Yes, YOU. The one they - though who “they” are remains a mystery - promised to be made perfect for me. The one who’ll think I’m the awesomest person in the world. The one who’ll add my smile, my eyes, me, in his “Things Worth Living For” list. You. How are you doing? Me, I’m bored to death. What are you reading right now? I can’t wait for the time we’ll be spending talking about random stuff and the latest books we’re reading. You’ll make a futile attempt at a joke and I’ll laugh not because of the humor but because you’re trying so hard.
But you know, I’m pretty pissed at you. For one thing, I don’t know who you are yet. Or if you even truly exists. I couldn’t care less how you look, although I know you’ll be good looking (even if some might not agree with me). I just know you have a pure heart. You’re really patient when you’re teaching me stuff I wanna learn so bad - like whistling, playing the piano, or skating. You’ll recite to me Romeo’s speech to Juliet and I will thwack your arm because I never did like Romeo and Juliet and you’re doing it just to tease me.
Hey, when will I see you? Will I know if it’s you I’ve just passed by on the street? Will I know if we’ve been in the same room? I hope I’ll see you soon. Maybe not now. I’m pretty patient enough.
Love,
Nj
PS Longer letter later. Like when I have some time to spare.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Friday, January 7, 2011
Wherein I just randomly decided to deactivate my Facebook account and some a-hole tried to kill a cat in my presence
I just don’t get it’s point anymore. Sure, I unconditionally love Zuckerberg but it’s not enough to keep me in this site wherein I have 300plus friends when we all know I don’t have that much. I can’t share what’s on my mind. It’s just so fucking easy for people to comment and interrogate the shit out of somebody. Don’t get me wrong, Facebook’s fine and all, but probably not for me. I need a blog so I can vent out my feelings - so I’ll definitely keep my Tumblr and Blogger.
—-
Well, change topic! I’m almost finished with Libba Bray’s Going Bovine. It’s a super awesome book about this normal teenager named Cameron who just got diagnosed with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (that’s Mad Cow disease for humans to you; hope I spelled it right). But unlike some run-off-the-mill drama, this is crazier and more fun! Since I’m not really good with summarizing, here’s one from Goodreads:
It’s what’s keeping me occupied this past week. It’s awfully entertaining (in a good way, promise!) and lesson-filled at the same time.
—-
Yung tricycle na sinakyan ko kanina, ang salbahe nung driver. Sinadya ba namang sagasaan yung buntot ng pusa sa gilid. Nasabi ko nalang, “Sadistic asshole”. Sana narinig niya.
—-
This week went by quickly for me - not that I’m complaining. What about you guys? Any interesting stories to tell me? Or can you please let me know what you think of me in three words? Let’s talk, awesome(s)! ;)
Just so you know, I don’t know how to do the last part without sounding so desperate. LOL. Oh, and I kept my Twitter. xD
—-
Well, change topic! I’m almost finished with Libba Bray’s Going Bovine. It’s a super awesome book about this normal teenager named Cameron who just got diagnosed with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (that’s Mad Cow disease for humans to you; hope I spelled it right). But unlike some run-off-the-mill drama, this is crazier and more fun! Since I’m not really good with summarizing, here’s one from Goodreads:
All 16-year-old Cameron wants is to get through high school—and life in general—with a minimum of effort. It’s not a lot to ask. But that’s before he’s given some bad news: he’s sick and he’s going to die. Which totally sucks. Hope arrives in the winged form of Dulcie, a loopy punk angel/possible hallucination with a bad sugar habit. She tells Cam there is a cure—if he’s willing to go in search of it. With the help of a death-obsessed, video-gaming dwarf and a yard gnome, Cam sets off on the mother of all road trips through a twisted America into the heart of what matters most.
It’s what’s keeping me occupied this past week. It’s awfully entertaining (in a good way, promise!) and lesson-filled at the same time.
—-
Yung tricycle na sinakyan ko kanina, ang salbahe nung driver. Sinadya ba namang sagasaan yung buntot ng pusa sa gilid. Nasabi ko nalang, “Sadistic asshole”. Sana narinig niya.
