The Wish

Dec12

The Wish
by Ernie “Kalbo” Mallorca

I have to skip the sequel to “THE RISK” because I am not yet done with something i do to make it worth reading…  as a consolation, I would like to give you my latest confession.

If you to make a wish this Christmas, what would it be? And if you are to answer my question by asking me the same question, I would say, I’m still clueless as what to wish for this season.

December is the busiest month of the year because this is the month where the Christian world is celebrating the birth of the Messiah.  For students and educators, aside from it is the month to rejoice the coming of Jesus, it is also the month where the academe will have a break (a Christmas break).  Everyone in school is busy. The students are busy studying for their upcoming Preliminary Examinations, teachers are also busy covering up topics needed to be covered for the entire term, and they are also busy preparing exam papers.  Everyone is restless, their restlessness is credited to the fact that they really wanted to finish up things and have the grand break! Vacation, vacation, and vacation! This is what they are screaming to the top of their lungs (that includes me).  Streets are also busy, there are those who prefer to shop early for Christmas, and those who prefer to have the rush… The Spirit of joy is everywhere and everybody is seems busy, except for one… ME!

My mind afloat and wanders in what others called the vast realm of emptiness. But for me it is not emptiness, it is the realm where I can dream dreams beyond the reach of others. A dream I try fulfilling. A dream I don’t want others to intervene and a dream no one else could stop.

What dream?

The answer is simple, I also dream same dreams you dream.  I dream I could go somewhere else. Somewhere where I could be enjoying the moment, somewhere worth the trip, somewhere relaxing, somewhere serine, somewhere I could have the adventure of a lifetime.

It is not really somewhere the brave dare not go. It is just somewhere I could spend sometimes to be close to myself, to known other people I don’t know yet. Some place like a paradise, like the Garden of Eden. (Yeah Right, the Garden does not exist) But some Eden I believe still exists… One night as I have my time doing some research about vacation destination, along the information superhighway, I was able to stumble upon some Blog site and this is close to the Garden of Eden. The Site is owned by Gena McKenzie and she offers something close to what I have been looking for… Total Relaxation, fun and a Therapy as one. The site is called http://www.eastofedenretreats.com/blog/ this place is next to heaven, what a relief! I just need to have a visa to go there. It’s in Jamaica… the native land of Bob Marley, the man I have given my respect to.

This is the Screen Capture of East of Eden Retreats Blog Site. You may want to visit the site, please click the image.

As for the time being, as I need to process my visa, I’ll just spend my Holiday in some Mountains in the province.  It is a tradition that every Christmas, the Club I am into, the Butlak Banaag Mountaineering Society would go uphill and do outreach and clean-up activities to our less fortunate brethren. As a treat after having done something good to our neighbors, we also have to be generous to ourselves.  We summit some peak every after the activity, but this time we plan to summit two (2) of the highest peaks of Negros – Mt. Marapara (the day after the outreach and clean-up activity) and Mt. Kanlaon (a day after Christmas).  These activities lined up for the holiday will really make my vacation a grand one.  I am looking forward to these events that would complete my Christmas and would be a gift to myself as well as to my brother and sister. I’m counting… as I post this today; I have 5 more days to spend before the realizations of my dreams.  Maybe this is really what I am wishing for this Christmas… and if this happens, it will become a wish come true.

The Risk

Oct23

The Risk
by Ernie “Kalbo” Mallorca

(a prologue to “The Park”)

“Now class, can anyone tell me what our thought for the day means?”

This is my every meeting routine before starting the last period of my class, motivating the students to continue with their fight and look forward with optimism the next days of their lives, and as usual I am not surprised if my question is answered with silence.  Students pause for a while and think of the right explanation of the words projected in the whiteboard. Anyway, I had quoted a line which reads,

“To try is to risk failure, but risk must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is not to take the risk.”

I am a college teacher in one of the most reputable catholic institution here in our community.  Up to now, I still preferred to be called a teacher than being called a professor.  Personally, I find it nice to be called that way, because I also believe that there may be a significant or a proverbial difference between what each terms implied.

