Queue Tips: Nun Ya Darn Business

I was watching "The Young Ones" the other day.  Robbie Coltrane had a guest part in one of the episodes.  In case you didn't know, he played Hagrid in the "Harry Potter" movies.  He was also one of the ghosts in the Black Adder Christmas special.  I also remembered that he was in "Nuns on the Run" so I watched that movie again.

I first saw this on TV sometime in high school, in the mid 1990s.  I don't think I've seen Monty Python films yet back then so I'm not sure if I was too familiar with Eric Idle yet, but he was one of the stars in the movie.  He just seemed like a fun guy, and I enjoyed watching him and Robbie.

It's just a fun movie, I think.  I like comedies and I like to laugh.  The plot is kinda silly and everything, but you just kinda have to go along with it.  I think this was one of the movies I recorded and watched over and over back then.  I think it was the Fox Network which broadcast it.

One of the things that was kind of hard to get past is how quickly the girl fell in love with the main character.  Like, she seemed severely depressed to think that he wasn't into her.  I mean, they just met.

Well, also like how the convent never checked the new nuns' identities.  The mother superior never asked for IDs or any paperwork.  She never called the supposed place where they came from.  Like, she could have called or looked them up in the yellow pages.  But I mean, it's just a movie.

So I was watching it the other day, and my younger one comes in and sees it.  It was near the end when they're all running around like crazy.  And my kid is laughing at the shenanigans.  So apparently he likes it.  The credits roll and he asks to see it again.  So we've been watching it over and over for the past few days or so.

Queue Tips: Chef's Kiss

I don't remember when I watched "Chef", but it was one of those movies where I just put it on to put it on.  That is what I usually do.  Just have some background noise while I'm working.  But I ended up watching it.  Like actively watching.  I found myself laughing and smiling and feeling good after.  And I believe I watched it all the way through.  Thank goodness I didn't have meetings or other work to do.

Basically I liked it.  So I don't really have much to say about it except that I do recommend it.  Check it out when you get the chance.

The one thing that really resonated with me is what the chef said to his son about being a chef.  Cheffing.  Is that a word?  He said:

I may not do everything great in my life, but I'm good at this. I manage to touch people's lives with what I do and I want to share this with you.

That is kind of how I feel about coaching.  I'm confident enough to say that I'm good at it.  My older one was a starting center for his team last year.  When I started really getting into coaching him, he was always in the top ten out of all the kids in his division in scoring, assists and points.  And my younger one is one of the best skaters in his team and is already more advanced than most in positioning.

As far as their teammates, I've been able to help there as well.  Not to brag or take the whole credit, but I've been able to give simple pointers which helped change their games.  

I guess the operative word with me is simple.  I just know how to break it down.  A few years ago there were a couple of kids who were not making any impact in games.  I told them, "Just get your stick on their stick".  And that basic advice changed these kids' games.  Suddenly they were forechecking like crazy and forcing turnovers.  This was the year before I officially became a coach, and their coaches were praising their effort.  That was a factor in me figuring out that I could actually be of help.

There have been many other countless moments since then.  "Crash the net".  "Get to the wall".  And of course, "Bend your knees".  Always with the bend your knees.  I must have said that phrase over a million times over the years.

There are some kids who wave to me or go out of their way to fist bump me.  And I really enjoy it.  It makes it really worthwhile.  There was a kid one time who started at clinic and then moved on to a team, but not my team.  One time their practice was ending, and our session was next.  I saw him across the building packing up and getting ready to go.  And then a few minutes later, he was right next to me, giving me a fist bump.  He wanted to make sure I saw him before he left.

Queue Tips: Sister Sister Stella Stella

I saw "Sister Stella L" over ten years ago.  I had a Netflix account back then, back when they still had DVDs.  I was a video editor and had a DVD player and monitor on my desk next to me.  I wanted to make the most of my subscription so I would go through the movies and send them back ASAP so I could get another one right away.

That was how I watched this movie.  I was doing some work and just had this DVD on as kind of like background noise.  I didn't hate it at the time, but I also didn't remember much of it.

