Mindanao

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Saima Datupalo (Judy Ann Santos) battles a lot of demons on a daily basis, most of the time on her own. Her young daughter Aisa (Yuna Tangog) is afflicted with cancer and taking care of the 6-year-old child is not an easy task given the financial constraints and considering how they must traverse some war-torn areas of Mindanao just to reach the hospital and shelter assisting them in Davao. Her husband Malang (Allen Dizon) is a combat medic often deployed to battle areas in the south. Faced with both sickness and strife, Saima tries to lend a semblance of normalcy to her ill child’s life by narrating her favorite folklore, the legend of Rajah Sulayman and Rajah Indara Patra: two brothers who swear to protect Lanao from the attacks of two dragons that won’t stop until they lay waste to the entire land.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

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The return of Emperor Palpatine leads to a race to find a Sith wayfinder which will lead its bearer to the location of the planet hosting him. Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) finds one first, which takes him to his new master further intensifying his inner struggles between light and dark. Rey (Daisy Ridley) continues her Jedi training with Resistance general Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher) to prepare for the coming war with Palpatine’s Final Order. Her Jedi journey is cut short when she cracks a code from Luke Skywalker’s notes that could bring them to a Sith wayfinder, in an effort to ambush the evil emperor before he can ambush them. And so begins her mission alongside Finn (John Boyega) and Poe (Oscar Isaac), bringing them to different corners of the galaxy to find a way to tip the scales of war on their favor. Unbeknownst to them, a secret lineage will soon be made known, which will affect their bond in ways they couldn’t have imagined.

Marriage Story

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Husband and wife read a letter they are writing for one another, in their heads, because she refuses to recite hers aloud during their marriage counseling session. Nicole Barber (Scarlett Johansson) has been her husband’s muse onstage since she left a promising movie career in the West Coast to be with him in New York. Charlie Barber (Adam Driver) is not at all wealthy but has enough to keep his small theater group afloat. Considered as a genius stage director in his social circles, he is prepping for their Broadway debut of Electra, just as his wife receives an offer for a TV pilot shoot in California. She decides to move back to her family residence in Los Angeles taking their son in tow, in what he believes to be a temporary move. He is then caught unawares when she hires hotshot divorce attorney Nora Fanshaw (Laura Dern) out of the blue, initiating a divorce proceeding that might just put a definitive end to their once happy marriage.

Charlie's Angels (2019)

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When engineer and programmer Elena Houghlin (Naomi Scott) discovers a problem with an energy conservation device that she helped invent, she makes sure to inform her bosses at once to ensure that nobody will get hurt. The problem is that the higher-ups in her company are more interested in money rather than quality issues and safety. Her cry for help reaches Charles Townsend’s agency where two angels, rebel Sabina Wilson (Kristen Stewart) and ex MI-6 Jane Kano (Ella Balinska) are sent to her aid and are forced to work together despite the polar differences in their respective personalities. Soon enough, outsiders begin to make their presence felt by wanting a piece of the invention for weaponization and profit, effectively putting a price on the head of anyone who tries to get in their way.

Nuuk

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Elaiza Svendsen (Alice Dixson) can’t deal with the death of her husband. Based in Nuuk, the capital of Greenland, she finds it hard to cope with her daily life without developing a dependence on alcohol and prescription drugs. When her medication runs out and her doctor is out of town, her desperation leads her to chase a random guy with a Prozac bottle heading out of the pharmacy. That guy turns out to be Mark Alvarez (Aga Muhlach), a fellow Filipino residing in Greenland who quickly becomes her friend. He even becomes instrumental in the renewed communication between her and estranged son Karl (Ujarneq Fleischer). What begins as companionship becomes the foundation of something deeper, further fueled by a quick getaway to Dakak for a change of environment. However, her sanity is put into question when she wakes up without Mark by her side and without a trace of him ever existing in her life.

La casa de las flores: El Funeral/The Funeral

El Funeral

Ocho meses antes tuvo lugar el funeral de Virginia de la Mora, pero no sin complicaciones. Por empezar, recuperar el cuerpo de Houston y repatriarlo a CDMX resulta difícil por avión. Así que Ernesto y un conductor deben conducir desde Tejas pero se encuentran con problemas en la frontera. Con un poco de creatividad llegan por fin a la mansión donde esperan la matriarca la familia y los amigos. Dominique, Claudio, un ex japonés y el futuro ex-novio biker de Elena vienen por ofrecer su pésame. Diego también viene pero no entra en la casa. Paulina debe enfrentarse a muchos conocidos quienes ven a José María por primera vez como María José. Bruno intenta ahogar sus penas con vino rojo. Micaela canta una de las canciones favoritas de Virginia. Salo, las drag queens, así como Carmelita y su amante también vienen a simpatizar. Después de todas las amables palabras de la parte de los hijos y de Ernesto mismo, los hermanos sucumben a la tristeza y Paulina acaba por tener un ataque de nervios.

