Note: I’m a cheesy person alright? But since it’s Valentine’s Day and I wish everyone is in love this season, let me share some more cheese. The kind that is, well, cheesy.

“The greatest thing you’ll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return.”

That’s from romantic musical film Moulin Rouge. Cheesy line alright but yes, there is nothing in this world that feels better than being in love. It is the most amazing feeling that you will ever have. (Orgasm, an exception.) If what this quote says is not enough reason for you, here’s ten more.

10. It makes you better-looking.

This is not a joke. Believe it or not, falling in love can really make you look a lot better. If you’re the type of person who doesn’t care about your physical appearance, fall in love and see how you would change. When you’re in love, you will always try to look your very best not just to impress the one you love but also to feel good about yourself. You feel conscious about your outfit, your hair and your movements.

Even when you don’t exert any effort on improving your appearance, love really brings something magical to its victims. When people are in love, they smile a lot. There is a certain glowing aura that people in love emit that radiates happiness.

9. It makes you nicer.

How can you be mean to people around you when there is someone who makes every minute of your life wonderful? When people are in love, we tend to focus on our feelings for that lucky person and pay not much attention to other things, much less to the things that make our blood reach the boiling point. And because there is someone who makes us smile every time, it is hard to frown and make other people’s lives miserable. We tend to forget our bitter past and our plans of revenge in the future because what matters is the present.

8. It makes you richer.

It doesn’t mean that you should marry Donald Trump or some other billionaire. Even if you fall in love with an average guy, you have more chances of getting rich. This is because you are more inspired to work and you have another reason to work hard. Intentionally or unintentionally, you will find yourself doing your job a little less exhausting because the feeling of going home to someone you love keeps you through the day in a way that you don’t realize how much work you have done. This is true. Studies have shown that individuals in long-term committed relationships earn more than those who stay single. So if you want to get rich, fall in love.

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Note: I originally wrote this article for Qool Media in 2007. And since it’s awards season once again, I figured it’s time for me to publish this on this blog. Just edited it a little for updates. Remember that this is a PERSONAL list and that it was written in 2007, three years ago. But feel free to add other actors that you think are underrated.

Life isn’t fair. Some people get too much while others get so much less that what they deserve. Like life, Hollywood is unfair, too. It is home to many celebrities who enjoy fame for absolutely no remarkable work. And then, there are those who have exerted so much effort and unparalleled talent but never really received any significant recognition.

From brilliant actors who are refused to be given a break to those who rock their roles no matter how small they are, you can produce a list of celebrities who are not given what they are due. Here is a list of ten FAMOUS actors and actresses in Hollywood but criminally underrated.

10. Sandra Bullock

Although many people would disagree that Sandra Bullock is overrated for all the fame and glamor she enjoys right now, it has to be noted that she CAN act. All the talk about her in tinsel town was not about how good an actress she was. Aside from her dazzling beauty and head-turning attitude that always make her top every most beautiful celebrities list there is, she is a total scene-stealer when it comes to acting.

Unfortunately, not all people realize that. Her portrayal of a woman in jeopardy in Speed isn’t a performance that Cameron Diaz, Kate Hudson or Jennifer Aniston can deliver. She even completely kicked out Matthew McConaughey from the spotlight with her outstanding performance in “A Time to Kill.” Heck, even her very tiny role in “Crash” was well-celebrated.

(Update: Thanks to The Blind Side, Sandra got a challenging, heavy role in a good material and hopefully it pays off this year and be regarded as among her contemporaries such as Julia Roberts and Nicole Kidman in the acting department.)

9. Jennifer Jason Leigh

Jennifer Jason Leigh may have lost a number of important roles in huge movies like The Terminator (to Linda Hamilton) and Hannibal (to Julianne Moore) but she’s definitely here to prove her worth as an actress. She has shown her acting prowess in several films, from Mrs. Parker and eXistenZ but she is surprisingly still not well-known in Hollywood and is yet to reach the dizzy heights of Nicole Kidman and Julia Roberts. Still, she continues to give us brilliant performances but most of them are barely noticed.

8. Gary Oldman

Another great mystery in Hollywood is why Gary Oldman has never received any nod from either the Golden Globes or the Oscars. He isn’t named “The Chameleon” for no reason. Like Johnny Depp who looks so different in all his movies, Gary has already made a name for portraying a wide range of unusual characters varying international backgrounds. He delivers every performance with unmatched intensity that overpowers those of his co-stars every single time.

He is an incredibly talented actor who is still waiting for that moment when his formidable acting skills be recognized by any major award-giving body. Before that day comes, he will continue giving life to supporting characters and will remain one of the most underrated actors in the history of cinema.

