This is what happens when I watch a good movie...

Kim and I recently had the good fortune to be granted with a 1-year subscription to Netflix (thanks, Kristy!).  I’ve been building up a rather extensive ‘movie wishlist’ over the years and I finally have an instrument to make those disc-shaped desires magically materialize in my mailbox.  Being a minimalist and (somewhat hypocritically) a slight anti-materialist, I’ve long since given up on collecting much of anything physical, especially DVD’s.  It becomes increasingly challenging to justify storing a large number of movies that have a re-watch rate of 0.  When the need to appease nostalgia arises, the simple action of ‘adding to queue’ effectively nullifies the requirement for a physical library.  I wonder how long the concept of collecting DVD’s will remain popular; under the shadow of looming online rental monstrosities and the digital distribution revolution.

 
This past weekend, I watched Stranger Than Fiction.  I added it to my queue, expecting to have a good laugh and experience a unique story-telling device (the whole fictional-character-is-a-real-person-scenario).  Little did I know, I would eventually find myself deeply moved and inspired.  I find it odd, considering most movies starring Will Ferrell tend to evoke a response much more… tangible. 

One theme that really hit home was Will’s character liberating himself from the shackles of his mundane life;  shackles that were completely self-imposed.  It’s funny how blind we can be sometimes.  We live according to a set of rules, expectations, and obligations every day; sometimes necessary, sometimes arbitrary.  It’s the arbitrary ones that concern me, which are often the ones that make us miserable.  What is an action without value or merit?  At any rate, it really makes a lot of sense to me that we need to spend less time worrying about the troubles in our lives, bearing these great burdens on our shoulders; and just make a change.  I suspect that our ability to prevent misery is restricted by this false sense of necessity.  My lesson learned:  Break free, live your life, be happy, and share it.

Committed

    As some of you may have heard, I somehow managed to get engaged earlier this month.  I've been told that 7 years is too long a 'wait', but I'm a firm believer in the contrary.  From the beginning, I've maintained the conviction that the more time you invest in understanding and adapting to your partner, the healthier your marriage will be.  A commitment that persists for…well, a lifetime… simply strikes me as something that requires a thorough initial assessment, in conjunction with rigorous maintenance. 

    Regardless, I've known for a while now that Kim and I were meant to be together, and I feel that the timing couldn't be more appropriate.  We've reached a level of maturity both individually and in our relationship that I find extremely comforting.  It hasn't come easily; we've argued, screamed, and driven each other to tears countless times.  However, the one thing I'm truly grateful for is our persistence, patience, and openness.  It's really driven us forward in terms of how we learn from our mistakes and handle each other.  It's really a beautiful thing: to be able to take a step back and view our relationship as an evolving organism; our personalities intertwined: constantly clashing, merging, and influencing each other.

    My friend, Ethan, once said to me (when describing his relationship with his girlfriend, Vanessa):  "You know how I know I love her?  It's because I can't possibly imagine myself being with any other person in this world."  I couldn't agree more with that sentiment.  I tried to envision myself in that hypothetical situation.  It is a depressing, desolate place, where I find myself completely... incomplete.

    So we've begun planning for a wedding, and I'm interested in hearing your thoughts.  Our top choice is to have a wedding in the Philippines, which I understand can be a slight inconvenience for most of you.  I wanted to share my side of the story before you broke out the pitchforks and lit the torches. 

    Of late, I've become rather disenchanted with weddings in our society.  From my experience, they've grown formulaic and are increasingly exploited.  I'm no longer surprised to hear of markup prices at 500-600%.  In my area, couples are spending ~$30k just to meet status quo; that figure being the lowest of the range.  It's a price tag I'm not particularly anxious to throw my bank account at. 

    There are a number of factors that contribute to the idea of a destination wedding: 

1. The aforementioned cost - The conversion rate and cost of labor in the PI sways heavily in our favor.  Even the cost of subsidizing our guests would be outweighed by our overall savings.
2. Uniqueness - I've always tried to avoid being a conformist, especially when the act of conforming results in making an irrational decision.  I'm sure this is a contributor to my 'un'-popularity, but my need to be accepted is light-years behind my need to stand by my convictions.  There will be many weddings for many people. I personally wish to try something different and I think it'd nice to give others the opportunity to experience something new as well.
3. Family - My recent visit to the Philippines was enriching; as much as my trip to India was enlightening.  When it came to the value of relationships (relative to material possessions), I experienced a pleasant reawakening.  When we were leaving the PI, my uncle, in tears from our departure, made a request: "You have your wedding here, so we can be with you".  Well, perhaps it wasn’t so much a request as a humble demand.  Regardless, what he said still resonates with me.  I was deeply touched by the warmth and hospitality we received from all my cousins, Titos (uncles), and Titas (aunts).  I find myself with a fortuitous opportunity to pay them back.  We have the luxury of celebrating anything we want (at any time) here in the U.S.  Regrettably, we can’t say the same for our family out there.

    Now that I've gotten some of my reasoning on the table, I'm interested in hearing what you have to say.  I know that asking all of my guests to buy plane tickets and take a vacation for my wedding is a lot, and more often than not, too much.  I understand that the greatest cost of planning a wedding like this is preventing my loved ones from attending.  Though I personally feel there is consolation in the fact that we will have other opportunities to celebrate together, I’m curious to see if you all share the sentiment.

