Ateneo Celadon: Chinese Spring Film Festival 2012

Every year since 2007, the Ateneo Celadon along with the Confucius Institute have encouraged Filipinos and Chinese-Filipinos alike to appreciate the wonderful Spring Film Festival brought about by the Chinese New Year celebration. Having been there when the first Spring Film festival was celebrated, I was a sophomore active in the Ateneo Celadon back then, this 6th year celebration which welcomes my animal – the Dragon, now presents 6 movies in celebration of the Chinese New Year. And it’s now all free admission! As stated on the Ateneo Celadon website, where I will be taking information to repost on this blog,

Unlike previous years when a minimal admission fee was charged, this year’s festival will experiment with free admission.  Schools are welcome to bring their students for block screenings on a first-come, first-serve basis.

These are the movies that will be presented for this year’s Spring Film Festival..

Ocean Heaven 

Ocean Heaven is a family drama which features a father- Sam Wang (played by Jet Li), who is solely taking care of his autistic child- Dafu. Wang finds out that he has liver cancer and has a few days to live. Not only does Wang have to cope with his own suffering and impending death, he also has to deal with the heartache of leaving Dafu with no immediate family. This heartwarming film shows the challenges of being a single parent and how parents, even on their last days, would do anything just to ensure the safety and happiness of their children. Fans of Jet Li will definitely be surprised to see him in this movie because this is the first to cast Li in a non-kung-fu film where he won the 2010 Wen Zhang Best Actor Award. The movie was also recognized by the Shanghai Media Awards, CCTV Movie Channel Media Awards 2010 and Golden Goblet Award. In July 2011, Li even named one of his charity projects as Ocean Heaven Project to help children with autism, cerebral palsy and other disorders.

Lost on Journey

Lost on Journey is a comedy film narrating Li Chenggong’s travel as he endures bad luck after bad luck just to celebrate New Year’s Eve with his family.  Li hops from a plane, to a train,to a bus, and to a boat in the desire to be with his family during the most important event of the year. And along the way, he meets a stranger Niu Geng who later helps him discover something important about himself and the goodness of other people. This movie is a funny presentation of how bad luck brought two different worlds together.

Country Wedding

Country Wedding tells a story of a couple who is about to get married with their families getting so excited to the point that their parents started to meddle with the wedding plans. The bride’s mother, insists on holding the wedding at a ritzy hotel in Beijing whereas, the groom’s father, being the director of a cooperative in a rural village, feels indebted to the community, wants to share the wedding to the whole village. The couple are getting in between as conflicts arise between the in-laws. This film is a funny portrayal of the clash of cultures between the city and country side.

Confucius

Confucius, known as the “Great Sage”, lived during the time when China’s dynasties were in chaos and engulfed by corruption and greed. He strongly believed that ethics and education will put all things to order. His wisdom was sought by different dynasty leaders but only to be abandoned after he dutifully served his purpose. The world knows so much of his teachings, but little is known of his hardships. This biographical drama shows the sufferings and pain Confucius endured and the principles he fervently kept that became the foundation of China’s ethics, morality and law. Starring Chow Yun-Fat as Confucius, Nominated for Best Actor at the 30th Hong Kong Film Awards. Other nominations include Best Cinematography,Art Design,Costume Design and Original Song.

Bodyguards and Assasins

In 1905, Hong Kong was under the British rule and revolution was on the rise. Sun Yat-Sen was set to land in Hong Kong to meet and to unify faction leaders to finally take down the corrupt and crumbling Qing Dynasty. Because of this, Dowager Cixi wanted Sun Yat-Sen assassinated. For the Chinese people who had been clamouring for freedom, they understood that keeping Sun Yat-Sen alive would mean keeping China’s hope to be liberated. Li Yutang, a businessman, gathered a tofu vendor, rickshaw pullers, a beggar and an orphan to serve as bodyguards. These bodyguards displayed their superb fighting skills as they battle it out with the assassins to protect Sun Yat-Sen,whom they haven’t even met.  This action-historical movie garnered numerous awards from the 4th Asian Film Awards,29th Hong Kong Film Awards,16th Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards and 47^th Golden Horse Awards.

