Taking Woodstock is not what you might expect, but it remains beautifully realistic and  skilfully composed.

After Brokeback Mountain and Lust,Caution, Ang Lee returns with: Taking Woodstock.

There has been a lot of critics towards this film because woodstock left a (sometimes too) precise image in man’s memory. With time, Woodstock has become a symbol of an era when rebellious youth rose up alongside innovative music to defy common thoughts on war and sexual orientation. Today, we remember it as a period of emancipation for the western world, when the hunger for freedom and harmony was at a peak.

This year is the festival’s 40th anniversary but Taking Woodstock is not so much of an hommage as we could have expected. That explains why Hollywood Reporter critic Kirk Honeycutt wrote “it’s a low-wattage film about a high-wattage event, which is somewhat disappointing.”

Sex, drugs and rocknroll are not the main focus in Ang Lee’s film.  Yet I didn’t feel Taking Woodstock was a disapointement. At least, Lee was original enough to surprise his viewers. Taking Woodstock is a comedy with an incredible realistic touch. Emile Hirsh (Into the Wild) is perfect in his role, Imelda Staunton (Vera Drake) is hilarious, and Demetri Martin makes a great debut.

Although you won’t hear Hendrix’ guitar reefs, the atmosphere and moods of the period still feels quite well transcribed. Taking Woodstock might not be an acid trip, but it’s a true life experience on the path of growth and self-awareness.

My verdict: Interesting, funny and worth seeing.

Ang, the Sweltering Celt has asked that this week’s fantasy involve her as part of a contest to honor the anniversary of her blog site. I am more than happy to oblige…

I was doing my best to deliver a captivating lesson to my overcrowded lecture hall. While I flipped through slides and attempted to navigate my cursory notes, my gaze kept slipping to the woman sitting in the far left side of the first row. I glanced surreptitiously at the class roster. Ang. Over the last several weeks she had moved from the back of the hall slowly down through the rows until, today, she watched me intently. Her big, beautiful eyes peering at me over a pair of wire rim glasses. While I might have been more distracted by the ample cleavage revealed by her low-cut tee, or by the hint of creamy thighs when she crossed and recrossed her legs, it was the rope that was throwing off my game.

The rope. Instead of taking copious notes as I fumbled through what should have been a thoroughly practiced presentation, she was toying with a piece of black silken cord, about 16″ in length or so. It wove in and out of her hands. She pulled it taught and then let it go slack. I cleared my throat a few times and tried to concentrate. I could hear murmers in the classroom and knew I was losing my audience even as I became the audience to this highly charged bit of play in the corner. I had to assume it was intentional. It looked intentional. I shook it off and clicked on the next slide.

My eyes drew back to her just before the bell rang. The rope had disappeared, her head was bent over her notebook. I breathed. I finished my lecture. I thanked my students and turned to gather my belongings. I had just put my laptop in my bag and turned around to leave, bumping smack into her. She had been standing silently behind me. I muttered my apologies and she gave me the most mischievous grin I have ever seen. Reaching around me, she dropped a folded piece of paper and the black silk cord onto the desk and walked away without ever saying a word. I picked up the note. “You seem a little tongue-tied. Want to try the real thing? Tonight. 9:30.” and an address one town over.

Oh, I did. I definitely did. After showering, dressing, stopping to masturbate twice with the tantalizing thoughts of what may lie ahead, I got in the car and drove to the address given. My knock on the door was answered by a truly handsome man, which threw me for a curve. He just smiled and said, “I believe Ang is expecting you.” He gestured toward the living room, alight with candles. She sat on a comfortable sofa, surrounded by many feet of that same black silken cord, along with all manner of floggers, paddles, clamps, and other accoutrements that promised a long night of amazing wonders. She looked up at me and smiled. I swallowed as she hooked her finger toward me and patted her lap, reaching for a black leather flogger as I moved closer.

And so the teacher becomes the student. The student, the teacher.

So Ang and I will be starting P90X tomorrow. This will be her first round of P90X and my second. It is a killer 90-day program. For this go round, Ang put together a challenge on Facebook. Basically, she’s going to crown a winner at the end of the 90 days and they will win something from BeachBody (the company behind P90X). There will also be prizes given away at 30-day intervals. It’ll be a lot more fun doing this with a group of people. I saw results last time I did it, but adding competition to the mix should guarantee results from me.

Today, Ang and I will be doing the fitness test. I took a brief look at it last night and it looks pretty basic (how many push-ups, pull-ups, etc… can you do?). I also officially mapped out the workout schedule for the next 90 days.

In my previous round of P90X, I really didn’t follow any type of nutrition guide. This time, we are going to try to do what the nutrition guide says for the entire duration (although it doesn’t vary much from our regular meals). I can’t wait to throw out all of the Halloween candy tonight!

I first want to thank you for your time. I wanted to write to you and let you know how much the Angel Food Ministries has helped to repair my families life.

