Book Review: Still Star Crossed

What happened after the death of Romeo and Juliet? Did the families stop fighting as the Prince instructed? How did the death of the two young lovers affect the lives of those around them? Melinda Taub imagines a world after Romeo and Juliet with her book, Still, Star Crossed, which, incidentally, became a TV series produced by no less than Shonda Rhimes.

I don't know about that cover...I thought it didn't do Rosaline justice. I imagined her stronger than that.

Famous In Love Review (Books and TV)

Usually, I’m the person who reads the books first then watches the movie or TV show later but this time around, I saw the TV show first. When I heard that there was a series called Famous in Love that you can watch online, I downloaded a VPN app and watched the pilot. After that, I decided that I couldn’t wait to watch the show when it airs here (if it does, which is not likely since it has already been canceled in the US) so I watched all the Famous in Love episodes online. I liked the show and I couldn’t help myself. I just had to read both books: Famous In Love and Truly Madly Famously.

Photo from Sophkins on Pixabay

Thoughts on Before the Flood

One thing that pushes my buttons a lot is the subject of the environment. I’m not an expert but I am concerned about the state of the world today and the effects of climate change on our daily lives and in the lives of future generations. I’m the type of person who would read the latest news on climate change. I’d try to learn about the facts of global warming and climate change when I can and subscribe to several environmental websites to learn more.

photo from kartal8167 on Pixabay

Bellevue Alabang -- I Want to Go Back!

There are times in my line of work that I get to travel. Before my trips, I try to find the best deals on hotel rooms, because I usually stay in low-budget hotels as per office policy. I try to make sure that I read hotel reviews before making a booking just so there would be no surprises during my stay. The best hotels, however, are usually off-limits unless there is a need to be at the same hotel where an event is being held, as was the case a couple of years back when I attended a convention at Bellevue Alabang.

The previous time I stayed at Bellevue I had stayed at the Main Wing. The room was OK, but it wasn’t anything notable. The second time around we were booked at the Tower Wing and I think the room was much better than the last one that I stayed in. I don’t know how to explain it, but the room at the Tower Wing seemed bigger and more luxurious looking than the previous room I stayed in at the Main Wing. I heard from a friend also staying at the hotel that the Tower Wing was newer than the Main Wing so maybe that was the reason for it.

Must Watch: Crazy Rich Asians

After a long wait, I finally got to watch Crazy Rich Asians over the weekend! I’ve been wanting to watch this movie since it was announced and I was actually looking forward to seeing it on the first day that it started showing in local cinemas but unfortunately, I was severely under the weather at the time and had to give it a few days before I was strong enough to get up and out of bed to watch it.

Miss Granny (A Review)

My niece and I were going to watch Crazy Rich Asians in the cinema when we discovered the time we planned to watch was already blocked off for a group of students. If we wanted to watch the movie we had to wait for three hours. We decided to watch another movie in the meantime, the Sarah Geronimo-starrer Miss Granny.

K-Pop Superstars: BTS

Unless you live under a rock or have become a hermit, I don’t think that you wouldn’t know BTS. The Korean boy band has exploded like crazy in the past couple of years and has broken through the US and other international markets. Everyone knows them and practically everyone loves them, my niece included.

This is a group that is not a surprise hit. It’s not a group that just exploded into the scene. To give them credit, before they broke out internationally, they have been a group since 2012 and were launched in 2013. It still took the group a few years before they gained the success that they have today. I think just on that basis alone they are not a group that will just pop out and disappear. This is a group that has paid its dues and is now being rewarded for it.

Honestly, I didn’t know who they were until my niece became obsessed with them last year, which led me to an online search of BTS merchandise that I could give her as a gift over the holidays. That was when I realized how popular they were: there is so much merchandise and most of them are very VERY expensive! It’s crazy! The only items I have been able to get for her so far is the Army Bomb and a Barbie/Mattle-made doll of Jungkook.

