Give your books a new, personalized home this year

Are you a bookworm like me? One who itches to buy and read more books than he/she can manage in his lifetime? Are you often seen in book shops, hauling new and old books alike to add to your ever-increasing to-be-read pile? If you answer yes, then I guess I am safe to confess to you this problem I currently have.

It’s a given fact that I love reading. It is an integral part of my life. Of my existence. I go as far as to say that it is my lifeline. If I didn’t discover my passion for this world’s greatest hobby, I don’t know where I will be now. I am grateful that I started to be enamored with this leisure pursuit in an early stage, so much so that the feeling of holding a book and reading those printed words intensify each year. To feed that thirst for books, I began acquiring copies of my preferred genres and tried to quench the desire to read more. Sooner, I noticed that my small book shelf was no longer enough to occupy my books – novels I bought in local book stores and discount shops, some given by friends, others I won from various giveaways, and copies sent by authors themselves for my review. Some are already read, but most of them still untouched. Others were still even in their own packages.

I suddenly felt somewhat sad by the current state of my dearest books. Sure, they are just papers and inks to some, but I value the authors and publishers’ efforts to create such masterpieces. Thinking that I am somewhat a bad mother to my babies, I am embarrassed when I realized that I am not seeing to their welfare.

Am I sounding crazy already? If not, can someone please raise his/her hand and join me in admitting that we are neglecting to care for our books?

With this thought going around my head for days, I googled for inspirations. What about a new bookshelf? Mine is relatively smaller than the volume of books I have now, so I think it is high-time I splurge for my life companions. I salivated for some images I found over the Internet and I like to share some interesting photos to you, fellow bookworms.

This first photo is a very stimulating shelf, I guess. If you feel lazy to continue reading that classic novel, go to your shelf and READ.

For some of us who are nationalistic at heart, why not a shelf shaped as our country? I found this one. I would like to see a version for my country, but it will be a challenge to whoever will design it. The Philippines is an archipelago with more than 7000 islands, so good luck with that.

Music enthusiast? No excuse to be a bookworm, too. You may even get this guitar-shaped shelf and boast it to your rock band. \m/

And for sport enthusiast? I couldn’t find something for soccer or tennis, and this is the best that I could share. Skateboarding, anyone?

Ah, I happened to get another one. Boating!

 

Animal lovers, I thought of you, too! Here’s a cute dog shelf to remind you of man’s best friend.

 

For tea lovers like me, don’t fret! You can enjoy a drink while browsing over the titles in your tea cup bookshelf.

And for others who want something simple yet unique, how about an invisible shelf? One way of entertaining your guest with a quiz “Find my bookshelf in 10 seconds”.

 

Those are just some of the designs I saw which caught my attention. I don’t know where to get them, and I’m afraid most, if not all, are not available in my country. I bet they cost a lot, too.

I saw this furniture shop over the web and it offers simple and minimalist stuff, just what I like. There are a lot of choices for bookshelves depending on the design, personality, and budget of everyone. It is in German though, so I used Chrome’s translation to get a better feel in browsing. If you want something homey, you can find items here which can even suit your house paint and design. If you are looking for something classy and elegant, the store also features those pieces. There are actually a lot of products being offered, and the indecisive person in me is getting confused on what to choose. They all look good to be a permanent fixture in my house.

Whatever design I will choose, one thing is definitely clear. I will buy a new bookshelf for my collection. They deserve that. Aside from covering them with plastic and opening them only in a 50-degree angle whenever I read, that’s the least I can do for my buddies.

What about you? Do you have too many books that you don’t know where to put them? Are you also due for a new shelf? Do you think you’ll get one of those personalized shelves I featured? Or those simple ones from an online furniture store? Whatever your thought is, please let me know in your comments.

One of my most embarrassing gifts received ever

Today, one of my Korean friends invited me for a dinner out. I accepted his invitation and we met in a mall in Makati around 4 PM. We dined in Kimpura, a fine dining Japanese restaurant. While eating, he presented me with a gift. “What’s the occassion?”, I asked him with a frown on my face while attacking my tempura. “You’re welcome. Can’t I give a gift without a special reason?”, he answered with his Korean accent. I left it at that. Then curiosity kicked in and I opened the paperbag only to be surprised with what I saw.

Seriously?

In my country, one must think through if he/she will have a perfume as a gift. Some are so sensitive as to be offended receiving that as a present. Questions like “Do I really need this?” and “Do I stink?” appear to mind. As for me, it is okay if someone will give me a perfume as long as it does not smell strongly. I love powdery scent and my favorite is D&G in light blue. Currently, I’m using my nth bottle of that along with Very Irresistable Givenchy. If receiving a perfume is acceptable, then why am I embarrassed? First, the signature line of the perfume. Sex and the City. I haven’t read nor watch the series and don’t have plan to remedy that in the future. Not my cup of tea. Not to mention the scent.

Lust, seriously? If you are a man, will you give it to a female friend? Even if we are dating or already a couple, I’ll still feel uncomfortable receiving that perfume. I know what you’re thinking: “She’s so ungrateful! What’s there to complain about?”. You may call me a conservative old hag, but I really think that the gift is inappropriate. If only I don’t respect my Korean friend’s feeling, I might have returned the present to him. Sorry for this rant, folks. I just want to share this with you. I would appreciate it if you could let me know your opinions, too. For what its worth, Lust smells powdery. ^_^

Posted from WordPress for Android

As I kiss blogging goodbye…

Last year, I was nursing a broken heart when a colleague introduced me to blogging. It could be an outlet of my emotions, voice of my thoughts, medium of my personality, bla bla. If a sales lady talks me of buying a new can opener with her melodious voice, I know for a fact that I will purchase one even if I don’t really need it. That is why it didn’t take long for my friend to persuade me to create a free account in this platform and write a mandatory introductory post.

I struggled for the first few months. I did not have any experience maintaining a blog and it takes a lot of patience learning most of the things here in WordPress. I think I posted a lot of nonsense topics which earned one or two likes and no comment at all. I feel somewhat depressed. I know that I opened the site just for my personal use, but it would please my ego to know that at least other people are reading what I wrote. So I worked hard. I tried thinking of more interesting topics to write about instead of posting lyrics of Korean songs and their translation. Haha. After a few more months, I got noticed. I slowly received a growing number of likers. commenters, and followers. When I received my first blog award, I felt like being in school again. I am an achiever and it feels nice to receive recognition again. Oh, how happy I was at that time!

After that milestone, I continued what I was doing. I was polite to all the people visiting my blog. I read their works as they read mine. Quid pro quo. I gained some friends, too. Some even went as far as to extend the acquaintance personally. Now, I have virtual-turned-real friends. And just because of blogging! I was having fun. I didn’t expect I could gain a lot just by blogging.

However, they say that all good things must come to an end.

