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Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Just another day Nothing particularly exciting really happen today. It was just like every other day when people around me get shitty and all. Today, we had our presentation in Field Study 3, and I must say, it was kind of disappointing. People were backstabbing each other's works. I was really surprised when I noticed that even some of my so-called friends were saying bad things about our work. Woah. I know a little competition is good but.. what happened this morning was definitely not healthy. It was (sorry for the term) bitchy. Anyway, I can't really do anything about it now, can I? The best thing I can do is to let them be. I believe in karma, and I know that someday, they'll get their deserved karmas. So, moving on... After school, I first ate at KFC with Joseph, and then went straight to Divisoria. All thanks to God it didn't rain that hard. I was able to enjoy my Divi trip very much. This wasn't my first time to go to Divisoria alone so I was not really scared and all. Mylove and Armine were supposed to accompany me but, they decided that they'll just go there on September 2, course card distribution day. I don't know if I will even get my course cards. This term has been pretty disappointing. A lot of unexpected things happen, and I just don't know if I even care about my grades that much. Actually, I realized that grades wouldn't really matter in the real world. I mean, think about it. Getting a 4.0 in Stagearts doesn't mean I would be able to survive in my first Job Interview, right? I think that as long as I try must best in all the things I do, I will not fail. Some people who do not even study are the ones very much successful in life. I think I've just been pretty hard on myself. Perhaps I am really grade-conscious. So I have decided that next term, I will not force myself to be an over-achiever. I will just give my very best in all the things that I will do. I guess that will be enough to save a cum laude spot in my near graduation, hopefully. I spent the whole afternoon working on my Lisread, and some of my Fstudy3. I'll just finish the rest tomorrow. We will be celebrating Mylove's birthday at Trinoma tomorrow. If I'm not mistaken, we're going to watch the film "For the First Time" starring KC Concepcion and Richard Guttierez. Honestly, I'm really looking forward to it. It's not that I'm a fan of any of the stars. It's just that it's the first time I'll be seeing the two of them together in a movie, and for me, their love team is somehow still fresh and 'not so typical', though the story, according to Marita, is very typical. Nevertheless, I still want to find out for myself. I hope tomorrow brings me something worthwhile.
8/27/2008 09:57:00 PM
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
The Day I discovered Amazon.com This day was very very strange. I found myself browsing through the items that were sold on Amazon.com website. I remembered my Lola telling me to look through some things on the internet that were on sale, then I email my Tita Che about them so that she could buy them for me. I went to Amazon.com, an online shopping site, and created a wish list which i name "All the things I want". There are about 15 items on that wish list already, if I'm not mistaken. Of course, I wouldn't dare to send the whole list to my Tita. I would just pick a few items and ask her to purchase them. I placed on highest priority the Universal Rider-Waite Tarot set. I really want to have my own Tarot deck, and be able to read the future with them. Most of the items on my wish list are books of Joseph Campbell and Carl Jung. If you can recall in my previous entry, I mentioned there that I wanted to know about my inner self and my purpose in life, and that I need to find out how to make the Key that would help me unlock these inner secrets and mysteries. I thought that maybe if I read books about the self and myths, I would be able to get some answers. Or if not, probably clues/hints that will lead me to the answers. Anyhow, I want to read books. Another interesting thing that happened to me today is that I read an email made by Ms. Kate which was addressed to her Humalit students. She seemed really really disappointed with her students. She mentioned in her email that most of her students did not take her class seriously, and even plagiarized in their term papers. Oh boy, are her students crazy? The books they were required to read are both very interesting. I am extremely surprised to find out that some of them even committed plagiarism. For God's sake, don't they have thoughts of their own? It just bewilders me much why some people take for granted the beauty that they may find in Literary creations. I mean, are they not amazed on how these things were made? Don't they see the connection of Literature in their lives? If they don't, man that's just disappointing. Maggie was right. Nowadays, only a few really see the beauty in myths-- because people are too blinded by things that make them not see the things that they are supposed to see. I guess Joseph Campbell was right in saying that most people are so engrossed with the problems of the world that they refuse to pay attention to more important things (like finding one's self and purpose, going through the inner journey of life). Just like most of the kids in my school. What do they do most of the time? Party, meet boys/girls, talk about boys/girls, worry about their assignments and exams, think about the problems of their friends, and all other stuff that are very unworthy of a person's time. I doubt that they ever reflect on the importance of their existence. What a tragedy. I'm not saying that I'm perfect. I'm not. But at least I try. I try to dwell on more important things that on senseless matters that will really have no bearing on me in the long run. I really hope that someday, people will realize that they were alive for a reason. I hope they would opt to find solutions for the problems occuring inside them, not around them. Because as Joseph Campbell had put it, when we grow old, and when all the problems of the world have been solved, we would then turn to our inner self. If we do not find it, if we do not know where it is, we would be lost forever, for it will be too late by then to go through a journey to find the inner self. In the end, we will just be regretful for ignoring the fact that there are more important things in life than what's on the surface. We failed to notice, we failed to care. What would be left of us? Pretty much nothing.
