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[email protected], May 21, 2011
What happens when childhood sweethearts grow up? Jigs Arquiza finds out.
A marriage of hearts and interests
movies
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SomethingBorrowed
feature
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58 in4 hours
Sun.Star Weekend | Saturday , May 21, 20112CCHERRY ANN LIM Managing Editor, Special Pages and FeaturesJIGS ARQUIZA Editor CLINT HOLTON P. POTESTAS Writer
RALPH RHODDEN C. CAVERO Graphic Designer
cover story
Looking at the couple, one would think that the two just got started with their relationship, with all the giggling and tickling. Not so, as the two explain.
and
A marriageheartsinterestsof
“We’ve known each other practically forever!” Francisco Carlos “Paco” Jarque II and Monique del Gallego Jarque say, “Our families would tease us whenever we would attend events at the Casino Espanol.” Monique adds, “Baduy kaayo (It’s so uncool), but it really started out na nag-crush-crush mi” giggling a bit when Paco pokes a finger into her side, and then tells Paco, “Cut it out!” C3
Sun.Star Weekend | Saturday , May 21, 2011 3C
FROM C2
feature
That’s how many young lads were circumcised for free at Barangay Tawason last Sunday. Thanks to a vigorous team of doctors, interns, barangay health professionals, and employees of Stream Global Services who volunteered their time, energy and (in most cases) medical expertise to the operation.
(Oddly enough, there were actually seventy children who signed up for this year’s Operation Tuli. Those who were able to escape are to be congratulated on their fleet-footedness but we’ll catch them next year, fingers crossed.)
In the midst of the usual screams of pain, spatters of blood, and little boys being held down as they struggled in fear, there were soothing murmurs of comfort and reassurance. Some of their little friends stood on the sidelines, cheering them on or
observing with morbid fascination, depending on whether they had had their turn. There were even some smiles from the boys themselves after each circumcision wrapped up, and they were wrapped up and ready to go. All seemed to understand that, in a sense, this was a rite of manhood, and they did their best to suffer it bravely.
After each boy was circumcised, he and his parents were presented with a free bag of antibiotic ointments, vitamins, and pain relievers, and instructed on their use by the health care team. These were also donated by Stream Global Services.
At this point, you may be wondering what call center professionals were doing in such an event. Truth is, three Stream employees had decided at some point that they wanted to give back to the community. All they had were a handful of good ideas. But they managed to translate them into reality with the help of fund-raising activities within the company, and by getting together like-minded people who also worked in the company.
For this particular Operation, it was mostly the nurses-turned-call center agents who were able to step into the front lines. Because of global recession and the unavailability of positions in local hospitals, most nursing graduates find themselves unemployed. They usually end up working in careers unrelated to their degrees. Thankfully, a lot of them find job satisfaction outside their original fields of choice.
This was the case for most of the Stream employees who were pitching in this activity. They relished the opportunity to utilize their medical-related skills, some of them being able to do so for the very first time.
In terms of charitable activities like these, this is not the end of the road for the employees of Stream Global Services. Pleased with the turnout of Operation Tuli, they are beginning to plan for the near future, envisioning projects possibly having to do with education and the environment. Caring and giving back has never been this delightful. (Pamela Therese Estalilla)
Fifty-Eight in Four HoursOfficially, Paco and Monique went
steady for “about ten years,” according to Monique, “It started in college. We both went to the University of Asia and the Pacific in Pasig. I took up an IT course, Paco took Entrepreneural Management., but I went home and continued my studies at CIE.”
It was a long-distance love affair, but the two were able to keep the romance going. Monique laughs, “It wasn’t a problem for us. We both knew that it would be tough to find a replacement for each other.”
“I would go home as often as possible to see Monique,” Paco declares, “but I left for Spain in 1999. I stayed there for almost three years.”
“”When Paco came home, it was my turn to leave. I went to the U.S. and stayed there for four years,” Monique interjects, “but we made it work. That’s the power of technology for you. We found ways to communicate, through email, chat, everything. The distance wasn’t really an issue. We were still “together” despite the distance.”
Coming home to Cebu at the end of 2006, the two decided to tie the knot, doing so a year later, in 2007.
