Friday, May 25, 2012

Clap Clap! Gimme Some :)


I really admire those people who have the will and strength to update their blog with all enthusiasm. How do you that? (shout from a lazy girl over here) Just like now, I am pleading my fingers "Please continue typing, we've started this so might as well continue doing it". Hopefully they'll agree with me. I don't want this blog to be like the others that I've abandoned just after a few days or months of using it. I know I'm not so good in playing with words, I have my own stuck up moments whenever this white box is in front of me and I am guilty of having grammatical errors every now and then. But yeah, I'll keep on trying and I hope my fingers and brain will never abandon me. :) Let's do this guys.

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Late Post: The EK-perience

I made a promise to myself that I will try with the best of my ability to update this blog frequently and yeah I failed HAHA. A late post, sorry. So here we go.

Since we've been almost boring holes in our sofa for quite sometime this summer, my Ate Sunshine thought of going to Enchanted Kingdom. Yep, it's not Disneyland :( but hey my chances of going to EK are very minimal since my family aren't used to going out of town whenever dad isn't here, so yes let's go!! And since it is her treat, who am I to reject that offer? We got out of Manila around 12 noon and the good thing is, Mr. Sun has been thoroughly cooperative, his rays aren't that scorching. Ok, so driving through SLEX we exited at Sta. Rosa and once there we almost lost our way going to Balibago. The funny thing is we are blaming it to the poor direction signs posted in the road, really if it stated 'Enchanted Kingdom Next Right', you would assume that after this right it is the next one that they are referring to. But NO! They meant to say that it is actually the coming right. OK so it's quite confusing no? HAHA. But thank God, we finally reached our destination, a big thanks also to the locals who have been very grateful teaching us the right directions. Ang bait talaga ng mga PINOY!!

Once there Shiela and I got our free hotdog on a stick and a can of coke, Yey!! It is one of their pakulo this summer offered to students and yes since I am still a student (though in fifth year. HAHA) I am so thankful for their summer blowout to us. Their promo is valid from April 9 to June 3 2012, so guys there are still a few weeks remaining to grab their awesome offer :) Here are the ticket rates by the way:

Regular Day Pass:
Weekend / Holiday Rate : Php 500.00
Weekday Rate: Php 400.00
Student Promo: Php 380.00 (Weekends / Weekdays)

Planning to go? Read for more in their website: http://new.enchantedkingdom.ph
 
And here's what happened that day:




NAKAKATAKOT OR NAKAKATACUTE? :)




Funny smile of Mama. And oh see that gorgeous lady holding her phone? Sobrang ganda niya as in. HAHA. 







Thank you for reading.
Much love,

Sharlaine :)




Friday, May 18, 2012

The OpportunistThe Opportunist by Tarryn Fisher


OMG. I've been contemplating for more than an hour if I should give it a go or not. The reviews are screaming how a wreck you'll be after reading and you'll be demanding for the second book to come. Damn, I don't know if I'm that courageous enough to torture myself so for the mean time I have to let it sit in my shelf. Gahd. I'm so confused.

View all my reviews

Point of Retreat (Slammed II) by Colleen Hoover : My thoughts


I know that after reading I have a lot to say but now I don't know where to start, just like in Slammed. Oh wait, I remember that beautiful poem about writing mentioned in the book. It's entitled Write Poorly by Edmund Davis-Quinn. It's an inspiration for those people like me who most of the time got stuck up in I-don't-know-what-to-write moments. You can find the whole poem in the book or in the blog of Mr. Edmund. I just feel I have the need to post his poem together with my review since from his work I feel someone's nudging my shoulder and telling me to just write, just do it.

Write poorly
Suck
Write awful
Terribly
Frightfully
Don’t care
Turn off the inner editor

Let yourself write
Let it flow
Let yourself fail
Do something crazy
Write 50,000 words in the month of November
I did it.
It was fun, it was insane it was 1,667 words a day.
It was possible.
But, you have to turn off your inner critic, off, completely.
Just write.
Quickly.
In Bursts.
With joy.
If you can’t write run away for a few.
Come back.
Write again.
Writing is like anything else.
You won’t get good at it immediately.
It’s a craft you have to keep getting better.
You don’t get to Juliard, unless you practice.
If you want to get to Carnagie Hall, practice, practice, practice.
(or give them a lot of money).
Like anything else it takes 10,000 hours to get to mastery.
Just like Malcolm Gladwell says.
So write.
Fail.
Get your thoughts down.
Let it rest.
Let it marinate.
Then edit. Then edit. Then edit
.
But don’t edit as you type,
that just slows the brain down.
Find a daily practice,
for me it’s blogging every day.
And it’s fun.
The more you write, the easier it gets. The more it is a flow, the less a worry. It’s not for school, it’s not for a grade, it’s just to get your thoughts out there. You know they want to come out.
So keep at it. Make it a practice. And write poorly, write awfully, write with abandon and it may end up being really, really good.

