Rain Songs

It is again the monsoon season and what better way to spend a lazy rainy afternoon but through music! I listed down my own top 10 rain songs of the current and not so current decade so here it goes:

10. Rainy Days and Mondays - Carpenters

One association with rain is the feeling of sadness, and this song never fails to make me sad.

9. Maselang Bahaghari - Eraserheads

Okay. This one isn't about rain, but rainbow. But you wouldn't have one if not for the other right?

8. Ulan - Rivermaya
You want rain song? here's the ultimate local rain song with lyrics of rain all over!

7. Lightning Crashes - Live
Yes I know this didn't talk anywhere near about rain but of childbirth, but the lyrics are highly mystical and deep. Can't resist to include this on the list. 

6. Penny Lane - The Beatles

This is about a street in London. And a slight reference about rain. Ok. I'll start to focus now.

5. Set Fire to the Rain - Adelle
The master of hearbreak Adelle at her best. Makes me depressed and happy at the same time. Strange.


4. Bus Stop - The Hollies
On the other side, there are happy songs about rain and this is one of it. Love grows on wet rainy days under an umbrella. On a bus stop.

3. It Will Rain - Bruno Mars
I'm not sure if this is a happy or sad song. I just know it's full of promises and hope.


2. 3 AM - Matchbox 20
Profound. I only recently found that the song was about cancer. And it made several references to rain too. A personal song favorite from the band.

1. Please Don't Stop the Rain - James Morrison
Many songs make lyrics with rain as a kind of nuance. But James Morrison accepts it and actually begs for more. Compete submission to rain deserves my top spot. 

Taal Lake Adventure

View from Top: Taal Lake

Long weekends are a great chance to relax and unwind from the busy city. It specially becomes more precious because we don't have many long weekends to look forward to in the Philippines and I didn't want to spend this one boring myself at home. So me and my partner embarked on a journey to Tagaytay, having fun the only plan in mind.

We got a reservation from the web for a room, but the place was empty and looked so creepy that we decided to find another place to stay. Besides we chose that place for the pool which apparently was not functional due to the rains. I will not mention the name of the lodge, but it's one of those very cheap places you'll find in a famous hotel booking site. Lesson: beware of extra cheap deals.

The other room we got, Rehm's room for rent, was pretty comfortable and very accessible. It was just a few walks away from the main road and transportation is not a problem.

We planned to head out early morning to Taal Lake to trek the mountain and swim (as we were told there was a decent place there but was never told that there was a fee). We were initially informed the fee was just P1,500 but it turned out to be waaaay more expensive. There were so many undisclosed charges that literally emptied our pockets. 

I'm gonna post the breakdown of our actual cost and what I think is a fair estimate of the most cost-efficient trip, both to serve as lesson to us to plan the trip well and a friendly advise to would-be travelers. The estimate of 6 people are based on the max no. of people for a boat ride to Taal Lake. 

                   Actual         Estimate
no. of people        2                   6
days of stay     2D/1N            2D/1N
transportation commute      commute

A quick summary of our expenses are as follow:

summary            Actual          Estimate
transportation     2,788.00     5,294.00 
Taal Lake Tour     1,020.00     3,020.00 
meals                1,280.00      4,350.00 
accomodation       1,600.00     3,600.00 
Total                  6,688.00    16,264.00 

per head             3,344.00     2,710.67 

I did not include the cost of our first hotel reservation for comparative purposes.

Below is the two-day breakdown comparison:

1st Day Actual               Estimate
Tagaytay-Olivares
from Pasay Rtda     160.00 960.00 
Olivares to Rehm      50.00          100.00 
Lunch                    500.00         1,500.00 
Room                  1,600.00        3,600.00 
Dinner                   155.00         1,500.00 
                        2,465.00         7,660.00 

2nd Day
Bfast                                -          -   
from city proper
to Talisay              300.00         1,000.00 
Boat Ride            1,500.00        1,500.00 
Boatman                200.00 200.00 
Tour guide's fee      500.00          500.00 
refreshments            50.00          300.00 
Horse ride              400.00         2,100.00 
tip for tour guide,      70.00         120.00 
boat assistant
Lunch                    625.00 1,350.00 
from Talisay
to bus station 400.00 1,000.00 
bus to pasay rtda 178.00   534.00 
                         4,223.00        8,604.00 

Total                    6,688.00       16,264.00 

per head              3,344.00        8,132.00 

The room rate estimate is 3 persons per room with additional P 200 charge on matress. A simple breakfast of coffee, rice with hotdog and egg are included.

You have an option to walk from the shore of Taal Lake to the crater if you can endure the 90-minute walk with the trail full of horse manure. We actually did this going up, but a combination of rain and exhaustion made us ride horses on the way back. You still have to pay for the tour guide if you choose to walk. 

You can also opt to hire a van (ideally less than P5,000) or bring your own transport. The downside of course is you might get lost if you're not too familiar.The road is also curved much like in Baguio so any vehicle is harder to navigate specially when it's raining. Even our hired tricycle almost broke an engine. Kuya Bong the driver was kind enough to assist us and was very helpful throughout our stay. You can contact him through 0999-720-1224 if you ever need a transport within Tagaytay.

