Semi-hiatus because school

Title says it all! I will be posting whenever I can because I have this personal goal to get my GPA up since it's my last term and I really want to graduate with honors. Anyway, I'm also thinking of adding some food blog posts here so stay tuned for that! :D

#21 | Agent Carter, Age of Ultron, school and some weekend adventures

It's been more or less ten days since I last posted because a new term in school has already started again for me so I wasn't able to update that much. There's a lot of things I'd like to share about; I'll begin with (ew) school, then afterwards a weekend out of town and then, you guessed it, Marvel stuff again. Anyway, school has been okay so far. I have a professor that I'm honestly quite scared of, but I decided to shrug that off and put on a "challenge accepted" attitude instead. I also have an interesting subject this term: Japan-United States relations. Isn't that awesome? We're going to actually learn about Japan! Great riiight. I'm also enjoying my last Spanish class in college. Es muy divertido!

Now for that weekend adventure, I took a lot of photos of nature but guess what--I'll show you the photos next time, yeah? It's complicated lol.

Besides, I wanna go ahead and talk about Agent Carter!!!!!!!

photo credit: Tumblr

I know I should have posted this after the season premiere but like I said I didn't have time to update. Anyway, I absolutely LOVE Agent Carter! Of course there have been only three episodes so far, but there are so many things that I would like to point out on why this show is really cool. However out of the many things, I've chosen five that could be convincing for you to see it if you haven't yet!

1. The time and setting is pretty much a very interesting factor. The series is set in the immediate post-ward era, 1946 to be exact, in the ever-busy city of New York. This is a period where in people are still recovering from the war and are trying to return to a normal life. Of course, there should still be that sense of security, especially as we know that the Cold War will begin the year after, and that is displayed through the SSR, the primer intelligence agency of the show. History geeks (like me) will definitely love the setting of Agent Carter.
2. Social issues are written all over the script. Even if this is a post-war era, a.k.a. peacetime, there are still potential threats such as Howard Stark's inventions being smuggled and sold at the black market. And these aren't ordinary inventions like the flying car he displayed in Captain America: The First Avenger. I'm talking about nuclear weapons that if landed into the wrong hands could bring up another war. Another issue that's being shown here is the rampant issue of sexism during that time. There was so much discrimination against women during those times and the show really pondered on that, which is really great.
3. Hayley Atwell gives justice to one of Marvel's toughest and most important female characters. Like I said earlier, the show gives emphasis on discrimination against women during the early post-war period. Peggy is in fact the only female member of the Strategic Scientific Reserve with the title "agent". She probably earned this spot because of her important involvement in the war but nevertheless, she's still being treated like a secretary by her male colleagues at work. Hayley really gives so much justice on how well she portrays Peggy as a fighter and not a weak character (who's supposed to be heartbroken because of the loss of "the love of her life").
4. Two words: Edwin Jarvis. Although we lack a bit of Howard Stark on the show (for now, at least), at least there's his ever-loyal butler, Mr. Jarvis. Yes, that is obviously where Tony got the name for his AI. I love Mr. Jarvis' character so much; he's so sassy in his own way. In the last episode, he changes his voice when calling the SSR to tip them about Stark's smuggled inventions. It was hilarious. James D'Arcy does a wonderful job in portraying him. I wouldn't be surprised on why Howard would hire him.
5. Three more words: Chad Michael Murray. Who doesn't love Chad Michael Murray?! That charming dreamboat from A Cinderella Story where he portrayed Hilary Duff's mysterious prince charming slash soft-hearted football hottie is now portraying a really douche but professional agent under the SSR. Chad's more mature now in this show and I almost didn't recognize him in the first episode. I had to Google to check if it was really him! When I tweeted that he was on the show, people started replying to me saying, "Chad Michael Murray's in Agent Carter?!" I guess he has that impact on fangirls.

Agent Carter is amazing and I hope I gave you enough tips on why you should at least watch it (and appreciate it after). OH and a bonus reason: There are rumors going around that my boyfriend Chris Evans shaved his beard and was seen hanging out with Hayley. And if that's not enough, they're filming the last episodes of the show so that could (extra emphasis because I don't want to spread false information) mean there might be never-before-seen flashbacks of Steve and Peggy on the season finale. I. Am. Stoked. And I'm also hoping this is true and will happen.

