My Personal Bets for this Year's Academy Awards!

Since the Oscars is in few days, I would like to share with you my personal bets for this year. Honestly, I didn't like last year's Oscars because I didn't find the movies in that batch as interesting as the others from the past years. And indeed, 2014 was definitely a great year for movies!

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

For Best Supporting Actor, I think it will be a tight battle between Edward Norton for Birdman or J.K. Simmons for Whiplash. Norton did something for the film that made it quite immersive. And Simmons, who was undoubtedly good in Whiplash, let me appreciate his eccentric style, may it be in comedy or drama. 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

 

For Best Supporting Actress, it can be Patricia Arquette for Boyhood because even though I didn't like Boyhood at all, Arquette was able to deliver so well. Her acting in Boyhood as a single mother who failed in two [or three] relationships but was able to raise two children made the narrative of the story more truthful. It can also be Emma Stone for Birdman. I don't know, but I think she wonderfully exemplified her other side of artistry in the film.

BEST ACTRESS

For Best Actress, I would go for Rosamund Pike for Gone Girl. She played a deranged woman, that you would really hate for sure, but you would understand that the loathe was due to Pike's very effective delivery.

BEST ACTOR

 

For Best Actor, it will definitely be Michael Keaton for Birdman. Birdman itself is a different kind of narrative shot in an elliptical style (edit-free!) and produced an outcome so overwhelming. Keaton's character in the movie added to its brilliance where he really stood out and flashed a distinct kind of edge for the film. But it can also be Eddie Redmayne for The Theory of Everything. Though obviously the film was not that good at all, Redmayne’s performance here was plausible given that he portrayed a very challenging role. Moreover, Benedict Cumberbatch can also take the Oscars home for The Imitation Game because The Imitation Game is good enough to lead him there. 

BEST PICTURE

And I think Birdman should get the Best Picture alongside with the Original Screenplay Award. :)

I Met Chuck

 (Photo © Jim Clark from blog.ricecracker.net)

The past days, I was deep in reading short story collections from Filipino writers like Jessica Zafra’s Twisted Travels and the Writing Home collection, both published by Anvil. I commenced the year with this kind of reading pattern as I pledged for a more intimate allegiance with the brilliant Filipino writers (next in line, Miguel Syjuco’s Ilustrado). Haha!

PS: Just the brilliant ones. hihi :D

But tonight, I went on reading a Chuck Palahniuk tome for the first time after weeks of stoppage (to give way to short stories and poetry). And it was “Choke”. 

 (Photo from lavandierbook.com)

Surprisingly, Palahniuk’s style of writing is something I never had before. He has a way of narration of his own. He has his own words—that which may deem complex or not, but still create a different kind of fluidity. Not to mention his precepts; his one liners that can deliver you in muse, which will inch you that he is just right.

Full of detailed descriptions and picturesque ideas, Choke may fall to the out of the ordinary stories we used to digest; but the narration from the speaker’s point of view, still full of metaphors and convictions, can bring you in deep contemplation about surviving a weird tale and owning a new perspective. 

The book may baffle a mind but it can catch up right away with the ideals and philosophies of a different person in a same world we live in and in the process we will be convinced that it is indeed the reality.

Empire East Showroom Now Open in Batangas City!

Among the many investments necessary for the young adults and the adults is real estate. Most especially if someone is working in Metro Manila and prefers to go home in their hometowns on weekends or every two weeks. Renting or leasing a place can be a good option indeed; but in the long run, you might feel the need of having a place to call “your own”.

This is the reason why as early as possible, people can already start up having the places of their own. Most especially that at present, the Empire East Land Holdings, Inc. has already set up and continues to build residential communities at different strategic locations in the metro that will surely suit everyone’s needs in terms of housing and budget!

Moreover, the Empire East has also made the feel of their residential communities of easy access to Batangueños as they have already opened their Empire East showroom last December! With this, Batangueños who want to purchase new residential units or just in the phase of looking for prospective homes do not necessarily have to go to Manila to experience firsthand sample units of the Empire East residences.

The formal opening of the showroom was held last December 11. This was attended by Atty. Anthony Charlemagne Yu, President and CEO of Empire East Land Holdings Inc.; Bb. Pilipinas titleholders Hannah Ruth Sison (Bb. Pilipinas 2^nd Runner Up 2014), MJ Lastimosa (Miss Universe Philippines 2014), Mary Anne Bianca Guidotti (Bb. Pilipinas International 2014); Batangas City Vice Mayor Hon. Emilio Francisco Berberabe Jr.; press people from Batangas City and other guests.

 

 Empire East Land Holdings Inc. President and CEO Atty. Anthony Charlemagne Yu, Batangas City Vice Mayor Hon. Jun Berberabe Jr. and Bb. Pilipinas titleholders during the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

  Empire East Land Holdings Inc. President and CEO Atty. Anthony Charlemagne Yu with Batangas City press people.

Here are some photos of the actual units that can be seen in the Empire East showroom at SM City Batangas:

 

Perfect chill-out lounge!

 

Who would not want to sleep in here...

The Empire East showroom is located at 2nd Floor, SM City Batangas, Pallocan West, Batangas City. For more information about Empire East, you can call (+632) 810-3333 or text 0917-8-EMPIRE. You can also check out their website empire-east.com and Facebok account facebook.com/empireeast.

Elite Condominium Developer Opens Its Showroom in SM Batangas!

Empire East Land Holdings Inc., a leading developer of quality homes at the most strategic addresses in Metro Manila, is opening its doors to all Batangueños as it launches its brand-new showroom located at the second floor of SM City Batangas on December 11, 2014.

To grace the event are the Bb. Pilipinas 2014 finalists namely Bb. Pilipinas Universe Mary Jean Lastimosa, Bb. Pilipinas Intercontinental Kris Tiffany Janson, Bb. Pilipinas Supranational Yvethe Marie Santiago, Bb. Pilipinas Tourism Parul Shah, Bb. Pilipinas International Mary Anne Guidotti, 1st runner up Laura Lehmann, 2nd-runner up Hannah Sison and Empire East president and CEO Atty. Anthony Charlemagne Yu. Hon.Mayor Eduardo Dimacuha is also expected to be there in the event.

The new showroom aims to not only serve the clients in the CALABARZON region but also to provide them an elaborate viewpoint of what Empire East can offer in terms of lifestyle enrichment without the hassle of visiting one of the showrooms in Metro Manila.

"We would like to reach out to the many people in the area aspiring for an Empire East home. We want to make sure that there will be a closer place to go to where they can pacify their questions about investing in real estate in Metro Manila.”; says Yu. He further states that Empire East's goal is to bring the luxury of manila into the rich neighborhood of Batangas and vice versa.

The Empire East showroom is free to visit on the event day. Free cocktails shall be available for those who will reserve a unit on the same event. For inquiries and reservations dial (02) 810-3333 or 0917-8-EMPIRE (367473). You may also visit www.empire-east.com.