I have been the Manager for grocery stores in Florida, North Carolina for 6 years, and the GM for a hotel which had 2 restaurants and a bar for 2 years. I have now found myself unemployed without any income. My wife is the school nurse for our local school which the pay isn’t enough to support a family of 4.

Our grocery bill was an average of $800 a month. We had to cut back greatly. My wife heard about AFM from a friend. We found out that the host site was Christ Church in our town of Deposit. The church is less than a block from our home!

We went online and ordered our first order after looking at the menu and seeing what a great selection and variety of food there is. I have purchased food for companies for 8 years and know the planning and organization it takes to do what you do. I am impressed.

I was however sceptical at first about the quality of the food. The price was right but what about the freshness, the overall quality? Well let me tell you, great! Again, I am impressed. So impressed that me, Mr. Skeptic, began to tell everyone about your company, the quality of the food, and the help that you have given me as well as thousands of others. My wife as well, a school nurse, is in contact with many people in need of better health, financial help, and the AFM help support both. She shares what the AFM provides with so many people as well.

This is such a great program for people from single parents, to struggling families, senior citizens, to the couples on the go. It provides a wide selection of healthy fruits, vegetables, dairy, meats, etc… everyone can benefit from your organization.

We now have friends from Ohio to NY sharing in the blessings that the AFM provides.

Our host site, Christ Church, is so organized, friendly, and helpful that it is a pleasure to go there and recieve not only our orders but support from the many people that donate their time to volunteer. They are a blessing themselves.

Now back to that $800 dollar a month food bill that I spoke of. With the help of the AFM my families food bill for a family of 4 has gone from $800 a month to $330 a month. That includes my monthly purchase from AFM as well as the weekly runs to the grocery store for the small supplementing needed. That to me is amazing and my family has not felt deprived of anything.

Again, I just wanted to say thank you to you, your co-workers, as well as all of the host sites for what they have been able to do for individuals and families like mine.

Many blessings to you all,
Matthew C. Russell

I started the Heart of the Cabin yesterday. I did the center part of the first two blocks, and then the first 3 logs. It’s been a lot of fun working with different threads and new stitches, and I’m only just beginning!

For the first log, I used Rachel and Frosty Rays. Though the stitch guide called for Flair, the color I picked out just didn’t work. I was able to use some Frosty Rays I had from another project and I love the color. This thread doesn’t have the smooth finish that the Flair does, but it actually gives a nice contrast to the flair, and I love the color combo.

Threadworx, the overdyed used in the second log, was also a ton of fun to work with. I really like the color change, and the thread is super-soft. I don’t know how else to describe it, but it just felt nice to work with.

The third log was worked in Renaisance. It was supposed to be alternating blocks between Pure & Simple and Sprinkles. I apparently only picked up 1 type of thread, which was shimmer. Although I like the look of it, it wasn’t the most fun to work with. This thread was very slippery! But, it’s worth the pain for the effect the thread gives the stitch.

Next up, my first log with beading…but I’m a little confused as to what thread to use when stringing the beads. I’ll have to contact the list for advice before I move on!

(CFD.net.au – Contract for Difference, Share, Forex, ETFs, Commodities Traders) –

MORNING SLICES

Fundys –

The

New Zealand Dollar

has taken front and center stage on Tuesday with the single currency racing higher on the back of some

solid global risk appetite

, better c

urrent account data

and news that local dairy giant

Fonterra

has raised it …

Source: Greenback Dumped Yet Again Overnight (Morning Slices)

(CFD.net.au – Contract for Difference, Share, Forex, ETFs, Commodities Traders) – Click on Title to access article details

Source: Greenback Dumped Yet Again Overnight (Morning Slices)

(CFD.net.au – Contract for Difference, Share, Forex, ETFs, Commodities Traders) – Click on Title to access article details

Source: Greenback Dumped Yet Again Overnight (Morning Slices)

Dapat habang bata pa,tinuturuan na

]]> http://arkamist.wordpress.com/2009/08/27/ddk-work/ Thu, 27 Aug 2009 02:28:36 +0000 arkamist http://arkamist.wordpress.com/2009/08/27/ddk-work/

Worked on the mrstddk a lot today. Added a package update for clutter 1.0.4 and got the sensor framework too. Lots of rebuilding of the SD card made for slow progress. Had a good meeting with James regarding initial build script bring up and such. James said that Kevin wants someone in London for this phase. I guess I would be it. I’ll find out more tomorrow when I go to Folsom.

I need to get more house stuff done, but I’m just not that motivated to do it. Seems like it takes Ang here pushing me to do it. I’m glad she does it because otherwise I don’t think I’d do much.

I feel like there is so much ground to cover with Carole. I need a solid week to go through stuff with her. I hate finding things out about her through an offhand remark. It’s been so long since we really talked though, makes me wonder what’s going on.

Had lunch at El Farolito today at the urging of Syrah on postfarmchat. It definitely hit the spot. El pastor is my favorite. I hope that place doesn’t close. It has been for sale since I moved in here.