It wasn't a memorable experience cost-wise, but it was great experience nonetheless. The trip could have been much better if it was well-planned, but I believe we can always take something good out of everything we do, and this trip is no different. Sometimes you only have to look around to appreciate it.

My desperate attempt to make a jumpshot.

The Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel

The Alchemyst is the first of six fantasy books of the series The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel. The adventure starts with seemingly ordinary twins, Sophie and Josh Newman, being caught up in a magical duel between a stranger John Dee, and bookstore owners Nick and Perry. Nick turns out to be the same Nicholas Flamel who lived in the 1300s. Together with his wife, Perenelle (Perry), they kept themselves alive by making the elixir of life. The Book of Abraham the Mage or codex contains the secret of eternal life and is the target of John Dee's attack. 

After all the commotion Dee succeeds in abducting Perenelle and getting the book, except for the last two pages that Josh held on to. He realizes this and seeks the help of the dark elders, who want to destroy the world to return to the period where humans are but slaves. Flamel, having read the book himself, believes that the prophecy "the two that is one and the one that is all" in the book speaks of Josh and Sophie. He asks for Hekate's help, an elder, to awaken the twin's powers. But Dee would attack them again leaving Hekate no time to awaken Josh's abilities. This allowed Dee to tempt Josh of joining him when they again see each other, saying he knows elders who can awaken him. Josh almost agrees, but realizes he will lose Sophie if he joins Dee. At the final battle they barely escape using a teleportation device called a leygate and find themselves in Paris, Nicholas Flamel's old home. 

I find it exciting to read real life people characterized in books, much like the stories about Da Vinci in Dan Brown's novel The Da Vinci code. The plot is based on rumors about Flamel's greatness at the time when he lived, with people saying he succeeded in making the elixir of life.

The story itself has some holes. What was so important with the last two pages of the codex that Dee can't do what they intend to do? And why was Flamel still completely reliant on it if he has lived more than 600 years making the elixir of life? He should have remembered by now how to make it by heart, yet he worries that if he doesn't retrieve the book he will soon wither and die. It didn't help that the story is a bit stagnant and predictable at times. 

I appreciate the spinoff that Michael Scott had put with the real characters, but it did not compel me to buy the rest of the series. I find it enjoyable, just not enough to get hooked with it.

Bourne Legacy Review

The Bourne Legacy is the fourth installment in the film franchise previously starred by Matt Damon. The movie takes off after Matt Damon declines to take on a fourth film the CIA decides to dispose of their black ops programs and all its agents in the wake of Jason Bourne's dismemberment. Jeremy Renner plays Jason Bourne Aaron Cross, a spy agent running for his life because he knows too much. There was a lot of talking and explanations on the first part, and the name Jason Bourne is repeatedly mentioned to remind us that we are watching a Bourne film. Then a doctor gets crazy and kills everyone except Rachel Weisz' character Marta Shearing. I initially taught the killer intentionally left her alive for good reason other than to let her reunite with Aaron Cross whom she got acquainted with during medical tests. Apparently, it doesn't matter because the incident was never crucial to the whole story. 

Aaron Cross then saves Martha when she's being chased dead because he wanted to know where his enhancement drugs are. That lead them to the Philippines where most of the action scenes were shot. On a granular level the scenes were a spectacle, but it was dizzying trying to follow down all the camera shifts and turns from one frame to the next. I actually taught the creativity was wasted because of the fast phase. 

Jeremy Renner is a good actor, and he can do some serious stunts. But one thing I hated about his character is he was so inclined to run away instead of fighting everyone that gets his way. Sure he landed some punches to random agents, guards and policemen, but there was no real combat action where he was seriously challenged. Instead of fighting he chose to run away. To treat Rachel Weisz a grand vacation in Palawan.

Is this a Bourne movie? No. A spy-agent movie perhaps, but not Bourne. If they hadn't referenced it to the previous franchise I wouldn't have made the connection. Will there be a next Bourne movie? Depends on people's reception for this one. The story is open-ended leaving us scratching our heads, but there are so many possibilities they can explore, assuming of course that people want to see it. Is this movie worthy enough to watch? If you just want to see the Philippines in a hollywood movie, this is probably the longest exposure you can get. 

Just don't expect to see Jason Bourne in it.

The Avengers Review

With all the hype and build up leading to this ultimate union the mere idea of seeing big name superheroes on one screen is highly appealing even for noncomics fans. It actually helped that the movie has a decent and acceptable storyline. With 6 superheroes teaming up (Nick Fury is arguable) it seemed the only real question is who will eventually kick the enemy’s ass. But the same heroes have one bigger problem to deal with for them to remotely act as one team – their own egos.

Personally the only clash I expected was between Ironman and Captain America given their history. Well that one never happened. It was Stark and Rogers that was on each other’s nerve almost all throughout. In hindsight it is a bad idea because Captain A is surely out of Ironman’s league in terms of firepower.

