World Spins Madly On

There's something about waking up in the middle of the night and then not being able to go back to sleep again. It's a frustrating state - either you lie there awake, telling yourself to doze off or you have a personal reflection session on your lingering thoughts, probably the reason  for your sleep deprivation in the first place. That or you simply have a messed up sleeping pattern. 

So here I am being nocturnal, and I've chosen to be fixated in front of my laptop doing the usual - being a social media voyager, catch up on some light reading while trying to suppress my appetite for midnight snacks.

Back to those lingering thoughts, I don't think I have the creativity to write amidst the pile of academic requirements. I hate it when you're trying to study for school but then those annoying little reminders pop up in the back of your mind, and you have no choice but to do something about it. Sometimes I wish my mind had a thought processor to straighten the must-dos and errands because at heart, I am a scatterbrained character. Instead of fully accomplishing a task, I try to distract myself from it and jump into something else.  Half-assed mediocre work is the achievement. Don't ask why I do that because I don't know.

When the going gets rough, it's completely understandable to just want to crawl back into the summer/sembreak mode where the only thing to worry about is making the most out of it before the whole cycle strikes again. Instead of complaining about the academic requirements, I suggest we should make the most out of it as well.  There will always be times when you work hard and times when you can celebrate too, and it's only when you do both to fully appreciate the other. I believe that life was made out for us to do both - it's a constant balancing scale that we have to tackle throughout our lives.

So what can I say about this week? It's been productive on an average level despite the mishaps here and there. These next two weeks will probably be hell for me so if I can squeeze in a blog entry or two, either 1) Something major major happened or 2) I've succumbed to procrastination again.

Throw Down

Maybe it's because I haven't gotten my dose of endorphins and I feel really bloated or that academic pressures is piling in. The reason why I resort to procrastination even though it doesn't help at all still remains a mystery.

I guess you hit me in a bad time.

I have come to realize my pet peeve/flaw. I don't like it when people go beyond your limit of joking around. It comes to a point where you just have to say stop but if it continues, I can't stand it. There are times when you are in the mood and when you aren't. I also really hate it when the teaser becomes teased but eventually doesn't like the taste of his/her own fucking medicine.

Another thing, the last thing that I want to be known is to be a doormat where everyone can get trampled on. So maybe it's a wakeup call in disguise that I should really change my ways.

PS: Yes, if you haven't noticed, I'm in a bad mood right now. Thanks to some asshole who's failed hostage stunt will probably affect the tourism industry of this country. I really don't know why he did that. Great plan, did he really think he'll get his job back after it all? So in that case, this unexpected breaking news and depressing weather fuses an excuse for a mental implosion.

PPS: If you're in a depressed state, study philosophy. Reading about man's need for transcendence with I Am the Movie in the background (classic album btw from Motion City Soundtrack. Not too angsty for one's depressed state to descend in a deeper state but the catchy, pop-rock tunes might spark a bit of optimism. )

You want female angst? You got it.

To be honest, I didn't know much about the Runaways except that it was Joan Jett's first band before she became a solo artist. The reason why it intrigued me was because I wanted to see whether Dakota Fanning was able to pull off playing a troubled young rockstar.
"Rock 'n' roll has always been a man's world."

Many music historians argue that the Runaways weren't the female pioneers to enter the rock 'n roll world, but the all-female rock band definitely left an imprint in music history. With the irrational guidance of music producer, Kim Fowley, four young teenagers - Cherie Currie, Joan Jett, Lita Ford, Sandie West and Jackie Fox have paved the way for aspiring female musicians to be in the rock 'n roll world. Before them, female rock bands were generally non-existent. Yet, it raises the question, was their music ever taken seriously or were they famous because of their sex appeal, particularly Currie's? That's up to you to decide.

The Runaways is a biopic directed by Floria Sigismondi and is loosely based on Cherie Churrie's memoir entitled, 'Neon Angel'. It chronicles band's rise to fame, Curie's addiction to heroin and her eventual departure from the band. The story solely focuses on the relationship between Cherrie Curie and Joan Jett, played by Dakota Fanning and Kristen Stewart respectively. Perhaps due to personal differences, the stories of the other members including Lita Ford (lead guitar) and Sandie West (drummer) remain hidden in the background. In real life, Jackie Fox, the founding bassist of the band refused to be associated with the film, so her character was replaced by a fictional bassist named Robin.

