Feel the Noiz at Rock of Ages The Movie

I have to specify that this is the Rock of Ages The Movie, right from the very start. The Philippines has simultaneous showing of both the movie and the play (starring Migs Ayesa and Vina Morales) and as much as I would like to see it live, so I have reasons on stamping my feet as the music plays, I have to make some priorities. Anyways, this is not a thorough review, but merely thoughts on the movie.

To finish off my birthday week, I had a date with my college best buds last Thursday for a post birthday special and a movie night. We are thinking of having Kimmy Dora or Rock of Ages, but since we don't have the crowd for Rock of Ages (if we plan to see it on separate occasions, we decided to this movie).


I never ever thought Tom Cruise would give justice to Stacie Jaxx. I mean, I knew him from the Mission Impossible series, nothing more. But, he is really good at this movie. Nothing spectacular though, but his acting is convincing.

Julianne Hough, aside from being Ryan Seacrest's girlfriend, well, she also did a good job here. However, I am not a fan of her voice as I find it too high for rock songs.

The biggest shock for me are Russell Brand and Alec Baldwin. If I wasn't aware of Katy Perry - Russell Brand love affair, I would personally ask Katy why she had Russell for a husband. Likewise to Alec Baldwin's fiancee. These two guys are freaky and downright crazy.

On the women's side, Catherine Zeta-Jones is also freaky in a good way. She might has this poker face, but her acting was really great. Well, its not really the acting per se, but the antics. I would never thought she would be dancing like that. If it was not for the voice, I would never recognize Mary J. Blige on the movie. She really gained a lot and grew a lot of hair. But, the voice quality is still there.

I would never spoil the plot, but above all, the movie (and the stars) are beyond my dreams. With Mr. Cruise and Ms. Zeta-Jones dancing and belting out, with Ms. Hough's dancing skills, with dreaming effects, with mash-ups, Rock of Ages will definitely make your feet stamp or sing-along with the songs you know.

It would be a great experience if I will be able to see the play, but for now, I'll be singing "Hit me with your best shot". :)

Winning lines:

"I am busy... Busy falling in love..." - Dennis

Conversation between Sherrie and Drew:
Sherrie: I am a dancer in a strip club.
Drew:I am member of a boyband.
Sherrie: Okay, you won.


ROCK OF AGES (2012)

List of Characters:

Tom Cruise - Stacee Jaxx (ROCK LEGEND)
Diego Boneta - Drew Boley (BOURBON ROOM WAITER/ ROCK STAR/ BOYBAND MEMBER)
Julianne Hough - Sherrie Christian (BOURBON ROOM WAITRESS/ SEXY WAITER AND DANCER AT VENUS GENTLEMAN'S CLUB)
Alec Baldwin - Dennis Dupree (OWNER, THE BOURBON ROOM)
Russell Brand - Lonny (ASSISTANT, THE BOURBON ROOM)
Catherine Zeta Jones - Patricia Whitmore (MAYOR'S WIFE)
Bryan Cranston - Mike  Whitmore (LOS ANGELES MAYOR)
paul Giamatti - Paul Gill (MANAGER, ARSENAL, STACEE JAXX AND Z-GUYZZZZ)
Malin Akerman - Constance Sack (REPORTER, ROLLING STONE)
Mary J. Blige - Justice Charlier (OWNER, VENUS GENTLEMAN'S CLUB)



List of Songs performed:

Paradise City
Jukebox hero and I Love rock and roll (mash up)
Hit me with your best shot
Sister Christian and Just like a Paradise and Nothing but good (mash up)
Waiting for a girl like you
More than words and Heaven (mash up)
Wanted dead or alive
I want to know what love is
I wanna rock
Pour some sugar on me
Harden my heart
Here I go again
Can't fight this feeling
Any way you want it
Undercover love
Every rose has its thorn
Rock you like a hurricane
We built this city and We're not gonna stop (mash up)
Don't stop believin'

Enjoy Rock of Ages! :)

Birthday Post: Officially 26

I am officially 26 years old. And this is according to my birth certificate, which says that I was born 10:40pm in june 11, 1986. 


