Saturday, November 30, 2002
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Across the Stars version 2 is coming soon! :D

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Watched Attack of the Clones on video! As usual, it's great to notice stuff you haven't noticed before... but still no luck finding the darn Shaak in the asteroid field. :D

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But now you're here, here in my dreams
All night long.... I can't pretend,
But in the light of day I find
That you're only here, here in my mind,
And when I wake you fade away....
With the night... in the light of day....
-- hidden track from Dakota Moon's self-titled album

Two-day good vibe overdose! Makes me feel better despite the excessive workload :D

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Still in the process of rereading Goblet of Fire and trying to find answers to some weird questions. Had a little help from Oneal, but after hearing his theory about Voldemort's weird baby-like body before his "rebirth".... ack! (insert green and sick smiley here). :p Ark is no help at all. He keeps asking more questions, I end up being more confuddled and befused than I was before. Heheh. More questions are cropping up at The Shrieking Shack, too, courtesy of Mistress Ravenclaw, Fluffy, Hermione, and Brother George. But that's all good. Exercising the little gray cells is always good. :)

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Giving some of your time and effort to help others feels very very good. The effect is like magic beyond any spell you can ever cast. :)

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Still loving Artoo..... ;)



Monday, November 25, 2002
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At PHP, that age-old issue of the Harry Potter books having many details similar to other fantasy sagas came up again. Some literary critics have used this argument against JK Rowling and her highly successful series, saying that she's taken many elements from other fantasy series like Lord of the Rings, and incorporated them into her stories. People have pointed out parallels between Aragog and Shelob, The Mirror of Erised and The Mirror of Galadriel, The Whomping Willow and the Ents, Dumbledore and Gandalf, etc. Even though this has been debated to a pulp, I'll put in my 2 sickles before burying the topic.

The fantasy genre is one that is based on imagination, and even though an author's imagination is limitless, somehow, the genre has many many common elements across all the different stories comprising it. Dragons, wizards, magic, fantastical creatures, heroic feats, good versus evil, these are elements that you will find in most fantasy stories. The patterns date back to the early mythologies of the Greeks, Romans, and even the Egyptians. Fantasy is an unreal world, a world of the unfamiliar. But these common elements give readers a certain familiarity with the genre that makes them feel right at home with the stories. The same elements combine in different ways to form a different story that remains recognizable.

In my humble opinion, this doesn't mean an author plagiarized another author. That just seems to be the nature of the genre. For if we say that the contemporary authors took their ideas from the classical fantasy authors, then it is also safe to say that the classical authors took their ideas from the works of the ancient mythologists. But that is not so. Somehow, Fantasy has become every reader's and author's common dream, a common product of their collective imaginations, a common place to escape our real world.

With that said, I've found that I've been able to appreciate Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Dragonlance, and the other stories of the genre, independently, treating them as unique worlds, and revelling in their unique perspectives of the common elements of Fantasy. :) The more worlds we have to enjoy, the more we learn, and as in all literary genres, those seem to be the objectives of reading. :)

 

Some preciousssssss adoptees are missing. Server down. Awwww.....

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Another song has been stuck in my head all weekend:

Is there nothing at all that I can do to turn your heart?
Is there nothing to lean on that can help erase the scars?
And I could use a little strength before I fall....
Is there nothing at all?
-- "Nothing at All" by Santana feat. Musiq

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Hrmmm... Ark's questions about Goblet of Fire have got me thinking again. Better go and reread parts of that book later on....




Sunday, November 24, 2002
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Okay. It turns out CD2 contains the two trailers, sheet music for Hedwig's Theme (including the Musicnotes program installer), a screensaver, and some wallpapers. Nifty. :)


Saturday, November 23, 2002
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Star Wars Philippines had its November Assembly today, and we had tons and tons of fun... because of Interactive R2D2!!! If I didn't have a slight fever and a terrible headache today, I might have actually hugged the little droid when he and Oneal arrived. Artoo is just too cute for words. He rolls around, he sings (he knows how to sing, among others, The Imperial March, the Cantina song, and the Throne Room theme from "A New Hope"), he follows people around, he whistles... awwwww, he's just adorable! And he made me forget I was sick today. :) I think I'm in love with a freaking astromech droid! Heheheh....

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I finally got myself a copy of the Chamber of Secrets soundtrack (with Harry on the cover. *wink*). I've listened to three tracks so far, and they're all fabulous. "Fawkes the Phoenix (Track 3)" is a wonderful wonderful theme with a magical and... ah... fantastical feel to it, very much suited to Fawkes. :) More comments after I've listened to the rest of the 20 tracks. I wonder what's in the 2nd CD....

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After doing a little hunting in the mall with my fellow "No to Movie Arwen Club" members (LOL), I found several books I'm putting in my "Acquire the following books list": The Magical Worlds of Lord of the Rings by David Colbert, The Hobbit (with illustrations by JRRT), and Star Wars: Mythmaking.

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On a personal note to U-l-a-n: I think I have a GVM now too! *silly grin* You really should have absolutely heard it! *insert evil laugh here* LOL.

Friday, November 22, 2002
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Weeeeeee!!! Was testing if FTP worked for the space Lily kindly reserved for me in her subdomain. :) It's also my first time to use FTP, but it worked, because my new adoptees showed up! Yippeeee!!! Oh, yeah, they are the new HP adoptees down there in the portal directory. (new Draco, Ginny, Ron, Harry, Hermione, and Oliver Wood!) Yaaayy!!!! Thanks, Lily!!!!




 

Interesting follow-up to the news from Yahoo! The folks from The Leaky Cauldron are cooking something up. They plan to set up an account at PayPal so that readers of TLC can contribute to a fund that will be used to bid on the card. If TLC wins, they will publish the contents of the card, and will probably hold a contest for the readers to determine who will keep the card. Anyway, whether TLC wins or not, the money will still go to Book Aid, the charity where the proceeds of the auction will go in the first place. It is sort of an indirect charity drive, and TLC readers can contribute any amount they wish. The site predicts that with the volume of readers they have, even if they don't win the auction, the amount of money that will be raised for Book Aid will be bigger than a regular donation. TLC is still working out the details, but it sure is an interesting prospect. At least if they win, all of us curious fans will know the contents of the card, unlike if it lands in the hands of a private collector. :) Cool. Bloody brilliant idea indeed! :)

 

Hrmm... Will this "new teacher" be the female DADA teacher JKR talked about before?

