HAPPY

NEW

YEAR!!!

may we all have a more abundant year ahead! together, let's make an unforgettable 2013! strive for the best in life! let’s fill each day with memories worth keeping and sharing! most importantly, may we all be worthy of the blessings we receive!

                                                        

Christmas with the Rimases

122512. tuesday.

let me begin this post by greeting you all a MERRY CHRISTMAS! J 

what did you do on Jesus’ birthday? i spent HIS big day with my family, as usual. it has been an annual tradition. we’d all go to our Lola and Lolo’s house to celebrate and bond together. J this is one of those events that any of the Rimases should not miss ‘coz rarely do we get the chance to be almost complete, if not complete. considering the big family that we have, there’ll always be one or two relatives absent. HAHAHA! to those who didn’t make it this year, you were still with us in spirit! J

these are the only photos on my phone. :)

Christmas is always beyond fantastic and awesome when spent with one's kin! our family is just so loud and superb. each has his/her own drama. that’s just who we are, and we have learned to accept each other wholeheartedly. all of us, we are who we are because of our family. J

introducing mia famiglia! hahaha! (just ignore my awkward smile, please. pahaha!)

wish everyone’s having a blast this Christmas season! today’s just the beginning of a long celebration, which means we still have more time to spend with our family and loved ones. also, i believe this is a great opportunity to thank the Man above for  everything we received and have yet to receive. this occasion is for and about HIM after all. 

go ahead, there’s no time to waste! enjoy! be merry! J

MERRY 

CHRISTMAS!!! 

SPREAD 

LOVE!

xoxo,

Nona

JJJ

Christmas Pig-out: The RSM Diaries

121612. sunday.

Christmas season is everyone’s favorite! this is that time of year when nonstop eating and partying are legit! yeeehaaa! December weekends mean parties here and there, get-togethers here and there. last night was no exception! i went to the yearly Christmas party/pig-out of my Diamond family.J

Faith(absentee), Alexa, Jusz, Hibek(LET passer-to-be), Ceff(Tumblr famous), Julie, Darwin(kidnapped), Froi(hunk), Krizia, Bernard, Mel, Ver dined at RSM Lutong Bahay, Bacnotan branch.J but hey, the meet-up ain’t all that simple. supposedly, we were to meet at 4PM. the late comers that we are, people started arriving at around 5PM to 7PM. whatever happened to 4? coming to parties late since circa 2004, and rocking it. Diamond represent! HAHAHA!

fast forward to dinner, RSM was perfect for an intimate get-together. the ambiance is so home-y. plus, there weren’t many guests that night so the space was all ours. their food was fantastic! they’re serving delicious Pinoy dishes. i can still taste that sinigang! and that leche flan, ugh! HAHA.

this party ain’t complete without the kwentuhan! we did catch up about each other’s whatabouts, as usual. then, we went down memory lane as we talked about how we were in high school. nostalgia! the stories and jokes of the past, they never get old. how we laugh at them, it’s like we’re hearing them for the first time. J

then, an unexpected friend showed up! *insert drum roll* tadaaaa! Roy was there… in spirit! HAHA! this was my fault, in part, since i was the one who pulled out his photo. but there’s nothing to be mad about because he, or should i say his photo, upped the fun we had! you know that feeling when you’re belly starts aching and you just can’t breathe because of laughing too much? that’s what he did to us! HAHAHA! miss you, Roy! here are some of his photos while camwhoring. HAHAHA!

miss and love you, Roy! HAHAHA! you camwhore! HAHAHA!

though there was a little drama, i could still say that the dinner was a success! nothing’s boring with these people. to use Froi’s words, like passing through the eye of a needle, we made it through the night! J

P.S.

after the party, i was stuck with Faith ‘til 4AM. the price i pay for the favor she did. well, no regrets because the night gave birth to new plans for next year's getaways! J

P.P.S.

early this morning, i attended the first day of misa de gallo for this Christmas! this is my first time ever to attend simbang gabi, and i plan to complete the nine-day-long celebration! J

*big thanks to Faith, Krizia and Alexa for the photos!

