A: 10 FATHER'S DAY MOVIES!

It is this time of the year when people celebrate an occasion that I cannot totally relate to. Well, not because I don’t have a father, I do, I just address my father as “mom”. I think I can say I can’t really relate to it because I really don’t know how it feels; how having a father really feels. I’ve never had any of those “Go ask your dad” nor those “I’m telling your father” moments. And oh, if you think that I will go all “I am so sad I may never know how it feels like to have a dad” on this entry, then you are soo wrong. I grew up not having a dad and I don’t feel like I am missing out on anything. It’s like being born without a Porsche. You don't know how having one feels like, so you don't really miss having one. – Oh how I wish I have a Porsche. :D Though I couldn't really relate to how having a dad feels, I do have a list of some really good movies that showed me just how much love a father can show his kids. I’ll call these movies my Father’s day movies. So without further ado, here is my list.

Disclaimer: It has been really long since I've watched these movies. Should there be some wrong pieces of information that I will share, please feel free to correct them on the comment box below. And yes, this list is in random order. 

1.    I AM SAM (2001)

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Sam Dawson (Sean Penn), a father with a mental disorder fights for the custody of his daughter, Lucy Dawson (Dakota Fanning) after Lucy's mother left them. Lucy, a very smart girl, will help Sam prove to the judge that beyond her father’s condition, he is, like other dads, capable of taking care of his own child.

If Sean Penn’s depiction of Sam Dawson’s character will not make you cry, or at least move you, then I don’t know what will. This movie can be an eye-opener to many of us who are not fully aware of the positive things people with physical and mental disabilities can really do.

I loved how Sam, who the other characters in the movie considered as someone incapable of doing the right things and making the right decisions, became a role model to Lucy and how he tried to teach her what is the right and wrong.

2.    THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS (2006)

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A father who had nothing yet had everything – his son. The movie is based on real life events that happened to Chris Gardner when he was just a couple of bucks away from being homeless, and some of the saddest adventures he and his son, Christopher (Jaden Smith) went through.

Yes, you are reading that right, happyness is spelled with a “Y” rather than an “I”. In the movie, Will Smith, who played the role of Chris Gardner points two things on the mural outside the daycare centre where he leaves his son; one is the F word written in black, and two, how happiness is misspelled with a “Y” instead of an “I”. 

I must say, that after watching this movie, I just gained even more respect towards Will Smith as an actor. I liked him in Hitch, Men in Black, Bad Boys, and even on that animated movie where he did the voice of a fish named Oscar, but him as Chris Gardner, is so far, I think, his best movie. Just how his character – who we shouldn't forget is a real person who really experienced those things – tried to become a strong foundation for his son, would really show just how most dads are with their kids. He went through so many hardships and trials, but rose trough everything victorious.

3.    LIAR LIAR (1997)

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An attorney, Fletcher Reede (Jim Carey), will learn the good things about telling the truth after his son, Max’s (Justin Cooper) wish that his father would not tell a lie even for a day, comes true.

Jim Carey, as always, is hilarious in this movie. And yes, he depicted a character of a good father who admitted to his mistakes and was willing to change to become a better father to his son, and a better husband to his wife.

“The claw!” :D

4.    TAKEN (2008)

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Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson) would use all the skills he acquired through his years of being a US CIA operative not for the usual reasons he used them before, but to try to find his daughter, Kim (Maggie Grace) who was kidnapped.

Okay, now this is the kind of dad I would really like to have. Too cool! Who could forget this line, “I don't know who you are. I don't know what you want. If you are looking for ransom, I can tell you I don't have money. But what I do have are a very particular set of skills; skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you. If you let my daughter go now, that'll be the end of it. I will not look for you, I will not pursue you. But if you don't, I will look for you, I will find you, and I will kill you.”.

If choosing who your father would be is possible, I’d choose someone like Bryan Mills; loving to his child and wife, but tough to people who plans to do his family harm. Sorry, tough is an understatement, but wouldn't a father who can do some serious ass-whooping be a really cool one?

5.    BIG DADDY (1999)

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The twins Cole and Dylan Sprouse who both  played Julian/Frankenstein in the movie.