If You Could See Me Now

Cecelia Ahern is one of my favorite writers. She has had many books that I have enjoyed reading (some of which have been turned into movies) and this book, If You Could See Me Now, is no exception.

The book takes the idea of (spoiler alert) a child’s imaginary friend and taking it a step further by asking, "What if these friends are real?" In the book, Elizabeth is an adult trying to balance all her responsibilities when she meets Ivan, who helps her navigate and see her life in a new light.

Thinking of Trying Intermittent Fasting?

As I’ve mentioned in previous entries, my doctor has told me that I need to make an effort to be healthier. I needed to lose weight if I want to be healthier. One of the things that I have attempted to do for weight loss is IF, otherwise known as Intermittent Fasting. Some people also call it the Eat Stop Eat diet.

The concept of the diet is that when you fast it helps to jump-start your metabolism and helps you to burn more fat. The fast is also not that complicated: while you are not allowed to eat, you are however allowed to drink as long as it is sugar-free (think tea and water or black coffee without sugar).

TV Show Review: The Bold Type

I watch so many TV shows in a year that sometimes it makes even my head spin. I can’t help it, there are just too many good ones out there! It can get confusing sometimes considering that I switch between watching on TV or on streaming sites to catch up on my favorite shows or discover new ones. I’ve had to stop watching some shows just to have enough time to actually have a life apart from these obsessing over these TV shows. A problem of my own making, I know, but a problem nevertheless.

You’d think that I have more than enough of my fair share of TV with cable and streaming services but sometimes I still go to those free streaming sites to find the good ones that do not make it to local TV or the sites that I subscribe to. One of those shows is The Bold Type.

Take Two: A Review

I have a confession to make: while I do know who Rachel Bilson is, I do not remember seeing her in anything she has done until I’ve seen her on the TV show Take Two. A friend of mine pointed out a couple of shows I’ve seen that she guest-starred in and a movie she was in that I’ve seen but my mind still draws a blank. I just haven’t seen her in anything memorable until her team-up with Eddie Cibrian on Take Two. I only know her from being married to Hayden Christensen but that’s about it. I never watched the OC either so I had no idea what kind of actress she is.

Eddie Cibrian, on the other hand, I’ve known from his days in the late 90s on Baywatch Nights and Sunset Beach (plus, of course, the controversy when he cheated on his wife with LeAnn Rimes, who he eventually married). He’s been on several other shows since then but I’ve never seen him as a lead until Take Two.

Childhood Memories: The Sound of Music

When I was a little girl, my father liked to encourage us to watch movies that he liked. It had gotten to the point that particular movies became traditions for us to watch during the summer. One of those movies is The Sound of Music.

Falling for Remember Sunday

I’ve always loved romantic movies. Feel-good movies are my thing. They can be crazy simple and predictable, but I’ve always enjoyed watching these types of films. This is why I’m a fan of Hallmark Movies. They’re one of my guilty pleasures. They never fail to give me a positive feeling especially after a long and stressful day. Love stories are just a feel-good thing for me.

Photo Source: Pixabay

Care to Sworkit?

As I have mentioned in a previous post, at the moment I am not allowed to exercise (cardio, weights) due to a weak heart and other heart issues. However, there was once a time when I was healthy enough to do so and I did it with the help of this app called Sworkit.

Book Review: The Secret Life of Ceecee Wilkes

Imagine making a mistake in your youth that you regret greatly. It’s something that drives you to change for the better. You do everything in your power to make things right – except owning up to your mistake. What do you think will happen when you finally have to come right out and admit it? The Secret Life of Ceecee Wilkes by Diane Chamberlain is about just that.

Credit: MIRA Books

Our Stay at Summit Ridge Hotel

The staycation our family had at Taal Vista Hotel was so much fun that my family and I decided to have another one over the summer holiday. This time we went to Summit Ridge in Tagaytay.

View from our room

The Crown Princess

Through the help of a friend of mine, I recently discovered the TV series called The Crown Princess (Likit Ruk) from Thailand.

