I was reading through the condensed (and I clear: Wikipedia) explanation of Alice in Wonderland (not due to the movie, mind you), and although the literature has yet to give me the required headaches, the elucidations and science of Lewis Carroll’s rather tamely subversive literature successfully elicited headaches out of poor old moi. Ask why.

(because they’re all about freaking math. I kid you not.)

Although it satisfies me that at least it still has a little of wicked fun in the Wonderland context (much to Matrix’s follow the rabbit/down the rabbit hole) and people theorizing that the rabbit hole is in fact a hallucinatory state, it’s curious to note that a lot of Alice’s symbolisms and theoretical ramblings were left out in the movie version which, our beloved Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter (she still scares me, but I love her) are on, directed by Tim Burton. Whilst our written Alice is stumbling down wonderland on E, Alice the live-action version is going around wonderland battling with her own concept of maturity versus reality, ultimately following her father’s footsteps in embracing that, in fact, people may be deemed mad by most, but they’re the geniuses who make the impossible possible.

It is also interesting that Alice is seen to be returning to Wonderland now being 19 years old, and has had recollections of wonderland back as a kid. This time she gets a surprise marriage proposal, and after she backs out, she stumbles upon Wonderland in a creepy de ja vu, convincing herself that everything is a dream—her recurring dreams, in fact—while convincing everyone and herself of who she is and what her ultimate role is. While it shows that she is encountering everyone almost for the first time again, therefore providing a different twist of familiarity and vagueness, leaving the audience to think that although it’s almost like the story they know, even if it’s not the story they loved. This whole refreshing twist without fully changing it still compensates for the yearning of the original Alice in Wonderland, therefore completely offsetting the contrast versus the written context, as this is no longer the Alice in Wonderland we really know, but maybe an unwitting sequel to the story.

I have got to reluctantly give another kudos to Tim Burton—he was able to pull this off again. Although I am far from tired from seeing the Burton-Depp-Carter tandem yet again (a package deal, of course), it’s a relief to find that they didn’t leave out the other characters pale, in fact making them step up to the plate. Mia Wasikowska may seem reluctant but brave for the 19 year old Alice, and Anne Hathaway was splendidly…err…spacing out. A disappointment was the lack of character for the Cheshire Cat, though, which would have given more color to the rest of the 3D cast anyhow.

All in all, not bad. Watch it 3D or not, the movie in itself was ostentatious as for the colors. And, well. We all love Tim Burton.

PS. Speaking of which—Cass and I were discussing the possibilities of a Neil Gaiman story converted in to a Tim Burton movie—the Graveyard. Wouldn’t it be lovely? Johnny Depp as Mr Frost, Helena Bonham Carter as Ms. Lupescu, and maybe Freddie Highmore [he’s spooky enough anyway] as Bod. Would work, don’t you think? Tss. Maybe we ought to consider a new career in casting.

PSS. Happy birthday, Marla. I love you lots. *hug* Bakit di ka man lang sa date na ito nag last day?

Taking Chances
(originally by Platinum Weird, popularized by Celine Dion and brought into better, younger pop-culture by the cast of Glee)

Don’t know much about your life.
Don’t know much about your world, but
Don’t want to be alone tonight,
On this planet they call earth.

You don’t know about my past, and
I don’t have a future figured out.
And maybe this is going too fast.
And maybe it’s not meant to last,

But what do you say to taking chances,
What do you say to jumping off the edge?
Never knowing if there’s solid ground below
Or hand to hold, or hell to pay,
What do you say,
What do you say?

I just want to start again,
And maybe you could show me how to try,
And maybe you could take me in,
Somewhere underneath your skin?

What do you say to taking chances,
What do you say to jumping off the edge?

Never knowing if there’s solid ground below
Or hand to hold, or hell to pay,
What do you say,
What do you say?

And I had my heart beaten down,
But I always come back for more, yeah.
There’s nothing like love to pull you up,
When you’re laying down on the floor there.
So talk to me, talk to me,
Like lovers do.
Yeah walk with me, walk with me,
Like lovers do,
Like lovers do.

What do you say to taking chances,
What do you say to jumping off the edge?
Never knowing if there’s solid ground below
Or hand to hold, or hell to pay,
What do you say,
What do you say?

Don’t know much about your life
And I don’t know much about your world

(masokistang kanta. hahahahahaha.)

There’s this guy I was on the elevator with earlier. He was wearing one of those hair waxes–the dry type–but his hair wasn’t as messed up as it should be. I mean, it defeats the purpose of wax if you don’t make your hair look like one of those out-of-bed ones. His was just like, okay, I’m wearing wax.

I was getting this itch to grab his hair violently and mess it up for him, but I was afraid of getting kicked out of the company for violent bipolar reactions, so.

—
Nayna said there should be a soundtrack for every day. I said, there should be a soundtrack for every fucking moment. Well, minus the cuss part.

I stepped out unto the sunshine this morning after having breakfast with Dei at McDonalds and catching up on each other’s lives. Dei. I love her. She’s the only one remaining around here who understands the beautiful complications of mixed anxiety, bipolarity, and schizophrenic tendencies. She’s a nurse, by the way. But she psychoanalizes me sometimes. She analyzes my stupidities, I listen and love her for telling me truths about her life.

So I was waiting for one of them blue The Fort buses because I was planning to go EDSA bound, and I was in the area anyway–no cabs for today. I told Dei I love doing that sometimes–riding an unusual bus and going around the Fort area and pretending it’s Singapore; or going around Manila with earphones and British music and pretend I’m in some other part of the world. I like sitting somewhere wondering, I wonder if this is how Malaysia feels, or how it’s this cold in New York in the summer, or how maybe Mumbai is this jammed. So I stood at the curb and flicked that random happy button, and it usually plays anything random when I do that the shortcut way.

And here, is my beautiful morning song of the moment. Thank you Goldfrapp. Try listening to it when the sun is illuminating all the beautiful new glass of the tall buildings around you with the wet dew of the morning:

It’s a blue, bright blue Saturday, hey hey
And the pain’s starting to slip away, hey hey

I’m in a backless dress on a pastel ward that’s shining
Think I want you still
But they may be pills at work

Do you really wanna know how I was dancing on the floor?
I was trying to phone you as I’m crawling out the door
I’m amazed at you, the things you say and that you don’t do
Why don’t you ring?

I was feeling lonely, feeling blue
Feeling like I needed you
Like I’m walking up surrounded by me
A&E

It’s a blue, bright blue Saturday, hey hey
And the pain’s starting to slip away, hey hey

I’m in a backless dress on a pastel ward that’s shining
They gotta watch you still
But they may be pills at work

How did I get to accident and emergency?
All I wanted was you to take me out high
And I was feeling lonely, feeling blue
Feeling like I needed you
Like I hoped you’d call and hoped you’d see me
A&E

 
Well, it’s really a rather fucked up song, but I don’t mind. Elevator music. No, no–mood elevator. I love it. What’s yours?

Oooh! This just came in! Cuuuute! ^_^

Oh that is just SO cute.

(I hope David and Goliath is okay with me posting this *crosses fingers*)