’m not proud of that). But I have always wondered how many Catholics have died for what they believe in. Oftentimes the Catholics are portrayed to be manipulative, controlling, murderous, evil, and all the vile things that people can think of. But that’s not true and it’s sad that people would rather believe anything that’s anti-Catholic, even if it’s a lie, a twisted truth, or an exaggeration, rather than know our side of the story. I once talked to a bible fundamentalist who’s very passionate about his hatred for Catholicism - for what he decidedly believes Catholicism to be. I asked him why he only listens to what his pastor tells him about the Catholic faith and not ask a Catholic apologist about Catholicism. He didn't answer - at first. I also told him I’m not the right person to ask about Catholicism either, because I’m not a Catholic apologist and I might give him a wrong answer. I told him that, if he really is looking for answers about our faith, that he should ask a Catholic apologist, or he should just do some research, himself. Well, he got mad at me for even suggesting – as in really mad. Tsk, I couldn’t help but be amazed at his blatant refusal to educate himself about something he hates so much when it’s his ignorance that feeds his hatred. I mean, hating something you are so ignorant about, and refuse to educate yourself about it, so that you can continuously hate it - wow - isn’t that absurd? I think it is. I don't know how protestant-kjv fundamentalists see any sense in that. He obviously just wants to hate the Catholic Church and there’s nothing I can do about that. All his questions are accusations/baiting questions, based on false premises, and not really questions. He asked me why I couldn’t answer his questions but, actually, I already have, to the best of my ability, but it’s obvious that he had already made up his mind that Catholicism is evil, other than the fact that most of his questions are all rhetorical and statements in a question form. To him all my answers are wrong simply because they’re not what he wants to hear. He said asking a Catholic apologist is like asking Satan to deceive him. Isn't that grand (rolls eyes)? That’s not the only time he called the Catholic "Church of Satan". It offended me, of course. Still, I tried my best to remain amicable to him and suggested that he and I should just agree to disagree but he refused and insisted that I convert to his understanding of Christianity (which is not even close to real Christianity). I am not mature in my own faith, that I admit, so I can’t continue my conversation about Christianity and God with him without getting infected by his hatefulness. I might end up being a very bad example of a Catholic to someone who declared to be the enemy of my faith. I don’t want to give him any reasons to add to what he could come up with in his mind to hate Catholicism and Catholics even more. I encountered many protestant-kjv fundamentalists like him when I was younger but he’s the one who really pushed me to the edge. I guess it’s a wake-up call for me to defend my faith because a lot of people are attacking it on all sides, both from the inside and outside the Church. Sometimes I wonder how can I defend my faith when I am not even a good example of it. Catholicism is the very core of my being; what molded me as a person and continuously doing so. So, insulting Catholicism is insulting my every cell. Even though I feel that my own faith is stagnant in me ( as of the moment at least, because, after talking to that protestant - who even denies being a protestant - I realized that I should take my being Catholic seriously), I am, at heart, a Catholic and will always be to the day I die. I am nothing without Catholicism, because if not for the Catholic faith, I don’t think I would know about God and His love and not knowing about God and His love means death to me; a senseless life that I don't want to live. I consider myself blessed to have been born and raised in the Catholic faith for in the Catholic faith I find my peace and comfort. I’m not denying that many atrocities have been done by a lot of people in power, both in the past and in the present by politicians and religious leaders alike, in the name of Catholicism but, that doesn’t make Catholicism, the faith, bad, and that doesn’t mean that the good that Catholics have done in the name of God and Catholicism are surpassed by the evils that other Catholics have done. Like the monks in the movie (Oh by the way, “Of Gods and Men” is based on a true story), they stayed because they genuinely cared for the poor and genuinely wanted to do God's will. ­If I were in those monks’ shoes, I don’t know if I’m going to leave or stay. Most probably I would leave. But then again, if I had left, would I be able to live with myself knowing that I saved my own skin like a coward while the rest of my companions decided to stay behind, to tend to the poor, knowing that it would mean their death? But who can really tell… everything is grace, and I ask God for the grace of faith and the strength to live my faith and fight for it each waking moment of my life.