I am happy blogging about my thoughts to all the world to see. My life became an open book as I share my stories to you and I appreciate the way you accept them. I celebrated my first blog anniversary with a bang. But there were days when I feel incompetent. I feel that some of my posts are Dumpster-worthy. Not worth reading. A waste of time. And what hurts is the fact that you guys continue to read my trashy thoughts and even like and share an opinion or two. People continue to follow my site. For whatever reason? To read rubbish things written by me?

I feel guilty. I have this urge to give more to you. More than what you deserve. No matter how much I tried to squeeze out all my creative juices, I always come out with nothing. It ends up me polluting the cyber sphere with second-rate writings.

It is then that I decided to stop blogging. I don’t know if this will be a temporary hiatus or for good. I am not closing doors to anything and don’t want to see myself eating my words in the future. For now, I feel like getting a breather. Find my muse. Catch some inspiration. Whatever it takes to give you, my readers, what you deserve.

It has been a pleasure being with you on this momentous journey of my life. I did not know that I could write more than a hundred different topics. It’s a bonus that others read, like, and comment on them. I am glad that I was lucky enough to meet such wonderful and creative people from all over the world. Rest assured that if and when I come back, I will reward you with thought-provoking posts according to your liking.

It is at this point that I would like to end this post by saying a single statement which I would like to impart to you my dear readers:

HAPPY APRIL FOOLS’ DAY!

Related post:

April Fools’ Day (만우절)

My first blog anniversary + giveaway

It seems not so long ago when I started creating this blog and was surprised when a WordPress notification congratulated me for celebrating my first year in the platform. Wow. I didn’t imagine that I could maintain a blog for this long and it came as a surprise. I made it to my first year! The feeling is incomparable. This is my first blog ever and I feel very much accomplished to see how far I already am from last year.

I created this blog as an outlet of my feelings, thoughts, and opinions. Honestly, I was nursing a heart ache at that time and blogging seemed like a helpful diversion for me. I know some of you already know about this, but The Impressions of a Princess will not be here if it were not for Gorjaeous of Scatterbrain. She is my colleague, friend, and older sister rolled into one. She’s been blogging for years and decided to go back to WP platform. While busy tweaking her new account, she talked me into creating one for myself. The next thing I knew was I was signing up for a WordPress account!

My first post is ugly that I am shy to share it to you guys. However, since I want you to read my first ever entry, here is a link to “It Started with a Dream, but not Mine”. I have this funny feeling while reading that post a year after. I didn’t have any expectations at that time so I am very overwhelmed by the number of people visiting, reading, liking, commenting, and following me.

Earlier this year, I used WordPress Annual Report to see how far I’ve gone since then. I also created a summary of how 2012 treated me and you can find it here: Looking Back: Year 2012. And now, a year after my first successful attempt in blogging, I am going to relive some of blogging memories I had.

March 3, 2012 – I posted my first post after the required blog intro. It is also my first Korean song posted in the site. Link: Nothing Better

March 26, 2012 – My first Korean inspired food was featured. Link: Spaghetti a la Koreamo: Kimchi Spaghetti

June 20, 2012 – My first Korean restaurant review. Link: Cravings – Bulgogi Garden Experience

August 13, 2012 – It was my first time to receive a blog award. The Liebster Blog Award was given to me by Aneesa and Faraaz. Link: Liebster Blog Award

September 23, 2012 – My first politically inclined post. My other side was showing! Link: Whose Innocence? On Innocence of Muslims

October 3, 2012 – I joined a 30-day Blogging Challenge and I posted my challenge intro on this day. Link: Unblocking Your Mind: Prevent Writers’ Block; 30-day Blogging Challenge link

October 10, 2012 – I attempted to write a short story about inanimate object. Link: As I lay dying: The life story of a cigarette

November 19, 2012 – Hosted my first ever giveaway sponsored by Juanita of Juanita Tortilla Shop. Link: Some things to be thankful for

December 4, 2012 – I written my first ever book review and author’s interview in the blog. Link: The Drought

December 17 – I joined various book blog tours and I posted my first book blog tour stop. Link: His Black Wings

Through all of these, you guys stayed with me. You tolerated my sick jokes and nonsense opinions. You gave opinion on how to improve my blog. You also encouraged me to continue writing and expressing myself. For that, I am eternally grateful. I know I said this several times already, but I won’t grow tired saying it. I owe a lot of things to you guys. You made me a better writer than I was before. Before, I only thought out of the box, but now, I break the box. You made me a whole person. I cannot be like this without you.

Honestly, I am a sentimental person and we could go on like this the entire blog post. However, I don’t want to show that side of me in this site so I will stop boring you with my gratitude. Let’s talk of the future instead. Now, what will be in store for us from this day forward?

Since I love reading, I will still post reading and book related stuff in my site. However, I already stopped signing up for blog tours as they occupied much of my time and space in blogging. Aside from books, I decided to post more about my life and thoughts on anything under the sun. Also, I will try my very best to catch up with you guys. I know that I sound rude for not being able to reply to all of your comments and I feel terribly sorry for that. I will also make time visiting and camping in your sites in the near future!

I didn’t make New Year’s resolutions, but the paragraph above sounded just as much. Anyhow, to celebrate my first blog anniversary, I will be hosting two-three giveaways in the near future. Now, how cool is that?

They say the best way to start is now. So why wait for a few more days? Let’s start the celebration! Sincerely Sweet Boutique lives up to its name by offering one of my readers a chance to get a $30 Gift Certificate to be used in their shop. Sweet? Totally.

Let’s celebrate!

To inspire you on purchasing items from this shop, let me post some of the products they are offering.

To join the giveaway, kindly click on the rafflecopter link below to join. This giveaway is open internationally and will end on March 13. All entries will be checked and a winner will be announced in this blog. The winner will have 48 hours to respond/comment in the blog announcement before another winner will be chosen.

Have fun everyone!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cheers,

February 2013 Wrap-Up

Books read: 17

It’s the time of the month again. Even though February has lesser days compared to the rest of the months, I managed to read 17 books. Yay! A lot of people are asking me how I can read a lot of books in a short time. For a quick answer to others, I don’t use audio books. I read printed and digital books only.

The thing is, no matter how busy I am with my family, work, and social lives I still find and create time for books. When my social life gets too hyper, like going home in the wee hours of the morning or not going home at all, I will miss a day of reading. But I will compensate for that the next day. If I happen to arrive home before midnight, I surely go to my books and read. No matter how tired I am, as long as I can still open my eyes, I read books at least two hours a day. I think that being in my early 20s and dependent to my parents and helpers, I don’t have to spend time doing chores. Instead, my free time goes to reading books, watching movies, and going out with family and friends.

Anyhow, here are the books I have read for this month. They are technically 16 because one is just a short story. However, Goodreads counted it as one, so yeah, 17.

