I have always been fascinated by stories about time travel. Einstein’s infamous Theory of Relativity is believed by many to hold the key to its possibility. I will not engage in any debate on the matter as I personally believe it is plainly impossible.

Nonetheless, I am writing this piece not to talk about time travel in a scientific sense but its influence on pop culture notably in science fiction films. This is my own travel back in time i.e., a “blast from the past”  after watching George Pal’s 1960 film “The Time Machine“ on You Tube.

I remember watching this film on TV (in black and white) when I was a child (in the early 70s). Because I never had a chance of seeing this film (again) in its entirety as I grew older, I thought all along that the main character George (played by Rod Taylor) travelled back to a prehistoric period. That is because I could only remember the “cavemen” that George fought in the film. After seeing the film on You Tube, I realized that he instead travelled to the future (in the year 802,701! – now that’s way beyond the ”future”!)

In the film, George met this youthful, carefree, and passive community of “sunshine people” called the Elois. They all looked very clean, fair-skinned, dressed in plain clothes, and all blonds (males and females alike)! At first, George thought the Elois personified the Utopian civilization where humanity has gained full mastery and utilization of the earth’s natural resources, which would explain why they had the luxury of time to just bask in the sunlight. A “paradise on earth”, he thought. Well, he discovered later that this was not the case.

There was this scene when an Eloi (named Weena) was drowning in the river and George was surprised that her “fellow Elois” did not seem to care. They were just watching her drown! Thus, George took the plunge and saved Weena! As she was soaking wet, he put his jacket on her. Now, this girl Weena (played by Yvette Mimieux) really caught my attention. She sort of mesmerized me with her innocent and angelic face. No wonder George fell for her.

Anyway, after George has saved her, Weena just left without saying anything! She joined other Elois as they headed to a partly ruined building, which served as their abode. George followed them but decided to sit on the stairs before the entrance thinking of the strange indifference by the Elois. Shortly afterwards, Weena approached George, returned his jacket, and asked him why he “came for her” when she was drowning. Surprised with this question, he said it was a natural impulse for any human being to save anyone who is in danger and he was angry that her fellow Elois just watched and didn’t bother to help. He learned that while Weena knows how to speak English, she did not know how to write or spell. This puzzled George. Weena then led George inside the building as it was “getting dark”. He joined them in partaking their meal, which consisted of a variety of fruits and drinks. They were essentially vegetarians (or maybe fruitarians).

George was curious about many things so he started asking questions, which were passively responded to. He found out that the Elois (contrary to his earlier impression) were naive on almost anything. They don’t have any laws or any forms of government and they don’t work at all. When asked how do they get their food, he was told that it “always grows”. Because he couldn’t get any concrete answers to his many questions, he then asked if they have any books. He was led to an old library but he was disgusted to find out that the books have all rottened and easily got crumbled.

As the story unfolds, George learned (from the “talking rings”, which played back voice recordings about bits and pieces of history) that two groups of ”humanity” have survived the devastation of nuclear wars, namely the Elois (who live on the surface) and the Morlocks (who live underground). The Elois were ”maintained” by the Morlocks, which have ”degenerated” into ape-like creatures (now, these were the “cavemen” in my childhood’s recollection). They only go out at night as they were sensitive to sunlight . As George found out, they were maintaining the Elois so they could eat them later (i.e., the Morlocks were cannibals!). In effect, the Elois were “fattened like cattle” by the Morlocks. No wonder there were no older Elois because they were being butchered young. The Morlocks used this siren device that appears from a Sphinx-like structure to hypnotize the Elois and lure them into the underground’s main entrance, which had a steel door that closes once the Elois were inside.  As it turned out, the Elois were conditioned by the Morlocks to believe that nuclear bombs were still being dropped from the sky and that the siren was a signal for them to go underground as an air-raid shelter.

After entering the underground’s chamber via one of its air shafts, George fought the Morlocks rather single-handedly at first but later helped by some of the captive-Elois (which included Weena) who finally took courage to fight back. He then set the chamber on fire then led the captive-Elois to the surface via the air shaft. They then dropped wooden sticks into the airshaft to feed the flame until the surface caved in. He later told the Elois that the nuclear war has long been over and that the siren was just a device by the Morlocks. After destroying the underground and the Morlocks, the implication was that the Elois no longer have to live idle. They have to work for their own survival.

When George and Weena were about to kiss each other (now this is a spoiler scene), he was suddenly alarmed by the Elois that the main entrance of the underground has opened up, revealing his time machine that were earlier pulled inside by the Morlocks. Elated with this, George hurried to his time machine and called on Weena to join him. However, the steel door suddenly closed trapping George inside and leaving Weena outside. Some surviving Morlocks then ganged up on George but he managed to ward them off. Wounded and disoriented, he pushed the time machine’s lever and witnessed how the Morlocks disintegrated. He therefore realized that he was going the wrong way so he pulled the lever and went back to his time in 1900.

