Currently Addicted to Bob Ong's Books Right Now.

sorry for not blogging for the last... erm-i-didn't-really-keep-count weeks. i was busy, you know.. Christmas Vacation doesn't last forever.

anyway, Bob Ong...

if you're Filipino and you haven't heard of him, you must be living under a rock. i kinda did until about two years ago when my cousin introduced BO's (yes, that's his initials) seventh book, Kapitan Sino (roughly translated to English as "Captain Who").

I was 14 and i didn't really care about it at first because, well, (and i'm embarrassed to say  this) it's written in Filipino. But after about two months, i read his fifth book, Stainless Longganisa (a parody to skinless longganisa), and it was all about writing. and i have to say, it truly, truly inspired me. it actually got me started on writing. :)

after that, the rest was a blur. i read his first and second book, but... got sidetracked with Percy Jackson as you very well know.

then two years after, i saw his ninth book, "Lumayo Ka Nga Sa Akin" ("Get Away From Me") just this Christmas, and did i LAUGH at the cover. it looked like a pocketbook, for crying out loud! i was laughing my pants off for the rest of the day (don't worry, Bob, i actually bought the book).

it was sort of an insult... no, that's too strong a word... kind of like a parody of three kinds of Filipino movies: action, horror, and romance. it was hilarious, of course, but as usual, it was accompanied by this sort of sad wish for the readers to put a stop to the seemingly idiotic way Filipinos prefer to watch movies.

in three days i have finished 8 out of 9 of his books. i wish i can go and buy Ang Alamat ng Gubat now.. :( that's how addictive they are.

and you know what? my favorite, ironically, is the one i wasn't interested in to read at first: Kapitan Sino. it just shows Bob can be versatile, you know? ;) (to all BO readers, you know what i'm talking about.

They Walk Among Us... Do they, really? - "I Am Number Four"

Oh gosh. here i go. :)

so i got curious about this book since i never saw the movie (i know, i kind of live under a rock), so i bought it last week and i gotta say: i wasn't hooked eventually. i thought the narration of the death of Three was going to go on forever, and it just seemed so awfully grim.

but eventually, Four began to tell his story, and my face was like this close to the page all day until i finished it. i have to say, i have always been curious about aliens ever since i could remember... since i watched ROSWELL, i think.

anyway, so here's what i think: the story is so believable, i have a hard time believing it's fiction. i mean, it has this logic that is at par with the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series (which i'm going to write about one of these days because it's my ultimate favorite), and i really admire Pittacus Lore for doing that "leader of the Elders" thing. i wonder why he did that, though. why pretend to be an alien if you can get the credit for being the author of a great series? ah, well, only he knows that, i guess.

so yeah, it was definitely... hmm.. interesting. it kept me glued and everything for something that's not that humorous.

something that annoyed me a bit was the love story. i dunno, i guess there's just too much kissing, it's really gooey. haha, i'm babbling. it was nice the way Four found his first love in the human race, though. and Sarah was definitely deserving. :)

the message was clear enough, i guess: take care of Mother Earth, while there's still time. :) i definitely applaud Pittacus for that. who knows? maybe, in time, like Lorien, she'll give us superpowers in return. ;)

Behind All the Wandwork - Harry Potter series

have you ever wondered what the Harry Potter series is really about? i mean, behind all the fantasy and the seemingly violent sorcery?

(well, my dad has. i'm actually posting this for his sake.)

Harry has been a part of my life since fifth grade, when that summer, i chose Goblet of Fire over a vacation in Manila. yes well, don't blame me; i was too lazy to go to the hot, polluted city. Fortunately, i didn't regret the decision. i LOVED Goblet of Fire, and Half-Blood Prince, Deathly Hallows, Prisoner of Azkaban, Sorcerer's Stone and Chamber of Secrets soon followed. Before i knew it, i was addicted. and it didn't even matter that i read the series in that chaotic way.

and then my dad was like, what do you even get from that? and he was all like, read about current events instead, and blah blah blah. i was all like, sure, dad! but really, i was thinking about his question and how i could defend my favorite hero.

so then i read behind the meanings of each story, and i found that from beginning to end, (and as corny as this may sound,) it was love that was always at work. it was love that made voldie's curse backfire, love that made harry so pure as to look into the mirror of erised and find the sorcerer's stone, love that made him find true friendship in ron and hermione, and love, in the end, for his friends, that made him survive his final encounter with voldie.