I need to go shopping for Ang’s gift. I just have no idea what to get her. For 5 years she mentioned a necklace or something nice that signified our time together. I also need to get GTA4 for Kevin, although he needs to commit that he wants me to build that computer.

PANORAMIC

Le sélectionneur national algérien, Rabah Saâdane, a communiqué mardi la liste des 25 joueurs retenus pour le match contre la Zambie dans le cadre des éliminatoires CAN-Mondial 2010, le 6 septembre à Blida.

Le sélectionneur national algérien, Rabah Saâdane, a communiqué mardi la liste des 25 joueurs retenus pour le match contre la Zambie dans le cadre des éliminatoires CAN-Mondial 2010, le 6 septembre à Blida. Pour rappel, l’Algérie occupe la tête du groupe C après trois rencontres, avec trois points d’avance sur l’Egypte et la Zambie.

La liste complète :
Gardiens : Lounes Gaouaoui (ASO Chlef), Nassim Ousserir (CR Belouizdad), Faouzi Chaouchi (ES Sétif).
Défenseurs : Reda Baabouche (MC Alger), Nadir Belhadj (Portsmouth, ANG), Madjid Bougherra (Rangers FC, ECO), Rafik Halliche (Nacional Madeira CD, POR), Abdelkader Laifaoui (ES Sétif), Mohammed Meftah (JS Kabylie), Slimane Raho (ES Sétif), Anthar Yahia (VfL Bochum, ALL), Samir Zaoui (ASO Chlef).
Milieux : Chérif Abdesslam (USM Annaba), Hocine Achiou (USM Alger), Yacine Bezzaz (RC Strasbourg, FRA), Hameur Bouazza (sans club), Khaled Lemmouchia (ES Sétif), Yazid Mansouri (Lorient, FRA), Karim Matmour (Borussia Mönchengladbach, ALL), Mourad Meghni (Lazio Rome, ITA), Karim Ziani (VfL Wolfsburg, ALL).
Attaquants : Rafik Djebbour (AEK Athènes, GRE), Abdelkader Ghezzal (Sienne), Kamel Ghilas (Hull City, ANG), Rafik Saifi (Al Khor, QAT).

P.J (Rédaction FootSud)/ Rédaction Football365.fr

Ang, dirimu adalah satu nama dari orang-orang yang kucinta. Membaca lukisan hatimu menghadapkanku pada sebuah cermin dimana aku bisa sejenak berkaca. Kau laksana denyut dan aku detak. Tak beda. Satu hal yang membuatnya sama, ternyata lukisan kita masih pada kanvas yang sama kuas yang sama cat yang sama obyek yang sama. Kala luka hadir melanda, mungkin ini cara kita mendonggak, menyangga airmata lalu membiarkan lukisan semata yang menetes, lukisan-lukisan berdarah..

Pun usah kumungkiri, Ang. Ujung kuasmu yang terang oleh cahaya lilin itu adalah kebenaran nyata. Goresan-goresan skestanya telah menyihir dunia menjadi penuh warna. Andai kau tahu Ang, lukisanmu mengalihkan pandanganku, mengobarkan detak dinadiku. Kunikmati saja indah lukisanmu penuh makna yang menjalar sepanjang rentang usia manusia.

Bila hatimu resah tatkala hujan datang meluruhkan lukisanmu, Jangan bersedih Ang! sebab hujan mencipta pelangi. Bukankah pelangi itu indah, Ang? Kalau perlu Kau jadikan obyek lukisanmu saja pelangi itu, menjadi lukisan cinta. Lukisan yang membuat manusia bersyukur atas hadirnya. Ya, ini tentang cinta Ang, tentang keberadaannya yang mewarnai dunia kita. Kita adalah dua perempuan pecinta yang tak mengobral rasa untuk dunia. Begitupun dengan orang-orang yang kita cintai. mereka  adalah  pelangi yang hadir setelah hujan bersama cahaya mentari. Kita pun percaya, bahwa perempuan cahaya akan berjumpa dengan cahaya.

Ang, aku mencintaimu. Akan kulukis kisah ini dan kupamerkan pada dunia. Ku coba mengikuti jejakmu Ang. Meluapkan cinta ini pada kanvas dan menjadi lukisan indah, lalu menggantungkannya di dinding rumah dan pameran

Namun bagaimana dengan lukisan-lukisanku yang belum selesai itu, Ang? Mungkinkah ku pamerkan juga? Atau ku coret saja satu per satu?