‘This Is Not A Christmas Party’ (Potluck Party)

120912. sunday.

yesterday, December 8, was craaaaaaazy and awesooooooome!

see that? our party's just too grand that it needed to have a teaser. HAHA!

first of all, you should know that we have friends who’re not Catholic (not talking about Paul and Jamie here. HAHA! joke! love you both.), which means some of our loves are not allowed to attend Christmas parties because it's considered a sin in their religion. the kind-hearted friends that we are(BWAHA), we had to find a way to make them attend the party without committing sin. the solution? hold a ‘This Is Not A Christmas Party’ Party! but mind you, we did exchange gifts! we reasoned out we did it just for the fun of it but not because it’s a Christmas tradition! clever! HAHAHA!J

clockwise from Top Left: Jamie's 'monthsary gift' from Je. HAHA; that's my kiss! even took the effort of putting lipstick for that. mwah! HAHA!; sweet chocolate gift!; artsy message from Je; and why is there a HAPPY BIRTHDAY bag?! HAHAHA!; tiny, tiny cupcake and cards. :); love that fluffy M&M's pillow! 

i never thought i'd get nata de coco for a gift, never crossed my mind. HAHAHA. thank you, puring!

Je, Kreng, Jusz, Puring, Jamie, Sarah, Moning, Jonas, Aileen, Camille, Pammy, and i were the ones who attended the parteeeyyy! everyone brought food, that’s why this is also a Potluck Party!J there were chocolate cakes, pasta, fruit salad, coffee jelly, buko pie, fries, buttered potatoes, lumpia, softdrinks, wine. lotsa lotsa food!Jwe were only 11, but heck our food was good for 30 people. you can only imagine how bloated all of us were. what’s funnier was, we kept on saying we already feel overfed, overstuffed, but we  just continued eating the whole day even so!(those buttered potatoes were my favorite that night! haha!)HAHA!

food’s always better when partnered with laughter and stories.J there was a lotta catching up, as always. with the way we missed each other, i can confidently say we have already covered all topics, from the most dramatic to the most hilarious to the nastiest. i’d rather not talk about them in detail here. believe me, you do not wanna know. HAHA.

wooohooooo! what an awesomazing party! we should definitely do this again, and we would. I LOVE THESE PEOPLE!J another get-together’s been set on January. excited!

 

BTW, big, big thanks to Kreng’s family, the Maligaya clan, for being so nice, patient and hospitable! THANK YOU! JJJ

*huge thanks to Jerome and Sarah for the photos!

college life in a stack

120312. monday.

#college life in a stack

handouts, reports, test papers, term papers, theses - i doubt anyone would graduate college without having to wrestle with these paperworks. nightmare-ish, aren't they? especially when they have to be dealt with all at once. deadlines are rough times. J this pile of papers sums up everything about my college life (not that this is the only thing we did, but this is quite a pile!). i'm just too relieved i've gotten through this ordeal. BUUUUUUT (yes, a long and all caps BUT is necessary) something, somewhere at the back of my mind, tells me that, at one point or another, my body feels a longing for the torture and the cramming this stack used to bring. all them all nighters that leave you sleepless. draining yet rewarding. you just gotta savor the moment. maybe i just miss college. oh, how much i miss school.

‘series-ly speaking’

112312. friday.

you might be wondering what's with the title. truth is i don't know either. HAHA! i just had to insert the word ‘series.’ i had to find a way and this was the only thing i’ve come up with. i know, i know it doesn't make sense, but what can i do? my imagination is so poor. shame on me. let’s just move on from the title nonsense and go straight to this post’s topic… HAHA! but really, is the title that lame? HAHA. kidding. (can’t move on.)

time for my real post!

i’ve been on vacation for so long now. i have used all this free time to do the things i couldn’t when i was still so busy back in school, which is basically doing a marathon. no, not a footrace (i’m too lazy for that), not a road race (i barely know how to start a motorcycle), but a movie-book-series marathon (now, that’s where i’m very good at)! yes, every stressed person’s idea of a perfect breather. WELCOME TO MY GOOD LIFE.JJJ

movies, check. books, check. now, SERIESSSS OVERLOAD.