8/26/2008 10:20:00 PM
Monday, August 25, 2008
How do I make the Key? It's weird, you know. Today, I found myself thinking once again of what my life really meant. Why was I here? Why was I created? Ms. Kate, our Mythfolk professor, told me that I first have to love myself before I can be loved by others. Before I can find my one true love. This means that the question I should be asking myself is: How do I love myself? This is probably the hardest question I have ever faced in my entire life. I do not know how to love myself. What if I already love myself? How am I supposed to know that my love for myself is enough? How am I supposed to find these things out? By reading? Is there a book that can actually answer my question? Or does the answer lie somewhere deep within me? I remember this book I bought at National Bookstore. It's entitled The Answer Lies Within by Rachna Singh. I have not finished reading it yet, but I promise to during the term break. Anyway, so back to my dilemma. Why do I keep on asking myself who I am? (inner self: duh! it would be tragic if you die not ever knowing why you were even born in the first place, wouldn't it?) True. So now, all I have to do is to find out who I am. Wow. That sure is easy to do. If only someone could show me, or guide my way to the "light". I am compelled to believe in myths and symbols and figures, but I can't seem to find sensible answers to my questions in these things. I know that the only key to unlock my inner self is me. I make the key. The thing is, where do I get the strength and the resources to make this key? I need at least some instructions or some sort of guide book to help me come up with the key. Do you hate me for sounding so absurd? Oh well.
8/25/2008 08:49:00 PM
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
8/05/2008 09:41:00 PM
Saturday, August 2, 2008
To the Women of Malolos  Ang larawan na ito ay isa sa mga pinaka paborito kong larawan. Isang kaibigan ang unang nakatuklas at nagpakita sa akin ng tila kakaibang painting na ito. Ayon sa aking kaibigan, ang larawan daw na ito ay pinangalanan ng pintor na “Thorns behind Transparency”. Nang aking tanungin kung bakit iyon ang paksang napili ng pintor sa ginawa niyang larawan, ang sabi ng niya sakin ay, “The title was inspired by those people, usually the women, who always deceive others with their spell-binding looks and timid behavior. They seem to be almost, always transparent, and yet they’re an entirely different, even hateful, person deep within”. Aking napagtanto na ang description ng paksa ng larawang ito ay tamang-tamang sa aking natuklasang kalagayan ng mga kababaihan noong panahon ng mga Kastila. Walang pagaalinlangan na ang mga kababaihan noon ay tulad ng babaeng nasa larawan. Sa unang tingin ay mapapansin ang nakabibighaning kagandahan ng larawan ng babae. Ang background nitong puti, na simbolo ng kalinisan at kaluwalhatian, ay dumadagdag pa sa kagandahang ito. Ang mga iba’t ibang kulay sa larawan na parang palamuti na nakapaligid sa dalaga ay tila nagpapabighani pang lubos. Marahil ay sasabihin ng iba na hindi alam ang paksa ng larawan na isa itong painting na sumisimbolo sa mga positibong karakter ng isang babae. Ngunit sa aking palagay, ang paghihirap ng isang babae ang tunay na isinasalarawan nito. Gaya na lamang ng paksa ng larawan, ang mga babae noon ay higit na nahihirapan sa kabila ng animo’y makulay at payapang imahe nila. Marami ang nagaakalang sila ay nabubuhay sa katahimikan at walang iniisip na suliranin. Iilan lamang ang nakakaalam na ang mga kababaihan noong panahon ng Kastila ay lubos din nagsasakripisyo at nagpaparaya upang hindi na magdulot ng ano pa mang gulo. **Ang ilan sa mga nabanggit ay pawang kathang isip lamang...
