24 novels here I come

Reading twenty four novels this year is one of my short term goals. It looks pretty easy, one can say I just have to read two novels a month and voila! Done. If only there were no papers to check, to classes to teach, no students to entertain, I could have finished my goal within three months. Unfortunately, I have sworn to be a teacher and an instructor of college at that which means I won't be able to escape my fate unless --meaning finishing two novels in a month is like going on a diet while watching cooking shows...I'm not sure if the simile fits but I think you can get what I mean. I also have my Masters this next semester. Although this puts me to an advantage since my Professors will be assigning several readings, I still think I should be able to read the novels I am not required to read.

Thank goodness for summer! I have read several classic and contemporary novels. Just this three-day long weekend, I have finished four novels in the Pretty Little Liars Series and I'm absolutely hooked. 





If my calculations are correct, I think I have read 12 novels already, which makes me halfway through my goal! I do not need to rush reading through my work then since I still have six months for 12 novels and I think I will be able to finish another one this month. I'm so loving this. Don't you just love accomplishing your goal while doing what you love?

scifi lovin

This first half of 2012, I have been inlove with Science-Fiction, not as a replacement to my hunk-of-a-boyfriend but as a way to get back to my passion, reading, and thus setting myself right on track to my goal of reading 24 books this year. I have started by reading Assimov's I, Robot, rereading to Michael Crichton's Jurassic Park  and The Lost World*, and venturing into Shelley's Frankenstein.

Unlike my mom who seems to have grown a dislike on science-fiction, calling them out of this world which is not entirely wrong, I have developed this taste on movies, and books that integrade literature and technology. It is fascinating to watch or read something that tickles the imagination and it is even more fascinating to witness them come to life.

In I, Robot, robots help human kind fix problems in the outer space. Some of them nurse children. In Japan, there is a robot that can take orders and serve sushi. There are 'android' phones worldwide that are starting to replace our old source of entertainment. In my very own country, the Philippines, high schoolers have developed a robot that can segregate spoiled meat from a good one.

 

Powerful computers help recreate dinosaurs in Michael Crichton's famous works. As of this moment, some scientists mix dna to come up with a different creature. They have dicovered how to cure some cancer and created supplements that can somehow lengthen our lifespan.

I have yet to discover what real inventions are included in the genius of Frankenstein aside from the well known fact that a scientist has made a monster which has pervaded our modern horror stories. One thing I am sure of is I don't want to witness that happening.

 

As I read these sci-fi novels, my heart beats with anticipation, my brain cells buzz around millions of what-ifs and I feel this thrill if not exhiliration that I can vicariously be part of the world's advancement or destruction.

*Both books do not count since I have only reread them.

Stalky & Co.-Defying 'Three is a Crowd'

Thursday, January 19, 2012

1:33 PM

3 is not my favorite number. Whenever I am asked to give a number out of the recesses of my subconscious, I often say seven and not three. But quite inexplicably, the digit 3 has become a part of my life.

For one, three is the most abused number in English. Most people particularly those whose mother tongue is not English, this number is often times read, said, blurted out as 'tree.' As a language teacher, it has been my responsibility and, lately, my goal, to correct this mispronunciation.

Secondly, my closest friends usually come in threes or we make up a group of three. When I was in high school I used to write this story/drama/novel (depending on what I wanted to call it when I was young) about my circle of friends who I thought would be with me to the ends of the Earth. Both of them  were smart (forgive me for the use of the past tense since I could not speak for their current capabilities)--one was good in Math, the other in subjects related to memorizing things. I did not excel in neither, just the average but I can I say I started to show my aptitude in languages back then. Right now, I don't even know where they are and I don't seem to care much about their activities.

When I got to the University, my closest friends came from a different batch, different majorship that at first it was most unlikely that we would stick together for a very long time. I am glad to note that they remain my closest friends, Kath and Grace. We got closer because of our school organization, PNU-SG Commission on Elections. I can say that we were the pillars of that organization when we were still in school. We underwent series of trials, hardening questions, harboring grudges and all but we stood tall. Eventually we became friends.

