Archie Comics vs Riverdale

Now that Season 1 of Riverdale is over, I can get to express my general thoughts on how it affects me, someone who grew up with Archie.

Ever since I was high school (think 80's), I have read Archie Comics and its various spinoffs (Jughead Comics, Betty & Veronica, etc.) I have enjoyed the comics. It made me laugh and be transported to an idyllic American suburbia. Being a teenager, I related to Archie and the gang's day to day teen lilfe - problems at school, with friends, dating, hanging out, pursuing talents etc.

It's a glimpse of a typical American life in an entertaining fun reading. It never bored me and it saddened me that my collection of Archie Comics, given by friends in high school, was not saved during the worst flooding in Metro Manila.

So, when I heard that there's going to be an adaptation, I looked forward to it, but on my first look of the title card, I had a feeling that it is not the Archie I have come to love growing up.

From the title card, everybody looked serious compared to the fun-loving Archie Comics. And watching the pilot up to the season finale proved me right.

Now, is that a good or bad thing? I think it's good, in the sense that Riverdale adapted to what the current audience wanted. Is it bad? Probably to the diehard Archie Comics fans.

I think the key word here is that Riverdale is based on the characters of Archie Comics, Riveradale is not Archie Comics.

Let's see how the Riverdale match-up with their Archie Comics counterparts:

Archie - well, they got the carrot hair right :)

Jughead - his is the greatest character difference. Although Riverdale's Jughead is still weird, he is not a funny weird guy at all but his character has the depth and breath of a troubled youth just trying to find his way,

Betty - not as bubbly as the original Betty, but hey, she is blonde.

Veronica - along with Jughead, Ronnie, although rich as in the comics, is not the snooty spoiled brat. In this version, she has a heart.

Reggie - he is Archie's rival in the comics but I hardly felt him in Riverdale.

Kevin - the reverse is true with him, I never knew him in the comics but in the series, you could not help but notice him, especially his torrid kissing scenes with a guy. Yup, he is gay in the series.

Cheryl - I know her in Archie as one of the supporting characters but in the series, she was given almost an equal screen time with the major characters.

Fred Andrews - among the parents, he is the only one actor that I know of from the 90's, Luke Perry of Beverly Hills 90210, the original teen series that everything in the 2000s has been built on.

Archie Comics ultimate theme is the love triangle between these three or how Archie is totally divided but secretly, I think he loves Ronnie more than Betty. Betty is his best friend and Ronnie his girlfriend. The entire comics revolved on this and many scenarios have been played out but this is the central theme of the comics.

In Riverdale, it is not so. Yes, there is just a hint that there's a love triangle at the beginning but it was
quickly abandoned in favor of the series overall direction.

And to be honest, Betty is better of with Jughead!

For the plot and storyline of Riverdale, head over to Netflix. My post is not really a review but an observation of an Archie Comics fan enjoying the adaptation called Riverdale.

Hirayamanawari,

Rob

Boracay Activity - Helmet Diving

I have been to Boracay five times and I never get tired of it. Every visit, I try at least one "adventure". In my first time, I tried the ATV and Zorb, and this last March, I tried helmet diving.

For Php800, you'll experience a 30-minute under the sea experience. The starting point is at Station 3 where most activities start. At the organizer's tent, in this case, Milky's, they give you a brief orientation including who and who cannot helmet dive. Those who are pregnant, has heart problems and hypertension are advised not to proceed. Upon payment, which includes the divers taking photos and videos of you underwater, you will be taken in the middle of the sea for the dive.

You will be wearing this helmet:

Before entering the water, you will be given another briefing which includes hand signals you can use with the divers - signals for up, down, okay and bring me up, how to depressurize etc. The helmet is kind of heavy but once under water, you will not feel anything and you can breath normally.

What is important going down and once underwater is NOT TO PANIC. Just enjoy the scenerary and being up close and personal with the corals and fishes.

The divers will guide you going down and once you have set foot on the ocean floor, you can walk, swim, sit or do whatever you like. The divers will take photos and videos of you and have these in a CD delivered to your hotel within the day. They will also give you some bread to feed the fishes so they will go near you.

Under the water, it's a different world. So this is how to be in an aquarium eh lol.

Here I am with my good friend Marvin who accompanied me underwater.

For Php800.00 with photos and videos to document the experience, I think it's worth it :)

Hirayamanawari,

Rob

Eating chicken at KFC Hong Kong with no forks

One of my surprisingly different experience in Hong Kong is eating chicken without any fork. As mentioned in my previous posts, this value meal cost me a bit high compared to what it cost here in the Philippines but this post is not about the price, it's about the experience :)

As mentioned, there's no fork. There's a spoon but it's for the rice bowl. What accompanied our chicken meal is a plastic glove! Yes! And to tell you the truth, it is much enjoyable to eat chicken with a glove. It's more sanitary but most importantly, you can attack the chicken literally to the bones!

