...my take...

Do you review books? If so, for who? If not, have you ever thought about doing so? Why, or why not?




 I don't do book reviews, though there are times that I wanted to. I tried doing it one time but I never get around to finished it. I even went as far as looking up in the internet some pointers or guidelines on how to come up with a book review. 


I think I'm better off reading the book and that's about it.

...a fun-filled weekend...

Weekends are time for sleeping in, I suppose. Lying in bed a little longer than you usually do. In my case, I am too eager to start my Saturday, that I always wake up early. Saturday mornings are reserved for my usual morning run and I always try my best to be steadfast about it.

So anyway, last Saturday went by as usual, minus my sister. She decided not to come because there were some stuff she needed to do. I did my morning run ( finally ran 10K, yes ). A few hours later, I had my driving lesson.

By late afternoon, we were off to Victoria. It was not planned but I grabbed the chance to visit the capital of British Columbia, for the first time. We went to one of their friend's house. We had hamburgers, hot dogs, steak and other stuff. There I get to ride on a speed boat for the first time. It was awesome.

A hotel.

A some sort of entertainment.

Part of Victoria Harbor

It was already midnight when we got back from Victoria. My legs went numb from sitting too long inside the car but it was worth the trip. I'm already thinking of going back there, with my sister one of these days. Victoria is a nice place.

Sunday morning found me, getting out of bed, earlier than necessary. No, I did not head out to run. I woke up early because I was hungry. So I made breakfast then went online. I did nothing in the morning except lounge on the couch and watch TV and even dozed off. At three in the afternoon, Mama came home from work. Then we went to the Dollar Store and bought some stuff. She got a call from her friend, inviting her to go to Parksville. And off we go...

Cool activity.

Basking in the sun.

Enjoying the nice weather.

After looking at the sand sculptures, we head back to the car and drove to Qualicum Beach. We had dinner at a Quality Food store. I had a mini combo meal, consisting of fried rice and sweet and sour pork. I was "busog", afterward. :-) We went to the beach later.

I saw this while I was walking along the beach. Poor thing.

Can't get enough of the sun.

I had the cheesecake flavor. yum, yum, yum...

On our way home, we stopped by at Ranjee's place ( where she work ). It's a part of Qualicum Beach. We stayed there for a while, looked around the place and as always, snapped some photos.

Inside the tree house.

Don and I tried the swing. I had a swell time. :-)

I had fun this weekend and my sister was jealous, because she missed it. Anyway, it was nice. Looking forward to another outdoor adventure to make the most of summer. Never mind that my arms  are now darker from the rest of my body, one drawback of staying outside that I have to get through, I guess.

...distracted...

Can you read amidst distractions? (TV, others talking, sporting events, etc)




 I can manage to read amidst distractions, for the most part anyway. When I used to live back at home, noise has always been part of our every day lives. I can read through all my younger siblings arguments or my nieces and nephews running around. I learned to read through it all. Of course, there are times that I opted to have some peace and quite while I'm reading but it seldom happens. I end up falling asleep.


I usually zone out when I'm reading so outside noise is not really a problem for me. They may as well not be there. The TV may be on while I read but I'm not really watching it.

...awesome Saturday...

I always look forward to every Saturdays, especially when my sister came to the island for a visit. We managed to have loads of fun, even if it's just going to the nearby mall, window shopping or just hanging out in my aunt's house. And I also look forward to my usual weekend run. So anyway, first things first. The moment I woke up, I was already psyched up to head out for a short run. Plus it was such a beautiful Saturday morning.

Looking the part. After my run, I managed to sneak in a bike ride around Mama's neighborhood. The streets are off limits, for now. 

With my new found "skill" on top a bike, I am overjoyed beyond words. It was just so cool to be able to stay balanced on it and get to places. I just realized what I missed. It's never too late, so I'm taking my sweet  time.

