The Boy Who Lived: A Fan Girl’s Musing

Feb-ulous Challenge Day 22 & 23

I love… Harry Potter.

Here’s the new cover for the new editions to be released this year.

Move over Twi-hards because this year marks the 15th year anniversary of this awesome work of literature: The Harry Potter book series. I’ve been a fan since 2001. I remember reading my first ever paper back Harry Potter book: The Chamber of Secrets for a book report. It was sophomore year in high school and I didn’t know what it was about or that it was a series that’s why I read Chamber (Book 2) first before The Sorcerer’s Stone. I just knew that I had to find a book that’s easy to read. Being a crammer that I was, my plan was to skim the pages and skip some chapters and be done with the project but then after reading the first few chapters I was… enchanted. That was the beginning of my magical journey with Harry Potter.

My first ever Harry Potter book dated July 3, 2001

The pages are already aging, the book’s been with me for 12 years. That’s half of my existence on earth. 🙂

It all sounds so geeky, right? But really, I’m a big fan. I got all seven books. Read them cover to cover at least 3 times. The first two are paper back while the rest are hard bound. I remember waiting for the release every single year and I would line up at the stores and search everywhere because it was sold out most of the time.

Books 1 to 7 occupy my top shelf. 🙂

To say that they were well written books would be the understatement of the century. I can get lost in the books and be taken into the halls of Hogwarts and I could simply imagine hanging out at Hogsmeade drinking a butterbeer. What’s also amazing is how J.K. Rowling came up with all the spells in the book. She’s got spells for mundane stuff like lighting a room (lumos) and for keeping dementors (expecto patronum) and killing bad wizards (avada kedavra). How cool is that?!

I am still amazed how J.K. Rowling managed to keep us on the edge of our seats for 7 books. Turning every page of this “unputdownable” book. Their adventures every semester made my heart race and the losses made me shed some tears. It was heartbreaking to know that Sirius Black, Dobby, Lupin, Tonks, Dumbledore, and others had to die fighting off the forces of the Dark Lord that is Lord Voldemort.

My favorite is Book 3: The Prisoner of Azkaban

Thinking about it, I now understand why it has a strong following. The story progressed as its readers matured. I always felt like I grew up with the characters. That’s why I cried when I read the dedication of the last book: The Deathly Hallows, it read:

The dedication of this book is split seven ways: to Neil, to Jessica, to David, to Kenzie, to Di, to Anne, and to YOU, if you have stuck with Harry until the very end.

YOU. She was talking to me! Haha. I’m totally fan-girling right now but I was one of those who stuck with Harry and his story for almost a decade. It’s so awesome. 🙂

Harry Potter is a magical book that showed the enchanting world of witches, wizards, goblins, elves, giants, dragons, spells, Triwizard Tournaments, magical sports (READ: Quidditch), and most importantly it’s a story of friendship, courage, and the power of love. It doesn’t get any better than that.

My Favorite FRIEND.

1 Post A Day Challenge – ENTRY #10

One of my good friends came by the house today out of boredom and because he was a dude I thought I’d better stop my Gossip Girl marathon for a bit. We were looking for a movie to watch but nothing struck our fancy so I told him we should just watch F.R.I.E.N.D.S.

It’s my favorite series of all time. My brother got me the whole 10 seasons for Christmas in 2008 and I spent the whole Christmas vacation watching it. The series first aired in 1994. I remember it was syndicated here in the Philippines and was aired in the defunct ABC 5 network now known as TV 5. I was only 6 years old then so as my brother (who was 12 and  was beyond his years so he kinda appreciated it even then) and my mom watched it, I was pretty clueless. It was after the final season that I started watching reruns on cable TV and ended up being a fan.

The story is about the lives of 6 friends who are in their 20’s and are living in New York. It features the struggles of being young, relationships, work pressure, and everything in between. Saying that it’s funny is an understatement. Sometimes I even read back quotes in IMDB.com when I’m bored and it cracks me up.

My favorite FRIENDS character would have to be Chandler Bing played by Matthew Perry. I think he’s the funniest of the bunch with his sarcasm. Although they are hilarious collectively, he’s probably the funniest individually. I mean his dad’s a tranny, first of all, and he had the worst experience with girls (read: Janice – the nasal ex-girlfriend that he can’t seem to break up with). He was in a whole lot of self-deprecating funny situations.

Janice: “You’re my Bing-a-ling.”

