The Year of Pleasures - Elizabeth Berg

There's one thing about going to the hospital alone - the wait time allows me to start or finish a good book.  In April when I started visiting doctors to see what was up with the never ending cold that I had since the year started, I took The Watchmen with me. Many times though, I found myself not being able to concentrate on reading so I only managed a couple of chapters.  This time around, Elizabeth Berg was my chosen company.  I had the book The Year of Pleasures with me when we went to Baler - it appealed to me like a book fit to read while on vacation. I thought about reading while we were on the road but it was impossible with the bumpiness of the ride, and also because I found admiring the view of the countryside a better pastime.  While Alfred was taking a siesta (still at Baler), I was out at the 2nd floor verandah, put my feet up and started to read. But the cool breeze and the lightness of the surroundings just took over me.  I felt that the afternoon was too beautiful to just spend on reading.  So I gathered the kids who were with us  and tried to do something with them instead (right before heading to the water again!).

Today, I finally finished the novel.

I've read Berg's True to Form and Never Change and remembered really being moved by both stories.  I knew what I was in for when I picked this one up.

The Year of Pleasures is about Betta Nolan who lived a very happy life with her husband John. But the novel isn't about Betta and John really, because the novel starts after his death.  Betta sells their home, and then drives to the midwest in search of a new life.  It's wonderful how she found her new home, made new friends, but also reconnected with old ones - friends from before she met her late husband.

The book showed me that there is no single proper way to grieve the loss of a loved one. But it's also a good resource for someone who may be suffering, so that she may find strength and pleasure in everything that happens around her, even in the small things.

It talked to me about dreaming too. And that it's never too late to pursue something, specially when it is what will make your heart happy and your life full.

It also made me aware of how true it is for some of us women to totally lose ourselves in our relationships. Not lose in the sense that we have no identity, but... That we get too engrossed in our own little couple-world that we shut everyone else out - without meaning to.

It gave me comfort that Betta reconnected with her college roommates whom she hasn't seen nor heard from in decades. They remained friends, but they never forgot her. It was amazing how they were automatically there for her when she let them know she needed them. No resentment. That's what true girlfriends are about.

I fell in love with Betta's house and her new neighborhood. I could live there, I would love to live that life. I love the idea of her quaint shop - What A Woman Wants, though if it was me, I'd setup a pastry shop/bookshop.

But I was also thinking how stupid it was to move in to a new place, all by yourself, and not install an alarm system! I mean Jovani (a character in the book) had a point - what if someone came in through the door and you didn't hear it? I lived in a quiet neighborhood and I was left on my own a lot of times, even when I was younger. But no matter how safe you feel, it's still better to be secured. I know that installing alarms systems is not the norm in most Philippine households, but Betta's in the States - she should know better! Haha.

There are gems of wisdom in the book, but what stuck with me was a line John spoke to Betta - Don't let your habits become handcuffs.  Just because you've been used to something doesn't mean you can't do it a different way or have something else entirely.

Sometimes I think about what will happen to me if the boyfriend dies...

Then I was also thinking, having been away from work for three days because of these flu-like symptoms, that I really don't want to work anymore. And it's not because I hate work, or that I don't like what happens at work. No. Because I was actually happy to be at work these past two weeks. Conflicting, aren't I? Hear me out.  I like what I do there, but I know I could be happier doing something else. So I think that's what I'm going to work on.  I will prepare my life so that I can leave and do what I really want. It's going to take a long time to get where I want to be to do this, but I will work on it.  If I can make half my current month's salary doing what I love to do, I will quit my full time job. Seriously.  I don't want to wait until a tragedy happens (like in Betta's case) before I find an excuse to be daring and to live the life I've been imagining for myself.

(It's probably not going to happen, but it's good to think about these things, you know? Haha)

I just dug through my blog archives, and you know what I've found? This book has been on my to-be-read pile since September 2008! Crazy!

