So for this year, I need to watch 111 movies. :)  (Goodluck naman sa akin) 


I'll be updating this from time to time until I meet my goal.  I'll be posting the details of each movie plus my rating here. (I'll also try to make my own movie review for each one...kung kaya. HAHAHA).




 Let the challenge begin. :)

*Click the title to be redirected to the IMDB page of each movie.


1. The Blue Lagoon (1980)

    --Directed by Randal Kleiser

    -- Screenplay by Douglas Day Stewart

    -- Starring: Brooke Shields and Christopher Atkins
    -- Tomatometer: 12%
    -- IMDB Rating: 5.2/10 

     -- Chocometer: 3 chocolates 

"--Paddy, what is subjugation? --Something I've been trying to avoid all my life."  

2. Step-Up 3D (2010)  

    --Directed by Jon Chu

    -- Screenplay by Amy Andelson, Emily Meyer and Duane Adler

    -- Starring: Rick Malambri, Adam Sevani and Alyson Stoner

    -- Tomatometer: 46%

    -- IMDB Rating: 5.3/10 

     -- Chocometer:4 chocolates 

"Some people learn to dance...Others are born to"  

3.Black Swan (2010)  

    --Directed by Darren Aronofsky

    -- Screenplay by Mark Heyman, Andres Heinz and John McLaughlin

    -- Starring: Natalie Portman, Mila "Sweet Lips" Kunis and Vincent Kassel

    -- Tomatometer: 88%

    -- IMDB Rating: 8.5/10 

     -- Chocometer: 7 chocolates

"The only person standing in your way is you. It's time to let her go. Lose yourself"  

4. Inception (2010)  

    --Directed by Christopher Nolan

    -- Screenplay by Christopher Nolan

    -- Starring: Leonardo Di Caprio, Ellen Page, Ken Watanbe, Marion Cotillard,             Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Cillian Murphy, Tom Berenger, Michael Caine, Dileep Rao

    -- Tomatometer: 88%

    -- IMDB Rating: 8.5/10 

     -- Chocometer: 9 chocolates

"The dream has become their reality. Who are you to say otherwise?"  

5. The Social Network (2010)  

    --Directed by David Fincher

    -- Screenplay by Aaron Sorkin

    -- Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake

    -- Tomatometer: 96%

    -- IMDB Rating: 8.1/10 

     -- Chocometer: 8 chocolates

"You don't have to be an intellectual property expert to understand the difference between right and wrong."  - Mark Zuckerberg

6.The Princess and the Frog (2009)

    --Directed by Ron Clements and John Musker

    -- Screenplay by Ron Clements and John Musker

    -- Starring: Anika Noni Rose and Bruno Campos

    -- Tomatometer: 84%

    -- IMDB Rating: 7.3/10 

     -- Chocometer: 7.3 chocolates

"Yes, you wish and you dream with all your little heart. But you remember, Tiana, that old star can only take you part of the way. You got to help him with some hard work of your own. And then... Yeah, you can do anything you set you mind to."- Tiana's Father

7. Leap Year (2010)

     --Directed by Anand Tucker

    -- Screenplay by Simon Beaufor, Harry Elfont and Deborah Kaplan

    -- Starring: Amy Adams and Matthew Goode

    -- Tomatometer: 20%

    -- IMDB Rating: 6.1/10 

     -- Chocometer: 7.5 chocolates

" May you never steal, lie, or cheat, but if you must steal, then steal away my sorrows, and if you must lie, lie with me all the nights of my life, and if you must cheat, then please cheat death because I couldn't live a day without you."

8. The Secret of Moonacre (2008)

     --Directed by Gabor Csupo

    -- Screenplay by Graham Alborough and Lucy Shuttleworth

    -- Starring: Dakota Blue Richards and Tim Curry

    -- Tomatometer: 20%

    -- IMDB Rating: 6.0/10 

     -- Chocometer: 6.5 chocolates

" It is not the pearls but the greed in our hearts which brings us this misery"

9. Jennifer's Body (2009)

     --Directed by Karyn Kusama

    -- Screenplay by Diablo Cody

    -- Starring: Megan Fox and Amanda Seyfried

    -- Tomatometer: 42%

    -- IMDB Rating: 5.2/10 

     -- Chocometer: 5.6 chocolates 

" She's actually evil. Not high school evil. " - Needy Lesnicki

10. Made of Honor (2008)

    --Directed by Paul Weiland

    -- Screenplay by Adam Sztykiel

    -- Starring: Patrick Dempsey and Michelle Monaghan

    -- Tomatometer: 12%

    -- IMDB Rating: 5.5/10 

     -- Chocometer: 6.5 chocolates

"Nobody in the world makes me laugh the way you do. You're my best friend. I just wanna be with you. "  

