Best and worst of 2023:

We are permanently working from home now so kinda bored but here goes:

Best film: 

Note that I haven’t seen the good roster of MMFF films yet.

 So hard to choose. I loved Barbie  and Killers of the Flower Moon, but i have to give it to Oppenheimer because i wasn’t even interested in it but it successfully made a film about science so interesting. My only complaint is that there were too many stars in cameos. 

*** update: also saw The Holdovers, which was great, but I really loved Anatomy of  a Fall, which might be even better than Oppenheimer. It’s about a German writer who is accused of killing her French husband while their blind son is caught in the middle. I thought it would be a suspense or court drama, but it really was an examination of the little resentments that snowball in a marriage. Also note to myself: don’t get involved in a french court trial. Stressful!

Worst film:

 The Little Mermaid. I don’t care about the race of the lead actress. What i hated was how they ruined the emotional tug of the original. This just left me cold with their realistic cgi of the animals. 

Best tv show:

 Ghosts. Now on its final season, it consistently entertained us, even until the last. Christmas special that had my sister in tears. 

Ted Lasso was also good, as well as Jury Duty, which felt like The Truman show. I was also surprised at how much i liked Blue eyed samurai. But Pluto was a great retelling of Astroboy.

Worst TV:

 Voltes V. The writer ruined it with the awful , idiotic subplots. The robot scenes were world-class and proudly made by Pinoys, which made the soap opera story so disappointing. 

Runners-up were Black Rider which is just too much mindless violence and sex for an early timeslot when kids are watching. The Crown became cringey with the ghost appearance of Diana and Dodi. 

Best book: 

i only read Ducks, two years in the oil sands by Katie Beaton and it’s really deserving of all the awards. I feel so proud of her because I was a fan of her Hark, a Vagrant

I only bought one book this year, Trese book 8: Shadow Agents. I thought it was going to build up to something big, but it was kind of a dud. Too much like a superhero story. I prefer the old cases. 

Best song:

i have never been a fan of Miley Cyrus but i loved Flowers and Used to be young. 

I crowdsourced these from my crazy jhenny fans and I agree that Raining in Manila was the mood of the season and JK Labajo’s Ere proved he was a real artist to watch.

Worst song: 

Carlos Agassi’s songs. It’s like he’s still stuck in the 90’s Andrew E style of rappingbwithout the humor.

Best Trend: 

Revenge travel. I’m glad we were able to fly to Boracay with my nephew, which was a promise I made before covid happened. But I am so envious of my retired balikbayan tita who has traveled all over the country from Sagada to Marawi! 

Worst Trend:

 Breakups. Sad about the celebrity split ups of Kathniel and Kim Chiu and Xian Lim, whose blogs we even watched. The only breakup I don’t mind is the end of Uniteam, Marcos and Duterte camps. 

Boracay 2023

 I made a promise to my nephew that I would take him to Boracay in March 2020. I had booked the tickets and reserved the hotel. Sadly, the covid pandemic happened. Airasia had extended our tickets for 2 more years but i forgot to use them and they expired. Undeterred, i bought new tickets for us and for his parents, too. I would have just gone with Alex but I worried that something might happen to our one and only big bata. Anyway, Twinx was assigned with our land and boat transfers and where to eat. I was worried because our airlines had become notorious for cancellations and delayed flights. I was also afraid we’d get bad weather because it was the rainy season.  

When we got to the airport, i admit i had forgotten what to do but we stumbled along and eventually got to our gate, 2 hours early, but the flight even arrived 24minutes earlier than the scheduled 11:40 arrival  in Boracay. We didn’t have a window seat but our co-passenger let alex have her seat. Though, it took some time to fill up our boat, so we finally arrived at Jony’s boutique hotel at 1pm. Luckily, they still honored my reservation from 3 years ago and while they didn’t have the triple room at the beachfront hotel i booked before, they found us 2 double rooms at their sister hotel. Jony’s boutique was lovely and their staff is so pleasant. The rooms are spacious and clean and looks new. I loved how they thought of everything a guest could need, like beach mats and beach towels so you’ll have someplace to put your stuff , and umbrellas, so you could walk around in the sun or rain. The only downside was that our windows faced the next door bank’s wall. 