Some of my favorite episodes were the one where they had to do a quiz. It was Rachel and Monica versus Chandler and Joey. Ross was the game master. They ended up switching apartments because Rachel and Monica didn’t get the last question in the lightning round which was: “What do Chandler do for a living?”. I also loved the thanksgiving episode with Brad Pitt and the flash back episodes.

Here’s a clip of the Best of Chandler Bing:

 

I could watch re-runs all day long. I was so hooked I wanted to be friends with them. I know. I’m kinda lame but they’re like so much fun to be around. Maybe the reason why it clicked was because people can relate. I mean, maybe we know someone who’s bratty like Rachel (I know somebody like her), or who is a little weird like Phoebe, or a typical guy like Joey, a geek like Ross, a sarcastic dude like Chandler, or a control freak like Monica. They sort of remind us of somebody in our own circle of friends or even ourselves sometimes and I guess that’s the reason why the series lasted for 10 years. 🙂

 

The Hunger Games

1 Post A Day Challenge – ENTRY #2

A few weeks back, I got my paper back copies of the Hunger Games Trilogy. I saw the movie starring Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, and Liam Hemsworth. I kind of liked it so when my friends emailed me a copy of the e-books I said, why not. I read the Hunger Games e-book version and as expected it’s way better than the movie because it’s obviously more detailed. I think seeing the movie helped me appreciate the books even more because I already had an idea of what it all should look like.

After reading the first book, I fell in love with Peeta Mellark and got hooked. How can you not love him? He’s selfless, very sweet, artistic and sensitive. He’s Prince Charming personified! He’s not wimpy but he’s sensitive. He’s strong but he’s not a douche. He’s perfect BUT fictional. So that’s that for dreaming of Peeta Mellark. Too bad he’s fictional. Anyway, me being a sucker for cheesy romantic stuff, Peeta’s dialogues and the moments with Katniss were golden! My reading experience was filled with ooohs and aaawws. Thanks to him I can’t put the books down and I feel like I can’t read fast enough. I want to know what happens next.

Katniss. Aaah she’s this broody 17 year old girl who runs the show. I liked Katniss. I felt like she was annoying at times because she was this over-thinking jaded teenager and Peeta’s always at the end of her PMS and coldness. I can’t blame her though. She’s been through a lot with her father’s death, Prim being reaped and volunteering and being in the games. (Read the book, I can’t describe the games but its torture. Not totally gory but just plain power trip harsh). I got irritated when she couldn’t accept the fact that she likes Peeta but then again I know someone like that. Haha! Sometimes, it’s hard to admit that you like (or even love) someone. Why do I think that, you ask? That question would probably be answered in future entries with a different subject. 🙂

Other than Peeta, my favorite character would be Haymitch. I also think that Woody Harrelson was the best person to play that role. He’s this dysfunctional alcoholic mentor. You’d think that he’s just an asshole but after learning the things that the Capitol did to him and his loved ones you’ll understand why he is the way he is.

Haymitch Abernathy

Gale was also one of the main characters. He’s part of the Peeta-Katniss-Gale love triangle. It’s obvious that I’m Team Peeta but Gale is also kilig­-worthy. He’s this typical macho handsome dude. Let’s put it this way, if they belong to a clique in school, Peeta would be a member of the drama club and Gale would be part of the basketball varsity team and Katniss would probably be a loner brooding somewhere in the school campus. I think Gale and Katniss would have been together even before the games started if only they said what they really meant. I feel like, even in real life, we all end up being unhappy because we don’t say what we really mean and sometimes we don’t mean what we say. I don’t want to be a spoiler but you probably have an idea who ends up with Katniss.

I love Peeta! He loves Katniss. She loves Gale? Yeah, they’re screwed like that.

Anyway, I liked the trilogy because the concept of them being in this reality show – the Hunger Games were televised in all of Panem – appealed to me. I’m a reality show junkie. I watch everything from Keeping Up With The Kardashians to the Sing-Off. It’s a story of tyranny, power-struggle, deception, family and love. My favorite book would be the 2^nd installment, Catching Fire. I finished the 3^rd book, Mockingjay, in five days! Once you start reading, it’s hard to put it down. You’d want to know what happens next. It’s actually a good read but it’s still no Harry Potter but I liked it nonetheless. Have a go at it and may the odds be ever in your favor. 🙂

Old Hollywood Dudes I’d Date

While some people dream of having a big house with a pool, I’ve always dreamed of having a house with a theater complete with lazy boy seats, pop corn maker, and tons of movie posters on the wall. I love movies and that may be one of the reason why I wanted to be a writer.

