Category Archives: movies

Travel Photo Diary: Vigan

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I left the East coast winter, flew back to the Middle East, unpacked my suitcases in the hallway, washed my winter clothes, packed my summer clothes and flew 15 hours to Southeast Asia (that would be the roundup of my life in the last week, to say the least).

It is SUMMER here. I cannot fathom this heat as I was just freezing my ass a few weeks ago. I made it in time and met friends in Manila as I was invited to visit the province of Vigan for the Holy Week. Phew.

I still have a few posts for New York, but I had to share the shots  that I have taken on this recent trip.

Background Literature:

The City of Vigan is the capital of the Province of Ilocos Sur. The old city was established in 1572  and is located on the western coast of the large island of Luzon in the Philippines, facing the South China Sea.
It is a World Heritage Site in that it is one of the few Hispanic towns left in the Philippines, and is well known for its cobblestone streets, and a unique architecture that fuses Philippine and Oriental building designs and construction, with colonial European architecture. (source: Wikipedia, just because I’m too lazy to write my own description)

A friend owns the mansion where most of these photos were taken. He is an avid antique collector and is obsessed with restoring old Spanish colonial homes.

The most interesting fact is: Scenes from the 1989 movie, “Born on the Fourth of July” was filmed in this house. The Tom Cruise love scene was taken in the bedroom next to the room I was staying in.

Happy Travels! XX

Books: We need to talk about Damien, I mean, Kevin.

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Like most kids that grew up in the 90′s, our “Kevin” is Macaulay Culkin. Adorable. Even after his DUI mug shots a few years ago, I still think he’s just f*****g adorable.

But, after reading this book, I’ll never say the name Kevin the same way ever again or Kardashian for that matter because it rhymes harmoniously with Khatchadourian.

Last week, I stumbled upon a December issue of Time magazine that featured Tilda Swinton. I didn’t really pay attention to the interview because I was only interested if she was wearing a Haider Ackermann, but remembered that she did this “We need to talk about Kevin” movie. Haven’t heard of it before.

Same day, my husband had to pick up a can of WD-40 at a convenience store and I grabbed the copy for sale at $11.42. Tilda to me is this weird, skinny, androgynous model that can act. I have a strong feeling she gets bored easily and she’ll unapologetically yawn at dinner parties when a housewife is agog over her new cake mixer. So  I thought, if she picked up this script for a movie, then for sure, it can’t be boring. If it’s a bad book I can always throw it in the fireplace.

Just when I thought all good writers are dead, I was proven wrong. Lionel Shriver is an Albert Camus incarnation from a different dimension. An American for crying out loud.

This novel is this deep, cold, dark tunnel. What horrified me the most was not Satan’s child, Kevin and all his psycho, evil deeds. What made me read the pages over and over again was that I saw fragments of my thoughts and pieces of the people in my life sewn together in a brutally, eye gorging (literally) honest narrative.

We all think it, but dare not say it. THAT scared the crap out of me.

For the first time in a long time, I was riveted and struck to the core by a paperback novel.

To those of you who haven’t read the book, I won’t give away any more details.

If you are Mary or Gary Poppins  and fantasize about white fences, cute puppy dogs and a hefty 401K when you retire, this book is not for you.

If you don’t faint from the sight of blood, if you can laugh at yourself and accept the fact the your children are not that bright and you see life for what it is and you do what you can to make it better, maybe you’ll like the book as much I did. Let me know what you think.

Happy Reading! xx

on septic tanks and hollywood stars

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When you feel like your life is cut out for the next installation of Tom Hank’s movie “The Money Pit”. When you’re so cold because the heater is not working. When you’re watching your shirtless, muddy husband prying an overgrown azalea plant out of the ground to make room for his 556 sq ft deck project.  When your local Lowes and Home Depot guys know your first name. When you, just yesterday wrestled with hoses and other plumbing devices to unclog your septic tank and gazing at your ruined nail polish ( Chanel in Coromandel, beautiful color by the way) and you just want to cry, Bloody Hell.

This is the last thing you want to see.

A picture of your best friend meeting Bourne Legacy’s Jeremy Renner.

Jeremy: What’s your name?

Her: I’m Kat.

Jeremy: Hi. My name’s Jeremy. (smiles)

Her: (Oh, I know that) *background music: the sound of wedding bells

She was gushing when she told me how he’s oh-so-nice and how good he smelled.

I wanted to kill her. I probably will next time I see her.

With my husband’s high velocity nail gun–Bourne style.

This was shot yesterday at the palace. I guess Renner paid a courtesy call to the Philippine President. They shot a good bit of the movie there. My friend works for the President that’s why she’s there. It’s part of her job. While I have to scrub my tile floors because my kitchen cabinets will be installed tomorrow and the squirrels in my backyard are high on acid and steadily mocking me by dropping acorns on my roof that I can’t hear my own thoughts.

Life sometimes. No fair.

To all the Bourne series fans out there. Bourne Legacy is coming soon in your nearest theatre. I got to admit, I’m looking forward to it.

Hope you guys are having a better day! XX