Just want to share some pics I took of HK at night:
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Back from a quick date with a friend from elementary school whom I found on a Facebook page and immediately reconnected with. It's been 18 years! Yet it's as if we just parted ways for less than a year as we tried to catch up on each other. I was glad she is starting to do solo backpacking and I hope she'll say yes at my suggestion to explore places together.
So anyway, because I miss traveling so much... I'm looking at some photos I took in HK and found these. I rarely go out at night when on a trip, preferring to stay at the hotel and grab enough sleep to have the energy to face the morrow for more adventures.
Cinemalaya 2014 kicked off on August 1 with a free film showing at CCP. Since going there from work is quite a hassle, I decided not to attend and just try to catch whatever I can at Trinoma. I invited one friend if he'd like to go watch with me the following day and he agreed. On August 2, I planned to be at CCP at 12:20PM to make sure I get to but tickets, but because I had to cook lunch and lost track of time, I arrived at 12:50, already late for the first film to be shown that day and I had yet to buy tickets. While on the way, I received a message from my buddy saying all tickets were already sold out. Incroyable! When I got there, I ran straight to the ticket booth and saw that they were still selling tickets. My friend and I decided to see Hari ng Tondo and Asintado. Since I don't read reviews nor summaries when watching movies, I picked those two because they sounded like action flicks. (Asyong Salonga came to mind when I heard about Hari ng Tondo.) We entered the theater 15 minutes late but we were still lucky to have good seats three rows from the screen and almost center. Carlitos Siguion Reyna's Hari ng Tondois about an old businessman (Robert Arevalo) whose business is on the brink of bankruptcy and who then wants to live the remainder of his life in Tondo. Ricardo asks his grandchildren Ricky and Anna (Rafael Siguion Reyna and Cris Villonco respectively) to go with him so they can learn more about life and to develop guts ("magkaroon ng bayag"). With the guidance of Boyong (Rez Cortez) who is friends with Ricardo, the two easily blended in with Tondo residents. Blinded by money, Boyong feeds information to Ricardo's son, daughter, and son-in-law who are all against his decision. Subplots include a short romance enjoyed by Anna with a man with cleft palate named Emong (Lorenz Martinez) and Ricky's inconclusive music career as he learns from Aiza Seguerra and company. Boyong reconciles with his friend in the end as he rescues Ricardo from the burning "Alapaap" (name of the building owned by Ricardo which is being rented out to Tondo residents). Ricardo in the end walks around Tondo and seeing the poverty-stricken place he cries, having done nothing to help its development despite his initial success.
For me Hari ng Tondo is better off as a musical. In particular, if ever Emong is made to sing during the scene where he gives testimony to Ciara Sotto's abusive boyfriend, THAT would be the highlight, IMHO. One thing I didn't like about the film is that there seems to be a lot of things going on and yet these things are not well-connected so in a sense, it feels as if there's something missing. Despite the humor and amusing scenes, Hari ng Tondo makes one think about the further corruption of the area famed for notoriety and poverty because those with power, those proclaiming themselves as King of Tondo are not doing anything.
Ironically, I didn't get to eat lunch at home because I was in a hurry to get out of the house. My buddy and I went to Café Alfonso at the ground floor of The Grand Towers to grab some food for my growling stomach. Their spicy tuyo pasta (P120) was instant LOVE! I love how they shredded the tuyo into tiny bits and how the spiciness blended well with olive oil and the tuyo. Yummy! Just the right food when I am always craving for that favorite of mine when I haven't tried to cook it at home.
The audience of Asintado
The next movie we saw was Louie Ignacio'sAsintado which is set in Brgy. Bibiclat, Aliaga, Nueva Ecija. Part of the story relies on the place's Taong Putik Festival (Mud Man Festival) held every 24th of June as part of the barangay's celebration for the feast day of San Juan. Tonio (Jake Vargas) is recruited by the town mayor Carias (Geoff Eigenmann) as messenger to procure drugs in time for the festival. After getting the drugs, Tonio puts them inside his brother's pockets. His mentally challenged brother Etok (Miggs Cuaderno) throws the "stones" away seeing that he cannot use them as stones for his slingshot. The mayor threatens Tonio and his mother Julia (Aiko Melendez) so in the end, the family hatches a plan to bring down the mayor using Etok's skills with his slingshot.
While the film is predictable, allowing the viewer to foresee Carias' death right before the mud festival, though one is left guessing as to who would do the job. Tonio's uncle and mother both showed determination and resolve to end things. Despite being the marksman, the challenge with Etok is that communicating with him is almost impossible and only his mother can get through to him. However early on, in the scene where Julia watches as two women try to catch the pigs, we see that Etok can actually comprehend his mother. The title of the movie is already a giveaway.