The King of Milu Deer

This 3D animated movie focuses on environment protection. It is a story of a white deer, Yoyo, who turned into a lady and made friends with Tzan-the prince of Kingdom of Clouds and Dreams. Tzan was ordered by the minister to search the Labyrinth Mountain to hunt for the Milu Deer to use it as a sacrifice to bring rains in the kingdom. But Tzan discovered the beauty of the Labyrinth Mountain and got closer to Yoyo. Together, they fought sea lizard monsters, fire,soldiers, and the evil Minister to save the wildlife and natural resources of the Labyrinth Mountain. This movie became the highest grossing Chinese Animated film of all time and received the Best Animated Film of the 13th Huabiao Awards.

Movie Schedule:

January 20, 2012 (Friday)
Country Wedding – 1:00PM
Lost on Journey – 3:00PM

January 21, 2012 (Saturday)
Lost on Journey – 1:30PM
Confucius – 3:30PM
Bodyguards & Assassins – 6:00PM
Ocean Heaven – 9:00PM

January 22, 2012 (Sunday)
Ocean Heaven – 1:30PM
The King of Milu Deer – 3:30PM
Confucius – 5:30PM
Bodyguards & Assassins – 8:00PM

January 23, 2012 (Monday)
Country Wedding – 1:30PM
Bodyguards & Assassins – 3:30PM
Ocean Heaven – 6:30PM
Lost on Journey – 8:30PM

January 24, 2012 (Tuesday)
Bodyguards & Assassins – 1:30PM
Lost on Journey – 4:30PM
Confucius – 6:30PM
The King of Milu Deer – 9:00PM

January 25, 2012 (Wednesday)
The King of Milu Deer – 1:30PM
Confucius – 3:30PM
Country Wedding – 6:00PM
Ocean Heaven – 8:00PM

January 26, 2012 (Thursday)
Lost on Journey – 1:30PM
Country Wedding – 3:30PM
The King of Milu Deer – 5:30PM
Confucius – 7:30PM

January 27, 2012 (Friday)
Ocean Heaven – 1:30PM
Confucius – 3:30PM
Lost on Journey – 5:30PM
Bodyguards & Assassins – 8:00PM

January 28, 2012 (Saturday)
The King of Milu Deer – 1:30PM
Ocean Heaven – 3:30PM
Lost on Journey – 5:30PM
Bodyguards & Assassins – 7:30PM

January 29, 2012 (Sunday)
Lost on Journey – 1:30PM
Country Wedding – 3:30PM
Bodyguards & Assassins – 5:30PM
Ocean Heaven – 8:30PM

OTHER ACTIVITIES (2nd Floor, Grand Atrium)

January 20-29
Chinese Painting Exhibit by the Confucius Institute Chinese Painting Students

January 22
Chinese Painting Workshops by Mr. Caesar Cheng and the Confucius Institute Chinese Painting Students

Contact Details:

For more information please call Ateneo Ricardo Leong Center for Chinese Studies at (63 2) 426-6001 local 5208-5209; 5280. For tickets, please call Shang Cineplex at (63 2) 633-2227.

Book Review: Love in the time of Cholera

Review on: Love in the time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez

Rating: 3.5/5

Let me just say, I did not expect for the book to turn out the way it did. In fact, I thought this book was some kind of autobiography before I picked it up in an airport bookstore en route to the province. I’ve heard about this book before, and a lot of people said it was good. Well, with a catchy title like this, I cannot imagine otherwise.

So this book is a love story, and as you are reading the book, you are living it.