You might be thinking if I am this stereotype kind of a teacher.  To give you the benefit of the doubt, I am not.  At school I could be mistaken for a student by those people who do not know me yet.  I do not wear the same uniforms my co-teachers regularly wear.  I do wear what makes me feel comfortable but at the same time descent.  There were several times when the guard had confronted me, scolding me and asking me for my uniform exemption— the regular stuff a guard would do when they interrogate students, and when they found it out that I am not a student but a teacher, they would coyly ask for pardon.  I am not furious but rather grateful they are doing their jobs.

Going back to the earlier event, I am standing in front of the class having 38 students (oh, Dear School President and Ms. Vice President for Academic Affairs, Ms. Registrar must have overlooked this.  Instead of the usual 30-35 students I am gifted with an excess of 3 students. I hope this won’t happen again in the coming Semester) when someone from my class takes courage in answering my question, and would you believe, that was less than 30 seconds after I had asked the question. Normally, it would take a minute or two before I could solicit from them their opinions, not to mention the aid I am giving them by constantly providing examples until they would come up with the right idea. But this guy, whom I never thought will have the courage, whom the class would never expect to be somebody who could be the best he could be, is the only student who never have a second thought, took his chance, stood up and explain to the class what he believes the quote might mean.

In a college class of 38, sometimes students would not want to give it a shot and recite for the fear of being ridiculed if they have not done it correctly, in our class though, there are no wrong answers when it comes to explaining our thought for the day.  He raises his hands, and so I pointed on him to go on. The young man with all his bravery stands with pride and tells the class his thought.

“Sir, I suppose I knew it. You see guys, what I am doing right now is the answer to that quote, unlike you I am not spending time to think and compose the best answer to give the class and impress our teacher, I just stand, and spontaneously recite what I got at the spur of the moment—that I believe is taking the risk.” He said.

“I just don’t want to sit in here, waiting for somebody to answer the question with the same ideas in my mind, and would later regret that I could have done it first but losses the opportunity because I did not take the risk, because I am afraid to fail, because weakness had overpowered my will to do things I wanted to do.  At the end of the day, I don’t want to be a loser. Only losers don’t take the risk.  I thought to myself, that if I want to succeed I have to take the risk. Yes, I might fail, so what!  I also believe that there would always be another chance. What matters most is I take the risk.  Who knows I might be doing it right. This I believe what the quote ‘To try is to risk failure, but risk must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is not to take the risk’.”

He pause for a while so ask I ask him,

“Is there some more you want to add Mr. Tañeza?”

I was so struck with his straight forward answer that I had painted my face with a smile and unaware I am looking back to the past events in my life where my cowardice take control over my will. Then suddenly a voice sends me back to where I am— inside the classroom.

“No Sir, that would be all, I think I had talked much.” He continued.

After he said that, the guy took his seat and I could see some pride in his character, he could be proud that he had finally spoken in front of the class for the very first time, he is proud and happy that he has accomplished something. This is first time he does that, and this is also the last time.  This is the last meeting we had for the semester, and the next meeting will be our examination day to formally close the semester.

There are hues and cries of approval accompanied with applause from students who agrees with what Mr. Neil Tañeza had spoken.

After that delivery, I admire his courage.

We have some several activities to maximize the 2-hour class period and suddenly the bell rung, we end up the class with a prayer and go our separate ways heading home.

That same night, as I lay in bed, about to sleep, I had a flash back of what happened in my 6:30-8:30pm class.  Again what was spoken by my student in that very class reverberates in my mind.  Its echoes bring back old memories, some memories that if I was given the chance, would want to change.  These memories are now dancing in my thoughts as if they were alive.  As if they have just happened yesterday.  That bravery my student had shown hours ago had freshened buried memories from my past.

I could not sleep that night. I turned on my notebook and do some surfing on the internet, logged on to my blog, decided to update it, yet I could not think of things I wanted to write.

