Rapunzel

Rapunzel http://rapacop.multiply.com/ When I was 6 years old, I was playing on a dilapidated slide in a playground, and when I slid down, my left foot got stuck on this rusty piece of steel at the bottom of the slide. Yes, it was painful. I faintly remember being chased by my yaya (nanny) all over the place with a bottle of alcohol. It must have been really painful, but I remember it more for the indelible scar it left on the sole of my left foot. My mother conveniently forgets this story and swears that this scar is not a scar, but a mole, and a mole that has always been there. In the Philippines, a mole on the sole of one's foot forebodes a traveller, a "lakwatsera". It heralds wanderlust, future travels, moving around. The funny thing is, the mole has slowly but surely gotten lighter as the years go by. My mother used to monitor its size and shape just to make sure it wasn't cancerous. One thing's for sure: the more I travel, the lighter it becomes. Sat, 1 Nov 2008 09:30:18 -0000 Tue, 30 Sep 2008 04:17:55 -0000 Rapunzel http://images.rapacop.multiply.com/logo http://rapacop.multiply.com 100 100 Patriotism Promotes Tourism -- An excerpt from "Only in the Philippines" by Willy Arcilla While the potential is boundless for tourism to become a growth engine for the country, it remains underoptimized. We salute the accomplishments of the Hon. Secretary Joseph “Ace” Durano and his dedicated team for having attracted 3 Million foreign tourists in 2007, and we support their aspirations to generate US$5 Billion in 2008, but we also lament the fact we still trail our Asian neighbors. What can we all do to boost tourism? The answer does not lie in foreigners, but in us. We will never achieve a quantum leap of growth in foreign tourists or dollar receipts if we do not first achieve a quantum leap in our patriotism and love for our countrymen. We cannot expect to attract foreign visitors to our country if we ourselves continue to leave in droves. Before we expect others to fall in love with the Philippines, we must first rekindle our love for our country. This is a must to the success of any human endeavor. No one can sell what he or she does not love.***Patriotism means mod... http://rapacop.multiply.com/journal/item/22/Patriotism_Promotes_Tourism_--_An_excerpt_from_Only_in_the_Philippines_by_Willy_Arcilla Tue, 30 Sep 2008 04:17:55 -0000 Master your French alphabet with "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" E, S, A, R, I, N,... One of the most confusing letters to pronounce (for Anglophones) in the French alphabet is the letter "e". Letters "r" and "u" also top the list. And so what better way to master the pronunciation of the French alphabet than through award-winning film "Le Scaphandre et le Papillon" (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly)? But of course, phonetics was just my excuse to show this wonderful film to my students. All I really wanted was to watch the movie again and again and again, to listen to its excellent soundtrack its excellent dialogue to be touched to be moved to move my students and to watch them be moved... http://rapacop.multiply.com/video/item/7/Master_your_French_alphabet_with_The_Diving_Bell_and_the_Butterfly Sat, 30 Aug 2008 03:50:58 -0000 Rapunzel watches Rapunzel "Love is in the hair!" "Not your usual hairy tale!" For roughly 1/10 the price of Cinderella, I got to watch my namesake on stage. Rapunzel watched Rapunzel. And the entire process of buying my ticket to buying my program was punctuated by giggles from the salesladies, "Awww, ikaw si Rapunzel? Totoong pangalan mo yan?" and by discounts from Javert (ahem, Michael Williams pala). Now to the play. It's funny. It's modern. I actually laughed out loud on several occasions. I couldn't help but RELATE to this girl with long, blond hair! First there was the mother/witch. I prefer to describe her as over-protective and crazy, yet hilarious and affectionate. Like most parents, she just didn't know how to deal with her growing child. She promised Rapunzel that she would be able to leave the tower at age 16. But upon turning 16, she flipped her wrist and with her magic ring, "Rapunzel! You're 15 again!" My mother couldn't really do that, but she did eventually let me out of the proverbia... http://rapacop.multiply.com/reviews/item/11 