Book Review 9: Spring Moon

Book Title: Spring Moon

Author: Bettebao Lord

Genre: Historical Fiction/ Angst

Number of Pages:  571

Personal Rating: 6/10 

Reading Difficulty: Medium (3/5)

Book Summary:

In a world gone forever, at a time of mystery and cruelty, in an ancient land of breathtaking beauty and exotic surprise.... Here, you will discover Spring Moon, pampered child of a noble house, privileged daughter of destiny, a courageous woman who triumphs over her world's ultimate tragedy...

Behind the garden walls of the House of Chang, Spring Moon is born into luxury and privilege. But the tempests of change sweep her into a new world-- one of hardship, turmoil and heartbreak, one that threatens to destroy her husband, her family, and her darkest secret love. Through a tumultuous lifetime, Spring Moon must cling to her honor, to the memory of a time gone by-- and to a destiny foretold at her birth, that has yet to be fulfilled.

Personal Insights:

Most books involving Chinese history that I have read are so depressing-- like Amy Tan's books, Jung Chang's "Wild Swans," and especially the book called "Rape of Nanking." These books contain gory details from Chinese history with themes like persecution, oppression,lack of freedom, injustice, etc.... I hope you get my drift. This book is no exception; it followed the pattern quite well so if you're looking for a 'feel-good' book, this is definitely not for you. 

I know that the book summary is quite vague, and this is the reason why I stalled reading this book because it sounded so cheesy, especially the names of the characters! I mean, hello~? Spring Moon? Seriously?It sounded like something out of a cheap romance novel where the characters have these aliases and such. But then, I realized that the author probably used the English translation of the elegant Chinese names so my repulsion to the book's summary somehow lessened and I eventually started reading it. 

The opening story of the book is very captivating. It started out with Spring Moon's childhood in her clan's home. Spring Moon is the focus of this story. The opening story gave a glimpse of how well off Spring Moon's family is considering that they are nobles, similar to the status of feudal lords. In the start, Spring Moon is depicted as a very strong- willed and outspoken little girl. Her servant (see how rich she is!) was about to get married off to a family friend and seeing how distraught the servant is, she attempted to convince her family to stop the arranged marriage. Obviously, her pleas were not heard by her stoic and traditional family. In the end of the first chapter, it was shown that they should have listened to Spring Moon because the servant committed suicide instead of doing her duty to the clan.The clan of Chang was shamed.

As I have mentioned, the opening story of the book is very interesting and captivating. It was enough to propel me to read further, but as the story progressed, I started becoming bored-- until the end. After the first chapter, Spring Moon is shown interacting with the various members of the clan then she gets married, becomes widowed, gives birth, abused by her mother-in-law,  commits an incestuous act, gives birth again, etc. After these events, the story loses its focus on Spring Moon and starts to look into Spring Moon's daughter, Lustrous Jade's revolutionary acts to help change the political climate in China.

Generally, I like the way it was written because it is so flowery and poetic that it oozes a sense of nobility. Most of the dialogue contains 'quotable quotes' because they are full of moral lessons that is characteristic of a Chinese story. The character development is also very great as well as their interaction with one another. You can clearly see the changes in the character,;they are not static at all unlike some stories where the character's personality remains the same until the end! For instance, Spring Moon is depicted as a mischievous child then she turns into a prim lady and eventually becomes  a strict and traditional Chinese mother. It is evident that the book remained true to its promise of showing the 5 generations of the Chang clan's rise and fall.

Another positive thing that I noticed in the book is that it provides really interesting short stories contained in a single narrative. For example, the story is all about Spring Moon, but it also explores the short history of some characters like the deaf and mute servant that she took in-- this girl had a very morbid story to tell. She saw her mother and father decapitated in front of her and how she tried muffling the screams of her baby brother with mud, which led to his death through suffocation... Behind the beauty of the story's written words lies unimaginable stories of terror like this one.

In the negative side however, I noticed that there's something queer about this story. The book is long with its 571 pages and that's understandable because it tells the story of a Chinese family and its five generations. It provides a complete profile of the family, but the ending is a little vague, much like its summary. My reaction when I finished reading it was literally, "Huh?Yun na yun?So, ano nga nangyari?" Even after I tried rereading the last parts of the book, I still did not get it so I consulted with my cousin who lent me the book. She said that the ending is really supposed to be like that, and the focus is the death of nobility in China. 

All in all, I liked this book, but compared to other Chinese stories that spans across different generations, I will have to say that I favor the other ones especially Jung Chang's "Wild Swans," which is one of the most unforgettable books I have ever read. This is good, but not THAT good. 