Married for four years already, Paco and Monique have a year-and-a-half old daughter, Tamara, whom both say is a daddy’s girl. “Tamara loves watching basketball with Paco,” Monique relates, continuing “She also loves animals, also like her dad.”
Paco joins in, “We go to the family farm in Danao, and Tamara loves it there. We try to spend as much time with the whole family as we can. It’s our way to relax.”
One more thing keeping the two together is The Pantry, a delicatessen found in The Gallery in Mabolo, Cebu City. Paco manages operations, while Monique bakes the cakes and handles some of the marketing duties.
“It’s not only a marriage of hearts and souls, it’s also a marriage of interests,” Paco explains, “I’ve always loved meats, and when I was a little boy, I had this dream of becoming a butcher. On the other hand, Monique has always loved baking. The Pantry is perfect for us”
Asked what their secret to a happy marriage is, Paco says “Secret” as Monique bursts out laughing. “No, no, no!” Monique exclaims, “It’s good food!”
Sun.Star Weekend | Saturday , May 21, 20114C
movies
IMAGES FROM THE INTERNET
“Something Borrowed” poses the question: What happens when you realize you’re in love with your best friend’s fiance? But the characters
are either so ill-defined or unlikable, it’s hard to care whether they get out of this tricky situation with their emotions and relationships intact.
And that’s odd, and unfortunate, because “Something Borrowed” stars the ordinarily adorable Ginnifer Goodwin as a New York attorney who finds herself in that predicament.
Directed by Luke Greenfield (“The Girl Next Door”) and based on the novel by Emily Giffin, “Something Borrowed” introduces us to Goodwin’s character, Rachel, on the night of her 30th birthday. She’s quietly freaking out about the passage of time because she’s still hopelessly single, the clichéd trademark of so many chick-lit heroines. Meanwhile, her closest pal since childhood, the blonde party girl Darcy (Kate Hudson), is about to marry Dex (Colin Egglesfield), Rachel’s good friend from law school.
Rachel introduced the two of them six years ago and encouraged them to get together, even though she was secretly in love with Dex. (And Egglesfield, a former soap opera star in his first major film role, is traditionally handsome in a young-Tom-Cruise sort of way.) But after a few drinks at her surprise party, she and Dex end up sleeping together – and that inspires them to revisit feelings they’d both suppressed.
Clearly, they’re meant for each other, but each feels a responsibility toward Darcy – which makes no sense, because Darcy only feels a responsibility toward herself. As Hudson describes her own character in the film’s production notes, “Darcy is all about Darcy.” And as Hudson plays her, she is rampantly narcissistic; the script from Jennie Snyder Urman renders her in such one-dimensional fashion, it’s hard to figure out what she does besides drink and shop. She may not even have a job.
So it’s baffling that Rachel and Dex, two intelligent, ostensibly decent-hearted people, have chosen to spend any time with her at all, much less made her one of the most important people in their lives. It’s also obvious that Dex’s old-money parents would be happier with the sweet and proper Rachel rather than the flamboyant and obnoxious Darcy.
And so the majority of “Something Borrowed” features Rachel and Dex hemming and hawing over how to handle their burgeoning relationship, as the threat of the big day
draws ever closer. Much of this takes place over dull weekends at Darcy’s Hamptons beach house with a cadre of supporting players.
John Krasinski co-stars as Rachel and Darcy’s childhood friend, Ethan, who mainly exists for cutaway reaction shots and sarcastic remarks (he does get a few amusing lines); Steve Howey plays Marcus, a gleeful womanizer whom Darcy insists Rachel should hook up with, which shows how little Darcy really knows or cares about Rachel; and Ashley Williams as the clingy Claire, with whom Ethan had a one-night stand he regrets. He is so desperate to avoid her, he pretends to be gay. That’s how horrible all these people are.
