Thoughts on "That Thing Called Tadhana"

“The Arrow with a Heart Pierced Through Him”

           

            “The Arrow with a Heart Pierced Through Him” is a lot like “The Missing Piece Meets Big O” by Shel Silverstein.

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            “The Missing Piece Meets Big O” is one of my favorite short clips in the Internet. It portrays how sometimes we look for somebody to complete us but what we really need to do is to complete ourselves first before we find our match.  You can watch this short story here. 

Suitcase Symbolism

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            Their 3 suitcases symbolize their emotional baggage. Sabi nga ni Mace laman nun yung “buong buhay nya”. Mace let Anthony carry some of her baggage and Anthony had a piece of her life. One of my favorite scenes is when Mace was carrying her suitcases up and down staircases.

            Before that scene, Anthony asked, “Anong gusto mo?” Mace replied, “Makalimot.” This conversation was followed by the staircase scene where the two were saying, “Mabigat. Pero mabagal. Pero kaya.” Ganyan ang paglimot. Mabigat. Mabagal. Pero kaya. Near the end, they both lost their luggage.

One More Chance References

            I love “One More Chance” just like everybody else. Pero sa totoo lang, hindi naman ako masyadong naka-relate kay Popoy at Basha. Yung character ni Maja, yun yung paborito ko. Parehas silang maganda pero mas tumagos talaga sakin ‘tong “That Thing Called Tadhana”.

University of the Philippines References

            “Tadhana” ang school hymn ng UP. Mas memorize pa namin yan kesa sa “UP Naming Mahal”. Nung tumugtog sa closing credits (bukod pa dun sa ringtone scene), sobrang daming feels.  

            At siguradong marami samin ang naka-relate sa sinabi ni Anthony, “Pagdating ko ng UP…akala ko magaling na ko eh, marunong lang pala.”

Baguio and Sagada

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            I’ve been to Baguio just five times and those escapades are five of the most memorable moments of my life. I remember standing before those paintings in BenCab Museum (where Mace and Anthony stood) thinking what those two paintings meant. If I were to go back there someday and I know I would, it will be as meaningful as all the other times.  And Sagada… never been there. I plan to go this summer.

Shooting Stars

            I have a fascination for shooting stars (and Saturn) so that shooting star scene…major plus points!

7 words

            “Hindi na kita mahal. Makakaalis ka na. 7 words. Yung 8 years namin, nagawa nyang tapusin sa 7 words.” – Mace

            This is all in the past and all is well now. But that line just reminded me of what I went through. Before my 4-year relationship ended, I tried reaching out and my efforts proved futile. In the end, I just wanted an explanation but still to no avail. I gave up and just asked, “Break na ba tayo. Yes or no?” I got a reply. He said, “Yes”. Yes, the word yes can be as heartbreaking as a no. Well, Mace, you got 7 words. I got one. Beat that!

            I wanted an explanation but as Anthony Lagdameo said, “ Kung sinabi ba nya sayo kung bakit, may magbabago ba?” With or without explanation, you move on eventually.

JM De Guzman!

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            Anak ng tokwa! Ang pogi! Nakakamatay yung ngiti at titig nya! Holy Mother! Tagos sa screen! Hindi OA. Sakto lang. Gusto kong habang nagde-develop yung istorya, pakislap nang pakislap yung mata nya. Move over, John Lloyd Cruz.

Best Scenes For Me

First – When Mace told Anthony about her dream and Anthony told her about his.

            “Yun lang. Walang bungee jumping, bilang-bilang, bitaw-bitaw, wala.”

            It was his way of comforting her. Alam mo yung ang taas ng emosyon ni Mace tapos basag trip si Anthony? Wala lang. Ang saya. Ang simple. Ang sweet.

Second – Akbay scene

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            Para sakin ito yung climax nung movie. Paka-simpleng climax. Pero tagos sa puso. Ang saya. Ang simple. Ang sweet.

           

Hugot Lines

“Sasamahan ba kita kung di ka chicks?” ---- Honesty!

“Aren’t we supposed to be great by this time?” ---- Tagos!

“Eh sorry. Mahal kita eh.” ---- Ayun na!

And because I collect quotes, I personally wrote down all my favorite lines. Here.

            This film is a must-watch. It gave me hope that Filipino moviegoers would start patronizing stories and not personalities. Cheers to more quality Filipino movies! 

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Ba't di pa sabihin ang hindi mo maamin? Ipauubaya na lang ba 'to sa hangin? - Tadhana, Up Dharma Down

HIMYM Finale Rants

I knew the mother was going to die, but I didn't see Ted and Robin getting back together in that way. I didn't like it. I felt cheated.

Ted was a believer of love, but in the end, I felt like he only settled with the mother because Robin has always been the love of his life. And if Robin was the love of his life, it's just so sad that it took them so long to get back together.

The ending makes sense, perfect sense actually. But only for Ted - why he was telling the story... just everything. But the ending did not make sense for Barney and Robin. I'm happy with Barney and his daughter but I was rooting for him to find love too. And Robin, poor Robin, she waited for more than a decade for Ted. That. Is. Just. So. Sad. We followed her story too for years, only for her to end as a back-up wife.

I've already made my peace with how HIMYM ended. A lot of articles defended the ending. They make valid points.  I actually agree with them, especially with this one: 5 Criticisms Of How I Met Your Mother‘s Ending (And Why They’re Invalid)

But that finale was missing one key ingredient: the SPEECH. I hope there was a big speech about Ted's love for Tracy, especially when she died. A speech just like what Tracy did in the episode entitled "How Your Mother Met Me". Tracy deserves it.  There was nothing in that finale that I could hold on to so I could stop  thinking that Ted merely settled with Tracy and that Tracy was somehow The One, even if it was only for a short amount of time. There was no big speech about love. The finale had to be defended by fans when it could have easily been written to perfection just like other episodes.

