I saw that boy standing there with a deal...

Ordinary Day
by Vanessa Carlton

Just a day, just an ordinary day
Just tryin' to get by
Just a boy, just an ordinary boy
But he was looking to the sky

And as he asked if I would come along
I started to realize
That every day he finds just what he's looking for
Like a shooting star he shines

And he said, "Take my hand
Live while you can
Don't you see your dreams lie right
In the palm of your hand?"

And as he spoke, he spoke ordinary words
Although they did not feel, no
For I felt what I had not felt before
And you'd swear those words couldn't heal that

And as I looked up into those eyes
His vision borrows mine
And I know he's no stranger
For I feel I've held him for all of time

And he said, "Take my hand
Live while you can
Don't you see your dreams lie right
In the palm of your hand"
In the palm of your hand

Please come with me
See what I see
Touch the stars for time will not flee
Time will not flee, can't you see?

Just a dream, just an ordinary dream
As I wake in bed
And the boy, that ordinary boy
Or was it all in my head?

Didn't he ask if I would come along?
It all seemed so real
But as I looked to the door
I saw that boy standing there with a deal

And he said, "Take my hand
Live while you can
Don't you see your dreams lie right
In the palm of your hand"
In the palm of your hand, in the palm of your hand

Just a day, just an ordinary day
Just tryin' to get by
Just a boy, just an ordinary boy
But he was looking to the sky

I once thought of this song as a love song as all songs with the words "boy", "girl", "touch" and "dream" are all beautifully and confusingly jumbled in the lyrics but later, I came to the understanding that this song is not a love song at all. It is a song of hope. Surprisingly, I believe that this is a Christian song.

See the first stanza of the lyrics, it introduces the two primary characters of the song -- a hopeless girl trying to get on with her everyday life and an ordinary boy who is looking to the sky which I reckon could mean that this boy is either looking for UFOs or just plainly like to see the world in all it's hopefulness by looking up the sky! The latter is my best and only bet.

So that ordinary boy asked the hopeless girl to come along with him. And the girl realizes that what the boy is looking for, he finds it everyday and for that he shines. In all my time here on Earth, I could conclude that every human being alive would only like to find happiness. So there! That boy is looking for happiness and he finds it every single day. That's how the second stanza unfolds.

In the third stanza, the boy asks the girl to trust him enough to take his hand and to live her life while she can and be aware that her dreams lie in her own hands. Hmmmm... This made me thought that the girl is suicidal. What do you think?

The fourth stanza is vague. It expresses the negativity of the girl, that's for sure.

The fifth stanza was what made me realize that this song could be a Christian song. So the girl and the boy looked into each others eyes and that was when the girl realizes that this boy is no stranger and she felt that she have held this boy for all of time. This time I thought that the boy could be Jesus! I mean, he's definitely no stranger to us and we always feel that we've held him for all time. But then I realized, Jesus lives in all of us so this boy is really just an ordinary boy.

The sixth stanza is the same with the third one. So as the seventh. The boy asked the girl to come with him and see what he sees, to touch the stars and he assures her that time will not flee. I love this stanza. If the world is full of ordinary boys like this one, this would surely be a happier carefree world. A world full of hope and goodness.

And the girl realizes that what happened was just a dream. That's the eight stanza! She woke up in her bed and thought that the boy was all in her head. And in the ninth stanza, she realized that she's wrong because she saw that boy standing there in the door with a deal.

The deal? That's in stanza ten. The deal would be to take his hand and live her life fully! And I would like to think that the eleventh stanza could be that whenever the girl feels down, there would always be that ordinary boy to bring a smile to her face and a ray of sunshine to her ordinary days!

Some Simple Things To Do To Make Her Fall More In Love With You

Guys love grand gestures in conveying their feelings. Like giving not a single perfect rose but a roomful of roses with a rainbow of colors. Renting not a tiny quaint boat for just the two of you for a peaceful moonlight sail but a big modern yacht. Dining not in a secluded restaurant with a great ambiance but a five-star one with its bossy-looking waiters. Guys. They're so dense not to realize that what every girl wants is not grandeur and flamboyance but the simplicity and sincerity in their every actions.

So I've compiled here the simple things that a clueless guy can do to make his girl fall more in love with him.

• Twirl her hair. If she has short pixie hair then just rub your fingertips along her scalp as long as you feel the soft silky texture of each strand of hair.
• Tie her shoelaces when it comes undone. Or if she's wearing sandals and flats and it came off while walking, retrieve it as fast as you can, cradle her tiny delicate feet in your hands and put on the sandals or flats on her feet.
• Tie her hair for her when you think that it is bugging her but can't do anything about it since her hands are all busy doing more important things.
• Carry her heavy bag. BUT if she does not want you to carry it even though its so heavy then let her carry it herself. AND always offer to carry it every few moments, she'll eventually give up and let you carry it.
• ALWAYS greet her "Good Morning". It makes her happy thinking that she is the first person you think of everyday upon waking up.
• Call her to say "Good Night". It makes her sleep calmly knowing that you are safe and doing good before she sleeps.
• Save the last piece of whatever you are eating for her.
  
• Surprise her. It may be an ice cold soda in the middle of the day, a glass of milk before she sleeps or a cup of fresh coffee in the morning.
• Hold her hand while crossing the street.
• Cook for her.
• Wear her favorite color even though everybody thinks it does not suit you.
• Sing her favorite song even though you're tired of listening to it.
• Stare at her with a contented look in your face.
• Make her smile.
• Don't ever make her cry.
  

Stardust: A Not-So-Eloquent-But-Nevertheless-Meaningful Review

Stars. For ordinary boring unimaginative beings, they're just inanimate metallic heavenly bodies that for certain reasons unknown has the capacity to fall and tumble into the earth, but then, in Neil Gaiman's world, they're temperamental delicate beings that shine, glimmer and sparkle in the shadows of the dark.

