Good new for fellow lovers of film with subtitles! Eiga Sai 2007 is starting this Wednesday, June 20 at the Shangri-La Plaza Mall.

The Japan Foundation, Manila, in cooperation with the Shangri-La Plaza Mall, the Cultural Center of the Philippines, and the UP Film Institute, proudly presents slices of Japanese life as seen through the eyes of contemporary Japanese directors of “Eiga Sai 2007″: a showcase of modern film genre at the Shang Cineplex, UP Film Institute and CCP Dream Theater.

The Eiga Sai (literally, ‘film festival’ in Japanese) opens at the Shangri-la Plaza Mall on June 20 with light comedy, “Kamikaze Girls” (2004, 103 minutes, Color), written by Novala Takemoto and directed by Nakashima Tetsuya. It tells the story of two very different teenagers who become best friends, even though neither will admit it. J-Pop star Kyoko Fukada stars as Momoko, a 17-year-old girl so obsessed with everything rococo that she wears old-fashioned frilly white clothing and carries a parasol. After Momoko’s mother leaves her small time crook husband, her young daughter grows up on the farm, 60 miles from Tokyo, with her ex Yakuza father who sells fake Versace merchandize and grandmother, a woman with an extraordinary ability to catch flies in mid air. Desperate for money, Momoko starts selling the remainder of her father’s counterfeit clothing, but her only customer is a tough-talking young biker chick, Ichigo (Anna Tsuchiya), who belongs to an all-girl gang. Their lives exemplify some of the fascinating intricacies of Japanese youth culture in a feel good film with art direction creatively designed to blow your socks off. The movie garnered critical acclaim and won numerous awards in Japan and abroad.

Source: Japan Foundation website

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First, sorry for the late post but I was attending my godmother’s wake last Friday -hence we’re doing last week’s Friday Five on a Monday. Anyway, this morning I had the opportunity to have a quick chat with Mo, Mojo and Andi-9 on Magic 89.9. They were discussing about charity and how “in general”, you have to be rich or have a lot of resources in order to be able to help.

Of course you don’t need to be rich to help out your fellow men so here’s five charities in Metro Manila that will not cost you a dime. Although donations are of course accepted by these charities, anyone can help them as long as you have a little bit of time and the will to help out. I’ve joined all 5 at some point in my life and trust me, it’s a very defining experience.

1. Storytelling at Aklatang Pambata. It’s ok if you’re not a natural born story teller as you will get a ton of tips from the storytelling experts in this little library in QC. Books are available at the library and the kids come in around 10am every Saturday. Check out the website to find out how to get there. Walk in’s are more than welcome. (Total time spent: at most 3 hours every Saturday)
2. Alternative education with RockEd. Want to teach kids guitar or arts? Do you want to help them review Math, Science or English? You can volunteer with RockEd and drop in schools around the Metro to help them with their projects. There’s also projects outside the Metro that you can support. (Total time spent: at most 3 hours on weekends for Manila-based projects)
3 and 4. Build a community with Habitat for Humanity or Gawad Kalinga. For a few hours every weekend, drop in Gawad Kalinga or Habitat for Humanity and help build a community. There’s several projects around the Metro and many activities you can help in from something as simple as landscaping to house building. (Total time spent: about 6-8 hours on weekends)
5. Student leaders at UCF work camps. Students from most Universities in the Metro can drop in UCF offices to volunteer for work camps. Usually held during the summer, volunteers go to rural provinces and help out communities by laying pipes or repairing school walls or ceilings. You even get to experience the city you visit too. (Total time spent: varies, about 2-4 days during the summer)
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(Warning: this post contains information not relevant to those below 18 years old. But feel free to read on, If you like.)

What kind of savage son would get his father a lighter, an ashtray, and two boxes of hand-rolled cigars on Father’s Day? Well…the kind just like me, I guess.

“Are you trying to kill your dad?” mother asked when she saw what I was about to give him.