Imagine you’re a boy who has fallen in love with the perfect girl. To make it even more dramatic, your love is some kind of forbidden secret, and the girl you love is someone who lives in a world completely different from yours. Everything seems to be going smoothly (despite the secrecy) and later on you become engaged (though only the two of you know).  You’ve made all the preparations for the house she’ll one day live in, the lives you’ll someday live, and everything else for the perfection that seems to love you back. And suddenly, one day, she tells you that she doesn’t love you anymore and asks you to forget everything the two of you have ever done. What makes the pain even worse is that she later on marries someone prestigious and popular, the man who is completely opposite you in family background and character.

Next, imagine you are a girl lost in your own little world, until the day someone tells you they like you. The whole story seems like a dream and you find yourself attracted to this boy. The secrecy, the hidden place you keep your letters and imagining your seemingly perfect love story unfolding like a book. It is like one big game, especially when you find yourself secretly engaged to him. After that, everything else you see and feel seems like a dream, and you prepare yourself for the married life. Then one fateful day, you discover that your husband-to-be is not just different from the guy you remembered him to be, he’s someone you can’t bear to spend the rest of your life with. Later, you find yourself somewhat attracted to this famous guy and find yourself marrying him.

Fast forward to around 51 years later when fate appears after the girl’s husband’s death and they are forced to again confront their feelings from before. Florentino the boy, has filled his somewhat empty life with trysts, yet continue to longs for his perfect woman. Fermina the girl, has had a somewhat fulfilling married life though she has always carried with her the feeling of guilt towards the boy she had rejected. Watch as the love story from their teen years catches up with them and we wait to see if Florentino’s half a century of devotion proves fruitful, while we watch Fermina confront her past and face the future.

I didn’t imagine this book would be so entertaining. The book itself is an entire lifetime of the stories of the 2 main characters – Florentino and Fermina. My fascination with the content of the story goes up-and-down as the initial part of the story is sort of interesting, gets a little boring after a while, and then goes up again. There were times like I felt like giving up on the book because parts were dull, but then you make the effort to just read a few more pages and it gets interesting again.

The book starts with both characters in their old age (at around 60-something), then goes back to telling their story of love in their youth, and then comes back to them in their old age as they try to figure out what to do with life. One thing I loved in the book is how the story makes you feel as if you’re kind of growing up alongside the characters. You see the mistakes of their youth, and the wisdom of old age. There are so many points in the story that people can relate to, or if not, can teach them about life. The story focuses so much on Florentino’s love for Fermina, which often times borders on the point of obsession. Though it’s somewhat romantic how he devotes himself to Fermina, his obsession drives him to lose focus on the things he could have done in his life. And the other, Fermina, whose love matures from her youthful dreams of Florentino, to reality, and later on to the wisdom of her post-married life. One thing I didn’t like, as I mentioned earlier is how interesting the book is towards me as a reader. The best part of the book is probably the middle part where Fermina and Florentino talk about their youth, and the beginning part of the book which introduces the characters and the story. The latter part of the book is a bit dull and often times, I just wanted the whole thing to end.

Truth be told, I didn’t like how the ending occurred. It’s like watching some Filipino telenovela unfold before your eyes. Can’t fault the author though because culture-wise, the Philippines and South America if very much alike.

Personally, I’d rate this book a 3, maybe I’m biased because I didn’t like how the story turned out. But the book was otherwise a fascinating read. Though dull and boring at certain parts, the storytelling of the author was so well done that you didn’t feel as if it was too complicated moving from the present to the past and back to the present (within the book). Also, the story was quite educational as it often offered points from various characters that gave a more in-depth understanding of the environment and the main characters. Plus love, the center of the story, is shown in three phases, innocence, wisdom and obsession. I guess you need a level of maturity to understand the book, but understanding the characters and how each of them focuses on one of those phases of love is such an interesting process as you are reading.

Definitely an interesting read that portrays a different sort of love story.

