BoOkWoRm

I'm definitely, absolutely and proudly a self-confessed bookworm. Reading books is my passion. My affair with books started at a young age, in my elementary years. My father was a great influence 'coz being a wide reader himself, he encouraged me to read books and magazines most especially Reader's Digest. From then, I started to read the encyclopedia of children stories that my father's cousins owned. Following that, I discovered the paperback novels. Actually, if my memory serves me roght, the first book-novel I read was in hardbound - "Vendetta: Lucky's Revebge" by Jackie Collins but following that were all paperback novels from a collection of books of ny uncles, grandfather and father. I encountered and was amazed with Sidney Sheldon's novels at around age 11; Jeffrey Archer and John Grisham followed. Soon, I found myself enjoying and loving reading books and be particularly inclined to crime and mystery novels and legal thrillers. Yet, I haven't forgotten where it all started- Reader's Digest. I still read it from time to time, and it was during highschool when I found out about their (RD) special edition hard-bound books. My mom was not much of a book reader but she loves yo buy bookss for uss to read and she always support my reading hobby so I when I requested her buy me a book on RD's list, she did it with no hesitation. It was "When, Where, Why and How Did It Happened?". On the next years, other books have followed such as "The Unexplained." Now that I'm earning my own money, I'm buying my own from the RD's book edition and have already bought two books plus continued the RD's monthly subscription.

During the whole course of my life, reading is an essential part of it. In my elementary days, it started to introduce me to places, people and events I have no knowledge of. In highschool, it opened my mind to a new horizon from reality to fantasy. In college, it helped me understand some things and appreciate others. In my post graduation life, it still is part of my life in more ways than one.

I understand that people have different interests and I know for a fact that some people totally dislikes reading. But what I don't understand is the existence of people who mock and ridicule people like me who simply loves to read. During my highschool days, a few people referrred to me as a geek or abnormal or strange because I would hang out on the school's library during break time to read. Well, fortunately, it didn't fazed me at all and told myself that I'd rather be an "outcast" than be ignorant. And so, I marched on my highschool life with reading as my interest and ignoring people's stark comment as a hobby. :)

There was a time, around my last college days when I took a momentary halt to reading (with the exception of my study books, of course) which lasted around two years. It's not that I totally ignored reading but it happened during a turning point in my life when I transformed from a student to a working girl. Yet, slowly but surely, I found myself back where I longed to be- in the bookstores and in thrift shops offering second hand books, then straight to my room reading relentlessy about different things. Reading books also became my stress-reliever. At this point, I've finally recognized the fact that reading is my passion, not just a hobby and that I will read books as long as I can.

Call me nerd, call me geek or call me whatever words you can think of to ridicule my passion for reading. But here I am and always will be, proud to be a BOOKWORM. ;)

SPLIT

"If you want to be a GOOD GIRL, get yourself a BAD BOY...", as a BSB song goes. Though I completely don't completely agree with this statement, it made me think about the so-called "BAD BOYS". In reality, I am still quite clueless why some girls are attracted to troublemakers, arrogant and egoistic males. I especially don't like "braggers" and boastful ones but I can't help but notice that some girls are attracted to these qualities in the opposite sex. I am attracted to guys who are the total opposite. Quiet, shy, intelligent and simple. Well, you might be picturing something close to a "geek" or "nerd" (no pun intended), and you're just about right. The "Harry Potter" is best enough to describe my type of guy physically. And for other people, these are the total opposite of their dream guy. Oh well, people really are different.

But then, setting aside reality, there's fantasy and I just notice that when it comes to fictional characters like in literature, t.v., movies and even anime, I kinda like those with a mix of the nice boy side and the bad boy attitude. Intrigued? Confused? Well, whatever you're thinking right now, as long as you're interested, read on and I'll give you a short list of these characters:

Let's begin with ANIME:

SASUKE

From prey to predator, he had one of the biggest transformation on my list. His innocence, angst, determination and power is what brought him to my attention but what gets me continually interested is his metamorphosis from being a nice lad to a mean young man. It really is astonishing and though he already went to the dark side, the fact still remains that he's not completely evil at the least because there's been so many chances for him to kill his best friend, Naruto, but he still didn't. If you're a Naruto Shippuden fan, you'll understand. And yes, he has every intent to kill his older brother, but you can't blame him if you know the whole story, and despite this fact, I still believe there's still a grain of goodness in his heart. Oh Sasuke, what does lie ahead of you?

