And on the 12th day, she stopped.

So I've basically given up on ever finishing the 30-day challenge which I set out to do ages ago (surprise, surprise). I don't know, I guess it was sort of a phase. I didn't even get to half of it and I grew tired of it already. Or maybe I'm just lazy. 

With that said, I've decided to get back into writing again. And by that, I mean writing about whatever comes to my mind at different moments. For now I'm done with writing through answering questions. So the posts to come after this one will mostly be random musings or probably my attempts to write creatively ☺

Starstruck (Day 12)

Day 12 - Five guys whom you find attractive (another long overdue post, I admit)

(Warning: Before you read any further, I feel that I have to warn you that this post will be extremely girly. You'd probably get super annoyed if you don't like reading about people writing about their celebrity crushes. Okay? Okay. You have been warned, haha.)

Okay, so this will be a really a fun post to make!

I've decided to list 5 Hollywood celebrities whom I find really attractive. Obviously, they are just some of the many good-looking celebrities out there. I just decided to list the first 5 people I thought of. You don't necessarily have to agree with me, but for some reason, they make my list haha. Of course I'm including some photos and some of the reasons why I have celebrity crushes on them, hehe ☺

(Gonna list them from youngest to oldest)

❶ Logan Lerman

Okay where do I even begin? Logan Lerman is definitely my biggest crush!

It's not just because he's really good-looking but because he's such a funny and talented guy too. He acts, he writes, he plays in a band (he knows how to play the guitar and the keyboard) and he directs his own comedy shorts ☺

Also, every time I come across videos or articles of interviews with him, I find myself liking him more and more. He's a self-confessed geek, it's cute ♥ Hahahaha.

In interviews, every time an interviewer asks him about how he deals with all the girl fans out there, he always says that fans will probably be disappointed because he's really shy around girls. (For some reason, I find that adorable.)

Oh and he's just a year older than me!

I swear, the first photo just makes me swoon every time I see it ♡

➋ Alexander Ludwig

So, he's probably not as well-known as the other guys on this list but still, I find him really good-looking. And he's one of the few celebrities close to my age :)) Like Logan, he's also a year older than me.

For those who don't remember, he was Will Stanton in The Seeker: Dark Is Rising. He was such a kid there! And now, of course, he has become more known because of his role as Cato in The Hunger Games movie (will write about this soon!).

I admit, I didn't really have a crush on him when I saw him in Dark Is Rising. He only caught my attention when I came across the news that he had been cast as Cato. I'm a huge fan of the series (read the whole series around 2 years ago) so of course I was intrigued and excited to see if he'd pull it off. If you've watched the movie, I'm sure you'll agree with me when I say he pulled off Cato's cockiness. It was so amusing to watch especially since his role as Will Stanton was so different.

Oh, fun fact! He auditioned for Peeta's role (which Josh Hutcherson eventually got) and then was cast as Cato. I think they made the right choice.

He's a gifted musician as well as an athlete (he water skies, plays basketball, tennis and ice hockey).

Lastly, he is also a model for Abercrombie & Fitch.

Now for the photos! Be as amazed at his transformation as I was ☺

Then (as Will Stanton):

Now:

➌ Zac Efron

Not much needs to be said.

I mean, c'mon. He acts, he can sing and dance, he's a gentleman and he was such a sweet boyfriend to Vanessa.

There just has to be something wrong with him because he's too perfect. It's crazy, haha.

So much photos, I know (how embarrassing hahaha)

➍ James Franco

I have to say, I couldn't decide between James Franco and Ryan Gosling because they're both wonderful. I decided to go with James though because I am in awe at how talented and intelligent this guy is!

First off, he is an amazing actor. Truly. He's been nominated 34 times for various awards (and even for an Oscar!) and he has won 14 of them. He has appeared in an eclectic range of films as well. Lately, he has been trying directing.

Now, like I said earlier, he's extremely intelligent. Can you believe that he once took up 62 course credits in a quarter as compared to the usual 19? And he did this while acting! Many of his colleagues have said in interviews that his ability to focus is incredible.