Book Review: A Game of Thrones

Review on: Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

Rating: 4.5/5

First book in the book series, A Song of Ice and Fire

Welcome to Westeros, where most of the story takes place. The land is ruled by a king, Robert Baratheon, who sits on the iron throne. Throughout the story, you’ll encounter the stories of many other characters like the Starks who rule over Winterfell in the North, or the Lannisters of Casterly Rock who win their loyalty through gold, the Night’s Watch who guards over the realms of men from things beyond The Wall and takes no part in the problems of the kingdom, or beyond the kingdom of Westeros to that land across the sea where the previous’ king of Targaryen blood still has family who’ll do anything to get their throne back. In this story, one event leads to the next. The beginning of the story begins with peace and the start of conflict within the world, and what starts of as an interesting introduction of various characters, families, history and whatnot, eventually leads into the heart of the entire series – competition for the Iron Throne. A fight ensues for the Iron Throne when Robert dies, a fight between the supposedly lawful heir Joffrey Baratheon, and Robert’s brothers Renly and Stannis, while those in the North fight to save one of their own, and somewhere across the sea a young girl’s marriage turns herself from a little girl..into a Queen.

Welcome to an amazing series filled with stories of giants and dragons, shapeshifters and dead that come back to life, stories of knights and ladies, princes and kings, lands of long summers and longer winters, of bastards and royalty and arranged marriages. Be prepared to meet the most unimaginable of characters in the most unusual of settings. Welcome to a world that plays a song of ice and fire.

A complex fictional world built into one amazing series. Game of Thrones is the first book in the (so-far) 5-book series. From the very beginning of the book, the author Martin already takes you into the complex world of Westeros, and the world beyond The Wall. The chapters are written from the POVs of various important characters within the series, and at times, the chapters overlap with the other chapters, so don’t take the chapters as happening in sequence. That’s one thing that’s great about Martin’s way of story writing. To each new reader, it takes some getting used to at the beginning of Game of Thrones, as Martin thrusts the story to you without giving too many explanations as to who is who and what is what.

Be wary innocent readers, this series will not spare you with kind words and stories of happily ever after. Even in the first book, Martin does not spare you with stories of murder, incest, betrayal, war, glory and lust. If you have watched the HBO TV series based on the books, you’ll probably understand what I’m talking about. The series is more or less truthful with the book, except for some parts which are discussed in the later books but presented in Season 1, or parts that are only subtly spoken of in the books but are presented to viewers on the show, and well there’s a lot more sex in the series than there is in the book. If you’ve watched the series and aren’t sure if you’d like to spend hours pouring over the book, let me give you a suggestion, READ IT. Though the series is amazingly portrayed by wonderfully chosen actors with wonderfully captured scenery, there are so many amazingly written details for the characters, the histories, the backgrounds, among other things. Watching the series is like scratching the surface of an amazing treasure box. A lot of things within the story won’t be understood well or correctly till you read what’s written in the books.

Originally, I wanted to give the book a perfect score of 5 out of 5, but I had to deduct points for the lack of reader-friendliness for the first few chapters. Honestly speaking, parts of the book become a bit boring if you aren’t the type of person who loves going into the history of characters and things like that. Plus in a series like this, you’re sure to encounter so many characters, you’ll have a hard time remembering which is which and who is who. Not to mention all the places in the kingdom, or characters from way way before with names similar to those at present. It’s quite confusing. One good thing I love about the book is the visual maps at the beginning of the book, which usually depict the locations where majority of the story takes place. The back part of the book also helps readers with its own set of family tree listings for all important characters in the story, just so you know who’s who, and in case you forget later on and want to refresh yourself while reading the chapters.

I thought I wasn’t a big fan of fantasy fiction books because I gave up on Lord of the Rings halfway through book 2, though I liked The Hobbit and book 1. No offense to Tolkien’s wonderfully created world, but Martin’s world is just so much more interesting and funny and eye-catching. Despite all those details and names and whatnot which would seem annoying after a while, Martin just keeps you coming back with his character dialogue and the way he unexpectedly brings in a certain character, or how he suddenly kills off a beloved character. It’s like 2 emotions fighting to take over, because one part of you just wants to continue reading to see how a situation or story ends, but another part of you wants to preserve a beloved character so you can’t help but stop reading for fear of what will happen next.