Lastly, another exciting Marvel news that came out this week was the release of the second trailer of Age of Ultron. Honestly, it's a really good trailer. You have no idea what the plot is, how the story's gonna go, and how it's going to end. These are, in my opinion, the best qualities of a good trailer. Anyway, I can't keep the creepified piano instrumental version of Ultron's favorite song No Strings on Me out of my head. I seriously hear it in my head before I go to sleep (which is really creepy but cool)!! If you haven't seen it (trying not to judge you. Trying.) then here it is!

- M

#20 | Movies I'm seriously looking forward to in 2015

Warning: This post was written on a personal bias. :) I mean, there are hundreds of movies coming out this year (there are already so many blog posts about it on the internet) but like always, I only watch movies because I like the story, I'm a fan of the franchise or (90% of the time) my favorite actor is in it. So these are my most awaited films of the year--with their release date in the Philippines, so I have a reminder. :P

Love, Rosie (January 8)

It comes out this week, eek! I'm excited to see the chemistry between Sam Claflin and Lily Collins because in the trailer alone, they are absolutely cute! Plus, who doesn't love Sam Claflin? He made Finnick a very attractive character, I'm pretty sure he'll make Alex here more attractive!

Into the Woods (January 14)

Meryl Streep, Anna Kendrick, Chris Pine, JOHNNY DEPP. Need I say more? Add in some fantasy and music, it's my perfect genre for a movie! It came out late here in the Philippines because there is a tradition during Christmas season that all films in cinemas are Filipino, so I will only get to watch this movie on the 14th, yipee!

Annie (January 21)

I've always loved this musical since I was a kid and watching the original version. I love how they remade it!! (I hope The Sound of Music will get a remake too *crosses fingers*) Also, I really love Cameron Diaz in the trailer, she's hilarious! I can't wait to see this movie and sing along and cry at the same time!

Cinderella (March 12)

There isn't any reason why anyone who grew up with Disney would not watch this. I honestly wish they'd remake all the classic Disney films please! I'm starting to love Richard Madden's gorgeousness in the trailer (kind of reminds me of Sebastian Stan actually) and come on, Helena Bonham-Carter and Cate Blanchett in one film?! AND WAIT IS THAT HAYLEY ATWELL???

The Longest Ride (April 15)

[Obviously] I am a huge, huge fan of Nicholas Sparks' books and films. There isn't any surprise why I wouldn't watch out for this one! I feel like this one, like all Nicholas Sparks films, will once again tug on the audience's strings not just because of Luke and Sophia, but more because of Ira and Ruth. I can't wait!

Avengers: Age of Ultron (April 29)

Guys. I don't even need to explain this anymore. My family knows it. My friends knows it. My rabbit knows it. Obama knows it. The Pope knows it. The whole world knows it. I'm officially tangled in Marvel's strings. Do you like strings? I like strings.

Pitch Perfect 2 (May 13)

I loved the first movie because it was seriously hilarious and not to mention really cool (plus Anna Kendrick is gorgeous okay). Even though it was mainstream to watch it back then, which I normally don't go along with (for example, I didn't watch The Fault in Our Stars because every single freaking human being has watched it so I'll probably see some time later), I tried watching this just for the sake of curiosity on what a cappella sounds like and hey it's actually pretty cool!

-M

#19 | A taste of the outskirts of the metro

During my entire Christmas break, I wasn't able to get even a glimpse of any place outside the city. It literally drove me nuts for a few days (I would get irritated and mad easily without knowing why) because I was, most of the time, only at home or at the mall. Yeah, sure, I got to visit my relatives but it's still in the bloody city.

Yesterday however, I was finally able to go out of town. My aunt from Australia is here vacationing and she, my other aunt, and my older brother invited me to go with them on a little roadtrip to a resort in Taytay, Rizal called Thunderbird Resort. I was so relieved to be outdoors you cannot imagine how many photos I took and how much I didn't want to leave just yet! Too bad we were only there for the day. Anyway, I just wanted to share that little bit because I really enjoyed my day yesterday. At least I have something to talk about and to post about now, lol. Anyway, like I said, I was able to take a lot of photos but these are my absolute favorites that I had to share them! :)

-M

NYE 2015 in Manila

I saw this amazing video of the fireworks all over Metro Manila last January 31. The guy who took the video captured it from 71 Gramercy, the tallest building in the metro. It's become viral on Facebook and I thought it was beautiful so I decided to post it here. :) Credits to wheninmanila.com for the video!

