The City of Wonder (AND Disturbia)

In the Facebook world, there is a city that transforms grown women (and even men!) to ingredient-obsessed, will-befriend-anybody, gourmet points-greedy, account-hacking, rehab-needing kids (okay fine, girls and boys would be a better term). You might have heard about it, been coerced to join (your friends just want their bonus ingredient from you... but give in, so they finally shut up and leave you alone, LOL), or can relate to my very words. This city goes by a simple name, and it is a simple game (simple, but not easy, aha!) but it has the power to get you hooked in a heartbeat. Of course I'm talking about Restaurant City.

Looking back, I can't believe it's only been a day short of a week since I fell into RC's tremendously addictive trap (not complaining, for now at least, I'm willing to be entrapped, haha). I've added the app sometime prior, but never really appreciated the tastiness of RC until boredom, Google and more knowledgeable friends made me piece together a comprehensive enough refresher. Within days, I found myself trading ingredients like crazy, thinking of energy-optimizing layouts, staring blankly at my screen for minutes straight (that toilet feature sure is a bitch), and yes, opening myself up to friends of friends and even virtual strangers all for the love of RC (and ingredients, ingredients, ingredients).

I really should have seen this one coming. I loved playing Sims to bits before, and RC is quite similar to it especially on the decorating aspect, only with cuter and plumper avatars, and that restaurateur business twist to it. It is quite a good way to unwind or burn time (if you can eventually ignore that throbbing pain in your head, the ache in your back, the stiff fingers and maybe CTS in the morning, hehe).

Delving further, it is also an incredibly utopian business model. Because where else can you let your employees sleep all day, close shop whenever, and still be able to rise up to profitability when able? And while there is competition in terms of level rankings between friends, it is not the kind of competition that drives others out of business (which is so common in the real world). In fact, in RC, your progress is commensurate to the number of friends you have (or allies, if you may) both in the nominal sense and the qualitative sense. Meaning, without reliable trading outlets to tap on, RC will be... errr... more difficult and less fun (good luck levelling up those dishes). Besides, can you even afford $2000 minimum for one ingredient in that highway robbery of an ingredient market stall? The cliche no man is an island rings true in RC as it does in real life.

So if you ever find yourself in need of a new RC neighbor (or new ingredient, I don't mind), why not visit Vanilla. Starter: Pumpkin Soup. Main Course: Yakibuta Ramen. Dessert: Exotic Fruit Skewers. A perfect 10-10-10 (4 days baby, 4 days! ;P You don't wanna know what I had to resort to, LOL). You may also drop by Vanilla's sister restaurants, Sparkle and Lily. :) Under the same management.

Now who to visit next? :D

Musings on the Archie-Veronica Engagement

News broke out that we are to finally see (or are we really?) one of the oldest and most renowned love triangles come to an end as Archie Andrews finally *gasp* proposes to Veronica. I personally thought I'd never see closure on this one in my lifetime because the Betty-Archie-Veronica love triangle has always been part and parcel to the well-loved comic series.

Looking back at my childhood days, I've personally preferred Veronica over Betty in probably the same vein that I prefer Blair over Serena, or Brooke over Peyton. Maybe it's as simple as thinking more brunettes are prettier than blondes or that bitchy trumps the nice girl. It should then follow that I'd be ecstatic that Archie finally proposes to Veronica. Except I' m not (i. e., not sad, but not ecstatic either). I'm glad the guy finally makes a firm decision, and it is something I saw coming given that he always had the tendency to notice Ronnie more even when Betty was the one who'd probably jump through hoops for him. But I also can't help but wonder what happens to the one that is left at the corner to grin and bear it.

Some say it ain't over 'til it's over. The twist just might be that Archie ends up marrying Betty instead. And when this happens, I will really be pissed. Not because I'm on Team Veronica, but because even as a comic book character it's not cool to decide to go for someone and end up changing your mind. And for something as serious as marriage, it should all the more be imperative for someone to be absolutely certain.

Maybe I'm second-guessing on this one (okay, I really am) but I hope Betty finally wakes up and realizes that it's always been Veronica all along and that even if she's been nothing but great, she's not The One. At least not as far as Archie is concerned.

