New Year's Resolution(s)

Because I can't think of a proper year-ender post.

Here it goes: 

Be more confident. 

Be more daring. 

Be more active.

Be more sure of myself.

Learn how and when to say no. 

Blog more. 

Write more.

Read more. 

Study more. (chos? hahaha)

Try new stuff.

Go places. 

Or, to start small, get out of the house. 

Go to church more often. 

And go where God leads me. 

I hope that we all have a more blessed and more meaningful year ahead of us. Happy new year everyone! 

Zmeyette's Book #6: The Magicians' Guild by Trudi Canavan

The Magicians' Guild by Trudi Canavan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**Spoiler alert** (To be safe)

It's been a week since I finished this trilogy, so this post will be more blah than usual. I usually write these posts right after I finish a book, so usually it comes with the I-just-finished-the-book emotions and everything I felt about the book, whether it be giddy or annoyed. And there's the part right now where I might confuse the details of the three books in the trilogy because I read them one after the other, finishing it all off in two days.

Anyway, I guess that's one positive thing that should be attributed to this book: it made me want to read the rest of the books. I just originally planned to check it out since it seemed to be interesting based on the summary I found on Goodreads, but I really didn't think it would catch my attention like this.

The Magicians' Guild is the first in the Black Magician Trilogy by Trudi Canavan. It is set in the city of Imardin, in the kingdom of Kyralia. Every year, an event occurs, which is called the Purge, in which the people are sent out from the city into the slums. The story begins on one such Purge. Sonea, sent out from their house within the city because of the Purge, gets caught up in the antics of her friends in the slums who are showing their defiance against those who are in charge of the Purge, including the magicians who were sent out by the King. In a moment of rage, Sonea joins in throwing a stone against the magicians, who are comfortably shielded by their magical barrier, as nothing but magic can penetrate it. However, Sonea's stone goes past the barrier and hits a magician, to the great surprise of the magicians, and of Sonea herself. This starts in the hunt for Sonea, as the Magicians' Guild becomes interested in her, since someone like her who's had no training and yet was able to use magic is powerful--and dangerous. Not just to others, but to herself as well.

There are various ways in which I distinguish the three books, but the main one would be: the leading man. In this book, it seems to be Cery, Sonea's childhood friend and thief-wannabe. He helps Sonea to hide from the magicians and actually helps her in any way he could. Well, that's because he likes Sonea, duh. Their relationship is very interesting, and I like Cery's character, because he's fun, daring, and reliable.

Another character that I like is Rothen. (Yes, they have kinda weird names. It's a different world, after all.) He takes Sonea under his wing upon catching her and tries to make her understand that magicians aren't evil by default. It takes a while before Sonea is captured so Rothen's character is introduced and is depicted even as they search for Sonea, which shows his kind nature, which in a way also makes him oblivious to the darker tendencies of his comrades. In this area, Dannyl, Rothen's former student and now his friend, is much more adept. Dannyl is another interesting character, for reasons which are unraveled in the next two books. In this one, Dannyl is interesting because of the methods he used in order to find Sonea. Rothen and Dannyl's banter is also very fun to read.

This is not my favorite book of the trilogy, but I liked it enough to read the next two books. What I like in this book as a part of the trilogy is how it sets up the characters, because this trilogy is amazing in the way it turns my perceptions of the characters upside down. Even in this book alone, at first I am made to hate the magicians, and at the end they're not so bad after all. I even thought Rothen was evil at first, but even that changed. And things change even more in the next two books.

Another way that I distinguish the three books is Sonea's state in relation to the Guild: in this first one she still has not joined the guild. It's interesting how her relationship with the guild transforms over the three books. That, along with the characters, especially Sonea, who I like as well as a heroine, really perked my interest in this trilogy. But maybe I'll say more about Sonea in the next two posts.

So, overall, this isn't my favorite book of the three, but it was a good start.



View all my reviews

Zmeyette's Book #5: Mansfield Park by Jane Austen

Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**Spoiler alert** (Sort of)

First off, I just have to say that I like Fanny Price alright. I just had to mention that because the usual complaint seems to be regarding Fanny Price as a character. And that is something that I don't really have much of an issue with. Granted, she's not my favorite Austen heroine, with Anne Eliott and Elizabeth Bennet still my favorites, but I don't dislike her.