these TV series are the  reason for my lack of sleep in the past months. HAHAHA. they are to blame. the severity of my addiction is to the extreme. if they were cigarettes and i were a smoker, you'd see me already lighting a cigar while still finishing and puffing one in my mouth. that's just how i've been so hooked to these shows. i just wanted to watch all of them at once, if only i could. i slash every season of every series, episode by episode by episode. after i finish one, i start with the next on my list right away. there ain’t no stopping now. there were days, many days, when all i did was wake up, have lunch, go straight to my laptop, and watch until the wee hours, until my eyes bleed (that’s figurative. HAHA!). if you're watching any of these, you sure as hell would understand. you'd definitely understand. HAHAHA!

i wanna share with you some of the series i'm so into right now.

GOSSIP GIRL    

starring Blake Lively, Leighton Meester, Ed Westwick, Penn Badgely, Chace Crawford

Gossip Girl’s story follows the lives of the privileged young elites in the Upper East Side of Manhattan, beginning from high school until they have graduated.

who in the world doesn’t know about Gossip Girl? every teenage girl has to know this show because it is the ultimate romance and drama series. it is now on its sixth and final season. you can only imagine how tangled the relationships during the past five seasons have been, but Season 6 is now here to decide who ends with who. OMG, i can’t wait to find out what’s gonna happen with Serena, Dan, Nate, Blair, and Chuck! rooting for team CHAIR! HAHA. fangirl mode on!J

TOUCH

starring Kiefer Sutherland, David Mazouz, Gugu Mbatha-Raw

Martin Bohm is a widower who raises a son suffering from mutism, Jake. when Martin realized his son uses numbers to communicate, he also figured out that Jake has a gift of predicting the future. they work as a team to put things where they should be and make things happen.

this is a touching story showing how our lives connect and touch. it explains how everything we do, no matter how big or small, has an effect on other people’s lives. it’s even more touching when everything gets settled - family members reunited, people saved, a person finding his peace, and more. after every episode, there’s always a certain realization about life and people, about how, in many different ways, this whole universe is a work of wonder. J lemme just add this, Jake is one gifted kid!J

THE NEWSROOM

starring Jeff Daniels, Emily Mortimer, John Gallagher, Jr., Alison Pill, Dev Patel

Will McAvoy, a news anchor, used to be comfortable with his cable show’s set up until MacKenzie McHale, an executive producer and his ex-lover, turns up to reformat his program into a worthy news source.

The Newsroom is quite close to my heart, well, because the story is related with the course i took up in college.J by watching this, you get to see what happens behind the camera of a news show, all the drama and issues. i get all emotional every time. the story, the  characters are all very touching. the characters’ dedication, hard work and ingenuity are all amazing. this series makes me appreciate my course even more.J

THE WALKING DEAD

starring Andrew Lincoln, Laurie Holden, Jon Bernthal, Sarah Wayne Callies, Steven Yeun

as Rick Grimes keeps his family safe, he also meets other humans who fight to survive the invasion of the ‘walkers’ along the way. together, they look for a hiding place away from the zombies.

i love The Walking Dead!!! on top of all the creepy zombies is a story of survival and human struggle. thought i wouldn’t enjoy this ‘coz i’m not a fan of zombie-starred shows, but heck i go ga-ga over it now. so, so exciting and action-packed! HAHA! i’m gonna do a marathon of S03 when the whole season’s done! i can’t wait! been hearing a lot of good reviews. HAHA!

BREAKING BAD

starring Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, Anna Gunn, Dean Norris, RJ Mitte, Bob Odenkirk

Walter White, a Chemistry genius who ended up teaching in a high school, was diagnosed with lung cancer. he teamed up with Jesse Pinkman, his former student, in cooking and selling crystal meth to save for his family’s future.