—-
This week went by quickly for me - not that I’m complaining. What about you guys? Any interesting stories to tell me? Or can you please let me know what you think of me in three words? Let’s talk, awesome(s)! ;)
Just so you know, I don’t know how to do the last part without sounding so desperate. LOL. Oh, and I kept my Twitter. xD
They Walk Among Us
Superman.
I assume every Homo sapien in this planet knows him. Also known as Clark J. Kent, his civilian alter-ego. Some sees Superman as just, well, a superhero. Some random muscular guy with “to die for” looks and ridiculous costume and uhm, cape. But very few people (if you call the comics fandom “few”) are familiar with Superman’s other identity: Kal-El. His alien identity.
Now I don’t even know why I’m talking about Superman. I’m not even a fan (Batman ftw). It just seems so relevant to my topic for today which is the sci-fi book I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore.
In I Am Number Four, a group of nine gifted humanoid aliens left their home planet “Lorien” in order to hide from the race of murderous Mogadorians. The Mogadorians destroyed their own planet due to their destructive ways. Then they invaded Lorien, the closest life sustaining planet to theirs. The nine scattered on Earth in the hope that when they developed their legacies (powers, if you will) and are mature enough to fight, they will get back at the Mogadorians and revive their planet. A charm was put upon the nine, that they should only be killed in order otherwise any physical attacks will not work on them.
Err, that’s from the trailer. I find it fascinating. Anyway, the Law of Duh tells us that Number Four is next in line. Number Four is the protagonist in the book. He took the name John Smith - which is not very creative in my part, but hey, it’s easy to overlook, which is kind of like the point - and his Cepan (or guardian) took the name Henri Smith. They move from place to place, see. Once they were in Florida, now they’re in some place in Ohio called Paradise, which is kind of like appropriate and ironic at the same time. John’s first legacy, Lumos (ability to control light and be insusceptible to fire and heat) showed up when he was at school. Telekinesis came up next.
John made some friends in Paradise. He met Sam, a fan of conspiracy theories and Astronomy in general, which eventually became his bestfriend. Sarah Hart, a blonde blue-eyed all-American girl, became his girlfriend. Now he has a reason to stay, which is very inconvenient. Very very inconvenient. When everything seems to fall into place and he’s adapting to the normal human kid life, well, you guessed it, it went horribly wrong.
What I liked about the book is that every character seems real. Even the aliens John and Henri. And the conspiracy theories, rad! I actually believe that they’re walking among us now. No kidding, I do. How else will you explain the Stonehenge, Easter Island, Loch Ness, Albert Einstein, the Hadron Collider? (Look out for my post about these stuff). The Mogadorians were scary, okay. They were not easy to kill and they’re very menacing. There were lots of blood and life-or-death situations. I laughed at some point. I cried. I cringed. I bit the back of my hand to prevent myself from screaming. Overall, it’s very a very engaging read. I surely recommend this to everyone. Stop the vampire craze. Let’s all engross ourselves in something more realistic, like aliens.
Here’s the favorite quote:
says John to Sam.
So guys, be on the lookout for this book:
and if you’re more of a movie person than a bookworm, this movie:
Grab a bowl of popcorn, a cup of coffee, or what not and take the wildest ride of your life.
*Movie poster created by fan from deviantart. Click here for original source.
I assume every Homo sapien in this planet knows him. Also known as Clark J. Kent, his civilian alter-ego. Some sees Superman as just, well, a superhero. Some random muscular guy with “to die for” looks and ridiculous costume and uhm, cape. But very few people (if you call the comics fandom “few”) are familiar with Superman’s other identity: Kal-El. His alien identity.
Now I don’t even know why I’m talking about Superman. I’m not even a fan (Batman ftw). It just seems so relevant to my topic for today which is the sci-fi book I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore.