Favorite Excerpts:

The higher type of man seeks all that he desires in himself; the inferior man seeks all that he desires from others.-- Sterling Talent

What harm is there in dreaming, if it eases pain? What good is reality, if it blots out hope? Can a man's mind be washed without bleaching his soul? -- Bold Talent

The young see what they wish to see... The old see what they do not wish.-- The Matriarch

I did not know that heroes must be unhappy!-- Lustrous Jade

My daughter, you cannot have without giving. That would be unworthy. You are a child. Someday you will be a person of character.-- Spring Moon

Life is a paradox the gods have fashioned for mortals to play at being gods.-- The Matriarch

Mother, can you not understand that their ignorance keeps them from from a more productive and godly life? You say I should stop. But if you saw a person drink from a poisoned cup, would you not try to stop him? Especially if that person were as helpless as one who cannot hear or speak or see?-- Lustrous Jade

One dream come true in a lifetime is already a bounty from the gods. Dream on, and you will be disappointed.-- Spring Moon

One-- The Cosmos. Divided becomes One, Two-- Yin, Yang. Opposites that form the Whole. One, two, three, four, five Seasons: Spring, Summer, Mid- year, Autumn, Winter. One, two, three, four, five Directions: East, South, Center, West, North. One, two, three, four, five Elements: Earth, that gives birth to Wood, which is cut by Metal, that melts with Fire, which is extinguished by Water, that is damned by Earth.... -- Bold Talent

If mortals wait until the gods remake the world to their liking to be happy, they are already in hell.-- August Winds

There is a season for sun, another for shadow. A season to sing, another to be silent. And, in all seasons, parting and reunion. In yielding, we are like the water, by nature placid, conforming to the hollow of the smallest hand; in time, shaping even the mountain to its will. Thus we keep duty and honor. We cherish clan and civilization. We are Chinese.-- Spring Moon

Mortals should be content, lest they arouse the jealousy of the gods.-- Spring Moon

Book Review 8: The White Queen

Book Title: The White Queen

Author: Philippa Gregory

Price: P315.00 (Fully Booked)

Genre: Historical Fiction

Number of Pages:  529

Personal Rating: 7/10 

Reading Difficulty: Medium (3/5)

Book Summary:

Brother turns on brother.

The throne of England is at stake.

The deadly Wars of the Roses have begun...

They ruled England before the Tudors,a nd now internationally bestselling author Philippa Gregory brings the Plantagenets to life through the dramatic and intimate stories of the secret players; the indomitable women.

Elizabeth Woodville, a woman of extraordinary beauty and ambition, secretly marries the newly crowned boy king. While she rises to the demands of her exalted position and fights for the success of her family, her two sons become the central figures in a famous unsolved mystery that has confounded historians for centuries: the lost princes in the Tower of London. Philippa Gregory brings the artistry and intellect of a master writer and storyteller to a new era and begins what is sure to be another bestselling classic series. 

Personal Insights:

Even though you haven't read this story yet, I am sure that you already know the 'two little princes of the tower.' If you're familiar with the Tower of London and its ghosts then you'd certainly know about this pair. These two boys, Prince Edward (12 years old) and Prince Richard (10 years old) are two well known ghosts of the tower. They had a tragic story while they  were alive. They were placed under the custody of their uncle Richard, Duke of Gloucester, upon the death of their father. Prince Edward was about to assume the position as king but instead of bringing him to the coronation, he was brought to the Tower of London instead. Some time after that, his brother Richard was also brought there (though there are speculations that he could have been hidden by his mother).

After several months, he and his brother were proclaimed missing so their uncle Richard ascended the throne. The next time they were seen, they were already ghosts. Obviously, there's foul play in here, but the suspect is still not determined until now--  is it their uncle Richard who became king Richard III or is it the latter king, King Henry Tudor VII. One thing is for sure: they indeed died in the tower since in 1674, there were bones of two children found in the bottom of a staircase leading to the chapel. 

The two princes of the tower. (Image from Wikipedia)

Sooo~ Enough about the boys. 

Let's talk about the protagonist of the book's story, their mother Elizabeth. 

Elizabeth is described as being a great beauty, 'the most beautiful woman in the island of Britain.' She was originally married to Sir John Grey and had two sons with him. Sir John, a supporter of the House of Lancasters (Red Rose), died during a battle against the House of Yorks (White Rose). The novel started with Elizabeth, wanting to restore her husband's lands. She sought help from the boy Edward  from the House of York whom she surmised would be the next king. Though Edward is known for his philandering nature, he was taken aback by Elizabeth's beauty during their first meeting. Again and again, he tempted the widowed woman to bed with him, but the latter would not agree to sleep with him since they are not married. In fact, Elizabeth even attempted to commit suicide if ever Edward did try to pursue her forcefully.


