Reflection on the Korean film we've watched (unfortunately I forgot the title of the film. I'll ask tomorrow, I mean later if classes don't get suspended)
We've watched this Korean film about the North Korean-South Korean war. This is how the plot goes according to how I can recall it. It's about two South Korean soldiers and three North Korean soldiers who arrived at this strange village where everybody seems naive for they are far from civilization. There is a war going on between the North and the South and obviously, every North Korean in the eyes of South Koreans, and every South Korean in the eyes of North Koreans are enemies. The South Korean and North Korean soldiers in the film turned out to be friends and they almost forgot they were enemies because of the strange villagers. They ended up protecting the village and sacrificed their own lives just to prevent the innocent village from getting involved in the stupid war happening.
What's important in my discussion of this film is the open forum with our Korean classmate -- Miss Kim, after. It's amazing how she knows a lot of things. Things about Korean history and things about North Korea even when she's from South. South Korea is so fascinating as a country. I love how they value their local films. And South Koreans are really smart guys. They know what they are talking about even though they can't express it well (of course they mastered their language first before learning English). We asked how she's able to know the situation of North Korea and she said they talk about it in school. Before when they were younger, they treated North Koreans as enemies but as they grow older, they became sympathetic with them. Miss Kim said that the condition of North Koreans get worse and worse that some of its citizen migrates to South by traveling by sea to China and traveling again to South Korea (the Korean boundary is tightly guarded that you'll get killed when you try to pass on the other side). She also said they give help by means of giving money, food, rice, etc. but the North Korean government hoards it and it results to scarcity and famine. By the way, if the North Korean government finds out that their citizens illegally migrated to South, they will ask the South Korean government to deport them and when they come back to North, they will be killed. Yes, it's tragic, I know. The Chinese government tolerates this attitude of the North Korea on being hard and firm, being careless with the help, and being egoistic/egotistic at the same time. In the film, it was depicted that the North Korean soldiers don't know why they were sent to war and ordered to kill every South Korean soldier. All they know is that they're required to enter the military. This fact hurt me (tears formed on the side of my eyes while writing this actually).
I want to evaluate the quality of the film. It's actually a bitter-sweet story and I don't know if I'm to appreciate it or not since it mixes all emotions in me that I think I'm crazy already. If you know what I mean. When the film ended, some of my classmates cried. I controlled my emotions of course, it hurt my throat. Blame the stereotype that boys should not cry.
Our conversation with VJ a.k.a. Krunchee a.k.a. Mamay about Happiness versus Idealisms (in life)
Last Wednesday, I arrived at school after finishing our interview with Bench Philippines. I still have Spanish 11 class that time but I was too tired and hungry I decided not to attend the class.
VJ and Kaye invited us to go to Sarah's. I was hesitant at first but ended up going anyway. April decided to go also so it's a plus factor. VJ brought his car and we jumped in it. Upon arriving, VJ ordered the orange-flavored Antonov. We tasted it and liked it, we ordered the same. April ordered San Mig light.
I was really tired that time I can't think of anything to eat. Plus the idea of not attending class because I'm tired, haven't eaten anything (and oh, I forgot, I also don't have an assignment) bothered me.
But the inuman session (or nomo as we call it) went well. It was fun. I liked our conversation about settling in life, fulfilling your dreams and ideals versus being happy with the ones you love. VJ asked us if we were to choose between a promising career abroad where you will earn good sums of money or staying, finding a just-enough or fine-paying job but you're with your family, what will we choose? In his case, it's hard for him to decide since his family are just starting to be okay (in terms of their relationship with one another), and he can live here even without earning really big because they did not experience being short of funds, or being poor (for the lack of a better term). His dilemma is that, an employer called him and wants him to work abroad. He'll get compensated really well. But he'll be far from his family and friends plus he has an ideal boyfriend this time. Ideal, not perfect. I mean, a workaholic boyfriend who has a stable job but not that conversational or happy to have conversation with.