Ten Things I Love About You by Julia Quinn

Rating:  3/5

This is written by one of my favorite historical romance authors. With the rate I’m going, I think I’ll finish reading all her books this year. This novel is also the same as the others, but it lacks some sentimentality and emotional connection to me. Still, I rated it three starts because I find their insta-love funny and entertaining. Plus, I also love making lists.

The Devil Duke Takes a Bride by Rachel Van Dyke

Rating: 3/5

I purchased this ebook in Amazon under the 0.99 cents list. The blurb seems okay so I decided to buy it. The storyline is okay, though I can recommend some things to make it more interesting. The characters are funny and witty though, and I instantly love the devil duke.

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Rating: 5/5

This is my first Ray Bradbury book and I am glad I happened to get a copy of this one. It is disturbing, yes but I was amazed to how he “predicted” what our future would be like. First written in 1953, how could he know what will happen in the next 50 or so years? Even though the world described in the book is different from what we have today, I’m afraid we are already close.

The Life and Times of the Heir and the Keeper by Etta King

Rating: 4/5

I read this book for a book blog tour and I have posted my review last month. To read my views on this book, you may click here.

Dominion by Melody Manful

Rating: 5/5

I so love this book. When I found out that this is a debut novel of the author, I was surprised. Melody wrote well for a YA author, and I like how the way the story and scenes flow smoothly. The premise of the novel is also good. I also want my two guardians!

To read my entire review for Dominion, you may do so here.

Reckoning by Molly Hall

Rating: 4/5

I like paranormal YA fiction and this one did not disappoint me. The cover is enticing and so is the story. There are some rooms for improvement, but the author did well for this one. I will surely read the second installment!

You may read my review here.

Matched by Ally Condie

Rating: 3/5

I heard a lot of things from this series so I decided to try reading it. The cover holds a lot of promise so I was excited when I first picked up the book. However, it did not deliver much. Not all dystopian novels can be as successful as THG, and this one is included in that category. It left me frustrated especially when things got so predictable halfway through the story. It did not leave me eager to read the second book.

Obsidian by Jennifer Armentrout

Rating: 5/5

Almost all of my book blogger friends have read the Lux series and there is an overflowing of positive comments. Of course, this has influenced me so I got myself the first three books of the series and began to read. And I was like, “OMG!’ Aside from the fact that the heroine is a book blogger and reviewer, it is very easy to connect to her. I find myself imagining she’s me. As for the hero, he is so perfect even though he is an alien. I really love this paranormal YA fiction that I once dreamt of being with Daemon. Haha!

Onyx by Jennifer Armentrout

Rating: 5/5

This is the second book of the series and for you guys who know me, you won’t be surprised to see that as soon as I finished reading the first book, I’ll immediately (like less than five minutes) pick up the next one. I think almost all second installments face the challenge of giving more than what was offered in the previous book, and I am glad that Onyx exceeded my expectations. Obsidian has a good intro, but Onyx is so much more. The characters are crazy witty and humorous and they make reading the difficult situations in the book bearable.

An Italian Obsession by Kfir Luzatto

Rating: 4/5

I received a free copy of this book in a blog tour from which I joined. It is a coming-of-age novel which is a bit dark, but sounds realistic in every way. Historically set in 1970s, the author captured the economic and social life of people way back then. Along with other factors, these made an interesting character out of Roberto Lucci, the hero of the story. As a teenager in his time, Luzatto beautifully wrote the young adult’s struggles and complexities in life.

Read more of my review here.

The Exemeus by Folami and Abeni Morris

Rating: 4/5

This one is an interesting magical dystopian novel. A copy was given to me to be read and reviewed, and I was glad to take it with open arms. The story has lots of surprises and twists that wouldn’t lull you to sleep. It’s a bit long though.

Continue reading my review here.

All Summer in a Day by Ray Bradbury

Rating: 4/5

This short story was influenced by my good blogger friend Charlotte of Book Adoration. This is my second Bradbury, and it is amazing to note that Bradbury has the passion to make the story alive. This short story brings out a lot of emotion in me that I felt sad, hurt, and violent (?)  after reading it. I love the rain more than I do for the sun, but after reading this short but intense story, I came to appreciate the latter more. I hope that there will be more short stories and books written this way.

Fall for Me by K.A. Last

Rating: 4/5

The plot of this story is okay, but I can’t say the same for the characters. I find it very hard to connect to them, especially to the heroine. The insta-love and sweet exchanges were nice, but the frequent POV shifting made me want to stop reading the book at some points. Luckily, the writing is good and light, and not very much predictable.

My review can be found here.

The Pope’s Stone by Marc Kuhn

Rating: 4/5

The book review for this historical novel will go live any time soon so kindly head over her after a few days to know my views on this one. For now, I can only give you guys the rating. J

Opal by Jennifer Armentrout

Rating: 4/5

I still like the series, but something went wrong with this one. I can’t actually put my finger on it. It’s just that it did not feel the same like the first two. I still like the relationship between Daemon and Katy which was built stronger, but I dislike how trashy some characters became especially Dee. I also hate the ending! I mean it is good and beautiful twist even though I expected it as much. Still, it made me feel so thirsty and excited to read Origin, which will be published sometime in July.

So there goes my list. For some looking for book recommendations, please feel free to read my short reviews listed above. I hope that this somehow encourage you guys to continue reading more.

As of the moment, I have read 32 books out of my 50 books 2013 goal. I am thinking of increasing my goal to 75. What do you think guys?

Now, it’s your turn! Let me know how many books you’ve read during the love month. What are they? 

Related posts:

January 2013 Wrap-Up

2012 Monthly Reviews

Lovely weekend from us

Happy weekend to you guys!

Love,
Cookie and Nica

Posted from WordPress for Android

Post-Valentine Gimmick and a Canine Gift

Yesterday, Czar and I decided to meet in SM Southmall, Las Piñas City. Actually, a coffee shop near my home will be fine, but he insisted going to that particular mall only because I haven’t been there for some time. I met him in the entrance and after some talk, we decided to find a good yogurt house. He mentioned a popular parlor and I agreed since I know they serve those mouth-watering frozen yogurts. Together, we walked towards the parking lot as he was sure that it is located near there.

To our disappointment, it wasn’t there. Most shops were relocated and I comforted him with the assumption that perhaps the shop was moved to another place. Moving forward, we combed the entire floor looking for it. Not finding it in the ground floor, we continued our search until we reached the highest floor. Still no sign of the yogurt shop. Bummer.

I don’t know why he specifically wanted to eat froyo aside from the fact that it was frying hot outside. Still, he influenced me and I found myself craving for the cold, sour taste of yogurt. So I didn’t think twice when I answered his question. With my approval, we went to another mall.

I haven’t been to Alabang Town Center for a couple of months and I admit that the structure confused me yesterday as it did before. Good thing Czar lives in the area so I assumed he knows the way. After deciding which yogurt house to go to, we started looking for it. However, after realizing that we seemed to perpetually walk around the mall without a sign of the aloof yogurt shop, I suggested we use the high-tech kiosk to look for direction. We found one and it is user-friendly. Soon, we were on our way.