Elizabeth feared that Edward would not help her fight for her land because of her refusal to sleep with him, but it seems that Edward truly did fall in love with her for he asked her to marry him-- in secret. Elizabeth was accused of being a whore by her own family upon knowing that she slept with Edward. They claimed that 'secret marriage' was one of the cheap tricks that Edward used to persuade girls to sleep with him. Though anxious and hurt by her family's accusations, Elizabeth still harbored great feelings of love for Edward and continued to believe in him. In time, her loyalty  and trust for Edward awarded her the greatest title that could be bestowed upon a British woman; she is now known as "Queen Elizabeth" of the House of York. 


Rising to the top however, was not easy especially for Elizabeth who was born a commoner to a family who supported the House of Lancasters. Naturally, she found enemies within the king's court especially in the person of Richard Neville, "The Kingmaker." After being married to the King of England and bearing him children, Elizabeth soon found that being Queen in a land torn by a cousin's war is not a desirable position to hold especially when it meant that all her loved ones-- from her dearly beloved husband to her little prince sons-- were to be taken from her. This is a story of a woman caught in a difficult position and surrounded with treachery, despair, and death.   

So, what are my thoughts for this book? 

So far, I have only read three books of Philippa Gregory, and I find all of them page turners. It is true that Philippa Gregory is a master of story telling. Her works are well- researched and the flow of her story's plot is so fluid. I'd also like to add that this book has a unique feature, She added a sense of 'magical realism' to it. Back then, magic and witchcraft is forbidden, but she implied that Elizabeth and her mother are indeed great witches descended from the line of the water goddess Melusine. Elizabeth's enemies like Richard Neville's accusations of her being a witch may seem unfounded in real history, but Philippa presented another side-- what if she really did practice the black arts?

What I appreciate most about Philippa Gregory's style is the way she weaves fabricated stories into accepted historical facts. For example, she implied in this story that the younger prince, Richard, did not go to the Tower of London. In her story, Queen Elizabeth purportedly hid Prince Richard among the commoners so that in due time, Prince Richard could come back and win his father's throne back. The way she implied this and the way she inserted it in the story's time line is pure genius!


You can see that I highly appreciate this book, but if you'll ask me if I enjoyed reading it, I'll probably say "No." True, I think that Philippa Gregory is a great author, there are no qualms about that. But out of all her books that I read, I can't say that I "enjoyed" reading them. I've read a lot of books about the Tudor family, which I really love and I have to say that I find them better than Philippa Gregory's accounts. Their plot and the way it was written may not be as good as Philippa's, but it's easier to relate to the characters as written by authors like Carolyn Meyer or Laurien Garnder. Even though I did not find reading her books pleasurable, I would still continue to patronize the books that Philippa Gregory has written simply to appreciate her way of writing. 


So, would I recommend this book? Yes, because if you love the Tudors and their predecessors (the Plantagenets), you'll not find novels /series as complete as Philippa Gregory offers. But, I would advise you to also read books on the Tudors by other authors so you could compare.

Favorite Excerpts:

A man will always promise more than he could do to a woman he cannot understand. 

It is easier to take a country into war than to bring it to live at peace.- Elizabeth

It is not cowardice to get away from an enemy.-- Elizabeth

I never thought I was marrying an ordinary man, with moderate appetites. I never expected a marriage where he would sit quietly at my feet. He is the king; he is bound to go his own way.-- Elizabeth

We are all precious and we all have to live a life with risk.-- Anthony

Like any mean, ambitious man, he counts his losses more than his gains.-- Elizabeth

Only fools wait when their enemies are coming, to see if they may prove to be friends. -- Elizabeth

For sure, she (Margaret Beaufort- Stanley)is an unreliable friend and a doubtful ally. She seems to know everything, she seems to do nothing, and she is never punished.-- Elizabeth

Queridas ni Jose Rizal: Love and Sex in Philippine History

Whoever said history is boring? 

It is NOT--  especially if your teacher is the great Rizal historian, Mr. Ambeth Ocampo. I attended an interesting seminar of his at Ayala Museum last Saturday, September 11, 2011 entitled "Queridas ni Jose Rizal: Love and Sex in Philippine History." So, what's it all about? Precisely what the title says; about his queridas. 

Now, you may be thinking of querida as a bad thing. After all, in Filipino culture, querida is usually attributed to qualities of being a 'kabit' or 'mistress.' This is not true though because that is not the authentic description of the Spanish word 'querida.' It simply means lover or beloved so more or less, the seminar explored the women whom Rizal had a relationship with and other chismis about him. 

