Philippines’ Best Restaurants 2012

Philippines’ Best Restaurants 2012 will be coming out on Monday, July 30.

Grab a copy at your favorite bookstore or digital newsstand.

Follow me on Facebook and Twitter.

Of Feeling Young Again

Yesterday's lunch with my sister's family was unplanned. And because punctuality is a big issue with her husband, I arrived on the dot. They, though, arrived 20 minutes late. LoL!

I waited for them reading books at Booksale, and ended up buying 2 paperbacks for P45 each.

After lunch, the long-planned movie date with the nephews finally happened. Juansen asked me to watch Captain America with him like 2 months ago but something came up. We would plan to watch any movie almost every weekend but their family dates always got in the way. It finally happened yesterday, though. We watched Fright Night with his brother Jansen. It's Jansen's first horror film, I guess. He kept on covering his eyes with the popcorn bucket and laughed through the scary scenes.

We spent much time, before and after the movies, looking at ballers in the tiangge area of Festival Mall. Hanging out with teenagers make me feel like one. I ended up paying for their ballers, and buying one for myself. No, make that 2 cuz I bought it in 2 different colors. LoL!

Nicholas Sparks to Visit Manila in October

Nicholas Sparks, the bestselling author whose novels have been adapted into movies, is coming to Manila in October for two-day visit.

Sparks is most popular for the books "The Notebook," "Message in a Bottle," "A Walk to Remember," and "Dear John."

His visit to the country is in connection with the Manila release of his latest novel titled "The Best of Me" this September.  He will hold an autograph signing session on the two days that he will be staying in the country, as confirmed by Powerbooks in their Facebook page.

“Due to the large number of inquiries we have received, we would like to confirm that Powerbooks and National Book Store will be hosting Nicholas Sparks for a book-signing tour in October here in Manila," Powerbooks posted.

Nicholas Sparks also confirmed his arrival in his Twitter account by posting, “I don't know where my events are, but I'll be in the Philippines on Oct. 27-28th ... and yes, I'll be signing ..."

The author even made his PInoy fans more excited by twitting in Tagalog, saying that he has an aunt from Manila. "Aking tiyahin ay mula sa Maynila.Siya itinuro sa akin," Sparks twitted, then added, "I tried to say that my aunt is from Manila ... she used to talk to me and taught me to say some stuff. My aunt ... she didn't set out to teach me. I just listened to her talk to her mom and her sisters ... I know I get lots of stuff wrong ... and please, if I see you in Manila, talk slow so I can understand you ... I'm no expert ..."

I Don't Wanna Go To Cubao

While at the movies watching The Red Shoes, I received a text message from Danilo asking me to buy him a digital multimeter (whatevs) at Cd-r King. And since I'd pass by a Cd-r King branch on my way home, I gladly obliged.

But the Cd-r King sales assistant told me it's out-of-stock. She said it too quickly, it made me suspicious. You know these salesladies can sometimes be so tamad to check. So I told Danilo to check their inventory online.

While waiting for Danilo's message, I passed the time away at Booksale.

The paperbacks (especially the one in the middle) reminded me of high school. Our school library housed paperbacks like these but only the seniors were allowed to borrow them. So we were confined to Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, Sweet Valley, and academic books up until third year.

Speaking of Joe, Frank, and Nancy, I didn't know they already had comic books:

Astig. I wanna collect. But I still want to own a complete collection of the hard bound mystery series. They're my first love.

After a while, Danilo texted:

Choices

I was about to have coffee when I saw this book (How to Ruin Your Life By 40 by Steve Farrar) on the dining table. I don't know who owns the book. Parang it was left there for me to read. Not that I'm already forty or anything but it's an inspirational read.

I opened it to a random page and look what I read:

Causes have effects.
Actions have reactions.
Choices have consequences.
That will be the story of your life.

It's like telling me to plan ahead carefully, with caution, and with heart. We all should. We shouldn't just be jumping on decisions, because before we know it, that decision might have already ruined our lives.

Nice morning. The sky is so blue. Let's try to make the rest of the day as lovely as this morning.

Choices

I was about to have coffee when I saw this book (How to Ruin Your Life By 40 by Steve Farrar) on the dining table. I don't know who owns the book. Parang it was left there for me to read. Not that I'm already forty or anything but it's an inspirational read.

I opened it to a random page and look what I read:

Causes have effects.
Actions have reactions.
Choices have consequences.
That will be the story of your life.

It's like telling me to plan ahead carefully, with caution, and with heart. We all should. We shouldn't just be jumping on decisions, because before we know it, that decision might have already ruined our lives.

Nice morning. The sky is so blue. Let's try to make the rest of the day as lovely as this morning.

New Cover For New Moon

Now I know why Twilight books are being given away by Kodak. I myself got a free New Moon when I bought a Kodak last month.

It's because they're reprinting it with new cover.

