… LOL not really. But this post is about a fantastic book, so the title half-counts! So, I’m sure that y’all have books that you love so frakking much, but come by so infrequently, that whenever you see them, you buy it and think of a wayward soul to give it to. A friend of mine buys Franny Billingsley’s “The Folk Keeper,” and he gave me a copy a few years ago. (It’s a gorgeous children’s book, really.)

While I do have a lot of books that I feel this way towards, I’ve only done it twice, and both times, I bought the same book. It’s not “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close,” because, while that is My Favorite Book In The Entire World, it’s not that hard to come by. Also, for some reason, it is expensive. But anyway. The book I am talking about is John Green’s “Looking For Alaska.”

“Looking For Alaska” kind of shot up to Internet popularity, when this particular quote invaded Tumblrverse. I was floored, and I wanted to read it immediately, but couldn’t find it anywhere. I found Green’s “An Abundance of Katherines” and “Paper Towns,” no problem, but I spent an inordinate amount of time looking for “Looking for Alaska.”¹ Finally, however, out of the kindness of his heart, Armando who is a Tumblr friend from the UK, sent me a copy of “Alaska” and okay, finally, I understood what the fuss is all about. It’s overposted, and has somewhat reached a “Perks”-esque² notoriety, but I get it.

Anyway. I gave the book away on this site, when I first found a copy here in Manila. (Still haven’t figured out what to get the runner-ups, oops.) And I found another copy of the book two weeks and sent it to Raymond. He got it earlier this week and has been reading it and is reportedly liking it so far.

Because it had a dinky, girly cover, I made a sort of book sleeve that I held back from posting until the book got to him. I’m posting pictures because I worked hard on it, damn it. Behold, my masterpiece!:

Looking like a serious craft project with a cutting board. It wasn’t. I just needed to cut stuff.

Close-up of the lettering! Kinda badly rendered, but at least it is not pink.

The back!

The quote on the back goes: “I’m not going to be one of those people who sits around talking about what they’re gonna do. I’m just going to do it.” And, you know, it’s a promise I intend to keep.

Anyway, I just wanted to ask if you had any books (or anything, really—albums, films, what-have-you) that you love so much, you’re willing to shell out a few bucks or spend some time to let someone know about them? Would love to hear about them, if you please.

———
¹ See what I did there? (back)
² Where haven’t you heard, “And I swear, in that moment, we were infinite”? Stephen Chbosky’s book, “The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” is really, honestly beautiful, so it’s kind of sad how this quote has turned into a little joke. I still love it, though. (back)

Went to the American Cemetery with my dad on a Saturday morning. Mostly because I had to go there for work, but also because I’d been wanting to go there for a while now. I’d talk about it, but I’d just let these pictures speak for themselves. It really was a beautiful place, though. Kinda surprised that something so pretty and clean exists in the Philippines.

It’s really, really hot when we went there, but it feels so nice to walk around, that I definitely want to go back there to spend an afternoon reading or something.

Me & my poppa!

Fake light leaks! I miss messing around photoshop, to be honest.

I don’t know what they are doing, exactly.

Hi, hair.

Heart lit up whenever I saw a rosette beside a soldier’s name.

The mosaic murals of battle scenes were really pretty.

This tree looks like its bark is made out of feathers.

Made me want to watch The Pacific. (I’ve started watching the pilot — be proud of me!). I like it, so far, but I’m not super hooked yet.

More photos! Of tourists, more mosaics, and pretty things.

Pretty chapel is pretty.

Battle mosaics!

I had a great time.

So, today, I snapped out of my hermitic ways and went to the bank to pay stuff and deposit other stuff. I also had lunch with my parents. Needless browsing through Fully Booked led me to one of my favorite books that I, and it seems, everyone else, can’t find in the Philippines. (I also watched Kick-Ass, but that’s another story.)

Surprise!

I read John Green’s “Looking for Alaska” late last year when a gracious Mr. Villa sent it over for me. I (and the rest of Tumblr) have been raving about this, but they’re not so easy to find here. ANYWAY.

Here is where you come in.