Ok, so now that I have gotten that out of the way, what did I think of the book? It was ok for me, I guess. I was a bit uncomfortable with the fact that Edmund and Fanny are first cousins, because, well, in my time and place it's just illegal to get married if two people are that closely related, but since I'm assuming that it was perfectly normal and legal practice during Austen's time, I just went along with it. At times things seemed to be too dragging for me, but overall it was ok.

Mansfield Park is about Fanny Price, a girl who is taken in by her uncle and aunt to live with them, the Bertrams of Mansfield Park. Because of her lower status, she was quite neglected by most of the family who took her in, and though not really abused, their treatment of Fanny wasn't really the best that it could be. Mrs. Norris, Fanny's other aunt, was especially mean to her (I am actually wondering if this is where Rowling got the name for Filch's cat. Mrs. Norris here was certainly annoying.). The only person who really took notice and was kind to Fanny was Edmund, her cousin, and as they grew up, Fanny fell in love with him.

Things are shaken up with the arrival of the Crawford siblings, as Mary Crawford sets her sights on Edmund, and Henry proposes to Fanny (I think I paraphrased what was written in the jacket of the book.). Fanny agonizes with every passing day that Mary Crawford and Edmund might get engaged, while no one can understand why Fanny was so adamant in not accepting Henry Crawford's proposal when it seemed to be very favorable to her, what with Henry's status and connections, because no one knew of Fanny's secret love for Edmund.

I admit, I fell for Austen's trap. At some point in the book, I wanted Henry to win Fanny. Why? Because I think he really fell in love with Fanny, and for all his faults, I think it was sweet how he fell for Fanny and how in love he was. But alas, he's not the main character, and I think it was shown that his flaws really run deep, and so he really isn't fit for Fanny.

Although, don't get me wrong, I don't think Fanny is a perfect quiet girl. She also has her flaws, she's quite stubborn and well, she's in love, so I can see how she might be a bit biased against Mary Crawford, although she was ultimately right about her. Edmund too, obviously, since during the time he was in love with Mary Crawford he was also quite blind to her flaws.

I am just annoyed at the fact that Mary and Edmund's and Fanny and Henry's courtship went far longer than the main love story which was between Fanny and Edmund. I mean, what on earth? I would have liked to see it really develop, and the way I read it, it felt as if it was an afterthought, a blip in the end, a loose knot tied in a rush to end the thing. I would have thought that Fanny deserved better, but in the end it was as if she was still a second choice, or something like that. In that sense, I admire Henry Crawford more than Edmund Bertram. At least Henry was quick to see Fanny for the precious character that she is, it's just too bad that he let go of it. In that, he was stupid.

And again, I must clarify (because I am such a longwinded writer) that I like Edmund alright. He was nice to Fanny when everyone else took her for granted, and I really like those kinds of scenarios and characters. Oh, well...

All in all, not the best for me, but it was a good read. Gotta love Austen.


View all my reviews

Zmeyette's Book #4: Coraline by Neil Gaiman

Coraline by Neil Gaiman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This morning, I was staring off into space, and my mind drifted off into thinking about Atonement (a sort of depressing territory), which led me to say out loud: "Atonement is haunting me." Books can really have such an effect on me. This is why even if I could have started reading another book last night, I couldn't, and wouldn't.


So today, I decided to read Coraline, with the hope that it's lighter than my other options, which are The Perks of Being a Wallflower and The Lovely Bones.


It was a light read for me, and since it was pretty short, I had to pause at times because I want to relish the story, and try to make it last longer. But the part of me which wants to devour stories as fast as possible won out in the end, and so it was also a relatively quick read for me.


Coraline is about a girl with the same name, and her creepy-to-the-point-of-scary adventure. I like what Neil Gaiman said about his book:


"It was a story, I learned when people began to read it, that children experienced as an adventure, but which gave adults nightmares."


Based on this, I am in some sort of in-between place, but which shows me that I am indeed stepping into adulthood, because I see the adventure part of it, and while reading it I have this sort of fearlessness and knowledge that everything will be alright in the end, but at the same time it really is quite frightening.


In this story, she discovers a strange world after opening a strange door in their flat, and there she finds her "other parents" along with "other people", and while at first everything was interesting and seemed to be better than her reality, in the end it turned into a mission to save her parents among others, and herself, with the help of a cat.


Somehow, it reminds me of Alice in Wonderland (although I've really yet to read the book), with the main character stumbling into a different world, and well, because of the cat. But I'm not really one to talk, because as I've mentioned, I haven't really read Alice in Wonderland yet. Those are just the elements that I am familiar with, based on what I see around me.


This was indeed, a refreshing read for me. I like it.