26 years after, here I am. I have to believe, a lot stronger, braver, more open to things outside of my comfort zone, wiser and happier. For the past 6 years, after conquering crucial college years, trying to live on my own, starting a new relationship and finding a new job, I have to believe, turning 26 was never been this great.  I have my family who never turned their back on me. I never heard my dad shouting, while my mom is always the life of our home (in short, maingay any time of the day). Thank you for turning any celebration into a cook-off between us. My siblings,who I turned into dependents of myself and my mom, is always there when I need someone who can run errands for me. Bumawi na lang kayo kapag may trabaho na kayo. O kaya, pumayag naman kayo sa food trips ko. Hindi ko naman kayo lalasunin. To my crazy, crazy cousins, thank you for the calls that makes us laugh together. Sa inyo ko lang napapraktis ang jokes ko. 


My significant other, that despite the times I'm asking myself, "Ano nga ba ang nagustuhan ko sa korning lalaking ito", would always be there for me no matter what, or not matter how hard I push him away from me. Because of him, I started to believe "Only God knows why". Thank you for the nights that I end up scratching my head, for installing (install talaga, its has been in my system) those pick up lines before I slept (that haunts me on my dreams) and for letting me what I want to be. 


To my great friends, Tina and Lheny, that despite the lack of communication and long distance between us, never failed to greet me on my special days. Tina, pressured ako sa tanong mo. :D


To Pangs, Babs and Tol, my boyfriends, hindi man lang kayo umangal when I give you these nicknames, thank you for checking on me every single time.


To Amae and Coeli, mga teh, you are the ones that keep me sane when I need to, and insane when I need it the most. Until you two have your boyfriends (after passing your strict requirements), nothing will change. :)


To Lissa, Cams and Ryan, thank you for missing me that much and for keeping me updated with your respective lives. Thank you for trusting me.:) Lissa, thank you for allowing me releasing my masculine emotions when we talk. Hindi pa ding nagbabago ang gusto kong gawin sa iyo, ang iuntog ka sa pader.  Cams, thank you for trusting me with all your heart and I love being your diary. And Ryan,salamat sa laging pagpapaalala ng utang kong spaghetti sa iyo. 


To my Lola, I love you and thank you for keeping me safe always. :) To God, thank you for this life. Thank you for the story that you have written for me. I just hope its not that Twilight plot. :p


To friends that I haven't seen in ages, or inindian ko lang, or nakasalubong ko pero maang-maangan ako, thank you for being a part of my life, naalala ko kayo, each one of you, takot lang ako magkamali. To relationships that have flourished and never had the chance to be as long as my present, thank you for making me realize that I am not the conventional/ traditional type of person.


This new era will be the start of something new for me. 

Thoughtful Saturday: Things I have learned as of 25 years old

Two days before I turn 26, I believe I have to share what I have learned in the past 25 years of my life. Tomorrow, by the eve of my birthday, I plan to write an all-out entry about my life. :)

ON LOVE and RELATIONSHIPS

1. Long distance relationship is founded on trust and love. And it will not work when either one of you is unsure of what you are getting into or even not emotionally prepared. When Louie is your guy, a pail-full of patience will definitely help you. 

2. Long distance relationship doesn't work for everyone. I have heard of relationships not working when they finally have the distance and time difference. These two factors are the main reasons of broken relationships.

3. LDR will teach you how to live on your own. Its an advantage - that despite you having a significant other, you still have time for yourself. 

4. If you belong to a circle of friends that are attached, do not get jealous. Instead, think of it as an advantage. You get to see a movie anytime you want, you do not have to ask for permission when you go out with a bunch of boys, you don't hurry going home because somebody's waiting for you. 

5. When you are at war with a friend, it's not a matter of pride. Instead, it is a matter of accepting one another, no matter how different your personalities are. Friendships are far cries from love relationships. In love, you can break up with your boyfriend/ girlfriend. In friendship, there is no concept such as that. Its either you become acquaintances (again) or foreign to one another. 