As I was in the middle of this emotional and mental labyrinth, finally, I remember someone. I remember Jeremy C. (I assume he is a “HE”).  Who’s Jeremy C.?

Let me give you some idea how did I come to know such an intelligent guy.  As I was wandering in the realm of the information super highway, I came across this contest site named http://prizes.org where I had decided to sign up, join some contest and to my surprise, the site did give me a $10 bonus coupon to start my own contest and a $100 coupon to be used as discount to any contest that I could host where I will be giving away a cash prize of $150 (that would mean I will just be spending $50), but have decided to use only the $10 because I don’t have yet a penny in my credits.

So there we go, I hosted the contest entitled “Short Story Title and Topic for my Blog.” (http://prizes.org/Short-story-title-and-topic-for-my-blog-1) I held it for a week, but amazingly for 3-days time, with a smaller amount for a prize, I have received 33 wonderful entries, all from a top caliber writers, authors and students.  This means one thing for sure; it is not about the money, it’s their willingness to help.  There were lot of entries that catch my attention, but one in particular had reach out for me. Not because it is superior than the other but because it talks more about life, it is more suitable for my blog and is far more on my level as a frustrated poet. So I chose Jeremy C. (http://prizes.org/Jeremy-C) as my winner. The contest was ended the 4th day after I had it opened.

Jeremy had submitted two entries.  These entries were entitled “Shaking Mountains” and “The Park” respectively.

I had decided to do the story about “The Park”.

This will somehow help me channel whatever emotional struggle I’m going through.  I thank my student who had freshened up fragments of bitter memories from my past.

As what Neil had said, it’s now or never.  So take part as I take courage to reveal the story of my life as I also share to you stories of other people I meet in my visit to “The Park.”

(The Park will be published soon)

Does watching Amorous Films dent masculinity?

Oct3

Does watching Amorous Films dent masculinity?
by Ernie “Kalbo” Mallorca

This is another confession I had to make. Again this is not about having committed the 7 deadly sins, but a confession where I as a person express what I believe is right for me. This thing that I consider right and applicable for me might not be exactly the same thing others might believe applicable for them, yet I have to give it a try and tell you something that a guy like me does in its spare time.

Having this article, I do not expect 100% approval from the readers. There might be somebody who will judge this post by their personal reasons and will dislike whatever is written in here; to be specific most of them will be from my gender. Some women will also be reasonable enough to disagree with my points of view, but as I have said, we all have our reasons, we all have our beliefs, and there’s no doubt that every opinion is correct and no one should argue with that.

You will find it interesting what a guy like me, no, no, no… I mean an active guy who never stops exploring – always on the go for some call of adventure, a mountaineer, mountain bike rider, an extreme sport lover, and a hardcore, mean looking guy like me who can gulp gallons of beer in one occasion have stored in his personal computer’s Video Folder that eats much both drive C:\ and D:\’s storage spaces. I am even planning to buy an Ipad 2 just to have this flicks with me anywhere I go. Why Ipad 2? Holy mama, with 1o hours battery life (that’s helluva movie to watch especially when you’re up there in the mountain), not to mention it’s thin too (it will leave more room for my other stuff inside the backpack which my notebook or a laptop cant offer) and best it has faster (times two) Dual-core A5 chip. Who do you think would not want this? I would be the happiest when I am entertained by my fave movies up there in the summit.

…Of course that would be very predictable. You may say these collections will be some sort of ass kicking movies ranging from adventure, sports, actions and a lot more that would really help boost the macho image of a man. Action movies where you wish you are the Hero of the day, overpowering those menacing villains that keep haunting you because their Big Boss says so. Along the road you meet some damsel in distress, and “presto!”, that changes everything. But wait, she is not what you think she is. The twist of the story is – she might be someone else. I mean, she could be as deadly as you are. She is some sort of a secret agent, assassin, a super heroine… c’mon; you can use your imaginations and try to think of any possible character she might be… Hahaha! Think again.