BATTOUSAI / KENSHIN HIMURA

Opposite of Sasuke, his transformation was from a cold-blooded assasin to a kind-hearted wanderer, but his tranformation is astounding nonetheless. With a desire to turn his life around and do good instead of evil, he turned his back to his past filled with hatred, blood, war and betrayal. It took him years to achieve this change but he emerged victorious. I liked him as Kenshin the wanderer in terms of attitude but I like him better as Battousai because I personally think he had better fighting skills and interesting personality when he's the legendary swordsman. Oh well, at least in the end, he achieved the happy life and the peace he'd been longing for. It's what every good boy/man deserves, eh?

DENNIS / KURAMA / MINAMINO

As Dennis/Minamino, he's a genius highschool student with a hidden persona named Kurama, a silver-haired demon who was once the leader of a group of thieves in the spiritual world. He was a demon who went to the human world to escapea former partner in crime but when he was reincarnated as a human, he was exposed to love from his family especially his mother, thus, his cold heart has softened and his views on life was somehow dramatically altered. After numerous events, he's been able to change back and forth to his good boy human form and his bad-ass demon form. In all aspects, I like him better as the demon Kurama because like Himura, he's much more interesting and good-looking as a "bad boy". Hehehe.

HEERO YUY

Ammoral, I think, is the best word to describe Heero. He's bad 'coz he doesn't hesitate to kill someone if he have to but I think he does because he was raised and trained to. He does bad things not because he deliberately wants to be bad but because that's what he thinks he needs to do. He doesn't have a clear perception of what's right and wrong but he slowly discovers why people care so much about doing what is just and denouncing what's bad. In the whole series, he doesn't show much of his good side but he does reveal his soft spot to his "lady love" towards the end, and that didn't even look romantic. Oh well, I still believe he have what it takes to be a good man.

On to the silver screen...

ANAKIN SKYWALKER

A little boy with a potential to become the greatest Jedi and predicted to being the "Chosen One" to bring balance to the force, a series of events led him astray into the dark side. Pledging himself to the Sith Order, he became a powerful force against the Jedi in which he came from under the name Darth Vader. But like a classic story of redemption, he was given the chance to be good again in the form of his son. With a final heroic effort, he sacrificed himself and saved his son Luke, and helped him to defeat the last of the Sith Lords. He repented in the end, showing his son and daughter that despite of what happened in the past, he still had goodness inside of him and died being one of the force. In the end, he did fulfill his destiny. I really appreciated the development of his character and his character somehow justified that goodness still reigns over evil. Of course, physically speaking, Good or Bad, Anakin (or rather, Hayden Christensen) is very appealing.


CAPTAIN JACK SPARROW


Face it, he's so easy to hate but then I can't help but like him. He considers himself as the perfect representation of a free-spirited person. A pirate with an odd fashion statement and a crazy attitude, he seems like only interested in money and will not blink twice to get it even with the knowledge that other people can be put in danger. So in that sense, he's a bad boy. But then, he finds a way to reddem himself and make you see that he still have goodness in him in a different yet amusing manner. He can be a cunning pirate and a clumsy adventurer at the same time. Crazy, Funny and sometimes Mean - a rare but great combination.

Now, in Literature...

SHERLOCK HOLMES

You might be a little surprised to find him on this list, but let me explain my reason for choosing him. If you read the short stories of Arthur Conan Doyle about this great detective, it's easy to see that Sherlock Holmes indeed have split personalities. He can be kind and compassionate at one time and be hot-tempered and insensitive at other times. He may not be your typical bad boy, or rather, a mean gentleman (his age qualifies him as that of a man), but he can be mean if he wants to. His genius is extraordinaire and luckily, he used it for good 'coz if was bad, well, there's great trouble at Scotland Yard.

T.V. Series it is...

