The Winner Stands Alone

This latest book of Paolo Coelho is one that is very different from the rest of the pack (I know because I’ve read all of them and I have them in my collection). It was a slow read at first but the more I turned its pages, the more hooked I got. Probably because in my own little way, I have brushed with the world of glamour and celebrities through the acting bits I did in theater and TV and I know for a fact how messy, superficial, vain and shallow people can really get. Many will really try everything they can to get a piece of the pie… any piece of fame and glory that they can get their hands on. Most of the time, I detest it. But for Paolo Coelho’s characters in this book, The Superclass, fame and fortune have  become the end all and be all of living.

The Winner Stands Alone picked a very interesting spot for its plot to unfold — the Cannes Film Festival in France. Most of us, if not all, have an idea how glitzy, flashy and snazzy this event is especially for film makers, actors, directors, designers, couturiers, photographers and everyone involved in showbiz. This is where its central character, Igor, chose to unveil its pure evil by destroying “whole worlds” if only to bring back the heart of the woman (Ewa) he loves. And in the process of doing so, he realized how pointless his cruelty has been… how she, despite everything he has done for her, does not deserve his love and adoration after all.

All of the characters in this book were caught in the trap of fame and fortune… of glamour, like some drug so powerful that one cannot really resist it. And in the end, it’s all for naught. And the winner does stand alone.

The following are some parts of the book that for some reason or another, I resonated with:

“The celebrity syndrome. When people forget who they are and start to believe what other people say about them. The Superclass, everyone’s dream, a world without shadows or darkness, where yes is the only possible answer to any request.” - page 155

> Even in the ordinary day-to-day life, there are people who act this way. They forget who they really are and believe more in what other people say about them. Thank God I’m not one of those! On the contrary, I really don’t care much what other people think of me. It’s my life and I will do what I want with it. As long as I know that I am not hurting anyone, that I am doing my best to be of help to people who matter to me, then that’s enough.  How sad life must be for those whose confidence in themselves rely on others’ opinion about them. They’re not really living but merely existing.

“In her youth, she had always felt rejected by others and never able to be herself. She always had to pretend to be interested in the same things as her friends, playing the same games, going to parties, and looking for some handsome man to be a faithful husband and give her security, a home and children. “ - page 201

> There were times when I also felt rejected by my so-called friends even when they didn’t mean it. I joined their games and pretended to like the things they do, if only to feel like I belong. In times of turbulence I am there for them to listen, to have a shoulder to cry on, to hold them… but when it’s my turn to open up, they all disappear. Or worse, they pretend to listen but somehow manage to turn the conversation about themselves. I honestly don’t know what’s up with that. And so through the years, I learned to manage on my own.  I learned to accept and do what I love. I learned to solve problems by myself. I learned to be a lot tougher and meaner. And the consequence of  this is… I expect others to be the same.

“Carry on, even if you’re not so sure now of what you’re doing. God moves in mysterious ways, and sometimes, the path only reveals itself once you start walking it.” - page 248

> A lot of things in my life happened out of chance. Almost everything I did and still do seemed/seem to be unplanned. I just know I want to do it and so I do it. And in the proces sof doing so, the path is always slowly revealed. I didn’t want to be a government employee but I became one and through the years, I became better and better at it. I was rewarded for my efforts with money and fame. But I stopped wanting it and craved for something else. So I quit and ventured into the carefree world of freelancing. I didn’t know anything about it at first but I braved its waters. I was soon rewarded yet again and things just keep getting better and better. It’s really true! Life is mysterious. God will reveal the path as soon as one starts walking on it. So start walking!

“People get lost in the desert because they’re taken in by mirages… You’re doing an excellent job as a couturier; focus all your energies on that.” - page 308

> This phrase has the most emotional pull on me. I am an Aquarian and by nature I love doing so many different things. No wonder I feel like I’m perpetually 21 years old. I get pulled by so many different forces at so many different directions. Sometimes, I know these forces are just mirages. They’re really not what I want but I take them anyway and that’s when I get lost in life. I should discern which things I am excellent at and focus my energies there. I’ll make that part of my 2010 resolution. So it is and so it will be done.