See, his words are like magic. They are some sort of a force that wakes up your inner and sleeping writer side to come out of its shell. Ok so I'm just gonna write.

Warning: Better if you have read the Slammed first before jumping into an endless battle with your patience while reading my review of Point of Retreat. I don't want you throwing pillows to me because I'll be revealing the juicy parts of the first book.

We are left in awe while our heart's constricting in pain with Julia's letter to Lake and Kel in Slammed. Now that Julia is gone, what's gonna happen next? Lake has a lot of responsibilities in her back now that she'll be not just a sister but a mother to his little brother Kel. But with Will on her side everything seems to be more bearable. Now that both of them are placed in the same situation, with no parents at their side, how is Will gonna prove to Lake that what he feels for her is not something that blooms out of their conditions in life? And with Will's past showing up in the scene, how will Lake finds in her heart to trust Will?

I don't know that it's even possible for a person to feel a combination of fear, anxiety, sadness, and happiness in a short time like a minute. I thought I'm crazy. Or maybe I am that time. That's how this book has affected my sanity. Those emotions that I rarely feel when reading has been awakened mostly within the last chapters. If you thought you're caught in an emotional roller coaster ride in Slammed, forget that, you'll be a total wreck while reading Point of Retreat. Damn, those last chapters, I never know when's the last time I felt so angry in a book that I am considering to give it less than a star in rating. She's so good, Ms. Hoover might have perfected the art of giving heart stopping scenes that made me paced my room as my anxiety is increasing, my palms were sweaty and my heart was doing somersaults. Although I definitely hate to be in that predicament I think it is one of the strengths of the book, yeah it’s bad to suck up the sanity of a person while reading but after everything else I concluded how a great job this book has done to me. E-M-O-T-I-O-N  W-R-E-C-K-E-R at its best!!!

Oh by the way, this one is told in Will’s POV and it’s a pretty long one. Books written in a guy’s view has always piqued my interest and I definitely loved Ms. Hoover’s idea of telling the second part of the series in Will’s. I never imagined that it’s possible for some guy to have crazy thoughts over a girl and Ugh I loved Will for that. Just like this one “She’s wearing her hair down tonight. I love it when she wears her hair down. I also love it when she wears it up. In fact, I don’t think she’s ever worn it in a way that made me not love it. She’s so incredibly beautiful...especially when she’s not trying to be.” Oh God! I hope some guy in the future will be having the same thoughts over me, I need some WILL-power in my system. HAHA :)

You’ve also met the lovesick couple, Gavin and Eddie, in Slammed and this time those two will have a longer exposure while having to deal with their own issues. I love Eddie’s sense of humor since Slammed and if you put another little Eddie in the picture, Kiersten, how crazy the whole thing would be. Oh wait, Kiersten is not a daughter of Eddie, she’s this little girl gifted with an uncanny ability to cuss!!!! I am laughing so loudly while reading her lines; she’s someone to look forward to so I wouldn’t tell further more about her, no spoiling I promise.

And oh, there is something about the stars in the picture above. You’ll find the idea amazing why it is even put in the story. There you go, a poem, some Will’s past, an emotion wrecker situation, a Kiersten, some stars, and so much more. Whew, that’s a lot waiting for you in Point of Retreat!!! Hope you’ll love it to death the way I did.

Ratings: 5++++
Copy: Ebook
Read: May 16, 2012





Thursday, May 17, 2012

Slammed I by Colleen Hoover: My thoughts


The thing is, I don't know where to start. My thoughts are pretty messed up and my feelings are heightened after reading Slammed. Hmmm...where to begin? Well since before I started reading I am unaware what a slam is, I'll be giving you an idea what it is.


