Reading is my Passion

Saw someone today stifling a laugh over a book she was reading in a public place. Most people there thought she was crazy or weird, but I felt envious towards her. It is just the greatest feeling when you found THAT book that can convey the strongest emotion in you. I'm definitely reading what she was reading and see for myself. :-)

New Year Update

It's been a year since the last time I was here. Yeah, it's already 2009 so there. I wouldn't dish about how I spent the holidays because I can't really remember all the details because I was either asleep or drunk! Just kidding (although partially true). But I'm certain of one thing... it was one of the best holidays of my life, I swear!

Anyway, I already got back to work a week ago but it's just now that I felt updating this blog since it's really outdated. This year I won't make any resolutions because I am also certain that I won't be able to live with it for the whole year. SO it just make sense that I just don't make any promises to others and to myself, specially. But new year's resolution aside I am or I will try to be always on time for work. Six working days have gone by and I only had one tardy and it was only a minute! Woohooo! I am doing great so far. I am also trying my best to stay fit and healthy so now for lunch break I am only going to have 2 packets of soda crackers and water. I think I still sounded like making my new year's resolution... Anyway, it doesn't matter because I didn't sign any contract regarding these.

By the way, I just finished reading Amy Tan's Saving Fish From Drowning and I like it! It's fun and funny! :) And I just watched The Curious Case of Benjamin Button today and it really made me cry. I hate you Brad and Cate you made me cry and look at my eyes now! They are so puffy! I like the screenplay, better than Fitzgerald's short story. The film made me realize that we don't have to judge a person because of his/her decisions because at the moment it might hurt us and feel really bad about life but in the future we'll realized that what we thought a bad decision was a great decision after all.

So there... I hope you'll watch the movie and read the book that I have just watched and read.

A Night with Nights in Rodanthe

So I told you that after posting the entry before this I'll be reading the Nights in Rodanthe. I did not but did. I did not because I did not read it right after for no reason at all and I did because I've read it during my shift tonight. I also love (once again) and hate Nicholas Sparks at the same time. I love him because he wrote another good novel but I also hate him because he put me in the verge of tears. I really wanted to cry, if only I was at home I could have cried a bucket but then again I'm here at work. It was so hard for me reading the very tear-jerking part and not be able to let loose a single tear because my officemates might notice and would ask me why. If you didn't know, I'm the only femme working with a bunch of guys in our office so it's really hard. When I got to that 'part', my heart was really crushed and I think I felt what Adrienne felt that time. It was like I was the person in the book. The book is at the same time heart-warming and heart-breaking.

I know I've been making one to many contradicting points here, but it is what I'm feeling now. Unlike A Bend in the Road that's tragedy then happiness, this book it's like tragedy-happiness-tragedy-contentment. Though the protagonists of this book are of middle ages but still I can relate to them. I felt the lost of the lady protagonist who went through divorce and found a new love then dealt with the grief of the death of her new found love alone but still found her strength to live each day not just for herself but also for her family. It left me wondering if was there ever a time my mom went through this phase when she and my dad separated. I wondered if like Amanda, Adrienne's daughter I was blinded to my mom's grief and solitude because I was busy running away from everything that happend to our family, and was busy building my own world where I had a picture perfect family. I'm not insensitive when it comes to my family, but as I've been saying I'm no expert. And how would I know if my mom does cry herself to sleep like I do because where miles apart? And I bet she also didn't know that stage of my life because she was also busy dealing with her stuff.

But one thing I've learned from this book, is that nothing can ever make you feel better but yourself, and you won't get over losing someone/something you just get used to the pain and it's up to you if you'll let yourself be eaten by it. It all boils down to you wanting to give up or go on with life. It's a matter of choice.

I just hope that when all else fails life is as simple as CTRL-ALT-DEL.

