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Monthly Archives: November 2012

Why Didn’t You Tell Me?

25 November 2012
Food
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I have a little confession to make. Well, it’s not entirely a big deal, but I want to share this piece of revelation, anyway. While I was organizing my library of eBooks earlier today, I thought about getting myself a glass of water. When I opened our refrigerator, I saw this pack of Yakult. It cannot be mistaken that these are my youngest brother’s goodies.

Yakult is a Japanese probiotic milk-like product made by fermenting a mixture of skimmed milk with a special strain of the bacterium Lactobacillus casei Shirota. It was created by Minoru Shirota who graduated from the Medical School of Kyoto University in 1930.

Source: http://www.seriouseats.com

I noticed that the packaging has not changed since I can remember. When I was a kid, a lady would walk in our neighborhood everyday to deliver or offer Yakult to those interested. Now I seldom see them around when one can conveniently purchase a pack in grocery stores.

Source: http://www.emeraldinsight.com

So what’s the fuzz about all this, you may ask? I remember trying Yakult only once in my life, and I didn’t like it until today. Perhaps in every ten friends I have, nine of them would say that they love Yakult. I don’t really understand why they like it so much when I thought it was awful the first time I tried it. For curiosity’s sake, I grabbed one and instead of peeling its aluminum foil seal, I stuck a slim straw like it were some fruit juice in a tetra pack.

Source: http://www.art247.com

On my first sip, I thought to myself, how come nobody told me this tastes so good?! Well, they did, but no one really tried to talk me out of it. Turned out Yakult is my kind of drink. You know I don’t really go for sweetened drinks that much, so the zesty flavor just got me sold!

Consumption of a bottle of Yakult claims that it aids in proper digestion which, I suppose, is a good thing. The original flavor is available in most countries except in Singapore where Yakult comes in three variants—orange, grape, and apple. Did you know why Yakult bottles come in small packages? According to Yakult Malaysia, “A smaller bottle is more hygienic. A larger bottle that is not finished might be kept open, thus a bigger risk of infection with other bacteria.”

Now that I’ve fallen in love with Yakult, maybe I’ll try some Yakult-blended drinks from my favorite milk tea shops. After all, it wouldn’t hurt to try. Oh, my brother better watch his stash of this good stuff. Before he knows it, they’re all gone! *grins*

A Slice of Life

25 November 2012
Books
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I come from a family of good cooks. No, they’re not chefs by profession; they just learned and perfected recipes passed on from one generation to another. My mother learned to cook from my grandmother, who had part-Chinese blood running through her veins. I remember my grandmother used to cook for no less than 50 people on holidays. She would prepare a menu with appetizers, a main course with five or so dishes, and a selection of desserts to name a few.

My mother is the boss in the kitchen. I grew up to my mother’s cooking on ordinary days and special occasions. Like my grandmother, she cooked by feel or estimation. Unless completely necessary, she would use measuring tools to aid in her cooking. To this day, she makes mean dishes. Her specialties are barbecue and pasta. She plans on taking up culinary classes when my youngest brother has graduated from college. She would like to learn more about other cuisines and develop her craft. It’s a shame I didn’t get my mother’s love for cooking when I could be following her footsteps.

The School of Essential Ingredients
by Erica Bauermeister
Ratings: ★★★☆☆

The book was divided into chapters named after the main characters, Lillian, Claire, Carl, Antonia, Tom, Chloe, Isabelle, Helen, and Ian. Every one of the character’s stories centers on a dish or an ingredient that has a profound effect upon how they see themselves or the world.

The story began with Lillian narrating on how she cooked her mother out from depression. Her mother had succumbed to this state when her father left them. Since then, Lillian’s mother lived in the world of her books, oftentimes reciting some phrases aloud as if she were in character. With the help of a good friend, Abuelita, Lillian succeeded in her mission. Little did she know that she had a greater mission of becoming an instrument in bringing other people’s lives together through her soulful dishes.

I don’t know much about cooking per se, but I did enjoy reading this book. It was amazing how the author put into writing the aromas, flavors, and textures of what the characters create as if you can actually taste them. I also believe in the author’s perception that the dishes one make depend on his mood. When a dish was made with much passion and love, the cook brings out the best in its essential ingredients.

This is not a recipe book, but the author kind of gave hints on how certain techniques can be effective, which is a good thing. I am giving this book a generous three stars, perhaps for my lack of knowledge in cooking, but overall a nice read.

P.S. Thank you, Micah, for lending me this delectable piece of work. You do have an eccentric taste in the books you read. No pun intended!

