Between Heaven and Hell

Friends are the nicest thing you can have, and the best thing you can be.

Goodbye guys! You will be missed. :')

03/21/12: Happy Hunger Games!

                 THE BOOK                                                                 THE MOVIE
VERSUS

It's the 21st day of March. Meaning? HUNGER GAMES! Few days ago, I bought an advance screening ticket of the movie which is scheduled today, March 21, 2012. I know, I know, film will be shown tomorrow, March 22, 2012 but due to my demands, we bought an advance screening. Reason are: 1. I don't wanna watch the movie with jam-packed-people like what I felt when we watched the movie The Vow; 2. My Id tells me that I'm excited and I wanna see my much awaited movie as soon as possible.

If you haven't watched the movie yet here's the plot summary and the synopsis of the film (courtesy of IMBD). Much better if you read and watch it of course.

PLOT SUMMARY:

In a not-too-distant future, North America has collapsed, weakened by drought, fire, famine, and war to be replaced by Panem, a country divided into the Capitol and 12 districts. Each year two young representatives from each district are selected by lottery to participate in The Hunger Games. Part entertainment, part brutal intimidation of the subjugated districts, the televised games are broadcast throughout Panem. The 24 participants are forced to eliminate their competitors, literally, with all citizens required to watch. When 16-year-old Katniss' young sister, Prim, is selected as the mining district's female representative, Katniss volunteers to take her place. She and her male counterpart Peeta, will be pitted against bigger, stronger representatives who have trained for this their whole lives. 

SYNOPSIS:

Katniss is a 16-year-old girl living with her mother and younger sister in the poorest district of Panem, the remains of what used be the United States. Long ago the districts waged war on the Capitol and were defeated. As part of the surrender terms, each district agreed to send one boy and one girl to appear in an annual televised event called, "The Hunger Games." The terrain, rules, and level of audience participation may change but one thing is constant: kill or be killed. When Kat's sister is chosen by lottery, Kat steps up to go in her place. 

As a Hunger Games fan, I expected high (well, high enough) for the film adaptation. And so far, I’m 90% amazed and 10% dissapointed. As a movie, it was great! The acting was wonderful (barring a couple of scenes), the filming was outstanding, and the writing was good for the most part. As an adaptation, though, it missed a few things. Don’t get me wrong, this was one of the best film adaptations of a book I’ve ever read/seen, but some things I wish they’d have focused on more or changed:

1. Katniss' Mockingjay Pin. It should be given by Madge, the Mayor’s daughter. Not bought it.

2. Why didn't Peeta's dad come to talk to her (Katniss)? - that was one of the good part in the book. 

3. The chariot scene. I don’t remember Suzanne Collins (author of the book) describing Katniss as looking like Princess Leah with a jet-pack, but okay. 

4. The cave scene. I honestly feel as though I wouldn’t have understood the ending if I hadn’t read the book, and it was because of how short the cave scene was. I guess, in a way, it justifies the Capitol’s anger, because it didn’t seem like Peeta and Katniss were in love. With how little time they focused on the cave scene, I didn’t get the feeling that they loved each other.

5. Competition is short on thrills. It didn't gave me enough thrills as what I felt when I was reading the book.

6. No idea where any of the combatants are in relation to the Cornucopia or what the Terrain is like. Everybody’s running, but we don’t know where to or from. 

7. How come the dogs look like bulldogs? 

8. The ending. The book was really long, so it had to leave a big chunk out, and I guess they chose the ending. You never understand how deep Katniss is in trouble.

Favorite scenes:

1. “I volunteer as a tribute!” scene. All of the District 12 scenes were really awesome!

2. The tracker jacker scene. Both the wasps themselves, and the hallucinations were really well done!

3. On top of the cornucopia. Holy crap Cato shoud win an Oscar. ‘nuff said!

There were other parts that I both liked and disliked, but I’d have to see the movie again. Overall, I’m really happy with it, though. The film was purely amazing! Well done Lionsgate. Well done! I shall see “Catching Fire” when it releases. May the odds be ever in your favor!

MAIN CHARACTERS IN THE MOVIE:
Jennifer Lawrence ... Katniss Everdeen
Josh Hutcherson ... Peeta Mellark
Liam Hemsworth ... Gale Hawthorne
Woody Harrelson ... Haymitch Abernathy
Elizabeth Banks ... Effie Trinket
Lenny Kravitz ... Cinna
Amandla Stenberg ... Rue
Alexander Ludwig ... Cato

Catching Fire, the second installment of the series, is scheduled to be released on November 22, 2013. 

Trying To Be Strong

I've been trough a lot of hard times this past few weeks. And when I say a lot, it is, really. Which is the reason why I stopped blogging.

1.) Me, my research groupmates, and the research itself.

     Actually, hindi naman talaga kami nauubusan ng problema pagdating sa research. Kakaibang lungkot lang naramdaman namin nung araw na dumating sa point na kailangan namin gumawa ng letter na aware kami na kapag hindi namin natapos ang research, wala na kaming karapatang mabuhay (sarcastically speaking of-course pero ganun na din yun). Isama mo pa yung hirap naming magpabalik-balik sa East Ave at Tondo Med para lang sa research dissemination. Traffic na, mainit pa araw. Mainit na nga araw, mainit pa mga ulo ng tao. 

2.) My BB was snatched again and I got bruises all over my legs and arm.

     Kukunin na nga phone ko binigyan pa ako ng remembrance - madaming pasa na malalaki at sobrang itim. Kaladkarin ka ba naman e. Akala tuloy ng mga makakakita binugbog ako.

3.) Suicide precaution

     A day after ko maholdap, isang malakaing balita ang sinabi sakin - na wala na akong karapatang mabuhay (sarcastically speaking again). After 3 years, dun nalang ulit ako umiyak ng ganon. Hagulgol kung hagulgol. Lalo pa akong humagulgol nung niyakap ako nila Kamil, Jake, at uhmmm hindi ko na maalala kung sino pa mga niyakap ko nung araw na yun. 1 word lang nasa utak ko nung araw na yun: "Gusto ko na mamatay."

Imagine this, In 3 weeks all of that happen to me. I already don't know what kind of coping mechanism I should do just to be okay. I thought I'll be schizophrenic. Thank God I have friends, Thank God I have my parents, and Thank God I have Him (God) to tell me to be strong. Despite all of my problems, I have a lot to be thankful for. :)

Took this while walking along the street.

I truly respect the people who stays strong, even when they have every right to break down.