View all my reviews

P.S. If this review seems hurried, that's because, well, it is. I was also interrupted while writing this, so my thought process was disrupted. On to the next book! 

Zmeyette's Book #3: Atonement by Ian McEwan

Atonement by Ian McEwan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sometimes what I remember of books, more than the story itself, are the experiences I was going through while I was reading the book. Just like in this instance, where my memories of reading this book evoke the stress of schoolwork which always ended up in me having to put off reading for another day, because there are other things that I should be reading for school.

However, that made finishing this book more than just finishing a book: it came to symbolize some sort of success, a release--freedom, finally. Because since I'm now able to finish Atonement, it means that I'm finally on vacation, and it means that I've really been able to finish my first year in law school. It is some kind of a sweet success, to have been able to finish even just that one year without giving up.

Anyway, on to the book. My thoughts, or thought, right now, some minutes after finishing the book, is this: "There's a reason why I stick to YA or fantasy books." And indeed, there is. I'm an escapist. I read to escape. Sometimes, reality becomes too much, and so I read. But in this book, there is no escape. One mistake can be very fatal, can have such repercussions that even a simple "I'm sorry" cannot undo what damage has been caused. And in a situation like this, indeed, how can one find atonement? Especially if, as Briony Tallis put it, as a novelist, she is also God?

Atonement is a tale that at first made me itch to get the preliminaries done and to finally see the point of the story, the "crime" that has been done. But once I came to that point, it was as if I wanted to go back to that sweet ignorance that everyone was in before that fateful night where imagination became self-delusion and spilled over to reality, wrecking it.

Again, I am an escapist. But when I read, it's as if I am transported into another world, and I feel strongly. I don't become numb. And Atonement has touched my heart, and squeezed, even to the point of crushing, it. What a story.


View all my reviews

Me and the Sea

Christmas of my senior year in college (aka last year), we went to the province to spend the holidays with our relatives. We stayed at my grandparents' house by the sea. This was a delight to my cousins and my brother, since it meant that they could go for a swim in the sea anytime they want without having to pay any fees, even if it wasn't a developed beach resort. 

And me? I stayed in the house pretty much our entire stay. 

Yes, all you beach lovers who happen to stumble upon this post, this might probably enrage you and I can see you planning my miserable and painful death by drowning in the sea or something like that, but it's true. I have my reasons why I stayed in, and they're so petty that I won't say what they were exactly, but basically it was me not being comfortable in the place, with the house being new (or rather, not quite finished yet). Add in my laziness, and I really spent those days staring at the sea, but never going out even just to touch it with my feet. 

Why the reminiscing? Because it pretty much happened again today. We went to a beach today and yes, I did not go for a swim. Well, can I just say that I have a valid reason this time (of the month) not to, although whatever did they say about if there's a will there's a way? But you know, I still have a valid reason. Haha. 

Yes, mostly I was this far from the sea.

Nevertheless, it was a fun day at the beach for me. First off, unlike that Christmas vacation, I was actually outside. Granted, there was no house for me to hide in, but still, I was there voluntarily, and I actually wanted to go to the beach. I just didn't count on not being able to go for a swim. And even though it was only my feet and legs which got acquainted with the sea, I still enjoyed my day at the beach. 

View from my reading spot.

How so? Basically, I just relaxed that day. No stress, no worries, just the sea, family and friends, and me. I don't have to go swim if I really don't want to, and I just went about my own way. This meant sleeping, eating, and getting to read my book. Sounds boring, but when life has been hell-ish and suffocating for the past few weeks, maybe months even, just a lazy day on the beach is something to be really thankful for. 

Lovely, lazy day at the beach. 

And I'm really thankful for this day. I think I'll get to a beach again this summer (maybe), and hopefully, if that time comes, I'll do more. But for now, this will do. 

P.S. On a side note, today marks my parents' wedding anniversary! Wee! (Actually that was a major reason for this trip) And, it's also my university graduation anniversary! Hahaha

If Anyone's Reading This...

...I'm still alive, if you're wondering. It's just that, it's FINALS week(s) and law school is just such a killer. Everything is just hitting the fan and it's all overwhelming, and I just want to survive.

So if you, by any speck of a chance, are interested in reading this blog, then I apologize for suddenly disappearing. I'll be back, I promise (to you, to myself).

I have so much to say, but there's so much to do too! Darn.

Fight!

Hopefully just a preview: Anberlin!

I just have to write something about the fact that last night I was at Anberlin's concert in Manila, and it was SO AWESOME! I fell in love with the band even more.

