Tuesday, October 2, 2012

NEEDS

Saw this updated version of Maslow's hierarchy of needs on Facebook and it made me laugh. How things have changed. Without the internet, how on earth are we going to post photos of the food we eat, check-in the cool places we go to, tag or tweet the people we hang out with? How do we cope with our other needs if we can't express them on Facebook or Twitter or Instagram or Tumblr, Blogger, etc, etc, etc. We need the internet or else we go crazy. I know it's wrong, but I admit that I'm guilty of this dependency. Somebody save me. haha


And the most adorable girl in the world sums it up here. I can imagine her exact tone of voice as she says it. (And no, I don't post a photo of everything I eat. But yes, there are times when I can't help it. Food's too pretty!)


"…my dad finds Twitter just infinitely unrelatable. He’s like, 'Why would I want to tell anybody what I had for a snack, it’s private?!' And I’m like, 'Why would you even have a snack if you didn’t tell anybody? Why bother eating?'"
– Lena Dunham

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/15/lena-dunham-interview-quotes_n_1601073.html#slide=1101618



Friday, September 7, 2012

Friday!:)

Because it's a Friday, and I feel like posting some cute animal stuff.






Sunday, July 29, 2012

Book Recap (Fiction): Messenger, Night Circus, Fight Club, The Fault In Our Stars



This past month, I read four good books, each entirely different from the others. No monotony :) Here's a run down of what I thought. 


1. Messenger (by Lois Lowry) 


rating: 3/5 stars


thoughts:
I had high hopes for this book simply because it's part of the "The Giver" trilogy. I am most unfortunate to have skipped the second book, "Gathering Blue," because I wasn't aware of the sequence. Fortunately, the story of "Messenger" stands alone and you can enjoy it even without reading the first two books. That being said, I would still recommend that you read the first two because some characters show up in this final installment and it would be easier to appreciate them if you knew their background.


The story is set in a place called Village, where outcasts and newcomers are welcomed and given a place in society (characters from the first two books have fled to this Village to seek belongingness). People are revered for their unique imperfections. Everyone is accepted and there is always a helping hand wherever you go. 


The story revolves around a young boy named Matty who hopes to someday be named as Village "messenger." Because of his familiarity with the forest, he is usually tasked with sending messages or goods to communities outside of Village.  


Through time, some people in the village start changing. They decided that they didn't want to continue welcoming the needy, the imperfect, the handicapped. They fear that their resources may not be enough for them. With this,they decide to close off Village by building a wall. 


I am this close to giving spoilers, so I'm stopping myself while I can. All I can say is that this book gave me a lot to think about. I had a lot of "why" questions and metaphors I needed to piece together. "Messenger" has that depth to it that usually the seemingly simple books have. 


My only problem with it was the ending. While I was reading through the peak of the story, I couldn't help but notice that there were very few pages left. I'm like, "How can the ending be so near? It's only starting to get exciting." And then it does end, and I wish it hadn't ended that way. That abrupt, and as usual, without the closure you get from knowing what happens to them after. Guess Lois Lowry really wants us to keep us guessing.


2. The Night Circus (Erin Morgenstern)


rating: 3/5 stars


thoughts:
This book was a recommendation from my boss. I was a bit hesitant to read it at first because I wanted to take some time away from fantasies and read more real-life types of stories. I'm glad I picked this up though because reading it is a thrill to the senses. 


"The Night Circus" is about Celia and Marco, magicians trained from childhood to eventually compete against each other. The problem is *surprisesurprise* they fall in love. The circus was to be the venue of their "battle."


Morgenstern is an expert at creating magical atmospheres, beautiful imagery and mysteriously interesting characters. She probably knows this, which is why practically half of the book are descriptions. It is not a book to read if you're into fast-paced stories. 


To give you an idea about how slow the story is, Celia and Marco don't meet until about halfway into the book. My hair turned white just waiting for them to finally meet. When they do, the story picks up, but not in the way I expected. 


