You can read it here: Encounters by Pam Brooke Casin
Monday, July 18, 2011
Encounters
Here's what my story looks like in the paper today.
You can read it here: Encounters by Pam Brooke Casin
You can read it here: Encounters by Pam Brooke Casin
Mischief Managed
I told you my 3D glasses would get soaked and muddled during the movie. I was crying half of the time while watching my childhood slowly coming to an epic and heart-wrenching close. No more Harry Potter films to look forward to. No more Harry, Hermione, and Ron. Nox. Mischief Managed.
I broke into quiet sobs during tender and goose bump-inducing parts of the film (1. When McGonagall stepped in to shield Harry from Snape; 2. When Harry was welcomed by Dumbledore's Army in the Room of Requirement; 3. When Aberforth held the fort and sent in a powerful spell towards the hundreds of Death Eaters advancing to attack Hogwarts; 4. When George spoke to Fred; 5. When Lupin and Tonks reached hands while waiting for the war to commence; 5. When Hermione hugged Harry before the latter went to the Forbidden Forest to face his fate), but I bawled the hardest during Severus Snape's scenes.
I've always disliked Snape because of his sheer and definitely unwarranted cruelty to Harry. And although I've known for a long time, well since the last and seventh book came out in 2007, that he has always loved Lily's son albeit showing it in a very odd and twisted manner, I've never fully appreciated Snape and how brave and committed he really has been in protecting Harry until yesterday.
The movie gave him justice and more. He has now been redeemed in my eyes. I now love him! And the tears... My God, it was an emotional surprise to see Snape crying, helpless, vulnerable, and looking distraught. Seeing him cry in the last moments of his life was all it took for me to lose it.
Man, and that scene where he held Lily's corpse inside the Potter house moments after Voldemort had killed her was one for the books. Kudos to Alan Rickman for his acting chops! He's bloody brilliant!
I loved every part of the movie. It exceeded my expectations, and that says something because I love the books more, you know. I'm so happy the movie showed all important details found in the books. I love how it added more dramatic and dark layers into the story. I can gush about it forever. Sigh. In fact, after the movie and dinner, I went straight to my good friend and fellow Harry Potter dork Czher's house to discuss the film. We talked about everything Harry Potter for six hours and even listed down all the spells, charms,curses, and jinxes we can remember just for kicks.
I'm still hungover the wizarding world of Harry Potter, truth be told, and I bet I'd never get tired of it until the very end.
P.S. I hope JK could delight us all by publishing a definitive guide to Harry Potter. Spells. Maps. Wizarding geneology. The works! An encyclopedia of some sort... That'd be the day!
P.P.S. Where can I buy a wand? No, seriously, I want one.
I broke into quiet sobs during tender and goose bump-inducing parts of the film (1. When McGonagall stepped in to shield Harry from Snape; 2. When Harry was welcomed by Dumbledore's Army in the Room of Requirement; 3. When Aberforth held the fort and sent in a powerful spell towards the hundreds of Death Eaters advancing to attack Hogwarts; 4. When George spoke to Fred; 5. When Lupin and Tonks reached hands while waiting for the war to commence; 5. When Hermione hugged Harry before the latter went to the Forbidden Forest to face his fate), but I bawled the hardest during Severus Snape's scenes.
I've always disliked Snape because of his sheer and definitely unwarranted cruelty to Harry. And although I've known for a long time, well since the last and seventh book came out in 2007, that he has always loved Lily's son albeit showing it in a very odd and twisted manner, I've never fully appreciated Snape and how brave and committed he really has been in protecting Harry until yesterday.
The movie gave him justice and more. He has now been redeemed in my eyes. I now love him! And the tears... My God, it was an emotional surprise to see Snape crying, helpless, vulnerable, and looking distraught. Seeing him cry in the last moments of his life was all it took for me to lose it.
Man, and that scene where he held Lily's corpse inside the Potter house moments after Voldemort had killed her was one for the books. Kudos to Alan Rickman for his acting chops! He's bloody brilliant!
I loved every part of the movie. It exceeded my expectations, and that says something because I love the books more, you know. I'm so happy the movie showed all important details found in the books. I love how it added more dramatic and dark layers into the story. I can gush about it forever. Sigh. In fact, after the movie and dinner, I went straight to my good friend and fellow Harry Potter dork Czher's house to discuss the film. We talked about everything Harry Potter for six hours and even listed down all the spells, charms,curses, and jinxes we can remember just for kicks.
I'm still hungover the wizarding world of Harry Potter, truth be told, and I bet I'd never get tired of it until the very end.
P.S. I hope JK could delight us all by publishing a definitive guide to Harry Potter. Spells. Maps. Wizarding geneology. The works! An encyclopedia of some sort... That'd be the day!
P.P.S. Where can I buy a wand? No, seriously, I want one.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
It all ends today.
