TNT: The Name's Thom

"These powers, they're just part of you, Thom, but they're not all of you."

-Lila Creed

 

 

Although the title is common, I still gave it a shot. After all, do not judge a book by its cover.

 

Well, basically, the cover page and the title says a lot about the story without so much as reading the synopsis. Try the contents and be amazed at how magnificent the construction of the story was. It had its own twist and turns in this world full of ordinary people, special people, and even extra-terrestrial beings. For those who are looking for a world of heroism with powers and stuff, check this out.

 

I read comments about this novel in goodreads.com. I agree to some points but I would not totally dump it. Yes, the action took place on the latter half of the book but on the first half, the tension was just building and that's how the author decided to do it. The heroes may somehow be similar to known those we know like the mutants in X-Men and others. In terms of originality in that part, it may have scored low but they were necessary part of the novel to display the events the author had in mind. There were a lot more.

 

As I was browsing and reading more comments, one thought came to me and this is purely an opinionated thought from my point of view: we don't have to be so critical in literature; we just have to learn to appreciate the story and its lessons. I know, I know. If we don't get critical, how can there be good quality outputs and such all stuff that concerns the world of literature. But it's just that simple if we are looking for a way to pass out time, to get entertained, while still learning at the same time. Once again, this is just my opinion. I'm just saying it as it is. Cheers!

Flipped

The first time I flipped, I was still in kindergarten. It was below a double-deck and because I like to reach the bottom of the upper part while laying, I lifted my feet and tried to make contact. All that happened is an accident. I was small and there was no way yet that I'll achieve my goal. Instead, I went sideways and went straight to the glass of a  furniture.

I do not know if this is a faint memory or just a figment of my imagination. I did not confirm it with my parents but I believe I'm in the real world. Still, how could I say, I have no evidence.

I like the idea of alternate narration in a first person point of view of this novel by Wendelyn Van Draanen. I like the style of starting the flip with the girl and ending the flip with the boy - suggesting that in the end, the guy eventually fell for the girl. I have not been in a relationship yet but I have seen in many movies (yes, poor me, I know) that it takes some time before someone you like return the same likeness. Most of the time, the one that we like likes someone else and they just ignore the way we look at them. Being able to change the way how they feel towards us is an achievement. Also, well, their flip is obviously different from my flip.

Love in the eyes of young people is an interesting story to follow. As they say, love is the universal language and that love can do things you really can't explain. I certainly like the concept as it was portrayed.
 

I watched the movie and I decided that the book is a lot better. I mean, with all the effort to make this into a motion picture, I give them credit for that. However, I appreciate it more in text because what I felt while reading it was not felt while watching it. Just sharing my thoughts. Cheers!

F.I.R.E.*

I have seen smoke of fire before but not an actual scenario. The big, dark smoke going up the sky that denotes that a tragic incident is happening. That's what caught their attention.

I had no sleep and I was traveling in a van going to school. As we went up a flyover, I heard conversations but didn't know what it was all about. I saw the driver's head turn to the right and so were some other passengers. I got curious and checked it out and saw a building, or a house possibly, on actual fire. It was along the road going to Las Pinas. As the vehicle continued to move, I still looked at the construction being devoured by the huge fire and was shocked to actually witness a big flame go high up from the roof as if something exploded. We could only guess what caused the fire but no one said anything about it, just what the site was, that maybe it was a warehouse. In my mind, one thing is for sure, no one should play fire because that is not a joke. We can never be too careful but just the same. If I were you, I will prepare myself to accept the things that happen to us. We don't have complete control in this lifetime.

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*F.I.R.E. - read it as "iF I weRe E(you)"

LSS*

 

While I was listening to Idina Menzel's performance of "Let It Go" from the movie "Frozen," I happen to see Lea Salonga's name on the side list of suggestions for viewing on YouTube. I clicked one and amazingly, I got so hooked I searched for more videos of her and since then, I had an LSS - I wanted to watch and listen to her wonderful voice over and over again. It's really wonderful how talented this Filipino artist is; I'm so proud of her. Even other people adore her like this guy who went on stage with Lea. I enjoyed watching this. The happiness they felt went through to me. Read his caption and be captivated by how her simple acts make others happy. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGWC7icTM_E)

For the finale, I want to share this video of Lea performing Defying Gravity. It's so amazing to end the day with this... as well as to end my entry. Apparently, this is also the theme song of my life right now. Mabuhay!

 

 

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*LSS - an acronym for Last Song Syndrome but for me, it stands for Lea Salonga syndrome for this particular instance

Oral Prophylaxis

Proper hygiene... I do have that. However, for some reasons, I tend to disregard others because of too many responsibilities. Take my teeth for example. There are many times that I fell asleep at night without brushing due to exhaustion. I remember back in high school, a dentist told me that I have great teeth. There are no cavities or decaying parts. Come to think of it. That's a great thing but without proper maintenance, that's useless. With the formation of my teeth at present, brace is highly recommended. Since I cannot afford it yet, let's go for an oral prophylaxis. It's been a while since I had it. Now that I had it again, this serves as a wake up call to take care of my body, as in every part of it. I wish for you guys to do the same.

