The Greatest Scare of My Life

I almost died of worrying about my daddy.

He was in Capiz during the super typhoon. He lives in a nipa hut which isn't really sturdy and since we didn't know where he was exactly during the storm, we grew worried over time that he hasn't contacted us yet. Well at first we weren't really worried kasi nga we didn't know Capiz was that devastated as well, but when Nonoy's sister called Sunday morning with news that their stepfather died during the storm when a tree fell down on their house and hit him in the head, medyo kinabahan na ako. We were really, really worried and scared since we haven't heard from him since the storm and we just want to hear from him.  Nothing to do but wait for any updates and since every body else there were also victims, you cannot really rely on them- they, too, have their own families, their own problems to deal with. Those were the worst two days of my life. Kinakabahan ka every time the phone rings kasi hindi ka sure kung ano'ng news maririnig mo. Torture, I tell you.

Buti na lang Tito Jim sent mommy a message Monday afternoon that daddy is in Pilar and he stayed there during the storm. But imagine the torture of not hearing from him from almost three days. We still haven't heard from him until now. He might be busy tending to his affairs over there since it was almost harvest time for the sugar canes. Actually, he was supposed to come home last Saturday (Nov 9) and go back to Roxas on the Nov 19, pero magpapaharvest daw siya ng tubo pinabook niya uli kami ng ticket at an earlier date back to Roxas. We just want him to come home NOW. Malamang wala nang tubo na iha-harvest. Well, sana puede pa rin mapakinabangan kasi sayang naman.

Hay. Stress Drilon.

But anyway, we're very much relieved to hear that he's safe.

Kamusta kaya ang kubo ni itay?

at si Transformers?

I know we will get through this. Hindi tayo matitinag. Sana lang tubuan ng konsensya ang mga ilan-ilang masasamang loob. I hope last na ito at bigyan din muna tayo ni Lord ng break sa mga "trials." Dapat kasi ni-human sacrifice si Napoles, si Tanda, Sexy at Pogi. Joke lang. Baka mas malakas pa ang bagyo pag ginawa natin yun. Iluluwa sila ng langit pabalik dito.

Hay. Masakit sa puso.

2013 Book Challenge 46/35: Something Like Normal

Another book I finished in record time but not because I REALLY liked it but because I think it only has 200+ pages. Haha. Seriously, this book reminded me of this Catfish episode I saw where the guy was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. So... anyway, Travis comes home from Afghanistan where he also lost his best friend. So mega PTSD and guilt-tripping on his best friend's death si Travis. He longs for something normal again and being home does not give any semblance of normality. He meets Harper, this girl he had wronged way back in middle school, and he's attracted to her but she turns him down with a snarky remark. So we thought our boy Travis is going to have a hard time wooing our mysterious girl, but no, she's actually very easy to persuade. Of course, I am for giving second chances but not that easily when this boy is the exact same reason she got the slut reputation. Well technically, it wasn't Travis' fault but when he garnished the story of what really happened inside the closet, he's also culpable.

I do not blame Harper for forgiving Travis so easily- I guess she was hypnotized by the 'abs.' Plus, she really like-likes him and if the universe is giving them this second chance at love, then why not take it? My point is that she should have made him work for it a little harder. She bumps into him thrice coincidentally and immediately all's forgiven?

Make. Him. Work. For. It. Seriously. She lived with the slut reputation for years and she let's him off the hook in a heartbeat. Am I being too self-important here? Haha. It's just that I believe if he really likes her, he won't be bogged down by obstacles. But then again our author here is working within a deadline- Travis has to be back in action in 30 days- so there better be development. Which makes me realize just now that everything happened in less than 30 days- sex included- and seriously...

Prude. Haha.

2013 Book Challenge 45/35: The Distance Between Us

Apparently, Philippine cinema and telenovelas do not have patent over langit-ka-lupa-ako storylines. However, I am very skeptical when it comes to romances like this because seriously, they are worlds apart. The meeting is the easiest part because although I think that people who belong to different social strata do not go or hang at in the same places, it still is possible. But maintaining the relationship is the hardest part. I am talking about a relationship just like Caymen and Xander. Caymen lives from paycheck to paycheck with her mother; while, Xander is a trust fund kind of kid. I expect that his parents will go berserk when they find out he likes and is kind of dating someone "insignificant." I was surprised that is was actually the other way around- Caymen's mom didn't like boys like Xander and would prefer tattooed and/or pierced musicians like Mason.

