Fully Booked

There is just something special about bookstores. They're the kind of place that call to me when I happen to pass by and I would oftentimes not be able to resist the calling. They must have me under a spell because with them, I am powerless.

That's exactly what happened a while ago when I was on my way to Glorietta for a friend's birthday dinner. I walked past Greenbelt 1, then 2...then, upon crossing to Greenbelt 3, I happened to look sideways and saw Fully Booked at the grounds of the new Greenbelt 5! I was mesmerized. It called to me. I had to find a way to check it out.

The store is amazing - all shelves are so well-filled and the displays are so enticing. And Starbucks within!!! Can there be a more perfect combination?

Lovin' it here. ;)

Lost in Space

You know that song that, despite having been launched many years back, still manages to make you feel that it's on top of the charts now when you hear it: timeless.

You know that song that, you have not heard for a long time but the moment you do, brings you back to that time and place where something special happened and it was that song that was then playing: memorable.

You know that song that, no matter how often, how long, what time, or what place you hear, lifts your spirit up and just brightens your day: all time fave!

That song for me is LightHouse Family's Lost in Space:

Reader Statistics

For blog readers who may not realize it (Eds, are you reading this? hehe), bloggers have a way of knowing who reads their blogs. See that logo above? It's displayed on the left side of this blog. It collects data.

Nope, no need to hyperventilate. ;) The most the stats can tell is which country and city you're from, what your IP address is (which I don't really care about) and what led you to the blog. We still cannot know who you really are.

So, Nonthaburi-Thailand, I kinda know you come around, but wasn't really sure whether you personally knew me or not. Glad to have known. =) Leave a word or two, ok?

P.S. Richmond-Virginia, do we know each other personally? ;)

Lost in Translation

I just finished souvenir-shopping at Nanjing Road and was taking the escalator up (the stores were in the basement) when I chanced upon this sign posted on the wall:

I couldn't believe (or understand) what I saw so I went back down the opposite escalator and back up again to take a good look and snap this shot. It still read the same. Hmmm. Puzzling. What could it mean?

From hotel receptionists who did not understand basic English, to taxi drivers who replied to me in complete Chinese when I spoke English, I finally found this sign which spoke the language I understood. Or so I thought.

Care to translate? ;)

Happy Weekend

Unlike the past weekends, this one is surprisingly themed with so much hope and adorned with trinkets of achievements. And I happen to know what set the mood. It was Friday night's call from a friend.

I thought my Friday would be wonderfully capped with that tete-a-tete with my friend late into the afternoon. I needed that talk, after all that's been going on in mind. Apparently, my friend and I were on the same boat, thus, the outpouring of our hopes and dreams and confusions and frustrations and plans. Aren't friends such wonderful beings? ;)

Come a few hours later, my friend would call me up to inform me of the shocking good news. It probably lifted my spirits as much my friend's even if the news was really hers. Hehe. Isn't being alive such a great thing, especially with these kinds of news around? What hope it brings!

That hope propelled me to do on Saturday what I could not accomplish for the life of me in the past two months. And again, comes that old realization that I often forget - when you get your mind and heart into something, nothing could come in your way. It's going to be as good as done. And so, it got done - and the sense of achievement was just, well, overwhelming.

I don't really know how to round up my point but let me just say these: it's been - and still is - a happy weekend. Apologies for the discretion. It is a must, and thus, intended. ;)

Now back to lounging at Figaro and starting my review. I hope you are enjoying your Sunday as well, blogger friends, like I do. =)

Mamma Mia!

I just can't get enough of this soundtrack. It's on repeat mode in my playlist and it's all I need to enjoy my day. I can't even describe why I like it. I just do.

Shanghai Host

With typhoon Ondoy 'welcoming' me home from my Shanghai trip, there appeared to be no room for trip photos when so many concerns were foremost on my - and my country's - mind. But I guess, now is a good time to share them. After all, I can't think of something else to write about. Hehe.

The workshop was held at a sprawling government-supported academic institution, which I liked for two main reasons: its modern, unique architecture and its hotel-like student apartments. Below are photos:

This was the canteen

The workshop venue

View from my veranda

More photos to go! ;)

Elevator

I LOVE -

7. Waiting for my turn at the elevator lobby, because I don't really have to wait long unlike some of my fellow residents. Whichever elevator opens up is irrelevant because each one stops at my floor. ;)

500 Days of Summer

Unique. Unlike typical romantic comedies, this one stuck to the last two words of its tagline. And that's just one of the reasons why I liked it.

For a change, the movie dared to irrevocably break its two main leads up. It's heartbreaking not to have a happy ending, I know. But it gave the story some semblance of reality. After all, it's not that easy to find 'the one'.

"Boy meets girl. Boy falls in love. Girl doesn't."

I also liked the way the story was told. In fact, the manner was quite risky. Choosing to bring your audience back and forth through the timeline of the story may cause confusion, if not headaches. But the movie made it brilliantly well. Using the nth Day of Summer to prompt the point in time the scenes occurred was smart and effective.

And I must say, the actors did great, considering that the lead actress was able to make her character really as charming and mysterious as it needed to be. The lead actor could also make you feel how devastated he was when the relationship didn't work out.

Of course there were some downside, like the laughs that came far between and that one out-of-place dancing scene that made me wonder whether I was watching Mamma Mia or a non-musical film. Ultimately though, I give the movie a thumbs up. It's not up there with my all-time faves (Notting Hill, The Cutting Edge) but it's a good watch.

Graduation

Was at DLSU graduation at PICC yesterday. Nope, I was not up for a diploma (I just wish I was) but my good friend Ynnah was and it was such a pleasure to be there as a friend cheering her on. Yns just got her MBA. Go girl! (Lunch at Capricciosa was yum. =)

There were 900+ graduates. Tio2x (our friend) and I could no longer stand the long list, we got up and had coffee while grads took the stage for their diploma (after Yns got hers, of course). Our timing was perfect because when we got back, the roll call was over and the program moved on to the pledge of loyalty part. Next was the La Salle hymn and it felt good to have sung it after a long time. =) Speeches of the President and grad student were outstanding.

Congrats, Yns!

Cousin

What I remember of him last christmas when I went home for vacation was that we played badminton. It was the first time I saw him play and I was surprised at how good he was.

Now that he is gone, I look beyond that recent moment and into his short, short lifetime of 19 years. He was a cutie toddler, with his chubby little self inviting for big hugs. Growing up, he always made me feel that he looked up to me and held me with much affection. Our age gap and different circles did not provide a venue for a closer relationship but he always reached out.

He struggled through school and from what I hear, it was paying off both through his potential to graduate with honors and the love his classmates and teachers are showering him with now. He died in his sleep last night.

-------
Yan, I pray that you are happy and well where you are now. I wish I could have been there more for you and I am sorry for the times I wasn't. I love you, cousin. Rest in peace.
-------

1st Year Anniversary

It occurred to me this afternoon that yesterday marked my first ever post on Blogger. Yes, it's been one year. And, if I'm not mistaken, it's the year that I blogged the most - and often - in all my years in the blogging world (started in 2002/2003/2004, can't remember!).

I have a theory about the correlation of my state of mind and the frequency of my posts. Simply put, the more I post, the less happy I am. And in terms of causal relationships, it's not the posts that cause the unhappiness, it's the other way around.

Writing is my catharsis. If I wrote a lot in the past year, that must tell how the year was. But as always, life provides ways to ease our worries and brighten our days. Blogging is a way. And I am grateful. ;)