 

P. S. I don't remember the process but I was just shocked that it only took fifteen minutes. I'm new to it again. Every corner was cleansed. Then, some kind of toothpaste was applied. Lastly, dental floss was used. I saw how dirty my teeth was every time I rinsed. Well, it feels great to have a clean mouth again. It adds to the confidence to project myself in front of people and to talk about my ideas without shame of bad breath. Cheers to that!

Then and Now

 

Old Betty: Wow! What's happened to you? I mean you've changed. I barely even recognize you...

Present Betty: Look, I have not changed...

...

Betty: Christina, have I changed...?

Christina: Well, I think it's hard not to change. I don't know. It's this place, it does something to you.

 

 

 

My college friends have told me at random times that I have changed... not just once. What are the odds of this circumstance? I mean, for me to watch this particular episode (Season 2 Episode 08) on my special day plus the fact that in the series, Christmas is also approaching. Welcome to our world.

 

 

Somehow, I've been known as a nerd, a weird, but not yet called a geek. What's the difference? They are almost similar if not exactly the same. The bottomline: others see me as the smart guy.

 

If I try to go back and look at how I was then, I cannot say for sure that I have changed now. I see some glimpse of some small changes but it's quite difficult to measure it unless I have someone who was with me from high school to college to differentiate me then and now. Situation varies and adaptation is necessary. After all, we have to get out of our box and comfort zone as we grow up. We won't be certain of what's ahead of us in the real world. It can either be fancy or cruel, ideal or messy; we can expect but we are not sure if our expectations will be met. At this times that things are going so fast, staying in one place might just be the last option.

 

Two days prior to this day, God wants me to know (via Facebook) that...

 

"Today we believe God wants us to know that ...

it doesn't matter what everyone else thinks.

People are always judging each other and, the truth is, they're not very good at it. Don't put a lot of concern into what people think of you. You weren't created to please and entertain everyone. You were created to be you, so feel good about yourself."

 

This is a great thing to know and it is true. We cannot please everybody but aren't we living to please God Almighty alone? Well, happy 20th birthday to me and I wish everyone an advance Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. To God be the glory!

 

"Hey, growing up, doesn't matter what you do for a living. There are always going to have tough choices to make... I really think you can stay here and still be the person you want to be."

-Daniel Meade

The Snow Queen*

After a long time, I was able to enter a cinema again. It was delighting because we needed to unwind. The moment was right because the preliminary exams are over. We did not really know what movie to watch but as it turned out, we did not regret choosing Frozen.

This 2013 animated film is beautiful as it talks about love all over again. "An act of true love" can make anything possible. Yes, the topic love is now so common with almost everything already used for a concept. However, isn't it amazing to talk about it again to remind us of what it is?

This royal family has an eldest daughter that has magic. It can either be a curse or a blessing depending on how Elsa will use it. She has to learn how to control it to be able to call it a blessing. If things get out of hand, it obviously becomes a curse. Her emotion greatly affects it. In real life, anything we have is basically on our hands. I mean, how to use them in our lives is our decisions. It just boils down to how we see things because of our preference.

The family protected her secret even to her younger sister Anna. Anna used to know Elsa's magic and they used to be close but due to an accident, her memory was altered and eventually, they grew apart.

Many times, people think that others are better off without us - ignoring the fact that there are people who loves us enough to chase us and bring us back home. When Elsa was of age, she inherited the throne of the kingdom because when they were still young, their parents died in an accident. During the coronation night, as the gates were opened, people witnessed this magic she possess and became afraid of her. The same can be said with her so she ran away. Apparently, she wasn't able to control it. She did not want to hurt others so she built her own palace on the mountain.

To cut things short, one thing that I like the most from this movie is that we have to love ourselves in order to love others. When Elsa went far enough, I was moved by how she was able to accept herself. At the end of this entry, a video clip of this particular portion is available for viewing. I want to share it so watch it when you're free. Since the others know it already, and she's on her own, she relieved herself from despair by seeing the beauty of her magic. To her alone, it is a blessing because she is certain that she won't hurt herself. However, with others' existence around, she cannot control it because of her worrying.

So, after loving yourself, you can finally love others. Love is the key. In the end, she realized that it was the only answer to everything. She got her sister back and at the same time, she learned how to control her magic and restored the kingdom's peace. "An act of true love" solved their problems.

To end this, I would also like to share that Olaf is remembered, the funny and optimistic snowman, as well as Sven, the reindeer of Kristoff that acts like man's bestfriend.

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*The Snow Queen - a story written by Hans Christian Anderson which inspired Walt Disney's animated film Frozen