I’ve probably said enough to hopefully inform you of what to expect in the book and to hopefully encourage you to read the book. I hope I haven’t deterred anyone from reading this. Haha. So. happy reading to all my readers. I welcome any comments, so don’t be afraid to tell me what you think of the book too.

Cheers and happy reading!

A Song of Ice and Fire series:

• Book 1 – A Game of Thrones
• Book 2 – A Clash of Kings
• Book 3 – A Storm of Swords
• Book 4: A Feast for Crows
• Book 5: A Dance with Dragons

Event: In the Heights, the musical

Atlantis Productions and The LiST Group

proudly present

IN THE HEIGHTS
THE OPENING NIGHT

September 2, 2011
Carlos P. Romulo Theater, RCBC Plaza

Broadway’s most refreshing musical comes to Manila in its first ever run! Winner of 4 Tony Awards in 2008 including Best Musical and Best Choreography, In The Heights has definitely captured the hearts of millions around the world with its touching story and great musical beats!

In The Heights tells the story of a vibrant community in Manhattan’s Washington Heights – a place where the coffee from the corner bodega is light and sweet and the rhythm of generations of music can be heard everywhere. It’s a neighborhood on the brink of change, armored with dreams and pressures and the biggest challenges are that of deciding which traditions to fulfill and pursue, and which ones to forget and leave behind.

Ticket Prices
Orchestra Center P1,700
Orchestra Side P1,600
Loge P1,300
Loge Back/Side P800
Balcony P700

For tickets, call The LiST Group at +63917.8171954 or +63917.8392627 or email them at intheheightsthemusical@gmail.com

For more information regarding the story and characters, or details on the location, visit www.intheheightsthemusical.blogspot.com or www.atlantisproductionsinc.com or http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=114949475262556

EXPERIENCE THE MOST EXCITING MUSICAL TO HIT THE LOCAL BROADWAY SCENE!

See you at the opening night of IN THE HEIGHTS!

花木兰（电影）Mulan (movie)

Last week I went to watch the movie, Hua Mulan (花木兰) at the Spring Film Festival Gala Night. I missed about 10-15minutes of the first part of the movie because I was having dinner with friends, but was able to catch up to the part where Mulan first enters the camp. I loved the story. It’s definitely different from the Disney version, and is much suited to more mature audiences (late teens/young adults-onwards). The amazing thing about the movie is that it doesn’t skimp on action and drama, and doesn’t fail to include some bits of a romantic story. I wouldn’t compare it to the Red Cliff movie which is definitely one of the most thrilling Chinese movies I’ve seen so far….but this definitely is a movie that would still appeal to me.

<Beware Possible Spoilers>

And the movie doesn’t fail to be Chinese as the ending portrays a love of country over one’s own personal love life. There are also many aspects that Chinese hold dear, such as filial piety, a love (not romantic) between brothers, love for country, and the whole glory in death while fighting. The values portrayed in this movie are really values properly exhibited in old Chinese movies, or when concerned with older Chinese cultures and traditions (古代的文化，古代的习惯，古代的中国).

I’d definitely want to watch this movie again. My dad missed out on watching the movie so he’s planning on buying a copy when he goes to Xiamen (厦门) soon. I’d like to find myself a copy too when I go back to Beijing. Oh what’s more, since my Mandarin is much more improved than before, I was able to understand the movie dialogue much better and even compared it to the English subtitles. Of course, definitely, dialgoue in Mandarin was much better than the English translations.

Also, the pick of using Vicki Zhao as the main actress was pretty good, in my opinion. Seeing her as a tomboy-ish sort of actress from previous movies such as Red Cliff and So Close, makes it more believable that she would pass of as a boy in a war army as compared to other popular actresses…based on what I’ve seen on some forums. I love Zhang ZiYi and Michelle Yeoh in movies like Memoirs of a Geisha, House of Flying Daggers and Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, but it’s nice to see other popular actresses star in movies like this. After all, we can’t have the same actresses hogging the spotlight all the time.

