On Overrated TV Shows

So I watched the finale episode of Walang Hanggan earlier.

 

I am bit disappointed, although it was expected because the story was based on the movie, Hihintayin Kita sa Langit. That’s why when Katerina died, it wasn’t s surprise when Daniel followed shortly after.

 

I wasn’t disappointed with the story and the ending, really. I was more disappointed with the dialog and some of the actors’ acting. The dialog leaves so much to be desired for. The narration at the end part was unnecessary. Some conversations were unnecessary. Unfortunately, that’s how TV works. The network and producers have fans to satisfy, so even if a lot of things could have been polished, there was no action done because, that’s what the fans prefer. If it was a movie, there’d be a lot of polishing and perfecting. If that approach happened in a movie, critics would probably fill the world-wide web bashing the production.

 

All in all, I think it’s just another typical and predictable Filipino teleserye finale where someone always dies, someone always goes to prison, the villain always dies at the end, and someone who used to be so evil changes ways. There has already been a lot of that on Philippine TV. The problem with Philippine TV is that they give everything away. The put too much stress on the love between Katerina and Daniel, instead of letting the people see that for themselves. They make sure Daniel’s every sentence has “Katerina” on it. They make sure he talks about her and how much he loves her every time he opens his mouth. Please! It’s just annoying and stubborn sometimes. They portray Katerina as this damsel who always needs to be rescued and taken care of. Really, what’s to love in a girl like that? Isn’t it so much believable to love someone who knows exactly where they fit in this world? Someone who knows what they want, get what they want, work and fight for what they want?

 

As much as I love Coco Martin, I have never been happier now that Walang Hanggan is finally over. I personally think the show is overrated and that there are so many other shows better than this. Actually, if this show had different actors, if this show did not have Dawn Zulueta, Richard Gomez, Coco Martin, JoEm Bascon, Noni Buencamino, and the others, this show would be a total train wreck. At long last, I no longer have to see the exaggeration and inconsistent characters that the writers have created. I no longer have to see their extended dialog that was corny and cheesy.

 

I can only hope that the next show the network has scheduled will be much better in characterization, plot, and acting than the one that just ended.

Another Sunday, Another Beach

Sundays are best spent at the beach, lounging around and away from the demands of work and life. That is why we decided to go to the beach on Sunday. After Jeff’s and my experience in Plantation Bay Resorts and Spa, we decided to try out Maribago Bluewaters Resort.

It was no Plantation Bay, but we still had fun. A day tour package included access to their pools and beach, a towel, and a lunch buffet.

The food was great. They actuallu jad more food choices than Plantation Bay. The dessert table had fruits and pastries to choose from, much to my delight.

The pools were big enough to accommodate many people. The water was very clean too.

The beach was also visually tempting.

This is certainly a place I can see myself going back to. There’s just a great combination of fun and serenity which does not dent your wallets too much.

Posted from WordPress for Android

Sundays Together

Last Sunday, Jeffrey and I spent a whole day in Plantation Bay Resort and Spa.

He has always wanted to experience what the place was like. It was so fun. Yes, the package is a bit pricey for most people, but the good thing is that an expensive package meant the place wouldn’t be too crowded.

I’m planning to take my mom there too, as a Christmas gift in December. I’m sure she’d love the place as well.

We started checking out the Savannah Park, where the wall climbing, tennis court, firing range, karaoke, and children’s park were located.

Jeffrey also tried wall climbing and was able to reach the top.

Everywhere you go, you’d find a pool or a lagoon. There are outdoor shops as well like henna tattooing and a couple of restaurants to match your food craving. We had lunch at the Kilimanjaro Cafe, where they served a sumptuous buffet.

I absolutely loved the dessert, although I do wish they had more fresh fruit.

They also let you try kayaking, which Jeffrey also took advantage of.

It was absolutely a perfect Sunday. I’d love to go back there.

Posted from WordPress for Android

Indelibly Inked

I don’t like politics. I especially don’t like Philippine politics.

