Tag: Table Top

Books Turned to Movies, with Varrying Levels of Awesomeness

Rhiza7 Comments

Long rant. Sorry. Didn’t mean to.

DAY TWENTYEIGHT. Confession: I had nightmares of real-life friends committing suicide during the few weeks that I was reading Jeffrey Eugenides’ The Virgin Suicides. No drama, just them doing their normal day-to-day activities with slashed #wrists. It wasn’t really creepy, mind you, it was more of funny really, but still weird.

Just Another Thursday Morning

This morning, on my desk

I’m not saying that The Virgin Suicides was so disturbing it brought me nightmares, nope. I reckon it’s really just how it is with books. Compared to watching films, reading books allows you to imagine the story yourself and create your own pictures in your head, and it just so happened that my imaginations involved my real life friends. Er.

Now movie-fying a novel is something else. Sometimes, we really have to stop comparing a book to its movie version (and vice versa) if we don’t want to disappoint ourselves.

Exhibit A: I remember reading Nicholas Sparks’ A Walk To Remember long before there were news of a film version. My high school self cried over the pages of Jamie Sullivan’s life, and I remember it well because I didn’t read a lot in high school (save for the Sweet Valley High and Love Stories phase we all had to go through) and AWTR was the first book I ever really shed tears over. The only other book I couldn’t put down in high school was Catcher in the Rye, but that’s a different story. Watching AWTR’s movie version was a disappointment, I remember clearly, because I kept comparing it to the book, and I didn’t like how the movie ended with Jamie’s death. To me, the book had a create-your-own-ending thing going on, and in my ending, Jamie survived cancer and lived a full life with Landon. In the movie, she died.

Exhibit B: It’s just like how I didn’t enjoy watching Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince the first time around. I’m not saying I didn’t enjoy these movies. It’s just that comparisons between the book and the movie are inevitable and they can make or break the movie altogether.

Now there are movies, on the other hand, that are better than their book version.
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With Love From Riz

Rhiza37 Comments

DAY TWENTYTHREE. I’m nearing the end of my 30 days, I have exactly 7 days (and 7 posts) left, woot! As promised, here’s a little giveaway to all 5 of you, LOL, (excluding my Mum) who have been following my progress in this 30 day blog challenge.

The timing couldn’t have been more perfect! Aside from Mariel’s sharpie, I just won something from Vicki’s blog too (yay!), and knowing how good it feels to be a recipient of something that comes from the heart, I’m hoping that the simple items I’m giving away now will also bring joy to those who gets to have them.

Forgive me for being a bit carried away. Following my post about those pretty little things that make us women smile, I was really just planning to toss some pearl earrings and buttons into little brown envelops, send them over, and get it over and done with. But I’ve been too inspired by all of you lovely people that I thought I’d put in extra effort to make these little packages a bit more special. (Like I said, it’s often the extra mile that counts.) :)

Give Aways :)

So okay. I shall be quick with the mechanics.

I have 6 pearl earrings of different colors, each of their cardboard holders (that I made myself, ehem) has writings that say something about the color’s personality*. I only have 6 packages to give away so be very quick! To join, all you have to do is to answer this question by posting a photo in your blog and/or flickr accounts:

What’s on top of your desk? :)

Take a top-view photo of your desk — the same way I’ve been doing in most of my 30-day blog challenge photos — put it up in your blog, link back to this page, and leave a comment here so I would see your post. The first 6 people to leave a comment here gets the pearl earring package from me. :)

But wait, there’s more! I know you must be eye-ing that pair of Camera Charm earrings in the photo above. I only have one pair of that, so I’m going to have it raffled! :) Assuming there are more than 6 people (lol) reading this blog, and all the pearl earrings are already taken, you still have a chance of winning this Camera Charm earrings! Everyone who’s able to post a top-view photo of her desk in her blog gets to be part of the raffle. On Wednesday next week, I’ll announce who wins this:

Giveaway - Camera Charm

Is this something you’d be interested to have? :)

Continue reading “With Love From Riz” →

When Riz Craves for Cupcakes, She Gets Cupcakes, Period!

Rhiza8 Comments

DAY FIFTEEN. I know, I’m a spoiled brat like that — or so my brothers would tell me. I, however, would like to think of it as being assertive and fixing your eyes on the goal. You have to work your way to getting what you want, you know. And in this case, it wasn’t hard. I just had to put on my puppy-eyed look, be extra sweet, and ta-da, we‘re on our way to Serendra in no time. ;)

Cupcakes by Sonja

15/30. Cupcakes by Sonja!!

Alas, I didn’t have to torture myself drooling over photos of cupcakes anymore, I got myself a box of the real thing! (Ate Maia, don’t be mad, I tried to call you!!)