When I started working, I hung out with Louie and Edison, technically my seniors in the University and in the workplace. One would think there would be a gap among us but I am glad to say there was none. They were the reasons why the workplace seemed less stressful for me.

Working for Korean companies, I met friends who shared the same behavior and ideas. If my  memory serves me right, I have written things about them in my blog before and our adventure still goes on. One of the groups I belonged to was EpFour, established to divert my friends and my attention from our depressing work area. Our life then seemed to be so routinary and boring that we looked forward to our after-work meetings. Aside from that, the four of us, Maria, Maiden, Jaina and I, had the same drama and anime addictions. We even had characters that fit our attitude well. The next group I belonged in the same workplace was the Hyotei group, consisted of fanfiction writers that have developed a similar liking for a club in Prince of Tennis, Hyotei. I do not consider it as my favorite team but one of my favorite characters comes from that group. I call Maria Atobe until now because of her similarity with the Hyotei King. Instead of calling Cheska Kabaji, I call her Chezuka because she also has an attachment to the Seigaku leader but in the Hyotei Gakuen, she prefers to be called Kaba-chan because she has a stronger preference for brawny characters than bespectacled ones. As for me, in Hyotei Gakuen, I am Oshitari, the sarcastic "soft-spoken" tensai who never fails to contradict Atobe. Outside of the group, I am either called FujiEiji or Niou.

Third point why I say three has become part of my life, I have this inexplicable attachment to novels with three main characters such as Three Musketeers and Harry Potter. When I was in high school I have a lot of websites about Three Musketeers, I frequented the library for information about Athos, Porthos, and Aramis. Instead of reading pocketbooks like what my classmates used to read, I read, thought, and dreamed about my musketeers and how it would feel like living in France. In my addiction I even wrote an essay--not a good one, mind you--about Alexandre Dumas.

Though he doesn't exactly share his limelight, Harry Potter is often seen with his best friends Ron and Hermione. I have been addicted to them since high school. I have followed their adventure from Philosopher Stone to Deathly Hollows.

When I thought this subconscious addiction to three would stop there then comes the Trilogy of the Lord of the Rings. How crazy is that?

Just lately I buried my head in Rudyard Kipling's novel Stalky & Co. It took me a long while to finish that thin book. At first I could not get the hang of the dialogues in it but the setting of the story helped me a lot as it is a school. The story revolves around this three...I repeat...three boys who excel in different fields but do not run out of naughtiness. Stalky is the leader who can worm his way out of any trouble because of his expertise in spoken language. He is quite witty. M’Turk is a placid guy who storms up when triggered and he has a great aptitude in Latin. Beetle on the other hand is a poet who vents his emotions on paper or anything he can write his thoughts on.

 They, often reprimanded by the school masters and heads, are the pioneers of naughtiness and chaos in school. They don’t care much about rules and stuff. What they know is they have to go to school because their esteemed parents want them to in order for them to become good citizens of their country. As any other students, Stalky, M’Turk, and Beetle use the school as their playground instead.

The book reminded me of how I studied seriously in high school and not so seriously in college. How I made fun of the teachers I did not like particularly those who would just go to school, give us things to do without teaching us anything.

What is more is that the book finally solidified why three seems to be a good number for friends. I cannot imagine ‘Stalky and M’Turk’ tandem without missing Beetle, and it goes for any other tandem missing out a person. In the friendship of three, there may be a stronger bond between two friends, it won’t be the same as having all three together. What is more is there are times one finds himself extremely different from the other that there should be another person to smoothen the relationship. My friends and the books I have read prove this.

If Stalky, M’Turk and Beetle were alive, I would have thanked them. I haven’t examined my life from this angle until now. Who would have thought that the number three has been a very significant digit for me? Even though my favorite number will never be three, I will give more justice to it. Learning that I haven’t been a victim of “three is a crowd,” and I can’t remember a time when that number has done me wrong, I guess it is time for a different perspective. The proper way of putting it will be “the Power of Three.” 

something right

There are struggles in every job: stress, traffic, fatigue. It has been common to hear people say "there is no 'easy-work'!" Even the "easiest" job there is requires effort, and that in itself is not easy.