Many melodramatic revelations come to light in the film’s third act, then they’re just as quickly resolved. But don’t feel daunted: You’ll probably have checked out mentally and emotionally long before any of this anyway. (AP)
Sun.Star Weekend | Saturday , May 21, 2011 5C
short reviews
IMAGES FROM THE INTERNET
audiosyncracy
Bridesmaids“Bridesmaids” takes the typically
clichéd wedding movie genre and completely upends it and reinvents it into something surprisingly daring and alive. But it also takes the Judd Apatow-style buddy comedy, with its mixture of raunchiness, neurosis and sentimentality, and tailors it to female experiences and sensibilities. That the film achieves both of these ambitious goals simultaneously while remaining (mostly) hilarious is a testament to the power of Kristen Wiig as co-writer and star, and to the awesomely eclectic ensemble cast of strong comediennes who surround her. (AP)
Everything Must GoWill Ferrell has deviated from his
comic persona from time to time, giving more dramatic performances in movies like “Stranger Than Fiction.” But no film has asked him to delve into the kinds of deep, dark places required of him in “Everything Must Go.” And he more than rises to the challenge. Ferrell’s stripped-down presence is a thing of elegant melancholy – even when his character is at his ugliest and worst. He never seems to judge the man he’s playing, Nick Halsey, who thinks he’s hit bottom but then finds he can continue falling. Rather, he just becomes this person in small, quiet ways. And in the hands of first-time writer-director Dan Rush, based on a Raymond Carver short story, “Everything Must Go” is a small, quiet movie. It may feel a bit too languid at times, but the pacing also allows time for us to ruminate alongside Nick, to take it all in – for better and for worse. (AP)
Colt Ford breaks the pre-conceptions Nashville once considered necessary for country music success. He records for his own independent label, he lacks leading-man looks and his songs incorporate rap and heavy metal.
Ford’s new album “Every Chance I Get” follows his breakthrough achievements of the last two years with duets with mainstream country stars and fellow on-the-edge independents. By merging guests Tim McGraw and Luke Bryan with hip-hoppers Nappy Roots and boozy country rockers Rehab, Ford sets out to prove that country music’s parameters can be wider and more diverse.
Part crowd cheerleader and part barroom preacher, Ford joins many other contemporary country rockers on a single-minded celebration of his southern roots, his family, his faith and his love of a good time. But he separates himself from the crowd through his emphasis on a rural-rap style.
Some of his anthems hype the over-worked imagery of pickup trucks, guns and flags, and his lyrical flow gets clumsy in spots. But Ford’s blend of modern musical styles, all delivered in an unmistakable southeastern twang, taps into a backwoods reality that only Jason Aldean communicates as well. And the big man is doing it in a style all his own. (AP)
Colt Ford, “Every Chance I Get” (Average Joe’s)
CHECK OUT THIS TRACK: On “Waste Some Time” Ford boasts that he’s “a 300-pound redneck rebel.” By trading lines with members of Nappy Roots, and setting the song to the album’s funkiest groove, he illustrates that the words “redneck” and “rebel” have grown more inclusive than they once were.
The only time that I involved myself in Kung Fu was with DreamWorks’ animation of Kung Fu Panda. So as I headed to attend the seminar “Wing Chun Kung Fu” by Grandmaster Sergio Iadarola and supported by the International Wing Tjun Kung Fu Associaton with two of my closest friends, I just did not know what to expect. I only knew that we had to prepare for awesomeness!
It was not hard to be excited most especially when the venue was a perfect setting to demonstrations of physical synchronization. Plantation Bay Resort and Spa seemed to have reserved the fourteenth of May afternoon to lessons of Kung Fu history, understanding martial arts theory and of course exhibitions of focusing the spirit to control the mind, body and energy. Grandmaster Sifu (Chinese for “teacher”) Sergio Iadarola entered the room. A few minutes passed meant time for some real techniques, which later dawned on me the extensive difference of an actor who beats a dozen men and a non-fictional character who swings a few hard punches and looks like he beat himself. All participants began with an exercise to relax the muscles and provide more power to punching, something my brothers at home will not be so happy about. Immediately I heard my joints crack, then the similar noise happened to my right, to my left and also with a few around our little circle - like firecrackers burning our underdeveloped upper body strength.