Anywho, I was thinking about some of the actors I really like. If you follow me on twitter you’ll probably see pictures of Zac Efron and Ryan Gosling or Shia LaBeouf but today this post is different. The people in this list are probably foreign to readers who are fans of Justin Bieber or Chris Hemsworth. Today, I give you my list of: Old Hollywood Dudes I’d Date… (yeah, i’ve got time on my hands. *wink*)

#1 – TOM CRUISE

He doesn’t even look 50!

He was born on July 3, 1962. Yup! He’s 50 years old now and I would date him. HAHA! I am such a fan girl ever since I saw Mission Impossible 2. After seeing him bouldering on those rocks, I instantly fell in love. I’ve seen most of his movies but my favorite would have to be the courtroom drama  “A Few Good Men”.

“You want to know the truth? YOU CAN’T HANDLE THE TRUTH” – it was actually Jack Nicholson who said this line but Tom sure did took the truth outta him!

Of course, girls especially love him in Jerry Maguire because the whole “You complete me” scene and also in Top Gun. Here’s some more eye candy:

Maverick in Top Gun

Young version. *SWOON*

#2 – Pierce Brosnan

Aaaa. Pierce Brosnan is 59 years old but he’s still handsome. I’ve seen his Bond Movies and I think he’s the best James Bond ever!

007… 143! :))

It was easier to watch and understand the Bond movies (i’m not a fan of action flicks) because I exerted the effort to not sleep in the cinema when my parents made us come to watch it. How can you doze off if you see this face in the huge screen:

Is he looking at me right now?! *blush*

Pierce’s younger version 🙂

My favorite Pierce Brosnan movie would be Laws of Attraction. The one with Julianne Moore. Because it was just a feel good movie and they make a cute pair. 🙂 He’s also in Percy Jackson: The Lightning Thief.

#3 – Chris Noth

Chris Noth is 58 years old but he still has the looks. My mom doesn’t like him and that is why I like him even more! HAHA! You probably know him as Mr. Big in the HBO series Sex in the City as Carrie Bradshaw’s boyfriend.

Mr. Big!

I wasn’t a fan of that series but I saw some of the episodes because I wanted to see Mr. Big and the shoes. Haha! I watch him in The Good Wife which is a good series with Julianna Margulies. He plays a politician who gets involved in a scandal that leads to his imprisonment. He was also in Law in Order.

#4 – Rob Lowe

He was in St. Elmo’s Fire. Never heard of it? It’s an 80’s film shown before I was even born but thanks to HBO I was able to see it back in high school when I had to skip class because I was sick. Swear. Anyway, here’s a photo:

Rob Lowe. ❤

He’s 48 years old now. I know. But he’s really handsome and charming in Brothers & Sisters as Kitty Walker’s (Callista Flockhart a.k.a Ally McBeal) husband Sen. Robert McCallister. Here’s an old photo for you to get exactly what I mean:

So there, that is the list of the old hollywood dudes I’d date cause they still look good inspite of the age. You’re probably confused now but you see Ryan Reynolds and even Zac Efron will grow old and hopefully they’ll age gracefully just like these men in my list. Alright, go back now to your One Direction and Big Time Rush. I’m out. 🙂

A1 ko sayo, I felt BLUE, when JEFF TIMMONS left.

I love music. I’ve been going to concerts ever since… err… i can afford it. Hehe. It felt wrong to ask for my parents to buy me tickets for concerts when I was still in school. That’s the reason why i missed Fall Out Boy’s and Maroon 5’s first concert here in Manila. Anywho, talking about concerts, last Saturday we headed to Smart Araneta Coliseum to go see The Greatest Hits Tour.

It was a 3-in-1 concert featuring Jeff Timmons (one of the other dudes in 98 degrees), Blue, and (insert scream here) A1!!! Sigh. The songs of my youth. 🙂 Just imagine my excitement when i heard they were coming. Memories flashback instantly, my grade school crush sporting the same “kimpee” hairstyle as Ben Adams and we even sang one of A1’s songs for our grad song (One in Love), and us tuning in on MTV to swoon over those boys singing and making pa-cute in the music video of “Like A Rose”. Haaaay. My 13 year old self is jumping up and down and just died for a minute there. Haha.

The look that made a lot of school girls swoon ❤

Going back to the concert, we were early. Had to fall in line and wait for the gates to open. I just have to share, it’s always an experience falling in line for concerts. We get to see a whole lot people. I give you:

Ces’ 5 Types of Concert Goers:

1. The PDAs (i’m sorry for the guys who were required by the girlfriends to attend) – well, in fairness i gotta say, the PDAs are also found in a lot of different common places (which sucks ass) like the cinema, the mall, fast food, everywhere, just name it there’s probably at least two.

