Ain’t Cool.

It's an exciting season for series both in movie and cable TV. The “Avengers: Endgame” premiered last week while “Game of Thrones” is now on its eighth and final season that fans just can't contain their excitement over it. Weeks leading to these epic shows, there were calls to avoid posting spoilers on the internet and social media sites. But even with the reminders, demands, and pleas, some people can’t seem to stop themselves from doing so.

They say spoilers are "inevitable" like you-know-who (see what I did there?), but I did make an effort to avoid it as much as I could. I have muted words related to Avengers on Twitter, lessen my time online and didn't really read articles out of fear that someone might have left a comment that spoils it all. So imagine how I got particularly pi**ed when an FB friend posted an adieu to one of the main characters—obviously implying that the character would eventually die by the end of the movie. One commenter was quick to call him out and yet he even has the nerve to say that he wasn’t spoiling anything and that he’s merely paying tribute to his favorite Avenger. Yeah, right. 

Fact: We know a spoiler when we see one. 

Spoilers are not limited to discussing what exactly happened or revealing major plot lines. Spoilers can be in a form of giving clues, hints such as emojis, animated .gif or memes that can be interpreted and can tell a particular outcome. For a highly-anticipated movie like Endgame, when fans like me waited for almost a year after the cliffhanger ending of Infinity War, coming across a spoiler on my timeline can be utterly frustrating.

I have been saying that I will not hesitate to unfriend/unfollow people who'd spoil Endgame for me. True to my word, I did unfriend him on Facebook after being friends with him for more than five years. We are the regular commenters on each other's post and I don’t have any other issues with him but seeing that after messaging him, “No spoilers, please!” and still doing it, is not my idea of a friend. I don’t think he sees me as one too anyway otherwise he wouldn’t have done that.

See, my older brother also watched Endgame at 7AM on its opening day. And while I know that he’s been itching to talk to me about the movie — he didn’t say a word. No clues, no hints, no raves, no quotes, no whatsoever. It’s like he hasn’t watched at all. This was because I asked him not to tell me anything and not to give me any sort of information and he respected that.

I will never understand why some people, just because they watched it first, think that they have the right to ruin the fun for the rest of us. Other people would like to have the same amount of suspense and excitement that they have otherwise experienced. We want to feel every scene as it unfolds just like they did. In the case of Endgame, each scene is everything.

I would understand if this same friend posted the same farewell tribute a week after the Endgame, as that will be a “fair game”, but he did so a few hours after seeing the movie on its first day. It made me question his intentions. Was he merely bragging that he saw it first? Then again, so what if he saw it first? Does that mean he’s the bigger fan? Why can’t he simply say, “Ang ganda ng movie!” or something general as “Two-thumbs up!” and just stop at that? At least he was able to express his love for it while being extra considerate not to give any other information to the people who haven’t seen it yet.

A spoiler may say, “Why should I contain my excitement for other people’s sake?” Again, we just go back to the Golden Rule. If you were on the other side of it and the people who have seen it before you did the same thing to you, would you be pleased?

If you really wanted to talk about it, then talk to someone who has seen it already. Posting it on your social media is just like putting it all out there not caring who sees. I know that as fans, we are just so overwhelmed that sometimes we just can’t wait to tell someone — or anyone — about the movie or a show but then we should chill as we have an acceptable window on when we can start talking openly about it both in regular conversation or on your social media posts.

If you really can't help it, why not do a spoiler with no context? Post a rat. Or Steve Rogers' ass. A guy raising his index finger to say "one". So many have done it on Twitter. It's witty, it's smart. Even fans who haven't seen the movie wouldn't know what it is all about. Nothing spoiled and it's a whole lotta fun, because only those who have seen it will get it.

Heaven knows I want to let all that rush of emotions out, but I didn’t go and post it on Twitter on Facebook. I just can't. I watched the movie on its third day and I’m sure a lot of people were planning to see it on the weekend so I had to STFU. You think I don't want to immediately blog about the movie? I do. You think it's easy? Hell no! But even if I put a "spoiler alert" header on my blog post, I'm pretty sure people will tell me to practice what I preach. It’s just plain common sense.

Some people may say that I shouldn’t even be that affected to unfriend/unfollow people over it. I beg to disagree. I wasn’t being petty; I wasn’t overreacting. It all boils down to that thing called respect and if I am not being given that, what's the point of keeping them on my list?

Jolt

Last Monday, while in bed watching reruns of KUWTK, I felt my bed swaying and hitting against the wall. I didn’t think much about it during the first few seconds, as that is not unusual (My room is on the third floor of the house so even just heavy walking would make it move). Not long after, it became a rolling motion much like being on a boat, and the TIE fighter hanging by the TV was moving back and forth.

EARTHQUAKE! I said to myself.