6. As the years passed, your friendship circle will not grow bigger, instead they will become smaller. Those who have been with you through rough times will eventually stay. Those who can smack you right at your face will always be there to give you a bump. Those who shout at you, those you curse you in front of everybody else will definitely be there to curse you and shout at you when you have problems. 

7. No matter what happens, whether you once shout at your mom or never had the deep conversation with your dad, your family is the very first one to back you up. They will be there to pick you up, support you and simply, cook you your favorite food after a bad day. 

8. Despite you tell yourself that you are a daddy's girl, your mom will understand you more than how you are understood by your dad. Its women's attraction to one another that causes it. 

9. Make sure that your family approves your significant other. Though they will never be in direct contact with your man/ woman when you get married and have the family of your own, just keep in mind that its your family that you can run too when you have a problem. 

10. Find somebody that complements and supplements you. Love is not a one-way street, you don't always give nor take. Love is not measured how similar your facial features are, nor how different you are from each other. Love is like, err, magic. 

ON WORK AND PROFESSION

11. Take the first opportunity that knocks on your door, but keep your windows open should there be more to come over. 

12.  Make the most out of your first job. This will make your foundation in the professional world. Understand each problem that you encounter. Clients are there to test you, professionally and emotionally. 

13. When its time to go, do not burn bridges. The industry is too small and you might bump to each other days after you changed your job. Exit gracefully. 

14. Your officemates are next to your family when it comes to relationship hierarchy. Try to know them and understand them. The work environment is so diverse that you will have a hard time looking for somebody like you. 

15. It is true, that when you finally landed a job and are preparing to transfer to it, another job that you have been waiting for will come knocking. Do not fret, just make sure that you make the most out of the new job, but try to maintain a connection with the company once in while. 

ON LIFE, IN GENERAL. 

16. It is okay to cry once in a while. Strength is not measured by how often you cry, or walk out of the issue. Instead, it is measured how graceful you handle each situation, without driving over somebody. You may miss somebody and think that crying is the only way that you can connect to them. It will clear your mind and your emotions as well. 

17. It is okay that you are still childish, that you remember how you spend you weekends before, that you miss your elementary and highschool notebooks, that you missed how you played under the rain, become sick and be absent in school. Enjoy reminiscing them, if you are crazy enough, you can relive them. 

18. You can frown anytime you want, but make sure there is a right reason why you did this. Just make sure that for every frown you give, have a ten fold of laughs after. 

19. Imagine. imagine. imagine. This will enhance your adaptive and creative skills. Imagine how will you look like after 10 years, what family will you be having, what car will you be driving and home where you will be living in. Visit an appliance store and discuss where would you like to see the fridge, that 42 inch televesion, the front load washing machine, the intercom, the coffeemaker. 

20. Treat each day as another day for adventure. You will meet somebody that doesn't respect your privacy, or talks to you when she/he can clearly see you neon green earphones, or say bad things behind your back, simply because they have a bad start of the day. This will exercise you on how to treat each situation. 

21. If you have encountered a complainant (those who are overflowing of negativities at 7 in the morning), smile it out, or better yet, smile at them. Say thank you when they let you pass despite you hearing their complaints because they have to get out of the FX. Nod when a fast driving vehicle let you pass when you cross the street. Or even smile when you see somebody who cut the line in front of you, and yet she is not ready to get her bags inspected. 

Life is too short to miss out the greatest, finest things in life. You may have a crazy, makulit and corny boyfriend like me, or a single one with attached friends, always look at the brighter side. 

Love Friday: Our 67th month

This week has been a rollercoaster of emotions. Two of my closest friends had a misunderstanding, it has been a crazy work week for me as I ran around the office and skipped two hours of Project Management Seminar that I am attending, and today is our 67th monthsary. Crazy, huh?

Well, I won't dwell much on the friendship thingy either my workweek, but i believe its more apt if I focus on how old Louie and I been together. We were never been the ordinary couple. Some of his friends think I am out of my mind since I took him in my life and jokingly they would say that they still don't get me. 