Neil Gaiman. He never fails to amaze me! A story teller of grand caliber, who in my own humble opinion have once been either a fallen star, or a naive half-human half-Faerie wandering prince, or an ambitious cold-hearted witch or a cunning unduly suspicious king-to-be, to have depicted vividly the entire story in a very convincing and amusing manner. With his superior imagination and witty words, HE is an author worthy of godlike worship and praise.

The story started in a town appropriately called Wall since the only interesting fact about the place is that a wall separates it from Faerie land and it is in Wall that Victoria Forrester, Tristran Thorn's ultimate love asked for a fallen star in exchange for anything that his heart desires. And so, Tristran, with love for a reason and nothing but a leather backpack in his shoulder, courageously embarked on a journey and unknowingly face his destiny.

Along the way in his quest for the fallen star, Tristran met a hairy midget who helped him reach the star in the fastest method possible and that is through a Babylon candle. Then he found Yvaine, the fallen star who unfortunately broke her leg on her fall. Upon pursuing Yvaine who was getting away astride in a unicorn, he met Primus, the eldest among the princes of Stormhold. After that, Tristan faces the witch-queen, who was also pursuing the fallen star but unlike Tristran, she only wants her shining heart to bring back her own and that of her witch sisters' youth. And while escaping the sly witch-queen, they met the magnanimous captain of the Perdita, a flying ship which captures lightning.

Stardust is not your average fairytale story. It does not involve any violent battles between good and evil. Nor does it have a happy ending. What makes it special is that what happens in the story can happen in reality. Well, aside from the flying ship, possessed tree, and any other odd things and people in the story, the emotions and actions of the characters are real enough to be able to garner an empathy among characters and thus making the reading experience a gratifying and of course amusing one.

Rihanna-Chris Brown: What really happened?

LATEST UPDATE: Aubrey "Drake" Graham denies making it with Rihanna the other night at Lucky Strike. "It's not like that at all," says Drake. "I'm being honest. [She's] just a friend, that's all. A great artist. Nothing at all [happened]. I have the most respect for her. I think she's so talented."

What you've just read is from a blog from blahgirls.com summarizing the unfortunate event that happened between Rihanna and Chris Brown.

I was browsing through some Hollywood gossip websites, when I've come upon this blog that summarizes the Rihanna and Chris Brown breakdown. It was a long read (I can't believe so many things happened after that night) and yet an entertaining one if you love gossips. The blog contains all write-ups on the Rihanna and Chris Brown issue from all magazines and websites that you've probably already read. The accounts written mustly involves about where Rihanna went with whom; where she ate and partied; what Chris Brown had said and how he behaved; what Jay-Z, Mike Tyson, Will Smith, Hilary Duff and all other celebrities who are not really involved think about the issue, some updates on the court proceedings and just everything that mentions both Rihanna's and Chris Brown's names. It was arranged chronologically so you wouldn't have a problem guessing which event comes first.

Click here to see the blog and enjoy reading!

What can a book club do for you?

Ok. So here is the deal. If you are not familiar with Jane Austen then you better stop reading at this very moment.

I've just finished watching this new movie. Not an Austen book adaptation. Not on the life of Miss Austen. But about the lives that were touched by Jane Austen. It's titled The Jane Austen Book Club. Not so creative title but definitely a very appropriate one.

It's a story that revolves around the members of the book club. There was Jocelyn, the dog lover who does not settle for second best and that includes love. There was Sylvia, a new divorcee who is struggling to let go of her lost love. Allegra, Sylvia's hasty daughter who prefers women and loves adventure. Prudie, the high school French teacher who was never been to France and is fantasizing about her hot student. Grigg, the science fiction fanatic who only joins the club because of Jocelyn. And there was Bernadette, the most uncomplicated human being in the group who was making marriage a habit. As the book club progressed from Emma in February, Mansfield Park on March, Northanger Abbey in April, Pride & Prejudice on May, Sense & Sensibility on June and lastly Persuasion on July; they are not aware that they are not reading but living the lives and learning the lessons from Jane Austen's characters.

This is one of the movies that made me not drag the slider of my player to forward the events. And for me, that's a big plus. It's an all-in-one movie. It deals with matters involving love, homosexuality, adventure, contentment, attraction, shame... and the list goes on. The characters are never boring and I was satisfied with the acting. I personally love Jocelyn. It reminds me of someone a know. This movie makes me want to read Jane Austen's books. Unfortunately, I've only read Pride & Prejudice and that was a long time ago so this movie is an eye opener for me. It made me see my own ignorance and neglect on the finer aspects of literature.

So, back to the movie... What can I say?

Heart-warming, unpredictable, wholesome and simple... Just like Miss Austen's famous characters...

I may mess up this review but please, I really mean please, don't let this be one of the reasons not to watch this classic because you will surely regret it.

Why am I so fucked up right now?

The answer? Well, there's really nothing happening in my life right now aside from being bothered by the annoyingly and pathetic snickering that I'm currently hearing somewhere at the back of my cubicle. So here I am. Turning up the volume and listening to someone singing about how summertime guys are so cool. Summer. Is that word supposed to be synonymous to the word fun? So not true right now.

But here I am. Stucked. And hating it. My life for the past 8 months has practically been a routine. And not a very exciting one at that. Why can't life be just easy. Why can't we just have 4 hours to go to work and the remaining hours to learn about ourselves. Life is definitely a bitch. I mean, I don't know how many hours the Caveman people worked during the Ice Age but I know for sure that their work actually developed them for who they truly are. Hunting makes them more patient and resourceful. So, here I am. Sitting in my cubicle. Thinking about my freaking work. Doing nothing about it. I'm just hoping that it won't hunt me in my dreams tonight because if it does then I've probably pull that trick Veronika did in Veronika Decides To Die. So how does my work help me develop myself? Well, aside that it definitely makes me fat by sitting all day drinking bitter sugarless coffee, it's supposed to make me a better strategist. You know, thinking of some ways to be able to explain some incomprehesible codes that I did not make and never dreamed of making. Yeah. Like that's really helpful. Aside from that it helps me develop a not-so-severe-and-painful yet intolerable headache, it definitely did not help knowing something about my inner self. You see, my work actually involves finishing some tasks within a very strict schedule so that some people in Japan could be their shopping experience more efficient.