I would help you zero-in to something. You may also guess it would include some lewd pornographic film and sex scandals that would be fun to watch while your mind gently wanders into space as your hand wanders somewhere else and before it could find its place the door opened with a great BANG! And there stood your mom, watching you with bewildered expression in her full angry eyes looking at the so called wonderful moving images projected at the very screen of your latest Sony Bravia EX520 television set and that very eyes shifted at your naughty hands back to the screen. Mind you, that would really disgust your conservative, religious and loving mom, and to her dismay she gets hysterical and suddenly is in a stance ready to break your bone because your naughty imaginations held control over what sanity is left of you. Before I hear some bones cracked and some tooth hits the floor, I would help you save the day and tell you NO! Porn is not my thing. If it is, I could have been the most sought after porn star in our locality (kidding). But hell no!

You’re losing patience now? I can see it inyour face. As you read on, I can tell that you wanted to course me and tell me to die now, because you might be losing the interest of continuing to the next few lines before you could even unveil my thing. But if you give it a try you soon realize that this is worth your time. So what is it then that interest me? Is it the Anime, Manga, or Cartoons? Maybe these could be in my shelf but not exactly. I have some of them. I include having them in my collections because we have some kids at home that from time to time will ask me to give them a nice watch and I enjoy some flicks as they enjoy it. These kids are one of the reasons I stay away from porn collections. But these cartoon things may it be from Pixar, Disney, Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network were not really my thing.

Running out of choices, huh? Then maybe it’s about time to really tell you my secret. This I keep for a long time for a shame of being discovered and bullied upon. Give me some strength and inspirations thought, to tell those non-conformists, straight to their faces to get lost, mind their own businesses and look for their own happiness. If putting me to shame is their happiness then, Hell with them (did I sound mean?).

What is it really then? It’s Romance Movies that I fall into. Want me to shout it out loud? It’s ROMANCE MOVIES!!! Love story, Romantic Tragedy, Romantic Comedy (romantic comedy is the type I enjoy and love to watch the most, yeah right, it’s good to fall in love while I laugh my ass out) and anything that could melt the women’s heart. These are the sort of movies that would enrage the guys when their girls would ask them to watch that very movie with her. These are the movies that when a guy watches it, his male friends will then tell him “Dude that’s too Gay.” So as a result, no man would watch it in the open, afraid of being called gay. I tell you, they cannot be man enough to stand and does what they think and believe could make them happy. I pose this question, “if a man wants to fall in love, or if a man would like to learn how to make a lady fall in love with him, will that man be gay?” “If your girlfriend wants you to come with her for a Romantic movie date, would that make you gay?” I better be gay and become happy than be called by other people a real Macho but never gets what I want. Anyway, it is not what other people think about us that matters, it’s about what makes us happy and what makes us really us, Right?

If you belong to the male specie who is reading this article at this very moment, and who loves to watch the same films but afraid to admit it, I tell you this, don’t be ashamed, watch such movie with pride. Let it out! Would you agree with me if I say that watching romantic movies will not lessen your manly image? I rather believe it would help you boost your confidence and this would really help not being found dumb when ladies throw at your very faces some topics about romance. Would some ladies out there support my claim that you are impressed when a man could converse with you if you throw a topic about Romance movies?

And ladies, go find a man who is not ashamed being with you watching your favorite romantic movies in any movie houses you wish to watch.

As I do some research as to why Girls are so engross with watching romantic movies, I have came across three answers to my questions, and it is in my very hope that all the ladies out there will agree on these 3 ladies.

What about the men? I should encourage them to learn from the experiences of these ladies, and we thank them for the effort of telling us their secrets why they would like to watch Romantic Movies. C’mon man, let’s read this together.