AH MENG/JIANG MENG

His is an aura of confidence and arrogance - which exudes the statement "I always get what I want!". Indeed, in the beginning of the story, you can't help but agree with people's perception of him- a mean, self-centered, rude spoiled brat. That's one sife of Ah Meng but upon meeting his first and true love, he simply reveals the other side of him, a loving, caring and thoughtful person who'd do anything to fight for his love. The combination of his handsome face, straightforward attitude, his unconventional sweetness and his "I'll fight for what I want" perception is what makes this "devil" so irresistible. :)

MICHAEL / JIANG ZHI SHU

Genius, Rich and Handsome-qualities of a Perfect Dream Guy and which Michael possess. Then, there's the catch: he's insensitive, rude and mean- a total opposite of a gentleman. He doesn't give a damn about other people's feeling aeven his family and most especially the girl who's so in- love with him. Yet, eventually, you'll realize that this kind of persona is just a mask to protect himself from getting hurt. Same with the others on the list, he's bad boy on the outside, a good man on the inside.

And lastly, let me include this man for personal reasons ;)

NICK CARTER

Started as a GOOD BOY, slowly transformes into a BAD BOY, had a life-changing experience and came back trying to be a GOOD MAN.

Hope you liked my entry, until next time... :)

Sweet! :)

I found myself in the mood for something sweet today, so let me share to you my favorite "sweets"...

I love to eat, especially sweets, here's some of my faves: CHOCOLATE MOUSSE - I especially love Red Ribbon's chocolate mousse. So delectable, simply delicious!

KITKAT - "Have a Break. Have a KitKat." is the slogan for this wafer chocolate. But when it comes me, people would most probably say "Have a break eating KitKat!" Once I started eating this, I find it hard to stop 'coz its kinda addicting. Plain yet so yummy!

HALO-HALO - One of Summer's best merienda! Imagine a combination of summer flavors like melon, sweet beans, ube etc. in one sumptuous delicacy. But as far as my taste buds is concern, Razon's Halo-halo is the best among the rest. Even with just three ingredients, it's still the most delicious halo-halo I've tasted so far! Refreshingly sweet!



CHOCOLATE CAKE - I am a chocoholic, and no doubt about my fascination for cakes. So it shouldn't come as a surprise that I'm a big fan of chocolate cakes. I've tried a lot of chocolate cakes but among the best is Gloria Jean's Chocolate Truffle Cake. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water...

MANGO TORTE - I love Goldilock's Mango Torte. Just the right amount of sweetness and ripeness of the mangoes. It's like their crema de fruta but much better. :)

DONUTS - One of my favorite comfort food is the humble donut. In times of "wallowing", donut is one of my best friend. Another good thing about donuts is that it's great to eat with coffee! Hot Loops, Gonuts Donut and Dunkin donuts are my faves simply because their donuts are great yet affordable. Yum,yum!

SANS RIVAL - I Love It! I Absolutely Love it!

PEANUT BUTTER CUPS - Reese's peanut butter cups is sinfully delightful. This treat is another great combination of two of my favorite food - chocolate and peanut butter. I got to have some...

ICE CREAM - Eating Ice cream under any weather is fun! I just love ice cream anf Dairy Queen's array of ice cream products never fails to make me smile even before eating it. Highly recommended also are Big Scoop and Magnolia Ice Cream. So many flavors, so little time...

FERRERO ROCHER - My ultimate favorite chocolate is Ferrero Rocher. Unfortunately, I can't afford to eat it as often and as many as I want to because it's quite expensive, but nothing beats this on my list of favorite chocolates. Now, I'm beginning to get frustrated writing about it without eating it. Hai!

CHOCNUT - Last, but definitely not the least, my all-time favorite...the amazing chocnut. This humble locally made milk chocolate had been part of Filipino culture. From way back when I was a toddler up to now, Chocnut gives me more reasons to love sweets. It's simple and plain but these characteristics are part of its charismatic lure to consumers. Plus, it's very affordable and readily available at all leading sari-sari stores nationwide. Chocnut once again proves that great things come in small packages.