Book Review: The Book of Tomorrow

Review on: The Book of Tomorrow by Celia Ahern

Rating: 3/5

Celia Ahern’s The Book of Tomorrow is quite the interesting quick read. It’s a book I would recommend for teenagers and young adults, it’s definitely more suited for teenagers though I was quite taken in by the cover and title of the book.

Ahern introduces Tamara, a teenager who has just suffered the loss of her father and is forced from her rich world habits into the quiet life in the country with her aunt and uncle. While in the country, she soon discovers that the world she thought she knew is not what it seems to be, coupled with her mother’s having withdrawn herself after losing her husband, and her aunt’s being secretive and over-protective of her, what else is a teenager to do? Put in some detective-sleuthing, add in a bit of mystery, drama and romance, and there you have one short novel.

I wouldn’t say that this book is quite the extra-ordinary novel. Parts of the story could have been written better, or explained better to induce more dramatic effects while reading the story. I wouldn’t say it’s bad either because I was quite at the edge-of-my-seat at certain points, trying to guess my way through the novel by guessing who the bad guy in the story was, the ending did come out as somewhat surprising though other parts of the story came out as quite obvious.

What I didn’t get though was how the title had anything to do with the book, though upon reading the book you see how the title is introduced into the story. Still, I didn’t quite see the relevance of the item referred to in the title, when it came to the progression of the story. Maybe that’s just me…

Book Review: Mr Darcy Takes A Wife

Review on: Mr Darcy Takes a Wife by Linda Berdoll

Rating: 4.5/5

A novel following a novel. Mr Darcy Takes a Wife is a story all on its own, following the events that happen after the Pride and Prejudice book. Definitely a love story come true through another book, Berdoll is able to bring to life the world of Elizabeth Bennet as she weaves together a story that does not bring shame to Austen’s original tale.

What awaits in Mr Darcy Takes a Wife is not just a quick glimpse of what happens once Fitzwilliam and Elizabeth Darcy are married, but is able to give the reader a glimpse into the good things that happen in their marriage, as well the problems that they encounter. Not just the Darcy’s, but it also includes the lives of the Bingley’s and the other Bennet sisters. What’s more, Berdoll brings into the story a side of reality that includes a bit of history, incorporating the problems of Britain with Napoleon’s European conquests as well as other aspects of the society the Pride and Prejudice world revolves around. This is not just a story from the perspective of Elizabeth, but also from Fitzwilliam’s as well as even Georgina Darcy’s points-of-view.

If you’re looking for a story that you can quickly read through, this book is not it. Not only does the novel include the passing of many years within the Darcy’s marriage, the way Berdoll writes it makes it feel like the book in itself is an authentic continuation to Pride and Prejudice. Using language and mannerisms from Austen’s time, Berdoll allows the reader to be absorbed into a completely different world. The introduction of various new characters, as well as the re-introduction of original characters, whose stories bring mystery and drama into the Darcys’ lives leaves the readers begging for more.

Despite the almost authentic feeling the book brings, the novel in itself can be quite dragging at certain points in the story. Because of the introduction of various new characters, Berdoll has to create new stories for these characters, and it at times creates confusion within the story, especially when these characters have to by some hand of fate, become involved with the main characters. Also, due to the development of many characters because of the number of years that pass within the story, and also due to the imagination of Berdoll, it may leave readers wondering if certain original characters really do act the way Berdoll writes them out to be.

Personally though, I am quite in love with the way the story pans out. Though it may cause some confusion at times, the way the story makes me feel as I turn page by page, especially when I can almost imagine the story unfolding before my very eyes, it’s quite amazing really. Like a whole new story in itself, readers can truly see the effort and time Berdoll puts into making the book as true (to Pride and Prejudice) as possible, without sacrificing her imagination and integrity as her own writer.