Edit: I forgot the name of the witch when I initially posted this and only remembered now. The speculation is Arabella Figg will be the next DADA teacher (unless Lupin comes back). Mrs. Figg is the lady who lives near the Dursleys. Aunt Petunia leaves Harry with Mrs. Figg on Dudley's birthday. Her house smells like cats and cabbages. Interesting.... And Mrs. Figg is also in the list of wizards Dumbledore calls upon at the dark end of Goblet of Fire. :)



 

I started on "The Once and Future King" by T.H. White yesterday. It turns out that in terms of the Arthurian genre, it is one of the classics. The funny thing is, well, his writing style is funny! :) There is a comedic feel to the chapters. But that makes it all the more interesting and easier to read.

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More on Harry Potter (sorry, that's the "in" thing for me this week):

Yahoo! News reports that a card containing 93 random words written by JK Rowling, will be up for auction at Sotheby's in London this December. Interesting though, those 93 random words reveal some plot points for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. The card is being auctioned as a fundraiser for Book Aid International, an organization that provides books for developing countries.

Part of what is in the card, Sotheby's reveals, says:

"Thirty-eight chapters ... might change ... longest volume ... Ron ... broom ... sacked ... house-elf ... new teacher ... dies ... sorry,"

Intriguing. Very intriguing.... It is definitely the longest volume, since it has, I believe, one chapter more than Goblet of Fire. The "new teacher" phrase refers, probably, to a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, the post having been vacated when Professor Moody turned out to be... errr... a fake, and the real Moody probably needs time to recuperate, or is probably gonna work as an Auror during these dark times. "Dies" is a word that scares me. I know JKR already revealed someone is dying, but the thought of a beloved character dying is still depressing. (I still am hoping it's not Ginny!!!! Ack!). The mention of a house elf and of Ron is certainly interesting. I wonder what that is all about....

Well, I hope she submits it to her publishers soon!



Thursday, November 21, 2002
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Another interesting thing I've found in David Colbert's book:

Quidditch is a word that J.K. Rowling invented to describe the magical sport everyone is crazy about. But it seems the names of the balls involved in the game are kinda related to that word also: Quaffle, Bludger, Bludger, Golden Snitch. No letter "i" in the first part though, but it works, and probably sounded right to JKR when she thought up names for the balls. :)

Wednesday, November 20, 2002
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This morning, I went and reread my book, "The Magical Worlds of Harry Potter" by David Colbert, and found that the Basilisk is actually a legendary snake in the Middle Ages. It was also called a "cockatrice", and like in CoS, it was believed that a basilisk was the offspring of a rooster/hen mated with a snake/toad. Basilisks are usually portrayed as large snakes with a crown or white spot on the head, much like a cobra, which probably started the basilisk legend, although some artists took the description literally, they portrayed basilisks with the head of a rooster, with wings, and with the body of a snake. Queer. It is said that the basilisk is deadly even from afar. The Roman naturalist, Pliny, says it kills all it touches and breathes upon, it breaks stones, and is venomous and deadly. Some sources say there are three varieties: one can poison with a look, one sparks fire, and one, like Medusa, causes such horror, it can petrify its victims, also like our basilisk in CoS. :) And the rooster is said to be fatal to it, travellers in the Middle Ages have been known to carry roosters for protection. :)

Cool. And I thought the term "basilisk" just referred to a species of lizard. :D


Monday, November 18, 2002
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It's amazing just how much detail you actually miss the first time you watch a movie.... I watched Chamber of Secrets again last night and noticed among others, 2 things. First, the spell Harry used in Aragog's lair is the same as the spell Tom Riddle used in the flashback sequence against the creature in Hagrid's trunk. Second, the dialogue between Dumbledore and Tom on the stairs (also in the flashback) is exactly the same as the dialogue between Dumbledore AND Harry in Dumbledore's office, after the Justin and Sir Nicholas attack episode.... Interesting parallel between Harry and Tom, that one....

Sunday, November 17, 2002
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The official Star Wars site recently reported that they are coming out with a new "program" at LucasBooks that will entail the publishing of books/comics that will explore the events that transpired between Episodes II and III, or the Clone Wars. Intriguing.... It would indeed be very interesting to find out what is happening to the characters and the galaxy during that period. The only thing I am worried about is that George Lucas's take on things is different. That would mean that after reading through dozens of novels, come 2005 and Episode III, readers will find that The Man himself threw all the facts laid down in the books out the window. That's pretty much what happened when Episode II came out. Some facts from the Expanded Universe became obsolete, irrelevant, and contrary to Canon (the movies). It makes me think that even if Lucas's company sanctions the publication of the Expanded Universe novels/comics, The Man himself may still be treating them as what kitsune_hisui likes to call "glorified fanfiction".

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While defending my interests (specifically SW and HP), I realized that some people are so very hard to please, they cannot appreciate the movies I mentioned for what they are. People will still tend to nitpick and compare to the point that they cannot be satisfied by anything anymore. How high is their level of expectation anyway? It probably goes through the roof. I admit to being guilty of doing that before, but I am slowly changing my outlook on things.... After all, I don't have the capability to make a better movie, so I might as well stop complaining, sit back, relax, and enjoy the show. :p Too much ranting can be bad for one's health. :p I'm not saying people shouldn't complain, you could rant, but you shouldn't expend too much energy doing it and you shouldn't lose sleep over it. Most of all, one shouldn't strong-arm others into agreeing with their opinions, it is usually a pointless and stressful exercise. Besides, if one believes that he is entitled to rant, then others are entitled to rave. Say your piece, make your point, state your opinions, then leave others be. :)

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I loved yesterday's Image Attack at the SW Official Site. If Jedi are always that cute, my journey to the Dark Side would be completed faster than you can say "Emperor Palpatine is eeeeeveeeeeellll." Heheheh. ;)

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I'm rereading "The Magical Worlds of Harry Potter" by David Colbert, and discovering many interesting things... I'll write about them here soon....