Joker

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Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) lives with his mentally ill mother in Gotham City. He aspires to be a stand-up comedian but can’t seem to get his big break due to his strange sense of humor. Working as a party clown, he gets fired after he is caught bringing a gun to a children’s hospital gig. With a psychological illness that makes him erupt into uncontrollable and maniacal laughter, a simple subway ride turns lethal when a trio of white-collared bullies make fun of him. The incident provokes his downward spiral, descending into a life of crime that is quickly emulated by one too many vigilantes in the city. As Gotham faces an unprecedented rise in its crime rate, Arthur embraces his new persona, introducing himself as the Joker on talk show host Murray Franklin’s (Robert de Niro) TV show. Realizing how his life has been one big joke, he now makes the city realize that the joke is actually on them.

Unforgettable

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Jasmine (Sarah Geronimo) is a special girl. Since her parents died, she and her sisters Dahlia (Ara Mina) and Violet (Meg Imperial) have been raised alone by their grandmother Olive (Gina Pareño) in the family home in Baguio. After her sisters have moved to the big city, it is Jasmine who gets left behind to take care of their now ailing lola. Her impressive skills in cooking and memorization also prove to be an asset for the family business, that of a small café that she helps manage. When the grandma is diagnosed with tuberculosis, Jasmine is forced to live with her sisters in Manila in fear of her weak immune system being compromised by their grandparent’s worsening condition. There she meets and adopts Happy (Milo), an intelligent canine that resembles the same pet dog her grandmother had decades earlier who she believes miraculously saved her from a tumor that almost claimed her life.

La casa de las flores: Episodio/Episode 22

Episodio 22: Pensamiento (Reflexion)

El abogado de la familia lee el testamento de Virginia. Delia se encarga de la casa mientras que el anillo de bisabuelo debe ser devuelto a Diego por si acaso vuelva con Julián. Ernesto intenta recuperarlo de Jenny pero ella ya lo ha regalado a alguien. Él recobre el sentido común y por fin la expulsa de la casa. Alejo al cual Virginia se refiere como su novio va a recibir el resto del dinero de la cuenta bancaria en Houston. Paulina lo confronta sobre todo incluso de dónde sacó su mamá el dinero para el tratamiento en Houston. Él le dice a ella que se le dio Pato. Pato resulta ser Diego mismo. Arrepentida, ella se entrega a la policía y toma el lugar de Diego en la cárcel. Con su inocencia, Diego vuelve con Julián y los dos viven felices juntos. Elena queda embarazada del hijo de Diego. Dice adiós a Simón para siempre y va a la final de Talento México para ver cantar Micaela pero su auto choca con lo de Jenny la cual está en fuga. A punto de ser demolida, la florería está salvada con la llegada de la mamá de Virginia quien la ha comprado.

La casa de las flores: Episodio/Episode 21

Episodio 21: Heliconia (Fertilidad)

Elena pierde su trabajo después de que Claudio le dice a la Chiquis lo de ellos. Para colmo Simón ya no habla con ella. Diego quiere formar una familia feliz con Julián pero no quiere adoptar un hijo. Habla con Elena y le propone a ella la inseminación artificial. Así que será su hijo pero con la sangre de la Mora. Sufriendo una crisis existencial, Elena vacila un poco pero finalmente acuerdan los dos hasta que sepan el costo del procedimiento. El médico sugiere la manera normal: el coito. Los dos van a un motel y descubren cosas en común con respecto al sexo. Paulina duerme con Alejo y persigue su plan de manipular una de las drag queens para que haga una denuncia contra Diego. Llegan en el cabaret y lo llevan esposado a la comisería de policía. Micaela está eliminada en la penúltima ronda de Talento México y echa la culpa a Bruno por dar el vestido que debe ser para ella a una participante que le gusta la cual avanza a la ronda final por engañar a todos via la sincronización de voz.

La casa de las flores: Episodio/Episode 20

Episodio 20: Geranio (Consejo)

Paulina ya está harta del culto de su papá, los miembros del cual ya invaden hasta la casa misma. Ernesto sigue haciendo la vista gorda y después de darse cuenta de que Jenny ya prefiere a Cacas, él soborna a un amigo policía para que lo metan otra vez a la carcel. Ahora le promete a Jenny el seguro de Virginia. El resultado de la prueba de ADN sale y Diego confronta Lucía sobre la verdad pero ella se queda indiferente. Diego encuentra dos hombres más de los cuales ella cobra la mensualidad para el bebé la que se llama Julia en realidad. La verdad deprime a Julián pero por lo menos ya vuelve con Diego después de terminar con él para formar una familia sólida con Lucía. Simón lleva Elena en su casa deseos mundanos y allí se topan con el grupo de orgía de Simón. Elena no está segura si quiera ser parte de eso. Micaela vuelve a Talento México con una canción y un baile. Paulina y Alejo (Eduardo Rosa) salen y casi se dan un revolcón pero ella le dice a él que no puede traicionar la confianza de María José.