#18 | New year, new stuff to do

Happy 2015 everyone! I'm very much excited for this year because it's the year I graduate from college and that means another chapter of my life ends and begins. I'm also trying my best to be positive towards everything because I believe now that having a positive attitude is everything. :) Allow me to share some photos I took on New Year's Eve and as well as some of my resolutions/bucket list for this year :D

This was taken on the afternoon of January 31st, a gloomy New Year's Eve ahead. Luckily, the gloomy weather didn't turn into rain that night if not the amazing fireworks won't be able to be seen!

My brother's Labrador Retriever, Yeller. He's such a sweetheart and is very playful. I took this photo of him because he looked so photogenic. "Woof's that?"

This is my third koala stuffed toy, straight from Australia itself! My aunt gave it to me as a Christmas present when she came home on the afternoon of New Year's Eve.

So, moving on... Here are some of my realistic goals for this year. I'd rather call them goals than resolutions because they're more like "Stuff to check off my 2015 bucket list" than "Stuff I need to change" or something like that. No, I highly believe that we don't need a list of "resolutions" that we don't even follow after the second week of January. The whole "Love myself", "Get fit", "Trust people more" crap isn't my kind of list. My list is more realistic and more interesting. It's realistic because as I've said this is the year I'm graduating therefore I'm going to have a lot of free time on my hands so these are stuff I'm actually going to be able to do unlike in the past years. On the other hand, it's interesting because these are either things I've always wanted to do but I couldn't because of time or because it's something new that I haven't tried at all. :) Maybe you could get some ideas yourself!

1. Read more books. -- Through college, I lost my deep love for reading. It's like the bookworm in me disappeared into another dimension. This is probably because I've no time anymore because in my spare time, it's either I catch up on sleep I lost from studying or I have been taken over by the internet. I told myself that this year, it's time to be a bookworm again! I've received so many books for my birthday and for Christmas that I haven't even touched yet, and this year is probably the time to do so!

2. Get my driver's license before my 21st birthday. -- Yes, it's quite weird to know that I'm 20, yet I don't have a driver's license yet. I told myself last year that I will get it before my 20th birthday, and look, I'm now 20 and still license-less. Though I still don't have a car of my own (we sold ours last year lol), at least having a license can actually make me feel a bit better about myself because at least it means I know how to drive.

3. Save regularly. -- And don't spend on stuff you don't need! I'm making a monthly list of the stuff I will be needing and a separate list of the expensive stuff I want and set a budget for both. The stuff I will be needing will have a different budget and the expensive stuff will come from my daily savings. I told myself that whatever amount is left in my wallet at the end of the day, I will put in my hidden place at home and I will only count how much I've saved at the end of every month--that way I won't be too tempted to spend it.

4. Travel. -- God, I say this every year. It never happens. But I swear this time, especially in the summer, I MUST DO IT. I'm dying to travel to different places, even just in the Philippines. I'm really so jealous of people who go to Boracay Island or Palawan as if it's taking the bus to the nearest cinemas. Also, I'm quite positive that I can count on my boyfriend to be my travel buddy this time! :D

5. Take a new hobby. -- This one's gonna be photography for me. Isn't it obvious? One of the expensive stuff I'm saving for in number 3 is a camera. Not the professional bulky ones pros use, but just a simple small DLSR. I've looked for some cheap ones (since I'm just a beginner) and Nikon has very good and recommendable ones. I'll settle for that for now of course because again I'm just a beginner. In case anyone was wondering by the way, I use my iPhone 5c for all my photos and edit them on vsco and afterlight. :)

So... There. Try to make your goals this year more realistic and achievable. Make sure it's not something you're going to forget to do like have an attitude make-over or whatever. Don't wait for the new year to change your attitude, come on! And be yourself everyday, not just during the new year. ;)

-M

#17 | Favorite Movies of 2014

2014 was a good year for movie fans. As an end-of-the-year post, I've decided to make a movie review of the films I've seen this year. Out of the hundreds of films showed this year, I've watched ten of them (big deal hahaha) but these ten happened to be my favorite films of this year (because when I watch a film, I'm gonna watch it because it's my favorite or my favorite actor is in it, obviously). :D

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (Marvel Studios)

There isn't even supposed to be a question on to why this movie is here, and it's the first on the list. All my friends and family (even my professors) know my insane love for Captain America and Chris Evans. It's crazy. In fact, I love this film so much I'm doing a thesis on it. Define dedication. Plus I love Scarlett and Samuel being in the movie. It just adds so much sass.