11. Chloe (2009)

    --Directed by Atom Egoyan

    -- Screenplay by Erin Cressida Wilson

    -- Starring: Amanda Seyfried, Liam Neeson and Julianne Moore

    -- Tomatometer: 51%

    -- IMDB Rating: 6.5/10 

     -- Chocometer: 7.4 chocolates

" I try to find something to love in everybody. Even if it's a small thing. Something about the way someone smiles. There's always something, there has to be. I try to make myself generous. I do things I don't want to do. I... I think about what not to criticize. And the strangest things come back to me. " - Chloe 

12. Love and Other Drugs (2010)
    --Directed by Edward Zwick

    -- Screenplay by Edward Zwick, Charles Randolph

    -- Starring: Anne Hathaway, Jake Gyllenhaal

    -- Tomatometer: 48 %

    -- IMDB Rating: 6.6/10 

     -- Chocometer: 7 chocolates

 " Sometimes the things you want the most don't happen and what you least expect happens. I don't know - you meet thousands of people and none of them really touch you. And then you meet that one person and your life is changed."

13. First Love (A Crazy Little Thing Called Love) (2010)

    --Directed by Puttipong Pormsaka Na-Sakonnakorn and Wasin Pokpong

    -- Screenplay by  Puttipong Pormsaka Na-Sakonnakorn and Wasin Pokpong

    -- Starring: Mario Maurer and Baifern Lerwisetpibol

    -- Tomatometer: N/A

    -- IMDB Rating: 7.3/10 

     -- Chocometer: 7.5 chocolates

 "All of us have someone who is hidden in the bottom of our hearts. When we think of them, we always feel a little pain inside. But we still want to keep them. Even though we don’t know where they are today, or what they’re doing, they’re the ones who make us know this — a little thing called LOVE." - Nam

         Click here for my review.

14. Tangled (2010)

    --Directed by Nathan Greno and Byron Howard

    -- Screenplay  by Dan Fogelman

    -- Starring: Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi

    -- Tomatometer: 90%

    -- IMDB Rating: 8/10 

     -- Chocometer: 8.5 chocolates

 "A fake reputation is all a man has." - Flynn Rider

15. Life As We Know It (2010)

    --Directed by Greg Berlanti

    -- Screenplay  by Ian Deichtman and Kristin Robinson

    -- Starring: Katherine Heigl and Josh Duhamel

    -- Tomatometer: 23%

    -- IMDB Rating: 6.1 /10 

     -- Chocometer: 7 chocolates

"Just because you accept help from someone, doesn't mean you have failed. It just means you're not in it alone" - Messer

16. The Fall (2006)

      --Directed by Tarsem Singh

    -- Screenplay  by Dan Gilroy, Tarsem Singh and Nico Soultanakis

    -- Starring: Lee Pace and Catinca Untaru

    -- Tomatometer: 61%

    -- IMDB Rating:  7.9/10

     -- Chocometer: 7 chocolates

"What a mystery this world, one day you love them and the next day you want to kill them a thousand times over." - Blue Bandit

17. My Sassy Girl  엽기적인 그녀 (2001)

      --Directed by Kwak Jae-Yong

    -- Screenplay  by Kim Ho-Sik and Kwak Jae Yong

    -- Starring: Cha Tae-hyun and Jun Ji-hyun

    -- Tomatometer: NA

    -- IMDB Rating:  8.2/10

     -- Chocometer: 7 chocolates

 "With other guys, try to surrender even for just once, not try to win." - Kyun-Woo

18. The Green Mile (1999)

    --Directed by Frank Darabont

    -- Screenplay  by Frank Darabont

    -- Starring: Tom Hanks and Michael Clarke Duncan

    -- Tomatometer: 78%

    -- IMDB Rating: 8.4/10 

     -- Chocometer: 9.1 chocolates

 "People hurt the ones they love. That's how it is all around the world." - John Coffey

19. The Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010)

   

      --Directed by Michael Apted

    -- Screenplay  by Christopher Markus, Stephern McFeely and Michael Petroni

    -- Starring: Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes, Ben Barnes and Liam Neeson