La casa de las flores: Episodio/Episode 19

Episodio 19: Clavos de Olor (Caprichosa)

Jenny Quetzal y su secta invaden la casa de la Mora y ella conoce a Paulina por primera vez. El conejito de Micaela acaba por ser cocido por el culto lo que enfurece a Elena. Ella afronta a su papá pero hace la vista gorda aunque es muy obvio que la líder se está aprovechando de él, ahora pidiéndole que deposite el seguro de Virginia en su cuenta bancaria. María José decide dejar Paulina y Bruno en CDMX. Ella regresa a Madrid y le descarga sus frustraciones a su hermana. Julián se muda con Diego y ambos pasan tiempo con su hijita Namibia. Diego no está convencido de que sea verdaderamente la hija de Julián. Así que recoge una muestra de saliva del bebé para realizar una prueba de paternidad. Paulina tiene un plan de permitir que trabajen las amigas escorts de Julián en el cabaret. Como Diego aún tiene los derechos legales, ella espera que sea suficiente eso para que lo cachen en flagrante y que él vaya a la cárcel. Simón deja su cargo como sacerdote y cae en la tentación de Elena la cual le dice que lo quiere.

La casa de las flores: Episodio/Episode 18

Episodio 18: Acacia (Amor Secreto)

Bruno ayuda a Micaela por comprar lo que necesita para su actuación en Talento México. Micaela concursa en la segunda ronda pero acaba fracasando en vivo. María José y Paulina se pelean cada vez a menudo sobre todo lo que pasa en la familia. Para colmo, Bruno ya no quiere volver a Madrid. Padre e hijo hablan sinceramente y María José se da cuenta de que tenga razón su hijo. Paulina, Elena y Julián desenterran la caja de su mamá en diferentes ocasiones y todos ya han descubierto las fotos del Catalán apodado ALEJO. Julián pide ayuda a una amiga prostituta la cual sugiere un bar gay de osos donde un español de tal apodo trabaja. Él resulta ser otra persona. Los hermanos se aprovechan del lugar para estar happy. Después de unos tragos de tequila, los tres festejan y en un delirio de embriaguez, Paulina marca el número de ALEJO lo cual Elena envió a su móvil. Se encuentra con el Catalán quien se presenta como un compañero de quimio de Virginia en Houston. Él sobrevivió; ella desafortunadamente, no.

La casa de las flores: Episodio/Episode 17

Episodio 17: Almendra (Despertar)

María José y Bruno llegan por fin en CDMX y ella encuentra un buen propósito de ayudar una de las drag queens del cabaret con sus asuntos legales de género. Se da cuenta de que pueda ayudar a mucha gente salvo a Paulina misma la cual sigue empeñandose acríticamente en sus metas descaminadas. Elena enfrenta a Simón durante su sesión de terapia alternativa en la peluquería. Más tarde lo visita en la iglesia y después de seguir dándole vueltas al asunto y como sería un gran pecado tener una relación íntima con un sacerdote, los dos se besan allí mismo. Por otra parte, Claudio se lía con la Chiquis ciega, por cualquier motivo que tenga. Julián se dedica a la prostitución a causa de sus dificultades financieras y comprende a lo largo del camino cómo quiere tanto a Diego. Promete volver con él y devolverle el anillo de bisabuela pero ya no está en la caja enterrada. Descubre, en cambio, el celular de su mamá el cual contiene fotos con el Catalán lo que ya han visto los hermanos un par de veces.

La casa de las flores: Episodio/Episode 16

Episodio 16: Loto (Misterio)

Paulina sigue adelante a todo vapor con la reapertura del cabaret. Con los papeles de propiedad ya bajo el nombre de Julián gracias a Diego, lo que solo queda hacer ahora es convencer a las drag queens que regresen. Esto se ve fácil para la mayoría salvo una, quien quería tener la bendición de Claudio antes de volver. Por eso Elena lo busca en su tienda nueva, La Casa de Disfraces, para pedirle a él un favor. Casi acaban por echar un polvo antes de que entre Micaela. Por su parte, la niña se hace cada vez mejor con sus trucos de magia. Al final Paulina consigue reabrir el cabaret y sus hermanos le confiesan a ella lo de Diego, lo de Claudio y lo de Elena trabajando para transformarse la florería en El Imperio de los Peces, el proyecto nuevo de los Chiquis los cuales han contratado a su empresa para la remodelación. Ernesto cae en la trampa de Jenny Quetzal (Mariana Treviño), la líder del culto, a quien le da el anillo de bisabuela que Diego devolvió a Julián. Luego, la invita a la casa de la Mora.

