Palawan, Philippines | 1 of 3

The final leg of our journey to the Philippines took us to the beautiful island of Palawan and the city of Puerto Princesa. Palawan is absolutely gorgeous and I wished that the majority of our trip was spent there. This was what I thought the Philippines would be like, a tropical paradise. It's really a pity that we were only able to spend two days there, it was too little too late. If I ever make it back to the PI, I hope I spend my time in places like Palawan.

After we dropped off our luggage at the hotel, we headed straight for lunch at KaiLui. Our hotel highly recommended this restaurant because it's one of the best in Puerto Princesa. It's always packed and we had to make a reservation for lunch to make sure we would be able to eat there. The specialty of KaiLui is obviously seafood, since the product is so easily accessible. Everything is so fresh and comes straight from the ocean. Even though I've lived in places nearby the sea my whole life, I never tasted anything so fresh and delicious.

After lunch, we went on a city tour of Puerto Princesa. I was a bit annoyed, I wanted to go to a beach. You would think that being on an island there would be a beach nearby but there wasn't.  I was unable to fulfill my wish of going to the beach. Not once did I don a bathing suit and go to the beach while in the Philippines. Needless to say, I was very grumpy and cranky on our city tour.

Don't blink.

The city tour took us to a church, a park, a museum, but the most interesting place was the Crocodile Farm. Growing up in Florida, I've seen heaps of alligators, but never crocodiles. I was a bit disappointed to learn that they looked just like alligators. The best part of the Crocodile Farm was the bearcat. It was so cute and I wanted to take him home. While in the PI, we were unable to see the tarsiers. Markus is a lover of animals and nature and that was the one thing he wanted to do. It was a shame we couldn't fulfill his wish, but at least he got to play with a bearcat. I didn't even know these existed.

We spent the rest of our afternoon pretending like we were in Temple Run. Seriously, there was this weird jungle area of the Crocodile Park and we ran through broken bridges and hanging vines. It was awesome especially since we both started playing Temple Run on that trip. I still wish we went to the beach, but I'm glad that we made the most of what we had. 

Palawan 2 of 3

Chatsworth House | Derbyshire, England 1 of 5

If you know me, you know that I'm a huge fan of

Pride and Prejudice

. It's one of my favorite novels. I love almost every adaptation of the story. I've seen them all, even

Bride and Prejudice

, which is a gem by the way. You can't go wrong with a Bollywood version of my beloved P&P. 

My favorite version of

Pride and Prejudice

is Joe Wright's 2005 version starring Kiera Knightly and Matthew Mcfadyen. The BBC adaptation with Colin Firth is amazing, but Wright's version has the best cinematography. Sometimes, I re-watch this version just to look at all the pretty landscapes and beautiful estates. 

When we were preparing for our trip to England, I wanted to visit some of the iconic places from the movie. Many of them were out of the way and impossible to get to without a car. The one I wanted to see the most was Chatsworth House. In the film it's

Pemberley

, Mr. Darcy's home. Ever since I read the novel as a young girl, I've always dreamed of walking the halls of Pemberley. 

This year, we made that dream come true. On our seventh wedding anniversary, Markus and I visited Chatsworth House and it was everything I thought it would be. That day, I felt just like Elizabeth Bennet. I walked the halls of a beautiful home with my own, Mr. Darcy.

Chatsworth House 2 of 5

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Chatsworth House 3 of 5

Creepy Cinema 2012 | Hotties

While devoting the entire month of October to Creepy Cinema, I noticed something about some of the films. In many of them, there is a distinct and obvious hottie. I know this is something that I shouldn't be focusing on while watching scary movies, but it definitley helped keep me interested. It was much easier coping with the help of these hotties.

1. Steve McQueen as Steve Andrews in The Blob
The one and only reason I wanted to watch this movie was because of this beautiful man. As I said in my review of The Blob, I adore Steve McQueen. He's not my normal type but I saw him in another movie with Natalie Wood, Love with the Proper Stranger and it was game over. There's something so rugged and charming about him, he's such a stud. 