He told the story to his circle of friends but no one believed him except his best friend David (played by Alan Young). As he bid David goodbye, George rushed into the backyard and pulled back his time machine inside his house. It was implied in the movie that he set off once again into the future (of course to be reunited with Weena). If I were in George’s shoes, I will do the same just to be with this most angelic face.

It was also mentioned that George brought with him three books but it was not revealed in the movie what these books were. Well, I can only think of the following: The Holy Bible (for spiritual and moral guidance), a book on biology (for basic understanding of living things), and a book on engineering (for building machinery). This way, he could lead the Elois in starting a civilization once again. 

Now this film has at least two major loopholes. It was said that the Elois were “maintained” by the Morlocks like “fattened cattle”. This would imply that the Morlocks were the ones who provided food and drinks to the Elois (because the latter did not know how to work). However, how could the Morlocks do that if they only go out at night? How could they set the dining table ready for the Elois every single day? Likewise, how could the mannequin in the shop (that George always stared at as he was travelling to the future) survived two World Wars?

Loopholes aside, this film is a classic materpiece. It’s storyline is simple yet engaging. The visual effects were groundbreaking (it won the 1961 Academy Award for this category). Acting wise, Rod Taylor, Alan Young, and of course, Yvette Mimieux were superb in their performances. 

I highly recommend this film to those of you who have not seen it yet and who (like me) still appreciate classic films. You can watch it for free over You Tube or buy the DVD version for better viewing.  

My first impression of the island is that it is like looking at Boracay (minus its vacationing tourists, numerous resorts and souvenir shops) with its white sand beach, surrounding crystal-clear water, and coconut trees along the shore. The thing is, Boracay is more accessible from Caticlan (around 15 minutes boat ride) that is why Carabao Island is not yet fully exploited as an island getaway.

The Carabao Island (or the municipality of San Jose) is about three times the size of Boracay, measuring about 2,980 sq. ha (of which 87 ha are cogonal, government lands), composed of five barangays (or sitios), and some 10,731 inhabitants. Farming and fishing are the main sources of income of the island folks. Some are also working in the resorts or commercial centers at Boracay.

Years back, the island was indeed known for its inventory of native carabaos. For some reasons, the animals are becoming fewer and smaller. Nonetheless, during the town festival in May, the island folks regularly conduct Carabao Festival (sort of a “beauty contest” for carabaos), wherein carabaos numbering to about a hundred vie for the prize money of around 5,000 pesos. Now, this is another potential tourist attraction.

If by chance you plan on visiting the more famous Boracay, why not go an extra 30 minutes boat ride to visit the Carabao Island, instead? If you like a more quiet getaway but with an equally stunning white-sand beach and crystal clear waters along the shore, the island is just perfect! And don’t worry, the last time I went there, there were already a few resorts/hotels to accommodate your stay. I learned that they are also currently selling properties in the island. If I have the money, I will surely invest in the area because of its vast potentials.

Quorn is a leading brand of protein-rich, low-fat, all-natural food preparation that is derived from an edible fungus called Fusarium venenatum. The fungus was actually discovered in England in the 1960s but became commercially available (under the Quorn brand) in the UK in 1985. It debuted in the US market only in 2002. Being made from mycoprotein, it thus shares a food category with mushroom and truffle. However, Quorn is usually processed with egg white as a binder (and so, it is not suitable for vegans).

There is a range of Quorn products that imitates meat preparations such as burger, escalope, mince pie, nuggets, meatball, sausage, and many others. The surprising thing is that amongst the “veggie-meats”, I find Quorn as the closest to meat in terms of taste and texture. I usually buy its version of quarter pounder, sausage, and chicken nuggets. And unlike my experience with eating soy-based veggie-meat products, I feel more full and satisfied after eating Quorn. The cost is quite reasonable, too.

So, to all vegetarians including those (like me) who are into a low-fat diet but still like to enjoy the taste of meat, why not try Quorn? Check it out next time you visit the supermarket. You will surely love it!

I stayed in Rockhampton, Queensland for three weeks (attending a training on reproductive biotechnologies in cattle). There were of course leisure times during the weekends where I along with my new friends (accompanied by a very generous Filipino host who is living in Rockhampton area) traveled around the parks and other tourist spots. We went to a local zoo and saw the kangaroos, wallabies, koalas, and cassowaries (just some of the diverse animal species that Australia is famous for). I find many Aussies (at least in Rockhampton and its vicinity) very nice and friendly (contrary to many impressions that they are racists and snobs).

After the three-week training, I (with two other Filipino-participants) finally boarded a plane that would fly us back to the Philippines. Little did I know that it would be my most unforgettable plane ride. Why? Well, as we were about to land in Manila, I noticed that our plane (Qantas Airlines) kept circling around the air for about 20 minutes. I thought the pilot was just treating us for a fun ride (my co-passengers were in fact enjoying it as if they were in an amusement park). Finally, the plane started to descend and approach the airport runway. It was then that I saw from a distance some ambulances, paramedics and media reporters on the runway. I was puzzled and asked myself “What on earth are they doing there?”. When the plane finally landed, I felt that the runway was “rough and bumpy”. And to my surprise, my co-passengers applauded in jubilation! I asked my two companions: “What is happening?”. They too were not aware of what was going on. Only when we were about to exit the plane that the chief pilot (who happens to be a Filipino) told us that one of our plane’s tires burst as early as when we took off from Brisbane. The plane circled around for several minutes to consume any “excess” fuel that might trigger an explosion upon landing. No wonder there were many “spectators” awaiting our “fate” as they gazed from the tarmac. The incident made the headlines in the evening news on TV that day and the newspapers the following day.