*This is a repost from my personal blog http://verabear.net

The Nanny Diaries

I read the novel last week.  It reminded me a bit of The Devil Wears Prada.  In both novels, the protagonist was at a job they didn't necessarily want and they had dragon lady bosses.  They also wanted out, but found themselves totally immersed in the work, unable to distance themselves easily.

And the movie version's worth watching too. Harvard Hottie was yummy. hahaha :)

Nan was just like Andy - an achiever, does really well at her job. No matter how good she is at it, and how over-qualified she may be for a nanny job, this isn't recognized by her employers.  She also does not get the respect she deserves.  At first I was thinking how the novel was placing Upper East Side moms in a bad light, how it seemed to have been passing judgement on moms who could not take care of their children full-time and have had to hire nannies to do that. But eventually I realized that it actually pays tribute to all moms - every single one.  Moms like Mrs. X actually takes the time to choose the right nanny for her boy, which means she tries to find someone qualified to be her child's primary caregiver.  She wants someone who can help her son with his school work.  I guess she admits she won't do much good in a primary caregiver role, and that means she needs to find someone who can.  Maybe it at least tries to open their eyes a bit to see how their kids need more of their attention, and that isn't so bad.

I love kids, but I don't think I'd do too well as a nanny.  I can probably babysit for a few hours, but it's not something I can do on a daily basis, and certainly not full time.  Sure I'm looking forward to having kids of my own, but that's different from caring for someone else's.

There are Pinoy nannies the world over - rearing children of other families, while they leave their own kids back home thousands of miles away.  Filipinos have learned to take pride in this fact.  In fact, Princess Lara Quigaman won a beauty pageant where she was asked about this very topic.  What's to be proud of being a nation known for it's nannies?  Well, it means that we know children and how to raise them.  It means that we can be trusted with the care of the most important members of families and societies. We can influence the lives of young minds. We play a big role in building future leaders.

*This is a repost from my personal blog http://verabear.net




PS I Love You - the novel by Cecilia Ahern

Last night, just before going to bed, I ripped the plastic covering off the book that I bought many months ago.  After reading the first few chapters, I went to sleep (not because it was a boring read mind you, but it was really waaaay past bedtime).  In the morning, I woke up and picked it right up and devoured it.  I read untill well after lunch.  I stopped only for a few minutes to pour myself some toasted oats and mueslie with milk for breakfast; and then again for a snack of yoghurt; and finally a Twiggie for lunch.  Oh, I had put it down to watch the first E-heads reunion concert in August last year on DVD (the one I didn't see Live!), while I put some Tea Tree Oil antiseptic on Zune's insect bites.

But I finished the whole thing.  And just like the effect the movie had on me, there were moments that were just heart-wrenching.

I've got to say, I don't know if it's just Gerard Butler and all his sexiness, but I seem to like the movie version better.  But remember, I liked the movie version a lot. So even while I say I liked it better, that by no means translates that I didn't like the book.  I did.

Though the screenplay adaptation was different in many aspects from the original novel, it still remained true to the core messages that Ahern communicates through her pages.  Finding your soulmate.  Love.  Friendship.  Loss.  Grief.  Picking up the pieces.

If the movie focused on the love between Holly and Gerry, and in Holly learning to open herself up for a new love, the book was more about the reality of grieving.  How it's a selfish process, really, even when you don't mean it to be.  Though Gerry's letters were very much the center of it all, there was also the very important role her friends played in Holly's road back to living her life without Gerry.

Oh, another difference is that the book is set entirely in Ireland, versus the movie being set in America with the ladies' vacation having been in the land of the Irish.

I found myself wondering again, what would I do if this happened to me? How would I move on?