Bummer's Weekend

So my weekend was a bummer! All I did was just sleep and eat, watch TV and surf the net. I didn't get to watch a movie, and the only time I went out of our place is when I bought a bottle of Coke, I had no choice because no drinking water have been delivered yet that time and the only drink we had was root beer and I'm not really a fan of root beers. So I had no choice but to drag my little butt to the nearest grocery store to savor the heavenly taste of Coke. Did I sound like an addict there?

Anyway, on second thought my weekend is not a total bummer because I was able to finish a book, Nicholas Sparks' "A Bend in the Road". I like it. It justified the saying "everything happens for a reason". I love the characters. It's the first time that I liked every character in the book, and I felt like if a single character will be taken off the novel I have the feeling that the book wouldn't be the same again. Did you ever read a book to the end then realized that there are some characters that are useless and better off? Don't get me wrong I'm no expert of writing of any sorts because I'm an IT graduate and I only took English courses that are suited for an IT degree. I do write some stuff, but basically those are just informal and stuff that wouldn't likely be published, except on our school paper in high school and college. Anyway, just read the book so that you'll know what I'm talking about.

After this post I will most likely be reading another work of Mr. Sparks "Nights in Rodanthe", I want to finish the book before watching the movie. So that maybe I can tell the difference between the book and the movie and maybe criticize what's lacking on the cinematography. Hahaha just kidding! After all who would believe me, I'm no expert on anything but playing Chocolatier 2 and Jane's realty. Hahaha.

Though my weekend is a loser/geek's weekend, I don't care. I had fun and I was able to rest to the max and I didn't spend on anything (except for the bottle of Coke. :p) I'm trying to save up for my Christmas shopping, I want to start early to avoid the holiday rush that I've experienced the past years. It's September already it's time to start saving up!

Book Blabbing

I'm at work right now but I don't feel like I'm at work at all. Since my shift started all I did was just surf the net, listen to music, IM and occasionally search for videos on the web. I just wish everyday is Saturday or Sunday at work. The workplace is just so peaceful during these days unlike the market-like environment during the weekdays. Weekdays can go pretty crazy here, like a mad house! But I just don't like to spend the entire night staring at my monitor. It's soo boring, I would like to have little challenges on the side. Like some problems that I need to attend to. But on second thought.. Nah! I'd rather be here doing nothing than cramming my butt trying to be some superhero who'll save the day from further system downtime.

Anyway for the lack of something to do, I did read some chick lits that I have downloaded before. It's no ordinary chick lits, it's Meg Cabot's the author of Princess Diaries, which the movie almost all girls happen to love. For the record I only read the (chick lits) works of Sophie Kinsella and now Meg Cabot. I have read all books of Sophie, it started with the Confessions of a Shopaholic because I was kind of curious about this book and how almost all girls talk about this for hours. And I kinda admit that I've read that book because I was kind of ... just a little I think, of a shopaholic myself. After reading the 'confessions' of Becky Bloomwood, I kinda got hooked up and I ended up reading all Sophie's books.

Tonight, I've finished reading two of Meg Cabot's books, How To Be Popular and Queen of Babble. I also started reading She Went All The Way but I ditched it, for now, thinking that my shift's about to end and I won't be able to finish it today. Maybe tonight. I had fun reading How To Be Popular, you can score a tip or two! But I just think that it was a teenybopper one. Basing on the fact that the leads were 16 year olds. I had a great time reading Queen of Blabble. I love the fashion freak Lizzie Nichols and the uber hot Jean-Luc. The plot is similar to Sophie's Can You Keep a Secret but Jean-Luc is hotter and the setting/scenery is superb. A French chateau in the countryside with the vineyard, a real windmill and the Dordogne river! Lizzie and I share the same passion which is fashion and her love for vintage clothes. Oh my! I am already morphing into a Queen of Babble! I need to stop this nonsense blabbing. I suggest you read the book so that you'll know what I'm blabbing about. :)

I am so not ashame that I've read those books. I love Paulo Coelho, Amy Tan, Sydney Sheldon, Mitch Albom and a few more but Meg and Sophie's humor is incomparable. They are both hilarious! And reading a chick lit is like my own diversion, it's like watching a funny movie after a stressful day to relax yourself and forget about anything that matters even for a while.

