"Up In The Air" (2009): Movie Pick of the Month

Reality bites. And amidst the magic that all the fantasy-driven movies like Avatar have brought to the main screen audiences, some people opt to savor the bittersweet taste of reality rather than escape from it--I'm one of them. "Up In The Air"is a dramedy that lightly tackles the very highlight of the recession era in the United States. It's the story of Ryan Bingham (George Clooney) who works in a company that specializes in firing people and made for employers who don't have the guts to conduct employee layoffs on a face-to-face basis. He's also a motivational speaker who usually starts off the discussion by asking his audience the symbolic question of "What's in your backpack?". He introduces the comfort and advantages of having a life free from baggages brought upon by relationships and commitments. It reflects his own philosophy in life that mainly resembles that of a hermit's, even though he keeps on denying it. Ryan's personal goal for his life is to achieve ten million frequent flyer miles through riding the plane, which he bluntly treats as his 'home' because of the daily trips he have to endure for his job. The story also revolved around two characters namely Alex (Vera Farmiga), a frequent flyer as well whom he had casual relationship with while traveling, and Natalie Keener (Anna Kendrick), his ambitious coworker who developed the idea of conducting the layoff remotely through the internet, contradicting Ryan's traditional face-to-face firing. Later in the film, Ryan almost fell in love with Alex but found out that she already has a family of her own and their relationship is a mere escape from reality. Natalie, on the other hand, quit the job during the last part of the film after learning that one of the employees she fired jumped off the bridge and took away her own life. However, she got the new job because of the recommendation forwarded by Ryan, whom she developed a friendly relationship with eventually.
"Up In The Air" (which has various nominations for Golden Globes and Oscars) is a true masterpiece combining wit, comedy, and drama. On a personal perspective, I think this movie is something that I can relate with. Having experienced how it feels to be fired unexpectedly, I saw great humor in the way Ryan developed his own line in firing employees : "Anybody who ever built an empire, or changed the world, sat where you are now. And it's *because* they sat there that they were able to do it." During this trying times aptly dubbed as the 'recession era', unemployment and moments like what the film captured regarding firing people are the things that people have to watch firsthand in order to realize that there's life after unemployment. Also, the movie, by painting a portrait of Clooney's character, made me check my own ideologies and have a sudden soul-searching. I have lived a life with a limited time for building and nurturing friendships. I'm the type of personality that will value my career more than anything else like what Ryan Bingham believes in the movie. I prefer to be alone most of the time and not so much of an outdoorsy kind of person. I don't know what good reason to give for such a behavior but maybe I can count on what Ryan's brother-in-law asked when he had a cold feet in marrying Ryan's sister. Like him, I also can't see the purpose and meaning for getting married, raising a family, and then ending up being old and abandoned to a nursing home. However, by contemplating the way the story ended in the movie, connections seem more important than existing alone- -an idea that brought me back to reality.
In general, the movie is an artistic combination of great story-telling and surprisingly good acting. George Clooney is quite great as usual but Anna Kendrick really surprised me the most. I have seen her played a not-so-significant role as Jessica in the Twilight movie series but in judging the way she portrayed her character in this movie, I won't doubt if she will receive various nominations.
Considering all these aspects that has made this movie a very good pick, I assure that everyone will be captivated and fall in love with this movie made up in the air!


The slower we move the faster we die. Make no mistake, moving is living.- Ryan Bingham

NMAT: The Beginning

The 'mind-boggling' NMAT review:


One week ago, I finally received the NMAT reviewer that I purchased from e-bay, which deducted more or less 400 pesos from my pocket (including delivery charge). I considered that as a better and more convenient option than to enroll in any one of the capitalistic review centers for NMAT (National Medical Admission Test). Also, sparing myself a thousand bucks by doing an arduous yet economical self-review instead of attending an expensive review class will save my mother from financial anxiety and will further give myself an opportunity to learn the basics of self-discipline. I ordered the first set of NMAT reviewer (200-pages reviewer/handouts)from an e-bayer who happened to be a third year medical student from Antipolo. Upon receiving the package, I purchased a ring-binder on our local bookstore to make the documents more organized and well-prepared for the three months that I will spend reviewing for that career-defining exam. Although the online registration for the April NMAT is not ready yet (usually, registration starts one month before the actual exam), I've already been reading the contents of the reviewer just to make some essence out of my long period of hibernation. Resources wise, I already compiled all the necessary information that will be of great help to me for the exam, including tips in acing the NMAT. For the record, NMAT consists of two parts:

Part I:

Verbal. This subtest consists of two types of test items, namely, word analogies and reading comprehension, which measure verbal ability in English. Items in reading comprehension are based on the content of portions of published materials covering a wide range of topics, e.g., social, scientific, medical,
philosophical, literary.

Inductive Reasoning. This subtest consists of number, letter, and figural series and figure grouping items. These items are known to measure induction which is the ability to form and test a hypothesis directed at finding a principle with which to identify an element fitting a given relationship.

Quantitative. This subtest consists of three types of items, namely, fundamental operations, problem solving, and data interpretation. These items are intended to measure general reasoning which is defined as the ability to organize and apply knowledge of basic mathematics and reasoning to find solutions for them.

