I'm A Guest Blogger at Little Miss Honey ... and some Polecats Manila stuff!

As intermittent as my blog posts are, I was still able to guest blog for someone else. Lol. I check very few blogs on a regular basis but this is one of them. Come visit Little Miss Honey's blog for books, food, travel, cosmetics and ... pretty much anything a Filipina blogger in Singapore might think of. If you want to be a guest blogger too, check out this page.

Also, since I blogged about pole dancing, here is a link to Polecats Manila's website. If you're ever thinking of taking up classes, they have schedules and tips for first timers there. Hmm ... I should do more pole blogs ... maybe.

Also, also, ALSO! They're going to have an anniversary show on the 3rd of November at the Meralco Theater and everyone is super excited about it. Here's a video teaser that super gives me goosebumps but that I keep watching anyway. 

And here are some awesome awesome posters.

It is going to be so so so so amaaaaazingly awesome so do come, hey?

The Orphan Master's Son

When writing a review for an award winning book, one must be careful not to get carried away by the hype. To make things easier I asked myself one simple question: Did I actually enjoy the story? And the answer is yes (and not because Tim Kang **gushes** narrated it). But even then, when expressing your own opinion in a very controversial issue, you have to be sure you don't cross any lines and be politically correct. This is a hard review to write so work with me here, okay?

The book has been on my to-read list since 2012 but there are so many books out I just read them depending on what was available (or fits my mood). Honestly, I didn't think I would enjoy reading the book. I didn't know anything about N.Korea. But that was also how the book appealed to me (and it's timely since they've been threatening to nuke the world again). But, I did enjoy reading the book because it was a well-written one. I found the characters' stories and how they were brought together by some weird, twisted fate interesting. I think the first thing to do to appreciate the book is to appreciate the main character. The whole story revolves around him, after all. If you can't make yourself like him or relate to him or feel for him (at the very least), then it will be hard to enjoy the story. I felt detached from the story (as with most historical fiction stories) and didn't relate to Jun Do but I felt for him. 

Reading about Jun Do's life I felt like my problems (combined with everyone else's problems that I know of) are so petty and trivial. Hey at least I can vote for whoever I want to take advantage of me and then tell everyone I was wrong to vote for him/her whereas they have to stay devoted to their one Dear Leader; either that or die ... and I'm not even exaggerating. Now, I find it hard to digest that there are people so brainwashed (or hopeless) that they would just take whatever is thrown their way. It's so ... dystopian. Granted, it has been that way for decades but one would think that's long enough. Diving into the issue some more, I came up with a few theories: 1) that these people are completely and absolutely brainwashed (because they were fed propagandist information from birth and don't know anything of the world outside so whatever they see and whatever they are told is the truth); 2) that the military and officials outnumber the rest of the citizens (so they can't do anything to stop the injustice happening); 3) that they are actually spineless and are indeed hopeless; and 4) that they are just plain crazy to agree that they are the greatest nation in the world.

Back to the book, I liked the first part of it. The second part dragged a bit but the treatment was consistent. I think the story lacked a bit of suspense. Things were so complicated from the very beginning that you don't expect anything worse to happen. Or that everything Jun Do planned would surely fail. I also found the character of Sun Moon confusing especially the part when she kissed Commander Ga. That Ga would describe it as the same way it was in the movie when she kissed a S.Korean guard to distract him implicates she was distracting him too (?) but from what? From thinking of the bad things that could happen? Or was it for her to get things to work her way? I know the second part was supposed to be a story of great love but that seemed like a very one-sided love story. And a very fickle one. Did the author intend to make it look that way? Or have I been reading too much romance? In parts of the book, Sun Moon was described as a good wife, but she -as well as the first, lady interest of Jun Do (Second Mate's wife)- also acted as if they make the rules (and they did). I do this, you do that. I want this, you give it to me. Does that mean the author is saying N.Korean women are that way? Or that most women are that way? Lol! It could be me reading in between the lines too much.

Overall, I'd give it 4 stars because, again, I liked how the character's lives were connected by some weird, twisted fate and I thought it was a well-written story. I actually liked this better than the last Pulitzer I read (2008) which I think I also gave a 4.