We reached the Town Plaza and I was surprised to see a lot of people in there. Whoa. He intruded my observation and pointed to the yogurt house which was across the plaza. We took a few steps when a booming voice caught our attention. Apparently, there’s something going on and for a moment, I thought there’ll be a flash mob dancing in the center of the plaza. Fat chance.

It turned out to be a post-Valentine celebration of the mall. The event was called Helicopter Flower Drop, and soon enough, we heard the sound of an approaching chopper. We looked at each other, smiled, and decided to join the others in the center of the plaza.

The chopper approached and tried to drop the rose petals, but was unsuccessful for its first try. They must be testing the wind. After three tries, they have successfully showered us with those red rose petals.

It was beautiful. ATC is correct; only flowers can rain on my parade. Haha. It was romantic, too. Someone daydreamed of swirling around those slowly falling rose petals while singing for her music video.

I didn’t think of capturing the moment using my crappy smartphone camera and Czar used his only for videos so I couldn’t share something from me. However, I happened to find these beautiful photos taken by another princess, Sol, in her blog.

It was such a fine day, but it seemed that it wasn’t written to end that way. A few hours later, I arrived home with a huge smile on my face.

My siblings squealed with glee when they saw the box I was holding. A tiny head curiously popped up and I swear I could read her face. I answered her question with, “Yes, baby, this will be your new home.”

The emperor gifted me with a puppy. I thought it was a boy so I already had a ready name for him, but when she turned out to be a girl, I found myself in panic. What shall I name her?

Mr. Emperor came up with some funny name suggestions:

Dash, Pinkie, Sparkle, Apple, Rarity, Flutter, Cuddles, Bon Bon, Derpy, Opal, Tank, Winona, Hoot, Lyra… then his sweet tooth came in: Oreo, Cookie, Cupcake, Cinnamon, Fuzzy, Candy, Caramel, Muffin.

I laughed out loud. Surely, my pup will like a beautiful name for her. But I couldn’t think of any. So I decided to choose one from his list. I ended up with Cookie.

Cookie does not look the same as her namesake. She has a brown head with a white/cream body. I would have posted a photo here, but I couldn’t get an opportunity to do so as she constantly sleeps like a baby.

Anyway, so that’s how my day went yesterday – a cute flower drop from a chopper and a new puppy to love. Isn’t it a nice way to start a new week? I wonder what will happen on the next. Ah, right. We’ll watch the International Pyromusical Competition! Yehey!

For more photos of the helicopter flower drop, you may click here.

How about you guys? How did your weekend go?

Related post:

My Fictional Valentine Date

Looking Back: Year 2012

As the year is about to close, I can’t help but look back to what 2012 gave to me. There were ups and downs, tears and smiles, opportunities grabbed and missed, people met and lost – all these made 2012 a memorable time of my existence. Together, let’s recount what happened to me this year.

January – It was my first time to be entitled for incentive leave. I was six months employed in my first job after graduating and all was doing well.

해솔 (Hae Sol) infrequently contacted me which struck me as odd. In our more than a year relationship, he couldn’t let a day pass without at least three calls and tons of messages.

February – Got my first bang hairstyle ever. The stylist insisted on that when I only availed a hair color treatment.

I attended the 2012 Philippine International PyroMusical Competition held in Mall of Asia. I watched the first event between South Korea and Malta. A week after, I watched Finland vs Portugal.

A day before Valentines’ Day, I lost one of the most important people in my life. Hae Sol decided to end everything between us. It was medically proven that our LDR was not healthy for him. A part of me died that day. What’s worse? I think it still dead.

March - A colleague “pestered” me in creating a blog to serve as an outlet of my thoughts and feelings. So on March 3, Impressions of a Princess was born. Now more than half a year later, I am proud to note that I have maintained writing here.

May – I took a few days off from work and went up North. Twelve hours from Manila, I travelled to Mountain Province with my friend and explored the life of the indigenous people of my country. I had fun hiking, caving and spelunking, trekking, swimming, etc. Life there was very much different from here in the city.

June – On the first day of June, I celebrated by first anniversary in my first job of my life.

At the end of the month, my cousin was married to her first and only boyfriend. I was part of the entourage and had the misfortune of catching her bouquet. The groom’s cousin caught the garter. As that certain belief goes, those who caught both will be the next to face the altar. Funny, that. I don’t even have a boyfriend.

August – The country was hit by strong, torrential rains from a seasonal monsoon. The government was tested when the entire Philippines almost drowned in flood. Lots of people died and went missing while billions were lost in businesses. There were no typhoon signals so I didn’t worry when I went out of office that day around 7 PM. It was my first time to see parts of my city flooded chest-deep. Since no cars could brave the water, I was forced to ride a city dump/rescue truck.  Seven hours later, I arrived home crying and drenching wet.

September – I joined a company subsidized program for health and fitness. Together with my colleague and friend, Micah, I signed up for Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) lessons. Most of the students there were men, but that didn’t discourage us from participating. There I learned basic kickboxing, jujitsu, and grappling. There were also elements of capoeira and others, too.

November – I decided to have another drastic hairstyle change in the last week of this month. I have a natural wavy hair, but I always wear it salon-straight. That time, I wanted to see myself with curls, so I went to a salon I haven’t tried yet (my first error) and ordered for a hair perm treatment. After a few hours, my hip-length V-styled straight hair was straightly chopped to the shoulders. The worse thing? My hair didn’t bubble up and had big, bouncy curls. Instead, it had this small, electrocuted-like appearance.

December –Two days before Christmas, I finished my GoodReads 2012 Reading Challenge which I started last June 28. I haven’t created a post about it so I’ll end this now. Wait for my post!

After two years abroad, my Dad went back to Philippines and celebrated Christmas with my family. Of course, it’s so much better to celebrate the Yuletide Season with complete members of the house. Perhaps Dad will go back to Dubai in 2013 to continue his work, but at least he had the opportunity to extinguish that two-year long homesickness.

In this year, a lot of other things happened to me, too. I went to new places around and outside the Metro – searched and dined for more Korean and Japanese restaurants, mostly. I watched more movies this year than I had in 2011 which I also considered a feat.

Moreover, I met and dated(?) some people over the year. Some are worthy keeping as friends, while others proved to be jerks. Friends got worried about me and set me up for other dates, but there really wasn’t someone. Sure, I met a few who are promising, but I’m not sure if I’m ready for another commitment. Well, I’m only 22. I’m sure I still have a lot of time for that.

I also gained a lot of friends from all over the world thanks to this blog. There were those who always read my posts no matter how boring and redundant they are. Others were more accommodating to give me comments. A few even noticed me and send their recognitions via blogawards. Some even went to great lengths and contact me personally to offer advice, ask questions, and e-mail sympathies. My heart always swells with love whenever I see people liking what I share. It seems that even if a part of me died earlier this year, another one grew bigger each day. Before the year closes, I am glad to realize that I have found a new, addicting hobby and purpose – to write and blog.

