Movie Review: Dead Poets Society

Dead Poets Society is a movie that followed 7 boys and the teacher who made a difference in their lives.

credits to Rotten Tomatoes

Robin Williams starred as Mr. John Keating, the new English teacher who believes that his students must understand poetry from their own point of view and not because the books tell them that this piece is interpreted like this.

We also have Charlie Dalton who is too rich to care. Stephen Meeks and Gerrard Pitts who in their own way rebelling by creating a radio which is a banned experimentation. Richard Cameron who takes everything seriously. Knox Overstreet who in every sense of the way, fought the courage to go out with a girl engaged to someone else. Todd Anderson who is overshadowed by his more popular and more brilliant older brother. Neil Perry who dreams to become a theater actor but is prohibited by his father who wants to make him a doctor.

The rest of the classes in Welton's School for Boys are rigid academics which emphasizes the Four Pillars of education: Tradition, Honour, Discipline and Excellence.

The famous line from this movie: Carpe diem, Seize the day boys. Make your lives extraordinary was uttered by Keating on his very first lesson. After that, he practiced unconventional ways to teach poetry so that his students will get into the emotion and live the poem not just read it.

These 7 boys were so intrigued by him they look him up in the old alumni photos. Out of all the descriptions, they were curious about the Dead Poets Society and asked him about it. Upon learning what it was, they decided to recreate it. Breaking a lot of school rules in the process.

But everything wasn't made for perfection. So even though, the boys find their courage and pursue what they always wanted to do. It did not make the school happy nor their parents.

In the end, even though Neil got the part he always wanted and practiced for it. His father did not approve. It didn't matter that he got straight A's in all his subjects and could really perform well. His father wanted a doctor, not an actor. Neil felt suffocated and committed suicide.

The blame was placed on Mr. Keating and all 5 boys were forced to sign the petition to remove him from office. Charlie refused and was expelled.

When Mr. Keating said goodbye, half of his class said goodbye by calling him their captain.


Watching this movie made me miss Robin Williams. It was really one of those moments where you can really say that he was a very sad man. His eyes were in sorrow all throughout this movie. Even in the frames where he is laughing, they never really reach the eyes. It must be because he knows that the admin disapproves of his methods and that he is just waiting to be sacked. Or it is because we know that he is suffering from depression and making others laugh is his outlet for it.

Being able to think for ones' self is a great treasure, so please become a person who knows what you want to be and slowly aim for that goal of yours so that one day you can look back to life with no regrets.



Daghang salamat sa pagbasa!!!

I post an article every two days... :D just because!

Movie Review: To Sir, With Love

To Sir, With Love is a movie as old as my mother and I did not really expect to like it. But there I was laughing as each prank is played and the odd dialogue and behavior accompanied it on-screen.

credits to Wikipedia

The story is all about an engineer named Mark Thackeray (Sidney Poitier) who was seeking employment in London's engineering firm. To make ends met, he started a job as a teacher in East London. He was warned that his students are good kids with problems. It turned out to be more than that as his tactics are met with resistance after resistance, not counting all those pranks played on him.

When he lost his temper, he decided that the academic approach would not really cut it, so he decided to use the adult approach where he showed the class how to be responsible adults and become useful members of the society.

It actually worked for him, and he had reformed students to show for it. Even had one student hanging on to every word and falling in love with him which he of course dutifully ignored.

At the end of the movie, he was accepted as an engineer but was swayed to stay as teaching staff because his students liked him too much and acknowledge that if not for him, they would all end up in juvie.


The drama was minimal. It was quite entertaining.

The songs in this movie were all beautiful renditions from Lulu, which also played as a student in this movie.

The school staff were either people who have gone cynic, still hopeful, given up or just there for the paycheck.

The principal is a hopeful individual who wishes for the best of his students.

The community is actually quite helpful, like they do not let the teachers fall in line in supermarkets because they know that the break time is short, or they show support when Mr. Mark started going to the museums to educate his kids.

The students were kids with an attitude, and are rejects of other schools. They do not expect to be anyone greater because they would more or less work in blue-collar jobs positions or in the red-light district anyway.

But one man who has also in his past went through the horrors these kids are going through tried to make a difference. He showed that he cared and that he feels responsible for the future that his students will have. And that made all the difference in the world.


Every action we make affects other people, so we must mindful of what we say and do because we can never really know if what we did just make or break someone.


Daghang salamat sa pagbasa!!!
I post an article every two days... :D just because!

Recipe: Chili Bomb

We had loads of chili pepper that needs to be disposed of. Feeding them to the chicken is a waste, so we decided to make some Chili Bombs, the kind sold in the streets with a bit of cheese.

Ingredients:

• Chili Pepper
• Lumpia Wrapper
• Cheese, cut into rectangular shapes
• Oil

Preparation:

1. Remove the seeds from the Chili Pepper.
2. Place the cheese inside the pepper.
3. Wrap it in lumpia wrapper and seal.
4. Heat oil in a pan, and fry the lumpia wrapper with chili pepper and cheese.
5. Once it turned golden, remove the bomb and drain all excess oil.

