Pink's Just Give Me A Reason: BEST.SONG.EVER.

It's been a while since I last blogged about a song I like and although I've had a lot of favorites in the past year, I don't usually take the time to blog about it. But right now, I am so inspired and in awe of this song, that I really have to share this with you.



I love, love, love Pink's Just Give Me A Reason. It was released around September of 2012 but picked up kinda late in the Philippines and I only heard about it last week. Since then, I have been listening to it gazillion times a day (I know the lyrics by heart). I know that most of you have probably heard, downloaded, and sung to this song (some even made covers) but I just have to say that this is THE.BEST.SONG.EVER.

Ok, maybe not the best song ever, but still, I can confidently say that this is Pink's biggest and best song ever. It's not hard to see why.

What I love about this song:

1. Nate Ruess - Although I love We Are Young and Some Nights, I didn't actually know the name of Fun.'s lead singer. So when I was watching Just Give Me A Reason's video, I was surprised to see him. But he's basically the top reason why I adore this song. Phenomenal vocals, really. Some girls fall in love with a guy when he starts to sing, and Nate is doing it for me.

2. Pink - No, you won't be getting the usual cursing, angsty Pink here. We all know that she's got a powerful voice but Pink exceeded my expectations here. It's a very different Pink, and as Jody Rosen of Rolling Stone said, "Pink dials back the drama, letting the melody and sentiments do their work, and singing, for once, instead of yowling."

3. The lyrics - Just Give Me A Reason is a sad song with the singer taking on an optimistic attitude. It's about holding on to a relationship even though it seem to be breaking down. "We're not broken, just bent" is probably the best part of the song. Hands down to Pink and Nate for writing this beautiful song.

4. The rhythm/instruments - I know very little about musical instruments but it's easy to recognize the beauty of this song's melody. The combination of the piano, drums, and bass plus Pink and Nate's voices makes you want to listen to it more and more. I especially love the introduction of bass in the chorus.

It's not enough that I listen to this song in repeat -- I also had to look for live versions. Hahaha, I am that obsessed. This video is proof just how great Pink and Nate's vocal powers are. It gave me goosebumps.



Now, excuse me as I continue listening to the song on repeat. Ciao!

Book Review: The Silver Linings Playbook

I first read about the Silver Linings Playbook in an article about my girl crush Jennifer Lawrence. Out of curiosity, I watched the trailer and liked it because it looked good and well, I am biased towards J.Law. I found out that the film was based on the book by Matthew Quick. I don’t know about you but I always like reading first before watching the movie adaptation. As of writing, I still haven't seen the film so there will be no comparisons here. Let's just stick to the book review.

The Silver Linings Playbook is a story about Pat Peoples, a 34-year old mentally deranged man who believes in silver linings and that his life is a movie. The silver lining for him is that he will reunite with his wife, Nikki, who he hasn't seen during the last four years that he was in the bad place (mental institution). He works out several times a day to keep fit so Nikki will like him again when "apart time" finally ends. He hates Kenny G so much as well as pessimistic doctors. But he likes his new doctor, Cliff, who is also a Philadelphia Eagles fan like him.

Pat meets Tiffany, a mysterious widow who is also mentally ill and goes to therapy just like him. Tiffany asks him to be her dance partner at a dance contest and in return, she will be Pat and Nikki's liaison. Pat agrees and soon, he finds himself in a series of twists and turns which I will not divulge anymore because I truly think that you, readers out there, should read this book.

I love Pat. I can't help but love Pat. He is a very different character, a far cry from the handsome, brave and strong men that dominate love stories and chick flicks. That being said, Silver Linings is not a love story. And Pat is not perfect. He is broken, messed up, flawed. But his childlike determination, his insane belief in silver linings is what makes him different and lovable.

Tiffany, on the other hand, has a strong personality. Despite her betrayal (that's just as far as I can get on spoilers), she is brutally honest, exactly the kind of person that Pat needs. Tiffany needs Pat, too. And this need is what fuels their unique friendship. How it ends and whether they find their silver linings or not, I won’t tell you BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO READ THIS BOOK.

The Silver Linings Playbook talks about forgiveness, regret, brotherhood, friendship, and life. You wouldn’t think two mentally distraught people can actually impart messages on these things but they did. Matthew Quick sure did a good job on his first book. Reading it was like looking into a crazy man’s life and seeing that hey, we’re not so different after all.

Silver Linings is a light and easy read and it won’t disappoint. Go ahead, grab a copy, and let me know what you think by leaving a comment. And oh, do tell me what your silver lining is. :)

UPDATE:

I watched the movie and I was sort of disappointed because they changed a lot of details. I saw very little resemblance. Buy hey, if you watched the movie first and then read later, maybe you will like it. I tell you though, Jennifer Lawrence is so hot and she's at her best in this movie; it's no wonder she won that Golden Globe award.

Surviving Divisoria

It’s the most wonderful time of the year again. As Christmas approaches, the shopping crowd also grows. This is most felt in the malls, bazaars, and well, in the ever famous Divisoria.

Divisoria. Shopper’s heaven, demophobe’s hell.

