Probably because for the first time, I'm truly celebrating Christmas. Last year I had just gotten back from treatment, was still a bit anxious, and was still adjusting to life in Manila again. The year before that, my family and I took a cruise where I had to be rushed home because of an attack. This year, I'm completely happy. I'm back in straight, everyday school for the first time in two years, making new friends there as well as keeping my old friendships strong, part of a happy family, and, thanks to God, have not had an attack in quite some time. 2013 was a blessed year for me indeed.
Happy Holidays everyone!
Tuesday, 24 December 2013
Monday, 16 December 2013
Priorities
This photo was taken a while back, but I recently came across it while sifting through my laptop library. Upon arriving at the St. Tropez village of Balesin Island, an employee took us on a tour of the rooms. Instead of jumping on the bed or looking out the windows to the beachfront view, I knelt down in front of this trunk and oohed and aahed while the guide told me it was a replica of a trunk they found in France. My best friend Nicole snapped a picture of me worshipping the glorious trunk. :)
Monday, 9 December 2013
Russian Royalty
I stumbled upon this photoshoot on Tumblr called Russian Royalty, and it is just stunning.
Check out more of her photos! http://www.doedeereblogazine.com/
Check out more of her photos! http://www.doedeereblogazine.com/
Thursday, 5 December 2013
One Year.
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Wednesday, 4 December 2013
God and His Neon Signs
"There may never be a sign, no flashing neon light, telling you to make your move, or when the time is right."--Hilary Duff, "Why Not"
Sorry Hil, but this time I'm very happy to prove you wrong.
First, I want to share this picture:
It was one of many Tumblr pictures I had saved to my phone about three years ago. I had dozens of other sightseeing pics saved to inspire me to travel the world someday, but this had stuck out as my favorite. It reminded me of the tree gateway Aslan created at the end of the Prince Caspian film, and that scene is still one of the few film clips that can make me cry. Every. Darn. Time. Anyway, I loved the idea of this gate opening up to the ocean and the mountains beyond. To me, it was completely otherworldly and fantastic. The sad thing is, when I found it on Tumblr, it was never captioned, so I had no idea where it was. I actually thought it didn't even exist, that it was from a movie set, or Photoshopped.
Second, I want to share my current situation:
About a month ago, my friend Pilar told me about this liberal arts college in Europe that she was applying to. I looked it up, found out they had a history major, and fell in love with the idea of applying there next year. I was feeling really certain of my decision, until sem break ended and I found myself back in Ateneo. I started feeling like I didn't want to give up my Ateneo experience just yet. But I also knew that I've dreamt of studying abroad ever since I was a wee 10-year-old devouring the S.A.S.S. novel series (Students Across the Seven Seas). So I felt myself pulled in two completely opposite directions.
Then yesterday, I decided it was time for a change in my desktop wallpaper. I decided to look up Lugano, the town in Switzerland the college was located. This photo popped up.
Needless to say, my jaw dropped. This is the sign I've been waiting for to go full speed ahead and not look back. Thank you, God.
Sorry Hil, but this time I'm very happy to prove you wrong.
First, I want to share this picture:
It was one of many Tumblr pictures I had saved to my phone about three years ago. I had dozens of other sightseeing pics saved to inspire me to travel the world someday, but this had stuck out as my favorite. It reminded me of the tree gateway Aslan created at the end of the Prince Caspian film, and that scene is still one of the few film clips that can make me cry. Every. Darn. Time. Anyway, I loved the idea of this gate opening up to the ocean and the mountains beyond. To me, it was completely otherworldly and fantastic. The sad thing is, when I found it on Tumblr, it was never captioned, so I had no idea where it was. I actually thought it didn't even exist, that it was from a movie set, or Photoshopped.
Second, I want to share my current situation:
About a month ago, my friend Pilar told me about this liberal arts college in Europe that she was applying to. I looked it up, found out they had a history major, and fell in love with the idea of applying there next year. I was feeling really certain of my decision, until sem break ended and I found myself back in Ateneo. I started feeling like I didn't want to give up my Ateneo experience just yet. But I also knew that I've dreamt of studying abroad ever since I was a wee 10-year-old devouring the S.A.S.S. novel series (Students Across the Seven Seas). So I felt myself pulled in two completely opposite directions.
Then yesterday, I decided it was time for a change in my desktop wallpaper. I decided to look up Lugano, the town in Switzerland the college was located. This photo popped up.
Needless to say, my jaw dropped. This is the sign I've been waiting for to go full speed ahead and not look back. Thank you, God.
Monday, 2 December 2013
A Sign From The Heavens
I found this on my Tumblr dashboard:
"Okay but seriously if you are attending college while experiencing any sort of mental illness then you are an impressive human being. Even if you don’t always make it to classes. Even if you don’t always do your homework or pass all your tests. You are doing something that is incredibly difficult when so many of the odds are against you, and regardless of what you are studying you deserve a Ph.D. in being a total and complete badass."
Tuesday, 26 November 2013
Where Is The Love?
"Children hurtin', hear them crying
Can you practice what you preach
Or would you turn the other cheek
Father father father father help us
Send some guidance from above
'Cause people got me, got me questioning
Where is the love?"
Can you practice what you preach
Or would you turn the other cheek
Father father father father help us
Send some guidance from above
'Cause people got me, got me questioning
Where is the love?"
It just saddens me that a photo from my recent trip to Italy can get over 50 likes overnight, yet a whole album dedicated to my trip to devastated Ormoc catches the eye of two people. I've been promoting Bangon Pinoy: A Fundraising Concert For Victims of Yolanda for the past couple of weeks, and it seems like next to no one cares. I've had people in school give me a straight-up "nope" when asked if they wanted to buy tickets to raise funds. Yet the same people share links on the supposed corruption and inefficiency of our government. If you're gonna talk the talk, please naman, walk the walk. I'm not writing about this to hate on people, or judge them. It's a realization that I came to, and am deeply troubled by. What is happening to our humanity?
Wednesday, 20 November 2013
Allegiant-Spoilers Up Ahead
I just finished Allegiant, the final book in the Divergent trilogy. The Divergent series is also one of the last 2010 Dystopian trilogies to wrap up (I'll be writing about all of them in another post).
I'm in shock.
On the one hand I want to commend Veronica Roth for doing something I've yet to see a YA author (even JK Rowling) do: kill off her protagonist. For good. I've read some reactions online about how the fans were angry because she didn't think of them, but of the plot, and that is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. Of course an author would put the plot first. It's her story to tell. And I understood her motives behind it: the whole series revolve around what sacrifice really means, and to have Tris, the protagonist, fully and truly understand that made a good ending. Still, understanding why Tris had to die didn't stop me from bawling my eyes out (and I never cry).
In Allegiant, the PoVs switched between Tris and Tobias, with a header in each chapter stating their name. The thing that cemented her death for me (it is YA, and authors are never above killing someone then bringing them back. I'm looking at you JKR and Melissa de la Cruz) was when the final chapters simply had the chapter numbers printed, with no note on whether it was a Tris or Tobias chapter. It meant that Tobias was the only one left to tell the story.
Tobias was the cause for my tears, in fact. Not that I wouldn't miss Tris, I would. But that moment when Tobias was contemplating taking the memory serum broke my heart. I can't imagine having to make the decision between grieving your whole life but having the memory of your love, or forgetting and living in peace. He eventually chooses not to, as he realizes it's not what Tris would want him to do. A few pages later, the epilogue shows Tobias' life two years later: He's got a job and his own apartment. All the while I was thinking, that should be their apartment. They should be rebuilding their life together.