It's a long wait until August, and I am curious to see how events will unfold (how can I not?). I hope the six-part series is reasonably priced (so I can finally afford them since I didn't as a kid and would always just borrow my cousin's comic books, haha) and has enough copies to go around. I might bitch some more by then but I do hope I'll be pleasantly surprised by how things will be wrapped up. If it were to come down to two possible scenarios, I'd personally prefer that Archie ends up with neither instead of proposing to Veronica and then end up marrying Betty. Or, Archie and Veronica can live happily ever after too. Betty Girl can just move on (you can do it Betty, he doesn't deserve you, LOL).

Until then, your guess is as good as mine. Oh, I so cannot wait for August. *wink, wink*

P. S. There have been several articles here and there taking off from Archie's proposal. Click here, here and here for some. Let the speculation and psychoanalysis rage on. :)

P. P. S. Is Betty really that devastated? She seems to not have forgotten the XOXOXO still. And Veronica!!! Insensitive much?!

Gee, Glee! Sounds Terrific!

By its very definition, Glee is about opening yourself up to joy.
~ Lillian Adler

Generally speaking, I'm just not that into musicals. Nothing annoys me more than watching my favorite TV characters break into song because the show happens to have a musical special or bit (yes, you, Scrubs). There have been some exceptions (hello, Mamma Mia), but knowing that something is a musical just makes it a little less interesting for me.

In my quest to find new interesting TV shows, I decided to give Glee a shot, despite my thinking that maybe it is just another HS Musical (that I never watched ever, ha!). As the title suggests, it is all about a high school's glee club and their efforts of showcasing their talents and making themselves a part of something special.

After the pilot, I can say I'm glad I watched (thanks @mzmraz, @shondarhimes for convincing me, haha). Gorgeous and talented Finn is my new TV crush (and I commend the Glee people for hooking the girls by flashing him a few seconds into the pilot). His a capella rendition of "Can't Fight This Feeling Anymore" at the shower is priceless (more, more!). All in all, the performances are great, and while I know I'm supposed to root for the home team, Vocal Adrenaline's (the rival glee club) performance of "Rehab" was so awesome that I looped it thrice (clap, clap!).

More notes:

• Will Schuester reminds me of Screech (as in Saved by the Bell Screech). A more serious Screech. It should follow that he's got great singing talent given that he was once a member of a glee club back in the day, and I cannot wait to see him perform. Astound us all, please. :)
  
• It seems that Glee is running a take-in-the-dead-heroes campaign though. As in dead heroes from Heroes, namely, Bob, the alchemist, Claire's biological mother, and Charlie with the uber photographic memory who is also Charlie in Ugly Betty (wait, is Meredith dead already?).
• Rachel can be annoying and yet adorably funny (and her rendition of "On My Own" triggered a Katie Holmes Dawson's Creek flashback). She will probably end up with Finn, because that's the way TV goes, but while I don't hate her, I don't like her for Finn either.
  
• On the other hand, Will's wife Terri is just simply annoying, not to mention a major brat. Maybe she has some redeeming value in her, but I just don't see it.
  
• Kurt (the gay guy) seems underutilized somehow. I'd like him to do more solos. Great audition song! :P
• I hope everyone on the show (i. e., the cheerleaders, the football players) end up joining the club! :)
  

All in all, I must say Glee is indeed a reason for glee. Here's hoping you have more gleeful performances in store for us! :)

The Two Words that Run Miles

Done sincerely, an apology is a noble thing.

It tells you that people take responsibility for the outcome of their actions. It tells you that the people you are working on forgiving deserve it in the first place. It tells you that it is time to shift from anger to understanding, and from understanding to acceptance.

Yes, a sincere apology is always a noble thing.

P. S. Relevant links from blog rockstars: Seth Godin: Easy to Type (short but powerful, and hands down my favorite of his posts) and Zen Habits: How to Let Go and Forgive.

Well Hello, Angels & Demons

Anyone who has ever read Dan Brown's two most popular novels will agree that Angels & Demons is more movie material that The Da Vinci Code. Which is why I was looking forward to this movie more than I did Da Vinci (that and the fact that back then I still haven't accepted that Nicholas Cage wasn't Robert Langdon, haha). I also expected that the movie would be better than its precedent, which shouldn't be much of a challenge. To me at least, the only redeeming value of Da Vinci was that breathtaking view of the Louvre in its closing scene.