I got up, looked out the window and saw people still going by their usual business oblivious of what's happening. It didn't last long judging by the change to nervous faces, they've probably realized it already. Some ran, while most just froze and tried to gain balance by holding on to something. I could hear creaking sounds everywhere and got scared that the entire house would just collapse with me on it.

I heard my kuya yelling from downstairs: “Lindol! Lumilindol! Lumilindol!”—as if none of us were feeling it. I was particularly worried about my mom who was with the kids, while slightly annoyed at my older brother’s show of panic. At times like this, presence of mind and keeping calm is still the best way to go.

It lasted for less than a minute and every one of us is okay, thankfully. Our house, which will not take a shake stronger than that—is still standing. I hurriedly checked my phone for tweets and posts, hoping to get more details.

These are the very few times that I am thankful for social media as it didn’t take that long for me to know. I Googled “Earthquake Today” and saw that it was a 6.1 magnitude earthquake (6.3 as per US Geological Survey) and the epicenter was the town of Castillejos in Zambales (near Subic).

Sadly, even if it was a short earthquake, there were still casualties. As of this writing, the death toll is already at 11 and most were victims of a supermarket in Pampanga that collapsed. One of the recorded deaths is of this boy who's just about the same age as my older nephew. Such a tragedy.

To think, Philvolcs said, "it's a strong earthquake but not a major one." Imagine what a "major one" would be like to a densely-populated area like Metro Manila.

Less than 24 hours later, another much-stronger earthquake hit the town of San Julian in Eastern Samar, with a magnitude of 6.5. At about 2 AM today, a 4.4 magnitude earthquake hit Luzon again (at the same epicenter of Castillejos, Zambales). Then just a few hours ago, another earthquake with a magnitude of 4.7 hit Mindanao. While we can dismiss it as a pure coincidence, it is scary considering the short intervals.

What? All our faultlines and trenches started moving?

This only fueled the fears and talks of "The Big One" yet again. The Philippines lies along the Pacific Ring of Fire, where there is frequent seismic and volcanic activity. There is the eventuality of "The Big One", that it’s no longer a question of ‘if’ but more a question of ‘when’. Basic preparedness during an earthquake is encouraged now more than ever. We have earthquake drills and exercises in the event that it strikes while we’re in the office building (RCBC Plaza is said to be earthquake-proof), but I don’t know if we can be fully prepared for it.

I'm pretty sure I will not remember everything I learned in our Crisis Management Training when already faced with a strong earthquake. In my case last Monday, I just froze where I was standing. I didn't even remember to 'duck, cover and hold' or stay away from potential danger. Honestly, even if I am not the type who would go on a panic mode, I also wouldn't be able to react at once. While others would probably take flight, I wouldn’t even know what hit me until it did.

The West Valley Fault is one of the major segments of a fault system that runs through Metro Manila. According to what I read, it moves every 400 to 500 years and the last on record was sometime in the 1600s. I don't want to do the math, but we're probably on 300+ years now.

West Valley Fault in red

The thing is, even with our technology today, nobody can accurately predict earthquakes. People can only do as much as relate occurrences such as weird animal behavior, cloud formation, frequency of small earthquakes, global warming, etc. as precursors to one. According to studies, over 30,000 Filipinos may die if a major West Valley Fault movement with a magnitude 7 happens. It is going to be a disaster of epic proportions, something I wouldn't want to live long enough to witness.

I pray that if "The Big One" happens in my lifetime, that it's going to be a quick death for me. No more getting stuck under floors of rubble; no more drinking my own pee to survive; no more waiting for days just to get rescued; no more having to amputate my leg just to get me out.

Just a fatal blow that hopefully, I wouldn't even feel.

***
For most of my colleagues at work, last Monday's earthquake was their worst ever. This is because most of them were too young, or maybe not yet even born when the 1990 Luzon earthquake happened.

I was on my sophomore year in High School when the July 16, 1990 earthquake happened and it was the strongest and deadliest earthquake in memory. I remember it was after class, and I was in the library doing my research when it hit. I don’t recall being hysterical, but I did run towards the door of the library hoping to go down and flee to the quadrangle where I think it would be safer. But because of the violent shaking, I was forced to drop onto my hands and knees with some of the other students before I could even get to the door.

My attention was drawn to the fish aquarium, which by this time was already half-empty with all the strong shaking. The swaying stopped momentarily, so I tried to stand up slowly before it shook violently again. I could hear the students screaming, crying and praying.

I was barely 14 years old, with so many years ahead of me and yet I feel I could die at that very moment. (Thinking of it now, if I did die then I would die a geek since they had to retrieve my body in the library—of all places!). I was saying a silent prayer in between whimpers and after what seemed like many minutes on my knees, the shaking stopped and we heard someone talking at the school PA system telling us what to do next. I honestly don't recall the specifics anymore, being that it was almost 30 years ago. I don't remember how I went back for my things or if I even saw any of classmates right after or even how I got home that day.