In the end, though, it was a series that taught the lesson it was meant to. It didn't stray from its true purpose. It was about being free: not just having the freedom to take risks and do what you want, but also having the freedom to make the choice of sacrificing yourself for the good of others.
“There are so many ways to be brave in this world. Sometimes bravery involves laying down your life for something bigger than yourself, or for someone else. Sometimes it involves giving up everything you have ever known, or everyone you have ever loved, for the sake of something greater.
But sometimes it doesn't.
Sometimes it is nothing more than gritting your teeth through pain, and the work of every day, the slow walk toward a better life.
That is the sort of bravery I must have now.” -Allegiant
I'm in shock.
On the one hand I want to commend Veronica Roth for doing something I've yet to see a YA author (even JK Rowling) do: kill off her protagonist. For good. I've read some reactions online about how the fans were angry because she didn't think of them, but of the plot, and that is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. Of course an author would put the plot first. It's her story to tell. And I understood her motives behind it: the whole series revolve around what sacrifice really means, and to have Tris, the protagonist, fully and truly understand that made a good ending. Still, understanding why Tris had to die didn't stop me from bawling my eyes out (and I never cry).
In Allegiant, the PoVs switched between Tris and Tobias, with a header in each chapter stating their name. The thing that cemented her death for me (it is YA, and authors are never above killing someone then bringing them back. I'm looking at you JKR and Melissa de la Cruz) was when the final chapters simply had the chapter numbers printed, with no note on whether it was a Tris or Tobias chapter. It meant that Tobias was the only one left to tell the story.
Tobias was the cause for my tears, in fact. Not that I wouldn't miss Tris, I would. But that moment when Tobias was contemplating taking the memory serum broke my heart. I can't imagine having to make the decision between grieving your whole life but having the memory of your love, or forgetting and living in peace. He eventually chooses not to, as he realizes it's not what Tris would want him to do. A few pages later, the epilogue shows Tobias' life two years later: He's got a job and his own apartment. All the while I was thinking, that should be their apartment. They should be rebuilding their life together.
In the end, though, it was a series that taught the lesson it was meant to. It didn't stray from its true purpose. It was about being free: not just having the freedom to take risks and do what you want, but also having the freedom to make the choice of sacrificing yourself for the good of others.
“There are so many ways to be brave in this world. Sometimes bravery involves laying down your life for something bigger than yourself, or for someone else. Sometimes it involves giving up everything you have ever known, or everyone you have ever loved, for the sake of something greater.
But sometimes it doesn't.
Sometimes it is nothing more than gritting your teeth through pain, and the work of every day, the slow walk toward a better life.
That is the sort of bravery I must have now.” -Allegiant
Monday, 18 November 2013
My Superstar Soul Sister
"I’ve been asking myself about that an awful lot and I think when I was younger I felt really bad about it and felt I was doing something wrong in doing so many period films. And then, all of a sudden, I went, ‘OK, this is obviously what I’m drawn to’. I love history, reading historical novels and watching period pieces as well as performing in them. I think it’s something to do with fantasy, which is what I love."
--Keira Knightley
--Keira Knightley
Sunday, 13 October 2013
October Book Haul: Fantasy, Horror, and a Hogwarts Snow Globe
As well as putting myself on a food diet the past few weeks, I also went on a book diet. The main reason was to grit my teeth and start lessening the mountain that has become Salve's Unread Books in my room.
It may not look like it, but I've been able to remove quite a healthy chunk of it by sticking to books that I already had, and not going out to Fully Booked every other day and coming home with a new stack.
But today was a special day. I decided to treat myself to a book haul because sem break has finally arrived. I was also craving some high-fantasy novels, between reading Ellen Oh's Prophecy, catching The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe on Star Movies, and finishing Season 1 of Avatar: The Last Airbender. So without further ado, my October Book Haul:
Pretenders by Lisi Harrison
Not exactly high fantasy, I know, but a Lisi Harrison YA novel that FINALLY targets people older than junior high kids was miraculous. I was the biggest fan of Lisi Harrison's Clique series back in seventh grade. I even asked for a mannequin to put my clothes on in my room for one Christmas, because that's just how Massie Block does it. Eventually, I grew out of it, and just crossed my fingers that Harrison would write for older audiences soon enough. It took a good five years, but she finally has. The book's premise is pretty standard fare: five high-school overachievers are hiding dark secrets and someone is threatening to uncover them though. What would make this novel unique though, is Lisi Harrison's entertaining narrative and pop culture references. Actual quote from the first page: "Students at Nobel High School were expected to make like a Microsoft and Excel."
Atlantis Rising
In my opinion, there aren't enough Atlantis-based YA novels out there. An ancient civilization that disappeared beneath the waves? That's a book prompt if I ever saw one. The author of this particular Atlantean novel, T.A. Barron is also widely acclaimed for his Merlin series, which I have yet to read, but the critics seem to love it. It was also one of those books that stood tucked away in the corner of the shelf, all by its lonesome, so I figured "Better grab it before I lose track of it."
The City of A Thousand Dolls
I was never a fan of high fantasy set in a quasi-Asian world, mostly because I couldn't get my imagination to dream it all up. Alright, your kingdom is called Hansong, but your characters wear hanboks and are named things like Lord Shin Bo Hyun. It's glaringly obvious that you just made up an alternate universe Korea. I have nothing against that, but I just feel like the authors aren't given as much room for their own creations than if, say, they had a completely made-up world. That opinion changed though when I got hooked on The Last Airbender. I was able to see, visually, how much world-building can still go on even in a universe that was deeply rooted in real cultures. I got this novel in the hopes of expanding my horizon into Asian-based high fantasy, and whet my fangirl appetite while I furiously track down a copy of Season 2 of The Last Airbender.
Fairy Bible
Because every fairytale dreamer needs a glossary of all the kinds of fantastical creatures out there.
and of course, because it's October...
It may not look like it, but I've been able to remove quite a healthy chunk of it by sticking to books that I already had, and not going out to Fully Booked every other day and coming home with a new stack.
But today was a special day. I decided to treat myself to a book haul because sem break has finally arrived. I was also craving some high-fantasy novels, between reading Ellen Oh's Prophecy, catching The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe on Star Movies, and finishing Season 1 of Avatar: The Last Airbender. So without further ado, my October Book Haul:
Pretenders by Lisi Harrison
Not exactly high fantasy, I know, but a Lisi Harrison YA novel that FINALLY targets people older than junior high kids was miraculous. I was the biggest fan of Lisi Harrison's Clique series back in seventh grade. I even asked for a mannequin to put my clothes on in my room for one Christmas, because that's just how Massie Block does it. Eventually, I grew out of it, and just crossed my fingers that Harrison would write for older audiences soon enough. It took a good five years, but she finally has. The book's premise is pretty standard fare: five high-school overachievers are hiding dark secrets and someone is threatening to uncover them though. What would make this novel unique though, is Lisi Harrison's entertaining narrative and pop culture references. Actual quote from the first page: "Students at Nobel High School were expected to make like a Microsoft and Excel."