    -- Tomatometer: 49%

    -- IMDB Rating: 8.4/10 

     -- Chocometer: 9.1 chocolates

 "To defeat the darkness out there, you must defeat the darkness inside yourself. " - Coriakin

20. Bangkok Traffic Love Story (2009)

      --Directed by Adisorn Tresirikasem

    -- Screenplay  by Benjamaporn Srabua, Navapol Thamrongruttanarit and                Adisorn Tresirikasem 

    -- Starring: Sirin Horwang and Theeradej Wongpuapan

    -- Tomatometer: N/A

    -- IMDB Rating: 7.4/10 

     -- Chocometer: 8.5 chocolates

 "How can two people be boyfriend and girlfriend if they don't see each other? " - Kob




See review here. 

21. Hello Stranger (2010) 

      --Directed by Banjong Pisannthanakun

    -- Screenplay  by Banjong Pisanthanakun and Chantawit Thanasewi

    -- Starring: Chunthawit Thanasewi and Nuengthida Sophon

    -- Tomatometer: N/A

    -- IMDB Rating: 7.4/10 

     -- Chocometer: 8.5 chocolates

 "We're just two broken-hearted people who met each other abroad and helped ease the pain. " - Mey 

*I hate the ending. :(

24. Due Date (2010) 

     --Directed by Todd Phillips

    -- Screenplay  by Alan Cohen, Alan Freedland, Todd Phillips, Adam Sztykiel

    -- Starring: Zach Galifianakis and Robert Downey Jr

    -- Tomatometer: 39%

    -- IMDB Rating: 6.6/10 

     -- Chocometer: 5.5 chocolates

"I despise who you are on a cellular level" - Peter Highman."

25.  Charlotte's Web (2006)


--Directed by: Gary Winick
-- Screenplay By: Susana Grant, Karey Kirkpatrick
--Starring: Dakota Fanning, Julia Roberts
--Tomatometer: 78% (Critics)
--IMDB Rating: 6.6/10
--Chocometer: 5.2 chocolates

"It is not often someone comes along that's a true friend and good writer. Charlotte was both." - Narrator

26. Atonement ( 2007)

--Directed by: Joe Wright
-- Screenplay By: Christopher Hampton
--Starring: Keira Knightley, Saoirse Ronan, James McAvoy
--Tomatometer: 83% (Critics)
--IMDB Rating: 7.8/10
--Chocometer: 8.2 chocolates

I love you. I'll wait for you. Come back. Come back to me.

27. Dalaw (2010)
28. Bulong  (2011)
29. Shake Rattle and Roll 12 (2010)
30. Toy Story (1995)
31. Shrek (2001)
32. Hating Kapatid (2010)
33. 9 (2009)
34. Monsters vs. Aliens (2009)
35. 3 Idiots (2009)
36. Love in the Time of Cholera (2007)
37. The Crime of Padre Amarro (2002)
38. Retired Extremely Dangerous - R.E.D. (2010)
39. Salt (2010)
40. Little Fockers (2010)
41. I Am Number Four (2011)
42.Definitely Maybe (2008)
43. Death at a Funeral (2010)
44. La Vie En Rose (2007)
45. The King's Speech (2010)
46. As Good as it Gets (1997)
47. Blue Valentine (2010)
48. The Curse of the Golden Flower (2006)
49. The Queen (2006)
50. The Tourist (2010)
51. The Fall (2006)
52. You Again (2010)
53. How Do You Know (2010)
54. The Secret in their Eyes (2009)
55. Wanted (2008)
56. The Duchess (2008)
57. My Sister's Keeper (2009)
58. Superbad (2007)
59. Just Go With It (2011)
60. Good Will Hunting (1997)
61. Adventureland (2009)
62. No Strings Attached (2011)
63. Nobody Knows (2004)
64. Becoming Jane (2007)
65. Confessions (Kokuhaku) (2010)
66. Jerry Maguire (1996)
67. Never Let Me Go (2010)
68. Zombieland (2009)
69. Nims Island (2008)
70. Just Friends (2005)
71. Irreversible (2007)
72. Still Walking (2009)

Recently, I have started spending my spare time ( spells ALL THE TIME) watching films. Since, I am not doing anything productive and I just discovered the wonders of torrent, I decided to download (yes, I know it's illegal, sue me) films to make myself ignorant eyes/mind cultured in a way. The first film that came to mind was a Japanese film that my student recommended to me. It won the 2009 Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film. It was well worth it, probably one of the best films I have ever seen.

