DONE!

Hi! Today I finished reading two books: Ilustrado by Miguel Syjuco and K is for Killer by Sue Grafton. Thanks to the black out today, I managed to do so.

The last pages of Ilustrado was like walking in murky darkness or, ironically, swimming in muddy water. Gawd. At the very end, I didn't know who was really writing it. Gah. I can think of it all I like, and maybe I'll figure it out in a few days. Or not. Okay, so Miguel Syjuco really really really is a writer to be proud of. I love how he writes! It's so... Different. Quite unlike any foreign writer I've ever read. It's just special. I can, perhaps, compare it to another writer but I can't remember his/her name right now. I'll spend some time thinking about it. Ha, good luck with that!

Like I mentioned above, I managed to finish K is for Killer in one, hot, frickin' day. It was worth every minute. I just can't put it down! That's how exciting it was! PLUS (wait for it!) Cheney Phillips figures so much in Killer and no girl could ever resist Cheney Phillips. Trust me.

So, reviews will probably come up in a few days. Happy vacay! :>

My Political Compass

Okay, so that means I'm a Liberal Communist. Mahatma Gandhi is one of the famous personalities located in that area. Anyway, you can also take the post here: http://www.politicalcompass.org/test

dun dun dun dun...

Finally! I bought this at the SM North EDSA branch of Booksale earlier this day for 82 pesos. Fun! Now I'm only missing U is for Undertow. Pretty fat chance that I'll buy that off a real book store sometime this summer. After that, I'll have to wait for the next book, V is for ________.

Of laundry and... surprises.

Doing the laundry became part of my list of phobias.

That reads "freaky", but I am pretty serious.

Last Saturday - March 19, to be exact - my aunt told me to continue doing the laundry. She was going somewhere, she said. I accepted, having nothing to do since it was a lazy, lazy day. She told me which knobs to turn, how to put the washed clothes in the spin dryer, where to hang the clothes, etc. When she left, I was all alone inside the house; my younger sister was playing outside.

So, I did the laundry. I turned the knob and waited for three minutes so the clothes would be washed. Then, when that was done, I proceeded to put them on the spin dryer. That load was composed of everyday clothes: sando, t-shirts, and shorts. To make sure that there were no left-over clothes on the washer, I plunged my hand into the murky depths and scoured the floor of the washer. I felt something long. Thinking it was part of one of our shorts (you know, the string that you pull to make it tighter, or whatever...), I lifted it up.

It was yellowish white on one side and green on the other.

It was thin at one end, but it eventually got fatter.

This was no string...

The revelation came when I saw what looked liked feet coming after the tail. I immediately let go of whatever it was and squelched a yelp: it was a big lizard!

I called my sister and told her that there was a lizard in the washing machine, dead. She was freaked, too. I mean, who wouldn't be? I drained the water and when it was all gone, there it was. The lizard was lying on its back and it looked like it was spread-eagled. It drowned (duh!), although how it came to be there is a mystery. I grabbed a rag and picked it up with it. I threw the dead lizard into the trash.

Urgh. I still have goosebumps when I remember that.

Endurance - Jay Lake's next novel

I found the picture above from http://muddycolors.blogspot.com/. It's the cover for Jay Lake's next novel and sequel to Green; it's entitled Endurance. Now, if you've read Green, you'll know that Endurance is the name of her father's ox and... Oh, that's going to be a spoiler. Moving on! I, personally, think it's weird if the name of the girl on the picture is Endurance, because he's an ox and, well, something else in the latter part of the novel. But, if that guess is correct and this is Endurance, she's very pretty and it's reasonable to say that she followed in Green's footsteps: the wounds, bells, and the knife she wields says it all.

Endurance will be released on November 2011. I'm kind of psyched about it, but I don't know if I'll buy it when it comes out (if the bookstores in the Philippines sell it). If I'm really lucky and I have a good mound of moolah on that month, I might just consider buying it. After all, Green was an awesome read.

On another topic, I still haven't bought Going Bovine. -shrugshrug-

Book Review - Green by Jay Lake

Rating: 9/10


She was sold by her father when she was young, and was brought to a land she did not know. Imprisoned in a bluestone walled manor, she was taught the ways of a great lady. For many years, she had been called "Girl", until the Factor arrived and called her "Emerald". But she prefers to call herself Green. Suddenly, the time is ripe and she knows she must leave. Running away from the things she had known for years, Green enters a world where the gods meddle with the affairs of men, and one full of treachery.

