this morning, when i dropped over at Jollibee’s to grab a quick bite, i leafed idly through the Entertainment section of the Philippine Star and found a 2-page article on CATS, which is slated to open in Manila (at the CCP Complex) by july 2010.

this, of course, reminded me of the Cats ticket i had bought (thanks, moonchild) for an 8:00pm show that is scheduled sometime in august.

CATS, by the way (as if you didn’t know), is one of those hugely successful Andrew Lloyd Webber stage musical that have filtered down to other cities around the world, and have since since then played to captive audiences everywhere. CATS, which is based on a book of poems (Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats) by Thomas Stearns Eliot, first opened in West End (London) in 1981.

this time, the Adelaide cast of CATS will be performing in Manila, along with Lea Salonga, who will be playing Grizabella.

CATS has many lovably quirky characters but my favorite is, and always will be, the flamboyant Rum Tum Tugger, whose signature song remains forever etched in my mind (because of its cocky and vibrant cadence). in fact, i am quite familiar with several songs in the CATS soundtrack because it’s one of the first CDs i ever bought for my personal collection.

(p.s. watching CATS is one of those little items that have lately cropped up in my unofficial “bucket” list.)

you can say a lot of things about japanese merchants/craftsmen, but one remarkable thing about them is the insidious way they can convince consumers of certain needs they didn’t even know they had.

nowhere does this become more obvious than when you walk into Saizen [Daiso] Store (Robinson’s Galleria). Few minutes after entering this outlet (about 4 months ago), i was literally hooked. i thought i had stepped into this make-believe wonderland filled with quirky, functional (sometimes barely useful), fascinating, droll, cute, well-crafted and colorful things.

the store offers a drool-worthy array of goods — housewares, office supplies, toys, gift items, hardware supplies, stationery, accessories, beauty products, personal care items, kitchenware, gardening tools, etc. — and everything costs P85. by the time i was ready to pay for my purchases, i was astonished to find 12 different items in my shopping basket (thoughtfully provided by their staff). after an internal struggle, i pared down my loot to 7 items, and right up to the counter i even managed to leave two more items behind (and i didn’t even plan to buy one!).

i thought that was it. the next time i visit Saizen i would be more or less forearmed and able to resist its seductive clutches. hah. wishful thinking.

i’ve been there 5 or 6 times since. and each time i leave, i buy no less than 5 items (yesterday, i bought 8). i agree, most of them i bought for their visual appeal, but so far there have been stuff that turned out to be very useful (like that box of transparent band-aid, pouch for my mp3 player, etc.). and i’m quite sure i’ll be coming back for more.

so what is it about Saizen that draws me (and countless other smitten shoppers) into its irresistible orbit? i can’t quite put into words. it’s something that needs to be experienced to be believed and understood. ask any Saizen patron and (s)he’ll probably give you a list of reasons, along with stacks of items they had inexplicably purchased.

i dare you to go there and leave without buying anything…

as for me… well, for now i promise to buy no more than TWO items the next time i go there. okay. make that THREE. really. i mean it… (negotiation continues)

i finally managed to watch two of the films in my must-see list this weekend– Sherlock Holmes and Avatar.

Sherlock Holmes was mostly ok, very entertaining with a great cast and snappy pace but overall, doesn’t really qualify as a great film. it features a shorter, scruffier version of Sherlock Holmes, as well as a more assertive and cleverer Dr. Watson. i still like this film though.

Avatar, as everybody else must have realized by now, is a sumptuous feast for the senses (esp. visual and aural). i’m glad i gave in to zarine’s prodding to watch this film in 3D — somehow the whole package comes alive as a more heightened and more layered experience when you see this movie in an iMax screen. go watch the 3D version of Avatar if you can. it’s worth the hefty admission price, i promise you.

Other notes. sigourney weaver’s character, Dr. Grace Augustine, feels like a conglomeration of two roles she has played to perfection in the past: Lt. Ellen Ripley (Aliens, also directed by james cameron) and Dr. Dian Fossey (Gorillas in the Mist). as the tough and eminently resourceful Ripley, she was the lone voice of reason and caution; as Fossey, she showed fierce compassion and dedication to the subjects of her study.

as good as Avatar is, it didn’t quite strike me as well as most of the films that i consider my all-time favorites. it has several undeniable factors in its favor though: (1) the movie is long but it doesn’t feel that way because you’re too busy assimilating details in many levels; (2) it lingers in your subconscious long after you have seen it; (3) it has a riveting story with universal themes (despite some drawbacks, particularly the one-dimensionality of some characters).

conclusion: missing Avatar should qualify as a crime for serious film lovers out there.

the much awaited eighth season of 24 will start hitting our TV screens by january 17, 2010. and already the anticipation (especially those diehard 24 fans) is building up. here’s the latest trailer. hopefully, this season will be a great one.

as advertised, several characters will be back (e.g., chloe o’brian, renee walker, pres. taylor, kim bauer, etc.) and a number of new faces are added to make jack bauer’s (kiefer sutherland) life more exciting (new cast includes freddie prinze, katee sackhoff, john boyd, etc.). season 8 is set in new york city.