I had a very lovely weekend with Papa and my cousin EK. We went to see the light show at the Ayala Triangle, and it was just one of the most colourful things I've ever seen! All those twinkly lights added some splash to the dark night sky, dancing to the sound of Christmas tunes. It was beautiful!
I have always admired the prints from ParadaCreations. The illustrations are quite vintage and definitely wall-worthy. The colours go well together. And, I find the message of each print really inspirational!
Visit ParadaCreations' etsy shop right here: ParadaCreations
All prints are owned by their artist, Susana Parada.
Before tomorrow starts, you must know something about today...
OK, so, today, I met a very close and dear high school friend of mine, Angel, who happens to be the author of the awesome blog My World, My Camera. We decided to meet, cos it's been a long time since we saw each other - 16 April, to be exact. It's just amazing to hang out again like we used to, and happy memories just keep flooding in my mind!
Badly broke, we didn't shop like we usually do when we're at the mall. Instead, we dropped by our fave shops: Gourdo's and Accessorize, and just before temptation cleaned our bank accounts, we fled the stores, and watched Breaking Dawn.
Honestly, it wasn't as bad as people say. In fact, I found it better than the previous two movies. The wedding was OK. The speeches were hilarious. The honeymoon was so full-on! (If you're asking me if the sex scenes were good, I must say that they're awfully, bed-breakingly good!) Not for children though - Even I flinched! Then there was this conversation among the wolves which seemed like a talking-animals movie, which I found weird. I think subtitles would be better. The pregnancy of Bella, however, is a different story. It was like watching a horror movie, kinda like The Exorcist. Creepy, yes, but after all the gore, and the vampy venom has settled in her system, Bella turned beautiful again, so all is well.
The day is short, which is very frustrating, but for some reason, I like to be kept hangin', so on December, we would have more to talk about - with Felis!
I found my old camera's memory card this morning, and I browsed through photos taken a a few years ago. It was quite interesting, because it got me reminiscing some of the simplest yet dear moments of my life that I'm on the verge of forgetting.
I've been itching to blog about some interesting reads, flicks, and melodies I've come across over the past few days - er, months, really - but I really didn't know when to do it, until now.
A Place Called Here, by Cecelia Ahern
Apparently, lost things go somewhere you might just stumble upon one day.
Sandy Short's obsession to missing things began twenty years ago when a childhood classmate of hers disappeared. Ever since then, Sandy devoted herself to one thing: finding what is lost. She endlessly searched and turned her house upside down growing up, looking for socks, scotch tape, and even her passport prior to a much-anticipated family trip to Austria. And realising that looking for lost things isn't enough, she ran a missing people's agency after leaving the Gardaí, giving families with lost loved ones a tiny flicker of hope.
On the other side of the story, Jack Ruttle is searching for his brother, who went missing a year ago. Knowing that Sandy Shortt was the answer to his prayers, he gave her a call and set a meet-up. However, when Sandy doesn't show up on the said date and later, he started to become sceptical. Before he knew it, he wasn't just searching for his brother, but the woman who would help him find his brother as well.
Ahern writes with so much mystery and creativity that will keep you turning the pages until the very end. A Place Called Here isn't a book you would dare to lose.
My Name is Memory, by Ann Brashares
Daniel is guilty. Daniel is looking for Sophia. Daniel wants to start all over.
It's been centuries since he first saw her. Those gorgeous eyes that met his gaze; her life that ended in a fire he started; her soul that he wasn't able to save; and her heart that could never be his. Daniel has been on a very long journey living and being reincarnated many times over searching for his one and only Sophia, hoping one day, she would love him and truly be his.
He then meets Lucy, a typical girl in the Virginia suburbs, who, indeed, is Sophia in another life. Trying to make up his past faults and failures, Daniel is determined to never lose Sophia again, even if it means standing against his cruel brother.
Ann Brashares just created the perfect book for a pleasurable trip through time.
Bon Appétit
Daniel is a talented young chef who travels to Switzerland to pursue his dream of working at a famous restaurant ran by a star chef named Thomas Wackerle. In the restaurant, he meets the restaurant's sommelier, Hanna, and falls in love with her. His exceptional skill then led him to the progression of his position at the ever-so-busy and demanding kitchen.
He was living his dream, when one evening, Hanna kissed him and things started to change. He found himself asking, is love worthy of bargaining with his professional career?
Bon Appétit is a delicious film about love, work, and friendship. And the breath-taking sites of Zurich, Switzerland featured in the film are a bonus!