That earthquake killed more than a thousand, mostly in Northern and Central Luzon. It was the one that destroyed the Hyatt Terraces Hotel in Baguio and collapsed Christian College of the Philippines. It was those stories of the victims and the survivors that are forever etched in my young memory. It was something I wouldn't want to experience or hear of ever again.

To think, that wasn't "The Big One" yet.

In The Endgame Now

The highly-anticipated movie of 2019, Avengers: Endgame, will be showing next week, and I can’t tell you how excited I am to see it. It’s all I think about these past few days.

I have been a fan of many film series but let me tell you that nothing — not the X-Men or even my childhood favorite, Star Wars franchise — got me this crazy-psyched and emotionally-invested. I have been waiting for this sequel since I was left with my mouth gaping at the end of Avengers: Infinity War last year.

For the entire time, there has been a lot of speculation on how the movie will end. The most-talked-about is the possibility of the original Avengers Captain America and Iron Man making a heroic sacrifice to defeat Thanos that would eventually kill one or both of them.

Just the mere thought of it is making my stomach turn upside down. Iron Man is my favorite Avenger ever, while Captain America, being played by Chris Evans—is currently my only object of carnal affection.

When they released the movie’s official poster a few weeks back with the Cap right smack in the middle, I thought, does this give us a clue of his impending doom? Will he make the ultimate sacrifice to save another Avenger? Iron Man is also almost superimposed on the poster—will he die as well? Is this why Doctor Strange traded the Time Stone for Tony Stark’s life because he saw his importance? 

I don’t know about RDJ, but I can’t help but think that there is a strong possibility that this will be the last time I’d see Evans as Captain Rogers. After all, his six-picture contract to play the “Star-Spangled man with a plan” is up and has been very vocal about wanting to do other things. If the year-long speculations were true, then I don’t think I can deal with it that easy and y’all might see me come out of the theater in tears.

Iron Man, even after the arrival of all the other super cool characters, is still my favorite Avenger. The whole MCU would be boring without our favorite genius, billionaire, playboy philanthropist. However, after that Edinburgh scene in Infinity War, when Captain America appeared in the shadows at a train station to rescue Wanda and Vision, I have developed this huge-crush-bordering-obsession on Chris Evans (I’ll tell you more about that on a separate post), so he came in close second to Iron Man since then.

No shit. If one (or both!) of them dies in the movie, it will be much more hurtful than my recent breakup.

The film will open in theaters here in the Philippines on April 24. As much as I want to be the first one running to see it, I can’t, since it falls on a weekday. I wouldn’t want to watch it then probably call-in sick the next day if Stark or Rogers die so I reserved a ticket for the 3:15 PM screening on Friday, April 26. I have the whole weekend to “recuperate” if the ending turned out to be exactly what I feared it to be.

The film will run for three hours, so remind me to wear an adult diaper and ditch the biggie iced tea to lukewarm bottled water so my bladder won’t go knockin’. Make it a large popcorn and New York hotdog sandwich for me to bring inside as 180-minutes is no joke for my extra-efficient stomach.

I can't wait for a lot of things! For one, I want to know how Stark will be able to go back to earth (I’m sure Nebula will play a vital part) and how will it be joining forces with Rogers again after their fallout in Civil War. I would love to see Rocket (I find him very entertaining in IW) and was particularly thrilled seeing the trailer where he was all-suit up as an Avenger.

I am intrigued on what Danver’s meta-human/Kree powers (the end of IW made it seem that Fury thinks she’s the best bet to save the day) and Ant-Man’s knowledge of the Quantum Realm could do to help the earth’s mightiest heroes beat Thanos.

Must I forget Thor? Will he finally go for the head of the titan with his Stormbreaker? (I still believe he’s the mightiest and most powerful Avenger and I don’t care what Captain Marvel fans say). Will an enraged Banner turn to Hulk now and “smash”? How about our super assassins Black Widow and Hawkeye? Will they have the fight of their lives? Will Hawkeye be Ronin now?

And Groot. Heck, they must bring back Groot.

Endgame is going to be jam-packed, that’s for sure, as there are lots of questions that needed answers. I don’t think it will have that many slow scenes like in Infinity War (I got bored on the Soul Stone scene at Vormir where Thanos sacrificed Gamora). I predict it to be so epic and climactic, a fitting end to MCU’s Phase 3.

Now as I will be a couple of days behind, I am hoping that I won’t see any spoilers posted on my social media newsfeed. I tell you—if I see something even as vague as an emoji or a quote from the movie that gives away what happened, I am ready to hit the UNFRIEND button on anyone faster than Thanos could snap.