Let's start with the juicy chismis. Supposedly, there are two rumors that are quite widespread about him even though I have not personally heard of it prior to the seminar. The first rumor is that Jose Rizal is the father of Hitler. When Mr. Ambeth Ocampo first mentioned that, my face was literally like this: (=|). I mean, seriously? The rumor started because of the character "Maria Clara" in the novel Noli Me Tangere. Some people have speculated that he named this character this way as acknowledgment of Hitler's mother whose name is Clara. Sounds unreliable and totally cuckoo right? That's what I thought at first also, but you know, it's not entirely impossible since Rizal DID travel a lot back then so he might have encountered Hitler's mother along the way. But, Mr. Ocampo explained that this malicious rumor could not have been true since he traced Rizal's itinerary back in the time of Clara's conception of Hitler. At that time, Rizal was somewhere in London while Hitler's mother, Clara, was working at a hotel in Austria. 

The second rumor is even more disturbing-- they say that Jose Rizal is Jack the Ripper. If I was left speechless with the first rumor, my expression for this one is this: (0.0). Again, I was left screaming (well, in my mind anyway) SERIOUSLY???  The rumor started because Rizal was somewhere in London at that time. To those who do not know who Jack the Ripper is, he is a notorious killer of prostitutes around the White Chapel area using a scalpel. Thus, their suspects at that time were doctors and people who had knowledge of medical procedures, which is both applicable to Dr. Jose Rizal. Therefore, this rumor's not entirely baseless. To strengthen this rumor, they found Dr. Jose Rizal's notebook as a medical student and inside, there were illustrations of women whose breasts are cut off-- something that the sadistic Jack the Ripper could have and would have done to his victims. I can't remember what he said to disprove the rumor that Jose Rizal is Jack the Ripper, but I remember two funny anecdotes from this discussion. First, one of his students said that people have not seen the most obvious clue that Jose Rizal is Jack the Ripper. The student said that we just have to look at Jose Rizal's initials. JR for Jack the Ripper! HAHA! That was a very witty student. Another funny anecdote is that aside from the illustration of the woman-whose-breasts-are-cut-off-and-sewn-together-again in Rizal's notebook, he also drew a LOT of penises. 0_0 Rizal, why do you have a fixation on the phallus?!

So, moving on to the main discussion, Rizal had around 12 or 13 confirmed queridas whereas we were only taught that he had around 6 during History classes. Surprising isn't it? Well, it seems that the history being taught to us is not so accurate since a lot of details which could smear the reputation of our national hero has been expunged. It's sad that our history is being edited, but I guess, I see the authorities' POV also since our hero should be reputable and all that jazz. Because of this, I'm glad that I was able to attend this seminar so that I could learn of some slivers of truth!

So, what were my most important learnings from the queridas of Jose Rizal? First, he's a real heart breaker. He promised Segunda Katigbak that he would bring her to Calamba (which could be an indirect marriage proposal), but he turned around at the last second, leaving Segunda to her fate as the future bride of her uncle. Second, he was not married to Leonora Rivera because they are cousins, which is incest. Third, he spent nights with prostitutes.  Yes, Rizal is a man who sometimes gives in to temptations. In fact, some of his queridas could have been prostitutes like my next point. Fourth, O- Sei- san, his Japanese girlfriend,could possibly not have belonged to a 'reputable' Samurai family. In short, she could also have been a prostitute since no lady from a 'reputable' family would be walking around in a park, picking up strange men (Ocampo, 2011). Fifth, Josephine Bracken could have been molested by her stepfather. Her stepfather could have been going blind because of Syphilis and not of cataract. They may not have had sexual contact so "Peter," the stillborn son of Josephin Bracken, could possibly not have been Jose Rizal's son. So there. These are my most important learnings. The other women, I don't remember anymore other than "Orang," "Neli" and the "Butterfly Lady." They were not serious relationships anyway. 

So, other than these facts, I also learned other more surprising stories. One of these is that  Juan Luna killed his wife and mother-in-law. Our history says that it's an accident, a crime passionel, (french term for crimes of passion, which was accepted by the judge as a valid reason to say that a person is not guilty of killing a lover) but police reports back in that time show that it could have been intentional. What happened anyway? Juan and his wife had a violent fight. The wife and mother-in-law locked themselves inside a bathroom to avoid the enraged Juan Luna. Reportedly, Juan Luna "shot the door knob to open the door and accidentally hit his wife AND mother- in- law." This is where the strangeness comes in. Why were both dead when he only fired once? Also, if he 'accidentally' shot his wife and mother-in-law, it should have hit them at the back or somewhere else, but nooo~ The bullets hit them at the back of the head. Is this an accident or not? You decide. Our history's distorted anyway. Another interesting fact I learned from this seminar is that Jose Rizal's sister wiped 12 handkerchiefs in Jose Rizal's blood puddle after his execution and these 12 are missing save for one whose descendant's yaya washed it off. ARGH HER! She just ruined the DNA of Jose Rizal! 

