Book Review - The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory

Rating: 10/10

It tells the story of the rivalry between Mary and Anne Boleyn, two sisters rising to seduce the King Henry VIII for their family's triumph. It is told in Mary's point of view. Philippa Gregory is really the queen when it comes to historical fiction, especially during the times described in the book. They are told with beautiful simplicity and she tells everything frankly with no poetry attached. The events in The Other Boleyn Girl may not have been what really happened during Henry VIII's reign but it seems to come close to all of it.

Ang stereotype

Hindi lahat ng estudyante sa UP Diliman ay matalino, masipag, at honor student. Noong isang linggo ko lang na-realize 'yon. Inakala ko kasi noong makapasok ako sa unibersidad na ito na magagaling ang lahat, na kaya nilang sagutin ang bawat tanong ng mga propesor na graduate ng mga unibersidad sa Estados Unidos, Europa, at Australia. At bakit hindi? UPCAT passer sila, hindi ba? Ngunit mali pala ang kaisipan nito. Hindi lahat, kundi karamihan ang matalino.

Hindi ko inakala na may mas tatamad pa pala sa akin pagdating sa pagreresearch. Oo, nabasa mo yun ng tama. Mayroon pang mas tamad sa akin at nag-aaral siya sa UP Diliman. Kaklase ko siya sa Kasaysayan 1. Isa siyang lalaki. Bakit ko naman nasabing tamad siya? Simple. Nanghihiram siya ng notes mula sa aking katabi bawat sulatin. Mabuti na lamang at hindi siya nahuhuli ni G. Tantonco, ang aming propesor. Malas ko na lang at isang araw, ako ang nakatabi niya. O baka, malas na lang niya.

Binigay ng aming propesor ang susunod na topic para sa aming sulatin: ang tungkulin ng isang babaylan. Gagawin namin ito sa susunod na Miyerkules (ika-5 ng Agosto, taong 2009). Sa kasamaang palad, hindi nakadalo ang aming propesor sa sumunod na linggo sapagkat siya'y nagkaroon ng sakit dahil sa ulan. Kaya naman na-postpone ang aming sulatin ng isang linggo. Masaya naman ako dahil hindi ako gigising ng masyadong maaga...

Ngunit pagdating ng araw ng sulatin, nakatabi ko nga si G. Tamad. Nahuli na nga siya sa klase, siya pa ang may ganang manghiram ng notes. Ano ba ang ginawa mo, kuya, sa loob ng isang linggo? May libro na naman sa silid-aklatan tungkol sa mga babaylan, hindi ba? Nariyan din naman ang Internet. Sigurado namang may oras ka para doon, hindi ba? Isang linggo na nga ang lumipas, wala ka pa ring notes. Na-disappoint tuloy ako sa kanya. Akala ko pala naman matalino ka. Tamad ka lang pala. O kaya naman, hindi marunong ng tamang time management. O baka naman hindi mo lang sineseryoso ang Kasaysayan 1 dahil madali lang maka-uno sa ating propesor. Puwes, sinasabi ko sa 'yo: importante ang lahat ng subject mo, kung hindi ka aware dun.

Inayawan ko ang panghihiram niya. Sino ka ba, anyway, para hiramin ang notes na pinaghirapan kong hanapin? Magalit na ang magalit, basta't akin 'to. Ayaw ko ngang ibigay sa 'yo. Sa mundo na ito, dapat sa 'kin lang ang sa 'kin. Pwera na lang kung mag-kaibigan talaga tayo. Kaya, kuya, huwag ka nang tumabi sa aking kapag may sulatin dahil hinding-hindi kita papahiramin.

Isa pang stereotype sa mga UP students ay ang pagtanggap ng mga estudyanteng nasa medium to low level of society. Kung ganoon nga, bakit napakaraming estudyante ang may mga sariling sasakyan? Bakit nagmamay-ari sila ng mga Acer, Mac, at HP na laptop? Bakit may mga estudyanteng nag-aral ng highschool sa mga eksklusibong paaralan tulad ng Ateneo? Bakit maraming estudyanteng mayayaman? Habol siguro nila ang pagiging sigurado na matatanggap sila sa trabaho. May edge nga naman ang mga graduate ng UP. Kung may pera naman sila, bakit hindi na lang kayo mag-aral sa Ateneo o kaya sa De La Salle para huwag niyo nang masyadong i-flaunt ang mga laptop at Honda niyo.

Pero ayos lang naman din sa akin na nandyan kayo sa UP. Ika nga nila, mas maganda ang may diversity.

Rant rant rant

[Let me just post this thing for a while.]

Lesley Luis Maliksi, I am so fed up with you and your endless plurks. Would you please stop that? It's irritating, you know? You absolutely don't have to post everything you do. Seriously, man, get a life.

And those posts in POST YOUR PICS? Puhleeze... You sound as if you're some trying-hard-to-be-vain guy or something.

