10th Book: Howliday Inn

Well, here's another animal story. A children's book, with good wit and humor to keep me going page after page, and after a couple of hours I've finished reading it. Since I've been reading children's books for a while, I'm starting to get more convinced that these books aren't just plain.

If you read it in an adult's point of view, you would see that these genre has more to offer. They have their own metaphor and meanings, often hidden in the unassuming characters. 

Anyway, here's a peek to the story:

Howliday inn is set in the viewpoint of Harold, the family dog.

The adventure starts when his persons, the Monroe family, took a vacation and couldn't bring the pets with them. So together with the family's brainy cat, Chester, the two were boarded in the Chateau bow-wow for a week. It's supposed to give them their own smooth holiday for a week.

'Abandon all hope ye who enters here' as Chester said. Harold wouldn't have taken it seriously if it hadn't been for the creepy howling they heard in their first night there, coupled with strange disappearance and a hint of crime. Now, it's up to Harold and Chester to uncover the truth about the strange happenings in Howliday inn before it's too late for both of them.

Kimchi

If there is a competition of food with the strongest (or foulest smell), Korea's kimchi will surely be in.

If you have yet to encounter kimchi, then you have to be well warned, so as to brace yourself for what's coming.

Kimchi is one of Korea's staple foods. It is made of fermented Chinese cabbage,drenched in pepper paste. It is mostly present in every Korean meal.

But be warned, this spicy vegetable dish has a deadly weapon- it's smell.

Bad odor is an understatement. It reeks of a decaying vegetable. [Well, at least that's my first reaction.]The more fermented it is, the stronger the odor, I guess. With the reek,it's really going to be hard to eat, especially if you are squeamish.

But rest assured that if you are a vegetable lover, if have a passion for spicy food or if you simply like discovering new dishes,this will be worth a try. And the more you get used to eating it the more the reek becomes more tolerable.

As for me, being fond of vegetables, I easily liked it. The spice, the Chinese cabbage, added with hot rice and some meat, really makes a hearty meal. As for the smell, well, you just have to accept it as it is. : P

Anyway, the company I work for offer kimchi pinoy style, with four flavors: beef, pork, chicken and tuna. Cool!

[Theold Interprise: 02-817-8485 to 6]

7th, 8th, 9th Book: The Hunger Games Trilogy

First off, let me express my regret not to buy the real copy, and just be contented reading the e-book version.

Believe me, it wasn't my intention. I was just testing the first few pages of the e-book version, to see if it's worth to buy the real thing.(Yes, I know it's worth the bucks, but I just want to be sure.)

I shouldn't have done it. As soon as I reached the 10th page, I couldn't take my mind of it, and the movie also keeps flashing back.

I couldn't wait to go to the mall and buy, imagine my addiction, staying up in the middle of the night, until dawn, to finish pages by pages, chapter by chapter of this Hunger games. I was totally hooked! In 5 days I was able to finish the whole thing. I spend about 3 more days with the aftermath of everything in my mind- reminiscing moments in the book, remembering the movie. This book is so addicting!

I will definitely buy myself the real deal. My officemate said, why buy it if I have already read it. Couple of reasons actually:

1st - it's going to be a collection
2nd - I'm sure I'll read it again.
3rd - Because I'm sure I'll read it again, I want to save myself from another butt-pain. It's serious. Imagine those 5 days sitting  for a long time, staring at the computer monitor.My poor butt. I can't even lie on bed while reading; and so, I need a physical copy.

What I like:
Since, this book is widely popular, I don't think I need to introduce it, so I'm just going to say my take about it.
Of all the books, my most favorite is the first part. I think beginnings are the sweetest parts in books.
I like Peeta, and how he shows his interest/love for Katniss in the little things. He has a sense of humor too. I think, for every girl, he has the trait of an ideal man. Protective, respectful, funny, reliable.

Katniss has a strong character. She's actually a good embodiment of an independent woman, with outstanding archery skills. The way Collins write her emotional struggle throughout the book, made me think, if I had been like that, at a point in my life. I think yes, every woman goes through confusion, self-confinement and depression. Collins actually told it very well.

This book is more wholesome than Twilight, I think. It's written in both female point of view, but you can see the difference between Bella and Katniss' thoughts when it comes to their relationships and how they handle them. Or perhaps it's just the way how the writers wrote it-explicit or not.

What I don't like:
You know one of the things that really kept me going night after night, is Peeta's love for Katniss. The second  book's adventure is excellent, and their time with at the penthouse and arena are also sweet. But the book seems to lack something, sort of not enough. Well, with Peeta, dejected by Katniss in the first book, I think it's understandable how they came to that. Although, I kept on hoping to find the little things, those little sweet things between Peeta and Katniss. Oh moments, they just have a few.