Hope that my entry made you crave for sweets and please don't bother to give in to your sweet indulgence once in a while. Have a Sweet Life! :)

ASIANOVELAS

I’m back in the Asianovela bandwagon, not that I wasn’t hesitant to admit it at first. See, I was into Asianovelas late in highschool up until my college days. It’s acceptable then,’ coz I was a teenager and I have a lot of time to spend watching t.v. and being idealistic in romance stories. But when I started to work, I shifted my attention to just work and haven’t got the time to wathch asianovelas anymore. Recently though, I was so stressed and incidentally, I’ve learned of this new Korean series Boys Over Flowers and tried to watch it, and instantly, it became a daily habit and a great was of relieving my stress ‘coz I enjoyed watching it. Since I’ve finished it, I have watched 2 other series, Love or Bread and Devil Beside Me. I’m really enjoying watching this series and I can’t help but look back on my favorite asianovelas through the years. Here’s a short list of my favorites:






METEOR GARDEN – THE ONE. Yes, this Taiwanese drama series was the one that started the asianovela craze. The Dao Ming Si - San Chai - Wa Xi Lei love triangle is superb mix of comedy, tragedy, action, drama and most especially romance. It introduced a fresh concept in local tv series because of it’s pacing, storyline, character presentation and ideas so different from telenovelas aired on Philippine tv that time. I can still remember the catch phrase from the promotions for this series in which they promise that the viewers will get hooked into this. I doubted it from the very beginning, but was really curious if it’s really worth watching so I watched the initial episode. And after that, as they say, the rest is history. I was really hooked into this. I even attended the 3 concerts held here featuring F4 together with a college friend of mine. I was lucky to have someone who had the same craziness as me when it comes to this show! (hehehe) I witnessed first hand the F4 fever that infected millions of filipinos and other asians at that time ‘coz I was one of them. The series ended years ago but it’s still not completely forgotten and I honestly don’t think it ever will be. And even though different versions have emerged and there’s constant comparison as to which version is better, the fact still remains that Meteor Garden is the original and pioneer for Asianovelas here, and if it wasn’t for their success, the other versions and other series wouldn’t exist! When it comes to asianovelas, this is my first love.





LOVERS IN PARIS – CLASSIC ROMANCE. Another love triangle but this time, the characters are older and more mature. The combination of simple minded Vivien and pure business attitude of Carlo, with a little bad-ass character ofHim is enough to make the show interesting. Honestly, my initial reaction seeing the teasers for this show is that I wouldn’t like it much ‘coz the characters seems a little mature for me. But boy, was I wrong, because this Koreanovela made me realize that a show’s story is like a person’s personality.- you’ll appreciate it as you try to get to know it; while as for the characters/actors, is like a person’s physical appearance, it will be the first thing to attract you but if there’s little personality behind the beauty, it would be uninteresting, and thankfully, both the story and the actors were great! The ending wasn’t what I hoped it would be, and it’s quite confusing and even frustrating, ‘coz not only is it open-ended, it also changes the whole story of the series. Still, it’s one of my favorites ‘coz it blended reality and fairy tale romance so well.




SAVE THE LAST DANCE FOR ME – SWEET SENTIMENTS. I honestly can’t remember the full details of this series ‘coz it’s been quite a while since I last saw this Korean drama series. Nevertheless, I didn’t forget the reason why I loved this series and that’s why I included this in my short list of favorites. Watching the whole show is like listening to a sweet ballad, with the story focusing on the two main character’s love for each other and trying to defy the odds for their relationship to survive. It’s one of the most sentimental stories I’ve watched and it showcases that the greater strength is not in physical terms but in the emotional state. Sandy, the female protagonist, looked frail and fragile but the way she handled her problems like losing her father and the man she loves is really heartbreaking and inspiring as well. Francis’ struggle with his memory loss and confusion on his feelings towards Sandy can easily get the sympathy of the viewers. This series’ simplicity and the romance’s sincerity are it’s endearing factors.



ONLY YOU – SIMPLY DELICIOUS. From the storyline, to the cast, this series is like a great dish you just can’t get enough of. The love triangle between Jonathan, Jillian and TJ is something to watch for because all are trying to make sense of their situation made more complicated because of circumstances such as working together and trying to get the love they want and deserve knowing that somehow, someone will be hurt. The show’s concept to connect food and love have been used in other movies and series but Only You made it more appetizing by giving the viewers characters which can easily be empathize with and a story that showcases how love can be bittersweet.