[Okay okay. Maybe I'm guilty of posting in that topic, too, but at least I don't post almost everyday.]

And because she is so bored...

She decided to post something personal:

http://www.plunder.com/Me-singing-Melodies-of-Life-download-73f110fc8a.htm
http://www.plunder.com/Me-singing-Token-of-Water-download-b4aa5f4928.htm

Listen at your own risk. Haha.

Just because I posted doesn't mean they're anything good. :P

A diary of sorts

August 11, 2009

Biotech first exam results were given out. I'm pleased with mine 'cause I thought I phailed the exam. I got a grade of 2.0. Not bad, there. The highest in our class was actually 1.75.

Happiness was short-lived, though. Surprise quiz! XD

I phailed by one point. D=

August 12, 2009

Archaeo2 exam today. Am quite pleased with my answers. And my guessing skills. :D I see a high grade around the corner if the right-minus-wrong rule is not implemented. D=

CW10 was fun. Prof said there might be no classes on Thursday also.

We'll have a BIO1 quiz tomorrow but so far I've done nothing close to that. Played Pokemon Emerald all afternoon and spent less than hour going through the hand-outs. It's 6:51PM in my phone right now and I've been listening to music and recording my voice. <- conceited much. If the files are good enough, Imma upload them in the 'net and upload them in my beloved bloggeh.

Someone from the 2nd floor C-fold got robbed. It was, as witnesses say, an outside job. The thief took an N70 cellphone and a digital camera. They say that the guy climbed up to the window and reached in with his hand (the things were on the table which is, obviously, beside the window). Our corridor was in turmoil because we thought it was another GI. Our corridor representative searched our rooms. That was in vain. If it was really an outside job, what's the sense of rummaging through the resident's rooms? Or are they suspicious about the residents?

August 13, 2009

BIO1 first exam successfully conquered. Am feeling good about it all.

We'll have a quiz next week for MBB1 to make up for our first exam results. I just know I won't review during the weekend. <- XD

The sportsfest (dubbed "Mafia Wars") officially opened tonight. It was sorta fun. Especially the oath of sportsmanship. <- do you find it odd that I found the oath fun?

A corridor mate got her Acer laptop stolen. Rumors say that she had left it at the TV area. Kuya John and two other residents searched our rooms fruitlessly.

I knew it. I just had that feeling that something bad was going to happen. Even sensed the events of last night. (<- psychic much?) Argh. Gotta be more sensitive.

Am I sensing a need for Sherlock Holmes here? *plays background music*

And be extra extra extra careful.

Rumors say that there might be no classes on Thursday because of a university meeting or something like that...

You know what I find odd? I always find dead insects in my side of the room. Am I (or my things) that pungent that I don't have to use bug-killing stuff to kill them? Weird-o.

A soot sprite

These are soot sprites, fictional creatures invented by Hayao Miyazaki. They are called susuwatari in Japanese and in My Neighbor Totoro they are referred to as dust bunnies. In Spirited Away, they eat kompeito, a kind of Japanese sweet that's made out of sugar. Yum!

These sprites live in abandoned houses because they love dark places. They are only seen when they move from a dark area to a lighter one. When crushed, they become dust.

Here is a picture of my susuwatari (isn't he adorable?):


I found a guide for making it on Instructables.com, if you're interested...

Movie Review - My Neighbor Totoro

Rating: 10/10

This is a very cute movie. It's actually for kids but it's still great to watch even though I'm already a teenager. Totoro is so cute! Everything about it is completely adorable! I love love love this movie!

Movie Review - La Maison en Petits Cubes

Rating: 10/10

This one is a short movie. It runs for only 12 minutes and 5 seconds but the theme is very beautiful and nicely portrayed. The animation blends in well with the setting. The background music is very cute, too. No voices were used in this short film and yet the message, even in its utter simplicity, is memorable. It can be comparable to a full-length animation movie. That's the power of this short film.

Movie Review - Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind

Rating: 10/10

It can be expected in any Hayao Miyazaki film that the quality and the story line would be very good. And Nausicaa does not disappoint. It is the second movie of Miyzaki's that I watched and yet the scenes will really move you. The whole plot of it may seem so trivial but the lessons you learn as the movie unfolds are a treasure. You'll really feel the emotions Miyazaki wants to imply to his audience. This is a very good movie that should be watched by any otaku.

Nothing doing

Because I'm bored, I decided to post something random.

Song lyrics of the day (probably, week):

If you and I are a story that never gets told,
If what you are is a daydream I never get to hold,
At least you know...

You're beautiful; every little piece, love.
And don't you know you're really gonna be someone?
Ask anyone.
And when you find everything you look for
I hope your life will lead you back to my front door
Oh, but if it don't,
Stay beautiful.

- Taylor Swift's Stay Beautiful

...Dedicated to you-know-who. XD