The Long Walk to Mount Apo

Sprinkles for Friday, March 22, 2013

For quite some time now, I have always believed that the mountain is not really made for me. While I always marvel at the beauty of the mountain from afar, I have never thought of conquering one—climbing it and wandering through its mossy forests and treacherous hills.

Apo's Peak as viewed from Toril in Davao City.

The first time I acted like Jack who went up the hill was a year ago, in Sigaboy Island in Davao Oriental. It was particularly memorable because I consider this as my first climb, never mind how short the distant was. Standing proud on top of that cone-shaped island is a modern lighthouse which I made as an inspiration to negotiate the steep hills, never mind if I was just wearing ordinary slippers then. I made it on top after dismissing thoughts of giving up mid-way. The view on top—how fishing boats became so tiny, how the San Isidro mountain range looked grand in the mainland and the how calm the deep blue sea was—is just so breath-taking. And then there’s the Calvary Hills, also in the quaint town of Governor Generoso, which I managed to climb despite the sweltering noontime heat.

Reinventing, Revolutionizing

Sprinkles for Tuesday, March 12, 2013

IT'S BEEN a while. For quite some time, I haven't found myself sitting in a coffeeshop with nothing to worry and nothing to lose. The last time seems like ages past I could not even remember the last time I was here. Not until now—all basked in soft yellow lights, enjoying the smell of latte. Having been battered with such erratic schedule in the past month, moments like this is a privilege I rarely enjoy these days. There’s something in coffeeshops that relax my mind, inasmuch as other people think of a swimming pool to get rid of stress. Maybe the best thing about coffeeshops is that it encourages you to think deep, filter thoughts, think of something new, connect to the world or even make up some lost time with a friend and engage on a hearty conversation.

Now this new paragraph is no more written in a coffeeshop but on table just inches away from my bed. I write this paragraph fifteen minutes to twelve with the noise of an electric fan on number three as a companion. And some Michael Buble’s songs, too. One would think this is crazy when I could just go to bed and go to Dreamland at this time of the night. I all have the freedom to do that. But not tonight.

Maybe part of that stems from my penchant to over-react, or in this case, to be “over-inspired” over a revolutionary idea. Just a couple of hours ago, I went to Blugre with fellow blogger and CIO Chief Photographer LeoTimogan (a new coffeeshop in Tagum which is a franchise of a proudly Davao-based brand, replacing the short-lived Café Wissie which has become a favorite among friends and officemates) with the aim of researching and deciding whether to join the climb to the roof of the Philippines this coming Holy Week—Mount Apo. I wasn’t able to accomplish this goal as it was overshadowed with our views on how the Catholic Church would transform itself after a new Supreme Pontiff will be chosen in a historic conclave. There was a slight silence in the minutes that was consumed, and then Leo dropped the question that inspired me to write this piece: What kind of writer are you?

Blugre, March 12, 2013.

It was the kind of question that made my world stop for a bit. Scores of question marks seem to storm my mind asking “Am I one?” “A News Writer,” I jokingly quipped, “or maybe a ghost writer.” Perhaps this could very well explain my hesitation to say that I am a writer, judging by the outputs I produced in the past years.  It seems to me I’ve been a formulaic writer—imprisoned by the old rules of writing and, well, just for the sake of finishing a news report or a speech which most of the time are not eventually read in the rostrum.  The line of questioning Leo popped out somewhat opened the doors for me to seek for improvement and to engage in a journey which he calls as a “prelude to discovering yourself as a writer.” It’s a sort of making a mark. My hesitation could be explained perhaps in part by my working environment that thinks (and advocates) that less is more. This could be the reason why I think I did not allot a room for improvement—a thing which I did not ponder until now.

Not so great, Not so Powerful

IT ALL STARTED in Kansas. The year was 1905.

Framed in an awkward black-and-white square format, the opening scenes of the Oz the Great and Powerful show the life in a day of Kansas-based amateur magician named Oscar Diggs, who later found himself in an ultimate adventure in the mystifying Land of Oz.

The decision to exploit the BW square format in the fist ten minutes of the film is weird but it was overshadowed by the film’s visual dazzle: from its cascading waterfalls, to breath-taking vistas of different hues, stunning silhouettes and unique fauna. The set and costume should also be recognized, as well as the perfect 3D rendering. The film, directed by Sam Raimi, is oozing with vibrant colors and intelligent use of computer-generated images (CGI) that looked amazing on the big silver screen.

Computer-generated, cute-looking creatures like this are among the film's visual treat. 

Major Disappointment

Director Bryan Singer crafts the Jack the Giant Slayer as an attempt to ignite the imagination of its audience. But instead of achieving its purpose, the movie is close to becoming a major disappointment due to its poor reinvention and reimagination of the highly-revered fairytale.

Inspired by the English folk tale about a boy named Jack who discovers a magic beanstalk that leads to the dominion of evil giants, the film includes scenes of a duel that resemble outtakes from one of the “Lord of the Rings” films, but not as exciting as the latter. There’s the usual fairytale element of love, of betrayal, of revenge and triumph—formulas that if not properly put in place leads to disenchantment.

I walked out in the cinema thinking that the movie could have been better.  In general, the film lacks the thrill and excitement expected of an adventure film. There are few scenes that kept the barometer of excitement on a free swing, but were only short-lived. Jack and the Giant Slayer is another formulaic movie that failed to awaken among its audience the illusory pleasures of fictional lives unraveling like a memory. The nature of its narrative is truly a disjointed projection of a man’s dreamscape in all its nutty and confounding glory.

Tagum's Nature's Delight

Imagine yourself immersed in a sea of green, where the air is soothing as the morning calm and where birds sing to their heart’s content. The chirping of the birds welcomes as you walk through the well-manicured foliage and embrace the open blue sky.

You might think of Baguio or Tagaytay or even the Eden Park of Davao or the mighty hills of Bukidnon to experience this kind of thrill. The thing is, you don’t really have to because right at the outskirts of Tagum City lies a perfect getaway for those who want to commune with nature.

Located in the rural barangay of San Agustin, just a mere 15-minute ride from the city proper, is the Tagum Botanical Park. Solely developed by the City Government of Tagum, the 50-hectare park is brimming with lush greeneries, with tropical trees of different varieties planted in its hills. The sprawling park has several gazebos perfect for family picnics and gathering and will soon feature a zipline and trails for both biking and hiking. The Tagum Botanical Park is good alternative to the well-known and well-loved Energy Park, another city-developed nature park in Barangay Apokon.