The reviews for Angels & Demons weren't very good though, and I thought I'd be incredibly disappointed. In fairness to the movie, I think it delivered better than Da Vinci (again, not such a difficult task), and as far as adaptations go, it did a pretty good job plotwise (see, this is the reason why you shouldn't be reading reviews prior to watching a movie), complete with hi-tech tweaks (cool password key and anti-matter thingie!). Bottom line, I liked it but I didn't love it (and maybe the low expectation setting was a factor), and for more of my rants, raves and spoilers...

• Tom Hanks was still lousy (and no, I'm not holding a grudge because of Nicholas Cage, seriously). It is a sad thing to note because I think he is a great actor (he was amazing in The Terminal), but as Robert Langdon this time around, there were a lot of times when he was even more irritating than the head of the Swiss Guard (whose job was supposed to be the pest of the movie). I totally agree with Buzzsugar, he did talk a hell of a lot. It might have been okay if it's truly educational but by golly, everyone who was watching the movie probably already read the book (or if they haven't, I doubt they're much of a trivia or history buff). P. S. Did they really have to show him swimming in those trunks?! Could he have been approached by the Vatican police at a coffee shop or something?
• Thanks for not exploring the love story angle between Robert and Vittoria, or I would have rolled my eyes a full 360. P. S. Vittoria was pretty and intelligent and all, but no, she didn't stand out as a character the way Sophie Neveu did. But then again, Audrey Tautou is Audrey Tautou. Maybe they should have gotten Monica Bellucci? Never mind, waste of talent on such a forgettable role.
• Ewan McGregor as the Camerlengo proved to be a gem, and he played the good-yet-not-so-good boy part extremely well, that I think the movie was as much his as Tom Hanks'. And it seemed apt that he was the only one who rode that helicopter high up in the sky (kudos on that plot tweak).
  
• Is it just me or was the assassin (Nikolaj Lie Kaas) hot? I loved the way he shot at people, all swift and skilled (whaaat?!) and his gun was so nifty! Also loved how he had a (kinda) redeeming factor about him in the end when he didn't kill the unarmed duo signifying how the job was just a job. Awww, so sad to see you explode. P. S. Thank you for not bothering to explore the grudge-because-of-the-Crusades angle. It was okay in the book but would've been too much on the movie on top of everything else.
• But hey Mr. Hot Assassin, disgusting first murder! Ugh! Rats! *cringe* And many more disgusting scenes of dead people. Nightmares, nightmares.
  
• Some humor was injected, mostly by Tom Hanks, and two in particular made me laugh in the single bout way (as in heh vs. hahahaha): Vittoria tearing that page off Galileo's book, and Vatican cop not being able to breathe inside the Vatican Archives. Oh and Robert jumping through hoops to crash a glass wall inside the Vatican Archives so as not to die of suffocation, only for the electricity to come back up again after he has successful done so. Poor gigantic cabinet full of ancient historical documents.
  
• Half the movie was shot in the dark, and while I understand that it might have been necessary plotwise, did it really have to be that dark on sooo many scenes? Jeez!
  
• But hey, when it was bright, the cinematography was beautiful. Not night-shot-of-the -Louvre beautiful but still beautiful (as in I-so-wanna-go-to-Rome beautiful). I especially like the last scene where the new pope makes his first ever appearance to the people. It felt, well, heavenly. And of course, fantastic antimatter explosion up in the sky. Soooo, well, heavenly still (ummm, what's wrong with me?).
• I like the subtlety of the message in new Camerlengo's teeny-tiny side story (Cardinal Strauss, Conclave presider) whose own desire for power almost rendered him powerless to have Patrick disqualified for election as Pope. And tsk, that would have been extremely unfortunate. Hence the speech on how religion is flawed because men are flawed, including himself (or something like that).
• Finally, loved that they spared the life of one of the four Preferiti because it's just more bright and shiny that way (the least they could have done after showing us all those dead people, LOL).

All in all, I think the movie also took a friendlier view of the Church than Da Vinci did. They even passed on the pope-as-a-dad angle. But maybe the movie would have been much better if Nicholas Cage played Robert Langdon (and here I go again). Hehehe. And also, if it had more lighting.

Ummm, next stop, Digital Fortress? Deception Point? Ha! Never mind.

Ultimate P. S. Also grateful the movie did not go on forever. Expected it to be looooong. To me at least it didn't feel long. So very grateful. ;D

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