I have had my share of tribulations in my three years of working in different companies and institutions. I have learned tons from my experiences, and I am still learning how to overcome my shortcomings. There are moments that I have wanted to give-up-not only once have I handed in my resignation letter. There are also moments of triumph and I am glad to note that they are not rare.


One of these moments is best represented by this photo:

There may be no easy job but there is a sense of accomplishment that comes after every difficult task. Also, I think that the more difficult, more stressful the job is, the higher the sense of accomplishment I receive. 

I know I must be doing something right.*

taken from Westlife's "Something Right"

Reading Goals and Resolution

Now that Shelfari has ceased being a boring "interactive" website and being just an online library, I am more encouraged to read. 


The website has a Reading Meter now depending on the goal that one sets. For example, my goal this year is to read 10 books (I saw the reading meter too late as in just last month). I have to update my Shelfari every now and then of what I have been reading and when I have finished any.


You might be wondering why I have only ready ten this year... I just cannot remember the other novels I have read and since I don't want to make a fool of myself enumerating the books that I have read years ago, I have only counted the ones I can remember.


My reading goal for next year will be 24 books. I hope I can accomplish it side by side my studies--I am continuing my Masters in summer. That will be hitting two birds with one stone, aye?

Thanks, Bobby P.

Last long weekend I conquered Pendragon 1 Merchant of Death. It was an accomplishment. I finished reading everything in less than 24 hours .

This definitely means I am back to my college days reading rate. Way back in the University, I could devour one book a day and back then, I did not sleep just to finish one.

Due to work loads and other engagements I wasn't able to catch up on my reading and from "one book a day" I went to one to two books a month .

Bobby Pendragon has saved me, thank heavens.

Reading plays a very important role in my life and this pace means so much to me. As an English teacher, I always have to update my "English" since I am not an American. Secondly, as a person, there are things I still don't know, there are concepts I haven't come across with and since I have decided to take up writing seriously, I have to broaden my horizon without buying a plane ticket. Not to mention I have boxes of unread books at home-- a perfect reason for me why I should have a faster reading rate.

This week I am not sure if I can still keep up but I'll do my best, I have to juggle reading with my responsibilities in school so if I cannot read a book a day, I should read one to two books a week.

I guess that is a good deal.

‎"One never learns how the witch became wicked, or whether that was the right choice for her—is it ever the right choice? Does the devil ever struggle to be good again, or if so is he not a devil? It is at the very least a question of definitions."--Oatsie, Wicked

Wicked... and Simon

Ever since Simon shared to me a song from the musical WICKED, I got hooked, I downloaded the rest of the songs from the said musical, saw some parts in Youtube and got crazy looking for the Ebook only to find out that I had downloaded the ebooks months ago and it has been in my hard drive all along.

Wicked, by the way for those who are new to Gregory Maguire's fictions, is a fanfiction (I prefer using that word) of L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, focusing on the wicked witch of the west, not to mention green, Elphaba.

I have been trying to read it for two days now using my phone. I have a problem with the font though because it is tiny. Of course I can zoom it any time I want but that means using the left and right button which is bothersome. I want the text to at least fit the screen decently. This however is uncontrollable, the ebook being in pdf file and made by someone I do not know to whom I must give credit. What is controllable is the type of phone that I use...which is far from being replaced, as far as November is from December. The only thing I can do is bear reading the 612-page ebook. I am on 254 by the way, not that far from the glorious ending.

The book seems very different from the play and even from the book and I am bothered by its highly political inclination since I have always interpreted Wizard of Oz as children's literature.  However as they say, children's lit have more sense than how they look so probably there is sense in the politics and religion I am being bombarded with in the book.

