Long weekend

Before the weekend I had ideas on how I'll spend the extended break from work. I thought I'd call up my girlfriends to hang out since we haven't seen each other in a while but sadly, I didn't get to push through with it because I got sick and had to stay in and rest all day.

So, instead, I decided to start reading "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" because I felt I needed a distraction from the sickly feeling I was, um, feeling. And I'm glad to say I'm feeling a bit better now (albeit still coughing a lot) and I finished the book!

I've been wanting to read "Perks" for a really, really long time and I'm glad I finally did. There's this line early in the book that struck me the most - "You see things. You keep quiet about them. And you understand." When Patrick said that about Charlie, I felt like he was saying it to me, because that's what I see myself doing most of the time. I don't think I ever heard someone I know say that about me, though. I don't think they notice. Except now, that is if they read my blog.

Now, I'm really excited for the movie!

But going back to books, I just wanted to share the current status of my 2012 Goodreads Reading Challenge:

I'm more than halfway through it, reading 9 out of 15 so far! Yay! I'm hoping to get some more reading done (still on my currently-reading list is "The Happiness Project" by Gretchen Rubin) tomorrow after running some errands (i.e. getting my external HD checked, going to my facial appointment).

I just hope I can get rid of this cough soon enough! I don't want to come in at work on Wednesday being all gross coughing all over the place. (Sorry for the mental picture.)

Love always,
Mayee

Sunshine after the rain

So it's been several days since Metro Manila and nearby provinces had been hit by the Southwest Monsoon ("Hanging Habagat") that brought on floods that caused a lot of devastation especially in those hard-hit areas. I myself wasn't able to go to work from Tuesday to Thursday because, coming from Sampaloc and going to Eastwood, the main thoroughfares that I would be passing through were heavily flooded.

Alas, on Friday, the sun was already shining and I was finally able to go back to work. While on my way to Cubao (this was the first time I went out of the house since the floods), I realized that when you see the sun finally shining after having a few gloomy days (which, to be honest, is quite an understatement in our case), you can't help but firmly believe that there's always a silver lining... That God hasn't forsaken us, that the devastation we have survived from was merely a test of true faith.

I just wish I had taken a photo of when the sunlight made me smile that day.

Superheroes and Christopher Nolan

Finally got the chance to see "The Dark Knight Rises" and it was truly all the amazing things I've heard about it!!

I think it was the perfect way to end the trilogy helmed by none other than Christopher Nolan! I especially liked the storylines of Blake/Robin's (whoops, spoiler alert!), Selina Kyle/Catwoman's, and Alfred's, especially the very touching bit near the end.

Now that this franchise has come to a conclusion, the next Nolan film I'm really looking forward to is "Man of Steel." He co-wrote the story along with David S. Goyer who also worked with him in the Batman trilogy. This new Superman film is directed by Zack Snyder (Watchmen, 300).

Check out this teaser trailer which features a voice-over by Jonathan Kent:

The next cool thing about this Superman re-boot is that the teaser trailer has another version which was released as the international trailer (it's the one they show here). The second version features the same images but it has a different voice-over, that of Jor-El's, Clark Kent's biological Kryptonian father.

Both of Superman's father figures give him their thoughts on growing up as a super-powered alien amongst humans.

Jonathan Kent (Kevin Costner): You're not just anyone. One day, you're going to have to make a choice. You have to decide what kind of man you want to grow up to be. Whoever that man is, good character or bad, is going to change the world.

Jor-El (Russell Crowe): You will give the people an ideal to strive towards.  They will race behind you, they will stumble, they will fall. But in time, they will join you in the sun. In time, you will help them accomplish wonders.