The Classy Classics

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‘Where the Crawdads Sing’ Review

Kya, a young girl who was abandoned as a child, raised herself in North Carolina’s perilous marshland. For many years, the marsh girl legend dominated Barkley Cove, cutting off the bright and feisty Kya from her community. Then, she enters a new surprising world; a comforting and unsettling ground as she finds herself drawn to two local young men, Tate and Chase. But as soon as one of them is discovered dead, Kya is the prime suspect. After that, the case outcome is becoming increasingly hazy as it develops and threatens to spill numerous secrets.

First off, this mystery, thriller, and romance movie was not how I expected it to be. Actually, I didn’t research first the plot or the synopsis of the book. So, I thought it would only revolve around Kya’s life in the marsh, but it was more than that. If you haven’t read the book or watched the film, I won’t spoil it for you.

Despite not being able to read the contents of the book written by Delia Owens, I was still astounded by how great the movie was able to portray the isolating life of Kya. The cinematography of each scene’s overall composition such as the set or location’s lighting was what I loved the most. How the marsh was depicted to the audience, especially the camera angles, movements, and special effects, made everything fall into their place as everything was aesthetically pleasing to the eye.

The casting of actors is very commendable, too. In the middle of watching the movie, I thought that Kya (Daisy Edgar-Jones) really suit the character. She was able to portray Kya’s personality as a curious and stubborn girl. Actors such as Tate (Taylor John Smith), Chase (Harris Dickinson), and others were surprisingly good, too

Aside from that, I love how the movie was in first person’s point-of-view. Perhaps, the reason why I found a hard time looking for a positive review about the movie was that other critics were looking and expecting that it would be completely the same as the book considering that it was done through the perspective of a third-person, where there is an observational tone in terms of narration, rather than knowing what the characters are truly thinking or feeling. As a reader myself, I usually prefer stories that come directly from the person who experienced them.

I wasn't aware that words could hold so much. I didn't know a sentence could be so full -Delia Owens

It is always a fan favorite to witness the journey and struggles of two lovers. I was really glad that the movie was able to display Kya-Tate moments, especially how Tate was very patient and respectful to her. The fact that he taught her how to read and write was the best thing that I could get from their time with each other. I wished that they were given more screen time.

Nevertheless, I understand that the director also needs to show Kya’s moments with Chase to give the film a new and different flavor despite the reds that I can see all over him.

Kya’s backstory serves as an example of the value and power of independence as she was able to manage numerous adult responsibilities despite not having anyone to be by her side. Although there are kind people whom she can rely on, it’s still different when you have someone to call home. She’s a keen observer and applies what she notices from everyone, especially in her family’s state when she was young as well as what she senses in the natural world.

According to Owens, she drew inspiration for the book, in part, from her own time spent in the woods. She explained it to The New York Times in an interview: “It’s about trying to make it in a wild place”.

And I think it’s beautiful.

We may not share the same experiences with Kya, but we are all molded by different early childhood traumas which have either taught us to be more compassionate, wiser, braver, or independently face the biggest obstacle that life can offer. However, the moral of the story also constitutes that trusting and depending on others allows one’s self to be vulnerable, too. Like Kya, there are times when she thought she was all alone when in fact, there are others who are willing to help her, too. We all have that marsh girl inside us; we may sometimes feel like the world is against us, but the truth is, it is all about finding the right people to get along with as well as finding the right time to dig the best fights where we can get the best opportunities from.

Above all of that, I would certainly give it a 4/5. I was satisfied with how the movie went. Perhaps, like other critics, I expected something more from it, too. It was a slow-burn type of movie, something that I am still trying to get used to. But needless to say, I was surprised by its plot twist. It’s very remarkable and not the usual ones that you can see with other competitive modern movies in the film industry. I really hope to watch more of this kind of movie ❤

That’s where you’ll always find me, way back yonder, where the crawdads sing.
Catherine Danielle Clark (Kya)

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From Lab to Kitchen: Taste Testing New Artificial Meat

by Aubrey Jill Ledesma

Who says revolution only happens in economics and politics? Now that the world is rapidly growing, there seems to be barely anything in life that is not changing. Who would have thought that as the earth revolves, so does the production of food!

Consumers are already accustomed to the natural way of processing food which is made in factories by slaughtering animals to make them. However, in 2013, scientists invented an extraordinary revolutionary food; grown in laboratories that starts from a singularity— the stem cell of an animal.

Lab-grown meat or clean meat is slaughter-free, and it does not require other environmental resources. Although it is artificially made, it is eco-friendly because it uses less land, water, and energy unlike the actual use of livestock from factories. Others may find it weird, but the process involves collecting a stem cell from an animal and converting it into trillions of cells.

