Ruby Loves Adventure

You know the saying, "some drink to remember, some drink to forget." Memories. Some you want to keep forever, some you just want out of your head. As I pick up my next book to read, I find myself drawn to "Eat, Pray, Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert. I know I've blogged before how much my emotions affect my reading habits? Well, my reading genre and habit has changed drastically again. I'm at a low point in my life. I just want to forget, but I don't want to - if you get my drift. I am a very complicated person to know. It is a bit embarassing as I announce to the whole world to read how I am feeling. But I am lonely, I am depressed, I am lost. I feel a bit like Bridget Jones when Mark Darcy had left her, and she still can't get over him. I'm not sure if many of you read the books that are about Bridget - if you haven't, do. So what is the point of this post? The point is, well, there is no point. I am just here to vent out what I am thinking. This is my blog anyway, I can say whatever I want to say. So forgive me if I can't review any books that deal with love (maybe except Eat, Pray, Love since that is about travel anyway) - I don't want anything to do with a story about girl meets boy, boy meets girl, they get close, they fall in love. Ugh. I'm cynical, Im annoyed, I'm upset. Can you guys suggest any books that do not have characters that fall in love??? YA or Chick Lit only puhlease. And no weird un-human characters: no vamps, no fallen angels, etc. I wanna deal with books that deal with real people only. Maybe I'll read Leviathan - or some of the nerdy books out there that make you think. Or one of the Paulo Coelho novels. Sometimes I feel like travel would be the only escape from what I am feeling. The feeling of just being free, seeing the world, meeting new people, being lost, then being found. I don't know. Maybe this is why I'm going to read Eat, Pray, Love - to find something I'm desperately looking for but yet I still don't know what I'm looking for. I think I read because I also want to get lost from reality. Then again, that's just me. Maybe the only cure is to just let go and leave everything behind. Take the leap. I'm not getting any younger. I can't wait any longer. Maybe I look too highly of myself and think that what I'm asking for is reasonable. Maybe no one would really miss when I flew like the wind and disappeared to another country. Maybe that's the right step for me. Maybe, maybe, maybe. I think I need to find the new place I would proudly and happily call home eventually. Song for the moment - When We Were Young: Take That. The lyrics are calling out to me. I just hope this phase won't last long.

Looking at the tiny little notebook that I have that contains a summary of my goals, dreams, and what I have achieved for specific months and/or days in a certain year, I realized the pages are a lot more written on this year: the 2011 notes definitely added more "scratch" in it - travel ideas that were written down hastily while on the road, directions where to go & anything else. What I love aboout it though, is that the colour of pen I used to write stuff in is still the same: PURPLE :)

There's just something about writing on a piece of paper that appeals to me - nothing like opening up a notebook, old and battered, and looking back on ideas that was written from days/months/years past and the ability to look back on it everytime you want to: without looking for a specific file you have saved down from your computer or worrying about losing your files.

Anyhoo, it's nearly the end of 2011. At the time I'm writing this, it's December 10th, a Saturday, with 3 weeks to go before the last day of the year. I've always loved the New Year - it brings new hope, new joys, new experiences to look forward to. At the same time, the last day of the year gives me more than enough time to look back on the year past and think about what I did for the year: was it worthwhile? Did I make the most of my borrowed time?

Surely some of my old blog posts (and even book reviews) state the fact that we should live everyday to the fullest! And I would say that 2011 has been quite a fruitful year for me. It's one of my best years in the 27 years of my life so far!

And here we go, I will share what I've done for 2011 (so far) travel-wise.




JANUARY

I went to Davao! This is my second time to go to this city. No blog post yet (you'll find that I owe a LOT of blog posts - I never did try to sit down and blog about my travels)

Stayed there for 4 days and 3 nights - from January 17-21.

January 17 - Davao Crocodile Park, People's Park
January 18 - Philippine Eagle Park, Malagos Garden, Sul Orchids (where my mum went crazy buying a whole load of orchids for her to take home), Tribu K'Mindanawan village, Butterfly House, Shrine of Holy Infant Jesus of Prague, Jack's Ridge
January 19 - Pearl Farm.. Aldevinco Shopping Centre. Bangkerohan Market.
January 20 - Museo Dabawenyo, Magsaysay Park, San Pedro Cathedral, City Hall, Rizal Park, Davao Airport.

(Won Cebu Pacific tote bags on the way home from their fun flghts! :) )


Good January - got the airfare on sale so it was well worth it!

FEBRUARY

February 3 - Well, this is not exactly a travel-thing but I watched The Joy Luck Club Play alone at Onstage at Greenbelt!