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Year 2009 has been the best year of my life so far. It was so good to almost every aspect of my life — family, friends, love. The only thing that let me down was my health. I often found myself unable to enjoy the day with several gastro-intestinal disorders and, well, as usual, asthma and tonsilitis.

Another thing that almost spoiled the previous year for me was my failure to make it through the Foreign Service Oral Exams. I was devastated, I have to admit, because I planned my future around it. And when I learned I didn’t make it, I just needed to find an alternative route — reexamine myself and search for other things that I wanted and was good at and pursue one, or even more.

True enough, the situation opened several windows. Together with my friends, I set up a small marketing group. I also took my blogging a little more seriously and launched several blogs other than this.

But one thing that made 2009 so special was my many travel adventures. I’d always considered myself a well-traveled person having been to Benguet, Leyte, Palawan, Aurora, General Santos City, and many more. But 2009 proved to me that there was still so much to explore in this country. And this post is about the many memorable places that I visited in 2009. Here they go.

10. Tagaytay City

Well, Tagaytay has always been a favorite city. I love its climate, its landscape, and its proximity to Manila and to my house in Batangas. (Tagaytay is only 30-minute drive away from my mum’s house.) I’m a regular. But what made my visit to Tagaytay special this year had nothing to do with the destination nor does it involve the journey. It’s not where I went or how I got there. It’s whom I went with. And darn, Tagaytay just became the most romantic city on the planet.

9. Matabungkay, Batangas

Matabungkay has always had a special place in my heart. In August last year, I stepped on its sands again for the first time in three years and although I was glad to see its shore again, I was disappointed to find piles of garbage littered on it. I hope that when I go back, perhaps this year, I could see some improvement. Matabungkay is slowly losing what made it famous in the first place year after year.

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I promised myself I wouldn’t go out of the country unless with a diplomatic passport. Not even the World Cup could make me break that vow.

But a FREE trip to Singapore was just too good to refuse. Heck, the keyword there isn’t even Singapore. Even if it was just a free trip to Binondo, I’d still take it. Free is all I need to forget everything else in the world.

So when Nuffnang sent me an email telling me I was a part of the Philippine delegation to the Asia Pacific Blog Awards in Singapore and that they would shoulder the fare, the accommodation and the tour, I was like “Screw the diplomatic dream, I’m going to Singapore!”

And so I went. Together with a bunch of bloggers from the Philippines, Malaysia, and Australia, we joined Singaporean bloggers to celebrate the best in Asia Pacific blogosphere. The next day, they took us on a tour around the city. It was one of the best experiences of my life. And it will surely be not forgotten. Thanks Nuffnang!

I’m sure you’re expecting me to narrate bit by bit what happened in Uniquely Singapore. I won’t be doing that. Not this time.

You might also be hoping I’d bombard this post with hundreds of pictures. Sorry to disappoint, I won’t be doing that, either. At least, not hundreds. Haha.

What I’m writing about in this blog post are the little things I noticed over the three days I spent in Singapore. Here they are:

10. Soap Bars

The first thing I did upon entering my Link Hotel room (along Tiong Bahru Road) was to check the bathroom. And the first thing I noticed was there was no soap bars. I’m not used to liquid body wash so I stormed out of the room to look for some. I first tried Cheers, a convenience store reminiscent of Mini-Stop near the hotel, but they didn’t have any. I walked an entire block to 7-11, where I finally found soap bars. There was only one brand of solid bath soap there and they were on a budget pack.

Later on, I found out that solid soap bars are an endangered species in Singapore. I was told people prefer liquid body wash over bath soap. Interesting.

9. Maya

There was a kind of bird that I see all over Singapore. I don’t know what it’s called but it’s black. It’s cute.

But while having lunch at a hawker center, Ramon Bautista (yes, THE Ramon Bautista. He’s a friend and a former college teacher), noticed something amusing on the floor. It’s a cute little brown bird — a tree sparrow, known in the Philippines as maya. I knew the Philippines and Singapore have so much in common since they both are ASEAN countries and are in the tropics. I expected I’d still see the flora and fauna we have here in Singapore. But seeing a maya was still something that blew me away. I know, I know, the tree sparrow is common in Asia and Europe but still, it felt good seeing a bird I see every day in my country.

It was the only maya I saw in Singapore in the three days I spent there.

8. Paper Table Napkins

Common food establishments don’t serve disposable paper table napkins. I learned about it when I asked for it and they told me it was for sale. At first, I was pissed but then I realized there was a good reason for it.