How about you? Have you read any chick lit? And what book was it?

For One More Day with Vanessa Carlton

This post is so late, but you know me 'better late than later'! Anyway, my mom and I went to meet a distant cousin at the EDSA Shangrila, after having lunch there and a little shopping we went to Trinoma to watch Vanessa Carlton's mini concert. When we got there I went straight to the concierge to claim my pass but the lady there told me that I was late! They already gave away all the pass! I almost freaked out because I've been waiting for this, there's got to be a way... Think. Think. Kristina.

We went to the 4th level and luckily I saw a cordoned area there, and it was the area of the live feed broadcast of Vanessa Carlton from cinema 7. I had no other choice, so I fell in line. And it was the closest that I could get to Vanessa Carlton. While I was watching the concert on the screen, my mom and cousin went for a little shopping again. Can you imagine I traded shopping for Vanessa?! That's how much I like her. The mini concierto was good, she sang my favorite songs and she also said some things about the songs she wrote/co-wrote. And she also said that she strongly believes that she has a little of our 'blood', as she looks like everyone here in the country. After the mini concert I met with my mom and we had dinner. We got home past midnight.

And you think I capped of the night just like that? No. I spent the whole night fixing my laptop, because when my mom was using it earlier she accidentally clicked on some fraud ad and boom! I got the malwarrior (malware)! I so hate those people sending malwares and will give you a fixed that they also made that costs a lot! I so hate them. I tried all the suggested fix I can find on the web but to no avail. The virus is so persistent and the worst thing is it used up all my free space on the hard drive. I know I had like more than 50g but it only left me with 45mb! Geez! Good thing before 6AM I was able to fix it by deleting it from the registry, and by deleting the account I created for anyone who uses my laptop.

Anyway, I finally got to read Mitch Albom's For One More Day. It took me three hours to finish the whole book. I love Mitch Albom! From Tuesdays with Morrie to 5 People You Meet in Heaven and this book For One More Day. This book is about a man who's given one more day with the person that really loved and cared for him, his mom.

I was in tears when I read the parts where Chick list the times when her mom stood up for her, and the times she didn't stand up for her. I can really relate to that. The book really made me realize some things about my relationship with my mom.

I read the book in a really perfect timing, since it's Mother's Day today.

Happy Mother's Day mom and to all the moms in the world.

Tell Me Your Dreams

I've finished reading Sidney Sheldon's Tell Me Your Dreams yesterday. Would you believe it, it took me 4 days to finish a single book! It's a shame because I used to finish a book in just one sitting, and that's about 4-5 hours max. Tell Me Your Dreams is about a young beautiful woman who's suspected of committing a series of brutal murders. The police made an arrest that led to one of the most bizarre trials of the century. Bizarre because the suspect of the murders is not aware that she did all those brutal crimes, she was suffering from MPD or Multiple Personality Disorder. She has two alter egos in her, and the dominant one is the culprit of all the crimes where she, rather her body was involved. I wouldn't dig deep into the book because maybe some of you haven't read the book yet and would want to read it.

I've only read two of Sheldon's book and my favorite will always be If Tomorrow Comes. I just love Tracy Whitney, she is superb and ingenious! If you haven't read any of Sheldon's books, I suggest you read If Tomorrow Comes first.