With a job like this, I'd probably die not knowing anything about my inner self. How pathetic.

I definitely need a change...

I'll be working on it...

I'll make it happen...

I won't die a pathetic bitch who has only seen the four corners of her boarding house...

I'll stop ranting and get back to my miserable work...

Where are you?

To my one true love,

I don't know who you are. That's for sure. You could be someone from one of Jupiter's moon, you could be a sexually confused person who loves to watch porn, you could be someone from a country with a name I can't pronounce, you could be a foodie who eats fried worms for breakfast, you could be a cynical traveler who has been to Angkor five times, you could be a jaded photo journalist, you see... you could be anybody from anywhere. But you won't be just anybody for me, you will be SOMEBODY.

Somebody who is decent enough to hold a conversation that may lead to the topic that involves the feces of either human or animal but then make it so interesting that the conversation won't stop there but lead to more grim topics like Ken and Barbie's relationship or the invention of the not-so-loved subject - calculus. Somebody who laughs on his own casual stupidity but sobers up on jokes about his own country. Somebody who thinks profoundly and does not acknowledge the shallowness of a malicious story but then delves deeper for the truth. Somebody who is not perfect but confident enough to know that his imperfections is what makes him perfect for his loved ones. Somebody who gets hurt but then will immerse himself into that feeling because for you, it is a feeling that needs to be conquered. Somebody who acknowledge his own weaknesses and shortcomings. Somebody who is spontaneous. Somebody who is passionate. Somebody who is cavalier. Somebody who is honest and true. Somebody worth loving. Somebody like YOU.

I don't know if you exist. I don't know if you WILL exist. All I know is that I will wait for you and I wish that you will wait for me too.

Yours forever,

Your Lover

Who needs a freakin' review anyways?

NICK on her Ex-Bitch

I try to hear her voice, try to separate that single pitch from the shouts and applause. But she’s as lost to me as she was the night I cried and she didn’t turn back to see if I was okay. Three weeks, two days, and twenty-three hours ago. And she’s already with someone else.

My eye is still used to searching for her in a crowd. My breath is still used to catching when I see her and the light is angled just right. My body is still used to hers moving next to mine. So the distance—anything short of contact—is a constant rejection. We were together for six months, and in each of those months my desire found new ways to be fueled by her. It’s over can’t kill that. All of the songs I wrote in my head were for her, and now I can’t stop them from playing. This null soundtrack. I’m tired, she’d said, and I told her that I was tired, too, and that I wanted to take some time for us, too. And then she’d said, No, I’m tired of you, and I slipped into the surreal-but-true universe where we were over and I wasn’t over it. She was no longer any kind of here that I could get to.

One of NICK & NORAH's enlightening conversations

“What are you talking about?”
“The Cure. What do they think they’re the cure for? Happiness?”
“This coming from the bassist for The Fuck Offs?”
And I can’t help it. I think, Wow, she knows our name.
“Dev’s thinking of changing it to The Fuck Ons,” I tell her.
“How ’bout simply Fuck On?”
“Maybe one word? Fuckon?”
“The Friendly Fuckons?”
“My Fuckon Or Yours?”
“Why is he such a fucking Fuckon?”
I look at her. “Is that a band name or a statement?”
“He had no right to do that. None.”
We break into silence again. I lob a question right into it.

From the burly bouncer dressed in a Playboy Bunny outfit

“There’s no such thing as ready,” she says. “There’s only willing.”
She reaches over and puts her hand on top of mine. She’s not making a pass at me—she’s trying to pass something on.
“I have all the proof I need,” she says. “The proof is always in the dancing.”

NORAH says

“Look,” she says, raising her Tina Colada, “I owe you a kind of explanation. I know you probably think I’m a horrid bitch from the planet Schizophrenia, but I’m honestly not trying to mess with your head. I’m just messing with my own head and I seem to have dragged you along for the ride. I think you’re nice to me and that scares the fuck out of me. Because when a guy’s a jerk or an asshole, it’s easier because you know exactly where you stand. Since trust isn’t an option, you don’t have to get all freaked out about maybe having to trust him. Right now I am thinking about ten things at the same time, and at least four of those things have to do with you. If you want to leave right now and drive home and forget my name and forget what I look like, I wouldn’t blame you in the least. But what I’m trying to say is that if you did that I would be sorry. And not just sorry in an I-apologize-I’m-so-sorry way, but sorry in a sad-that-something-that-could’ve-happened-didn’t way. That’s it. You can go now. Or we could stay for Where’s Fluffy when Toni’s set is over. I think they’re playing a surprise show here tonight.”

NICK answers

“No,” I go on. “It does. And if I left, you’d probably want to give me my jacket back. And if you did, I wouldn’t be able to put it on, because the whole time I’d be knowing how perfectly it fit on you. How even though the sleeves are ridiculously too long and the collar is all fucked up and for all I know some guy named Salvatore is going to come in this very club in two minutes and say, ‘Hey, that’s my jacket’ and strike up a conversation and sweep you off your feet away from me—even though all those things are true or possibly true, I just can’t ruin the picture of you sitting there across from me wearing my jacket better than I or anyone else ever could. If I don’t owe it to you and I don’t owe it to me, I at least owe it to Salvatore.”