When Life Hits You Hard

23 November 2012
Books
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As I’ve mentioned in my previous post, this book has been sitting on my currently-reading shelf for almost three months now. I began reading it in September, but I got caught up with other stuff, neglecting it altogether. Then I started reading other series, pushing it further to the bottom of my reading list.

Half-way through the book, it suddenly hit me how this compares to our personal lives. It seemed to me that we subconsciously put other things before what’s truly essential, the way we do towards faith. This book has served as an eye-opener, a medium for coming to understand what’s most significant in life. More often than not, these are the things we tend to overlook because we are too busy to even stop and reflect on our lives on a day-to-day basis. As Kahlil Gibran once said,

No matter how busy a man is, he is never too busy to stop and talk about how busy he is.

Have a Little Faith: The Story of a Last Request
by Mitch Albom
Ratings: ★★★★★

This is based on a true story which Mitch Albom himself narrated in first person point of view. It is about how a rabbi and long-time friend, Albert Lewis, requested Mitch to deliver his eulogy at his funeral. Mitch was hesitant at first, given the fact that he’s long since gotten involved with any religious activity; if going to the synagogue once a year even contributes to that. Mitch eventually agreed under certain conditions: they have to meet every now and then to talk. Much like a thesis, he needed as much information he could get in order to justify his argument. The two did this for eight years, with Albert filling in every question Mitch throws him.

While Albert Lewis recounts his earlier days as a  Rabbi, Henry Covington reminisced his dark days. Henry was a drug addict, a dealer, and an ex-convict. Like Al, he only had one wife, a son and four daughters, and had even lost a child, but the two differed in the way they had lived their respective lives. It’s amazing how through his sermons, Al has built a community. On the other hand, Henry, who has ignored God’s calling one too many times, faltered at the foot of His mercy when he least expected it.

The thing I admired most about this book is how Albert convinced Mitch that each religion are alike, in one way or another, and that people should learn to respect each other regardless of what or who they believe in. No one is above another in the eyes of God. I liked Al’s simple approach towards true happiness, forgiveness, and marriage. He did live a wonderful life. I could cite a list of my favorite excerpts I had bookmarked and highlighted in this book, but that would be telling. I highly recommend this book, and I’m bestowing it five deserving stars.

Like most of Mitch Albom’s famous works, this was very moving. It’s a light-read that left me feeling heavy-hearted, especially when its story is packed with beautiful learnings on faith, hope, and love.

When life hits you hard, have a little faith.

Years later, I will forget the class, forget the teacher’s name, forget the girl across the room. But I will remember that story.

—Albert Lewis (Have a Little Faith: The Story of a Last Request)

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Humor Me

22 November 2012
Books
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Look who’s taking book reviews seriously? That would be me! The two books I’m going to peruse belong to the Comedy genre, thus the title of this post. My colleagues and I took turns in reading the first book in my list today. The gesture was influenced by The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, only we shared a book instead of a pair of denims.

Lumayo Ka Nga Sa Akin
by Bob Ong
Ratings: ★★☆☆☆

Let me give you a brief background on the writer of this  book. Bob Ong or Roberto Ong is the pseudonym of a contemporary Filipino author known for using conversational Filipino to create humorous and reflective depictions of Philippine life. His actual name, however, remains unknown.

In Lumayo Ka Nga Sa Akin (Get Away From Me), the author talks about how stereotypical Filipino movies are. He divided the book into three parts: (1) Bala sa Bala, Kamao sa Kamao, Satsat sa Satsat (action); (2) Shake, Shaker, Shakest (horror); and (3) Asawa ni Marie (romance).

I got bored with the first 30 pages of this book. Having read two of Bob Ong’s works, ABNKKBSNPLAKo?! and Ang Paboritong Libro ni Hudas, I must admit that I had high expectations on this one. I did laugh at some parts, but not as much as I did with his previous bestsellers. Reading this was such a drag. It seemed to me that the author tried so hard to make the reader laugh while proving out at the same time. He did succeed in justifying his arguments, but they were awfully put in my opinion.

The reviews for this book are at opposite ends of the scale and I can see why. You will either love or hate it. With that being said, I’m giving it two stars.

Fifty Shames of Early Grey
by Fanny Merkin (a.k.a Andrew Shaffer)
Ratings: ★★★☆☆

Perhaps to my frustration with the previous book, I decided to read another book that falls under the same category. I first learned about this parody of Fifty Shades of Grey from a friend. We both have read the first three chapters of this book in Goodreads even before it hit the book stores. At the time, we thought it was hilarious since we’ve just finished reading the Fifty Shades of Grey series by E. L. James.

