A Rough Start

Most of us welcomed 2020 with hope and positivity; we all wish it will be better than the years before in many ways.

The first month of the year was eventful, but not in a good way. So many things had happened in a span of days, with one crisis overlapping another: The worst leg of the Australian fires, the Iran-US conflict, Taal Volcano eruption, the 2019-nCoV, a deadly earthquake in Turkey, and the tragic death of the basketball legend from a helicopter crash.

While the gravity of these issues varies depending on the person who hears it, we can all agree that none of it was a good way to start the year.

This is the very reason why many people felt that January is a long month. For most of us, the beginning of the year simply sucks.

Early this month, World War III became a trending topic on Twitter after a US airstrike killed an Iranian General. Iran vows retaliation and attacked the US forces in Iraq that many think it’ll soon escalate to nuclear warfare. I don’t know the state of it at the moment—if the tension simmered down, or if one or both countries stepped down, or if it was only eclipsed by other news—whatever the reason, there’s no denying that the possibility of serious conflict is hovering us.

It’s also depressing to see that even if the Alert Level for Taal volcano has now been lowered to 3, the reality that most of our kababayans in the affected areas are going to start over from almost nothing breaks my heart. Even if the alert is down, the threat remains. The toughest part of it all is that no one knows how long will people suffer such uncertainty.

Meanwhile, the Coronavirus is not something we should take lightly as the worldwide death toll is rising fast.

I stocked up on face masks and alcohol; I don’t recall ever being this OC even during the flu season. I now avoid touching restroom doorknobs, escalator handrails or elevator buttons and stay away from crowded areas as much as possible. These measures are being done because I’m scared of what I’d bring home after a long day outside, more than what it can actually do to me.

Just last night, the Department of Health confirmed one of the hospitals in Pasay as having admitted a “person under observation” of the disease. It may not be a confirmed case yet (still no nCov case in the Philippines as of this writing) but it’s alarming, nonetheless. Remember that the virus has an incubation period, so with bated breaths, we wait.

***

Even if you wanted to be optimistic despite it all, there is still that considerable anxiety. Personally, it’s hard to watch the news and read social media posts these days not just because of these issues but more of how some people react to it. Like I’m shocked at the audacity of some to make every issue political. Seriously, social issues in itself are already complex, so people should just stop bickering over it.

Then there’s some who just enjoy bringing people down. I call it habitual skeptics, people who would oppose something because they thrive on angry responses.

I have this FB friend who expressed his irritation at how suddenly people became Kobe fans after his death, suggesting most are mere bandwagoners. Whether this is true or not, we don’t need such negativity anymore so why can’t he just let other people be? Besides, one doesn’t have to be a fan to mourn or feel bad over the death of some celebrity.

(Would you believe that people on the internet are fighting over the right way of wearing a surgical mask?)

Seriously, we don’t need this anymore.

***

Thankfully, the month is about to end, and I have to admit that I can’t wait to tear January off the 2020 calendar. With fingers crossed, I pray things will get better not just for myself, but for everybody. We might have experienced a rough start but let us not lose hope in the fact that after the bad comes the good.

I guess we should just have to keep the faith.

Let's hope it won't.

From Google Earth

My city is approximately 50 miles north of Taal volcano. For now, at least, we’re pretty much at a safe distance from the second most active volcano in the Philippines.

The eruption that started last Sunday, January 12, has been all over local and foreign news for days now. Why would it not? — In just a matter of five hours since the initial phreatic eruption, PHILVOCS raised the alert status to Alert Level 4 which means Hazardous Eruption Imminent. Ashfall reached as far as Metro Manila and Pampanga, which resulted in panic-buying (and later a shortage) of face masks.

Filipinos are used to calamities that yearly besiege the country such as typhoon and flooding, but a strong volcanic eruption is a different story. For us living in the island of Luzon, we haven’t had such since Mt. Pinatubo in the early 90s (which I remember vividly).

I stayed home all day last Sunday and with bated breath monitored the events as it unfolds. Ashfall can be seen on windows, cars and on the ground and there was that distinct, choking smell of sulfur in the air.

Many schools and offices were closed the next day, and all flights from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport were canceled. 

Residents within the low-lying 14-kilometer “danger zone”, were asked to evacuate to nearby towns. State of Calamity has been declared in the entire province of Cavite and Batangas as ashfall and tremors continue. Tagaytay, a busy town where locals and tourists alike would flock to at this time of the year, was also affected. Many in the affected areas have no supply of water and electricity.