At mid-morning, I had my first ever driving lesson. I was eager to sit in front of the wheel again. The one I had in Mama's car, a few weeks ago,  did not count. I had a swell time, handling the steering wheel and at the same time, trying hard not to step on the gas pedal or brake too much. I have lots of stuff to learn though. So I booked another class for next weekend.

Afterward, my sister and I had a quick lunch and we went to the library. I requested some books online and I got an email that one was available for pick-up. I have high praises for their library here and I have yet to fully enjoy what they offer. 

 Borrowed. First book to read. I have two more coming and they are all about running. Go figures. :-)

Google Maps rocks! The third time I make use of it. We're still not familiar with Downtown so we relied on this.

Sister soaking up the sun.

From the library, we made our way toward the park. There was some sort of activity there, the Dragon Boat Festival. But when we got there, the race was already finished and we just saw some folks, bringing along their paddles. It was a pretty hot day. I could feel my arms tingling from the scorching heat of the sun. We strolled on the harbourfront walkway then decided to have some ice cream.

 Lick all I want. I can't get enough of ice cream. To cool down.

After that short jaunt at the park, we headed back home. I sat outside, enjoying the afternoon while reading a few pages of the book I borrowed. Then later on, Mama drove us to Bowen Park to try on playing tennis. Well, it was not really tennis per se, since I was just hitting the ball against the wall. Besides, what I did was more of running around after the ball and picking it up than really hitting it with the racket. It was fun though. Few minutes later, I was already sweating and breathing hard. It is a cool workout. :-)

Reading is always cool. Starting off "What I Talk About When I Talk About RUNNING"

In action. My sister was kind enough to snapped this pictures while I was running around.

I had a great day. And most of all, I had fun. Looking forward to another cool and awesome weekend....

...by myself and then some...

Do you have friends and family to share books with? Discuss them with? Does it matter to you?

 It's only my aunt whom I share my passion for reading, and why not, she was the one who encouraged me to take up reading and I'm glad she did. Whenever I read something interesting or great, I can't wait  to share it with her and ask her to read it too. The same way goes with her.

I have this friend who has this extensive collection of books and come to think of it, I've read them all. While she on the other hand, has yet to find the time to read them.

 With my participation in this weekly activity, I am drawn into discovering other genre that otherwise I have not known, if I am just to depend on what I personally read and what my aunt and I share.

I would have wanted to have a more people to share my readings with but somehow, I like it better this way. Reading is something I'd rather do on my own and maybe share it with someone on occasions.

...current read...

What are you currently reading? Would you recommend it to others? Is it part of a series (if so, which one)? What are you thinking about it? What book(s) would you compare it to, if any?


 I'm currently reading Sophie Kinsella's Shopaholic & Baby. I'd recommend it to someone who's after a good laugh while reading and not necessarily a laugh-out-loud moment. Though, I did laugh out loud while reading it, good thing I was in my room. It's part of  the Shopaholic Series. 


Actually, the first book I read from Kinsella was not one of the series but I took a liking of her writing so I started planning to look for her other works. Fortunately, my sister bought all her novels during its release or something and when she told me that she have all the books, I was in cloud nine.


I am in no way hooked into shopping so with regard to that part, I have no say, but when it comes to how the author presented each plot and dialogues, well, that's what got me. 


I can' compare it to any other books I've read, especially with the series types. I've read books that were part of a series, the Twilight saga and Harry Potter. The Shopaholic series has a league of its own.

...July, the man...

"What do I owe my father? Everything." - Henry Van Dyke

"I've had a hard life, but my hardships are nothing against the hardships that my father went through in order to get me to where I started." - Bertrand Hubbard

"It doesn't matter who my father was; it matters who I remember he was." - Anne Sexton

Today is my father's 61st birthday and a week from now would be his 4th death anniversary. What a way to start the month of July, for us, anyway. It has been four years since my father passed away but there are times that I think about him as if he's still around. I recalled some moments with him vividly. My all-time favorite was the slide at the children playground.