Why would I need disposable table napkins when I have a hankie handy? Why would I waste paper? I guess that’s the reason for it — they discourage people from using paper napkins for waste management. I appreciated that.

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Ladies and gentlemen, this is my 500th post! And to celebrate, allow me to be vain for a moment and feature my 10 favorite entries on this blog.

I’ve been blogging for over five years. I was so passionate about my first blog but a year later as I was backreading, it dawned on me that I was full of crap and so was my blog. All I posted was my immature ramblings so I decided to just kill the blog.

A few months later, I started another blog on Blogdrive. Although I couldn’t say it wasn’t immature, it was a teeny bit more sensible. The next year, I moved to Wordpress and purchased yoshke.com domain name. That’s when I took blogging seriously.

This blog is called The Mind, Times, and Life of Yoshke Dimen because I want this to reflect my handwritten journal, which i still keep. (My handwritten journal has more detailed, more scandalous, more personal entries. LOL. I’d be dead if somebody stole it.) So why the title?

“Mind” because this blog documents what’s on my mind, what I think about. I write about what’s going on in my head from my European cable provider to Pinoy Big Brother to Oli Pettigrew to traveling the world to lawn tennis.

“Times” because decades from now, when I look back to this era, this blog should reflect the environment I am in and what’s going on in the world. I’d love to revisit the blockbuster movies of this time, the hit TV shows, the political climate, and even global warming.

“Life” because this is still my personal blog and it should chronicle what I do and feel and how I live my life. That when I became famous, there’s a convenient resource for researchers and biographers to poke into my past. Haha. Kidding.

Enough intro, here are the upper 2% of Yoshke.com posts that I really enjoyed writing.

10. MY TOP 50 ALL-TIME FAVORITE FILMS

I never take writing movie reviews seriously. Being a Film graduate and having directed and written a few films, I thought writing movie reviews would make my life too film-saturated. Thus, I only write random thoughts about the flicks I see. Compiling my top 50 most well-loved movies of all time was an enjoyable ride. It was a great experience looking back and ranking all the films I have seen and picking the 50 that I’d watch over and over again.

Another movie entry I had a damn good time writing was a rundown of all the Batman movies. This post is special because I’m a huge Batman fan and to prepare for this entry, I had to see all Batman films again — from Tim Burton to Christopher Nolan, from Michael Keaton to Christian Bale, from Joker to Poison Ivy back to Joker.

Some of the movies I enjoyed writing a short review of include Doubt (2008), the Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008), and The Reader (2008).

9. TOP 10 SIGNS THAT YOUR BOYFRIEND IS GAY

This post gave this blog its first traffic boost. I used to not care about traffic; I just wanted to write, just write. But this post made me realize it actually felt good that something I write get to be read by people around the globe and it’s nice to interact with those who comment.

This list was originally published in December 2006 but I gave it a makeover and reposted it in April 2008.

Other lists I had a great time writing are the most awful things to say during sex, the top ways to break-up with your partner, the places to find your true love. More lists here.

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Most gay people find it extremely difficult to accept their true sexuality for so many reasons. First, it is hard to struggle and assert your true colors in a hostile world who has always looked down on homosexuals in general. Second, many are afraid of discrimination. Admit it, no matter how objective people are, sexual orientation still affects the way we judge a person. Prejudice has always been there it will take a while to get rid of it completely, if that is ever possible. Thus, lastly, gays and lesbians are bombarded with a number of awful problems such as low self-esteem, trouble in belonging and lack of opportunities.

If you’re gay or you have a friend or family member who struggles to come out, know that being a homosexual doesn’t necessarily equate to being incapable to accomplish great things in life. In fact, many important figures who have marked their names on the face of the world turned out to be gay. These include Virginia Woolf and Oscar Wilde. But if they aren’t enough for you, here are ten of the greatest people in history who could have been gay.

But first, a DISCLAIMER: I’m not saying these people are gay. Heck, I myself don’t even believe some of these. This is just a compilation of historical figures whom some people think MIGHT have been gay.

10. William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare was married and had three children. Given this fact, who would think that England’s greatest writer was actually gay. The only indication that Shakespeare could have been gay was his sonnets, which were not intended for publication. A huge fraction of these sonnets address his love for, they say, a young man. If you read them, you’ll be blown away by the intense romantic feelings in them that would really make anyone easily conclude that the poet was actually involved in a homosexual affair. The sad thing is, there is no way we can verify this for there is only very little information about Shakespeare’s personal life.