The Shadow of the Wind

 
This book is the mother of beating around the bush. It really is. It's not enough that the main characters were sent on a wild goose chase, there's also a back story in every back story. They have to find out things about every person they come across with. Whether or not it's related to the story, you decide. Well, actually, most of it is but that's not the point. Lol. I now understand why Stephen King said on his review of The Shadow of the Wind that "even the subplots have subplots". It's a good thing the prose was beautiful because if it wasn't I'd be lost following the twist and turns of the story. And there's A LOT of twist and turns in this book.

Having said all that, no, I do not hate this book. I actually loved it. In another lifetime I might have found it dragging. But I don't. I think the formula of the book is pretty simple. Good prose, which I already mentioned, AND intrigue. Ripe, juicy, pure, unadulterated series of complications. People love hearing about other people's tragedies. We talk about it and it grows from that. Now this book is a combination of gossip and horror stories and superstitions that was all rolled into an elaborate story. We all love hearing how people died a horrific death in a house or how the last owner of an item suffered a tragic loss and cursed anyone who will own it to suffer the same fate as his. Heck, people even love rumors spreading around about their neighbor having an affair with the other neighbor's wife. A tragic story is a good story as long as it happens to someone else. I loved this book because it reminds me of that old movie Red Violin. It was so tragic but also intriguing you couldn't just let go.

But you know the best part of this is? It actually has a happy ending. Err, that was a spoiler right there. :p

Alex

 
I don't know how to put it. Saying this book was a pleasant surprise doesn't seem to fit. It's so dark and so negative that saying it's a good story makes me kinda feel awkward. But it IS actually pretty good. Especially since this is supposed to be the author's first book.

Some reviews pointed out how it was bad that 75% of the book only talked about the main character seeing his dead son over and over and over; and although that was apparent I didn't feel like it dragged too much. I actually read and was able to endure the supposedly "dragging" part. It was complicated and heavy (emotionally) but it was an easy read because of the words. The flow of the storytelling felt natural. I read it in less than 12 hours (with lots of breaks).

There is no explanation how the guy can be seeing his son, whether it's paranormal or a psychological thing I guess is up for us to decide. I wanted to know but not knowing doesn't really make it less of a good story. I liked the inner dialogue/argument he was having with himself. I guess the story is a blunt way of showing how parents grieve? I did cry in some parts when they describe how Alex was. That's a plus for my review.

I got this free from Amazon too so yay for me, eh? Lol.

Random ramblings ... and Why You Shouldn't Mess with Michael D. Higgins

DISCLAIMER: I am somewhat drunk so bear with me.

Apparently, this debate between Michael D. Higgins and Michael Graham that had recently gone viral  is old news (it was from 2010) but I have to join in virtually shaking the hands of the Irish President because he really killed it. Lol. I'm not going to pretend I completely understand what's going on, as far as I know (and by know I meant read-from-the-internet-which-sometimes-doesn't-really-amount-to-anything-because-people-copy-paste-and-react-about-shit-they-don't-know-anything -about-all-the-fucking-time), the tea party movement is a bunch of whiny people who oppose government tax spending and tax increase (but which citizen in what country doesn't have an opinion on this? ... oh wait ... N.Korea),hates Obama and sometimes support the war and may have racist members. And if that is truly the case ... I don't think I like them much.

Actually, I'm not going to discuss the tea party movement here. Hey, I'm not from their parts of the world so don't expect me to be able to relate to the tea party hoopla much more pretend to make a solid opinion on it. No,  this is about some of the things that the Irish president said that may be related to local events. I liked Higgins in this debate because of the bit about his Sarah Palin depiction. It's very true in a lot of ways but I can say that because it can be attributed (if that is the right word) to other conditions and circumstances.

The more popular line was, "You're about as late an arrival in Irish politics as Sarah Palin is in American politics, and both of you have the same tactic. The tactic is, to get a large crowd, whip them up, try and discover what is that creates fear, work on that and feed it right back and you get a frenzy." He said this while Graham tries to interject but to no avail *sniggers*.

For the most part, I can understand where the Irish President was coming from. Aside from the loud cheers when Higgins said "... be proud to be a decent American rather just a wanker whipping up fear" (I mean, seriously, who didn't like that :p), it's his description of the alleged Sarah Palin “tactic” that people should ponder about. Face it, it happens … all the time.

A lot of people talk of things they barely know anything of (like me right now?lol). It has happened to everyone at one point or another. You read something online, watch something on the prime time news and suddenly you feel very passionate about it or against it. That is what the media feeds on right now, people’s thirst for sensationalism. And of course they have the gall to deny it and call what they do responsible journalism.