“Of Gods and Men”, for me, is not a movie for only Catholics but for people of all walks of faiths. The monks served as an inspiration and as a very good example; to stand for what we know is righteous no matter what the cost. That’s what makes people different from animals and that’s what it means to be the image and likeness of God.

In conclusion, here’s a very touching quote from that movie: “Should it ever befall me, and it could happen today, to be a victim of the terrorism swallowing up all foreigners here, I would like my community, my church, my family, to remember that my life was given to God and to his country; that the Unique Master of all life was no stranger to this brutal departure. And that my death is the same as so many other violent ones, consigned to the apathy of oblivion. I've lived enough to know, I am complicit in the evil that, alas, prevails over the world and the evil that will smite me blindly. I could never desire such a death. I could never feel gladdened that these people I love be accused randomly of my murder. I know the contempt felt for the people here, indiscriminately. And I know how Islam is distorted by a certain Islamism. This country, and Islam, for me are something different. They're a body and a soul. My death, of course, will quickly vindicate those who call me naïve or idealistic, but they must know that I will be freed of a burning curiosity and, God willing, will immerse my gaze in the Father's and contemplate with him his children of Islam as he sees them. This thank you which encompasses my entire life includes you, of course, friends of yesterday and today, and you too, friend of last minute, who knew not what you were doing. Yes, to you as well I address this thank you and this farewell which you envisaged. May we meet again, happy thieves in Paradise, if it pleases God, the Father of us both. Amen. Insha'Allah.”

Centurion

“It’s easy to turn to the gods for salvation but it’s soldiers who do the fighting, and soldiers who do the dying, and the gods never get their feet wet…” 

How I wish I had watched this movie last year. It’s not for the faint-hearted, so if you’re going to watch this movie be very prepared for the gory parts where blood is gushing as the heads are smashed or cut, throats are slashed… It’s full of suspense as the Centurions are trying to stay alive; fleeing from their pursuers, and make it back home to their fellowmen. One of my favorite characters is General Titus Flavius Virilus (played by Dominic West). He always thinks of the welfare of his men. It’s a very admirable trait of a leader. Unfortunately not all leaders are like that as can also be seen in the movie. The casting is good, I must say, but I have to admit that some cast don’t look Roman or Greek and the language used is modern English. But I will recommend this movie to anyone. It’s a very good watch. You will never get bored.

It's still raining...

It’s still raining… I wonder when it will stop. It’s not that I want it to stop because I don’t. I just wish there’s no thunder and lightning at night because I can’t help worrying about the electricity. I was awake until 2am. The sound of thunder was terrible last night. It’s like rolling rocks about to fall at the rooftops. My mind began to wander and I thought about the end of the world. I asked myself, what if the thunder is not a usual thunder; what if it’s the sound of heaven opening up with legions of angels and Jesus is coming down to judge the living and the dead? Surely I will go to hell, I thought. Sigh, I wasn’t idle when I was thinking of those things. In fact I was working on some designs. The rains are brought by series of hurricanes currently plaguing the Philippines one after another. The other one, I just heard, has left, and now another one is coming. I don’t listen to the news since the newscasters talk like everything is a serious matter and it’s urgent, even when the news is about entertainment and showbiz, LOL. I don’t like high-pitched voices, and newscasters here do that on purpose, maybe to keep the viewers’ attention. The rain as of the moment is strong, but it’s not like cats-and-dogs kind of rain. Surely, though, it’s causing hassles to drivers and people who are out in the streets. Speaking of streets, I’m amazed that our streets are not flooded yet. Strange, it used to get flooded with just little downpour. Now I can barely see through the glass of my window. The rain is getting stronger and stronger. I think I should fix myself a glass of hot chocolate. Yummy!