SWEET I8 – FAIRLY PRETTY . This is the only series that I’ve watched religiously in cable tv, in its original version (meaning not yet dubbed in Filipino and with only English subtitle.) It all started with channel surfing one time during summer vacation. I was looking for something new to watch and I stumbled upon this show upon seeing Actor and noticing it has an English subtitle. I started to watch and only realized that I watched the whole 1 hour show when the credits rolled up. After that, I was watching it night after night at 11 pm – 12 mn on the Korean channel on cable. The age gap is the main dilemma between the two characters, young and energetic Female and serious and professional Male. So different in their personalities yet very much the same when it comes to their views about love, family and traditions. It has it shares of funny and dramatic moments, but what attracted me the most is its fresh approach on romance between two people with different age group. I guess this Korean series reiterates the saying that when it comes to love, age is but a number.






MY GIRL – SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL. Even though the overall story of this Korean series is funny and light, the dramatic scenes were greatly delivered as well. This series has a great acting ensemble, plus add great chemistry from Julian and Jasmine, mix with a nice storyline – and there, you have it, an instant Korean series favorite. It’s one of my favorite because it always makes me smile and even giggle at times, especially scenes between the two main lead. The character of Jasmine doesn’t only revolve being the love interest of Julian but also explores her persona as an industrious and loving daughter while Julian’s character explores his struggle to be the man he wants to be and the man his grandfather needs him to be.










IT STARTED WITH A KISS and THEY KISSED AGAIN – CUTE CHEMISTRY. The two lead characters in this Taiwanese series (Ariel Lin and Joe Cheng) really have a natural chemistry, and you can’t help but fall in love with them even though it seems that they’re too opposite. Their love story is funny, simple but with some complications and of course, romantic in a cute way. What made it more loveable is the supporting characters’ crazy personalities and funny approach to life’s little problems. Though I don’t totally agree with how Michael treats Ginnie and how Ginnie allowed herself to be totally devoted to Michael, I still adore their romantic scenes and love them as a couple.






PRINCESS HOURS – ROYAL ROMANCE. A Cinderella story with a twist – the story of a prince falling in love with a commoner – after they got married. The story can be traced to two main roots - keeping of promises and true love. Because of the old king’s promise to a commoner friend, an arranged marriage ensued among their grandchildren – Prince Gian and wannabe artist Janelle. And despite of so many complications to their relarionship, Janelle and Gian proved that a love can survive numerous hardships if it’s true. Though the core of this Korean series is about the love story of Gian and Janelle, it also tackles other kinds of love such as love for family, love for friends and love for country. I’m really glad that like a traditional fairytale, it ended on a happy note.




SPRING WALTZ – SOOTHINGLY CALM. Among those on the list, this is the most dramatic. This series’ approach to the love story of A and B is so serious that I can’t remember any funny or light moments. I almost thought that it would end in tragedy, but thankfully, it still had a happy ending. In a weird way, I think I was attracted to this series because of it’s gloominess. The characters never seem to cease in having problems except in the final episode, and there’s a lot of tragedies that happened such as the dying without getting the forgiveness he’s asking from his son. And just reminiscing it made me sad, but still, I really like this asianovela because it’s more realistic and less idealistic when it comes to love but still emphasizing that true love can survive all of life’s challenges.






BOYS OVER FLOWERS – WHOLLY GREAT. From the story, to the characters/actors, the locations and props, this show excels. The original story is already superbly done, but the Korean version made it even better by giving more depth to the other characters other than the 3 main leads – Geum Jan Di, Gu Jun Pyo and Ji Hoo. Thanks to the 4 actors who played the infamous foursome, F4 Fever is back and another Asianovela phenomenon was started. Yes, I admit that I’m one of probably millions of fanatics addicted to this show. Even though I love the love story of Jun Pyo and Geum Jan Di, I hate the fact that Ji Hoo’s love life seems like a tragedy. I would have wanted him to have found his true love at the end of the story because he really deserves to be happy. Still, I’m more inclined towards the romance between Yi Jeong and Ga Eul because they look so great together and their pairing simply oozes chemistry. Plus, their story adds freshness and cuteness to that of Jun Pyo and Jan Di. I also love the fact that Jan Di recognizes that Ji Hoo is her soulmate and Jun Pyo is her true love, because I really believe that your soulmate doesn’t necessarily be your true love also and vice-versa. It can be 2 different persons and you’re truly blessed if you found them both. I adore this Korean series! :)