Photo source: www.cineplex.com

Sonny (Adam Sandler), a law graduate bachelor doesn't know how to become the mature person that his girlfriend wanted him to be. He then finds himself changed after Jullian/Frankenstein (Dylan and Cole Sprouse) knocks on his apartment door. Sonny becomes his temporary daddy and they both teach other life lessons.

I enjoyed watching this “feel-good” movie. How Sonny let Julian become the kid that he is while also guiding him was oddly touching. The movie is packed with fun moments that I guess real father-and-son/s can really get examples from; not including the saliva thing though. Haha!

6.    ARMAGEDDON (1998)

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A group of deep-core oil drillers was flown outer space to protect the Earth from completely being wiped off by an asteroid. Under the leadership of Harry Stamper (Bruce Willis); AJ Frost (Ben Affleck), Charles "Chick" Chappel (Will Patton), Rockhound (Steve Buscemi), J. Otis "Bear" Kurleenbear (Michael Clarke Duncan), Oscar Choice (Owen Wilson), Fred Noonan (Clark Heathcliffe Brolly), and Max Lennert (Ken Hudson Campbell) set off on a mission that didn't promise a good ending. With the dream that his daughter, Grace Stamper (Liv Tyler), will live the life he wished for her to have, Harry will make the biggest sacrifice a dad can ever make for his daughter.

I think many of you would agree with me when I say that the saddest and most touching part of the movie was when Harry bid his daughter goodbye. I cried rivers. Just how much sacrifice Bruce Willis’s character made to save his daughter and the world makes this movie one of my all-time-faves!

7.    FINDING NEMO (2003)

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After losing everything that he had, Marlin (the voice of Albert Brooks), a clownfish, will do everything to protect the only thing that matters to him, his son, Nemo (the voice of Alexander Gould). And just like every kid, Nemo, thinking that his father is overly restricting him on so many things, tries to break free and disobeys his father. The events then lead to Nemo being part of an aquarium gang, and Marlin swimming all the way to Australia to save his only son.

Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming swimming swimming. Finding Nemo is a movie about the love of father to his son, the love of friends, determination, trust, and hope. I don’t think I will ever get tired of watching this movie. All the animated characters are funny in their own way; Dory (the voice of Ellen DeGeneres), most specially.

8.    MRS. DOUBTFIRE (1993)

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Daniel Hillard, a dad who neither had a job nor his own house loses custody over his children after his wife filed for divorce. Not wanting to be away from his children, Daniel pretends to be an elderly lady by the name of Mrs. Euphegenia Doubtfire and applies for the nanny ad that his wife posted. With the talent he has in being a voice actor and the skills that his brother and his friend have in creating a mold that will complete the look of an elderly British woman, Daniel easily makes his kids and wife believe that he really is who he presents himself to be. All was going well until a dinner appointment between his family and his future boss revealed his disguise.

I remember I was nervous during the restaurant scene as I was quite anticipating that something bad is going to happen on Daniel Hillard’s disguise, and something sure did.

9.    THE LION KING (1994)

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The reign of a throne, Simba (voice of Jonathan Taylor Thomas) runs away from home after his father, Mufasa (voice of James Earl Jones) dies, and his uncle, Scar (voice of Jeremy Irons) blames the tragedy on him. Young Simba will meet two friends in another part of Africa who will watch over him as he grows up to be a lion. But no matter how he tries to forget the past, it will find its way back to him.

I remember watching this (Again. For the nth time) while I was on a long flight back to Singapore. I got excited when I saw that it was one of the films on the plane. Ooohh happiness! And yes, that part where Scar let Mufasa fell on a raging stampede of animals still broke my heart.

I was six years old when this movie was released and I remember how my moms friends told her that she should take me to watch it as it is very good. I really liked it when I was younger, but I think that was because it was an animated movie. It was only after I watched this movie again when I was all grown up that I realized why The Lion King is one of the biggest movies of all time. There is just something to love in every animated character in the movie, well, all except Scar and those nasty hyenas. 