Throughout the program, we found ourselves comfortably seated to listen to Grandmaster Sifu Sergio explain some important things that the thrill of action films do not. There are many reasons why people take up this skill. Sifu Sergio started when he was only twelve years old and he always knew that he wanted to be a Kung Fu
teacher. His reason was Bruce Lee. But he provided several more because it’s not just about fighting in its obvious physical aspect. The discipline required in training is the same that one needs to apply in life since impatience without control become debts and wants that are met but are usually temporary. In normal events, we are also made
stronger when we allow every challenge to be a learning step. This is about teaching ourselves strength, only striking back when necessary, taking pain when it transforms you, sensitivity to things that certainly affect, occupying spaces that you can dominate, focus, confidence and finding that Kung Fu is art. It is working hard to acquire a special ability. On a lighter note, a lifestyle of consistent calm breathing and intuitive kindness to the mind and body apparently slow down aging.
In the words of Sifu Sergio Iadarola, ”If the way is free, then you must go forward.” If you’ve been sparring, but only up to a certain comfortable level, Kung Fu should really help at breaking limits. I somehow still confuse my left and right, when to attack or block in my attempt to look like
I am naturally good at something but as the last rounds of punching and adding pressure to my hands hastened, I knew for sure that I was tired and that Kung Fu is a new brand of fun acknowledging a good, sensible purpose. This experience has been enough to make me proud of myself and what I did this summer. It makes me proud to know that there are people who practice this efficient form all around the world, and especially proud of the people in Cebu who keep this art alive and kicking. (Therese Marie Villarante)
(For more information on available Kung Fu classes, check out www.kungfucebu.com)
Kung Fu fun!
Sun.Star Weekend | Saturday , May 21, 20116C
TEXT AND IMAGES FROM WWW.FULLYBOOKEDONLINE.COM AND THE WEB
books
scribblingscrossline
Before he became the Green Lantern...before he unwittingly brought about the downfall of the Green Lantern Corps...before his rebirth as the universe’s most powerful protector...Hal Jordan of Earth was just a washed-up test pilot with no way to fly...until the dying alien Abin Sur granted him his power ring, the most powerful weapon in the universe--and his entry into a reality he could never have
imagined. Hal Jordan’s metamorphosis from cocky test pilot to the role of the intergalactic guardian Green Lantern makes its way to the big screen in June 2011 from Warner Bros. Pictures, directed by Martin Campbell(CASINO ROYALE) and starring Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively. In preparation for his roll as Hal Jordan in “Green Lantern”, Ryan Reynolds, who also contributes the introduction
to this new edition, has pointed to Geoff Johns’ GREEN LANTERN: SECRET ORIGIN as “his bible” for shaping his portrayal of Hal Jordan: “Green Lantern encompasses a seemingly limitless supply of adventure.” This new edition includes several preview pages from Green Lantern: Rebirth, and Green Lantern: The Sinestro Corps War.
Green Lantern Secret Origin (New Edition)
1. day nap on sand
i steer my boardon the biggest of wakes and wavesand freeze a mirageof a most cordial tempest to the tune of crescendoing waves . . . if tides would riseenough for a spill or a wipe out,i won’t be roused by the souse . . .
i am the god of the sea.
2. half asleep on water
i still my boardon resting waveand wake no more. i secure storm at sea and seascape stillin marine eyes closedyet all-seeingas a lighthouse emergesattuned to quieted decrescendoes . . .
i am married to the sea.
Sea-ing dreamsby: Desiree L. Balot
As I’m writing this, I listen to the sound of waves and the soft spray of salt on the far away city breeze. My family and I are celebrating my parents’ 21st wedding anniversary. On our long ride here, we sang to them their love song. Dang, dang, dang! Dang, dang, daaannng! Eye of the tiger!
My mother and father’s first movie together was 1987’s Over the Top (Editor’s note: Eye of the Tiger was actually the theme song of Rocky III shown in 1982). They enjoyed it so much that a decade after they’d still consider one of its songs their official song as a couple which is reminiscent also of Sylvester Stallone’s great boxing triumph as Rocky Balboa. They amuse each other that way and I am certain that someday when they trade in the boxing gloves for canes, they will hear this song again and look at each other lovingly. My brothers and I think of a match between them where they battle. Immediately images come to my head:”On the right and left corner, wearing bigger clothes than twenty-one years ago, weighing… never mind.” Mama almost always wins. Perhaps a little older, I understand now that although they do have their conflicts, it was never about fighting with each other but instead – fighting together.