In I Am Number Four, a group of nine gifted humanoid aliens left their home planet “Lorien” in order to hide from the race of murderous Mogadorians. The Mogadorians destroyed their own planet due to their destructive ways. Then they invaded Lorien, the closest life sustaining planet to theirs. The nine scattered on Earth in the hope that when they developed their legacies (powers, if you will) and are mature enough to fight, they will get back at the Mogadorians and revive their planet. A charm was put upon the nine, that they should only be killed in order otherwise any physical attacks will not work on them.
Number One was killed in Malaysia. Number Two was murdered in England. Number Three was hunted down in Kenya.
Err, that’s from the trailer. I find it fascinating. Anyway, the Law of Duh tells us that Number Four is next in line. Number Four is the protagonist in the book. He took the name John Smith - which is not very creative in my part, but hey, it’s easy to overlook, which is kind of like the point - and his Cepan (or guardian) took the name Henri Smith. They move from place to place, see. Once they were in Florida, now they’re in some place in Ohio called Paradise, which is kind of like appropriate and ironic at the same time. John’s first legacy, Lumos (ability to control light and be insusceptible to fire and heat) showed up when he was at school. Telekinesis came up next.
John made some friends in Paradise. He met Sam, a fan of conspiracy theories and Astronomy in general, which eventually became his bestfriend. Sarah Hart, a blonde blue-eyed all-American girl, became his girlfriend. Now he has a reason to stay, which is very inconvenient. Very very inconvenient. When everything seems to fall into place and he’s adapting to the normal human kid life, well, you guessed it, it went horribly wrong.
What I liked about the book is that every character seems real. Even the aliens John and Henri. And the conspiracy theories, rad! I actually believe that they’re walking among us now. No kidding, I do. How else will you explain the Stonehenge, Easter Island, Loch Ness, Albert Einstein, the Hadron Collider? (Look out for my post about these stuff). The Mogadorians were scary, okay. They were not easy to kill and they’re very menacing. There were lots of blood and life-or-death situations. I laughed at some point. I cried. I cringed. I bit the back of my hand to prevent myself from screaming. Overall, it’s very a very engaging read. I surely recommend this to everyone. Stop the vampire craze. Let’s all engross ourselves in something more realistic, like aliens.
Here’s the favorite quote:
We don’t have to be defined by the things we did or didn’t do in our past. Some people allow themselves to be controlled by regret. Maybe it’s regret, maybe it’s not. It’s merely something that happened. Get over it.
says John to Sam.
So guys, be on the lookout for this book:
and if you’re more of a movie person than a bookworm, this movie:
Grab a bowl of popcorn, a cup of coffee, or what not and take the wildest ride of your life.
*Movie poster created by fan from deviantart. Click here for original source.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
In which I should be doing my post-lab, but I went online and took a quiz to find my spirit animal instead
As it turns out, I’m a swan.
Hmm, foretelling future…Definitely a daughter of Apollo. :))
You can try the quiz here.
Hmm, foretelling future…Definitely a daughter of Apollo. :))
You can try the quiz here.
In which I realized a handy use for the concept of Optimization and the bag lady offered to pack my one-item purchase in plastic
First off, quickie Calculus: Optimization
So here’s something that we need a solution to:
“What is the maximum sad, blunt truth one can tell another without sounding assholian?”
But unless someone can find a way to quantify assholiness, I guess this problem will remain unsolved for the meantime. Bummer, right?
My point: Calculus is rarely, if ever, helpful.
Unless of course you’re the type of person who’s really interested in determining the minimum cost of a box whose top and bottom bases are squares made up of material which costs 15 cents per square inch, the four rectangular sides made up of materials which costs 10 cents per square inch, and has a fixed volume of 12 cubic inches.
Aaaand speaking of being helpful, this bag lady in Mercury drug store CLEARLY does NOT have helping the environment in mind. I bought this Snickers bar earlier, you see, and she was actually packing it in this small plastic pouch thingy (the kind usually used for medicine tablets) while I put my change away. Of course I told her that there’s no need for it and grabbed my candy bar and receipt. Seriously, it’s not that I bought so many stuff that I will have problem holding them. I could just shove that chocolate in my pocket. There.