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I am also at the last chapter of "The Magician's Nephew", book one of The Chronicles of Narnia.


 

Highlight the text between the --> <-- for potential spoilers....

MORE HARRY POTTER THOUGHTS
There was one line that struck me while watching Chamber of Secrets. "It's over, Ginny. It's nothing but a memory....", said Harry to Ginny. But is it? After all, Harry still has some of Voldemort within him, and even though Ginny was --> mostly unconscious when Tom Riddle took her over, she was made aware of what Riddle did. <-- I still don't believe she will completely forget that episode. I have a feeling this will affect the characters in the last 3 unpublished books. Times are getting darker, Voldemort is back, everyone is taking sides (at least most of them), and this may be one card that Voldemort won't hesitate to play when the going gets tough.... Creepy thought....

Friday, November 15, 2002
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THOUGHTS ON "HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS (The Movie)"

Note: There may be some Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets "spoilers" below. Highlight the space in between the --> <-- if you prefer to read them....

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If I were to sum up my opinion of the movie in one short sentence, I believe it would be, in the words of Ron Weasley, "Wicked and bloody brilliant!" :D

Although I'm still complaining that --> the Deathday Party sequence was totally omitted, <-- and --> there's not a sign of Peeves the Poltergeist anywhere, <-- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets still gets 4 1/2 stars from me for sheer fun and magic. :D

The sequel was, in my humble opinion, a great improvement from Sorcerer's Stone in many aspects.

Acting wise, our magical trio of Emma Watson, Rupert Grint and Daniel Radcliffe greatly improved their performances. Ron Weasley will definitely bring the house down with his goofy facial expressions and good character development. Other younger actors, Tom Felton as Draco Malfoy and Bonnie Wright as Ginny Weasley, were also very convincing in their performances. It would help though if Chris Rankin (Percy Weasley) were more... arrogant and... irritating. :D And the Weasley twins should have been more goofy and funny. I also wasn't able to feel much of Oliver Wood's Quidditch obsession. The veteran actors though, still deliver the same quality of acting they did in the first movie. Richard Harris will always be, to me, Albus Dumbledore in the flesh, and I'm sure all the Potter fans will miss him terribly like I will. Casting a replacement will be an ominous task. Noteworthy among the new actors/characters in this movie are: Jason Isaacs as Lucius Malfoy (Legolas' eeeeveeeeeelll twin! LOL); Kenneth Branagh as Gilderoy Lockheart; and Christian Coulson as Tom Riddle (who looks sinisterly cute. Heheh).

ILM did a good job with the effects, although I noticed about 2 scenes which could've done with some smoothing - scenes in the flying Ford Anglia, and one of Hagrid during the Quidditch match. Otherwise, the other effects seemed very natural, you won't even immediately see that they are special effects, they blend right in with the rest of the elements on-screen.

The creatures and ghosts were very cool too. Despite early reviews comparing Dobby the House Elf to Star Wars' Jar Jar Binks, Dobby was actually tolerable. I initially thought he would be very very irritating, but he isn't. Dobby --> banging his head on the wall, and using the bottle of Skele-gro and a lampshade to hurt himself <-- was actually how I imagined him in those scenes, which was a pleasant surprise. :) Moaning Myrtle was... well, whiny. Good for her. Heheh. Aragog and his HORDE of spiders of all sizes were too creepy for words, I found myself saying the words "icky", "yucky", and "creeeeepyyyyy" too many times, and the scene where --> the spiders were chasing Ron, Harry and Fang aboard the Ford Anglia <-- actually made me shudder. Creeeeeppyyyyyyy. The Mandrakes and the Cornish Pixies were cool too. The Basilisk was another story, though, --> it looked kinda like Godzilla, but with a longer body and a smaller head. <-- That's one creature I imagined will look different. Fawkes is absolutely, fantabulously wonderful. I want a pet phoenix!!!! :D

John Williams' musical score, although still reverberating with the now very memorable "Hedwig's Theme", still manages to accompany the movie wonderfully.

Some favorite scenes: Harry escaping from the Dursleys on the Ford Anglia; scenes at the Burrow; Harry and Ron on the way to Hogwarts; Ron belching out slugs; exploring Headmaster Dumbledore's office; the Quidditch match; the Polyjuice Potion sequence; Harry going back in time through Tom's diary; the Dueling club; scenes in the Chamber of Secrets. And, that cute scene at the Great Hall during the End of Term feast when --> Hermione ran into the Hall and hugged Harry, but couldn't quite give Ron a hug, and Ron and Hermione had this sheepish expression on their faces and they ended up just shaking hands! It was priceless! LOL. <-- That very very short scene after the end credits was really funny too. --> "Who Am I?" by Gilderoy Lockhart?!?!?! ROTFL. <-- I just remembered another scene I missed: --> Lockheart's Valentine's day project, which prompted the famous Singing Valentine for Harry. <-- Because of that omission, --> Ginny's infatuation for Harry was not very evident, except for what happened at the Burrow. This part should've been established more, as this is a foundation for Ginny's character development in the HP series. <--

The movie ran for almost three hours, but I didn't really feel it. There was a lot of magic and fun to go around.

More thoughts after I see the movie again this Sunday. One thing's for sure. I am spellbound. :D





 

Just one complaint about Chamber of Secrets. Spoilers between the arrows, highlight to read:

--> THERE WAS NO DEATHDAY PARTY!!!! Awww, shucks! <--

 

Watching again this Sunday!!! :)

Thursday, November 14, 2002
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I could not resist the lure of Hogwarts... I watched Chamber of Secrets today! It was FANTABULOUS! :D I'm taking the time out to collect my thoughts before posting my review....

Oh, and do not leave the theater without finishing the end credits. *wink!* It won't be boring sitting there staring at names anyway, all you have to do is amuse yourself by listening to John Williams' fantastic musical score... well... unless of course, you desperately need to go to the bathroom. LOL.