8/02/2008 07:46:00 AM
Friday, August 1, 2008
WANTED: A Myth Criticism The movie WANTED is not just any sci-fi/action film meant to entertain action-addicts and movie-goers. This yet another fictional film exhibited different mythical motifs and archetypal images. Connections were made and seen from the movie. Motifs and primordial images present in early myths are also present in the film. THE MAJOR CHARACTERS 1. Wesley Gibson (James McAvoy) Wesley is the male lead character in the film Wanted. His exhilarating, though boring at first, life was the focus of the story in the movie, Using Pearson’s heroic archetypes, the character of Wesley Gibson probably displays two different archetypal images. One can say that he is a Wanderer, and also a Warrior. Wesley was very different from all of his colleagues in the company that he was working at. He did not want to be like everyone else who was adhering to the demands of their boss named Janice. He hated conforming to what his co-workers do at work. He would rather type in his name on the Google search bar than immediately do a billing report that he was asked to finish. He was pretty much of a slacker.This makes his character somewhat of a Wanderer. His goal was to find independence, and autonomy. Wesley was searching for his own identity. And when he was finally recruited to the Fraternity of Assassins, when he became an assassin himself, he slowly became a Warrior. He acquired the strength to kill people. He unlocked his unearthly abilities which made him strong. When he realized that he needed to avenge his alleged father from his killer named cross, who later on turned out to be his real father, he worked hard to hone his skills, and be able to be stronger than ever. He started competing and fighting with the other members of the Fraternity and as well as himself in order to prove himself worthy to be an assassin. From being the slacker that he used to be, Wesley transformed into becoming a fighter, a deadly assassin himself. From having dominantly a Wanderer image before, he was consequently ruled over by the image of a Warrior. Wesley’s character also exhibited some archetypes presented by Carl Jung. The Shadow archetype of Wesley was what made him not want to be like other people. This archetype that his character possessed was what made Wesley a slacker. This was illustrated whenever the bad/dark side of him was shown in the film. The Anima, or the Soul, archetype was also displayed by the character of Wesley. The scenes whenever his heart beats up faster, and was able to move quicker than ever showed signs of the Anima archetype. Wesley exhibited unusual and amazing skills and power. 2. Fox (Angelina Jolie) Fox is the female lead character in the film Wanted. She was the fierce assassin who served significant in the transformation of Wesley. Using Pearson’s heroic archetypes, Fox’s character illustrated both the image of a Warrior, and a Martyr. Evidently enough, Fox possessed incredible fighting abilities. This simply implies that she was already an expert when it comes to battles. Her fight scenes in the film (e.g. when she meets Wesley in the grocery store and gets into a fight with Cross, when she goes after Wesley and Cross who were on a train) represents the Warrior image of Fox. She works hard to fulfill all her assignments. She literally kills to reach her goal. This Warrior figure of Fox was seen almost althroughout the movie. Nevertheless, in the near end of the film, she dies. She kills her companions in the Fraternity and dies herself in order to save the life of Wesley Gibson, the man whom she might have possibly fallen in love with. This particular scene from the movie now reveals the Martyr image of Fox. This might have been a change of perceptions. Just like the transformation that occurred to Wesley who was a Wanderer at first but turned into a Warrior towards the end, Fox also experience such transformation. Only from becoming the Warrior that she used to be, to a Martyr that she ended to be. This transformation of Fox was rather tragic, than plain quixotic. Based on Jungian archetypes, Fox’s Shadow archetype was very dominant within her during the first part of the film. It was her dark side that was most prominent in the beginning. She can also be the maiden in Jung’s story archetypes. Though very masculine in actions, Fox showed a typical maiden-like image in some scenes in the movie. 