He is a talented mathematician and even interned at Lockheed Martin. He has a BFA in English from UCLA, 2 MFA degrees (in writing) from Columbia and Brooklyn College, respectively; and a 3rd MFA (in film) from NYU. He also received his undergraduate degree with a GPA over 3.5/4.0. He's currently teaching film for a graduate class, aside from working for his upcoming films.

Oh, he's also a painter. Some of his work was displayed for a time at the Glu Gallery in LA and he had his first European art exhibition in 2011 at Peres Projects in Berlin.

Here are some articles:
http://www.chron.com/life/article/Star-student-Actor-James-Franco-accepted-to-UH-1611305.php
http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2008/12/franco200812

Okay, I know this is a lot of information but c'mon, doesn't it just make your jaw drop? @-)

➎ Orlando Bloom

He is 1/3 of one of my favorite celebrity families. He and Miranda Kerr make such a good-looking couple! And Flynn Bloom has to be one of the cutest celebrity babies ever, aghhh.

I remember seeing how supportive he was of Miranda during the 2011 VS Fashion Show + he's such a sweet husband too (here's an example hihi - http://www.justjared.com/2011/11/04/orlando-bloom-framed-his-love-letters-for-miranda-kerr/#more-680346)

And yes, I've seen some of his interviews. He has such a dorky laugh, it's really adorable :)) It was during one of the times he was on Ellen's show (here's the link - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kz6v5SHpyf0).

He seems like such a nice person and yes, I think he's attractive as well. I mean, c'mon, if a guy can pull off (and really well, I have to say) a long-haired blonde wig, that is really something. Haha.

 

Aren't they such a lovely family? And c'mon, isn't Flynn Bloom such a cutiepie ♡

Meet the Pavinos! (Day 11)

Okay, so this post is really late. Two weeks of not blogging, wow haha! School has just been so crazy and it's like my workload never seems to lessen. 

Well, I really wanted continue so I'm finding the time to write again now. Hopefully I get to post again tomorrow. Anyway, here's day 11! ☺

Day 11 - Your family

My family is amazing. Seriously. I'm so, so thankful that God blessed me with them ☺

I'll start by talking about my parents.

My parents are incredibly loving, patient and hard-working. They definitely gave my sister and I a wonderful childhood. They've always been so supportive of us both and they've never failed to show us how much they love us. They've always put me and Kaye first - always sacrificed and did as much as they could to make us happy. They are just so selfless and it makes me feel like I'm the luckiest girl alive. They've also brought me up to love and respect God above all. I'm grateful because I have a strong foundation of faith, thanks to them.

Another thing I admire so much is how wonderful their marriage has been all these years. Not once have I ever seen them fight or exchange harsh words with one another. They have always treated each other with respect and kindness. They have always remained patient and affectionate with one another as well. Their love for each other is one thing I really hope I get blessed with in the future. It's because of that love that our family has grown closer through the years. It's because of that love that we are happy and content ☺

 

Now, I'll talk about my sister. 

My sister is the best. She's the sweetest and kindest person I know. Ever since we were little, we've never had a major fight. I think the worst we've been through is just tampuhan (and it hasn't ever lasted long). I just find it so hard to stay mad at someone who's always been so loving to me. Every day, she does little acts of kindness that make me feel so special. She puts up with my immaturity and weirdness as well. To be honest, sometimes, I think she should be the older sister. Even though we're 4 years apart, I've always seemed like the younger one because of how serious she is and how immature I am (haha yes, I really am). 

I'll admit, I bully and tease her a lot but I guess it's just how I show my affection to her. It's because I know she understands that's how I really am. She's the only person in the whole world who knows exactly how weird I am. She's the only person in the world I feel completely and truly comfortable around. I don't need to pretend around her at all. There's no need to. 