Definitely one of the best Pride and Prejudice sequel books I’ve read so far. I’ve already begun reading the second part of this series…..:)

Ateneo Celadon: Chinese Spring Film Festival 2011

The Ateneo de Manila University Ricardo Leong Center for Chinese Studies and Confucius Institute in partnership with Celadon and Shangri-La Plaza has once again organized the Spring Film Festival of Chinese films at the Shang Cineplex from January 26- February 1, 2011 the Shang Cineplex  (Premiere Theater)

The screening schedule is as follows:

Wednesday, 26 January 2011
MULAN (1:47) 7:30-9:20PM

Thursday, 27 January 2011
FOREVER ENTHRALLED (2:20) 2.00-4.20PM
THE GRAND RIVER (1:37) 4:50-6:30PM
MULAN (1:47) 7.00-8.50PM
THE QUEEN OF COOKING (1:30) 9.20-10.50PM

Friday, 28 January 2011
THE GRAND RIVER 2.00-3.40PM
MULAN 4.10-6.00PM
THE QUEEN OF COOKING 6.30-8.00PM
FOREVER ENTHRALLED 8.30-10.50PM

Saturday, 29 January 2011
THE QUEEN OF COOKING 2.00-3.30PM
THE GRAND RIVER 4.00-5.40PM
FOREVER ENTHRALLED 6.10-8.30PM
MULAN 9.00-10.50PM

Sunday, 30 January 2011
THE QUEEN OF COOKING  2.00-3.30PM
FOREVER ENTHRALLED 4.00-6.20PM
THE GRAND RIVER 6.50-8.30PM
MULAN  9.00-10.50PM

Monday, 31 January 2011
FOREVER ENTHRALLED  2.00-4.20PM
THE QUEEN OF COOKING 4.50-6.20PM
MULAN 6.50-8.40PM
THE GRAND RIVER  9.10-10.50PM

Tuesday, 1 February 2011
THE GRAND RIVER 2.00-3.40PM
FOREVER ENTHRALLED 4.10-6.30PM
THE QUEEN OF COOKING 7.00-8.30PM
MULAN 9.00-10.50PM

Sponsors of this festival include the Confucius Institute, Credit Suisse Bank, Flexo Manufacturing Corporation, Hyundai Asia Resources Incorporated, Jollibee Foods Corporation, Richwell Trading Corporation, Pfizer, Fortmed Medical Clinics Incorporated, Redpeak Capital Holdings Incorporated and Remal Enterprises Incorporated.

For more information, please call Ateneo Leong Center 426-6001 local 5208-5209; 5280. For tickets, please call Shang Cineplex at 633-2227.

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Re-posting from the Ateneo website.

Event: Arrow Philippines 10th Anniversary Raffle

ARROW 10TH ANNIVERSARY RAFFLE PROMOTION

Mechanics:

> Get one (1) raffle coupon with every Php3000 single-receipt purchase, cash or credit. Valid for boutique purchases only.

> Customer must legibly write his/her full name, complete address, landline and mobile numbers, email address and affix signature on the raffle coupon stub and drop it in designates boxes at all ARROW boutiques nationwide.

> Promo runs from August 1 to October 31, 2010. Deadline for submission of entries is on October 31, 2010.

> Raffle will be held on November 14, 2010 in the presence of a DTI representative.

Contest: 1st Nationwide Cyberzone Cosplay Tour

Please take note of the deadline for registration if you’re interested in participating.

Full Mechanics here.

Register here.

The beginnings of a Jane Austen collection

Some people attribute a love of certain movies to their book counterparts. It’s wonderful albeit sometimes disappointing to find movies that try to live up to the stories, characters, plot that is set-up and given thorough detail in the book. For this certain case though, I’d like to share that the opposite happened to me. My discovery of the book, and later on the author, is all thanks to a movie.

