I’ve read somewhere that the nicest people are sometimes the most insecure ones. To a certain degree, maybe, but I don’t think that’s particularly accurate. I am sometimes nice, sometimes insecure, sometimes sensitive, sometimes self-righteous, and sometimes unapologetically nonchalant. There are instances, though, when the feeling of superiority gets the better of me. That’s why the scene written below resonated with me in a way that doesn’t commonly happen with a rather matter-of-fact delivery of relatively funny dialogues.

Anyway, here’s an excerpt from an episode of, you guessed right, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. People in that show are depicted to be almost always self-righteous, which for some reason didn’t rub me the wrong way when it usually does, and Buffy, being the leader and the one carrying the greatest burden of responsibility, may be the most  pompous of them all, if rightly so.

Scene description:  Buffy is on patrol, waiting for a vampire to stake. When the vampire (Holden) turned up, he made himself known as a former classmate and the two engaged in a surreal conversation while resuming fighting with each other every chance they get. [From season 7, episode 7: Conversations with Dead People.]

BUFFY:
I have all this power. I didn’t ask for it. I don’t deserve it. It’s like… I wanted to be punished. I wanted to hurt like I thought I deserved. I sorta think—you know, this is, um, complicated. If you’d rather just fight…

HOLDEN:
(leans back) Tell me.

BUFFY:
I feel like I’m worse than anyone. Honestly, I’m beneath them. My friends, my boyfriends. I feel like I’m not worthy of their love. ‘Cause even though they love me, it doesn’t mean anything ’cause their opinions don’t matter. They don’t know. They haven’t been through what I’ve been through. They’re not the slayer. I am. Sometimes I feel—(sighs) this is awful—I feel like I’m better than them. Superior.

HOLDEN:
Until you can’t win. And I thought I was diabolical—or, at least I plan to be. You do have a superiority complex. And you’ve got an inferiority complex about it (laughs) Kudos.

BUFFY:
It doesn’t make any sense.

HOLDEN:
(sits forward) Oh, it makes every kind of sense. And it all adds up to you feeling alone. But, Buffy, everybody feels alone. Everybody is, until you die. Speaking of…(stands) you ready for our little death match?

BUFFY:
I suppose. (stands) Thanks, for listening.

HOLDEN:
Oh, you know, there’s some things you can only tell a stranger.

I came across this Web site that offers many different kinds of compression garments and all I can think about are those rubber pads you wound around your abdomen a friend once convinced me into buying. She said it facilitates sweating around the tummy area and it’s supposed to aid in losing inches off your waist. I tried it and used it while exercising at home but I really couldn’t feel the difference it makes. My friend even recommended keeping it on while sleeping but it’s too hot on the skin and frankly it makes it hard to breathe.      

Some compression garments are actually used for medicinal purposes. They provide support for people with poor circulation,for example, such garments worn on the legs can help prevent deep vein thrombosis. On the other hand, there are compression garments whose main function is to aid in the recovery of surgical patients, particularly those who had some form of plastic surgery. Examples of such are special socks, pantyhose, body suits, vests, girdles,or sleeves, which are used depending on the specific patient’s needs. In people who had undergone plastic surgery, these aids help loose skin mold firmly against the body so the skin is more likely to heal without sagging. Surgical compression garments squeeze the body’s fluids back toward deeper tissues, reducing swelling in the affected areas; they also improve blood circulation, minimizes swelling after the procedure, flushes the body out of harmful fluids, expedites the healing process, and allows the patient to recover sooner. Sounds imperative to me.

I was searching for upcoming movies and found quite a handful of  ”Coming Soon” titles that I think I’m very much interested in. Some, I may catch at the theaters while others will have to wait to be fed to my DVD player. More reason to look for diet products as my list of TV shows and movies to watch keep piling up. Why, when there’s nothing unappealing about sitting tight, eating some popcorn and other junk food, sipping some soda, and enjoying the movies.