I will try my best looking for the play because I am totally mesmerized by Kristin Chenoweth's and Idina Menzel's voices.

idina menzel (elphaba, green) and kristin chenoweth (galinda, fair)

Since this is all Simon's fault, I will attempt to bully him in giving me a copy. I will try. Simon is not the type that I can exactly bully because he is a dear. And I cannot blame him for bewitching me into liking this musical because, well it's likable. Hmf. But I really have to have my hands on the musical so Simon, please, I think a loooooong blog entry about this whole Wicked thing is enough a clue that I want the musical. Please.

bestseller

A story can have more than one interpretation. It can be approached, inspected let's say, in different points of view. As readers, we have the right to choose whose side we are going to take, whose philosophy we are going to believe, whose ideology we are going to follow and live up to as our own principle. We have the right to choose our favorite characters even if it means deviating from the author's will of protagonists and antagonists. Still, the Author has the final say to whatever it is going to happen in the story--except if the reader insists making his own version and come-up with good fanfictions.

My life is a story. It is a novel that keeps on unraveling until I die. My life is an open book and people judge me either through what I want them to see or what THEY want to see. The same way, I look at them like how I look at books in a library where they sit in one corner sometimes forgotten and taken for granted, in a bookstore where they were dressed to impress consumers, and in my home where they were perused and sometimes scattered about.

I buy different books, read a lot, and favored some. I forget the books that I dislike or plain uninteresting, or unimportant and reread the ones that fancy my interest, and help me develop.

I pick my protagonists among the million characters in those novels and compilation of short stories. I pick the language that I am more comfortable with. When I dislike one plot, I don't care be it Shakespeare's or Hemingway's, I chuck the novel and get something new.

It is the same process I use with people. Of course, there is a very clean line between people and books and I know that. Still, isn't it funny that we forget those people we don't like and unimportant to us the same way we forget the characters in novels, even short stories that we find boring? Isn't it funny that we choose to believe our friends no matter what they tell us the same way we believe the "Diet for Dummies"? We don't like lending our favorite books to just anybody but to somebody we trust the like how we are overprotective and even possessive of our dearest friends. 

Just like with books written by authors we admire, we choose to believe those people that matter, who are interesting.

In my library, I have a number of favorite books. One of them is named Katherine Embudo Vera.

I think I have made my point.

confessions of an ugly stepsister... the beginning.

When we grow up, we learn

that it’s far more common for human beings to turn into rats

I think  I have mentioned once that I choose contemporary books for light reading along side a very boring one. This way I can read two stories at the same time, finish one eventually if the other proves to be one for a person who doesn't do anything but read in his life. That is what I am doing right now. It has been a month since I have written that heart-wrenching thing about Hawthorne's novel. Until now I haven't finished the book. I have moved a couple of chapters though but I am still a loooooooooong way from finishing it. In fact, I am not even half-way through it.

What I am about to finish is the other novel, Magguire's Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister. I have only started reading days ago when epiphany has dawned to me that it is stupid to bring a novel no matter how thick it is if I am not to read it. I have left The House of the Seven Gables at home and downloaded an ebook from my netbook and read the copy through my phone. This makes everything lighter and easier since I often look at my cellphone anyway.

As of the moment, the book hasn't gone below my expectations. In fact, it continues to amuse me with its charming descriptions and unpredictable story-line. Okay, that is waaay exaggerated. Since the novel is a "fanfiction" of a famous fairy tale "Cinderella," I already have a clue of what is going to happen. However, the creativity of the writer sifts pieces of ideas together and forms a plot that stands on its own--I am thinking of appropriately making a book review about it.

My goal is to finish it within two days. I still have to squeeze reading in my busy schedule. In school, I have my classes. At home, I mind the grades, papers to check, and my unfinished cross stitch. Besides, I also spend good time with my boyfriend or friends. How do I read? I only maximize the benefits of traffic by reading my ebook while aboard the cab.

I am not expecting a happy ending from the book. I only want to be satisfied with it and find myself having a happy ending by finishing it.

Unlocking "The House of Seven Gables"

 As an English teacher, I  am aware that I have to update myself with new vocabulary, sentence structures and writing styles which any reading material can cater. I have to be not only a page away from my students but if possible, a library away . So here I am, trying to catch up on my reading and Nathaniel Hawthorne doesn't make it any easier.