9. Lawrence of Arabia

T.E. Lawrence, more popularly known as Lawrence of Arabia, went to the Middle East to do archeology. At the same time, he was a spy for the British, who considered that war was imminent. While in the region, Lawrence met Salim Ahmed, also known as Dahoum, at a dig in southern Turkey. Lawrence made him his assistant and taught him to read and write. Soon, they moved in together. Lawrence even put a nude carving of Dahoum on top of their house.

Several historians claim that many Arabs on the ancient site were scandalized by the friendship that they shared. Many believe that it was just mere friendship and claim that Lawrence only encouraged the scandalous rumors because they appealed to his sense of humor.

When war broke out, Lawrence was forced to move back to England. They never met again because Dahoum died of typhus in 1918. Lawrence was then quoted, “I liked a particular Arab, and thought that freedom for the race would be an acceptable present.” He also wrote a dedicatory poem, “To S.A.” It could have been anyone but it clearly fits his lost “friend” Dahoum.

8. Abraham Lincoln

Believe it or not, there are also speculations that America’s greatest president was actually gay. It is a little difficult to believe because he was married with four kids. But there is also strong evidence claiming otherwise.

Aside from the accounts that Lincoln’s relations with women were either distant or problematic, he shared a special friendship with another man. When Lincoln moved to Springfield, he met Joshua Speed. He became a very close friend to the president. Many biographers say that Speed was the only intimate friend that he ever had. It is documented that Lincoln and Speed shared a double bed for four years.

What is more intriguing than the sleeping arrangement was the tone of their so-called friendship. Lincoln’s letters to his “friend” before and after Speed’s wedding were rather fretful. Many of them were signed “Yours forever.”

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Months ago, when Shy Guy and I were having dinner at a Chinese restaurant in Quezon City, our conversation turned onto the Irate Customers and Rude Waiters Avenue. We figured when a fight between a waiter and a customer can get so messy, a whiny customer can just be assaulted in a way that he or she wouldn’t even know ever. This was when he suggested that I write about people around us that we should not piss off because of their silent attacks.

It’s been more than a year since I posted the 18 most annoying types of people on this blog. Irritating as they may be, they should still be treated with respect. Everyone deserves a little respect. Even those around us who seem to have very little significance in our lives. Yes, it may be little but mind you, that’s still something. And that little something can affect you in ways you can never imagine, you could never know or too late to do something about.

Here’s a list of the people around us we wouldn’t want to screw over and why we shouldn’t.

10. Never mess with waiters.

“Never mess with the people who serve your food.”

image courtesy of discoveryeducation.com

We all want to watch everything we put in our mouth but are we sure that the food we are taking in is safe and clean? If you have a waiter/cook friend, you probably have an idea how vengeful they can get to customers that are just insufferable. Suffice it to say that when you piss off a waiter, that cream you think is Bavarian came from another German town called Sinus.

9. Never mess with jeepney drivers.

Never mind taxi and trike drivers because you can always tell them to turn around and drop you off where he’s supposed to but with jeepney drivers, there’s no going back! So if you get sooo mean to the driver of the jeepney you are on, don’t wonder why he stopped only after 500 miles from where you should get off.

The funny part is, he can always get away with “Ay, hindi kita narinig pumara.”

8. Never mess with your hairstylist.

image courtesy of ehow.com

If you’re having a bad hair day, maybe it’s not Murphy’s fault. You could blame your hairstylist. They won’t slit your neck but a bad hairdo is enough to make you suffer for a long period of time. And maybe that’s because you just had a fantastic time in bed with her boyfriend the night before.

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I know, I know. Mother Nature is not being herself lately. The weather is insane. We always find ourselves preparing for disasters like we prepare for Willie Revillame’s albums. Storms are starting to get as devastating as GMA7’s soap operas. And when it’s not raining, the heat, oh the heat, is just as intolerable as Erap running for President again.

Yes, Earth has been crazy lately. And maybe it’s time that we start doing something about it.

You don’t need to be Al Gore to contribute in the fight against global warming. You don’t need to stage several benefit concerts on seven continents simultaneously to become a hero for the environment. You don’t need to attend the Oscars to proclaim that you’re going green. In fact, no matter how lazy you are, you can still do your part in protecting this planet we call home. Here are the top 10 no-sweat ways of making sure that the world will still be here in the future.

10. Buy in bulk.

Buying in bulk is not just practical but also eco-friendly. Items are much cheaper when purchased in bulk and it is a nice way of doing the environment a favor. You’re not just spending less money. You are also expending less energy. If you have so many items stocked at you home, you don’t need to make so many trips to the store; thus, saving gas or fare. You also save energy because of the reduced packaging. Do you have any idea how much plastic you’d save by choosing a six-in-one pack of toilet paper over six separate rolls? You also don’t need to worry about running out of toilet paper while doing your thing inside the bathroom because hey, you purchased lots of them.

