The Harry Potter Book Marathon

So goes my one week vacation (but including my restdays from works, it was a nine day straight out of the office). I spent much of my time at home trying to arrange and re-arrange the things in the living room but have been taking much time in sleeping.

I really did plan something on this vacation but there were things that have came along the way not allowing me to go on with my plan. Dammit though! I arrange this vacation for a special occasion, concerning my Father's death anniversary, since December of 2010. Gees! another of those broken plans.

Anyways, i find time as well to read those books on my shelf and was able to complete reading the whole 7 books of Harry Potter in just a month (March 10 to April 11, 2011). I have read the first 2 books before but i decided to read it again anf go on with the rest of the books in which I find it self-fulfilling that I was happy to finish it in a short period of time despite of me being busy at work sometimes.

What did i gain from that book?

I guess i can't say that i gained something from the book or learned something from it. The thing is, i didn't read it to look for a specific thing that I could apply to my life. All the stories were actually packed with adventure and it gives me a realization that there is a world existing in our imagination and all you need to do is just look at it on a different view such as reading this kind of stuff.

I salute J.K. Rowling though for the wonderful book she have shared. It is worth reading for me and it is worth imagining things like flying brooms, Quidditch and Horcruxes. I even wanted to have some Hocruxes so that I could atleast live 7 lives (which is impossible). Just an FYI, Horcruxes will be introduced on the last movie.

As i have heard, the last Harry Potter movie will be showing on July 2011 and im pretty excited to watch it.

Minus the Virtual World for a Week

“Mercy Mercy Me”




It has been a week when I isolated myself from the virtual world and all I can say is that its worth the chance to live like how I dealt with the day. One week and all I did was bore myself with DVD marathon and music tripping.



I am on my “nth” time watching those Disney Classic fairy-tales-turned-movies. Cinderella, Snow White, Rapunzel (of which was changed to “Tangled”), Anastacia, Sleeping beauty (Aurora, now I can’t forget Sleeping Beauty’s name), The Little Mermaid and some Pixar and Dreamworks cartoon themed movies.



Gees! I can almost memorize the episodes of Glee Season 1 and memorize the lines on “Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks starrer “You’ve Got Mail”. That’s how bored I was when I decided to put the virtual world out of my senses first.



Well, aside from watching movies on DVD and listening to music, I indulged myself on picking up some good read on my shelf. The Little Princess is the book that I am currently reading. Was about to start again Tuesdays with Morrie but I don’t want teary eyed after I read the book. Though I might have already read it but I can’t help myself to grab it still in the future. In the meantime, I am allowing my hands to grab the Princess Sara book.



Just this day, I started to coddle myself with the virtual world thus blogging is what I first think of. No use co’z my fingers typed www.facebook.com first. Gees! Silly fingers!



Anyways, another month will soon pass and we are on the Love month in the next 1 day. Pretty thinking of what to do though. I don’t have any idea yet on how I would spend that special day.

Bob Ong, Mitch Albom and Elizabeth Gilbert and the dancing Johnny Rocket's Crew

Just as planned, me and Wea Olympia, a former office mate turned close friend went for some winding activities after spending boring hours at home and has enough of watching DVD marathon, browsing the virtual world etc. Originally the meeting place was in Trinoma but we decided to met up in Robinson's Galleria. 

I always end up the early bird for met ups. I always wanted not to be late thus the spare time was spent strolling around the mall and doing some window shops but every time I am in front of a book shop, there is always this magnet that brings me inside. 

Scan from shelf to shelf, books to books, volume of books around and none is coming in my mind on what to pick. I then come up to the fiction section of National Bookstore and saw some lights heading my way. Gees! I remembered that I need to get some new books to add on my shelf.

Picking something has not been a problem for me unless I accidentally bumped in the bookstore and left with nothing to think about to pick. IM proud though co'z this time, I completed that books by Bob Ong by picking the latest one out, "Ang Mga  Kaibigan ni Mama Susan". But not only that, Julia Roberts smiled at me when I saw her on Elizabeth Gilbert's "Eat Pray Love" novel. I have already watched the movie and I need a deeper look on how the story goes in the book. I know it was a good watch and I'd say I hope the book can tell me more about the movie.

 

My fascination for books did not stop there though co'z after i grabbed that last copy of Gilbert's, Mitch Albom peeped in and tried to give me some hint that I need another book that he wrote after I purchased the "The Five People You Meet In Heaven". Hmm. I got to pick one and I know I need to have "Tuesdays With Morrie" since I have heard a lot about the book positively recognized. 