February 12 - Hot Air Balloon Festval at Clark Field, Pampanga. Well worth sleeping on a bus just to get here. The balloon flight was amazing.
Treetop Adventure: Trekking & Canopy Ride at Subic Bay.
Shopped for some cheap imported goods at Subic too.

February 19th - 18th Philippine Travel Expo. Got a lot of brochures. It was time to plot where I was going and what opportunities were there (little did I know that I was embarking on a huge adventure soon)
World Pyrolympics: Portugal vs the UK. (The UK won 1st runner up for 2011, after winning the 2010 competition).




February 26th - Nido Science Discovery Centre. Not exactly the best science museum in the Philippines (quite expensive admission price, if you'll ask me).
Under the Sea 3D - bought a deal online. Cute little animals :)
World Pyrolympics: China vs France (meehhh - not that impressive).

February was okay, it could have been more memorable but couldn't complain given the opportunities I got :)

MARCH

March 6 - Resorts World, Manila. Saw Kaos - It is a brilliant show, it reminds me of the West End productions. I love Kaos the white lion & Sito the white tiger.

March 18 - Midnight Mercato. It's a food market. Uhmm, I'm not too big on food.

March 20 - The Postal Heritage Tour. Liwasang Bonifacio, Manila Post Office & Museum, The Metropolitan Theatre, Arroceroz Forest Park, Manila City Hall & SM Manila.
I know I promised to have blogged about this adventure but sadly I didn't get the time too. Why I was so lazy before, I couldn't understand.

Manila from the Met Theatre

Living it up in Corregidor

APRIL

April 6 - Good Charlotte live at Glorietta. I wasn't supposed to watch this. Until I got a text rom a friend saying I got tickets. Who am i to turn down such a great opportunity?

April 10 - Corregidor (Including the Malinta Tunnel Light & Sound Show). This place is very, very pretty. It has a lot of history to it, which I absolutely adored. I didn't expect such a brilliant place like this to exist so close to Manila! The ruins are so well-preserved, and it is a place that is just so photogenic.

April 15 - Shakespeare in Hollywood. More of a bookish milestone, but I bought a deal online and watched this alone too. I love watching plays and musicals - even if it means that I am going to have to watch them alone!

Sumaguing Cave, Sagada

April 22 - Banaue, Ifugao, Rice Terraces (Only photo ops though). Sagada - Trekking the Banga-an Rice Terraces & the Bomod-Ok Big Falls (it was absolutely tiring trying to go up the steep & the bazillion steps going up from the falls. I felt my heart beating and screaming at me. Even drank a whole bottle of gatorade!!)

April 23 - Sunrise at Kiltepan viewpoint. Cave Connection - Lumiang & Sumaguing Caves (I loved the caving adventure!! It was such a thrill! I never knew I could do it). Sagada Pottery & Lake Danum.

April 24 - Echo Valley & Hanging Coffins - The Echo valley is soooo pretty!!
St Mary's Episcopal Church - saw the vice mayor giving out coffee. And might I say that the coffee in Sagada is really, really yummy??? Also the yoghurt - some say that it was really sour but it was nothing like I've ever tasted! It was good! Souvenir shopping at both Sagada & Banaue (we stopped over somewhere in Banaue where it was quite cold and foggy - absolutely cool!)


MAY

May 20 - "Defending the Caveman" play at RCBC - another deal I got online. It was cool & funny.

May 21 - Anilao, Batangas. Stayed at Balai Anilao. Island Hopping: Sombrero Island & Eagle Point.

May 22 - Anilao, Batangas. Twin Rock beach.


May was okay - I didn't rally get a chance to do much. I guess I was quite tired from April?

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Summary from Goodreads:
What if you had only one day to live? What would you do? Who would you kiss? And how far would you go to save your own life?


Samantha Kingston has it all: the world's most crush-worthy boyfriend, three amazing best friends, and first pick of everything at Thomas Jefferson High—from the best table in the cafeteria to the choicest parking spot. Friday, February 12, should be just another day in her charmed life.

Instead, it turns out to be her last.

Then she gets a second chance. Seven chances, in fact. Reliving her last day during one miraculous week, she will untangle the mystery surrounding her death—and discover the true value of everything she is in danger of losing.

Thoughts - OH.MY.GOD. How could you write a review for a novel so beautifully written? One of the best books that I have ever read so far! This is all about the realities of death, and time - and how we don't hold it. AMAZING.

I picked this book up when I was walking through a local bookstore. I wanted to wait for the sale period (so i could get an additional 20% off but I just couldn't wait!) but couldn't so I walked home with this book (thanks to my National Bookstore points, I got this book for free!)