OMG OMG OMG! Breaking Bad is my ultimate love! i got so emotionally involved with this series, especially with the characters! try doing a marathon of all five seasons every day for a month, then tell me who wouldn’t get so attached. HAHAHA. i thought i wouldn’t like it at first because the first seasons were not in very good quality, not so HD.J as i made progress, i understood why it’s become one of the best series eva’. i unconsciously and gradually fell in love with Breaking Bad. i even reached a point when i didn’t feel my day’s complete without a dose of Walt and Jesse. HAHA! thanks to Puring for recommending this. Summer 2013, please come fast! can’t wait for Season 6!

i love you, Jesse Pinkman! you’re so cute and cool!

SUITS

starring Gabriel Macht, Patrick J. Adams, Rick Hoffman, Meghan Markle

Harvey Specter, a top corporate lawyer, saw that Mike Ross, a brilliant college dropout, has a potential and gave him a chance to work as an associate at Pearson-Hardman.

another ultimate favorite of mine! i love Suits to the umpteenth power! i was always a fan of stories with cool characters and brilliant plots, so it didn’t come as a surprise when i got so hooked with Suits. i was only on the first five minutes of the first episode when i told myself that this was going to be fun. it was indeed! everything about it is just amazing and thrilling! plus, their exchange of witty dialogues is like music to my ears. an awesome discourse delivered by awesome characters is agsghgdhghdgfdghfghjkl! i must say, Mike Ross is a genius but Harvey Specter is the real badass! holy fuck. i sooo love you, Harvey! if only i were that cool! HAHAHA! Season 3 will premiere this January, so i’ll just have to be a little more patient. woof-woof! J

and because of this show, Ima Robot’s Greenback Boogie and Gotye’s Smoke and Mirrors have become a favorite.

that’s it! those were my favorites. HAHAHA. i am now thinking of checking out other recommended series like Person of Interest, Arrow, New Girl, Misfits, and American Horror Story.J which should i watch first?

quite a loooong post, i must say. sorry.J to simply explain how i really feel…

"@BookOfComedy: That awkward moment when you finish a TV show series and you don't know what to do with your life anymore." (from Twitter)J

photo sources: http://alloyentertainment.com

               http://missionmoment.blogspot.com

               http://irishnewsreview.net

               http://en.wikipedia.org

               http://www.screen-one.net

               http://www.imdb.com

GONE GIRL by GILLIAN FLYNN

111112. sunday.

Love makes you want to be a better man. But maybe love, real love, also gives you permission to just be the man you are. – Nick Dunne

Gone Girl is a suspense-thriller novel. Nick has been the suspect for the disappearance of his own wife. as he solves the treasure hunt Amy prepared for their anniversary, the evidences found seem to inflict Nick to the crime even more which makes him realize that everything has been Amy’s plan of punishing him all along. Amy, the inspiration for the well-known book Amazing Amy, always likes getting things her way. she’s the mastermind of all that happened. in this book, readers will see how she undid and redid his husband’s life.

It’s humbling, to become the very thing you once mocked. – Amy Dunne

Friends see most of each other’s flaws. Spouses see every awful last bit. – Hilary Handy

i gotta say this on top of everything else, the idea of Diary Amy is pretty shrewd! come on, who would ever think of doing something like that, something like patiently writing a diary covering seven years to use as part of a tactic? gahddd, so devious!!! HAHAHA.

Always have a backup plan to the backup plan. – Amy Dunne

Gone Girl’s plot is thought-provoking. the suspense doesn’t leave you during the entire story. as you read on, the mystery is just carried from one chapter to another. you may already be in the middle of the story, but you may still be shocked by what unexpected major turn of event is still to be discovered. HAHAHA. i like also the idea that the story reveals little at every turn of the page. i mean, it just makes me even more restless to know. HAHA.

i like how there are so many twists and turns here, but they don’t become exhausting. you know that feeling of being tired when the puzzling thoughts are too many you feel like they’re not making sense anymore, like they’re just there so the story would be more exciting. well, that’s not the case here fortunately. HAHA.