2. Anthony Perkins as Norman Bates in Psycho
This was one of the most surprising hotties on the list. I knew the character Norman Bates, but I had no idea he was like this. I loved his character because he was so innocent and unsuspecting. Norman is such an intricate character with so many facets. One minute he's innocent and sweet, and the next he's dressed like a crazy lady. It's an amazing performance to watch. 

3. Johnny Depp as Ichabod Crane in Sleepy Hollow
I'm sure it comes as no surprise that this gorgeous man is on this list. Johnny Depp is the my epitome. I've always loved him and always thought he was an amazing actor. His performance in this movie is one of his stand out roles and one that I will always enjoy. Also, the 19th century garb isn't too shabby. Something about this era always gets to me. 

4. Michael J. Fox as Frank Bannister in The Frighteners
Michael J. Fox is one of those actors that everyone loves. This kid is a legend in the industry and I really miss seeing him in films. At least he's made some real winners during his career. That being said, I now have the sudden urge to watch Back to the Future. Oh, who am I kidding, I always have the urge to watch Back to the Future.

5. Daniel Radcliffe as Arthur Kipps in The Woman in Black 
This was another huge surprise for me. I'm 100% a Ron Weasley fan. Ronald is so much better than Harry. I know that Harry is the chosen one and all that, but how can you resist an adorable ginger? I've always been a bit hard on Daniel Radcliffe, but in this movie he really impressed me. He was pretty good and he really broke away from his well known role.

6. Justin Long as Darry Jenner in Jeepers Creepers
Who knew that's what he looked like under all the clothes? I mean, wow. I never would've thought it. His character in this movie was annoying, but he's still nice to look at. Justin Long you are a bonafide hottie. 

7. Peter Cushing as John Banning in The Mummy
Even though he's a bit older, he's a distinguished hottie. Look at that face. It's so expressive and intense. He's every bit what I imagine a 19th century English aristocrat would look like. Plus, check out those baby blues. My golly, they are piercing. 

8. Casper Van Dien as Brom Van Brunt in Sleepy Hollow 
Oh Casper Van Dien, how I used to love you. He was so hot in Starship Troopers. I was so excited to see him in Sleepy Hollow. He looked good in the 19th century clothing, weird mullet cut and all. I wonder whatever happened to him. 

9. Harold Ramis as Egon Spengler in Ghostbusters 
Another surprise hottie. Wow, Egon Spengler you are a geeky girls dream. He looks like a really nerdy Adrien Brody, who is also freaking attractive by the way. All the science jargon just added to his hotness. There's nothing sexier than intelligence. 

10. Eduardo Noriega as Jacinto in The Devil's Backbone 
Man, this guy was such a villain and a douche, but he was so cute. The minute he appeared, I knew he was bad news. He just seemed like a creeper. So I guess he's a creepy hottie. Wow, that just sounds really strange. Forget I said that. 

Honorable Mention - Johnny Depp as Edward in Edward Scissorhands
Oh Edward, how I love thee. This is where my love of Johnny Depp began. Yes, I thought he was a hottie even with multiple scars, a pale face and scissors for hands. I told you guys I was a weird kid. Edward will always have a special place in my heart. 

Introduction, Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5

Creepy Cinema 2012 | Week 5

It's finally here, the final week of Creepy Cinema 2012. I never thought I would ever reach this day. I've learned a lot of new things after spending the month of October devoted to scary movies. I realized that anything scares me. It doesn't matter if it's just a cat running across the screen, a few scary notes or an actual monster, I'm frightened. Also, I learned that my actual scream is scarier than the films themselves. Markus told me many times that I get scared too easily, and when I yell, it scares him more than the actual movie.