I sometimes think it's unfair that, now when I can see him under a different light, he's not around to appreciate it anymore. And it is something I will always regret the most.

I've had a rocky relationship with my father so his untimely passing without much of parting word on my part was something I have still to reconcile up to now. And there's nothing much I can do about except grieve at times when I let down my guard. And move on, I suppose.

Words are not enough to extol all what my father did with his life. He was far from perfect since he had his own share of shortcomings. No doubt about it, my siblings and I owe it all to the man, who decided to have us, in whatever circumstances.

"It's only when you grow up and step back from him- or leave him for your own home-it's only then that you can measure his great-ness and fully appreciate it." - Margaret Truman

...letdown...

Name a book or author that you truly wanted to love but left you disappointed. (And, of course, explain why.)

From my constant "channel-surfing" on TV, months ago, I chanced upon the movie on HBO, "The Jane Austen Book Club". My interest was piqued. I even got to the extent of jotting down all the novels of Austen and silently told myself to read them all, like what the characters did in the movie. I've heard of Jane Austen and how she was hailed as a great classical author and all. 

True enough, I bought my first novel of Austen, which was "Mansfield Park" . I started reading it diligently at first but later on, I got lost with the story. I tried to keep at it until halfway but I stopped. I never finished reading the book. I really would have wanted to finish reading all her books but I can't just get my way around to it. I wondered how it become considered as a classic anyway.

To all Jane Austen fans out there, no offense intended. I guess I need to work on broadening my horizon when it comes to Austen. Probably in time, I will be able to tackle her head on. For now, I set my sights on other books, of which are somewhat easy for me.

...hype or no hype...

What do you think of books that receive a lot of hype? (think of the “Twilight” saga, or “Harry Potter”, or “The Da Vinci Code”). Do you read them? Why, or why not?

 The hype make up for the lack of a good plot or an interesting content all through out. I have read all the books in the Twilight saga not because I got so into it. I was just curious about its end. And I still wonder what's so extraordinary about Bella and Edward, and Jacob as well. 

Harry Potter, on the other hand, entertained me. I read all the seven books and watched every film adaptation. Still, I read it out of pure joy I got. Besides, wizards and magic interest me more than vampires and werewolves.

I also read The Da Vinci Code out of curiosity and even went to the extent of reading all Dan Brown's novels until my curiosity fizzled out.

There are books that I haven't heard about but turned out to be a page-turner. So it all depends. Sometimes, I fall for the hype and sometimes, doesn't.

...single and cool with it...

 Getting married and settled is not always the norm. I realized that early on so I have no problem dealing with the fact that I'm not into a relationship, however complicated ( as Facebook status sometimes says). Coming from a place and culture where being "single in your thirties" is regarded as some kind of misfortune, I had my fair share of comments and questions, ranging from downright annoying to laugh out loud funny, thrown my way. Of which I always try to answer politely.

I tried getting into a relationship but it did not last long. I entered into it for experience's sake. And I found out that relationship is not my thing.

For most people, remaining or staying single is considered to be the most untoward thing you can do to your self. Women especially go at great lengths to find the "perfect catch". Men on the other hand honed on their repertoire of overused pick up lines to lure willing victims for a quick, no-frills roll in the hay.

So here goes my pitch for staying sane while being single and how to stay happy while at it. At least to me, anyway. I'm sure this does not apply to anyone. Or probably it does, who knows.

Born To It

"I'm single because I was born that way." - Mae West

I always believe that I was born to be single. I mean, hello, isn't it obvious enough.  Sure, I like looking at happily married couples, with a kid or two in tow, but that's about it. I never envisioned myself to be a doting mother or a loving wife and all. I can't barely take care of myself and looking after another person would be a crime, I think. I do adore my nieces and nephews. I like kids but it doesn't mean I want one of my own.