And now I have to study, but I just had to write something in case the finals eat me alive these coming weeks and I cannot just let this experience go by without having written about it here, no matter how fleeting.

And if you can't guess by the tone of this post, yes, I am still not over it and I am still fangirling, but I really have to study so I just have to be content with this silly blabbering post right now and hope that in the very near future I can write about this more properly and more extensively.

Anberlin came to Manila! They're so awesome! They played Inevitable!

I am one happy girl right now, despite everything else that's been pressuring me and stressing me out.

Anberlin, you definitely rocked Manila! Do keep your promise and come back soon, okay? I'm holding you to that!

2NE1

I wasn't able to post a blog entry in weeks, and during that time, a very important event has occurred.

No, it does not have anything to do with politics, or with the stars. In fact, it just concerns me.

You see, last February 17, I turned 21. Yes. Twennyone. 


While that event may not move mountains or realign the planets, it does have quite an impact on me. Well, duh, I'm the one who celebrated a birthday, for crying out loud. And it's not just any birthday. It's my 21st.


I'm really an adult now. A legal adult pretty much all over the world. That is not something to be easily ignored. It's quite scary, in fact. I loved being 17 before; I can do a lot of things I want, but without the accountability and responsibility that comes with being 18, much less being 21.


But with all the hullabaloo that I'm giving this alleged turning point in my life, my birthday passed by rather inconspicuously. Is this how adulthood is supposed to be? No more colorful birthday parties, balloons, and all that jazz?

Okay, so maybe I'm exaggerating a bit. Again. My birthday is to use my own word, quite "chill", but that's not to say it wasn't special (and I'm confusing myself with the double negative). That's not really surprising, since my birthday is usually right in the thick of school stuff (I think in high school my birthday usually falls on exam week or somewhere near there, which makes it a really hectic period).  So, without further ado, let me share some stuff about what transpired during my birthday, which, coincidentally, is also Random Acts of Kindness Day (according to my Journal, that is).


It's been over a week since this happened, so I don't quite know how I'll go about this...let's see...

1. School


Ah, yes. Unfortunately, the rest of the world is not gonna stop moving just because it's my birthday. Therefore, I have to go to school. But of course the good thing about that is I have my blockmates with me all day. And that's something I'm thankful for.

And even then, I consider myself having a birthday treat, because a professor I dread seeing that day (given that I wasn't able to study the materials for his class) did not ask for a recitation! In fact, we spent his class listening to interesting tales about school, work, and life. It was really a treat. (I think some of my classmates fell in love with him that day. I was just happy to have enjoyed that meeting so much.)

2. Blockmates

Ah, yes. I don't know how I could have endured the schoolday aka my birthday if it weren't for my lovely blockmates who were there with me throughout most of the day, singing birthday songs whenever possible. Somehow, through all the hell months, days, weeks, hours, minutes, and seconds (yes law school can be that agonizing) these people have wormed their way into my heart. And I thought I'd never get along with anyone! Okay, I'm being too mushy now, I love you guys (not that you'll read this), and let's end this at that. Dlock D is the dest! <3

3. Fantastic Four ++


Ah, well...when I said I thought I'd never get along with anyone, I wasn't kidding. Which is why I stuck like glue to the people I sat with during the first day of class. Luckily for me, we clicked together, and have been awesomesauce friends/rowmates ever since. And of course, I can't forget the panda and the tycoon/"hero" who are always so generous to me. And to someone so fluffy I'm gonna die who took pictures of my special day. I'm not naming names because I don't know how you'd feel being blogged about like this, but thanks. Thank you for the cake, for the gifts, for the effort, for taking pictures, for going out of your way to make me feel special. I love you guys!

Thanks, for the cake, friends!

And thanks for helping me eat it too! XD

A really, really cute edition my blockmate gave me! <3

Another book! And it has an awesome cover! So happy~

I have such awesome friends. <3

4. Facebook Messages


For being quite cut off from the rest of the world on my birthday, I received a lot of love over on Facebook. Close friends, friends, acquaintances, people from the past, people I'm not even sure I know, have left me greetings from the time Facebook announced my birthday, and even for a few days after. And as much as I got a bit tired of saying thank you in different forms and languages and emoticons as I replied, know that I am very touched to see all of those messages. And I know that sometimes I don't even greet people whose birthdays I see on Facebook, so really, thanks guys!