What can I say about this book? First off - LIVE EVERY DAY AS IF IT WERE YOUR LAST. I wish I could use that saying more but sometimes I feel as if I'm just living in a cyclical world where everything is routine. Anyway, I think the concept is not new for the book. It's like Groundhog day, but with a twist. I admit that I had my apprehensions as I was reading it, feeling as if I might get bored with details that appear over and over again but the author definitely played things up. Everyday in Sam's life is definitely different.

It's a good thing I read this book, it made me realize how important life is, and how interconnected we all are. One lousy or good thing that we do can directly affect others.

Sam as a character - well, she is a bit lousy, but I've grown to love her in the end. Kent is okay. Rob is an arse, and Sam's posse: Ally, Elody & Lindsay. I'm not sure how to feel about her posse. They're okay, they're typical popular girls in high school - and shows how peer pressure can definitely affect your decisions.

So, in summary: pick up this book, love your life, and live it! :)

Published: 2009

Available From: everywhere!
Book was: bought from National Bookstore
Rating: 5/5

Thoughts:
I picked up this book at a used bookstore thinking I'll read it someday. It took years before I finally picked it up from my bookshelf because I needed to read something for a book club discussion about art.

What can I say about this book? Well, the fact is that I am not a big fan of the genre it is in, but what made me buy it, I had no idea. This book is very deep for me - it tackles "grown-up" stuff, things that I do not really want to read about because well, it is quite realistic and I read to escape, and to dream.

So, the story is all about Novalee, and how, when she was 17, was abandoned at a town in the middle of nowhere by her boyfriend. She's pregnant, only has less than $10 in her pocket and has nowhere to go to. She gives birth at Wal-Mart, she meets friends, and eventually finds her way and her "home" within that small town.

Novalee is a very strong character, that's for sure - I wouldn't be able to think about what to do first if I was in her situation: about living in Wal-Mart and giving birth there. But then again, when you're a teenager it feels like you're invincible and you could do whatever you want! The world is your oyster! It's amazing how things always work out.

Anyway - I couldn't really relate much to the story, and wouldn't say that I enjoyed it much. But it is a good waste of time for me!
Published: 1998
Available From: everywhere!

Book was: bought from Booksale.
Rating: 3/5

Hello hello! I'm finally blogging again! Well, i found a decent wifi in my hostel at the moment and since I have time to kill, might as well spend it blogging.

As my title suggests, i'm currently in cagayan de oro city, a province in the philippines around 1 1/2 hrs away from Manila. It's a great place for white water rafting and also home tothe longest zipline in Asia - 840m. I went overbudget a bit but its ok - the experience wasworth it. What i didnt like though is the loooong travel time from obe place to another. Thankfully with books i managed to pass some of the time (well that and sleeping on the road too - our wake up call to get from one place to another is just really early and craaazy).

I'm currently halfway through Lauren Oliver's "Before I Fall" and since i'm facing quite a wait at the airport later, i bought 2 books at booksale in sm cdo for good measure. Suzanne collins "Gregor and the Overlander" series book 1 and Melissa de la Cruz's "The Au Pairs" - all for 95 pesos or $2 (£1.40). Amazing, isn't it?

Currently on the lookout for Jay Asher'S book "Thirtern Reasons Why" - here's hoping there's stock in Manila bookstores!

Pardon the lack of updates recently. I find that I am going through a book slump where I always seem to try and pick up a new novel but can't finish it. I don't know, maybe I am just not in the mood lately. Well, even though I have been reading so much more than i ever had during the past 3 1/2 months that I was away I just feel lost, and I don't know what I like.

I do know that I want to leave and travel.. not be at home reading all these piles of books. *Sigh*.

Maybe I am just adjusting back to the life that I used to live. Oh well.

Expect more travel posts in the next few days. I can't seem to concentrate on finishing any books lately. Oh well.

Summary from Goodreads:

Budding designer Lola Nolan doesn’t believe in fashion . . . she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit -- more sparkly, more fun, more wild -- the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood.



When Cricket -- a gifted inventor -- steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.

I love Stephanie Perkins - she has become one of my favourite authors since I've read Anna and the French Kiss. It took ages for Lola and the Boy Next Door to come out! So when I was in England, I preordered the book from amazon.co.uk and tadaaahhh got it a few days after the US release. Now, I didn't get a chance to tear through the book as soon as I got it, only a week after.

So, what do I think about the book? Well, I was a bit disappointed. I'm really sorry to compare this second book to Anna (expect quite a lot throughout this post), but for me, Lola is not as likeable and relatable to as Anna. Maybe it's the way she dresses, or the way she has gay parents (but I do have to admit she is very unique). I dunno. I just can't relate to the main character much, except for her confusion about her feelings for Cricket.