Sometimes, we fail to realized that there are some things we are destined to be. But then, the fear of being different always prevail, that we end up doing things out of compulsion and do so blindly as a bat.

Don't Go With The Flow

"You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. You are the guy who'll decide where to go. " - Dr. Seuss

Most of the times, we are relegated to doing stuff we really don't to do in the first place. And somehow not offending the people concerned is far more important than our own peace of mind. Fortunately for me, my family has not pressured me into embarking the "married" life. I was left alone to decide what to do with my life, no questions asked.

So far, entering a relationship and eventually getting married has not entered my mind. And it helps that I'm not inclined to "overhaul" myself just to appeal to someone. I could not care less for what others might say for my utter disregard of not "looking like the rest of the crowd".

Solitude Is Bliss

"I never found a companion that was so companionable as solitude."- Henry David Thoreau

I've heard about the saying "No man is an island." but it doesn't say you can't exist alone. People hurry into relationships for fear of being all by themselves. I'm happy I'm not hang up on it because I don't want to end up stuck with someone.

I like being alone most of the time, though to some, it is somewhat weird. Surrounded with a lot of people give me the creeps. And spending my life with someone will probably give me more than creeps. Not to mention all the time and effort.

Alone Does Not Mean Lonely

"I don't want to be labeled as lonely just because I am alone." - Delta Burke

Ah, the most dreaded of all our life's situations. No one of "sound" mind wants to be lonely and that's why we exhaust all means to be with someone. Then I guess I am of unsound mind. For reasons I'd rather not explain in detail here, I like being alone. And I'm not lonely. Far from it.

Spending time with someone does not necessarily mean you're "lonely-proof". From what I gleaned around me, all the loneliness in the world comes from being in close proximity with another individual.

As for growing old alone, what about it? I mean, eventually, we all have to grow old and die. And I think, no matter what we may want otherwise, when death comes knocking on our door, it will be just us.

Be In Sync With Yourself

"When we are unable to find tranquility within ourselves, it is useless to seek it elsewhere." - Francois de la Rochefoucauld

For the longest time, I always wonder why people say "Get married and settle down." How can being married equated to settling down. I think you can never settle down once you're married, on the contrary, you need to work double time and I don't mean this just on the financial side. 

I think it's no surprise why I'm still single. If I alone can't still figure out how to stay content and comfortable with myself, then I have no business dragging someone else along for the ride.

*****

I don't mean disrespect to all those happily married or involved out there. Actually, I'm not averse to this idea, I'm just not up for it. We all have different choices to make in life. Somehow, the life we live and want to have, affect all those choices. In the end, whatever decisions we arrived at, it all boils down to us.

Getting married does not mean you live "happily ever after" in the same way that remaining single does not mean you're on the front seat of an endless journey of loneliness. It's up to us to will ourselves to do the necessary work in order to attain the results that our hearts desire. And it doesn't matter, whether you get married or remained single.

Life is what we make it. And then some.

...Book Reviews...

Do you read book reviews? Do you let them change your mind about reading/not reading a particular book?

  I read book reviews whenever I happen to come across one. Sometimes, I based my decision to read a particular book on it. But most of the times, I read a book review after I have read the book, so it served its purpose by validating toward my reaction after reading that book in particular. It can be good or bad.


There are times that I just read a book because I like it and just for pure entertainment. It doesn't matter to me what the review said about it.


Anyway, it's any one's call. I mean one book can have a glowing book review and all but when I read it, there's nothing in it for me ( at least to me, anyway)....

...I got my L...

This does not stand for "Loser". It simply means that I'm a LEARNER.

In all of my thirty three years of existence, learning how to drive a car has never entered my mind. I was contented to commute ( be it PUJ, taxis or tricycle). Driving is least important until I arrived in Canada.

