i guess, i’ve done it again. last year, i remember griping about the hot, steamy days that never seemed to end (yes, it’s a yearly thing for me), wishing fervently for the rains to come — and got more than i bargained for.

well… this time, i basically went through the same rigmarole and got the same results, albeit at a milder dose. barely a few days after i had posted a couple of entries about the weather — it actually rained!

the first couple of days, things were fine. we heaved a sigh of relief (and i did a couple of celebratory cheers when no one was looking). then an office mate started to complain, because apparently the sudden and unexpected change in the weather was literally making her sick. not that it bothered me, that is, until somebody pointed out that our summer outing was only two days away.

and like a well-timed ironic turn of events, it rained hard during the day of our company outing! we assembled around 5:30am, and as luck would have it, our bus arrived late because the driver had apparently misinterpreted our instructions — he actually waited for us at a different place!

as we headed towards Subic (By the Sea beach resort), the sky darkened although it was still hot at this time. to top it all, i had a hard time keeping myself awake because i hadn’t slept the night before. by the time we reached our destination we were all tired, hungry and a bit cranky. things felt better after we caught a glimpse of the water, though.

so, there we were, basically swimming, eating, and taking respite from the rain by turns. talk about a real damper! finally around 12:30pm, i could hardly keep my eyes open so i excused myself to sleep in one of the rooms that had been rented for our use. Two hours later, i headed back to the cluster of cottages that been assigned to us (it was raining again). the games were over, and everybody decided to ignore the rain and bathed to their hearts’ content.

we left around 6:30pm. *sigh* this was supposed to be a fun day at the beach. instead, i spent it sleeping, taking shelter from the rain, eating, and getting stuck in the traffic (on our way back). a nice way to learn a lesson about being careful what to wish for…

below is another piece that i had written more than 2 years ago. this is a fair reflection of what i feel about anime (ahem), and why some of us go to such lengths to rave about our favorite series and/or characters. over the years, this piece has gone through several revisions but the main thought remains.

i am posting it here because this site will be main webpage, sort of a depository of some of the better things i’ve done online, i think *clears throat and checks if somebody is listening*

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last saturday, my sister, who dropped by to return a book, caught me knee-deep in piles of download CDs, VCDs and DVDs. curious, she peered at the pile and asked what i was doing.

too caught up in my search, i mumbled distractedly about a misplaced DVD that i particularly wanted to watch that day. casting a glance at some of the titles, she said “Oh,” which spoke volumes, and shook her head. “i see you still haven’t outgrown your phase.”

grinning, i replied, “darn right… ah-hah! so you’ve been hiding here all this time” (Slayers, vol. 1, ssn 2). without any further ado, i popped the offending disk to my player and turned back to her. “want a coke? this could take some time.”

she sighed and shook her head, “can’t stay long. honestly though, don’t you ever get sick and tired of watching these things? you must have watched this series twice already.”

it was my fourth viewing actually, but this time i was watching the japanese version (with english subtitles), which as far as i was concerned made a huge difference (because it featured my favorite seiyuu megumi hayashibara as the mercurial and cute sorceress Lina Inverse). not that i bothered to explain though. i doubt if she’d have appreciated my explanations anyway. to a non-anime fan, any explanation or justification would have sounded lame.

which brings me to this interesting question: what makes anime so appealing to some of us?

normally, this sort of behavior is indulged (and half-expected) among children and adolescents. as you move on to your late teens, it’s still somewhat tolerated; in your 20s, the raised eyebrows and the head scratching begin (”what? you’re still into anime? how do you find the time to watch ‘em? boy, you must have spent a lot on these suckers!”). as you grow older, it gets worse… not that it has ever bothered me though.

frankly, i can’t explain it myself. *grins sheepishly* i just know that i like them and i’m sure that 5 years from now, i’d still be watching anime features. after that, who knows?

