Featured Post
Moving Domains
Hello All, Just a quick note to say that I haven't been blogging here for a while because Peter and I decided to get our own doma...
Showing posts with label England. Show all posts
[Book review] The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight - Jennifer E Smith
Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?
Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. She's stuck at JFK, late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon to be step-mother that Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's in seat 18C. Hadley's in 18A.
Twists of fate and quirks of timing play out in this thoughtful novel about family connections, second chances and first loves. Set over a 24-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver's story will make you believe that true love finds you when you're least expecting it
I've never been one to buy books full price, but just imagine my surprise when I saw this book available at a local bookstore. It is quite expensive, given that the copy is a hard cover, and it took me several minutes in trying to decide if I should get it or not, but I finally did in the end.
I really wanted this book for like, forever, after the reviews that I've read on the internet, and also the premise of the book struck me. The story revolves around Hadley and Oliver, who both met at the airport and after a series of events, had them both in the same row on the same plane bound for London. Oh, and did I mention that Oliver is British? Just the mere fact hooked me on the book ;)
It reminded me of the feeling I had when I was reading Anna & the French Kiss: the unmistakeable tingly feeling you get in the pit of your stomach as you are reading the events that are unfolding between the two characters, and you feel the way they are feeling too. It's also very believable given that the dialogue is so real and true to what these Brit guys normally say!
It was easy reading for me at first, but then there were some parts that disappointed me (mainly parts that revolved around Hadley and there was no sight or mention of Oliver at all!) and of course, I was also at a point in my life where I didn't really like to read anything mushy so I had to put down the book and stare at it, not wanting to know what would happen to Hadley and Oliver as I was feeling a bit depressed.
I finally finished, and the ending was everything that I was expecting. The book is a bit short, to be honest. I'm not sure I feel so happy about it given the price I paid for this book. However, it is a feel good and uplifting tale that makes you wonder: "What if?" and would make you believe in things like fate, srendipity and other whatnot. Of course, in reality, each and everyone of us would be connected at one point in time given these random occurences and meetings in life, anywhere in the world.
As one friend of mine said, the people you meet are given a purpose for you. You just have to figure out what that particular purpose is to your life. I totally agree with that line. I have met a few people in my life who have inspired me to take a leap, travel, and just enjoy whatever life has to give to me and I am forever grateful for the opportunity to getting to know these people.
So, would I recommend this book? Definitely - but do not pay full price for it much like I did! LOL. I do hope that there would be another installment to Hadley & Oliver's tale (like, what happens after) but that's only wishful thinking!
Overall - 4/5
London 2012: Olympic Venues Part One
London 2012 is officially under way (did you get to watch it? I did!) and since not everyone can go there at the moment, I thought I could take you on a little tour what to see! This city has over 2,000 years of history, and is a cultural melting pot. It is a city where the old meets new, where high rise modern buildings can be seen within a few minutes walk from a castle!
First off, let's tour some Olympic venues within the London.
The Olympic Stadium, within the Olympic Village in Stratford, hosted the Opening Ceremonies last Friday. It would also host the Athletics & Closing Ceremony, definitely something to look out for. Have you seen the fireworks over this stadium during the Opening Ceremony?
Wimbledon is widely known for its yearly Tennis tournament, and this time, the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club will also be the venue for the Tennis Olympic Event.
And on to some iconic views - if you've seen the Olympic Opening Ceremonies, David Beckham went through this steering a speedboat (of course there's fireworks as he went through too)- this is Tower Bridge. It currently has the Olympic rings at the top for the Olympics :)
[Review] The King's Rose by Alisa M Libby
Life in the court of King Henry VIII is a complex game. When fifteen-year-old Catherine Howard catches the king's eye, she quickly transforms from pawn to queen. But even luxury beyond imagination loses its luster as young Catherine finds her life - and her heart - threatened by the needs of an aging king and a family hungry for power. Will their agendas deliver Catherine to the same fate as her infamous cousin, Anne Boleyn - sacrificed at the altar of family ambition?