Jacqui emailed this through on friday… I thought some of them were fairly good – definitely had a bit of a chuckle, especially when I instantly thought of both Ang and Jenna in regards to a few of them…

Random Thoughts of the Day:

• I wish Google Maps had an “Avoid Ghetto” routing option.
• More often than not, when someone is telling me a story all I can think about is that I can’t wait for them to finish so that I can tell my own story that’s not only better, but also more directly involves me.
• Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you’re wrong.
• I totally take back all those times I didn’t want to nap when I was younger.
• The letters T and G are very close to each other on a keyboard. This recently became all too apparent to me and consequently I will never be ending a work email with the phrase “Regards” again.  (Ang!)
• Do you remember when you were a kid, playing Nintendo and it wouldn’t work? You take the cartridge out, blow in it and that would magically fix the problem. Every kid in America did that, but how did we all know how to fix the problem? There was no internet or message boards or FAQ’s. We just figured it out. Today’s kids are soft.
• There is a great need for sarcasm font. (Jenna!)
• The other night I hit a new low at an open bar. I had already hopped on highway blackout when, inevitably I had to find a bathroom. Eventually I decided it was probably on the other side of the bar so I tried to walk over there, but ran into a guy coming the other way. We played that, Both go left, Both go right game to no avail, so I finally put out my hand to guide myself past and that’s is when I realized, yup, that’s a mirror I just tried to walk through. And the guy on the other side is me. Even cats can recognize their own image.
• How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?
• I think part of a best friend’s job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die. (Jenna and Ang!!)
• The only time I look forward to a red light is when I’m trying to finish a text.  (Ang!)
• Was learning cursive really necessary?
• Lol has gone from meaning, “laugh out loud” to “I have nothing else to say”.  (Jenna!)
• I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.
• How many times is it appropriate to say “What?” before you just nod and smile because you still didn’t hear what they said?
• What would happen if I hired two private investigators to follow each other?
• While driving yesterday I saw a banana peel in the road and instinctively swerved to avoid it…thanks Mario Kart.
• MapQuest really needs to start their directions on #5. Pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.
• Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.
• I find it hard to believe there are actually people who get in the shower first and THEN turn on the water.
• I can’t remember the last time I wasn’t at least kind of tired.
• Bad decisions make good stories
• Whenever I’m Facebook stalking someone and I find out that their profile is public I feel like a kid on Christmas morning who just got the Red Ryder BB gun that I always wanted. 546 pictures? Don’t mind if I do!
• Why is it that during an ice-breaker, when the whole room has to go around and say their name and where they are from, I get so incredibly nervous? Like I know my name, I know where I’m from, this shouldn’t be a problem….
• You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you’ve made up your mind that you just aren’t doing anything productive for the rest of the day.  (Ang!)
• Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after DVDs? I don’t want to have to restart my collection.
• There’s no worse feeling than that millisecond you’re sure you are going to die after leaning your chair back a little too far.
• I’m always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten page research paper that I swear I did not make any changes to. (Jenna!)
• I hate being the one with the remote in a room full of people watching TV. There’s so much pressure. ‘I love this show, but will they judge me if I keep it on? I bet everyone is wishing we weren’t watching this. It’s only a matter of time before they all get up and leave the room. Will we still be friends after this?’  (Jenna!)
• While watching the Olympics, I find myself cheering equally for China and USA . No, I am not of Chinese descent, but I am fairly certain that when Chinese athletes don’t win, they are executed.
• I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello? Damnit!), but when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goes to voicemail. What’d you do after I didn’t answer? Drop the phone and run away?
• I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.  (Jenna!)
• I like all of the music in my iTunes, except when it’s on shuffle, then I like about one in every fifteen songs in my iTunes.  (Ang!)
• Why is a school zone 40km/h? That seems like the optimal cruising speed for pedophiles…
• As a driver I hate pedestrians, and as a pedestrian I hate drivers, but no matter what the mode of transportation, I always hate cyclists.
• Sometimes I’ll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.
• I keep some people’s phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.
• I think that if, years down the road when I’m trying to have a kid, I find out that I’m sterile, most of my disappointment will stem from the fact that I was not aware of my condition in college.
• Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket, hitting the G-spot, and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey – but I’d bet my ass everyone can find and push the Snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time every time…
• My 4-year old son asked me in the car the other day “Dad what would happen if you ran over a ninja?” How the hell do I respond to that?
• I wonder if cops ever get pissed off at the fact that everyone they drive behind obeys the speed limit.
• I think the freezer deserves a light as well.

So, I forwarded the email on to both Ang and Jenna. Ang responded with this:

To: Prue B
CC: Jenna B
Sent: Mon 24/08/09 8.57AM

“You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you’ve made up your mind that you just aren’t doing anything productive for the rest of the day.“

It hit me in the car on the way to work this morning….

Ang -

ako gumawa,idea by kaye ron canona,kaklase ko

“National statt Global!” und “Hatecore statt Hip Hop!”, Bushaltestelle in Dummerstorf, Mecklenburg Vorpommern

“Die Ideologie des Nationalsozialismus bietet den besten Schlüssel zu seinen Endzielen. Sie zu studieren ist weder sehr erfreulich noch einfach. Bei der Lektüre von Plato und Aristoteles, Thomas von Aquin und Marsilius von Padua, Hobbes und Rousseau, Kant und Hegel fasziniert uns die innere Schönheit ihres Denkens, ihre Konsistenz und Eleganz so sehr wie die Art und Weise, in der ihre Lehren mit den sozio-politischen Gegebenheiten in Einklang stehen. Philosophische und soziologische Analysen greifen ineinander. Die nationalsozialistische Ideologie ist bar jeglicher inneren Schönheit. Der Stil ihrer lebenden Autoren ist abscheulich, die Konstruktionen sind wirr, eine Konsistenz ist nicht vorhanden. Jede Äußerung entspringt einer unmittelbaren Situation und wird verworfen, sobald die Situation sich ändert.” (Neumann, Franz: Behemoth -Struktur und Praxis des Nationalsozialismus 1933-1944, Fischer Verlag, Frankfurt am Main, 5. Auflage 2004, S.65)

(P.S.: Danke für die Idee!)
(P.P.S.: Siehe auch der Fall Röbel)

MAGANDA ANG PILIPINAS!

