Archive for June, 2009
Sunny day
Posted by titopao in rants and raves on 26 June 2009
Sunny Sky (via Flickr)
After the non-storm—the storm warning signals were a dud—the glow of a warm morning sun.
It’s a beautiful morning. Go out and bask in the sunlight, people 
Tayong Dalawa and Hollywood Names
I don’t know if I’m the only person who has noticed this.
While watching Tayong Dalawa, I realized that one of its writers might have been a fan of classic 1950s/1960s movies.
The evidence? Interestingly, all the leading female characters were apparently named after famous Hollywood actresses: Read the rest of this entry »
REVIEW: My Fake American Accent
Promo poster for My Fake American Accent
My Fake American Accent (2008)
Dirty Kitchen Productions
Director: Ned Trespeces
Writer: Ned Trespeces, Onnah Valera
Starring: Mailes Kanapi, Jonathan Neri, Martin de la Paz, Cherry Mae Canton, Miro Valera and Tracy Abad
Screening at Robinsons Galeria (IndieCine Cinema 
until June 23, 2009
When a movie about call center agents made by ex-call center agents gets screened, what’s an ex-call center agent got to do? Naturally, watch it, if only for old times’ sake. Having long retired from the trenches, I got interested after spotting My Fake American Accent on the movie listings. You don’t often get to see movies set in call centers, and this one promised to be unique.
True to its promise, Accent does begin with a newbie agent’s first day at work, memorizing his spiels while doing push-ups and between tooth brushes. The rest of the movie then details the stories of the other members of his team mates, including his team leader (Miss Seva), whose is motivated by her desire to become the next operations manager. This motivation, pit against each team member’s situation, drives the impetus for most of the story’s conflict; each character has to contend with both his/her own personal dilemma and their team leader’s micromanagement (for example, two characters had to endure a 20-hour shift). Read the rest of this entry »
In the Beginning
Posted by titopao in reminiscences on 19 June 2009
Kids in Classroom (flickr.com)
Classes have started for barely a month. It was a warm June afternoon, lunch break just ended, and the class were busy having good chats before the next classes start, punctuated by the percussive footsteps of some students hurrying to get back to their classrooms in time.
The English teacher walked right in, and the class was in order. After the mandatory prayers, the students took to their seats. “Today,” the teacher said, “we’re going to write an essay.”
The chatter fell silent at the mention of the word “essay”. After all, when you’re dealing with the teacher who handled the school paper for more than a decade the mere mention of the word evokes a death sentence. “And because you’re in high school now,” the teacher continued, “this won’t be the same as your grade school ‘formal theme’. You won’t be copying your teacher’s sample essay; you will make your own.” Sensing the students’ apprehensions, he said, “I won’t make it hard for you. You will be writing your thoughts on a topic you all know about.” Read the rest of this entry »
Homecoming
Pen, ink and paper. Not mine, though 
(Flickr.com)
AS WITH MOST BLOGS, I’M starting out with a “mandatory” first-post, one that explains the initial purpose, objective and direction of having this blog. Starting this blog was something that I’ve long desired, but was unable to accomplish given the nature of my work. My web hosting account had been only a repository of some personal files; now, I’ve decided that this must change. Read the rest of this entry »