A stem cell is a cell with the unique ability to develop new cells for the body, it replaces specialized cells that are damaged or lost. They can also multiply repeatedly to produce new cells that make up the lab-grown meat.

The procedure is harmless because a needle is only needed to get the cell from the animal. This single stem cell also consists of muscle cells that are filtered and isolated from other cells like fat cells. It is eventually moved from an artificial environment that needs proteins and nutrients in order to grow. One of the experiments in Tel Aviv, Israel was the making of steak from a cell of a cow which tasted close to the regular ones that we eat from fancy restaurants.

However, lab-made meat is still considered a work in progress and lawmakers argued that in order for meat to be called meat, it should come from livestock. Consequently, this process still has a lot to go through to be approved; it is not yet known considering its safety and potential impact on the people who love to eat meat.

Undeniably, this revolutionary food will eventually change the world if approved by law. However, everyone should still be responsible and aware of satisfying their cravings amidst the ongoing trends of the kitchen.

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I’m Just A Girl, Standing In Front of A Boy, Asking Him to Love Her: A Movie Review on Notting Hill

The story revolves around a bookshop owner in London named William Thacker (Hugh Grant), whose routine life is turned upside down by the appearance of a famous American actress Anna Scott (Julia Roberts) in his store. A casual encounter over some orange juice that has been spilled resulted in a kiss that developed into a serious relationship. The typical guy and the dazzling movie star fight to compromise their vastly contrasting lifestyles in the name of love as they grow closer to one another.

This classic movie made me feel a lot of emotions in one go. Although the plot of the story is the typical rom-com movie that we often watch, I still love how the cast was able to portray and execute their roles, especially Anna (Julia Roberts). It’s easy for me to admit that I hate the character in this movie! This is an indicator that the cast portrayed their roles very well. But you cannot blame me, Anna is always taking William for granted. And the fact that she flirted with him when she was still in a relationship sucks.

Aside from that, the cinematography was good. It was serene. I love these kinds of film because it gives me a nostalgic feeling about what past movies are like. Though I was born during the 2000s and still discovering amazing movies, I like these better because it makes me feel at home compared to watching 4k ultra HD ones.

The scene that I hated the most was when William went to her hotel and he found out that her boyfriend is there. I was hurt that Will had to pretend that he was the hotel’s staff— unable to say something because he was shocked by what he just witnessed.

Aside from that, I observed that she comes to Will when her situation did not go as planned. As an actress, it’s easy for her to spit harsh words at Will and then take them back whenever she wants to. It makes me feel bad for Will because he’s so in love with Anna that he will still accept her despite being turned down a couple of times. Like she’s a complete red flag for giving him mixed signals when all Will wants is to be with her. I know an actress’ life security and privacy are hard but at least, she should be clear with her intentions 😦

Later in the movie, Anna proposes that she wants to be with Will, I wanted him to be the one who’ll turn her down… and he did. But Will being Will, cannot endure being apart from Anna. So, he went to her press conference to confess that he wants to be with her, too.

Perhaps, one thing that I learned from watching the movie was that aside from not minding what the media tells about us, we should always observe how we treat someone. The world does not only revolve around us. And as much as we want to be selfish sometimes, we must always be kind to everyone. Kindness does not cost much. As for Anna, even though she unconsciously tends to mistreat Will, her sincere apology still sways Will. And I think that works for some people— accountability can easily melt a pure heart. As long as we reflect on our mean behavior and take action to not let it happen again, we’re good. However, on the other hand, there are always limitations to everything. It does not mean that if someone deeply cares about us, we can be abusive towards them.

So yeah, I spent most of my 2hrs pitying Will, but even though I hate Anna, I still cannot deny that I want what’s best for Will. They deserve to be happy as much as I want them to grow in both separate ways. Also, kudos to Will’s friends! I love how supportive they are in his love life ❤

Overall, the movie was 3/5. It did not exceed my expectation but I still love how simple and chill the movie was. No heavy drama!

Needless to say, this movie made me fall in love with Hugh Grant hahahahha or perhaps just William. I really love that kind of guy. Someone who’s not driven by ego and pride. I hope we all find someone like him. After all, we deserve the kind of love that is healthy and best for us. Happy watching!

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Do you believe in the old maxim “love at first sight”?

I have never been in love with someone— not in a familial way but in a romantic way. So, it is hard for me to believe if “love at first sight” is true or not because I have not experienced it in the first place. Yes, I find people with pretty face attractive and intimidating, but saying that I was “in love at first sight” do not match what I feel. I think seeing an attractive person is more of an “amazed and stunned” feeling for me rather than being in love. Because this always makes me wonder how they managed to be confident and show how beautiful they can be despite the struggle to adhere to society’s definition of beauty.