For lunch we went to nearby Mon’s La Paz batchoy and ordered one plate of butter garlic shrimps for ₱290, batchoy, and hotsilog for Alex. It took a long while and while the food was ok, it was bitin (not enough) and we didn’t want to wait again so Omeng just ordered 2fried eggs. 

After resting, we went to the beach and explored. Of course Omeng and Alex went to Willy’s rock, then we had some leftover corned beef sandwiches Jonah’s shakes and were told by beach police that eating was not allowed on the beach. Also sandcastles, massages and fire dances were disallowed. While i love how this cleared the beach, i was also sad to see a lot of houses or hotels that were demolished. Luckily, Bans beach resort survived but their nipa huts have been converted to generic cement apartments. 

But Alex marveled at the white sand and clear water. We fed the fishies and stayed till sundown. Alex said it was one of the best days ever. When we got back to the hotel, we didn’t notice the hose outside to wash our feet so we tracked sand inside and had to remove a lot of it in the shower.

For dinner we went to Jasper’s tapsilog, as recommended by some youtube vloggers. But aside from my tinola and alex’s burge, the inasal was bland and the hamburger steak full of extenders. Then we had to rush hime because Alexhad to poop.

Alex was my roommate and he kept tossing and turning and when i asked him why, he said the aircon was too cold and he couldn’t go under the blanket because it was wrapped too tightly to the bed. I told him he should have told me because I thought he liked the cold. 

I just had to remember to always make time to use my ear drops 3 times a day for my ear infection and to wear ear plugs when i swam.

Breakfast was included at Pig out, Jony’s restaurant. We had the beef tapa or chorizo, while alex had the English breakfast with 2 eggs and bacon. We would have loved to eat lunch there for Alex’s birthday to get a free crème brûlée but meals were kinda expensive. 

So we swam some more till lunch time. Then we walked to Bolsbog beach where we had pizza and pasta at Mr D La Bettola. Mr D is Mr Daisuki, but they made really good food at reasonable prices. Alex loved it so much. Too bad tiramisu wasn’t available. We bought cakes at Dolce Baker but again, the silvana and carrot cake were not good. The chocolate mousee and chocolate caramel cake were ok, though. 

Then it was back to the beach where we saw more fish andalex would play a game with the globe beach ball i bought. He’d look for a country and challenge is to find it. When it was his turn, he’d say “ Ang daya! Bata lang ako!” ( It’s not fair! I’m just a child!)

For dinner, we were supposed to eat at Aquafresh, which was recommended by blogs, but it was fully-packed. So we wandered around till we got to Station X, which was a mall and hotel. We thought it was suspicious that there was no one at the food court but we took our chances at Plato D’Boracay and surprise! It was good. We had a big bowl of sinigang, chili crab and grilled squid. But the highlight for alex was playing foosball with all of us. It got really competitive. Then we went to D’Mall to shop for souvenirs. Then we walked back to the hotel, passing through the night life of White Beach.

On our last day, we decided not to risk it and we didn’t swim anymore. We just showered and waited till 9:30 to check out and go to the airport. They didn’t have a lot of food choices and no water dispenser. And due to a lack of buses, our flight was delayed. But it’s ok, my promise was fulfilled and we had a great time.

Best and worst of 2022

 I was too busy being shell-shocked from our boss resigning and leaving me in charge that I didn’t have much time to read new books or even comic books. So these are just random thoughts

Best film: Banshees of Inisherin. I read that it was on the best films list of most critics and while I just intended to watch it casually, I was hooked. Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face…

I also saw and liked Tar, Everything all at once, Aftersun. But i liked Nope and Triangle of Sadness more because they weren’t subtle. 

Worst film: Bones and all. I just couldn’t finish this cannibal film, even if it was on some critics’ best list. Blonde was also unwatchable despite Ana de Armas’ best efforts.

Best TV show: Despite my doubts about the casting, I liked Maria Clara at Ibarra, not only because of the acting and story, but also because it has made Rizal’s story interesting again to young people.

I also liked Bad Sisters, Ghosts, and despite my trauma from Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon really crushed it!

Worst: Start Up PH had zero chemistry and was so boring and disappointing. They just had to copy the original but they failed! I also must concur that Rings of Power was a bore. I don’t like Abot kamay na pangarap but I’m so glad my sister’s classmate Che is finally getting recognition and fame for playing the initially adversarial doctor.

