I'll Hold On To You 34 - Waltz

[Relaina]

Tumugtog na ang musika at doon na nag-umpisa ang sayaw. At nakita ko na lang ang sarili kong kumikilos nang kusa – na hindi inaalis ang tingin sa dance partner ko.

This could be one of the weirdest feelings for me… ever. Pero… heto na 'yon, eh. Nandito na 'to. Bahala na kung ano ang mangyayari pagkatapos nito.

[Now playing “When Love Finds You” by Vince Gill]

** Love sure is something no one can explain

It can bring you such joy, it can bring you pain

And with every emotion, love puts us through

There's nothing you can say, when love finds you**

Book Comment: "Maybe This Time" by C.P. Santi

This book wasn’t a part of any book blog tours that I participated. I didn’t get to register in time, that’s why. I’ve been meaning to read this ever since I saw blog posts and tweets about this. But since I have no means of purchasing my own copy since I don’t have money, I just waited. Luckily, I managed to get my copy by chance through InstaFreebie. I really love that site.

So back to the topic. This would be the second book that I read written by the same author. I just smiled when I read the theme of the book—second chances that were up for grabs (if you know where and when to look) and laid in front of the people chosen to receive it. Of course, the characters needed to work things out before they could say that it truly belonged to them. That they truly belonged to each other even as time and circumstances tested them and separated them.

If I go ranking which of the three stories in the book that I liked the most, it goes this way:

#BacklistRevivalProject: "The First Time They Met" by Ana Valenzuela

Title: The First Time They Met

Author: Ana Valenzuela

Description:

What’s making Mayumi anxious on her best friend’s birthday party?

Is it her long time best friend Marie? Marie is now in college, and Mayumi starts to doubt their friendship as Marie meets new people and gets closer to them.

Or is it this basketball player named Micah? A guy she recently met and is making every girl fall for him---Mayumi included.

The First Time They Met is available in

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/First-Time-They-Met-ebook/dp/B01AI8RYXE

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29409275-first-time-they-met-the

Saturday Night Thoughts # 12

This could be my last Saturday Night Thoughts entry as a 24-year-old. Yes, paniguradong tatamarin na naman akong magsulat ng ganito sa susunod na Sabado. Wala nang bago, `no? Anyway, since topakin ang internet at medyo apathetic pa ako sa mga kaganapan ngayong araw, sasamantalahin ko na.

As usual, monotonous pa rin ang takbo ng buhay ko. at least, it went like that almost everyday. Epekto ng hindi pa rin nagtatrabaho. And I mean work. But I’d rather not mention that. I don’t want to dwell on my miserable working life—if ever I had one, by the way.

I'll Hold On To You 33 - Magic Of A Smile

[Relaina]

“ALRIGHT, class! Based on your queue number, magpe-perform ang bawat pair sa stage. Kailangang naka-set na dapat ang lahat ng music at mga props—kung meron man—na kakailanganin n’yo para sa performance. One pair at a time lang ang magpe-perform sa stage kahit pa may ilan sa inyo na pareho ang dance style na sasayawin kaya solo ninyo ang buong stage. After all the performances are done, you will be given a chance to grade each pair per dance category and you need to grade the overall best pair. Pero bigyan n’yo sila ng grado base sa performances nila at hindi dahil gusto n’yo lang sila. Ang grades na ibibigay ninyo sa mga best pair ang isang pagbabasehan ko ng magiging grado ng parehang iyon sa exam na ito. Nagkakaintindihan ba tayo?” tanong ni Ma’am Castro sa buong klase habang tinitingnan kami mula sa stage.

“Yes, ma’am,” koro namang pagsagot naming lahat, pati na rin ako.

With that answer, bumaba na si Ma’am Castro mula sa stage at pumuwesto na sa mesang laan para rito sa baba. Napansin kong kanya-kanya na ng prepare ang mga kaklase ko. Pero ako, heto… Parang tuod na hindi makakilos nang matino dahil sa buwisit na kabang nararamdaman ko.