Perceptual Acuity. This subtest consists of three types of items, namely, hidden figure, mirror image, and identical information. Solutions to these items involve accuracy in visual perception, an ability linked to extensiveness of scanning, a cognitive style associated with meticulousness, concern with detail, and
sharp, yet wide-ranging focus of attention.

Part II:

The four subtests that compose Part II are Biology, Physics, Social Science, and Chemistry. Social Science includes items in psychology, sociology, and anthropology. The items in the four subtests are limited to the content coverage of the areas that are common and basic to the curricula of the degree programs considered as premedical
courses. On the whole, these four subtests measure complex mental abilities because solution to the items require the use of the different cognitive skills of knowledge, comprehension, application (process), analysis, synthesis, and
evaluation.

Source: NMAT Online

The reviewer that I have in hand covers almost all the subjects included in Part 2 (Social Sciences, Biology, and Chemistry) and some from Part 1 (English and Mathematics). For a while, I have considered self-review as a better choice for it will bring out more the best in me but at this point in time, I'm still struggling to set aside at least 3 hours of daily review in preparation for the NMAT because of my busy daily schedule. I think my success for the NMAT lies on the strategy that I will apply in apportioning my time and practicing self-discipline. The subjects are purely basic and because I really want to ace the NMAT, I began my review 2 months ahead of time, not taking for granted all the information that I have learned from my past classes and from the reviewer itself. I also ordered the MSA NMAT Reviewer by Allan Carreon from the MSA website, but after almost one month of waiting, I have a strong feeling that I will never get the book either because of fraudulence or technical problems in the website itself. It will be better if you just purchase the book directly from bookstores. Nonetheless, it's really not of a great loss for me if I will base it on the reviews made by past NMAT takers for that specific book. Most of them said that the reviewer is far more difficult than the actual NMAT exam. Doing a comprehensive self-study and practice (upon registration, CEM will provide 2 sets of practice tests which according to past NMAT takers, are of a great help as far as having a good grasp of the actual exam is concerned) are still the best way to prepare. I'm still not halfway from finishing my self-review but with the grace from God and a sprinkling of perseverance and discipline, I know I can surpass the Herculean task of absorbing a major load of information that I badly need to get a good grade. And if you're going to take the same path this April, let's just hope and pray that God will give us the desires of our hearts. Good luck April 2010 NMAT takers!


My 'personalized' NMAT reviewer:

Surgeons Do Not Cry: Book in Focus

Click the image for more book details


"A doctor, or any medical worker for that matter, has to learn to draw a line between his personal emotions and the job he has to do, if he is ever going to be able to do it well"- Dr. Jose Tiongco, author of "Surgeons Do Not Cry"

I'm still in so much trepidation regarding the decision that I'm obliged to make for myself: to be or not to be a doctor. Needless to say, the financial issue and the length of time involved in taking up medicine are just too much for me. On the other hand, I must admit that my inner consciousness is stubborn enough in urging me to become a doctor no matter how absurd it might appear. During these trying times, I only need one thing to come up with a final decision, and that is enlightenment. And as they say, the universe will conspire to gradually reveal the mysterious puzzle that is life.I first learned about the magic of this book two weeks ago when a good blogger posted a book review for the same subject of concern. The book, entitled "Surgeons Do Not Cry" (written by Dr. Ting Tiongco and published by U.P. Press), is an old doctor's account of his ten years of stay in the premier government hospital in the country, UP-PGH, as a medical student, intern, and resident surgeon. And within two days of non-stop reading, I have realized that this well-crafted book has so much to offer as far as personal and professional enlightenment is concerned. This is not just an ordinary book; its a compilation of stories that matter and will last for eternity. Dr. Tiongco, for being an outstanding doctor-writer that he is (the book is actually a compilation of his articles originally submitted for mindanews.com), presented the realities he encountered while studying in UPCOM (UP College of Medicine)and training in UP-PGH that have molded him as the doctor that he is now. He carefully disclosed the harsh and hapless condition of our own health care system that still haunts our society up to this date. In connection with these, he also revealed his frustration for the discrepancy that exists between the theory-based curriculum of UPCOM and the actual practice that occurs inside the Philippine General Hospital. Through the stories, the author will make us cry for the gruesome condition of the poor patients at that time and laugh for his follies and 'misadventures' in his life as a starting doctor. But in general, the book is a literary masterpiece that will serve as an eye-opener for all of the people who will read these stories behind the walls of the top medical school and hospital in the Philippines. After reading his book, I have realized that being a doctor is really not just a walk in the park; its a profession that is not valued because of the luxury it brings to any doctor that will bring what he has learned to the Land of Milk and Honey, but for the lasting contributions it will bring to the poorest societies in the country. We should look at the medical profession in the context of the Philippine society and not based on foreign principles. The same should be followed inside medical schools, where medical theories are taught with the American setting in mind most of the time. For me, this is the best medical book I've ever read so far because it has made me realize that someone like me who has a dream of becoming a doctor should think a thousand times before pursuing this career. And I hope, as I'm already preparing for the NMAT, time will reveal if this will work out for me or not.