A poetry slam is a competitive event in which poets perform their work and are judged by members of the audience. It is open to everyone who wishes to sign up and can get into the venue. Thank you to www.poetryslam.com :)

Now what does a slam has to do with the story?

Layken or Lake, as her mom called her, left Texas together with his brother, Kel, and her mother for Michigan. It has been six months since her father's demise and they're sort of in a financial predicament that prompts them to leave their town and start a new life. The idea of leaving all the memories her father has made in the corners of their once house plus starting her senior year in a new environment makes the decision totally unwanted for Lake. But what if having a guy who is totally good-looking, smart in every way, swoon-worthy type male, happens to be your neighbor, can Lake still manage to carry all the negative baggage she has been dealing with?
Will has been both a brother and a father to his younger brother, Caulder, ever since that car accident took the life of their parents. He left his college scholarship to raise a kid on his own and now that almost everything is going smoothly with him having to work in an internship as a high school teacher, some girl will change his life in the most unexpected way he never thought possible.

So I didn't answer my question right? HAHA. Because revealing what does a slam has to do with the story will totally ruin the moment. I am sparing you from spoilers because I want you to be sucked in completely in that situation but ok fine I'll give you a hint, it has something to do with Will. That's it haha. No more spoilers for you. :)

I can only have good words for Slammed. I have it in my itouch for about months now and yes I totally regret the fact of letting it just sit that long in my shelf. So if you've just recently purchased Slammed in your Kindle or if you're the lucky one to have an actual hard copy, I'm telling you wait no, I'm commanding you - READ IT NOW. Trash the better late than never idea. It should be N-O-W. 

I'm never a fan and will never be a fan of love triangles, I dread to read books with plot made for that and in Will and Lake's story you will be spared from that but a third party isn't what's gonna put spice in the building relationship of the two, it's bigger than that, more serious even. I'm not telling you what it is. HAHA. But if I'm the one placed in their situation, I don't know what's the best decision to come up to either. I know you're not following me in here, I'm so good I'm getting you away from spoilers HAHA. What I wanted to say is you won't be furious from having to deal with an annoying girl or guy that will test the relationship meter of the two, it's more complicated even. And that 'something' is what keeps the story from evolving.

Death has been openly discussed throughout the book. And just by having that talk shakes the whole being of me. Who doesn't anyway? Getting yourself immersed in the idea of leaving your body soon and even your loved ones leaving you isn't an amusing topic to go into. But in the story, it tells you that what is inevitable is something to be prepared for. Let me quote a part of the book told by Lake:

"Because every bit of it, every last bit of it is fleeting. Nothing is permanent. The only thing any of us have in common is the inevitable. We'll all eventually die."

No one wants to die, because dying, as we all thought, marks the end of our journey. It left us with nothing to hold to but leave sadness in the heart of the ones we loved. But if only we have been warned that our vacation here on earth is about to end, we could have enjoyed the remaining time we have, we could have openly prepared our parents, siblings, and relatives for what's coming ahead of us, we could have helped them build a more stronger heart and mind to accept the thought that has been looming over us since our birth. And I guess, this part of the book made me love the story even more, I've been stopping in some lines and sometimes ask myself, "Am I prepared to die right now?". And all I know is I'm not. Maybe what's patting my shoulder, telling me my limit is way too far from me is the fact that I am still young. I'm just 20 but then when I thought of it, your age doesn't defy what's left for you in the world. What if God has written for you to just lived for 16 years or 25 or 30? No one knows but the good part is, He has given us NOW. Today is the chance to live your life at its best, to surround yourself with the ones you love and to throw all those negative trash bags you've been carrying all along. Death should only be treated as a passage way to an unending journey full of love and happiness. It is still a scary thought for me but right now I am holding to what I have and that is my life and I am sure I'll make living worthwhile.

Whew, that's a long paragraph isn't it? I know I quite push the bore button of yours. So I'll be ending this and will leave you with some of my favorite lines in the book:

"Don't take life seriously. Punch it in the face when it needs a good hit. Laugh at it."

"Never judge others. You both know good and well how unexpected events can change who a person is. Always keep that in mind. You never know what someone else is experiencing within their own life.

"If you don't have questions, you'll never find answers."

"Keep an open mind; it's the only way new things can get in." - I guess this one is my top favorite. 