I guess I expected it to be exciting and action-packed, as the summary talks about some sort of competition between magicians. However, there wasn't much action at all. In fact, I think the story just kind of "faded" towards the end (pun intended, but you'll only get it if you've read the book=p). 


I did like reading about the (somewhat shallow) love story though - it entertained me, and the circus and all it's aspects mesmerized me. I desperately want to go to the night circus right this minute. Now that I think about it, The Circus was the main character of this story, not Celia and Marco.

“The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des RĂªves, and it is only open at night.”


Second to the circus, my favorite part was reading about the "midnight dinners."


“But the Midnight Dinners have an air of nocturnal mystery already, and Chandresh finds that providing no menu, no map of the culinary route, adds to the experience. Dish after dish is brought to the table, some easily identifiable as quail or rabbit or lamb, served on banana leaves or baked in apples or garnished with brandy-soaked cherries. Other courses are more enigmatic, concealed in sweet sauces or spiced soups; unidentifiable meats hidden in pastries and glazes.”


Care for dessert?


"The desserts are always astonishing. Confections deliriously executed in chocolate and butterscotch, berries bursting with creams and liqueurs. Cakes layered to impossible heights, pastries lighter than air. Figs that drip with honey, suger blown into curls and flowers. Often, dinners remark that they are too pretty, too impressive to eat, but they always find a way to manage."


And that is how you describe food. 


I therefore conclude that this book 1)makes you wish this fantasy circus existed, 2)makes you hungry.



3. Fight Club (Chuck Palahniuk)


rating: 4/5 stars


thoughts:
Finally finally finally. It took me ages to finally read this, and I put off watching the movie because they all say you have to read the book first. So now, I've read it and watched it, and I can't decide which one I loved more.


Honestly, it wasn't that easy for me to get into the groove of Chuck Palahniuk's writing, especially when he was jumping from one thing to another after every sentence. Once I got past the first few chapters though, it got better.


It's about a guy living a mundane life who's reality changed after meeting Tyler Durden. Together, they started Fight Club, where men of all backgrounds fight their nights away and go home with a renewed sense being able to handle anything life throws at them.

"After a night in fight club, everything in the real world gets the volume turned down. Nothing can piss you off. Your word is law, and if other people break that law or question you, even that doesn't piss you off."

I can't really say much about this book, except that it blew my mind. Reading it is an experience in itself. It's dark and witty and not as focused on violence as I originally expected. It's more about breaking away from the traps of society and renouncing consumerism.

"You have a class of young strong men and women, and they want to give their lives to something. Advertising has these people chasing cars and clothes they don't need. Generations have been working in jobs they hate, just so they can buy what they don't really need."


It's really good storytelling, a story that's hard to forget. 

""Because everything up to now is a story," Tyler says, "and everything after now is a story."
This is the greatest moment of our life."

What Palahniuk book should I read next?

4. The Fault In Our Stars (John Green)


rating: 5/5 stars


thoughts: So here's the thing. If a book makes me cry buckets, it automatically gets 5 stars. (Following this kind of logic, this book should probably get more than 5 stars.haha!)


This is the story of Hazel and Agustus, two teenagers who fall in love. It's just like any other young romance, only, these kids have cancer. For that, they have a deeper understanding of being alive and being in love, which is evident in the way they talk.


Even though cancer plays a major part in their lives, they don't let it control them. Hazel aptly words it as "living with cancer, not dying of it."


I like that the characters are smart, witty and very likable. They're not cheesy or melodramatic, and they're like regular teenagers in a lot of ways. "Flirting was new to me, but I liked it."


For a book that initially seems daunting because of the theme it tackles, "The Fault in Our Stars" actually made me laugh a lot.

Me: *reading*
Boyfriend: What are you reading?
Me: A book about kids with cancer who fall in love. *continues reading*
(after a while)
Me: *giggles*
Boyfriend: Why are you laughing? Aren't you reading about cancer kids?

And of course it made me cry, too.