2012 brought both happy and sad memories to me. It made me weak at first, but it also awarded me with friends and new hobby which made me stronger. With the knowledge that I have survived the supposedly End of the World (which I never believed), I am brave to face 2013 and everything it has to offer. Like a clock, I do not have any other choice. Keep moving.

How’s 2012 for you?

Related Posts:

They are murderers!

By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept

Nothing Better

Take my Heart Back

30-day Blogging Challenge: Day 9 (A photo you took)

30-day Blogging Challenge: Day 11 (A photo of you taken recently)

P.S. Do check my Giveaways tab for awesome prizes to be won!

By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept

I started reading Paulo Coelho’s By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept two days ago. This is my second book from the author, and I have high expectations. When I first read The Alchemist, I was astounded by how the writer compacted most of life’s greatest teachings in one book. And now, for my second novel, I hope that I won’t be disappointed.

With the holidays just around the corner, I only got into page 25 of the book. I was hoping to continue reading it right after my work yesterday, but something happened. Something which made me want to read at the same time rip the said book.

Every day, God gives us the sun – and also one moment in which we have the ability to change everything that makes us unhappy. Every day, we try to pretend that we haven’t perceived the moment, that it doesn’t exist – that today is the same as yesterday and will be the same as tomorrow. But if people really pay attention in their everyday lives, they will discover that magic moment. It may arrive in the instant when we are doing something mundane, like putting our front-door key in the lock; it may lie hidden in the quiet that follows the lunch hour or in the thousand and one things that all seems the same to us. But that moment exists – a moment when all the power of the stars becomes a part of us and enables us to perform miracles.

Yesterday afternoon, I saw his new status in Kakao Story. It went like this:

“나를 사랑해줘서 고마워.”

I can understand it a bit, but went to use a translator to clarify what I thought it meant. Genie Talk and Google Translate came up with: “Thank you for letting me love.”

It may not be the correct translation, but it seems near. I felt something gripped the corner of my heart. “What does this mean? Is he finally happy now?”

My friends teased me of being impulsive and I just proved them right when I went to his name in my Kakao Talk list and sent him a message.

Me: You seem okay now. I hope she makes you happy.

Me: The same time last year, you were so sick. I got so worried about you. Now, I hope you are getting better.

I didn’t know what I was thinking. I just sent him those messages. Now, as I typed this draft, I see myself as a pathetic, bitter person. Then suddenly, my phone beeped.

Love perseveres. It’s men who change.

Him: 송유리?

Him: 모니카?

Him: Who are you?

I forgot that I changed my Kakao Talk’s account name. From 최다해 which was the name he gave me, I changed it to송유리. Perhaps he was surprised to see a message coming from a stranger’s name.

Me: It’s me. Monica.

Him: Oh. She?

Him: I don’t have a gf.

Him: Anyway, I don’t have a gf.

A thousand times I wanted to take his hand and a thousand times I stopped myself.

Me: Oh. I thought…Well, I pray that after a year you are now better.

Him: I’m good. I…

I could have. What does this phrase mean? At any given moment in our lives, there are certain things that could have happened but didn’t. The magic moments go unrecognized, and then suddenly, the hand of destiny changes everything.

Him: I’m going to the army.

Me: What????? When?

Him: In 26 December.

Sometimes an uncontrollable feeling of sadness grips us, he said. We recognize that the magic moment of the day has passed and that we’ve done nothing about it. Life begins to conceal its magic and its art.

Me: Why so soon?

Him: Just. Bye. 잘지내~

Waiting is painful. Forgetting is painful. But not knowing what to do is the worst kind of suffering.

May my tears from just as far, that my love might never know that one day I cried for him.

Note: I have placed various quotes from the book in relation to my experience yesterday. This is not a review of the book.

Related posts:

http://gongjumonica.wordpress.com/2012/03/03/nothing-better/

http://gongjumonica.wordpress.com/2012/06/22/take-my-heart-back/

 

30-day Blogging Challenge: Day 27 (A physical feature you love)

“What sunshine is to flowers, smiles are to humanity. These are but trifles, to be sure; but scattered along life’s pathway, the good they do is inconceivable.”

― Joseph Addison

The number one physical feature I actually love is a beautiful pair of eyes. Since I have already written about it in my previous post, I will share you the second thing I like – a genuine smile.

A smile bestowed to others clearly shows that there is a caring and kind person within one’s self. There were many things written about its power and how even a single act can change a person, society, or even the world. How? I think it all depends on a different perspective taken by the beholder. For example, even amidst the storm, a young girl is still able to smile and thank God for keeping her safe from the disaster whereas others weep for their losses in properties. With optimism and hope, the girl can still smile. And this can change everything.

I love smiling. A lot. Even when I’m alone. Scary? Not really. I have even read somewhere that when you found yourself smiling even if no one can see you then that’s a true smile. I am not getting crazy and I know that even you are afraid to admit this, you also smiled by yourself. Am I right? J For those who nod their heads while reading this, then I’d like to give one reason why we do this. Sometimes, we remember a certain memory, conversation, photo, song, etc that could be hilarious, provoking, or sweet, thus making us smile. And it isn’t a bad thing.

Many people call me a very smiling person. I smile when something is funny. I smile when I remember that stupid line I have read in a book. I smile when I thought of the conversation I had with my colleague. I smile when I reread that joke sent by a friend. I smile when I got embarrassed. I smile when I feel happy. I smile when I count my blessings. Even in challenging situations, I still try to smile and it makes me feel light after.

Oh, how I love smiling! I smile to my family, friends, classmates, colleagues. I smile to promo girls, clerks, receptionists, guards. I smile to photos, books, and songs. I smile in return to a smile. I give back a smile even I haven’t received it yet. I smile even it seems not needed. I smile to almost everyone. Everywhere. Is there something wrong with that?

Now, to give you visual examples on how to smile and give it, I am going to share you photos of one of my favorite Korean actors, Jang Geun Suk.

a sweet smile

carefree smile

Charming, isn’t it? Smile!

30-day Blogging Challenge: Day 23 (A way in which you want to be remembered)

When I have reached my twilight years and the last breath has been snuffed out, I want to be remembered in a way that would personify my character. My thoughts, ideas and hobbies will remind those I have left behind of the existence that I had before.

I want others to remember me as who I was: a daughter to my family, sister to my siblings, faithful wife, loving mother, public servant of my country, and child of God. I want them to be reminded with fond memories of how much I enjoyed life with them. Filled with love, hope, faith, and happiness, I want my life to be an example of how beautiful God’s gift to us humans.