Overwhelmed

OMG! It’s been several months since I last sreviewed a book here. Honestly I have been so busy with my life…with work… with social activities and travels that I haven’t really had the time tro finish reading any of my books. And I got tons of ‘em! I hope to finish one before this month ends. Until then, let me show you my current collection:

Anime Chat

I was never an anime fan but my husband is. One day, I just decided to browse the web and see what’s out there when I found something that he bookmarked. Apparently, it was a site for Anime Chat. I tried to log in using a user id that he frequently uses. Apparently, it wasn’t the correct one coz I was brought to the registration page. So I registered with my own alias by filling up a short registration form. In just a mere moment, I was in! The first thing that I saw was a small pop-up window that was asking me to allow phone and camera access so people in the chatroom could talk to me and see me at the same time and vice versa. There were around 37 people, from different parts of the world, chatting online when I logged in. I can choose to block some people if I want to or start conversing with anyone I find interesting. What I did was try to complete my profile first. Then I browsed at the available people. There were two rooms, one for anime chatting and one for chatting just about anything under the sun. It really was quite easy to use and exciting to meet a lot of new people with the same interests! No wonder my hubby bookmarked the site. 

Harry Potter & the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling

Three years ago, I bought J.K. Rowling’s 6th installment of her Harry Potter Series, The Half-Blood Prince, but it was only recently that I felt compelled to finish reading it. The movie version is about to be shown and I didn’t want my imagination colored by it. Once I got started with the pages, there was no turning back. J.K. Rowling once again captured my mind, heart and soul as she did with the first five books (which I never got the chance to review as this blog hasn’t been around 4-7 years ago) But I think I shall copy some reviews just for my own reference (and because I sometimes get tired of writing my own thoughts about it, hihihi).

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is set during Harry Potter’s sixth year at Hogwarts. With the help of Dumbledore through the pensieve, he explores and learns Lord Voldemort’s past as the very talented Tom Riddle. Harry then prepares for the final battle amidst emerging romantic relationships between him and Ginny and possibly even between Ron and Hermione. Emotional confusions and conflict resolutions arise as are characteristic of mid-adolescence but  despite these raging concerns, the main goal really here is for Harry to realize that love is his ultimate battle gear, something that Voldemort never has and never will experience. That is Harry’s core and that will be his tool as he learns to grow up from being a teenaged wizard to becoming a very responsible and fearless man.

“Rowling’s sixth book opens in the British Prime Minister’s office after ‘a very long, tiring, and difficult week,’ words that cast an eerie light on actual events in London this summer. Yet from the first, the author has used the wizard world to offer insight into the goings-on in the real world, perhaps now more than ever. After the new Minister of Magic introduces himself to the Prime Minister, the scene shifts to Professor Snape’s home, where Draco Malfoy’s mother and aunt pay him a call, referring to a cryptic mission on which He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is sending Draco. Next, Dumbledore himself fetches Harry from the Dursleys, as the two begin a book-long quest to get to the heart of the dark wizardry impacting both the Muggle and magical worlds. Although You-Know-Who makes no appearances here, his henchmen gain momentum, and his past comes to light through multiple trips via the Pensieve; perhaps Rowling’s most brilliant invention yet, the Horcrux, comes chillingly to the fore. Meanwhile, after winding up with a used copy of Advanced Potion-Making with notes from a mysterious Half-Blood Prince, Harry aces his Potions class, taught by the new Professor Slughorn; Snape is now teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts — what can that mean? Readers will have to madly flip the pages to find out. Rowling spends a fair amount of time in the set-up but she accomplishes a great deal in this book, pulling together threads from all the previous titles and expertly poising readers for the planned finale. Old friends such as Lupin and Dobbin make reappearances, love interests and subsequent tensions unfold. Harry, now restored to popularity, nonetheless finds Ron and Hermione wary of his new obsession with Draco Malfoy’s activities. The situation at Hogwarts mirrors world events: even Dumbledore finds it difficult to distinguish the good from those who would unleash terror at the school and society at large. If Harry grew up in the last book, here he becomes a man, learning the true impact of the last book’s prophecy, and the importance of love as the antidote to fear. ” - Powell’s Books

The Witch of Portobello by Paolo Coelho

This book is about Sherine Khalil, famously known as Athena, a host to the Mother Goddess Hagia Sofia. It was told in a rather interesting manner, when her boyfriend set out to interview people who knew her and had come to know her as the famous, or shall we say “notorious” witch of Portobello. He did this as an attempt to get to know more his one true love who is Athena. 

