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

FIFTY SHADES FREED by E. L. JAMES

081012. friday.

I want your world to begin and end with me. – Christian Grey

Fifty Shades Freed is the longest of the three books, pretty understandable ‘coz this is the last. the novel narrated the life of Anastasia and Christian after marriage – the couple’s honeymoon, Leila’s visit, Ray’s accident, Ana’s unexpected pregnancy, Christian’s closure with Mrs. Robinson, Mia’s kidnapping, Jack’s connection to Christian, Christian’s disclosure of his past, Ana’s giving birth to a child, Christian and Ana’s family life in their new home.

He makes me graceful, that's his skill. He makes me sexy, because that's what he is. He makes me feel loved, because in spite of his fifty shades, he has a wealth of love to give. – Anastasia Steele

my hunch on who’s the great intruder that showed up in the last part of Fifty Shades Darker is right, no less than Jack Hyde (great guessing. *pat on the back* HAHA.). well, it’s super obvious. HAHAHA. in Fifty Shades Freed, it became clearer why he’s just so mad with not just Christian, but also with his whole family. 

the story has gone a long way since the first book. i had a great time with Fifty Shades Freed because a lot of things happened here, and they are not repetitive events. good thing there is movement in the story now, unlike the first two which are kind of stagnating at some points.

as with what i mentioned in this blogpost (Fifty Shades Darker), Christian and Ana have somehow laid low with all the wild fuckery. gladly, this book has even less sex compared to book two, which gives the readers an air of relief. HAHA. i find this to have more substance, since the author notably digressed the story from being all out on fucking to focus on the story’s real issue, Ana and Christian’s relationship.

I know his love is clouded with issues of overprotectiveness and control, but it doesn't make me love him any less. – Anastasia Steele

as the characters matured, the story has also deepened. as you know before, the affair of Ana and Christian makes me giggle with their twitterpating sweetness, now i’m just impressed and touched with their sweet and serious intimacy brought about by life’s challenges. their love went beyond being just about the two of them, it is now also concerned with their love for their family.

                                 

i’d like to say the ‘bonus materials’ of this book are the cutest! if you’re wondering why, it’s definitely because these contain things about the handsome Christian Grey! HAHA. these added extras are excerpts of Fifty Shades of Grey’s first chapters which were written in Christian’s perspective! can you imagine his thoughts and feelings exposed? it’s always sweeter when i look at things from a guy’s point of view. why is that? i just wish there’ll be a complete version of the books from his standpoint. that’ll totally be cool! HAHA.

all in all, i can say that i may now fully join the bandwagon, done with the latest craze. i enjoyed reading all three books despite everything. a total hooker is what this trilogy is. i must say i couldn’t stop turning the pages after i finish each. HAHA. also, my friends (Ago and Julie) and i seem to imbibe Christian’s ways, not his BDSM thing but his style of being a man of few but flowery and meaningful words. his influence is pretty obvious in our correspondences. Christian Grey is love. that’s all. HAHA.

photo sources: http://shzainzy.blogspot.com

               http://amillionmilesfromnormal.blogspot.com

Philippine Football Peace Cup 2012

092912. saturday.

Kreng, Kreng’s dad, Jerome, Jamie, and i went to the Rizal Memorial Stadium to watch the finals night of the Philippine Football Peace Cup 2012. i honestly had very little idea when we got there. all i know was that we’d be watching Azkals play, not knowing for what and against whom. bear with my ignorance, please. HAHA.

okay, so i was never a sports fanatic until today. not that i hate them, maybe sports are just not my cup of tea. the only thing i ever wanted was to watch a good field game (soccer/football/rugby) live. the feeling when you watch something live is always different, always better. especially when you watch a game match, you get  carried away with the crowd’s cheer, you feel and drink in the intense energy and great tension between the players. woooo! EEEXCITINGGGG! HAHA!

so football, huh?

i was really having doubts if i’d enjoy watching this game ‘coz this ain’t something i’m very knowledgeable of, so i thought i might not understand what was gonna happen. but heck, the game kicked off and i never felt like i was lost or anything. HAHA! the crowd was crazy and always excited. their energy was so contagious! we were shouting and jumping with every goal from the Azkals! plus, we were seated in front, so the view was perfect!

yey! Azkals won! woof-woof! the game ended with the final score 3-1. i must say it was an obvious win. moreover, another reason to celebrate was the fact that this was the first time Philippines won in an international football competition after 99 years! that long, huh? history in the making. woooo!

Here are the winners:

Champion: Philippines

1^st runner-up: Chinese Taipei

2^nd runner-up: Guam

3^rd runner-up: Macau

Fair Play Award: Philippines

MVP: Denis Wolf ♥

Golden Boot: Denis Wolf ♥   

Best Goalkeeper: Eduard Sacapaño

Best Midfielder: Matthew Uy

Best Defender: Jeffrey Christiaens

lemme just say this, Misagh Bahadoran and Denis Wolf are so cute! HAHA! they’re really very good players too. love you, Misagh and Wolf! ARF!

CONGRATULATIONS, PHILIPPINE AZKALS!!! Pilipinas Malupet!

*thanks to Jerome and Kreng for the photos.