I’ve sold my soul to the Disney devil.

Five to almost ten years before, I abhorred absolutely anything that had to do with pop. I got into a fight with some classmates in high school because they worshipped *NSYNC and I was all “Ewww they’re so gross. You guys are so baduy.” Early college I loved the rock concert crowd, hated the bubblegum pop fans, hated mainstream music… It was lame to me, the artists had no real talent, and it was all “image” and “marketing” and “fake.”

Sexxeh.

Fast forward to present day:

I love Britney Spears’ comeback album — I’m totally rooting for her to get back to “normal.” I think the Jonas Brothers’ are adorable and have decided that if they drop by the Philippines for a concert at the Araneta, I would actually pay to get in and watch them live. I do NOT like Miley Cyrus (DUH), that’s one thing I can say proudly. But I do think Selena Gomez is cutesy and I actually watch her show when I catch it on Disney. AND…

I am so in love with the High School Musical (HSM) phenomenon.

The first HSM, I watched about 10 times — everytime I’d catch it on Disney, you better believe it’ll stay on that channel. I’ve watched almost every version there is: The sing-along, the one with the trivia bubbles… All except the dance-along. Which is a shame — yes, I actually think it’s a shame I didn’t get to watch that. I would have wanted to know the dance to “We’re All In This Together.” HAHAHAHAa– omg what is happening to me?

First definite sign that I’ve lost it was with the second installment — I didn’t like it, but I still watched it. Several times.

This third one however, was different. It was going to be on the BIG SCREEN, like an actual movie. It was a whole ‘nother level to HSM fans all over the world. And if I haven’t mentioned Zac Efron, I think now would be the best time to.

In the lull between 2 and the release of 3, sexy Efron was gallivanting shirtless with really low board shorts on beaches. He was with whatshername. I don’t care for her much. LOL. I was only looking at pictures of him.

Zac Efron: not just for the little kids

Yes, yes, this is my justification for my lame, almost pathetic fanaticism of the movie franchise. It’s good enough, don’t you think?

He only took his shirt off ONCE in the entire movie (Boo.), but I should mention that the shirtless hottie looks mighty fine in a suit, too. (woot)

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And here’s my excuse of a review for High School Musical 3 (while I try not to stare at the picture because it’s kinda distracting):

I LOVED IT. And I’m not entirely sure if it was the fan-girl or the movie buff in me. I think it’s 70-30. Fan-girl gets the 70. Hee.

It really was bigger than the first 2. The production was grander than it ever was and I loved how they made it look like an actual stage play half the time. The costumes were a little overdone — what with Sharpay’s (Ashley Tisdale) slutty “villainous” outfits, with her twin’s (that gay guy with kind of bad teeth?) “WTF IS HE WEARING?”-inducing clothes in some attempt to be fashion forward, and the black girl’s overly color-coordinated getups. It’s like the wardrobe director only ever tried to make Troy (Efron) and Gabriella (Vanessa Hudgens) look good and the rest got the leftovers.

The cheesy lovey-dovey scenes were typically mushy. Disney, right? What would you expect? I was like a tween all over again going “Fuck you, Gabriella. Troy is MINE.” And I was laughing when the song would start at the weirdest moments. I’ll never get over how one of them would just suddenly burst into song after a second’s silence. Laughable, always.

BUT! Awkward as it were, the songs were catchy, and easy to sing along with. (Yes, I was singing with them in the theatre shut up.) The dances, sequences were cute. And omigod I actually almost shed a tear especially when the movie was almost over. Nostalgia because it was going to be the last one! (College Musical just doesn’t have that ring to it.)

So it’s definitely not a deep and serious omigod that totally gave me a new look at life kind of movie. But it’s good, clean fun. It’s the type of movie you could watch over and over again, especially when you don’t want confusing plotlines and just want to relax. I know I’ll be waiting for it to come out on cable TV.

Also, have I mentioned that Zac Efron is really really really hot now and I think I <3 <3 <3 him?