I love my sister so, so much and I know that I really am blessed to have her. I wouldn't want to replace her with anyone else. And I just know that even when we grow older, we'll always be really close (or hopefully even closer than we are now). I know she's always gonna be there for me and I will always, always be there for her too. Every time she feels unsure of herself, I just want her to realize how great she is. She says she looks up to me but in truth, I look up to her. She's smart, beautiful, sweet, kind, funny and understanding. What more could I ask for in a sister, really ☺

 (Haha ok I'm so cheesy, but it's fine because I know my sister deserves it hehe)

(Isn't she just beautiful? ♡)

The Random 10 (Day 10)

Day 10 - Put your music player on shuffle and write the first ten songs that play

⓵ All We Are - Matt Nathanson
⓶ Gotten - Slash (ft. Adam Levine)
⓷ Friday, I'm In Love - The Cure 
⓸ Good To You - Marianas Trench (ft. Kate Voegele)
⓹ Over - Jimmy Eat World
⓺ Ocean Wide - The Afters
⓻ Constant Conversations - Passion Pit
⓼ Glad - Tyler Hilton
⓽ I'm Ready, I Am - The Format
⓾ Science Of Fear - The Temper Trap

Beyond the books and boards (Day 9)

Day 9 - How important you think education is

I'll start with saying that education is important. 

It's one of the prime factors that affect the growth and progress of any life and nation. It's used to mold minds, enrich talents and gifts, and give people the strength they need to face greater challenges in life. 

However, it's not solely limited to the world of schools, universities, books, teachers and pens. 

Education is the art of learning, itself. 

Academic and scholarly knowledge (like what we get from schools or universities) are just some aspects. We can be educated in the arts and sports, in technology and mechanics, in writing and reading, and more. 

Education is the bridge that leads us away from ignorance. It helps us achieve a higher purpose in our lives. It's not just important; it's also vital and irreplaceable.

It's a privilege that must not be taken for granted. Its importance is highlighted all the more by the fact that not everyone in the world has the resources or luck to obtain it. 

Education is the start or the steppingstone that brings us possible success in the future. However, we must keep in mind that no matter where we receive our education or how much of it we receive, it is always up to us to decide what to do with what we have and how to act because of it. 

Ultimately, our futures will be paved by the decisions we make.

(c) http://pptfresh.com/education/

(Whew, feels like a school essay haha)

Yummy in my tummy (Day 8)

I am so late with this post! I should be on Day 12 already but I didn't have the time to write (yes, I got a bit lazy too). But now, I have some free time so I better get back on track! Will do 2-3 posts today to try and catch up by tomorrow (hopefully) ☺

Day 8 - What you ate today

I'll put what I ate yesterday instead because I've only had one meal so far today :|

Yesterday, my sister and I woke up pretty late for breakfast so we ended up having lunch instead. It was a Sunday yesterday and Sunday lunches at home are always really good. True enough, the food yesterday did not disappoint ☺

I had:

✔ My grandma's special roast chicken

This chicken is amazing! I'm not even exaggerating. Every time my grandma makes this, my mouth always waters with anticipation. It's always so juicy and flavorful. She also makes her own gravy which complements the chicken perfectly.

✔ Sunny side up egg

There were two sunny side up eggs left for me and my sister since we missed breakfast. We decided to eat them during lunch and they were still pretty good. I like putting my egg over my rice and slicing it into small squares there so that the yolk mixes with the rice hehe ☺

✔ Cream of mushroom soup

I don't usually take soup but I guess missing breakfast made me really hungry.

✔ "Frozen banana dessert"

I'm not sure what it was but it was really good. It tasted like bananas frozen in ice cream at first but then I realized it wasn't ice cream. Whatever it was, it sure was delicious!

For dinner:

✔ Pancit canton

Kaye was craving for pancit canton so we just asked our maid to cook this big pack for us. I wanted to try Mo Twister's famous stir-fry recipe because a lot of people have been saying that it makes pancit canton simply divine but I thought we didn't have olive oil in the pantry. It turns out we had one bottle though :| Gonna try the recipe next time!

