Economic Indicators (chuva)

Wala lang... just for future reference:

Price of unleaded gas: PhP36.21/liter
Dollar Exchange Rate: PhP53.65 = USD1.00
Current Stock Prices:
ABS: PhP13.75
AC: PhP330.00 (declared a 2 pesos/share cash dividend)
ALI: PhP9.90
BPI: PhP57.50
EBC: PhP56.00
GLO: PhP740.00
JFC: PhP43.50 (shoulda sold at 44... greedy kasi... tsk tsk!)
JGS: PhP3.55
MEG: PhP1.26
MWC: PhP6.40
PCOR: PhP4.55
RLC: PhP5.80
SMC: PhP64.00
SMPH: PhP7.80
TEL: PhP1,775.00
URC: PhP0.38
Cost of a tall Peppermint Mocha at Starbucks: PhP125.00

The general outlook isn't too favorable right now (halos lahat bumaba, but Petron was spared), what with exports slowing down and world oil prices rising (yet again). Plus of course the Garci factor (hello...) Buti na lang, "play money" ang gamit ko!

It'll be interesting to go back to this in a few months time. Who knows what these figures will be like then?

Tsunami Dreams

Tsunami:
To see a tsunami in your dream, represents that you are being overwhelmed by some repressed feelings or unconscious material that is rising up to the surface. You are experiencing some unhappiness and emotional instability in some waking situation.

This year, I've had three tsunami dreams. The first was around June. In that dream, I was with my family in a house by the beach... As the water levels rose steadily and the waves started to get larger, I tried to mobilize everyone, to get them moving to higher ground. It was a horrible dream -- a family member died in it, not because of the waves but because of a heart attack. I woke up crying and had to call my best friend immediately. Telling people at work about the dream also drove me to tears.

The second tsunami dream wasn't too long ago, maybe even just a couple of months back. It was amusing, more than anything. The characters were a mix of highschool classmates, choirmates, and old Ayala colleagues. We were on our way to church (in Magallanes, of all places) then had to turn back because of the rising ocean waters. This dream involved a lot of climbing and trekking. Thankfully, no one died in this one. It was just utterly bizarre.

Then there's last night's epic dream. It was probably the longest dream I've ever had! It was more like a movie than anything. The struggle here was pretty much the same as the first two: the journey to higher ground. I refer to this particular dream as "epic" because it involved several modes of transportation (a white L300 van, a jeepney driven by a very wrinkled old man who I think was European, and a boat that was originally the jeepney) and running from mummified dragons (think Donkey's girlfriend in Shrek only covered with a white cast).

The funny thing about all of the dreams is that in each one I actually had time to prepare for the coming tsunami. Because of last year's tragedy, we all know that in real life, the water recedes without any warning and comes crashing back down as one huge wall of water.

Upon waking up, I just had to look up tsunami in an online dream dictionary (Dreemmoods.com was the most helpful). Two different Web sites said practically the same thing about my tsunami dreams and I guess I was kinda relieved to know what they meant. Repression lang pala, not death or misfortune as I had feared. Whew. Haha. I hope this doesn't mean that for as long as I have repressed feelings, I'm going to continue having these nightmares! I hate that I have no control over my dreams. I guess the only thing I can do is try to "exorcise" my demons through prayer.

Mabuhay ang pelikulang Pilipino!

If you haven't seen Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros yet, please go out and do so! To quote Conrado de Quiros, "Do yourself a favor!" I love this movie, but don't just take my word for it. It is so refreshing to see a Filipino film that is so -- true. No melodrama, no contrived plot twists, no caricatures or stereotypes. Pagdadalaga was so touching and heartbreaking in all its simplicity and honesty. It was also hilarious in several parts without having to resort to mababaw tricks.

My usual criticism of Filipino films is that they have so many unnecessary subplots and scenes that are presumably there to add texture but only end up making the movies drag... this isn't the case with Pagdadalaga. No element was out of place, walang "pa-cute," no self-conscious efforts to please the crowds. Everything just fit. Even the music (and Don Music-like appearances) by the legendary Pepe Smith came in at all the right times.

The fact that I left the movie theater dry-eyed doesn't mean I wasn't moved. Dubai made me cry a lot even though I didn't really like it... so tears aren't an accurate gauge of how good a film is.

I'd write more but it's past my bedtime. Maybe I'll dream of JR Valentin, the cute cop! Haha! He's such a revelation... I could hardly believe he was the same guy I'd seen in Bridal Shower a couple of years ago.

Anyway, I do hope more people go out to see this. Happily, the 9:30PM screening at Power Plant was well-attended. Not just that -- a lot of people clapped in the end! It's nice to know that the "well-heeled" crowd (not that I perceive myself to be well-heeled, bihira akong manood doon ;P) is supportive of Philippine cinema. Pagdadalaga has raised the bar for Filipino movies. Because of it, I now eagerly await the next movies of Auraeus Solito, Michiko Yamamoto, and other up-and-coming directors and writers. I also hope to see more of Nathan Lopez, the precocious young actor in the title role. That kid is hella cute and amazingly talented... let's hope he goes far! And of course, I'd be more than happy to bump into JR Valentin ;0)

Cupid's Verdict:

The Window Shopper Random Gentle Love Dreamer (RGLDf) Loving, hopeful, open. Likely to carry on an romance from afar. You are The Window Shopper. You take love as opportunities come, which can lead to a high-anxiety, but high-flying romantic life. You're a genuinely sweet person, not saccharine at all, so it's likely that the relationships you have had and will have will be happy ones. You've had a fair amount of love experience for your age, and there'll be much more to come. Your exact opposite: The Stiletto Deliberate Brutal Sex Master Part of why we know this is that, of all female types, you are the most prone to sudden, ferocious crushes. Your results indicate that you're especially capable of obsessing over a guy you just met. Obviously, passion like this makes for an intense existence. It can also make for soul-destroying letdowns. Your ideal match is someone who'll love you back with equal fire, and someone you've grown to love slowly. A self-involved or pessimistic man is especially bad. Though you're drawn to them, avoid artists at all costs. BEWARE: The Hornivore CONSIDER: The Gentleman, The Loverboy, The Boy Next Door Link: The 32-Type Dating Test by OkCupid - Free Online Dating. My profile name: vodkasniffer