t starts with the story of a cello player whose orchestra got disbanded because of declining viewers/show-goers. Left with a huge debt for buying his cello, he decides to sell it, move to his hometown and start anew. His wife, who was a computer programmer, passively agrees with the decision in a move to "support" him. Back in his hometown, Daigo (the protagonist of the film) started scanning some classified ads in an attempt to find a new job. He found a job advertisement that said "Assisting people in their departures" and thought that it was a job posting for a travel agency.Desperate for work, he decided to go to the agency for an interview and was unceremoniously hired by the owner after asking him just one question " Will you work hard?" Daigo was very surprised that he was immediately hired and his shock grew more when the owner told him that he will earn 500,000 yen a month. Wondering about the true nature of the job, he asked the owner what the job description really was (suspicious as well, seeing that the office has a display of several coffins in a corner ). The owner answered that the agency dealt with the "departed" by conducting the encoffining ceremony for the funeral. Troubled by the job description, Daigo insisted that the job advertisement said it was about "departures" and the owner revealed that there was just a mistranslation in the job description. Hesitant at first but left with no choice, Daigo accepted the job and went home to find a surprised Mika (his wife) who asked him if he got the job. When Mika asked Daigo about what the job was, Daigo answered it was just for "ceremonies".

Daigo's first assignment is to pose as a corpse for a "company DVD" which is basically a guide to encoffinment. This DVD serves as a pivotal point in the story when Mika finds this object in Daigo's desk and leaves him because he refused to leave his job. Words began to spread about Daigo's job and people started to treat him as a pariah since most of the townsmen shun the topic of death. This view is further reinforced in a scene where he encountered his childhood friend who advised him to "find a decent job".

Mika returned to him announcing that she is pregnant and insisted that it should be a motivation for him to find a proper job. Daigo answered back but was cut off when someone called him to tell that the owner of the bath house where he used to go (the mother of that same childhood friend he met earlier) died and that he had to go to perform the encoffining ceremony. He obliged, bringing Mika with him. He lovingly performed the ceremony, even donning the old woman her favorite scarf before putting her in the coffin. After the burial, Mika and most of Daigo's close friends (including his childhood friend) began to understand his job and started to not view it innocuously.

The climax of the film happened when someone informed Mika about Daigo's father's death. Daigo was then left with a choice of whether to go and see his father's corpse or not, while still clutching on the grudge he felt for his father for leaving him when he was young. The story ends with Daigo coming to terms with himself and deciding to perform the encoffining ceremony. Daigo started to cry when he finds out that before his death, his father was clutching the stone that he gave him when he was little, proving that his father never stopped thinking about him even before death.

What I loved about the film: I think the main attraction of the film is the subtle realism that is embedded in the solid story that tells us about the inevitable end that each of us must have to face. Most of us, not only the Japanese society, find death as a taboo. I, for one, am scared to touch a dead person, associating them with "dirt" and "sickness". The film shows us a new perspective on death, how beautiful it can be and how goodbye, painful as it may be, is just the beginning of a whole new adventure in the "other side".

Each scene was poignantly made and one cannot help but shed tears as you watch each twist unfold while realizing how brittle our existence is. The music perfectly complements the story, causing us more unimaginable sadness which leaves us helplessly bawling even hours after the film. Joe Hisaishi proves once again why he is master of music as the main theme of the movie conveys to the viewers all of the messages that were left unsaid by the characters.

One of the interesting thing about the film is how it ironically poses thecharacter in a situation where he makes a living out of the dead. This paradox was tackled even deeply in the film with the death of the bathhouse owner and the scene where the cremator, who was her friend, admits how remarkable it is that he serves as the guard of the gateways between two worlds: the dead and the living. Funnily enough, it presents to us the harsh reality that we have known for so long and yet refuse to accept : WE ARE ALL BORN TO DIE. We have no choice but to welcome death in our arms and stop trying to evade it because whatever we do, it is something we cannot really escape. People die but we have to move on. (To be continued)

Want to hear the emotionally captivating them of Okuribito? Click here.

For more info about the film, click here.

For the trailer, click here.