Every now and then we hear of some politician, whether local or national, that gets involved in shady things. From drugs to money laundering to plagiarism, Philippines politics has it all, even tear-jerking dramatic privilege speeches. Yes, you know what I’m talking about.

However, what has this done for the government? Bills and laws take so long to be approved. Out legislation lacks so many things. There are so many issues and details that needs ironing out in our laws. None of those get resolved. It is sad that our legislators have years in office, but our laws never seem to change. We still have a lot of grey areas. The administrative branch does not even fare any better. While I applaud some cities for their discipline and progress, some local government units do not deliver as expected. Many people are still disappointed.

To be fair, whatever stagnant state we are trapped in now is not entirely the fault of politicians. A huge part should be placed on voters as well. If Filipino voters really take the election process seriously, I don’t think they’d be too careless in voting for certain people. Vote buying is still rampant. I hope that we realize that the money we get from selling our votes during elections is nothing compared to the next few years we have to endure if we happen to let the wrong person win.

I’d have to think that our country tops the bill when it comes to having the most actors and celebrities turned politician. I am not saying actors have no right to public office. I am just saying that while some of them really do want the good for the people and really want to help the country, it is not enough to run for public office. Everybody wants to help, but not everybody who wants to help should run for office. Let’s leave the politicking to those who have been trained well enough.

Monday Monday

One of my good friends arrived today. After more than three months working on a cruise ship, he is now on a month long rest. The point of this blog today is that I am so thankful I don’t have to work so far away. Yes, I know that they get to earn so much more than anyone could ever earn by staying here in the Philippines. However, money is not important for me. I don’t care if I live just above the poverty line. I would be satisfied with that kind of life, just as long as I’m healthy and the people I care about are healthy too.

I am not saying that my friends who want to have a better life should also be satisfied with what they have. We all have our own dreams. Mine just happens to be simple. I salute those who work so hard to improve their ways of living. I am just so glad that I do not have to go through the same hardship.

By the way, I want to thank all those who supported Jingle Poetry yesterday for Sunday’s Poetry News Flash. I am looking forward to another week of wiresome work and challenging obstacles.

Rants

I have nothing against the Jejemons. I just don’t approve of the publicity and the attention that the fad is getting these days. It’s not even something that helps the society. it does not even do anything for the society at all. So why bother? I am not calling myself a Jejebuster because frankly, I have more important things to do that chase after a useless fad. It’s just that communication should be clear, correct in grammar and easily understandable by people you talk to. Communicating the Jejemon way is absolutely not going to help anybody conquer the world. I find it as a waste of time.

I don’t know about any other Filipino out there. I never used text lingo before, why should I use Jejemon texting now? I would rather be straight to the point and simple. At least, it got me where I am now. I am sure that non-Filipino readers of my blog will not understand what I am ranting about. Thank goodness they can’t. It’s really not something I am proud of. People have been making fun of Filipino English for so long. This just gives them yet another reason to think that we are all trivial people who just happens to have one very good boxer and one very corrupt government.

*wink*

Thumbs Up

Finally, the 2010 Philippine presidential election is done. The results are not final yet. However, there’s a certain relief that comes from everyone. Before the elections, people were nervous and thought there will be a failure of elections this time. I did not think it was likely to happen, but a lot of people were really nervous.

Thank heavens everything’s all over now. We just need to wait for the final announcement of who the next Philippine President is. From the news today, it looks like our new President will be Senator Benigno Aquino, III. Anybody who knows about Philippine history knows who he is. I am not saying that he is the perfect candidate. In fact, there are about a couple of other presidential candidates who may be more qualified than him. But qualifications are not all that matter in the country’s highest public position. A leader does not need only to be qualified. He also has to have enough charisma and patience to get the entire nation to listen to him. If Senator Aquino will be declared as the new President, I wish him all the luck. This country has been through so much. I am sure that he is in for yet another bumpy ride.