5. Rock N' Roll Birthday Treat!


Yes, I'm pretending that Never Shout Never, The Maine, and We The Kings performed in Trinoma on February 17 because it's my birthday. Hahaha. But still, it was a really nice surprise to find out that they were performing on my birthday! Especially since I just discovered and learned to love Never Shout Never's music and I have always loved We The Kings' Stay Young and Check Yes Juliet. So I was really happy, even if it wasn't under the ideal circumstances (I didn't get to have a ticket because I had class the day tickets were given out and so I was really far from the stage), that I got to hear a) their music, and b) hear it live. 


For this, dear panda, thank you. :)

6. Family


I did not see my mom, my dad, or my little brother at all during my birthday (in fact, as of press time, I still haven't. Especially my dad, who's not really in the country right now.). Still, this doesn't mean that I didn't feel their love for me. And I had my wonderful aunt with me, so I'm really thankful.

Days before my actual birthday, my dad called me a few times, reminiscing on the events that were supposedly happening at that time before my birth. Thinking about it now, I don't know if I want to laugh or cry at the sappiness of it all. My father has done so much for me, that whenever I think about it, I get the strength to trudge onwards despite the difficulty.

My mother called me on my birthday, and she has always been so good to me. And scary, too. Still, I'm thankful to have such a strong and cheerful mother in my life. She's really a force to be reckoned with. Aaaand, they had food for the family back in Cavite! How crazy is that! I wasn't even there! XD

And, miracle of all miracles, my brother texted me a happy birthday! You know how growing boys would be anywhere but near their mothers and sisters? Yeah, he's in that phase. So you can see how this message means a lot to me. Even if he asked for his long overdue gift at the end of it.

And of course, my aunt, who has been with me throughout all these years, despite me being the brat that I am.   She made me fruit salad for my birthday! I'm so happy. And I've yet to take her out on that birthday date we're supposed to have.

I'm just so blessed to have these people in my life.

And so...

That pretty much sums it up, actually. This is like the extended version. And this is my thanks.

Now, onwards we go...

Zmeyette's Book #2: The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

Finally, I finished book number two! This was actually supposed to be the first book I would finish this 2011, but oh well. Yay! Here are my thoughts on the book, which I imported from my Goodreads account.

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This book was recommended to me years ago by a high school friend of mine. I wasn't able to read it then, but around 3 months ago, maybe around four years or so after said recommendation, I was in the mood to buy several books (meaning I was with my mother who was in the mood to indulge me my book purchases). Upon glancing at the shelves, I once again saw Elizabeth Kostova's The Historian, along with other books. I have been wanting to read it for quite a while, and felt that it was a good opportunity to finally get the book. So I did.

Unfortunately, at the moment, I don't have a lot of time to read. Which is partly the reason why it took me a few months to finish this book. That doesn't lessen the way I like this book, though.

First, an overview of the story. (Not sure if these will have spoilers for you, so...) The Historian is a story which has layered tales that intertwine and come together in a quest that is ultimately about one character: Vlad the Impaler, more popularly known as Dracula. The story is seen, at first through the eyes of an unnamed young woman. However, as the story goes, and the different layers of the tale unravels, we see through different characters' perspectives, and this is accomplished by the author through letters, conversations, and the like, with all these perspectives tied together by the legend of Dracula.

At first, this style confused me, and in the beginning was quite boring to me, but the deeper I got absorbed in the book the more I appreciated this style.It was also quite a long read for me, regardless of my busy school life, but it was a fresh reprieve from my usual rushed YA reads (or cases, for that matter). I'd quite forgotten the comfort of sinking into a good story, of reading bits and pieces, pausing every now and then, knowing I can go back later, or the next day. I think to complete the feeling in my mind I just need a fireplace, a comfy chair, and a rainy day.

One of the recurring thoughts in my head as I read this book was my renewed and energized dream of traveling throughout Europe. Kostova depicted the locations in The Historian in such a way that I envied the young woman her diplomat father, and their travels throughout different spots in the continent. Even with the terrifying tales that were painted over these places, the beauty of them still shines through and makes me want to see such for myself.

The story also has quite the blend of characters, although, as the title of the book suggests, most of them are historians. Still, the development of the character for me, was done well, and I like how the characters come together. I also enjoyed the twists and turns they presented, which left me pleasantly surprised several times.

All in all, this one was a refreshing read (this is very ironic, given the story that the book actually has) for me, and I really enjoyed reading it.

View all my reviews

P.S. How about you? What's the last book you finished?