Best song: Rosas was the best because it embodied the hopes of a nation.

While everyone liked Taylor Swift’s Antihero, i was late to the party and preferred All too well. I also loved Beyonce’s break my soul and Cuff it.

Worst song: I just switch the channel when i hear that song by Bini. It’s like they’re shouting. 

Best and worst of 2021

Wow, 2021 came and we thought we’d finally be rid of the pandemic by Christmas, but here we are! I got covid, we all started working from home and I wonder how all the extroverts are doing because even I felt cabin fever from being stuck at home all year, with only 2 ventures that weren’t for vaccination or dental work.

So, stuck at home, my main accomplishment was watching tv at home and here are my favorites and not-so-likeys.

Best Film: Emma. 

I loved this version of a jane austen classic that i saw on HBO. It’s just so light and funny, like a palate cleanser from all the ugliness on the news. It helps that i like anna taylor joy from “ queen’s gambit” and co-star johnny flynn from “lovesick”

I also liked “The green knight” which felt like a waking dream, with stunning visuals. Everybody raved about “ the power of the dog” but it was a little low-key for me. “ The French dispatch” is cute and quirky but also a little sad because it’s like a eulogy for the printed word, a world i still live in. “ Nocturama” is a haunting film about teens in Paris who bomb the city then hide in a mall, but no one knows why. Disturbing but stylish. “Spiderman: No way home” was the best commercial movie that mixed fan service with an actual good story. 

*Worst :No time to die 

was a letdown because they tried and failed to make all the previous films seem like they were all connected. Plus the villain didn’t seem like much of a threat, so the stakes didn’t feel high enough. 

Also hated Matrix Resurrection. It felt like a retread or worse, a money grab. I mean in the first one they had bullet time and now, they have “ hadouken”? 

Musical: Come from away. ( Apple tv)

I was so surprised about this musical. I didn’t know anything about this small town that welcomed thousands of stranded passengers after 9/11. And what an economic use of actors! With just a change of vest, they were a different character. 

*No me likey: Rak of Aegis. 

This was disappointing. I heard nothing but praises for this but when we watched it, it was a chore. They tried too hard to give each character a back story with a matching song, but maybe they should just have edited them out. 

TV series: Ghosts.

 I only heard about this online but am i glad i was able to see the BBC original as well as the US remake. Funny and touching, as well as throwaway comments that had me laughing out loud, i looked forward to every episode. I was also a fan of Family business, Sex education , Trying, Ted Lasso. So proud of Trese on Netflix, though we wished the main villain’s fate hewed closer to the book’s inspired ending. 

* And just like that…

 is the next phase of Sex and the city but without my fave Samantha, it feels boring and less fun and an overcorrecting of its whiteness. 

After suzette doctolero’s tiff with pol medina on voltes 5, we watched her show “ Legal wives” and we wondered why the muslim community wasn’t complaining about how it put their culture in such a bad light. I would’ve gotten dead drunk if i had a shot every time Dennis Trillo’s character would say “ I don’t have a choice” 

Song: Dulo, by the Juans

 just hit me hard with its beautiful sadness while Bruno Mars and company’s “Leave the door open” was just the perfect sexy, retro vibe to perk me up

Meanwhile, that * pepsi ad with daniel padilla singing the high part of “ Total eclipse of the heart” sounded like “ pinupunit na yero” or shredding a galvanized steel roof.

 

Comics: Paul at home by Michel rabagliati 

is his saddest book yet as he deals with divorce, death and learning to be alone. Don’t know if this is his last one but i hope he’s ok.

Adrian Tomine’s Loneliness of the long distance cartoonist is a hilarious insight into the huge ego and even huger insecurities of artists. How comforting to know I am not alone. 

Gadget: ipad with pencil.

 Thank god i bought this after reading sooooo many reviews and just before i got covid. Otherwise, i wouldn’t have been able to make editorial cartoons or crazy jhenny from home. My wacom couldn’t work with the anydesk.

Tp link deco m5  wifi mesh was a lifesaver for my WFH problems. With our village unable to upgrade to pldt fiber, I was able to use my sister’s globe fiber  next door without the messy wires or loss of signal strength.

Worst: BDO online security.

Not only did lots of clients suddenly lose their money to a Mr. Nagoyo, they tried to blame it on the victims!