Thank You Ms. Colleen Hoover for sharing to me your passion in music by introducing the Avett Brothers. I'm more of a tune-lover rather than a lyric-lover but with them, I guess I have to pay more attention to what the song is all about. Thank you for telling the story of Will and Lake. I'm pretty sure they're living in my heart now. :)


Ratings: 5++++
Copy: Ebook
Read: May 16, 2012










First Comes Love: My Thoughts


The first thought after reading: 

Damn, It could have been made longer. 



I swear I was feeling that glorious moment when they finally reunited , hoping that the blissful feeling has been defined more and then the next thing I knew, it's done. No more extended sappy moments. And that is what's holding me back from clicking that full 5 stars rating. But I guess when you've learn to love a book from page one 'til the last, how each word made an impact to your perspective and ideals in life, you'll forget how it sucks it have been that short and you'll end up giving a perfect rating. Like what I did.



Ok, let's get down to the nitty gritty. 
The story has been told in interchanging point of views from Gray and Dylan. By the way who's  who?  Gray's heart has been tormented since that day the accident took the life of his twin sister, Amanda. Eight months has passed but his family hasn't made moving on as an option. His mom busied herself with her teaching workload while his dad always find ways to be out on a business trip. And Gray? He shut down his friendly and athletic system at school, he's grieving in silence. He walked out of his dreams to keep what has been left in the strings that attached his family. But he never expect to have a complete 360 when Dylan entered his life. 
Dylan is not your ordinary high school girl, her world doesn't revolve on wearing skimpy clothes, make ups and gossips. Dress to impress isn't her motto in life, she'll  rather wear baggy jeans and shirt, steal chances with geckos and freeze those moments with her camera. She doesn't give a damn to what others think of her, she lives one day at a time and being random best described her journey in the world. So when her and Gray's paths met, she saw him as her next challenge - uncover what lies behind those lonely blue eyes. 



If I can just dictate what to dream, I'd gladly let my mind be swept away with thoughts of Gray and Dylan. The first time they've set eyes on each other I thought nothing peaceful can set between them. They're coming from opposite ends, one cannot let her day end without spending a bucketful of saliva while the other prefers to let silence eats his whole being. But red and blue poles did attract right? 
I got more than a handful of praises ready to blurt out for this book. I am in love with this. Not a first but the way my feelings have been heightened within 24 hours of reading this was a first. 



A few days has passed since I finished this but up to now the inspiring thoughts of Dylan has made me rethink what's my stand in this journey called life. I am very fond of collecting quotes I heard from movies, seen from magazines, and read from books. I've highlighted a lot of portion of the book in various shades depending on the impact it has on me. I got a pink, green, and some just with plain red lines. So you better prepare those pens of yours, you've got a lot of highlighting job to do. Moving on, I'll be citing a few lines that I loved the most.

That line that'll make you realize how shallow your thoughts are...
"Anyone can see what's right in front of them, but it's subtle beauty, the kind that takes time to discover, that you have to uncover and dust off, that catches my eye. I find things with cracks and flaws and textures so much more interesting than something polished and perfect and pristine. It's the same way with people"

That line that'll make you believe that there's more to life than what you thought...
"Live a little. You're never going to experience anything if you wait around for perfect conditions."

"Life is too short to waste time on people who don't lift you -they'll eventually drain you"

That line that tells you how important it is to value those people around you...
"It's hard to accept that you've missed out on a person, that you'll ever know of them are pierced-together stories. It's not like missing out on a party or a concert- those are temporary experiences, and you'll have other opportunities. But this is permanent. It's like being robbed of something valuable you never had the privilege to own.

And just some practical lessons in life. :)
"And I don't buy flowers. That's one gift I refuse to spend money on. I'm not going to hand over hard-earned cash for something that dies in a week." - this one's from Gray. Dude, you know something about being romantic? Someone gives this guy a 101 on it. HAHA. I'm sorry to say, I'm the flower-type girl. Can't help it. HAHA

You've read the summary. Got a glimpse of some soul-piercing quotes you'll find in almost every page of the book. So what are you waiting for? Don't let this book just sit on your shelf. It's definitely better than what you are reading now. HAHA. Come on, I know you want to. :)



Happy Reading!!