Photo Source: AsianFuse.Net, Credit: Channel 3 Thailand

Our Taal Vista Staycation

It has always been my dream to take my family on a staycation, but I never got around to doing it until last summer when I took them to Taal Vista Hotel in Tagaytay.

Checking in...

Pure Genius: A Review

I have an iFlix account that I hardly use, so I thought that I needed to make it worth my money by watching a movie or two on it when I can. That was when I discovered this (now defunct) series called Pure Genius.

Accidental Icon

Blogging is something that has been a part of my life for a long time. As I got older, I began to wonder what role blogging would have in my life (if it were to have any at all). Almost all the bloggers out there seemed to be younger and most of the bloggers I’ve known in the past have not blogged in years. Blogging since to be about being an influencer these days and I don’t know if I fit into that category. 

I started searching for older female bloggers to see if this is something that I can and would still want to do. That was when I found the blog of Lyn Slater, more popularly known as the Accidental Icon. 

Atmos Fit Elite (A Review)

Last Christmas I received the Atmos Fit Elite as a gift. It’s a fitness watch that helps the user tell how many steps he/she has taken as well as know a person’s heart rate monitor one’s sleep. I remember my sister telling me that she wanted to buy this from Kimstore and it was amusing that she was the one who wanted it, but I was the one who got it.

Credit: Youtube Unboxing from Alvin Nazareno La Victoria

#MeToo

Way back in my younger years, someone started stalking me. There was this guy who would just pop up wherever I was. Sometimes he’d stand behind me in line but not actually need to be there. Or sit beside me waiting for someone who would never arrive. I knew he was doing something. I could feel it. I could feel his eyes. I could see the expression on his face, taunting me as if daring me to react. It affected me to the point where I lost my sense of confidence. I began to wonder if it was because of what I wore or if it was something I said or did. It made me paranoid to think about it because I could not complain about something I could not prove.

photo from pixabay.com

My Hamilton Obsession

I mentioned in an earlier post that I sometimes use sound apps or music to focus and write. There was one time a couple of years back that this strategy helped me with an urgent and very draining work project that I needed to finish. At the time I was on a musical trip and had been listening to the Waitress cast recording when I decided to try one of the suggested albums: the Hamilton Original Broadway Cast Recording. 

Jesus Christ Superstar

During Holy Week last month, I decided to restart a family tradition that we had when my father was alive: we watched Jesus Christ Superstar together. I think it's a good approach to getting the kids to watch something religious by showing something entertaining. It worked for my dad when we were kids so might as well give it a shot with the niece and nephew this time around.

Good Books to Read: It Ends With Us

I first discovered Colleen Hoover when I read her book, Ugly Love. It was equal parts sexy, romantic with dramatic moments that move you to feel for her lead characters. When she announced the release of her new book It Ends with Us, I knew that I had to have it. If you’re looking for good books to read, this is one of them.

Of course, after reading, I need to write in a journal. Lily, this is your fault!

My Love for NCIS

I love watching TV shows. I watch a lot of shows, both new and old but there is one show (or family of shows really) that I have been loyal to from the start: NCIS.

My Search for Soothing Sounds

Here’s the thing about me and writing: people seem to think that it’s easy, that it just flows out naturally when a lot of times, it’s not. Yes, there are moments when you get that moment of inspiration and you can write on and on and it will just keep going but for the most part, if it’s not part of your creative process or if you are not moved to do so, you don’t. You’re stumped. You have writer’s block and there isn’t anything you can do about it. That has been my problem for the past few weeks. I’ve been wanting to blog, and I’ve been meaning to, but the words just would not come out.

When I write about things that I am interested in, it can be easy to write. Will it be good? Maybe, maybe not…but it will not be a struggle (OK, maybe a little). But if I’m writing for work, if it’s about something technical or for business, I can get stumped. Maybe because it’s not really something I enjoy doing (even if I have to), maybe it’s because there is too much pressure placed on me by people who expect that I can do a quick and easy job of these things.

