How’s Joyce in Australia?

Just when everybody is wondering what’s happening to Joyce Jimenez in Australia where she’s studying, Funfare got a letter from Joyce herself, updating us on her life Down Under. Here it is:

Dear Ricky,

Greetings from Down Under!

I have been here for a little over a month and I think I am finally adjusted and got the hang of things here.

I moved into my apartment last Feb. 24 which was also the day of orientation for new students. The orientation was fun and interesting; it was great to finally meet new people and be on a real college campus. Although I have been going to college for the past year and a half, it’s quite different going to a big university.

The biggest class I have seats around 500 students and the smallest class I have has around 150 students. The way the curriculum works here is that there are two-hour lecture sessions and a one-hour tutorial session every week.

During the lectures, usually the professors do all the talking and the students just listen and take notes; whereas in tutorials there are only about 20 students and we discuss what was taught during lectures. I prefer the tutorials more because there is more interaction between the professor and the students and also because I don’t feel so intimidated to ask questions since we are such a small group.

According to the professors, each class will give you around 10 hours of work each week which actually seems to me to be an understatement. So far, from the assignments that I have been getting it seems that I will be working over 10 hours a week on some subjects.

We already received our project and essay assignments for each class. Luckily, I am taking subjects that I like this term which are: Management Concepts, Economics for Managers, Retail Marketing Government and Business Relations. I’m in school the whole week, and sometimes I get out as late as 9 p.m. which is a real bummer for me because I take a bus to and from school. I really don’t mind walking from my apartment to the bus stop (it’s only about a 20-minute walk), it’s just that it’s not really the safest thing for a girl to walk alone around 9:30 at night. But I’m a tough girl so I’m sure I can handle it.

Like I said earlier, I moved into a two-bedroom apartment and have a roommate. The place is actually nice. It has two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a washer/dryer. The complex is about a 10-minute drive to the university.

Since I have to take a bus to school in order to get to school on time I have to leave my apartment one hour before my class starts. Which is okay; at least I get some exercise.

Other than that, I have just been busy settling in and trying to adjust to Australian life. Before school started, I mostly just went shopping for the apartment, getting the basic necessities. Oh, and of course, going to the beach (sayang naman, I live 10 minutes away from the beach I might as well take advantage of it).

Actually I did my first load of laundry and safe to say that it turned out okay. There was no clothes turning different colors or anything like that. So I am becoming pretty domesticated.

Well, that’s about all that’s been going on with me here. Obviously, since I am here, I wasn’t able to promote Birhen ng Manaoag which started showing, March 9. I was only able to do a few appearances before I left but am grateful that I was part of such a beautiful movie. I’ll see you in June. Missing everyone back home!

Sending all my love,

Joyce

LVN For Sale?

The handwriting is literally on the wall. Posted on LVN Studio’s bulletin board is a memo from management announcing the closure of country’s beloved film printing and processing laboratory started by Doña Sisang in the 1950’s.

With this decision, the movie industry is again dealt a big blow as it struggles to survive. Local movie producers may now have to go abroad to get their negatives processed and printed. This means added costs, lower profits, and obviously fewer movies.

Talk from within LVN Studios, however, point to a few people interested in acquiring the business and continuing with the operations, "a white knight" as they say in big business. Tony Gloria was said to have talked to the family about a possible acquisition, but had to back out since he wants to focus his expansion on High Definition (HD) digital equipment. Mother Lily of Regal Films, Gabby Lopez of ABS, and Butch Jimenez are also on the list.

I had a chance to contact Butch, and he did confirm that he will make an offer for LVN. Though he was quick to clarify that this is not as GMA Channel 7 of which his family is a significant shareholder, but more on a personal capacity with a few friends. Curiously, I asked if "a few friends" included his boss, Manny Pangilinan head honcho of PLDT. Butch denied that MVP was involved.

Butch admitted that investing in the movie industry that is fast declining is a big risk. But he did say that after producing Jose Rizal, Muro Ami, and Death Row, the industry has been good to him, and it’s time to somehow pay it back. And if the movie industry wakes up one day without a processing and printing lab, Butch believes its just a matter of time before the industry disappears as well.

Briefly Noted

• Congratulations to 2004 Mutya ng Pilipinas Jedah Hernandez for finishing fourth runner-up in the 2005 Miss Asia-Pacific International contest held last April 9 in Guangzhou, China, where 51 other girls competed, the largest number ever in the pageant whose coverage has been expanded (thus the addition of "international" to the title). According to Funfare’s "other beauty expert" Celso de Guzman Caparas, Jedah also bagged two special awards, Best in Evening Gown and Best Hair. Costa Rica’s Leonora Jimenez Monge is the new Miss Asia-Pacific International, the third girl from her country to win the title (after Gabriela Chavarria in 1996 and Kisha Alvarado Murillo in l998). Other members of Leonora’s court are Yevgeniya Lapova of Russia (first runner-up), Zhang Li-Yu of China (second runner-up) and Claudia Ortiz de Zevallos Cano of Peru (third runner-up). Miss Afghanistan Vida Samadzai was voted Miss Friendship.

• Congratulations, too, to GMA reporter Cesar Apolinario for being one of the dozens of journalists from around the world now in Atlanta, Georgia, which is part of the CNN International Professional Program (IPP), an internship (from April 11 to 29) designed for the professional development of veteran journalists. CNN has been conducting the training four times a year. Cesar is the fifth Filipino journalist to participate in the seminar. The first four were Karen Davila (when she was with GMA; she’s now with ABS-CBN), Marilen Cawad (now working as producer for ABC News in America), GMA’s Tina Panganiban-Perez and Richelle Sy (formerly with GMA).

• Today is the last day of payment of taxes, so better rush to the nearest BIR office near you to file your income tax return. Later tonight, tune in to I-Witness (after Saksi) where Sandra Aguinaldo will answer all the questions you and I have been wanting to ask about the country’s tax system, such as, Did you know that 90 percent of the national budget comes from raxes? Sandra’s in-depth report is part of I-Witness’ anniversary series of investigative documentaries.

(E-mail reactions at [email protected])