However, if we talk about the wonders of the world, that is when I believed the “love at first sight”. The first time I watched the sunrise and set? I was completely astounded. My first sight of the green hills will stay forever in my mind. And the first time I swam at the beach and stare at the night sky? I still cannot get over it until now to the point that it has become the main escape with my friends to get away from our academic responsibilities.

As someone who’s trying to explore everything, I think it is not a shame that I have never been romantically “in love at first sight” at all. Even though I have standards in terms of physical attributes still, no one has caught my attention because they did not pass the one thing that matters the most— the attitude. This made me think that I am not rushing things. That it is fine to not involve myself in that kind of relationship easily and foolishly.

Thus, it would be greater to explore the beauty of the world first because through this, I believe we can build different perspectives of what real beauty feels like.

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Looking Through the Rose-Colored Palette: The Life Story of Vincent van Gogh

by Aubrey Jill I. Ledesma

I have known this famous painter for quite some time now, and seeing a glimpse of his life made me want to know more about him.

Watching NowYouKnowAbout’s YouTube video was very interesting; the visual representations were fun to watch, and the speaker’s point-of-view which, Vincent van Gogh himself narrated his adventure was excellent.

“I loved painting sunshine, but often felt gloomy,” the first line was probably my favorite because I am an artist myself— it’s like painting was an escape for someone who wants to escape how hard life can be.

The symbolism of social status where Vincent’s mother usually wears clogs— traditional footwear is worn by farmers and the working class often has a poor reputation for being cheap. This shows that he had little financial success as an artist during his lifetime and often lived in poverty.

It is undeniable that throughout Vincent’s life, he suffered from a severe mental illness—he was in conflict with himself. He suffered from bouts of depression and terrible guilt whether from his childhood traumas, conflicts with loved ones, and the need to release suppressed emotions. In these episodes are evident that Vincent was trying to understand his purpose in life.

Even though he poured all his emotions through art, it’s a pity how his artworks cannot give back the love and satisfaction he needed. The fact that he was trying to resolve his efforts by exploring and identifying his limitations and capabilities is something that has been done later after his death. He may have been the most well-known, respected, and influential artist in the world today, but not in his time.

And I think that’s the downside of self-discovery; you can only witness your strongest potential if you failed at something or worse, you die— not knowing that you have already accomplished what you always dreamed of.

In van Gogh’s case even though he lived his life full of sadness and desolation, he still achieved his greatest purpose in life. He may not survive long enough to witness his popularity, but he inspired not only artists but also those who were beginning to love art through his expertise. This further implies greater freedom for artists to embrace the beauty of art and self-existence.

Vincent van Gogh may have died in vain, but he left behind an incredible collection of astonishing artworks that will remain forever in the hearts of those who see him as a beautiful man who deserved not just the stars, but the entire universe.

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A Report on Biyaheng EDSA

by Aubrey Jill I. Ledesma

Howie Severino’s Biyaheng EDSA (I Witness, 2011) talked about how Filipinos have fared in 25 years since the 1986 People Power Revolution. During the marked of the 25th anniversary of the EDSA Revolution in 2011, the documentary has addressed societal issues even after successfully ousting the Marcos’ regime. The film included issues such as permanent house settlement for nomads, police brutality, harassment of sidewalk vendors, pension funds as compensation for retiring workers, socioeconomic hierarchy between the silver spoons and the church’s mice, and lastly, the freedom of press and speech.

I was not surprised with the video quality since it was made a long time ago, but watching it today, I was amazed with how creative the motion pictures were presented. It was aesthetically pleasing to the eye despite the camera’s video resolution, dynamic change and speed that is not quite good if you based it in today’s video quality standards. However, the film was still intact as it showed significance to the way of life and culture of the Filipinos without breaking the record of history and the present times.

The scene that I cannot lose sight of was the statue of the virgin Mary in EDSA Shrine where it remained a memorial on how the 1986 revolution has succeeded in the past mainly, because the documentary has addressed the reality of a divisive situation between various religion even after millions of Filipinos have won against the regime of Marcos (1986) and Estrada (2001). Unfortunately, not even a symbol of Islam or representation of any religion is found in the people power marker.

