My fave Asia actors- A List

TADANOBU ASANO



This guy reeks of talent and is everyone's favorite actor. TIME called him the Renaissance Samurai. Top directors like Takashi Miike, Shinya Tsukamoto, Sogo Ishii, Nagisa Oshima and many more just has to have him in their movies. From playing the Psychotic and Sadistic Kakihara in Ichi the Killer and a Samurai having the hots for fellow samurai played by Ryuhei Matsuda, he has proven hes as versatile as anyone else. I especially love him in Sogo Ishii's Electric Dragon 80.000 V playing Dragon Eye Morrison ZzzzzTttTtttttt!

IChi the Killer (Miike)
Vital (Shinya Tsukamoto)
Electric Dragon 80.000 V ( Sogo Ishii)
Invisible Waves ( Pen-Ek Ratanaruang )

TAKASHI SHIMURA



Alright, everybody KNows Toshiro Mifune and during his collaboration with Akira Kurosawa, Shimura have been quite relegated to the sidelines, although he is also a constant fixture in most of Kurosawa's films. He is one of my favorites since I would always list Ikiru as my top Kurosawa movie. He is quite unforgettable EVEN if he plays only small roles in big films and manages to make them unforgettable. HIs most recognized character could be Kambie SHimada in Seven Samurai but before that he had appeared in the original Godzilla (loved that movie!) HIs role in Ikiru though established his range as a serious actor, and as always, delivering a powerful and solid performance.


Fave movies: Most of these he played bit roles, but see thats how he is, so awesome even playing such small roles.. VERSATILE is how he is described often.


IKIRU
Seven Samurai
Stray Dog
Throne of Blood
The Hidden Fortress
Rashomon

TONY LEUNG CHIU WAI



Probably one of Hong Kong's most recognized actor and one of the best there is. He has a huge following not only in Asia but also in the international arena. Intense and as charismatic, Tony Leung just brings to screen that unique subtle way by which he performs. SUbtle but powerful. He can be a bad ass action star or a romantic male lead . He can carry all with not much fan fare but still powerful and unforgettable just the same.

Infernal Affair ( Andrew Lau)
Happy Together ( Wong Kar Wai
In the Mood for Love (WKW)
AShes of Time (WKW)
Chung King Express (WKW)

LESLIE CHEUNG Kwok-Wing



A thespian.Probably one of Hong Kong's best actor of all time and despite the controversy of his death, one cannot deny his influence in the movie industry. Loved him in Happy Together with Tony leung . He has that intensity and the charisma that makes him so smoldering hot on screen.

Favorite movies

Bride with white Hair ( Ronny Yu)
Ashes of Time (Wong Kar Wai)
Days of Being Wild (Wong Kar Wai)
Farewell my Concubine (CHen Kaige)


more to come....

football rants ...

It was a heartbreaking loss that got me all so teary -eyed. Seeing as how our boys played their hearts out like warriors prior to that semifinal loss against Turkmenistan last Friday. We were so near, but it was snatched at the last minute. I swear next time they have an important game I will try not to watch anymore, it seems I'm jinxed! Every time I watch they lose! That game last Friday could have earned me a red card from OAR HOUSE owner Ben Razon for I almost broke my table, banging my fists against it and wailing out while my 4 your old girl sat scared why her Mom's acting all deranged. But that was a good game- I just want to hug all of them and tell them its okay and no matter what my motherly love will still be there for them every time they step on foreign turfs to play for their mother land.

Andddd compounded by a very irresponsible remark from this VERY irresponsible journalist (kuno) saying the boys arent Filipinos because "hindi sila kakulay at hindi naman sila lumaki dito".  To say I was mad is an understatement- I WAS LIVID!

Its kinda hard to swallow this kind of idiotic and stupid comment.He violated the most basic tenets of being a FILIPINO and a Journalist. Its not the color of your skin, nor your accent that makes one "Kayumanggi or Kakulay" . What happened to pinoy pride that most of us so willingly spew out when talents like Charice, Jessica Sanchez, ET AL gain accolades abroad? What happened to fair and responsible reporting? What happened to presenting all sides of the story, exhausting by all means any possible resources and sources to get the real story. yes, we do have our opinions, but opinions aren't ours alone, especially when you are journalist who holds the power of tri-media in your hands to destroy a person's reputation or worst his spirit by mere irresponsible remarks and in Clavio's case, insensitive tirades? Yes insensitive because he did not only dis our boys, those he calls half-breed Azkals but also their Filipino mothers. By doing so, he did not also spare the millions of OFWs abroad who worked hard for their family, from his vitriolic and malicious attacks.