That’s what I always remind and tell myself whenever I would want to travel with friends in tow or have a vacation simply by myself. True enough, I have been to several travel destinations in the Philippines and nothing is comparable to the natural beauty that the Philippine islands can offer. Not only that, you also get the hospitality and warmth of the people around the place in addition to the glorious scenes.

In relation to the kagandahan ng Pilipinas and Biyahe Na wants, I have found Coron, Busuanga Island, Palawan and been planning my trip  for quite some months now.  I came across this travel destination when we had our trip to Puerto Princesa City, Palawan last year. It’s only then that I realized I had to visit the place because of the promises of wonderful marine sanctuaries, exotic wildlife and glorious beaches surrounding the island.

hollywood-esque logo of Coron seen on a mountain top

How Do I Plan My Trip To Coron?

There has been several blogs, hear-says pictures and reviews posted and published about Coron. Honestly those blogs, reviews and threads have helped me big time in planning my upcoming trip to Coron. Armed with all these information at hand, I invited several friends of  mine to accompany me on my trip, on their own expense of course. A few heeded to the calling and they are as follows: Aboy (although still unsure), Allan, Ramil, Mona and her hubby with one other fellow I’m not sure who it will be. Probably, this post will be revised once I get a hold of the person’s name. We have settled on the date as October 21-24, 2009. It was a good timing because those dates also cover the Pantalan area fiesta and that made our trip more promising as ever. The date was just an accident. Originally it should have been October 10-14 but then the other members of the survivor Coron edition told me that they would have a hard time in securing their vacation leaves as one of the dates fall on a Friday. So we adjusted the dates and settled on October 21-24 instead. What a blessing I told myself. At the back of my mind, probably I truly deserve this trip or para sa akin talaga ang trip na ito. But the truth behind the chosen date is because 2 members of the Coron Survivor edition will celebrate their birthdays in October. So yun na, alam na!

Kayangan Lake in Coron, Busuanga Island, Palawan taken by one of the travellers to the place

How Do I  Get To Coron, Busuanga Island, Palawan?

The next thing that I started to bug myself about was how I would travel to Coron. There are 2 modes of transportation going to Coron. Of course, the most popular would be by air. You would have to drop off at Busuanga domestic airport and then take a van that would take you to Coron town proper. I was told that the air travel is about an hour and the travel from Busuanga to Coron town is about 45 minutes. The van has a fixed rate of Php 150 per person and will take you to your preferred accommodation. They have a policy that whichever van drove you to your accommodation, shall also be the van who would fetch you and bring you to the airport on your return trip back to Manila. I find that practice very convenient for travellers. For me it also implies that they have a fair and just business practice going on in the area. But then, there were several others who claimed that the Php150/person fare from the airport to Coron town proper is a rip off and  unreasonable in the sense that it only takes about 30-45 minutes ride to reach the destination. I read this comment as an opinion for the Coron, Busuanga thread. Judging from the person’s point of view, he actually was right about it. When we travelled to Boracay in June 2009, the van fare from Kalibo International airport has a prevailing rate of Php150/person and the travel time is around 1.5 – 2 hours depending on the skills of the driver and traffic flow in the area. Considering the distance travelled and comparing them both, I may conclude that the charge in Coron is really a rip off.  I’m just hoping that the local government in the area can take a step forward and come up with a fair and reasonable resolution as far as van rates going to Coron town is concerned.

Since Coron Town is becoming a popular destination and travel spot, there has been several revisions as far as travelling to this town is concerned. There are now several ways to travel to Busuanga at rates that the common Pinoy can afford. Among them are as follows:

a. By Air – these are the list of airlines that can fly you to Busuanga Island. Just be aware of promo offerings and you’ll surely get the least amount for your air travel.