Atlantis Rising
The City of A Thousand Dolls
I was never a fan of high fantasy set in a quasi-Asian world, mostly because I couldn't get my imagination to dream it all up. Alright, your kingdom is called Hansong, but your characters wear hanboks and are named things like Lord Shin Bo Hyun. It's glaringly obvious that you just made up an alternate universe Korea. I have nothing against that, but I just feel like the authors aren't given as much room for their own creations than if, say, they had a completely made-up world. That opinion changed though when I got hooked on The Last Airbender. I was able to see, visually, how much world-building can still go on even in a universe that was deeply rooted in real cultures. I got this novel in the hopes of expanding my horizon into Asian-based high fantasy, and whet my fangirl appetite while I furiously track down a copy of Season 2 of The Last Airbender.
Fairy Bible
Because every fairytale dreamer needs a glossary of all the kinds of fantastical creatures out there.
and of course, because it's October...
Sunday, 29 September 2013
My Book Drought Is Over
You know that feeling you get when you have a ton of books to read, but none catches your attention? That's been me the past week. Until today's trip to Fully Booked (by the way, I've limited my Fully Booked trips to the weekend, because if I don't put a limit, at the rate I'm going, I'll have more books unread than read at home.)! After looking around and finding nothing, I was on my way down when I decided to take one last glance. Then my eyes fell upon this. I've been waiting for the third book of the Katerina trilogy for ages, ever since I gobbled up the first two books sometime last year. So now, with threat of finals looming over me, I'll have turn-of-the-19th century Russia to distract me.
Wednesday, 26 June 2013
First Book Haul As A College Freshman
After the book hangover I had earlier today (thanks to the Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan), I decided to go to Fully Booked for a new book (even though I have like a hundred waiting back home). Sometimes I visit a bookstore and it's completely dry. No books catch my eye. Today however, it was as if they were almost flying out of their shelves to be nestled in my arms.
Thousand Words by Jennifer Brown
The first Jennifer Brown novel I read was Perfect Escape, which told the story of a teenage boy with OCD from his sister's point-of-view. I absolutely loved it. Jennifer Brown usually takes topics that resonate with today's youth; Thousand Words is about the viral spread of one girl's nude photo originally meant to be seen by just her boyfriend, and the fallout that follows. It'd definitely be interesting reading it from the girl's POV, since we usually immediately label them as sluts or whores (another case of ignorance, I suppose). It's the first book from my haul that I'm tackling, and I can't wait to read about her side of the story.
Strands of Bronze and Gold: The Bluebeard Fairytale Retold by Jane Nickerson
Strands is one of those books I've forever seen floating around on Amazon, Goodreads, or book blogs, but have yet to see in person. Suffice to say, I snapped it right up upon seeing it (last copy too!)
The first Jennifer Brown novel I read was Perfect Escape, which told the story of a teenage boy with OCD from his sister's point-of-view. I absolutely loved it. Jennifer Brown usually takes topics that resonate with today's youth; Thousand Words is about the viral spread of one girl's nude photo originally meant to be seen by just her boyfriend, and the fallout that follows. It'd definitely be interesting reading it from the girl's POV, since we usually immediately label them as sluts or whores (another case of ignorance, I suppose). It's the first book from my haul that I'm tackling, and I can't wait to read about her side of the story.
Strands of Bronze and Gold: The Bluebeard Fairytale Retold by Jane Nickerson
Strands is one of those books I've forever seen floating around on Amazon, Goodreads, or book blogs, but have yet to see in person. Suffice to say, I snapped it right up upon seeing it (last copy too!)
Starstruck by Rachel Shubert
I've probably mentioned this before, but there has been an Anna Godbersen-shaped hole in my heart ever since her Luxe series (about the Age of Innocence) and her Bright Young Things series (about the Jazz Age) ended. I've tried filling it with series like The Flappers by Jillian Larkin, which was good, but not the same. Anna Godbersen herself blurbed Starstruck, which is about 1930s Hollywood, so it's good enough for her, it's good enough for me!
Rush by Eve Silver
Its summary makes this book seem like the next Hunger Games, but only time will tell. There've been way too many dystopian books out there gunning for the top spot, but few are ever really worthy.
The Rose Throne by Mette Ivie Harrison
I'll be honest and say I was not a fan of M. I. Harrison's The Princess and the Hound, but oh, the summary for The Rose Throne. It had me at its cover, then at its summary: There are princesses and kingdoms involved. That's all it took for me to snatch it up.
The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson
My rekindled love of high fantasy stemmed from my reading of Falling Kingdoms, which was brilliant. Since then, I've been scouring Goodreads for a worthy heir. This book seemed like one, and I was lucky enough to have found FullyBookedFort's sole remaining copy.
Avatar: An Activist Survival Guide by JAMES CAMERON
The piece de resistance! I didn't even know this had already been released, yet there it was, tucked away on a shelf on the fourth floor. I could not contain my smile after finding it. Avatar is one of my favorite films ever; I'm obsessed with it. It's also one of the main reasons I decided to pursue a filmmaking career: I remember James Cameron accepting his Golden Globe for Avatar, and he said, "Everyone in this room has the best job in the world." And I said to myself, "I want to be a part of that. To create stories and tell them like they do."
Sunday, 23 June 2013
Written In The Stars
Today was the first day of Ateneo's RecWeek, when you can sign up for orgs. Last year, before I took my LOA, I was involved with Tanghalang Ateneo, which I really loved. The people were so nice, and I had so much fun just being in the theatre environment. The only things I wasn't particularly interested in were the actual plays. I mean, I wasn't familiar with any of them, so I couldn't really muster any excitement for them. BlueRep, the other theater company of Ateneo, kickstarted its season with 13, a musical I had previously done during my Trumpets days, and had a special place in my heart for. It was a classic case of the grass being greener on the other side.
So this year, I was completely torn with which company to join. The familiarity of Tanghalang Ateneo? Or BlueRep, which put on shows I was actually familiar with and loved? My question was answered, forgive the pun (which you'll understand in a second), lightning fast. Upon reading the Org Guide, I found out about what shows TA was putting on this year: Greek plays.
GREEK PLAYS.
I just want to add that the book I'm reading at the moment is The Mark of Athena (from the Percy Jackson saga). It was like kismet. That was it, bam, question answered, TA it is. I was even more convinced when I was filling out the application and read the bonus question: If you could be a Greek god, who would you be and why? Oh, the possibilities.
Now I'm all pepped up for this school year. This fresh start thing isn't so bad.
So this year, I was completely torn with which company to join. The familiarity of Tanghalang Ateneo? Or BlueRep, which put on shows I was actually familiar with and loved? My question was answered, forgive the pun (which you'll understand in a second), lightning fast. Upon reading the Org Guide, I found out about what shows TA was putting on this year: Greek plays.
GREEK PLAYS.
I just want to add that the book I'm reading at the moment is The Mark of Athena (from the Percy Jackson saga). It was like kismet. That was it, bam, question answered, TA it is. I was even more convinced when I was filling out the application and read the bonus question: If you could be a Greek god, who would you be and why? Oh, the possibilities.
Now I'm all pepped up for this school year. This fresh start thing isn't so bad.
Wednesday, 12 June 2013
Stop the Stigma: Mental Illness in Today's Society, and My Own Struggle With OCD.
So a few weeks ago, I came across something on Facebook that irked me to no end. It was one of those situation posts where they name a situation and the roles of people in it, and you had to assign a friend a role by typing in whatever instruction they gave you (for example, "Your Wedding: your groom will be the first friend that pops up when you type the letter "R" in your Facebook friend search engine, your maid of honor will be "H", etc, etc.).
In this instant, the situation was "You are in a mental hospital." The roles involved patients running around naked, licking the walls, and other preposterous things. The sad thing about it is that kids would pass this post around, tag their friends, and laugh about like it was nothing but a joke.