More than just being a rabid football fan, I was hurt because my nieces and nephews, those born and raised in the States sometimes can teach us a thing or two about being Pinoys. How they can speak tagalog, Kiniray a or Ilongo much better than some of those born here. I know for a fact that vacations and visits or EVEN just a glimpse in pictures of their cousins and the familiar sights of beaches and places in our native Antique is enough to reduce them to tears. Of how they would always be proud to show off that they can speak the native tongue despite not being born here, with PRIDE.

What was it about that made me so sad and betrayed? It was probably because I belong to the same profession. It was probably because a giant and well respected Station chose to stand by this clown and ignored the clamor for his sanction. What happened to their own campaign for fairness? For serbisyong totoo at walang kinikilingan? What happened to Think before you CLICK campaign? Sad and hurt, yes I still am. This station actually has in its roster, names of famous and much admired Journalists, some of whom I admire and some have been colleagues in the defunct Manila Chronicle. Sticking up like a sore thumb- This move to ignore the pleas and calls for action by a lot of people ( the name of their ESTEEMED reporter will not be trending at the top in twitter for two days if it was just nothing to those who heared and saw it on NATIONAL TELEVISION) was such a disappointment I actually had to read the statement twice before finally understanding it. I was hoping even up to the last minute it would do the gentleman's way. Apologize and own up! I suppose I was hoping for nothing.

- still on the Arnold Clavio issue

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/251615/opinion/the-truth-about-sexual-harassment

So is this their answer to the public's call for sanction againt Clavio? My God, I cannot understand how she can rant on and on about sexual harassment- PEOPLE ACKNOWLEDGE THAT IT IS SERIOUS AND WRONG- IF PROVEN GUILTY, those 2 boys shall be PUNISHED! So be IT, but also, give them their day in COURT !!!!! but THAT WaSNT THE REASON WHY SO MANY WERE OFFENDED ! Its what that stupid Clavio said- in reference to our boys being not KAYUMANNGI enough to be Filipinos- They have been silent so far while other publications have been giving it mileage in their papers- APPARENTLY they dont see anything wrong in what their ESTEEMED reporter said. WAY TO GO GMA- SKIRT the issue and hope this die a natural death? No friggin way! This hurts more because I DO admire some of your journalists! A real gentleman, would try to at least placate the publics anger- especially the increasing reaction from our OFW and PINOYS who are based abroad. I cannot believe this. granted this is an opinion PAGE- BUT dont you think there is something wrong when you give the issue a silent treatment despite the massive calls for your station to give an honest to goodness statement about it? Not the haphazard and not so apologetic plea of CLAVIO for understanding? AND YET give this opinion a space ? So if Im made to follow what just happened here, this is your answer then?

PAULINO ALCANTARA

It took FIFA and FC Barcelona to create a stir the other day, Feb 25, among sports lovers in the country. FIFA bannered a story about a Filipino's amazing run into the pages of Football history with his 100th year debut as a record holder in FC Barcelona's history. PAULINO ALCANTARA, a Filipiino and an Ilonggo to boot, 100 years ago yesterday, debuted a start of a career at 15 playing for Barca against SC Cataluna and went on to stamp his presence in one of the worlds best Footballs Clubs, FC Barca with a record 357 goals in 357 games, a feat never been broken yet and a feat that earned him his own place of legend in Camp Nou's halls.

Paulino was honored in 2007 by FIFA as the best Asian Player of all time and more importantly stands as an inspiration to countless Filipinos who are now seeing a resurgence in football. For Ilonggos though, this man's name had always been enshrined in their youngsters hearts, and no doubt about it, fueled the legend that was Barotac Nuevo, a small town in Iloilo province where folks, young and old alike, breath, speak and live Football. Where names of Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant or Michael Jordan hardly creates a stir- but launches into a tirade of Football stories, and animated talks about the sports itself, the rules , lknowing it like the back of their hands with mere mention of Kruyff, Baggio, Maldini, Maradona and Pele and of course that one great Filipino who made a stamp in Footballs' history, a century ago, PAULINO ALCANTARA y RIESTRA.

Not really a tall story. Football fields instead of baskletball courts dominates even small barrios in this province- and the whole of Western Visayas really . Antique, Negros Occ, Capiz and Aklan. For these folks, football isnt just something we watch and read about in tv and magazines. WE breath it! Learning to kick balls early on rather than dribbling it ( Growing up in Antique, I can attest to this. classrooms back in Saint Anthony's College in San Jose overlooks a big football field that has boys and girls kicking balls all day long even with classes going on, resulting to some very irked teachers and a distracted class when balls regularly break classroom window glasses )

Frustrating it might be to realize that we could actually be one of the football giants in Asia today if we only continued to fuel the passion awakened in us during those years when we (believe it or not) stomped Japan in one Far East Games 15-0, when a PAULINO ALCANTARA was breaking nets in Iberian football matches, earning him the nickname EL ROMPEREDES and the fact that the country is also one of the oldest founding members of FIFA in Asia. There's hope though, for the sports has suddenly taken the centerstage most recently. It would take time, but certainly we will get there. Meanwhile, I would continue to root for our Azkals, our boys !

