Today in Chinatown

GONG XI FA CAI!!!

I spent half of my day shooting scenes at Manila Chinatown with some friends for our photojourn project. I was also in Binondo around the same time last year (for a project, too), but I have to say that I really had a smashing time today.

We were required to shoot in black and white with film cameras, so I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to share our snaps with you yet. But I managed to take some pictures with my trusty point-and-shoot camera and they come with this post, so if you're too bored to read right now, you can just scroll down to view them. Haha!

Although I enjoy taking photos, I must say that shooting around Manila Chinatown at Chinese New Year is a real challenge not only in composing the pictures, but also because a lot of really interesting things are happening all at once and you just want to record every single one of them. But of course, that's not possible, so you'll just have to settle with what you see or come across, and take the best damn photo of it.

I honestly couldn't get my thoughts sorted while shooting and I ended up taking pictures of crappy things during the first few hours. I then got lost (well, not really, but I couldn't find my friends anywhere!), and just took the time to shoot more subjects. By that time, I decided to take photos of kids, which I will share with you in a different post.

We were done by lunch, and when we couldn't take the heat, and our hunger and thirst anymore, we had some noodles at Mr. Ube Rice and Noodle House, then bought some tikoy and lucky charms after.

Ongpin Street. Where the magic happens...

This kid became a one-day celebrity.

These photographers - amateurs and pros alike - have found their heaven.

We got to shoot from the fire truck too!

That would be me with my team-slash-friends :)

Jica, Joan, Mary, and PL

We took this photo and spotted some of our other
classmates in the background. LOL!

♥Andz

ALL THE FEELS: The Fault in Our Stars Trailer + Pictures

REJOICE NERDFIGHTERS AND TFiOS FANS!!!

The trailer of The Fault in Our Stars finally came out today, and I have to say that THAT is a great way to start my morning. A mix of kilig and heartbreak are just the things I seem to need today other than a good breakfast. 

Right after the trailer stopped rolling before my eyes, I let out this awful cry that got my grandmother worried. Seeing Shailene, Ansel, and everyone else bringing life to this book I recently read and instantly loved is simply a pleasure to watch, and I couldn't wait until June to see how they delivered. 

Judging by the trailer, I could say that they stuck to the book's plot and all. There may have been some tweaks here and there, but I'm glad the film seems a lot like it's just been ripped out from the book. Now, I wouldn't go writing about a review for a trailer 'cos that would be ridiculous, so I'll just leave all these feels - these freakishly indescribable feels - hanging in my heart until August (Philippine release date. Sucks. I know.)

(Click on the photos to enlarge and open slideshow.) 

And, yes, I'm certainly not okay in a good way. </3

♥Andz

The Fault in Our Stars - Review, Quotes, Photos, and a Sneak Peek (from the upcoming film)

The thing is, I was very hesitant about the idea of reading John Green's hit novel and soon-to-be-blockbuster-film (no doubt!) "The Fault in Our Stars". Sure, I've been wanting to read it since I first saw it on a bookshop's shelf over a year ago, but when my college bookworm friends, Joan and Kai, said that they didn't like it much, I kind of took their word for it.

For some reason, though, I couldn't help but wonder about all the buzz it was - and still is - getting, especially now with the film coming out mid this year (starring Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort) , so I finally decided to grab a copy of it and read it.

While my friends didn't like John Green's writing style (writing as Hazel Grace Lancaster, in this case), I thought it was pretty effective in embodying this strong character who's young, sick, probably dying, and head-over-heels in love with the charismatic guy that Augustus Waters is. 

It wasn't the author's voice I was hearing as I read the book at all. It was, indeed, Hazel's. And I liked that sort of connection John was able to establish with us, his readers.

The Fault in Our Stars is just so believable and heart-breaking, that you get addicted to the pain that the book and the characters are giving you, until it's not so painful anymore, and that's when it becomes bliss. 

Bliss of reading a wonderful story. Bliss of feeling your own hot tears trickle down to your cheeks and stain the pages of the book. And, the bliss of taking a peek into the love story of two teenagers forced to accept their harsh realities. 

If I have to apologise to Joan and Kai for reading the The Fault in Our Stars, I wouldn't. I'm happy I read it and I'm not ashamed to admit that I did cry reading the book, that I fell in-love with Augustus Waters just as well as Hazel did, that I really liked John Green's writing style, and that the novel made me wish for a cure for cancer even more.

I was playing Daughter's "Amsterdam" again and again towards the end
of the book.

That would be a teardrop. Or a snot drop. I'm not so sure

***

Now that I've read the book, I've never been more excited to see the movie adaptation of The Fault in Our Stars. And as though looking at stills from the film will pacify my excitement, I Googled/IMDb-ed some and I'd love to post them in here, just so I could look at them anytime I want. Feel free to view them as well :D

*Source: Internet Movie Database

UPDATE!!!
A 10-second TFIOS Sneak Peek!

***

I also took the liberty of compiling some of my favourite quotes from the book in these pictures, inspired by the cover Rodrigo Corral created. How about you, what are your favourite quotes from The Fault in Our Stars? 

♥Andz