SEE! This seminar's so awesome! The rumors are not dismissed so easily even though they're strange! Anyway, I'm sorry if my thoughts are not so organized. It's like I have 'flight of ideas,' but I'm assuring you that I DO NOT HAVE that psychotic symptom. It's just that I found the seminar so awesome that I can't stop gushing about it! Anyway, I hope to attend another of his seminar this coming November 19, which explores the reason why Jose Rizal did not settle down and get married. Mr. Ambeth Ocampo left a clue: Jose Rizal may be in love with his mother and might be having some problems with his Oedipal complex conflict. Interesting, right? =D 

Book Review 7: Zipporah, Wife of Moses

Book Title: Zipporah, Wife of Moses

Author: Mark Halter 

Price: P165.00 (National Bookstore, Hardbound for Sale)

Genre: Historical Fiction

Number of Pages:  270

Personal Rating: 7/10 

Reading Difficulty: Medium (3/5)

Book Summary (Inside book cover)

In the time of the Pharaoh, a tiny infant is rescued from the banks of the Red Sea. She is named Zipporah, "the little bird." Although she is a Cushite by birth-- one of the black people of the lands to the south-- she is taken in by Jethro, high priest and sage of the Midianites. Jethro adores his adopted daughter, and she is an honored member of his family. But the blackness of Zipporah's skin sets her apart and will decide her future: she is an outsider, and the men of her adopted tribe will not want her as a wife.

But when she becomes a young woman, Zipporah's destiny changes forever. While drawing water at a well one day, she meets a handsome young man, a stranger. Like her, he is an outsider, a foreigner. His name is Moses. A Hebrew raised in the house of the Pharaoh, Moses is a fugitive, forced to flee his homeland of Egypt after murdering one of the Pharaoh's cruel overseers. Zipporah knows almost immediately that this man will be the husband and partner she never thought she would have.

At first Moses wants nothing more than a peaceful life with the Midianites. He is content in his role as Zipporah's lover and the honorary son of Jethro the sage. But Zipporah refuses to let Moses forget his past or turn away from what she believes to be his true destiny. Although he is the love of her life and the father of her children, Zipporah won't marry Moses until he agrees to return to Egypt to free his people. When God reveals himself to Moses in the burning bush, his words echo Zipporah's, and Moses returns to Egypt with Zipporah by his side. A passionate lover and a generous, thoughtful wife, Zipporah becomes the guiding force in Moses' struggle. With the help of her powerful father, she teaches the rebellious young man about the rule of law and the force of justice. Because of Zipporah-- the outsider, the black- skinned woman-- Moses becomes a defender of the oppressed and the liberator of the enslaved. 

A woman ahead of her time, Zipporah leaps from the pages of this remarkable novel. Bold, independent, and a true survivor, she is a captivating heroine, and her world of desserts, temples, and ancient wonders is a fitting backdrop to an epic tale.

Personal thoughts

I read this book upon the recommendation of my cousin. Seeing that I was too immersed in reading historical novels based in Europe, I decided to have a go at this to have a 'breath of fresh air.' By doing that, I learned a great deal about Moses and the other characters that revolved around him, especially his great wife, Zipporah the Cushite.

As we all know, Moses is the adopted son of a pharaoh who eventually killed an Egyptian overseer, forcing him to go to another place. Zipporah enters the picture in this scene as described in the book summary above. Both of them are immediately drawn towards one another, which is the start of their great, but tumultuous love story where I learned a lot of things from. 

First of all, I learned that Zipporah is one of the greatest influences in Moses' life in terms of him finding enough courage to do God's will. Without her coaxing, Moses wouldn't have gone back to Egypt to fulfill his role. Second, I've seen that there are theories that Queen Hatshepsut could be the Egyptian pharaoh who took Moses out of the water and became his mother. This shocked me the most since I've read some books about Hatshepsut and I never suspected that she could be the mother of Moses; all of this is just speculation of course since the name of Moses' mother was not really mentioned. It's just that, it never crossed my mind that historical facts that I'm aware of can really coincide with the biblical plot. The third learning that I garnered from this book is that Moses really made big sacrifices to do his duty, which was really heartbreaking. This is a spoiler so you can skip the last sentence if you want... I'm just saddened by the fact that Moses' two sons died of a stampede caused by his own people and that Zipporah was murdered leaving him all alone. To add salt to his injury, his two siblings were depicted as power- hungry individuals in this book so Moses really died as a lonely man...