Yes, there was a time when I got really hooked with the very controversial series. Unlike the first book I reviewed earlier, this did make me laugh in most parts. I thought the author was witty by nature, and it was pretty evident in the way he’s written this piece. I think it’s smart to be able to make the significant scenes comical, allowing me to recall the actual settings from the series. Like most parodies (in books and movies), however, there was a tendency to exaggerate some parts to the point that I no longer find them funny at all.

Props to the author who may have read the Fifty Shades of Grey series to fairly pull something like this off. Hey, I’m giving this three stars (a notch higher than the former), so it could say something! For the record, I particularly liked the part where Earl Grey punished Anna Steal for stealing mead from The Elf Council’s supply shed. I might have burst into a hearty laughter on this bit. I think I would have enjoyed the story had I watched its film adaptation instead of reading the book. Either that or reading books from the Comedy genre is really not my thing.

EKhaustingly Fun: A Weekend Getaway

20 November 2012
Personal
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Last Wednesday evening, my brother asked me if I want to join him and his high school friends on a weekend trip to Enchanted Kingdom. It’s only been three years since my brothers and I went there with our cousins, but two new rides have recently been added to the famous amusement park. Two of Roi’s friends, Nat and Elaine, just got employed and are about to get on-board this week, thus they thought of spending the weekend there. These kids are like my siblings from another-father-and-mother. I’ve known them since my brother and I transferred to the institution where we all graduated from in high school.

Incidentally, a friend of mine has a cousin who still works in Enchanted Kingdom. I asked him if we can at least get tickets at a cheaper rate; to which he replied that the most he can give is Php150.00 (about $4.00) off of each ticket. The full day pass on weekends and holidays is worth Php600 (roughly $14.00), so we thought a 25% discount isn’t bad at all. Just when we thought we got a good deal with the deducted ticket prices, my friend suddenly told me that he scored three complimentary tickets for us instead! By this, it means that we’re only going to pay for whatever’s in excess. Upon telling my brother and his friends the good news, we all decided to push through even when only four of us are going.

We had all intentions of getting the most of our day trip; however, Roi and I still had to grab lunch at McDonald’s on our way to Sta. Rosa, Laguna. It’s almost a good thing that we weren’t caught up in traffic, but to our dismay, we arrived to a fully-packed parking lot. The sight of about 50 provincial buses made us come to a conclusion that it’s a day of field trip for most kids at Enchanted Kingdom.

We went straight to the Guest Relations Office per my friend’s advice, and claimed our complimentary tickets there. Thirty minutes later, we were on queue at one of the newest rides in the park, the EKstreme Tower Ride. It’s a 150-feet drop tower with a capacity of 12 persons. Here’s a sample video of the ride I found from YouTube:

Waiting in line at EKstreme Tower Ride

My goodness! It was a fun, quick ride! We were laughing our butts out afterwards because you won’t know when it’s going to drop from the sky. Though still hungover with EKstreme Tower Ride, we made our way to one of our favorites, Anchors Away, which is a pirate ship ride.

We were lucky to ride this attraction twice because our friends were not able to take a decent photo of Roi and I the first time. Unfortunately, only Nat and Elaine had nice pictures during our first ride! Elaine’s digital camera was an epic fail, so we asked them to take photos of us with our own camera the second time around.

Elaine and Nat at Anchors Away
Roi and Jae at Anchors Away (second time around)

The queue at Anchors Away was pretty exhausting thus, we decided to take some rest at the Wheel of Fate for our third attraction. While we were up there, we caught sight of how terrible the lines were in other attractions. Most people were queued up at Space Shuttle Max, the well-known boomerang roller coaster of Enchanted Kingdom. In effect, we dismissed the idea of falling in line there because it will only be a waste of time.

Elaine and Roi at Wheel of Fate
Roi and Jae at Wheel of Fate
Jae and Nat at Wheel of Fate

Feeling frustrated with all the long lines at most famous rides, we settled for Flying Fiesta, which was a bit tolerable than the other rides we’ve been to. It is a chair swing ride that is a variation on the carousel in which the chairs are suspended on chains from the rotating top of the carousel. The rotating top of the carousel also tilts for additional variations of motion. This attraction never fails to lull me, making me want to sleep until the ride is over.