Book Review: Love & Gravity

It is a love story that transcends time. A young Andrea is playing the cello when a wall in her room suddenly cracks open to reveal a young boy from another time. She tries recreating this moment several times after that (sometimes successfully, sometimes not), to the point where she questions her sanity. It is only years later when she discovers that the young boy she saw was Isaac Newton – yes, that Newton who discovered the laws of gravity. She then starts to receive letters from Newton, which eventually guides her to more encounters with Newton, which led to her being transported in time to be with Newton himself. 

Cover credit: Penguin Random House

Wanted: Cheap Small Air Conditioner

(Reposting an older entry from an earlier version of my blog because someone has been looking for this!)

The holidays are over and summer is just around the corner. I promised myself over the holidays that I would buy a window type air conditioner for my room that the kids can use for the summer when the heat gets unbearable.

Last month I went on the lookout for a cheap, small air conditioner that I could buy. I had a feeling that air conditioning units would be expensive during the summer season so I decided to buy one over the cold holiday season. That decision paid off when I found a .6 HP window type air conditioner from GE. It cost less than P8,000.00!

The AC I bought post-installation. I think I need some paint for those edges.

Money Saver: Kindle Freebies

I’ve loved reading books for as long as I can remember. Even as a child I loved sitting in a corner and reading until the sun went down. My paternal grandmother would have to turn on the lights for me as I struggled to read with what little light was left from the window in the afternoons. I was that hooked to reading. It can be an expensive hobby/interest, but it is worth it.

When e-books became a thing, I wasn’t sure if it was something that I would be interested in. After all, part of reading the book was the experience of having one. The feel of the pages on your fingers, the smell of a new book, the creases that develop from a well-read one…it’s just a different experience from the eyestrain and the need for gadget charging that is involved with e-books. I remember owning an early-era Kindle, which I eventually bequeathed to my niece when I discovered that I could install Kindle on my phone, along with other apps where I could acquire e-books from. 

The Trike Experience

It’s been years since I moved from Metro Manila to the rural setting that I am based in nowhere in the province. It has been a big change, but I have adjusted to it fairly well. In fact, I have gotten to the point where if given the opportunity, I would turn down a good job in the city if it meant leaving home and the province that I have become so used to. Life here is simpler, quieter,, and peaceful…plus the traffic in our neck of the woods is virtually non-existent.  Who would want to give that up? 

One of the things that changed the way I live my life here in the province is my mode of transportation. Back when I was living and working in the city, I was used to taking buses and cabs to go all over the place. Now I take a tricycle to get around town because it takes me to my destination directly compared to a jeepney and it is much more practical to take instead of bringing your own vehicle to and from anywhere around here. Don’t get me wrong, there are still times when you do need to take your own car, ride a bus or a jeepney but those are for longer trips to other cities or municipalities in the province. But for where I’m from, the tricycle will do just fine. 

My Guilty Pleasure: Twinings Tea

Most of the people who know me would be aware that I am every bit of a coffee girl. I love coffee, mostly when there is no cream on it and just a little bit of sugar. Not having one cup daily is a challenge for me because it feels like the one thing that gives me energy and wakes me up in the morning so that I can start my day right.

Someone once asked me if I would ever switch to tea in the morning instead of coffee. I said no. For me, tea is equated to times when I don’t feel well and my father would make me drink it to help me feel better. I also tend to think of those diet/laxative types of drinks when I think of tea. It’s a weird thought to have but it’s what made me avoid tea for some time. I always thought of tea as just one flavor: the lemon-ish Lipton kind. I wasn’t aware of the other variants/flavors until I had a panic attack and someone brought me some Chamomile Tea.