The picture above is Neil, and look at his finished product below hahahha

See, you can make "simut" (I don't know the English word for it) and gnaw the chicken bones.

Plus the KFC store is Hong Kong is visually appealing too. I forgot to take a picture of their counter. There are belltracks to line-up. You can't just approach any of the cashiers, you wait in line until the next cashier counter is open. Moreover, they employ senior citizens as well. It was really different from what we are used to - working students, lining up in front of cashiers and forks! Their system is more organized and convenient and hopefully, this can be adopted here.

Hirayamanawari,

Rob

Sisig Rice Bowl of KFC

My understanding of sisig is that it's a dish made up of chopped meat - pork, usually, topped with fresh egg, mayo, chili and calamansi.

From the above picture, it is not in any way sisig :(

BUT that is not to say it is not delicious :)

The rice has the right amount of spice. The chicken skin crunchy. The mayo just a touch to flavor things up. I guess to truly make it into a sisig is to mash and chop and mix everything up :)

Ma Mon Luk - the Original Mami

Mami - the Chinese comfort food made up of noodles, broth, and meat (chicken or beef) has been a welcome addition to the Filipino palate. Probably the most familiar ones are those found in the fast food chains.

BUt google it and you'll probably stumble across the name Ma Mon Luk as the original who brought mami to the Philippines. That's Ma Mon Luk in the picture below.

Not many people probably know that Ma Mon Luk is just around the corner. I know they have a brach in Cubao and in Quiapo. My first encounter with Ma Mon Luk was when I was in high school way back in the '90s. My high school friends and I were in Cubao for some reason and decided to eat here. With my student allowance then, it was quite pricey but I distinctly remember the savory and delicious broth and siopao.

Fast forwarded to the present, most of the mamis I have tried are from Chowking or from roadside stands, so when a good friend asked me to accompany him to Quiapo Church, I decided to visit the original mami house.

Ma Mon Luk is located along Quezon Blvd. in between stores selling uniforms, old books. If you are coming from Quiapo Church, just go to the direction of Isetann. Walk along the sidewalk so you wouldn't miss it.

I am quite sad to see how old and dilapidated the mami house looks like. Once inside, it's so hot as the steam from the kitchen wafts to the dining. There's no aircon and the fans are so old you can barely feel the breeze. The walls are festooned with framed news articles about the store, but effort could have been made to better preserve these.

But I don't want the store's physical attributes affect my nostalgia of the best mami I tasted in the 90's. So I order their biggest bowl (the special mami at Php120.00) plus siopao and sadly, my nostalgia was brought to reality.

The brought is greasy and tasteless, and I have to add crushed pepper, calamansi, soy sauce and fish sauce to add flavor.

The serving is indeed big and filling. I may have high expectations as I was trying to match my adolescent mami to the present one, but disappointingly, it wasn't what I expected.

I couldn't say that the quality has deteriorated or I just remember the taste wrong, but if the state of the store would be my basis, I sincerely hope that the current management of Ma Mon Luk should do something to bring back the pride of being the original.It is not enough to put a slogan that it is the house of the original mami nor putting up framed news articles.

Only some few foodies may recognize the historical value of Ma Mon Luk, but for me, I hope on my next visit, things would have improved.

Hirayamanawari,

Rob

Bb. Pilipinas 2017 Review

(Credits to BBPCI for this photo, more photos on their official FB page so I will not be posting anything more here)

This is the first time I am making a review of a beauty pageant. I have been an avid beauty pageant pan, a silent member of various forums and pageant pages. In 2010-2012, I was active in Missosology but as I started my work, I became a silent member. From time to time I made comments or posted in PTOP groups in Facebook. Truth be told, I am not really a fan of the local pageants. But as soon as a representative is chosen, then I become a 100% supporter of that candidate in the international pageant. 

This 2017 is different in a way because for the first time, I am somehow acquianted with a few of the candidates in Bb. Pilipinas so I was rooting for them. Plus the fact that the telecast was on April 30, the next day is a holiday so I can sleep late.

So here goes...

The Stage

I found the stage dark and uninspiring. Maybe I was looking for the caliber of the recently concluded Miss Universe last January but there was nothing new in this year's stage. I hardly noticed the LED backdrop. Maybe they could have utilized this more by using astounding visuals. I never the theme they were after this year.

The Opening Number

I would not be critical but suffice to say I did find the opening number upbeat and enjoyable to watch, although a little bit Christmasy due to the red and green combination of dresses.

The Hosts

I love love love Pia but I felt that she is uncomfortable on stage. And Xian's ad libs, sorry to say, were quite lame.

The Judging

Here I was quite confused, I get it that they are changing the rules but cutting the 40 candidates to 25 without a preliminary competition is quite dubious. I mean, what is the basis of getting the Top 25?  But it is what it is, the Top 25 was chosen and a couple of strong contenders did not make it and a lot of surprises did.

The Swimsuit

So dark and looked sporty instead of sexy. They could have used the press presentation swimsuits instead.

