Tired of being angry all the time.

Career transitions will take place in a couple of weeks. Should be working on the presentation to impress prospective employers but.

I'm tired.

There's exploitation everywhere (videos of kids dancing like sl*ts: Jenna Rose and locally, Jan-Jan). There's the issue of three Filipino criminals going through China's death sentence (which I wholeheartedly agree with). An anti-spanking bill that's sure to bring out the brats in our already bratty young ones. Can see it now, the Philippines will be full of self-indulgent slackers that will think the world owes them something.

And gay people everywhere are still fighting to be understood.

There was a month when all the gay male bloggers I follow were in party mode, while all the lesbian bloggers are just being their usual contemplative selves. Now even the gay bloggers seem to be pensive. (Just felt my balance tip a little bit...riiiight there. I visit lesbian blogs for the profundity of their thoughts, while the gay males provide me with wise-ass cracks.)

We need something to be genuinely happy about. Something that does not involve asking a 6-year-old to gyrate like a macho dancer for everyone's entertainment.

Was supposed to write about "Pray the Gay Away", but what can I write that isn't already obvious?

So, I decided to entertain myself by watching Russell Peters. Can't afford to intellectualize. My new jobs demand absolute ownership of my brain. So will just keep this entry humorous. Russell Peters is very good at that.

If These Walls Could Talk 2

Starring: Vanessa Redgrave & Marian Seldes (1961), Chloë Sevigny & Michelle Williams (1972), Sharon Stone & Ellen DeGeneres (2000)

Directed By: Jane Anderson, Martha Coolidge, Anne Heche

Circa: 2000

Haven't seen the first one, but am now looking for it. This made-for-tv HBO movie was introduced to me by a colleague, when we were discussing options for same-sex couples living in countries where marriage is not legal for them. He said that a couple could enter into a business partnership and have all properties be named under the  business. That way, no one would need to come out of the closet. His words were, "Para wala nang magulang na sumama ang loob." That means: so no parent would have to get hurt by news that his/her son/daughter is gay.

Was actually struck by the first story, which was set in 1961. It was about two women who grew old together as partners but did not have the same legal rights as married couples. This part was so heart-felt it induced tears. The why-am-I-crying-in-the-middle-of-the-office-when-I'm-supposed-to-be-working kind of tears. Glad that this particular movie is work-related. Had a legit excuse to watch it at work.

The other two parts were set in 1972 and 2000 respectively. They had totally different issues to tackle, but were no less serious than the first. Even if Sharon Stone and Ellen Degeneres were damn hilarious in the third part.

1972 was about second wave feminist struggles while 2000 was about alternative families. My mom was still in high school in 1972 and she didn't meet my dad until years later, so it takes movies like this to make me marvel at how far we lesbians have come in terms of occupying better grounds.

Loving Alice's Red Dress in The L Word Season 4

Finally got around to Season 4 of The L Word. Very delayed, IKR, but at least am watching something.

Hafta say, Alice is looking really good here. I especially love her getup when she visited the military base. High-heeled strappy shoes with thick heels, and the checkered dress is just gorgeous! It really brought out her best silhouette.

I'd actually love to own an ensemble like this...except my body is no longer as lithe as it used to be. And I'm not tall. That pretty thing would look like a ball gown on me. <Insert audible sigh here.>

The 1st Shop of Coffee Prince

커피프린스 1호점
Starring: Yoon Eun Hye as Go Eun-Chan, Gong Yoo as Choi Han-Gyul, Lee Sun Gyun as Choi Han Seong and Chae Jung Ahn as Han Yoo Joo
Directed By: Lee Yoon Jung
Circa: 2007

Go Eun-Chan is a young woman, who had to become the head of her household when her father died at an early age. She works herself to the bone in order to support her capricious mother and spoiled brat of a sister. While doing a delivery for one of her employers, she encounters rich Choi Han-Gyul, who mistakes her for a boy. Later, he hires her as one of his coffee shop's waiters, thinking that she is one of the most hardworking men he has ever met. Since the shop, Coffee Prince, only employs male staff, due to the nature of its target market, Go Eun-Chan could not reveal her real gender. Problem is, Choi Han-Gyul finds himself slowly falling in love with Go Eun-Chan. He goes through an emotional roller-coaster ride, tormented by thoughts of forbidden love...

Gender is a social construct and it took a Korean rom-com to show what it takes to love beyond the socially constructed concept. In most culturally progressive countries, like Japan, as one of the characters pointed out, this situation would not have seemed problematic. But this was set in Korea, where everything sexual is an issue. (No wonder Korean men rank #1 in promiscuity all over the world. All that repression is bound to get manifested somewhere.) In fact, their idea of homosexuality is so antiquated that its existence in society is practically denied.

Coffee Prince explores this issue through an endearing arsenal of engaging dialogues that are surprisingly light-hearted, even during the few dramatic scenes. The setting is quite apt, too, since a graduate school classmate of mine, who spent a month in Korea, once said that gay men usually hang out in coffee shops. The customers in this TV series are expectedly female, of course.

Besides Go Eun-Chan and Choi Han-Gyul sticky situation, other male-female relationships abound. It's certainly interesting to observe Korean male-female discourses, even if it's fiction. This is one very witty show, directed by an extremely talented woman.

The 1st Shop of Coffee Princeis available at Amazon.com. Highly recommended.

They automatically assume this? Wut?

Straight Guy says:
"So, when you use toys..."

Response:
"We don't."

Straight Guy says:
"You don't?

Response:
"We don't need to."

Straight Guy asks:
"So how do you...?"

Response:
"Are you so lame that the only arsenal you have at your disposal is an elongated object?"

How The L Word's Shane answered the question about what she would do if she had a p*nis for a day:
Shane: I would pee, standing up, on every bush I could find.
Dana: That's all you would do? Just pee?
Shane: Yep.
Jenny: You really wouldn't try to f*ck a lot of girls?
Shane: I don't need a d*ck to do that.

The L Word

The L Word. Arguably the most popular lesbian TV series. Great first four seasons. Gets weirder from there. Shane (played by Katherine Moennig) is, IMHO, the hottest lesbian evar. Jenny (played by Mia Kirshner), the central character, makes my head hurt.

Introduced to me by friends when I was just on the verge of "crossing over". A shocker. Situations within can sometimes cause indigestion.  Loved the characters anyway. Thank Goddess, it's fiction.

Highly recommended.

But newbies must be reminded to take The L Word with a grain of salt.