I became a fan of Victorian, Regency Era-related literature back in High School when my friend introduced Romance Novels to me. I found them short but fun, interesting and very much appealing to my then (and ever-present) romantic self. I read book after book after book whenever one was available. However, my first encounter with this certain book at that time discouraged me from reading further. For an English class, one of our choice for books was Sense and Sensibility, which I was very excited to start on. Soon after I started though, it was obvious that I could not devote the time nor the concentration to actually find interest in the book and finish it. So I stopped after a few pages and decided to choose another book. After all, if it was Regency Era I was attracted to, my short and not so difficult romance novels were always there.

I thought I had given up on Jane Austen. That bad start made me think that I was probably not fit to read Austen books. To each their own, since each person has a certain genre or theme of books they like to read. Maybe, Austen books weren’t my thing. That was what I thought, till I watched Pride and Prejudice (2005 – Keira Knightley version). When I first watched it, I cannot remember. But it was like love at first sight.

Ever since then, I’ve been actively (not obsessed), pursuing my still-growing love for Jane Austen’s works. This is my collection so far…

Bloggers at Real Home Ideas5 Launch

I’ve always been an avid fan of interior design and architecture. It could be because I have uncles who are engineers and architects, and we really make a living out of designing stuff like houses and buildings. Or maybe, it’s just really me. In fact, on tumblr, I follow a few blogs that showcase different pictures of room layouts and the like, as contributed by people from around the world of course.

It fascinates me, all these different themes and designs and ideas. So last June 23, when fellow blogger Fran Haw-Ang invited us to the launching of Real Living magazine’s Real Home Ideas5: Small Space Solutions, I was beyond thrilled. You see, our home is like a mini-dump (to some extent). It’s not messy-messy, but it could be cleaner if you know what I mean. My family, we’re a bunch of pack rats, we find it really difficult to throw away things, which leads to clutter of old things around the house that don’t really get used but take up loads of space. Also, my “moving” to Beijing for my studies means that I’ll live in a dorm or an apartment which is smaller than what I’m used to, so knowing how to layout and organize my belongings will be a big plus.

Back to the event.

The launching of the event included displays of 3 different room situations, making use of small spaces for productive layout-ing. The idea of the book launch was how to make the most out of small spaces, especially for people who live in apartments and condominiums and don’t have much space to work with. With over 200 pictures and over 100 decor ideas, the magazine gave tips to readers about how to arrange their living spaces. As the press release states:

“The book is divided into three parts. The first chapter deals with different kinds of small homes and allows the reader to identify which type is most identical to the one he or she owns. The second chapter is all about small space tricks, which gives storage and furniture layout ideas. The third and last chapter gives tips on how a homeowner can go about renovating a small space and what to remember before retouching a small space home.”

Real Home Ideas 5 (picture c/o Real Living/Summit Media)

With various themes and ideas in the book, readers can be inspired to re-design their own living spaces, whether or not they live in small or big spaces. During the event, the various interior designers who presented their ideas for various living spaces also answered some questions regarding personal living space issues.

At the event, 3 different designers presented their own small design concepts. The first was a living room concept with an Asian feel. A combination of various Asian pieces. The next was a dining room concept with simple colors that give the space a somewhat distinguished feel. It’s amazing how the simple pieces make the space look so classic. Lastly, the last space which was for the bedroom, allowed attendees to see how a bed can be made from just about anything. In order to allow room for more creativity, the designer didn’t use a frame but used a mirror instead, which is creative since mirrors allow for rooms to look much larger than they actually are. Also, large pillows made the bed look some like posh bachelorette’s pad. [See pictures below]

Living Room

Dining Room

Bedroom

Overall, it was definitely a wonderful event. As I browsed through the magazine, I was able to catch sight of some things I might want to look for at SM HomeWorld, since the event was sponsored by SM HomeWorld. I never knew they had such items. Time to consider getting some of those things and replacing some stuff at home. For when I come back from Beijing of course. Who knows how soon or how far away that is.