Finally when the third book unveiled, they have less to share. With Peeta hijacked and all, that little connection seemed to be lost. . I just hope there were more sweet moments by the end of the book, to make up for the lost time... you know,but well, it's ok.

Conclusion:
No matter how it ended, or even if this book has some lose ends, it all comes down to one thing: this book is addicting.

Wacom pen and touch CTH-470

I finally got a drawing tablet! Yey!

After a long battle with my mind as to what brand to choose and what model to buy, I finally settled with a Wacom Bamboo.

Why I chose this tablet:
First off, it's established. Wacom, by far is the most reliable brand when it comes to graphic tablets.
I actually wanted to give Genius a try, given that its price is more affordable. Imagine you can buy two genius worth of tablets, with the price of one wacom. (The level entry, that is.)

What's inside?

This is it! The tablet, pen with eraser,the drivers, and usb cable 4 extra nibs and a nib remover.

The Tablet and Pen
This is a pen and touch tablet, so basically, you can also use this as an alternative to mouse, while you are drawing.

See those white marks? That's the margin for the active area. You can only draw within those marks. The space within these marks represent exactly your monitor. When I first used it, it was confusing, but you'll get used to it.

This tablet has four hot keys. You can also adjust them. How I love the brilliant idea of the creases in those hot keys!

The pen has a built-in eraser, and also has two shortcut keys within the pen's body. You can adjust them too. Here's what I just noticed though, the luster of the eraser's body gets scratched as you erase it. So for me, I actually opted not to use it. Instead, I assigned the eraser to one of the shortcut keys. [I just don't want my pen to look old and scratched. :P  ]

Did I mention that this tablet is wifi ready? There's an allotted compartment for wifi and battery, it's sold separately though.

Oh la la!
Wacom bamboo eraser and pressure sensitivity doesn't work
The first time I used the eraser, it was a horror that the eraser not working. I thought it was supposed to be by default, but it doesn't work in SAI or Adobe photoshop.

Wacom pen and touch is made to be pressure sensitive. It's the function that makes a line thicker or thinner depending on how much pressure you apply to the tablet using the pen. It should function by default.

The first time I tried my pen, I totally forgot about the pressure thing. The next time I tried it, again, it's not working, and I was in panicky mode again.

The solution for the drawing tablet's pressure sensitivity  and eraser to work: pressing the CTRL,ALT,SHIFT altogether while the application is starting. It will reset your application's settings. It should make the eraser and pressure sensitivity work. If not, then you have another problem.

FREE SAI DOWNLOAD
Easy paint tool SAI is just like Adobe Photoshop, but as the name says, it's easy. With layman's terms and uncluttered interface, it's a very helpful tools for novice, and professionals too.

Now, most of the people who use graphic tablets use this program. So, my dilemma was where to download SAI free? (Sorry I don't have lots of bucks to shell out for the original:[ ) Anyway, I found it at last. If you just keep on looking, you'll eventually find something.

So I'm sharing this very helpful site I found.
Be sure to check the 'description'. ;)

I have tried it and it worked for me. I hope it will for you too.

The Law of Diminishing Intent

I read this in a newsletter from a bookshop. I think I just ought to share it. This article is a wake up call for us. Act now, or else, you'll fall prey to the law of diminishing intent. Here's the whole bit of it:

The Time to Act by Jim Rohn
Engaging in genuine discipline requires that you develop the ability to take action. You don’t need to be hasty if it isn’t required, but you don’t want to lose much time either. Here’s the time to act: when the idea is hot and the emotion is strong.

Let’s say you would like to build your library. If that is a strong desire for you, what you’ve got to do is get the first book. Then get the second book. Take action as soon as possible, before the feeling passes and before the idea dims. If you don’t, here’s what happens…


You fall prey to the law of diminishing intent.

We intend to take action when the idea strikes us. We intend to do something when the emotion is high. But if we don’t translate that intention into action fairly soon, the urgency starts to diminish. A month from now the passion is cold. A year from now it can’t be found.

So take action. Set up a discipline when the emotions are high and the idea is strong, clear, and powerful. If somebody talks about good health and you’re motivated by it, you need to get a book on nutrition. Get the book before the idea passes, before the emotion gets cold. Begin the process. Fall on the floor and do some push-ups. You’ve got to take action; otherwise the wisdom is wasted. The emotion soon passes unless you apply it to a disciplined activity. Discipline enables you to capture the emotion and the wisdom and translate them into action. The key is to increase your motivation by quickly setting up the disciplines. By doing so, you’ve started a whole new life process.