There, I hope VJ won't read this blog of mine because I'm disclosing his dilemma in life. But if you think hard about it, what will you choose? Pursuing a promising career (which is actually a sign for him for he was called by the employer and he did not look for it) but being away from your family (which is just starting to form a better foundation in terms of their relationship) and from friends who you really love and you also treat as your family OR staying, finding a well to fine paying job (just okay job) but you are with the people you love? In his case, it's hard. But if I'm to choose, I'll choose the former of course since we're not that well-off in life. I need to seize every opportunity. I need to get rich to do what I want. I know I'm money-driven. But aren't we all economically-driven according to some economist? Was it Karl Marx who said it? I don't know.
VJ gave us this tip in life earlier before we went to Sarah's. You should not look for money. Money will find its way to you. He exemplified it when one time, he doesn't have any money but when he searched his bag, he found some 100 peso bills in it. If you think of being short of money or not having enough money, you'll just get frustrated thinking about it over and over.
It also happened to me one time. It was our photo shoot for our Comm Res 165 class. I found a hundred peso bill in the photo shoot venue. I decided to keep the money and ask later my blockmates through text who owns it since all were busy. When we left the area, I realized it's 10PM already and there were no more Ikot jeepneys around and I was at C.P. Garcia Street where no other jeepneys pass by. I don't know how I'll get home I only have exact amount of money that time. Good thing I found that hundred peso bill. I borrowed it and decided to take a cab until the end of C.P. Garcia Street and there I took the jeep.
Sir Choy's tips on love
Two weeks ago, it was Friday, I'm having a conversation with this professor named Sir Choy Pangilinan or "Sir Choy" of the broadcast communication department while smoking some cigarettes. We were talking about love and how to get the person you like. This may sound senseless but here are some of the few tips he gave.
1. If you're in a large a group, there will be two extremes for sure. The prettiest and the least pretty. Of course, obviously, the prettiest will be the hot target so you have to go to the less or least pretty and start the conversation with her. I actually forgot how you will strategize next, but that's how Sir Choy said it. You should not be obvious that you like the prettiest and make some subtle move to catch her attention.
2. You should not reply to text messages. First, you can text the person you like about how she's doing. And when the conversation's getting okay, you should abruptly cut it and suddenly stop replying to her. I don't know what the effect of this is. But I'm not the type of person who does this because I like expressing myself well. Maybe, this gives a sort of enigmatic/mysterious effect? I don't know.
3. Next you should throw lines or "hirit" that she will never forget. For example: while crossing a footbridge or an overpass of any same sorts, hug her suddenly. If she asks why you did that, say: "matapos man ang relasyon natin o maging 'hindi na tayo', di mawawala ang footbridge na ito at ang alaala ng pagmamahal ko sa'yo." Or something to that effect! I don't know! I just laughed at this.
4. Go to her world at the same time invite her to go to your world. If she's a coño-rich girl and she likes partying, you should go with her at least once to a party she wants to go to. And if it's your turn and you're the jologs type, invite her to go with you. Tell her, "sinamahan kita sa mundo mo, ngayon naman ako ang samahan mo sa mundo ko." Keep it real and be the real you. True to the form!
5. The next and probably the last I can recall is that you should attract her without being obvious that you are attracting her (Inaakit mo siya na hindi mo siya inaakit). I think it's something like making her like you but not taking it so seriously. It's a sort of a reverse psychology. You make her feel that it's just nothing for you but there is something. I don't know. I can't explain it well. I'm not really good at this. Maybe once I've tried these tactics or strategies then I can prove its effectiveness.
Interview with Sir Jojo Liamzon of Bench Philippines
I like how our interview with Sir Jojo Liamzon went. Let me first narrate how we found the head office of Bench Philippines in Pasay.
So, as part of the data gathering, and me being part of the data gathering team, I volunteered to look for the different advertising agencies in the Philippines to interview them for the focus interview part. I abandoned the content analysis team (which is also part of the data gathering team) because it's too quantitative. I'd like to think I'm more of a qualitative person (or researcher). Or so I think?
Anyway, Tin and I traveled our way to Pasay. Earlier, I called again the head office of Bench since the last time I called, there was no answer. But when I called that Wednesday morning, Sir Jojo told me to go right away while he is still not that busy.