Me: *crying*
Boyfriend: Why are you crying?
Me: *still crying, can't talk*
Boyfriend: WHYARE YOU CRYING?
Me: Someone died.
(Well, you can't read about cancer and nobody dies. This is not a spoiler because I'm not saying who died.)

See. You go through the whole range of emotions. Never has the word "okay" meant so much.

It's a beautiful, beautiful book. One that can only be truly appreciated if read because summarizing it would not do justice to the words John Green put together.

"You don't get to choose if you get hurt in the world, but you do have some say in who hurts you. I like my choices."


Favorite book of the year, so far. :)


Friday, July 27, 2012

Greatest Books Chosen by Famous Authors


Early this year, Brain Pickings posted an article on the Greatest Books of All Time, As Voted by 125 Famous Authors. It's from a book called  The Top Ten: Writers Pick Their Favorite Books and it sums up what writers consider as the "greatest books of all time." I find this interesting, because why wouldn't it be? Who doesn't want to know what writers (who write the books we like) read?


Here's the list they came up with:


TOP TEN WORKS OF THE 20TH CENTURY
  1. Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
  2. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
  3. In Search of Lost Time by Marcel Proust
  4. Ulysses* by James Joyce
  5. Dubliners* by James Joyce
  6. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
  7. The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner
  8. To The Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf
  9. The complete stories of Flannery O’Connor
  10. Pale Fire by Vladimir Nabokov
TOP TEN WORKS OF THE 19th CENTURY
  1. Anna Karenina* by Leo Tolstoy
  2. Madame Bovary* by Gustave Flaubert
  3. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
  4. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
  5. The stories of Anton Chekhov
  6. Middlemarch* by George Eliot
  7. Moby-Dick by Herman Melville
  8. Great Expectations* by Charles Dickens
  9. Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky
  10. Emma* by Jane Austen
TOP TEN AUTHORS BY NUMBER OF BOOKS SELECTED
  1. William Shakespeare — 11
  2. William Faulkner — 6
  3. Henry James — 6
  4. Jane Austen — 5
  5. Charles Dickens — 5
  6. Fyodor Dostoevsky — 5
  7. Ernest Hemingway — 5
  8. Franz Kafka — 5
  9. (tie) James Joyce, Thomas Mann, Vladimir Nabokov, Mark Twain, Virginia Woolf — 4
TOP TEN AUTHORS BY POINTS EARNED
  1. Leo Tolstoy — 327
  2. William Shakespeare — 293
  3. James Joyce — 194
  4. Vladimir Nabokov — 190
  5. Fyodor Dostoevsky — 177
  6. William Faulkner — 173
  7. Charles Dickens — 168
  8. Anton Chekhov — 165
  9. Gustave Flaubert — 163
  10. Jane Austen — 161

Now, where to start?


Be Happy For No Reason

Saw this on Facebook and it just brightened my day. Literally impossible not to smile at the sight of a gleeful baby in a Marilyn outfit. 

When it comes to living our lives, we really ought to take our cue from children. We were all children once, why have we forgotten?





Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Game of Thrones

Last night, I took the "In Which Game of Thrones House Do You Belong?" quiz that a lot of people seem to be taking on Facebook. I met disappointing results because they placed me in the Night's Watch. Yikes. But I thought only men were allowed in the Night's Watch?? Then again, Lady Yza Urgel doesn't sound lady-ish. The only redeeming quality of the Night's Watch is Jon Snow, the cutest of all the GOT characters, in my opinion. That being said, I'm still not happy with the results, boo this quiz.lol



Sunday, July 22, 2012

Want You Back

Loving this Cher Lloyd song as well as Tiffany Alvord and Dave Days' cover <3


Cher Lloyd:

Tiffany Alvord/Dave Days Cover:



Saturday, July 21, 2012

Young Scientists

There's this 15 year old kid who invented a cheap and effective way to detect pancreatic cancer who recently won the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair. Really awesome stuff for a high school freshman.


photo taken from this site
Question is, where was I at 15??? Why couldn't I come up with a science project that could change the world? (hahaha)

I went to a (public) science high school and yes, we had to come up with investigatory projects for the annual science fairs, too. I remember going through the motions, swabbing bacteria samples, testing the anti-bacterial properties of some seaweed and not really feeling the gravity of what I was doing. It was a requirement we simply had to complete. Wish we had more encouragement back then.