La casa de las flores: Episodio/Episode 15

Episodio 15: Iris (Fe)

Contando con su nuevo hobby de cartomagia, Micaela quiere inscribirse en Talento México pero nadie de los adultos quieran acompañarla. El Cacas sale de la cárcel y es reclutado en seguida por Ernesto para unirse a la secta de la cual él forma parte. Después de una transferencia de dinero, él conoce finalmente a la líder del culto. El paquete que Virginia les dejó a sus hijos no contiene nada más que efectos personales y los tres deciden de enterrarlo en el patio para ya olvidar el pasado y seguir adelante. Sin embargo, Paulina tiene una misión: recomprar la florería de los hermanos Chiquis los cuales se la venderán solamente a un costo exorbitante. Desesperada, ella piensa en recuperar primero la otra Casa de las Flores para recaudar fondos pero el cabaret ya está por convertirse en La Casa de los Pollos. Mientras cena la familia llega Diego que les da un documento de la compra del cabaret lo que casi provoca a Paulina al borde de un ataque de nervios.

La casa de las flores: Episodio/Episode 14

Episodio 14: Rosa (Unidad)

Un año después, Virginia de la Mora está muerta. Residiendo ahora en Madrid con María José y Bruno, Paulina recibe una llamada de México del abogado de la familia, el cual le informe que alguien ha impugnado el testamento de su mamá. Aún obsesionada de la venganza contra Diego, les dice a María José y a Bruno que regresen a México. Bruno está emocionado, mientras que María José está harta de todo el drama. Purificación (María León), la hermana entrometida de María José, quema los pasaportes de los dos y al final Paulina vuelve sola a CDMX. Mucho ha cambiado en la casa de la Mora. Ernesto ha encontrado solaz en una vida espiritual renovada. Elena llega a ser arquitecta en una gran empresa pero aún tiene dificultades con la vida amorosa. Julián va a ser papá y se encuentra con Diego en una sauna por casualidad quien le dice que el robo del dinero de la familia fue la idea de la mismísima Virginia y él solo fue un cómplice. Juntos van a descubrir lo que la matriarca en realidad los dejó.

Isa Pa, with Feelings

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Mara (Maine Mendoza) considers herself as the fulfillment of her father’s failed dreams. And so her world almost crumbles when she does not pass the architecture licensure exam the first time around. Having a niece who is deaf, she registers for one-on-one sign language classes in an effort to communicate with her better. There, she meets her teacher who turns out to be Gali (Carlo Aquino), her aloof neighbor who she always thought to be rather standoffish and a snob. Being introduced to a world similar to her own but from a different perspective, she gets to know him better and the two form a bond that is greater than being just friends, but can a relationship really work out for two people who see the world in a different light, or more aptly put, hear it with different beats?

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (Atlantis Theatrical)

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Ex-convict Benjamin Barker comes back to London as Sweeney Todd (Jett Pangan) to look for his wife and daughter as well as exact revenge on Judge Turpin (Andrew Fernando), who framed him up for a crime he didn’t commit in an effort to steal his wife. Pie maker Mrs. Lovett (Lea Salonga) welcomes him back to the area and helps in setting up his barbershop, which quickly becomes popular because of his superb skills. Unbeknownst to many, Todd and Lovett have formed a criminal partnership wherein he slits the throats of his customers, many of them men who did him wrong in the past, before dropping them down a trapdoor leading to her bake shop where their bodies are minced and used as the key ingredient in her mouth-watering meat pies. With the help of sailor Anthony Hope (Gerald Santos) who finds Barker’s daughter Johanna (Mikkie Bradshaw-Volante), Todd will not stop until he gets his revenge and his family back.

Himala Isang Musikal (9 Works Theatrical)

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The rural town of Cupang has seen better days. With drought, poverty, and sickness plaguing the villages, everyone is looking for a miracle. They find that miracle in Elsa (Aicelle Santos). Heading back home one afternoon, the barrio lass is blinded by a white light and claims to have witnessed an apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, who she claims tells her to become an instrument of healing. Soon, Elsa becomes a faith healer and is now the talk of the town, with tourists and sick people all over the country coming to her shrine to see her in hopes of being cured. Her mother Saling (Bituin Escalante) is reluctant, but the women of the town are persuasive. With the help of her best friend turned disciple Chayong (Neomi Gonzales), she becomes the town’s messiah, but not everyone is happy with such turn of events.

[NEW YORK] Budget and Itinerary (5)

SATURDAY: 28 September 2019

ANA (Manila - New York - Manila) - 831.14

Blue Moon Hotel (2 Nights/4 Bed Dorm) - 148.77

NJ Transit (Newark - NY Penn) - 13.00

MTA Card (1 Week Pass) - 34.00

Sea Wall/A Life (Broadway) - 101.50

Convenience Store (Water) - 2.17

USD1,130.58

[MANHATTAN] Broadway Barrage Season 4

This year marks the fourth season of Broadway Barrage, probably the only thing I look forward to every year now. The selection this year is almost equally divided between straight plays and musicals with neither genre ending up being disappointing. Over all, it has been an awesome year and a lot of shows made a very good impression that it’s just so damn hard to choose a favorite. Or maybe I don’t have to choose a favorite! Hopefully, this lineup can be duplicated for the 5th season coming next year.