Girl, take those non-biodegradable, used-for-medicine-otherwise-useless-for-other-stuff plastic away from me and my one-item purchases.
So here’s something that we need a solution to:
“What is the maximum sad, blunt truth one can tell another without sounding assholian?”
But unless someone can find a way to quantify assholiness, I guess this problem will remain unsolved for the meantime. Bummer, right?
My point: Calculus is rarely, if ever, helpful.
Unless of course you’re the type of person who’s really interested in determining the minimum cost of a box whose top and bottom bases are squares made up of material which costs 15 cents per square inch, the four rectangular sides made up of materials which costs 10 cents per square inch, and has a fixed volume of 12 cubic inches.
Aaaand speaking of being helpful, this bag lady in Mercury drug store CLEARLY does NOT have helping the environment in mind. I bought this Snickers bar earlier, you see, and she was actually packing it in this small plastic pouch thingy (the kind usually used for medicine tablets) while I put my change away. Of course I told her that there’s no need for it and grabbed my candy bar and receipt. Seriously, it’s not that I bought so many stuff that I will have problem holding them. I could just shove that chocolate in my pocket. There.
Girl, take those non-biodegradable, used-for-medicine-otherwise-useless-for-other-stuff plastic away from me and my one-item purchases.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Got my first review
Wow. I never thought it’s possible - someone just wrote a review of my novella “What’s In It For Me”. I wasn’t even serious about it, and I didn’t edit it when I planned to, but arrrgh. I’m sooooo happy. What a great way to end the year.
If you can’t read what it says in the photo:
Review by: Dale Cusack on Dec. 30, 2010
This is an enjoyable novella thats easy to read and quite funny. The lead character Kit Sherlock lives the ideal life. Her personality shining through in the whitty prose Soliven wraps easily around this cute little story. I’m not usually a fan of first person narrative but it works very well here.
Our guide, Kit, leads us through her senior year at high school as she starts to reconcile feelings she isn’t aware she has for her arch nemisis Andrew Alleyn. Alleyn is one of those people who has it all. Good looks, great friends, all star sportsman and great academic. Just the person someone in the number two slot would love to hate.
Soliven does a great job in managing the translation from rival to something more in her writing. A few grammatical errors caused me to reread the odd sentence but the narrative style and engaging nature of the story made such mistakes easily forgivable. She has a deep understanding of the teen mind and a great way with dialogue in her story. It was clearly the gifted narrative that sold me on this story and I look forward to reading more from this gifted young author.
Haha yeah I do have lots of grammatical mistakes there, I admit that. But I’m so, so, happy. At least I got five stars. :))
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Keith Thompson replied to my mail
Keith Thompson - only the illustrator of Scott Westerfeld’s awesome Leviathan series - replied to my e-mail! I swear, I almost fainted when I found this in my inbox. What a great guy. Can I just give him a biiiiiig hug?
I always commend people who answer their fan mails, no matter how simple their reply is.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Spur of the Moment Confession
I’ve never watched a 3D film. And as much as I appreciate state-of-the-art visual effects, I still have a soft spot for old ambitious (in a good way) films like Bedknobs and Broomsticks (aaah childhood)
and of course Wizard of Oz.
Okay. Call me old school or whatnot but I wouldn’t dare say I never liked these treasures. :)
and of course Wizard of Oz.