While Where's Fluffy is playing

Dev’s elbow hits my back and I press forward and she’s right there and I’m reaching out and she’s right there and right at that moment the amps amplify and the music takes on such a pulse that it becomes my heartbeat and her heartbeat and I know it and she knows it and this is the point where we could break apart and that would be it, totally it. But I look into her eyes and she looks into my eyes and we recognize it—the excitement of being here, the excitement of being now. And maybe I’m realizing what a part of it she is and maybe she’s realizing what a part of it I am, because suddenly we’re not crashing as much as we’re combining. The chords swirling around us are becoming a tornado, tightening and tightening and tightening, and we are at the center of it, and we are at the center of each other. My wrist touches hers right at the point of our pulses, and I swear I can feel it. That thrum. We are moving to the music and at the same time we are a stillness. I am not losing myself in the barrage. I am finding her. And she is—yes, she is finding me. The crowd is pressing in on us and the bassline is revealing everything and we are two people who are part of a lot more people, and at the same time we’re our own part. There isn’t loneliness, only this intense twoliness. There’s only one way to test it, and that is to dare a movement, to push it farther and see if she wants it to go there. I find her lips and I make that kiss and she’s pulling my hair and I’ve got the fabric of her jacket bunched in a fist and it’s nothing like talking and it’s right there and we’re taking it and taking it and taking it. And my eyes are closed and then my eyes are open and I see her eyes are open and there’s a part of her that’s pulling back even as our bodies are pressing and it’s the fear, of course there’s the fear, and I just hold her close to tell her I understand.

NICK with Dev

“‘I Wanna Hold Your Hand.’ First single. Fucking brilliant. Perhaps the most fucking brilliant song ever written. Because they nailed it. That’s what everyone wants. Not 24-7 hot wet sex. Not a marriage that lasts a hundred years. Not a Porsche or a blow job or a million-dollar crib. No. They wanna hold your hand. They have such a feeling that they can’t hide. Every single successful love song of the past fifty years can be traced back to ‘I Wanna Hold Your Hand.’ And every single successful love story has those unbearable and unbearably exciting moments of hand-holding. Trust me. I’ve thought a lot about this.”

NICK while waiting

While they’re in the bathroom together, I try to distract myself by coming up with a list of things that could be worse than having your vehement ex drag your current she’s-so-frickin’-cool girl away for some cubicle camaraderie (or conflict). I come up with the following:

• Having your pubic hair trimmed with garden shears.
• Having your pubic hair trimmed with garden shears by a frat guy who’s had twelve shots of Jägermeister.
• Having your pubic hair trimmed with garden shears by a frat guy who’s had twelve shots of Jägermeister during an 8.6 earthquake.
• Having your pubic hair trimmed with garden shears by a frat guy who’s had twelve shots of Jägermeister during an 8.6 earthquake with lite jazz playing.

I have to stop there. It’s just too horrifying.

Still waiting

Maybe this is my way of creating the illusion of control over something I have no control over. Like, if it’s just a story I’m telling or a song I’m singing, then I’ll be okay because I’m the guy who’s providing the words. Which is not the way life works at all. Or at least not when it’s unfair.

The Song

March Eighteenth

The way you’re singing in your sleep
The way you look before you leap
The strange illusions that you keep
You don’t know
But I’m noticing

The way your touch turns into arcs
The way you slide into the dark
The beating of my open heart
You don’t know
But I’m noticing

NORAH on being Jewish

“Tikkun olam,” I repeat.
“Exactly. Basically, it says that the world has been broken into pieces. All this chaos, all this discord. And our job—everyone’s job—is to try to put the pieces back together. To make things whole again.”

NICK on NORAH being Jewish

“Maybe that’s it,” I say gently. “With what you were talking about before. The world being broken. Maybe it isn’t that we’re supposed to find the pieces and put them back together. Maybe we’re the pieces.”

NORAH's discovery

I can’t think about what Dad did because the skies have suddenly opened up and it’s a hellacious downpour, but what is Nick doing? He’s dancing a jig at the curb, his arms outstretched, his face tilted upward to receive the splash. Joyful.

I don’t tell Nick my call is finished. I just watch him. A while ago when I looked at Nick, I felt inspired by the line from that Smiths song playing earlier at Camera Obscura where Morrissey sings about how what she asked of me / at the end of the day / Caligula would have blushed. I don’t know that I care anymore about piecing together whether Nick’s straight or gay or somewhere in between. I’m thinking I would like to dance in the rain with this person. I would like to lie next to him in the dark and watch him breathe and watch him sleep and wonder what he’s dreaming about and not get an inferiority complex if the dreams aren’t about me.
I don’t know if Nick and I are going to be friends or lovers or if he’s going to be Will and I’m going to be Grace, which will be disappointing along with boring, but whatever Nick and I are going to be to each other, it can’t be—it won’t be—just a one-night-stand thing.
I know this.

NICK

Singing in the rain. I’m singing in the rain. And it’s such a fucking glorious feeling. An unexpected downpour and I am just giving myself into it. Because what the fuck else can you do? Run for cover? Shriek or curse? No—when the rain falls you just let it fall and you grin like a madman and you dance with it, because if you can make yourself happy in the rain then you’re doing pretty alright in life.

The make-out

He pulls me back up so our lips meet again, and I’m lost all over again, lost inside his mouth, feeling his breath, feeling his heartbeat against my hand pressed on his chest. My hands want to wander all over him, but his lips are sliding so sweetly around my own, my hands can’t focus. His hands focus just fine. He’s definitely a breast instead of thigh man. Only his hands go slow, caressing and teasing instead of Talpillaging (good job on the breast tutorial, Tris), and I can feel my chest straining to high attention, wanting, more more more. Then Nick’s hands move away and I want to murmur, No no no, come back, hands, but my mouth is too busy occupying his. As Nick’s hands fumble and smooth over my back, clearly looking for a bra strap to unclasp, my lips can’t bear to pull away from touching him to tell him, Honey, it’s a front-clasp bra.