Upon alighting from Flying Fiesta, we walked further into the Jungle Outpost area of the park. We were supposed to wait in line at the Jungle Log Jam (log flumes); however, it would take us another hour or two, and only a few people will be accommodated every time. With this assumption, we decided to try out the second newest attraction, Disk-O-Magic, which is a giant spinning ride.

While waiting in line at Disk-O-Magic

This has got to be my new most favorite ride in Enchanted Kingdom! The weird, inexplicable feeling was twice that of Anchors Away in my opinion. I enjoyed it as much as my companions did. We considered riding this again after our Roller Skater ride, but two to three batches before us, the ride had been pulled to a halt. According to the staff, there had been technical difficulties, thus they had to stop the ride altogether. As if the timing was perfect, we realized that it’s already 9:00PM, and it means that the park will close soon.

Nat, Elaine, and Roi at Enchanted Kingdom

After a few photos taken by the main entrance, we all decided to leave. On our way home, we stopped over at a gas station to have dinner at KFC. We recounted how much fun we had despite the unusual crowd that day. Incidentally, it was our company’s team building that Saturday, too, but I wouldn’t miss this weekend getaway [with my siblings] for the world.

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Something Borrowed: The Movie Adaptation

19 November 2012
Movies
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As a follow-up to my book reviews on the Darcy & Rachel series by Emily Giffin, I’m going to share with you today my thoughts (not exactly a movie review) on Something Borrowed‘s movie adaptation.

Source: http://www.teaser-trailer.com

While I was still on Something Blue a few days ago, I asked my brother to grab me a copy of the Something Borrowed movie for me to watch when I’m done with the book series. On Saturday morning, I woke up remembering about this, so I fired up my computer to watch the film. It’s a good thing that I’ve just finished reading the book, thus the scenes are still fresh in my memory. Anyway, here are a few things I found inconsistent with the book:

In the movie

  • When the film started rolling, I immediately recognized that it jumped right through the surprise party Darcy organized for Rachel.
  • Ethan was in New York. He even joined Claire, Darcy, Dexter, Marcus, and Rachel to spend summer weekends at the Hamptons. He assumed the role of Hillary in the movie which I found a bit disappointing.
  • In the badminton scene, Ethan played alongside Rachel, opposite Darcy and Dexter. Things got out of control between Ethan and Dexter when they had to reveal secrets about each other as they score their way in the competition.

Source: http://www.sheknows.com

  • Marcus was skateboarding with some kids at the park when Rachel ran into him. They talked at a nearby bench where their mini-date took place. (Side note: Did you notice that the lady sitting beside them was reading the sequel, Something Blue?)

Source: www. filmequals.com

  • Rachel found out from Marcus that Dexter and Darcy were actually house-hunting with Dex’s parents and Marcus’ father that day. Apparently, their folks were good friends.
  • Dexter and Rachel ditched the Fourth of July weekend over at the Hamptons and made everyone believe that they had to work overtime. Strolling at the park, they thought they had the city all to themselves when Dexter and Rachel bumped into Dex’s parents. Dex’s father even warned him to cut whatever it was going on between him and Rachel, implying that he’s already engaged to be married to someone else.

Source: http://www.filmequals.com

  • Somewhere in the middle of the film, Ethan eventually moved to London, claiming that an English publisher was interested in a book he’s written. When the going got tougher between Dex and Rachel, the latter decided to visit Ethan in London. In one of their close conversation, Ethan confessed that he has feelings for Rachel; however, he now knew that it’s impossible to bloom into something else more than friendship because, clearly, Rachel was in love with Dex.
  • When Rachel returned from London, Dexter was waiting at the foot of her apartment. When asked how he knew her itinerary, Dex told Rachel that he called her office to confirm.
  • On Rachel’s arrival from London, Dexter told her that he had called their wedding off. Though still surprised, Rachel invited Dex to come up in her apartment for them to talk about what’s in store for them. In the middle of their conversation, they were disrupted by Darcy, who was violently knocking on Rachel’s door. Neither of the two knew this was coming, so Dexter hid somewhere in Rachel’s kitchen as the latter open the door to welcome Darcy. Darcy told Rachel the news about their called-off wedding as if Rachel hadn’t known yet. As in the book, Darcy confessed about her unexpected relationship with Marcus, who happens to be the father of her unborn child. Two seconds after Darcy has left the apartment, she knocked again. This time she confronted Rachel as to why Dexter’s jacket was in there. This left Rachel caught off guard and without her permission, Darcy stormed right back into the apartment to search for Dex. Eventually, Dex emerged from the kitchen disgusted with everything he has heard about Darcy’s misdemeanor. As if she was the only person who’s at fault, she didn’t miss on throwing hateful words towards the two.


