Work, Home and Sleep

Wah! Work has been hard these past few days, with deadlines and pending reviews all over. Good thing Irish (PC Magazine's Staff Writer) is there to join me in my days when I (err, I mean We) get wacky. It's hard to find true people in this place, and I'm glad I found friends like her (Insert WooHooHoo comment here).

My grandparents recently wenk to the Philippines last weekend. They sure have missed 'Pinas' since they've spend the entire Christmas season in the United Kingdom. Dropping them off to the airport made me feel a little envious of everyone leaving, which made realize that it's almost time for me to plan my first vacation back home since entering the crazy world of being an OFW.

Which leads me to another random thought: Why in the world people from other countries mistake this place (Dubai, UAE) as a place of war? Sometimes people just assume places in general. With all the ongoing war and violence in neighboring countries here in the gulf, people always assume the entire Middle East is in that status - which is not. A thought comes to mind when my cousin asked me if there are terrorists here in Dubai or if I have met Bin Laden... It;s Dubai, people... Not Afganistan. For pete's sake, read a map... It isn't that hard to understand. Lastly, Dubai is not a country ok? It's a city/emirate... and it's part of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

I can't wait to go home. I have lots of errands to finish when I get there and when I'm finally done, my time's up and I have to go back. Sometimes I'd wish that if only I had the same salary and position back in the Philippines, it would be much better... But I guess you can't have it all.

Even though I left the call center business because I can't get much sleep. I still deprived of sleep working here - waking up at 4:50am and sleeping at 10pm. Well, as I said, you can't have it all.

2008!

Wow it's 2008 already and all I can think of is the upcoming movie summer season... all those films... wow. Batman. The Joker. Indiana Jones. Narnia. I can't wait.

But seriously, I plan to have 2008 to be my year that I can reach more goals and achieve more of what I have reached now. I think I can do that... since 2007 was a great year for me. I'm now in a supposed happy and satisfying place in my life and I couldn't ask for more... for now. ;-)

Cheers everyone and Happy New Year!

Top Ten Films of 2007 (Highest-grossing)

Here are the highest grossing films of 2007 (from http://www.boxofficemojo.com/)

1. Spider-Man 3 ($336,530,303)

2. Shrek the Third ($321,012,359)

3. Transformers ($319,071,806)

4. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End ($309,420,425)

5. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix ($292,004,738)

6. The Bourne Ultimatum ($227,471,070)

7. 300 ($210,614,939 )

8. Ratatouille ($206,445,654)

9. The Simpsons Movie ($183,135,014)

10. Wild Hogs ($168,273,550) - this crap earned something?!

Vp's Top Movies of the Year 2007

While admittedly some these films are blunders and/or potential blockbusters, they are the films that made me excited when watching it in the theater and heavily anticipated them on DVD. Let the countdown begin.

10. Grindhouse (Planet Terror/Death Proof) - Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez's double feature was a definite must watch for me. While it bombed at the box-office, it's intense action and over the top gore makes it a worthy addition to my fave films.


9. Hairspray - I have soft side for musicals. I loved each scene that went into this film... and seeing John Travolta in drag is a plus.


8. Pirates of the Caribbean: At Worlds End - Though the running time was almost clocked in at 3 hours, it was pure fun and thrills in the last (?) chapter of the Pirates trilogy.


7. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - Harry's 5^thyear at Hogwarts were met with inevitable chaos when Lord Voldemort, err... He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named begins to silently wreak havoc on the wizarding world. With superb performances by Imelda Staunton and Helena Bonham Carter, this is surely a must-see.


6. The Bourne Ultimatum - I'm really not a fan of films like these. However, since seeing the 2^ndfilm, I was attached to the film. In the 3^rdfilm, which supposedly is the end of the Bourne series, finds Jason Bourne on track to find the reason why people are pissed with him. Fueled with non-stop action, this film adds a satisfying finale to a great trilogy.


5. 300 - Frank Miller's graphic novel about 300 Spartans that went against all odds against their enemies of a million in count. Gore and epic action ensures. Plus, memorable lines that shall not be forgotten: "This is SPARTA!" or "SPARTANS! Tonight we dine in hell!"


4. Ratatouille - Pixar never fails to amuse us with simple storylines with heart. A story of a rat who wants to become a chef is the focus of their latest offering. Superb animation and touching moments make this one of the best animated films of the year.


3. Spider-Man 3 - While I'm die-hard Spider-Man movie fan, I was disappointed with the 3^rd film. There's too much storylines to be told and the villains were too blunt. Still, the epic action sequences make up for it. While it may not be the best, I still like it.


2. Die Hard 4.0 (Live Free or Die Hard) - Ah, even old age cannot stop John McClane in preventing terrorists from messing with the U.S. of A. Filled with thrilling car chases and stunts and explosions, along with Willis' signature line, this is simply a must-watch.


1. Transformers - Being a fan of the toy line and the cartoon, I almost cannot sleep the night before this movie opened. While some critics may bash the storyline and Michael Bay's directing, I still loved the film. After all, it's the robots I'm interested in seeing.

Special Mentions: Hot Fuzz, Knocked Up, Superbad, The Simpsons Movie

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to everyone! I can't believe 2007 is almost over! But I must say, this is one of my favorite years. Never have I accomplished so much things this year. I finally decided to leave my call center job (which is no offense, I really hated), I found a job abroad that I really, really loved. I'm finally on track and somewhat know what I want in the future. Thanks to my Tita, who pulled all the stops to help me on each step I take. Thanks to my 'tatay' and 'nanay', who have given me all the guidance that I will ever need. Thanks to my family, which somehow became the sole reason why I'm doing all of these. Thanks to my barkada (ANI!) which never forgot me even we were far apart. Raissa, Beans, Noel, Nat, Onch, FJ, Bebang, Shayne and Foxy. Thanks to Densie, who has always been there for me. To Jeah, even though we're continents apart, still lets me feel the comfort of having a true friend. To Glai, whose mystery still bedazzles me, thanks for the great advices. And to everyone, just a simple 'Thank You' from me means a big thing to you. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. 2008, bring it on!