An infinite playlist by NICK

When we get to Ludlow, I remember the song I began to write, in an hour that seems like weeks ago now. Can so much really happen in a night? The song was never really over, but now I have the ending—I don’t know how I’ll phrase it, but it will involve our returning, it will take in the strange pink light and the Sunday-morning quiet. Because the song is us, and the song is her, and this time I’m going to use her name. Norah Norah Norah—no rhymes, really. Just truth.
I shouldn’t want the song to end. I always think of each night as a song. Or each moment as a song. But now I’m seeing we don’t live in a single song. We move from song to song, from lyric to lyric, from chord to chord. There is no ending here. It’s an infinite playlist.

NICK

My heartbeat accelerates. I am in the here, in the now. I am also in the future. I am holding her and wanting and knowing and hoping all at once. We are the ones who take this thing called music and line it up with this thing called time. We are the ticking, we are the pulsing, we are underneath every part of this moment. And by making the moment our own, we are rendering it timeless. There is no audience. There are no instruments. There are only bodies and thoughts and murmurs and looks. It’s the concert rush to end all concert rushes, because this is what matters. When the heart races, this is what it’s racing toward.

NORAH

I hesitate even though I know my wavering could cost us the approaching train. If I make this jump, then this is real, he is real. I will have broken the law for him and that will bind us together forever, outlaws, like Bonnie and Clyde. And look how that worked out for them.

If I do this, it will be like jumping into the middle of the mosh pit. Dangerous. Exhilarating. Terrifying. It’s only a fucking turnstile, but what if I don’t make it to the other side. Some people never make it out of the mosh alive.
The deafening screech of train brakes announces the train is in the station.
Nick says, “Are we in this or not?”
To throw myself into the breach of our great divide will be a leap of faith.
I grab hold of his warm hand. Deep breath.
Ready.
Set.
Jump.

Me on NICK AND NORAH'S INFINITE PLAYLIST

So, who needs a fucking review of this book?
Read it.

What is spontaneity?

Spontaneity is an noun that is defined as "the quality of being spontaneous and coming from natural feelings without constraint." Yeah. Whatever. I did it today.

I was spontaneous.

If you could call them spontaneous.

Well, first, I did not sleep in my abnormally normal hours of sleeping (6 am - 2 pm) when I'm on night shift because I was finishing this book about a nerdy girl and a slacker boy falling in love in senior year. When I finally had the sense to sleep, I was awakened by a text from someone that I have to meet later. My deep slumber abruptly came to an end. I don't really want to go but I have to because it is one of those things that my mother will definitely nag me about if I miss this appointment. After meeting her, I still have like two hours until I have to go to work. I really hate being idle in the mall. It sucks. I mean there are so many things you could do there but then most of those things involves spending your hard-earned money of things that will definitely not give you much satisfaction. So to avoid ruining my budget, I went to this part of the mall where you could sit and listen to live acoustic music.

Surprisingly, the things that I have done today that I categorized as spontaneous were actually useful.

First, because I had this absurd idea that I really have to finish what I was reading or else the world will end. So there I was, reading and wondering if it would be a great idea to continue when my sister went online surprisingly. So we chatted for like 15 minutes. I really was not expecting that to happen today. It was a good thing I was spontaneous between 6 am till 9:30 am.

Next thing, while listening to this band which I forgot the name. It's like this uncool and unimaginative name that most bands give themselves when they are (the band members) not really that close enough to hang out with each other and think of much cooler names. The band basically called "____ (somebody's name, probably the one on vocals) and The Band". How lousy is that! I mean, aside from the name, the band was quite good. The vocalist looks like Jessica Alba so the men there are probably salivating over her and they really have a cute guitarist. So I was there, chillin' when I heard this very familiar intro of the song they are singing. Surprised again! They're playing Boys Don't Cry by The Cure. How rad is that! I totally dig this band after that song. Another spontaneous act that led to me to decide that I would come to the mall once a week a just listen to acoustic music for free.

Spontaneity definitely rocks!

Why make a list?

I need to make lists. I can't function properly without them since I am a 100% pure blooded selective amnesiac. Like, I always forget the things that I've heard and sometimes the things that I was thinking even though I heard or thought of them for like an hour ago.

So the question is: What's on my mind today? And the answer is.... (drum roll) Naomi and Ely and the fact that I really love them. So I'm creating my WHY-I-LOVE-THE-NAOMI-AND-ELY-BOOK List.

WHY-I-LOVE-THE-NAOMI-AND-ELY-BOOK List

(1) Music Mixes

So love them! I always think that making a music mix for someone you like is way better than telling them in the most boring, old and conventional way - telling it in their not-so-shocked face... But it's even more better in the book since all the songs in the mix has those cute reasons why they are in the mix. So totally brilliant.

(2) Gabriel

What can I say. I wish I could meet someone like him... (sigh) He's an original. He's cute and hot but then he doesn't use his hotness to be a jerk, he knows how to feel and he thinks too. He's perfect in a not so perfect way.
He's made the mix for Naomi... I wish I was Naomi... (sigh)

(3) Naomi

Really love this girl! Period.

(4) Ely And Bruce The Second

I hated Ely while reading this book and I pitied Bruce The Second throughout the 200 something pages but I later realized that they are real. I mean, they could exist. There could be someone in this cruel world that is about to experience or experiencing or have experienced what they have experienced. So I incinerated the hatred and pity.

(5) Starbucks

If you are in a setting like New York, there's no way Starbucks is not to be mentioned. It's one place New Yorkers has a chance of feeling like they're boring people. It's actually Naomi's favorite hang-out but the odd thing is she never drinks coffee from Starbucks.

(6) Queerdom

I love queers! I'm sorry if it's not a politically correct word to use. (peace) And being able to get a glimpse of what they are thinking (through this book) is an enlightenment.