Okay. Call me old school or whatnot but I wouldn’t dare say I never liked these treasures. :)
Top Ten Awesome Names for Girls
1. Pandora - Yes, yes, the name Pandora may have a negative connotation because she’s basically the Greek Eve. But hey, Pandora sounds really nice - for me, at least. Also, a girl named Pandora may be called “Panda” or “Dora - which are both cute nicknames. Okay, slash that, “Dora” is not cute. (Name Meaning: Gifted)
2. Jonah - I know what you’re thinking, Jonah is a guy’s name. Personally though, I think Jonah sounds better on a girl, like “Dylan”. Dylan’s a guy’s name, but it fits Drew Barrymore’s character in Charlie’s Angels so well you won’t even doubt the sexuality of it. (Name Meaning: A dove)
3. Cassiopeia - My interest in this name is basically caused by my love for Greek mythology (and mythology in general). Cassiopeia is unique, but it still sounds modern - especially when you use nicknames like “Cassie” or “Cass”. (Name meaning not available. From a character in Greek Mythology)
4. Cassandra - Same reasoning with Cassiopeia, although Cassandra is modern on its own and can stand by itself (i.e. with no need for any nickname to make it usable in daily conversations). Cassandra is also my favorite character from a myth. (Name Meaning: Prophet)
5. Luna - Two words: Luna. Lovegood. If that’s not reason enough for Luna to be on this list then here’s another one: it sounds so ancient and magical. There. Who wouldn’t want a name like that? (Name Meaning: The moon)
6. Linette - I stumbled upon this name while reading a book entitled “The Silver Pen” - a book so rare it’s really difficult if not impossible to find it online or somewhere else. I found it in our library back in high school (ooh, another rare thing which only opens once in a blue moon, i.e. when the librarian’s feeling it) while looking for Lewis’ “The Silver Chair”. Anyways, Linette is the name of a wind-controlling character with a very pleasant personality. (Name Meaning: Beautiful Girl)
7. Jean - So simple yet not plain. Jean is the name of my favorite mutant so it’s automatically included in this list. (Name Meaning: God is gracious)
8. Samantha - This used to be number one on my list, like maybe ten years ago. Even though it seems kinda plain and overused now, it’s still very endearing and pleasant to the ears. (Name Meaning: Listener of God)
9. Kit - A fairly new addition to this list. I first heard of Kit via Lemony Snicket and his Series of Unfortunate Events as it is the name of her beloved yet ill-fated sister. Kit, although rare to appear in the books and not much developed, is one of my favorite characters. Her name is now stuck in my head. As a proof, I named my first ever heroine after her. (Name Meaning not available. From a Lemony Snicket character)
10. Charlotte - Charlotte’s my favorite Bronte sister. And her name’s pretty. Too bad I don’t settle much for feminine types, that’s why it’s the last on the list. (Name Meaning: Feminine)
Worth Mentioning: Jane (no bias even though Jane’s my name too), Emily, Andromeda, Eurydice, Elizabeth, Katherine, Rachel, Brooke, Danielle, Sophia and Savannah.
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| Photo from Deviantart |
"Jonah" an original song by Graham Stookey
3. Cassiopeia - My interest in this name is basically caused by my love for Greek mythology (and mythology in general). Cassiopeia is unique, but it still sounds modern - especially when you use nicknames like “Cassie” or “Cass”. (Name meaning not available. From a character in Greek Mythology)
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| Photo taken from spaceshipearth1.wordpress.com |
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| Photo taken from lifehack.org |
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| Photo taken from princessandwarlock.blogspot.com |
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| Allison Harvard as a discus-throwing wind goddess for America's Next Top Model: All Stars |
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| Photo taken from comicvine.com |
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| Sam Manson from Danny Phantom |
10. Charlotte - Charlotte’s my favorite Bronte sister. And her name’s pretty. Too bad I don’t settle much for feminine types, that’s why it’s the last on the list. (Name Meaning: Feminine)
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| Charlotte Bronte |
Friday, December 10, 2010
Top Ten Animated Films
I can’t believe I’m actually doing this post. I got inspired; school’s actually great - tiring, but cool. Before I start, I just wanna say that making this simple list is very very very difficult. It’s so hard to choose just TEN animated films to include in this list. Oh well, here goes:
1. The Hunchback of Notre Dame - I’ve mentioned before that this has been my favorite since I’ve first watched it. What I like most about the Hunchback - besides it being an adaptation of my favorite work by Hugo - is the fact that it’s not the usual bubble gummy sweet Disney. It’s actually a little dark, but not too much. I love the voice cast (especially Tom Hulce from “Amadeus” as Quasimodo) and just the whole feel of it.