Ahh, my first book read for 2012! It's such a stunning start since the main setting of this book is in England (ha ha)
This book is all about Catherine Howard, how she rose to be the queen of England (the fifth wife of Henry VIII) and her eventual death by beheading. Although the book is also targetted at a YA market, I don't really think it is super YA given some of the scenes that were described in the novel - sex, adultery, killing, and so forth. But it does give a good background to us about how it was like 400 years ago.
If you are an avid The Tudors fan, you'll find that this book seems to describe one of the few episodes in the TV Series! It was so easy for me to read because well, it was just like a novelization, in fact. Although, I do hate the fact that Thomas Culpepper didn't appear much in this book. It therefore lacks some of love story I had been expecting between the two of them.
On some parts of the novel, I really felt for Catherine - being too young, used by her relatives just to get ahead in politics which is really really sad. I think she was just used for their own political gain (and got her head chopped off for it).
There's lack of originality in the book, but it is quite a good read for those wanting to know more about the Tudor times.
Rating: 2.5/5
Published: 2009.
There's lack of originality in the book, but it is quite a good read for those wanting to know more about the Tudor times.
Rating: 2.5/5
Published: 2009.
England: Tower Bridge
Greetings guys ! I'm testing blogger for iPhone right now. What better way to create a test post than uploading a photo :)
This was taken at iconic Tower Bridge. It was first built in the 1800s and can be drawn up to allow ships to pass through. Oh, and it still works today!
To get there, just hop on a tube and go down at the Tower Hill stop. Its on the District line. The bridge is a short walk from the tube station and you'll also see the Tower of London!
For those looking for London Bridge, ita the next one over! It isn't as iconic or pretty as Tower Bridge though!
This was taken at iconic Tower Bridge. It was first built in the 1800s and can be drawn up to allow ships to pass through. Oh, and it still works today!
To get there, just hop on a tube and go down at the Tower Hill stop. Its on the District line. The bridge is a short walk from the tube station and you'll also see the Tower of London!
For those looking for London Bridge, ita the next one over! It isn't as iconic or pretty as Tower Bridge though!
Travel - The UK 2011 Diaries Part 1: Getting There
Facebook is being a pain and since I promised my friends to post photos and some brief narrative on what I did on my 3 1/2 month stint in the UK, here you go. A month and a half late. Or rather, a few months late.
One thing I ask though - I may not have any watermarks (because mainly I'm too lazy to do it) so please do not get any of my photos without my permission puh-lease!
Anyhoo, it all started with me moving on to a different team at work - and well, the chance to go to the UK for a few months was in the cards. I couldn't say no, I love the UK! :) So, last June, I embarked on a solo backpacking trip around Cebu and Bohol (more of that when I get more time to post) and on June 30th I find myself going to the airport to embark on this happy happy and exciting trip :)
I had a nightmare going through immigration - the immigration officer didn't know the visa I was holding and thought that I needed a POEA permit to continue! (Hello!!! I am not earning GBP and hence am not an OFW so why would I bloody need that stupid POEA permit??) - my head was literally steaming - good thing my friend and my boss helped out with the situation. Stupid, stupid, stupid - I'd rather not deal more about this subject because it would end up with a rant about the Philippines again.
The photo above is a plane model in the business class lounge that's on the windowsill where you could see the planes parked in NAIA1, waiting for the passengers to board!
Back to the trip -I called up HSBC from the lounge. One thing when you're travelling out of the country - you need to call up your credit card company and let them know that you are going out of the country so they won't block any of your purchases when you charge something from abroad.
Then our flight was called - we are gonna board!! :)
One thing I ask though - I may not have any watermarks (because mainly I'm too lazy to do it) so please do not get any of my photos without my permission puh-lease!
Anyhoo, it all started with me moving on to a different team at work - and well, the chance to go to the UK for a few months was in the cards. I couldn't say no, I love the UK! :) So, last June, I embarked on a solo backpacking trip around Cebu and Bohol (more of that when I get more time to post) and on June 30th I find myself going to the airport to embark on this happy happy and exciting trip :)
I had a nightmare going through immigration - the immigration officer didn't know the visa I was holding and thought that I needed a POEA permit to continue! (Hello!!! I am not earning GBP and hence am not an OFW so why would I bloody need that stupid POEA permit??) - my head was literally steaming - good thing my friend and my boss helped out with the situation. Stupid, stupid, stupid - I'd rather not deal more about this subject because it would end up with a rant about the Philippines again.