Here is the greatest value of discipline: self-worth, also known as self-esteem. Many people who are teaching self-esteem these days don’t connect it to discipline. But once we sense the least lack of discipline within ourselves, it starts to erode our psyche. One of the greatest temptations is to just ease up a little bit. Instead of doing your best, you allow yourself to do just a little less than your best. Sure enough, you’ve started in the slightest way to decrease your sense of self-worth.

There is a problem with even a little bit of neglect. Neglect starts as an infection. If you don’t take care of it, it becomes a disease. And one neglect leads to another. Worst of all, when neglect starts, it diminishes our self-worth.

Once this has happened, how can you regain your self-respect? All you have to do is act now! Start with the smallest discipline that corresponds to your own philosophy. Make the commitment: “I will discipline myself to achieve my goals so that in the years ahead I can celebrate my successes.”

6th Book: The Egypt Game

When I saw this book on sale in a bookstore, I didn't miss the opportunity to buy it. After all, it's a must-read according to the 2008 almanac. I have actually imagined a Jumanji like theme, where the players would be transported into the game, and would face the dangers of hidden traps and mummies in the pyramids of Egypt.

Boy, I was wrong. I should have read the blurb before anything else. It's nothing like that. But, I'm not disappointed either.

The Egypt game is not a story of magic, in fact it offers a normal story of kids who play with that 'role-play' type of thing.The ones we used to do when we were young - dress up and pretend to be the mother, cook, princess, or anything that our imagination requires of us; use scrap materials from the house, from the neighborhood, from the plants, anything that can be props for our story.  As for this story, it started when the kids saw Nefertiti inviting them into the land of Egpyt, and so they let their imagination run, do as Egyptians do, make props for their costumes, perform rituals and all.

But I must admit, I admire how Synger was able to organize the thoughts and come up with a detailed story. You know, it's not always easy to describe an ordinary thing in an extraordinary way. But she was able to pull it of, "Neat!" like one of the characters say. The story also just doesn't offer you an ordinary one, it has enough twist to keep you wondering. But the part I like the most if the totality of the story. It is told from a child/ and pre-teen's point of view, and looking at things from their perspective is something that reminds me of my own childhood. Reading this story has somehow made me remember how I looked at things, and what priorities, worries or dreams I had when I was a child. Now I think I know why it became a must- read.

I really think it's quite interesting to read a children's book when you are an adult. It takes the story into a new light. You'd see it differently as an adult, than the way you would see it if you are young.

Next in Line: The Howliday Inn  [I guess it's time to finally open this book, 3 years after I bought it.]

I have a thing about archers

I don't know when it started. This may be an influence from my childhood immersion in anime, but it can't be helped. I'm really into archers.

Swordsman and strong and courageous, but they fight on the frontline, and I think it's more dangerous. Using bow and arrow on the other hand allows you to hide, shoot from afar, and hit (if you have a good aim). And I just think it's a really kick-ass thing, to hit the target from a distance. So, I can't help but be amazed whenever I see archers, in animation or movies.

Magic knight rayearth - Animone (Fuu)

She's that silent-type, of all the three protagonists in this anime. But she's the first earliest archer I have followed. ( I really can't recall my earliest memory of Robin Hood animation well enough.)

Before they had their magical weapons, they were given ordinary ones, and Fuu took the bow and arrow. The thing I remember most about her character was the time when, they need to defeat something, and they can't get near it. Only she has the chance to hit it with her arrow, but she was too reluctant of her ability. But, good thing, she was able to gather her confidence and do it.

Inuyasha - Kagome

If it hadn't been for Kagome, unwittingly hitting and shattering the magic crystal, they wouldn't go through all those hard time gathering it again. But there would be no story either.

Anyway, Kagome is fearless in most circumstances. Not only she's an archer, she is also an adept swimmer.

The Lord of the Rings - Legolas

Orlando Bloom as Legolas, is my first ever absolute archer crush. I wouldn't even watch this movie, if it weren't for him. I consciously avoid movies with the hint of violence, because I avoid the nightmare that follows me at night. But because of him, playing Legolas, I was able to stand it. He's a definition of awesome.

The hunger games - Katniss

I have yet to read the book, but I have already watched the movie. A female protagonist. A female acher protagonist. Cool! Her character is strong, she has the survivor aura. I think Jennifer Lawrence portrayed  her character very well.

The Avengers - Hawkeye

And of course, the latest movie 'The Avengers'. Jeremy Renner's portrayal of Hawkeye is another awesome thing that really made me write this entry. He was really convincing. There were lots of super heroes in the movie, and Chris Evans is a really handsome Captain America, but it was hawkeye's move who I was wishing to see on the screen- why? Because he is one heck of an archer. :P