pride and prejudice.

 

i do not frequent movie houses much so i resign myself to uploading and syncing old movies to my itouch.  last month, i posted an entry about pretty woman.  admittedly, i like chick-flick movies because the stories are generally light and feel-good. though i try to stay away from  the cheesy ones—those i really can’t stand.

aside from pretty woman, the film version of jane austen’s pride and prejudice, which starred keira knightley and matthew macfayden, is also a mainstay in my itouch. i first fell in love with the story when i downloaded the audio book and had it playing over and over.  it was my sister who introduced and hooked me to the film version.  it was much farther on when i read the book.  the book and audio book are the same except that the latter is more alive and transports you exactly in time.  the film, on the other hand, is a fusion of everything! it’s a visual feast with wonderful actors bringing to life the classic lines that are very distinct of jane austen’s novels.

a classic romance novel transcending social borders and time.

gelatissimo.

my friend, opalyn, and i usually frequent this place after a late-friday-afternoon lunch.  the thing i like about gelato shops around, is that they give out free taste to your heart and tastebuds’ content.  i do not go for the overly creamy flavours because they are a bit too much for my palette.  among the variety of flavours gelatissimo has, i always come back for the fruity ones. the more sour the blend is, the better it is for me!

aside from the fruity flavours, i also like the green tea variety.  price per scoop is p110.00, about right i think, for a cupful of smooth and yummy gelato.  the service is great considering that it takes a person, an average of 10 minutes, before an order is placed.  my tip though, is to make a beeline for the lady server because she scoops a generous heap of your chosen flavour!

 

photo taken from gelatissimo greenbelt 5.

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paradox.

paradox, as defined in buzzle.com, is a statement, which at first glance, appears to be false, but on further reading, it seems to contain an element of truth.  they say that paradox is an important ingredient of poetry and literature.

i sometimes equate paradoxes to tasteful sarcasm.  those, when used, sound very witty!  i’ve looked up the net for most common and interesting paradoxes there are:

• i must be cruel to be kind. – william shakespeare (hamlet)
• what a pity that youth must be wasted on the young – george bernard shaw
• this is the beginning of an end.
• please ignore the notice.
• deep down, he is really shallow.

 we may not be aware but paradoxes are fairly common even in our vernacular.  i wonder if it is the same as our “salawikain” or “kasabihan?”  either way, paradoxes truly make our literature colourful, flowery and more interesting.  the incessant play of words tickle the fancy of those hearing it.

family: support system you can rely on.

my family is again being tested for its strength and reliance on each other because of the recent diagnosis of my uncle’s condition.  he is my mother’s younger brother.  my daddy jessie, as we fondly call my uncle, is a big man with a boisterous and infectious laugh.  he has this weird sense of humour that we all so fond of.  however, we seldom hear that now because of his condition.

the physical examinations have been ongoing for a few months now but his condition has only become clearer recently.  there’s a huge change in his appearance because of sudden weight loss and change in stance.  he’s become less agile and often times resigned to bed.  this has taken a toll in his family.  mine feel the most of what they are going through now considering that we’ve been in the same situation barely a year ago.  my mother, who has taken upon herself to be at his brother’s aide and side all the time, is feeling so low lately.  she’s the same way when she took care of their youngest sibling six years back.

we all hope and pray to remain firm with resolve to stick with each other in this trying time.  daddy jessie and his family lent their shoulders when my family was struggling with my father’s passing on.  we hope to be their strength as well.  there is strength in number and family counts the most.

octoberfest!

october has finally arrived! my birthday month is now officially a thing of the past.  and as expected, it went without the surprises i’ve been conjuring in my mind.  lol!

the “ber” months, i think, are the super months of the year. not only because it officially ushers in the onset of christmas, but most of my friends and family members’ birthdays fall in these months.  my beloved kuya will be celebrating his on the 10^th! before when we were young, my parents used to have a joint celebration for our birthdays.  but we grew up and when he moved down south for work and eventually with a family of his own, we ended up having separate birthdays.  it worked the best especially because my niece, his daughter, is so crazy about birthday celebrations.  it has become a treat for her than for us celebrants. 

birthdays and the christmas season are not the only reasons for festivities during the month of october. the much-awaited octoberfest has its culminating events lined this month.  i’ve had the chance of joining one of their gigs about four years ago.  it was fun and of course SMB was overflowing!

as the “ber” months are coming, the events and festivities are rolling continuously.  can you imagine the excitement as november and december draw near? fun-fun times ahead!