In the book

  • The story kicked off with Rachel and Darcy reminiscing their conversation as kids on how they envisioned themselves when they turned 30.
  • Ethan was in London. He’s been living there since his break-up with Brandi. Rachel only calls him every now and then to update him with her messed-up relationship with Dexter. Along with Ethan, Hillary had been Rachel’s confidant and was always up-to-date with the Rachel and Dex Bizarre Love Affair.
  • In the original story, it was Hillary who bashed Dexter during the badminton game which threw the latter off, realizing that Rachel had told her about their current relationship.
  • Marcus took Rachel to dinner at a fancy restaurant and ordered ostentatious food and drinks on their first date. They laughed at the thought of Darcy and Dex being the nosy bastards, trying to interfere with their personal lives.
  • There was no reference to any house-hunting nor that Dexter’s and Marcus’ fathers were acquainted.
  • It did mention in the book that Dexter and Rachel planned on copping out the Fourth of July weekend in order to spend some time alone in a deserted Manhattan, but they did not bump into Dex’s parents. It was actually Claire who ran into them in one of their attempt to sneak out on Darcy, but that was a different story.
  • When Dex told Rachel that he cannot leave Darcy for her, Rachel decided to fly to London and visit Ethan to take a break from all the craziness that’s been going on.
  • Dexter actually called Ethan in London to get Rachel’s arrival details as she flies back to New York.
  • Dexter announced the good news to Rachel over the phone, who happens to be downstairs, then eventually invited himself up in her apartment. They were about to get into it when Darcy came into the picture. She was wailing in the hallway as she commands Rachel to let her in. Dexter, who was in his boxers, gathered the rest of his clothes and hid in Rachel’s closet. Dexter heard everything Darcy had confessed to Rachel; however, in the middle of their conversation, Darcy noticed Dex’s wristwatch in Rachel’s nightstand. Again, Darcy made a scene just like she did earlier on, only this time it was the most violent she’s ever been.

I know there’s no rule for movie production staff to strictly observe how the story in the book went when directing a movie, but they could have been more consistent. That’s the thing with movie adaptations. It’s almost impossible for them to stick to the original story; in one way or another, there will be certain parts that will be tweaked depending on the director’s/producer’s/writer’s preference.

I kind of expected that something like this will happen. I mean, I’ve seen movie adaptations like Dear John and The Timetraveler’s Wife, both of which I read their book counterparts, and like Something Borrowed, the movie wasn’t so close to what I had imagined as I was reading the book. For this reason, I’m only giving the movie three out of five stars.

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Something Borrowed, Something Blue

14 November 2012
Books
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Before anything else, I have to warn you that I’m not good at doing reviews. I’ve never pulled off a decent once-over for the blogosphere to learn from or appreciate to say the least, so please bear with me on this one.

Today I will review three books written by Emily Giffin which I’ve recently read. Emily Giffin is a graduate of Wake Forest University and the University of Virginia School of Law. After practicing litigation at a Manhattan firm for several years, she moved to London to write full time. The author of four New York Times bestselling novels, she now lives in Atlanta with her husband and three young children.

Since all three books are co-related, belonging to the same series, let’s begin with a run-through with the main characters.

Main Characters

  • Darcy Jane Rhone — Darcy is the typical Little Miss Popular because of her physical attributes. Tall, slim, and pretty. You know the kind who will make every man turn her way as she walks into a crowded room. She may be cast as captivating, but she’s not one of those mean girls in their campus. In fact, she uses her power to protect her friends when they need it the most. All that matters to Darcy is how her spectators see her, so she invests more on her appearance than anything else. Her job as a public relations officer suits her personality best.
  • Rachel Hannah White — Rachel is Darcy’s infamous best friend. She is everything Darcy’s not. She’s a few inches short of Darcy and fuller-figured compared to her counterpart. Rachel grew up to be awkward and timid. Well, she is not entirely nerdy, but Rachel appears to be the brain of their tandem. Rachel works in a demanding law firm with an even more demanding partner, Les.
  • Dexter Thaler — Dexter and Rachel went to law school together. Rachel was quite intimidated by him when in one of their classes, Dex practically owned their professor, disproving the latter of his first impression, and eventually earning his respect. Since this outrageous encounter, Dex became famous in an instant.
  • Ethan Ainsley — Ethan is the only male best friend of Darcy, Rachel, and Annalise. Sometime in their school days, Ethan moved to where Darcy, Rachel, and Annalise were studying. He preferred to sit alone away from everyone else during their recess until the three walked right up to him one day that eventually led to Darcy hating him while Rachel adored him as their new found friend.