But I guess the best way I want to be remembered is through my writing and ideas. I want to immortalize myself through the things I have written that even those generations after I lived would still hear and know about me. Wait. I don’t want to make myself a saint along with my followers; no, I’m far from that. I just wanted to share my random thoughts and takes to everyone and it would feel nice if others will find it in themselves to agree to some things I have written.

Greek philosophers, for example, are more than decayed even before my great grandparents were conceived. Still, their political, social, and scientific thoughts are being echoed until now. How many modern philosophers derived their school of thoughts from those great men? I know I cannot draw parallels between me and those philosophers, but they are my inspiration. Even for just a little, I wanted to be remembered and quoted from my learning and writing.

Just as the Bard of Avon mentioned in one of his famous sonnets, “So long as men can breathe, and eyes can see, so long lives this and this gives life to thee.”

30-day Blogging Challenge: Day 21 (Something you know you do differently than most people)

Many of my friends have teased me, in more than one occasion that I am abnormal. Far from normal. Well, I believe that normal is relative, at the same time subjective, on the rules set by the society. No matter how interested I am to delve in the philosophy of that state of mind, I do not want to bore you with my insights on that. Perhaps in another post.

•  I am a tea person and I find it a bit difficult to find someone who shares the love for tea in this tropical country. Still, I go to coffee shops (there’s not much tea houses in my country) and buy hot tea. But no matter how expensive and good looking those teas seem to be, I prefer my own pure green tea.

Unlike others, I like my tea pure. I don’t appreciate the taste of strained tea        leaves with milk or lemon. Definitely not fragrance either. My taste buds don’t agree with jasmine or mint.

• Since I was young, I have the passion to read books. I can still remember when I was younger that I used to read the last page of any book before starting the entire story. I don’t know why. It’s not because I wanted to know how the novel will end; I actually forgot what the last page was while I’m reading the book.

 

• Speaking of books, I arranged my books in my shelves. Yeah! Do you? When I was younger, I arranged the books in alphabetical order. True. It’s a practice of knowing your alphabet! I stopped doing that when I reached high school. You will be relieved to know that I only arranged my collection according to heights now.

Don’t do this!

• Another thing that I do differently than others is my oral hygiene ritual. Unlike many others, I squeeze the toothpaste tube from the BOTTOM! Yes! When I was out for a trip with friends or schoolmates, I always feel a bit annoyed to see my borrowed toothpaste squeezed in the middle. I’m sorry if some of you also do that, but I just can’t comprehend why it seems a bit difficult to spill the guts of the tube from the bottom.

• If waiting to go somewhere, I always want to move at the time which ends in 5 or 0. For example, I have to leave home to go to office and I’ll do that after 5, 10 minutes after. Even if the time is 7:58 AM, two minutes before 8, I won’t leave.

• When I watch TV or in my laptop, I always adjust volumes in even numbers. I just do.

• Speaking of numbers, whenever I eat candies like Skittles and gummy bears, I always eat in even number. If there are five more left, I’ll give it to another person so I have to eat only even.

• Still with numbers, I count the steps in a flight of stairs or the square tiles in a floor when I’m walking alone.

• I talk to myself. I have this monologue syndrome, and sometimes I even argue with myself. I also have specific facial expressions on each emotion I’m having. I guess I got that from watching too much Korean dramas and movies, plus the fact that I have tons of Korean friends who I hang-out with. And oh, did I mention that I talked to myself loud enough for someone beside me to hear? And it’s in Korean language.

I always have internal monologue

• After brushing my teeth at night, and all my rituals done, it’s time to sleep! Trivia. I don’t sleep with a pillow under my head. Until now. I feel like my neck will break because it’s higher than my body. At first I thought it was just the wrong type of pillows, but after trying almost everything, I gave up. I love the feel of the bed under my head. Oh, I still use pillows. One to hug, and three more to surround me. I think I adopted the way I slept when I was a kid. My parents would put pillows around me to keep me safe from falling out of bed. When I grew up, I still do that.

I sleep like a baby

I can go on with this list and share you more of my weirdness (or idiosyncrasies). Maybe some of you are now diagnosing me with OCD. Sometimes I think what I’m doing is weird, but most of the time I didn’t even notice that I’m doing it. So yeah, I am strange. I guess we all are. So why don’t you share with us those things that you seem to do differently than others? Can you relate with some of what I’ve mentioned above? Don’t be shy! 

Will you share your blessings to these people?

Last Sunday, I was informed that October is the Indigenous People Month in the Philippines. This annual celebration aims to provide venue for indigenous peoples to celebrate the richness of their cultures; allow cultural exchanges that will foster deeper cultural understanding to sustain a culture of peace; provide opportunity to discuss IP rights; give students and other people a chance to deepen their awareness and appreciation of indigenous cultures; recognize the expertise and contributions of indigenous communities; and advocate for the preservation as well as integration of traditional culture into the national cultural mainstream (NCCA, 2012). When I heard that, a memory resurfaced. Faces appeared.

I remember when I was still in university and an officer of a UNICEF chapter. I was really an active student advocating children’s literacy as well as their health and rights. Together with Gawad Kalinga, a Filipino community of volunteers which builds a better nation for all, our university-wide organization held various activities in line with the UN agency convention.

The December of my senior year, we officers reached a consensus to have an outreach program up north. Outside Metro Manila, in Dinggalan, Aurora.

In preparation for the outreach, we had a donation drive which ran for around three weeks. Boxes were put before each college, and even the school cafeteria and library weren’t missed. We encouraged students to share their blessings by giving either new or used books, school materials, clothes, bags, shoes, and toys. To raise funds, the group also solicited money from our professors (they are retired ambassadors, generals, and lawyers who are always generous to help) and friends. Some donated money while others answered in kind. Boxes and boxes of canned goods, toiletries, and new fashionable clothes were given by blessed few.

Days before our departure, we started checking the gifts of those kind-hearted individuals and segregated the items according to its kind: clothes, books, toys, school supplies, food, etc. After that task, we grouped the clothes per family: for parents, daughter and son. We knew that it may be possible for a family to be consisted of more than four people, but we had to budget our resources.

Those days passed in a blur. It was exams week and we all had to juggle our time between studying and preparing for the upcoming program. After classes, we’d gather, give reports, segregate, buy more gifts from our club’s funds and make necessary documents.

me

Then the night before the trip arrived. It happened to be a Friday so the classes and exams were over. We had our final packing. Before midnight we set off using our univ van.

Our destination was Dumagat, in Dinggalan, Aurora. There were, and still are, an indigenous group living there who was believed to be the original Filipinos. Agta Dumagats, they were called. A few years ago, the local government had been made aware of the current dilemma of these people. Apparently, private groups coveted the land the Dumagats were occupying. I should note that the place is strategically located in the Pacific Ocean and could be a possible beach resort for the business minded. Unaware of what lays ahead of them should their land be taken, NGOs started to actively play a part in protecting the interests of the Dumagats. And my club continues to play an active role in this.

