Beat the heat.

This is a tiring Tuesday. I accompanied my Aunt in applying at Sheikh Zayed Road (kinda like Ayala Avenue in the Philippines), while also trying to score my luck in landing a job here. It was my first time here, so I was somewhat excited, so excited that I didn't let the summer heat get into me... yet. We went from building to building submitting CV's to different offices. We ended up going up the Emirates Towers going from offices to offices from every floor to submit our CV's. The highest of which is the 51st floor. I never went that high in a building before. I even get my ears popping from the increase in pressure inside the elevator. I seem to like it here. I wish the time would come when I would just be wearing my business suit, talk around on the phone all while walking along this road, never minding the heat.

After that we had the chance to go to the Mall of the Emirates, it was big. Though I never had the chance to see the mall in its entirety, at least I got the chance to see it. I also got the chance to glance upon the Ski Dubai, the largest in door ski resort in Dubai. Even if I never went inside (I just got to see it through a window), it somehow made me forget the heat outside. Wow, these people really know how to amaze me. Imagine, snow in the middle east. What would they think about next? From man made islands to snow resorts to floating hotels, this city never fails to amuse me. I definitely like it here. I also saw a lot of DVD stores, but never got the chance to see them. Ah well, there's always a second time. I do hope that time may come around sooner than I think.

It's 4pm and we had to go home, but before I left I got a free sample of CK's new fragrance IN2U. I kinda like it. Wish I'd be able to buy it... Haha. I arrived back at 5pm. It was a great experience. I hope the next time I'd be back I would be able to buy all those things I have been drooling for the past weeks. Hehe. Cheers everyone...

Review: Pirates of the Caribbean At World's End

WARNING: Here be spoilers... Captain Jack is back. But is it the last? I recently went to see the last (?) Pirates movie (I'll refer to it as POTC 3 as the title is overly long). What did I think? It was great. Firstly I'll discuss some things that I liked. The plot. It was OK, though some may have a hard following it. I liked that they showed all the pirates lords from all corners of the world, giving the viewers a chance to know that there is a bigger pirate world other than Jack's or William's or Barbossa's. The story is much darker, some dealing with death and some with betrayal (though pirates really is like that). It's a much better narrative than POTC 2. POTC 2 simply went from one location to another, not fully explaining each setting. In POTC 3 it was quite different, amazingly showcasing different pirate worlds. I liked the story more in this one, from Goddesses and sea creatures, this one has it all. Now, the acting, I think it was superb. Johnny Depp created this iconic character that will be up there with Luke Skywalker and Michael Myers. I could not think of anyone more deserving to play Jack Sparrow (err, Captain) than him. Bloom and Knightly were great, too. There are parts were the film shows too much of their story, but I guess this film is about them anyways. Rush was good, he played Barbossa so perfectly with that monkey of his. Supporting characters were alright, but I felt somewhat wanting more of Yun-Fat's character. He barely is the film even if the film shows he is a major character. Credits go Bill Nighly, who gets my vote for the best character in the film. He played Davy Jones flawlessly; you can definitely feel his emotions underneath all that computer-generated tentacles. And the effects... WOW. Never have I seen such real effects since Spider-Man 3 (Sandman's transformation, specifically). And Keith Richards! That was my favorite moment in the film. I can now definitely see the likeness between Richards and Sparrow (Yep. Sparrow, not Depp). It shows that I liked the film... Now here's what I didn't like: Tia Dalma's character. What the hell was she saying? I need subtitles when he talks. Wish I had a remote every time she's on. I'm just having trouble trying to understand her. Another is Will's story, it seems he too much frustrated on being betrayed and betraying someone. Too much emotion I guess. Same goes to Elizabeth... (Though her father's death hit me hard). And the running time, in the theater it runs 3 hours and 10 minutes, though it felt like 2 and a half. But that's still long... the Pirates film was that long too. Some scenes could definitely be shortened, but why complain, it's already done. All in all it a great experience. I like this better than POTC 2. And I enjoyed this more than Spider-Man (Yes, I love Spider-Man but part 3 somewhat disappointed me) and Shrek The Third. So far the 2007 summer season for me is going mediocre, still waitin' for Transformers and Harry Potter. POTC 3: 8/10

Head hurts.

I recently went to the Citi Centre (again) to watch Pirates 3 (Title too long, review after this post). And now my head hurts, to which I do not know the reason. Probably I went from the cold insides of the mall to the warm outside of the city, or probably I have not eaten yet, or probably I have just too many things to think about. I do hope all is still well. Still prayin' that I would land a decent job here. I can do it, I know I can. This is my now as Jordin (American Idol) said. Aye, captain!

On DVD's and starbucks

While scouting the mall here in Dubai (the Deira Citi Centre mall is the only mall I've gone too... so far). I've recently discovered the Virgin Megastore which sells, well, what else, CD's and DVD's! It's a collector's haven. Every DVD that I've been looking for is here. From limited editions to collector's items, they've all got it. Well, better save up some money and start my new DVD Collection here.

I also had the chance of dining at Starbucks the other day. Back in the Philippines, I only dined at Coffee Overdose 'cause it's much cheaper. It's only once in a while that I get a chance to drink coffee at Starbucks. Well here it's different, while there are other coffee shops around, it's at bucks that I'm only familiar. At least it's a good thing, somehow I get a chance to enjoy my Mocha Frappacino once in a while. Hehe! Cheers to that.