• Philippine Airlines. They have a promo right now, Seat All You Can, which is also featured in one of my pages. Kaya naman talagang nasabi ko na para sa akin ang Coron dahil naglabasan ang mga promo ng airlines when I was planning to purchase my tickets for the trip.  I am loyal to PAL, that’s why for the one-way going to Busuanga, I have decided to take PAL for Php788 including the taxes and surcharges. I should not have taken Zest Air’s promo, nor should have trusted them to begin with.
• Cebu Pacific Air. They also had their 50% off promo to all destinations at the time that we were searching an airline that would take us to Busuanga. They had a promo in celebration of their 3rd year anniversary at Terminal 3 of NAIA. The promo ran for 2 days only. And Mona’s party was able to avail of this promo.
• Zest Air. I purchased my tickets through Zest Air for only Php 976 two-way fare going to Busuanga. Very cheap indeed, cheaper even when PAL or Cebu Pacific had their promo offerings. However due to flight reductions, I was forced to refund the one-way going to Busuanga amounting Php488.
• Sea Air. Previously, this was the only airline who offered chartered trips to Busuanga. When I checked their rates, they have one of the highest airfares going to Busuanga. No promo available at this moment for Busuanga flights.

b. By Sea – this is the shipping line that can carry you to Busuanga Island. They also offer promo rates from time to time, but you’d have to very vigilant in watching out for those.

• Super Ferry. You can also travel by sea through Super Ferry by Aboitiz Lines. They have rates as low as Php750 per person one way, which would take you directly to Coron town pier. But as for this mode, I believe they only travel to Coron on Fridays at 6PM and by 6AM of Saturday, you’ll wake up to Coron sunrise already. The rates are reasonable, it could go up depending on your lifestyle.

Where Do I Stay In Coron, Busuanga Island, Palawan?

Now that we have settled on the dates and the plane tickets, the search is on for the most affordable but decent accommodations in Coron. Of course again, there is a criteria that I have set in order for me to choose the accommodation.

1. Offers a spectacular view of the area. Whether it’s situated on a mountain top or on a beachfront.
2. The rooms should be air-conditioned. Although I was told that you don’t actually need to have an air-condition when staying in Coron.
3. Rooms should be spacious and ensuite CR. The beds should be comfortable.
4. Seafront rooms if possible. But Coron town does not really have a decent beachfront. All the hotels who claim that they are beachfront are on stilts actually. And I was told that they are seafront accommodations, not beachfront accommodations.
5. With freebies. Some of the hotels offer free breakfasts or free airport transfers once you avail of their services.
6. With facilities such as use of kitchenette with or without charge if possible, swimming pool, lounging area, mini-bar and videoke area for night gatherings. The people that I’m travelling with have flair for cooking food and for singing their hearts out.
7. Offers affordable packages such as accommodations with food and trips around Coron Islands and nearby islets. I guess all the lodgings in Coron town have offers like these.
8. The lodging should have a back-up generator. I heard that electricity and water ration in Coron town is rationed. Probably due to the fact that it’s an island not yet fully developed as far as technology is concerned.
9. Unique in its own way.

And so the hunt is on for our accommodations. There are several lodging houses in Coron that I have inquired about but only a few have websites.  Most of them only have contact numbers. So it’s very hard for me to picture the rooms and the place itself. The twin sharing room rates can go as low as Php500 per night on a fan room and Php950 per night on an air-conditioned room. There are some lodging houses that caught my fancy and at this point these are my choices:

• Coron Reef Pension House. They have claimed that they are the cheapest accommodation in Coron Php 900 per night on twin sharing but doesn’t include any freebies. The rooms are plain and simple, made of native materials and offers a beachfront accommodation.
• Mt. Tapyas Hotel. This is one of the newest hotels in the Coron town area, probably one of the reasons why I had this as my option. Their room rate is Php 1024 per night, including service charge. The airport transfer is free. Offers seaview and mountain views.
• Darayonan Lodge. There has been several reviews made for this lodging. They have 18 rooms and the lowest rate offered to me was Php 950 per night with daily breakfasts for two. The pictures of the place include a lush garden and native decorations. Unique, ikanga nila. Located along the main road, no views at all except their garden.
• Seadive Resort. This is for divers only, as what I have heard. The rates will change starting October 1st. Standard aircon rooms are charged at Php900 per night. Doesn’t include freebies. The lodge is beachfront. Most reviews say that they offer great food but the rooms are plain and simple.
• V. A. Birang Lodging. This offers a seafront view and is a fairly new lodge around the Coron town. I love the place! The owner is very kind. It’s just quite unfortunate that they’re fully booked on October 21-24. Sigh! They are the reason why I found the lodging of my choice at this point in time.
• Coron Sunrise Inn. This is the place that passed most of the criteria that I have set in search for our accommodations in Coron. Their rates are negotiable. Tita Glo, the owner is very nice and straight-forward in answering all my questions. I didn’t had any problems at all as far as communications are concerned because she keeps an open line between us. As for the rooms, they were spacious and all are air-conditioned and has fans in every room. Most of all, the rooms have their own CR’s. They also have a place for night gathering, perfect for the group. The owner also offered me to have our own food cooked in their kitchen with extra charge of course. She mentioned that the gas for cooking costs Php854 in their place. Very expensive! No freebies for their room rates of Php1200 per night good for two persons. But she said that she could give us discounts as far as boat rental is concerned. I find the interiors of the place unique in a way that they have put together simple things and came up with an interior design that passes my taste. Tita Glo told me that at this time, they have 4 rooms available but their new rooms are under construction but it will be completed by the time that we get to Coron. How promising! Parang ako pa ata ang bibinyag sa new rooms nila! The  very reason why I chose to reserve their rooms is because for one, the rooms and facilities passed most of the criteria. And secondly, Tita Glo is very accommodating. She even called me personally for the transactions. They also have a back-up generator, so one can be assured that you’ll have a good time even when the electricity is out and of course a good night’s sleep. I strongly recommend and suggest you take Coron Sunrise Inn as your option when going to Coron.  You can send me a message through the comment box and I’ll let Tita Glo know that you’re interested in renting her place while at Coron. They don’t have a website yet though. I just saw the pictures of the people who previously stayed at their place. Just send me a message if you’re interested. Below are some of the pictures of the place sent to me via email by her son June. Lalo tuloy akong na-excite sa Coron trip na ito. How I wish October comes na!

