It’s not easy to get married in the Philippines. Of course, it’s not easy to get married anywhere, but in the Philippines, it can be quite harsh.

Put aside the months of planning with the small budget you have, the irony of how everything costs all your limbs and more, the crazy treasure hunting you have to do for items that’ll make your wedding unique, and the fact that you have to stay as beautiful as you can while being stressed.

Why? Because in the Philippines, the biggest problem is related to the guests.

You don’t only have to invite your relatives, but you’ll also have to invite your relatives’ relatives. The whole barangay has to come AND be a part of the entourage. You’ll have to take pictures with and smile for people you hardly know. You HAVE to because otherwise, there’ll be silent (and sometimes not-so silent) wars to deal with.

Is that the worst? Of course not, because during weddings in the Philippines, guests have the favorite pastime of nitpicking every single thing about the wedding. The food isn’t good enough. The program is boring. The gowns look gaudy. The songs are annoying. The favors can be so much better. There is no end to the necessity to please everyone.

Why can’t they just feel thankful that they were invited? More importantly, why can’t they just be happy for the newlyweds and wish them the best in the new chapter of their lives?

As much as I appreciate the festivities that we have in the Philippines, I can’t help but envy the weddings I get to witness through photos from Western countries because they can get away with more intimate, less formal, and simply happy weddings. It’s obvious how happy everyone is - newlyweds, family members, and guests alike.

This is what I fear the most for when the fiance and I finally get married and I can only hope that our guests will prove this entire blog post wrong.

Photos found through Google Images

(Source: lorraelena)

I may just be biased but I don’t like it when people say that The Hunger Games is just a replica of the better and more original Battle Royale. True, the Japanese story was published and made into a movie first but that doesn’t mean Suzanne Collins copied from Koushun Takami, nor does it mean that it’s the better version.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that The Hunger Games is better than Battle Royale either, most especially because I haven’t read or seen Battle Royale and it wouldn’t be fair of me to choose with just one eye open. All I’m saying is, people can certainly focus on the most shallow of things, and in this case, it’s focusing on the most basic element of these two stories. If that’s all there is, then why not compare The Hunger Games to The Lottery by Shirley Jackson?

I believe that no idea is truly original because we all get our ideas from somewhere, someone, something. What can become original, however, is our interpretation of these already existing and known ideas and the way we present our interpretation to the public.

What I really like with Suzanne Collins’ interpretation is her intricate storytelling and how she’s able to sustain the characteristic tension of the story. All throughout the novels, she’s able to create scenarios that are so elaborately described that you won’t have any trouble imagining what she’s saying and pages that make you want to turn them to get to the next one. Technical writing skill and grammar are one thing, but being an effective storyteller, to be able to touch so many people’s minds and hearts with words, is of a whole ‘nother level.

Most importantly, rather than negatively comparing these two creations, I think readers should try to figure out the insight that these stories evoke. Why do we have dystopian tales and why are they popular, especially these days? Why are stories of teenagers killing each other popular? How are these themes reflected in the real world? What do these stories tell us about our society, about mankind? What lessons can we take from them?

What can we do to make ourselves better?

I don’t think a world like in The Hunger Games or in Battle Royale is impossible. In fact, the scary part is that it’s all very possible. We’re used to central authorities, violence, hunger, wars, suffering, and many other sad societal ills. That’s also why these novels are relevant and resonant.

But isn’t that a problem?

I don’t want to live in a world where humans, especially children, are forced to experience supposedly unimaginable horrors and I’m still holding on to the hope that I (and everyone else, generations after) won’t ever have to.

In the end, these are all stories of humans and our inhumanity. The challenge, I guess, is realizing that and finding a way to regain our humanity and be worthy of the name human.

(Source: lorraelena)

Just in case some people still haven’t seen it, I won’t talk about the details much. These are mostly my feelings about the movie adaptation - HOW I LOVED IT.

I watched The Hunger Games yesterday and I’m glad that it didn’t disappoint. I loved Jen and Josh then, even when a lot of people were complaining about their casting, and I love them even more now. I think they’re perfect for their roles. If Suzanne Collins approved their casting, who am I to say no right? She is, after all, the one who created their characters.

Jen’s phenomenal with her acting and that part where she yelled out, “I volunteer!” is going to stay with me for the rest of my life. I kid you not. She was beautiful, athletic, passionate, loving, and someone I can believe to bring a nation together to fight for their freedom. And Josh, I can’t even begin to describe how I feel that he’s really so much like Peeta. He’s funny and charming, but also he brought the right kind of silent depth that the character has.

I’ve seen a lot of people’s complaints about how the movie lacked a lot of parts, but these are probably people who don’t take into account the limitations of a movie and its making. If it was possible to make an 8 or 10-hour long movie with ALL the details of the book, I’m sure they would have. I have a few things that I would have liked done better but I understand the work that goes into making something like this happen and I think they did the best job that they could.