Locally, on the death of the DILG Secretary Robredo … while  in a cab going home, there was a DZMM radio broadcaster who was answering a listener’s tweet. The listener said something about the media (particularly ABS CBN lol) sensationalizing and milking Robredo’s death too much. To this, the broadcaster answered something like it’s hard for us to report anything else as journalists, but he did not elaborate on that. He also said, they respect the former secretary and honor him so they feature him a lot. First off … journalism is not an easy field … so don’t say it’s hard for you to talk of anything else because if that is the case, what the hell are you doing working in there??? There is no easy line of work. And if you respect the guy so much go ahead and report the facts, give him a bit of a tribute but stop planting conspiracy theories in the heads of your audience. You’re reporting these things because that’s what a common person wants. Drama. The frenzy. Conspiracies. Get your facts and work on them, why doncha?!

Seriously, Higgins said it all in his debate (the long part) if you paid attention: “You're not dealing with facts … you're talking about ships that you don't know the name of, you don't know the number of. You're really a good student of that kind of journalism that says: well look, if i could get away with it it's good; if i can work people up it's even better, but the fact of the matter is this is just, this is just very, very dangerous stuff …”

***

RANDOM RAMBLINGS: (If only for the fact that I'm too lazy to create a separate post)

• The guy who slapped the MMDA employee on the road ... Yes, he was an arse and yes he shouldn’t have slapped the MMDA guy and yes he probably deserved to be crucified for the world wide web to see but a FB page that had his (alleged) home address in it??! Goes to show how powerful, so out of control and so scary the social media can be. How would you like that to happen to you just because someone didn’t like something you did? No matter what size of the action is.

• The RH Bill and that plagiarism issue … I’m pro, btw. And I don’t think the people associated in making the bill approved or not should appeal to people’s emotions when debating their point (because being too emotional is the second biggest problem of the Philippines -- first being the increasing population, hah!).  But anyway, the plagiarism issue … people got so worked up on that and I too was upset when the Senator said (or was it his chief of staff) that Ms. Pope was “just” a blogger. Well, you know what? I’ll say this again, people copy and paste on the Internet ALL THE FUCKING TIME! The biggest mistake of the senator’s staff is that this is a very controversial issue and that the whole country and even people out of the country is actually paying attention! Of course, there is this thing called spinning articles and the senator’s staff should’ve at least done that. But what about the other bloggers who not only posts but does actual research before writing something up (but before you say you can't write without researching, please read the paragraph again, wise-ass)? Their articles get copied too and then get spun using a bot and presented as a brand new article under a different writer’s name, all for the sake of traffic. And we all wonder why writers don’t get paid much? Lol. Okay, okay, that’s for a different topic. Moving on …

Dear Captain Conceited ...

someone once told me, someone we both know, that at a very young age i've reached the highest maturity level a person can reach in a lifetime. one that someone like you will never get to. i don't agree. i have a lot of growing up to do. and i hope for your sake it's not true. after all ... i still want what's best for you.

i do. even if you cant do the same for anyone. not even yourself. even if a lot of people thinks you're a thick skinned leech who sucks people dry and still bad mouth them behind their backs. you can't be too obvious cause you know  there will come a time, they will still have their use. you will have a place for them. but when they realize what kind of person you are, you turn into the back stabbing bastard everyone thinks you are. or i should say know.

i pity you. you live a pretend life. you brag about the things you "can afford" because you need to prove yourself so bad to the whole world when the only person you need to prove yourself to is the one you see when you face the mirror. yourself.

you're not cool. you're pathetic. you don't realize your achievements are everyday things for the rest of the world. the "talent" that you have is not unique to you. all the things you have, im sorry but even your "loved" ones, will fade after a couple years. at your age you need to know which people you should keep close. and it's not someone who would look for a selfish diversion just because there is no convenient way out. how did it feel when you had the knife stuck in your back?

it's not your fault. every bad thing that happens to you is someone else's fault. it never is yours. you never take responsibility. only credit.

your life, your beliefs, your attitude … they're always better than the people around you. the truth is, there is always someone better than someone. you need to understand that, because the truth is, a lot of the people you've met are much better than you are. and they're better off without you. i know i will be. but hey … what are friends for.