10. THE GAME PLAN (2007)

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As an NFL quarter back and a certified bachelor, John Kingman (Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson), thought he was living the life and had everything under control. Until he got a knock on his door and found a little girl, Peyton (Madisson Pettis), who claims to be his daughter. Left with no other choice but to take care of the guardian-less kid, Kingman will be forced to open his house to Peyton and tell the world the truth before it "ruins" his career. Peyton will not only win the heart of Kingman, but also the rest of the Boston Rebels team.

This movie is too cute! I enjoyed watching Peyton drive her dad crazy first by showing at his doorstep, second by bedazzling the coat he wore on a date, dressing her dad’s dog like a ballerina, and a lot more! :D

Happy father’s day to all the dads, grandpas, and those soon-to-be-dads! And yes happy father’s day to all single mothers! Happy father’s day, mom! Love you!

- A! *hug*

A: THINGS WE CAN DO FOR OUR MOMS THIS MOTHER'S DAY! :)

I have shared in my entry about the Women I look up to how big of an influence my mom is to who I am today - like most moms are to their children, right? I can go on forever about the good qualities my mom possesses, about the lessons she taught me, and the dreams she helped me reach. She is my hero, the wind beneath my wings.

In my 24 years of existence, I have seen how my mom dedicated her life, time, and love to one else but me. She worked hard to support my studies, she put a roof over my head, food on the table, and gave me the kind of life that some parents could only dream of giving their kids. And to her and the things she did and provided me, I will be forever grateful. 

I guess it is quite obvious why the beginning of this blog entry is all about my mom. Well, if it's not so obvious, then it is because of Mother's day! I am sad that I will not get to be with her this mother's day, but if I can, then I'd make sure I make the day count and make it memorable, it is after all the ONLY day that is dedicated to moms like her. I say that because it  seems like it's always "daughter and son day", it's always us who are the focus. So let us all put our moms in the spotlight, and at least on the day dedicated to them, make them feel like the star that they are! Here are some way we can celebrate mother's day with our mommahs. Some of these things are very simple and quite ordinary, but I bet most of these things, we have never tried doing.

1.    Take her out on a fancy resto

My mom is a very simple woman. She enjoys fast food meals, eating at food centres, some good old home cooking, and you know the rest. But, I know she also enjoys some nice fine dining from time to time.

Try to look for a nice restaurant days before the day you plan to celebrate mother’s day with your mom. If you plan to take her out on the evening of mother’s day itself, then I would suggest you book reservations as well. It can be heartbreaking to get to a restaurant only to find out that you have to wait for hours just to be seated, or worse, you cannot eat there at all.

If your mom is that kind that likes to try new types of food and is game for some adventure when it comes to dishes, then take her to a place that serves meals that you know she has not tried before. It too can be a nice way to share a "first" if you too have not tried eating in that resto before. But if your mom would rather enjoy the dishes she's familiar with, then take her to a place that serves meals that she likes. Only this time, try to look for the most popular restaurants for her favorite dish/es.

2.    Take her to a spa or a salon

Basically, take her to a place where she can be pampered and experience just full relaxation.

If us young ladies deserve pampering, our moms do too! In fact, I think, they deserve it way more than we do. One nice nail salon that I can recommend is CaliforniaNalls and Day Spa at Market! Market! in Taguig City. Although the store unit is quite small, the seats are very comfortable, the ambience is relaxing, and their attendants are very pleasant.

Spas in the Philippines are almost everywhere. You can choose from the most famous ones or maybe try the newer ones and sign up for membership! You can also take mom to a dermatology clinic and let her receive pampering there while getting rid of any unwanted “stuff” on her face. Or maybe take her to a massage place and have her choose from the wide variety of types of massages that every massage place now has.

3.    Take her to the movies

This should be a no-brainer. In fact, I think, there should be a law that dictates that every daughter/son, once they can already afford to buy movie tix, should take their folks to the movies at least once a month, or whenever their parents's favorite star's movie is showing.

This mother’s day, taking our moms to the movies can be the easiest idea for anyone. If you can book tickets ahead of time by doing it online, then make sure you book tickets days before your plan date with your mother. But if not, then you can always go to the movie house early to have your seats reserved.

4.    Take her window shopping

Again, another very obvious way to say, “thank you” to mom would be to take her shopping, but if you do not yet have the means to buy her anything, then you can take her window shopping. Believe me, most moms would really appreciate the time you will spend with them. It can be a good way to catch up on the gossip with mom too! Haha!