I was actually frustrated while reading Green. I thought it was taking me a long time to finish a 368-paged book. I spent three hours one night and finished less than a hundred pages. But for all that, I actually enjoyed reading Green.

There is so much to say about this novel, but I'll focus more on the main character.
It's amazing to note that a man was writing this novel. The character of Green is so strong, but it still retains its feminity. It was like Wally Lamb with She's Come Undone. I mean, these guys are amazing. I felt what Green felt, and that feat isn't just rooted in the writer's style: it has to be felt by the writer himself/herself. My professor was telling me some time ago to "write about what you know". Now, Jay Lake isn't a woman, but I felt the womanly aspect of Green. That was just amazing.

Sorry, guys, but...

Hey, this might sound selfish, but I am happy that my favorite Japanese actresses, actors, and voice actors are safe. (The links are included in this post so feel free to check them out.) They are Aragaki Yui, Ryoka Yuzuki, Shotaro Morikubo, Paku Romi, Matsumoto Jun, Yamamoto Yusuke, Shun Oguri, the D-BOYS (which I hope includes Osamu Adachi), Ikuta Toma, Kimura Ryo, Mizushima Hiro, and Rie Fu.

But, really, scrolling down that list made me feel better. And not because I'm feeling selfish or whatever. It's just plain human emotion: care.

Links:
http://www.jpopasia.com/news/your-idols-their-status-a-list-of-japanese-celebrities-and-their-status::5421.html
http://hashihime.blogspot.com/2011/03/earthquake-seiyuus-known-safe.htmlAB

The Japan earthquake

This afternoon, a magnitude 8.9 earthquake hit Japan, causing a 4-meter high tsunami to ravage the northern lands. If you watched the news on TV, you'll probably see that horrible video being played over and over again: tons of water swallowing the farm lands, bringing with it houses, vans, and various debris. The "avalanche" moved fast, too. In a matter of seconds, it was able to cover a lot of miles (I assume) and even reached the viaduct where a number of cars were driving, trying to escape the calamity.

Now, you may say that Japan is disaster-ready. Actually, I saw it for myself in my CWTS class last summer, and they were really ready. The Japanese took these things seriously. Their earthquake drills were very efficient and everything was done thoroughly. There were even "fake" victims that need rescuing. Their equipments were up-to-date and effective. However, nothing beats a real disaster. We've seen it during Ondoy and Pepeng, and we've also seen it happen in Haiti, Chile, Australia, and other countries recently. People are helpless in the face of these disasters. There's nothing we could do to prevent these things from happening. No sophisticated and up-to-date technology could accurately predict when a disaster would strike. Scientists are able to know that an earthquake or a storm would hit, but they can't tell when or where. We can only hope it's not where we're standing at the moment.

As of the latest update, Hawaii was hit with tsunami. Davao City, Davao Oriental, and Mati in Mindanao have also felt tremors. A petrochemical complex in Japan exploded, and Kenya issued a tsunami alert. We don't know what's going to happen, but we do know that these things will keep happening especially when the end is near. The only thing we could do right now is get down on our knees, clasp our hands together, and whisper a prayer to God. Only He can save us.

(I'm following @inquirerdotnet and @gmanews on Twitter.)

New book

I bought The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams last Friday. It was worth 40 pesos.

I have no idea what this book is about, but I heard it was good so I just had to buy it over Amy Tan's A Hundred Secret Senses (worth 37 pesos) - which I see all the time in Booksale.

Anyway, we went to Fully Booked yesterday and I saw a copy of Going Bovine for about 700 pesos. Urgh. That is so expensive! I also found other books I like: Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver and Pirateology. Of course, there was a copy of U is for Undertow, but I decided I'd purchase that when this semester is finally over. :D

I'm still looking for a copy of K is for Killer by Sue Grafton and a cheap copy of The Mephisto Club by Tess Gerritsen. Anyone seen them yet?

P.S. I find some books overrated, especially book-to-movie adaptations. :P