still, i believe that this inexplicable fascination can be traced to a few things:
1. anime connects to the child within us
2. it deals with universal themes
3. it offers a relatively simple and inexpensive way for us to indulge our “what-ifs” in colorful 2D and 3D formats
4. ready tie-ups with the video gaming community as well as manga and music industry
5. it’s visually appealing!
6. it uhm… offers excellent opportunities for viewers to pick up some nifty nippongo phrases
7. and because its technology-friendly, it has become even more accessible and continues to find a ready supply of converts (thanks to dedicated fandoms, forums and bit torrent sites. Youtube siempre, this site has saved me a lot of dough)

this is all i can think of right now. i’m sure the list goes on for many anime fiends who have been in this roller coaster far longer than i have… (i’m sure this list gets even longer for other otakus.)

it’s easy to dismiss anime as a simplistic, escapist fare. in a way, i suppose it’s true, but it’s much more than that though. some features have surprising depth, complexity and impact — far more that the genre’s detractors would allow. a few have even managed to achieve commercial and critical success internationally — here, hayao miyazaki’s excellent body of work (Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, Grave of the Fireflies, etc.) screams to the fore, a fact that has spurred Disney to cash in on this particular niche by producing, releasing and distributing an english version of some of his best works. i could name a few more but that would take too much time.

below is a reprint of an entry that i have posted elsewhere (recycled thoughts). i had actually intended all along to post it here, but i got sidetracked because of this maddening problem i have with my current domain registrar.

in any case, i am posting it here (along with the comments). i know it may seem a little late now because 17 Again had made its debut in local theaters about 2 weeks ago (although i had actually posted this 2 days after watching this film), but i feel like it should be brought here like i had originally intended.

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catching a weekend movie has always been a convenient way for me to unwind after topsy-turvy week, and this weekend was no different than the hundreds of weekends that came before. this time, however,i decided to go with the flow and watched 17 Again (i just couldn’t convince myself to watch Friday the 13th, and i had already seen Fast and Furious.)

ok. bottomline, 17 Again is not as bad as i had initially feared it would be. in fact, there were moments when i actually thoroughly enjoyed myself — due largely to the hilarious antics of the support characters, particularly thomas lennon, who plays mike mcdonnell’s (zac efron, who else?) rich, nerdy friend, and melora hardin, who plays his love interest.

this is not to say that zac efron is a total waste. actually, i was kind of pleasantly surprised at how seemingly easy it was for him to carry this movie. this time, he shows a bit more range — not that i’d seen any of his movies (High School Musical trilogy, Hairspray), except maybe for those vid snippets that clog Youtube. the kid’s definitely got that X factor, which should serve him well in this business if he plays his cards right.

notwitstanding the screaming girls (and they can get pretty loud), the story is snappy and engaging enough — it’s the latest entry in a long list of body swap/time travel movies (Big, Back to the Future, 13 Going 30, etc.) — and zac efron does well enough to hold your interest when he’s onscreen. and there’s even a funny subplot to keep you chuckling like a loon in spite of the film’s predictable inanities.

aside from thomas lennon and melora hardin,17 Again’s support cast also includes matthew perry (as the older version of mike mcdonnell), leslie mann, and michelle trachtenberg. this film should keep the ‘tweens and teenagers hopping. and for sci-fi/fantasy fans… well, let’s just say, you’ll find something here that you’re going to connect with.

pleeeeeaase… let it rain soon!

and just so there won’t be any room for doubt, we’re posting these pictures to help along all those rain deities and high-ranking weather demi-gods out there who might be listening to this heartfelt request.

a walk in the rain sounds heavenly at this stage.

oh to be out there, splashing and sloshing in the rain. i’d give a lot to feel the pelting raindrops on my face — anything just to be free of this oppressive, energy-draining heat.

give me rain or give me… more rain!

or maybe we should let gene kelly do the talking… er, singing?

*distant rumble* is that thunder i hear? are those wet splashes on my window pane actually raindrops? oh cripes, i must be hallucinating again.