So I pressured Tin to come over and asked her we go to Bench's head office in Pasay. She got pissed at this pressuring I did. Haha. Anyway, she's the one who's very persistent with this interview.
We first went to Tin's boarding house in Maginhawa. She changed from short shorts to pants for this is an interview. We took the cab. When she's done, we took the MRT. We were dropped off to GMA Kamuning station by the taxi. Then from MRT Kamuning, we dropped off to the last station which is Taft. Tin told me it's her first time to ride the MRT. I divirginized her from riding the MRT (insert evil laugh here).
Then from Taft Station which is one of my favorite places, I told Tin to secure her stuff for Taft's a dangerous place. We walked the footbridges and overpasses until we reached the other side. The side going to SM Mall of Asia and Cavite. We looked for a taxi and immediately found one that's available (although we don't know if we were on the right commuter loading and unloading station).
The taxi driver we got happened to be an old, talkative driver who has a strong sense of hearing. He talks about driving the taxi for two decades now (I'm not sure of this) and how he knows the names of the streets in Pasay. When I said Tolentino Street, he already know. But when I said Suyen Corporation, we dwelled on it at first. I said, the head office of Bench, and then he got it.
The streets in Pasay are weird. The main mode of transportation is the tricycle since other vehicles are only allowed one way while tricycles can counterflow. On our way back to UP, we used the tricycle to get to MRT Taft and it was quick! We were also advised by the old taxi driver earlier to ride on a tricycle instead since it's cheaper. We should say to the tricycle driver that the fare is only P40.00 so we won't get fooled. We payed the taxi driver P100.00 although the meter only says P60.00. It's Tin who payed it.
Anyway, enough of the long story of our adventure. We conducted this interview with Sir Jojo Liamzon, the advetising manager for Bench and Leo Sy, his advertising assistant. Bench happens to have it's own advertising department. But I read somewhere that Bench also hires advertising agencies such as TBWA\ Santiago Mangada Puno and Publicis Jimenez Basic whose recent work is the Bench on Mars. The Bench advertising department was the one who did the Philippine Volcano billboard ad which is the root of our study.
He discussed in our interview how we Filipinos are "double standard". My reception on this is that we are hypocritical. We do not criticize and pull down ads of women in sexy bikinis but when ads of men in their briefs were suddenly displayed in EDSA, we reacted violently.
Sir Jojo further discussed how in Europe they don't see statues of angels naked with their breast or penis revealing or Venus rising from the sea (this is his exact example) as something offensive. Billboards such as the Philippine Volcanoes will be just nothing in Europe, according to him.
He also stated that they don't create billboard ads to sell sex. He cleared this up to us. He actually asked us to pause the recorder when we asked our first question which goes something like: "Do you intend to incorporate sexual message or content in conceptualizing billboard ads?"
So there, we got "windang" actually by the frankness and being straightforward of Sir Jojo. But after the interview, I felt fulfilled eventhough it just lasted around 30 minutes. I don't know if Tin felt the same. I'm finished with the transcription of that interview and I'm hoping that we can still interview TBWA\ Santiago Mangada Puno tomorrow. The weather's so bad.
What if we have mental computers or typewriters or (as what Sumire call it in Sputnik Sweetheart) word processors in our mind?
This is just a random thought I thought of while on my way to school one time. I was looking plainly and emptily in space, my mind was thinking of random thoughts and this one hit my thought balloon.
What if all the thoughts and observations we have are transmitted right away in our mental word processors/computers. I like this word processors or computers to have unlimited space that I won't get fed up thinking of many thoughts.
I hope the geniuses would create such invention! Hello inventors of Macbook, Apple, Windows (Bill Gates), whoever are the shit involved.
Recent: My thumb hurts from playing Call it off by Tegan and Sara.
Okay, so I found that the song Call it off by Tegan and Sara is easy to play in guitar. But since you need to pluck the strings to achieve the desired sound, my thumb swelled.