Like being mentally ill wasn't a serious problem.
Like receiving treatment for said illness was something to snort derisively at.
Like they had any idea what they were talking about.
Usually when I bring these things up to my peers, some will agree with me, and some will brush it off, saying "Geez, take a joke, will you?"
Right. People losing their identity, suffering from a problem they can't explain, a problem they just can't seem to solve no matter how much they try. Wow, that is a hoot. Hahaha.
I've seen this question brought up so many times, and I want to add it here, because it's probably one of the most insightful things I've read: You wouldn't tell someone suffering from asthma to "Don't make a big deal out of it, man. Just breathe." You wouldn't tell a cancer patient, "Just fix your cell count. Grow the normal amount." So why is it we think that the proper way to help a mentally ill person is would be to say "Be normal, you're acting like a freak" or "Stop moping around and be happy"?
We can't. I suppose it's hardest to relate to or understand mental illness because it's in an individual's head, and try as they might, other people will never know what's going on in another person's brain.
So if you don't know what it is you're actually making fun of, tell me again why you're doing it? To compare it to a more pop culture topic, it's like hating Twilight without having read the books or the movies. You do it because you think it makes you look cool. You do it because other people do it. You do it because if you don't, people will think you're obsessed with sparkly vampires. But have you taken the time to read the books? To actually know about it yourself and form your own opinion? No, you just jumped on the bandwagon and began spouting things of which you really know nothing about.
Nowadays, when people go around using the word "retarded" lightly, other politically correct people snap their head around and tut-tut at them. Why do we stop at that word? Why not tell people who say "Oh, yeah I'm totally OC, I'm so neat" or "Dude, you're changing the plans again? You're so bipolar" that they're just as politically incorrect as the people who use the word retarded?
These illnesses aren't to be taken lightly. They're not an adjective with which you describe your personality, they are real disorders, which a lot of people truly suffer from. I should know: my senior year in high school was marred by a nervous breakdown, two hospital stays, three months of recuperation, and endless hours of therapy. I had to fly home from our Australian Christmas trip because of my obsessive-compulsive disorder, and I spent New Year's in and out of consciousness (thanks to the sedatives the gave me), only briefly getting up to watch the fireworks from my window in Medical City. My freshman year at Ateneo was cut short by yet another breakdown, which prompted by family to send me to the States for further treatment, where I stayed for 2 and a half months.
While I was there I spent some time in a residential facility. Possibly the most difficult chapter of my life: I was all alone; my mother was not allowed to visit or talk to me, and so I spent my days dialing and redialing her number hoping she would pick up. It's still quite difficult to talk about it, so I think I'll stop here. Someday, I'll be able to get the whole tale out, and if it helps people like me shed the stigma of their disorders, then it'll be worth the pain of talking about it.
The other day I saw on Tumblr a campaign by the city of Sacramento called Stop Stigma Sacramento.
It described everyday people with everyday jobs and lives, dealing with their own mental illness. I hope to start something like that here in the Philippines, with the help of psychiatrists and therapists, because there are a lot of you out there who have these problems and just can't find a hand to hold and the help they need.
To finish on a lighter note, I really want to praise Jesse Eisenberg. He too, suffers from OCD, and deals with it and his career. If he can get nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor, then there's that much more hope for the rest of us.
**And watch his new film Now You See Me :)) It's kickbutt.
In this instant, the situation was "You are in a mental hospital." The roles involved patients running around naked, licking the walls, and other preposterous things. The sad thing about it is that kids would pass this post around, tag their friends, and laugh about like it was nothing but a joke.
Like being mentally ill wasn't a serious problem.
Like receiving treatment for said illness was something to snort derisively at.
Like they had any idea what they were talking about.
Usually when I bring these things up to my peers, some will agree with me, and some will brush it off, saying "Geez, take a joke, will you?"
Right. People losing their identity, suffering from a problem they can't explain, a problem they just can't seem to solve no matter how much they try. Wow, that is a hoot. Hahaha.
I've seen this question brought up so many times, and I want to add it here, because it's probably one of the most insightful things I've read: You wouldn't tell someone suffering from asthma to "Don't make a big deal out of it, man. Just breathe." You wouldn't tell a cancer patient, "Just fix your cell count. Grow the normal amount." So why is it we think that the proper way to help a mentally ill person is would be to say "Be normal, you're acting like a freak" or "Stop moping around and be happy"?
We can't. I suppose it's hardest to relate to or understand mental illness because it's in an individual's head, and try as they might, other people will never know what's going on in another person's brain.
So if you don't know what it is you're actually making fun of, tell me again why you're doing it? To compare it to a more pop culture topic, it's like hating Twilight without having read the books or the movies. You do it because you think it makes you look cool. You do it because other people do it. You do it because if you don't, people will think you're obsessed with sparkly vampires. But have you taken the time to read the books? To actually know about it yourself and form your own opinion? No, you just jumped on the bandwagon and began spouting things of which you really know nothing about.
Nowadays, when people go around using the word "retarded" lightly, other politically correct people snap their head around and tut-tut at them. Why do we stop at that word? Why not tell people who say "Oh, yeah I'm totally OC, I'm so neat" or "Dude, you're changing the plans again? You're so bipolar" that they're just as politically incorrect as the people who use the word retarded?
These illnesses aren't to be taken lightly. They're not an adjective with which you describe your personality, they are real disorders, which a lot of people truly suffer from. I should know: my senior year in high school was marred by a nervous breakdown, two hospital stays, three months of recuperation, and endless hours of therapy. I had to fly home from our Australian Christmas trip because of my obsessive-compulsive disorder, and I spent New Year's in and out of consciousness (thanks to the sedatives the gave me), only briefly getting up to watch the fireworks from my window in Medical City. My freshman year at Ateneo was cut short by yet another breakdown, which prompted by family to send me to the States for further treatment, where I stayed for 2 and a half months.
While I was there I spent some time in a residential facility. Possibly the most difficult chapter of my life: I was all alone; my mother was not allowed to visit or talk to me, and so I spent my days dialing and redialing her number hoping she would pick up. It's still quite difficult to talk about it, so I think I'll stop here. Someday, I'll be able to get the whole tale out, and if it helps people like me shed the stigma of their disorders, then it'll be worth the pain of talking about it.
The other day I saw on Tumblr a campaign by the city of Sacramento called Stop Stigma Sacramento.
It described everyday people with everyday jobs and lives, dealing with their own mental illness. I hope to start something like that here in the Philippines, with the help of psychiatrists and therapists, because there are a lot of you out there who have these problems and just can't find a hand to hold and the help they need.
To finish on a lighter note, I really want to praise Jesse Eisenberg. He too, suffers from OCD, and deals with it and his career. If he can get nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor, then there's that much more hope for the rest of us.
**And watch his new film Now You See Me :)) It's kickbutt.
Sunday, 9 June 2013
Wednesday, 5 June 2013
A Day In The Marketplace
Granted, the marketplace was situated in modern-day Manila, and not in Belle's France, or Jasmine's Agrabah, but it was magical all the same.
It was Rockwell's The Next Big Thing's Bazaar, and I had already bought myself Loki and Thor shirts and a Harry Potter bookmark. I was all set to go, when I decided to take a closer look at a jewelry stall. Now, prior to visiting the bazaar, I had already sworn off trinket-buying. I had more owls and fake gems than I knew what to do with. But my friend was still off buying clothes, and so, out of boredom, I decided to take a closer look.