I have a confession to make, I'm a little loony this weekend.  That's probably why I haven't been posting like crazy, and why I finally picked up this book to read. It's Alfred's first day at his new job so that meant a break in routine.  I usually stay up on Sunday nights and have breakfast with him on Monday morning when he gets home from work.  During my rest days, he is always around to worry about what we'll have for lunch; even if he had to work on those nights, he'd be game if I had wanted to go out.  Today was so much different.  He wasn't here. I had talked to him on the phone many times during the course of the day, but it still felt like I was losing something you know?  I won't get to see him everyday anymore, and I would be sleeping alone again for most of the time.  There wouldn't be breakfast or lunch dates at work to look forward to.

I'm crazy, I know. He's still here and he's just an hour away, and that's where he was before he kind of semi-moved in here (we really have an odd living situation) and everything was just fine. But I've just been so used to having him around all the time, I don't want to go back to how it was before. I surprised myself though;after his long day at work and running around to fix his stuff, he called to tell me that he didn't have to be back at work until 11am tomorrow morning, which means he could actually come over now if I wanted him to. I had given him the choice to decide for himself, and he very well wanted to come. But I pointed out that it'll be tiring for him, considering he had had to go shuttling around so much today. So there, we decided for him to stay home instead. It was the right thing to do, right?

Boy do I miss him already.

*This is a repost from my personal blog http://verabear.net

See what I got today!

My uncle is here for a short vacation, and with him are the three books I ordered from Amazon last month. Yay! :)

Tales of Beedle the Bard is actually available locally but I think I got it cheaper from Amazon anyway. Hehe.

I will definitely have to test my oven again in the next couple of weeks, and I'd make do with all it's flaws so I could sample some of the recipes from these books! See that bag next to the books? A bag of chocolates for everyone! And I was totally surprised to see these inside, specially for me :)

*This is a repost from my personal blog http://verabear.net

Twilight, the movie version

On Tuesday, we finally saw the movie that both Alfred and I have been waiting for. We had a nice, filling  lunch at House of Minis, also in Greenhills, right before the screening.

I felt that there are many aspects in which it could have been improved, but as it is, it wasn't all that bad. In fact, I wouldn't mind watching it again, and again. And again.

First, I didn't really like the makeup. They're all supposed to look gorgeous, perfect, god-like. Instead, they looked like hell. Except Emmet, and Victoria (didn't she look prettier than Rosalie?). Jasper and Alice were a bit of a disappointment, not to mention Rosalie who was supposed to be the yardstick for beauty herself. But as the movie progressed, they did grow on me and I was able to get past the bad makeup.

Bellas's voice. Okay, I had seen the trailer before so I was prepared to see the movie Bella and reconciled her to a smaller version I had seen in my mind while reading the books. But when I heard her speak, she felt more different to me. She looked and sounded stronger than the Bella in Twilight, the book. She was the inner Bella, you know what I mean? Meyer made her look fragile at first, one who needed protection - there was none of that in the movie version. It was like Edward's need to protect her was unfounded. Hehe.

And where was Edward's confidence and air? He looked the opposite of the confident young man I pictured him to be. He was always hunched over, even while walking.

They did an awesome job with the sunny sparkly scene. I think that was what I wanted to see the most. Hehe.

The movie was too short, in my opinion. Too short to really show the rest of the world who didn't read the book, why millions have been hooked to the saga.

Anyway... We caught an early screening on a weekday so there weren't a lot of people in the cinema. There was a group of elderly ladies who sat beside us. There were about four of them. Alfred and I looked at each other as they entered. We were wondering whether they had read the books, or had daughters/granddaughters who did. They quietly watched; in fact, I think Alfred and I were the noisiest in there.

So have you seen it? What do you think of it?

*This is a repost from my personal blog http://verabear.net

Sophie Kinsella - The Undomestic Goddess

I finished a book on my one day off - Kinsella's The Undomestic Goddess.



Samantha Sweeting is really something. She was at the top of her game and then the whole world crashes down on her. She makes rash decisions, but those eventually lead to her happiness.