1. Grabbers (2012)
This is meant to be a horror comedy in the same vain as Shaun of the Dead. I was sorely disappointed with Grabbers.  It was neither funny nor scary. There were a few funny lines and a few scary bits, but nothing too extraordinary. Once they showed us the creature, which was early on, it took away the mystery of the unknown. I think that's what's great about movies like Alien and The Thing. They both have this terrible monster, but they slowly reveal it to you, and they keep you in suspense which adds to the terror that you feel. When movies show the monster right away, you feel less invested and just want to get to the conclusion.

Grabbers is an Irish film and was produced by the Irish Film Board and I think that they had a huge part in the look of the film. There were so many sweeping shots of beautiful Irish landscapes, which was the best part of the movie by the way. Ireland is absolutely stunning and gorgeous, and the only feeling I had at the end of the film was an extreme desire to visit Ireland.

2. Let Me In (2010)
I'm so glad that we waited to watch this the last week of Creepy Cinema 2012. Let Me In is an innocent and moving film with a beautifully written story. It was such a well crafted story that really resonated with me. The main character, Owen, is a young boy, who is living each day as it comes. He's awkward, he's bullied and he's lonely. He's searching for someone to understand him, to accept him and this is something that everyone can relate to. 

There is a darkness to this story but it is peppered with sweetness and innocence. The two lead actors are so believable, and really made me feel for their characters. Chloe Moretz is such a great actress and she's so young. She really captured the emotion of a young girl that is caught between being a child but also a terrible monster. Even when she was doing terrible things, I still couldn't help but pity her. I felt as though it truly wasn't her fault for being what she was, and that she had no choice. This film really humanized the "monster," and made me feel nothing but empathy. 

3. Devil's Backbone (2001)
This is a Spanish film that was directed by Guillermo del Toro. Usually, I like his films, they aren't my favorites, but he they're always enjoyable. They always have a certain look to them. They're always chock full of fantastical creatures and curious oddities. Visually, his movies are always stunning and unlike anything out there.

Devil's Backbone didn't have the stunning visuals that I'm accustom to in a Guillermo del Toro film, but it still had that touch of the supernatural and creepy. It's set during the Spanish Civil War in a boy's orphanage. The orphanage is haunted by one of the previous orphans who passed away through unknown causes. The story itself is quite interesting and a bit of a mystery. It didn't take long to figure it all out and after about an hour, the movie drags. I think if the running time was cut by 30-45 minutes, this could've been an amazingly tight and touching film. Instead, it's a Spanish ghost story that runs on too long and gets a bit boring for my taste

Well, that completes Creepy Cinema 2012. I surprised myself because I genuinely enjoyed this month. I liked a lot of the movies we watched and found some new favorites. It was exciting to be able to see how my other half lives. Now, I understand why Markus enjoys these kinds of movies and I might be more open to watching more films like these apart from Creepy Cinema month. Although, currently I don't know how much more my nerves can take.  

Introduction, Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Hotties of Creepy Cinema

Markus & his students

When we were volunteering at the women's shelter, we went to a nearby park and playground. The adult volunteers were in charge of watching the kids from the shelter and making sure they didn't wander off. There were 13 kids in total and the park was packed full of other children and families. It was a bit difficult, but it was fun running around keeping track of them.

I ran off to the bathroom and when I came back, I saw Markus playing with three adorable little girls. I thought that they were from the shelter and I was so excited to see them jumping all over him. When I walked closer, I realized those girls weren't from the shelter. I freaked out a little and I said, "Markus! Those aren't our kids." He responded, "I know, these are my students from school." 

 

His three students were so adorable. I could tell from their faces that they love and adore him. They were jumping all over him and hugging him. They kept yelling his name when they did anything because they wanted him to see what they were doing. It was the cutest thing. 

It's not very often that I get to see Markus interact with his students or kids in general. Seeing him playing and interacting with these girls, in that moment, I knew he's going to be an amazing father. I always thought he would be a great dad, but seeing him with his students, made me yearn for the day that I'll see Markus playing with our own kids.  Until then, we'll both enjoy our time with adorable Korean kids.