I’m Not Sure Why I’m Posting This, But My Mom Loves Them :)

Un-wound

I feel bad that I haven’t been able to post anything yesterday. It broke my consistency. Since December 14, 2009, I have always been able to post at least one blog entry everyday. But that was all broken yesterday. Well, at least I have a very valid excuse for doing so. I was offline because I went to Camotes Island on Saturday afternoon. For those who aren’t familiar with Philippines tourist destinations, Camotes is an island off the Main Island of Cebu. It is located in the North, and a little behind civilization and technology. However, the beaches there are perfect. I was able to enjoy the sun for the past tow days. But now, I am back in the city, and I’m back to blogging as well. I’ll be posting more enjoyable blogs tomorrow. 🙂 Sweet dreams and goodnight, friends… *wink*

Wrongful Suspension of “Showtime”

Whenever I chance upon it, I always watch the TV show called It’s Showtime. Ever since its pilot last November, the show has attracted a large number of avid fans and supporters. Now that the show has been suspended by the MTRCB, I feel like the momentum is lost, and even if the show airs again, it won’t be the same anymore.

If you’re not familiar with what I’m talking about, let me give you the facts. TV giant, ABS CBN, came up with a show that would promote talent and showmanship. Everyday, they would have around 3-4 groups of contestants who showcase their talents and skills, all hoping to win the 50000 PHP prize. On Saturdays, they air weekly finals wherein all winners from Monday – Friday compete with each other. Again, another 50000 PHP goes to the Saturday winner. After four weeks, they have a monthly finals wherein all winners from the weekly finals compete, still trying to win another 5000 PHP.

A lot of people joined the show because they want to show the whole country that they have untapped talents, and they deserve to be given a chance. There have been many inspirational stories that were discovered through the show. Many talented children and youth were discovered because of the show.

Unfortunately, last week, a guest judge, Ms. Rosanna Roces, offended the teachers because of her remarks and comments that were derogatory. To be honest, it wasn’t just her comments for the teachers that were rude,  most of her other comments were. Because of this, the MTRCB called for a 20-day suspension of the show.

I personally think that this is not a fair decision. The thing is, there was some truth behind Roces’ comments. Some teachers are indeed not worthy of the pedestal they put themselves in. While I have utmost respect for all my teachers, I will not deny the fact that others may have had traumatic experiences with their teachers. There is a fair number of reports about that. Our problem is that we are still narrow minded people.

Our country has tried to be as open and liberated as it can be. But we are obviously still left in the dark. We are still not mature enough to accept the truth and to digest insult. We are still vulnerable people who run around blaming everybody else whenever we get hurt. When somebody says something bad about us, we always attack back. We are still not wise enough to know how to empathize and dig through the reason why that person feels that way.

Roces was wrong because she said it on national TV, at a show where a lot of young people are watching. Yes, there is some truth with what she said, but it was just not the right channel to air her thoughts and opinions regarding teachers. We are still trying to promote education to young people. We still need for them to respect a social institution, and making those remarks about teachers can possibly affect the way that children think.

I totally empathize for all the teachers who have given so much of themselves to their students. I have learned so much from my teachers, and I am very lucky to have been educated by them. However, the teachers who reacted to Roces’ comments also need to accept that fact that not all teachers are so noble to deserve such high regard. The truth hurts, but there really are some teachers whose minds are very corrupted. Calling for a suspension of the show just shows that teachers sometimes can be selfish people. Did they think that when the show gets suspended, people can benefit from it? What happens to those contestants who have tried so hard to practice and to enter the show? What will happen to the talent that the youth are trying to promote? Aren’t teachers supposed to support that? Aren’t teachers supposed to be the ones to encourage their students to shine? I guess not.

MTRCB was right to take action against the offense made by the guest judge. The people need to be assured that they are still vigilant in guarding the quality of the shows that are aired on TV. But they were wrong to suspend and drag the entire show along with the rest of the issue. The issue is between Ms. Rosanna Roces and the teachers group that she offended. The show must go on for all the peole who want to showcase their talents and win. The show must go on for the hosts, the judges, and the staff who have worked their asses off just to give the public pure entertainment.

I hope that even with this obstacle, Showtime will still end up getting rave reviews and massive viewership when it returns. Until then, we just have to content ourselves with watching celebrities battle it out against each other.