The main reasons we had our outreach here were 1. To assess the situation and think of better ideas of improving the lives of the Dumagats; and 2. To share our love and blessings to them in the spirit of Christmas. So what did we do?

We arrived there early and were offered to have breakfast by the ocean and watch the sun to rise. We chatted with their leaders and asked about their day-to-day lives. Soon they excused themselves to prepare their children for the mini-party. Having less than an hour to kill, we rolled our jeans up to our knees and frolicked in the waves.

that’s me in the middle!

After an hour, some of us arranged lines for older family members to claim their supplies and Christmas gifts (the clothes, food, and medicine).

Others were busy heralding children for party games that would begin the program. When all were ready, officers, volunteers, and children had fun playing Filipino party games.

We laughed and enjoyed the event given to us. We made friends. Some of us even had favorites.

find me…

After playing (and occasional crying from the younger ones), under the sun, we were tired. We ended the party by awarding them with a healthy meal and bags of school supplies!

Much too soon, we had to head back to Manila. Did I mention that it took almost six hours to travel there? We bid our goodbyes to those simple yet contented people who humbled us in every way.

As we travelled back to the university, the van was quiet. I guess everyone was thinking of that experience that we had. I learned and proved that:

1. Giving is also receiving. When you give something, you receive ten times greater than what you heartedly offered.
2. Share your blessings. Even if you have few possessions, you will feel more blessed once you
Share what little you have.
3. Money is not everything. It can be something to buy material things, but important things in life cannot be bought.
4. Happiness can be found in unexpected places. Not only in five-star hotels or casinos will one can find happiness. Sometimes, it can be found in a used rag doll. Or a small box of crayons.
5. Love is easier to give. Some of us may not know this at a time, but we will soon realize that we have more than enough rooms in our hearts to love.

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It is approximately 70 days before Christmas. Let’s share our love and blessings especially to those who need them the most. What are your plans to spread the Christmas spirit for this coming Yuletide season?

M & M in MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Yesterday, Micah and I decided to go to SM Mall of Asia to buy hand wraps for our MMA lessons on Friday. It will be our second class and we are looking forward to it. Friday seems more interesting than before!

Last September 7, we had our very first Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) lessons partially subsidized by the company. At 2:30, Micah and I went to the fifth level of our building wearing fancy [laughs] tights and cotton shirts, no shoes. 아자, 아자, 화이팅! (Aja, aja, hwaiting!)

We were greeted by a hot (seriously) room with men in MMA outfit (?). As expected, more men signed up for this activity and I think we were only six girls in there. Anyway, the room wasn’t really well ventilated at first and Micah even joked that one way to lose weight is this dry sauna. Haha! Few minutes passed then the trainers arrived. Oh my. This is it!

We had a ten-minute streeeeeetching (I even stretched the word for you just to emphasized how “extended” I felt after that) followed by a 30-minute cardio exercise. Something expected happened after that, but I think it can be a topic of a future post.

After that, we had our water break and started our MMA lessons. For those who aren’t familiar with Mixed Martial Arts, I have asked Wikipedia dude for you:

Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, from a variety of other combat sports.

Most ‘traditional’ martial arts have a specific focus and these arts may be trained to improve in that area. Popular disciplines of each type include:

Stand-up: Various forms of Boxing, Kickboxing, Muay Thai, TaeKwonDo, and Karate are trained to improve footwork, elbowing, kicking, kneeing and punching.

Clinch: Freestyle, Greco-Roman wrestling, Sambo and Judo are trained to improve clinching, takedowns and throws, while Muay Thai is trained to improve the striking aspect of the clinch.

Ground: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Submission Wrestling, shoot wrestling, catch wrestling, Judo and Sambo are trained to improve ground control and position, as well as to achieve submission holds, and defend against them.

So we continued in our lessons. Micah and I had studied fighting stance, different footwork, punching and kicking. It was a bit frustrating at first if we can’t follow what “master” told us to do. Example: forward, jab, straight. Forward, left hook. Backward, jab, straight, hook, hook. Or: push kick, side kick, back kick, thigh kick, roundhouse kick!

It was fun and stress-relieving at the same time. You can release your anger and frustration in those exercises I have mentioned below. Then at the end of the session, before the cool down, we had 500 counts of abs exercise. Argh~~ We all know the benefits that we can get for these, but it was really hard and painful as hell. T.T

So back to yesterday. We wanted to buy hand wraps for our classes. The last time we only borrowed ours and we feel it is unhygienic not to have your own pair. Since the nearest mall doesn’t have this protective gear available, we went to Mall of Asia and searched the sports shops there.

For your curiosity, I googled hand wraps for you:

A hand wrap or a wrist wrap is a strip of cloth used by boxers (and participants in other combat sports) to protect the hand and wrist against injuries induced by punching. It is usually worn before the gloves.

Anyway, so we hunted down different sports centers in the mall. As far as I know, there are ten shops that we can go to look for hand wraps. The shopping establishment is big, and we have to walk a lot. So while at it, I snapped some photos bearing our ugly and tired faces. Haha!

Maix and Me

selca. My hair was naturally curled, haha!

We went to three or four shops until we settled in Sportshouse. We bought our hand wraps only for P250 per pair! Cheap find

I preferred mine red while Maix likes black

What’s next? Of course, for Micah and me a girl date won’t be completed without a trip to our favorite Book Sale. The branch in Mall of Asia is bigger and more spacious so customers can move around freely, unlike in others where you will occasionally bump into someone whenever you reach or duck for those bookshelves.

We weren’t sure, but I think we spent more than an hour in there. I was disappointed because I couldn’t find any book that I haven’t read which could be worth my money, so Micah encouraged me to sit down with her and ransacked (exaggeration here) the shelves! We parked ourselves there on the cold tiled floor of the shop while laughing at some absurd titles of the books. I’m sorry, I am a bookworm/book lover but sometimes some books give me this crazy feeling whenever I read their titles or see their book covers. (I know, I know, don’t judge the book by its cover).

Moving forward, I bought only one book – an Oxford Classics of Henry James’ The Portrait of a Lady while Maix had Anne Perry’s Traitor’s Gate and Caleb Carr’s The Angels of Darkness.

Hungry! That’s what we were feeling after we paid for our goods. But of course, we spent more than 20 minutes looking for a good restaurant to dine in until we decided to go to World of Chicken.

I ordered grilled chicken with mushroom sauce and Asian noodles, while Maix had grilled chicken with gravy and Japanese rice.

grilled chicken with mushroom sauce and Asian noodles

ugly~~~

nom-nom-nom

Chowtime!

Then we stopped for ice cream at McD’s and went home. It was a perfect date – it ended up in ice cream! Let’s do it again, girl!

Star-crossed lovers: the origin?

