Have you ben watching the Democratic Convention speeches on PBS? Am I so tired of Bush that the speakers at this convention seem so damn eloquent? I can't remember ever being this interested in watching. Gotta say that though
Clinton's speech made me wish he was still in office,
a skinny kid with a funny name caught my eye as I'm sure most of who watched him speak. Here's part of his
speech, but it definitely was in the
delivery:
In the end, that's what this election is about. Do we participate in a politics of cynicism or do we participate in a politics of hope?
John Kerry calls on us to hope. John Edwards calls on us to hope. I'm not talking about blind optimism here-the almost willful ignorance that thinks unemployment will go away if we just don't talk about it, or the health care crisis will solve itself if we just ignore it.
That's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about something more substantial. It's the hope of slaves sitting around a fire singing freedom songs; the hope of immigrants setting out for distant shores; the hope of a young naval lieutenant bravely patrolling the Mekong Delta; the hope of a mill worker's son who dares to defy the odds; the hope of a skinny kid with a funny name who believes that America has a place for him, too.
Hope in the face of difficulty, hope in the face of uncertainty, the audacity of hope.
In the end, that is God's greatest gift to us, the bedrock of this nation; a belief in things not seen; a belief that there are better days ahead.
I believe we can give our middle class relief and provide working families with a road to opportunity.
I believe we can provide jobs to the jobless, homes to the homeless, and reclaim young people in cities across America from violence and despair.
I believe that we have a righteous wind at our backs, and that as we stand on the crossroads of history, we can make the right choices and meet the challenges that face us.
In my imaginary blog posts over the past month i've whined and complained about summer school so much that I am just so sick to death of complaining. Gad, I'm so freaking annoying!
Anyways, the countdown to the Philippines continues (24 more days!) and that's pretty much what's getting me through each day. Summer school is getting less annoying and I think I'm loosening up a bit. I brought the guitar in and sang
a song with them. How freakin sad is that? One easy freakin kid song. One of my students requested Usher's "Burn." I was like, uh, no.
B and I are in a Queens mall--movie rut. We've gone to the movies so much (Spiderman 2, Dodgeball, Anchorman, Farenheit 9/11, The Notebook) that I'm actually getting tired of popcorn. And if you know me, you KNOW I can't watch a movie without my buttered popcorn. I've become a popcorn critic, comparing each theater's quality of popcorn freshness. We've gone to the mall so much, the guards probably know our faces by now. We (ok, maybe just me) are shopping way too much. Not to worry, I'm still a cheap-ass when it comes to clothes - anything over $20 is too expensive. However, I WILL buy like 4 of a $15.99 item. So sad. Why am I sharing my patheticisms with you? Maybe coz not many people know I'm here yet? Maybe. Regardless though of our loserly outing habits, syempre kahit saan happy ako na kasama ko ang B ko. Hehe, ang corny, nyeeeeee...
Tomorrow, while we are watching a
movie (i know i know: movie-rutville) or at least planning to buy tickets to it, BUT its at least in the city and its one of the
AAIFF movies. Then, hopefully, we'll either have a nice dinner and/or see
Aikostar before they go off on their World Tour and before they get all famous and forget their initial fanbase...
---------places
to go in the philippines-----------
Conspiracy
Unplugged
70s Bistro
Silliman U. Founders Day
Alona Palm Beach
I think I want to put the Siraulo Galaxy to rest. Hello Mizz Erna. Let's see how long this lasts...
B and I are really excited about our first trip together to the Philippines. The last time I went, it felt really weird (and sometimes just plain wrong) to be there for so long without him. With exactly one month til our flight, I'm totally counting down the days and figuring out how to share our short time there between his
hometown(
s) and
mine.
What's making me count down the days even more is the fact that I'm working summer school and it is definitely not as "fun" as I thought it would be. What the heck was I thinking?? Anyways, hopefully with the extra cash, (in NYC, public school teachers get paid through the summer regardless of whether you work or not PLUS we get paid extra if we DO work the summer - can't really beat that deal, huh?) I'll have some nice pocket money and also save enough to finally buy my very own car in the fall...times: they are a'changin...
Pinoys at the
Asian American Internation Film Festival:
-via
CORE (Community Sponsor of the AAIFF)
FEATURE FILMS
===========================
ASTIGMATISM | director: Jon Red
Astigmatic assassin, Bien, kills his gang-mates and in the process questions
the kind of life he is living.
SA 7/17 6:45pm | Imaginasian Theater
W 7/21 7:15pm | Asia Society
BRIDAL SHOWER | director: Jeffrey Jeturian
The luminous Dina Bonnevie leads a superb cast of three women – advertising
executives with successful careers whose search for Mr. Right always seems to
end up all wrong.
TU 7/20 3:00pm | Imaginasian Theater
TH 7/22 7:00pm | Asia Society
DOUBT (DUDA) | director: Crisaldo Pablo
A television news reporter, a documentary director, a television producer and
their set of liberated friends redefine the concept of love, relationships
and fidelity.
W 7/21 9:15pm | Asia Society
EBOLUSYON | director: Lav Diaz
The story follows a rural family from 1971 (declaration of Martial Law) to
1987 (put down of Mendiola farmers).
M 7/19 12:00pm | Imaginasian Theater
KEKA | director: Quark Henares
Keka, a disgruntled call center operator, tries to get over her boyfriend's
death at the hands of five fratboys.
T 7/20 9:15pm | Imaginasian Theater
R 7/22 9:45pm | Asia Society
SLOW JAM KING | director: Steve E. Mallorca
A poseur gangsta-pimp carjacks a traveling perfume salesman only to be taken
for the ride of his life.
SU 7/18 9:00pm | Asia Society
F 7/23 7:45pm | Imaginasian Theater
=====================SHORT FILM========================
FOR YOUTH BY YOUTH – SHORTS PROGRAM
SA 7/17 12:30pm | Asia Society
BROKEN PROMISES | director: Michele Gutierrez
Intimate and candid interviews capture the decades-long struggles to gain
equity for Filipino veterans of WWII.
WITH OR WITHOUT YOU – SHORTS PROGRAM
W 7/21 9:00pm | Asia Society
GREEN STALK | directors: Desireena Almoradie, Christina Quisumbing Ramilo
A glimpse into the life of a young Filipina and her encounter with a female
customer.
BETWEEN YOU AND ME – SHORTS PROGRAM
TU 7/20 8:45pm | Asia Society
TH 7/22 8:45pm | Asia Society
HELLO MANONG | director: Gary Gabisan
An ode to the "manongs," who brought their culture, heritage, and fighting
techniques to the US.
LILO & ME | director: Kip Fulbeck
What celebrity do you resemble? For Kip Fulbeck, this question starts a
rollicking ride.
I'LL SHOOT THE MOON | director: Ron Domingo
A couple decides to start a family and embark on a personal journey.
THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME – SHORTS PROGRAM
SA 07/24 5:00PM | Asia Society
HOMEBOUND (BALIKBAYAN) | director: Larilyn Sanchez
A migrant worker sends her mother back home.
ISLANDS UNDER SIEGE | director: Margarita Dragon
Amidst military preparations for a war in Iraq, the U.S. sent 3,000 soldiers
to Mindanao. FRONTLINE/World traveled to Mindanao to find Muslim rebels
fighting a guerrilla war against the Philippine government.
AND JUSTICE FOR ALL – SHORTS PROGRAM
SA 7/17 4:45pm | Asia Society
F 7/23 6:30pm | Asia Society
THE QUESTION | director: Ramsel Ruiz
A spoken word piece turned film written by The Suicide Kings.