I rewatched it again recently, and I was actually pretty impressed by it.  Mainly, it seemed like everybody knew how to act.  This film was released in 1984, and it seems like whoever was in charge of casting back then actually knew how to find talent.  Everyone seemed natural and professional, even the small parts.  

And there were not a lot of forgotten lines.  These days when you watch Filipino movies and shows, you can tell when they're trying to recall what to say.  We don't really have similar words like "uh" or "um" in Tagalog.  We just kind of trail off or stretch the last syllable.  When you watch recent Tagalog movies, you can pretty much notice this most of the time.  But not in "Sister Stella L".

The storytelling itself is pretty straightforward.  There's nothing fancy about the style.  It's just like one scene follows another.  

There are some odd choices with the camera work and editing.  They would just kind of change angles from time to time, violating the 180 degree rule.  But the acting made up for that, I think.

Also, there were not a lot of English in the movie.  These days, English words are constantly mixed Tagalog.  I don't know if Tallish wasn't yet popular back then, or if it was the filmmaker's choice, but I liked it.  I liked hearing the deep words and idioms that you don't hear much these days.

The other odd choice what the name of the movie, which is also the name of the character.  It's called "Sister Stella L" because there is another Sister Stella.  I don't remember what letter her last name starts with.  But it's not L.

So they created two characters with the same first name.  They kept referring to each other as "Tukayo".  It was about halfway through the movie when I realized that meant "Namesake".

Apparently this is based on real characters, real nuns, based on what I read about it.  But those real characters don't have the same first names.  So in that regard, I think it was an odd choice to give them the same name.  Unless they just wanted to be able to have namesakes and call each other "Tukayo".  Maybe because the older character was already deeply involved in their movement, and the younger one was still hesitant.  And having them have the same name kind of gave it more meaning when the younger one finally accepted and took over the role.

And spoiler alert: there is no real resolution to this movie.  It just kind of shows how the character became involved in their movement.  They could have probably called it "Sister Stella L. Begins".

Curious

As far as being jealous in the sense that I described yesterday, which is being afraid to lose something you already have, the only time I have felt that recently has been when it came to the players I was coaching.  When my younger son started playing hockey a few years ago, I ended up volunteering as a coach (which I have written about here previously).  And the kids in his age group were great.  I dreamed about them all staying together through the years, improving as a group and hopefully winning championships.

Something threw a wrench into that fantasy, however.  The rink where we practice and play games broke down.  It turned into a whole big issue, and it hasn't been operational in a couple of years.  Eventually, a couple of players opted to leave the organization.  They were basically the best on the team, and I guess their parents thought it was important to go somewhere where they could get consistent ice time.  I kinda sorta felt bad about it.  I think the main thing that really hurt was that they didn't tell me personally.  It would have been nice to let me know.  

When my older one was entering second year squirts, we tried out for three teams.  I did tell the other coaches we wouldn't be signing with them.  I think it's just the right thing to do.  Maybe if you didn't know them or anyone else on the team you're trying for, you can just move on and do your thing.  But I think once you've formed a relationship, spent a couple of seasons together, you should tell the coaches you're making a life changing decision.

We actually lost a third one, too.  But that one was kind of more understandable because he was originally with a different team and joined us midseason.  When I checked the rosters, I saw that he was playing up so I was actually kind of happy for him.  This was a kid who sometimes got in trouble and would often get yelled at.  With me, I usually tell these kids, "I'm trying to help you."  I reason with them and talk calmly with them instead of just yelling.  So we kind of connected a bit, and he didn't exactly turn into a role model, but he would mostly listen to me when I asked him to behave.  I don't know how he is doing with his new team, but I guess I wanted to see how much better his behavior could have gotten as one of my players.

The following year, we lost another one.  This one was kind of shocking.  His mother always told me how much he loved me.  And I think because of that, I took it for granted that they would always be around.  After the first three had left, this was basically our best player.  His mother was actually the team manager as well, so that added to the shock.  And again, they didn't say anything to me personally.  I guess it's because they play soccer with the kids of the other coaches, so they told them instead.  But still. 