Quick reviews of my purchases last year

Due to the pandemic, most of us have resorted to consumerism. I admit i have also been on a buying spree in 2020. One year later, here’s a quick review of how they’re doing so far

One of the most difficult purchases was looking for a new sofa. Most sofas only reach up to you shoulders, no head rest. I searched far and wide and online for a nice one with fabric upholstery so that it wouldn’t be too hot. Found the perfect one at Sanyang. And  surprise, it reclines and also converts into a bed! The only drawback is that the fabric is kinda rough so i like to put a bedsheet over it.

Early 2020, we bought a panasonic fridge. It looks very classy in black, though i understand the trend now is stainless steel. The freezer works really well, too well, actually. We have to put the meat out overnight to defrost it. The freezer space is huge but the crisper for veggies is tiny because it shares space with the motor ? Also, a design flaw is that the fridge light is right in front so you can’t really see the stuff in the back unless you turn on the kitchen light.

For summer, we bought a toshiba inverter fan. Really cool and quiet, with various modes like the silent mode and the night mode. I don’t know if the inverter really saves us money but what’s funny is that after a certain number of hours, it turns off by itself! 

Finally, i bought a 50 inch TCL c15 qled as a reward for myself. It’s my first android tv and i read good things about it. Cable and bluray looks great but what i love most is watching netflix and appletv in dolby vision! The sound is good, too, with lots of settings that can be adjusted. What i have noticed though, is that sometimes, when i switch from netflix to tv or switch settings, the tv will reboot by itself. Other than that, perfect for lockdown binge watching!

Best of 2020 quarantine edition

What a weird year. Lockdown forced me to finally get Netflix so my parents wouldn't get bored. So while some of my choices would never be on critics' lists, these were the ones that comforted me on what is probably the longest year of our lives 

Best tv shows

I loved Schitt's Creek and the antisuperhero series, "The Boys" 

but i also fell for "Kim's Convenience" and "Cobra Kai" because of their family-firendly stories that didnt insult our intelligence, either

 I felt such a loss after watching the last episode of "Call my agent". I hurried through some scenes of "Crash Landing on You" and I finally found out about "Avatar, the last airbender" 

I loved some episodes of "Black Mirror" but what could be scarier than living an actual episode? 

Oh, I also played catch up with "The Crown" but while everyone lauded Gillian anderson as Thatcher, I found her portrayal of her too old and mannered. 

But my guiltiest pleasure was watching "House Hunting international" because it was escapism at its best and aso most mundane. 

  Worst TV show 

I totally regret wasting my time on a show called "The Duchess" where an American woman has such a dysfunctional relationship with her daughter that she willfully breaks the heart of her impossibly perfect boyfriend.

 Dishonorable mention goes to "Space Force" which somehow managed to make some of the best comedians unlikeable. 

  Best movie

This might be cheating but the Best movie I saw this year was the remastered version of "Kisapmata" I streamed it before christmas and we were all transfixed at the horror of the faher figure played by Vic Silayan. More disconcerting was how a movie about Marcos' dictatorship and rape of the country still felt familiar today.

 Most disappointing movie was "WW84" After that wonderful debut, Patty Jenkins got the full control and it was a mess. One comment that captured it perfectly was that the plot felt like an 80's movie, too.

  Best songs 

I loved Dua Lipa's "Levitating" and Doja Cat's "Say So", especially that retro music video.

  Best and worst comics 

Somehow, the X of Swords arc of X-men promised to be the best build up but also a disappointing event. The set ups was more thrilling than the actual duels. some challeneges were rushed and downright silly! But the resolution which humanized Apocalypse put the scales back in the "Best" category

A great Wonder Woman story was Wonder Woman :Dead Earth where Diana wakes up in a post-apocalyptic future where Diana must fight mutated Amazons to save mankind. This ain't your Gal Gadot Wonder woman

If indie comics are your thing, search for "This one summer" by Mariko and Jillian Tamaki and just let the tears flow as a girl comes of age while on vacation with her suddenly emotionally distant mother.

Quebec tv shows on netflix and tv5 monde

 Quick review of shows i've seen on TV5 monde: 

1) Tactik-I am emotionally invested in this show because it was the first one I saw about Quebec. A simple show about teens who met while playing football, but in the later seasons, they hardly ever play and the show focused on their relationships

2) Unite 9-heavy drama about females in jail. Often depressing but stellar performances from some of Quebec's biggest stars.