HappyThankYouMorePlease
HappyThankYouMorePlease revolves around Sam, a writer, and Rasheen, a child from foster care with great artistic skills who meet at a subway. Supporting characters are Annie, Sam's best friend, who's looking for a reason to be loved, suffering from Alopecia; Mary Catherine, his cousin, and her boyfriend, Charlie; and a waitress/singer oddly named Mississippi, everyone trying to make their ends meet at New York City.
In his directorial debut, Josh Radnor (from How I Met Your Mother) very much deserves the U.S. Favourite Drama award in the Sundance Film Festival in 2010, for writing a poignant film about the struggles people in all walks of life have to face in relationships.
A must-see for everybody!!!
Straight Lines, by Dawn Landes
I just wish that I watched the documentary "When Harry Left Hogwarts" earlier... This song is used in the credits, and I just fell in love with it. Beautiful, beautiful melody. Dawn Landes is very delightful!
I can't help but notice how the sky darkens earlier these days. The cool shift in the air at twilight. The cheerful Christmas songs played in the malls. And the sparkly ornaments decorating shop windows. Indeed, Christmas is just around the corner.
It's barely half a hundred days - 40, to be exact - before the most-awaited holiday season of every year. Sure and soon enough, people will be shopping for presents to give, decorating their homes with lavish tinsel and sparkly lights, and the kitchen will smell of baking gingerbread men and chocolate chip cookies - yum!
I personally love Christmas (Well, who doesn't?). So today, I changed the header of the site and the profile photo of the Facebook page to set the yuletide mood. I can't promise any other changes or posts, as I am very busy in school these days. For now, enjoy the bunches of holly!
I knew that this semester would be serious. Little did I know that it would be really serious. With the few maths exercises our professor has given us over the first week, I realised that I'm not just bad in algebra, but I also lost the little skill I have in me to solve simple problems!
Then in logic, we have a really dignified professor who's got a lot of titles proudly imprinted next to his name, and worst - which also appears to be the best of all: he's bloody fluent in French! He even wrote a thesis in French! I know basic French, but when he said the title of his work, I just drowned in words. Oh, mon Dieu!
Moving on to Journalism, as I have mentioned before, we'll be having communication theories. Theories. Right. It's driving me mad! Doing our first homework, I thought it would take forever! Looking for answers and sources isn't that easy, especially when it comes to really deep topics that only what seems like ancient people have in their shelves.
I know I shouldn't be complaining, because, pretty much, I'll be facing more of these in the next few years - maybe even more. All I need right now is encouragement, and determination. I CAN DO THIS!!! So yeah, college girls, bear with me...
The second semester of this year starts tomorrow, and I'm everything but enthusiastic (and it's synonyms) about it. Yes, I miss school - I really do, but we'll be having algebra this semester, and that's enough reason to flip out (if you know what I mean). I've never been a maths geek. In fact, I could count the algebra tests I was able to ace in my whole high school life. Although, I do great in geometry and statistics.
Then, we have folk dance for PE. Bummer. I don't hate dancing. I just don't and can't dance. The joke when I'm dancing would always be a shout out saying a bone fell off my oh-so skeletal body. Yes, I'm that bad, and that's why I don't dance in public. I categorise myself as a bedroom dancer - door locked, curtains drawn close, eye holes SEALED!
Wait, there's more! We have this Philippine Government and Constitution thing in our course and it sounds really serious. Serious scares me. Just the slightest thought of it gives me goosebumps. It's like maths but worse. EEP! We also have Logic, Reading and Thinking Skills For Academic Study, and Communication Theories which make me equally jelly on the legs.
However, we'll also be taking some less nerve-racking subjects (thank God!), like Contemporary World Geography, Philippine Literatures, and Church and Sacraments.
I'll be busier too, which means I'll be publishing less posts over the next few weeks. Don't worry, though! Christmas break would come by faster than you expect it to, then before you know it, I'm back to my blogging bliss! I just don't want blogging to interfere with how I do in school, especially now that I have to keep my grades up.
Well, I could say that today and yesterday have been quite a trip. From Laguna to Manila, then Manila to Quezon, and from Quezon back to Laguna (which seems like forever, if you'll ask me), my butt - pretty much - is tired and flat from seating. The car seat isn't pleased about it either.
Before school kicks off again on the 8th, my family and I decided to go out for a while for some bonding. We went to Lucena to visit my dad's office (his project is located there - don't ask.) and to have some dinner - that was yesterday. Today, we had a quick breakfast at the hotel, and soon drove off to Lucban to attend a healing mass at Kamay Ni Hesus. The place is quite popular in the country due to its healing priests and powers. We then had our lunch at the famous Kamayan Sa Palaisdaan restaurant. I've been there when I was younger, and the food hasn't changed - still yummy! - maybe, even better! After having lunch, we planned on indulging in some halo-halo, but the garden where the dessert was sold was closed. My mum is frustrated, as well as my sweet tooth.