If anything, I really wish our educational system put as much effort in promoting sciences and not just the arts. We need good science programs, not just schools passing off as "science high schools" and not having the proper equipment and the facilities to support our advanced science classes.

Anyway, I'm not saying that my life would be any different had we had the proper program and facilities. But it could have. Maybe I'd be a forensic scientist by now(one of the many things I wanted to be, growing up), investigating murders everyday. And maybe there would have been less kids confused about what they wanted to do and who would eventually end up taking nursing (as was the popular course for the undecided during my time) instead. I have nothing against nursing, I just feel that a lot were pressured into taking it because it was popular, but without any real desire of actually being a nurse.

Going back to this genius kid... How could hundreds of older, more experienced scientists not have figured out what a 15 year old could figure out? I guess there's really a lot that a young, simplified mind can figure out. Must really start them young, I suppose. Out of coincidence, I found a very apt bible verse in my email a few days back. “For although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike.” – Matthew 11:25

Here's to young scientists:)

Monday, June 25, 2012

My Brother's Shining Fan Boy Moment



Someone posted this video on Facebook and I watched it because I recall my brother mentioning that he saw the X-Factor auditions live in Cebu (to support one of his friends) and there was this girl who kind of sounded like Mathai from The Voice. I love Mathai - hence, the curiosity.

Quick comments: Angelica looks like Jessica Sanchez, her voice is unique to the Philippine music industry (which is great for her), and well, Charice has certainly developed a new personality that's somewhat annoying. Totally putting the blame on her management team.

Anway, that's not the point of this post.

I am posting this to immortalize my baby brother's one second of fame. Yahoo! Watch the video, please. It's at 2:12, and he's the bibo guy in black, jumping up and down. Hahaha!



Hey, Mic! Ma discover gani ka!:))


Saturday, June 23, 2012

Things That Matter

I got this story from Facebook (no author was credited, though). Just have to post it here for future reference. Also, if anyone comes across this little blog thing, I'm hoping they might also find this story inspiring. The message hits hard and I salute whoever came up with the metaphors.

*****

When things in your life seem, almost too much to handle,
When 24 Hours in a day is not enough,
Remember the mayonnaise jar and 2 cups of coffee.
A professor stood before his philosophy class 
and had some items in front of him.
When the class began, wordlessly,
He picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar
And proceeded to fill it with golf balls.
He then asked the students, if the jar was full.
They agreed that it was.
The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured
them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly.
The pebbles rolled into the open Areas between the golf balls.
He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.
The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar.
Of course, the sand filled up everything else.
He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous 'yes.'
The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively
filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.
'Now,' said the professor, as the laughter subsided,
'I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.
The golf balls are the important things - family,
children, health, Friends, and Favorite passions – 
Things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, Your life would still be full.
The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, house, and car.
The sand is everything else --The small stuff.
'If you put the sand into the jar first,' He continued,
there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls.
The same goes for life.
If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff,
You will never have room for the things that are important to you.
So...
Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.
Play With your children.
Take time to get medical checkups.
Take your partner out to dinner.
There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal.
'Take care of the golf balls first --
The things that really matter.
Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.
One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented.
The professor smiled
'I'm glad you asked'.
It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem,
There’s always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.'


*****

Saturday, June 2, 2012

Officially Ravenclaw


The Sorting Hat has spoken. I am a Ravenclaw, just like I've always wanted to be. Yey! I've always thought the word "Ravenclaw" sounded pretty cool and besides, I want to be in the same house as Cho Chang. Also, I'm extremely glad the Hat considers me smart enough to get into such a brainy house.