3) Memoires Vives-very soapy show with a daughter who is found years later, a mom with a younger bf who is keeping a secret,etc.

4) au secours de beatrice-a female doctor whose story is bookended by visits to a therapist, where she deals with her relationship with her father

5) le petits meurtres de agatha christie-- this is hilarious! set in 1950s paris with a more humorous, winky tone to its modern audience about how men and women's roles have evolved

6) au service de la france--set in the cold war, it's another favorite of mine because it's a comedy filled with bungling secret service agents.

7) Fais pas ci, fais pas ca--reminds me of american comedy "Modern family" and i wish i saw more of it but it's shown so late at night

8 ) Cherif--an interesting detective show set in Lyon where the investigator reerences a lot of hollywood procedural shows.

9) Blue moon-- another show set in Quebec, about a paramilitary company that runs after terrorists and other criminal elements, which is hard to believe when you read that another show called 19-2 had to invent crime scenarios because there just wasn't enough crime in Canada.

Best and worst of Quebec pop culture that I've seen

My love affair with Quebec cinema continued in 2017

I got copies of more films that were on the list of their best like:

1987 by Ricardo Trogi---Best!

• Jesus de Montreal (1989) I avoided viewing this initially because it was made a long time ago and I felt I didn't want to see a film with a big message. But I relented and I don't regret it at all. It's about an actor who is asked by the local church to update their passion play and he goes overboard and finds himself persecuted the same way that Jesus was! It may seem dated now, post- Dan Brown and Da Vinci code, but it still is controversial.
• Mon Oncle Antoine (1971) This one is said to be the most highly-regarded Quebecois film. So much so that their film awards used to be named after the director Claude Jutra. It's said to be a coming-of-age film of a boy who realizes that the adults around him are frail and imperfect. Personally, I didn't really get it. 
• Decline of the American empire (1986) This one is filled with dialogue. It's about a group of intellectuals discussing history, philosophy, politics and sex. But mostly it reveals that Montreal professor Remy is a sleazeball who has slept with almost every woman he has met.
• Les Invasions Barbares (The Barbarian Invasions, 2003) What a surprise to learn that I had already seen this on DVD because it won an Oscar for best foreign film. I didn't really like it back then. But A.C. (after Canada,) I watched it with older eyes and appreciated this sequel to "Decline of the american empire" which is still talky but now also has at its heart the story of the rocky relationship between terminally ill Remy and his son, Sebastien. 
• Les Demons (2015) is another film I didn't quite get about a boy who is scared of imagined demons but there's also a real human monster lurking. The major highlight for me was seeing some familiar faces from Tactik like Pierre-Luc Funk