Days after, many desperate residents have ignored the appeals to evacuate and are trying to go back to their homes to salvage what they can. Some returned for their pets and livestock even with the total lockdown.

While the volcano has been eerily quiet for days now, it still remains on Alert Level 4. PHILVOCS expressed concerns on the appearance of ground fissures/cracking in towns of Agoncillo, Talisay, and Lemery, as they said that this is a sign that magma is rising and pushing the ground up. The latest drone pictures show Taal’s lake inside the crater had already vaporized.

Experts say that calmness can be deceptive, and the potential threat should not be ignored. Worst-case scenarios can be anything from tsunami (may happen if part of the volcano collapsed to the lake) to high clouds of hot ash that can pollute water and air. It can also affect livelihood and damage infrastructure.

Bayanihan is a commendable trait of many Filipinos and almost everyone is trying to step-up in any way they can. Many people are helping out with the relief operations for the affected communities by donating cash and goods. Philippine Red Cross is accepting towels, N-95 face masks, bottled waters, blanket, cup noodles, old clothes, etc.

There’s a great possibility that a major seismic event would happen sometime in the future. The Philippines is located right smack in the Pacific Ring of Fire where the worst earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur.

If worse comes to worst, even if we’re way outside the “danger zone”, heavy ashfall is a potential health risk.

My biggest concern if this ever happens is the senior and little kids at home. My younger nephew has pneumonitis which means that he is more at risk from respiratory illnesses.  The sudden ashfall last Monday, while not as thick as those that were experienced in Batangas, Cavite, and Laguna—already caused enough disruption and panic. Up to now, even if Metro Manila has been cleared from ashfall (due to the change of wind direction) and experts say that the level is good, I continue to doubt our air quality. I still don’t go outside unless I’m wearing my face mask.

I know this is nothing compared to what other people are experiencing right now, which is why I hope that we have already seen the worst. Let’s pray it won’t progress to that destructive eruption we all fear. Our country has enough problems already and we don’t need another calamity to test our resilience as a people.

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Nostalgia wins

I think it’s already fair game to write about “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” now that it’s been more than three weeks since its release on theaters (not counting the week it was pulled out to give way to the local movies for the Manila Film Festival). If you haven’t seen it and is still planning to then feel free to skip this post. Otherwise, let me talk about what I feel about the movie in general.

Being a long-time Star Wars fan, I’ve always told people of my unpopular opinion on how they shouldn’t have carried on with Episodes VII to IX. The last three movies have the same concept as the original trilogy: They’re back to being the rebels again trying to defeat the Empire (or in the case of the newer movies — the First/Final Order).

For me at least, the Star Wars saga should have ended with Return of the Jedi. If Disney wants to continue with the Star Wars universe, it should be for the non-canonicals.

Because I didn’t watch The Rise of Skywalker in the first few days of its release (It’s the Christmas week—I was so busy), I went on reading the online reviews. Maybe I’m no longer an ardent fan of all the movies that came after, that I didn’t care what the reviews spoil.

Most reviews were bad, almost harsh. Some even put this movie behind the worst among the prequels. But then my brother (a bigger Star Wars fan than I’ll ever be) said it was actually good and that I should not mind the reviews. I have also read some FB friends’ posts saying the same thing.

So what, the critics hated it but the fans loved it? It looks like it.

Special effects-wise, I love it. I watched this in 4DX and since there was a lot of flying, space battles and light-saber fighting, this geek who once secretly daydreamed to be Jedi was just too happy to finally “getting the feel” of it.

One of the common criticism this movie received is how JJ Abrams veered off from Rian Johnson’s aim on The Last Jedi. I think Rian’s intention was to develop character arcs and storylines so as to gain younger fans that would usher the franchise to a new era. Remember when Ren told Rey to “Let the past die”? As if he’s saying that we—the passionate fans of the original movies, should also let go. I even remember writing a lengthy Instagram post accepting that The Last Jedi concluded the Star Wars that I have grown to love all my life.

But in this final installment, Rose Tico was sidelined, with only less than two-minutes screen time. Finn’s character was also not as strong as I would have expected after The Last Jedi. Here, I even noticed how they turned Poe into a less-charming version of Han.

You can call it reckless abandonment of everything Rian wanted to do.