» WHAT YOU DO: Comment with what you want your last words to be. I don’t want an entire paragraph or a novella, okay? Make it short & sweet & yours.¹ Only one entry per person, please.
» DEADLINE: I’m leaving this post up until April 30th, then I’m going to pick the winners.
» ANNOUNCEMENTS: Announcing & e-mailing the winners on May 1 on Nothing Spaces. Remember to enter with a valid e-mail so that it’ll be easy for me to contact you.
» PRIZES: ONE copy of John Green’s “Looking for Alaska” & FIVE consolation prizes.

There! That’s basically it. I’ll be leaning towards Filipino-based answers, because the book is hard to find here & I’m iffy about mailing it because I’ve had several packages that have gotten lost in the mail, but I will still consider international answers anyway.

OKAY. Let’s see where this goes.

———
¹ Famous people’s last words are an important part of the book. I thought it fitting to be some sort of criterion for this contest.

Making a Blue Roast video… Or trying to. Stay tuned for it!

I already posted one over here, but it’s so fun to use to write or draw with. Try it!

 
Gifts!
My friend Carla found this little gem and gave it to me. I was super happy because I’ve never seen a license plate with my name on it (I usually end up getting ‘Samantha,’ which is my second name). So, thanks, Carla! I really love it so much, I could cry.

For the month of February, I’m going to be joining in on Gala Darling’s Radical Self Love. I am not a “playgirl” and I don’t usually do things like this, but I think it might be good for me. In any case, it’s going to be something for me to do, and if it doesn’t work, then I lose nothing, really. I don’t know why, but I really feel like this will do me a lot of good. Or if not a lot, at least a little bit.

Some anonymous Tumblr reader actually asked me who I blamed for my low self-esteem. I didn’t really think I came off that way, but a complete stranger (at least, I’m assuming s/he is one) seems to think so. I’m not enormously bothered by the comment, but this challenge really seems to be a good idea. So there. I’m embarking on this journey for February. There may or may not be updates, but if things get a little silent around here, it might be because of this. Or it also might be because of the fact that I am scrambling to actually graduate.

In any case, here’s to making most out of the current month. I hope you all enjoy and experience yours in the greatest possible way.

So, I waited for it to come out.

Hi, clouds. You’re real pretty, but get outtatheway!

And then, the sun came out.

Pretty.

———
¹ Lesson Learned: You must bring any sort of recording device wherever you go. Think of everything that you will miss!

The video is actually about nothing. I just decided to try out my brother’s Nikon D90′s video feature. If you are planning to watch it, please watch it in HD, so that it looks at least a little bit prettier. Also, for some sort of (attempted) continuity, the music in the video is by Don’t Forget, Clementine, whose launch I posted about in the last entry. Sadly, I wasn’t able to go to the launch, because I contracted some weird disease, but I heard it was awesome.

And also, the music was obviously ace.

(Watch the video, if you don’t believe me. And then try not to die after you hear how good they actually are.)

Here is a photograph of me holding it (Marb was nice enough to save me a copy) and another album by another friend, Steve. His band is called Klieg Lights. I can’t say that I’m as familiar with their work, but the few times I’ve seen them live, they were really good. Haven’t listened to the album yet because school is (always!) in the way.

It’s kind of depressing how these people are the same age as me, and they’ve released albums, and I have done zilch. This sounded way more articulate in my head. But I think you get the point that I am trying to make. Which, actually, follows “organic unity” (sort of) when it comes to the title, at least.

Speaking of music (kind of — earlier), I will probably do a Best of 2009 post soon, although I am hardly the authority, obviously. Speaking still of music, I am so excited for the anticipated releases of 2010. So. Much. Winning! (Did I say that right? Anyway.)

That’s really all I have to say. Today is actually the last day of classes before I go on my Christmas break, which excites me more than you can imagine.

click the photo to view larger.

I haven’t done this in a while. And technically, it is already Friday, but who cares. (!)

(1) Free things.
(2) Finding things that are lost; friends who help you out.
(3) Breakfast with my sister.
(4) Breakfast in general.
(5) My television class. We are watching Doctor Who, series one right now.¹
(6) Angry kitties.

Also, other things that I love, although not photographed: productivity, kind & good people who are kind & good to me even if I am pretty much unworthy, television in general, learning new things, world history, art history, people on the internet (minus pervs and creepers) and references to popular culture, preferably in the course of normal dialogue.