 Yes, Hawthorne is such a pain. I was half-way through his Scarlet Letter last summer but I threw the book away from my sight after being stuck in a chapter for three weeks. Usually, three weeks is enough for me to finish three to four novels considering that I have a full time job and most importantly I have a life to live apart from reading.  However, there I was, flanked by Hawthorne's descriptive paragraphs for three boring weeks that I finally came to a conclusion that I was not ready yet for Scarlet Letter.

Being a very stubborn woman, and a competitive one if I may say (I do  love competing against myself by the way) I have given myself another attempt to finish one classic, and yes, it's Hawthorne's. It is the renowned The House of Seven Gables. Yup it's a classic and yes, it's pretty boring with all those 5-word adjectives per noun and right you are that I am out of my mind trying to finish this book. What can I do? The book seems to be innocent, easy to read as it appears so thin. It is even thinner than Tolkien's Fellowship of the Ring, which I have read three times without cheating myself, yet I find myself drowned in the author's pool of words. I think I will still be able to finish another novel side by side reading this boring one.

What should I do then, given this hurdle? I will try my best until the author and his work have sapped all of the energy and motivation from me. I will then give my humble opinion and my unbiased judgment after finishing the book. I will never surrender without a fight. After all, this is not the first boring book I have ever read, or tried to.

reading harry potter...again

I need to catch up on my reading for two reasons:


first i need to return the book to my friend.
second, i need to hone my reading skills for my pressing responsibility.


The academe has welcomed me back with open arms.

bookmarks

Back when I was in college, I was sooooo stingy—an excuse for being poor actually—and I could not have the heart to discard things even they seemed useless. The result is the accumulated “bookmarks” in my closet.

While I was arranging my things in my drawers, I found this bookmark I made when I was still in the University.

You got that right. I made that from the boards of stockings. Hehe.

This silhouette bookmark was given to me by Lyra dela Cruz, a former classmate in the University. Written near the edges is the lyrics of Sponge Cola’s Gemini.

Another one is this train ticket I got from purchasing a second hand book. It is not an ordinary train ticket. It is, or it used to be, subway ticket to London.

As of the moment, I don’t see how I can use them since most of my books are in boxes and I only read one book at a time now since I don’t have any requirement. They’ll see their tomorrow soon though. Come this June and my beloved books and their bookmarks will see what studying with Jahzeel Dionne V. Ybasco is.

decisions: result

I wrote about my life changing decision here. It has been a year. I am still sitting in the same place, using the same computer. Nothing has changed except maybe for my haircut…and well, my clothes. However, mentally and socially, I think I have grown.

I have learned a different language. I can read and write Hangul now, can understand Korean dramas and correct some hastily made subs. In return, I have acquired a good amount of different culture and included it my daily life.

I have learned to criticize pieces of literature and art (mada mada dane: I still need to study though). I have read a good number of books, blogs, mangas, and yes, fanfictions. All these contribute to more writing styles for my part. I have learned to write more important things (yes, fanfiction IS important) than plain rants in my blog.

I have learned to criticize people under their very noses and get away unscathed. However, I also know now how to deal with different people.

I have learned how to be a better hypocrite. When before, I used to just be silent when I did not like something or somebody, right now, I can smile without giving any clue to what I really feel. How do I know this? Because people still keep coming, even if I don’t like some of them to. I have learned to adjust to what part of me they want to see, what reactions they want from me. I feel honored whenever my real friends point this out to me. At least, I still have that part of me that is human.

As I continue having a mask on, I have learned to be genuine. I have learned to show how happy, angry, and sad I am to people I choose. I speak openly when I am depressed. I clown around when I am happy. I destroy things, or mutter curses in the dark when I am angry.

I have learned to make, value, and keep not good, but great friends.

I have maintained a harmonious relationship with my family despite the randomness of my decisions.

You see, I have grown so much. I can’t say I regret making that decision a year ago. Far from it.

I am not disappointed… But I am also not satisfied…Those conditions are part of my standards of living after all.

For the meantime, I can say I am happy… I know however, that I can be happier.

This is the time that I know that I will make another decision.

catching up on reading

It's been a week since i finished Orwell's Animal Farm and started perusing this book. 


I'm done with the 1st volume and now encouraging myself to finish the rest.