My Love for Peanuts Characters

One of my favorite McDonalds memories was when they came out with some Peanuts character merchandise as part of their Happy Meal. I remember pre-ordering the entire set to make sure that I could have all the characters. I’m always on the lookout for where to buy Snoopy stuff (hopefully the affordable kind) so this was something I had to grab while I could. I remember that my sister was so amused at how happy I was that I had the entire set when we picked it up. I know it’s weird and maybe slightly immature for someone my age, but I can’t help it!

Peanuts Collection from the McDonald's Happy Meal

Custom Cakes from Karenina's

When most people are thinking about custom cakes online or birthday cakes to order or for delivery, several TV shows come to mind. Ace of Cakes, Cake Wars, Cake Boss…all these shows that feature custom cakes that you once thought would be impossible but end up getting made as cakes. 

For me, when I think about custom cakes, I think about my cousin Karen, who has her business called Karenina’s Cakes. 

A Wedding Cake from Karenina's Cakes

My Attempt at Eggs in Hell

Whenever I poke around on Pinterest I can't help but pay extra attention to recipes that I would like to try. One of those recipes that I saved and tried was Mario Batali's Eggs in Hell.

Eggs in Hell is an egg and vegetable recipe that is based on the North African and Arab meal called Shakshouka. An Arabic word that means mixture, Shakshouka/Eggs in Hell is a mix of eggs cooked in tomato sauce, chili peppers, and onions. 

Mario Batali is an American chef (who has had his share of sexual misconduct allegations recently) who shared this recipe on the TV show The Chew. 

The recipe he shared serves four but it can serve more than that since it does include 8 eggs. Here are the ingredients and instructions as shared by Batali (with some changes I made on it):

My Not So Perfect Life (A Review)

I know it’s an old saying but I think more than ever, this is something that applies: Don’t judge a book by its cover. Back in the day this would refer to us not negatively judging someone because of their appearance but today I think it should be the opposite. We shouldn’t accept the beautiful, bright, and shiny at face value because, in this age of social media, these perfect lives are not so perfect. This is what Sophie Kinsella’s book, My Not So Perfect Life, is all about.

Cover credit: Penguin Random House

Living the Hypothyroid Life

It all started when I was in a bathroom at a restaurant when my cousin commented that there seemed to be something protruding from my throat. I didn't notice it before but when I was staring at it in the mirror it did seem that there was a small lump. My mother told me to go and see a doctor, which I did. 

I found out that I was hyperthyroid and the lump on my throat was possibly nodules due to the disease. I took the required tests (T3, T4, TSH) and I took medication that the doctor prescribed until the tests resulted in normal thyroid levels, otherwise known as euthyroid. My doctor then told me that I would be fine.

A cousin of mine told me that thyroid disease is something that you live with for life and that my doctor (an ENT) was wrong about me not having follow-up appointments. She recommended her doctor, an endocrinologist who upon seeing my latest tests told me that I didn't have any thyroid disease since my levels were normal.

Bamboo: A Plant to Fight Climate Change

Growing up and spending summers at my maternal grandmother’s house meant regularly seeing vehicles headed out of the town dragging along large amounts of tall bamboo plants. I distinctly remember this because my grandmother’s house was located on a corner so when these vehicles turned, it was more than likely that these bamboo plants would hit a part of the house which was, thankfully, just a wall that connected to the gate. We often had to warn people against parking in front of the house because the bamboo would most likely hit their car.

My grandmother’s hometown of Maragondon, Cavite, is often called the Bamboo Capital of Cavite. If you are looking for where to find bamboo, this is one place where you will find it. Bamboo-based products are currently being developed in the town. When I last visited their production area they were producing bamboo floor tiles, photo frames, and furniture. It’s a very promising industry in a place where bamboo is very abundant.

My Online Shopping Experience

A little trivia about me: I hate shopping. I know, that’s not a very girly thing to say but I just hate it. I’m the type of girl who will only go to the mall if I need to meet someone or if there is anything specific that I need to buy. I usually shop armed with a list. Once I find what I need I’m typically in and out of the place. I’m not the type to wander around and see what else I could buy. I hate that.  