Louie is never that ordinary person - he was (and always will be) the king of corniness, that me myself can't avoid. He is never the quiet one, I managed to be that person on this relationship. He was more of that feminine person, I was the masculine. I never liked cheesy moments, he would insist to hold my hand, or hug me every time he wants to. But, we are both crazy. We bet on NBA, we bet on everything worth betting, and I would always think of bets that he will not ever ever like until he shakes his head and pull his hair. Funny thing, despite him being the corny one, I think, I am getting on his wits end every single time. 

Today is our 67th month. Of these 67 months, he got 50% right on the right number, 50% on the wrong. I would always, everytime ask him if he is spending that (n) number of months with another. All he answers: "Kagatin kita dyan e." We are a childish pair. I am not used to PDA, but I would treat him more like a brother and a bestfriend when we are outside. 

I am lucky to have this guy, we have been through a lot. Break up bets, no communication week, months and months of waiting for each other, spending our anniversaries apart and managing work and relationship. He understands me and my work, he would inspire me to do my best, approves my shoe addiction and other requests and he balances that craziness and rightness frame of mind within me. 

He maybe one of those people you wouldn't like to spend the rest of your life with. But just in case, we will stay together, I am prepared if ever he hit the alarm. A night outside our (future) house. No worries, I will buy him a tent so I will not be the bad person. :D

67 months, and hopefully, more and more months to go. 

When life gives you lemons, exchange it with something else!

Its the final month of the second quarter. Time passed so fast, I am on my third month in the new job, third month of studying things, forgetting the rest and learning new ones.

Last Friday, I met up with my former officemates, and I am really glad (and ecstatic, despite its not budgeted) to meet them. But, I was not prepared of how they looked now. Khriz was thinner than ever, Ryan was a lot horizontally challenged than before. I am afraid, their workplace has taken a toll on them.

This night, one of my closest colleague posted that she was missing so much of her life, and is not very happy on her work. I was never a good adviser, but I am open on sharing what I have learned based from my experience.

Last year, I was on the same page. I wanted to move on, find another job or to the minimal extent, divert my attention from what is happening to the four corners of the room. I never want to complain, its not even my nature, but situations have emerged that it made me think, "what would I become if I stay in this company?". Its not a challenge for the company, but instead, it was a challenge for myself.

I started to think about taking masters degree, everything was laid out perfectly. I have my exam schedules, I thought of how I would spend the remaining hours of the evening for review, where will I go, how much would I spend on the exams. I even read blogs and universities' policies, just in case I managed to pass the requirements. I even imagined myself staying in a campus dorm outside of the Philippines, thinking how much would I save from the monthly stipend, how my life would be in a foreign university. Little by little, I finally lessen the hours I complain with people, however, I found myself being alone. I don't want to ruin the momentum I have that time. However, some things happened that you are not in control of. I am ready to let go, yet, I stayed for a year after all the plans have been laid. Simple, I don't want to ruin somebody's life because of the thought that I will leave.

Months passed, workload became heavy and the masteral degree took a backseat, or more so, was put in the trunk and simply forgotten. But, the questions remained at the back of my mind, "what am I going to do for the rest of my life? What is it for me outside that glass door and after the shadow of these people?" Lastly, "why do some people land a job better that where I am now, given that I believe I worth more than this?".

Masters degree was forgotten, I believe, this is not the right year for it, so I diverted my attention in looking for a new job. Its not I don't like my job anymore, its not challenging for me - and moreso, I don't find myself making "kaplastikan" with some people in the workplace. I never want to be a burden in the team - that they would constantly ask how I feel, if I am alright. So I decided that maybe, shifting to a new environment would make me think what I want to be and where will I spend the rest of my life with.

Many would say, when life gives you lemons, make a lemonade. Simple, accept what life gives you and make something ordinary out of it. I want to think I am not one of those. I believe, when life gives you lemons, exchange it to something else, apples maybe since its more abundant in the food industry, you can make more amazing things out of it.

Changing what you have is never easy, and I've experienced it. Its literally back to square one.