Zmeyette's Book #1: Archangel's Consort by Nalini Singh

I have decided to post an entry (not necessarily a review) for every book that I finish, as part of my 2011 reading challenge. I can't guarantee that this will be strictly followed, but hey, I'll try. 


~


When I decided on having my own 2011 reading challenge, I had already started reading Elizabeth Kostova's The Historian. Naturally, I thought it was the first book that I will finish this 2011. But then, of course, sometimes life just doesn't work that way, and things don't always go according to plan. Which, in my case was when my good friend Ana reminded me that Nalini Singh's Archangel's Consort is released this week. Thus, I got myself a copy, and then since coincidentally, I felt as if I had a lot of free time that day, I started reading it. And didn't stop until I finished the whole book .

The cover is awesome, isn't it?

Archangel's Consort is the last (I think) of three books in the Guild Hunter series, of which Elena Deveraux is the heroine. A lot of time has passed since I finished the last two books, so my memory was quite sketchy when it came to the story and especially the details of the series. Some came back in the course of reading the third book, but then overall it was not the most pleasant reading experience when you feel as if an event should mean more but you don't know or remember how exactly it does. This is why I'll have to read all three books again, just so I could really understand it. It's just that I couldn't help myself from finishing that book, and then, before I knew it, it was over.

This is why I am only posting an entry on the circumstances surrounding this 'steal' of the spot of the first book I finished this 2011, and not really giving away a lot of opinions or thoughts on the story. Because I'm not satisfied yet with my reading of the book. I know the third book, but I want proper closure from the trilogy. And that calls for a reread.

Just to give you an idea about the book, though, (since it's a bit cruel to not say anything about the book, not to mention totally unhelpful), as I've mentioned Elena Deveraux is the heroine of the story, and she is a vampire hunter. It sounds run-of-the-mill, but really, that job description is quite an understatement for her and for the story. The society in which the setting is set is really different, albeit the place is just New York. What is the difference? Aside from the vampires, which you can already glean from Elena's job title, there are angels in this story. And they're not  you're usual angels either, as they can be very, and I mean very, ruthless. Especially the archangels. One such example is Raphael, who is the archangel of New York. He's one unique character as well. It's also not your usual love story, and the relationship of these characters is something I like about this series.

I'm feeling a bit guilty for having neglected my The Historian so I'm actually reading it as of this moment, and hope to finish it soon (which might be unlikely since I'm only just about halfway done with the book). What I'm happy about is that at last, the ice has been broken, so to speak, and I've finally really started towards my goal of reading 50 books (at the very least) this year! Hopefully I can read more over the course of the year.

How about you? Do you have your own book challenge? If yes, how goes it?

Happy Belly Laugh Day!

Laugh out loud!

According to my Journal, today is Belly Laugh Day! I don't know what that day actually entails, but according to said journal:

"Smile, throw your arms in the air and laugh out loud! It really is the most freeing thing."

And what do you know, my friends and I, without even knowing it, actually celebrated said event. So much laughter, and yes, I am referring to aforementioned belly laughs, the kind that actually drove us to tears. Even though there's sadness and fatigue and stress all around us, it's nice to be able to laugh and just be with friends. It really is quite freeing. 

Anyway, I hope that you had a nice dose of laughter today! After all, they do say it's the best medicine. 

Cheers! 

The Week That Was

I have no idea what to write about tonight. I was not able to think much on what I could write about, unlike last week. And I am not really feeling at my best tonight, what with everything that has happened this week.

During my college days, we'd have what we call "hell week(s)." Not that it doesn't apply to me anymore, because, if anything, it got even worse, with every single day being a challenge. So I would probably just say that it has now been taken to a whole new level, and the hell week I used to have in college is just an ordinary week here in law school. Or something even worse.

Then again, at some point you settle into a routine or something of the sort, and after that you get to distinguish certain points in time where things look to be worse than the ordinary week you go through.

This is one of those weeks.

I had my midterms in one of my subjects yesterday, and it had a lot of effect on the past week. With the tension starting to run high, a week that started out with happy surprises eventually went downhill. Really down the hill. At some point, relationships got strained, and people (including me, especially me), became on edge. And then the suspense was broken, which was, in a way, a relief in itself, but then it puts you face-to-face with a very ugly reality: the oh-so-possible chance of failing. Afterwards, it was just very tiring. Even now, I feel so fatigued.

And of course, there are those sad events and moments that are just...sad.

I wish I could write something upbeat and fun and random right now. But with everything that I went through and  felt this week, I just could not find it in me. Maybe next time.