The time ended with me having the 3 above books added on my shelf and off to wait for Madam Chimpampu (thats how I call Wea).

I looked for a place to take some smoke break after the hour roaming inside the mall. I went to the smoking area outside the second floor and there I saw this newly opened food shops and restaurants on that floor. 

While puffing some fags, my eyes roamed around the area co'z I feel everything was new to me. And yes, everything and every store were newly established on that floor. Wonder it slipped my mind. Have I not been gone to Robinson's for a long time?

Then goes the 80's pop song "Build Me Up (Buttercup) on my background on a loud aura. I hummed along and sing along with the song only to find out that when I turned my neck to my back, the Johnny Rockets Hamburger Crew where dancing along with the music. At least 5 were on the floor dancing, 2 waitresses, 2 waiters and the manager situated in the middle. Dancing along with that 80s was actually fun to look at. Fun in the sense that they are trying to grab everybody's attention at that wee hour of the afternoon. Hmmm. They are actually cute to look at. 

It was a part of their promotion though as they have just opened that branch on that day.

Tuesdays With Morrie - Mitch Albom

While I was writing this blog, I still can feel how the book touch me emotionally. My tear ducts can explain why I was so moved by this book. The spirit of what the book should tell you surround my whole being. I was deeply touched by this life changing reality based book by Mitch Albom. There have been a lot of things that brought realization and that has opened my inner eyes from the reality about life. Things which are really too simple to think about but we reject to do and live the other way around. Those few simple things that we could have done to negate the norms in a positive way.

I was overwhelmed by that fact that life  is not just about those things we see and those things we have or those things we need to have. Its about learning in the everyday process if you would only take time to see yourself while passing each road to get a deal for your life. 

Mitch Albom has shared his spare knowledge of things that he learned from his coach, Morrie Schwartz. Through this book, millions of lives could learn that there was one time a great person born who shared things in his own perspective but has been leaving a legacy to deal with ourselves own problems with life. This can start a pace for each individual to take a turn and consider things that he or she might read in the book. Reap what you sow, learn from what you will read in this book.

If I have the power to turn back time while I am on this age, I would also like to feel how Morrie Schwartz touch people's live. I would like to spare my time listening to his teaching. I would like to sit with him under that Japanese tree while listening to him. If this is the way to pick up myself by my downfalls, so be it. I would like Morrie to be my Coach, my teacher, my friend, my comrade, my dance partner and my second father.

Dear Mitch,

Thank you for sharing this knowledge spared to you by Morrie. I am starting to see where my weakest and strongest points in my inner self after I read this thesis that you have worked with Morrie. Its has, in some ways, enlightened my mind on how to do with life, deal with love, culture and best of all living not just for the material things. I still cannot forget the way I understand the pain you felt when a good friend left you but with a pride that he has left a lot of things that opted you go on and live the way how you absorbed your Coach's teachings and lessons. If only I have the time to share my life with Morrie too, I would really appreciate the feeling you felt on those times you talk with him.

Thank you for sharing this book. Its is now in my shelf and I would say I m picking this as my number one favorite book.

>Brix<

I hope that you can spare a time reading this book too. See how it would let you feel the real essence of why we are living in this world.

The Book Collection and a Classic Movie : Shakespeare, Mitch Albom, The King and I

The Original Book which Romeo and Juliet was  based

We invaded Trinoma yesterday while waiting for our colleagues thus instead of just sitting in Starbucks and sipping those Toffee Nut Venti coffee, me and Wea walked around and tried to window-shop. Each stall and store caters variety of items but as I have told you, book shops always plays a nice place to pick some things that I can buy worthy for my leisure time. Ten minutes of looking from shelf to shelf, I decided to ask the saleslady for one book that i have been looking for, Mitch Albom's "The Five People You Meet In Heaven". 

After the lady give us the right shelf to pick the book, I picked one copy and jump to another shelf where I saw the Shakespeare books. I have always been fascinated by Shakespeare's literary and so after deciding what to pick, ROMEO and JULIET landed on my hands. 

Now added on my book shelf are these books. But my journey in picking up some good reads will not end here. There are still a lot of books that i want to have a copy of. Shakespeare, Jostein Gaarder, Dan Brown, J.K. Rolling etc etc etc.

Soon I might need some new shelves for my books but in the meantime, while my collection is still incomplete, i got to stick with what i have. 

Reading has been one past time i am into now. I guess the internet is starting to bore me thus I am more on just on updating my blog page. 