3. Sloan (Morgan Freeman) Sloan is the major antagonist in the film Wanted. His obsession and leadership of the Fraternity of the Assassins was the cause of the development in Wesley Gibson’s, as well as the other characters’ lives. Using Pearson’s heroic archetypes, Sloan’s character actually portrayed the images of an Orphan, and a Warrior. Because Sloan believed that ‘Faith’ is the one responsible for all the killings of their targets, and that only through killing them will they all achieve gratification, Sloan’s character illustrated a perfect example of an Orphan. He wanted a ‘quick fix’ to the problems of the world. According to him, by killing one, thousands of men could be saved. Obviously, Sloan wants the ‘easy way’. He doesn’t even know if the targets that ‘Faith’ was giving are actually bad people. He already had a fix belief. He awaits Faith to solve their problems. Because of this principle of his, he changes other people to be able to please himself. Just like how he turned all the members of the Fraternity against Cross. He’s able to change the thinking of the people around him for his own sake. This is one of his qualities which qualifies him to possess the Warrior archetype. Sloan can be very much the Trickster in Jung’s story archetypes. He was the deceiver in the film wanted. He deceived almost all of the members of the Fraternity. He definitely had hidden schemes planned out to his advantage. He can also be the Devious Cat, one of the animal archetypes as described by Jung. Sloan was pretty much self-serving. 4. Cross (Thomas Kretschmann) Cross was one of the characters in the film who, though he did not speak that much, had a great impact on the story. He was the real father of Wesley Gibson. Though he was being thought of a traitor to the Fraternity, Wesley eventually found out that Cross had good intentions. His character could be interpreted of possessing Pearson’s Martyr, Warrior, and somehow, a Magician. He’s character is that of a Martyr because he was willing to put himself in danger trying to save the life of his son. He knew very well that the members of the Fraternity were just as strong as he is, but he still opted to save his son, even though this can cause him his life. In the end, Cross died still trying to save Wesley. Unfortunately, Wesley was blinded by the Fraternity and consequently kills his real father. Cross also possessed the Warrior archetype because just like all the other members of the Fraternity, he showed exemplary skills in battling and competing. He was very strong and competitive. Finally, Cross somehow also exhibited the image of a magician. His principles are well developed. The fact that he wanted the Fraternity of Assassins to stop their doings already since it’s not good makes Cross a very holistic and well-balanced man. He knew what he needed to do. From Jung’s Archetypes, Cross definitely possessed the Father archetype, which is one of the family archetypes. He was stern, powerful, and controlling. Although he died in the end, he also exhibited the hero archetype. He was the rescuer of his son. THE STORY The film Wanted had a very mythical-based story. Basing it on Northrop Frye’s archetypes according to genres, the movie can pretty much correspond to the mythos of fall: tragedy. In reality, though Wesley got to kill the antagonist Sloan in the end, the movie is pretty much tragic. The sequence of events led to very tragic endings. Two of the major and significant characters in the film died. Wesley’s life after he kills Sloan was very unsure. Who knows what he would end up to be doing? The plot and flow of the story is unmistakable tragic, and its most interesting scenes are pretty much the tragedies that occurred. REFLECTIONS AND CONCLUSIONS I’d have to say that this film was far beyond what I had expected it to be. The last action film that I have watched was Vantage Point, and I was fairly satisfied by its story. This movie, however, was so much more. The character portrayals were great, the occurrences were marvelous- especially the tragedies and the twists were just the right kinds. I liked the film very much. I would definitely say that this is a must-see film, a HIGHLY-RECOMMENDED one.
8/01/2008 10:32:00 PM
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8/01/2008 10:24:00 PM
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