I want to be like her. :)

No, not to become a housekeeper, but to learn all that stuff and actually enjoy it - cooking, and cleaning. I've never been much of a domestic myself. I know how to clean up around the house and I can find my way in the kitchen (I bake, don't I?) but to do them really really well and to enjoy it too? Hmm...

Nah, that's not really it. I want to be free like her, to finally find the life she can be truly happy with. Don't get me wrong, I am happy as it is. But sometimes, I still think about leaving my job behind and doing something completely different. Work isn't as stressful as Sam's lawyering, but it is busy. And lately, there's absolutely no "just be" time at work. No one's imposing that I don't take my breaks, but with the volume of things that need to be done - I can't help but forget to go on break. Haha.

Anyway, if you enjoyed Kinsella's writing in the Shopaholic series, then you'll like this one too. It's very easy and light reading (specially compared to Les Miz - which I still haven't finished). It's a bit too good to be true, like would things like this happen in real life? But that's the wonder of books - anything can happen.

The book had a very light approach to the debate on where women belong - at work or at home. It wasn't imposing for either side. I guess what it did was come across to let women know that ultimately, it is their choice. Samantha was brought up to look forward to just one goal - to build a career at law and be the best in that field. She owned that dream and her whole life revolved in making it happen.

An unfortunate event yanked her out from that life. She went into shockand acted in panic. And though there could have been so many bad situations she could have found herself in as a result, it was the Geigers and Lower Ebury that actually saved her.

She really did sound like a woman coming out from a bad relationship - someone who needed healing. And what a great rehab she found! Iris, who was like a mom to her, did not just teach her to cook, but taught her how to taste, and feel.

Sometimes I feel like novels like this shouldn't include a hunk of a man, so that there's no confusion about what drives the heroine to the choice she makes. Would she really have chosen her new life had there been no Nathaniel?

*This is a repost from my personal blog http://verabear.net

Lisa Scottoline's Daddy's Girl

If you need to get to bed but would like to catch up on some light reading just before you turn in, then don't read this book.

I'm saying don't because that's exactly what I did. On Thursday night (more like Friday wee hours of the morning) last week, I came home, was online for hours and then headed up to to bed at daybreak. I noticed Scottoline's Daddy's Girl on the shelves right outside the bathroom. I figured my Mom was done reading it, and since it mine and it's been on my TBR pile for months, I decided to read the first chapter before I went to get my much needed sleep.

I lay down, propped the book open, and didn't stop reading until I finished all of it. So much for the much needed sleep.

I don't regret it though. Imagine: I was already sleepy but she kept me awake. It was definitely a good read. I think I went through this one in about three hours or less.

As you can see here, I have read other Scottoline books and I could really tell that this was one of her latest books. Her style is the same but you could sense that she has also improved (not that she wasn't already great). Plus, the scenes and some details in the novel are also current.

Nat Greco, the main character, is a law professor who lives a quiet life. She has a boyfriend who seems to be so much a part of her family - he actually seems to belong with them more than she does. Her lifestyle and character is so different from her parents and siblings - not to mention her physique.

Her almost predictable life changes forever when she finds herself inside a prison during a riot. Nothing exciting ever happens to her - then all of a sudden something does. And having her life threatened at that riot wasn't even the worst (or best, depends on how you look at it) of it.

I must admit, I was developing a crush on that Angus character - pony-tailed, passionate for his work, does pro-bono stuff to seek justice. He really was much more appealing than Hank...

Honestly, I was a bit puzzled by the choice for the title. While reading, I couldn't help but think that she didn't seem like a Daddy's Girl. I'm still not a hundred percent sure that I got that part of it. But I do think that more than finding herself (Nat), the most important realization that she got from the events that have happened, is finding herself in relation to her family.

There are many people out there who feel that they were born to the wrong family. Some resent what their family members do, or even resent just the way they are. But what Nat found was that this family actually did know her, and accepted her and loved her. And they would be there for her in every way that she needed them - if she only let them.

*This is a repost from my personal blog http://verabear.net