I love the movie adaptation for all the reasons that others seem to not like it. I like how it was subtle, that they kept the tension going for the entire movie, how it stayed as faithful as it could. I like how it’s unlike all other blockbuster films, that there’s more silence than ridiculously dramatic scores or songs, that you’d have to notice all the details to really appreciate the intricate weaving that Gary Ross and the entire crew did to make this film the right way.

Can’t wait to watch it again! Hopefully it stays in theaters for at least 2 more weeks.

I caught the homily of the mass at Greenbelt chapel this afternoon and I can’t feel anything but gratefulness that God found a way to bring me his message, loud and clear.

The priest was talking about how a lot of animals have internal homing devices that lead them back home. He then contrasted that with humans and how a lot of us feel lost, alone, and are without a home.

Where is our home? Is the earth where we go back to after our time in this world ends?

But wasn’t it the breath of God that gave us life?

It’s my God who is my home and I honestly do feel that more now than ever before. I believe that He hasn’t given me challenges that I can’t overcome, and He has filled my lifetime with blessings I can hardly count. I feel His grace and I am nothing but grateful. There are times when I forget, but I know that if my internal homing device does exist, it leads only to Him.

Yup, 3rd in the Hunger Games trilogy. Scheduled to finish it tonight. So far, I’ve been able to finish The Hunger Games and Catching Fire in less than a day each. That’s something especially since I haven’t been reading ANYTHING in almost a year.

As sad as it may be for a lot of people, I’m actually proud to say that this trilogy has gotten me back to reading. I used to devour books like a hungry orphan.

But anyway, enough of that because really, who cares whether I read or not? I really just wanted to share how lovely this trilogy has been and how I’ve become really attached to it.

More importantly, I would like to say that I’m very sad about the way things have gone for those who have been affected and devastated by Typhoon Sendong.

You can read updates on the Philippine Red Cross website and donate through them too.

Here are other links posted on pinoytumblr/Rock Ed Philippines’ FB page on how to donate and help out the victims of the rains and floods. Some more here.

It’s very bad, just look at the rising number of the dead and how the typhoon’s affecting different parts of the country.

I know a lot of people will think prayer won’t do any good right now but it won’t hurt to keep a little positive faith in our hearts, especially so close to Christmas, but it certainly won’t hurt to do something about it as well.

Let’s do what we can.

We’re a creative nation. No questions about that. But we lack in discipline.

We don’t follow rules, even with something as simple as crossing the street. There’s a stop light for pedestrians for a reason. We sign contracts without reading through them first and then complain afterwards that we didn’t know about the conditions. We talk with beautiful words but tire at the thought of following through.

We need to develop a culture of integrity, accountability and responsibility.

We can do this. At one point in time, we were a successful and developed nation. We can do it again.

In the news, people in Hagonoy, Bulacan are still waist-deep in flood waters because of the last two typhoons that passed through the Philippines. But that wasn’t the heartbreaking part. The news was actually about how people were fighting over relief goods.

Watching that video capture made me remember the tsunami in Japan and how the Japanese offered what little they had left to their neighbors, lined up properly to get their provisions and even thought of others before they thought of their own stomachs and welfare.

I know that I didn’t experience hunger, loss or pain when the typhoon was here and I am not experiencing any of that now but I still wish that we can act a little better in the face of tragedy. I love the Philippines and can’t actually fully imagine living somewhere else but it’s moments like this that make me feel that maybe we’re just going nowhere. Is there still hope to be a better nation? Maybe we’re just too used to all of this complaining, selfishness and poverty that we don’t know anything else…are not willing to try anything else.

The next news item showed what’s happening in Calumpit, Bulacan and it’s so much better in terms of people’s attitudes…so maybe there is hope.

I wish everyone who are still in the flooded areas the best and I pray that they survive this.

It’s true when they say that drawing is a skill that you can learn and improve on. Sure, it’s easier for people who already have the propensity for it but people who do have the talent but never do anything with it won’t go far.

I feel like a child learning how to draw again when I draw stuff these days. It always takes a while to warm up and to get a feel of the pen and tablet. It used to be like an extension of my hand and now it feels alien.

I haven’t drawn for myself in a LOOOOONG time and those who’ve been following this blog for a while know that because I haven’t been posting much of my art lately. I feel sad for myself. I do miss drawing for fun, and I’m also feeling guilty that most of the drawing I do these days, if any, are for work.

I don’t even think it’s because I don’t have the time. Sometimes I do, but I’d rather play The Sims 3 or watch my television shows instead. I lost my muse somewhere some time ago and I can’t find her anywhere.

I don’t know what to do.

I feel sad when I hear about girls thinking that the only way to get over one boy is to go be with another. Being in a relationship or being with someone in a romantic way aren’t the only things that can make you happy, whether you’re a girl or a boy. There is so much more to a person.