well, all i can say is:

beat that, current events! :)

"Dumbledore would have been happier to think there was a little more love in the world." - Professor McGonagall

"Has The Sheep Eaten The Flower?" - The Little Prince

okay, it's make or break here. this is my first official entry to my 7 month reading marathon and i'm a bit nervous. but since i don't really have readers (my mom, dad, and cousins don't count), what the heck?

so. the little prince. the story on how i heard about this book is really weird. when i was about ten, there was a movie where my favorite lead actor absolutely LOVED this book, so i resolved to buy it.

five years later, i still haven't bought it, and by pure chance of course, at this contest where my teammate and i were one point away from winning, i was asked the question: "In what book can you find this quote: 'It is only with the heart that once can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye'?". You can imagine my disappointment as i wrote down "Twilight" and the answer was actually this particular book.

so, we lost the contest by a point and my resolve became even stronger. i am going to BUY THIS BOOK. and so i did. i don't really know why; i should have hated it because it was the one thing that caused our loss. but i bought it, and i read it with utmost attention, like i was going to encounter questions about it in another contest or something.

so anyway...

there is only one thing i can say: Antoine De Saint-Exupery was a genius. not in that snobbish, unreachable way, but in that innocently amazing way only a children's book can be. from the dedication to the note at the end, i was totally engrossed. every word seemed so trivial, but words of wisdom were hidden everywhere. every character played a part. nobody was an extra. everything was written simply, but all of them should be deciphered for hidden meanings.

i know that as a sixteen-year-old, i can't really convince anyone of its brilliance, but i do think it is. and all the time, i was thinking... what if i become like the adults in the book? geez, that would be abominable. ah well. i sometimes wonder if the little prince did land in the Sahara. i know it's a long shot, but... what if?

and even for months after reading the book, i kept thinking... has the sheep really eaten the flower? i doubt even Antoine found out.

'The Little Prince' cover art

NOTE: This is Not Nerdy!

geez, it's been almost a month since i last blogged (counting the one I just deleted, of course. i have to set goals here. :)

you know, i have just seen Julie and Julia, you know, the movie about the girl with the blog about food and the happy ending? i'm actually planning to write about something i love, too, but not food, of course, because i can't even cook anything with the exception of cup noodles. the idea was just so nice because i sort of need the distraction, what with graduating and all, so i wish i could do what she did.

wait wait, i'm being sentimental.

anyway, where was i? right. i can't really write about food, because i don't even cook.

so yeah... what do i love? there's music, but i don't think anyone cares about my genres - country, mostly. with a little hip-hop and rock, but i can't really blog about something so changeable and trivial as songs, can i? geez. oh i'm blabbing again. but that's the point of a blog, isn't it? you can talk about whatever you want and nobody cares! :D

hmm... okay so i won't write about music... what else is there? school? blearchh. forget i even said that. oh, i know! books!

well, doesn't that sound nerdy? haha, i'm not talking about text books or anything. i'll write about the books i read - fiction, mostly. but i'll try my best to diversify. anyway, they're just opinions and the like..

i'll write as i please. i'll praise and critique the books i read for the next 7 months, right until the start of college. hopefully i do them justice, and they help me grow as a person (cheesy, i know) and get ready for the dreaded... (and i quote my dad) "real life".

so, are you ready? i certainly am! i'll start with my favorite book, of course!

Destiny? psshaw.

Nope, I don't believe in destiny. In life, maybe, but in love?

I mean, true love doesn't even exist!!! I know that sounds emo, but I feel extremely scientific about this thing we call LOVE. It's just hormones.

I refuse to be a slave to it, because I don't want to get hurt again!!! And I don't want to hurt other people...

GAAAAHHH!!! What am I going to do???

Sorry guys, just blabbing. Forget everything you read. :)

The Heroes of Olympus: The Son of Neptune RELEASE

Book two will FINALLY be here! On October 4, 2011, we will find out what happened to Percy, where he is, and if he and Annabeth will still be together after all of this. Of course, we already know Annabeth is the only thing he can remember (swoon), so of that we're reassured.

Oh, and there's the fact that they will go to Greece!... Not that it will be a field trip; they have to fight monsters along the way.

The questions that remain are: who are the remaining demigods mentioned in the Great Prophecy? Will they "bear arms to the Doors of Death"? Will the world really end?