5.    Buy her something new

I know I have mentioned in tip no.4 that if you do not yet have the power to buy mom anything new, then you can always just take her window shopping. And while it is always nice to make sure you always make time to be with your mom, once you start earning money, it will not hurt to spend a few hundreds or even thousands to buy her something nice. Something you know she’d really like. Something she would really love to have, but will never buy using her own money. Surprise her! Add in a cute ribbon and a card with a sweet message, and you have a really memorable mother’s day gift.

6.    Take her on an out-of-town trip

Instead of buying her a souvenir you bought from Palawan, why not take her there instead?  Let her shop for pasalubong she would like to give her friends. Let’s all admit it, most of us would rather go to different corners of the Philippines with our friends than parents. If that is 100% true for you, then this mother’s day is the time to at least give our "bonding with no one else but my friends" addiction  a break.

Even a quick trip to Tagaytay would be appreciated, I am positive about that. Prepare food, bring blanket to sit on (is this still how they do it there? Please correct me if I am wrong) to have that picnic aura, and take tons of pictures!

7.    Go out-of-the-country

Now this, I have already crossed out on my list. Last year, I took my mom to Singapore as my mother’s day gift to her. It was her first time to fly out-of-the-country, and I could tell from the look she had on her face that she was very nervous and excited about it. The feeling was priceless.

Now for this one, unless you stay in the country where you plan to take your mom, then you will need to save quite an amount of money. But of course, the trick is to get suggestions and gather feedback from people who have already gone to the country you’re planning to visit. Ask about their approx budget, what kind of hotel they stayed in, what kind of food they normally serve, and of course, how safe the country is.

8.    Do a make-over

I don’t know about your mom, but mine is pretty simple. She doesn't change her look that often. So this mother’s day, we can all try to do either an overall or just a simple makeover. Maybe have her have a haircut or her hair dyed. Or maybe have her try nail art, or gelish nails,  or a change in wardrobe. But remember, you are doing the makeover to make her feel happy and confident, not to make YOU feel happy about your purchases.

9.    Cook for her

If you plan to stay in and watch rented (and by “rented” I really meant illegally downloaded. Haha!) movies at home with your mom, then might as well cook for her! You can either cook a main dish or maybe go for dessert that you can dig into while you watch a movie.

If you're not very good at cooking, then you still shouldn't worry about a thing. You can always go online, or better yet go to Youtube, and search for the dish you would like to cook or the dessert you would like to make. If you stick with the measurements and the steps, you are sure to receive 5 star mark from your mom. I know I did! ;)

10. Clean the house for her

Mother’s day should also be considered as the day when our moms wouldn't need to work a muscle to do any kind of household chore. But dirt isn't going to clean itself, so what else to do but do the chores ourselves! We all may never be able to clean as nicely as our moms could, but a little sweeping and mopping inside the house would be appreciated, I bet. You can also do a little house makeover and change the positions of the furniture a bit. Place some décor that wasn’t there before, change the drapes, and arrange picture frames and other house displays.

11. Buy her something online
For people who are far from their moms just like me, we still have a way we can make our moms feel special on mother's day. Purchase a gift online! It is best to do this weeks before mother's day to make sure the delivery will not be so late or if lucky, will be exactly on mother's day. 

It is nice to make sure to make our moms feel special on the day that is dedicated to mothers, but what will be nicer is to treat her like it is always mother's day. Why wait for May when you can accomplish all the things above on her birthday or Christmas, or on an ordinary Tuesday? And I believe that how we spend mother’s day with our moms is not about where we can take them or what we can buy for them, it is still, always about the effort we exerted, and the thought that will count.

I would of course like to dedicate this entry to my mom, I love you to pieces, to inay Laki, to all my cousins who were all like mothers and sisters to me, to mommy Nolie who wasn’t only a mentor but also a mother to me, to my mommy Ron, mommy Min, and to all those who frowned upon my bad deeds and helped me become a slightly (haha!) better person. Me loves yoooo!

To all the moms all over the world, HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!

Spread the love! – A