Kodak C813 Comes With a Free Book

Since I'm going out-of-town for the weekend, I decided to buy a cheap digicam to bring along. I don't wanna bring my phone or my other digicam. It's inuman and I heard lots of my friend's friends are coming. Actually most of them I'm sure I don't know. And I just know how wild the gathering would get.

Yesterday, I went to Asianic first to look for the cheapest cam but they had phased out the one I had in mind. I was thinking of the Casio 3 mpx cam I saw on someone's blog. Their cheapest one was the Kodak C813. It came with a 1G SD and that's all. Good thing I decided to look around first. I dropped by Silicon Valley and they had the same cam, and for the same price, it included a 2G SD and a free Twilight book!

LOL! They only had New Moon, though.







And yea I also bought this at Watsons:



Swine Flu paranoia. Gawd!

The Little Prince

I was forced to read The Little Prince. I know the story as a child. But when you have to summarize the thing, you would like to re-read it in order to be precise. And re-read it most especially when you have to make a reaction paper about it. I hate making book reports. I'm done with that. But there's this friend I can't say no to. He's already cramming - you know how students cram when the sem's nearing its end. And I (once again) played the Good Samaritan.

No regrets, though. I enjoyed re-reading the book.

"What's essential is not visible to the naked eye."

Really, that is so true.

Dreams are for Kids

At the start we think we have found a gem, a perfect specimen to take part in our dream romance - she's this and that, never does this nor that. And then we fall in love, thinking that this newfound gem is way better than our last. We dive into a new relationship that makes our world so colorful in the first few months or so, makes our eyes glow and our cheeks flushed, and makes us once again think about the possibility of forever. And then we get used to the things that she does, we get tired of tolerating her little faults, we even come to the point of being irritated to the childish little ways that got us so attracted during the getting-to-know stage. We start wanting more, wanting her to do this and that, we start wanting her to be more of what we first thought was her. And then our worlds crumble.

And then we will promise ourselves not to fall in love again. We listen to Ne-Yo's So Sick, start calling our drinking buddies, start going out more often to the thought of (whether we admit it or not, and whether how much we convince ourselves not to fall in love again) meeting another person that will fit into our idea of a perfect mate.

And then we meet yet another prospect, and we start all over again. A cycle, reminds me of the evaporation/precipitation thingie in science class.

I like it, though, when none-romantic-writers write about relationships. They take it matter-of-factly. Let me quote Stephen King from the book (Dreamcatcher) that I am currently reading:

"You grew up, became a man, had to adjust to taking less than you hoped for; you discovered the dream-machine had a big OUT OF ORDER sign on it.

...that and maybe a big old sloppy-lipstick blowjob from this drunk chick out in his car. Wanting more is just a recipe for heartache.

Dreams are for kids."

Can't Get Enough Atonement

Atonement reminds me of so many things. It reminds me of my high school library and the librarian who wouldn't let me borrow historical romance paperbacks until I was in the third year; of the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys mystery series (the old hard bound ones) which occupied my time while I was still not "legal" to read historical romances in school (my parents let me, though, so I have lots of them in my bedroom); of Joy Vivian who has the same passion for historical romances as i have and who raced with me in sweeping through all the Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys books available at our library... It just feels good to be swept back in time.

I have such great(wild) imagination that I usually get lost in a book I am reading. As with historical romance books, they take me to places and time I won't be able to go to, to a time where (I think) it is good to be just an observer than be a part of. And I've been an observer of "the past" since I was thirteen.

Atonement isn't set to as far back a time as my most loved historical romances, but the air is there, the sexually charged atmosphere, the unfulfilled passion...

Perhaps I should get a new Karen Robards this week.

headbands and a saved relationship

I never got the book Twisted8 (I'm buying one on Sunday). But I received lots of hair stuff - headbands in all sorts of colors; crimpers; iron... I guess my friends and family want me to keep my hair afro. None of the headbands fitted me, though. I really have a big head.

Anyway, I still have it going with The Second One. I don't know but perhaps I can't let go. I talked with my friend Aryz last night and told him about my plans of breaking it up with The Second One. Aryz told me to take it slow. I asked, "But how?" He said, "I don't know."

I'm really not the type to take it slow. It's not in my limited vocabulary. It's either now or never. I have to say what I got to say. There's no tomorrow. Perhaps that's where I'm wrong at. Perhaps that's the cause of all my failed relationships. But that's me. I've yet to meet the person who would yell back at me when I'm mad (not just keep quiet and then decide not to talk to me forever).

But then my day turned out quite fine. I was able to patch things up; was able to finally know what the problem was. I deserve it, I guess. I deserve to be happy. It's mah burtdey, after all.

untitled

I haven't bought a copy of Zafra's latest, Twisted8. I'm actually waiting for some good soul to gift me with the book hehe. But then perhaps if I still don't have the book by the 24th of this month, I'm buying one for myself. Or should I still wait for my birthday to be over before buying? Hmm really I can't wait to get hold of the book.