 

I'd better consider watching Chamber of Secrets earlier than planned, or I will NEVER hear the end of it. Oneal has been torturing me enough until the movie actually started (thank goodness!). LOL. :p And I'm not sure if U-l-a-n will be able to refrain from making any comments.... (heheh). Nicee wasn't able to help herself. Well, at least she only commented about Tom Riddle. ;D Every comment almost feels like the Cruciatus curse has been cast upon me (the horrrrorrrrrrrrrrr!!!!).

Well, okay. So I've read Chamber of Secrets more than ten times or something. Why would I mind spoilers? It's just that when a book is made into a movie, you get a totally different perspective of the story. There are scenes that almost feel.... new. Like you've never seen them before. You know what to expect, and yet there are still surprises to be found. I would like to discover those surprises for myself....

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Am still staying away from all my Harry Potter groups until I can watch the movie....

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I finally got my brother and sister to "try on" the Sorting Hat at harrypotter.com. What do you know! They're Gryffindors too! I guess we're like the Weasleys or something....



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That Sorting Hat trend is very interesting. All the Weasleys were sorted into Gryffindor. And yet, Parvati and Padma Patil are twins, but were sorted into different houses... Hrmmm.... But what exactly is the Sorting criteria? Although the Sorting Hat gives us ideas based on the songs it sings in the books, if you follow those descriptions to the letter, there will be inconsistencies. Hermione would lean towards Ravenclaw, for one. And then there's Colin Creevey, Lavender Brown, and Harry's other schoolmates from the same year level. My personal take on it? The Hat probably looks deep into your heart and mind and determines which values you treasure most or give priority to (courage, loyalty and being hard-working, knowledge, cunning and ambition), then that's the House the Hat will sort you into. But that's just my humble belief. Who knows what's truly going on with a talking and singing magical Sorting Hat? :D

Wednesday, November 13, 2002
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Which is YOUR favorite Indiana Jones installment? :)

Mine would have to be "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade". :D

 

It looks like my adoptees are lost again.... :((

Also, Chamber of Secrets opens today!!! I'm not reading any Harry Potter group until I can watch it.

The folks at SWFC are talking about the AOTC DVD and Silver Anniversary R2!!! Aaarrrgghhh!!! I'm staying out of that place too....



Tuesday, November 12, 2002
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Owlsy says my precioussssss adoptees are back!!! Yippeeee!!!!



 

Eek! My poor precioussssss adoptees are lost!!! Arrrggghhhh!!!

Well, my host, liquid2k.com seems to be undergoing maintenance or something. I guess that explains it. I hope I get my precioussssss children back soon!!!! So, if my adopties don't appear, I guess it's 'cause the server hosting my images is just down for the meantime.




 

While going through my e-mail archives to find "Cad Goddeu" per U-l-a-n's request, I found this essay I wrote on June 25, 2002. I figured I'd post it here.....

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Duel of the Fates, the theme from "Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace" is one of the most memorable of the themes from the Star Wars saga. John Williams composed the music, and conducted veteran Star Wars musicians, the London Symphony Orchestra, and London Voices to create a powerful theme for the fourth installment of George Lucas's cinematic masterpiece. The theme brings to life the climactic battle pitting the Jedi Qui-Gon Jinn and his apprentice, Obi-Wan Kenobi against the Sith, Darth Maul. The battle ranks as one of the best lightsaber fights in the saga, and it is made even better by Williams' brilliant score.

But WHAT EXACTLY IS THE CHORUS SINGING IN "DUEL OF THE FATES"? Isn't it amazing how, even if you don't really understand the words, the whole theme just sends shivers up your spine, and you feel like you are actually witnessing the battle all over again just listening to it?

John Williams got the inspiration for Duel of the Fates from a Celtic poem entitled "Cad Goddeu" or "Battle of the Trees". The English translation of the poem can be found in the book "The White Goddess" by Robert Graves. Williams had the poem translated into several languages, but he chose Sanskrit for use in the theme because he liked the way it sounded.

According to The John Williams Web Pages, the composer specifically used two lines from Graves' version and had it translated. He didn't use all the words in the lines, just a few of them. Those lines were: "Under the tongue root a fight most dread, and another raging, behind, in the head".

Following is the Sanskrit transliteration of those words, which are the exact lyrics to the theme sung by London Voices:

Korah Matah Korah Rahtahmah
Korah Rahtamah Yoodhah Korah
Korah Syahdho Rahtahmah Daanyah
Korah Keelah Daanyah
Nyohah Keelah Korah Rahtahmah
Syadho Keelah Korah Rahtahmah
Korah Daanyah Korah Rahtahmah
Korah Daanyah Korah Rahtahmah
Nyohah Keelah Korah Rahtahmah
Syadho Keelah Korah Rahtahmah
Korah
Korah Matah Korah Rahtahmah
Korah Daanyah Korah Rahtahmah
Nyohah Keelah Korah Rahtahmah
Syadho Keelah Korah Rahtahmah
Korah

The website adds that for the funeral sequence, Williams added words of his own ("Death's long sweet sleep") and had those translated into Sanskrit as well:

Madhurah swehpna, go rahdomah swehpna,
Madhurah swehpna, go rahdomah swehpna,
Mooritioo, madhurah swehpna.

More intriguing is the story behind the original poem, "Cad Goddeu". According to www.novareinna.com, the poem is: "an early Celtic work of great antiquity also known as "The Battle of the Trees," was originally composed by Gwion and is found in the Book of Taliesin, a Thirteenth Century Welsh manuscript. The work documents a battle between Arawn, King of Annwfn and a ploughman named Amaethon. The hostilities ostensibly arose through an act of theft committed by Amaethon. The crux of the poem centers on the use of a magical staff which transforms trees into fighting men and is believed to be the recordation of the powers ascribed to the trees at that time."

A full text of Graves' English translation follows:

CAD GODDEU
The Battle of the Trees
translated by Robert Graves

The tops of the beech tree have sprouted of late,
are changed and renewed from their withered state.

When the beech prospers, though spells and litanies
the oak tops entangle, there is hope for trees.

I have plundered the fern, through all secrets I spy,
Old Math ap Mathonwy knew no more than I.

For with nine sorts of faculty God has gifted me,
I am fruit of fruits gathered from nine sorts of tree -

Plum, quince, whortle, mulberry, respberry, pear,
black cherry and white, with the sorb in me share.