X-Men: Days of Future Past (Marvel Studios & 20th Century Fox)

I've always loved the X-Men films, especially the original trilogy. But then when First Class came, I started loving it even more. I loved how Days of Future Past became a hilarious mix up of the original characters we knew from the trilogy and the characters from First Class. In my opinion, it was also about time that other mutants got the spotlight and it wasn't always Wolverine. :P

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (Marvel Studios & Sony Pictures)

I can think of a hundred reasons to explain why I prefer The Amazing Spider-Man over the original Spider-Man films. For one, I think Andrew Garfield portrayed the perfect Peter Parker more than Tobey McGuire did. Also, if the comics are followed, if I'm not mistaken, the storyline of The Amazing Spider-Man follows closely how Peter was actually bitten by a spider when he was in high school and not when he was already working. Also, uhm, Gwen Stacey > Mary Jane Watson. The tears I cried for the end of this movie is just too much to explain, all thanks to Gwen.

Guardians of the Galaxy (Marvel Studios)

I originally wasn't a fan of Guardians because I wasn't familiar with the franchise. But since it's under Marvel, of course I went and watched it anyway. And a good thing I did too! Guardians of the Galaxy is one of the most hilarious films Marvel has ever released! And the characters are lovable in their own little way. My favorite is definitely Groot.You cannot argue with that because I'm pretty sure there isn't a single person who didn't love Groot.

Playing it Cool (Voltage Pictures)

Also known as A Many Splintered Thing according to IMDB, this movie is so hilarious on so many levels. My boyfriend described it as "cliché but not cliché". I'm not sure what he meant by that exactly but maybe he's trying to point out that the movie talks about how love isn't supposed to be cliché but because it's a rom-com, it has to be cliché. Now I don't know why I couldn't find a decent poster of the film, so I settled with this international poster. I'll give you a clue on how well and hilarious Chris Evans performed in this film: look at the bottom left-most photo.

The Best of Me (DiNovi Pictures)

I've always been a fan of Nicholas Sparks' books since time in memorial. A Walk to Remember will always be my favorite, but The Best of Me definitely comes in at second. Let's just disregard the fact that there is a past story behind why this movie really touched me however, the story is really one of the most beautiful love stories ever. Nicholas Sparks is a genius and the actors are amazing in the film. The tissues were put to good use.

22 Jump Street (Columbia Pictures)

Nothing made me laugh as hard as this movie did this year. I don't think there was a straight five minutes wherein I didn't start laughing. Although I didn't catch 21 at the time I watched this, I understood the story quickly. Besides, Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum nailed it in the opening scene alone. If you're in a bad mood, this is definitely the movie to watch for you to get your mood up and about again in an instant.

Blended (Warner Brothers Studios)

I've always loved the Adam Sandler-Drew Barrymore tandem. I love their friendship even ever since 50 First Dates and I love them both individually in their own films. This movie is so hilarious and it's a feel-good movie for any family. Plus the setting, which is in Africa, is a really nice and different setting from the usual urban settings movies give us these days. Again, if you're down and need instant good vibes, watch this film. 

Maleficent (Walt Disney Studios)

Can I just say that I was surprised at the plot twist of this film? I mean the entire plot alone is told very differently from what we originally knew it from Disney. Angelina Jolie is literally perfect for the role and I can't imagine another actress playing Maleficent. The special effects were astounding and it matches the familiar magical feeling we all felt from Disney's Sleeping Beauty. Nevertheless, this movie is probably a more mature way of looking at fairytales and maybe even at life in general which is a good way of looking at someone we used to know as a villain.

If I Stay (DiNovi Pictures)

MY. GOODNESS. My pillows were wet with tears after watching this. I cannot even describe how beautiful this story is. I'd also like to add that I relate to Mia a lot when it comes to being different among Adam's group of friends. I feel that in real life too, but not in a bad way. Although that's probably why this movie brought me to tears. It's amazing. Anyone who's in a relationship should at least watch this once in their lifetime because the lessons are absolutely amazing and heart-warming.

I'll make a new post soon about the movies I'll be looking forward to in 2015, and make sure I check it off the list when it comes out! Happy New Year everybody!

-M