Storm and Earthquake

I woke up very early today… It’s so cold… It’s still drizzling outside. I guess the storm hasn’t left the country yet. At least the streets are not flooded. Where I am, a little bit of rain will cause waters from the creeks to rise resulting in flooding our streets. Yesterday we experience an earthquake with the magnitude of 5-9. I refused to be scared when that was happening but later I was told that Philippines have the same plate as Japan, and we all know that Japan experienced terrible earthquakes that claimed millions of lives. In the past, there was also a terrible earthquake that had happened in Baguio here in the Philippines. I think that was back in the 1990. I was very small then but I was watching the news. The headlines were all about the earthquake there. Many lives were lost. When I visited Baguio with a friend and his family, I guess3-4yrs ago, we went to places where the victims of that earthquake were placed temporarily. Many people claimed that they’ve seen ghosts of the victims there. But I don’t believe in ghosts. We experienced lots of disasters here in the Philippine but I really hope and pray we won’t experience a disaster beyond our means to cope as a country. This storm that we are experiencing now is nothing compared to the previous storms we have faced in the past. I like this kind of storm. I like the cool breeze it brings, the scene of damp streets, and the sound of rain pouring. To me, it’s very relaxing… A hot chocolate is the best to drink in this kind of weather, yummy!

Amy Winehouse

I read in the news that Amy Winehouse died of unknown cause. Well, all I know is she was doing drugs when she was alive, so I can only surmise that they are the cause, or maybe among the many causes. I remember when I was young, I keep encountering, from left to right, warning signs and ads against drugs that I grew up afraid to even touch any of them – illegal drugs, I mean. I tried smoking cigarette for a couple of months but I didn’t get hooked on it. The only reason I smoked is to socialize. But I didn’t like the smell or the taste of cigarette, so I quit. Smoking is one of the mistakes I made that I really regret because I think it’s the reason why I developed asthma. Then again, asthma is hereditary and it runs in the family, so maybe I got it from my family. Nevertheless, smoking is still bad for my health, and everyone else’s for that matter. I don’t like being around smokers because now I’m conscious of my own health. I know we will all die but I don’t want to die suffering from emphysema. Anyway, I’m just saying that Amy Winehouse’s death reminded me of the many things I was warned against as I was growing up.

Philippine Sunset

I love sunset. I prefer it over sunrise. Just like I prefer autumn over spring (even though there’s no autumn or spring here). I took a picture of this view that I saw at the rooftop of our building as the cool, but strong, wind was blowing at me. It’s the monsoon wind. Both the feel of the wind and the sight of the sun setting give their relaxing effect. It’s like magic. I feel like I don’t live in reality but some kind of 3D animation, like what you see in Final Fantasy movies, except that I know most of the buildings I was seeing.  Still the beauty was so mesmerizing that it’s like a painting that I only see but cannot touch.

A Quick Sketch on a Rainy Day

Since my schedule for today was ruined because I wasn’t able to sleep last night at all, I decided to just make a quick sketch on a Canson watercolor paper, using Faber Castell watercolor pencils. I used the warm colors mostly because the weather is a bit gloomy with the gray sky and all. I’m grateful for the weather, though, because, as much as I used warm colors, I wanted to convey the emotion of longing. I think it’s poetic. I find emotive portraits to be very appealing. :)

On Chris Evans

Chris Evans… Isn’t he one of the most beautiful men alive! 

But strangely enough, I don’t seem to remember his face very well. It’s only when I see him and I remark how beautiful he is, and his name is announced, that I exclaim “Oh my gosh, it’s Chris Evans!” It’s always like the first time I saw him.

I mean, I know the name because I know the owner of that name is a very good-looking man but that’s always my reaction. Whenever I see him, it’s always like the first time I saw him and I’m always surprised that he’s Chris Evans. I don’t know if it makes sense but for someone as good-looking as he is, I just can’t seem to contain his face in my head. Unlike the others like, Josh Hartnett, the first time I saw  Josh Hartnett, I said to myself, “Wow, what a handsome man”, and I always recognize him. Is it because of the hair color? I don’t know. It’s just weird. Anyway, I really just want to say that I really think Chris Evans is very good-looking and I can’t wait to watch Captain America!!! \o/

Hmmm… Now that I think about it, maybe this time the reason is because he looks different in Captain America compared to, say, when he’s in the movie “Sunshine”. Hmmm...