The Diary of Darcy Jane Rhone (Darcy & Rachel #0.5)
by Emily Giffin
Published on 12 June 2012
Ratings: ★★☆☆☆

This book is the prequel to Something Borrowed and Something Blue. It’s only a few pages long, basically introducing the main characters and their connection with each other.

Rachel gave Darcy a diary as gift to encourage her to take account of her daily activities in high school. Darcy isn’t much into this whole Dear Diary thing, but eventually got herself to write some of the highlights in her life during her teenage years. She’s written mostly shallow things like how she fantasized an exchange student and altogether stole the guy from his then girlfriend. As if it were essential, she made a summary of all the boyfriends she’s had, as well as the time she lost her virginity to someone she thought she loved.

I only gave two out of five stars for this book because I pretty much got bored with it despite its length. I know I shouldn’t expect much on an introduction as such, but thought it could have been more interesting.

Something Borrowed (Darcy & Rachel #1)
by Emily Giffin
Published on 01 June 2004
Ratings: ★★★☆☆

Something Borrowed is the first installment to the Darcy & Rachel series. The story began as Darcy and Rachel recalls how they had prepared for anticipated for their upcoming thirtieth birthday. Darcy is lucky enough to have been engaged to Dex even before she hit the much-dreaded age, thus leaving Rachel with all the frustrations of remaining unattached at 30.

Everything seemed to be going well until on the eve of Rachel’s thirtieth birthday, the one Darcy had organized and all, something bizarre and unexpected occurred. The conflict commenced when Dex hooked up with Rachel the night of her birthday party. Darcy was stupid drunk that Dex had to take her home. Dex returned to the bar shortly after to get Darcy’s purse which she had left. Rachel and Dex spent a little more time together later that evening, both ending up in the former’s bed the next morning.

You will get over this. I think of all the hearts breaking at this moment, in Manhattan, all over the world. All of the overwhelming grief. It makes me feel less alone to think that other people are getting their insides torn to tiny bits.

—Rachel, Something Borrowed

It turned out that Dex asked the wrong person’s hand in marriage. The two went on with their affair behind Darcy’s back, who was completely oblivious to the fact that her fiancé and best friend are cheating on her. While you’re at it, another twist was revealed towards the end of the story. The golden couple eventually called their wedding off, only to find out that Darcy had also cheated on Dex and much worse, she got pregnant with another Dex’s friend, Marcus.

Songs and smells will bring you back to a moment in time more than anything else. It’s amazing how much can be conjured with a few notes of a song or a solitary whiff of a room. A song you didn’t even pay attention to at the time, a place that you didn’t even know had a particular smell.

—Rachel, Something Borrowed

I granted this book three out of five stars because although there were more than one twists in the story, I still found the next scenes kind of expected. There were times when I had anticipated on what’s going to happen next.

This book has a movie adaptation starring Kate Hudson and Ginnifer Goodwin who played Darcy and Rachel, respectively. I haven’t seen the movie, but I’ve added it to my bucket list. Anyway, did you know that the original title of this book was Rolling The Dice? Well, you’ve got to read the book (or perhaps watch the film) to find out why.

Something Blue (Darcy & Rachel #2)
by Emily Giffin
Published on 21 March 2006
Ratings: ★★★★☆

Something Blue kicked off with a continuation of Something Borrowed‘s ending. This time the story was written with Darcy’s point of view. It began with Darcy still freaking out with the new relationship that had developed between her now ex-fiancé and then best friend. It never occurred to her that it was even possible to happen right under her nose. Being the diva that she usually is, she tried to convince everyone that blame’s on Dex and Rachel’s  accidental misdemeanor. She manipulated the situation with her family and close friends in order to overcast the fact that she, too, was at fault.

Love and friendship. They are what make us who we are, and what can change us, if we let them.

She literally controlled everyone at the palm of her hand to the point that Marcus, the father of her unborn child, gave up and eventually left her hanging in thin air. Even her parents almost disowned her for what-they-thought inappropriate behavior, which led her to decide to go to London to take a breather.

It was Annalise who gave Darcy the idea of visiting Ethan in London just so she can take a break and contemplate on what’s happening in her life. Darcy was ecstatic to realize this great opportunity as she prepares for motherhood, so she left abruptly, thinking of living a new life in London with Ethan. Darcy had told Ethan that’s she only going to stay for a few weeks, but due to unforeseen circumstances, she eventually extended her stay there.