Of course not! Having trekked into the monstrously populated SM North EDSA / The Block on the eve of all fathers’ special day, I was easily tempted to be eclectic. No World’s Greatest Dad paper holder. No moleskin planner. No wallet. No Swiss knife. I wanted my gift to be a little out of the usual. And where do I get it? Kultura Filipino, of course.

The one-stop shop is a treasure trove of Philippine culture and crafts, all showcasing how unique being a Filipino is. There were two huge stands displaying the cigars. Naturally, already having bought a Coca Cola lighter from Lighter’s Galore, I was easily drawn, like to a magnet. I got two boxes and was given a free sample – which I smoked immediately after I got home. Thanks, Kultura Filipino!
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Upon settling at my work desk one morning, I noticed that the Banana Loaf I had ordered from Starbucks came in an extra-nice package. On the bag was written:

“Banana Loaf =) Enjoy!”

It was a simple message but it sure brightened up my morning. Thank you Starbucks Chinabank-Paseo branch for making that morning a little bit sunnier!

The 6th Philippine Toy Convention is still on going as I write this, and it will be at the Mega Trade Hall until closing tomorrow evening.

So what can you expect at this year’s con?

Pictures after the jump.
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Ice cream. Yellow. Can you guess what flavor this is? C’mon, guess!

Mango? Nope. Corn? Cheese? Lemon? Nope. Nope. Nope.

It’s Nangkasuy!!! Yummy. This is an ice cream that is cashew-flavored. It was so delicious! The ice cold creaminess complemented the strong taste of kasuy perfectly. Got this from a Fruits in Ice Cream stall in Greenhills.

It’s been ages since I’ve eaten in a restaurant I’ve raved about. Do try Kimono Ken at The Podium. Let me tell you what I love about them.

First, there’s the very courteous service. From the time we stepped foot near the entrance till the time we stepped out, the staff was always so gracious. Ang galing. I like how attentive their waiters were. They’d refill our water glasses without our asking, clear our tables when the plates are empty. I like how well-mannered they were, always smiling! That’s something you don’t see much of now. Even if the place was full, even if they were rushing around with trays filled with orders, they would be smiling. And the thing is, they just didn’t look happy. They felt happy. I could feel it. It made my mealtime very pleasurable.
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i am posting this for the benefit of the people who weren’t able to read today’s edition of the Philippine Star where there’s an article entitled, “Ruffa, kids get police escorts”

i would like to rant about it. it is my option as a citizen of this country and as a dutiful taxpayer. first, ruffa and her kids get three police escorts. why three? don’t they know that the ratio of the police force is just 1 is to 1000 citizens. would someone not as popular as ruffa get the same privilege? second, yes, it may be true that yilmaz (her husband) could afford to hire men to harm her but can’t she afford to hire private escorts? i’m sure she can for she earns a lot from her endorsements. lastly, if ever yilmaz does really hire people to harm her. is yilmaz that stupid? i don’t think so because he would be the first and only suspect.

well, unless someone hates ruffa that much who would take this as an opportunity for his/her advantage? this is my opinion, what do you think?

this is going to be my first entry after my hiatus from “met”-blogging. life has been hard and work has occupied so much of my time. forgive me for i haven’t posted some entries and forgive me for posting this entry. pardon me, it’s for entertainment purposes only, okay? hehehe :-)

everywhere i go, i hear people talking about these two women. read more after the jump.
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If you’re interested in doing some charity work in the Manila area, and if you’re unsure of which kind of charity work you’d like to get involved in, e.g. teaching, saving the environment, feeding programs, etc., check out Hands On Manila.

According to their site, this is their mission:

“Hands on Manila is a non-profit organization that provides flexible volunteer opportunities for community service in Metro Manila. It recruits, coordinates and educates a broad base of volunteers for non-profit organizations.”

They are holding an orientation on June 28, Thursday, 6 pm at Powerbooks Greenbelt. Do go early as the area gets filled up quite quickly. Learn about their organization and the many ways you can make better use of your free time. You can also find more details on their site.