Cupcakes by Sonja

I’m not sure though if it was a good idea to overdose on glucose and caffeine after dinner. Poor R had to endure this sugary dessert with me. (Hello, diet, we’ll deal with you later.) :p

Cupcakes by Sonja

Cupcakes by Sonja

Two Vanilla Sunshines in 2 different colors (can’t get enough of it!), a Lemon Drop, and a Chocolate Surprise. *nomnomnom*

Cupcakes by Sonja

I think I’ll save some for breakfast. :)

On another note, I’m halfway through this 30-day Blog Challenge (let the cupcakes serve as my way of celebrating) and I have to say, the past two weeks were, indeed, made of awesome. And that’s not only because I was able to blog in 2 weeks more than I ever blogged in roughly a year, lol, but also because I’m somehow, little by little, creating the habit of seeing the little joys that come with everydays. I think that is the most awesome of all.

I’m excited to find out what will come out of this, I’m already listing down a few after-30-day-blog-challenge things that I’ll try to venture in. Also, in the next few days, I’ll be giving away something to some of you who have followed this little project of mine — and I’ll make sure it’s something you’ll really appreciate. :)

Meanwhile, visit Maia’s blog, she also started a 30-day thing of her own. She’s blogging about happy things over there. And Happy is Awesome’s cousin! So yay, visit her! (This is all your fault, Mariel!)

30 Days of Awesome, 15/30.

Reading a Book in the Dark

Rhiza9 Comments

DAY TWELVE. I’m pretty sure that at one point in your adolescence, your mom or your lola told you to not read a book in the dark, or inside a moving vehicle, because it’s going to make you blind. I heard that warning many times, violated it many times over, and yet, my vision is still 20-20! But that doesn’t mean you can ignore your mom or lola’s warnings now, children, don’t follow my footsteps.

I guess what I’m really trying to say is, one can’t help it when the best times to get engrossed in a book are while in transit or in bed before she sleeps. How awesome is it that LightWedge actually thought of creating something to aid this form of rebellion?!

11/30 Reading a Book in the Dark

12/30. Reading a Book in the Dark

The LightWedge Book-Light is probably the greatest invention since toasted bread. (No wait, was it sliced bread?) Would you look at that:

Light Wedge Book Light

Isn’t that the most awesome thing? :)

It’s another one of R‘s gifts. It still makes my heart flutter how he would be supportive of the things I’m obsessed about — like finding a typewriter, or collecting toy cameras, or sitting through a 3-hour movie not just once but twice — you know? ♥

Okay, I wasn’t blogging about him, although I think he’s awesome too. I was blogging about this awesome book-light that he *secretly* got and paid for while I was wandering around the area where the pretty notebooks are in one of our trips to Fully Booked.

(By the way, can I just say that Fully Booked is heaven?)

Since then, I’ve been carrying around my book and this lightsaber, er, book-light, to bed at night, and everywhere I go lest I get stuck in traffic somewhere — at least I get to spend the idle time doing something worthwhile.

I’m still reading The Virgin Suicides right now, but I like having a stack of books ready anytime I’m finished with the current one. I recently got a Murakami and a Nicholas Sparks, so I have a choice between something philosophical and something that doesn’t require too much thinking. And woot, I tell you, these books are much more interesting to read in the dark! Think Inkheart, minus the part where the characters come to life, of course, that part’s creepy in real life, not awesome.

Hi, Mom. Hi, Lola. Proud of me? :)

Okay. Enough of this. I go read now.

30 Days of Awesome, 12/30.

Experiencing Student Life Once a Week

Rhiza7 Comments

While it’s good to have a few days away from the internet once in a while, it also feels like being quenched of thirst when you’re finally back online. LOL. Imagine the frenzy, opening about a dozen tabs in Firefox, responding to emails here and there, checking up on Google docs, downloading attachments that have to be proofread or uploaded, etc, etc, all at the same time.

I knew the weekends are going to be my problem in doing this 30-day challenge. I go home to my Mum’s place in Caloocan Saturday and Sunday nights, and whether intentional or not, we never really thought of hooking up on DSL there. I’ve recently just terminated my Globe Visibility too — 2,000PhP a month is just too expensive for a secondary internet connection. Hence, when I’m not in my batcave in Ortigas, I join the ranks of people who are on the lookout for wifi hotspots everywhere they go. At least I have the E71 now, which is my only connection to the cyberworld during the weekends.

So.. looks like a looong night of catching up.

DAY ELEVEN. (Woot! Finally!) So that’s my usual weekend schedule. Saturday nights I go to church for practice, and sleep at my Mum’s in Caloocan; Sundays are spent in church; and Mondays are spent in our church‘s student center, The Life City Campus.

College Life oh College Life

11/30. Experiencing College Life Once a Week

Student center what? Don’t tell me you didn’t have a favorite hangout in college? When I was in UP Diliman, my hangout would either be the Sunken Garden, or the State Varsity Christian Fellowship’s tambayan* just under the main library. (SVCF was my only org/frat/sorrority in college). You’ve gotta have a hangout when you’re a student — a place to breathe and relax and spend free periods at, or a place where you can take out your books and study (or pretend to study).