✔ Banana

Yes, I had a banana again for dessert. This time I sliced it into pieces then I ate it with Laughing Cow Milky Cheese spread. I know, you must be thinking "Bananas and cheese spread?? Ew gross" but it's actually pretty good! It's nothing like Cheez Whiz, don't you worry hahaha ☺ But yeah, I admit that sometimes, I do make the weirdest pairings with food.

Strike five.. You're out! (Day 7)

I'm so late in posting this but who cares, I was busy haha.

Day 7 - Five pet peeves

➊ People who walk really slow in front of you, especially when you're in a crowded area and are in a hurry.

I don't think I need to say more about this. Majority of the people I know hate it when this happens.

➋ People who aren't nice or are just downright rude to waiters, guards, sales clerks and other people who are part of the service industry.

I find it really annoying and also quite sad when I see people treating others badly. It irritates me when they act like they're so much better than them or when they act as though the person serving them/helping them out deserves less. We're all equal, aren't we? So those little things like failing to say thank you, ignoring sales clerks or those people who hand out flyers, failing to say "good morning/afternoon/evening" when the guards tell you that, etc really bothers me. It makes me wish that we all had better manners and knew how to treat people right.

➌ People who talk really loudly during movies.

The main reason this peeves me is that I don't see why you have to talk so loudly that it's already distracting the people next to you. People watch movies because they actually want to see them and enjoy them. 

Imagine watching this really good movie but then the moment gets kind of ruined because some people near you just don't know how to keep it down. You can hear every word they're saying, be it about the movie or not. Wouldn't that be such a bummer? I'm not saying that I want a completely silent movie house though. I just want it to be appropriate to what type of movie I'm seeing, so if it's a comedy then go laugh your ass off. If it's a tearjerker, go ahead and cry. If it's a horror movie, scream away. Just make sure you still follow movie house etiquette ☺

➍ People who don't close the door after going inside the room.

Well I guess this applies specifically to my room. It really annoys me when someone goes inside but either forgets or just doesn't close the door after going in. I don't know why, but it just annoys me so much. One of the reasons is probably because I have to get up (if I'm sitting or lying down) and close the door myself.

➎ When people hover behind you while you're on your laptop/computer.

I'm sorry but this is just exasperating. It's okay to do it when I ask you to look at what I'm typing/reading/looking at but if it's just at random, then it irritates me because I feel like it's an invasion of my personal space. If you're going to look then at least have the decency to ask permission first. 

I sound angry, haha. I'm not. This is just one of those things that really ticks me off, sorry ☺

Music speaks. (Day 6)

Day 6 - Your views on mainstream music (supposedly for Feb 6)

Hmm. Well, I'll start this post by saying that I don't hate mainstream music but, I don't "love love love" it either. 

I enjoy listening to it at times but if you looked at my iTunes, you'd see that I have way more indie/non-mainstream songs as compared to mainstream songs.

I guess it's because for one, I find most indie songs more lyrically beautiful. I'm the type of person who first loves a certain song because of my appreciation for the lyrics. I'm not saying I don't like the lyrics of all the mainstream songs though. There are a number of mainstream songs which are really beautiful as well. It's just that mainstream music lately has been made up of songs that sell because of the artist's fame or because of how catchy they are.

Bottom line is, I think mainstream music is good for those times when you just want to listen, enjoy yourself and have a good time. It's music that makes you feel better because it sort of makes you feel that you belong (since mainstream music does pertain to those songs which the majority are familiar with). Another reason that people enjoy mainstream music is that they love singing along and thinking that "hey, I know this song!". 

The thing that gets tiring with mainstream music is when it becomes overplayed. I mean, imagine listening to a song that doesn't really say much and having to listen to it over and over again. Wouldn't that be irritating? 

The edge that indie music has over mainstream music is that these indie artists are given more freedom when it comes to making their songs. Most mainstream music follows a formula because the main point of mainstream music is to sell. Indie music caters more to the actual art found in it, I guess. 