I recently dragged my boyfriend to Divi to shop for gifts and some additions to my wardrobe. It seemed like a good idea at the time but when I think about it now, I cringe. There were SO MANY people! It’s so crowded, it was hot and really tiresome. And it’s bound to get worse by December.

Through this experience, I’ve come up with sensible tips (some I followed, others I just realized after the trip) on how to survive a shopping trip in Divisoria.



1. Ask yourself: Do I really need to go?

Divi is not the place for window shopping. Unless you have a long to-buy list (or you’re buying something that you know is available only in Divi), don’t go. You’ll only add to the crowd. If you plan to buy a few things, weigh first if the price difference is worth the stress you’ll likely acquire. Have a purpose!

It's More Fun in Baler!

It all started with an article. Ricky Lopez wrote a feature on Baler for an old issue of Susan Calo Medina’s Travel Time magazine. He went just in time for Aurora Day, making the photos look more festive and fun. It also mentioned that surfers flock the beaches during February, when the waves are more suited for surfing. When I got to the part which mentions where to stay, I saw that Bay’s Inn offers accommodations for P500-1,350. The cheapskate in me got hooked.

After months of researching, more reading, and planning, I was finally ready to see Baler. Unlike Mr. Lopez, though, I went in April so I didn’t catch the festivities. But no worries; Aurora’s capital promises a fun, relaxing 3-day trip.


HOW TO GO THERE
We boarded Genesis Transport in Cubao at around 2:30am on a Friday. This bus liner is the sole provider of trips going to Baler, and the buses going to Baler only come from Cubao and not from their Pasay terminal. You can also take buses to Cabanatuan then board a second bus to Baler. But we didn’t want the hassle of taking multiple buses so we chose Genesis (even though we’ve heard that this transport service has had many accidents in the past). The trip almost felt like we were going to Baguio because we had to travel for 7 hours going north (although Aurora is beside Quezon, you’d have to take NLEX) and endure the headache-inducing zigzagging roads. If you are not as groggy as we were, you will not be able to sleep with that shaky journey we had.


ACCOMMODATIONS
When I called Bay's Inn in February, their Saturdays for April were already fully booked. They were that famous for accommodations in Baler. I was able to reserve for our Friday-Saturday stay. But then two weeks before our trip, we decided to add another day. Since Bay's Inn couldn't give us a room for Saturday-Sunday, I checked out other hotels and lodges. Finally, I scored a room on Surfer Girls Lodge (also known as Little Girls Surfer Lodge).

Bay's Inn and Surfer Girls Lodge, both along Sabang Beach

Back to Basics: Writing on a Notebook

Just a few minutes ago, I had the energy to write -- REALLY WRITE -- down my thoughts on my journal-slash-planner. I went on and on and realized that it is slowly becoming like a blog post and I thought, hey, maybe I should post this. But I was too lazy to type the whole thing. So I just scanned the pages and decided to post it here. Sorry for the blurry parts and I really hope you can decipher it (plus this was written using a pencil).

How it feels good to have written something not work-related on paper again. :) When was the last time you did this?

Rediscovering Old Manila Through Intramuros

After watching several episodes of Travel Time, I bowed to heed Tita Susan’s advice – Huwag maging dayuhan sa sariling bayan – because after all, it is more fun in the Philippines. So on a moderately hot Saturday morning, my boyfriend and I visited one of Manila’s historical places, the Walled City.

It is a shame that I have studied in Manila for four years and also worked near Intramuros for almost a month but have never stopped to see the gem that is Intramuros. But all that is going to change with my quest to visit more local destinations. When I told my sisters and Mama that I was visiting Intramuros, they just laughed at me. I totally understand this because it doesn’t sound like a ‘special’ destination. Good thing dear boyfriend and I are both into history, vintage things and old architecture.

For hundreds of years, the walled city of Intramuros was Manila: the nerve center of the Spanish occupation in the Philippines, home to several thousand Spanish colonists, their families, and their Filipino servants.


Intramuros was erected on the ruins of a Malay settlement at the mouth of the Pasig River. Its strategic location attracted the attention of the conquistador Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, who took over the area in 1571 and proclaimed it as the Philippine colony's new capital.


For 400 years, Intramuros was the center of Spanish political, religious, and military power in the region. The walled city suffered grievously through World War II; only San Agustin Cathedral was left standing by war's end.


In the 1980s, the government led a major restoration effort that reconstructed Intramuros to its present state. Today, Intramuros is a prominent tourist spot where visitors can experience Spanish-era Manila through the walled city's churches, restaurants, and museums. [About.com]

We originally wanted to follow About.com's suggested itinerary but because I wasn’t feeling well that day, we only visited Fort Santiago and Manila Cathedral. We decided to just finish the itinerary the next time we visit Intramuros.

New Year's Goals, NOT Resolutions

Half of the month has passed since we all faced the New Year and most bloggers and writers have already posted their New Year's resolutions on their blogs and journals (my favorite post is this). As for me, the lazy blogger that I am, I have written down my resolutions on my old-school journal. And correction, I don't call it resolutions.

Image: Kittikun Atsawintarangkul / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I call it GOALS.

That's because resolutions usually don't come true. But goals are everywhere. You set goals for your studies, for your career or business, for your finances, for your family. And in most cases, goals are more likely to be attained than the cliché that NY resolutions are.