[NEW JERSEY] Budget and Itinerary

FRIDAY: 4 October 2019
Megabus (New York - Princeton - New York) - 15.50
Wawa (Mineral Water) - 1.79
Princeton Pi & Hoagie (Pasta) - 10.95

USD28.24

[PRINCETON] Princeton Campus Tour

Last stop, Princeton! I booked a Megabus ticket for $1 from NY to NJ and a $12.50 ticket going back. Yes, you can get $1 bus tickets on Megabus if you book early and if you select a not so popular departure time. The surprise of the day was how we all ended up on a Suburban bus, which had WiFi but no power outlets like Megabus does. But hey, for a $1 interstate bus ride am I really allowed to complain? Heading to New Jersey takes an hour and a half. Double that to 3 hours if going back to Manhattan on a late Friday afternoon.

The Sound Inside (Broadway)

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Bella (Mary-Louise Parker) is a tenured Creative Writing professor at Yale diagnosed with the same kind of cancer that killed her mother years back. Christopher (Will Hochman) is an overly enthusiastic student who comes over during office hours without appointments to discuss a novel that he is writing. The two get to know each other through discussions of Dostoevsky and some liquor, debating on grounds of literary criticism for her and on hatred of social media for him. As his novel progresses, so do their interaction and acquaintance. Still, there lingers the question as to what his motivations are for forging a close relationship with his mentor. The answer might just lie on the piece of literature he is writing or, as she would like to say, on the sound inside, whatever that means.

Beetlejuice (Broadway)

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Teenager Lydia Deetz (Sophia Anne Caruso) just can’t get over the death of her mother. She grieves and obsesses about death as much as she could. Her father Charles (Adam Dannheisser) hires life coach and his lover Delia (Leslie Kritzer) to help the girl move on. They also transfer to a new house for a change of environment, not knowing that it is the house of deceased couple Barbara (Kerry Buttler) and Adam Maitland (Rob McClure) who were just prepping up for family life when they met their sudden demise. Not willing to move on to the other side, the couple haunt the house, but are deemed not scary enough for the part. When Lydia sees the duo, she finds an opportunity to move back to their old home by conniving with the ghosts to scare her father and future stepmom, but it doesn’t work. Enter Beetlejuice (Alex Brightman), a demon who wants to be visible and will try everything to make it happen by finding an alive and kicking human being to say his name thrice. In the end, will it be Lydia?

Moulin Rouge (Broadway)

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American songwriter Christian (Aaron Tveit) moves to Paris to join the Bohemian revolution and hone his art, but instead finds an unlikely family in playwright Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (Sahr Ngaujah) and narcoleptic Argentinean Santiago (Ricky Rojas). The trio of artists head to the Moulin Rouge to propose a new play, making the cabaret’s star Satine (Karen Olivo) believe that Christian is the Duke of Monroth (Tam Mutu) who she needs to seduce for financial backing of the now almost bankrupt theater. Sparks fly and the two fall in love despite clear warning from the Duke that he owns everything there is to the club, including her. With his investment, they come up with a play about two doomed lovers who can’t be together, mirroring their real-life setup. With the harsh reality of life quickly catching up with them, can they really afford to uphold the values of Truth, Beauty, Freedom, and Love?

Betrayal (Broadway)

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Emma (Zawe Ashton) and Jerry (Charlie Cox) are a married couple, but not to each other. Despite the fact, they carry on having an affair for seven years and believe that their respective spouses have absolutely no idea regarding their infidelity. Robert (Tom Hiddleston), Emma’s husband and Jerry’s best friend, actually knows for quite some time now, but is aloof because he himself has been having an affair of his own. When Jerry finds out that Robert knows, the two meet up and a discussion between friends begins, putting into detail what used to be mere suspicions and doubts. As the three continue to live a normal life despite their cheating tendencies, they discover what really makes their relationship with one another tick, but will friendship suffice to justify cheating and betrayal?

Dear Evan Hansen (Broadway)

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Aside from medication, Evan Hansen (Michael Lee Brown) is advised to write letters addressed to himself to ease his bouts of anxiety. When he does, he accidentally leaves one on the school printer which is eventually found by a high Connor Murphy (Alex Boniello). What should have been the start of an odd friendship takes an unexpected turn when their unlikely conversation becomes a misunderstanding and Connor commits suicide with Evan’s letter found in his possessions. Mistaking it for a suicide note addressed to his only friend, the Murphy’s hang on to the letter believing it to be their son’s last memory. Seeing how he can be instrumental in helping with the family’s grief, Evan crafts one lie followed by another and then another until he gets entangled in an intricate web of deceit that spirals out of control, affecting all of them in ways both beneficial and detrimental.