On another note, when I was on my way to work last night I saw an accident. It was really heartbreaking! A car and a motorcycle collided along Ortigas Extension. I was so frightened when I saw what happened, the man/woman riding with the motorcycle driver fell off the motorcycle and almost hit his/her head on the concrete barrier. He/she wasn't able to get up, he was helped by the people near the accident scene. The car who crashed into the victims ran away. Unfortunately, nobody got the chance to get the plate number of the car who hit the motorcycle. I saw the car, it was a white corolla, I also saw the plate number but because of the accident I totally blanked out, and I can't remember the plate number of the car who just hit and ran. I feel so sorry for the victims, I wish I've put enough attention on the car's plate, I should have been able to help track the driver who got away from the accident leaving the victims crushed and wounded physically and emotionally.

Before I saw the accident, I was cheerful, my heart was filled with joy because of some reasons but after the accident I forgot all the happiness in me, I don't even remember why I was even happy on the first place. I really agree on what Maria wrote on her diary: "Life moves so fast; It rushes you from heaven to hell in a matter of seconds." --Maria, Eleven Minutes by Paulo Coelho. You really can't control nor predict what will happen in your life, one minute you're happy the other you're sad. One day you're living, the next you're already laying on a morgue bed... cold and lifeless... (God forbid) So, it only led me to one conclusion, dance like no one's watching, sing your heart out! We need to live each day like our last, coz we'll never know what the big guy up there has cooked up for us.

Enjoy life! Ciao.

Memoirs of Harry Potter

I was sleepless for a couple of nights last week, I just had to read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows, I haven't really read all the books of the series, maybe just half of it but the last book I really felt that I have to read it so I'll know how's it going to end. And so I did, I read the entire book for almost 48 hours. I had to take a nap every little while though to rest my mind and to digest everything that I've read. The last installment is ok but not really ok ok. You know what I mean. I like that J.K. Rowling brought back almost all the characters we've 'met' before but there are just some things that I've wished she made clear what really happened to them. Like Luna and Neville I would love to know what happened to them after the 'Battle in Hogwartz', what became of the Dursley's, though they weren't kind to Harry I still want to know what happened to them. And the one that I'm dying to know (ok, it's exag I'm not really dying to know) if who became the headmaster of Hogwartz. Maybe Professor McGonagall? What do you think? Anyway, maybe someday I could ask J.K. Rowling someday, somehow.

I've also read Memoirs of a Geisha, yeah I'm really late... I know this book is kinda a long time ago and the movie is so last year.... I enjoyed reading it. And the book really helped me to understand what a geisha is, and I was really wrong in what I thought of those women. I had a very wrong notion about them.. I thought they were like courtesans, but they're absolutely not. I love all the kimonos that the geisha's wore. It's so great. But I never thought that wearing a kimono will be that hard, and as well as wearing their shoes/slippers. It takes a lot of hard work to be a geisha. I just wish I could meet a geisha and tell her how much I adore her courage. It's so hard picturing them, how much more living their lives.

I think I have read enough books for this week and have enough blogging for today. I need to work now.

Looking Forward

Woohoo! Veinte más días antes de Navidad! Soy apenas tan feliz! I really can't wait till its christmas, and I also can't wait till our 13th month pay will be released. :D

Anyway, Kuya Red told me before that Bridge to Terabithia is now on film. I checked the trailer earlier and the visual effects are great, because it is by Weta Digital (Lord of the Rings, King Kong) and of course they have Warner Bros. as the producer. I can't wait for this movie to be released. I so love this book by Katherine Patterson.

Thank God for Paulo

I'm done reading Eleven Minutes and it took me 3 days to finish the book because I'm on a night shift and its really hard to do some reading when i get home from work when I'm already tired and very sleepy. But still, I managed to finish it in 3 days! Good for me! The book is really great! And as always, Paulo Coelho never fails to fascinate and hypnotize me with his works. He made me journey with Maria from her small town in the interior of Brazil, to Copacabana, to Geneva, Switzerland and Paris. How she struggled to achieved her dreams, from being a young, pretty innocent girl to an intellectual prostitute. And how she learned from every mistake she made in life. And finally, how she found herself and her love.