The King and I (1956)

Anyways, while I am writing this, a classic movie is playing. This movie seems to popular to all art lovers, unless you despise musical. It has been more than 15 years when I last saw this movie and thanks to technology I was able to download it and soon will have it on CD and file it on my compilation of movies.  

The setting was in Siam, Thailand. The movie was actually played in the big scree in 1956. The King and I is basically one of my favorite musical movie of all times. Superb background, music is great and actors are wonderful. I can't just say simple things about the movie but I really appreciate the art of the movie. 

I believe that there is already a remake of the movie who starred Jodi Foster and Chow Yun Fat,  Anna and The King. Both movies are great but the classic one is what really captured my favorite spot. 

The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien; welcome to my shelf

I was never a fan of the movie Lord of the Rings. Aside from the movie length, dragging scenes can really bore me sometimes. I tried once though to watch it again and this time, I was fascinated with how the story goes and how the characters made the movie worth watching. so it ended with me on the couch for the whole day finishing the 3 parts of the movie. No wonder a lot of my friends have loved the movie.

We all know that LOTR was based of J R R Tolkien's book "The Lord of the Rings" which comes int 3 parts. Some scenes in book were cut in the movie thus its better to read the book again and base the story on what i have watch. 

I'm glad i dropped by "Books for Less" again and saw this 3 books in the shelves. Now, i have this 3 books added on my shelf along with the previous books I have. 

Next target, Shakespeare books at a low price. Vintage and nice.

Book Lover Me or the Book Based Movie 2

Another day when my eyes spotted the "Books for Less" in SM Hypermart. I stroll around and read titles to titles of books in shelves and 5 to-grab-for books landed on my hand. Here are the new books added on my shelf:

Dan Brown's "Da Vinci Code" and "Angels and Demons", Lauren Weisberger's 'The Devil Wears Prada" and Nicholas Sparks' "Message in a Bottle" and "A Walk To Remember".

Tom Hanks starred both on Dan Brown's books if we all still can remember. He played Robert Langdon, the main character on the books, in which his passion about symbols and icons has paved way for him to know more about the different signs, logos and symbols but has put his life on a rough journey to the fact about the faith that we have been living with for centuries now.

Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway played the great roles in "Devil Wears Prada".

Meg Ryan And Bruce Willis played the two lovers in "Message in a Bottle". Their love story started when Meg Ryan threw a bottle in the sea and inside was some sort of a letter. It was found by Bruce Willis and due to curiousity, he tried to look for the one who has thrown and left that message in the bottle.  ANd the rest is history. 

Mandy Moore played the simple Jamie in "A Walk To Remember" and mind you, for girls this is a tear-jerker. It was actually a good movie.

All these are based on some novels and books which can be profounded if we read it rather than watching it. 

These five books costs P845.00 only. Its a good buy rather than picking it in an expensive bookstore.

P.S. 

Harry Potter Books, Josten Gaarder, Mitch Albom are next on my list and im praying to get them before the year ends.

Book Lover Me or the Book Based Movie

It is always my habit to stop by a bookstand or bookstore whenever I am in a mall or in a department store. Reading is one of my passion thus books has an important value in my life. Books can carry me to the scenes that im reading, can let me feel the pain, can put a smile on my face and can give me knowledge about life. 

I never had the chance to do this years ago but since I feel like i can do it now, I am starting to collect novels and books in which are basis of some great movies that we have had seen in the big screen. 

Just recently, before I watch Harry Potter 7: Deathly Hallows in Robinson's Galleria, I passed by "Bestsellers on the 3rd or 4th floor I guess opposite to the movie houses. Ofcourse, I took the chance to glance on some good read. I already ahve some books in my shelf and I guess i need more. 

By that time, lots of volume were on sale but since i still need to consider my budget, I picked up those which are enough to fit my budget. 

These are the books I picked that time: Little Women, The Little Princess and Sense and Sensibility

If you can still remember, the first 2 books above were on our TV screens. Remember Jo and Meg from Little Women? Or Sarah Crewe on the Little Princess? Both of these books were pretty good to me on screen but i guess i need to know more about what were those parts that I miss that i can only read in the book and was not shown on the screen. 

On the other hand, I am always a big fan of Jane Austen. After her Pride and Prejudice book and the famous character "Mr. Darcy" was screened, "Sense and Sensibility" came next which stars Kate Winslet ( I dont know if i got it right or i need to watch the DVD movie again). Jane Austen has always talk about reality and fantasy rolled in one. Both books are on my shelf now and its a worthy read. 

Books Books Books and more books are coming my way