the common living room

the bamboo gazebo great for night gatherings

the room good for two persons

the room good for 5 persons, they will add extra beds as needed

the ensuite comfort room

view of the lodging from the sea

the view of the entire place from the gazebo

the hallway leading to the rooms

the interiors of the place. I love this chime!

What Are The Things To Do In Coron, Busuanga Island, Palawan?

Now that everything about plane tickets and lodgings have been settled, what are we to do in this majestic place? The only way that you could explore the Coron Islands is by renting a boat for one whole day that would take you to the islets, beaches and wrecks for exploration. It was a good thing that I found Owen Ferrer’s DIY Coron site. Owen Ferrer is an expert as far as Coron, Busuanga Island is concerned. He has been to the place several times now and is the protege of this DIY Coron thingy.  He offers tours to travellers at a very affordable price. He says that he’s not the cheapest around the Coron town but you’ll get value for your money when you opt to go with his tour offerings. It sounded incredible! I scouted around the site and was able to come up with our travel itinerary. The site actually helped me plan everything from day 1 up to day 4 for our Coron survival.  Our itinerary are as follows:

Day 1: Maquinit visit on October 21, 2009

This is our arrival day in Coron. Since there is plenty of time to explore the town, I decided it would be the best time for us to do so, on the first day. There’s the Mt. Tapyas cross, which they say has 747 steps to reach the top. Then the souvenir shops in the area. And of course the renowned Maquinit Hot Springs which has an entrance fee of Php100 per head. Going to Maquinit costs around Php 50 per head one way via tricycle. However, I have read one review that Maquinit Hot Springs is not that enchanting anymore. The owners were careless enough not to take care of the place. According to the most recent review by one of the PEXers: the walkway is slippery due to the moss that covered the walk floor, there were no shower rooms so chances are you’re going back to your accommodations without even taking a shower, dogs roam freely around the resort. This review actually bothered me because I was planning to take a hot dip at night. I may or may not include this in our itinerary but I would have to consult the group first prior to removing this.

Day 2:  Coron Island Loop 1 Day on October 22, 2009

Tour Cost Php 1400/ pax

Spots To Visit: Siete Pecados, Kalachuchi, Kayangan Lake, Barracuda Lake, Twin Lagoon, Banol Beach, Skeleton Wreck, CYC Island

Inclusions: Boat, Lunch, Entrance Fee, Guide/Cook

Note: Boat rental rate may change without prior notice. Therefore, tour cost also may change without prior notice. At 1-4pax, the boatman is your guide/cook.

Day 3: Culion Malcapuya Loop on October 23, 2009

Tour Cost Php 1600/ pax

Spots To Visit:  Culion Town, Malcapuya Island and Banana Island

Note: Boat rental rate may change without prior notice. Therefore, tour cost also may change without prior notice. At 1-4pax, the boatman is your guide/cook.

That’s our tentative itinerary for our trip.  The 3rd day is optional though, depending sa preference ng group. But they’re already aware of the proposed itinerary, they’d just have to pick from the various activities that can be done in the island.  It’s open to changes as there are so many places to explore in Busuanga.

Aside from Owen Ferrer’s DIY Coron Tours, there are other coordinators that offer the same packages with competitive rates. One of them is the Calamian Expeditions Travel and Tours. It is a local based agency promoting community tourism enterprise and committed to attain sustainable tourism in Calamianes, Palawan. Its activities and events highly involve community members such as local tour guides, mountain guides, resort and lodge operators, boat operators, transport operators, indigenous cultural groups and adventure enthusiasts. Corong Galeri Lokals (an accredited establishment of the Department of Tourism) also makes contributions to the local communities by its efforts wtih the tribal minorities and local skilled craftsmen for the promotion of Calamianes’ traditional products, arts and related handicrafts.  I may have to take their tour offerings instead because  of the reasonable price. Their rates include the following:

Coron Island Ultimate Tour @ P650/person

Destinations: Kayangan Lake , Twin Peaks Reef, Twin Lagoon, Atwayan Beach, CYC Island.  Option to add tour to Siete Pecados, just add entrance fee of P100/pax

Sun, Sea and Sand Eco-Tourism Experience @ P950/person

Destination: Malcapuya Island. Option tour to Banana and Malaroyroy Islands just add entrance fee of P200/pax

Ang mga PINOYs, hindi mukhang tanga kapag nagbabalak ng masama. Pero in the first place, ang mga PINOYs, eh hindi naman talaga nagbabalak ng masama sa kapwa.