I am a daughter to two brave people who fought to be together and who fight now to always punch back at circumstance. They are a team, partners with different views who understand that even if Papa does not have any sense of direction at all, he only has to ask mama, who sits beside on the passenger seat. And even if mama does not like staying in coffee shops to join him,
he will keep buying her her favorite Belgian chocolate chip cookies. My mother’s need for organization might come in deep contrast to my father’s spontaneity but every night, they always eat together. Some Sundays, they sing karaoke and they very much look like lovers. A marriage will always have its hardships. Your enemy might be dressed in bills or attractively present choices that are neither good while the children divest you of twenty-peso snacks and ask permission to hang out with some friends this weekend.
What I admire most about my parents is that through the difficulties of everything, loving each other is one of their most important similarities. Romance hardly comes around the doorstep anymore but maybe romance unlike its past presentation of sweeping the other off their feet – it is now about keeping each other standing. The roses become money for enrollment fees, poetry to caring advice, date nights to buying groceries and sweet nothings to the incredible belief in one another.
It’s the eye of the tiger. It’s the cream of the fight rising up to the challenge of their rival and the last known survivor stalks his prey in the night. He’s watching us all in the eye of the tiger. Rising up straight to the top, they have the guts and the glory. They went the distance, now they’re not going to stop. Not just a man with his will to survive, but a man with a woman and their will to live. Today my parents celebrate their wedding and for always I simply celebrate them.
The Eye of the Tiger and On Marriageby: Therese Marie Villarante
Sun.Star Weekend | Saturday , May 21, 2011 7C
Got something to share with us? Sun.Star Weekend invites readers to contribute original, unpublished poems and essays or commentaries about funny or memorable moments in your life. Please email your contributions to:
49 Gen. Sepulveda Street, CebuTel. No (032) 255-0105 & 412-5551
Fax No. (032) 412-5552Email: [email protected]
website: www.palazzopensionne.net
BED & BREAKFAST
lex in the cityAlexis Yap
The second weekend of May was a pretty eventful weekend for me. On Friday, there was the American Express Blue credit card launching at The Penthouse, to which I had come extra early that night. I had promised A-List beauty Cybil Gayatin I would be there for sure this time. Twice before I had RSVPed to come to her events but failed to attend. Coming early that night was my way of making it up to her. I hope it did the trick!
It was such an enjoyable evening. The room was
decorated with crystal chandeliers and white drapes, open bar until eleven, and delicious cocktails until supplies lasted. Of course, the special
appearance of the Younghusband brothers added some spice to the evening, but the best part of the event was bumping into beautiful friends like the beauty queens Sian Maynard, Kris Janson and Anna
Maris Igpit. Jude Bacalso, Albert Arriba, Doxch Tiro were also there to grace the gathering. The younger group of Anton Solon, Katrina Borromeo, and Ronnie Yu also partied with us. Drinks flowed like no tomorrow and dancing was the only thing on the agenda.
The following day, I almost couldn’t get up in time to watch The Proposal and The Boor, two one-act plays that were staged at the CAP Theater. Produced bby Hendri Go of Little Boy Productions, they were directed
by my very good friend Niel Kintanar. I almost forgot how beautiful it was to sit and watch a play; I used to do this a lot when I was in college. I even remember the days when I was on stage as a thespian, performing in front of a live audience. Niel did a great job directing it and the actors were very impressive! I was glad I got up for this.
Mother’s Day was the usual for me – a nice quiet dinner with mom and the siblings, enjoying the food and catching up on each other’s lives. Even if we all live under the same roof, our schedules are different and we seldom see each other. So having Mom’s Day dinner was a good opportunity for us to bond.