[CONNECTICUT] Budget and Itinerary

TUESDAY: 1 October 2019

Greyhound (Providence - New Haven) - 26.50

Subway (Spicy Italian + Lays + Coke + Cookie) - 12.24

BBQ Chicken (Tonkatsu w/Rice & Coke) - 14.88

Bolt Bus (New Haven - New York) - 10.00

USD63.62

Estimate of USD1 = PhP52.50

TOTAL – PhP3,340.05

[NEW HAVEN] Yale Campus Tour

After Brown came Yale. Both Providence and New Haven are accessible via the I-95 and some buses coming from NYC will usually stop in New Haven first before heading to Providence. New Haven is a two-hour bus trip from Manhattan, with both Bolt Bus and Greyhound stopping at Union Station. If you prefer trains, it’s also where Amtrak and Acela stop, but train tickets are much more expensive than bus fares, so this really depends whether you value comfort over money. Travel time is the same, more or less.

[RHODE ISLAND] Budget and Itinerary

MONDAY: 30 September 2019

Peter Pan (New York - Providence) - 27.50
AirBNB (1 Night) - 86.87
CVS (Cetirizine x5) - 6.73
Ruby Thai (Fried Rice + Coke) - 10.25

USD131.35

Estimate of USD1 = PhP52.50

TOTAL – PhP6.895.88

[PROVIDENCE] Brown Campus Tour

Coming back to the Philippines and starting anew meant losing my travel perks. I only get five VL credits a year now in my current job. I told myself that I can lose all those travel perks, but defo NOT New York. I need my annual Broadway fix to maintain my sanity. But that doesn’t mean that I can’t squeeze in a city or two nearby for that one week in the Big Apple. For this year, I’ve decided that an Ivy League campus tour is in order. And so I planned accordingly and booked the bus tickets. Brown – Yale – Princeton, then!

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Broadway)

♣♣♣♣♣/♣♣♣♣♣

Now in his late 30’s, Harry Potter (James Snyder) juggles being a father and working for the Ministry of Magic. Hermione Granger (Jenny Jules) is the Minister of Magic and is married to Ron Weasley (Matt Mueller), having a son together as well as a daughter named Rose (Nadia Brown). Albus Severus Potter (Nicholas Podany) is the middle child and hardest to deal with among the three. Things get even more complicated when the Sorting Hat places him in Slytherin instead of Gyffindor. Raising eyebrows with the house classification and forever living under the shadow of his famous dad, he finds friendship in Scorpius Malfoy (Bubba Weiler), the geeky son of Draco (Jonno Roberts), who is an outcast himself and persistently hounded by rumors that he is the Dark Lord’s own spawn. As the duo navigate through potions, spells, and Hogwarts cliques, they soon court danger to prove that they can be great wizards, and perhaps change the wizarding world in the process.

Sea Wall/A Life (Broadway)

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Alex (Tom Sturridge) is a photographer who recounts his vacation with the family in southern France where a sea wall forms a part of the scenery and where they find joy and loss in the sea. However, what starts off as fun ends in a tragedy. Abe (Jake Gyllenhaal) is a musical producer and is about to become a father. He soon realizes that his keen attention to detail will not help him that much on his way to fatherhood. He is also shocked by the news of his father’s worsening condition, and must now deal with conflicting emotions of saying goodbye to a life all while welcoming a new one. Two men. Two monologues. Two tales of love and loss. Two stories of death and life. This is Sea Wall/A Life.

G!

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Four friends form the dream team of their school’s soccer group. Growing up as best friends, team captain Sam (McCoy de Leon) and heartthrob Dom (Jameson Blake) are putting their youth to good use by living the life ahead of them to the fullest. Little do they know that everything is about to change for one of them. Scoring a goal in one of their fames, Sam’s vision turns hazy and he collapses out of the blue. Taken to the emergency room of the nearest hospital, he is eventually diagnosed with Stage 3 Gallbladder Cancer. Hit with the realization that he is living on borrowed time and might not live to see another day, he comes up with a bucket list that the four of them then pursue. Their new YOLO initiative comes to a halt when they suddenly find a dead body at the back of their pick-up truck.

Lola Igna

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Lola Igna (Angie Ferro) is the oldest living grandmother in the Philippines. At 118 years old, she is in the running for an award from the Amazing People of the World which will see her awarded with a truckload of cash as well as prestige. Her newfound fame proves to be a tourism draw for her humble little town, her small hut becoming an instant tourist attraction. People all over the country come in droves for a visit and to take a selfie with her. One of them is Tim (Yves Flores), a millennial vlogger who turns out to be her estranged granddaughter Ana’s (Meryll Soriano) son. Tired of living and openly yearning for death, Lola Igna finds a new reason to live with the arrival of her great grandson, but fate has such a wicked sense of humor that is bound to take both of them by surprise.