Mon, 25 Aug 2008 14:29:53 -0000 Un Baiser S'il Vous Plaît -- 13ème Festival du film français de Manille "While on a job in Nantes one evening, Émilie encounters Gabriel..." Nantes. That was enough to make me want to watch the opening film of the French Film Festival in Manila last Wednesday. Too bad, 90% of the film was shot in Paris. But still. I loved it. It has all the elements of the "classic" French film: sex, affairs and cigarettes. Add to that Emmanuel Mouret's quirky humor, charming film-making, and excellent taste in music. Imagine, making love to the music of The Nutcracker. To summarize, it's a story within a story within a story. Implausible, but very entertaining. All revolving around one kiss. I have to say, it was the most built-up kissing scene in a movie in a looong time. The music was perfect. As was the setting. There was only one bit which grossed out my seatmate in the film. Hehe. You'll have to watch the film to see it. Whether you see the film because it's required (yes, students) or because you have nothing else to do on a Sunday afternoon, it will no... http://rapacop.multiply.com/reviews/item/7 Sun, 15 Jun 2008 05:49:47 -0000 The Manila you never see Welcome to RAC, aka Reception and Action Center of the Department of Social Welfare. Tucked right behind the famous Arroceros Park, a few meters from Central Station and Manila City Hall. Juvenile detention center, drop-off point, halfway house. The smell. That was the first thing I remember. And then the little faces, the sea of faces peering through bars. Their makeshift room. Where children were piled one on top of the other. The big family area, the basketball court, the courtyard. The beloved, beautifully-painted courtyard where we spent Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. Drawing. Playing games. Singing with the magic sing. The next thing I noticed--the highlights. The kids were hungry but they had highlights on their hair. Yellow shirts with "Bakasyunista" (vacationer) in front and Alfredo Lim at the back. BCJ (Batang City Jail) tattoos. Sputnik drawings. Rosaries. Bare feet. Labelled flip flops. And then the kids. All smiles. All west side. All scratches and cigarette b... http://rapacop.multiply.com/photos/album/56/The_Manila_you_never_see Sat, 14 Jun 2008 15:24:48 -0000 The Tempur Space Cabin Experience "The biggest breakthrough in sleep techonology!" If you have twelve minutes to spare, visit the Tempur store in Bonifacio High Street and try out the Space Cabin Experience. You get to lie down on a remote-controlled, 6-inch Tempur mattress with matching pillows inside a darkened room and simulate a NASA-take off. (FYI, Tempur is an innovative brand of mattresses and pillows originally designed for astronauts but which is now available to the public. These beddings adjust to your body and not the other way around.) Once the lights are dimmed, a soothing voice describes the qualities of the Tempur mattress and explains its benefits. In a nutshell, Tempur = better sleep, and better sleep = better life. However, better life comes at a cost; better life = $ 3,000 (for a king-sized mattress). If you can't afford the mattress, get the mattress pad, or perhaps a pillow. If you can't afford any of those, then just come in for the Tempur Space Cabin experience. For twelve minutes, ... http://rapacop.multiply.com/reviews/item/6 Mon, 19 May 2008 10:55:24 -0000 10 Reasons to Visit the Holy Land <pre style="outline-style: none;outline-width: initial;outline-color: initial;"><pre style="outline-style: none;outline-width: initial;outline-color: initial;font-size: 100%;"><pre style="outline-style: none;outline-width: initial;outline-color: initial;"><pre style="outline-style: none;outline-width: initial;outline-color: initial;">1. Get ten years younger. </pre><pre style="outline-style: none;outline-width: initial;outline-color: initial;"> </pre><pre style="outline-style: none;outline-width: initial;outline-color: initial;">The Dead Sea is the lowest point on Earth, which makes water evaporate faster, </pre><pre style="outline-style: none;outline-width: initial;outline-color: initial;">leaving the sand/mud super rich in minerals rejuvenating the skin. They say it can </pre><pre style="outline-style: none;outline-width: initial;outline-color: initial;">make you ten years younger. After floating on the water, do go for a body mud </pre><pre style="outline-style: none;outline-width: initial;outline-color: initial;">pack. Although this may be challenging, (I suggest a body mud pack partner) the feeling </pre><pre style="outline-style: none;outline-width: initial;outline-color: initial;">is WOW when you rinse. </pre><pre style="outline-style: none;outline-width: initial;outline-color: initial;"> </pre><pre style="outline-style: none;outline-width: initial;outline-color: initial;">I'm 17 again!