The fight scenes between Thor and Ironman is a pleasant surprise with perhaps the funniest line when Ironman referenced Thor as “Shakespeare in the park”. Bruce Banner’s anger problems were very well played, giving an impression that he’ll be on total rampage when he unleashes “the other guy”. He and Thor also face off for a battle of strength. Meanwhile, Hawkeye is under Loki’s spell so he’ll also get screentime fighting the ever gorgeous Black Widow.

The biggest concern from critics is how they’ll manage time with all the big names in the movie. Ironman/Tony Stark had great moments with his battle scenes and sarcastic/taunting lines. With the only enemy coming from Asgard you’d expect Thor will get alot of screentime, but not to the point of overshadowing the others. Captain America/Steve Rogers got an early start on fighting and capturing Loki, and was visible all throughout with his trash talks with Stark. Hawkeye got to show off his talents because he’s on the enemy’s side and was in turn got his butt kicked by Black Widow. The coolest thing that happened is I actually got to like The Hulk. Though he doesn’t talk much he sure as hell can smash and his actions speaks volumes. The climax battle in the heart of New York City will satisfy your imagination with amazing camera shots, making sure you are in the thick of every battle of every heroes.

With past disappointments from comics-turned-movies you’d be forgiven if you somehow lowered your expectations, but it’s a guarantee you’ll love this film. The Avengers delivered what we expected, and arguably gave us a lot more. If you’re a true comics fan no amount of negative review will make you not watch a movie this big. But for noncomics fans who just want to be entertained, The Avengers will surely give you value for your money.

“I’m a huge fan of the way you lose control and turn into an enormous green rage monster.” – Tony Stark

Step Up Revolution Review

I want to start this review by first setting expectations. The movie franchise is about dancing so don't be surprised if you won't see award-winning acting performances. The dancers have to act to weave a story together, and embed a dance routine that will go well with the plot. I am skeptical to watch a dance movie because I don't really dance, but then again I don't really act but it doesn't stop me for watching movies altogether.

There is a feeling of excitement at the start of the movie when they're setting up to perform their  first dance as "the mob". What were they doing? Why does the coconut vendor have a camera? Who is the delinquent looking guy? How will they dance in that congested area? And why are all the girls in bikinis?

The dance routine turned out to be good. I actually find every performance to be creative. The best part is they're not dancing to win a competition. Well technically they are because they wanted to win a sponsor or something by getting viral on the internet. But they are not in a dance battle and that is good! I find it lame anytime a story revolves around winning a tournament where there are two competing sides and the main cast would win mainly because the other group is incompetent on purpose. 

The dance routines get better from there, or to be more precise, much grand. I liked the dance in the museum and when they were in a corporate attire, but the dance in the "slums" felt bigger  and had more impact than all the rest combined. I just wished the last dance between the two leads didn't ruin the vibe. But hey Kathryn McCormick is flaming hot in there so it's tolerable. 

Overall it was entertaining and the story surprisingly holds together. Although even an average third grader can guess what happens next, we all know we watched it for the dance right? If you are looking for serious acting or can't appreciate even a simple dance step, you're insane to even think of watching this film. It was all about the dance, everything else you find good is a plus.

One burning question though. Can't they think of anything else to call their group other than "The Mob"?

Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers Review

Watching a movie a second time has its merits. You know the pace it is going and you'll know what to expect. I have been planning to watch LotR: the Two Towers again for some time now but it was only recently that I got the time (it's three hours long!).


The movie kicks off when Aragorn searches for the two lesser known hobbits Merry and Pippin after they were kidnapped by Saruman's army. I'm  not certain what was the intention of the orcs (or whatever those creatures are called) for not killing them except that the two hobbits have big roles to play in winning against Saruman's army. In short, the orcs didn't kill the hobbits so the hobbits can kill the orcs later. 


Meanwhile Frodo and Sam crosses path with gollum, who will offer to help them in their quest. Sam distrusts him, but Frodo pities him and the lead cast always get the last say. Shifting from being gollum/smeagol, he guides the hobbits to the gates of mount doom. I have closely watched gollum ever since I found out he was not purely animated. Andy Serkis acted and played the character well, with the help of CGI of course.


Fight sequences dominated much of the film. Legolas seems a bit too showy at times, but I could still appreciate how he skates away to kill enemies or roll around and over a horse before riding it. Gimli is a bit short of being funny, and i'm not referencing to him as a dwarf. Aragorn shows some flashes of leadership and dominance. Gandalf is very wizard-like - Falls off an abyss and apparently not dead, scares off his own companions and comes in late for battle but not really too late to save the day.


Overall I still enjoyed the movie, probably because I'm doing something else while watching it. I doubt I would have more fun if I was fully absorbed in it. Still, it was a good way to spend your time if you have so much. 

What are we holding onto, Sam? 

That there's some good in this world, Mr. Frodo... and it's worth fighting for.