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¹ I love my professor. He watches the series with his one-year-old baby and he says that every time the TARDIS noise plays, the baby turns to the television screen. So frakking cute. My professor said, “I think he is growing up to be a fine young man.” True story.

See, work’s been piling up. I am pretty stressed about my thesis, which is, theoretically, going well in my head. Meaning, there is progress, but only in the level of me thinking about what I want to do, and not really putting things down on paper. I’ve also been designing stuff for people, and because these obviously have to do with other people (hereafter known as clients), thesis and other school activities have been taking the backseat.

But, like I said, no excuse, really. A new sort of technique, I guess, that I have picked up from my daily Google Reader time is this practice that guestblogger on Yes and Yes, Gene, has suggested, which is to make a list of good things about the previous day, despite it being lousy on the whole. This way, you start the new day with a renewed sense of optimism in the vein of, “Well, at least, that didn’t happen.” Because I can’t really blog tomorrow (I think?), here is what the good vs. evil about today:

• I didn’t see the Leonid shower, but now I know what Universal Time is.
• I left my phone in Starbucks, but now I know, for sure (not that I didn’t before), that I have awesome friends.¹
• Our car got hit by a tricycle, but it’s great to know that my dad is waaaay patient, and that I probably should take a leaf out of that Patience Book, and hope that it is genetic.

And so on.

OK, so now, here is where I will post photos from last weekend until today. Just because they also cheer me up despite my “hormonal”² self. Enjoy. (!)

So, I went to this exhibit last Saturday.
It was by my parents’ friend, Reggie Yuson.
He made the pretty stone fountain/sculpture in High Street.

Pretty.

Awesome people are awesome. Paulina + me & me + Eira.
Pardon my face.

Jamie gave me these as a late birthday present. <3

Showing the Christopher Walken cover of “Pokerface” to people in school,
because everyone deserves to see its glory.

Paulina was drawing my profile, so I tried to draw her face.

Then we had a one-minute draw-off.

Workspace in Starbucks this morning.
Banana loaf and a tall Americano with caramel syrup.

Free green tea frappuccino = day got better. <3

And then it was really sunny and really rainy at the same time.
(It’s not so obvious in the photograph.)

Phone found! It came in this plastic bag.
I guess people leave a lot of stuff in Starbucks.

———
¹ My friend, Evee, offered to check Starbucks if my phone was still there, because I had class. Then she passed it along to some other friends who passed it along to me! GMH.
² I’m probably not really hormonal, it’s just an excuse for my sucky personality. Plus points if you get that reference.

a) an ongoing LOST marathon
b) Sims 3
c) my schooling
d) Little Big Planet, and
e) the seemingly inevitable wave of dread that comes with attempting to start a blog on your own and getting people to read it out of genuine interest

LOOK WHAT I FOUND!

Behind all those lovely, lovely pages is a LOOK OF GLEE.

See, I’ve been looking for this book all over the place. It hasn’t been available on Amazon, EVER, so I’ve resigned myself to never, ever seeing it in the flesh, ever. And, to be honest, given the chances of me and this book meeting, I was pretty OK with the fact that it existed and that I knew about it. That was enough for me. I really never expected to see it. E-v-e-r.

And yet.

I was browsing through Fully Booked in the new-ish Eastwood mall with Isa, and went all the way to the back of the store to get away from the Twilight vomit and contemplate on why poetry books seem to be more expensive than usual books. And then this called to me.

A Secret Convergence of Birds is an anthology comprised of works inspired by Joseph Cornell’s aviary boxes, and is edited by Jonathan Safran Foer, who happens to be my favoritest author of all time. He started the project when he was still in school and the whole story surrounding its making is just so wonderful. It made me think about how great and kind and beautiful humanity can be, how things aren’t going to always be so bleak, how strangers do unspeakably beautiful things for other strangers with nothing in return. Just because.

I haven’t read all of the stories in this collection, I haven’t really had the time to sit down and do so, but even if the stories don’t “measure up” to my expectations (although, I am sure they will), I will always love this book, because of what it stands for.

To me, it will always be about the kindness of strangers, the existence of a greater hope, and about finding what you are looking for right at the moment when you stopped looking and just let it make its way to you.

What I really want to say is this: If it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be. Obviously, I was meant to find this book, and obviously, it was meant to find me.