Yesterday, August 22, a Chinese friend greeted me with “Happy Valentine’s Day, Monica!” I was like, “What? It’s not even February.” My friend explained to me that tomorrow, August 23, Chinese will be celebrating their own Valentine’s Day – six months after our Western Hearts Day.

August 23 – Be my Valentine?

My friend explained to me that tomorrow is Qi Xi Festival or 七夕节for them. It is commonly known as Chinese Valentine’s Day (情人節), but literally means Night of the Sevens. It is also known as Magpie Festival, the reason of which will be explained later. Other names for the celebration include:

• The Festival to Plead for Skills (Chinese: 乞巧节; pinyin: qǐ qiǎo jié)
• The Seventh Sister’s Birthday, especially in Cantonese (Chinese: 七姊誕; Mandarin Pinyin: qī zǐ dàn’)

The story

A young cowherd, hence Niulang (Chinese: 牛郎; pinyin: niú láng; literally “[the] cowherd”), came across a beautiful girl–Zhinü (Chinese: 织女; pinyin: zhī nǚ; literally “[the] weavergirl”), the seventh daughter of the Goddess, who just had escaped from boring heaven to look for fun. Zhinü soon fell in love with Niulang, and they got married without the knowledge of the Goddess. Zhinü proved to be a wonderful wife, and Niulang to be a good husband. They lived happily and had two children.

But the Goddess of Heaven (or in some versions, Zhinü’s mother) found out that Zhinü, a fairy girl, had married a mere mortal. The Goddess was furious and ordered Zhinü to return to heaven. (Alternatively, the Goddess forced the fairy back to her former duty of weaving colorful clouds, a task she neglected while living on earth with a mortal.)

On Earth, Niulang was very upset that his wife had disappeared. Suddenly, his ox began to talk, telling him that if he killed it and put on its hide, he would be able to go up to Heaven to find his wife.

Crying bitterly, he killed the ox, put on the skin, and carried his two beloved children off to Heaven to find Zhinü. The Goddess discovered this and was very angry. Taking out her hairpin, the Goddess scratched a wide river in the sky to separate the two lovers forever, thus forming the Milky Way between Altair and Vega.

Zhinü must sit forever on one side of the river, sadly weaving on her loom, while Niulang watches her from afar while taking care of their two children (his flanking stars β and γ Aquilae or by their Chinese names Hè Gu 1 and Hè Gu 3).

But once a year all the magpies in the world would take pity on them and fly up into heaven to form a bridge (鹊桥, “the bridge of magpies”, Que Qiao) over the star Deneb in the Cygnus constellation so the lovers may be together for a single night, which is the seventh night of the seventh moon.

The star-crossed lovers in different cultures

Qi Xi Jie Festival inspired other countries to believe in the romantic story of Zhinü and Niulang while gazing at the summer night sky where the stars Vega and Altair were visible.

Chinese Qi Xi Jie Festival

With their own version of Valentine’s Day, the event is usually filled with the normal romantic stuff for couples. Traditionally, though, young girls show-off their domestic skills, especially melon carving.

Ladies exhibit their craftwork for Qi Xi Jie

Another is a test to showcase their embroidery skills. A girl will throw a single sewing needle in a bowl filled with water. If the needle stays afloat on top of the water and does not sink, it’s a sign that she is skilled in the art of embroidery.

Also on this day, single women make wishes for a good husband while newly married women pray to become pregnant quickly.

newlyweds performing the matrimonial custom of locking the Same Heart Lock

Japanese Tanabata

Tanabata (七夕) is a Japanese festival derived from Qi Xi (七夕), “the Night of Sevens”. It was imported to Japan during the Heian period.

The story is the same, but with different character names – Orihime the weaver and Hikoboshi the cowherd (Zhinü and Niulang respectively in Chinese).

Japanese celebrate this festival in grand scale – there are many places and prefectures in Japan which are decorated with large colorful streamers. Shopping malls, streets, and even Tokyo Disneyland join the festivities.

Women and children usually wear yukata during this star festival. A summer celebration, people go out on the streets and enjoy common matsuri (festival) outdoor stalls which sell food, provide carnival games, etc.

outdoor stalls in the festival

children in their lovely yukata

The highlight of the festival is when people write their wishes on tanzaku paper and tie them on decorated bamboo sticks. To know more about Tanabata, you may click here and see Sendai’s celebration of the Star Festival.

There’s even a Tanabata song. I think I have studied this in my Nihongo class.

Nihongo:

Sasa no ha sara-sara

Nokiba ni yureru

Ohoshi-sama kira-kira

Kingin sunago

Goshiki no tanzaku

watashi ga kaita

Ohoshi-sama kirakira

sora kara miteiru

Translation:

The bamboo leaves rustle,

shaking away in the eaves.

The stars twinkle

on the gold and silver grains of sand.

The five-colour paper strips

I have already written.

The stars twinkle,

they watch us from heaven.

Korean Chilseok

Koreans derived their story from QiXi and made their own version:

According to the well-known story, the heavenly king had a daughter called Jiknyeo (직녀성), who was very good at weaving beautiful clothes. One day, when she looked out of the window while weaving, she saw a handsome boy, a herder called Gyeonwu (견우성), just across the Milky Way. She fell in love with him. Finally the heavenly father allowed the two to get married. Afterward, Jiknyeo did not want to weave clothes, and Gyeonwu did not take good care of the cows and sheep. The heavenly king grew angry, and ordered the couple to live apart from each other, allowing them to meet only once a year. On the seventh day of the seventh month of each year, they were excited to meet each other, but they could not cross the Milky Way. However, crows and magpies worked together to form a bridge across the Milky Way for the couple. After a while, their sadness returned because they were forced to wait another year before meeting again. It is said that crows and magpies have no feathers on their heads because of the couple stepping on their heads. If it rains on that night, it is said to be the couple’s tears.

Chilseok (칠석) is a period where the heat starts to pass away and the monsoon season begins. The rain that falls during this period is called Chilseok water. As pumpkins, cucumbers, and melons start to flourish during this period, people traditionally offered fried pumpkin to the Great Dipper.

It is traditional for Koreans to eat wheat flour noodles and grilled wheat cake. Chilseok is known as the last chance to enjoy wheat based foods, since the cold winds after Chilseok ruin the good scent of wheat, making these dishes a must have for the dinner table. People also used to eat wheat pancake called milijeonbyeong (밀전병), and sirutteok, which is a steamed rice cake covered with azuki beans.

wheat-flour noodles 밀국수

grilled wheat cake 밀전병

I have Chinese, Japanese and Korean friends and I have asked them about this particular festival. For Chinese, it seems that this day is really special for them – a day for couples. As for Japanese, the Star Festival is welcomed with a cheerful celebration whereas Koreans, nowadays, treat it as a regular day.

As for me, I am fascinated by the way Chinese thought of a romantic story out of two stars in the summer night sky. It might be just a lame legend to others, but for a hopeless romantic like me, star-crossed lovers sound interesting.