(7) Book Cover

As what I have said, it's unpretentious. Need I say more? Well, I'm partial to yellow... (It's practically the cover's color... :D)

To get a free copy of the book, go to my e-books library and download the e-book for free.

Where can I find a gay bestfriend?

First thought. So liked the cover of the book. It's so unpretentious that you could guess that there's really something deep within those covers.

First reaction. Okay. The book contains such pretty and radical slang that only true blooded New Yorkers could actually comprehend. I really had a hard time understanding it and yet I can't stop reading it. Its not-within-this-world plot and the never-thought-of turn of events made this book soooo good that you have to forgive the ones who have invented those NY street words. This book is definitely profound and not to be taken without a whooping amount of seriousness.

I know. I've been raving about it but you don't actually know what I'm talking about. It's this book titled Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan. So the story goes like this. Naomi is a straight girl who's forever in love with his bestfriend named Ely who is unfortunately gay. They've shared their lives together that they are not regarded as individuals but as an institution. If there's Ely then Naomi is probably around within the 5-meter radius. Really. That close. To avoid jealousy that could threaten their friendship, they created a NO KISS LIST. It is a list of all the boys that they could not kiss in any way possible. But then, Ely kissed Bruce The Second, Naomi's boyfriend and it was okay for her (she doesn't like Bruce The Second as much as he likes Ely) until Ely falls in love with Bruce The Second and that was the time the institution of Naomi + Ely starts crumbling. And that's the start of discovering their individuality and starting out a new kind of friendship, a better one.

Last thought. I'll never change anything that has happened in this book. It's perfect as it is. An enlightening read for girls who have male bestfriends (gay and straight) and an interesting read for boys who also have female bestfriends (straight and gay). And a must read for all who doesn't have both!

What is Bob Ong thinking?

This blog contains my reactions and oppositions to Bob Ong's writings (Ang Pabloritong Libro Ni Hudas) about cellphones. It's in Tagalog so for English-speaking people, bear with me. I might translate it into English soon....

Haayyy... Hindi naman pala ganon kagaling si Bob Ong sa pag-iisip tungkol sa cellphone. Bakit? Anong nagawa nang cellphone sa kanya nong bata pa siya kay ganoon nalang ang galit nya sa mga cellphone dito sa mundo?

Sabi nya, more or less, eh, kinu-control na raw nang cellphone ang buhay ng mga gumagamit nito. Heller! Eh kasalanan ba yon nang cellphone? Bakit ba, may utak naba ngayon ang mga cellphone para i-hypnotize ang mga gumagamit sa kanila para gumawa nang mga hindi dapat gawin? Kung ganon na nga, bilib na talaga ako sa teknolohiya. Hindi naman kasalanan nang cellphone yan eh. Kasalanan nang mga gumagamit at nagpapagamit na mga tao. Sa totoo lang, malaki ang pakinabang nang cellphone sa mga buhay natin. Hindi lang naman sa masama nagagamit ang cellphone, pati na rin sa kabutihan. Halimbawa na lang, yung mga fundraisers na ang ginagamit pang raise nang funds ay through text. At kung meron kang ka-meet sa mall or sa daan ay hindi na sasakit ang ulo mo sa pag-alala kung nasan na yung ka-meet mo kasi may text at call na. At pwede na rin gamitin ngayon ang cellphone para makapagpadala nang pera sa mga nangangailangan. Ito rin ang ginagamit nang magsyota para ayusin kung anumang away na namagitan sa kanila. Hindi mo ba nakikita? The cellphone builds bridges and not gaps!

Hindi dapat isisi sa bagay ang mga kaguluhan dito sa mundo kundi isisi sa tao. At hindi rin sa service provider dahil nagtratrabaho lang naman sila ahh. At lalong hindi natin dapat isisi sa mga cellphone companies dahil ang gusto lang nila ay magatulong sa pandaigdigang kaginhawaan. Gusto lang nilang sumaya at guminhawa ang buhay natin sa pamamagitan ng mga teknolohiya.

Ang sekreto lang sa paggamit nang cellphone ang ang tinatawag nating "moderate use". Kailangan lang na i-control ang paggamit nito. Hindi ka dapat nagpapa-apekto sa mga sinasabi nang service providers.

Ako nga, ginagamit ko lang ang cellphone ko sa mga importanteng bagay. Hindi ako nagtetext tungkol sa mga tsismis at hindi makabulohang bagay. Dahil din sa cellphone eh nakukumusta ko yong mga mahal ko sa buhay dito sa Pilipinas at sa New Zealand.

Tandaan lang natin na tayo ang dapat may control at hindi ang bagay na dapat kino-control. At gamitin nang sakto ang mga teknolohiya, huwag i-abuso at gawing masama sa paningin nang tao.

This is only an opinion. I don't have anything against Bob Ong. I actually find him funny and I'll be buying his other books. Peace out Bob!

Would I survive living in a graveyard?

One cold foggy night, a silent murder happened in 33 Dunstan Road somewhere in the Old Town. Three people were killed. A man, a woman and a girl. At the time of the murder, in the attic of the house in 33 Dunstan Road, a little boy was unknowingly making the greatest escape of his life. Armed with just a rubber pacifier, the bored toodler who just learned how to walk, went out of the house and up the hill. Being silently chased by the watchful and talented murderer, that boy fund refuge in the most unusual and safe place in town - the graveyard.
And the adventure in the graveyard begins...

-My own introduction to The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

(Just trying to be like Gaiman... hehe...)

I'm really amazed by Neil Gaiman's imagination. Who? Yeah, who could think of writing a book about a boy living in a graveyard? I can't think of single sane person who could.

