Sunday Showdown

Well, last sunday April 19, I was able to watch the Flash and the Furious. The Boxing event this Summer to hit the Big Dome Araneta Coliseum featuring Nonito "The Pinoy Flash" Donaire IBF Flyweight Champ facing Mexico's Raul Martinez and Brian "The Hawaiian Punch" Villoria returned to form to win his Championship Belt back IBF Lightweight Crown versus Ulises Solis.

My dad was able to score some free tickets for the event and boy we had to wake up early for that one. Oh,yeah. It had a different feel of watching it live minus the commentaries from Quinito Henson and Chino Trinidad. Otherwise I would have to wait for the delayed telecast at 1PM that day.

From the ring announcers introduction to the round girls intermissions it was electrifying to hear the crowd react to whats happening in the ring. The moment when the national anthem was sung by the lead vocalist of Six Cycle Mind Ney Maculangan if I'm not mistakened. The adrenaline was pumping from everyone watching, Pinoy Pride and Glory and once again our nemesis the Mexicans.

We were able to catch Denver Cuello's fight which he won against a Japanese or Chinese fighter they look the same. It had a little dose of comic relief as his opponent keeps on hugging him during the match. And the referee pushed aside the Japanese almost throwing him out of the ring everyone was getting cracked up.

If Brian Viloria is just 5'4" these guys are probably an inch or 2 smaller and a few more pounds lighter. They sometimes look like toys against the towering foreign referees.

Also some celebrities were able to capture the limelight once again like Former President Joseph "Erap" Estrada when he arrived everyone was shouting "Erap,Erap,Erap!" until he reached his seat together with his entourage near ringside.

Then it was Brian's match against Ulises he was able to open a cut on the Mexican's eye and 11 rounds later the knockdown. Ending the Filipino executioner's reign and the streak.

And the Main Event, Nonito Donaire VS Raul Martinez. This one was short and sweet. He was able to get some knockdowns as early as the first round, 2 to be exact. And then finish it off in the fourth.

Just goes to show that Filipinos are natural born fighters, we are survivors. We have survived typhoons, martial laws, coups, inflation and what more of a recession. Yet we still enjoy the things we love to do like goin out on weekends with your family and friends.

I believe that we should focus more on sports that does'nt require height as much in order for us to be competitive. Like boxing, soccer we are good runners as well, and the list goes on. Given enough training Filipinos are world class boxers soon as Manny Pacquiao retires there is another one coming out soon.

Congratulations to Nonito and Brian! Mabuhay kayo. You give everyone inspiration to keep fighting no matter the odds.

Jai Ho - Slumdog Millionaire

Fresh off the cinema, just watched the premiere of Slumdog Millionaire a couple of hours ago. Winner of 8 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Bollywood has just entered Hollywood. With all the hype and publicity it's having and the music soundtrack featuring the Pussycat Dolls - Jai Ho a dance hit now topping the airwaves since I dont have anything better to do, I decided to watch it since its free. This might be a spoiler so if you haven't seen the movie yet don't continue reading.

Set in Mumbai, India where poverty is almost a way of life. Very much like the Philippines, I just wonder whose country is much better in terms of way of life. If the average person can eat three meals a day and still afford an education.

Jamal Malik, is an unusual story an orphan at a young age forced to live in the dumps, just like the Smokey Mountain of the Philippines. With his brother Salim, and another orphan named Latika.

They were taken in by Mamam, (if the spelling is incorrect the names its because the subtitles are fast)who runs a syndicate of children to beg for money. All seems well, until Salim saw what Mamam does to kids who sing well. They are drugged and then blinded. Until it was Jamals turn, Salim and Jamal ran for their lives but Latika was left behind.

It was not mentioned how Jamal was able to join the contest. It is very difficult to join, I remember the time when we had our own version of Who wants to be a Millionaire? here in the Philippines hosted by Edu Manzano on IBC 13 now hosting Game KNB on ABS-CBN Channel 2 which was on primetime hosted by Kris Aquino.

Our jackpot prize back then in 2002 or 2003 was 5 Million Pesos if I still remember it right, for India there jackpot prize is 20 Million Rupees which is equivalent to 19 Million Pesos. If the show wasn't cancelled probably it would still rule the primetime block on TV, now its still Telenovelas.

But we all know that winning the prize money is anyone's ticket out of a life of poverty and misery. Which is luck and wisdom combined, the story itself shows that human spirit can thrive even through all the adversities.

Jamal's story is from rags to riches that anyone can relate to, and hope not to live in as he tells his story to the police who arrested him on suspicion that he cheated.
And his ultimate goal reuniting with a lost love.

The last scene, where in Latika and Jamal finally meet at the train station was very Bollywood, enter Jai Ho music and the entire cast and crew dancing to the song. Its definitely a feel good movie and another asian film enters hollywood.

I just hope we could make more movies like that, recently weve been making a lot of horror films that leave you wishing they have more budget for the effects alone. India is proud of their culture, with the colorful costumes, music, and also their artist.

I think we could make a better movie given the right people,cast,crew,director and studio. And also a mean soundtrack album we can make Hollywood have a run for the box-office.

Did I forget to mention that Nicole of the Pussycat Dolls has Filipino Lineage. If we could put together Arnel Pineda of Journey, Charice, Apl of the Black Eyed Peas together and then write a story.

Let's put our thinking caps. Congratulations to Slumdog Millionaire. Nice Movie. Goin out of the theater I wanted to dance to Jai-Ho.

Knowing

Yesterday, I watched Monster Versus Aliens it was the number 1 movie in America this week and since that Watchmen was still showing at the cinemas. So, I returned only to find out that Watchmen was no longer showing it was the last day, yesterday. I have to watch out for its DVD release soon.

So instead I watched "The Knowing" starring Nicolas Cage, since it had some good reviews. And I really like the premise that it had a paranormal storyline which more than often amazes me. Like other movies of the same sci-fi/horror/mystery genre like that of the X-Files, the Village, the Happening and other movies of M. Night Shymalan.

John Koestler,(the character Nicolas Cage is playing) a professor recently lost his wife in a terrible accident. Together with his son Caleb suddenly unravel a mystery of global proportions. The story starts in 1959 where in a mysterious girl writes a cryptic message as part of their school dedication ceremony wherein they will put their drawings of what to expect 50 years later in a time capsule.

Fast forward to the present, Caleb as part of the new generation class gets his hands on the cryptic letter that he takes home.And John gets to decode the message and the terrifying apocalyptic message it reveals in sequence, disaster after one another struck.

It was scary and spine tingling when it suddenly hits you. You never know what purpose you have in this world. It sometimes comes across my mind when I'm in deep thought. Thinking of what is currently happening in today's world, all this calamities, disasters, and all.

Did we just had a glimpse of what could happen when our time is already due?
I'm not saying the world is about to end. But the scene when John showed the sudden spike of the Sun's flames on all three planets Mercury, Venus and Earth. Just one flicker, one sudden rise of its flames and all life on Earth will cease to exist.

And the last scenes where in the rise of temperature, causing the oceans to rise with gigantic waves and forest fires and the whole world is in chaos. No one will survive.

Was it destiny that John and Caleb had to get hold of the letter? And meet the whisper people? Their is always a scientific approach and the way we look at things that sometimes science alone cannot explain.

Given the chance of knowing how my life will end, I wish not to know. But let fate continue its course.