I started reading Harry Potter in 2000. I was just fresh out of elementary then when I heard news of a children's book being criticized by some religious groups and banned in some countries because it supposedly promotes witchcraft.
I remember hearing that odd news from my aunt. I was curious to read the book of course. You know what they say about things being treated like that, right? The more they are seen as "dangerous" and "subversive", the more people would be keen to get a hold of them.
But I wasn't just after "that". I wasn't just after the thrill and the rush of having at my arm's length a book that some people see as a contraband of some sort. I guess I had been more interested in the book because I was actually looking for a pretty good read that summer.
And so my mom came home from her office one night, the first two Harry Potter books in tow. Silly me, I had no idea there were already two books that have been published at the time.
You can just imagine my excitement upon seeing the books. I couldn't remember how they smelled like (Yes, I love the smell of new books.) but they must have smelled pretty sweet as any of my books must have smelled when I first had them. Haha.
I became a Harry Potter fan the minute I had read The Sorcerer's Stone's first few chapters and even a bigger fan when I had actually finished the book.
I've been a fan of JK Rowling and her epic series for over a decade now. It was heartbreaking when the final and seventh book came out in 2007, and I know it's definitely going to be bittersweet to see the movie franchise end after a decade. Shoot, I'm even getting teary-eyed while typing this. Sob. (I know it's not Bon Iver that's doing this! I'm actually playing Beth/Rest while writing this.)
Anyway, I'm going to see the movie in IMAX later. I bet my 3D glasses would get muddled with all the crying. If you see a red-lipped lady in a printed dress with the sniffles in the theater later, that would probably be me.
I'm ending this blog entry now lest I burst into tears this early. I still have a birthday party to go. Sigh.
I leave you with this:
"And to you, if you have stuck with Harry until the very end." -JK Rowling
To Harry Potter! Cheers!
*Taken with Hipstamatic
Lens: Chunky
Film: Pistil
Flash: Off
I remember hearing that odd news from my aunt. I was curious to read the book of course. You know what they say about things being treated like that, right? The more they are seen as "dangerous" and "subversive", the more people would be keen to get a hold of them.
But I wasn't just after "that". I wasn't just after the thrill and the rush of having at my arm's length a book that some people see as a contraband of some sort. I guess I had been more interested in the book because I was actually looking for a pretty good read that summer.
And so my mom came home from her office one night, the first two Harry Potter books in tow. Silly me, I had no idea there were already two books that have been published at the time.
You can just imagine my excitement upon seeing the books. I couldn't remember how they smelled like (Yes, I love the smell of new books.) but they must have smelled pretty sweet as any of my books must have smelled when I first had them. Haha.
I became a Harry Potter fan the minute I had read The Sorcerer's Stone's first few chapters and even a bigger fan when I had actually finished the book.
I've been a fan of JK Rowling and her epic series for over a decade now. It was heartbreaking when the final and seventh book came out in 2007, and I know it's definitely going to be bittersweet to see the movie franchise end after a decade. Shoot, I'm even getting teary-eyed while typing this. Sob. (I know it's not Bon Iver that's doing this! I'm actually playing Beth/Rest while writing this.)
Anyway, I'm going to see the movie in IMAX later. I bet my 3D glasses would get muddled with all the crying. If you see a red-lipped lady in a printed dress with the sniffles in the theater later, that would probably be me.
I'm ending this blog entry now lest I burst into tears this early. I still have a birthday party to go. Sigh.
I leave you with this:
"And to you, if you have stuck with Harry until the very end." -JK Rowling
To Harry Potter! Cheers!
*Taken with Hipstamatic
Lens: Chunky
Film: Pistil
Flash: Off
Saturday, July 16, 2011
rays on the shutter [sic]
First stop, read my article about this three-man exhibit in Manila Bulletin's Monday issue for more details. *shameless plug* So, I titled my story "Encounters: Galleria Duemila presents the experiential art of Maria Cruz, Elizabeth Newman, and Gerardo Tan." You should be able to find it in the Arts and Culture subsection of the paper.
Anyway, I'm writing about my experience writing this story because I had a bit of a hard time cooking up words for this particular exhibit feature. I found it quite difficult to describe what their works actually represent because they are non-representational in the first place and are totally abstract pieces. Their works don't stand for anything familiar and are purely conceptual and all about exploring and pushing the boundaries materiality (form, space, color, texture, material).
I admit that although I'm an art writer, well at least I think I am, (I've been writing about art since 2008), it still takes a lot of effort for me to grasp and give meaning to works that belong to that very minimal, elemental, highly conceptual genre. It's so intimidating to find the ideal words to describe the artists' works without having fully comprehended why they have been made as such, why they tend or choose to create that kind of art, and what concepts and discourse are they trying to shed light on. Imagine a blind man trying to walk without his walking stick. That's how I felt writing this story. Sigh.