They had absolutely everything. They had syringe pendants, carousel necklaces, literal hearts (none of that fluffy Valentine hearts, I'm talking pendants that looked like your own beating heart), skeleton hands that worked as a cuff so it'd look like it was grabbing you, and so much more. Soon, I had asked for a basket and was stuffing it with finds.
The first one I grabbed almost got away, actually. I was poking around, when the vendor started talking to the girl next to me about how they had a glass-encased rose necklace, a la Beauty and the Beast. My head immediately snapped up, and I started telepathically yelling "DROP. THE. NECKLACE. DROP IT. DROP IT." Finally she did, and my hand shot out and grabbed it.
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It was Rockwell's The Next Big Thing's Bazaar, and I had already bought myself Loki and Thor shirts and a Harry Potter bookmark. I was all set to go, when I decided to take a closer look at a jewelry stall. Now, prior to visiting the bazaar, I had already sworn off trinket-buying. I had more owls and fake gems than I knew what to do with. But my friend was still off buying clothes, and so, out of boredom, I decided to take a closer look.
They had absolutely everything. They had syringe pendants, carousel necklaces, literal hearts (none of that fluffy Valentine hearts, I'm talking pendants that looked like your own beating heart), skeleton hands that worked as a cuff so it'd look like it was grabbing you, and so much more. Soon, I had asked for a basket and was stuffing it with finds.
The first one I grabbed almost got away, actually. I was poking around, when the vendor started talking to the girl next to me about how they had a glass-encased rose necklace, a la Beauty and the Beast. My head immediately snapped up, and I started telepathically yelling "DROP. THE. NECKLACE. DROP IT. DROP IT." Finally she did, and my hand shot out and grabbed it.
There were also a lot of flying horses around in the form of pendants and rings. Now, I've yet to add horses to my jewelry zoo, and so I looked around for the perfect addition. Meet Pegasus!
One of the last things I got was a real, working compass, just because I wanted to paint with the colors of the wind.
And last but not least, a charm bracelet to tie it all together. It's got everything a fairytale fan could ask for: crowns, spindles, castles, carriages, a slipper, and of course, a wishing star to hope that one day the fairytale could come true.
Thursday, 30 May 2013
And I Go Back To The 90's All The Time
Okay. Enough Taylor Swift pun-titles.
Just kidding. I've got a million more where that came from.
One thing I realized today was that 3 of my favorite series were all published in the 90's/early 2000s. Then the more I thought about it, I realized that the same 3 were the only series I reread, multiple times, for fun.
Every now and then (mostly during the scorching Manila summers), I hit a lull, reading-wise and I start turning to familiar, comfortable reads. Sometimes I just miss them so much that I just pick em up, even though I'm the midst of a violent tug-of-war by at least 5 books, all vying for my attention. And those familiar reads are, in no particular order: J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter books (no duh), Tamora Pierce's Immortals Quartet, and Meg Cabot's The Mediator series.
To be honest, I haven't read the entire series as many times as people think. I've gone over each book at the least, twice, at the most, five. That being said, there are some passages that are permanently marked in mind: The time Harry got a lemon lolly at the zoo, Ginny's valentine to Harry, Fred and George promising a toilet seat to Molly, Harry's adorable "Wangoballwimme?" to Cho Chang...
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Just kidding. I've got a million more where that came from.
One thing I realized today was that 3 of my favorite series were all published in the 90's/early 2000s. Then the more I thought about it, I realized that the same 3 were the only series I reread, multiple times, for fun.
Every now and then (mostly during the scorching Manila summers), I hit a lull, reading-wise and I start turning to familiar, comfortable reads. Sometimes I just miss them so much that I just pick em up, even though I'm the midst of a violent tug-of-war by at least 5 books, all vying for my attention. And those familiar reads are, in no particular order: J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter books (no duh), Tamora Pierce's Immortals Quartet, and Meg Cabot's The Mediator series.
To be honest, I haven't read the entire series as many times as people think. I've gone over each book at the least, twice, at the most, five. That being said, there are some passages that are permanently marked in mind: The time Harry got a lemon lolly at the zoo, Ginny's valentine to Harry, Fred and George promising a toilet seat to Molly, Harry's adorable "Wangoballwimme?" to Cho Chang...
I can't stop fangirling over Tamora Pierce's books. I feel like one day, I'll just have to plop down and post a 100-paragraph post on the awesomeness that is her Tortall Saga. What I love the most about it is how it stretches over generations (The first series has Alanna as the protagonist, and the third is narrated by her daughter, Aly) The Immortals Quartet is just 1/5 of the Tortall story, but it's my favorite, because of two words: Numair & Daine. They are my OTP. I shipped them even before I knew what OTP (One True Pair). I remember back in my freshman year of high school, when I was reading the last book for the first time, being so overpowered by a case of kilig-giggles, that I had to stop reading, because I was in the middle of the Reedley lobby.
Possibly the most-read out of all three. Fun fact: The Mediator is part of the reason I dislike Twilight. It's actually a very petty reason, but when you're in 7th-grade, these things matter. The last book of the Mediator series (which was published before Twilight) was also named Twilight, and I just so happened to be reading it when Twilight-mania arrived. I pooh-poohed the new Twilight, saying my Twilight was better. And there it is, for the world to know: the trigger that sent Salve Villarosa into a manic hate-frenzy toward sparkly vampires.
The Mediator is about a girl, Suze, who can see ghosts. And it's her duty to send them on to the next spiritual stage: heaven, hell, purgatory, the next life, what have you. The books are hilarious and sweet, and 13 years after the first book's publication, still pop-culturally relevant.
I've yet to find a new addition to these legendary books, but with the new bundle of books I've lugged home, here's hoping.
Wednesday, 29 May 2013
A Little Piece of Childhood
I'm usually very stingy when it comes to praising books. "Too mushy. Too cliche. Too much a rip-off of that other book. IF I READ ABOUT ONE MORE GOSHDARNED LOVE TRIANGLE I WILL START BOYCOTTING YA FICTION." So what I love is when an unassuming book creeps on me, bites me on the ankle and turns out to be an excellent book.
That being said, the latest ankle-biting book I've read has gone above and beyond excellent.
When I picked this up a few days ago, I merely gave it a cursory glance and mind-yawned at the thought of another Alex Flinn fairy-tale retelling. True, she had written A Kiss In Time, which is possibly the most adorable modern take on Sleeping Beauty out there, but she had also written Beastly, which was in and of itself, well, truly beastly. So though I've seen new Alex Flinn books published the past few years, none of them ever found themselves in my hands.
But, I am a sucker for Rapunzel, and so, for lack of another book to read, I purchased Towering.
Boy, was I in for a surprise.
The story takes a unique turn on the fairytale retelling route, as it starts out more macabre than magical. I'm talking small town up in the boonies, no cell service, long-missing kids, ghost of one the aforementioned kids crawling through the bedroom window, and your good ol' spinster old lady who lives by herself. So obviously with all this, you'd wonder how the story would ever get back to a blonde girl in a tower.
But it does. I can't say much because it'll spoil the whole story, but it is truly an amazing modern retelling. It's witty. It's mysterious. It's romantic. It's one of the few modern fairytales that teeters right on the edge of this world and another.
On a somewhat unrelated note, I saw that my Disney calendar was flipped to today's date, and today's picture just so happened to be one of my favorite scenes in Disney history:
That being said, the latest ankle-biting book I've read has gone above and beyond excellent.