Also, its high time we need a PAULINO ALCANTARA stadium.

Alright done with my rantings...off to household chores and pathetic asian novelas and planning a work sked for a busy week ahead- drowning my frustrations for not getting my passport in time. Ugh.

Eye CANDIES! (WC Africa 2010)

I've always loved football. Yes FOOTBALL ( not soccer) I have to admit though, like other girls, there are other reasons why we do like em .. Lemme count err show you the ways.



Italy Defender and Captain- Fabio Canavarro- Fabio the Fabulous!



CZech Republic's (and Arsenal) and personal favorite Tomas Rosicky. They did not get into last year's World Cup but he is still awesome.



Argentina's Gonzalo Higuain- Miss the scratchy stubbles, but still looking hot!



Uruguay's DIEGO (NOT maradona) FORLAN. Single-handedly led his team to the Semis, inspiring awes and adulation because of his magnificent goals Such heart and determination



SPAIN' striker FERNANDO TORRES- hmmm envy that ground



Spain's Gerard Pique. Yay, Shakira !

Of Azkals, football in the Philippines and that pocket Schrocket goal!

Nothing really matters during that 2nd leg game of the Azkals vs the Kuwaiti Al Azraq-even if we lost understandably to the mighty Al Azraq. It was all about the feeling when Schrock made that goal- It was all about the teary -eyed moment and the look of so much awe and love in the faces of even the barefooted cigarette vendor, the thin frail old woman selling softdrinks outside the Rizal Stadium, alongside this group of expensively dressed mestizas.. It was unity- no class or ranks or status in life. We were all just happy to send in that much needed goal - against an almost insurmountable odds thrown at us- A team so highly fancied from a country whose oil had fuelled almost half of this globes economy. It was a goal that made those Kuwaiti Students beside me also clap with admiration- even raising a thumbs up everytime Schrock and Caligdong are shown on screen..

I came from a small town in Antique but whose love for football was born out of my regions' passion  for this sport even before I was born.. I knew of Pele, Kruyft, Baggio and Maradona's name even before I knew who Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul Jabbar were... I thought of Argentina and Brazil as superpowers rather than the US.. I've grown up believing in tall tales of the old men in our barrio about this obscure yet legendary town of Barotac Nuevo were small kids learn to kick balls even before they can walk- or of young boys practicing on coconuts to play this beautiful game- Of stories about this great great man named Paulino Alcantara from Iloilo whose name is actually shrined in the hollowed grounds of Camp Nou- home to the legendary FC Barcelona- El Romperedes he was known- the netbreaker,  of that one magical moment during the Far East Games back in the old old days- when the Philippines romped Japan 12- 0 or somethign that lopsided and finding out that the country is one of the oldest member of FIFA in Asia ( 1906)...

Oh to dream again- That was what that amazing Pocket Schrocket awakened in me with that magic moment. Imagine US in a few years time- Given this much support and much love from our countrymen.. I can dream again of actually hearing our National anthem of being played in the WORLD CUP - maybe 2018? Its a tall dream- but who cares its free to dream anyways.. 

A commuter's hell

We commuters are literally held hostage every time we take public transportation 

One time taking the bus from Las Pinas had me all cross-eyed and dizzy with the maniacal driver thinking we were in the zigzag road. By the time I reached Baclaran, I thought there were two Redemptorist church.

Another time it was this dyipni driver thinking he was some F1 driver racing like there's no tomorrow with another dyipni. Another time it was a taxi driver who, unfortunately for us who rode the cab that day, has an ax to grind against the owner of the cab he was driving. Every time he sees a pothole or a bump on the road, he would deliberately drive over it and seems hellbent on damaging the cab- never mind the passengers. When asked why he was purposely doing that, the idiot even had the gall to answer that he was gonna resign the next day, therefore he needs to exact revenge on the poor already dilapidated cab he was driving.of course, to get back at his masters! He only relented when we told him to bring us safely first to our destination and he can continue his torture of the poor cab later on..

The stress we have to go through! But what can we do? Really LTO and DOTC should have more stringent regulations before issuing any licenses to these drivers.