Japan has a special place in my heart. Maybe it's because I talk to Japanese people every night and I consider most of them as my friends.That is why when I heard about the earthquake and tsunami hitting about, I was terribly worried. The images they showed on BBC and CNN were so terrible that it can't be impossible to have many casualties. Although it's pointless to hope that nobody was hurt after the deadly disasters, I still hope that the number of victims are kept to the minimum.

Dear God, please keep everyone safe. :( 

This year, me and my bestfriend have agreed to visit as many places as possible. Our adventure for this year should have started with a Laoag trip which I booked last October with Cebu Pacific's Piso Fare (free plugging pa..). I was able to get us three one-way tickets for a total of 336PhP but unfortunately, due to some constraints at work I wasn't able to go with them.

So, instead of enjoying Northern Luzon, our adventure started here in Manila. I haven't had time to hang out with my best friend since the start of the year because we were both busy at work and so, since both of us were feeling gung-ho about travelling, we grabbed the chance to spend a weekend afternoon exploring one of the tourist destinations here in our very own polluted and congested capital. 


We met up at around two in the afternoon and proceeded to our destination, Neil (my bestfriend's boyfriend) tagging along with us. After two jeepney rides, we arrived at a very crowded Luneta Park. Honestly, I was quite surprised that there are still a lot (and I mean A LOT) of people who choose to visit and stay at the said park given the abundance of Henry Sy's malls in the metro. Blame it to lack of money perhaps, a huge number of people were strolling around the park; lovers, families, old school photographers and streetchildren. 


We walked our way to the Quirino Grandstand where the entrance of the Manila Ocean Park is located. It was sweltering hot, we felt like ice cubes melting under the heat of the sun. I kind of regretted wearing a pair of shorts as my skin easily gets tanned.  One friendly advice, don't go there in the afternoon or if you have no other choice, just bring an umbrella and a water jug and also, don thin apparel. (Do not wear sleeveless shirts or shorts if you plan to watch the Sea Lion show unless you want to get a tan.)

The entrance of the park is located at the back of the Quirino Grandstand. One can easily reach it because there's a huge sign on the road indicating the way to the entrance. Upon arrival, we decided to buy our tickets at the booth outside the building. Some attendants advised us to watch the Sea Lion show first as the last show is at 4:30pm. We obliged. 


There were several promo packages available for the summer season. We availed the Marine Life Encounter which originally costs PhP700  but we were able to get it for only PhP500.  It's a considerably good deal because we were able to save 200 pesos.  You can still avail the promo until March 31st. Want to know more about it? Click here. 

Here's their poster. Click the image to visit their official website. 

That's my ticket!

As I said, our first stop was the Marine Show (Sea Lion Show). We had to wait for almost 20 minutes under the burning heat of the sun before the last show started. I had no idea how I was able to enjoy the show because it was seriously scorching and I was so scared of getting nognog in an instant. Nevertheless, I had no choice but to deal with it. Good thing Robai brought an umbrella. 

That's me, my bestfriend and Neil while waiting under the heat of the sun. 

 The show featured two South American Sea Lions, Icis and Yeni (I don't know if I got their name correctly), together with their trainors Mark and Eric. The trainors explained how sea lions are different from seals like the former having bigger flippers  and longer whiskers than the latter. They also explained the normal activities of the sea lions, their natural habitat and their different ways of swimming. I did not understand what they were saying though because the audio sucked and my brain was fuzzy because of the heat. I enjoyed watching those adorable sea lions though. They knew how to clap their flippers, dance, scratch their heads and bow. They even know how to make  inarte. Haha. If it wasn't a crime to have them as pets, I would certainly want to. They're like dogs, only cuter and smellier. 

The show lasted for 30 minutes which, in my opinion, is not worth the money we paid but then again, I had to understand those poor sea lions. They must have been having a hard time because of the unforgivable climate that our beautiful country has.  After the show, the trainors announced that audience can have their photos taken with the sea lions if they wanted to but for an extra cost. I think that's just a ploy for them to earn more money. Haha. I personally would like to hug them but then again, I was afraid of getting wet so I just decided not to. 


If you're interested at how much a photo with those cutesy-patootsie sea lions costs, it's about 300 pesos for a 3R picture. That's the same cost that you have to pay if you want to claim the   hard copy of the supposed "free-shot" that each guest was entitled to upon entering the vicinity of the Sea Lion show. 600 pesos if you want some silly sea world designs on your photo.  Cheap, right? (insert sarcasm)..  :)

After that, we decided to go to the Oceanarium which is basically the main attraction of the park. We walked into the Amazon section, a room designed like a tropical South American rainforest with tree vines hanging over our head, man-made waterfalls and huge aquariums containing giant Arapaimas, Arowanas and other fishes which name I no longer remember. According to some people, there were supposed to be piranhas in that section. Unfortunately, we did not see one.   I tried to read the descriptions at the side of the aquariums and it was a little bit funny that every time I do, I keep having flashbacks of Harry and the boa constrictor in the Sorcerer's Stone. Hihi. 