When I picked this up a few days ago, I merely gave it a cursory glance and mind-yawned at the thought of another Alex Flinn fairy-tale retelling. True, she had written A Kiss In Time, which is possibly the most adorable modern take on Sleeping Beauty out there, but she had also written Beastly, which was in and of itself, well, truly beastly. So though I've seen new Alex Flinn books published the past few years, none of them ever found themselves in my hands.
But, I am a sucker for Rapunzel, and so, for lack of another book to read, I purchased Towering.
Boy, was I in for a surprise.
The story takes a unique turn on the fairytale retelling route, as it starts out more macabre than magical. I'm talking small town up in the boonies, no cell service, long-missing kids, ghost of one the aforementioned kids crawling through the bedroom window, and your good ol' spinster old lady who lives by herself. So obviously with all this, you'd wonder how the story would ever get back to a blonde girl in a tower.
But it does. I can't say much because it'll spoil the whole story, but it is truly an amazing modern retelling. It's witty. It's mysterious. It's romantic. It's one of the few modern fairytales that teeters right on the edge of this world and another.
On a somewhat unrelated note, I saw that my Disney calendar was flipped to today's date, and today's picture just so happened to be one of my favorite scenes in Disney history:
The Hunchback of Notre Dame probably has the most underrated score of all time. Up till the 1998 Oscars, every Disney film of the 90's has been nominated for Best Score (mostly due to the talent of one Alan Menken). Then, mysteriously, HoND was released with nary a nomination its way. Out There should've been nominated for Best Song, at least. Tom Hulce's voice is angelical; I was so disappointed to learn that he had retired from the business. But anyway, this frame of Quasimodo standing on the balcony, belting his lungs out, probably ranks #2 on my favorite Disney scenes ever (1st would be Hercules belting his lungs out in front of a glorious sunset, and 3rd would obviously be the lantern scene from Tangled).
Back to the topic of books though, I'm afraid I've only added to my to-read pile, rather than actually....reading them. I'm actually running out of places for them. Maybe I should go and find myself a nice tower.
Saturday, 27 April 2013
Home For The Weekend
After the first week of my acting residency in Cebu, I flew home for the weekend, the primary reason being Iron Man 3.
My high school batchmates planned to watch IM3 together, and I am not one to turn down any chance to see Robert Downey Jr. The movie turned out to be pretty good; much better than the second one anyway. But nothing trumps an origin story, I think. Plus the music in this film was severely lacking and completely deviated from Ramin Djawadi's original musical concept for the first Iron Man. I think that was the only problem I really had with the movie: it didn't have any of the sass shown in Iron Man. The finale was spectacular however.
But the real happy news was when I went to Fully Booked and out of boredom rather than expectation, I asked if they had The Elite (sequel to The Selection by Kiera Cass) yet. Imagine my shock when they actually said the shipment finally arrived. And so I was directed to a cardboard box, and I grabbed my own copy literally hot off the presses.
My high school batchmates planned to watch IM3 together, and I am not one to turn down any chance to see Robert Downey Jr. The movie turned out to be pretty good; much better than the second one anyway. But nothing trumps an origin story, I think. Plus the music in this film was severely lacking and completely deviated from Ramin Djawadi's original musical concept for the first Iron Man. I think that was the only problem I really had with the movie: it didn't have any of the sass shown in Iron Man. The finale was spectacular however.
But the real happy news was when I went to Fully Booked and out of boredom rather than expectation, I asked if they had The Elite (sequel to The Selection by Kiera Cass) yet. Imagine my shock when they actually said the shipment finally arrived. And so I was directed to a cardboard box, and I grabbed my own copy literally hot off the presses.
Then today I spent my morning lolling about Fully Booked at The Fort, and once again, out of sheer boredom, made my way to the biography section, where two books immediately caught my eye.
I am beyond excited to read both these books about two very different daughters of monarchs. This is the first biography I've found about Anastasia that focused solely on her. As for Marie Therese, I've been curious about her since I watched Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette, when Kirsten Dunst whispers to her newborn daughter, "Oh, you were not what was desired, but that makes you no less dear to me. A boy would have been the Son of France, but you, Marie Therese, shall be mine." That tender scene is one of the reasons I decided a while back that I would give my firstborn daughter the middle name Therese (the other reason is that I want to name one of my children after my mother). I've never read that much about Marie Antoinette's daughter, especially what happened to her after the revolution.
So now I'm well equipped, book-wise for my second week in Cebu.
Friday, 26 April 2013
49-Day Book Challenge: Day 17, Genre You Rarely Read (But Wish You Did?)
Easy. Classics and biographies.
I wish I was able to read biographies the way I do YA books, but the writing's obviously more sophisticated and flowery, so it takes more time for me to struggle through a chapter. I'm getting better at though; like they say, practice makes perfect.
Classics are a whole other matter. I've tried again and again to get into reading them, but I always end up caving and running back to YA with my tail between my legs. I don't know, they just don't hold my attention the way modern books do. Though lately, my determination to finish a classic has been strengthened by one awesome English teacher, Ms. Ng. Her love for Jane Austen & F. Scott Fitzgerald is totally infectious. Now I've decided to tackle The Great Gatsby. I love the time period it's set in; in fact, the YA book I'm reading now is set in the Jazz Age as well, so you might say I'm prepping for it.
Next question on the list is a tough one to answer: Favorite biography. Decisions, decisions.
I wish I was able to read biographies the way I do YA books, but the writing's obviously more sophisticated and flowery, so it takes more time for me to struggle through a chapter. I'm getting better at though; like they say, practice makes perfect.
Classics are a whole other matter. I've tried again and again to get into reading them, but I always end up caving and running back to YA with my tail between my legs. I don't know, they just don't hold my attention the way modern books do. Though lately, my determination to finish a classic has been strengthened by one awesome English teacher, Ms. Ng. Her love for Jane Austen & F. Scott Fitzgerald is totally infectious. Now I've decided to tackle The Great Gatsby. I love the time period it's set in; in fact, the YA book I'm reading now is set in the Jazz Age as well, so you might say I'm prepping for it.
Next question on the list is a tough one to answer: Favorite biography. Decisions, decisions.
Thursday, 25 April 2013
49-Day Book Challenge: Day 16, Favorite Genre
I, obviously, cannot pick just one. And so, I'm going to share the Best of the Best--Books that embody my two favorite genres.
***Harry Potter will not have a mention, because, as I've told to anybody who will listen, HP isn't simply a book series for me, it's a part of life. Okay. Cheesy part's over.
***I was going to include Dystopian as one of my favorite genres as well, but let's face it: Everyone loves dystopian books nowadays (The Hunger Games, Divergent, etc.) No new news there.
Favorite Genre #1: Fantasy & Fairytale Retellings
Princesses, fictional kingdoms, knights, dragons, oh my. My love for this genre stems from my childhood overexposure to Disney films. I remember growing up watching Sleeping Beauty everyday, knowing Part of Your World down pat, and having one of those castle playsets, complete with a dungeon for the baddies. The best yaya in the world, Ate Rose, loves telling this little anecdote: When I would play my little Disney figurines and the castle, all the Disney villain figurines would mysteriously vanish. My yaya would help clean up my mess, but she wouldn't be able to find them. Finally she would ask me, "Have you seen Maleficient?", and I would promptly reply, "I sent them down to the dungeon." When my yaya opened the latch to the dungeon, lo and behold, Maleficient and her posse all came tumbling out.
Now that I'm a little too old for playing castle, my love for other worlds translated into reading. The number one fantasy series on my list would definitely be Tamora Pierce's Tortall Series.