…My future kids are so gonna laugh at me 20 years from now, aren’t they?

Smaller And Smaller Circles

Having realized that I’ve been reading too much Gaiman and that I needed to read a book by someone else entirely, I picked up a book that’s been catching my eye for years now. I’d wanted to buy it for some time, then the book disappeared so I forgot about it. Then one day last week it was staring back at me from the bookshelves again. It was a local publication — something I have to get around to reading more often, I know! — and only 150 Pesos.

It was F. H. Batacan’s Smaller and Smaller Circles.

After reading books set in the US, Europe, sometimes Japan, can I just say that it’s unbelievably refreshing to read a story set in a country I’m actually in? The Philippine setting allowed me to relate to the characters on a more personal level, knowing personally what the country is like, even if the plot revolved around Payatas kids, something I’m not.

The plot was straightforward: 2 priests investigate serial killings of preteen boys near the Payatas dumpsite. Sometimes the NBI helps them, sometimes not. You know how our justice system works.

There were times when the writing got a little pretentious — unnecessary words, foreign language phrases, too many technical terms. It got too a point when it felt like the writer was trying to sound more intelligent than was necessary. The book was smart enough; there was no need to overpower it with flowery words. Overlook this little hiccup, then the book was fine.

The story was told smoothly. Places, events, were described in detail so that you knew what was going on, and where. The characters actually showed character. And there were enough involved to make it feel real enough — a tight little circle of people with character. I felt for the victims; I wanted them to be saved. I felt for the priests; I was on their side, falling in love with their conviction, their determination. I felt for everyone. I felt for the villain even.

Like a good detective novel of sorts, clues were strewn along the pages. If you’re attentive enough, you pick up on the clues before the priests do. But you’re unsure, so you read on. When you learn you’re right, come a few more pages, you heave a sigh of relief and give the detective-priests imaginary pats on the back for figuring it out.

It showed us how our criminal investigations worked. There are the lazy, there are the good who want to do more but can’t. But somehow, the good make it past the lazy. I wish it was like that outside the book, too.

It was a good book. It was a good read. It made me wish we had priest-detectives around here for real to save the to-be-killed from the killers.

And I thought the money was enough to keep me.

People in the Call Center industry are quick to defend their work; to say that there is no growth in the industry is bullshit!, they yell. Yes, for some companies that allow it, especially the one I was from, it was easy to “grow,” to be promoted, to climb the career ladder. From mere CSR, to TL, to OM… and so on. I could have gone up a rung had I applied any effort into it, had the bribe with a salary increase been shoved into my face a little more maybe.

But I remained a “mere” CSR. I didn’t bother even trying. I didn’t want to get promoted knowing that that would, in the long run, make it harder for me to leave if my time came to leave. I knew I didn’t want to have that kind of responsibility.

A few months later, I proved myself right. I couldn’t take it anymore. I couldn’t take the monotony. I couldn’t take the thought that I could be doing something more. Something more like me.

You see, the growth I was looking for was just not in that industry. And it was not in monetary terms either. For the longest time — I was there for over a year! — I thought the money would be enough to keep me there. And it did, for a while. And the fear of giving up on getting money kept me even longer than I wanted.

Don’t get me wrong; I loved it for all it was worth — the pay was good, as I’ve mentioned, and the people were great! It’s just… really… REALLY not what I want, or ever wanted. And I could no longer convince myself otherwise. Believe me, I tried.

And now, with my last day drawing near, I prepare to bid Fare Thee Well to the calls (yessss!!!), to the familiar almost-homey workplace, and to the friends I met while there. I just know I’ll end up shedding a tear or two. (Over the friends, not the calls, I clarify.)

All my worries of how to help the family out and how to save up for a plane ticket to run away to the States takes a backseat to my desperation to leave the damn place.

So what is it that I want to do after leaving? Shit – I don’t know. I’ll ask myself that later.

In the meantime, I give up all financial worry for my sanity and celebrate its return! …if I had it at all to begin with. ;)