In this post, I shall highlight some phrases which struck me so deeply, the same way that Paolo Coelho’s first book, The Alchemist has touched me as well.

Try to feel good about yourself even when you feel like the least worthy of creatures. Reject all those negative thoughts… surrender yourself to dance or to silence or to everyday activities… Everything is worship if your mind is focused on the present moment.”

It was year 2007 when I first got to know the secrets behind THE SECRET, another favorite book of mine by Rhonda Byrne. It talks about the same thing — to FEEL GOOD, all the time, if possible. Of course it takes discipline and practice and a lot of hard work especially for people like me who has been quite used to the negativity that society inculcates in all of us. It all starts by TRYING to be happy even when you feel that there’s nothing to be glad about. Ignore negative thoughts, commentaries and feelings no matter how tempting it is to just simply dwell on them (like perhaps saying bad things about another person, starting or spreading a rumor, participating in written or vocal assaults & persecutions, etc.) because they simply fuel your dark side  and its attraction  towards you. Focus on what you are doing now and always be grateful with the blessings you receive. This will help you live in the moment and not worry about the past and the future.

 When you don’t know something, ask or go away and find out… Believe — simply believe that you can. “

I vividly remember my favorite European History professor, Fr. Lahiff (may he rest in peace), back in freshman college, when he said during our first day of class: The only stupid question is the question never asked. So true, right? When you are brave enough to admit that you don’t know, that’s the beginning of wisdom coz that’s when you start asking, knowing and learning… Critical thinking starts. (I think Socrates may have said the same thing along those lines if I remember correctly).  Believe that eventually, you will know the truth… you can be whoever you want to be.

 Reprogram yourself every minute of each day with thoughts that make you grow. When you’re feeling irritated and confused, try to laugh at yourself…”

This is another way of saying that we shouldn’t take ourselves too seriously. We all die in the end anyway so let’s make the most out of it and have clean fun in the process. Take delight in life! It is a God’s gift, after all.

 Society tries to define how ideals should be manifested in reality. Currently, for example, the ideal of beauty is to be thin, and yet thousands of years ago all the images of goddesses were fat. It’s the same with happiness: there are a series of rules, and if you fail to follow them, your conscious mind will refuse to accept the idea that you’re happy.”

For me this means that I shouldn’t take seriously what society believes to be the basis of happiness especially those that deal with vanity because they change all the time. Whether I am fat or thin, the most important thing is that I am healthy physically, mentally and emotionally. Whether I carry designer clothes & accessories or not, the most important thing is that I didn’t steal or covet my neighbor’s goods or earned my money in a sinful way. There are many rules that govern us and dictate how we should live our lives. I think that as long as we are not hurting anybody, as long as we know what makes us REALLY happy, then we should keep on doing what we are doing. Enough said.

 Start doing what you want to do, and everything else will be revealed to you. Believe that God is the Mother and looks after her children and never lets anything bad happen to them.”

This is one way of saying that we learn by doing. You want to be a teacher? Teach. You want to let go of your grudges? Forgive. You want to learn about honesty? Tell the truth. You want to become an actress? Act. And so on and so forth.  When you start doing what you want to do, it means that you are putting yourself in a “receiving mode” and the whole universe will conspire to give you everything else that you need in order to pursue and excel in that dream of yours.

 In order for us to liberate the energy of our strength, our weakness must first have a chance to reveal itself.”

In dire situations, when we feel that our weaknesses have brought us to rock bottom, there is no way to go anywhere else but up. And that’s when we realize that we are stronger than we think. 

 In order for us  to understand the powers we carry within us  and the secrets that have already been revealed, it was first necessary to allow the surface  — expectations, fears, appearances — to be burned away.”

When we expect, fear or worry about appearances, we focus on the past and the future and that does not always turn out well. Most often than not, it leaves us emotionally paralyzed and we begin to doubt our capabilities. The moment we cast them aside, that’s when our focus turns to the present moment. And when we are at the present moment, we are in a state of worship and that’s when all good things, including the power we carry within us,  are revealed.

I felt very loved, wanted and protected. In difficult moments, remember that feeling. “

When was the last time you felt loved, wanted and protected? Carry that feeling with you especially in moments when there is confusion, sadness and doubt. When you go back to your happy place, it gives you a feeling of peace… it lets you focus on the good things. And when you start feeling good again, that’s when blessings will once more start pouring into your life.