Here are some of the reasons why these ladies love watching Romantic Movies:

  • Girls watch romance movies because it reminds them of a special time or romantic memories. Another reason why they watch romance movies is because they would probably like to have that kind of boyfriend or they are in hopes that when they watch this movie and they talk about it so much that there boyfriend will bring on a romantic date just like in the movies.
  • They watch them because having someone who loves and understands you are appealing, and there’s something about watching others in love that makes us think of ourselves. And I dunno, we just do :) . We are more emotionally led when it comes to relationships. Those movies make us feel those feelings of love, happiness, joy.
  • Why girls watch romantic movies? Romantic movies give us inspirations. Most of us dream about the ONE often and imagine that the guy in the movie is their “perfect man”. It kind of makes us feel secure in our future. Silly as it may seem to the guys but girls look forward to their wedding because that is the day that we are most beautiful, not only to everyone at the wedding, but to our soon-to-be husband!

To be more partial with my brothers out there, I had also the reason as to why Men dislikes Romantic movies:

  • Men generally don’t like romantic movies because they don’t like to admit that they have that softer side to them. It is difficult to be in the bar drinking beer with their buddies and say, “Yea, I went and saw the best movie last night. It was all about how the high school nerd won the love of the head cheerleader. It was great. I started crying half way through it.”
  • Some men have a different idea of romance, they have to create it themselves to see it as romantic. Watching someone else be romantic doesn’t register with them. Does that make sense? I had a male friend who I would suggest something romantic that I saw or heard about. His response was always, “I don’t get it.” But when he did something he thought was romantic, he could call it out as such.
  • Sometimes I think it is because if I watch it with a woman, and the movie has some romantic ideas, I would think that the woman will want those same romantic ideas in their lives. I think I often don’t want to be told what to do, especially from a movie.
  • Because Romantic Movies overload their emotional meters. That and the movies make men feel all “ooooky”. ;) Honestly, I think men are just wired differently than females. And also, many men don’t like to show strong “soft” emotional responses. So they try to quell those. Not easy to do when watching a movie that tugs at the heartstrings.
  • When my wife and I first started dating, she convinced me to watch Love Story. Good Lord, I cried like a baby. Of course, we were young and in love (still are!… well.. the in love part)… Over the years, there are a number of romantic movies that she’s “made” me watch that I actually enjoy. When Harry Met Sally and Moonstruck are two obvious ones. I think any guy who’s honest with himself will agree that romantic movies aren’t bad, so long as they are realistic.

As of these time men should get it. It’s a cover up! We would not watch Romantic movies because we are afraid that when our emotions will take over our muscles the ladies might see it as weakness. We are afraid to do so because we are in the verge of denying that even the so-called Macho and strong man has a softer side. Do we not love our girlfriend or our wife that even a simple request from her we could not give?

Do we not love the girl we wanted the most that even an effort of watching a Romantic movie for the sake of getting some techniques and doing what she likes done to her because that’s what she had seen in the movie, and that what make her fall in love with you, we cannot do? Don’t we love ourselves that we deny us of the thing that is worth trying by living in such lies that we don’t like to watch Romantic movies because that would hurt our Macho egos?

I know I would earn some disapproval because of this article, but I just share what I think is right. Everybody deserves to be happy. I am happy watching romantic movies, because my girl is happy watching it. Ironic? I first tell you to do what you believe will make you happy not what make others happy. Then all of the sudden I am telling you that I am happy watching Romantic movies because my girl is happy watching it. That do not make sense, you may say! For me it makes sense. My girl is my happiness. When I make her happy, I am the happiest. Watching Romantic movies is like hitting 3 birds with one stone. I make my girl happy, I am happy, and I do what I like to do.

Would you like to know what’s in my “Video Folder”? I am proud to give you the top 25 list I love to watch and share watching with my girl.

This is arranged according to my most favorite each having synopsis (click the images for more info about the movie) . #1 is the top in my list. Here we go…

1. The Notebook

The Notebook is an epic love story centered on an older man who reads aloud to an older, invalid woman whom he regularly visits. From a faded notebook, the old man’s words bring to life the story about a couple who is separated by World War II, and is then passionately reunited, seven years later, after they have taken different paths. Though her memory has faded, his words give her the chance to relive her turbulent youth and the unforgettable love they shared.