My first hell week of 2011. Hello there.

I'm off to find something fun and silly to do, and maybe next time I'll write about better, happier, and sillier things.

At any rate, I hope you had a fun week. To better weeks, and to beating all those hellish ones. Fight!

Zmeyette's 2011 Reading Challenge! Fight!

The new year comes with a lot of "new" stuff--to most of us, it's a fresh start, and a chance to try new things, have new experiences, grab new opportunities, and get new achievements.

I am no different. First of all, hello new site design! I'm not good at visual creative stuff, but I found myself tinkering with the design of my blog until I used up so much time playing around with it that I just decided to go ahead and apply the design to my blog. It's a bit dark, but I really don't have time to do anything about it now without sacrificing other things I have to do. At any rate, I am liking the new look and feel of the blog.

Another thing, and this is what I'd like to share right now, is a challenge that I decided to take on this 2011. It started sometime during the holidays as I was looking through my Tumblr dashboard. One of the posts pertained to a challenge to read 50 books this 2011, and after looking at it for a bit, I was in.

For as long as I can remember, I have always loved reading books. Whenever I read a book, I am transported into a different world, and this experience is something I always enjoy. This is why I tend to look a bit crazy when I read, because I am so absorbed in my reading and it affects me so much that if I read something funny, I really laugh out loud; sometimes, when the events are too much for me, I really have to take a break from reading. I'm that affected. And yes, sometimes my family thinks I'm crazy. I think they just got used to it over time. 

Nevertheless, even if I really like to read, that doesn't mean I can boast of a lot of books that I have read. I do read a lot, but then I don't own a lot of books, so it's hard for me to keep track of the books I've read. I've only just really started to collect books when I was in college because I get just enough to get by before that. And then, by that time, of course, I was already addicted to the internet, and a whole lot of other things also keep me from really reading a lot. 

That is why sometimes I think I'm just someone posing as a bookworm. And the thought makes me sad. However, I really can't deny that reading is something I really enjoy, an experience I find to be amazing. Because of this, and because I have also decided to live my life as fully as I can from this year on, I decided to commit to this challenge. It's not as if I have to be pressured or stressed by this challenge, because according to what I read in that post, it's supposed to be fun--and it's also not a strict challenge, which means that rereads and all type of books are included (um, law books, anyone?). And really, if this was a stressful challenge, people will lose the whole point of it all, which is to enjoy reading, and reading more. 

The next issue, then, is how to keep track of the books that I will finish this year. To solve this, I dedicated a page of my beloved Journal  to serve as the record of my finished books. But sometime this week, as I was looking up my online accounts (aka procrastinating, sorry!), I stumbled upon my neglected Goodreads account. And, what a cool twist of fate, they also have a 2011 Reading Challenge!

Zmeyette's Goodreads Reading Challenge! Fight!

Goodreads' 2011 Reading Challenge is a bit different, but still ties up well with the Tumblr reading challenge that I committed myself to. In Goodreads' challenge, the user can set the goal he/she wants for 2011, and this goal can be changed at any time. What I absolutely loved about this, however, is that it gives me the perfect tool to track the books I have read. Motivation, too. This is because Goodreads has a widget that shows me how far along I am in accomplishing the challenge (see above picture). To update this, I only have to set the date I finished reading a book, and in so doing the widget will be updated. This also serves as motivation for me, because I just can't stand the "You have read 0 books toward your goal of 50 books" message staring at me from the widget. Hence, I posted this widget in my blog so I will get really motivated (and so I will not forget). 

I am really having fun with this as of the moment, and so now I will continue reading so I can finally update the blasted widget. Why don't you try this too? There's no need to go to a website or set a really strict and formal goal, but it's fun to take on a challenge once in a while. Go make your own 2011 Reading Challenge! Good luck!

Starting the Year Organized

'Tis the new year, and at this point in time people will have gone back to reality from the happy holidays. Students to school, yuppies to work, and so on.... This is a whole new year where there are new opportunities to grab, new (and not-so-new) tasks to complete, and of course, dreams to continue chasing.

Yes, amidst all of the baggage from last year, the new year can still look to be a blank canvas, or a hodgepodge of tasks and events that seem to be all over the place. So, what to do to erase the fear that comes from the newness of the year, and from the mess of the previous year that spills over to the next?

Why, perhaps it wouldn't hurt to get a planner, no?