Open

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Romina (Arci Muñoz) and Ethan (JC Santos) have been in a relationship for 14 years. Happy with their current live in set up, he is not really thinking about marriage, while she obviously wants it. Going to an engagement party after a family reunion, she is pleasantly surprised and then utterly disappointed thinking it would be theirs. As it turns out, it is his best friend’s engagement and he is just the best man. A lovers’ quarrel ensues in the car. The next day he sees his best friend’s fiancée in front of a condo french kissing another woman. Confronting the soon-to-be groom, he finds out that the two are in an open relationship. They are indeed getting married but free to see and sleep with other people they don’t know. With their relationship going stale, Ethan floats the idea to Rome. She hesitantly agrees, thinking it’s the only way to save them from breaking up. His first prospect: Erica (Ina Raymundo), his sexy boss who has been sending him mixed signals at work.

The Panti Sisters

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Filthy rich patriarch of the Panti clan Don Emilio (John Arcilla) is dying of testicular cancer. Announcing the bad news to his estranged sons, he invites all three of them to dinner for one final wish in line with their inheritance. Whoever will be the first to give him a biological grandchild will inherit the entirety of his wealth amounting to 300 million pesos. Eldest son Gabriel (Paolo Ballesteros) has left the family home long ago after being disowned for being gay and now works as a drag queen performer at a bar. Illegitimate son Samuel (Christian Bables) considers himself as the Queen of Tondo and goes to the reunion with his opportunistic mother Vilma (Rosanna Roces) in tow. Youngest son Daniel (Martin del Rosario) maintains his K-Pop appearance and is living in with his boyfriend Zernan (Joross Gamboa) who promises him marriage. All their plans are derailed as they scramble to find a girl to impregnate in exchange for their inheritance.

Pagbalik

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A single mother in her 50’s, Rica (Suzette Ranillo) comes back to the Philippines after getting Trump’d. Working as a caregiver in the United States, she has been deported and is given no other choice but to come back to the motherland. Given the financial hardships involved in staying in the country without a well-paying job, she is already considering the possibility of becoming an OFW again, applying for a similar job in the UK this time around. Her mother Choleng (Gloria Sevilla) is getting harder and harder to deal with as she gets older, while her son (Vince Ranillo) has devoted most of his adult life taking care of his grandmother instead of living his own. As the days go by, the trio soon realize that coming back is not all about hugs and smiles, but also entails a lot of effort in adjusting to a new reality brought about by a long time of absence.

I'm Ellenya L.

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Millennial Ellenya Lakampati (Maris Rascal), aka Ellenya L, has always dreamed of becoming a social media celebrity like her idol Sue Ramirez. The only problem is that she doesn’t really have any online presence to speak of. Her father (Gio Alvarez) is ever supportive, creating fake accounts to like her daughter’s posts, while her grandmother (Nova Villa) is rather apprehensive and believes her granddaughter should focus more on a real career instead of job hopping every other month or so. When she meets Kyle (Pat Sugui), a popular content creator and manager, she grabs the opportunity to pose as a legit influencer even when she’s really not. Counting on the help of her best friend Peng (Iñigo Pascual), Ellenya L will stop at nothing to reach social media super stardom. The question is, how far will she go to achieve her dream and, in the end, will it all be worth the challenge?

Watch Me Kill

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Luciana (Jean Garcia) is a gunman for hire and quite skilled in what she does, being the go-to hitman of choice from criminals all the way to ordinary citizens in pursuit of revenge that they themselves cannot exact. Everything goes well for her and she gets paid more than enough while maintaining a modest lifestyle in an old house in the woods far from prying eyes. And then she meets Franco (Jay Manalo), a crime boss interested in a rare diamond that an eccentric military retiree scooped out from a river. The task proves to be a walk in the park for Luciana, leaving half a dozen collateral damage in her wake. What she didn’t expect, though, is for a young girl she names Aurora (Junyka Santarin) to be involved in the fray. Once the conscience she thought she already lost a long time ago kicks in, she begins to rethink her decisions in life.

LSS

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Two strangers meet on a P2P bus ride. Zack (Khalil Ramos) and Sarah (Gabbi Garcia) find themselves spending their time lost in traffic engaged in smalltalk and eventually segue to their common interest in musical genres and acts. As they reach their destination, the two walk towards opposite directions seemingly never to meet again as they immediately go back to their own realities. He has spent the last five years in the friendzone, not mustering the courage to court his bisexual bestfriend. She is an aspiring musician, setting aside her dreams and working odd jobs to send her younger brother to school. As they wade through the difficulties of their own lives, their paths will inadvertently cross again as dictated by their choice in music.

