UNANG HIRIT

Hey guys!

Welcome to the UH website…sorry it took me so long to write…it takes a lot of energy to manage an active (almost) 4 year old and a wailing, always-hungry (almost) 8 month old (whom i breastfeed)…but anyway here i am!

We just finished our September 12 episode and I must tell you, it was one of the funniest and most fun shows I have ever experienced.

For the first time in my life, i was forced to touch live frogs. Dead frogs i can take… I mean they are a part of the Chinese party menu so i have tasted the stuff. But to touch, hold or grab an actual slimy and wriggly frog..never!

So it was that Suzi and I were the “contestants” in the Survivor Philippines Unang Hirit challenge (Survivor Philippines starts tonight guys, it’s a wonderful show so please please watch it!)

Suffice it to say the thought horrified me. In the end, I mostly threw the frogs at my partner (Joshua of the band Freestyle..thank you!) who had to run after them and put them in the box.

We got a total of 9 frogs and thereby won the challenge. It was pretty fun actually….or maybe it was the winning part that made it all worthwhile.

Hey! Question:

Have you ever heard of the book TWILIGHT by Stephenie Meyer?

I never tire of talking about it even though I have been reading, re-reading and talking about it the past 2 months.

For those who haven’t heard, Twilight is a book about a 17 – year old small town girl named Bella Swan who falls in love with a tortured yet beautiful vampire named Edward Cullen . A couple so in love who should not be together, yet can never stay apart.

Now i know it doesn’t really sound like much (or at least my description isn’t) but believe me, it is so worth the hours you would spend reading it. A fact that is obvious what with the thousands of websites devoted to the book and its characters.

Twilight is a series of 4 books, the second of which is New Moon, followed by Eclipse and finally Breaking Dawn….all of which i have read 10x over.

Again my description leaves much to be desired i know so if you are curious enough, kindly check the books in your favorite bookstore or search on line….i guarantee you will love them!

All those I have recommended them to are equally (if not more) addicted to them. So far, here in GMA alone, particularly the on cam talents who love Twilight are my friends Pia Arcangel, Sandra Aguinaldo, Mariz Umali and Jolina Magdangal .

And i am the proud, (un)official Cullen Coven leader.

It all started when I lent the book to Pia, who shared the good news with Sandra and so on so forth…

Even now, after so many weeks, whenever we get together it is still inevitable that we’d talk about the books and the main protagonist Edward whom we all have a crush on.

Why? Because he is the epitome of THE perfect man, the man we all wish existed and is actually ours. (but that’s another topic and blog altogether).

But more than the characters, it is the way it was written that has all of us enthralled. I am constantly amazed at how the author, who is clearly and undeniably a genius, pulls the readers into her world and makes us want to be a part of it. Pure genius!

The best news is that TWILIGHT the movie has been made and is supposed to be released in theaters worldwide on November 21.

So as early as now we are already planning our “date”. Honestly, we are all desperate for premier night tickets so to whoever is releasing it here…*hint *hint* hint***

Now why should you believe my recommendation? Well I do not claim to be an expert on books and I am no critic, but I am a certified bookworm, proud of it too!

In fact I have been caught many times on TV reading during (what i thought were at least) lulls in the show.

Also i am a part of the organization called National Book Development Board which aims to basically spread the love of reading to all corners of the country and to particularly promote Filipino penned books.

In my home I have a library which I share with my daughter GABY .

She already has her own shelf full of books. She is as I have mentioned barely 4 years old yet she reads like a pro….to the point that sometimes she speed reads and lacks comprehension of the story.

But in general, Gaby is a good reader (says the very proud mama). And i see signs of book addiction which she clearly got from me.

She does almost everything with a book in hand: climbing the stairs, doing her business in the bathroom, even sleeping!

My husband Jappy says that books have become her version of a security blanket and she takes comfort in it. I have no complaints except when i have to force her to stop reading to take her nap. All in all it’s a pretty good addiction for her age .

I have no specific type when it comes to books. From fiction to non fiction to self help books, my choices have pretty much been eclectic. But i have to admit that i prefer stories with happy endings.

I did go through a stage when I bought and read books recommended by the Oprah Book Club. I had to quit after awhile though since I found most of them heavy, serious and pretty sad. Of course they are all beautiful written books, just not for me.

Anyway I have a collection of series you’d never believe. Of course I have my own sets of Chicken Soup for the Soul, Harry Potter and Twilight (yahoo!).

But I also have a collection of the Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader books….they have amazing trivias that would give you many aha! moments. And like the title says, they are supposed to be for people who can’t stop reading even during bathroom breaks.

So if you are a trivia buff like me and can’t seem put down a book, then check out this series at your fave local bookstore’s humor section.

Since i am an 80’s girl, I’m also an avid collector of the ever famous, classic, yet super juvenile kilig series SWEET DREAMS. My love for books started with them back when I was a teenager and I thought it would be good to not just remember them but to actually read (the titles i missed back then), re-read (those I actually remember) and pass them on to my daughter when she’s older.

So I started collecting them early this year. Thank God for Ebay (and my husband for bidding and paying for me…… I love you!!! ).

I have almost completed all 230 of them, just a few more and I’m done. So if you have any in your attic somewhere…I’m open to donations .

Aside from these there are other 80’s books that I either have or am currently collecting. These are: SWEPTAWAY (series of 8 on time travelling teens) by Eileen Goudge, Seniors (by the same author), Choose Your Own Adventure, On Our Own and Love Stories.

My collection of juvenile books is funny to some people but I am not embarassed. In fact, I am proud of these collections. It takes patience and lots of time, not to mention an extended budget, to collect them all, but I do try.

Imagine sifting through hundreds of used books at booksales and second hand bookstores and websites. But it’s all worth it in the end.

I always say that you learn something new everyday in every way…and I do! Especially through books…whether it be a new word or philosophy.

It helps me keep an open mind. Besides money is Never wasted on the written word. NEVER!

So take a chance! Start your own collection… you just never know. Mine makes me very happy and content. And I hope that when my kids grow up, they would learn to appreciate and take care of these books themselves.

So thank you for reading this blog…if there’s anything you want me to discuss and write about, if you have any questions I can try helping you with, please do not hesitate to write….

Trivia
Who wrote the ever famous line: ever thine, ever mine, ever ours?
Answer: Beethoven

I just read it in my latest acquisition: the book, Love Letters of Great Men.

Thank you…..SHEH SHEH NI MHEN!