I remember discovering Tortall in seventh grade, when I was dealing with Post-Potter depression. My friend Tuesday was reading a Tortall book, and she pushed me to try it out. At first I said, "NO. There will never be any other fantasy book that I read. Harry Potter is it for me." She quipped, "That's not what J.K. Rowling would want you to do," And so I grudgingly bought the first book.
The Tortall Math: 4 Alanna books + 4 Daine books + 4 Kel books + 2 Aly books + 3 Beka books= a sweeping saga that spans generations. Tamora Pierce started the series back in the 1980's, and hasn't come up for air since. I have no idea why this series is so underrated, it's got everything: magic, swordfights, knife fights, fistfights, unrequited love, forbidden love, love between two girls, love between two boys, love between a transvestite and a man, dragons, hurroks (half horse, half hawk--think Buckbeak's distant cousin), spidrens (half spiders, half humans), more magic, family drama, princess, castles, all races (from the Japan-inspired Yamani Islands, to the Northern Europe-inspired Scanra), and most importantly, awesome plots.
I could go on and on about Tamora Pierce, I really could. But that's left to say is, get your hands on a Tortall book and your life will never be the same.
-Runner-up for best fantasy books would be Jessica Day George's 12 Princesses novels. They don't take themselves too seriously, but they've still got a solid plot.
Favorite Genre # 2: Historical Fiction & Royal Biographies
You could say my love for one inspired my love for the other. I started off in the historical genre by reading this absolutely beautiful series called The Royal Diaries.
They're fictional accounts of historical princesses' lives. They were perfect for little 7th-grade Salve, just beginning to read past the usual chick-lit fare. That jumpstarted my love for historical fiction.
After growing out of the Diaries, I moved on to Carolyn Meyer's Young Royals books. She's written about the Tudors, Marie Antoinette, Cleopatra, and Mary, Queen of Scots. She is an excellent writer, and I'm just beside myself waiting for her next book, this time about Queen Victoria (one of my favorite royals).
Then, about 3 years ago, I decided to make the jump from fiction to non-fiction. I was at a summer program at Oxford University at the time, and I remember the exact day I picked up my first royal biography. It was raining, and classes were finished, so for lack of something to do, I bought myself a Cornish pasty and went to the bookstore. There was a display table stacked with books about on royal women, and I picked up Born to Rule: Five Reigning Consorts, Granddaughters of Queen Victoria by Julia Gelardi (who, coincidence of coincidences, turned out to be a Filipina!)
***Harry Potter will not have a mention, because, as I've told to anybody who will listen, HP isn't simply a book series for me, it's a part of life. Okay. Cheesy part's over.
***I was going to include Dystopian as one of my favorite genres as well, but let's face it: Everyone loves dystopian books nowadays (The Hunger Games, Divergent, etc.) No new news there.
Favorite Genre #1: Fantasy & Fairytale Retellings
Princesses, fictional kingdoms, knights, dragons, oh my. My love for this genre stems from my childhood overexposure to Disney films. I remember growing up watching Sleeping Beauty everyday, knowing Part of Your World down pat, and having one of those castle playsets, complete with a dungeon for the baddies. The best yaya in the world, Ate Rose, loves telling this little anecdote: When I would play my little Disney figurines and the castle, all the Disney villain figurines would mysteriously vanish. My yaya would help clean up my mess, but she wouldn't be able to find them. Finally she would ask me, "Have you seen Maleficient?", and I would promptly reply, "I sent them down to the dungeon." When my yaya opened the latch to the dungeon, lo and behold, Maleficient and her posse all came tumbling out.
Now that I'm a little too old for playing castle, my love for other worlds translated into reading. The number one fantasy series on my list would definitely be Tamora Pierce's Tortall Series.
I remember discovering Tortall in seventh grade, when I was dealing with Post-Potter depression. My friend Tuesday was reading a Tortall book, and she pushed me to try it out. At first I said, "NO. There will never be any other fantasy book that I read. Harry Potter is it for me." She quipped, "That's not what J.K. Rowling would want you to do," And so I grudgingly bought the first book.
The Tortall Math: 4 Alanna books + 4 Daine books + 4 Kel books + 2 Aly books + 3 Beka books= a sweeping saga that spans generations. Tamora Pierce started the series back in the 1980's, and hasn't come up for air since. I have no idea why this series is so underrated, it's got everything: magic, swordfights, knife fights, fistfights, unrequited love, forbidden love, love between two girls, love between two boys, love between a transvestite and a man, dragons, hurroks (half horse, half hawk--think Buckbeak's distant cousin), spidrens (half spiders, half humans), more magic, family drama, princess, castles, all races (from the Japan-inspired Yamani Islands, to the Northern Europe-inspired Scanra), and most importantly, awesome plots.
I could go on and on about Tamora Pierce, I really could. But that's left to say is, get your hands on a Tortall book and your life will never be the same.
-Runner-up for best fantasy books would be Jessica Day George's 12 Princesses novels. They don't take themselves too seriously, but they've still got a solid plot.
Favorite Genre # 2: Historical Fiction & Royal Biographies
You could say my love for one inspired my love for the other. I started off in the historical genre by reading this absolutely beautiful series called The Royal Diaries.
They're fictional accounts of historical princesses' lives. They were perfect for little 7th-grade Salve, just beginning to read past the usual chick-lit fare. That jumpstarted my love for historical fiction.
After growing out of the Diaries, I moved on to Carolyn Meyer's Young Royals books. She's written about the Tudors, Marie Antoinette, Cleopatra, and Mary, Queen of Scots. She is an excellent writer, and I'm just beside myself waiting for her next book, this time about Queen Victoria (one of my favorite royals).
Then, about 3 years ago, I decided to make the jump from fiction to non-fiction. I was at a summer program at Oxford University at the time, and I remember the exact day I picked up my first royal biography. It was raining, and classes were finished, so for lack of something to do, I bought myself a Cornish pasty and went to the bookstore. There was a display table stacked with books about on royal women, and I picked up Born to Rule: Five Reigning Consorts, Granddaughters of Queen Victoria by Julia Gelardi (who, coincidence of coincidences, turned out to be a Filipina!)
It chronicles the lives of Queen Sophia of Greece, Queen Maud of Norway, Queen Ena of Spain, Queen Marie of Romania, and Empress Alexandra of Russia. I immediately fell in love with the five women, their families, and the time period they lived in. You know sometimes, the Tudor era sometimes seems a bit far-off, and it's difficult for me to place myself in their shoes. But to read about queens whose grandchildren are still alive today? It makes me feel closer to them somehow.
Ever since, I've read biographies about Queen Victoria (the author of which I was able to meet at Oxford), Catherine the Great, the Romanov women, and mother-daughter royal tag teams.
That's pretty much it for my favorite genres. Of course, I love other genres: I've been reading more chick lit (Jen Calonita for the win!) and supernatural romances lately, and of course there's always at least 3 dystopian books on my list of books to read. But for some reason, these two genres are closer to my heart.
Wednesday, 24 April 2013
49-Day Book Challenge: Day 15, What Will Inspire You To Recommend A Book?
That's a toughie. The originality of the plot, I suppose. And how much the book pulls you in--sometimes you're just way too aware that it's a story made up by an author, you know? Instead of believing fully in the world the novel is set in. A novel with a great sense of humor ranks high on my list too.
That's pretty much it. I guess the plain answer is, I'd recommend the book if it was good, no duh.