Still, thank you for 9 seasons, HIMYM. We loved you. It's the end of an era indeed. You will be missed. 

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Hi, Max. It's me. Sorry to interrupt. I know you're probably up there playing baseball with your dad. Uhm, look, I've got a situation here. I think that I have been holding myself back from falling in love again. And I think it's because I can't let you go. But you're not here anymore so I have to ask this: Would it be okay if I moved on? I realize that you have no way of answering that, but.... Oh, okay, I will take that as yes. In that case, I should get back in there. I guess this is it. For real this time. Bye, Max. - Tracy, HIMYM, S09E16

For more HIMYM quotes for the entire 9 seasons, click here.

Quotes from Perks of Being a Wallflower MOVIE

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You see things and you understand. You’re a wallflower. – Patrick

Welcome to the island of misfit toys. - Sam

Why do nice people choose the wrong people to date? - Charlie

We accept the love we think we deserve. – Mr. Anderson

Can we make them know that they deserve more? – Charlie

We can try. – Mr. Anderson

I feel infinite.

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Write about us.

I want to make sure that the first person you kiss loves you. – Sam

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So how’s your first relationship going? -  Patrick

It's so bad that sometimes I fantasize that one of us is dying of cancer. – Charlie

Touch my friends again, and I'll blind you. - Charlie

Why can’t you save anybody? – Patrick

Fail me and you get me next semester. - Patrick

Why do I, and everyone I love, pick people who treat us like we're nothing? - Sam

We accept the love we think we deserve. – Charlie

Then why didn’t you ever ask me out? - Sam

I, uhm, I just didn’t think that you wanted that. - Charlie

Well, what did you want? - Sam

I just wanted you to be happy. - Charlie

Don’t you get it, Charlie? I can’t feel that. It’s really sweet and everything but you can't just sit there and put everybody's lives ahead of yours and think that counts as love. I don’t want to be somebody’s crush. I want people to like the real me. - Sam

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I don't know if I will have the time to write any more letters, because I might be too busy trying to participate. So if this does end up being the last letter, I just want you to know that I was in a bad place before I started high school and you helped me. Even if you didn't know what I was talking about or know someone who's gone through it, you made me not feel alone.  Because I know there are people who say all these things don't happen. And there are people who forget what it's like to be 16 when they turn 17. I know these will all be stories someday. And our pictures will become old photographs. We'll all become somebody's mom or dad. But right now these moments are not stories. This is happening. I am here and I am looking at her. And she is so beautiful. 

I can see it. This one moment when you know you're not a sad story. You are alive, and you stand up and see the lights on the buildings and everything that makes you wonder. And you're listening to that song and that drive with the people you love most in this world. And in this moment, I swear, we are infinite. - Charlie

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Phone Conversation with Dugo-Dugo Gang

2:30 pm, today, our landline phone rang and nobody was around to answer it. I took the call and a man answered the phone asking, “Andyan ba si mama mo?” I didn’t find this unusual since (1) almost all calls that our phone receives are for mama and (2) some of them usually just ask the same question.

I told the guy she’s not around and asked for a name. He said, “Hindi…andito si mama mo…” And he mumbled about mama being in a hospital and that I had to wait to talk to somebody else. I was alarmed at this point because (1) I did not clearly hear what he said; (2) mama might really be in the hospital; and (3) I’ve heard of this on TV and this might be a Dugo-Dugo gang modus operandi. I was immediately vigilant. But of course I had to be entirely sure.

So I asked again, “Sino ho sila?”

He asked me back, “Ilang taon ka na? May iba bang pwedeng makausap dyan?”

I innocently said, “Wala pong ibang tao."

He said, “Parang 10 years old ka lang? Ilang taon ka na?”

Well my voice could really sound younger at times. But ten? really? I doubted. I was thinking that I answered the phone with my mature voice. I brushed it off though. Still, I gave my real age, I said, “22 po.” I thought it won’t do any harm. They were making sure I was alone and (maybe) that I was young.

Then he mumbled again about mama being in the hospital and that I needed to talk to someone. My knees were shaking at this point. I don’t know if from nerves or I was anxious of what I’d be hearing and doing next.

Then, a woman talked to me. She said a name I didn’t catch. She said – this time, clearly – mama had an accident and was in the hospital. Then she asked for my name and she said they’ll get my mama to talk to me. So I got the impression that this must be or she’s pretending to be from the hospital. I said my name, Pauline, and she heard it wrong. She said “Coreen?” I didn’t bother correct her. If mama was really with them, which that time I was sure was not the case, she would know that she doesn’t have a child named Coreen.

There was some babbling on the other line that seemed like they were getting my mother so I could talk to her. I grabbed the chance to ask the female voice again.

I asked, “Sino po ulit ‘to?”  

She said, “Catherine Chua. Sa police station ‘to.”

I asked, “Anong police station?”

I was under the impression that they were trying to make an impression that they were in a hospital. So why were they in a police station?

She said, “Manila”

I asked again, “Anong police station sa Manila?”

She did not answer and prattled again about talking to my mother.

Then I said the smartest thing I could say.

With the most sarcastic tone I could muster, I said, “Really?”

Then I shouted (and I was thinking I should do this just like how I see it in the movies), “ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?”

Then she started cursing me saying, “Ano? Putang ina nito. Anong sabi mong tanga-tanga ka? …”  I forgot the rest but they were filled with curses and her voice was breaking which filled me with immense satisfaction. Then she hung up the phone.