I personally recommend to watch all the series in the list. You may not like all of them but I assure you that you’ll at least find one to your liking and you’ll appreciate Asians even more. :)

Just so you know, in case you didn’t notice, all series on my favorite asianovela list have a happy ending. I love happy endings, and I’m hoping that the day will come when I’ll be able to have that one true love and we’ll have our own romantic story and happy ending. J As for now, I’m enjoying watching, reading, and hearing stories of romance, both in reel and real life. :)

ADDICTED

AAARGGHH!!! Just when I’m almost fully recovered from my Asianovela fascination and addiction, here comes “Boys Over Flowers”. I’m so totally, definitely, truly certified addicted to this t.v. series. In less than one week, I’m hooked and in less than 2 days, I’ve watched the full 25-episode series (with more or less 1 hr per episode)! Just in case you’re wondering how I got addicted, let’s have a little flashback…

About 8 weeks ago, I’ve seen several commercials as regards the latest Asianovela Of ABS-CBN- the Korean’s own version of Japan’s HanaYori Dango and Taiwan’s Meteor Garden- “BOYS OVER FLOWERS”. Being an avid fan of Meteor Garden, my curiosity got ahead of me and was really anxious to watch this. I was glad to know that its airing will be on primetime when I’m home already. Then came May 11, and from that day, I was infected again by the F4 fever, I’m damned!

Monday(May 11) – My family and I watched the pilot episode. Then and there on our living room in front of the t.v. set, we knew that watching the show will be part of our daily habit.

Tuesday(May 12) – On the second day, I quickly accepted the fact that I really,REALLY LIKE the show. Still, I was in denial that it was LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT. I’m determined not to succumb again to my Asianovela addiction.

Wednesday(May 13) – I’m SO HOOKED!!!

Thursday(May 14) – It’s confirmed. I’m GOING GAGA if I missed an episode.

Friday (May 15) – Might as well call it fright day because what I fear most (as to the show) came true. I’m getting fidgety and hot tempered when they didn’t air it on its given timeslot. I convinced myself that maybe one of its predecessors took overtime so its timeslot was adjusted. 11 pm came and it’s official- there’s no BOF for the day. To make it worse, the network announced that they’ll put BOF on an earlier timeslot – which means I won’t be able to watch it anymore!!! I CAN’T TAKE IT ANYMORE!!!That’s the final straw. I’LL FIND A WAY to watch it BY HOOK OR BY CROOK!


Saturday until Sunday (May 16-17) - I went out to buy a present for a debut I’ll be attending later in the afternoon. When I passed by at Carriedo- BAM! My problem found a solution = pirated DVD. (Sorry Mr. Edu Manzano, but I HAVE TO HAVE BOYS OVER FLOWER DVD desperately.) In a span of 5 days, being able to watch it has become a NEED and not merely a WANT anymore. So I asked my “suki” for a copy and she told me there were no copies left ‘coz it’s selling like pancakes! I tried to look for another copy and was about to panic when, tada, another stall had a delivery of 5 DVDs of BOF. I was just about to approach when the vendor quickly handed me a copy. In a blink of an eye, the other 4 copies were gone. At that moment, I was slightly dazzled by what happened. Am I that obvious? Here I am just walking in front of their stall and haven’t even started to ask, then came this delivery and the vendor quickly giving me a copy, no questions asked. Me being me, I didn’t get the DVD right away, instead I browsed other asianovelas. A minute later, I picked up the copy and asked the vendor if he’ll recommend BOF and what’s it about. He gave a look that tells me “You don’t know BOF?” and quicky replied that it’s great and is their bestseller. So I bought it, along with “DEVIL BESIDE ME” and went home. I went to the party later and when I got home, there’s one thing left for me to do…WATCH!!! And boy did I watch, from 10 pm – 5:30 am, slept for about 3 hrs, by 9 am I’m glued again to the t.v. up until 6:30 pm , went to the church, then finally at 10 pm – 12:30 am, watched it until the end.


So back to present, here I am, stressed out due to lack of sleep and still can’t get BOYS OVER FLOWERS out of my head. AAARRGHH!!!! Now, I’m blogging about this just to look if it can help ease my anxiety…not working – still addicted – I’m DAMNED.

F4 FEVER IS BACK.

O.M.G.