Friday, October 23, 2015

The Happy List: Random List #6

I figured it’s time for another round of happy things! Why not?!
  1. The view of lit Christmas lanterns lined in front of our house every night, one thing I look forward to when I go home these days, life so bright :)
  2. Despedida party for Tita Hazel and Heidi! This was actually rather bittersweet, but I decided to include it here because it had been such a delightful get-together with an outpour of good vibes and food all night and day, so there… Wishing a safe flight for them both!
  3. Pool party. I realized I've been so into the beach lately (not that I'm complaining) that it felt refreshing when I got back to the pool. Pools are cool as well. Hehe.
  4. All my Viber group chats(!!!) because my friends post the most randomly hilarious things ever, from making fun of friends to making fun of boyfriends to cracking the greenest jokes ~ boring days become crazy because of them hahaha
  5. Fridates!
  6. Casual movie date with Mommy and the boyfriend, too cute hihi
  7. Seeing them getting along really well
  8. Chill life at Unit 104 #thuglyf lol
  9. Making ends meet no matter what
  10. Prep and pack time for yet another weekend adventure, so exciting!
  11. Regularly saying “I love you” to Daddy on the phone and slowly outgrowing the awkwardness in saying it
  12. Dwelling in the truth that I am actually really very happy. Like if anyone will ask me right now, I can unblinkingly answer that person pointblank that I am happy because that’s what I really am, genuinely happy  (despite life’s other businesses hehehe)

Let the good life keep on rolling! :)

Thursday, October 15, 2015

IT’S KIND OF A FUNNY STORY by NED VIZZINI

Ever since Craig Gilner got into his target exclusive high school, everything about his life went downhill which led him into depression. He decided the best course of action was to just end his life. A brief call to the suicide hotline bought him time and got him admitted to a hospital. He would spend a good five days surrounded by other older crazies with their own life issues in the psychiatric ward where he would learn for himself what was going on with him and how he should come to terms with it.   
The party line is that some of the most profound truths about us are the things we stop saying in the middle… – Craig Gilner

It’s Kind of a Funny Story was a rather light tackling of a very serious subject. The narrative was comic. I understand that being taken from a teenager’s point of view aided this approach. It was amusing how so casual depression, school pressure, peer pressure and suicide were taken as though they were just one of those bodily changes teens go through during transition period. Looking at the content, it was still a positive read because it came out a playful step-by-step manual of how things steeply go down and gradually up with a depressed adolescent.

It was educational and insightful. It was like wearing a head of a teenager, a troubled one at that, giving readers an overview of the things that happen inside that mind. There was so much learning about how such mind processes things, how much confusing it can get for adolescents and how putting things in perspective for them can be the only lifesaver they need.

Relationships change even more than people. It’s like two people changing. It’s exponentially more volatile. – Dr. Minerva

Though some would see the plot as normal, it was still unique in a sense that it did not just expound on young love, teenage rebellion or pubertal adjustments (which are the favorite themes involving youngsters) but mainly on teenage depression already bordering to suicide which triggered some interesting discussions inside my own head.

We wear our problems differently. – Craig Gilner

I felt it made an impression but didn’t leave much impact in the end. Like it was sometimes light, then sometimes too light for me, or it was sometimes starting to get critically complex then the momentum will just fall off like that. While I already mentioned that it had opened some interesting ideas, I was left hanging and hoping for something a bit deeper on the attack and content. (That being said, I’ve also learned that Vizzini wrote the whole novel in just a short time (one or two months?), so that kind of, sort of changed the way I think about this book. Still, I wish there were something more to it.)

Even when first published in 2006, It’s Kind of a Funny Story is still very much relevant today. There are so many takeaways, some to reflect on and some to laugh about. Just recently I watched this certain program with an episode focused on suicide. What a crazy world we live in.

To be honest, I am still unsure how I feel about this book. It provided some really interesting ideas. It was not dragging; it was actually very quick to finish. In conclusion, I guess it was just average for me. While I can say that I had a nice time reading this one, I believe this will be more enjoyable and relatable among the adolescents of today.

Wednesday, October 7, 2015

THE WKND SPECIAL Vol. 4

This post covers the mini-celebrations I attended during the two weekends that passed by (just like that) before the last one, if that makes any sense. In short, September 19-20 and 24-27! Haha!

Two birthdays no less!

For the third weekend of September, my college friends and I got into a food binge courtesy of Antoniette Pulutan, my shuggy shug shug, the celebrator. Lol. She insisted we go on her birthday, so as much as we didn’t want to, we had no choice. Lol. As if. We were all actually pretty excited because we knew we’d have a lot of tasty food to munch on since Ago’s already very good at cooking. And it’s always a chance for good belly laughs with the mates so why the heck not!
Sad as it is, we don’t get to be together very often anymore. Even sadder is the fact that rarely do we get to be this many when we hang out anymore. You know, life gets in the way. So when we get a chance like this, we choose to just stay locked like sardines in a room and make the most of the catching up. So much noise pollution, so little room! Haha! But so very happy!
Surprise of the day: Txeca, our old classmate, made an appearnce! Woots! Hello, Txeca! Great to see you again!
Wacky Class Picture!
Thank you to Ago and the Pulutans for the hospitality!

The following weekend was a long one because of the two holidays declared (Yulo Day and Eid Al Adha) which I didn’t spend wisely because I was just at home 70% of the time.

I opened it with a late dinner at this newly opened restaurant near where I work – Bugong Bistro. People in this bistro mainly offer Thai cuisine. It was my first time there, and I have to say their servings are scrumptious and generous. Their chicken with flavored rice, pasta with meatballs and poori pockets are so good!

The rest of the next three days was spent entirely at home reading Ned Vizzini’s It’s Kind of a Funny Story. I was okay with spending the days I was off at home because it was my decision to be a homebody. It’s nice being an introvert sometimes, effortless and relaxing. :)
More about this book on a separate post!
Though Basty’s 1st birthday was really last September 28, it was celebrated a day earlier to accommodate guests who had work/school on Mondays. It was a simple kiddie party enjoyed by family and friends alike.
Basty is becoming more and more adorable as days go by. He never fails to be the attraction wherever he may be. I’m glad to see him grow up a loving, healthy and family-oriented child. He makes me feel proud and grateful to be her godmother. And while it’s still doable to carry him in my arms, I’ll just enjoy every chance I can get to cradle him, as I play with his teeny-tiny hands and face. And make him laugh and dance without complaining. :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AGO AND BASTY!

Happy October to all of us! Can you believe it’s already October?!



*Photos by Justine, Antoniette, Heidizel, and yours truly!

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