2. The socialites – they are the ones who come truly prepared. As in, outfit kung outfit, yung akala mo sila yung magcoconcert. haha. Side story: i remember when we went to the Pussycat Dolls Concert, we felt a little under dressed because some of the people in the crowd were wearing boots (hello, tropical country?), high heels (kamusta naman ang paghi-heels sa SM MOA Concert Grounds) and faux furs. Nuff said.

3. The pa-socialites a.k.a. TH (Trying Hard) – hmmm. These are the annoying ones. idol nila ang socialites. They are the ones who tend to look at you from head to toe and whisper to their other pa-socialites/TH friends. Sarap konyatan.

4. The Lost Peeps – aaah. the lost peeps. kids (who are too young to even know who the artists are) and KJs (kill joys). Need I say more?

5. The Fan Girls/Boys – these are the ones who are really there for the concert. The ones who sings along and just enjoys the whole she-bang! in short, ehem, that’s US! Haha.

Once we got in, we found our seats and we waited. It didn’t start at the exact time maybe because the Big Dome wasn’t full yet (it wasn’t as jam packed as the Westlife Gravity Tour). Jeff Timmons was up first. He performed with Jay Durias and some back up vocalists of South Border. He even sang rainbow! I actually felt bad for him because, he was trying so hard to pump up the crowd. He was even explaining that it was his first time to do something solo. I say: “Hay naku, Jeff Timmons, sa barangay ka na lang magpaliwanag” Haha. But he wasn’t that bad. If it’s any consolation, people were also screaming because well… i must admit, he’s hot. Check him out here.

Jeff Timmons and Lucky Girl

The second act was (insert screaming here) A1!!! We were hoping that they were last but i guess because they were not complete anymore Blue was the “bigger” act that night given that they were still complete. Anywho, A1’s set was EPIC! I loved it. They were good! They started their set with “Same Old Brand New You” and sang all their hits. Some were medleys because of course they can’t sing the whole songs because Blue was still going to perform. They even did a cover of Lady Gaga’s Poker Face and they also sang two singles from their new album “Waiting for daylight” and “In Love and I Hate it” (the latter’s chorus sounded a little bit like Kelly Clarkson’s single Mr.Know-It-All, but whatever!). They were chatty with the fans which is always fun. Feeling close kame kahit nasa Upper Box B lang kame. Haha. My most favorite part of their set was when they sang “Ready or Not” (because we did not only sing along, we danced along too! oh boy, the things that good looking guys make us do. SIGH) Haha and when Ben asked the cameraman to come on up stage and take a close up of him singing “Like A Rose”. Ben Adams is soooo POGI! Grabe. His face filled all the screens in the coliseum. I died. Haha. I wish i could drug him and bring him home and keep him forever! HAHA!

one of the better shots i got 🙂

Ben. Ben. Ben. You are awesome. ❤

Last and definitely not the least is Blue. In all fairness, they were also good and they did put on a show. Most of their songs are upbeat so they also did choreography. They started of with “Sorry seems to be the hardest word”, “U Make Me Wanna”  followed by “Breathe Easy” then they had to change outfits for “All Rise”, “Fly By”, and the controversial “Too Close”. Controversial because I swear the Big Dome went gaga over the gyrating hips and crotch grabbing moves of those English lads. Haha. One thing though, Duncan missed some of his lyrics (i forgot which song) but that was okay because Anthony went in and saved his english-forgetful-arse. Simon and Lee were pretty playful on stage. Lee even sang a line of “Like A Rose” while giving away roses to the crowd. They threw in some of their used-sweat-filled towels, i didn’t see though if someone actually grabbed it (eeeeww to dapat pero, oh well, whatever. haha). Blue’s set was the fastest to finish. It sort of bitin but it was still fun.

BLUE: Duncan, Simon, Antony, and Lee

Overall, it was a great experience. The Westlife Gravity Tour was still better (if were comparing to other boy bands) because the crowd’s energy was better. Anyway, i now have enough memories of Ben Adams to supply my day dreaming at the office. Haha. My final question would be, “Kelan kaya dadating ang N’SYNC?” 🙂

PS. There’s a few minutes of technical break after every set. While we wait for the 2nd set, Bestfriend Goldie found a new friend:

Nanay: Kras ko si Dangkan (ng Blue)