2. Shakespeare in Love

Will Shakespeare is a known but struggling poet, playwright and actor who not only has sold his next play to both Philip Henslow and Richard Burbidge but now faces a far more difficult problem: he is bereft of ideas and has yet to begin writing. He is in search of his muse, the woman who will inspire him but all attempts fail him until he meets the beautiful Viola de Lesseps. She loves the theatre and would like nothing more than to take to the stage but is forbidden from doing so as only men can be actors. She is also a great admirer of Shakespeare’s works. Dressing as a man and going by the name of Thomas Kent, she auditions and is ideal for a part in his next play. Shakespeare soon see through her disguise and they begin a love affair, one they know cannot end happily for them as he is already married and she has been promised to the dour Lord Wessex.

3. Titanic

Titanic is an epic, action-packed romance story about a boy and a girl from differing social backgrounds who meet during the ill-fated maiden voyage of the “unsinkable” Titanic, at the time, the largest moving object ever built. She was the most luxurious liner of her era – the “ship of dreams” – which ultimately carried over 1,500 people to their death in the ice cold waters of the North Atlantic in the early hours of April 15, 1912. Rose and Jack’s forbidden love begins a powerful mystery that ultimately echoes across the years into the present. Nothing on earth is going to come between them — not even something as unimaginable as the sinking of Titanic.

4. City of Angels

City of Angels is a story about Seth who is an angel who hovers over the city of Los Angeles, listening to people’s thoughts, observing their lives, and guiding them to the next world when they die. While Seth and his fellow angels try to offer comfort to people as they can, they are discouraged from direct contact with humans and are usually invisible to them. While at a hospital, Seth sees Maggie, a dedicated heart surgeon who attempts to save the life of a patient Seth was to call upon. Maggie is distraught after the patient passes, and her agony touches something inside the reserved Seth; he finds himself falling in love with her, and he decides to make himself visible so he can communicate with her. As Maggie gets to know the strange visitor in black who has suddenly appeared in her life, she finds herself torn between her new feelings for Seth and her attachment to her fiancé.

5. 50 First Dates

A Romantic comedy about an Arctic marine life veterinarian Henry Roth who is tending the sea animals at Sea Life Park in Hawaii and he’s also breaking the hearts of mainland tourists in search of a vacation romance. A long-term relationship for Henry is out of the question. It would scuttle his 10-year dream of sailing to Alaska to study the underwater life of walruses. Henry is close to making his dream come true when his schooner, the Sea Serpent, suffers a mishap during a trial run, which lands him at the Hukilau Café. He’s immediately smitten when he sets his eyes on one of its patrons, the beautiful young Lucy Whitmore, who is seated alone, having breakfast. Intrigued, he returns to the Hukilau the following day. Lucy is again seated alone with her waffles. Henry joins her and as they chat, he becomes more and more interested. Ignoring his own rule about dating local girls, he makes a date to meet her for breakfast the next day. But when he arrives and makes a reference to their previous conversation, she thinks he’s some kind of freak and calls for help. Lucy has no idea who he is. And Henry realizes that if he wants to win her affections, he’s going to have to start over again every day for the rest of his life.

6. Notting Hill

Notting Hill is a story of William a bookseller at a shop in the Notting Hill district in West London, who shares a house with an eccentric Welsh friend, Spike. One day, he is minding the store when in strolls Anna Scott, a lovely and well-known actress from the United States who is in London working on a film, buys a book from William, and she is polite and charming in the way a famous actress would be with a star-struck sales clerk. A little later, he still can’t believe it himself, William runs into her again – this time spilling orange juice over her. Anna accepts his offer to change in his nearby apartment, and thanks him with a kiss. That one kiss that had started the romance which had slowly blooms as his friends and family and the world wonder out loud what he’s doing dating a movie star.