People say children from broken homes have it hard, but the children of charmed marriages have their own particular challenges. – Amy Dunne

i think having two perspectives, Amy’s and Nick’s, playing in the book is a unique idea. add that to the fact that the timeframe of both perspectives’ storytelling is also different from each other. Nick’s is already in the present, while Amy’s started from the moment they met according to her make-believe diary. as the story progresses, the timeframes get closer until they finally meet and become simultaneous.

I’m just tired of people judging me because I fit into a certain mold. – Nick Dunne

it's gripping and riveting. it makes you think things this way, see things this way, mislead you, so that on the next page you'll be as dumbstruck to see the turn of events. it’s very good in establishing an idea you’ll dwell on until you realize that’s not the way things really are. before you know it, you’re back to square one! very exciting. makes you wanna say, "oh, fuck." HAHAHA!

i hate the ending. i hate it because it wasn't the conclusion i was expecting. i feel there's an injustice because Amy didn't pay for her wrongdoings. it wasn't the ending that i wanted, but maybe that's how it should end, maybe there's a reason it ended that way. after a few minutes of pondering, i have understood, i have accepted it. it’s not the ideal ending, but it need not always go according to our ideals. i mean, not all those who sin get punished in our system. maybe that's just how Nick and Amy decided to do it, maybe it's their fate.

i may not like the ending so much but my liking of the story as a whole is unfazed nonetheless. Gone Girl is beautiful, gripping, and mind-boggling.

You just have to decide to do it and then do it. Discipline. – Amy Dunne

photo source: http://www.goodreads.com

THE DIARY OF A SUBMISSIVE by SOPHIE MORGAN

102612. friday.

introducing another BDSM-themed book in the house! HAHA. so, i guess all the noise these erotic novels are making hasn’t faded yet, huh? this is the third book i’ve read from the same genre. (the second one’s Bared To You by Sylvia Day but i haven’t posted it yet, so just please bear with me. HAHAHA.)

The Diary of a Submissive is a true to life erotica. it is a published memoir of Sophie Morgan where she recounts how she discovered and progressed with her submissive tendencies, how she dealt with it in the course of her life set in this modern time. here, she talks about her fears, hopes, and thoughts as a sub.

Hurting someone who wants to be hurt is not only not a bad thing, it’s practically a cathartic kindness. – Sophie

first of all, i just wanna say its tagline, ‘A Real Fifty Shades of Grey’, is so darn catchy. it’s that tagline that’ll make you want to give it a second look after a passing scan the first time, then you’ll see yourself so intrigued. i was like, “real life, seriously? now that’s something!” plus, God knows i’ve been so into Fifty Shades of Grey, so… HAHA!

knowing that it is a real life story is like having a reaffirmation of a given fact. i’m saying we already know that, yeah, this BDSM thing exists, but this account makes it easier for us to believe and understand everything about it. also, people usually tend to think of what they read as something exaggerated if it’s fiction, which i think is true most of the time. with The Diary of a Submissive, i guess the narrative had not been written with exaggeration and too much aestheticism since it’s a true to life story. it only helps you have the closest possible reflection of what a dominant/submissive relationship in real life is like.

The more I like you, the more time we spend together, the harder it is for me to dominate you. - James

of course, you can expect many detailed graphic descriptions of sexy and kinky scenes. the way she narrated them was too visual. the fact that these things really took place, not just some made up scenarios, made it more shocking and harder to digest. better prepare yourselves for what’s to come. you’ve been warned. HAHA.

i like that part when Sophie Morgan tried to make the readers see her being submissive as only one of the many facets that make her who she is, along with her being a British, a journalist, a daughter, etc. i appreciate her effort in implying that she is not an abnormal or defective individual, that every person has something strange in him/her and it just so happens that this is that ‘something’ in her case.