Anyway, here’s the list. You might find some to your liking as well.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

“Born under unusual circumstances” – and so begins “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” adapted from the 1920s story by F. Scott Fitzgerald about a man who is born in his eighties and ages backwards.  A man, like any of us, unable to stop time.  We follow his story set in New Orleans from the end of World War I in 1918, into the 21st century, following his journey that is as unusual as any man’s life can be.  Directed by David Fincher, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” is a time traveler’s tale of the people and places he bumps into along the way, the loves he loses and finds, the joys of life and the sadness of death, and what lasts beyond time.
-Starring: Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett

Coraline

A young girl walks through a secret door and discovers a parallel reality that is eerily similar to the life she already knows in director Henry Selick’s animated adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s international bestseller. Upon first glance, Coraline (voice of Dakota Fanning) begins to believe that the alternate version of her life is even better than the real thing, but when her parallel-universe parents attempt to keep her forever, the young girl must summon her resourcefulness and bravery in order to find her way back home and save her family. Teri Hatcher, Ian McShane, Dawn French, and Jennifer Saunders co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Starring: Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher

He’s Just Not That Into You

Screenwriters Abby Kohn and Marc Silverstein team to adapt writing duo Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo’s best-selling book concerning the ever-widening gap between genders and the misunderstandings that often arise between couples. In the film, a woman who can’t seem to get a grip on the men in her life pursues an advice columnist who never quite knew what he wanted in a relationship. Prolific television director Ken Kwapis (Freaks and Geeks and The Office) helms a romantic comedy produced by and starring Drew Barrymore. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Starring: Drew Barrymore, Jennifer Connely, Jennifer Aniston

Revolutionary Road

Adapted from the classic 1961 novel by author Richard Yates, Revolutionary Road tells the tale of a young Connecticut couple whose once-idealistic relationship steadily deteriorates into a ceaseless cycle of petty jealousy and bickering as they strive to retain their independence in the conformity-obsessed world of picket fences and perfectly manicured lawns. Ever since they first met, Frank (DiCaprio) and April (Winslet) saw themselves as special and different. They strives to form their relationship around higher ideals, though upon moving into their new home on Revolutionary Road the defiant couple pledges never to be confined by the social conventions of the era. As time passes, however, Frank and April gradually becomes the very thing that they both feared most – a typical suburban family complete with abandoned dreams and faded hopes. Frank loses his nerve after taking a comfortable job with a reliable salary, and April morphs into an unsatisfied homemaker desperate for passion and excitement. But April’s independent spirit hasn’t been suffocated just yet, and when she hatches a plan to head for Paris, her need to escape at all costs stands in direct contrast to Frank’s desire to hold on to what they already have. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

-Starring: Leonardo di Caprio, Kate Winslet

Confessions of a Shopaholic

A Manhattan shopaholic (Isla Fisher) whose buying sprees have buried her in immense debt lands a columnist gig dishing out financial advice in this Touchstone comedy based on Sophie Kinsella’s series of books. P.J. Hogan (My Best Friend’s Wedding) directs, with producing duties being handled by Jerry Bruckheimer. Rebecca Bloomwood (Fisher) can’t seem to break her habit for making impulsive purchases, and while she’s always decked out in the latest styles, her credit card bills are as thick as a telephone book. If Rebecca could somehow manage to land her dream job at a high-profile fashion magazine, perhaps she could transform what is now a simple addiction into something that could really benefit her professionally. When Rebecca becomes an advice columnist at a financial magazine published by the same company as her favorite fashion magazine, her fresh approach strikes a chord with readers and she quickly becomes the toast of the town. Meanwhile, her bank account is still bone dry, wreaking havoc on her love life and placing her career in jeopardy. As Rebecca teeters on the brink of bankruptcy, she gradually begins to reassess her priorities in life. Joan Cusack, John Goodman, Hugh Dancy, and Krysten Ritter co-star in the Touchstone Pictures production. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide
Starring: Isla Fisher, Hugh Dancy

My cousin has been staying with us for her on-the job training at the NAIA. She’s almost graduating from college but her parents still not allow her to go to overnight get together with friends. I don’t know if it’s just me getting old or just me  not wanting to take responsibility for a technically adult relative, but I hated that she lied about sleeping over my place as an excuse to go to her swimming party. The thing is, she didn’t even intend to tell me. I was there, the first time we’re at the apartment together because of my self-imposed erratic schedule, pretending to look all responsible with waking up early to buy breakfast and tending to the laundry just as soon as I ate, even wishing I have one of those steam cleaners to clean the floors with, and thinking to myself “why is this girl still hanging around watching TV when she’s supposed to be well on her way to work?”  She must have noticed, so she told me the truth. I didn’t really say anything agaisnt it; I figured there’s nothing I can do anyway and why would I want to be such a party pooper when I perfectly understand where she’s coming from. It just sucks that knowing that I should have said something more than just “take care” makes me kind of guilty to a certain degree. I mean it’s not as if I didn’t do something like that in my time. But I know myself, and it’s more than I can say for her.