The story evolves around the orphaned boy appropriately name Nobody Owens (made me think that maybe Gaiman used the phrase "nobody owns" as basis for this...), Bod for short. Being given the Freedom of the Graveyard, Bod can talk and see the ghosts living in the graveyard. With ghost parents and a not-dead-and-not-alive person as a guardian, Bod's adventures in the graveyard is unexpected and at the same time sad. If your expecting to be scared while reading this then forget about it.

Being my first Gaiman book, I really don't know what to think of it aside from the fact that many people love it. Reading the first few pages of made it me realize that this is not your normal children's book with the almost perfect hero or heroine. Bod has issues he needs to deal with and lessons learned through hard experiences. It is a serious book with a wee bit of humor (really love the inscriptions on the gravestones!). This book is a fast and entertaining read. It made me think that living in the graveyard is really like living in the normal world.

I just thought that it should be a longer book, maybe a series. It is not detailed enough. I was actually curious on what the Honour Guard and the Jack of All Trades is all about. I think Gaiman should have delved deeper with the war of the Guards and the Jacks.

All in all, really enjoyed the book. I'll be buying more Gaiman books.

I'll leave the phrases or sentences that I love in the book....

"The treasures of ten thousand years ago were not the treasures of today" -Nobody Owens

"You're alive, Bod. That means you have infinite potential. You can do anything, make anything, dream anything. If you change the world, the world will change. Potential. Once you're dead, it's gone. Over." -Silas

"Of all the organs, the tongue is the most remarkable. For we use it both to taste the sweet wine and bitter poison, thus also do we utter words both sweet and sour with the same tongue." -Nehemiah Trot (the poet)

"Dish best served cold. Do not take revenge in the heat of the moment. Instead, wait until the hour is propitious" -Nehemiah Trot (the poet) on REVENGE

"It's like the people who believe they'll be happy if they go and live somewhere else, but who learn it doesn't work that way. Wherever you go, you take yourself with you." -Silas

Guess who designed my blog?

Noticed the changes? You can't if this is the first time you got lost in here.

Ok. I changed my blog design. And guess what. I was the one who designed it. Kudos to me! I actually have a pink blog and now I have a green one. This would be the first of the future designs that's gonna come out. hehe

I'm actually thinking of giving out free blogger design templates since I really found it so fun making them but it has to wait since work comes first (sigh).

Ok. Gotta go! Au revoir!

Who wants the Aquamarine album?

AQUAMARINE SOUNDTRACK

TRACK LIST

1. One Original Thing - Cheyenne Kimball
2. Strike - Nikki Flores
3. Connected - Sara Paxton
4. Gentleman - Teddy Geiger
5. One And Only - Teitur
6. Island In The Sun - Emma Roberts
7. Time For Me To Fly - Jonas Brothers
8. Can't Behave - Courtney Jaye
9. Summertime Guys - Nikki Cleary
10. One Way Or Another - Mandy Moore
11. Sweet Troubled Soul - Stellastarr
12. I Like The Way - Bodyrockers

PERSONAL REVIEW

I love the movie that comes with this album or is it the other way around. Nah! It's actually the other way around... Album that comes with the movie... And I really love both!

This album contains mostly catchy pop songs that makes you sing along while driving (or for those who doesn't drive, taking a ride). I could say that this album (and the movie) caters to the younger generation or the young at heart.

Some of my favorite tracks are Summertime Guys, Connected and Island In The Sun. They're so fun to listen to.

Click here to download.

Would I read the third installation of the Inheritance Cycle?

After reading the first 20 pages of Eldest by Christopher Paolini, it made me realize that this would be a very looooong read. And I'm so right. It took me 3 weeks to read it and in my standard, that is long enough for a 704-page book. And to think that I've read Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (652 pages) for 2 days. But then, the only thing that links them is the word "magic".

When I was reading it, I decided that I wouldn't buy the third installation - Brisingr. But, when I was finished reading the book, I could not wait to read the third installation. Crazy. Odd. Queer. You call it what you want but that is exactly what I felt. Maybe Paolini jinxed the Inheritance Cycle so that all people who gets bored reading it will not learn their lesson and buy the next book.

Another odd thing, that unexplainable feeling that I have for Eldest is also the feeling I have when I read Eragon (Book 1) and that is the reason why I bought Eldest (I actually have to choose between Eldest and a Murakami book and I chose Eldest... so sad... really...).

Since I've started this Eragon thing, so I might as well finish the whole cycle and that includes four books. Three are published and I have a copy of books 1 and 2. I'm actually waiting for the paperback edition of Brisingr since hardbound books are too expensive.

Can't wait to read the third installment!

Ohh.. I can't believe I just said that....

How do I honor my sister?

It has been 8 weeks since I've seen my sister. It has been 3 days since I've talked to her.
And I've never truly missed her. Odd, right? I'm supposed to miss her and cry over the fact that she left the country to work but I'm not really miserable without her. But then, there are simple things that I've missed doing with her. I don't miss her YET but these little things that we do together are what I really missed.

When we cross the street, highway or any road visible to the naked eye, she always holds my hand. Yeah, even though I'm 21 years old and she's 24, she still looks out for me when we cross the street. And it's funny that I allow her to do this but I'm actually happy when she does.

We used to go out around midnight to eat. Hehe... Really miss it now since I'm alone and I can't burden my friends because of my cravings.

The list is actually endless. I even miss our petty quarrels and our mall excursion (in which I usually pay for our meal...).

Even though we don't have the I'll-tell-you-my-secret-and-you-tell-yours type of relationship, I still consider it a close relationship. We sometimes have our disagreements in so many things but then it really doesn't matter after a few days. I know that there are things that she keeps to herself just like there are some secrets that I kept to myself but then it doesn't matter because whatever they are, she will always be my sister.

I will love her until the the wind stops blowing and the Pacific Ocean is 1 inch deep.

And it's actually her birthday today. She's 25 now and she's having a pizza and ice cream party in New Zealand. Can't wait to see her pics!

Did my smiley work?