This last season, we lost yet another one.  This one wasn't the best player this time, but one of.  He could have been great.  I'm jealous that his new coaches get the chance to bring that out but not me.  But at least this time, his parents did thank me for coaching him.  So that was nice.  He and my kid had gotten close so I was also worried about how my son would take it.  I didn't make a big deal of it, but eventually he noticed that his friend wasn't showing up to spring practices.  I really hoped they would be training partners and become great together.  

So that's kind of what I'm jealous of, I guess.  It's probably just an ego thing.  All but one of the kids I mentioned, I was there on their first day.  I wasn't a coach yet, but I got to see them all step on the ice for the first time.  I ended up helping a few weeks later, and I've watched them develop and become strong skaters.  I guess I wish I could have been there till the end.  Well, not the end, but hopefully until they turn pro.  That would be great if I could help them get to that.  If not, at least college.  Definitely I'm confident enough that I could guide them to make it onto their high school team.  I'll be curious about how they all turn out.

Envious

So yesterday, I wrote a post titled "Jealous".  Actually, it should have been called "Envious".  There's a difference.  Envious is wanting something you don't have, while jealous is being afraid to lose what you already have.  If I remember correctly.

When I first started this blog many years ago, there used to be a feature called Next Blog or something.  You would hit the button and it would randomly lead you to another blog.  At least, it seemed random.  But there must have been some kind of algorithm to it.

For some reason every time I was on my page and I hit the next button, most of the time the following blog would be a random stay at home mom.  They would write about what they would be doing with her kids that day.  Sometimes they would have pictures of their nice homes.  And yes, I did feel envious of that.  At the time, I was stuck in a dead end job and didn't really have a lot of days off and I just wished I had more time with my kid.  Things have gotten better for me these days, and I get to work from home and spend a lot of time with my two kids now.

I was also envious that they got to keep up with their blog.  I wished I had more time to write.  I wished I had more to write about.  And then I don't know what they did to this website but none of that matters now because that feature is gone.  You can't really find random blogs anymore.  I don't know how you even found this page.

It looks like they actually took away other features, too, by the way.  Like I can't seem to find where to schedule posts anymore.  It's been a while since I've been on here that much so I don't know what else they did.  I'm not sure why they would take that stuff away.  Maybe they're stupid.

Like most people, I haven't been able to keep up with the blogging.  Actually there were some blogs I found back then where the latest entry was just about how long it's been since they wrote and how they would do their best to keep up more.  One of the reasons I wasn't able to do that is because I kind of wanted my posts to be as perfect as they can.  I wanted a clever title and something really deep to write about.  But now I'm just basically writing for the heck of it.  I don't care too much about grammar or typos these days.  Looking back at my old posts, I actually have a bunch of mistakes there anyway.  And I wanted to be able to wrap up my thoughts succinctly.  I wanted to have some kind of a point at the end.  But nowadays I don't mind if I kind of trail off.  Or if I just stop abruptly.

Jealous

All the houses in my neighborhood are basically designed the same.  All the houses in the middle are the same, and all the houses in the corners are the same.  Except the opposite corners are kind of mirrored with each other.

When we first moved in, we would walk around the neighborhood a lot.  I used to peek into the other houses to get an idea of how they looked inside.  I don't think I was the only one doing that.  I have noticed from inside our house that other neighbors liked to do the same and look into our place.  Especially since I like to keep the curtains ope, as well as the garage when it's not cold.

I also like to look at the for sale and for rent listings.  They post pictures of the units.  I like how neat everything looks.  Our house is pretty messy, and I get jealous of how uncluttered the other places are.  Of course, I realized later on that they obviously cleaned up in order to show off the place.  But still, I like looking at them and imagining how our place could be.

Our neighbor friend used to post videos on YouTube, during quarantine when there was nothing to do.  Their place is in the corner like ours, but mirrored.  It was interesting seeing and comparing their place to ours.

At the bus stop a few blocks away, there is another corner house that is just like ours.  They don't have curtains and I can see inside sometimes.  They don't seem to have a lot of decorations.  When I first noticed it, I thought maybe the place was empty.  But eventually, I realized there were people living in there.  They just seem to be very neat.  They don't have a lot of stuff outside their house either.  Their cars are always inside their garage, which is also very neat.