That's pretty much it. I guess the plain answer is, I'd recommend the book if it was good, no duh.
Tuesday, 23 April 2013
49-Day Book Challenge: Day 14, What is Your Favorite Language To Read In?
English, obviously. I wish I could give a more cultured answer, like Latin or French, but I'm barely making it reading old-timey English or the English in those biographies that was 500 words per sentence.
Monday, 15 April 2013
Counting My Blessings
Today was a perfect summer's day. I woke up at 7am, popped in a DVD (The Village), read, started on a new TV series (Finally started watching the Avatar: The Last Airbender Season 1 box set I'd bought 6 months ago), fell asleep again, had a late lunch, then went to Greenhills and made some new friends.
The first friend I ran into was this adorable little cutie--I named her Tanya the Tarsier.
My brother's batchmate and my schoolmate from high school, Marnique, has a family-owned jewelry store, and they sell the coolest little trinkets. I absolutely love animal jewelry, so Tanya makes a perfect addition to my family of owls, peacocks, a snake, a starfish, and an octopus.
Then I dropped by Fully Booked, not really expecting to find anything, when the first thing I spotted was Nameless. My Achilles' heel books are: books with gowns on the cover (Anna Godbersen books are probably gown-cover book royalty), and fairytale retellings. I, for one have never heard of Nameless, but hey, it's got a gown on the cover, and it's a retelling of Snow White.
Then I went to the YA section. I was totally prepared to just give it a cursory glance, when I literally did a double take. There, sitting on the shelf in all its glory, was Jen Calonita's third Belles book: The Grass Is Always Greener.
Jen Calonita is my favorite chicklit writer. And that's saying something, seeing how I don't read a lot of chicklit. Any book she writes, I don't care what it's about, I pick it up, no questions asked. My love affair with her books started in 2006, when she started her Secrets of My Hollywood Life series. What was so great about it was that she actually worked in show business, so her writing was spot-on. Anyway, back then I thought it was a stand-alone book. But 6 Secrets of My Hollywood Life books, 1 book about summer camp (Sleepaway Girls), another about reality TV (Reality Check), and 2 Belles books later, she's still going strong.
The Belles series is set in the South, and it shows the world of Southern belles: cotillions, prep schools, politiicans. Each book is a light, fun read.
So today was an unexpectedly good day. I'm happy, no OCD symptoms for awhile, so that's good.
The first friend I ran into was this adorable little cutie--I named her Tanya the Tarsier.
My brother's batchmate and my schoolmate from high school, Marnique, has a family-owned jewelry store, and they sell the coolest little trinkets. I absolutely love animal jewelry, so Tanya makes a perfect addition to my family of owls, peacocks, a snake, a starfish, and an octopus.
Then I dropped by Fully Booked, not really expecting to find anything, when the first thing I spotted was Nameless. My Achilles' heel books are: books with gowns on the cover (Anna Godbersen books are probably gown-cover book royalty), and fairytale retellings. I, for one have never heard of Nameless, but hey, it's got a gown on the cover, and it's a retelling of Snow White.
Then I went to the YA section. I was totally prepared to just give it a cursory glance, when I literally did a double take. There, sitting on the shelf in all its glory, was Jen Calonita's third Belles book: The Grass Is Always Greener.
Jen Calonita is my favorite chicklit writer. And that's saying something, seeing how I don't read a lot of chicklit. Any book she writes, I don't care what it's about, I pick it up, no questions asked. My love affair with her books started in 2006, when she started her Secrets of My Hollywood Life series. What was so great about it was that she actually worked in show business, so her writing was spot-on. Anyway, back then I thought it was a stand-alone book. But 6 Secrets of My Hollywood Life books, 1 book about summer camp (Sleepaway Girls), another about reality TV (Reality Check), and 2 Belles books later, she's still going strong.
The Belles series is set in the South, and it shows the world of Southern belles: cotillions, prep schools, politiicans. Each book is a light, fun read.
So today was an unexpectedly good day. I'm happy, no OCD symptoms for awhile, so that's good.
Tuesday, 9 April 2013
49-Day Book Challenge: Day 13, Favorite Place to Read?
My Gryffindor-inspired room in our house in Tagaytay is possibly one of my favorite places on Earth. I purposely did not place any electronics there (no TV, computer or iPod dock), so I would get the true Hogwarts feel. A side-effect of that was that it turned into a nice reading room.
The wingback chair above is where I love reading the most. It also has a nice piece of family history attached to it. It used to be found in the den of our house, many years ago. Back then it was this dusty rose, flower-patterned chair. I remember my grandfather sitting on that chair when he used to visit. Then it got too torn and tatty to be seen in public, so we put it in storage. Fast foward maybe 7 years, when we were decorating the Tagaytay house. I remembered the old chair and asked my mom if we could reupholster it and place it in my room. And voila, it turned into Sam's Favorite Place to Read.
Wednesday, 3 April 2013
49-Day Book Challenge: Day 12, No, I Do Not Massacre My Books.
The next 3 questions on the Challenge list had to do with: dog-earing, writing in the margins, yes/no on writing on textbooks.
I consider those as vandalism.
I consider those as vandalism.
Tuesday, 2 April 2013
Hotel Alone
At the Marco Polo Hotel. Just ordered what Taylor Swift calls "breakfast at midnight 8:40 pm", finally allowed to watch Criminal Minds after my self-imposed Lenten Reid-fast, free Wi-fi, new book to read.
Life is good.
Monday, 25 March 2013
Step Aside, All Other Literature, Clockwork Princess is HERE!
First, a little background. Cassandra Clare's Shadowhunter Chronicles have been one of my favorite series since I first picked it up about two years ago. I've hated it, loved it, swooned, shipped, bonded with my best friend Samii over it, shouted for joy when news of a film floated around, gasped when I found out the cast, waited for the next book, and the next book, and the next book.
So when a couple of weeks ago Fully Booked put up posters that declared: Clockwork Princess-March 19, I jumped for joy. I didn't bother to reserve, because I thought, let's face it. They're not going to actually run out of copies, eh? So I just reserved on the 18th. Then the morning of the 19th, I stopped by the Fort branch before work to pick it up. I was literally there counting down the minutes till opening time. When I dashed in, they gave me the news: they only received 5 copies, so they would give it to the first 5 reserved. I went to Rockwell, checked National AND Fully Booked, and they gave me similar answers.
I even sent an ask to Cassie's Tumblr, and tweeted her.
Then today, when my dad got home, my mom tossed me a Giordano shopping bag.
Like my mom and my bestie Nicole said, "Dude. It's just like that scene from Devil Wears Prada."
Back To Reedley
Yesterday, I attended the high school graduation and awarding ceremony of my alma mater, Reedley International School. I ran into the best high school teachers you could ever ask for, and some of the undergrads. I tell you, it made me quite nostalgic for high school.
I was there to accept an award for attending the Obama Inauguration, along with 3 other Reesians. Just being with them brought back memories from the DC trip.
All I need is the prince.
I was also very happy that I finally received a statue-award, not a medal, not a piece of paper. I felt like I had just nabbed an Oscar
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| With one of the coolest, nicest Kuyas around, Kuya Ramil! |
I was kind of going for a Duchess Kate engagement outfit thing, if you can't already tell by my blatant ripoff.
:)
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| Dress from Celine, shoes from Evernew, ring another ripoff of Her Highness herself. :) |
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I was also very happy that I finally received a statue-award, not a medal, not a piece of paper. I felt like I had just nabbed an Oscar
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