Nanggaling ang larawan dito.

As you may know by now, I’ve been pretty disappointed with 2009 so far. In general it’s been a pretty goddamn terrible year for films what with shit like Wolverine, Friday the 13th and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen hitting the screens. Sure there have been some bright sparks here and there but overall, it’s been pretty awful. Now the year is over halfway through so shouldn’t we just give up entirely? No because there are still some films to be released that I hope might bring the years overall score up a little. Let’s look at he top 5 films I’m still looking forward to.

5: Inglorious Basterds (UK/US release date: 21/08/2009)

Yes, Tarantino’s WWII themed spaghetti-western comes in at number 5. It has his largest cast of speaking roles in a flim so far and tells the story of a group of Jewish-American soldiers who are on a mission to kill as many Nazi’s as they possibly can while a Jewish girl attempts to avenge the death of her family at the hands of an SS Colonel referred to as ‘The Jew Hunter’.

Now, I generally love Tarantino films so I can help but look forward to this one, especially with a cast that includes Brad Pitt, who has been pretty consistently great in everything he’s been in since Fight Club. The film also boasts performances from Eli Roth, Mike Myers and the while things narrated by the bad motherfucker himself, Samuel L. Jackson. The only reason that this film isn’t higher is that the film recieved a bit of bad press when it was screened but it was still the only American film at the festival to recieve any kind of award so time will tell whether this film lives up to my expectations or just adds to the massive dissapointment of 2009.

4: Where The Wild Things Are (US release date: 16/10/09)

This is the story of a kid who wears weird pajamas who goes and plays with massive furry monsters voiced by Tony Soprano in a weird forest that gets bombed or something. I dunno, I never read the book as a kid as far as I can remember, which to be honest may have meant that I read it several times. I have a shit memory.

So the main reason I’ve put this on here is the technique of making the weird monster creatures is really interesting and, from the trailer at least, it looks as though it works really well. Will it actually be any good? As I understand the book it’s adapted from is actually really quite short and we all know where that can lead (The Grinch and The Cat in the Hat).

3: Taking Woodstock (US release date: 28/08/09)

Directed by Ang Lee this is an R rated comedy based on the true life story of Elliot Tiber, a guy whose parents owned a motel and the only music festival permit in Bethel, New York. He offered both of these things to the Woodstock Music Festival.

Now this film ticks a number of boxes that make me look forward to it. A cast of people I enjoy: Demetri Martin, Emile Hirsch, Eugene Levy. Tick. A subject that I’m interested in: Woodstock. Tick. R-Rated comedy. Tick. So all in all this film looks like it’s going to be right down my alley. Here’s hoping this isn’t another 2009 dissapointment.

2: Sherlock Holmes (UK release date: 25/12/09)

Guy Ritchie’s period action film about the world’s most famous detective (except maybe Batman) starring Robert Downie Jr. and Jude Law as the Victorian dynamic duo is certainly one to look forward to. I was a little concerned when I first saw the trailer, thinking that they’d made Holmes into some kind of 19th century James Bond but hey, the fashion these days is taking classic characters and reinvisioning them so why not Holmes too?

Also it’s got Robert Downie Jr. in it for fucks sake! He’s consistently proving that he’s one of the best actors we’ve got these days and I’m sure some people will soon begin complaining that he’s over-exposed but who cares as long as he can consistently deliver sterling performances?

1: District 9 (UK/US release date: 19/08/09)

I don’t think anyone should be surprised by this. In fact, is there anyone who’s not looking forward to this film? It’s the story of aliens living in a segregated community (District 9) in South Africa. The community is controlled by the human corporation Multi-National United (MNU) who have no interest in the aliens welfare. In fact the only thing the humans are interested in is their technology which won’t work without alien DNA. Suddenly an MNU worker contracts an alien virus which begins to mutate his genes, making him the key to humans being able to use the alien weaponry. He becomes a hunted man and, becoming ostracised and friendless, he takes shelter in the only place he can, District 9.

I’ll admit, I was a little shocked when the first full trailer came out and showed this was a far more straightforward film rather than the documentary style I had come to expect from the teasers but I get the feeling that there will probably be a decent mix of both styles which will make me very, very happy indeed. Man, I can’t wait for this to be released. In fact the only problem with District 9 is that it heavily features the worst accent on Earth. Sorry South Africans, but really, it’s like someone smacking my ears with a frying pan. Still, hopefully someone will say ‘Diplomatic Immunity.’ Then all will be well.

Ang mga PINOY, kapag nagpapa-picture, hindi BV magsmile sa harap ng kamera.

*Nanggaling ang larawan dito.