The following Monday, our family received some horrible news that my 29-year-old cousin, Eric had been in a motorcycle accident and had died instantly upon impact. He collided head-on with an SUV, driving north of Cebu. He was such an easy-going guy, always making people laugh and forget about their problems. Many people came to his wake and during his funeral mass, his mother said she was happy to see that not only his family loved him, but many others whom she did not know. It was Friday the thirteenth when his body was cremated. Thirteen was his favourite number. He will be missed. My heart goes out to Tito Pepe, Tita Jean, Jam
and Buding, his family, whose pain I can only imagine.Saturday, May 12, the Cebu Trivia Night team, Leica
Cruz, Jewel Jalandoni, and I were invited to bring Trivia Night to Cagayan de Oro City. Henrick and Anne Yu, the owners of Missy Bon Bon and the Bigby’s chain of restaurants had gathered a full house that night and we are proud to announce that Trivia Night now happens regularly at Missy Bon Bon located at the Lim Ket Kai Mall every Saturday night hosted by the beautiful Maxine of ABS-CBN CDO, and voice talent and radio DJ, Rap-Rap.
A lot can happen in just one week. That is why one must take time to unwind from the stresses of work- be it in the form of dancing or having a few drinks with friends in a game of trivia. Then maybe fit in some culture-enriching activities into our schedules once in a while, like watching a play or visiting a museum. Celebrating holidays like Mother’s Day gives us a chance to spend quality time with our families. And when life serves us with tragic moments like the sudden loss of a loved one, what we can do is accept it, and remember
the good times we have shared with the ones we lost. It’s important to remember that life goes on. We grieve for our loss and then get up in the morning to go to work and once again, like every day, strive to do our best all the time.
Perhaps this is the art of play. After all, life is just like a game. It won’t hurt to strive to play it right.
Happy birthday to Richard Sharpe (May 20), Dexter Alazas, Romero Vergara, Mark Mediano, and Ingking Villo (Today), Protacio Empaces Jr. (May 23), May Antonette Yap (my sister) and Alejandro Yap (my dad) (May 26), Niel Kintanar, Jake Harisson Yap (May 27), Mayette Sotelo (May 31).
Congratulations to Missy Bon Bon, Cagayan de Oro City for the successful launching of CDO Trivia Night, and congratulations also to A-Team CDO for being the first champions of CDO Trivia Night!.
Follow me on Twitter @iamaroundtown
The Art of Play
The Younghusband Brothers (Brand Ambassadors of AMEX Blue)
Jude Bacalso, Doxch Tiro, Albert Arriba
Beauty Queens- Kris Janson, Sian Maynard, Anna Maris Igpit
with Rap-Rap, Jewel Jalandoni, Leica Cruz, and Henrick Yu
Me with Hendri Go (Little Boy Productions), Niel Kintanar (Director)
CDO Trivia Night Champions - The A Team CDO
Anton Tautjo, Ai Ai Fernandez, Maureen Yap,Ramon Lucero, and Elgee Tampus
Anton Solon, Katrina Borromeo, Ronnie Yu
The King and Queen of Penthouse- Wawa and Renault Lao
A List Beauties and Brains- Cybil Gayatin and Kaye LuymThe cast of The Proposal and The Boor
Sun.Star Weekend | Saturday , May 21, 20118CCHERRY ANN LIM Managing Editor, Special Pages and FeaturesJIGS ARQUIZA Editor CLINT HOLTON P. POTESTAS Writer
peeps (people, events and places)
From left: Roger Serna, Vanessa Balbuena, Shangri-La’s Walid Wafik, Sandra Seifert, Shangri-La’s Mildred Amon and Rica Rellon, Maggie Wilson-Consunji and Mirko Cattini.
It was a chilly Saturday last May 14, but that didn’t stop Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort and Spa from hosting “Solstice”, a swimsuit fashion show featuring the designs of Maggie Wilson-Consunji and Sara Seifert. Held at the resort’s beachfront, the fashion show was a huge success, as evidenced by the number of people who attended. As the models sashayed on the catwalk, cool chillout music blared from the speakers while the attendees sipped Moet & Chandon champagne and oohed and aahed at the Solara swimwuits.
Sunset party
Host Phoemela Baranda with Shangri-La’s Mirko Cattini Kaye Luym with mom Elvira Marvin Maning, Dominic Sy and Brylle Quirante
Radiant SOLARA ladies Maggie Wilson-Consunji with Sandra Seifert
Jo Recio, Cookie Newman, Jude Bacalso and Chinggay Utzurrum
DJs Marvin Evangelista and War