7. Letters to Juliet

Letters to Juliet is a story of an American girl whose life had changes after she discovers a love letter in a wall where the lovelorn leave notes hoping that Juliet will answer their inquiries about love. Sophie is part of a team of volunteers who respond to the letters. When Sophie answers a letter from 1957, the woman who wrote it decides to seek out the one that got away, and romance starts to blossom all around.

8. A walk to Remember

A walk to remember is a story about Love and loss throughout two very young lives. Landon Carter and Jamie Sullivan – two people who find themselves unexpectedly thrown together after a practical joke between Landon and his friends which leaves a boy in hospital, as punishment Landon is forced to partake in some after school activities including the spring play. The truth of the matter is Landon can’t act, so he acquires the help of the beautiful but somewhat invisible Jamie. Landon and his friends always make fun of Jamie as if it is a day to day task, but one day Landon brings up the courage to ask for her help with his lines; through trials and tribulations leading up to this play Land somehow falls in love with the beautiful minister’s daughter choosing her over his friends. Landon shares a true love with the girl, but a heart breaking secret lies between the couple, can they save their relationship and make all their dreams come true?

9. The Wedding Singer

The flick is about a nice guy with a broken heart who’s stuck in one of the most romantic jobs in the world, a wedding singer. He loses all hope when he is abandoned at the altar by his fiancé. He meets a young woman named Julia, who enlists his help to plan her wedding. He falls in love with her and must win her over before she gets married.

10. Ghost

Ghost as the title of the movie implies is about a man Sam Wheat being murdered during a date with his girlfriend Molly. Sam’s spirit, in a mysterious manner, remains on the Earth, unseen to normal people. After following his murderer, Sam realizes that his death was not an accident, and that molly is in danger. Sam’s ghost tries to warn Molly, but she does not know it is really there. Then he meets a spiritualist named Oda Mae Brown, who can hear the dead. Sam speaks to hear and convince her to help him save Molly.

11. Sleepless in Seattle

After his wife died, Sam Baldwin did not think about other women. His 8-year old son Jonah thinks that his father needs a woman in order to get his life back in order and calls in on a nation-wide radio-show. The voice and story of Sam is heard by hundreds of women, including Annie Reed, who is about to marry her fiancé Walter soon. She can’t find a rest until she really knows for sure that Sam Baldwin is not the one person for her. Thus, Annie travels to Seattle, where Sam and Jonah live and there decide that Sam is not the one. The letter she never sent was posted by a friend of Annie, and therefore Jonah, who feels that she’s the one for his dad, already booked a flight to New York in order to meet her on the roof of the Empire State building, just like in “An Affair to Remember.” Of course, his father follows him instantly.

12. Serendipity

Serendipity is a flick about a couple who are reunited years after the night they first met, fell in love, and separated, convinced that one day according to some signs they’d end up together.

13. If Only

The story is about a man who after his impetuous musician girlfriend, Samantha, dies in an accident shortly after they had a fight (and nearly broke up), a grief-stricken British businessman, Ian Wyndham, living in London gets a chance to relive the day all over again, in the hope of changing the events that led up to her getting killed.

14. French Kiss

This movie is about Kate and Charlie who have a perfect life planned out before them: buying a house, marriage, kids, the whole works. Kate’s fear of flying keeps her in Canada while Charlie goes to Paris for a medical convention. While there Charlie is smitten by the lovely Juliette. He calls off the wedding with Kate and she nervously boards a plane to get him back. She ends up sitting next to the petty French thief Luc Teyssier. He hides a stolen necklace and smuggled grape vine in her bag to get it through customs. Her bag is stolen, the necklace apparently lost, and Kate and Luc head to Cannes — Luc to find the necklace and Kate get Charlie back. Along the way, Kate and Luc begin having feelings for each other – which change the course of their lives.