• Funky Town (2011) is about the golden age of disco in Montreal. I loved that it was bilingual and again saw familar faces like Patrick Huard, Francois Letourneau, and Paul Doucet in a deliciously campy role.
• Sarah prefers to run (2013) was a bore. It's about a girl who loves running so much she agrees to a sham marriage to get financial benefits from the city. But things don't turn out well (duh) and they break up and that's more than an hour I'll never get back.
• Everything is fine (2008) is a difficult film to watch because it's about a group of teenagers who make a pact to commit suicide. One of the friends is left out and is depressed and also tries to kill himself. It reminds me of Les Etres Chers but not as devastating.
• It's only the end of the world (2016) is Xavier Dolan's latest and most divisive work. I personally prefer films he wrote himself. This felt overacted and stuffy.
• De pere en flic(2009) is the worst Quebec movie I have ever seen. It's about a father and son, both policemen, who are sent to a kind of therapy camp to fix their relationship. It was not funny at all.
• 1981 (2009) Now, this is a comedy brimming with affection and nostalgia. Ricardo Trogi's autobiographical movie about his life at 11 years old is heartwarming and cute. I also like that Jean-Carl Boucher of Tactik is the lead actor.
• 1987 (2014) is the vastly superior  sequel to "1981" This time he's 17, about to graduate from high school and 80's fashion and music is in full display. I loved every minute of it!
• Votez Bougon (2016) is a political satire about a white trash scoundrel who rides on a populist wave and becomes premier of Quebec. 
• Gabrielle (2013) is about a girl with "Williams syndrome" which from what i understand is like autism but instead of being withdrawn, she has a very lively personality. The lead actress really had Williams syndrome but held her own in even the dramatic scenes. I was also impressed with her co-star Alexandre Landry who i thought was also mentally-challenged.
• Louis Cyr (2013) I read about him in one of Michel Rabagliati's comic books. He was the strongest man in the world and made money as a circus performer. He was however, very insecure because he didn't know how to read. This was beautifully shot, like a painting. And while Antoine Bertrand's expressive eyes drew me in, the rest of the film feels like it was trying too hard to win Best Film.
• Bon Cop, Bad Cop 2 (2017) With the success of the first film, it's a wonder why they took so long to make a sequel. Star/writer Patrick Huard said they wanted to make sure it was a good sequel and I had high hopes but was disappointed. Not enough laughs. Several action sequences didn't feel exciting at all.
• Les Boys (1997) is about a group of men who bond over ice hockey. This is funny though some of the humor is a bit dated, including what's supposed to be a very tolerant attitude towards a teammate's sexual preference but comes across now as offensive.
• Montreal La Blanche (2016) is very intriguing to me but unfortunately, i can't find subtitles for it so I don't know what it's about.
• Good Neighbors (2010) is actually an English-language movie set in Montreal starring Scott Speedman and Jay Baruchel as neighbors in an apartment and there's a serial killer on the loose. I knew who the killer was early on but it gets very twisted at the end
• Nelly (2016) is about a prostitute who writes about her experiences and becomes a best-selling author. But all these makes her depressed and suicidal. Not for the faint of heart but lead  star Mylene Mackay won Best Actress for this.
• Nitro Rush (2016) This has to be the most disappointing movie here. though I've never seen the first movie, Nitro, I assumed it would be acceptable as an action movie. Nope. Another action film from director Alain Descrochers which was only exciting in one part but I couldn't enjoy the rest because of the big gaping plot holes.
• J'en suis (1997) a comedy about a down-on-his-luck architect who pretends he's gay to work as an art dealer. Again, not politically correct, but not a complete waste of time.
• Corbo (2014) Set in the 1960's, it's about Jean Corbo, a teenager who gets seduced into joining the FLQ, a separatist movement in Quebec. Very timely now that lots of kids are getting radicalized into joining terrorists. Well-made film but it left me cold. 

While most of the films were hit or miss, I thoroughly enjoyed these 2 Quebec made Tv series:

• Serie Noire- this is about two tv writers who hate their show and decide to plunge into the crime world to make their writing more real. Of course, they will live to regret it as they get involved in the gay mafia and entangled with a crazy guy named Marc Arcand, who is hilariously unhinged. There's a second season but I can't find subtitles for it.
• Les Beaux Malaises is a tv series starring martin Matte, a stand up comic who talks about a variety of issues he seems to encounter in real life. Particularly funny is his sex-crazed mommy. Highly recommended and good news: it's on Netflix!
• Tactik is my current obsession. It's about a group of teens who became friends because of football bu the show is now focused on their lives. It's shown every weekend on TV5 Asie with French subtitles. It's like TGIS and Dawson's Creek and I've grown so attached to the characters I actually felt sad when I found out the series had ended way back in 2013!

Comic books

I read a lot of comic books this year, I even ordered all of Michel Rabagliatis' books onlie to complete the "Paul" series. Too bad I learned that he's now divorced and will not continue the series. My aunt even sent me one in the original French!
But the best one I read(even though it's not quebecois) has to be "Beautiful Darkness" by Fabian Vehlmann and the art duo Kerascoet. At first it looks like a fairy tale but then it turns real dark and scary. An unforgettable , seductive journey in to the darkness that lives in the hearts of men .

Other great books I read were Beauty by Hubert and Kerascoet, Hostage by Guy Delisle, and My favorite thing is Monsters by Emil Ferris

The most disappointing would be Miss Touch me not by hubert and Kerascoet because the first book was so raunchy good that the second book was such a let down with that terrible, awful, WTF ending! My advice, buy just the first book! And revel in the intricately drawn images of 1930s Paris!