Getting To Know Your Friends

I received this e-mail from my cousin, Monica, and figured it could be used most effectively as an excuse to throw up a long overdue post.

Welcome to the 2008 edition of 'Getting To Know Your Friends'.  Copy and paste the questions onto your own blog (or e-mail), update the answers and share.  The theory is that you will learn a lot of little things about your friends that you might not have known!

1. What time did you get up this morning?
9:30 AM

2. Diamonds or pearls? 
I don't care for either.

3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema?
Cloverfield

4. What is your favorite TV show?
It's a tie between Lost/Heroes

5.What do you usually have for breakfast?
Light Vanilla Soy Milk & Some kind of healthy cereal

6. What is your middle name?
James

7. What food do you dislike?
Now that I've been forced to actually think about it, I have to say that there's not a single food I truly dislike.

8. What is your favorite CD at the moment?
Alicia Keys - As I Am

9. What kind of car do you drive?
Honda CR-V

10. Favorite sandwich?
Lately it's been lox & cream cheese with arugula & onion on focaccia bread.  There's an excellent upscale deli right by the office.

11. What characteristic do you despise?
Blind ignorance

12. Favorite item of clothing?
Jeans

13. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation where would you go?
Australia & Japan

14. What color is your bathroom?
Yellow-ish?

15. Favorite brand of clothing?
Ben Sherman

16. Where would you retire to?
Plug me into the Matrix, please.  The happy video game version, of course.

17.What was your most recent memorable birthday?
26th - Threw a fund-raiser party for food bank and raised $665.  Friends, video games, food & drinks... I couldn't have asked for more.
 
18. Favorite sport to watch?
UFC

19. Furthest place you are sending this?
I suppose outer space.  I'm assuming at one point this data could be bounced off a satellite internet connection.

20. Who do you least expect to send this back?
pretty much everybody

21. Person you expect to send it back first?
Mina, because she's the most active blogger I know.

22. Favorite saying(s)?

 "To laugh oftenand much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection ofchildren; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and to endure thebetrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best inothers; to leave the world a bit better whether by a healthy child, agarden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life hasbreathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded."

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

23. When is your birthday?
10/27

24. Are you a morning person or a night person?
I alternate

25. What is your shoe size?
10.5

26. Pets?
I've had fish, but Kim is trying to convince me that they don't count.

27.Any new and exciting news you'd like to share with us?
Isn't news inherently 'new'?  I guess the biggest recent event is Kim moving in with me.  It is indeed very exciting.  It's great to be able to see her more often.  We'd grown accustomed to spending about 1 night during the week & weekends together.  I know that transitions always have their fair share of difficulties, and I remember the friction we had back in college when we spent so much time together.  I'm not naive enough to think that we won't have our fights, so I've made sure we set our expectations and prepare ourselves with patience and an open mind.  We're doing some cool things in rearranging the house as well, you guys should come check it out soon!

28. What did you want to be when you were little?
A superhero
 
29. How are you today?
Doing very well.  Nothing can influence your disposition more strongly than perspective.  Whenever things are looking grim, I just think about the unfortunate people in this world that are truly suffering.  Those people would do anything to have the luxuries that I often take for granted.  When you look at it that way, it's hard to really justify any complaints.

30. What is your favorite candy?
I don't usually eat candy, but I have a soft spot for Gummy Sour Worms or Reese's Pieces

31. What is your favorite flower?
I'm partial to my namesake...

32. What is a day on the calendar you are looking forward to?
3/8/08

33. What church do you attend?
The metaphorical one: prayer.  It's where I feel closest to God.

34. What is your full name?
Jeremy James Dela Rosa

35. What are you listening to right now?
The fans whirring in my computer.  In a few minutes it will be the Buzz Out Loud podcast.

36. What was the last thing you ate?
Hummus & Triscuits

37. Do you wish on stars?
They're much better utilized as targets for gazing.

38. If you were a crayon, what color would you be?
Half Black, Half White

39. How is the weather right now?
39 degrees, I'm freezing

40. Last person you spoke to on the phone?
Kimberly, she went to NJ for the weekend

41. Do you like the person who sent this to you?
Of course!
 
42. Favorite soft drink?
For taste:  snapple iced tea, for function:  coca-cola zero

43. Favorite restaurant(s)?
There are way too many on my list, but if I had to answer based on frequency, I'd say Jackson Hole (burgers) & Jackson Diner (Indian).  Unfortunately, my last experience at Jackson Hole wasn't so great... thought it may have been a fluke, it seems as if they've reduced the size of their burgers.

44. Hair color?
Dark brown

46. Favorite day of the year?
12/25

47. What was your favorite toy as a child?
Nintendo Entertainment System

48. Summer or winter?
Summer

49. Hugs or kisses?
hugs, I guess

50. Chocolate or Vanilla?
Vanilla

51. Do you want your friends to email you back?
Sure, why not?

52. When was the last time you cried?
Probably not too long ago, a few months maybe?

53. What is under your bed?
The floor. I didn't bother with a frame, it's already too big.

54. Who is the friend you have had the longest?
I think it's a tie between Greg & Jed

55. What did you do last night?
Cleaned the house until 2am