I really enjoyed our trip, and thank God we're home.
Just some of the stuff I brought along for the trip hanging out on my lap. My mobile (for games!), a magazine (I never go away without it), and a Dido CD to pop into the player.
The church just after the mass.
The statues in the mountain by the church. Mama and I climbed it. Gosh, we're tired!
Just a piece of the view from the peak.
If you've been to Brazil, you probably saw the Christ the Redeemer statue. If you visit Lucban, make sure to check out the Philippine version of it in Kamay ni Hesus.
My feet at the peak...
My tired feet on one of what seemed like a thousand steps.
The sweatiest I've ever been since military training...
And yes, I'm wearing the shirt given to me by one of my closest friends :))
Some of the kubos at Kamayan sa Palaisdaan.
Me smiling at the camera while watching fingerlings swim quickly in the pond.
On the floating kubo...
Lovely orchids waiting to be purchased. We bought a pot for my dear Mommy (my grandma, abuelita, lola)
It's a bit late for this one now (blame my bloody slow internet connection!), but I really want to tell you about what happened during the last few days of October starting on my birthday...
28 October
My 17th birthday turned out better than I expected it to. I baked my birthday cake, you see, and I thought it would be a full-blown disaster, but it wasn't! It wasn't perfect either, but it was OK. I have to lessen the batter in the baking pan next time, though.
For lunch, we ate at a Chinese restaurant, and ordered what seemed like a feast fit for a king. In my case, a queen. That's the thing: we never miss out Chinese food when somebody in our family celebrates their birthday. I'm not a big fan of it, but shrimp dumplings and some noodles make me smile!
In the afternoon, we ate the cake I baked - it's blueberry, by the way, gobbled up some thin crust pizza (pepperoni and shrimp - yum!), and had some strawberry and caramel ice cream. Then for dinner, my dad bought these ginormous crabs and crispy pata.
God, the food was great! I think I gained weight, but that's all right cos a growing girl like me can't stick to 41 kg, especially at 17.
OK, let me introduce you to the Birthday Wall. It's in our living room, and whenever somebody in the family celebrates their birthday, the wall would be decorated, ready to greet the birthday girl/boy. I had that Aladdin banner since I was four. The genie's hair has been torn had taped on a lot of times now...
The proud artist with her cake masterpiece. Yes, I baked all four mini cakes, plus the fondant on top. Don't judge me, though. I'm not a pro.
I baked mini Harry Potter cakes - just so you know.
A BIG THANKS to Wilton!
I wore my Harry Potter costume to feel the mood in a deeper level :))
Pepperoni pizza!!
Shrimp pizza!!
I added some blueberries in my strawberry ice cream for more flavour. It did the trick!
29 October
My aunt bought some flowers for our lolo's grave, and I played with the excess blossoms. The sunflower, however, is my request. I've always wanted to hold a real sunflower, and my wish was granted! I couldn't stop thanking Mamanet that night.
*Some photos are taken on the 30th of October.
30 October
I love Jason Mraz's music, so when I found out that he will be dropping by the country for a one night concert, I did not hesitate to get a ticket at once! But, due to Jason's popularity in the country, the front row and centre row seats have all been taken. I was sooo devastated, but I was lucky enough to get a spot close to the stage, but on the side. I watched with Papa, but he was a layer behind me.
Watching his Live on Earth DVD a lot
of times in the past, I was convinced that he
he really is a great performer. Little did I know that he is a million times better live!
The night was filled with music, dancing, and advice from Mr. A-Z himself! Making things better, Jason's percussion-playing buddy Toca Rivera tagged along!
It was such an awesome night, and I feel sorry for those who missed it. Fortunately, Jason Mraz is planning to come back on 2012! Mark your calendars, people!!!
This is probably the best photo I took all through the night. I was having such a great time that I ditched the camera, and just sang and danced along with the crowd.
It was my first time to attend a concert this BIG. The audience had great energy. I bet Jason loved that.
This is how far I am from the stage. It's nearer than you think. What's crappy, though, is that all of us - including those in the front and centre rows - paid the same price!
A photo of me after the concert.
31 October
HALLOWEEN!!! Decorations at home had been put up earlier. I even mistook the paper bat hanging over my bed as a real ghost. Ha! Ha!
