Aragorn for president

I cannot get Aragorn off my mind.

My Sunday night started out pretty much the way most of my Sunday nights do. After Mass, Richard and I together with Juliana and yaya Lita, my brothers Matt and Jules, our friend Clemen, and my sister-in-law Tintin dropped by David’s Tea House in Greenhills because I was craving for their soy milk, taro puff (Juliana and I love dipping it in red vinegar) and steamed taosi spareribs (absolutely yummy, whenever I’m there I go ahead and enjoy the bit of fat each bite has). They ran out of soy milk but they did have all of my other favorites. We frequent this place because not only is the food very good, the service is fast, servings are generous, the prices are very reasonable, and I love how the place reminds me of the yummy tea houses scattered all over Hong Kong. An even greater plus is the fact that they are open until 2 a.m. practically every day. How’s that for hunger and craving appeal?

Prior to that dinner, my brothers had gone off to the new theater in Eastwood to secure last-full-show tickets to the movie Lord of the Rings (Return of the King). Truth be told, I wasn’t particularly interested in watching the movie, especially after having heard that it would run over three hours. I was, as a matter of fact, going to use my messy desk as an excuse to just go home right after dinner. Yeah, yeah, I have never heard anyone say it was a boring movie; in fact, most everyone has been raving about it. I just wasn’t too keen on spending three plus hours watching a horrid looking creature with a raspy, horror-movie voice whose name I would later find out was Smeagol. Pardon my ignorance but I had no idea who these characters were and what motivated them – I had not seen the first nor the second LOTR movie. I just had no particular opinion of this epic that has swept so many off their, period.

I was outnumbered by those who were enthusiastic about watching it though, on a ratio of just me against all of them and I did not want to be a party pooper, so obediently I trudged along. We arrived almost an hour before the movie was to start so there was plenty of time to walk around the area. I was pleasantly surprised at not only how quaint and charming Eastwood is but also at how many shops were there. As always is the case, Richard and I were drawn to the bookshop (that happened to be A Different Bookstore) and I took the opportunity to find Juliana a book on Thumbelina. I kinda told her about Thumbelina and because I couldn’t exactly remember how her life went except that she was small enough to actually sleep on a leaf, I made up this whole story that just got way too incredible by the day. I have a hard time keeping up with Juliana’s memory because now she is convinced that Thumbelina’s life is a soap opera! I figured it was time to simplify life and just get a book that tells the story as it is. Even Thumbelina would grow tired if she were to do all the things I told Juliana she did.

As luck would have it there was no book on Thumbelina (so until I find one my imagination will just have to keep on grinding) but I did chance upon a chubby little number entitled Mama, Do You Love Me? It is a beautiful, beautiful book that I’m sure every child and mother will enjoy even long after the former has outgrown the need for storytelling. Get a copy when you can, it is a sweet and heartwarming depiction of a mother’s unconditional love for her child. A Different Bookstore also has a whole selection of journals, some of which I now wish I had bought. I still prefer journals to the hi-tech electronic organizers because I like the charm and tangibility of a pen and paper duo. Anyway, that’s another story altogether.

Before finding our way to the theater we dropped by The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf for some drinks. I’ve always been a Starbucks fan (still am) but now I have found an alternative to my usual non-fat steamed milk with vanilla fix. On a whim I chose their English breakfast tea latte and absolutely loved it! I know I will definitely be back for more.

Armed with a thick jacket and my precious tea latte, we settled comfortably in the theater. The movie started, I met Smeagol, cheered on Frodo and Sam, laughed at Pippin and Merry, fell in love with Aragorn, and overnight became a LOTR fan. The movie was riveting, thoroughly entertaining, and actually seemed much shorter than the three plus hours it actually is. I did not want it to end. It was funny because at certain parts of the movie, when the good guys seemed to be on the verge of defeat, I would find myself silently saying a prayer for them (pretty much like when you are watching a live basketball game and you so want your team to win), only to realize that the movie obviously already has a pre-determined ending. It was that engaging. Now I’m dead set on watching the first two that I missed, in addition to hopefully finding enough time to read the books.

I can still hear the music of the movie in my mind, I know exactly how Aragorn looks when he goes off to battle – the movie seemed so real one could actually almost feel what the characters were going through. It’s the kind of movie that stays with you days, even weeks, after you have seen it.

Now if only we can have a man with the heart and courage of Aragorn for president.