I like Caymen. She's relatively angst-free and even if she hasn't known her father, she's sort of okay with it and not making it an excuse to self-destruct or pimp her body away to fill in the "emptiness." Not that I am disregarding other people's feeling of emptiness because I know that happens, I just think that when one self-destructs, they do not see the the bigger picture which actually entails them having to live up to consequences of their bad choices. Anyway... So Caymen doesn't sulk away her life and just makes do with what's in front of her and I'd have to commend her mother for bringing her up well albeit lying to her about her grandparents.

Xander, also, is a character I like very much. Definitely one of the best fictional boyfriends- good-looking, nice and loaded (Ha!). He's definitely a boy you could take home to mom except if your mom is Caymen's. I actually liked Xander's subtlety when it comes to 'courting' Caymen. He didn't say it outright that he likes her or asked her out on dates. Style ;)

I really liked the story and super swoon-worthy. I actually broke my record time and finished reading this in a day. I, too, cannot believe it. Although I think medyo madaya ang ending which I will not divulge here. 4 out of 5 stars.

2013 Book Challenge 43 and 44/35: Pushing the Limits and Dare You To

Both titles are from the same author, Katie McGarry. I think I have put off reading these two books regardless of the high ratings on Goodreads because I felt I've had enough of the heavily sexed-up YA books. I just want plain swoon-worthy. So I chose Pushing the Limits in random- closed my eyes and read the title my finger points to.

Echo is full of angst and for once I understand and fully accept why this character is just reeking of drama. After all, her brother died in action, his father left her mother and married the babysitter and her mother tried to kill her.

Noah hates the world. He lost his parents to a fire, he got separated from his brothers and he was put under shitty foster care arrangements. He used to have the perfect life but suddenly it's all gone.

Noah and Echo, two broken people, meet. At first it was just a means to an end- they have conspired to work towards a common goal which is distract their social worker/guidance counselor to access their files which contains the answers to their questions.

First of all, I didn't believe that there are "broken" people. I used to think they just brought it upon themselves and they could snap out of it if they decide to. Not until I met a couple who, individually, were broken, met each other then found solace with the other. So that is why I think that Echo and Noah's ordeal is legit and I am not whining here how I think they're just being emo.

At first, I gave the book a 4-star rating because I thought I really liked it but then I read Dare You To which I liked even better than Pushing the Limits, but I feel it doesn't deserve 5 stars. So I reduced its rating to just 3 stars. I feel it's more of a 3.5.

Remember when I said that I like frustrating? Well, maybe frustration is not what I like. It is the anticipation of things to come.

"Beside, taking it slow creates build-up. I like anticipation."

I really like how these books are interconnected to each other, like with Pushing the Limits, we do not understand why Beth is hard on Echo and why she's being a super bitch. Well, in Dare You To, we totally get where she's coming from.

When I found that that this book was Beth's story, I assumed this was her and Isaiah's story. But when I read the synopsis on Goodreads, it involves another guy, Ryan. I was hesitant to read this at first because I really liked Isaiah and Beth together and when she didn't choose Isaiah, I felt really sorry for the guy. But Ryan is the type who grows on you, you eventually learn to like him.

In my opinion, Ryan is more swoon-worthy than Noah. Well, maybe because he's less angsty. Although maybe it is unfair to compare the two because they're coming from different backgrounds. Ryan is more privileged and he has more means to help the girl; while Noah barely has enough so even if he wants to help the girl, the means are limited to what he can afford.

So one of my favorite moment here in Dare You To was when Ryan was busted by his parents. Beth was already planning on running away with her mom and she wanted to leave a memory of her behind so she thought what better way to leave her mark than be his first time. So they did it while Ryan's parents were away on vacation. But one day after they came back, his mother confronted him, "I counted them, one is missing. Who's the girl?" Mega uh-oh moment. Sobrang parang BUSTED moment a la Gossip Girl. Parang ako yung kinabahan para sa kanya, haha!

Loved the two books! And it was not just all about sex as I thought it would be. I just feel it's more romantic when these characters do not jump on each other on the first opportunity they get. Prude. Ha.