And... Will this book be released on the same date in the Philippines? It's killing me, really.

The Joy of Dancing (I can't believe I just wrote that)

yes, well, we WON! haha! finally.

I mean, we did put a lot of effort in our dance... (okay, we rehearsed for like, four days, but we put our HEART and SOUL into it, you know?)

I never really knew what was happening around me. I was just too preoccupied with what we were doing onstage. And it felt so GOOD! ahh!!!

it felt like conquering the world, really. I can't believe I discovered it just now. I've missed it my whole life! :D

I admit, I haven't thought about anything besides singing and playing instruments. Never thought dancing could ever make me feel relaxed and powerful at the same time, like singing does.

But found out today, and I'm never going to let this go. :)

To all you guys out there: try dancing. even if you're not good at it (like me), it's great therapy. :)

Crossing My Fingers for the UPCAT Results... on February

Ahh, I can't believe I have to wait THAT long!!! I'm already so worried. I can't even tell if I passed or not. Of course, hopefully I did, but I'm not going to expect anything, because I don't want to get hurt in the end.

But the truth is, I don't really have ANOTHER option aside from UP. I mean, not for me, anyway. It's either UP or Harvard, so, well, UP it is. :)

Everyone expects me to pass (yes, no pressure there), and I honestly don't know if I can fulfill their expectations. I am just a sixteen-year-old, after all.

Somehow, though, I really AM hoping to pass. It would be the happiest day of my life. :)

Angelica Zambrano

i am confused.

i really want to believe her testimony, but it makes me scared. especially the part about hell. i mean, who wouldn't be? the first time i saw the written testimony, i was like: this isn't real. but as i read on, and on, and on... i started to think that it is too weird and detailed to make up. and angelica seems to be telling the truth... i don't know what to think, though. reading about pope john paul 2, a most beloved pope, in hell of all places, is just unbelievable.


Click here to view the original video.

This song makes me cry. :'( you know, in a good way. :)

Adele is truly wonderful. she's like Britain's Taylor Swift, but less country and more drama. :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0put0_a--Ng

The Dexionary and other "kowtable koytz"

i already wrapped it up!

well, to those who don't know what it is, it's this big notebook we filled with quotable quotes from school. it all started when i wrote down a bunch of funny things we said at the back of my music notebook... and with the help of my bff tin and dexter, of course, ;) we created.... *cue drum roll*

THE DEXIONARY!!!!! well, kaye and the others thought of the name. :D it's awesome.

i only ask for a life. :)

i honestly don't know why i'm writing this...

i just feel so betrayed right now and the internet is just a way of venting my feelings, so please allow me to be reckless just this once, okay?

okay, here comes the venting...

they just expect too MUCH from me! okay, i should learn to balance things, and i AM. but whenever i talk, they say i'm too talkative. and whenever i keep quiet, they say i have to mingle more. i mean WHAT am i supposed to do??? i am NOT some kind of robot that is perfect in every way. just because i obey the rules DOESN'T mean i obey them with RIGIDITY. i am NOT perfect, and i accept that. WHY can't they, too?\

do i have the right to have an enjoyable life? or even a life at all? just sayin'. :)

thanks, guys, i feel so good when i write. ^_^

UP is boggling my mind right now.

i mean, i have never been this busy and worried! applying for a school, too! well, it IS the best university in the philippines, and it has been my dream since i could say "school". i guess i don't have to worry if i have to put a dry seal on my form-137 or not...

or do i? :/

The most embarrassing day of my life!!! :D and i LOVED it!

yes, well, it turned out better than i thought, but still...

i absolutely LOVE this day! i was actually an emcee four times, fixed two friends' problem, and faced my old enemy: DANCING.

yes, you read right, i actually danced. and not just ANY dance, mind you. it was ON THE FLOOR/WE NO SPEAK AMERICANO/NAM-NAM mash-up. i had soooo much fun with my classmates. it was totally awesome! :D

whatta day. :)

Just created my blog!

finally. you know, my cousin has been urging me to do this in a long time. well, actually she's been urging me since may, so that's not too long, is it?

anyway...

tomorrow will be the most embarrassing day of my life, if i screw it up. :)

i will update this if i did well, or if i... did less than well. i can't really write properly because my dad is in the room and it's awkward. so yeah, it's my first entry. yay! blog you guys tomorrow! :) (this means i'm talking to myself, as obviously i have no viewers yet)