Breaking the initial mold

Many may question whether two of Hollywood’s most famous young stars (one of them most famous for her role in the Twilight saga) can play such vulnerable characters in the midst of sex, drugs and rock 'n roll. One thing they both have in common though - they have reached stardom at a rather young age. Nevertheless, both Fanning and Stewart managed to pull it off and show that they do have what it takes to portray dark and troubled rock stars besides the 70s haircuts and dark eye make-up.

One of the things I remembered thinking while watching this film, was that it was quite hard to envision Dakota Fanning, the young girl in family movies such as I am Sam and Cat in the Hat was prancing around in skimpy tops and high heels while holding a cigarette. If you haven't noticed before, this movie marks the official declaration of her shedding her goodie girl status. Besides sharing coke lines and a make-out scene with Stewart, this role signifies her ability to tackle complex adult roles without being too over-the-top. 


In the end, Kristen Stewart is the one who steals the show and leaves a lasting impression of the movie. Her honest portrayal as a young Joan Jett never skips a beat and it takes more than a mullet haircut and punk outfits to fit the part of the world's most famous female rock musicians. In every scene, she manages to intensify it with her cool, laidback exterior and raw ambition for playing music. I sincerely don't know who else could have played an almost authentic young Joan Jett better than her.

The mutual connection between Currie and Jett is definitely something to watch, although many may not fully understand. If you can get past the Hollywood glamorettes starring in the film, it is rather a evocative and rebellious film. It does not hold any boundaries and shows a glimpse of all the personal troubles and discrimination that female rockstars had to go through. The only thing that could have made it better was if the rest of the members of the band had bigger roles, since they are left out in the hanging.

Watch the trailer here

Watch the music video of their Cherry Bomb performance (sung by Dakota Fanning herself)

My Doppelganger

Inspired after finally watching the season finale of HIMYM (yes, I just watched it) and my last day being 18.
Doppelgangers - once coined for the supposed ghosts of a living person has now become a staple in today's pop culture. Thanks to HIMYM, websites have been sprouting up promising to find the celebrities that are the 'mirror-images' of you and also spawned a Facebook trend for people to upload pictures of their celebrity doubles.

The last episode ended with older Ted talking about their own Doppelgangers. It leaves a rather cliched message, but the people behind HIMYM have twisted and put a bit of their old bittersweet charm into it. Obviously, you aren't the same person you are years ago. First impressions really don't last. A blended pot of fate/destiny, circumstances, good and bad scenarios, people you met, exchanged stories with...it's all rollercoaster ride of highs and lows that have somewhat affected you.


For me, it's almost been three years since I officially stepped into the Manila grounds as a real resident. For about 36 months, I've been rekindling with my own Filipino culture, embracing it with help of friends and the absence of the parental units.
What I realized is that I could never completely mold into the Filipino society. There will always be this sort of unspoken difference, I guess. Call it a cross-culture aspect, but it's something that I would probably expound in another blog entry.
Anyhoo, this has always been a common topic among my closest friends and I would like to share it with you =)

We Were Merely Freshmen

Transition phase - She was adapting into a new environment after saying goodbye to loved ones and a place called home. She lingered around social circles and made a new set of friends, but there was always that constant reminder is to never let her high school friends go. She had average grades due to short attention span, especially when it came to science and mathematics. School work simply didn't seem as important as finding your niche in school.

Sophomore Slump or Comeback of the Year

A typical morning in the weekend
The smell of cigarette in her hair, with a small twinge of light-headedness awakens her

She don't know whether it's the excessive alcohol consumption from last night or lack of sleep

She succumbs to rehydrate and detoxify the icky state

A warm shower and a cup of hot coffee always helps.

Transition phase complete. Now what? The liberating feeling causes her to go out and explore. She pretty much had a clear idea of who she's connected with, drawing a line between mere acquaintances and close friends. All she needed was to just have fun, experience new things and tell herself that this was her new home. It seemed pretty hella fun. Thanks to Ondoy, it pretty much made up for a lack of study time plus a period of intense distraction. This was probably the peak of all her adventures.

Junior, Senior
Now the fun from socializing wears off, and its time for her to focus on what's really important - studies, the real reason why she's there in the first place. Her established good set of friends are there no matter what and spending time with them gives her real content. The thought of a hangover after class tires her, she prefers over-caffeinated nights in Starbucks then over-consumption of beer in Cantina. Although she enjoys the occasional party once in awhile, she rather saves the wild nights in limited dosages.
It's the point where the future is what drives her right now, but at the same time, still enjoy what college has to offer at the same time. Thought of life as a post-graduate draws near are circulating around her read even though it's not necessarily near, but it helps her reconsider the life's priorities right now.