If you love reading, i suggest you read this book. I'm also planning to read Veronika Decides to Die and The Zahir (works of P.Coelho) on my day-off.

On the Other Hand

My friends are inviting me to come with them to Puerto Galera this Saturday, but I haven't decided yet. It's hard for me to say yes because I got books to read, I still have work tonight, and I only have one day-off for this week. And I don't think I can still squeeze that 'Puerto Galera get-away' on my schedule without affecting or ruining any on my list, because for sure if I'll be going to Puerto I won't be able to report for work on Sunday.

I really want to go with them 'coz its been ages since our last trip together, but how will I do that? It's too late to file for a vacation leave, I don't also want to phone in sick and file a SL on Sunday (I'm afraid of karma) but I also don't want to be absent (I hate deductions, and I don't want to lose the attendance incentive). Whew!

And hey, did I mention that I'm planning to have my birthday bash on Saturday night? Whew! (again!) Please enlighten me...

Finally, I got Eleven Minutes!

Yehey! The search is finally off! I got my eleven minutes book a few minutes after sunset. I got it from Power Books Greenbelt, and i can't take the grin off my face when i got hold of the book. It's a great feeling having that book, I can't describe my emotions. I know you think that I'm exaggerating my feelings for that book, but really... I'm so happy adding another Coelho's book in my bookshelf. I can now finally journey with Maria a young innocent, Brazilian girl who dreams of finding fame and fortune, who apparently became prostitute in "risking everything to find her own 'inner light' and the possibility of a 'sacred' sex in the context of love" --Paulo Coelho, Eleven Minutes

I can't wait to read the book, I want my shift to end now.

Eleven Days for 'Eleven Minutes'

Last April 18, that day happened to be my birthday, i went shopping for some stuff for myself and for my relatives coz the following day was my trip to the province. After shopping, i decided to buy the 11 minutes book by Paulo Coelho. I went to FIVE bookstores, unfortunately i found no trace of that book. After 'bookstore hopping', i never felt that exhausted and down coz i was really dying to have that book. I even cried a bucket of tears! I already read the first few chapters of that book and i quickly became obsess to that book. I don't know what's with Paulo (except for the obvious that he writes well) that he continues to hypnotize me with his works. One thing i love about eleven minutes is the plot itself and the character of Maria, on how she deals with life, love and intimacy. I already read some of Paulo's works but i still can't get enough of him, I'm still dying to have eleven minutes even after eleven days of searching. Eleven days didn't stop me, it makes me want that book more and more each day. I'm still hoping that it will land to my hands one of these days... I can wait for even eleven years for that book, I know it'll be worth the wait. But I'm also praying that it won't take that long.

Runway Traffic

April 19 was our flight to Cagayan de Oro, we left for the airport early and i was glad because our flight call was on time but what pissed me off was the take-off, it took us 45 minutes before we were able to fly because there was a runway traffic due to the same flight schedule with other airlines so we need to wait for the plane who gets to the runway line first to take-off before we could. Thanks to that runway traffic we were 45 minutes late, and we were late for the 12 o'clock trip to Zamboanga. Grrrrr.

Crying Scene

When we arrived at our grandfather's house, my daddy (grandfather) was crying coz he didn't know that were coming home because we wanted to surprise him, and truly he was surprised and he was more than teary eyed, he was really crying. He was shedding tears of joy because of our arrival.

Same Old Questions

Sigh. The same old questions were raised again... The questions that never fails to spoil my day:

* 'Do you have a boyfriend?' - Why do they want to know? Will they let me have one?

* 'Are you enjoying your stay in Manila?' - Of course, i do!

* 'When are you getting married?' - How will I? are there husbands for sale???? Tell me where i'll be able to find them if you have any idea... Hehehe On second thought nah just don't bother... I'm still enjoying the kind of life i'm living.... I'm not in a hurry.. I can wait for 11 years! Hahahaha I would be 32 then! Not bad? Not! Bad! :P