Anyhoo, I checked in to the NAIA 1 Lounge for Business class passengers. Oh, I failed to mention - I flew via Etihad business class for this trip. Yaaaaayyyyyy. The lounge was okay - although it was a tiny place and it was like a maze. Not a fancy thing though - more like a place for you to rest and relax in before the flight (plus the food + beverage is free)
Back to the trip -I called up HSBC from the lounge. One thing when you're travelling out of the country - you need to call up your credit card company and let them know that you are going out of the country so they won't block any of your purchases when you charge something from abroad.
Then our flight was called - we are gonna board!! :)
So, this is what it looks like from the business class section of Etihad - I have my glass of champagne with a video of places to go to in Abu Dhabi on the screen. (where we're going to have a brief stopover before changing planes to get to London Heathrow). I have a flat bed and lots of leg space - only problem is its a bit of a tight squeeze width-wise. Anyway, I can't complain ;) I love that I also have a window seat.
They gave away goody bags as well containing socks, eye blinders, Aigner lip balm & lotion and a toothbrush with toothpaste on it. Coolies.
Me looking fat on my seat before takeoff. Whee. Trying to prepare myself for a marathon 7/8 hour flight to Abu Dhabi. So, what did I do the whole time? Well, I just watched a few movies - I saw Rango, which is a cute children's movie, also saw Narnia: Prince Caspian. I never really got to watch these movies while I was in Manila - mainly because I was too much of a stingy head and refused to go out to movies unless they're really worth watching.
I also read a book while the plane was taking off and landing.. and slept, a lot. I wanted to have all my strength when I land in the UK to get ready for a LOT of sightseeing and walking after I land. Whoopdeedoo.
So, finally arriving in Abu Dhabi, we headed straight for their business class lounge. Hmmm.... Took loads of photos as the sun was rising. The airport was literally in the desert - all you could see are other planes, sand, and well, the sun. It was a huge terminal and there were also lots of branded stuff that were available on duty free. We also ate a lot of food while waiting for our plane from AUH to LHR.
One thing I like about flying business class: you can board the plane either first or last. Amazing. So, once we got the Final Boarding Call for our flight, off we went to the plane and prepared for yet another long fight (and sleep) ahead!
Think that's it for now - watch out for Part two where I will blog more about the Etihad Abu Dhabi Lounge and well, London Day One :)
I think I'll blog about getting a UK visa too, that's informative as well!
Still in London
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 :(
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 :(
Leaving Manila for London
I guess it's time to explain why I haven't been updating much: Iwas busy trying to collate and pass all my papers to the UK embassy because I'm going to London :)
I'm flying off this Friday - a very early morning flight [1AM] so please don't expect any regular updates to the blog. I'm only bringing two books with me in my luggage - although I don't know if I'll be able to read a word or a sentence in any of them while I'm out.
This is a business trip,so on weekdays I'll most probably be busy with work, and on weekends busy with sightseeing and trying to explore everything that I can within the area and out of town as well. Might as well make the most of the opportunity.
Hopefully I get a chance to go to soe bookish evens whilst in London, but I'm not really sure where to find them so here! :)
If I get a chance to blog about my adventures/places I've visited, I'll probably share some of them here, but mostly will share them in my travel blog, so please follow if you're interested:
http://projectglobetrotter.blogspot.com
Ps-> The books I brought are "Ribblestrop" by Andy Mulligan and "Madame Tussaud" by Michelle Moran. Sure they're not connected at all to London or England, for that matter, but I've got excellent travel guides that I'll bring along with me!
I'm flying off this Friday - a very early morning flight [1AM] so please don't expect any regular updates to the blog. I'm only bringing two books with me in my luggage - although I don't know if I'll be able to read a word or a sentence in any of them while I'm out.
This is a business trip,so on weekdays I'll most probably be busy with work, and on weekends busy with sightseeing and trying to explore everything that I can within the area and out of town as well. Might as well make the most of the opportunity.