I also found a video tutorial in youtube on how you can play it similarly to how T&S play it in guitar. The plucking or strumming is different from what I previously learned.
Now I'm studying how to play it the better and more similar way.
Yesterday
It's still raining outside. A while ago, the wind is blowing hard. It's 2AM and I haven't done anything productive yet. These are the things I listed down that I'm supposed to do:
1. Finish readings in Film 100 (three weeks have passed and I'm still not done with it).
2. To find the cases for our BA 101 and talk to my groupmates since we are supposed to report next on Thursday.
3. Talk to my groupmates in STS re: updates about the data they collected for our final presentation and our final paper.
4. Make a postcard for Span 11 and transfer the write-up that I did.
5. Do ten sentences about our memorable experience/trip using preterito indefinido. I even forgot what preterito indefinido means. This was last week's assignment in Span. I was absent because of the series of interview we conducted among advertising agencies. We have one final interview on Wednesday. I hope I don't miss the class again.
6. I'm supposed to find in google map 1195 Chino Roces Ave. corner Yakal St. across Cafe Puro. This is where the next ad agency is located.
7. Finally, for Samaskom: What will I do with the certificates and photos during the tree planting?
I'm done with item numbers 3, 6 and 4 and a half.
I'm supposed to make a post card for our Spanish 11 and it's so frustrating that I have the concept in my mind but I can't execute it. I don't know how to use photoshop! I want to finish it now. If I'm to draw it, it would take a long time plus I don't have any drawing materials here.
I know, I know, I have a lot of complains. Too bad I can't be good at everything. I hope some bulb will just light above my head and then suddenly I know now what to do.
Anyway, let's go back to what I'm talking about.
(Writer's block. I forgot what I'm supposed to write and discuss here. I fell asleep again. It was dawn when I was writing this and a drowsy feeling just hit me, I hit the bed. No I don't have a bed, so I hit the higaan.)
Earlier
I woke up really late. I did not notice it's afternoon already. When I went down, there are no more rice to eat but there's a viand. I got pissed. I did not speak. I just used the bathroom and peed and went up again.
I went back to sleep. I read my text messages. There were nine. One was Venice's text regarding the unsettled collaterals during the tree planting last July. I got pissed again. It was not me who lose the first batch of printed certificates and photos but Ariadne, Lou, Tara and Jam, their film group, when they asked me to become their talent. They did not to take care of me. They did not feed me, they dressed me up as a beggar (beggar's still a light term for taong grasa), they allowed me to walk on barefoot even though there are shatters of broken glasses, they did not know where I can take a bath after the shoot, and most importantly, they lose the certificates and photos which Chelly devoted her time to finishing. But I got Sputnik Sweetheart as a reward. Yeah, and that's it.
This is so irritating and now it's me who's suffering. I asked Ariadne to settle it since they're the one who lose it. I confronted her already about this and I think it reached her other groupmates. But the certificates were not of the same quality like what Chelly printed that's why I got irritated. I can't give those type of printed photos to those who sponsored trees. They paid P200.00 for each.
What's more irritating is that it's only Ariadne who's suffering. How about her other groupmates? I don't see them making any move in replacing the collaterals.
Boss Kaye reprinted the photos but it was not nicely done. I can't give them to their sponsors.
Venice and I talked already. I said all my hard feelings to her telling her that I felt alone in this and that I'm giving up.
She told me not to. She and Chelly helped me again. I don't know now what to say to Ariadne, Kaye, and everyone concerned if we meet again. Right now, I don't want to see people.
I will check my email later to see the more arranged, more organized photos that we'll just have to print. I hope this ends soon.
Just like the collaterals lost, I think I'm also losing my enthusiasm also. I don't want to do this anymore. I don't want to be with the org. I want to focus now with my studies. I really want to study abroad or enroll in an M.A. or a second degree. I look pathetic, I don't know how I'm going to support myself.
P.S. Venice and I talked already. It's a good thing I was able to release those hard feelings. But why do I feel I'm still at fault here? She said it's okay to express these feelings and concerns, and later she said that it's still my responsibility to produce those lost collaterals. I don't know now what to think anymore.
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