I am no mainstream snob though. I'll be honest in saying that I have a number of embarrassingly "mega-mainstream" songs in my iTunes. I mean, what's wrong with that? Every once in a while, I do enjoy rocking out to the usual radio tunes and party songs you hear everyday hahah ☺ 

I'll end this post by saying that in my opinion, if you're looking for music that really speaks to you, or music that makes you feel something much much deeper, I think indie music is the way to go ☺

(c) http://themusichideout.wordpress.com/2011/06/11/random-thoughts-life-without-mainstream-music/

Exit (Day 5)

Finally, I'm back on track ☺ (Post for Feb 5)

Day 5 - Things you want to say an ex

Haha how interesting. Anyway, I'll try to keep this short but sincere ☺

Hi, you. I just want to say that I'm sorry for what happened before. I'm sorry for how I dealt with things after everything ended. It was wrong of me to act the way I did and I hope you know that. I ended up hurting not just you but someone else as well. I wish I could take it back but I know that I can't. All I can hope for now is for you to understand that I regret it. I'm the one at fault. And I'm sorry. I ended up losing not only you, but him as my friend too.

I hope you're well and happy. I also hope that things are going great for you there. I'm glad that we tried & eventually handled being friends, even after everything. I'm sorry that that's not really the case now (ever since the last time you left). We're never going to be as close as we used to be and that's understandable. That's the right thing to do, we both agreed. It's good that we're both happy with how things are going with our lives now. I'm still thankful for everything we've been through because it has taught me a lot. And though we don't talk anymore, I'm still always here for you. So I'll end this message here ☺ You take care.

Bang, bang! (Day 4)

Day 4 - Bullet your whole day 

This post was supposed to be about yesterday, February 4 ☺

✪ Fran & I both woke up around 6 AM then we both fell back asleep. Her mom eventually woke us up an hour later.

✪ Started panicking because we were supposed to leave the house at 7. Started rushing about so we wouldn't be that late for our exposure trip.

✪ Ended up leaving her house around 7:45. Her dad and the driver brought us to the LRT Station.

✪ Experienced that really scary and awkward moment when we weren't sure whether we were waiting on the right side of the station. This made us really nervous since we were running late. Thankfully, we were in the right side.

✪ Walked really fast from the LRT Station to the tricycle stand. The line was really long though so I told Fran that I'd rather take a cab and pay extra rather than get left behind.

✪ Arrived in Ateneo around 3 minutes late but then so much other people arrived later than we did.

✪ Our block rode in 2 separate jeeps going to the Malanday, Marikina where our block was assigned for the exposure trip.

✪ Once we got there, we realized just how much kids we were gonna be handling. Instead of the 50 kids that was originally agreed upon, 70+ kids ended up coming.

✪ Had a really fun program that involved a lot of games and even a dance party! The kids were all so energetic and nice. We all had a lot of fun! ☺

✪ Zian and I met this one kid in particular who was just so sweet. His name was John Paul. While he was eating the meal that our block provided, he told me something which really touched me.

John Paul: Buntis si Mama. Na sa bahay lang siya. Titirahan ko na lang siya nito kasi alam ko gutom na gutom na siya. (My mom's pregnant. She's just home. I'll just leave some of this food for her because I know she's really hungry.)

Me: Aww. Ang bait mo naman. Pero ubusin mo na yan! Alam ko di ka pa busog. Dami dami pa niyan eh. Hahanap na lang ako ng extra na pagkain para sa mama mo. Pero ubusin mo yan ha? (Aww. You are so nice. But you have to finish that! I know you're not yet full. There's still so much left. I'll just look for extra food for your mom. Just finish that, okay?)

John Paul: Hindi, okay lang. Bibigay ko na lang kay Mama 'to. Hindi pa siya nag aalmusal eh. (No, it's okay. I'll just give this to my mom. She hasn't had breakfast.)

Me: Wag na, hahanap kami ni Zian ng pagkain, wag ka mag-alala. (Don't, Zian and I will just look for food for her, don't worry.)

John Paul: Sige na nga Ate. Salamat! (Okay fine, thank you!)