The book for me, is quite dragging in parts - it does not have its share of magical moments as compared to Anna. The only time that the book picked up for me is the latter part - where scenes with Cricket and Lola spending time together. Oooooh. Now that is a page-turner. :) Sad to say as well, while Anna & St Clair's characters do make their appearance in the book, I now find them quite cheesy, not like the Anna & St Clair characters I fell in love with in Anna!

I do like the book cover though - it's so pretty - green and purple. Plus the guy in the cover is HOT!

I know that a third book is scheduled to come out next year - Isla and the Happily Ever After, which is another Anna companion novel but I hope that the edginess of the original characters would not be lost in this third novel. Oh, and here's hoping that the setting would be a more exotic and exciting one! :)

I know my review may be a bit negative, but I had enjoyed the book, I really did. It just did not align with what I'm expecting though-- and Stephanie Perkins is still one of my favourite authors :)
Published: 2011
Available From: everywhere!

Publisher: Dutton
Book was: bought from Amazon.co.uk
Rating: 4/5

Finally - a book I finished after nearly 5 months! Hmm... just goes to show how easily bored I am in Manila and there's nothing much to do compared to what I was previously doing in London. Anyway, summary of the book from Goodreads:

Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn’t understand that once love -- the deliria -- blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold. Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the government demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Holoway has always looked forward to the day when she’ll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy.


But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable: She falls in love.
 
So, what do I think about the book? First off, I read the book when I was uh.. really emotional. So yes, I can definitely relate to the character, Lena, and feels that she has much to learn about the world. Or maybe yet I'm just lucky enough to be born in a non-dystopian society hence can think for myself.
 
I could say this book came at the right time for me. Well, either I found it at the right time or the book found me. This was just available at a local supermarket I go to buy groceries in front of work, and tadah, it was on sale! I couldn't say no, could I?
 
Alex - well, I would have wanted to have more back stories on him, but I guess what he did for Lena was sweet enough.. He's not such a loveable male protagonist but you'll learn to appreciate him along the way.
There was one name that recurrs for two characters (minor ones though) but the first time the name was mentioned brought me to tears. I wouldn't say the name of the character though - you have to find that out yourself!
 
Do I like this book? Hell yes. The concept is very much different from the other love story books that I've read. Imagine, a cure for love?? I was initially pondering on that thought during that emotional time that I was reading the book and it seems like an easy way out. Then again if it means cutting off part of your brain - and experiencing no emotion at all (ie you're like a zombie). Oof. NO. As they say - "it is better to have loved and lost than to not have loved at all."

Published: 2011 Available From: everywhere!
Publisher: HarperTeen
Book was: bought from Tesco
Rating: 5/5

Another non-book related post here, im afraid. I still need to finish 100+ pages of Delirium by Lauren Oliver before I could fully comment but all I could say is: WOW.

Anyway, im writinf this post from a dark hostel room in Belfast that I share with two other mates. I'm awake and ready but call time isn't for another 30 minutes. For some awful reason, I woke up twice! But no need to jump into the details. I'm currently in Belfast, Northern Ireland, enjoying my final weekend out before I get back to Asia.... I really wish I could stay in the UK forever but this run has ended. Boooooooo

Belfast is not as charming a citu as Edinburgh but its history is very much ibteresting. having come out of the Troubles only fairly recently, people are slowly discovering what this city has to offer. From the Europa hotel - which was the most bombed hotrl in Europe - bombed approximately 30+ times by the IRA to the murals that are painted on the sides of the houses that convey peace, political meaning, or just memorials in general. Some of the older structures still remain, such as the city hall and the cathedrals.

What's surprising is the faxt that the city is divided into two: the Catholics and the protestants, and is visibly marked by a wall which has a few gates that allow access. Each night, these gates are closed down by the police and reopened again in the morning.

Head to the Crown Bar to drink a pint (or maybe half) of Guinness and enjoy a night out at the pub with mates.The Irish and British living in this area are very, very nice
people! They are happy enough to point you in the right direction and are very accomodating.

Oh - if you have plans to go here and you're flying in from London, its more xonvenient to fly via Easyjet than Ryanair - just my humble opinion!

Jolly old London town - the place I now call my home :)

I know I havent updated in the past few months- mainly because I didnt get to finish any books yet!! Yes, I know, I'm really slowin reading here but really, I'm having the time of my life!

After work, there's always a billion things to do - watch a play or a musical, go out for drinks or dinner with friends and colleagues, learn how to cook, or just hang around with friends. Then when I do get home, there's household chores to do: ironing, washing clothes, sleeping.. Or just chilling out in front of the telly.

My reading time has now been confined to journeys in the tube, a coach, or the train.

Weekends are spent sightseeing within London or within the UK. Now can yoi guys understand why I have no updates much? Ha ha

back to boring old Manila in 2 weeks. Perhaps i'll have more reviews then - i dont have much to do there anyway :(