Oh well, I was still lucky that the Filipino pilot had the skills and presence of mind to land us safely (kudos to you captain). But what a way to experience my first trip abroad. It was really unforgettable!

Released in 2004, the “Old Friends: Live On Stage” DVD consists of 22 S&G classic tracks. These include the following (not in particular order as presented in the DVD): Sound of Silence, The Boxer, Bridge Over Troubled Water, Mrs. Robinson, Scarborough Fair, Homeward Bound, Old Friends/Bookends, 59th Street Bridge Song (Feeling Groovy), Cecilia, America, American Tune, Slip Slidin Away and rare performances of I Am A Rock, El Condor Pasa, Leaves That Are Green, Kathy’s Song (where Art sang solo instead of Paul), Keep the Customer Satisfied, At The Zoo, Baby Driver, My Little Town, Hazy Shade of Winter, The Only Living Boy in New York, and Hey School Girl (from their Tom and Jerry days).

It also includes performance from their guests aka their “role models”, the Everly Brothers (“Wake Up Little Susie” and “All I Have to Do is Dream”) with S&G joining them in “Bye Bye Love”.

Added features of the DVD include some old video clips (taken from their 1969 TV special “Songs of America”), a bonus song track “Citizen of the Planet” (previously unreleased), and a photo gallery.

Overall, the concert as captured in the DVD is “very entertaining”. The duo, for the first time in a long while, was exchanging accolades (and mild “friendly” banters) toward each other to the delight of the audience. The thing is, Artie’s voice is no longer that angelic although he can still hit the high notes especially those demanded by Bridge (but in a “husky” way). In contrast, Paul’s voice was clearer and more pleasant to listen to. Old age must have caught up with Artie’s but is kinder to Paul’s.

Together, however, the two blended well in many songs particularly Bridge (Paul had a solo stanza following Art’s, which is quite unusual). What were quite annoying (and strange) however were Paul’s hand gestures (he looked like a “gay” when he was doing this). He should have kept holding his guitar. But for “old” men as they are now, they still sang as a duo credibly well (backed up by an equally superb band) and have delivered a splendidly nostalgic performance.

If you are a certified S&G’s fanatic (like me), then this DVD is a must for your collection. Highly recommended.

This should be on the top of all musical classics!

The Sound of Music (SoM) released in 1965 remains to this day an unrivaled film masterpiece by Robert Wise infused by the original music of Rodgers and Hammerstein. Needless to say, it is perfect for the whole family and for all people, young and old (unless of course, if you don’t like a melody-driven music, catchy lyrics, and beautiful story, which is seldom the case for “normal” humans).

The DVD preserved the music that inspired many generations the world over. From “Do Re Mi” to “My Favorite Things” to “Edelweiss” and many others. These are classics on their own. Interlaying these wonderful songs to the engaging storyline (that centered on the impending take-over of Austria by Hitler’s Nazi) provided a unique viewing experience.

Wise’s direction was simply marvelous along with the screenplay highlighting the many breathtaking sights of Salzburg, Austria. The cast headed by Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer and the kids (there are seven of them but I really like the screen projection of Charmian Carr who played Liesl, the eldest of the Von Trapp children) delivered a flawless performance. They seemed to be just having fun and not acting at all.

The DVD also features a mini-documentary of Charmian’s memoirs of her stay in Salzburg during the filming of the SoM titled “Salzburg Sight and Sound” where you can see some behind-the-scenes footages of the film. The real Maria Von Trapp was actually captured in this film (as an extra). She was one of the townsfolks walking across the plaza just behind Julie Andrews when her character Maria was singing “I Have Confidence” – on the day that she was heading to the Von Trapp’s residence to work as a governess for the seven children. I have watched this film more than ten times and I think many others who love this genre have done the same.

The success of this film in both the box office and the 1965 Oscar’s (winner for Best Picture and Best Director plus three others) attest to the rare gem that the producer, director, cast, and crew have put together. If you’re into this genre, then I highly recommend this DVD as part of your collection.

I named my blog “Tabula Rasa“, which means a “blank slate”. It was inspired by the work of the great English philosopher John Locke who theorized that a person at birth is devoid of any knowledge or mental content. As we grow old, our “slates” are filled with our experience and perception of things around us. This is how I look at my blog. It is my personal slate that I like to share with you all. I will delve into a lot of things based on how I experience or perceive them. It’s a good thing that wordpress has an option for “categories” to allow easy navigation of topics.

I welcome all (constructive) comments to improve my blog.