It was like not acknowledging a hero’s remarkable stunt in history, the same case for those who were not given credits for participating to the renowned revolution in the Philippines. It was good that the movie highlighted the injustices and corruption that is still happening in the country. It showed how Filipinos are still suffering even after years of seeking freedom. Severino even discussed a serious inquiry on whether the 1986 People Power is a revolution or just a revolt caused by the other party. It’s amazing how he can humor us with his straightforward statements in this documentary as well as juxtaposed it with how we erroneously view our freedom. This reminded me that Philippines will always remain this way: thirsty for liberty despite a lot of propaganda have passed.

I’m not against anyone’s political stand nor economic claims, but I think the film has provided a bias documentary especially that GMA Network was really known for its tagline ‘walang, kinikilingan, walang pinoprotekahan’ news media. Technically, some parts of the movie were a bit of a one-sided story as it only emphasized the mediocre life of some Filipinos— disrespecting the efforts of the protesters and the lives of some residents in the area. Perhaps the film should have been more neutral in expressing and taking sides regardless of their political views in life.

After watching the full-documentary, questions have arised like: did life get better for Filipinos after all the revolutions that we had won? Was the revolution in the past worth it as we are now in a deep crisis? Was Marcos’ presidency really the best regime despite the negative rumors about his leadership?

Needless to say, the film is just about biyaheng EDSA where it planned to show how everyone is still standing strong despite a lot of events that took turn in the Epifano de los Santos Avenue. We can dig deep with the history’s exact turn of events without disrespecting the views of other people. After all, the history will always remain in the past, and that is something that we should look up to for our future generations.

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Radio Silence: The Underrated OPM Hit That No One Talks About

by Aubrey Jill I. Ledesma

I’ve been searching for that one song that deserves the recognition for “The Best OPM of the Year Award,” but I couldn’t find one because almost all of the Filipino musical compositions are good.

Excluding the most iconic Filipino bands in the Philippine Music Industry like Eraserheads, Parokya ni Edgar, Rivermaya, Kamikazee and others; modern OPM artists/bands like Ben&Ben, IV of Spades, December Avenue, The Juans and the like also produces good quality music. However, after years of discovering my love for OPM, I finally found the right one.

Too close to the hearts of many Filipinos, rock band Juan Karlos and rap legend Gloc-9 has paid a tribute to overseas Filipino workers (OFW) in their song, “Sampaguita.”

Nudity? Alcohol and drugs? Curses or any inappropriate messages? I believe this song does not possess any of that, but if we talk about the band/artists? Musical composition and arrangement? Content of the lyrics? Cinematography? Story line of the music video? I think this was it. The whole package for the best quality music.

The song track may just have perfectly encapsulated how a parent—specifically an overseas Filipino worker (OFW)—feels about having to work away from his family. Also, the video was divided into three chapters: “Pangungulila,” “Pag-asa” and “Paglisan.”

Through Gloc-9’s storytelling, “Sampaguita” expresses the longing and loneliness felt by parents who are forced to separate from their loved ones just to earn enough money to support them, albeit in a place that is nowhere near.

“Anak, kaarawan mo na ulit, ‘wag mong kalimutang suotin ang bago mong damit. Tandaan mo lagi kahit ‘di tayo magkalapit, naaalala ka ni tatay tuwing ako’y pumipikit,” Gloc-9 rapped.

I’ve always been a fan of Gloc-9. He’s one of the best artist/songwriter that I admired the most. The way he spills stories with his deep lines? It’s as if he’s just chewing the words, but end up hurting the listeners without even reading the entire lyrics. It’s funny how he addresses societal issues with painful truths. Perhaps, that is why everyone loves him, except those who were guilty with his pastry words turned into stone.

Moreover, to match the rapper’s somber tone, frontman Juan Karlos Labajo delivered a soulful chorus and somehow promised hope through the lines: “Kahit saan man mapadpad, sa’yo pa rin ako babalik, giliw. Sa halimuyak ng ‘yong paboritong sampaguita.”

I love how this line has a lot of interpretation. Some conveyed it in a way that at the end of the day, OFWs or any person who went overseas will always comeback to his/her homeland. On the other hand, some took it in a literal sense where parents will always choose the welfare of the family despite the struggles that they are facing.

It’s definite that the song was enigmatic and poetic. It has a crisp story, bundled in a strong and gritty instrumental accompaniment.

After listening and watching the music video, there was an amount of self reflexivity at the end of the video; how we are living in a cruel society where we lack empathy with. I may not fully relate myself into the song message because I have no OFW parents or relatives, but the pain and the sense of reality not just for other people’s socio-economic situation has made me think how life can make anyone cruel and turn someone into the person they are not.

Perhaps, that’s how I wondered how this song was so underrated despite its overall good qualities. This song deserves more recognition than those vulgar ones, but I get that how the best quality music comes from those who were not favoured and completely understood by others.