Slowly stepping down the road to... BOREDOM

As days are passing by awaiting the results of my job applications, it is evident that I am getting bored. Bored in a way that all I have to do is wait. But that's the way it is, I have to wait, until eventually I would land a job here, be stable and have a decent life here. I'm excited, as I get to restart my life in a new country. Wish me luck guys. I couldn't be more excited and happy that I am finally getting the chance to be independent. The picture on the right shows the sunset here in Dubai. While it may seem calm and relaxing, that picture was taken amidst the intense traffic and smoldering heat (it's 48 degrees). Still, the city was great, and I'm enjoying every bit of my stay here. Till my next blog entry, see yah!

In a foreign land

Well, I just arrived here in Dubai yesterday. It was tiring, the flight was quite long and I had to wait 4 hours from the HK International Airport. Though the good thing is that I was able to see the airport. Since this is my first time to travel, I was really excited. So excited that I never got to sleep inside the plane. Now I'm here in Dubai. Work is my priority while being here, though I can't help but marvel at this city's landscapes. It is so clean (as Monica puts it), hardly any garbage to be seen (unlike the Philippines). I do hope I get a job soon. I'm excited to explore this whole new world (sounds familiar?). Cheers guys! I'll definitely be missing the Philippines.

Random things

I still can't get over Spider-Man 3. While Part 2 is still the best for me, this is one of the best movies I've seen this year. And now that I’ve seen the film I’ve waited for 3 years, my whole going to Dubai thing is starting to sink in. I feel somewhat depressed; I’ll be leaving a lot here when I go there. I will surely miss everything I’ve had here in the Philippines. But still, I’m excited, this is something new for me. I get to life out my life and start something new. As I have always prayed, I do hope everything falls in its right place.

Last night was also the time I get to bond once more with my (ex) co-workers. They were great, and they have been a big part of my life as I entered the world of call centers (though I say to myself I won’t go to any call center anymore… graveyard shifts almost killed me). We watched Spider-Man (for the 3rd time for me… hehe) and had a late dinner. Great people, I’ll surely miss them. I have pictures uploaded in my Flickr albums.

By the way, I've also change my blog title from 'In the realm of random thought' to 'Realms of random thought'. Just wanted to keep it short and simple.

Review: Spider-Man 3

Here's my take on the third Spider-Man film (Spoilers ahead)

Firstly was Peter and MJ's love story. It was good, the film definitely showed how they have grown since Part 2. The actors were also great; Tobey Maguire definitely was the right choice for Spider-Man/Peter Parker. Kirsten Dunst was also brilliant, though some of her scenes tend to become cheesy at times, but all in all they were great.

Next is Harry Osborn, the movie definitely shows his hatred for Peter. His face certainly shows that something will make him the next goblin. The way he handled his character was truly unique. While watching the film, you can certainly feel that Harry not a villain, but a troubled soul seeking revenge for his father. And the way he treated his character was top notch, I even cried watching the finale with the 3 (MJ & Peter) of them.

The villains were good; I most especially liked Sandman’s transformation. Thomas Haden Church was great, he portrayed not only a villain, but also as a loving father. Topher Grace as Venom was really what the fans have been waiting for. Even though Venom appears late in the film, the minimal screen time he had was some of the best action scenes I’ve seen since the Train Scene in Spider-Man 2. Topher’s acting deviates away from what fans have already known from his stint in That 70’s Show.

The supporting actors were great. I really thought Gwen Stacy (Bryce Dallas Howard) has a big role in the film, but she barely gets screen time (But I liked her scene when she fell off the building). Rosemary Harris (Aunt May) was great as always (I always tend to say great), you can see how she cares both for Peter and his Uncle Ben. Even James Cromwell (Gwen’s Dad) was a great addition to the case, I liked him back in Six Feet Under and this time, I like him more. Even J.J. Jameson, Betty Brant, Hoffman, Robbie (the Daily Bugle cast), Peter’s landlord (Mr. Ditkovich) and his daughter (Ursula) were a great part of already great ensemble.

The cameos were great too. It’s nice to see Stan Lee in a speaking role this time. And Grand Curtis’s (Producer) cameo was actually funny (he was the security guard at the armored vehicle Sandman was robbing). The one thing I really loved was Bruce Campbell’s role as the “Maître d’”.

A word on the effects and action, AWESOME! I’ve never seen CGI sand work that way since The Mummy back in 1999. I think the effects team should get another Academy Award for their work here. They continue to amaze me and make the impossible, well, possible. The fight scenes were brilliant. Back in 2004 when I watched Spider-Man 2, part of me was kind of depressed seeing only little fight scenes in the film (but the Train Scene still kicks ass). Now, I don’t have any reason to complain, as each minute comes with a different action scene. Thank you, Sam Raimi!

I do have my own complaints... Though the story was good, it feels kind of ‘overlappy’ , with different story arcs to create one big plot arc, I guess there’s too much story to tell and for me some scenes/stories were not fully explained/concluded. And also, I’m sad that I didn’t get to see the final swing (usually happens every end of the film), the film just fades out. Though that might mean something. Still, I loved the film.

This is unarguably one of the best films of the year. I’ll definitely going to watch this again and buy it on DVD.