I have no idea what that tree is called but I'd like to put one inside my house someday. 

Yes, INSIDE my house. :) (Kanya-kanyang trip lang yan..)

Sorry for the crappy quality, I was only using my trusted mobile phone (and boyfriend) Aleckses, a Nokia 5630.

 It was amazing how big those fishes were. I could not put it into perspective. That fish could eat an entire baby alive! Aside from those fishes, we saw a small turtle cohabiting with other white fishes. I tried to take a picture of the turtle but the other visitors were blocking my view so I just moved on.

After that, we climbed a set of wooden stairs and reached the section of the sole crocodile. It was uneventful. His habitat looked dirty and he seemed miserable. Maybe, she (or he) was looking for some company... (whuuuut!!). 

A man-made falls was situated opposite the crocodile's habitat. It would have been beautiful because it gave the jungle-y feeling but if you come to close, you'll smell something nasty. I think it wasn't being maintained well but it's good enough for taking pictures. We went down the other side of the room. I had my picture taken beside an anito. That's an Ifugao statue believed to stand guard at your house or any special location. 

 On the other side, we saw huge aquariums containing kois (which did not smell good as well), giant catfishes (scary hito...), starfishes, eels, manta rays, black knife fishes, goldfishes and bamboo sharks. I was able to hold one starfish. It was amazing. (coz i'm ignorante...haha).

A Black Ghost Knife Fish and small turtle

Bubblehead Goldfish!

the smelly Kois. 

(I don't understand why people like to put them in their ponds)

Mama shark and Papa Shark

I held it! I held it!

Scary Sting Ray and pretty starfishes

A park attendant is guarding the aquariums, fending off people who were using flashes on their camera or people/children who were trying to put their hands inside the aquarium. One thing you have to remember (and I think we owe it to the fishes given the cruelty that we are putting them through), do not use your camera's flash while inside the Oceanarium. It scares the pretty little fishes and give them trauma. 


After the Amazon section is the Bahura section. The name is quite interesting because Bahura, in my hometown, is a name of a famous (and high-end) resort. I believe the word bahura literally means sandbank/sandspit or in Filipino, pilapil ng buhangin. (thank you Wikipedia for the info)

This section has several aquariums containing hundreds of fishes that are believed to be living in the shallow parts of the water. The fishes varied in color, sizes and appearances. There were also eels, barnacles and corals as well as two tanks containing dirty Manila Bay water. If you see those tanks, you'll wonder why there are still people who find it enjoyable to swim in the Manila Bay waters. It's disgusting. Below are some of the pictures I took. I only posted those fishes that I liked. 

Yes, I found Nemo. Or should I say, Nemos?

The birth of a bamboo shark. 

It's amazing coz you'll really see the baby shark moving inside the egg. 

(It's that orange thing on the wall)

Lionfish minding his own business

Pufferfish withot spikes 
(This is something I learned from Feeding Frenzy)

creepy spotted garden eels are creepy. 

I can't still get over how weird (and scary) they are. 

Eels

The most kikay fish of all. 

They have lipstick and eyeliners. I swear.

Bowtie fish

After this, we walked into a section with several enormous (and when I say enormous, I mean it) containers. You can see giant (literally) fishes swimming in what seems to be a habitat designed after a shipwreck location. I figured this was the section for deep-sea creatures. Those fishes were SCARY coz they were bigger than a six-year old kid. 

We did not stay there for too long. We proceeded to one of my most favorite places in the park, the Living Ocean (Buhay na Karagatan) tunnel. lt was a way for us to see the fishes and other sea creatures up close . Sting rays and sharks were swimming over my head, it was so fantastic. It was like scuba diving minus the oxygen tank, nasty overalls and exorbitant fee. 

Yes, that's a ray swimming over my head. 

It was a short tunnel though. It's over before you even begin to realize it. We reached the Shark and Manta Ray sections. Huge aquariums can be seen on the side housing several types of sharks but I forgot the names. Up above, you can see the glass ceiling is actually another aquarium for Manta Rays. They were large manta rays, probably as big as I am. 