Fran ended up giving John Paul the food she was supposed to have for lunch so that he could give it to his mom ☺

✪ We all took so much photos together with John Paul. In fairness, he has model potential because of all the poses he did, hahaha.

✪ We left the place around 11:30.

✪ Once we got back to Ateneo, some of us decided to have lunch together at Flaming Wings, Katipunan.

✪ We rode Zian's pickup truck. It was such a fun ride because the others decided to ride at the back while Zian, Fran & I were the only ones inside.

✪ The ones sitting outside (Choi, TJ, Vern, Joyce, Mikee and Erika) kept on laughing and waving at the cars passing by. Meanwhile, Fran & I were talking to them through the window.

✪ Fran kept on screaming outside and it was extra funny cause she lost her voice the previous night and her voice kept on breaking.

✪ Thankfully the MMDA people outside just looked at us and didn't make the driver stop.

✪ Quick lunch at Flaming Wings.

✪ Rode with Mira and Jake otw home. Stopped by Mira's place before they dropped me at Piazza.

✪ Waited a bit for my driver to pick me up.

✪ Had a 2-hour nap before leaving the house again to fetch my mom and my sister.

✪ After picking them up, we went to Kuya Jo's dress shop to show him the design of the gown that my mom needed to be made for her company awards night on Feb 23.

✪ Passed by Army Navy after and got some food for take-out.

✪ Finally got home and watched TVD S03E13 ♥

✪ Started making those blog posts which I failed to do for 3 days.

✪ Eventually fell asleep.

So yeah, that's pretty much what happened last February 4 ☺

The town was paper but the memories were not. (Day 3)

Day 3 - A book you love (supposedly for Feb 3)

This was both an easy and difficult post to write. Easy, because I love so much books and difficult, because among all those books, I didn't know which one to pick and write about.

So, I ruled out writing about books which are part of series simply because it would be too long a post. I decided to go for novels and in the end, it was a close fight between:

  and 

I ended up choosing Paper Towns simply because I've read it more recently than The Perks of Being A Wallflower. I love both books tremendously though.

Anyway, you'd probably be wondering why I chose this book.

I chose it because I really understood how one of the main characters, Margo Roth Spiegelman, felt. Before talking about that though, I'll just describe (in the best way I can) her character. 

She lived in a small town and she knew that the whole world was just out there, waiting for her. She was an enigma to everyone who knew her. Probably one of the most unpredictable people ever. She did the weirdest and most random things, was always so frank with what she felt and was someone who was always ready for the next big adventure. She didn't really care what other people thought about her either.

This description doesn't do her justice, so I encourage you to read the book to understand her better. Anyway, back to me understanding how she felt. Margo was always off and searching for the next big adventure and in doing so, she left her town frequently and at the most random times. Nobody ever seemed to get her or her intentions. To be honest, I didn't either. I was quite annoyed with her character until I came across this quote:

“It is so hard to leave—until you leave. And then it is the easiest goddamned thing in the world.” 

In that quote, I suddenly understood. Margo was always away because she wanted to leave the town she grew up in because to her, it was a paper town. She knew what she wanted in life yet she was also afraid that's why it took some time before she actually left. 

So much more happens in the book but I won't write about it because I don't want to spoil it for anyone. Instead, I'm gonna end this post by sharing some of my favorite quotes from the book ☺

“What a treacherous thing to believe that a person is more than a person.” 

“Tonight, darling, we are going to right a lot of wrongs. And we are going to wrong some rights. The first shall be last; the last shall be first; the meek shall do some earth-inheriting. But before we can radically reshape the world, we need to shop.” 

“We bring the fucking rain Q, not the scattered showers.” 

“It's more impressive," I said out loud. "From a distance, I mean. You can't see the wear on things, you know? You can't see the rust or the weeds or the paint cracking. You see the place as someone once imagined it.” 

“At some point, you gotta stop looking up at the sky, or one of these days you'll look back down and see that you floated away, too.”

“The fundamental mistake I had always made - and that she had, in fairness, always led me to make - was this: Margo was not a miracle. She was not an adventure. She was not a fine and precious thing. She was a girl.” 