So as you can see, I did have several learnings from this book which  I really appreciate. Other than that though, I also have a certain appreciation for this book because it was good at echoing the personality of each of the characters involved especially Zipporah. You wouldn't have guessed that the author was male when you see how he delved into the feelings of Zipporah.! Mark Halter's writing style definitely deserves an applause... This is one of those rare books where the reader can readily assume the character of the protagonist! He was really consistent in terms of putting into writing what Zipporah could have been thinking and feeling at that time... And, he did it effortlessly unlike other writers who try too hard! So, would I recommend this book? Yes, but only to those interested in stories like these otherwise, you might get bored easily.

 

Favorite Excerpts

Words also become stones if you throw them too hard.-- Jethro

A man who has killed another man can lie to conceal his sin. But a man who confesses his murder without anyone asking him-- why would he lie? His confession prove he has a strong sense of justice that won't allow him to lie.-- Jethro

Nobody knows doe certain what dreams tell us. They come to us at night and there is something dark about them. But they can also be as blinding as the brightest sunlight. The wise men says, 'Live your dream in sleep, but do not let your life become a sleep.'-- Jethro

The moment I saw her, may your god strike me dead if I lie, my one hope was to have her become the woman I spend my days and nights with. Whenever she looks at me, I feel confident. When she's by my side, not even the iciest of winds give me gooseflesh. As soon as she's far from me, I feel cold and weak. My sleep is filled with nightmares, so I spend my nights with my eyes open, thinking about her-- Moses

There are always many reasons not to do what we fear. Often they seem like wise reasons. But anything bred by fear is always evil.-- Zipporah

Why assert today what may prove false tomorrow? Life is made of time and so is love.-- Jethro

Ehye asher ehye. I am that I am.-- Yahweh

Anxiety is making you unjust, and injustice heals no wounds.-- Yokeved

Freedom is like water at the bottom of the well. We must learn to bring it out into the light of the day, and then we must learn to drink it.-- Moses

Who though will remember Zipporah, the black woman, the Cushite? Who will remember what she accomplished? Who will speak her name? May this book serve as her humble tomb.-- Mark Halter, book author

Becoming an Adult

I'm writing this blog because I am officially an adult now. I'm already 21 years old. Yay? I don't know if I should be happy since I know that my carefree childhood days are now over. But, with all the responsibility that I now have to carry, I did come upon several insightful thoughts, which I want to share. I am proud that I got to this age without making any 'mistakes' or having any problems that my age group usually encounter around this time. So, what am I talking about? I'm talking about vices.

Alcohol.

Smoking.

Drugs.

Sex.

I'm not saying I'm saintly or perfect; nobody is. In fact, there are a lot of things I don't like about myself: lazy, selfish, cynical, jealous, insecure, cowardly, etc... OK, let's stop bashing my overall personality. What I'm saying is that I am only human and by acknowledging this fact, I accept that I have a lot of faults. Despite these drawbacks to my character, there is one thing I'm extremely proud of about myself-- I have strong and clear ideologies in life, which I really stick to.

Ever since I was little, I promised myself that no bad words would spout from my mouth unless I'm really, really, really, really bloodthirsty kind of angry. I also promised myself that  I would never drink, smoke, do drugs or have sex before the 'right time.' I'm glad that I managed to stick to these ideologies before I turned into an adult. It was hard. There were a lot of temptations, peer pressures and fights. Yes, I had to fight for these beliefs. I even got into a fist fight once just because I refused to bend down to peer pressure. 

I am timid in real life, but I become assertive in saying "NO" when others persuade me to drink. I am not a KJ (kill joy). After all, I do drink and I have tasted a lot of alcoholic drinks from beers to cocktails to wines, even tequilla. See? It's just that, I don't like the taste of alcohol (thank God for that!) Thus, I only drink when the situation calls for it such as during parties or formal dinners. Another reason as to why I only drink moderately is because I don't want to make a fool of myself like what I've seen in others who have had too much beer. I don't like to have loss of self- control. It's so disgusting. I'm sorry for the harsh words I am using now, but I'm being affected by another person's misdemeanors and I think that it really sucks.

I just can't understand that person's POV and I'm 100% sure that that person also doesn't understand my ideologies either. I know that I'm too rigid in terms of sticking to these ideals, but I'm glad to say that it turned me into a better person. I just want what's best for me and for my parents. I just hope that other people realize the benefits of having this kind of thinking. So, I just don't understand why that person hasn't realized these things yet. 