9. Eat less meat.

Yes, you’re tired of hearing this from your doctor who has been crazy worried about your ailing heart. But if you don’t care much about your health, then care about the environment. Aside from the health risks that red meat poses, more energy is required in producing and transporting meat. Did you know that much of our forests have been cleared just to turn them into grazing lands for livestocks? Fruits and vegetables require 95% less energy than meat so why not start a diet rich in fruits and vegetables? After all, they are healthier.

8. Open your windows.

Many of use are so used to air-conditioners that even when it is warm inside but cold outside, we still opt to use them instead of just opening the window. If you are living on the higher floors of your apartment building, you may give your air-con a rest and take advantage of the free cold air outside. If it’s not enough for you, then turn on the fan hanging comfortably upon your ceiling. You have no idea how circulated air does wonders in regulating the temperature in the room without cranking down the thermostat further. Besides, if you find it hard to sleep at night, you’ll be surprised by how the whirring sound could help you sleep.

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On with the third batch! If you missed the first two parts, simply click here and here.

Note that this is a personal list. These songs may be those that affected me immensely, became an anthem of a certain period of my life, or just personal favorites.

Click the title to see the music video  or listen to the song. Links will lead you to YouTube. I’m also posting lyrics to the songs.

70. All Saints – Never Ever

I love All Saints. I was at the front line on All Saints’ side during the height of their rivalry with Spice Girls (although I liked Spice Girls, too). Never Ever is not my fave song of theirs; it’s actually Bootie Call but that’s hardly a love song. Haha.

Coke used this song as their jingle at one time. They tagalized this and the lyrics were like, “Ang sarap kasama ng pamilya, lalo pag may Coca Cola…” I adored that TV commercial, too.

Also listen to: Black Coffee, All Hooked Up, Bootie Call, I Know Where It’s At, Pure Shores

69. Kavana – Will You Wait for Me

Well, I’m a pop music fan so that should be reason enough for you why I like this song. When my ex-girlfriend passed away, I was reminded of this song because the time we were together, this song was so popular. And that makes it unforgettable.

The days went by so quickly,
cos I thought you’d always be there.
It’s hard to let you go,
though I know that I must try.
I feel like I’ve been cheated,
cos we never said goodbye.

By the way, where the hell is this guy now?

Also listen to: Special Kind of Something, Thank You

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OK, moving on. If you missed the first part, simply click here.

Note that this is a personal list. These songs may be those that affected me immensely, became an anthem of a certain period of my life, or just personal favorites.

Click the title to listen to the song.

85. The Pussycat Dolls – Stickwitu

I first heard this song when it hit no. 1 in Top of the Pops. The Pussycat Dolls performed it. And I was so blown out of my chair not because the performance was amazing but because I could not believe it was a Pussycat Dolls song.

I wasn’t really a fan then even though lead singer Nicole Scherzinger has Filipino blood. But with this song, I was turned into a Pussycat slave magically. It’s such a happy, feel-good, look-at-me-somebody-loves-me song. But after I listen to this record, I just can’t help wondering if this is really a joyful song. Never in the song, not even once, that the singer mentioned if she also loves the guy she is singing this to.

It’s always:

Nobody gonna love me better
I must stick with you forever.
Nobody gonna take me higher
I must stick with you.
You know how to appreciate me
I must stick with you, my baby.
Nobody ever made me feel this way
I must stick with you.

Er, well, she did say: I want you to know that you’re the only one for me. So I think that’s good enough.

Also listen to: “I Hate This Part”

84. Mariah Carey – We Belong Together

I was so very missing Mariah Carey before the release of Emancipation of Mimi. Its carrier single It’s Like That was catchy, I thought, but there was something missing. When this single came out, all I could utter was “Mariah is back.” And as a big Mariah fan, it was enough for me not the forget this song.

And yeah. The song is just sooo good. Yung tipong kahit hapong-hapo ka na sa pagkanta sa videoke, trying to keep up with Mariah, go ka pa rin hanggang sa last ulit ng chorus tapos gigil na gigil ka na sa part na WHEN — YOU — LEFT — I — LOST — A — PART — OF — ME. IT’S… tas ayaw mo na. Ipapasa na yung mic sa iba. Haha.

When you left I lost a part of me (Together)
It’s still so hard to believe
Come back baby, please
‘Cause we belong together

Also listen to: “Don’t Forget About Us,” “Bye Bye,” “Breakdown”

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