Camsdcute’s Lair

Archive for August, 2008

Here are some of my favorite movies. Some of these are very hackneyed yet I had enjoyed.

My Top Fifteen Favorite Movies

1. Alexandre Dumas’ Count of Monte Cristo [Action Adventure Drama]
- I can see why this is Jose Rizal’s fave novel; simply enjoyable! Revenge is sweet!!!
My rating: 9.8/10

2. The Prestige [Msytery Drama Fantasy Sci-Fi Thriller]
- thought-provoking, you can’t take your eyes off the next scenes that are increasing intensity ‘til the end; lots of twists; the actors were great, and I love Scarlett as an actress.
My rating: 10/10

3. The Departed [Crime Drama Thriller]
- like ‘The Prestige’, this is mind-boggling and you’ll find lots of twists in the story; I also loved the ending because it was much unexpected; Di Caprio ~ Damon duo is simply awesome!
My rating: 10/10

4. Stardust [Adventure Fantasy Romance] (tied)
- A excellent fairy-tale movie not just for kids; I was surprised by De Niro’s role
My rating: 10/10

4. The Notebook [Drama Romance] (tied)
– Simply astounding; a remarkable novel and movie will definitely move the hearts of the watchers. This movie made me cry; I won’t forget the names Noah & Allie; I even begged my cousin to let me use her credit card to download “The Notebook Theme” piano piece; I also love Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams
My rating: 10/10

5. Just Like Heaven [Comedy Fantasy Romance]
– I like Reese, she’s a great actress. I loved the story, the twists, and this also made me cry. I guess I’m just a cry baby.
My rating: 9.6/10

6. Green Mile [Crime Drama Fantasy]
– very moving story; a must-watch!!
My rating: 9.6/10

7. Unfaithful [Drama]
– tells a story of a marriage being challenged by temptations, presents consequences of having an affair; this movie is intended for adults only :D
My rating: 9.8/10

8. Ratatouille [Animation Comedy Family Fantasy]
– This is my favorite animation movie. My first thought was that this movie is disgusting. How can a rat cook for people? They’re just to dirty and filthy. But the movie proved to be very entertaining and the animation was great too (speaking of animation/effects/etc.., I liked Speed Racer and better if you watch it in the big screen)
My rating: 9.8/10

9. If Only [Drama Romance]
– seems a bit clichéd but at the time I watched this, I liked it.. made me cry as well…
My rating: 9/10

10. Sweet Home Alabama [Comedy Romance]
– Another Reese movie.. a simple romantic comedy.. I was touched by what the husband did for Reese
– I like its tagline “Sometimes What You’re Looking For Is Right Where You Left It”
My rating: 9.5/10

11. Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971) [Comedy Fantasy Musical]
– we borrowed a VCD tape from a video store and I watched this over and over again when I was a kid. I also read this book from Roald Dahl. I recommend having a bunch of chocolates beside you while reading this book.
My rating: 9.8/10

12. Blades of Glory [Comedy]
- I laughed my heart out seeing this movie especially on the part when they glided on the ice with the “I Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing” track; full of humor; I also like Jon Heder. Too bad he only has few movies; I think I’m gonna name my future child MacElroy or some name that sounds like that.
My rating: 9.9/10

13. National Treasure [Action Adventure]
- clues after clues……
My rating: 9/10

14. Pirates of the Caribbean [Action Adventure Comedy Fantasy]
– good story and the presence of Johnny Depp, Keira Knightley and Orlando Bloom made it fantastic
My rating: 9/10

15. Moments of Love [Drama Fantasy Romance]
- just to add a Tagalog movie in my list; I’m not quite sure if this movie will be appreciated by guys but for women, this is something poignant; very touching love story
My rating: 9/10

We’re scheduled to go on a trip to Hong Kong this May 31, 2008. I just hope that the weather will cooperate. Too bad Tobbie can’t make it because she hasn’t completed all the requirements for her passport application. The list of requirements for minors can be found at http://www.dfa.gov.ph/consular/passport-eng.htm

As usual, my Mr. Marlon Dawas, requested me to get him his DOST clearance so he can go with us to Hong Kong. (Oh my!) He said, I should go to the DOST office in Bicutan and afterwards go to the Bureau of Immigration in Manila. (Really huh?) I have no choice. I had to do that because a week ago, I had forced him to take two days of leave and had him attend a two-day training/seminar on my behalf. Now he’s really taking a big chunk of his share. I asked him, “How did you get your clearance last time you went to Canada? Of course, I realized, HP did work on that, and with the help of kuya Jags who was the one who traveled back and forth to DOST and the Immigration office, he was able to submit all the requirements and get his clearance.

This time, I had to do the dirty work. So now, where do I start? Oh yes, I googled DOST’s page, then dialed the no. I saw in the ‘Regional Offices’ page NCR region: +63 (02) 837-2017 to 82 Loc. 2017; 2018. You should take note of the contact no. of the DOST office in your region. Link is here. When the representative answered, he told me that he would transfer me to the Scholarship Department. My call was then routed to that department. When someone answered, I asked her how one can get a travel clearance. She advised me to call another number, (02) 837-1333. The rep who answered clearly gave me the instructions on how to get the clearance.

So here it is:

Step 1: Create a letter of request for a travel clearance, address it to:

• Ester B. Ogena
  Director
  DOST-SEI
  2/F Imelda Bldg. DOST Compound
  Gen. Santos Avenue, Bicutan, Taguig City
  Philippines

Your letter should contain the details on how many years you’ve served the country.

Step 2: Fax your Certificate of Employment and the letter of request (step 1) to DOST. This will serve as the proof of your tenure in the company here in the Philippines.

• Fax No.: (02) 837-3162 or (02) 839-0086

Step 3: Call DOST and verify if they had received the documents you faxed.

After 2 working days, go to their office at 3F PTRI Bldg, Bicutan and get your travel clearance. This will also be the step when a scholar who hasn’t finished the 4-year contract pays the cash bond required. (This will be given back once you return to the country). Make sure to bring the original documents you faxed. After paying the bond, the director will sign your travel clearance.

***There is no need to go to the Bureau of Immigration.

Marlon said that once I go to DOST, it will take me a day to wait for all the processing especially that the DOST office is in Bicutan. I’m thinking about that, I’m just hoping it wouldn’t take that long. If you’d want to avoid the hassle of going to Bicutan, you can also request them to mail the clearance to your address but we wouldn’t want the risk of waiting for that mail because our flight is scheduled at the end of May. You should also go there as early as you can to avoid long queues when requesting your clearance.

Whew! I’m relieved that I do not have to get a clearance for myself. I am not a DOST scholar because during high school, I was not really aware that this type of scholarship exists…. poor me for being ignorant…