I’m very grateful for online shopping these days because it helps me to avoid the crowds and lines at the mall. Sometimes it can be a hit and miss thing but still, it is more convenient for me because I can shop from the comfort of my own home. I don’t have to dress up, travel to the mall and all that to buy something that I needed. In fact, for the past couple of years, I’ve been doing my holiday shopping online. It helps me get through my list easier and without any issues. I love that these sites now have apps because that makes shopping  

Solar Energy for My Home (I Want It, Can't Afford It)

In this day and age where the annual temperatures are getting higher and higher, it’s hard not to spend more on electricity just to keep cool here in the Philippines. Years back I was the type of person who would resort to electric fans because the use of air-conditioning can be expensive but the heat has gotten to the point where I had to buy an air conditioner. One AC at home soon became two and my electric bill was suddenly higher than what we normally pay for. That prompted me to consider solar energy to see if it could be something we could afford to use at home. Solar energy costs are still high given my current budget, but it is still something worth considering because of the savings it will give you in the long run.

There is a lot of solar energy information out there, it’s not that hard to find. Many companies offer solar panels that will generate energy that you can use for your home, each with different pricing options and products offered. These companies are more than willing to provide you with information on solar energy and will even visit your home to give you an accurate assessment of the cost of installing solar panels to generate electricity for your house. They also explain how the energy generated works with our electric provider through a solar/net metering system with Meralco. Some companies even conduct seminars for potential buyers so that they can understand the concept of solar energy for home/office electricity needs better.

My Tablea Experiment

Have any of you ever heard of tablea? Technically tablea is a Spanish word that means tablet, but in the Philippines, it commonly refers to a type of thick hot chocolate. Tablea is usually bought in the form of thick, tablet-shaped disks that are made from cacao which is melted in boiling/hot water. I’ve heard that tablea from the Philippines is different from other countries because ours is prepared using the whole roasted cocoa bean and not just the powder. 

I first had a taste of tablea during a trip to Taal, Batangas and I have had a craving for the chocolate since then. Lucky for me I was gifted some tablea from Butuan City and was able to travel to Iloilo where I also bought some tablea along with the traditional batirol that is used to prepare tablea. It was time for me to experiment with preparing tablea!

Easy Recipe: Steamed Cream Dory in Light Soy Sauce

One thing that I’ve always wanted to try to prepare is Steamed Cream Dory. The fish is something that I find a lot of in the supermarket and we always use it for fish fillet but we haven’t tried it any other way. I’ve been thinking about looking for another recipe, preferably an easy dinner recipe, and I chanced upon a recipe for it on Ang Sarap.

It’s an Asian-style dish and it reminds me of something that I have tried in a Chinese restaurant. When I was preparing it, I was hoping that I could make it presentable enough to at least look like it was just as good.

The recipe on Ang Sarap serves three. My family is more than double that so I decided to change the recipe a bit to fit my family. Plus, Cream Dory is not sold per fillet, but in a pack. Anyway, here is my “revised” recipe.

Concha's Garden Cafe: A (Sort of) Review

(Reposting an older entry by request. Please note that this was from a year ago and changes may have already been made since the time of this entry.)

A few months ago, I had an uncle who came over from Japan. He hasn’t been home in the Philippines in years so I thought it would be a good idea to take him out before he went back to Japan. Being an Eat Bulaga fan, I thought he would appreciate a visit to the restaurant owned by one of the hosts of the show, Alden Richards. After a trip to Nuvali and some Taal Volcano sightseeing, off we went to Concha’s Garden Cafe at Cliffhouse in Tagaytay.

I have never been to Concha’s before so I was a little confused by the number of branches that they have in the Tagaytay-Silang-Laguna area. I wish they had their own website so it wouldn't have been so confusing.