Gaya nga ng sabi ni Kamoteng Brent, wala naman talagang dahilan para makaramdam ako ng kaba. Kaya lang, hindi ko talaga mapigilan, eh. Pero ano ba talaga ang dahilan at nararamdaman ko iyon?

Release Day Blog Tour: “When Sparks Fly” by Ines Bautista Yao [Review + Giveaway]

Title: When Sparks Fly

Author: Ines Bautista Yao

Genre: Sweet Romance

Description:

Twenty-four-year-old photographer's apprentice Regina has always felt like the plain, dull orange next to the shiny red apple that is her best friend Lana. But then she meets Ben—the first guy to ever break Lana's heart, and the first guy to ever make Regina feel that he only has eyes for her. As Regina finds herself falling hard for Ben, she also finds herself breaking all the rules of best-friendship. Will she give up the love of her life for Lana, or will she finally realize that she deserves her share of the spotlight, too?

Links:

Amazon

Ratings: 4.5/5

I'll Hold On To You 32 - Nerve-wrecking

[Brent]

Natigil ang pagbabalik-tanaw ko sa bahaging iyon. Wala naman na kasing ibang kasunod na nangyari pagkatapos n’on. To cut the story short, wala akong naisip sabihin para pasubalian nang husto ang sinabing iyon ni Neilson.

Pero pati yata ang utak ko, nag-short circuit matapos ipamukha sa akin ni Neilson ang sinabi nitong iyon. Sa totoo lang, minsan lang mangyari iyon sa akin.

Hanggang ngayon talaga, hindi ko alam at lalong hindi ko masabi rito lalo na sa sarili ko na iyon na nga talaga ang sagot. Then again, I wasn't foolish enough na aminin sa kakambal ko ang isang bagay na gusto kong kay Relaina ko muna sabihin.

Naputol lang ang pag-iisip kong iyon nang mag-focus na sa pakikinig sa paligid ko ang tainga ko. At sa pakikinig kong iyon, sa ‘di ko malamang dahilan ay nagsimulang dumagundong ang puso ko. Hindi naman ako dapat masorpresa pa pero iba ito, eh.

Journal entry — September 28, 2006

Birthday ngayon ng pinakaimportanteng tao sa buhay ko. At iyon ang my one and only dearest Mama.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! 

Book Comment: "A Walk To Remember" by Nicholas Sparks

When I decided to re-read all the novels I read in order for me to write a book review (or book comment, I should say), this novel was the first in my list. I don’t know. But for me, this is one of my favorite novels I’ve ever read and so I decided to read it again.

I’ve only become aware of Nicholas Sparks’ books because of the movie adaptation of this novel. But it took me long before I finally had a copy of his novels. Anyway, getting back to the topic. Since I’ve watched the movie adaptation of the book first before reading this, I imagined most of the scenes to be in the 90s or 2000s, unlike the 50s that the novel mentioned. But it’s okay. I mean, a lot of things could change as decades passed and yet there would always be things and feelings that would remain the same. At least, this novel told me that.

I'll Hold On To You 31 - What's Meant To End

[Brent]

SILENCE…

Nakakabinging silence – iyon lang ang naisip ko habang nakatingin ako sa labas ng bintana. Naroon lang ako sa labas ng auditorium kung saan kami magpe-perform para sa dance practicum namin sa PE II. Halata naman na siguro kung sino ang inaabangan ko although I had to admit that, until that moment, I still couldn’t believe na doon na matatapos ang truce namin.

Hindi ko napigilang mamangiti nang mapakla. Ang weird sa pakiramdam, sa totoo lang. Hindi ko alam kung malulungkot ba ako, o magtatampo, o masasaktan. Right after the dance practicum, everything would surely end.

“It was meant to end, anyway…”

That amazon girl was truly unbelievable, to the point that she was surely absurd. Kahit na alam kong totoo naman ang sinabi nito, bakit parang ang sakit pa rin sa pakiramdam ng mga salitang iyon? Iyon lang naman ang totoo.

Journal entry — September 20, 2006

I don't know what's gotten into me pero since I came back from Manila, bigla na lang akong nainis sa kanya sa 'di ko malamang dahilan. And puro na rin war ang nangyayari sa classroom.

Weird, ano?