I really want to add a mood section for each of my blog entry and since blogger doesn't support this kind of thing (livejournal does!) so I just have to look for a hack. And fortunately, I found one and I'm trying it out in this entry.

Trial 1....

Whaaa.... It did not work....

If this actually works then click this to know about the hack.

Trial 2....



I downloaded a Mozilla add-on (Smiley Xtra) and used the available smileys...
A tiresome solution but then you could actually get unique smileys...

Trial 3....



Just follow this link to know how to insert smileys. This is actually a cool thing! Try it!

To be or not to be?

I've been asking myself that exact question since I woke up this morning. To be on sick leave or not... (big sigh)

I'm not sick, physically, but I'm not feeling well emotionally and psychologically. It has to do with something at work. I just need to escape from all things and people in there and the only way to do it is to be on sick leave.

It is in these times that gets me thinking if I should pursue a career in cooking or books which are two of my greatest passions. It also made me regret my decision to choose practicality over passion while I was deciding what course to take in college. Apparently, taking up Information Technology opens a lot of opportunities and is more practical than taking up either Library Science or Hotel and Restaurant Management. And Culinary Arts is too expensive.

I know that I tend to curse (saying "ahak") when irritated and angry or just having fun. And today, I'm not happy. Cursing without the people you curse in front of you is such a waste of effort and I don't want to befoul the air in my room for a nonsense and useless cause. So I'll just rant in the web. Or I could do this: read a book and forget about all things happening around me; the feelings of disappointment in my heart and the evil thoughts inside my head. And maybe go home to my parents for comfort and love.

That's it. I'm going home and read a book...

Maybe I'll bring my new book (The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman) if ever I would finish reading Eldest by Christopher Paolini during this weekend.

And to end this entry in a happy note, I'm sharing one of my favorite quotes...

"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind."
— Dr. Seuss

Have you heard "Tu Amor" sang by No Mercy?

I was in National Bookstore (Mango branch because the SM Cebu branch sucks and if I go to the Ayala branch then I'd probably be tempted to buy something useless in the mall) to pick up my reserved book "The Graveyard Book" by Neil Gaiman. After paying for it, I browsed in the Filipino Literature section to check out Bob Ong's books and then I heard this sweet lovely song being played in the store. I was hooked my the soothing melody and the unpretentious lyrics.

Here's the problem. I didn't know the song and I'm not familiar with the singer's voice. All I know is that there's a "Mi Amor" phrase in it. So I googled for it zealously. But, alas! I couldn't find it. I didn't stop since I don't want Mr. Google to beat me.

So while browsing through the sites (mostly lyrics sites), my eyes were caught with the following link:

Tu Amor - No Mercy songs lyrics song lyric

- [ Isalin ang pahinang ito ]

The song Tu Amor by No Mercy .. Just like that Mi amor, I’m not sure of the right words ... Tu Amor - No Mercy songs lyrics song lyric. 3/19/2009 8:03:42 PM ...
www.poemhunter.com/song/tu-amor/ - 28k
- Naka-cache - Mga katulad na webpage

I opened the link and yeheyyy!!! Gotcha! Kudos to me again! I beat Mr. Google.

I immediately downloaded the song (actually I downloaded the discography of No Mercy since I found them interesting) and I've been listening to it for the whole day.

So I'll end this entry with the lyrics and feel free to email me if you want a copy of the song (I'm giving it for free. hehe...).

Tu Amor by No Mercy

Just like that
Mi amor, I'm not sure of the right words to say
Maybe these simple words will you best, best explain
What I feel in my heart, what I feel more each day
How to make you see, how to let you know
How to say, how to say how I love you so
With words you understand
Words that get right through your heart
Here's a place to start

Tu amor, tu amor, I will always be
Tu amor, tu amor, means the world to me
Estare siempre en mi corazon
You're the one in my soul that I live for
Tu amor, tu amor

Mi amor, love you more with each look in your eyes
Maybe these simple words will you best, best describe
What I feel in my heart, what I feel for all times
How to make you see, how to let you know
How to say, how say how I need you so
With words you understand
Words that get right through your soul
Words that let you know

Tu amor, tu amor, I will always be
Tu amor, tu amor, means the world to me
Estare siempre en mi corazon
You're the one in my soul that I live for
Tu amor, tu amor

You're the one that I need in my arms
Believe me these words I say
Are words that come straight from my heart
How can I make you believe
Nothing else seems as much as what you mean to me

Tu amor, tu amor
Tu es la unica en mi alma
Yo te quiero te adoro
Tus labios tus ojos mi amor

Tu amor, tu amor, I will always be
Tu amor, tu amor, means the world to me
Estare siempre en mi corazon
You're the one in my soul that I live for
Tu amor, tu amor...

Yo te quiero te adoro mi amor
Estare siempre en mi corazon
Yeah, just like that

Why "STOOPID STAR"?

Really. There are so many English adjectives to describe a star but why use stupid (spelled stoopid for the sole reason that "stupidstar" is already taken by someone I believe who loves to call him/her self more stupid than me. peace out!). Stupid. That's because I'm really stupid sometimes. My stupidity is actually a cross between pathetic naivety and dynamic curiosity. But I wouldn't change it (I mean my stupidity) for the world! It's what makes me interesting (I think.. :D) and most definitely stupid.

Star. I love stars! They represent something beyond our reach (I love thinking that I'm beyond anybody's reach... hehe... But I'm not...) and something that lasts. I know stars are suppose to be rocks that are either so hot or cold that moves around in space but for me, they are magical. They are those little bright lights that twinkles in the inky sky and makes your wishes come true.

So that's it! Stoopid Stars. That's because I'm stupid and I like to think of myself as a star!

Oh by the way, I would like to congratulate myself for finally starting this long-planned blog. It's been on my mind and planner for like a month and now it's already on the web. Yeheyyy!! Kudos to me!