From my seat at Fefynedd, a city that is strong,
I watched the trees and green things hastening along.

Retreating from happiness they would fein be set
in forms of the chief letters of the alphabet.

Wayfarers wandered, warriors were dismayed
at renewal of conflicts such as Gwydion made;

Under the tongue root a fight most dread,
and another raging, behind, in the head.

The alders in the front line began the affray.
Willow and rowan-tree were tardy in array.

The holly, dark green, made a resolute stand;
he is armed with many spear-points wounding the hand.

With foot-beat of the swift oak heaven and earth rung;
"Stout Guardian of the Door", his name in every
tongue.

Great was the gorse in battle, and the ivy at his
prime;
the hazel was arbiter and this charmed time.

Uncouth and savage was the fir, cruel the ash tree -
turns not aside a foot-breadth, straight at the heart
runs he.

The birch, though very noble, armed himself but late:
a sign not of cowardice but of high estate.

The heath gave consolation to the toil-spent folk,
the long-enduring poplars in battle much broke.

Some of them were cast away on the field of fight
because of holes torn in them by the enemy's might.

Very wrathful was the vine whose henchmen are the
elms;
I exalt him mightily to rulers of realms.

Strong chieftains were the blackthorn with his ill
fruit,
the unbeloved whitethorn who wears the same suit.

The swift-pursuing reed, the broom with his brood,
and the furse but ill-behaved until he is subdued.

The dower-scattering yew stood glum at the fight's
fringe,
with the elder slow to burn amid fires that singe.

And the blessed wild apple laughing in pride
from the Gorchan of Maeldrew, by the rock side.

In shelter linger privet and woodbine,
inexperienced in warfare, and the courtly pine.

But I, although slighted because I was not big,
Fought, trees, in your array on the field of Goddeu
Brig.

----

It was an epic battle, Dark against Light, much like that sequence in "The Phantom Menace" associated with Duel of the Fates. After reading through the poem, and probably listening to "Fates" again, can you help marvelling at just how creative John Williams actually is? It's touches like this that make him one of the best soundtrack composers ever, and his music, the perfect accompaniment to every Star Wars episode. :o)

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Footnote: "Battle of the Trees" also sounds like the March of the Ents from LotR. Cool! :)







Monday, November 11, 2002
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I did a little reconnaisance work tonight (read: window shopping! LOL.). No sign of the Chamber of Secrets OST. :( I hope it comes out early enough for me to play my movie game....

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Also, it looks like the Attack of the Clones video will come out on November 28. Darn! We get CoS early, but will get the AOTC video late. Can't have it all....

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This song has been stuck in my head all day....

Since the moment I spotted you,
Like walking around with little wings on my shoes,
My stomach's filled with the butterflies,
But it's alright.
Bouncing from cloud to cloud
I got a feeling like I'm never gonna come down
If I said I didn't like it then you'd know I lied....

Everytime I try to talk to you, I get tongue-tied
Turns out everything I say to you comes out wrong
And never comes out right.

So I'm singing, why don't you and I get together,
Take on the world and be together forever....
Heads, we will, tails, we'll try again.
I'm singing, why don't you and I get together,
Fly to the moon and straight on to heaven.
'Cause without you, they'd never gonna let me in....


- "Why Don't You and I" by Santana feat. Chad Kroeger

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

I also spotted some interesting books during my reconnaissance mission. "The History of Lord of the Rings" consists of... I'm not sure if it's three or four books, by Christopher Tolkien, filling in some details in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. The War of the Ring and The Treason of Isengard were the only ones I was able to browse through. Intriguing.

I finally saw all the volumes of LOTR sporting the new movie covers. It's still Frodo featured on FotR, and Aragorn on RotK.... but in TTT, where Saruman used to be, there is.... Legolas. Ehermmm... Should I be thankful I bought the first series? LOL. Hrmmmm.... Don't get me wrong. I love the character of Legolas. Orlando Bloom, like Liv Tyler, just doesn't have that kind of a "wow!" effect on me. In fairness, Orlando Bloom played Legolas well. He's cool. But in my very humble opinion, his portrayal lacked a little something I cannot define, something that, at least to me, doesn't show him as the Legolas I loved in the books. But that's just me. Of course, I might change my mind upon watching TTT. One thing's for sure though. I may end up liking his portrayal, but I still will not scream and squeal with the rest of the girls upon his appearance. LOL. (Uh-oh. Shields up! Incoming!!!!)


Sunday, November 10, 2002
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Dr. David West Reynolds is one interesting character. He's well known as the author of the Star Wars Visual Dictionaries and as a contributor to the Star Wars Insider magazine, but he interests me for another reason. He's an archeologist, and he's a Star Wars fan. It's like Indiana Jones meets Star Wars!!!! (Hrmm... come to think of it, Harrison Ford IS Indiana Jones, and he's in Star Wars!!! LOL. Must be why I adore him aside from the fact that he's an attractive guy! LOL.) Anyhoo, Dr. Reynolds has what must be my dream job. If I had been given the opportunity, I would've studied archeology in college.

Dr. Reynolds went on a very interesting archeological expedition in 1995. He went to Tunisia to find "Star Wars canyon", or the original location of the Star Wars sets in Tunisia. As we all know, the Tatooine scenes were filmed there, but according to Dr. Reynolds, Lucasfilm never kept records of the location because they never thought the film would be this huge a hit. In 1995, he went to Tunisia with two colleagues, and guided mostly only by images from the Original Trilogy Topps trading cards for visual reference, he went on to find the Skywalker homestead, the Mos Eisley cantina, the Bantha location, the overlook where Obi-Wan and Luke looked down upon Mos Eisley, and the place where R2D2 was ambushed by Jawas. The Skywalker homestead is in use by locals as a hotel, though. (You can stay there for $2.80 a night! LOL.) His crew also found the krayt dragon bones we saw while the droids were walking around the Tatooine desert. They even flew the fiberglass bones back to the US to do a "reconstruction of the beast"! Heheh.