I could cope with anything life threw at me with a fairly calm head and a sense of humour. – Sophie

Sophie Morgan is an image of a modern-day woman who lives with such submissive inclination. since this is set in the context of the present time, it’s easier to picture out everything. the novel also was able to show, in hindsight, how great Internet’s influence could be to people with such lifestyle, how in simple ways it became of great help.

i know i was supposed to feel bad and sorry for her, to feel debased and disrespected as a woman on my part, but i felt enlightened and educated instead. all those parts that were supposed to shock me became such eye-opening moments in their place. it’s worth reading because i learned a lot from it. i learned what a sub’s mindset is like, what they actually feel during D/s sex, and where do they get the gratification from it. i realized how being a submissive doesn’t come easy. it is a challenge, on their part, to find that someone who complements their needs/wants.

i salute Sophie Morgan for coming out and telling her story. man does it take a lotta guts to share something so overwhelming and bizarre. with the main purpose of only sharing her life story, i think what she did also helped those who do and don’t have the same lifestyle, those who do and don’t understand people like her. 

 

photo source: http://www.steppingoutofthepage.co.uk

ultraviolet goofiness

110912. friday.

last wednesday, there was a blackout in our place. our night had been filled with nothing but darkness. *insert eerie sound effects here* seems pretty spooky? okay, enough of the creeps ‘coz this ain’t some post-Halloween entry. HAHA. actually, the Meralco people just had to fix something with the electric cables, so the current was totally shut down. people acted with unease as they weren't used to it, but not us, not me, my niece and my two nephews.

alyanna, adi, aeron, and i made the most out of the darkness. we found a better way to spend the night with alyanna's ‘invisible pens’! so, what's so special about this pen? you just gotta draw anything anywhere and nobody can read it unless you point ultraviolet light at it. sounds like fun, right? HAHA. i was feeling playful, so i told them to draw anything on me. they drew on my face as if it were paper. HAHAHA.

the results? HURRAH!!! (please don't judge our goofiness. HAHAHA.)

those are actually names of Alyanna's crushes on her legs. HAHA

after people see this, they won't have a tad bit of respect left for me. HAHA.

look at what they did to my face. HAHA! the neon orange-colored rubber of my braces joins the fun. HAHA.

that’s what happens when the lights are out and the kids are around. the supposedly strange night turned out to be a goofy one! thanks to the invisible pens! J 

marked by a mission

103112. wednesday.

#marked by a mission 

missed the chance twice and i ain’t missing this for the third time. HELL NO. my being a crammer during the registration for the elections last, last year didn’t work its magic. i wasn’t able to cast my vote and, worse, wasn’t able to partake in the first ever automated election. HAHA. last august, i did what all good citizens should do, i took the responsibility and registered for the elections. woof-woof! it’s the last day of registration today, so stop bitchin’ and do what you gotta do (though i think you may not make it anymore if you're just about to head to COMELEC). don’t be like me, late as ever. HAHA!

BEAUTIFUL DISASTER by JAMIE MCGUIRE

100812. monday.

heard this book has been making a buzz among readers, so i said to myself why don’t i also give it a try.

Abby Abernathy started off a new life away from her family with her transfer to Eastern University. everything is running smoothly until she bumped into Travis Maddox, a hottie in their campus famous among girls. Travis earns a living by fighting in underground fights. initially saying she wouldn’t even have the slightest feeling for this guy, Abby swallowed her words as she slowly fell in love with Travis. eventually, they’d find their relationship being haunted by the ghosts of Abby’s past and Travis’ behavior. and just like all other love stories, their extreme love for each other won over their almost irreconcilable and dysfunctional affair.

When I think about the future I see you. – Abby Abernathy

first of all, i just wanna say i love Travis Maddox to the bones! his overprotectiveness. his overpossessiveness. his freaky acts. the tattoo, the ring and all the rest! HAHAHA. i mean, he’s just the sweetest guy ever. everything he does is just so sweet, even those which are already too over the top. Abby is one lucky girl. his name alone makes me go gaga. Travis Maddox sounds so badass! HAHA.