You can only control your own actions. Not other people’s reactions.

—Ethan, Something Blue

To be honest, I almost stopped reading the book in its first few pages for the reason that Darcy had been alarmingly annoying. I never imagined to feel that much displeasure to a particular character, but upon finishing it, I was glad I pushed through. Compared to Something Borrowed, I consider this book to be more interesting that I found myself looking forward to subsequent chapters. It came to my senses that as the story progresses, Darcy’s true color unfolds. I liked this better than the first book, thus I gave it four golden stars.

•••

There you go, guys! I’d consider this my first ever decent book review. It felt like doing a book report in high school, only no one’s going to evaluate my observations. I hope I was able to pull this one off well enough. So what do you think of my take on this whole book review thing?

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Daily Prompt: Light Up the Fireworks in Me

13 November 2012
Daily Prompt, Musings
4 Comments

Today I realized that there are only 42 days left before Christmas and that we are six weeks away from welcoming another year. Incidentally, tomorrow marks my father’s first anniversary with his current employer. Unbelievable, isn’t it? Days went by just like that; it feels like only yesterday.

Source: alessilikesit.tumblr.com

Source: http://www.newshopper.sulekha.com

As Christmas Day draws nearer, one cannot miss the growing anticipation towards the best holiday of the year. Well, at least for me. Although it’s only mid-November, you can already feel what they call the December breeze in most days. It’s also been a practice to put up our Christmas tree and all other decorations on my birthday, but the boys were only able to do these last weekend. It now feels a lot like Christmas at home.

Source: http://www.mayniladailyphoto.blogspot.com

Source: http://www.mayniladailyphoto.blogspot.com

I do have a soft spot for anything Christmas-related. I mean, who doesn’t? The mere thought of this particular holiday brings me nothing but beautiful memories. Despite losing my favorite grandfather a few weeks before this special occasion in 2007, it did not change my perception of a Merry Christmas; not even when we recently lost my other grandfather in May. To this day, I feel overwhelmed with all the Christmas decorations around me. It never fails to awaken that sleeping kid in me when I see a well-lit city with all these beautiful Christmas lights. The sight of it just takes my breath away. Although I knew what the real deal about Santa Claus earlier in my childhood years, it did not really dampen my belief in the possibility of his existence.

Source: http://www.unplugyourfamily.blogspot.com

Through the years, I’ve noticed that there’s something about the Christmas season, making most people loving and compassionate. No, I’m not talking solely about the gift-giving bit. Everyone appears to be more good-hearted and delicate. It feels very much like the cliché, Christmas is the season of giving and forgiving. If one is going through tough times, the festivities may even uplift his spirits. Well, I guess it depends on what situation one is currently in, but you catch my drift. In one way or another, the positive energy attached to the holiday season will bring faith in any hopeless case.

Source: http://www.mystical.agustinongpinoy.net

Unless you’re an epitome of The Grinch, then you won’t know exactly what I mean.

The title of this post is a line from the song, Christmas Lights by Coldplay.
This post is a response to The Daily Post’s Daily Prompt on 13 Nov 2012.

What is Awkward?

9 November 2012
Personal
8 Comments

I was in sixth grade when my mother tried to convince me to transfer to another school again. Since we moved to a new place in 1996, they had to transfer me to a school nearby in fourth grade. I wasn’t big on this whole transferring thing, having already established friendship with most people in my current school, I had no choice but to concur because their reason was deemed valid. There were two things considered into convincing me to agree to this: (1) the school was closer by from our new place, cutting our travel time to about 20 to 30 minutes; (2) my mother was promoted as regular teacher and it meant saving a whole lot if all her kids were enrolled in the same school.

In Summer 1999, I took entrance examinations on the said school. It was a lot smaller than the one I had left with no swimming pool nor a decent basketball court. The population was not as big, too, with only an average of 35 students per class as against 50 students per class in my previous school. During my interview with the Assistant Principal, she mentioned something about the possibility of having my mother as my teacher. I did not take this seriously, thinking there was a fat chance that this will likely to happen.

I was wrong.

Source: http://www.faithandfamilylive.com

My mother earned a degree in Secondary Education, Major in English, in the same university I graduated from. Upon graduation, she was invited to teach English at the College of Nursing in the university. She had a background in dealing with the awkward teenage years, so teaching in a high school setup should not be an issue. Teaching in college and high school, however, differ so much in terms of preparation of teaching materials. In high school, faculty members are expected to present a course syllabus every grading period which was a very tedious, time-consuming task.