Best and worst of 2016

Hi all,
I've neglected blogging and it seems blogging is on the decline worldwide, which is a shame since some of the best tips I've read have come from blogs....
I had a really wonderful experience last year. I went abroad for the first time in my life. And it was amazing. I had never even considered flying to another country because there were still so many places in the Philippines I hadn't explored. But when the opportunity presented itself, how could I say no?


the problem is, I think I'm in love with Canada now, so my best and worst list is heavily biased in favor of Canadian stuff.

Film
Best: Paul a Quebec.
Adapted from a Bande  dessinée (comic book) by Michel Rabagliati, it tells the story of Roland, a patriarch dying of cancer and how the family deals with it.(As seen through the eyes of son-in-law Paul)
It's very Pinoy in the sense that it's very sentimental. My cousin gave me the book as a gift and by the end I was in tears. When I saw the movie, I was already tearing up by the first act.
They added lots of other details to make Paul more rounded, and they took out a lot of details from the book but I still loved it.
Honorable mentions:

•  C.R.A.Z.Y. -Another moving film about a special boy and his struggle to be accepted by his father. 
• J'ai tue ma mere -My first movie from Xavier Dolan. Searing with emotions that seem too real for comfort. this is my favorite dolan. All the rest seem too stylized.
• Les Etres Chers- About a man burdened with inexplicable depression, this movie really bummed me out. I had to eat some chocolate right after.
• Incendies-Another movie that will either make you suicidal or make you feel better about your life, knowing that some people's lives are truly f***ed up

Worst: Le trois p'tits cochons 1 and 2.
Juvenile films about cheating men. Imagine American Pie for the middle-aged. But the first was successful so they made another one.

Dishonorable mentions: Gods of Egypt, Dirty Grandpa (coincidentally, they were showing on my plane ride)

Bonus: Short reviews of other quebec films I saw:

• Felix et Meira-about an agnostic and a Hasidic Jewish woman who fall in love. There's a beautiful scene near the end but the rest is just meh.
• Ville-Marie-it's intersecting lives because of an accident like the movie "Crash" but it felt hollow
• La Passion d'Augustine: a beautifully-made movie with even more beautiful music. But I guess the ending of non-Hollywood movies are more subdued for me
• Polytechnique: Denis Villenueve loves to disturb viewers. This one about the mass killing of female university students is even more terrifying than Incendies because it's based on a true story
• Tu dors Nicole: A lovely film with light touches of comedy about a girl who has to accept the realities of adulthood
• Tom at the farm: A very Hitchcock-like suspense movie about the dysfunctional relationship of a gay man and his dead lover's brother
• Cafe de Flore: Hypnotic movie set in two different times about two loves which seem like they have no connection to each other, until the end, when it takes a supernatural turn.
• Les amours imaginaires: Very stylish and entertaining movie about a gay man and his female best friend who are in love with the same guy. nice to look at but just popcorn fare.
• Bon Cop, Bad Cop: A hilarious buddy cop movie about stereotypical Canadians from the English and French sides of the country.
• Starbuck: Touching movie which was a little too saccharine sweet for me. 
• Monsieur Lazhar: Another subtle movie about students and their teacher dealing with death and loss
• Laurence anyways: A more substantive movie from Dolan about the love between a woman and a transvestite man. It has its moments of brilliance especially that meet-cute at the end,  but it really was too long.
• Mommy is at the hairdresser's : I was expecting a comedy but instead got a very dramatic movie about a brother and sister who deal with their parents' separation
• Les demons: It's really about a boy who starts to realize that the world is not perfect. then the director puts in a second story about a very disturbing teenager
• Guibord s'en va-t-en guerre: A political comedy about a small-town representative and his intern from Haiti. Reminds me a bit of "Mr Smith goes to Washington"
• Mommy: It's like Xavier dolan's follow-up to his first film, but now he casts a more sympathetic look at the mom of a troublesome teen. The square screen felt gimmicky, though
• French immersion: Loved the premise of Anglophones who go to a village in Quebec to learn French. the actual work is a little corny and predictable

TV
Best: Game of thrones
It started slow and kinda boring but as it careened to the finale, it was must-see TV once again. You should have seen my face when I found out  on the day of the finale that my aunt in Montreal did not have HBO. Luckily, wifi is blazing fast there and some good soul streamed the episode right away!
Honorable mention:  Fresh off the boat is still great.