“I leave, and the leaving is so exhilarating I know I can never go back. But then what? Do I just keep leaving places, and leaving them, and leaving them, tramping a perpetual journey?” 

“My heart is really pounding," I said. 

"That's how you know you're having fun," Margo said.” 

“Here’s what’s not beautiful about it: from here, you can’t see the rust or the cracked paint or whatever, but you can tell what the place really is. You see how fake it all is. It’s not even hard enough to be made out of plastic. It’s a paper town. I mean look at it, Q: look at all those cul-de-sacs, those streets that turn in on themselves, all the houses that were built to fall apart. All those paper people living in their paper towns, burning the future to stay warm. All the paper kids drinking beer some bum bought for them at the paper convenience store. Everyone demented with the mania of owning things. All the things paper-thin and paper-frail. And all the people, too. I’ve lived here for eighteen years and I have never once in my life come across anyone who cares about anything that matters.” 

“Of course he is. You know your problem, Quentin? You keep expecting people not to be themselves. I mean, I could hate you for being massively unpunctual and for never being interested in anything other than Margo Roth Spiegelman, and for, like, never asking me about how it’s going with my girlfriend—but I don’t give a shit, man, because you’re you. My parents have a shit ton of black Santas, but that’s okay. They’re them. I’m too obsessed with a reference Web site to answer my phone sometimes when my friends call, or my girlfriend. That’s okay, too. That’s me. You like me anyway. And I like you. You’re funny, and you’re smart, and you may show up late, but you always show up eventually.” 

“I can almost imagine a happiness without her, the ability to let her go, to feel our roots are connected even if I never see that leaf of grass again.”

“Yeah, so if that guy can make it in drunk, surely we can make it in sober. I mean, we’re ninjas.”

“Well, maybe you’re a ninja,” I said.

“You’re just a really loud, awkward ninja,” Margo said, “but we are both ninjas.”

 "I wanted to tell her that the pleasure for me wasn’t planning or doing or leaving; the pleasure was in seeing our strings cross and separate and then come back together."

I hope this post somehow encourages you to read this book! ☺

Choices are what make us. (Day 2)

Day 2 - Something you feel strongly about (supposedly for Feb 2)

Okay this was a hard post to make because I couldn't understand what I had to write about. Something I feel strongly about.. What does that even mean? It took me quite awhile but then I eventually understood it. I feel strongly about some things but what I want to talk about now is --

Choices.

The idea of choices. 

I feel that the choices we make are what lead us to where we are supposed to end up. There are times when I'd like to think that we all have our own destinies and that everything that happens always does for a reason. That we should just wait and see where life takes us. 

But then, don't you think that's such a lazy way to live life? That we'd all just leave everything to chance and let the "fates" decide? In the end, I really believe that it's a matter of choices and the decisions we make. We end up exactly where we are supposed to end up because it is our choices that lead us there. It is our choices which show us the sort of people that we've become. It is in our choices that we see how much we've changed as well. 

All the decisions we make hold so much power and sometimes we don't even realize it. 

A decision we make right now could end up affecting us so much in the future. This is why we shouldn't take the freedom of making our own choices for granted. Heck, not everyone is even blessed with that freedom! 

Can you imagine what it would be like if other people always had to choose for us? We would end up settling and not getting what we want. Isn't that just a sad thought? It's like someone else gets to live our life for us.

Being blessed with this freedom comes with responsibility. We're trusted with this freedom because it affects our lives so much. By making the wrong choices, we end up moving further and further away from where we are meant to be.

(c) http://www.thechoicedrivenlife.com/7-tips-on-how-to-make-choices/

So at the end of the day, try asking yourself - Did you make the right choice?