What I like most about Asintado is the beautiful imagery throughout the film. Many times I gushed about wanting to take still captures of scenes. That, and Miggs Cuaderno's awesomely realistic performance as Etok. As we were heading out of the theater, I told my buddy I wanted to have my pic taken with Etok (but that didn't happen because I couldn't find him in the crowd).
We went around CCP right after since there was time to do so. My buddy easily recognized actors and actresses he saw whereas I wasn't as quick to see them so he had to point them out to me. LOL!
The last movie we saw was K'na The Dreamweaver. Set in Lake Sebu in South Cotabato, the film is about a tragic love story between a daughter of chief K'na (Mara Lopez) and an ordinary supplier (RK Bagatsing) of abaca fibers used to weave the famed t'nalak cloth of the Tboli. The actors and actresses all spoke the Tboli language all throughout thus lending authenticity to the movie, in addition to their colorful garb.
I cried at the end of the film because of the tragic ending. K'na has to sacrifice her love life to save her people from an impending war as her father (Nonie Buencamino) marries her off to another man. Her lover died shortly after but until his death, he made sure to tie red abaca fiber on the tree next to K'na's window as he always did during their happy days. When K'na visits her town years later, she sees the trees with red abaca fiber tied on the branches, a spectacular sight, and a touching one at that. While the story is very cliché, this is one good movie mainly because it captures the beauty of the Tboli culture. Viewers are treated to their ways and customs and are introduced to the tnalak, the weaving customs, and its importance to the Tboli. It reminds me a lot of African quilts which hold meanings in colorful patterns.
Nora Aunor as seen from the lobby: max zoom used
We stayed for a while at the CCP lobby, a wise decision indeed as we were able to glimpse Nora Aunor. I almost missed her but thanks to my buddy I was able to catch some photos. Suddenly the crowd roared "Hustisya! Hustisya!" pertaining to both the title of the Cinemalaya entry she stars in and the "injustice" for not being named a National Artist.
view from CCP: I just LOVE the lights at night
Outside, the festive atmosphere was celebrated with a capella song and dance number led by Soliman Cruz, later to be punctuated by the sudden arrival of rain. My buddy wanted to stay at CCP for a while but I was adamant to go because it was late and I still wanted to continue reading a book which lately interested me a lot because of its political and economic theories. We took the jeep, much to my dismay, I who love walking in the rain. Then again Vito Cruz is easily flooded, something I don't like at all.
After being enthralled and overwhelmed by the number of beautiful artifacts we saw in Shanghai Museum, we had a quick snack to wait until 6pm or so before we proceeded to The Bund. Before our trip, I had been researching on the place and I was expecting many people there since it's part of most (if not all) travel tours in Shanghai.
Samsung Building. I don't know if this is owned by Samsung or Samsung just put an ad on it...
It had begun to rain again. But at least now we were more prepared, having brought out our umbrellas for protection. Walking along East Zhongshan 1st Road and savoring the radiantly splendid architectural works that greet our eyes and which stretch until the end of the long road was a treat in itself, and for free, too. One cannot help but just bring out a camera and take consecutive shots of these Western-style buildings. Architecture students and enthusiasts will definitely love the place.
Pudong as seen from the Bund; note the many people despite the cold rain
We had our short rest at the end of Zhongshan road, in Huangpu Park. I was even more amazed at how the Chinese incorporate nature in its structures. A wall in Huangpu Park is covered with brightly colored flowers, adding up to the gaiety of the place at night.
colorful flowers on the wall and Customs House (right)
Customs House, considered as one of the most popular buildings in the Bund. And no wonder, since it stands out being a clock tower.
Oriental Pearl TV Tower as seen from the Bund on a rainy night
On our last night in Hong Kong, we had dinner at Chao Yang Chinese Cuisine, a rather posh restaurant in iSQUARE. The shopping mall is located at Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui. The location is perfect, as my last solo tour was just around the area, after having gone to Shau Kei Wan. The restaurant was almost packed when we arrived there at around 7PM.
Truth be told though, I prefer the simple food we ate at Temple Street, Yau Ma Tei. For some reason, I don't like the stiff and formal look of food in fancy restaurants. Food easily gets cold, and there's the absence of steamy dishes served in front of you. To be fair though, I enjoyed the evening dinner, but more so the beautiful views outside the glass walls. There's always a feeling of nostalgia after seeing a manifestation of beauty and what's left is a blurred representation in the mind. And as we were nearing the end of the dinner, I cast one last long look outside and tried to imagine the view in my mind, eyes closed. I am afraid that the brightly colored lights would fade in memory. Happy times are fleeting, and so are memories.
