Got some new babies! Well, not actual human children, okay? Haha.

Ever since Norwegian Wood and South of the Border, West of the Sun, I have been on the hunt for other Murakami books. So far, I have 4 which include the 2 books I mentioned plus Kafka on the Shore and Sputnik Sweetheart. And then last week, I finally acquired 2 more, which are the ones found in the photo. I didn’t even need to sweat because a friend of mine who manages an online bookshop reserved these books to me. He would text me when they have new books so that I can choose the ones I like before he post it on their page. Hahaha. Oh the perks. Chuck Palahniuk’s Rant also came from the said bookshop. I got the 3 books for abou 20% their original price, which was a great deal.

As for Andrea Seigel’s Like The Red Panda, it was a very very late Christmas gift from Jervis, a close friend of mine. I haven’t heard of the book before and so I looked it up on Goodreads.  Apparently, it was about a teenage girl who, at first glance, is funny, smart and cheerful. But like almost everyone, she is keeping a dark part of her which if ignored completely, might cause serious consequences. The character was in some sort of a burnout state wherein life seem to be dull and not worth living. This might be just overdramatic to some, but when someone is swallowed by this kinds of thoughts, it’s very difficult to get them out of their own heads.

So yeah, I am pretty much ecstatic because I loved the premise. If only I can read multiple books at the same time, I would. I am also very glad the I am 4 books nearer to my 1000-books-in-my-shelf-before-I-turn-25 goal.

Got these presents from my college and high school friends. I never thought I’d received this much. I was only expecting to get one which would be from our group’s Santa Baby but then, some of my friends surprised me by giving these to me on the last day of classes.

I am so excited to know what’s inside each of them, but there are still 3 days left before Christmas. Yes, I am one of those who still waits until Christmas time to open gifts. I don’t know but I just like the feel of anticipation and curiosity that builds up every time I receive gifts days or weeks before the actual festivity. I mean, I don’t really need extravagant gifts, just the thought of them remembering me enough to include me in their gift-giving list is enough. I am just so thankful for my friends.

Oh, and those rectangular-shaped ones, are they books? I hope so!! Hahaha. Please please please?

Look at what my friend, Abby, gave me as a post-birthday gift!

It’s an official Harry Potter exhibition guide she bought from Singapore. It comes with the official replica of Harry’s Hogwarts acceptance letter. Apparently, she knew that I would totally be devastated and jealous if I knew that she went to the actual exhibit in Singapore. And she was right, I am immensely over-the-top jealous! But then she told me that the exhibit might go here in the Philippines anytime this year. So yeah, we made a pact to go together.

Anyways, I really am enjoying this guide. Although I already knew half of the trivia found inside, it fells nice to reminisce my Potter journey. I really love how awesome my friend was for remembering me while she was in Singapore. She also bought a Slytherin necktie, which I am begging her to give me. But I guess it’s a little to much so I will be saving to get my own, and hopefully with the robes. Haha. I just wish it’s true that the exhibit would go here. I don’t have enough resources to get to London or to the Harry Potter theme park in Florida. But I swear, it’s the first place I’d go to once I already have a job.

It’s been a crazy week for the Filipino nation due to the grave weather. Up until now, the raining doesn’t stop and a lot of street and cities are drenched in knee-high to waist-high floods. Being someone who dorms at UST, I’ve had my fair share of the flooded experience. And this is how it all started:

MONDAY

• Classes got suspended at around 12nn
• We decided to stay at my friend’s condo and have a mini drinking party and crazy games
• The rain got harder and yet, it didn’t occurred to us that it’s already flooded
• At 9pm, some of our friends decided to leave while Ella and I stayed because we know how high floods in UST can get
• AJ and Abby told us not to go home anymore, so we stayed overnight at their condo
• We had a movie marathon and watched National Treasure, Sex is Zero II, and If Only

TUESDAY

• We were supposed to head back our dorm but then they said that the flood in Lacson and UST is above knee-deep
• We went to SM which is directly in front of the condo to buy groceries
• We also had our lunch there and then we went back to the condo
• Out of boredom, we baked fudge brownies 
• While waiting, we played Monopoly deal and card games
• We also had another movie marathon. This time we watched National Treasures 2 and A Dangerous Method
• We cooked and ate dinner
• Then we decided to crash for the night after an hour or two of conversations

WEDNESDAY

• At around 9am, it was all sunny and no traces of rain but the flood is still there
• We had our breakfast (corned beef + eggs) and then some chips
• Ella and I were ready to go home when the rain poured again
• We waited for it to somehow lighten but it didn’t
• So we braved the rain and flood for we though that it might get worse again
• I rode a tricycle from SM to my dorm at Lacson and the flood was really bad
• It was still knee-high in some street and ankle-high in our dorm’s street
• I ended up paying a hundred pesos for the fare

And so now, I am finally in the comforts of my own dorm. I had nothing to do plus I cannot go out, so I started reading Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451. I hope this rain would stop for I am really afraid of the consequences it can give us. The UST Hospital and UERM are already low on diesel for their generators. The morgue on the first floor of UST Hospital is already flooded and bodies are floating around. The patients and staff are running very low on supplies. If this goes on, I don’t know how much more we can take. And to think that this all happened without a storm in our country’s area of responsibility. Damn.

I received this book from a good friend as a present for my birthday last Thursday. I actually haven’t heard of the series or the author. But anyway, it was intended to be for laughs because of the title of the book. You see, my second name is Grace and I really do not like it whenever people call me that. I think it’s far too girly and nice-y, which I am neither. And I do ignore their calls if they use this name. So imagine my reaction when the book title contains my much-hated second name!

Of course I did not slam it on his face, it’s still a book and I have all the respect for every written text. And so I did what I thought was right and read the summary at the back. Turns out the word ‘Graceling’ isn’t that bad. It’s the term they call rare people who are born with extreme skills in killing. Well, I guess that’s not really an admirable trait, but I like the toughness. I also read some reviews but I still can’t get a clear picture as to whether it is worth reading immediately or suitable for one spot in the to-read section of my shelf. So, bookworms, I think I need your help here? :)

Uhm, sorry to burst your bubble, but actually, not all girls are as shallow as you.

You know what a better dream would be for girls?

It’s to be accepted by the society no matter how much food they eat or pounds they gain. Why should every girl be subjected to the pressure of being stick-thin? Why can’t other people understand the fact that there are different body types for every person? And why can’t we eat whatever hell we want without other people butting in? Ugh.