5 Little Things (Day 1)

Okay, I know that last January 31 I said that I would try doing a 30-day challenge and I was supposed to start the next day, but then I didn't have time to do it. I haven't had the time to update my blog for 3 days actually. So tonight, I'm gonna post those 3 blogs which I wasn't able to do + my blog for today. Bear with me please hehe ☺

Day 1 - Five ways to win your heart

Wow, what an interesting start to this 30 day challenge hahaha ☺ There are a lot of things that I find appealing or definite turn-ons but the 5 things I'm gonna list now (in no particular order regarding importance) are those traits/characteristics which popped into my head first. I guess that just means that these traits/characteristics are some of those which I value the most.

① Having the ability to make me laugh. 

     ✈ This is definitely important to me because I'm someone who always enjoys a good laugh. I always appreciate it when someone makes the effort to cheer me up or make me happy. It actually doesn't take that much to achieve that because I'm someone who thinks that it's the little things that matter ☺ Just knowing that I could have someone who would never fail to make me smile at the end of the day or make me laugh till my sides hurt - that's something I would really treasure.

(c) http://www.visualphotos.com/image/2x4109790/

② Being able to carry a good conversation.

     ✈ This. Honestly, I can't stand it when I talk to someone and we end up talking about nothing really. I really hate having conversations which are just made up of overused fillers like "What are you doing?" or "Are you hungry?" or "Are you sleepy?" and you get the gist.. 

I enjoy having conversations with substance. It doesn't mean that we have to talk about serious things all the time. What I mean is that those conversations that we have should be those which help us just learn about each other more and more. It should be a conversation that has direction and it doesn't die out and end up in an awkward silence. I mean, I don't really care what the topic is about. What I care about is if I feel (after having that particular conversation) that I've learned more about this person I'm talking to. That's what a good conversation is for me. 

(c) http://www.pasiones.es/el-poder-de-las-palabras/

③ Being someone who has a love for food. 

     ✈ I know, it sounds pretty vague. I mean, who doesn't love food? I'm sure almost everyone does. (Those who don't, all I have to say is.. WHY?) Anyway, I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm someone who would be willing to spend one whole day just trying out different kinds of food. I'm super adventurous when it comes to it. I don't know, food just interests me so much. This is gonna make me sound like such a fatty but, if you suddenly want to surprise me and you want to be sure that it'll make me happy, then I gotta tell you that food is the way to go. Really. Oh and if you know how to cook, that would such a big bonus. Hahaha ☺

(c) http://www.123rf.com/photo_6101587.html

④ Being someone who loves being around his family and who has a good relationship with them.

     ✈ What can I say? Family is very important to me. I can't imagine being with someone who isn't family-oriented or who doesn't like being with his family. I'm very close to mine and the way I was brought up is definitely the way I would want to bring up my own kids. Truth be told, I believe in the idea of falling in love and being with someone because you know that that's someone you want to marry someday. You don't fall in love and think that "Okay, one day we're going to break up". I mean, what's the point of that? You fall in love but you know that you don't want to marry the person? Then that's not love but just infatuation. The reason I brought this up is that I hope that the next person I fall in love with is someone I would want to marry someday, at the right time. And that person should value family because I would want to be able to raise a family with someone who values it as much as I do. Another thing is I value my family's say when it comes to different matters concerning my life. I trust their judgment because I know that everything they do is for my own good and happiness. Knowing that the person I'm with also feels the same about his family is something that would make me feel safe. It's that thought that would also make me feel like I made the right choice.

(c) http://www.fbcba.org/index.cfm?id=19

⑤ Having a good relationship with God.

     ✈ Lastly, I want to be with someone who loves God as much or even more than I do. I want to be with someone who can make me a better person each day and I believe that that can only happen if you have a good relationship with God. My parents raised me to put God above everything else and though I struggle a lot with that (even more so now; I'm really trying to be better though), I want to be with someone who helps me strengthen my faith in Him. At the end of the day, God always does what's best for us. I want to be able to give back to Him and thank Him for all that. To do that, I need someone who knows how important that is.

(c) http://www.123rf.com/stock-photo/praying.html

So there, those are 5 ways to win my heart (ugh that sounds so cheesy & corny .___. but yeah, that was the challenge for day 1 hahaha)☺ 

I hope that even though my blog was kinda chatty, it still made sense ☺