We went past a small science activity center for kids and went up the second floor. On it was the Fish Spa which you can avail for 120 pesos or free if you availed the Sun-up Saver or Ultimate Adventure package. We didn't. I actually wanted to try it coz my feet are nasty and callous from four years of wearing slippers in UP but we were pressed for time so we just moved on. Aside from the footspa, you can also see the entrance to the Aquanaut adventure and the Glassbottom adventure which are both costly. The former costs 995pesos per person for a ten minute experience inside the Living Ocean while the latter costs 180 per person per hour. I think they were unnecessary expenses if you are working on a tight budget but if you have money to spare, then maybe you can go for it. :)) 

After the Oceanarium Adventure, we bought tickets for the Musical Fountain Show. On normal occasions, it will cost 300PhP per person but they have a promo right now so were able to buy tickets for only 99PhP. (We saved 201php :)) The show starts at 6:30pm and we were able to get inside just in time. I did not take a lot of pictures but I took a video of the entire show. It lasted for 30 minutes. 

(video will be posted soon, I am encountering some technical problems with my uploader)

I posted it just in case someone is interested to watch it. Sorry for the quality though, I took it using Aleckses again. 




After the fountain show, we decided to go to the Jellies because it was almost 7pm and we were afraid that we might not be able to make it. Fortunately, the guy at the entrance booth allowed us to go inside albeit grumpily. 

The Jellies is my favorite place in this park because the jellyfishes indeed looked fantastic. There were hundreds and hundreds of them and since they are transparent, their color changed as the lights inside the aquariums changed. Vivaldi's Four Seasons was playing in the background. It is the perfect place to bring your loved ones as the ambiance is so romantic :) 

The trip was so exhausting. We went straight to Pancake House and had dinner. I ordered a Pan-fried Chicken Set while my  bestfriend ordered the Hamburger Steak. Neil ordered the Pan-fried Chicken Set too (gaya-gaya) and we spent a good 30 minutes bashing the woman on the next table who was scolding the waitress for a misunderstanding that seemed to be her (the woman's) fault. (see another entry for the story) 

All in all, Manila Ocean Park is okay. It was not as spectacular as I thought it would be but heck, it was able to make the best out of the resources available to them. It just pains me that it does not give justice to the beauty that is the  Philippine waters but then again, what did we expect? Haha. 

Will I go back here again? Perhaps. I'll bring my baby brother here if he ever is in town. I think he'll enjoy it coz he's only six and when you're six years old, things like this are absolutely amazing. 


If you want to have an idea how much I spent for this evening, here's the breakdown

Jeep from Pasay Rotonda to Luneta --15

Entrance (Marine Encounter promo)-  500

Musical Fountain Show - 99

Coke --  45

Food (Pan Chicken Set) -- 245

Jeep from Luneta to Pasay Rotonda -13   

Total: PhP917

Now I'm planning our next adventure. Potipot, here we come. :) 

*Sorry, this post is crappy. I'll improve the words next time. I'm just sabaw right now. 

Once in a while, that familiar feeling of insecurity creeps inside me whenever I check Facebook and see most of my batchmates from college busying themselves with law or sharing an experience about how wonderful their job is.

Once in a while, I stumble into someone's wall and find out that that person is already working or travelling abroad and I begin to ask myself what the fuck am I doing with my life.

Once in a while, I question the path that I have chosen to tread and wonder what's in store for me up ahead. Did I make the right decision? What should I do to succeed and get what I want? Where will I be 5 years from now? 10 years from now? Will I still be stuck in the same rut that I'm in? And if so, what should I do?

I actually do not know how to answer these questions. My short-term goal is to earn enough money to travel and buy what I want. Be satisfied with what I have and be able to say that I am perfectly happy. My long-term goal is to be successful but I don't know the very essence of that word. Do I equate it with money? Do I equate it with the amount of happiness that I am experiencing and the contentment that will fill my heart? I want to be successful but I don't want to have a stressful life. How is that possible?

I am actually scared that my laid-back attitude will get me nowhere. It seems that in this life you have to choose two paths. One leads to success and richest at the expense of having time at your own disposal. The other one leads to a life where you have all the time in the world but you cannot do what you want because you have no resources (READ: Money).

I fucking hate life and what we humans made of it.

This is totally incoherent.