Prequel Trilogy producer Rick McCallum recruited Dr. Reynolds to serve as a guide for the location scouts when they were filming The Phantom Menace. He also located some granaries called "ksours" that GL wanted to use for the prequels.

It must be interesting to apply archeological techniques to the Star Wars universe. After all, it is a unique culture in itself. :) The prospect excites me. Archeology and Star Wars. Two of my very favorite things. :D

(Info about Dr. Reynolds taken from reports from Celebration II from TheForce.Net)

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

David West Reynolds on Star Wars from an interview by The Nando Times in 1999:

"You take a well-crafted myth, a well-crafted drama and you clothe it in very well-executed art direction - that's the candy coating. That's not what it's about. The candy coating, brilliant as it is, would not make this resonate around the world the way it has. It's what went into the conception of the story and the characters that makes it so successful..... All of this stuff that I work into it, the added technicality, the work that others put into it to make it a consistent universe - that's terribly enjoyable to the fans, because it allows you to enjoy that fantasy more deeply without ever coming to the wall. It's like being on 'The Truman Show' and you keep exploring and there's never any end."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Speaking of droids, Oneal was just telling me about Interactive R2D2, which was just delivered to him. I didn't expect the little guy to be like a foot and a half tall! Wow! Boy, do I want a real astromech droid. They may be a little suicidal at times, but they are really useful and, well, at least they aren't as irritating as protocol droids tend to be.

I wonder how Luke Skywalker was able to communicate with R2 outside of the X-Wing fighter though. I remember scenes on Dagobah where he talked to R2 without a translator of any sort. Maybe it's like Han talking Wookiee with Chewie... they just have a.... connection. :D

But until I can turn into a genius like Anakin Skywalker, Interactive R2D2 will have to do. I'm putting that on top of my Christmas wish list. I hope Santa Claus is reading this blog. :D


Saturday, November 09, 2002
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As I went through the messages in TPTS today, I saw several posts complaining about Arwen. Again. LOL. Actually, this is a topic that has been bandied about for quite some time. Personally, I don't like her expanded role in the movies either. I guess I just loved the books so much that the events in the books are exactly what I would like to see in the movies. I know Peter Jackson has been faithful to the books otherwise, but... oh, I don't know... Arwen just doesn't appeal to me much as a character (and then there's Liv Tyler!). I just hope Arwen's role doesn't overshadow Eowyn's. Eowyn is one of my favorite characters, and I really loved her role in the books. Miranda Otto looks very lovely and great for the part. I'm really excited about seeing The Two Towers! But first, there's Chamber of Secrets. Man, I really have to get Potter-acclimatized again....

Oh. Yeah. I have to resume reading The Silmarillion again too....

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

I'm staying out of the bookstores these days because while I was hunting down Book 1 of the Dragonlance War of Souls Trilogy, Dragons of a Fallen Sun by Weis and Hickman, I was not able to resist the lure of the shelves. Whenever I made a trip to the shop and I didn't find Fallen Sun, I ended up buying something else. The first time, it was The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley, then there was The Once and Future King by T.H. White, then the latest was American Gods by Neil Gaiman. Needless to say, they are all still stuck in the "to read" stack (together with Fallen Sun! LOL!), because I'm still trying to get through the Dragonlance Fifth Age trilogy before starting with War of Souls. In terms of books, I think I'm all set until next year! Heheheh. :) I wonder if I can even finish all the books in the "to read" stack before the year ends....

 

After a very freaky thunderstorm this afternoon (eek! it's 12:30AM, so okay, it happened yesterday), and after having our internet access cut off at work (probably because of said freaky incident), I headed for home... or at least tried to... but ended up getting stuck in traffic for almost 3 hours!!! Grrrrr.... And it's a trip that normally takes just about an hour and a half, and that's at rush hour! Argh! Now I know what it's gonna be like if the officials of the overpopulated planet of Coruscant decides to shut down all the air traffic lanes, and let people travel only by land. Yikes! Here's the weird thing. I normally (read: when I'm not doing overtime and when I'm truly lucky to be able to catch it) ride the same bus to and from work. Now this bus company's drivers are sort of notorious for being fast. Really fast. (yeah, I probably have a deathwish to be riding it every day! LOL!). There was one time when I actually got through rush hour traffic in under an hour! And all because the driver drove like he was in a podrace in Malastare! (Anakin Skywalker and Michael Schumacher, stand back! LOL!). And traffic in Manila doesn't let you do that, unless you are really skilled. So I found myself saying "The Force is strong in that one!" that day. But today, same bus, no such luck. Grrrrrr.... Ah, well.....

~*~*~*~*~*~*

Since "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" is opening here in the Philippines earlier than in the US (November 13), I decided to try to hunt down the soundtrack CD last Thursday, but it seems it hasn't been released yet. :( (I instead ended up getting Santana's latest album, "Shaman", which I highly recommend. He's soooo cool.)

Starting with "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" last year, I've been playing a little game with the movies for which my idol, John Williams, composed the musical score. I get the soundtrack CD and listen to it several times before going to watch the movie. And while I'm actually watching the film, I try to pinpoint which tracks are for which scenes, which sections were not included in the CD, which recurring themes comprised another theme, stuff like that. I know, I know, it's a weird thing to do, it's nerdy, it's queer, it's... well, weird! LOL. (But then, you probably already realized after reading the entries here that I AM... well... weird! Heehee!) It's all cool, though. You actually learn more about the story and the characters while listening to the themes.