</pre><pre style="outline-style: none;outline-width: initial;outline-color: initial;"> </pre><pre style="outline-style: none;outline-width: initial;outline-color: initial;">2. Look like Yasser Arafat.</pre><pre style="outline-style: none;outline-width: initial;outline-color: initial;"> </pre><pre style="outline-style: none;outline-width: initial;outline-color: initial;">Whether it's the Shemagh, the Yashmagh, the Keffiyeh, or simply an Arabian scarf, </pre><pre style="outline-style: none;outline-width: initial;outline-color: initial;">the head scarf that Yasser Arafat brought to fame is officially a fashion icon and it's </pre><pre style="outline-style: none;outline-width: initial;outline-color: initial;">available everywhere. It costs anywhere from 5 USD to 15 USD so be patient and buy </pre><pre style="outline-style: none;outline-width: initial;outline-color: initial;">in the less touristy areas. I bought one in red (for me), one in black (for Dad), and one </pre><pre style="outline-style: none;outline-width: initial;outline-color: initial;">in lavender (for Mom).</pre><pre style="outline-style: none;outline-width: initial;outline-color: initial;"> </pre><pre style="outline-style: none;outline-width: initial;outline-color: initial;">3. Visit Petra and the Pyramids in one trip.</pre><pre style="outline-style: none;outline-width: initial;outline-color: initial;"> </pre><pre style="outline-style: none;outline-width: initial;outline-color: initial;">No explanation needed.</pre><pre style="outline-style: none;outline-width: initial;outline-color: initial;"> </pre><pre style="outline-style: none;outline-width: initial;outline-color: initial;">4. Ride an animal.</pre><pre style="outline-style: none;outline-width: initial;outline-color: initial;"> </pre><pre style="outline-style: none;outline-width: initial;outline-color: initial;">Ever since my untimely accident with a donkey and a horse, I still decided to try my </pre><pre style="outline-style: none;outline-width: initial;outline-color: initial;">luck with a different donkey ... http://rapacop.multiply.com/journal/item/18/10_Reasons_to_Visit_the_Holy_Land Sat, 3 May 2008 16:21:03 -0000 Apprendre le français à l'aide de la musique Voici une chanson que j'adore utiliser en classe. Cette version vient du film "The Painted Veil", ce qui explique les sons bizarres au milieu de la chanson. Riche en lexique (un rossignol, un chêne,...) et pronoms adverbiaux (en et y), elle donne surtout l'envie de comprendre le français. Pour une autre version, cliquez sur le lien suivant: http://www.learn-chinese-songs.com/ShangWenjie-MengZhiFuQiao-fr.wma La deuxième est une chanson qui vient du film "Le Scaphandre et le Papillon," "La Mer" par Charles http://rapacop.multiply.com/music/item/11/11 Tue, 12 Feb 2008 14:25:48 -0000 Atonement and Darjeeling Limited What do Atonement and Darjeeling Limited have in common? Two completely different movies with two things in common: an excellent soundtrack and an excellent wardrobe. I saw them within ten days of each other. I saw Atonement first, then Darjeeling Limited, and I had a start when I heard exactly the same song being played--Suite Bergamesque 3 of Claire de Lune, my ultimate piano favorite. In Atonement, watch out for Cecilia's green silk dress and her swimming outift. The dress has just been voted the "most iconic film outift" beating Audrey Hepburn's black Givenchy dress. In Darjeeling, check out the Louis Vuitton suits and luggage with matching belt. Soundtrack and wardrobe may hardly be criteria for judging a movie. But when the two also play a role in the movie, then you know you're in a good one. http://rapacop.multiply.com/reviews/item/4 Thu, 7 Feb 2008 22:46:08 -0000