Indulging in drinking, smoking or any other vices is not bad altogether, but one must do it with limitations in mind; hey, this sounds like a line from our thesis! see, I learned something! You can drink, but not to the point that you have to puke all over the bathroom door just to prove that you're 'cool' enough to be in the 'in' crowd. In terms of smoking, I don't really see the point in doing it, but if you think you have to do it, do it somewhere else where other people can't inhale the toxicity you're spreading. Drugs for me is a total no- no unless it's prescribed by a doctor or something. Sex-- don't get me started on that.

I did NOT write this to make other people bad or to make me a better person. 

I'm just sharing my thoughts OK? Don't be offended. I learned a lot of things in writing this stuff so I hope that you learned something as well.

1998: Clark & Mt. Pinatubo, Pampanga

My first experience of hiking was when I was 8 years old. At that particular point in time, I had NO idea what it was all about. All I knew was that it was the first time I get to travel on my own so I readily agreed! I mean, what kind of kid wouldn't be compelled to join an outing with thoughts of seeing hot air balloons for the first time? Yep, I thought hiking was hot air balloon watching back then. Oh, how naive I was! I could've checked the dictionary first or something! Well, my cousin didn't lie to me or anything. Yes, we went to see the hot air balloons first BEFORE proceeding to the grueling hike on Mt. Pinatubo the next day. 

So anyway, I went to Clark, Pampanga first with my three cousins: Ate Joyce, Ate Kim and Gelo. We traveled at dawn and I was in awe of a lot of things specifically the thought of traveling at such a young age! I felt like an authentic traveler that early Saturday. I wasn't disappointed since the first hot air balloon experience I had was really amazing! Check out the photos! 

Oh, BTW, it's my cousin, Joyce Alcoreza who took all of these photos! As a child, I didn't own any gadgets, especially a camera!

Haha! Look at my hairdo here and my "baduy" get-up! I look like Dora the Explorer!

We kids weren't allowed to ride a hot air balloon at that time since only kids who were 12 years old and above were permitted to. It was only ate Joyce who got to ride one of the hot air balloons during the festival. Us kids had to do the 'tracking' part of the event. We rode one of the 4x4 wheel drives and 'chased' the balloon that ate Joyce was riding. It was loads of fun actually since we got to see a lot of fantastic 'lahar'- filled sights while on that road trip. If I thought that was exhilarating already, then I spoke too soon because next day proved to be more challenging. 

We hiked on a Sunday. I remember that perfectly since I had classes the next day and I dreaded the thought of not being able to go to my classes. Yes, I was already neurotic as a kid! Can you believe that? =)

 As you can see in the pictures below, I really had no idea what I was about to do. I was wearing a while Hello Kitty ensemble! Hello??? After I overcame the shock though, I suddenly became really really irritating. I remember asking the guide time and time again, "Is it already 10 km? How long have we been walking? How many kilometers have we covered so far? Is it still far? What am I gonna see up there?" Stuff like that, which I asked in Tagalog of course. I'm amazed that the guide was able to tolerate my irritating questions. 

I can still vividly recall the details of this experience. We hiked three hours nonstop going up while it took a lot longer going down since we followed a trail that was not so steep. That  took us around 6 hours or so. Overall, we started climbing it at around 6:00am until 6:00 pm. It was a really hard hike, which is probably the most difficult hike I had to do in this lifetime (which, I'm probably never going to repeat ever again unless I start to become fit again!) What made it so difficult?  For one, there's a lot of running streams that you  have to cross. It IS hard since some streams have really strong currents. Also, there's a lot of rocks. You wouldn't probably even be able to see the soil anymore since you're basically walking on large slabs of rocks. 

This experience was really worth remembering. Not only did I see surreal landscapes, I also almost died in this expedition. Why and how? Well, we were almost at the top of the volcano already and it was getting steeper and steeper. By that time, I was really exhausted already that I couldn't even stand up straight anymore. I leaned on a large rock that suddenly moved and fell down. I was glad that the guide was able to hold my hand before I fell down the craggy crevices. So see, this experience was really very enriching for me. It started my 'occupation' as a traveler and it was also the first time I had a near death experience. 

I'm proud to say that I accomplished this feat. When I was younger, some people asked me what my greatest accomplishment was, and I used to answer, "being able to climb Mt. Pinatubo" and not other generic answers like getting an award or something. Yes, this is probably one of my greatest life achievements that I would never be able repeat ever again and I am glad to have been given the opportunity to do this at a very young age when I was still quite athletic! I felt like this trip made my bond with nature stronger. I was able to see things in a different light and started to appreciate nature better.