Weeks after living here, my Aunt has been egging me to learn how to drive. She told me that it is imperative that I learn how and should not depend on her to give us a ride, wherever we want to go. She's right. So, I read a book about driving here ( about traffic signs, rules and regulations, etc ), not really read but just skimmed it over. I also practiced answering sample question online posted on the ICBC website.

So yesterday, I decided to take the knowledge test. I will answer 50 multiple questions and needs 80% correct answers to pass. Mama accompanied me to the office where I applied to take the exam and paid the necessary fee. I had my photo taken and my eyes checked. How cool is that. And mind you, there's no never-ending line of people to contend with. I stood in front a computer monitor and just followed the instructions that appeared on the screen. No hassle. After more than ten minutes, the word CONGRATULATIONS appeared on the screen. Yippee, I made it. :-)

"You don't look like you passed the exam," the lady who processed my application remarked with a smile. I guess my face did not show it but I was happy I passed. I mean the $15 I paid did not go to waste. Afterward, I went to another counter and sign on some digital thing for my signature on my Learner's ID, which I will receive 30 days after. Then the lady gave me a package containing another book, a copy of penalty and fines and other write-ups about driving and of course the red L sign. She told me a rundown of things I should follow while driving, then said "Have fun." I said "Thank you" in reply.

What's inside the package.

I went to where Mama was seated while waiting for me. I told her I passed the exam. She was all smile and gave me a hug. "Congrats 'ta," she said, smiling. I keep saying "Yes", while we're making our way toward her car. Now I can start taking driving lessons and finally, learn to drive.

I have one year to practice driving and know all the traffic rules and regulations. And when I feel confident enough, then I can book for a road test. But before I'll do that, I need to attend to more pressing matter at hand, look for someone to teach me to drive and familiarize myself with driving.

Anyway, a big thanks to Mama, for accompanying me yesterday and treat me to lunch afterward. Thanks, 'Ma.

...Now and Then ( my take )...

Do you prefer reading current books? Or older ones? Or outright old ones? (As in, yes, there’s a difference between a book from 10 years ago and, say, Charles Dickens or Plato.)

 I really can't say I prefer reading one over the other. I usually read current books. Oh, I remember it now, if Jane Austen can be considered an old book, then probably this one count but unfortunately, I did not finished reading it. I got bored halfway. I did read Charles Dickens "Great Expectations" though and I was greatly entertained. 

Current books always comes in handy when I need some kind of "reading fix". So I guess that sums it up. On the other hand, I also would love to try reading those classics and maybe learn a thing or two. There's no harm in trying, I suppose.

...learning to bike...

I have watched  people who ride bikes, at first with a certain degree of disinterest, probably because I don't know how to get on one to begin with. And this indifference continued until I came here. The place where I currently resides has lanes intended for bikes. Add to that are the various trails that can be found in the city.

When the weather is bright and sunny, you will not fail to see one or two individuals in complete gears, riding their bikes. I begun to wonder how does it feel to ride one. It must be fun, I thought to myself. Then I started  thinking about learning how to ride a bike.

Then out of the blue, without any planning on my part, I get to ride in one. The folks I work for are kind enough to show me how. And all I say is that it was..."AWESOME" I enjoy the rush of adrenaline as I pedaled and swerved left to right while steering the bike in the right direction. A couple of times, I slammed into a bush on the side of the road but thank God, I did not fall. Instead of using the hand brakes, I instinctively put both of my feet on the ground to stop the bike, which was not really a good idea especially if you're going too fast.

All in all, it was a great experience for me. I never thought how such a small thing ( to others, I suppose ) like riding a bike can be so exhilarating and so much fun. I felt like a kid again, if only at that moment. I can't wait to ride again.

...I'm no "signature" fan...

Do signed copies excite you? Tempt you? Delight you? Or does it not matter to you? 


 It really does not matter. What I'm after is the entertainment I will get while reading the book. Maybe it will delight me and all, but not to the point of being hang up on it. Signed copy or not, I like the book just the same.