"L’Autrichienne" - Movie About the Last Days of Marie Antoinette

I’m often asked why I’m so obsessed with the topic about Marie Antoinette. It all started when I first read about her and her demise in a general world history book (a book for high school students). I was in grade school when I read it. It’s my passion to learn about how people used to live in the past that led me to Marie Antoinette. I read that she was executed by the Revolutionists through the guillotine. That’s all I can remember. There were so many information missing that I ended up wondering how she felt about the whole thing; how she felt when she heard the Revolutionists' verdict, how she felt when she was on her way to the scaffold, how she prepared herself and things like that. So, I started looking for more information about her. I checked every book store I could find to look for information but unfortunately they’re not readily available. Until I checked the internet and saw abundant information. Some are false and some are true. It took me great lengths of research to separate false information from the truth. There were so many false rumors and accusations said about her that people still believe. So many people are lazy to do their own research so they settle with what they heard and leave it at that. I think it's unfair that her reputation is still being tainted until today. Finally, I bumped into the movie “L’Autrichienne” - a movie about the trial of Marie Antoinette – starring Ute Lemper. The casting is perfect. To me Ute Lemper is the best choice to play the role of Marie Antoinette. Ute Lemper is German and Marie Antoinette was Austrian, so it’s only fair to think that Ute Lemper’s French accent is also similar to Marie Antoinette’s. I first saw a trailer of L’Autrichienne done by another Marie Antoinette enthusiast – more thanks to her for introducing me to this great and hard-to-find movie. I looked for a DVD copy of it until I got a hold of it. For years I have been wondering about how Marie Antoinette felt when she was imprisoned. The movie showed it effectively; from the damp place where she was imprisoned, her trial and verdict. It also showed that Marie Antoinette was not in good health condition during her last days. It was said that it’s due to severe stress and anxieties. The movie effectively showed Marie Antoinette as a human being who had also felt fear, heartache and pain. She was neither a cold-hearted woman nor a cunning woman as she was pictured of the Revolutionists to be. She was a kind soul. She is innocent of all the things she was accused of and she faced death with courage and with dignity. L’Autrichienne is a great movie. I hope they will make it available in stores again, and this time, internationally.

The New Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain Book Review

This book “The New Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain” confirmed that I was right after all when I thought that everyone has the ability to draw. Although, as I was growing up, since I often hear people say they don’t know how to draw, that only the lucky ones do, I believed them. I grew up drawing and my favorite subject is people. When I was young when people talk to me I always look at the details of their faces. I start with the eyes, the nose, the mouth… I love looking at the way their faces change depending on their emotions. When people say that the eyes are the windows to one’s soul, it’s true because there lies the deepest emotions that artists look for to put in their visual poetry, or painting. I love looking at people and draw them but since I started working, I thought I didn’t have time to draw and I became lazy with traditional art. My lack of practice in traditional art became a growing insecurity until I came across this book “The New Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain”. I thought, ‘Hmmm… maybe I should give it a try and see how it will help me. I’ll read the book and follow every exercise as if I really don’t know how to draw’, so I did. With each page the author takes into consideration the emotions of the beginners, and assures them it’s alright to feel the way they do, because what they will be learning from the book is the solution to their problems. Most importantly, the book focuses on how to activate the right side brain, which is responsible for our ability to perceive and execute art effectively and that’s where beginners begin. There are sample drawings of before and after from students who took the exercises and their drawings show how much they improved in their drawing skills. I finished the book and I definitely recommend it to anyone who really wants to draw. I don’t regret reading this book because it also taught me the right approach to teaching people how to draw and that is to help them activate the right side of their brain. I can now say with certainty that everyone knows how to draw. It's all in the mind. Just give them a good head-start and they will be ready to draw. “The New Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain” is a very good head-start. Kudos to the author: Dr. Betty Edwards.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 is like a calm before the storm because part two is a hurricane! Cinemas are jam-packed with Harry Potter fans as they line up to watch the last part of Harry Potter. The ending of the story is just right and consistent with the whole story line. It's not like other fantasy movies that failed at the end in an attempt to make a happy ending. Also, the actors deserve a round of applause for their very effective portrayal of their respective roles. All of them are natural and no over-acting. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 is still showing in Philippine cinemas. The movie is so good that it's possible it will be extended for another week. I rate it 5 stars (5 stars = very good).