Hopefully I get a chance to go to soe bookish evens whilst in London, but I'm not really sure where to find them so here! :)
If I get a chance to blog about my adventures/places I've visited, I'll probably share some of them here, but mostly will share them in my travel blog, so please follow if you're interested:
http://projectglobetrotter.blogspot.com
Ps-> The books I brought are "Ribblestrop" by Andy Mulligan and "Madame Tussaud" by Michelle Moran. Sure they're not connected at all to London or England, for that matter, but I've got excellent travel guides that I'll bring along with me!
The Tudors
The Tudors is a telly series that is currently airing in HBO [in Asia, anyway, Showtime for other countries] that has been airing for 2 seasons.
It premiered last night on HBO much to my delight. See, I've been watching this telly series for the past month now, and have gone through the two season and I just can't get enough! :)
It's a historical-based telly series, starring Henry VIII, yes, the notorious English king who had 6 wives. He is played by Jonathan Rhys Meyers [gorgeous guy] and his portrayal is definitely something to watch. He is GOOD!
I have blogged about season 1 before but having recently finished season 2, I was totally blown away. I cannot wait for season 3, which should be showing abroad starting this year.
Do watch it on HBO every Mondays at 11 :)
*sigh*
On another note, yesterday, as I was browsing through National Bookstore, I found myself another historical novel to add to my collection of English history novels:
It's titled "The Sixth Wife" by Suzannah Dunn. It tells the story of Katherine Parr, the sixth wife of Henry VII and her life after Henry's death -- her love affair with Thomas Seymour, and how she looked after Elizabeth after her father's death.
I'll post reviews once I finish the book -- this recent haul is currently in the TBR pile.
Can't English history be more interesting???
It premiered last night on HBO much to my delight. See, I've been watching this telly series for the past month now, and have gone through the two season and I just can't get enough! :)
It's a historical-based telly series, starring Henry VIII, yes, the notorious English king who had 6 wives. He is played by Jonathan Rhys Meyers [gorgeous guy] and his portrayal is definitely something to watch. He is GOOD!
I have blogged about season 1 before but having recently finished season 2, I was totally blown away. I cannot wait for season 3, which should be showing abroad starting this year.
Do watch it on HBO every Mondays at 11 :)
*sigh*
On another note, yesterday, as I was browsing through National Bookstore, I found myself another historical novel to add to my collection of English history novels:
It's titled "The Sixth Wife" by Suzannah Dunn. It tells the story of Katherine Parr, the sixth wife of Henry VII and her life after Henry's death -- her love affair with Thomas Seymour, and how she looked after Elizabeth after her father's death.
I'll post reviews once I finish the book -- this recent haul is currently in the TBR pile.
Can't English history be more interesting???
TV Time weekend -- November 15th - 16th, 2008
The weekend [as my normal weekends normally are], are full of bumming around the house and watching telly series.
This weekend, I engrossed myself in watching six episodes of season 1 of "The Tudors."
It stars Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, and is about King Henry VIII. It's very interesting although not always historically correct. However, it is worth your while if you are a telly buff and is fascinated with English history and the monarchy.
I had always been fascinated with English culture and everything about England. Hence, I literally screamed in happiness when I saw this DVD! *Sigh* Happiness.
I give this telly series a five out of five. :) I will watch the four remaining episodes of season 1 when I've got the time [which is probably until next weekend].
On another note, I am going to watch Michael Johns in Greenbelt on November 21st, Friday. Woohoo. I might go to his Glorietta show as well, who knows?
Gotta go.
This weekend, I engrossed myself in watching six episodes of season 1 of "The Tudors."
It stars Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, and is about King Henry VIII. It's very interesting although not always historically correct. However, it is worth your while if you are a telly buff and is fascinated with English history and the monarchy.
I had always been fascinated with English culture and everything about England. Hence, I literally screamed in happiness when I saw this DVD! *Sigh* Happiness.
I give this telly series a five out of five. :) I will watch the four remaining episodes of season 1 when I've got the time [which is probably until next weekend].
On another note, I am going to watch Michael Johns in Greenbelt on November 21st, Friday. Woohoo. I might go to his Glorietta show as well, who knows?
Gotta go.