That Starbucks place in Katipunan is perhaps the most sold-out tambayan* in the Diliman/Katipunan area, always teeming with students from Ateneo, UP, and Miriam College. I once tried to spend free period in that place (years ago), but all seats were taken so I just went away dejected — everyone seemed to have camped out in there! At one point I wondered if students really go there to study or to just be seen studying, heh. Peace, Ateneans. :p

The Life City Campus is the new student tambayan in the University Belt block in Manila. *Shameless plugging starts here*. A project by our church’s youth ministry, the TLCC staff has provided more than just an air-conditioned place to spend free periods at. We have comfy couches, a snack bar and cafe (the coffee and mocha flavored smoothies are the best!), badminton area, table tennis, board games, and wifi, which makes the place not only appealing to students, but for the working class as well (such as myself). I happen to spend my Mondays here (and soon, Fridays too), thank God for having a job that allows me to work anywhere-as-long-as-there’s-wifi. But inasmuch as I want to work here everyday, I have to regulate my tambay* hours — it’s so easy to get distracted here!

I love being around students. Being around them never fails to remind me of life’s simple pleasures. Right now, a bunch of students are playing UNO cards, their way of rewarding themselves for a successful study group (just a few hours ago they were discussing chemical formulas in the same table, studying for their mid-term exams.) Some guy is playing guitar by the couch, surrounded by people singing along. The tennis table is occupied too. My brother is playing Mobwars while eating tuna carbonarra, and I’m slurping my smoothie while thinking of which awesome thing to blog about today.

The positive vibe is contagious. Being in this place reminds me how it is to feel young again. I know I’m still young at 26, but you know how “adult stuff” (like paying the bills, and working hard to pay the bills, and venturing into businesses and finding other forms of income so you can pay the bills, lol) would always come seeping through the youthfulness that people my age should still be enjoying, that you would suddenly feel old and wrinkly at 26. Life.

Drop by, when you’re in the area. The Life City Campus is located near the University of Sto. Tomas, near the intersection of Espana and Lacson Avenue. When you drop by on a Monday, you’ll most likely see me here somewhere, blending in like a student, sipping a Vanilla smoothie. Say hi, tell me you got here because of my blog, and maybe I’d buy you a smoothie too.

In case you’re interested, email me for the complete address. ;)

*Tambay, tambayan, are Filipino words for hang out, and hang out place respectively.

30 Days of Awesome, 11/30.

Finding a Typewriter in the Most Everyday of Places, and Buying One

Rhiza14 Comments

DAY TWO. Tonight, as I walked away from Office Warehouse with my brand new Olympia Traveller Deluxe, I was momentarily in deep thought: how was it possible that I had been in and out of that place, unaware that I was sharing a room with a shelf full of typewriters? How, Riz?

Let it be known that today, July 24, 2009, I found my first typewriter. At Office Warehouse. In the same shelf where the printers, calculators, and USB gadgets are. Right beside the office desks where I usually hang out checking out stuff I need for my home office. How come I didn’t notice the typewriters there before?

Found: Olympia Traveller Deluxe

2/30. Meet Henry, My Olympia Traveller Deluxe

It wasn’t love at first sight though, mind you. You see, a few hours earlier, I was able to get my hands on an actual, oh-wow-I-can-feel-it-in-my-fingers vintage Hermes 3000 at the Grand Thrift Shop at Cubao Expo. The guy was selling it to us at PhP 2900, waaay cheaper than the $250 (+$150 shipping) unit I’ve been considering to purchase from an Etsy store. But the Hermes 3000 at Cubao-X was old and rickety and unmaintained. It could type a bit, but it kept getting stuck. The owner said he was selling it mostly as a decorative element.

But I wanted a typewriter I can use!

So we left, had dinner, and passed by Office Warehouse because I still couldn’t get over the fact that I almost got myself a Hermes 3000. And there it was. The Olympia Traveller Deluxe. It wasn’t eyecandy as the other typewriters I saw online, but I had to try it. The moment I started typing, and heard the clickity-clackity sound that came with each press of a key, I knew I found my first typewriter.

I have to forgive myself for breaking the habit and posting 2 hours late (MNL time), on my 2nd-friggin-day into this 30-day challenge. I prepared a different post for this day, but that was before I knew I was going home with an Olympia tonight.

July 24’s awesome thing has got to be this: finding a typewriter in the most everyday of places and finally getting myself one. A close second would be, finding out that a typewriter ribbon costs 16 pesos at Office Warehouse. That, ladies and gentlemen, was how much technology cost in the yesteryears. Awesomecakes.

And so, my first typecast. (Whut? You don’t know what typecasting is? Hello, Strikethru.)

Dear Traveller | My First Take on Typecasting

Reference to the novel by Audrey Niffenegger, “The Time Traveler’s Wife”,
where Clare is the Wife, and Henry, the Traveler.

Jody says she’s a dinosaur for getting attracted to typewriters. So what am I now, giving names to typewriters and writing typing them love letters? A trilobite? Awesome.

30 Days of Awesome, 2/30.