The people who live in it are a couple.  They walk around the neighborhood sometimes.  They don't have dogs.  I doubt they have other pets inside.  Their lights are hardly ever on.  Since they don't have curtains, they probably get a lot of sunlight.  Not that I look in at all hours of the day, but I can't remember seeing the lights on there at any time, though I usually don't think about the house when I'm not waiting for the bus with my son.

Sometimes I see the couple driving.  They have a fancy car.  I don't know cars myself, but it's one that you would definitely notice on the street.  And their other car is just a regular SUV.  Their garage door opens, and they park inside and then the door closes again and they disappear.

I'm kind of jealous of how neat and simple their place is.  I don't care much for the car, but I also like how easygoing and relaxed they seem to be when they go for their walks.  Kind of reminds me of how I feel when I first walk into a hotel room, when things are clean and there is no clutter.  Yet.  

But then I think about how this couple is able to keep things neat.  They don't have kids.  I don't think they are old enough to have grown up children either.  So it must be easy to put things away and not have them moved.

Our place has toys everywhere.  Obviously in the kids' rooms, they have their things.  But also in the living room and dining room.  In the kitchen I can assure you I can find some toy of some sort.  And in every bathroom.  In my office, recently my younger one brought down his marble run set.  He has broken it up since, and the pieces are all over the floor.  The garage is full of toys and games.  One of our neighbors noticed it a few weeks ago and commented that we must have equipment for every sport.

Anyways, yeah, I do wish our place would be neater sometimes.  But I realize why it's messy.  And every mess that I see, I can remember one or both of my kids sitting there playing.  There is a memory with every mess.

Happy

I was at the grocery store earlier today.  I'm there basically every other day.  My kids drink milk like crazy and I constantly have to restock.  I grabbed a couple of other things, too, like fruit and chicken nuggets.

Seems that many people had the same idea of going shopping as well.  I went to the self checkout, and the line was very long.  It was moving though, so I just waited patiently until it was my turn.  There were five stations but only one line.  Once someone finishes, you get to go to the empty one.

When I was the next one to go, I saw a familiar face walking by towards the exit.  He was looking around inside while he passed.  I waved at him.  He didn't see me at first, but I kept waving.  And then he noticed me, and he smiled.  He looked pleasantly surprised. 

It was my turn to go though, so I moved towards the self checkout.  He was by the exit door, and he kept moving.  I hoped he would return inside and chat, but he didn't.  After I finished paying, I hoped he would have waited for me, but he didn't.  When I got out to the parking lot, I looked around for him but didn't see him.  I even drove around a bit, but I couldn't spot him.

Still, I was happy to see him.  I actually thought he had died years ago.  There was a point in time when he went missing and his relatives put up posters looking for information.  I just assumed after that that he was gone.  I thought about asking about him, but I didn't want to intrude, I guess.  I think too much, I guess.  Maybe I should have just done so.

Maybe it was meant to be that I saw him.  I actually stopped by the liquor store first before going to get the groceries.  If I hadn't, maybe the line wouldn't have been long, and I maybe I would have missed him altogether.  

But wait.  Actually, not that I think about it, maybe I could have bumped into him before leaving.  Perhaps he wouldn't have finished ahead of me.  Hm.  Now I don't know.

But maybe I was just meant to know that he was all right.  But hm.  Still thinking.  What if... was he actually there?  What did I actually see?  Why was he looking back when he was walking out already?  He didn't seem to see what it was that he was searching for.  And then he just smiled at me and walked away.

You know, I actually met him in church.  I used to go everyday when I was in high school.  They actually had morning mass, and I would go before going to school.  He worked there, and I helped him mop up the altar once and paint some handrails outside.

He was an odd guy anyways.  But I mean, if you hadn't seen someone for years, wouldn't you stop and say hello?  And we got along very well actually.  But maybe I should have just left the line and put my cart aside and went after him.  What would I have seen?  Was he actually there?  Why didn't he come back to me?  Why didn't he wait for me?  Anyway, for that brief moment, I was just glad to know that he was okay.