So… they released the extended trailer of The Fault in Our Stars.
I know that love is just a shout into the void, and that oblivion is inevitable, and that we’re all doomed and that there will come a day when all our labor has been returned to dust, and I know the sun will swallow the only earth we’ll ever have, and I am in love with you.
Ah, June 5 can’t come any sooner.
“You can love someone so much…But you can never love people as much as you can miss them.”
― John Green
Genre: Young Adult
Author: John Green
Release Date: January 2012
I first read a work by John Green when I chanced upon this quote from his book Looking for Alaska:
I wanted so badly to lie down next to her on the couch, to wrap my arms around her and sleep. Not fuck, like in those movies. Not even have sex. Just sleep together in the most innocent sense of the phrase. But I lacked the courage and she had a boyfriend and I was gawky and she was gorgeous and I was hopelessly boring and she was endlessly fascinating. So I walked back to my room and collapsed on the bottom bunk, thinking that if people were rain, I was drizzle and she was hurricane.
From that point, I was hooked and immediately ran to my favorite bookstore to grab a copy. I finished the entire thing in four hours, a record for me. Then I heard that another book is about to be released, The Fault In Our Stars. I had to get it right away and I was not anywhere near the vicinity of thinking about being disappointed.
The Fault in Our Stars highlights the life of two teenagers with cancer, Augustus and Hazel. For an already tragic-sounding storyline, you’d think that this book would talk about the glory of death. On the contrary, it doesn’t. John Green takes you to a rollercoaster (“that only goes up”) of living life to the fullest and finding your infinities in the moment.
It was such a grave mistake to read this book at a time when work felt too daunting for me, as I ended up semi-bawling in my cubicle, trying to contain the tears brought about by the magnificent and simplistic writing by John Green.
Maybe it’s unusual for some to have a twenty-something read a young adult book, but you see the author does not write for ordinary young adults. John Green infuses philosophy, critical thinking and almost a sense of self-affirmation and self-realization that most adults lose sight of every once in a while. John Green treats his readers as smart and insightful thinkers; he moves you through Hazel then to Augustus, flowing through Isaac and even Dave, the brother-in-law.
The book is nothing short of magnificent. It delivers as much as it has promised, if not more. You need not be a young adult to appreciate this book. It is a great buy and an even more rewarding read. I strongly suggest that you go grab a copy (or leave a comment if you intend to borrow mine), and be enamored by the characters and the Lonely, Vaguely Pedophilic Swing Set Seeks the Butts of Children.
So the past few days, I’ve been complaining a lot about being sick. It was actually the second worst new year’s welcome that I had (the worst was when a firecracker hit my leg, leaving a scar forever in my life). Coughing and sniffling and wheezing and then nauseous, it wasn’t a party.
Imagine how much worse I felt when I still didn’t have a planner for the year! It’s not that I’m an organized person; I just included being organized on my resolutions and then the one thing to aid me in doing so is nonexistent! I went and called practically all bookstores in the area just to get my much wanted Moleskine Weekly Planner with a horizontal layout. Nada.
My heart was breaking. In my head, I just might feel better if I went to church. So I did. Right after the service, I walked to Powerplant Mall to cool down and look around (everything was on sale). I went to National Bookstore, approached the Moleskine rack and voila.
As if I were so lucky, this one was right in the middle of the display rack. I didn’t even think about it. If there weren’t so many people in the store, I would have done a happy dance. I marched up the cashier and rang the bell for some fantastic customer service. Also, because of some promo, I also got to take home a small storage box. How about that!? :)
I thought it was best to celebrate it with a meal of my choice, so I went up one floor, and my favorite coffee spot was there, Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf. I ordered comfort food right away.
I can’t help it; I looooove their Greek Salad. I honestly believe their serving sizes went waaaay up since last year. It wasn’t always filled to the brim, but since around May 2010, there seems to be more of everything! I love it. And I paired it with my favorite brewed tea of theirs, Southern Blend Iced Tea.
After fifteen minutes, my plate looked like this.
PG na PG ang peg! Hahahaha. I love their stuff, I’m not kidding at all!
Anyway, Ted was quick to pick me up, and we got to talking about Daniel, our youngest brother. Right now, since he’s almost like a freelancer, he has no jobs lined up yet, so I gave him a challenge last night. If he can clean my room — closets, shoes and books included — I will give him PhP1,000. We were just talking about it, and according to Ted, Daniel was thinking about doing it.
Now I don’t mind paying him for that kind of service. My room… leaves a lot to be desired. It used to have a big floor, but when Chuchi visited last week, there was a good enough space for her to talk five steps forward and backward, side to side. Hahahaha.
When we got home, I saw this on my door.
And when I opened it, I saw what I have not seen for the past 6 months (not a joke or an exaggeration): THE FLOOR.
I never really thought I had that much space! I couldn’t really get a good shot without everyone in it, because they were just all so excited to see that I have a clean room! My brother was not even shy to show his exhaustion in cleaning it up. And also, he arranged most of my shoes on the new shoe rack. He obviously crammed it — and I later on rearranged it to my liking — but what the heck. It looks great!
Then there’s a ribbon on my closet door. I untied it and it showed this.
I know it doesn’t seem too organized from the photo but he recognized my system. I put the clothes I most recently wore at the extreme right, and the ones folded underneath them are the clothes that I barely wear.
I pulled out my lingerie drawer and even that is neatly arranged in rows! Hahahaha. I believe I have forever scarred my brother by making him fix my knickers. :)
All this for a price of PhP1,000. I added PhP200 more for tip, because you can LITERALLY eat off the floor. Sobrang linis, nakakaloka.
First thing I did? Curled up in my bed and took out this book, in hopes of it lulling me to sleep.
Of course that failed and I ended up reading about 45 pages of it, but then again, it was a good way to turn the day around. So filled with surprises.
I could get used to this. :)
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This was supposed to be posted last night, but PLDT once again failed to provide the Internet connection that comes with a PhP2,000 monthly bill. WHAT THE FUCK PLDT?! Globe, Sun, and Sky Broadband, please do something to improve your coverage in Las Pinas City. There is more than one household itching to transfer service providers. Thank you very much.
I was going through the motions of this seemingly fast paced day, when I chanced upon this image.
Naturally, my heart broke. I am reminded of how powerful words are. I was humbled by the written text; I believe for a moment, I did not deserve to speak. The rawness and the ache that came with this page completely t0ok over. I had to take deep breaths, had to take a moment to recover somehow, to try to get used to the emotion. Yet when I glanced again, the feeling did not really change. If it were possible, I believe it even intensified.
I am now searching for this book. I just have to read it, even though it’s classified as young adult. I have to, even if I’m about six years late. If it moved me this much, then I know for a fact, it is worth the search.
Please if you know anyone who can get me this book (of course, I’ll pay them back), just let me know. It’s Looking for Alaska by John Green, published in 2005. I’d really appreciate it if they can get me a copy of the first printing.
Thanks again.
the salt of your skin 