2. Peter Pan - Another Disney. Well, let’s face it. This list will be dominated by Disney. Moving on. My mom used to tell me the story of Peter Pan even before I watched the film or read the book. I swear, if I knew what love is back then, I can honestly say that Peter is my first love. Haha. Die, cheesy person! Seriously now though, who doesn’t adore the story of the boy who wouldn’t grow up?
3. Anastasia - Not only did I love the story, but the titular character as well. Anastasia is just amazing - redhead, fun, cool, etc etc. Too bad real life’s not as romantic as fiction: There is no Dmitri, I doubt Anastasia even survived. Best collection of songs in an animated film: At the beginning, Journey to the Past, Paris holds the key (to your heart),etc.
4. Prince of Egypt - If I’m not mistaken, one of the most expensive Disney films ever made. It has a great storyline, great animation, and the finest chorale.
5. An American Tail - Oh Fievel! You’re so cute can I keep you in my pocket?! American Tale is a heartfelt story about family, courage, and believing in yourself and others around you. Another Don Bluth film (like Anastasia). Also, my favorite song of all time, Somewhere out there, is in it.
6. The Great Mouse Detective - Very entertaining. Sherlock Holmes as a mouse, what more can you ask for? Everybody loves a smart detective. :)
7. Toy Story - Uh, duh. Don’t say you didn’t grow up with Andy.
8. A Bug’s Life - Toy Story may be higher on the list (probably because it has a better story frame and has been with us for years, giving us 3 awesome films) but A Bug’s Life is still my favorite Pixar movie. I don’t know why, maybe it’s just the whole feel of it - everybody loves the underdogs. ;)
9. Aladdin - ‘Cuz Ali’s one heck of a guy. LOL.
10. Beauty and the Beast - I like Belle. Belle reads. ;)
1. The Hunchback of Notre Dame - I’ve mentioned before that this has been my favorite since I’ve first watched it. What I like most about the Hunchback - besides it being an adaptation of my favorite work by Hugo - is the fact that it’s not the usual bubble gummy sweet Disney. It’s actually a little dark, but not too much. I love the voice cast (especially Tom Hulce from “Amadeus” as Quasimodo) and just the whole feel of it.
2. Peter Pan - Another Disney. Well, let’s face it. This list will be dominated by Disney. Moving on. My mom used to tell me the story of Peter Pan even before I watched the film or read the book. I swear, if I knew what love is back then, I can honestly say that Peter is my first love. Haha. Die, cheesy person! Seriously now though, who doesn’t adore the story of the boy who wouldn’t grow up?
3. Anastasia - Not only did I love the story, but the titular character as well. Anastasia is just amazing - redhead, fun, cool, etc etc. Too bad real life’s not as romantic as fiction: There is no Dmitri, I doubt Anastasia even survived. Best collection of songs in an animated film: At the beginning, Journey to the Past, Paris holds the key (to your heart),etc.
4. Prince of Egypt - If I’m not mistaken, one of the most expensive Disney films ever made. It has a great storyline, great animation, and the finest chorale.
5. An American Tail - Oh Fievel! You’re so cute can I keep you in my pocket?! American Tale is a heartfelt story about family, courage, and believing in yourself and others around you. Another Don Bluth film (like Anastasia). Also, my favorite song of all time, Somewhere out there, is in it.
6. The Great Mouse Detective - Very entertaining. Sherlock Holmes as a mouse, what more can you ask for? Everybody loves a smart detective. :)
7. Toy Story - Uh, duh. Don’t say you didn’t grow up with Andy.
8. A Bug’s Life - Toy Story may be higher on the list (probably because it has a better story frame and has been with us for years, giving us 3 awesome films) but A Bug’s Life is still my favorite Pixar movie. I don’t know why, maybe it’s just the whole feel of it - everybody loves the underdogs. ;)
9. Aladdin - ‘Cuz Ali’s one heck of a guy. LOL.
10. Beauty and the Beast - I like Belle. Belle reads. ;)
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