Oh, the magic and excitement I felt upon hearing "Hedwig's Theme" again when I saw the Chamber of Secrets trailer.... :o)

By the way, John Williams' scores make for great driving music. Try driving on the freeway to the tune of "Anakin Beats Sebulba" (a.k.a. the podracing track from Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace), and tell me if you can resist accelerating. Heheh. Or try "Moonlight" (with Sting on vocals) from the OST of Sabrina when you're stuck in traffic. It's guaranteed to make you forget that traffic has ground to a halt, and will make you feel like you're strolling down the streets of Paris with your beloved. ;)

~*~*~*~*~*~*

This blog has barely been up for a week, but its look has changed countless times already! LOL. Talk about being obsessive-compulsive! Despite that, this is only the third significant (but not really major) change, so technically, Across the Stars, as you see it right now, is at version 1.3. :)





Friday, November 08, 2002
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OF ELVEN AND MORTAL NAMES

One of our co-members in The Philippine Tolkien Society has been studying Quenya for quite some time now. His knowledge is truly impressive. Once, when we were talking about name translations, he offered to translate our real names into Elven names. And this is how he translated mine:

"Your name, Maryann is obviously a combination of Mary and Ann (or Anna, Anne). Now the modern form Mary was descended from Hebrew Mariam or Miriam. The meaning is not known for certain, but there are several theories: "sea of bitterness", "rebelliousness", and "wished for child" (all from Hebrew). However it is most likely an Egyptian name, perhaps derived in part from mry "beloved" or mr "love". Ales Bican, the webmaster of ELM used "bitterness" in his interpretation. As the Q word for "bitter" is sára, a good rendering would be Sárielle. "Beloved" in Q is melda, so Meldiel would be nice. As for the Ann element, it is descended from Hebrew Hannah (< Chaanach). Its meaning is unambiguous "favour" or "grace". Its Q equivalent is alamare or almie. So Maryann can be interpreted as either Almiesáriel or Almeldiel (by haplology). Take your pick."

I picked Almeldiel for two reasons. First, I didn't like the "bitterness" element of the translation for Almiesáriel. :( "Beloved" was of course more favorable. :) Second, the "beloved" element was based on an Egyptian translation, and I am truly fascinated with ancient Egyptian culture, so the choice was clear. Almeldiel it is. :)

~*~*~*~*~*~*

A HOME FOR MY ADOPTIES

Thanks again to Lily (and Pixel Empire), I have adopted more cute little icons! :D And I couldn't help myself, I just had to put most of them in, especially when I found pixel images for Dragonlance, LOTR, and Harry Potter (and Indiana Jones! Yay!!!). And I don't care much if they look crowded there, they're all in good company. So if you're reading this blog, and you get too tired of my adopties, please have some patience. My precioussssssss children needed a home. :D



Wednesday, November 06, 2002
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Last year, just before "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" the movie came out, I wrote a little spoof just for fun. I'm not even sure if the parallels are accurate, but what the hey! Sometimes, when your brain is just too tired, all this weird stuff happens. LOL. I recently found the text file, and decided to put it up here. Needless to say, JK Rowling owns the right to all the characters in the Harry Potter series, and nobody is making any money out of this. References to people, places, and even creatures, were not intentionally made in a derogatory manner. This was written all in good fun, and it's all entirely speculative and based on the author's imagination. Here goes nothing... (LOL.)

~*~*~*~*~*~*

Harry Potter and the Pearl of the Orient Seas

No, that's not the title of a new JK Rowling book. It's just that lately, I've been thinking about what it would be like if the Harry Potter books were set in the Philippines. Hmmmm....

@#@#@#@#@#@#@#

Several weeks before term starts on November 1, a mysterious letter arrives for Harry Potter. His Uncle Vernon intercepts it, reads it, panics, and does his best to further intercept any more letters. Heaps of mail arrive for Harry, entering the house from the most unlikely places, so Uncle Vernon decides to bring the whole family out of town. But eventually, Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of the Keys, catches up with them and reveals that Harry is actually a wizard. The next day, Hagrid brings Harry to a little noodle house in Chinatown, where people shook his hand a lot and seemed really thrilled to meet him. In a back room, Hagrid taps the requisite bricks with his umbrella, and they enter Divisoria Alley.

Hagrid took Harry into a little bar for some refreshments before shopping. He was relieved. They just got out of Gringotts Bank where he withdrew some money. Gringotts was ran by Dwendes who were particularly good at guarding treasure. He didn't enjoy the cart ride through the underground vaults of Gringotts. The Dwende who drove the cart distinctly said "One speed only!" when Hagrid asked him to slow down, and he was driving like he was in Formula One. Harry's knees were still a little shaky. He ordered some kalamansi juice at the bar, while Hagrid opted for a mug of San Miguel Beer. He still looked a little sick from the cart ride.

Harry was able to buy all his school supplies at bargain prices in shops in Divisoria Alley, including his new wand, made of strong kamagong wood, and containing a phoenix feather. Hagrid used to have a wand which was made of narra. It was snapped in half when he was expelled from Hogwarts, but the pieces are now hidden in his umbrella. Hagrid bought Harry a Kalapati as a gift, and told him that they are the most useful pets, as they can be used to deliver mail.

On November first, Harry was instructed to board the Hogwarts Express on the Southeast Bound platform of the Shaw Boulevard station of the MRT. Harry thought that was weird. The MRT only had North Bound and South Bound platforms. Uncle Vernon just laughed out loud. When he got to the station, he didn't know what to do. But suddenly, he saw a woman hustling several children, all of them dragging a "baul" just like his, and talking about how the whole station was full of Muggles. "Muggle" was a word he heard Hagrid use in reference to non-magical folk. He approached the woman and asked for help. The woman told Harry to lean on one of the walls, and when he did, he was magically transported to the Southeast Bound platform. He boarded the train, and wondered just where Hogwarts School was actually located. He was in a compartment with one of the sons of the woman from the station, Ron. Ron said that the only thing anyone knew was that the school was located somewhere in Capiz, and that the train was enchanted so that it can move over water, and it doesn't need a railroad track to run on. Sure enough, he noticed that the Hogwarts Express seemed to be floating off the ground like a hovercraft.

That was how Harry's term started. Eventually, they arrived at Hogwarts, and entered the Great Hall, and waited to be sorted into their respective Houses. Ron thought there would be some kind of test, but all one had to do to be sorted was to put on the magical Sorting Salakot. After the sorting, they all sat down for the start of term feast. Harry sat opposite a ghost. He was wearing a barong tagalog, and he said that he used to be a wealthy haciendero from a nearby province, but his workers rebelled and murdered him. He warned the first years about the White Lady, another one of the ghosts inhabiting the school. She tended to be very scary, and enjoyed making students scream in fright.