It took me the whole week and most of last night to finally piece together what I want to say about the exhibit. It also helped that the painters have given me ample interview material to work with as well as background exhibition notes from their previous shows. But still...
See, this is why I can't wait to formally study art this November. Hopefully, I'll be able to remedy this blind-man-walking-without-a-walking-stick thing when I take up Art Studies. I don't mean to sound pompous or what have you, but formally studying art and its multifarious concepts is the probably the only way I'll be able to sound really intellectual and truthful in my writing. Right now, I think I just sound sincere and very elegant. But hey, I think that's important, too, right?
Gerardo Tan, "After Patchwork 2", oil on canvas
Maria Cruz, "The Letter X in Color Wheels", oil on wood
Maria Cruz, "232 (#3)", indoor and outdoor stickers on PVC plastic
Elizabeth Newman, "Celebrate the Modern", fabric
Maria Cruz, "X2"
*All photos were taken with Hipstamatic.
Anyway, I'm writing about my experience writing this story because I had a bit of a hard time cooking up words for this particular exhibit feature. I found it quite difficult to describe what their works actually represent because they are non-representational in the first place and are totally abstract pieces. Their works don't stand for anything familiar and are purely conceptual and all about exploring and pushing the boundaries materiality (form, space, color, texture, material).
I admit that although I'm an art writer, well at least I think I am, (I've been writing about art since 2008), it still takes a lot of effort for me to grasp and give meaning to works that belong to that very minimal, elemental, highly conceptual genre. It's so intimidating to find the ideal words to describe the artists' works without having fully comprehended why they have been made as such, why they tend or choose to create that kind of art, and what concepts and discourse are they trying to shed light on. Imagine a blind man trying to walk without his walking stick. That's how I felt writing this story. Sigh.
It took me the whole week and most of last night to finally piece together what I want to say about the exhibit. It also helped that the painters have given me ample interview material to work with as well as background exhibition notes from their previous shows. But still...
See, this is why I can't wait to formally study art this November. Hopefully, I'll be able to remedy this blind-man-walking-without-a-walking-stick thing when I take up Art Studies. I don't mean to sound pompous or what have you, but formally studying art and its multifarious concepts is the probably the only way I'll be able to sound really intellectual and truthful in my writing. Right now, I think I just sound sincere and very elegant. But hey, I think that's important, too, right?
*All photos were taken with Hipstamatic.
Friday, July 15, 2011
Gotta love 'em MACs
I am all about the matte lipstick.
Taken with Hipstamatic.
Lens: Tejas
Film: Dream Canvas
Flash: Off
Indie shit
I want to go to the Cinemalaya Festival and watch Rakenrol by Quark Henares. The problem is I don't know anyone in my circle who's up for it except perhaps my ex-boyfriend, who I couldn't get a hold of and probably won't ever see again; his cousin, who hasn't answered any of text messages for the past weeks; a friend who's in Singapore, and my college best friend who has gone MIA on us for the longest time.
My other friends aren't really the indie-loving type, which is sort of sad and a bit heartbreaking. I bet they're all busy, too. I don't want to go by myself either. That'd be pathetic and, well, really sad. Oh, God. See how I've used "sad" twice already? That's just sad. Ack!
It's times like these I wish my non-hiding, non-hibernating friends get me and my kooky, artsy side. What I wouldn't do to gain new pals who speak the same weird language as I do.
EXCESS: Also, wouldn't it be nice to just sit around in a café all night long to smoke and to talk about whatever? I really find it annoying when people just couldn't wait to make a run for it and go window-shopping instead or transfer to another place. Why? Pupunta ka nga sa Cubao X to soak in the ambiance tapos aalis ka rin after a few minutes? How very inconsiderate! Ugh. At least let me finish my pack of cigarettes first.
Rant over. I'm out.
My other friends aren't really the indie-loving type, which is sort of sad and a bit heartbreaking. I bet they're all busy, too. I don't want to go by myself either. That'd be pathetic and, well, really sad. Oh, God. See how I've used "sad" twice already? That's just sad. Ack!
It's times like these I wish my non-hiding, non-hibernating friends get me and my kooky, artsy side. What I wouldn't do to gain new pals who speak the same weird language as I do.
EXCESS: Also, wouldn't it be nice to just sit around in a café all night long to smoke and to talk about whatever? I really find it annoying when people just couldn't wait to make a run for it and go window-shopping instead or transfer to another place. Why? Pupunta ka nga sa Cubao X to soak in the ambiance tapos aalis ka rin after a few minutes? How very inconsiderate! Ugh. At least let me finish my pack of cigarettes first.
Rant over. I'm out.
An artist's sacred place.
Studio of collage and mixed media artist Toots Magsino.
Taken with Hipstamatic.
Lens: Salvador 84
Film: Pistil
Flash: Off
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)