Enjoy eating, you can dip them in sinamak (vinegar stored with spicy condiments) for a chilier experience.

Daghang salamat sa pagbasa!!!
I post an article every two days... :D just because!

Recipe: Meat Balls

Since eating is and has always been a hobby, cooking follows right after. Not that we became gourmet chefs because of it, but we try.

So today's recipe is Meat Balls, easy to prepare and consume.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 kg of ground meat
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tbsp of flour
• 1 medium-sized onion, minced
• salt and ground pepper
• oil

Preparation:

1. Put the ground meat in a bowl, add the egg and flour and mix well.
2. Add the onion, some ground pepper and salt for taste. Mix well.
3. Take 1 tbsp of the mixture and form them into balls.
4. Place the formed balls on a plate covered with a bit of flour so it would not stick.
5. Heat oil in a pot or a deep pan, at least an inch of it to cover the meatballs thoroughly.
6. Fry the balls in the pan until it turns golden brown and floats to the surface.

Enjoy eating!!

Tastes great with mayo and ketchup dip.

Daghang salamat sa pagbasa!!!

I post an article every two days... :D just because!

Restaurant Review: KSpice

I am not really into Korean Food or anything too spicy for my taste. But we found ourselves having dinner with friends in a quaint little resto just outside MegaWorld called KSpice. They have a wide variety of food on the menu but our friends ordered the 350 pesos Eat-All-You-Can set where meat and condiments are all unlimited, you just ask the waitresses.

The restaurant is located at Taft North, Manduarriao, Iloilo. Just a few feet away from the newly-opened Jollibee Fast Food. It is quite a small place but at least it has its own parking area, so customers won't be parking on the side of the road. It is easy enough to find, though not really noticeable when you are riding public vehicles going at top speed. You will have to walk or take a taxi, or you can ride the jeep whose route is to and from Mandurriao.

The place is clean and has table settings for different group types. Table for twos, fours, eights were arranged around the room. If there are more of you, I guess you can request for additional tables and chairs. Each table setting has a table with a single burner grill which is used by the customers to cook their own meat. The grill is also replaced from time to time depending on the amount of grease it has. Ours were replaced thrice.

The food consisted of 4 types of meat, Spicy Pork, Pork, Chicken, Kimchi Bacon. Then for the unlimited condiments, sotanghon, kimchi, and rice. Can't really remember everything since I don't eat them. The meal set is also accompanied with a glass of iced tea and unlimited rice or chinese cabbage leaf/wrap.

It was a nice dining experience. you have the illusion of cooking for yourself though its only grilling really. Still, the meat was delicious and I don't mind eating Kimchi Bacon and Spicy Pork though at a minimal amount and at a very fast rate of chewing.

I am not really the best person to recommend a Korean dining since I do not float this boat. But if you want a different Korean experience, visit KSpice and judge for yourself.


Daghang salamat sa pagbasa!!!
I post an article every two days... :D just because!

Recipe: Breaded Shrimp

Happy Labor Day everybody.

I have been spending the past few days being lazy, hence the No posts state.

Anyway, since today is a Holiday and if you can get lucky you can find some BIG Shrimps from the market and try this recipe out: Breaded Shrimp with Cheesenax.

Ingredients:

• Shrimp / Prawn
• Vinegar (2 tbsp)
• Breadcrumbs
• Flour (4 tbsps)
• Egg
• Water
• Oil
• Cheese
• Salt and pepper

Preparation:

• Shrimp

1. Add 2 cups of water in a pot, add the vinegar then the shrimp.
2. Stir the shrimp constantly, and wait for some of them to float or get cooked.
3. Once some shrimps float, remove from fire and drain.
4. Place the shrimp in a bowl and pour cold water over it.
5. Peel the scales off the shrimp and set aside.

• Breading

1. Place 4 tbsps of flour in a bowl, add egg and water to create a mixture. Divide mixture into two. Add the first one with a bit of salt and pepper. Leave the second as is.
2. Place some breadcrumbs (5 tbsps) in a plate, continuously adding breadcrumbs until all the shrimps are cooked.

• Deep Fry the Shrimp

1. Heat oil in a deep pan. Make sure that amount of oil can cover the shrimp.
2. Dip the shrimp in the mixture with salt and pepper. 
3. Roll in breadcrumbs.
4. Dip in the 2nd mixture.
5. Then roll again in breadcrumbs.
6. Place the shrimp in the heated oil and wait for it to float.
7. Remove from pan and drain excess oil.

Since we had some mixture and breadcrumbs left, we mixed this together.

Then we cut some cheese (cheese stick cut), roll them in the mixture and deep fried this as well.

• Dip

1. Add some mayonnaise in a small bowl and add some ketchup.
2. Mix them well.

Hope you enjoyed making and eating this as much as we did.

Daghang salamat sa pagbasa!!!
I post an article every two days... :D just because!