*** 

In the first minutes of the film with the all-too-familiar Star Wars opening crawl, it already revealed that Palpatine is alive. How did that happen when we all know he was tossed down the Death Star shaft by Vader? Magic. To be specific — Sith magic. Fans knew the Palpatine line that we can all deliver it in unison: “The dark side of the force is a pathway to many abilities, some considered to be unnatural”.

It was this movie that finally explained why Rey was so strong with the force, for it was revealed that she’s Palpatine’s granddaughter. Now, this is just great because I simply cannot accept a nobody having such Jedi abilities. I just can’t. I mean, Rey has to be of a significant bloodline. This revelation (aside from her being possibly a Skywalker), is the most plausible for me.

In this movie, we also saw that Leia was, in fact, a Jedi. We saw her training with her twin brother Luke, then later on training Rey, and finally appearing as a force ghost in Tatooine right by the end of the movie. There was some closure for me at that, as it was something I always wondered about as a child.

The mystery behind Supreme Leader Snoke was also answered, that he was just merely Palpatine’s creation. All those crazy speculations that went circling around, saying that Snoke and Mace Windu is one and the same—is obviously false.

Another major criticism is how it doubled-down on the fan service. I guess it made the entire franchise — spanning nine movies, a bit exclusive to the fans of the original trilogy.

The movie did make ‘older’ fans giddy because of the cameos of the characters from the original franchise. The appearance of Lando Calrissian made it seem like I’m seeing a long-lost friend (after all, he’s one of my favorite characters from the original trilogy). Then there’s the ghost of Han Solo talking to Ren (I wasn’t expecting this). I almost missed Red Squadron pilot Wedge Antilles on the final battle, but it did make me happy to know there are still some of the original empire rebels left (after killing off Admiral Akbar on The Last Jedi). There’s the Ewoks looking up from Endor reminiscent of that scene from Return of the Jedi when Death Star II exploded.

The fan service isn’t just with the appearance of our beloved characters, I admit to getting nerdy-excited seeing Luke’s old X-Wing Fighter. Even the Millennium Falcon fitted with a new radar dish delights me (remember this was knocked-off at Return of the Jedi as Lando was racing out of the Death Star).

This movie also toyed with our feelings. We thought that fuzzball Chewie would be a casualty in this film. Also, from the trailers, I thought that C-3PO will die (with his touching speech), but the adorable Babu Frik only erased his memory—nothing that my favorite droid R2 can’t fix.

The warm fuzzy feeling continues on some of the scenes; the familiarity was almost like déjà vu.

Just like what he did to Luke, Palpatine challenged Rey to strike him. In a true Episode VI fashion, the undead Sith Lord shows her the assault above, and how he said he can easily wipe out the resistance should she refuse.

The climax was another fan service. While Rey lies on the ground, Palpatine brags he carries all the Sith with him. Just as when all hope’s lost, we suddenly hear familiar voices in support of Rey: Luke, Leia, Anakin Skywalker, Qui Gon, Obi-Wan (both Alec Guinness and Ewan McGregor), Mace Windu and Yoda. As expected, she beat her evil lolo’s ass.

The last scene shows Rey on Tatooine just right by the house of the Lars, burying Luke and Leia’s lightsabers and telling an old woman she’s a Skywalker (by affiliation, obviously). Rey and BB-8 looking at Tatooine’s twin suns; a callback to Luke’s scene from A New Hope.

Maybe this is the very reason why a lot of people generally find die-hard Star Wars fans annoying, for some have this illusion of exclusivity. That if you’re someone who only loved the franchise only through The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi, The Rise of Skywalker will somehow make you feel an “outsider”. There are too many inside references and catchphrases only an old fan would get and appreciate.

I do agree that the movie was rushed and has so many things going on, leaving some details ambiguous. I admit that there were scenes that made me go, “Huh?” because the scenes jump from one plot to another. One moment Finn is ready to confess his feelings to Rey, and that was just abandoned as the movie went on. The details in locating Exogol through the Wayfinder was a bit confusing to me, that I had to sit up straight and listen. There was no backstory on how the wrinkly Palpatine sired a son (and with who?) or explain the massive number of black-hooded Sith.

And what the hell is a spice runner?

***

While I understand where the critics are coming from, I don’t think this movie deserves nasty reviews and ratings. It didn’t get me all nerdgasmic as I was when I watched Endgame, but there were fantastic, highly-entertaining moments.

You may think that the reason why I liked the movie is that it pleases the old Star Wars fan in me. Perhaps it even cashed-in on my emotions—but was it so wrong that it appeals to nostalgia?

Liking this movie is something I won’t even apologize for.