Oh yeah, I just created a flickr account! Browse through a more complete set of my family's travel photos. Check it out by clicking this *link.*

Majolica Majorca's "MAJOLOOK (Trick On)" BR751

 Hi there! I know it's been awhile since I last updated, but I blame it all on our slow internet connection (and well, I guess my laziness can also be blamed)! However, starting now, I vow to update my blog at least once a week! =D

So for this week's blog, I will be talking about my newest favorite eyeshadow. It's Majolica Majorca's "Majolook" BR751.

Majolica Majorca mainly has three eyeshadow types: Jeweling Eyes, Majolook Illuminator and Majolook Trick- On. This eyeshadow, Majolook BR 751 belongs to the third category, Majolook Trick-On. Its description in the brochure says, "A glossy powder? An eyeshadow with extraordinary 3-D effect and wet gloss sheen." So, read on as I unravel more things about this gorgeous product!

So, this is basically the packaging of Majolook Trick- On. The back cover is mainly composed of Japanese characters. Even with my knowledge of hiragana characters, it is impossible for me to understand that! That is the reason why I'm thankful that there's a small paper inside with English translation. So yeah, this product costs P795.00. It IS expensive, but it's cheap compared to MAC eyeshadows where one color costs this much already!

So this is the english translated version of the Majolook's back packaging cover. Basically, it talks about how the product would make your eyes have a "3-D effect." It also offers some instructions on how to apply the eyeshadow. You can click on the picture to make it bigger so that it would be easier to read!

Look at the case! It's GORGEOUS! Just what you'd expect from Majolica Majorca! Looks so animeish right? Especially the gold details and the logo! XD

So, this is a close- up view of the eyeshadow colors of Majolook BR751. Basically, it's a little bit on the neutral side. I forgot the code number for each color since I threw away the small paper with description. But, as you can see, the one on the upper right is gold. The one next to it is a little bit on the mauve side. Lower left has a brown shade and the one next to it is the Trick On powder. If you read the paper before, you'd know that the Trick On powder is the one you apply on top of the mauve shade so that it would look wet and glossy; it's the one that gives the 3-D effect!

Here are some swatches. You might be wondering why there are three rows. Well, the first row on top shows swatches with NO base, as in no eyeshadow primer. The second row, the one on the middle, shows the eyeshadows applied on top of a cheap primer (ELF eyeshadow primer). You can see that the colors look more vivid, but looks a little pasty. That's all thanks to the primer. The last row shows the eyeshadows applied on top of a more expensive primer (PALLADIO Herbal primer). The PALLADIO Herbal primer is manufactured by the same company as the one that produces the Urban Decay primer potion; or so my cousin says.

This picture shows the 'staying power' of this eyeshadow set. I swiped this hand several times with tissue and as you can see, if it doesn't have a base, it is very easy to remove. The last row has the strongest staying power and it's no wonder because it's the one with the PALLADIO primer. This little experiment just shows how important it is to have a primer since even though you have a really expensive eyeshadow, it wouldn't last long without a good primer-- especially for gals with oily lids like myself. 

So are you ready for the (horror) pictures? =) Again, sorry for the quality. My camera still doesn't take good make-up photos, but please bear with me since I don't think I'll have a new camera replacement soon. Despite this disadvantage, I DO love my camera! 

The colors on these two pictures are not so noticeable, but it is in real life. You can just see the sparkles and stuff, but I guess that's one thing I like about this set. The colors are not  "too-in-your-face," but it does the job in terms of brightening the eye area. 

I think you'll see the difference better in this picture. My left eye (the one nearest in the picture) shows the applied eyeshadows while my other eye still has no eyeshadow. You can see that my left eye is much brighter and sparkly.  My lid area also appears bigger. Below are more pictures from different angles.

So, what's my verdict for this product? I LOVE it. It's my favorite eyeshadow now. I have no regrets buying this because it's wearable anywhere and is not so obvious, which fits my character perfectly. Also, the colors are very pigmented so I don't have to build the colors too much by applying more since it is striking already as it is. It also has a very strong staying power especially when partnered with the PALLADIO herbal primer (costs P385.00 for 5 mg at the Beauty Bar.) I mean, I wear it from 7:00am until 7:30pm and it's still there! It's the one I wore during the AZKAL's training at Rizal Stadium and even though I was sweating like hell, it still didn't go away! THAT's how amazing it is!

I highly recommend this product even though it's expensive, but you get the good quality in exchange and innovative ideas! The Trick On powder idea is genius! Anyway, I hope I can say the same for the other eyeshadows of Majolica Majorca, but I'm not completely taken with the Jeweling Eyes. Wait for my review of it next time!