Where there’s life, there’s hope
Every day’s a gift,
Wishes can come true,
Whistle while you work,
So hard all day
To be like other girls,
To fit in in this glittering world.
Don’t give me songs,
Don’t give me songs.
Give me something to sing about.

-Buffy Summers

I’ve been thinking a lot about this song lately. I know, another sad song just by its lyrics. The irony of it is that the sadder I am, the more I crave for songs.  There’s something about haunting melodies that get me all the time. Even when I can’t relate with the exact lines, music touches me in away that mere words can’t. This, coming from someone who fancies poetry just a little too much. I can see myself in a deserted place, cross-legged in a yoga position and eyes closed under the Fig trees , mp3 headset in my ears. Geez, I’m watching too many fantasy shows.

Opening yourself to songs is not without ramifications, though. Sometimes they hit nerves you didn’t know you have. And that’s when you start to lose joy in happy songs.

But then again

Life’s not a song,
Life isn’t bliss
Life is just this,
It’s living.

You’ll get along,
The pain that you feel
Only can heal,
By living.
You have to go on living

- Spike

Broadway Asia’s Rodger’s & Hammerstein’s Cinderella will have the final leg of its tour in Singapore on January 2 to 22. This makes me want to pack my bags and start my year by rewatching this musical. My bestfriend, who’s working as a veterinarian in Singapore, has been inviting me to come over and this seems to be the perfect time to do so. I was promised free board and lodging, where else can I get a travel deal like that, right? I don’t know, I’m still a bit shy to impose and it’s not as if I’ll apply for payday loans just to realize my travel aspirations.

But if you’re in Singapore anytime in those dates, be sure to check out the musical.

It’s December. It’s Christmas. It’s the gift-giving season. Everyone’s headed to the mall, with pockets brimming with cash from 13th-month pays and bonuses. Except it’s not exactly true these days, right? I received a forwarded mail from a friend highlighting the effects of recession. Among the things listed are “pay any existing loan ASAP,” “don’t leave your current job as companies will be cutting down employees on a last-in/first-out basis,” and “do not apply for new loans.” Sounds like good advice, economic distress or no. There’s nothing I can no more wrong these days than make a cash advance on a credit card to buy unnecessary and expensive things. But, hey, I’m not saying don’t buy and give away gifts. I’ll wholeheartedly take whatever you’ll drop my way.

I love McDonald’s. Mostly because I live near one and it’s the first place I call or run to whenever I run out of food in my apartment. But did anybody else felt the sudden increase in their products’ prices? I used to have a hard time trying to fill the minimum amount for delivery whenever I order for myself. Not so much these days. My sister and I noticed that the chicken parts are somewhat bigger, but it’s not always so. Well, of course retail franchises are not immune to price hike. Too bad my salary is never going to go in that direction. Boo.

Ok, so I don’t know if it’s only I who notice that this site goes offline quite frequently again (whole weekends even). My blog host’s problem, is what it is. I’m actually starting to be accepting of it. Nah, I’m still pissed. Sorry.

Anyway, so the weekend went by without much fanfare. My eyes are hurting from too much DVD watching, still hoping I’ve got a pop up tv, but I still have a lot on my list of movies and episodes of TV series to watch. But for now, I’m still stuck with Buffy, especially now that talks have been circulating about a possible big-screen revival. I’m keeping my eyes and ears open for that.
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Just because it’s December, I’m sure we’re going to see a lot of trade show exhibits at the malls. The holiday season is the perfect time for entrepreneurs to show off their products because, for one, people are a lot more generous and shopping-happy. I’m sure we’re going to see more and more hallways get lined up with exhibit booths and tables and tables of goods. Even at our office, I expect to see bazaars and booths to show up anytime this month.

If you’re someone planning to put up a trade show exhibit, you can find table covers and table top displays online. Personally, I like to visit booths with a strong aesthetic pull, so it’s probably pertinent that exhibitors be concerned about the overall presentation and quality of the products they are offering. You can have banners, drapes, cabinets even.

Speaking of which, I haven’t been to any major fair of late. I might have to come out of hibernation and check out the malls one of these days.