I have realized that I am really way behind my reading rate.
tsk tsk

“I waste a lot of time pretending to people, and the joke of it is, I don’t think I ever deceive any one. There are too many of my kind; people know us on sight.”

—	Carl Linstrum, Willa Cather O Pioneers!

2311 tips for writing- Holly Black

Hello…I received this peptalk weeks ago…I have just had the time to repost this. Credits to Holly Black.

1) No one can tell if the writing was fun or if it was hard. Trust me. I know it seems like writing that pours out of your brain in a passionate flood should be better than writing that comes slowly and miserably, but the only person who will ever know the difference is you. So no excuses—get the word count done. (I prefer saying “GET IT DONE”)


2) You don't have to believe you can; you just have to do it. I remember everyone telling me I had to think positive when I was writing my first book. If I believed I could do it, then I could! If I pictured myself published, then it was going to happen! Which sounded great, except...could I do it? If I didn't think I could, was I doomed to fail? What if I was almost totally sure I would fail? I am here to tell you—what matters is sticking with it… just get through today. Then get through tomorrow. Don't worry about the day after that, until it's today. Then you know what to do. (I used to always wish to see my name running along the spines of books in the library. This made me realize that if I would focus on that, I wouldn’t be able to write a book)


3) There aren't good books and bad books. There are finished books and books that still need more work. Please don't let wondering if there's a market for your book or wondering if the book you're writing is genius or evidence that you should be heavily medicated get in the way of the writing. Remember, right now you are not writing a good book, you are writing a good draft. Later, you will have lots of time to kill your darlings, make the suspense more suspenseful, to add foreshadowing and subplots. Later you will have time to change the beginning or change the ending or change the middle. Later, you will have time to cut and polish and engooden. For now, trust the process and write (that said, if you suddenly wake up in the middle of the night and realize what's wrong with Chapter 7, then by all means, jot that down for later). (this goes to those people, like me, who don’t like editing their works…hehe…)


4) Figure out what happens next. Some people swear by outlines; other writers are like to find the story along the way. Whether you're a plotter or a pantser, before you quit for the day, write a little bit of the next scene or a couple of lines on what you think will happen next. That way, you are never looking at a blank page. (“carry a notebook and pen wherever you go” may seem as cliché but remembering how J.K. Rowling drafted Harry Potter inspires me to write in any piece of paper I can put ink on.)


5) Write for your reader self, not your writer self. You are the best audience for your own work. If you would absolutely love a character like the one you are writing about, if you adore books like the one you are working on, then you are going to know how to make the book appealing—write it like you were the person who was going to read it. Remember the fun bits, the juicy bits, the stuff you linger over in other books—the good stuff. (self-explanatory…hehe…I like the italicized part so much)


6) Talk it through. When you get stuck, sometimes it helps to talk through the book out loud—even if only your cat is listening. Sometimes hearing the plot is enough to engage a different part of your brain in solving the problem. (I know some people who talk to themselves while walking to and fro)


7) Give yourself regular rewards. A fresh cup of coffee (even if it is your 353rd) when you get to the end of a scene, an episode of your favorite show, a snack, a couple of minutes rearranging your My Book is Awesome mix—if you give yourself regular motivational rewards, you will have small goals to work toward. (I go to the movies alone to reward myself and get more ideas from the films)


Over the course of this November, you are going to feel frustrated, despairing, elated and exhausted. You will walk around in a foggy haze at your job or the bank or the supermarket. People will talk to you for twenty minutes and you won't have heard a word they said because you just thought of a fantastic new subplot. You will look up things on the internet that make you look like a serial killer. But it's good practice—just think, once you become a professional writer, that's how you'll behave all the time! 


Holly Black
Holly Black is the New York Times bestselling author of The Spiderwick Chronicles. 

*I cut some parts, thinking that her tips are applicable for all writers out there and not only those who are sweating their heads off this November (to the NaNoWriMo participants, Kudos!). The “bold” parts are mine…hehe. To be honest, I haven’t read any of her work yet(I have seen the film though) but I find her tips really informative and refreshing.