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Social Media During Disaster Preparedness, Response and Recovery

by Aubrey Jill I. Ledesma

The rise of Internet has made transactions easier, but through social media, we have found ways to connect with each other through the use of our SNS accounts. Technically, it has become an essential tool for communication in the past years; not only in entertainment, commerce and education, but also in disaster preparedness and response.

Role of Social Media in Disaster Preparedness

Social media reduces the burden of a disaster. It lifts our responsibilities not only as an individual, but also as a part of a family who should keep every family member safe. Also, as residents we are really ought to help the neighboring areas if there are troubles. Specially, the government and social workers, that have a big responsibility since they do not only aid the welfare of their families but also the community.

However, the possibility of saving more lives usually happen due to the application of social media in real life tragedies:

1. Detects early warning signs
2. Informs the public about disaster preparedness.
3. Monitors messages of public authorities.
4. Communicates with other organizations involved in disaster management.
5. Monitors messages of humanitarian organizations.
6. Informs the public during disaster response and recovery.
7. Generates community engagement activities
8. Organizes donation or fundraising events after a disaster.

This has proved how social media can be powerful in so many ways. However, if we’re about to measure the number of natural disasters and its mortality rate by decade, it is clear that it provides a significant relationship.

Table 1 : Number of recorded natural disaster events, all natural disasters

Table 2: Number of global annual deaths from natural disasters

You can observe that overtime, as natural disasters rapidly occur; its annual death is also slowing down. Perhaps it is because of the massive and alert response team that has become advanced due to the appropriate use of social media platforms. Thus, it can be viewed that the number of natural disaster is inversely proportional to the number of annual deaths from natural disasters.

Role of Social Media in Disaster Response

source: SRC, Government of Odisha

Aside from disaster preparedness, social media also aids the disaster response and recovery. We have almost completed signing up all SNS accounts that we tend to forget its purpose during modern day crisis.

Here are some uses of social media applications during a disaster:
1. Google – This is a huge platform wherein you can monitor and be aware of a situation as well as identifying those who are safe and at risks.
2. Facebook – A social communication platform in which you’ll be updated to sudden turn of events of other people’s Facebook posts and stories.
3. LinkedIn – The world’s largest professional network on the internet. It disseminates information in a clearer scope and view of opinions on what is happening.
4. Twitter – An app that monitors all the events that are happening around the globe by using hashtags as an indicator. It can be updated easily and performs an interactive response to the audience.
5. WhatsApp – The app lets you make calls, send and receive messages, documents, photos, and videos to anyone as long as you are connected to phone’s cellular data or Wi-Fi connection.

You see, social media sites have become the best platform to seek for help and lend a helping hand. It is amazing how these apps are quite mature and have the potential to be very useful in disaster situations.

We are always using some of the mentioned apps, but we have never been out of our comfort zones. Everyone is listening to various events that are happening in the world, but some are only speaking up. Through this, we will be able to save and protect everyone from any possible harm that can occur anytime.

Although, it is funny to say that the excessive use of any digital devices can cause harm to anyone, still, this kind of innovation has saved some of us from deep misery.

As we scroll through or social media newsfeeds, may we help others who are struggling to connect their sufferings for the world to hear.

Stay Safe!

November Rain

It’s the start of the season again… The start of the coolest but also longest nights.

The hushing sound of the rain. No thunder nor lightning to make you close the windows. Too calm that you’ll hear the birds singing with joy. Just the rain and well… the street noise.

We are temporarily living near the highway, and I hate it. It’s too much for me. The screeching sound of the wheel tires, the constant honk of the trucks, the music from the bigger stores. Yeah, you would definitely hate the streets if you were in my place.

But I love this month. Despite the uncomfortable environment, the rain has somehow comforted me saying, “it’s fine, you’ll get out of here soon”. And that made me love it more…

However, I can’t help but feel guilty. Thinking about rain has not only made me think of my most comforting days but also those tragic ones. Not for me but for some.

You see, I am privileged to be in a safe home despite my constant rant of the streets. We’re not rich nor poor but you can see the social status. When the rain comes, I cannot help but wonder how those people are doing right now; dealing even with the lightest pour of rain.

My heart aches for them because I cannot do anything to help them at this stage other than pray for them. I love the capitalist idea, but I sometimes hate it. I get that we are bound to take different paths. But how come that everyone had its battle that I can’t imagine myself? Is it because we need to learn? Or is this some sort of punishment?

Some may have not overcome it. Some may have run away from it. Some may have faced it… It was a habit that we have to develop and at the same time unlearn.

But one thing is for sure: we are strong enough to deal with these issues every day.