Apparently, there is a branch in the Silang area and when we were on our way to Nuvali, I also spotted another one on the road. I have no idea if that was the Silang branch or if there was a separate one in Laguna. Just to be sure, we picked the Conchas Tagaytay location because Cliffhouse was an area I was familiar with.

Mia Maison: The Answer to My Home Scent Obsession

If there’s one thing I’m obsessed with it is finding the best home fragrance that I can use for my bedroom. I started with scented sprays/mists and potpourri. Then I moved on to scented candles, aromatherapy oil and candle wafers on burners, and perfumed incense. As much as I loved those options when I tried them, they did not feel enough for me. I needed something that was not messy, not a fire hazard, and doesn’t trigger my asthma. I wanted something that did not produce too much garbage – candle wax and tea light containers seem to be too much trash for me to produce just to make my room smell nice.

I have been trying one thing after another to find the best fit for me and I think that I have finally found the right one: water-based oil used on air purifiers and electric atomizers. I previously bought an air purifier and used scented oil on it but it ended up a complete failure because I used aromatherapy oil which clogged the device. I had to look up what went wrong before I discovered the existence of water-based oils. I didn’t know where to buy it though because most of the places I bought scented products from did not have them.

My New Facial Care Find: St. Joan's Products

When I was growing up, I hardly had problems with acne. I didn’t even do anything special to my skin at the time, just soap and water. Facial care was something I started taking seriously when I was in my mid-20s. This was the time when I started using products such as moisturizers, cleansers, toners and began visiting dermatological clinics for facials and other skin treatments.

For the most part, my skin has not had any problems until recently, when I made the mistake of buying and trying apparently fake makeup, the supposedly branded types that were most likely being sold in flea markets. After using the BB cream and powder foundation that I bought, my face broke out with a serious case of adult acne. I stopped using those products immediately after but for some reason, the acne problem stayed.

Salted Egg Chips, Yay or Nay?

One thing that I keep reading about on social media is that Salted Egg Potato Chips are popular these days here in the Philippines.  I keep seeing photos of it and read about it being raved about by some friends and I was curious. What was the big deal? How come I have never seen any of it in the malls here? Where do I buy these salted egg chips?!

Since I have never seen any for sale on my end of the world, I knew I needed to think of another way to find out what the fuss what about. Thankfully, I have found a  salted egg potato chips recipe on Yummy Magazine’s website for it. Finally, I was going to find out why people loved it! I decided to give it a try.

Paper Planes Back Home

Have you ever wondered what it would be like if you were in a coma? Or tried to imagine how exactly the moving on process to the next life goes? It’s something that I’ve always been fascinated with. I’ve read books about people with near-death experiences and they each have a different interpretation of what happens. Some people say the experiences are real, some say it’s part of a dream-state that our brains are in. After reading Paper Planes Back Home, I kind of wish it would be like what the book was about. 

In this book by Tara Frejas, Gianna was in an accident that led to her being in a coma. She woke up on a cloud where she meets Skylar, who is also on a cloud of his own and guides her about life in that place. The main rule is that you can’t fall asleep or else you will move on to the next life. If you want to go back to your life, you can’t drift off or it will become permanent.

Change

One thing that most people who have been around me know is that I’m a planner. I’m the type of person who hates doing things on a whim. I’ll think about something a dozen times before actually doing it. I tend to steer clear of the unexpected and I'm not the type of person who does things spontaneous or unplanned. My tendency is to stay in my comfort zone because that is where I’m sure that I can manage all the variables involved. I am not particularly good at dealing with change, which is why I feel that fate has decided to do something to make me face it once and for all. 

The tail-end of the year brought several “plot twists” in my life that made me realize that, as cliche as it sounds, “change is coming.” There is not much choice left for me except that I have to face it and decide whether to deal with it in a positive or negative light. I’m erring on the side of the former at this point because honestly, what good would it do to dwell on the negatives right? Life is too short to focus on things that do not make me happy. I just need to move forward and see where life will take me, as uncertain as it can be.