Circa

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Renowned film producer Doña Atang (Anita Linda) fast approaches her 100th birthday. The movie matriarch’s daughters: sister Rosa (Laurice Guillen); blacksheep Susan (Elizabeth Oropesa); and balikbayan Maria (Gina Alajar) all come home to the childhood mansion where they grew up to celebrate their mother’s milestone. Her grandson Michael (Enchong Dee) is a budding filmmaker himself and would like to surprise his lola by contacting many of the industry greats that she has worked with both onscreen and offscreen through the decades. The task proves to be a difficult one given how much the landscape of cinema has changed since she was last active in the business. With the help of nanny Meding (Jaclyn Jose), he goes through their family’s collection of film negatives rusting down in the basement, uncovering some memories both good and bad as well as some mysterious truths that he might never fully understand.

Just a Stranger

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A married woman goes to church to confess. The neophyte priest hears the confession of Mae (Anne Curtis), who gives him a blow-by-blow recap of how she began an illicit affair with the 19-year-old son of the Philippine consul in Portugal. What started out as an excursion with her friends in Lisbon ended in infidelity, followed-up by more instances of maintaining an extra-marital affair with Jericho (Marco Gumabao) the moment they found themselves back in the Philippines. Her husband Phil (Edu Manzano) is aloof but curtails all her financial benefits anyway, not wanting to fund her betrayal. Jericho, on the other hand, welcomes the return of his girlfriend but still insists on seeing the older and more mature Mae. As they begin to genuinely fall for one another, they soon realize that their setup will never be accepted by the society they belong to, and soon they must come to a decision.

Hello, Love, Goodbye

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Joy (Kathryn Bernardo) is a domestic helper in Hong Kong. With her contract ending in a couple of months, she is always searching for side jobs to save more money for her pending application to Canada. Since her visa only allows her to work for just one family and only in that line of job, she is always on the lookout for immigration police cracking down on illegal sidelines. All this she does in the hopes of bringing her family to Canada to start anew. Just when she is about to call it quits with her employer, she meets Ethan (Alden Richards), a Filipino soon-to-be resident in Hong Kong who works as a bartender. He likes her, but he pisses her off. Soon, his persistence pays off despite knowing that she is hell-bent on leaving. In the end, will all his efforts be enough to make her stay and choose him?

John Denver Trending

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A stolen iPad ruins a young boy’s life. Bullied by his classmates during dance practice, John Denver (Jansen Magpusao) quits the group presentation to rush back home, only to be accused of stealing his classmate‘s iPad. The kid snaps and beats up his bully, not knowing that their altercation is being recorded on video. As the aggressor plays victim and uploads the file on Facebook, the small and quiet town in Antique becomes the center of attention in a social media scandal that erupts and catches the attention of the entire nation. With trial by publicity replacing due process, John Denver is subjected to more bullying and public scorn. As the situation spirals out of control with the involvement of media both online and traditional, his mother Marites (Meryll Soriano) will do everything she can to clear her child’s name, but will her efforts be enough when society has already placed their verdict?

Iska

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Iska (Ruby Ruiz) is a loving grandmother who does her best to take care of her family, especially her grandson Dongdong (Pryle Gura), the special child abandoned by her only daughter. Her husband whom she calls Asungot (Soliman Cruz) is a good for nothing womanizer who drives a jeep for a living but doesn’t contribute anything to either household chores or expenditures. He also has no sympathy towards his grandson and his special needs. Iska makes ends meet by doing double jobs as one of UP Diliman’s photocopy ladies as well as cleaning a professor’s house once a week. Leaving her grandson for a neighbor to babysit one day, she goes home to an empty house and startling news that Dongdong has been taken by the celebrity host of a TV show called Defender of the Masses, after it has been reported that the boy is being chained and abused at home.

Children of the River

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Four childhood friends rely on role play and taking on family responsibilities to kill time in their little town. Pepsy (Junyka Santarin) tends to be tomboyish and bossy. Agol (Ricky Oriarte) is always hungry. Robin (Dave Francis) is insecure and wants to be popular with the girls. Elias (Noel Comia Jr) is the responsible son whose sexuality is awakened by the arrival of a young lad on vacation named Ted (Juancho Trivino). Their mothers count on superstition and faith healers who tend to baptize people with new names to cure their illnesses. At roughly the same time every day, they eagerly wait for a phone call from their respective fathers, whose whereabouts are never revealed. Together they navigate puberty and all the complications that come along as they transition into adolescence.

Pandanggo Sa Hukay

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Elena (Iza Calzado) is a graduate of Midwifery and works at a local clinic in Ternate where she has been aiding women in giving birth for the last four years. Being a single mother, she decides to pursue other opportunities such as applying for an opening for a nursing aide in Saudi Arabia. She informs her boss and takes a leave of absence for the interview. Even then, she continues her regular job at the lying-in clinic and even helps her group practice their dance number for the company Christmas party, which is her own take on the folk dance Pandanggo Sa Ilaw. Preparing for the assessment the following day, she forgets her PRC ID on the clinic’s printer and returns to retrieve it, only to be abducted by the notorious Etibak Gang which has been terrorizing the local community for a long time now. What follows is a long night of dancing with fate as she fights for her survival.