Harry enjoyed school, even if the whole wizarding world was new to him, and everything seemed very weird. He liked his classes, except for Potions. The Potions master hated him. He loved taking points off of Harry's house, but he seemed like a very well trained wizard. The other students say that he learned most of his craft from a master wizard herbalist who used to sell his potions to Muggles in front of the Quiapo Church back in Manila. He made a lot of money because they were very effective, but later, business declined because of another master herbalist named Ernie Baron. The professor's master now sells only Gayumas. The Hogwarts matron, Madam Pomfrey, trained under Ernie Baron, and used most of his potions to treat the students' more common illnesses even though Mr. Baron's concoctions are based on scientific research, and did not involve magic at all. But she insists that there are no substitutes for her excellent healing spells, and her own magical concoctions.

The Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher was another story. He is a famous Mambabarang from a nearby town, and was very good at his job. He taught the class all about Dark Creatures like Manananggals and Tiyanaks and how to defeat them. He said that when you find the lower half of the body of a Manananggal, you should sprinkle salt on it to destroy it. If the manananggal is not able to unite with its lower half by sunrise, it will be completely destroyed. He also taught a lot of counter curses.

They also had a discussion about a particularly unusual curse, much like the Cruciatus curse, and used by local witches called Mangkukulams. It involved a doll made in the likeness of the person you were cursing, and sticking needles into different parts of the doll. The person will feel pain in the corresponding part of his body. The professor pointed out that it was an unusual curse because it didn't require a wand. But the counter curse for it is his specialty, so they devoted an entire day to studying it.

The next meeting, they discussed Agimats, devices Muggles use to ward off anything from dark spirits to bullets (the thing that shoots out of Guns - metal wands that Muggles use to kill each other). Agimats are sold by enterprising wizards to Muggles in the black market, as the Ministry of Magic impose heavy fines on Agimat distribution. Ministry officials say selling Agimats to Muggles is a violation of International Magic Secrecy laws.

The Transfiguration teacher gave the class a special lesson on Animagi. But she warned about how to distinguish Animagi from Aswangs. Aswangs were discussed further in D.A.D.A. class.

The Forbidden Forest in the school grounds was intriguing. What exactly is in there? Hagrid told Harry that Tikbalangs, half man half horse creatures, inhabited the Forest and were very hostile, although non-violent, toward humans. He said that there were also Diwatas and Ermitanyos there, and sometimes, they will deliberately cause you to get lost in the Forest for days. Hagrid also warned Harry about the lone tree planted on the school grounds. It was the Whomping Balete, a tree whose trunks are like fists, and will knock you out with its punches if you got too close to it. The White Lady was to be seen near the Whomping Balete often.

Some of the older students take up Divination, which is taught by a witch named Madam Aurora. She tended to stare at her crystal ball all day. But she also teaches Numerology, Palmistry, and Astrology, as other forms of Divination. She was also adept at telling fortunes using cards (sometimes using Tarot cards, sometimes playing cards). Lately, Madam Aurora was always in the papers, as she was rumored to be dating a famous Muggle singer named Victor. He has the same surname as the Gryffindor Quidditch Team captain. Harry found it weird that when Madam Aurora was asked by the reporter if she can predict her wedding date or if she will get married to the singer at all, she was deliberately vauge. Most of the teachers stayed away from the North Tower where her offices were located. They didn't particularly like Divination.

Aside from Ron, Harry had another new friend, Hermione. She was a very clever witch, and they became friends when he and Ron saved her when they accidentally locked her up in the girls' bathroom with a Kapre.

Quidditch is fun, too. Flying is fun. Even if First Years were not allowed to have brooms, Harry was given special permission by the Headmaster so he can play on the House Team as a Seeker. His Walis Tingting was a state-of-the-art Nimbus Two Thousand. He preferred the Walis Tinting to the Walis Tambo, which was less aerodynamic.

School was magical. Harry wished he could stay at Hogwarts forever, and would not have to go back to the Dursleys. But he had no choice. At least by the end of term, he will know some spells that he can practice on Dudley. Now, THAT would be a fun summer.





Tuesday, November 05, 2002
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Just read from TLC that in an interview with JK Rowling during the world premiere of "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" in London, she confirmed that "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" now has 38 chapters (one more than "Goblet of Fire"), and that it is weeks away from being submitted to her publishers! Very very cool. Finally, something definite about Book 5. BUT. She also mentions a "bad death" in the book that she didn't enjoy writing. Hrmmm... She has hinted before that there IS a horrible death in future books, but I didn't quite expect it to happen as early as Book 5. But then, there was Cedric Diggory in GoF. Two deaths in a row? A dark future I see for our boy....

 

I love the pixie images in the portal directory. :D Thanks to Lily for those. :)


 

Experiencing an audit at work is kind of like being someone who works at the Death Star, then here comes the Emperor, checking on your progress and making sure everything is going well.... *shudder* Now I know what those troopers and workers felt when the Emperor arrived for his inspection.... (insert strains from the Imperial March here). *shudderrrrrr*





 

Found a cool icon courtesy of Laurice at this URL. Thanks, Lau! *mwah!*



Monday, November 04, 2002
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I used to write about my thoughts regarding Star Wars, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and my other favorite sci-fi/fantasy/adventure books and movies in my LiveJournal. But lately, I have come to treat my LJ like a personal diary, so I decided to create this new blog.

I named this blog "Across the Stars" mainly because that is the title of my second favorite theme from the Star Wars saga (next only to "Duel of the Fates"). And the title seemed to encompass the magical and fantastical worlds that I will deal with here. I don't claim to be an expert in any of the topics I mentioned. What I will write here are mainly my own personal thoughts, ideas, and experiences regarding the said topics.

Fantasy and sci-fi has always been able to cast a spell on me. My friend U-l-a-n and I once talked about owning too many fantasy books, and not enough reality-based literary works. But sometimes, I just feel the need to escape the real world. And even though the worlds I escape to may just be make-believe alternate universes, the best of them still manage to mirror reality, the characters and their experiences, although tinged with magic, are still very much human and grounded in real-life.

~*~*~*

Thanks to U-l-a-n for all the help in setting up this blog and for pointing me to the resources I needed. :o)

Sunday, November 03, 2002
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testing again....


 

testing.... hello, world?