Worst: Enkantadia remake
Not  only were the new leads (except for Glaiza) bland, the story got really dumb. How many times does a queen or a princess have to be killed in her own palace before someone fires the guards?

Song:
Hands down, it has to be "Apres on va ou?" form Paul a Quebec.
you could tell the song was really made for the movie and not just something they thought would go nicely with it.

Milo "Energy Gap" I hate James Reid's voice. The guy refuses to take voice lessons because he said it made him sound like his voice teacher, and he wanted to stay as he is. Wow.

Book:
I love Paul a Quebec so much because it has opened my eyes to how comic writing doesn't always have to be about superheroes or jokes. It can be a poignant way to tell your story.
BUT... Best book goes to 12:01 by Russell Molina and Kajo Baldisimo for coming out with a very relevant book about Martial Law and the repressive regime this current government is trying to santitize.

Blue Coral Laiya review and tips!

I loved the massage I got from the waterfalls.

I remember Blue Coral in Batangas because when our family reunion plans in 2006 were ruined by typhoon Milenyo, we looked for a resort nearer to Lucena. We eventually settled for La Luz, but we saw so many signs for Blue Coral while looking for La Luz, my tita joked that we should just stay at Blue Coral!

We hadn't gone to a beach since Siquijor in 2013 so we looked for a relatively nearby beach resort that was affordable without giving up some creature comforts like aircon and TV.

Caylabne in cavite was out because I heard it had deteriorated and the beach wasn't nice.

La Luz was also out because my family needed a TV and I wanted a resort with a pool in case the sea had jellyfish.

I would've loved to stay at Virgin Beach where the movie "Here comes the bride" was shot but it was too expensive.

Blue coral reception area

So I was left with Blue Coral though I was apprehensive because I read some bad reviews on TripAdvisor. They said the rooms were old and the food was bad.  I also didn't like this racket that you had to avail of their buffet for 3 meals. I just told my family to expect the worst.

The beach area

But surprise, surprise, Blue Coral turned out to be quite satisfying! The staff was friendly, the food was mostly great, and the rooms showed signs of age but were quite acceptable.

They had a kiddie pool, infinity pool and a pool with a man-made waterfalls.  The beach was clean and so was the sea. My only complaints would be that the swimming area of the beach was limited because of the aqua sports, and the sand wasn't fine. It was like grains of tiny rocks.

A waiting area. I liked how there's also a rest room on this floor in case your room's en suite toilet is occupied.

Old Samsung thin tv, not flat screen

2 double beds.  No phone, though

Huge shower area  bathroom, toilet with bidet.

Cute balcony

View from our 2nd floor deluxe room

I loved that a deluxe room could fit 6 people (2 double beds plus 2 mattresses) and that there was a hot and cold water dispenser on the first floor. 

Tip: While bringing food was not allowed, they didn't really check so you could sneak in some snacks if you didn't feel like taking a ride to go to the eateries outside.

Toiletries were included but you might want to bring your own. We also brought snacks.

Tip: They offer a discount if you book on a weekday.  The deluxe room was P5,500 but on weekdays it's P4,640. They also give senior citizen discounts and half-off discounts for kids  (4-10 yrs old) for the buffet.

Dining area breakfast scene

I wish they could improve their reservation process, though. Their online booking doesn't work. One has to call their office  a number  (Manila 559 9747 or 559 9754 or 567 4376 or try cellphone 0917 6769146) to make inquiries and it's always busy. You have to pay 50% of the total bill via bank deposit to their BPI or BDO account to confirm your reservation.

Tip: If you can't get through, try this email of the employee I talked to, hope karen ramos at  hopekaren.bluecoral@gmail.com 

Buffet line at the dining area

Our breakfast: sardines, scrambled eggs, spicy sausage, beef tapa, hash browns, and watermelon for dessert. Coffee, tea, and juice also included

Lunch was shrimps, spaghetti and giant meatballs, korean beef ribs, chop suey chicken, and ramen soup. Dessert looked like leche flan but was just some dry cake.

After leaving Blue Coral, don't forget to eat at Cafeño, in San Juan. The place is so interesting with old sewing machines as table accents and the food is good and affordable, too.

Endorsed by Drew Arellano? That's good enough for my sister!

Halo-halo for sharing

Sewing machine as center pieces!

Under the table, moving machine parts!

Laiya 2016 from albert on Vimeo.