Ratings: 5
Copy: Ebook
Read: May 12 to 15, 2012

Sunday, May 13, 2012

Celebrating Aunt's Birthday

This is a late post, for I've been in the contemplating mood over the Blogger idea since last week, I've nowhere to write what happened during my aunt's birthday. But now, I'm good to go. So let me try, I'll be depending on the pictures below to recall that day.
It was a rainy Thursday afternoon when dad received the text, from my tita, inviting us to come to the Tramway Garden Buffet in Timog, Quezon City to celebrate her birthday. Wow, I've never gotten anywhere in Timog and this is buffet we are talking about so Yes! I'm kind of giddy :) But then my NO-RICE-LESS-GREASY-FOOD-DIET is what's holding me back. Geez, I'm definitely in trouble. So my constant struggle for keeping my diet that day has been put to rest when I saw the food. Damn, those precious gifts from heaven! 
Like I said awhile ago, let the pictures do the talking:


Mom spotted, round two? or maybe three?

Yellow is screaming in this picture.

Spot three reasons why I find this one amusing. 


Happy Birthday Tita Rose!!




I swear the picture doesn't give justice to the food. It's more appealing in the actual.

The bathroom shot never gets old whenever my sister is on the loose.


What a day! Happy Birthday again, Tita Rose and thank you for keeping our stomachs full :) Screw the calories!! 


Sharlaine :)





The Who's Who Part




Yep. I'm a blog mover. Started with Wordpress, spent a few months in Tumblr, even made a Posterous Spaces account and now tadah Blogger!! I can't quite contain my fingers typing for just a single blog platform (GUILTY) so now I'm having a blogger account. Well, to be honest, I've already been a member since 2010 but I stopped from the time I've already signed up and just left my blog in a shade of white. But the good news is....I am reviving this blog of mine and hopefully I'll be contented with Blogger's features that I'll make it my permanent blog site. I'm in the process of customization and I really dread this part (x_x). My creative side is not functioning very well since birth and it's a burden for me to find themes, edit your sidebar, choose a different color for your background blah blah. Ugh, it's a BIG-TIME WASTER; the endless previews just to make sure you picked the right font/color/design. Hate it! 


But with all those rants haha I'm ALMOST done. And I am very grateful to my cousin, Ate Aimee, who've introduced shabbyblogs.com to me. Clap clap to the creative team behind those beautifully designed headers and backgrounds. You made my life a little less stressful.


Oh wait.This post should be about me right? The introductory part, where you'll squeeze your brain to come up with those mind-blowing adjectives for people to know you and be interested to follow your blog. But I am not like that, I won't even use 'Pulchritudinous' to define my appeal, I'll be more comfortable to just use 'cute' instead. HAHA.  Kidding aside, let me finish this post. Here you go: 

(below is a product of the 'copy & paste' trick people are very fond of. :) It's from my Tumblr account)

Blessed with the name Sharlaine B. Salas. Supposedly a second name might have appeared in my birth certificate, ‘Lee’ but my parents thought that the sound will be off if you’ll pronounce my full name continuously. Sounds ‘bisaya’ in our country. try it for yourself haha. read it out loud. 20 years old and still evolving because of God’s immense love for me. Student?, yes of course. Belonged to class 2013 of the Faculty of Pharmacy in University of Santo Tomas. Cravings? i drool over food, books, and i appreciate fashion. Not so much of fashionista but I think I dress appropriately. haha. First five books that came into my mind? now: 
(1) Anna and the French Kiss 
(2) Lola and the Boy Next Door 
(3) Flat-Out Love
(4) Summer Series 
(5) Twilight
Bashing not allowed! I loved all these books and by that no one is under or above each other. Aphorism in life?. There are tons but yeah I'll give you one:
No one can make you feel inferior without your consent. - Eleanor Roosevely
I can’t think of anything more to say. I’m not so good when it comes to the ‘introduction’ thing, I should have warned you. HAHA. 
It would be awesome to have friends in the blogging industry, so just comment, ask or even follow.  Have a Goodreads account? I know you do! Please search me there 'Sharlaine Salas' and let's do the book talking. :)) 
A big ‘THANK YOU’ for letting me consume your time whilst reading this post. Seize the day! I’ll leave you with this one:

“You’ve gotta dance like there’s nobody watching, 

Love like you’ll never be hurt, 

Sing like there’s nobody listening, 

And live like it’s heaven on earth.”
- William W. Purkey

WELCOME TO ME!!


Sharlaine :)