The Sorting Hat asked me a series of questions ranging from choices between black or white, river or forest, which mystical creature I would like to study, what scent would draw me in, etc. Finally, the sorting hat asked me to choose between Ravenclaw and Slytherin. In my mind, I was like Harry. "Not Slytherin." I picked Ravenclaw and that's where the Sorting Hat placed me. My friend Pam, an extreme Harry Potter expert and fan, is jealous because apparently I'm a Hatstall. What's a Hatstall, you ask? You can read about it on Chapter 7 of Pottermore. Ha, I'm not giving it away just like that :)

I know I'm lame 'coz I only started Pottermore recently. I'm still trying to catch up. So far, it's been kind of slow, but there are some really interesting tidbits from J.K. Rowling. I've had much more fun playing the Harry Potter Playstation games back then, but then again, Pottermore isn't a video game anyway, so it's not fair to compare. Pottermore allows you to explore back stories and interesting trivia that you'd never know just by reading the books. J.K. really has the whole wizarding world figured out. The coolest I've read so far is Professor McGonagall's parents' story.

I'm slowly treading through (took me a while to figure out Potions!) but I'm enjoying the ride. Can't wait to experience the rest of the chapters. Hopefully, I get to contribute to the Ravenclaw house points so we'd win the house cup. Current standing is Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. How very true to the book.

And so I end this in the words of the great Albus Dumbledore, "Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!"

:)

Addendum: A few weeks back, I learned that both my brothers also ended up in Ravenclaw. Now isn't that cool? I swear we didn't talk about it. We can be like, the Weasleys of Ravenclaw. Ha! :D As much as I don't want to put pressure on her, I really hope our baby sister ends up in our house when she finally gets sorted. She's our own little Ginny!:)

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Les Miserables | The Great Gatsby

Thrilled with the new movie trailers I saw today. 

Les Miserables. Looks good! And though Ann's voice isn't that powerful, it certainly sounds haunting.




The Great Gatsby.  The trailer is somewhat different from what I was expecting. Nevertheless, I'm looking forward to seeing Leo kill the role. 




Looks like we have some great non-superhero movies to watch out for. :)

Sunday, May 20, 2012

Tina Finally Gets The Spotlight


Througout the whole run of Glee, I've been waiting for Tina to get her shining moment. I've loved her voice ever since the first season and I've been wondering why she never seemed to get any good solo parts that bring out her talent. And to think she was one of the original members of New Directions.

So when we were watching the episode wherein Tina switches identities with Rachel, E was like, "This is what you've been waiting for!" Yey for Tina. Finally. Finally! I was wondering if they just didn't give her enough opportunities to shine or if they're intentionally setting her up as the star of Season 4, when Rachel and most of the current members are off to college. Either way, this episode made my day:)

Also, did I mention that it was really funny watching everyone switch roles? :)

(photo from Glee Wiki)

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Catch A Man Who Reads


So today I caught this article on Young Blood that just instantly made my day. (Thanks, Alex, for sharing!) This is exactly the type of guy I would drool over. In my imagination, he looks like Leonardo di Caprio or perhaps, Ethan Hawke (give me a break, this is my blog. FYI Titanic and Before Sunrise will never get old).  I am lost in a daydream right now, trying to picture a world wherein I'm dating a guy version of myself, only more romantic and more attractive. 


Such happy thoughts. 
Thank you, Carlo Andrion, for writing this.


Anyway, to make things clear, (I believe) I already found my soulmate in this universe and I love him to death. So he doesn't exactly read (he read the first two Harry Potter novels a few chapters at a time, while waiting at the carwash -- at my constant prodding) but he's brilliant in a lot of things that when put together, weigh much more than the "man who reads."