The Evening Gowns

Love the idea of local designers dressing the girls instead of coming from one store (like what they did before).

DJ's serenade - let me put it this way, I think he is not yet ready to be that guy who will sing to the girls. No chemistry with the girls and why wear shades, at night, while singing?

The Q&A

Side note, I love Venus who has been turned into an usherette here holding the fish bowl containing the questions. Such a trooper.

All, except one, are quite eloquent in answering the Q&A. I guess the point here is not to get your nerves get the best of you. However beautiful you are, if you stumble, that's it. The crowd and netizens are quite unforgiving. We have witnessed many would be winners who stumbled in Q&A effectively losing their crowns. (But it is a wonder how Janina San Miguel won a title after her infamous answer).

The Winners

I feel that this batch is the strongest batch of winners. Although I feel that Katarina should be in a different pageant, I think it is a strategy that she is sent to Intercontinental to finally bring home a crown for the country. Mariel is good for International, shy with a sweet demeanor and hopefully, she'll break the curse of MI titleholders (wherein the rep of the current titleholder clapped/unplaced just like the case of Bea Rose and Bianca) and bring home a back-to-back. Rachelle is good for MU, no need for an interpreter! The others for Globe, Grand and Supranational seemed tailored fit to their respective pageants. 

All in all, there's nothing spectacular except for the winners, in this year's show sad to say :(

Hirayamanawi,

Rob

Hong Kong Disneyland Guide and Review

I realized that I have not posted yet about my Hong Kong Disneyland adventures, so here goes!

What's cool about going to Disneyland in Hong Kong was riding its very own train. I wasn't able to take a picture of the train itself, but it's a Mickey train, you wouldn't be able to miss it!

Inside, the windows have decals of Mickey Mouse and small statues of famous Disney characters. (Pardon the selfies and focus on the statues hahaha)

The train stopped right at Disneyland. It was raining when we got there but a little rain wouldn't spoil the fun! Upon alighting from the train, you go up the escalators and there you go, you will be greeted with the welcome arch. Head's up, from this point, it's still a long walk to the main gate!

Nope, this is not yet the entrance! But you can take pictures in this beautiful fountain.

Since I already booked my entrance via www.klook.com I already have a voucher which I scanned at their automatic ticket dispenser right before the main gate.

It would be best to download the Disney app in your IOS or Android phone, very helpful! With the app, you'll get to see which attraction or rides has a short waiting or line!

Tip, the photo op with Mickey & Minnie has the longest line so better head over there first and take your souvenir photo. It's located at the Gazebo quite near the main entrance.

Excalibur is right in front of this Carousel. I just wished they had given it a more elaborate marker though.

Aside from Mickey and Minnie, you can meet and greet other Disney characters at various locations at different schedules. Since there's a lot to cover, I opted to meet Beauty and the Beast at the City Hall Annex. You can check your app for where your favorite Disney princess so you can take a pic!

The train has two stations and will only take you to one station to the next and you cannot stay for a round trip unless you exit and enter again at the station. The fist station is at Main Street and will take you to Fantasyland Station.

Tomorrowland where you can see Jedis in training :)

The Starliner Diner I believed has the most affordable complete meal. Most meals around the park cost HKD100 and up but at Stardiners, you get a complete meal including drinks for less than HKD100.

Btw, bringing of food and selfie stick are prohibited. You can bring a water bottle as there are lots of water stations around the park.

The Lion King Show at Advertureland is the best show among all the show there is.

Tip, check the different show's schedule so you can work around the attractions and rides. If we only knew the Lion King was the best, we should have saved it for last as the others paled in comparison. The short clip below is just an example.

The other shows are the Jedi Training (boring hahaha), Mickey and the Wondrous Book and Philarmagic. In order of good to best, start with the Philharmagic, then the Wondrous Book and last the Lion King. You can skip the Jedi Training unless you are a Star Wars fan.

Okay, this is the Geyser Gulch and just a few steps from it is the Big Grizzly Mountain Runaway Mine Cars, the only extreme ride I took. I wasn't able to take a photo of the ride because just thinking about it made my heart drop again!

Mystic Mansion has a few good surprise. The tour inside the house was quite visually fantastic.

Toy Storyland. Nuff said hahaha

There's also the Fairy Tale forest. It's like a maze with all the Disney Princesses stories.

Oh here's the Philharmagic. The star of this show is Donald Duck. The picture is quite blurry because, guess what, it's in 3D!

Main Street Train Station:

This is the Wondrous Book show. Quite a number of Disney songs are sung here:

The It's a Small World is like a around the world tour and it's an homage for the different cultures around the world.

No Disney adventure is complete without watching the fireworks!

Adnmittedly, one whole day is not enough to see all the attractions and rides. We weren't able to explore Tarzan's jungle or take the river cruise, watch any of the parades and we took very few rides so if you have money to spare, a two-day tour would cover everything hahahha!

Overall, my Disney adventure is worth it. Will I be coming back? Yes definitely!

Hirayamanawari,

Rob