Okay, okay, maybe this post is just because this is the first time I actually bought my planner before the year began. I was a disaster with planners, actually. I started using (or trying to use) a planner during my high school years, I think around my junior year, mainly so I can keep track of my extracurricular activities, so I can submit them for the extra points they're supposed to be for. Needless to say, being in high school, and a pretty disorganized and forgetful person, the planner was not of much use, and served more as a journal than as a planner.

During my college years, I trudged on with my attempts at planning out my activities, instead of mentally going over my activities for the following day and being surprised at one thing or another I am supposed to do. I guess the point where the planner started to be somewhat of real use to me was when I got my Powerbooks planner. It wasn't really a planner, I think, but a reader's journal, but being a booklover, I fell in love with the theme of it. I guess that's where my planner preferences also started. The major flaw of that journal was that it did not indicate the dates, so I had to fill them in, and worse, it only had twenty-eight days per month! I had to cram the 29th - 30th/31st days of the month in the notes page. But on the whole, I was satisfied with it.

Source: spot.ph

My 2010 planner was one I really loved. And one I used more often, too! (Can you taste the feeling of self-accomplishment in that line?) At this time, I now used more effort in finding my planner, although I think I got to buy the planner around the middle of January already. But it was okay, because I really fell in love with this planner. Even now that I'm supposed to be done using it, I still can't help but gush about it. Anyway, aforementioned beloved planner is the Navi 2010 planner. There were a number of planners on the market, but I fell for the Navi because it had adequate space, I loved the color of its pages, and it was simple enough for me. Yes, my preferences in planners were already in full swing around this time, and I was quite picky in choosing. I guess that's why I ended up buying it quite late. I still wasn't the best at using a planner for planning instead of recording past events, but it did help me in my thesis, and therefore in graduating, although with the onslaught of law school, I ended up not using it for around two months. Then I reunited with it and ended my 2010 happily with it. Oh, and I also loved the quotes that it had for every week. Very inspiring.

My beloved Navi <3

And so we're now back to 2011. The year is looking to be hopeful, adventurous, and stressful already, and I'm glad I was able to find a planner (well, it says it's a journal, but it's pretty much the same to me) while it was still 2010. So, what did I buy? I bought FreeSpeech Publication's "this Journal will actually change someone's life!!! 2011."

Last year, it was one of my options for my 2010 planner. However, that year's edition somehow looked too dark for me, and the lighter tones and the interesting quips of the Navi 2010 planner won me over. This year, though, it was the Navi planner that didn't work for me, and the Journal was the one that got to me. I actually looked for the Navi 2011 first, but then, compared to the Journal's being too dark for me last year, the Navi was actually too light for me. The light brown pages of the Navi 2010 planner which I loved so much was nowhere to be found in the 2011 edition. The pages were white, and the art was just too bright for me. So I looked for another one, and then I saw this lovely dark green journal. At first I was hesitant about it, but now I just love it. I'm gonna miss the weekly quotes, though.

I still have a monthly calendar which is where I put all the birthdays that I keep track of, although the difference with my Navi is that it has this feature at the beginning of every month, whereas in my Navi it was all in the beginning of the planner, before the weekly planner.

Although admittedly, I am going to miss my Navi quotes, my new Journal has lots of fun trivia, especially about important events all over the world, from national holidays--hey, my birthday is actually Random Acts of Kindness Day! Isn't it awesome?

Just disregard whatever random stuff you can see written on my journal. :P

Also, it has different kinds of writing spaces (strategy notes, stuff, and doodle pages) that give me somewhere to write all my fleeting thoughts. My previous practice was to stick post-its in my planner for whatever random stuff that I have to note but is not actually a planner entry (at least in my books), and I think I'll still do that, but with these features, I can foresee that I'll be doing that less often. Also, I love the mood chart that it has, it gives me a way of keeping track of my days, and prompts me to look back on my day and determine how the day actually turned out for me. I think it's a really cool feature. 

There are other features that I wasn't able to take pictures of, such as different lists and information for every month (like "10 Places I Want to Travel Before 2012), quarterly check-up pages, and a really cute feature where you give coupons to people, for example, to a movie date with you! I think this is a substitute to the coupons that come with other planners (like my Navi), and while it makes the price (I think it's 720 pesos at Fully Booked) quite expensive, considering the lack of treats that come with it, I still say it's a good planner for me, since its features encourage me to use it constantly. 

A good planner, of course is nothing without the right mindset and attitude, so more than having an awesome planner, I am looking forward to a more active, organized, responsible, and fun self this 2011. 

Cheers to an awesome new year!