But who's to stop me from imagining my Leo/Ethan-guy-who-reads in an alternate universe?:)


Catch a man who reads

By: 

 29share522 484
The Philippines is not a “reading” nation. Books in this country are considered a luxury. Underpaid and poor, most people here would rather save money for other home essentials than spend on books.
But I want to tell you some things about people who read. It’s really about finding your Mr. Darcy—to date, marry, and grow old with.
Date a man who reads. Date a man who invests on books rather than on clothes, food and electronic gadgets. His may be a messy room—with tools, magazines and electronic gadgets scattered all over. But in the litter, you’ll find a “spice.” Books. Which would make you smile.
Guys who read books do not necessarily wear eyeglasses. They are neither nerds nor emos, nor are they introvert and antisocial creatures. They would hate you for sticking that stigma on them.
Date a man who reads. Social networking sites do not spoil his life. He can survive without Facebook,  Twitter, Tumblr, or e-mails, but not without a good read.
Date a man who reads. For he does know the value of poetry. Yes, science, engineering, math, law and medicine, they are great pursuits. But  the man who reads values love, life, true happiness—with passion.
Date a man who reads. A great place for him is a coffee shop, or anywhere cheap that he finds conducive to reading. He knows when you are upset, or happy, or guilty. He knows it because he is familiar with human emotions. You don’t need to give him a clue.
Date a man who reads because he will not take you to jampacked movie houses on premiere nights. He understands that a good movie is adapted from a great book. He knows that any movie adaptation is always inferior to its book original.
Date a man who reads. He knows that you’re going to give him a book for his birthday, for Christmas and for anniversaries, but still he will be so eager to see what’s inside the gift. For he is so in love with literature—and with those who love the things he loves. Reminisce your childhood with the lessons from Dr. Seuss, “The Little Prince,” and the mysterious “Charlotte’s Web.” He’ll admire you for being familiar with those great stories.
Date a man who reads. He knows what is true, and what is fiction. If it’s possible in novels, why not in real life? Talk to him about Sherlock Holmes, of the magic kingdom of Narnia, and the best series so far, Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings.”
Date a man who reads. You’ll find him in a park, beneath a tree, with a newly acquired book whose pages could be white or yellow; or sitting by the bus window, relishing the yellow light, his perfect aphrodisiac for reading. He always welcomes a conversation with a stranger who likes to read Austen, Bronte, Woolf, Dickinson, and Niffenegger.
No, you will not find in his wallet a condom or a thick wad of money, or credit cards. Instead, you’ll find a list of books he wants to buy, and love letters and poems and quotes that he had earlier come across and that caught his interest. He does not put money in his wallet, unless he’s going to buy another book.
He knows when to make it with a girl. He doesn’t need to flirt. He has had enough flirtation in the books he had read. When he’s in love, he’s in love. He understands the concept of serendipity—and waiting. It takes time and patience to finish a Tolstoy novel.
He can spend the night with you, without sleep, and without sex, just talking endlessly about novels, and stories and poets and their lives. That Sylvia Plath committed suicide, Robert Frost took the road less traveled, Margaret Atwood knows the variation of sleep and love, and that John Keats’ last request was to place a “Here lies one whose name was writ in water” in his tombstone.
Date a man who reads. He does not judge a book by its cover. Or will he judge you by your appearance. He knows you have interesting stories “within” you, and he will listen to them, and fall in love with them. He knows how to make you smile. He’ll just read a good line, and you’ll know you’re inspired. He shares everything: the stories that break, and the ones that stink. Aside from reading, he gives you ample time—to eat, to pray, and to love. He accepts the fact that you need to find and discern yourself, sometimes.
Marry a man who reads. Make love to him as the two of you make new stories together. You’re guaranteed that your children will not have a boring childhood, that he’ll be there to tell bedtime stories because he believes (still) in fantasy even though he’s not a child anymore and he’ll play out the characters in children’s books.
He appreciates comedy and satire. His most precious belongings are his books and your family, which are to him a big story and a big event in his life. Although it is not quantifiable, he trusts the word “forever.”
Grow old with a man who reads. He knows that the worlds he has read in books will sometimes be more colorful and livelier than the world you two will actually live in. But he will not leave you. People die. Children come and go. But the memories and stories will be with you. Forever.
By the way, he believes in women’s lib, because he accepts that women are good readers, and writers too.
Carlo Hernandez Andrion, 21, is married to engineering but regards literature dearly as his mistress.