I didn’t know I was lost until you found me. I didn’t know what alone was until the first night I spent without you in my bed. – Travis Maddox

Beautiful Disaster captured the picture of a typical relationship set in college (except for the marriage at 19. doesn’t look typical to me at all. HAHA.). it showed how youngsters become easily confused and get carried away with their emotions, the snappy decisions and unguarded actions.

reading this novel will either make you feel like a teenager all over again if you’re not a teen anymore or make you see how full of life you are if you still belong in this age bracket. it will surely make you relive and relate all your high school and college romances to this story. with the crazy friends, the cafeteria moments, the campus events, you get the total high school/college feel! HAHAHA.

this novel has a light plot with somewhat cool characters. light plot because it is in a campus set-up; cool characters because Abby is not just some pretty face, she’s also a poker genius (or should i say lucky poker player). Travis is a tattooed and good-looking underground fighter who also happens to be very intelligent. need i say more? HAHA.

I don’t want anyone thinking less of you because of me. – Travis Maddox

though i had fun reading this, their topsy-turvy story and toxic relationship got a bit dull and tiring somewhere near the end. you know that part when they just couldn’t find a way to work their shits out, it’s sorta exhausting. HAHA.

this is something you can have with you if you wanna read something during your spare time.

therefore, i may now conclude that Beautiful Disaster is a certified chick lit! i am recommending this book to girls who are fascinated with cute love stories. surely you will enjoy this one! :)

here’s the good news!

there will be another version of this, one which is taken from Travis’ point of view! how cool is that?! Walking Disaster will be released by next year. who’s excited? M to the E!

                                                   

I knew the second I met you that there was something about you I needed. Turns out it wasn’t something about you at all. It was just you. – Travis Maddox

photo source: http://www.altfg.com/blog/

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD by HARPER LEE

072712. friday.

(blog backlog. HAHA. written a long time ago, published only now. HAHA.)

Scout and Jem Finch are siblings, curious kids who have lotsa questions about many things around them. the Finches have a strange neighbor, Boo Radley. he’s been the center of attention, for a long time, of the siblings and Dill, their friend. they live in a county where families will always be stuck in the image they are known for even before they were born. they have a very nice father and wise lawyer in the character of Atticus. in the story, he’d handle a case involving a Negro which would be the root of many controversies later on.

You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view – until you climb into his skin and walk around in it. – Atticus

i love the character of Atticus, a man of wisdom, calmness and patience. he’s the source of enlightenment and strength of his children. he’s got his own means of making his kids understand complicated things in a way that wouldn’t shock or confuse them for their age (although, he can’t be where his kids are at all times. as a result, they still see other things as they are.). as a person and lawyer, he’s not one who would just be affected and hindered by what people believe is wrong. he’d stand for what he thinks is humane and right. such an admirable man. HAHA.

there are many lessons found in this book and they are not hard to realize since among the lead characters here are young. lessons are laid openly and effortlessly. the manifestations of the kids’ actions, whether uncouth or nice, would be discussed by the older ones in simpler ways.

when i was reading from the beginning until maybe halfway through the pages, i couldn’t figure out what’s gonna be the story’s climax, where the story was headed to. maybe it was just the way Harper Lee wanted it to be like. thought it would just be a tale about the topsy-turvy phase of growing up and nothing more. but no, i was wrong. there was more to it than i expected. when the cover said it is about human dignity, it’s dead serious. HAHA.

People in their right minds never take pride in their talents. – Miss Maudie

human dignity enters the scene when Tom Robinson faces the rape case filed by a White. it was something he didn’t do and yet he was still convicted simply because he’s Black. this was the first time i’ve ever been so affected about discrimination. (or am i just being too emotional lately? i don't know. HAHA.) i’ve seen it in movies, i’ve learned about it in school, i’ve heard about it in many places, but this time i read about it and i was enraged by it. To Kill a Mockingbird was first published in 1960, maybe the tension then was still too great (considering what this book contains). Harper Lee touched on crucial eye-opening scenarios about racial discrimination that aggravated my fury over the issue. and the fact that this was all taken from a child’s point-of-view made this all the more dramatic and shocking. i don’t know how i will be reacting if i’d be living in a place where such racism exists, i don’t even know if i can last a day there. it’s being too harsh on people. i’ve been too attach with the story that it got to my nerves and definitely made me feel bad.

it’s good to know that since then, peopleS (referring to different nationalities) from across the world made efforts to blur the line between the Blacks and the Whites, at least according to what i’m seeing. the Blacks can now stand out and have a say in whatever is happening around them, unlike before when they just have to follow the Whites’ decisions.