15. Pretty Woman

Pretty Woman is a Romantic Comedy with complications video about a rich man and a prostitute. Edward is a rich, ruthless businessman who specializes in taking over companies and then selling them off piece by piece. He travels to Los Angeles for a business trip and decides to hire a prostitute. They take a liking to each other and he offers her money if she’ll stay with him for an entire week while he makes the “rich and famous” scene (since it doesn’t do for a man of his stature to be alone at society parties and polo matches).

16. Sweet Home Alabama

It is a movie about Melanie Carmichael, a successful New York fashion designer who is dating Andrew Hennings, a wealthy socialite whose mother, Katherine Hennings, is the Big Apple’s mayor. One day, Andrew pops the big question and asks Melanie to marry him; Melanie is overjoyed, but unknown to Andrew, Melanie has some unfinished business to take care of first. Despite her polished uptown image, Melanie grew up poor in the deep South, and as a teenager she married her high school sweetheart Jake Perry. Things went sour and Melanie moved East, reinventing herself along the way, but Jake never bothered to legally end their marriage. Now Melanie has to return to her hometown of Pigeon Creek, AL, to tell her parents the news and convince Jake to grant her a divorce; however, the more time she spends with her old flame, the more she feels sparks flying between them again, while she also learns her Eastern affectations don’t fly with everyone back home.

17. Moulin Rouge

It’s a Movie set about Paris in 1899. Christian, a young English poet, comes to Paris to pursue a penniless career as a writer. However, he soon meets a group of Bohemians who tell him that he should write a musical show for them to be performed at the Moulin Rouge, the most famous underworld night club in Paris. The night they arrive at the Moulin Rouge, Christian meets Satine, the club’s star and a beautiful courtesan. He fells head-over-heels in love with her and though it takes a bit of convincing, she falls for him as well. Meanwhile, the club’s owner, Harold Zidler, invests in a wealthy Duke to help pay for the club, however, the Duke would only pay if Satine is his. This crazy love triangle twists and turns. And little does Satine know that she has a deadly secret that could end everything.

18. Runaway Bride

Runaway Bride is a story of Ike and Maggie. Ike Graham is a columnist for USA Today who is looking for a last minute article. While he is in a bar, he runs into a man who tells him about a woman named Maggie Carpenter who is known for leaving the groom at the altar during a wedding. Ike covers the story and when Maggie reads it, writes a letter back to USA Today resulting in the paper firing him. Ike decides then to go to Maggie’s small town to prove his story true and get his job back. While there, he runs into many conflicts and learns of Maggie’s latest wedding, her fourth, which Ike anticipates to be another “runaway” for her. But as the two spend time together, their hate and disgust for each other starts to take a turn as it nears her fourth wedding date.

19. You’ve got Mail

“You’ve Got Mail” is a romantic comedy movie set in the age of e-mail about Joe Fox and Kathleen Kelly, two bookstore owners who face off against each other in real life even as they unwittingly romance each other via mode. One was a passionate young woman who ran a small children’s book store. The other was the owner of Manhattan’s largest book super chain, a man whose enterprise could put every independent book store out of business. The man and the woman were natural enemies. But when they coincidentally – and anonymously – met in cyberspace, they accidentally fell in love.

20. While You Were Sleeping

It is about a lonely subway worker who becomes smitten with a handsome stranger. But when she saves his life after he’s been mugged and fallen into a coma, his hilariously offbeat family mistakes her for his fiancé. The mix-ups escalate as Lucy fabricates a life between herself and a man she’s never met. And when Lucy falls for his charming brother the situation really gets complicated as she is forced to make a choice between the two.

I don’t believe watching these flicks make a lesser man out of us. What really makes a man manly is how he is not afraid to show the world what he really feels. If you can’t watch these Romantic movies for the fear of being ridiculed by your buddies, then how could you proudly hold in public the hands of the woman who mean so much to you? I could also conclude that you could probably be ashamed of admitting to the public that you could possibly be romantic and could find true love. Nah! No offense, this is just an opinion coming from a hopeless romantic guy in your neighborhood.