I was completely dumbfounded when I knew that Mom will be my teacher in our Public Speaking subject. It was only elective, but having your own mother as a teacher was beyond imagination, not to mention that it was a course that requires you to speak in front of an audience. We only met once a week, but I dreaded this very awkward meeting every single time.

As a standard procedure, she introduced herself in our first meeting. Before we even become the talk of the town, she mentioned outright that I am her daughter. She warned everyone that in spite of our unusual setup, she will be fair and square by maintaining a typical student-teacher relationship in school. I was expected to address her as Ma’am instead of Mom within the school premises.

My mother was not at all kidding.

When in class, I made an effort in avoiding her gaze at all cost. At that time, I took being seated far from the aisle to my advantage. It also meant that I will not speak to my seatmate the whole one hour. This weekly encounter always got my hands cold and sweaty from fear. According to my mother, I would turn tomato red whenever she calls me for recitation. I do not usually have stage fright, but I nearly  peed my pants every time.

Mom never allowed me to use her reference materials either. She kept all these and her class records in a safe so I will not see them. I was expected to go to the library to research on our homework just like everybody else and I did because it was the right thing to do. There were, of course, some students who did not believe this for I excelled in her class. Being the transparent school teacher that she was, my mother just gave me the grade that I deserved regardless of what other people might think.

Source: http://www.yesmagazine.org

Mothers are natural teachers. They are, in most cases, the key person in their children’s development. How they nourish their kids physically and emotionally will make or break their offspring. Awkward as it may seemed, I will forever be grateful for this unique experience because I witnessed the other side of Mom. Her dedication and attention to detail are exceptional, and her personal commitment to excellence makes me so proud of my mother.

Can you tell awkward anecdotes as such, too? How about writing about it as well?

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Chapter XXVI

4 November 2012
Food, Personal
13 Comments

How does one begin to express his gratitude to the people who have been part (and remains such) of his life? That was the question I asked myself the moment I opened my eyes this morning. It seemed to me that adding another year to my age meant I have more people in my life to be thankful for. I need not enumerate them here because God knows who these people are, and I’ve asked Him to bless them for their wonderful souls.

I wanted to start my day right, thus upon waking up, I engaged myself in an awesome workout. I also heard thanksgiving mass with my family; something I wanted to do in the morning before anything else. After which, we headed to Resorts World Manila for my birthday treat. We’ve always wanted to check the place out, and today’s occasion made it possible. We didn’t really have an idea where to dine, so we toured around the place before everyone decided to try Mr. Kurosawa.

I just love what they did to their ceiling.

A heady fusion of European and Japanese dishes makes Mr. Kurosawa a foodie’s delight. Their eclectic menu, which includes Japanese-inspired paella, pizza and pasta selections, combine the best of both worlds.

Source: www.rwmanila.com

Here’s a gallery of what we had:

Smoked Salmon Linguini
Chicken Teriyaki Salad
Tempura Roll
Happy Birthday Noodles
Smoked Salmon Roll
Salmon Sashimi
Beef Curry (Sizzle It)
Tempura Soba

Family Picture

This isn’t supposed to be a food review, but with a family who has tried almost every cuisine there is, trust when we say it is worth checking out. Every single meal we have ordered was really good! Although we only had their house tea (which we forgot to ask what kind) and water for drinks, we got the best value for money. Mind you, their servings were bigger than we had expected. In fact, their food reminds us so much of John and Yoko‘s. By the way, look what I got from the staff of Mr. Kurosawa:

As posted on Instagram: “Thank You for the Gift of Life”

I shared this with my family, but being the sweet-toothed that they are, they coaxed me for more. We went to CrePes & Cream for desserts.

Choco Hazelnut Crepe
CrePes & Creme
Mom and Dad
Chocolate Indulgence
Vanilla Milkshake
Roi and Jae

Now that we’ve made our tummies happy, it’s time for some walking! Some photos taken as we toured around:

Newport City Mall
Newport City Mall
Resorts World Manila
Resorts World Manila

Apart from designer brands located at the ground level, there’s also a casino within the mall, thus making it more convenient to a greater market of mall-goers. I particularly loved the feel of this place because it’s not too crowded as most shopping malls in the metro are. For great selection of restaurant and upper-class shops, this sure is a place to be!

P.S. Thanks to everyone who remembered and went out their way to greet me on my special day. May God bless you, too!

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