We’re making a step – it’s just a baby-step, but it’s a step. – Miss Maudie

To Kill a Mockingbird is indeed, as its cover says, a book about growing up and human dignity.

photo source: http://chamberfour.com

21 reasons why i love FAITH

100912. tuesday.

Me:      it’s already your big day on the 12^th!

Faith:   gift!

Me:      duh? you know i’m broke and you’re still expecting a gift?

Faith:   i want a blogpost about me! J

Me:      darn! challenging. i'll see what i can do. hahaha!

so, i have lined up here 21 reasons why i so love this person. actually, we can go over these reasons and the list would just be endless. that’s why i choose to point out only 21 most amazing things about her.

i love Faith obviously because…

                               

-of her naturally curly hair. (trivia: the longer her hair becomes, the curlier it gets.)

-she has beautiful siblings: nemelyn HOPE and LOVE jane. (yes, the three theological virtues.) oh, let’s not forget their mom and dad, too.

-she has an amazing talent of knowing what habits (of her friends) to and not to embrace. (we've known each other for almost seven years and i never heard her say any swear words. no shits, no fucks, no nothing. now that's a skill, especially knowing the fact that she’s always with me. please don’t get me wrong. i’m not a ‘walking swear word’. HAHA.)

-of her fondness for turtles and cats. (she used to have a pet turtle and now she has a pet cat named Miming.)

-she travels to different places and i always have pasalubong when she comes back! :)

-she has this natural inclination for simplicity. she’s one of the fewest girls i know who don’t give a crap with how they look. what you see is what you get. (no fancy dresses, no make-ups, no nail polishes)

-she thoughtfully lets us use their house as our "orghouse".(we're free to come visit their place and do whatever we want anytime. but now that it's for sale, it's kinda sad. i can't believe we're losing our second home! okay, no more drama. HAHA.)

-i consider her my walking diary. my secrets are safe with her, i hope. HAHA! (well, i have enough trust in her that she's not gonna divulge any of my most ridiculous shares in life.)

-she knows how to cook good food. i don't.

-i think she's honest and sincere and straightforward. (i have nothing more to say about this.)

-she loves Twilight Saga as much as i do. haters, please get lost. HAHAHA. (she even bought a CD of Twilight movie's original soundtracks.)

-i believe she's easy to love and she deserves all the love she gets and more.

-she is such a health buff. (no softdrinks, no junk food? seriously? i don't even know how we became friends under those conditions. HAHA!)

-she is unbiased and free of judgment. (i'm  not scared of confiding in her. i know she's not gonna make a face no matter what she hears. she doesn't give a damn whether i do shitty things, and how she looks at me won’t change even when she learns the most insane and stupid things about me. i'm the luckiest to have her as a friend. J )

-we went to the same school in high school(at least from 2nd year) and college. (proud Johnians and Lyceans!)

-she's more of a listener than a talker. (and just when i need one like that, which is basically most of the time, do i come to her. HAHA.)

-she now has work. (and i'm just waiting for that friggin' day when she'd treat me. can't wait! woof-woof!)

-she sees beauty differently. (she adores the likes of Jodi Sta. Maria, Amy Austria and Ate Jennlou! HAHA.)

-she knows how to fight, too. (she may be friendly and all that, but she also knows how to put up a goddamn fight when necessary. she can be protective of people she cares about. bad people better not cross the line. you’ve been warned. HAHAHA!)

-she loves God. absolutely.

-she's my bru, brud, bruder, and that will never change. ever. :)

need i say more? what’s not to love?

i hope you like what i did. this is all i can give you ‘coz i’m broke as hell as of the moment. you said a post about you would be just fine, so here you go.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, FAITH!

P.S.

i had a hard time coming up with this because of the pressure you put on me. i gave this so much thought, so you better like it or else... KIDDING! BWAHAHA. 


photo source: http://new.dayspring.com