Now that I’ve found my path, there will be no more difficult moments.”

I used to have a job that I felt was not my path. It was very difficult. There was resistance coming from deep within me that I could not control and brought great misery to my life. I think when the time comes that I can say that I’ve finally found my path, life will be so much easier because I am just simply doing what I love to do. I am no longer working but playing. And wouldn’t that be divine?

Eat in moderation, but take pleasure in eating… Remember that for millennia we have struggled  in order to keep from starving. Whose idea was it that we had to be thin all our lives?  Use the energy and effort that you put into dieting to nourish yourself with spiritual bread… Instead of artificially burning those calories, try to transform them into the energy required  to fight for your dreams. No one ever stayed slim for very long just because of a diet.”

I agree, especially when done in an extreme manner. Why do we keep punishing ourselves physically just to look good the way our society tells us how to look good.  Some of us turn anorexic or bulimic, turn to drugs or starve themselves until ulcer or some other diet complication kills them…We spend so much time, effort and money following the dictates of our society… in “artificially burning those calories”. Isn’t it better to use your time doing other productive activities like fighting for your dreams, knowing your passion or getting in touch with your spirituality? Think about it.

Posy Lane Review

Since summer began, there have been a lot of parties, launches, events left and right. Most of these companies come up with giveaways as a way to promote their services, products or simply as a way for the attendees to remember them by. I have found a site where coming up with giveaway goodies are a lot easier to handle. They offer various mementos such as kitchen folios,  bridal collectibles, fleece lap blankets, ezy roller carts for kids, agenda desktops for moms, hand painted hearts and crosses and a lot more!  Posy Lane is not only perfect for corporate parties but is also  fantastic for weddings especially now that June is almost just around the corner.  They have  cookie wedding favors,  edible wedding favor, wedding candy favor and a lot of other goods to choose from.They have the complete package for you — It’s simple. You can even choose your own design down to the size and color of the font you want to use on your logo. With just a few clicks of your mouse, you can have the most adorable giveaway for your guests as mementos to your most unforgettable day. Try them for your book launches fellow bookworms! They may just be the partner you need for your special occasion. 

Remember Me? By Sophie Kinsella

It only took me less than a day to finish reading Sophie Kinsella’s newest novel, “Remember Me?”. From the moment I picked it up, I couldn’t stop reading Lexie Smart’s adventures. How did she lose 3 years worth of memories? One day she’s this ugly, sad, chubby & unlucky 25 year old woman, with little money to spare, a pathetic cheating boyfriend, dead end job, a dad who just died, with only her three bestfriends to help keep her sane with their regular friday night outs. The next day, she’s turned into this 28 year old sexy, non-carb eating, notorious bitch boss from hell with a handsome multimillionaire for a husband, a huge marital loft, designer clothes and accessories, her own personal shopper and assistant and no friends except for a socialite she hasn’t even met yet as her bestfriend! She can’t even remember attending her dad’s funeral where all that mattered as regards her transformation stemmed from.

As I read the story page after page, clue after clue, it’s as if I was there with Lexie guiding her, encouraging her. There was indeed more to this blazing transformation of her personality than meets the eye. Again, Sophie Kinsella never fails to amaze me with her interesting plots, twists and emotional pull. It’s as if I was experiencing everything as Lexie myself and I couldn’t wait to find out what really happened!

Remember Me is an excellent summer read. Just be sure you have another book at hand coz you will surely finish this one ahead of time. Enjoy!

Free Party Invitations

I’ve been thinking about forming an online book club among my closest of friends where we get to read the same books and share our views about them. I’ve been toying with this idea for the longest time but due to my hectic schedule and my friends being so far away, I always seem to run out of time to further formulate my ideas and create my invitations. Luckily, I discovered NetFunCards, an online site where I can create free party invitations in a jiff! There are so many images and ideas to choose from! Once I’m done with my own design, I can either virtually send these cards to my friends or make printable versions and send each card via snail mail. It’s so much fun!  From there, the possibilities of creating other cards and invitations for all sorts of occasions are boundless. Anybody who  can create free party invitations will surely enjoy it. C’mon, try it with me. 

Chasing Harry Winston by Lauren Weisberger

Wow, it really took me a while before I finished reading this book — Chasing Harry Winston by one of my favorite authors, Lauren Weisberger. However, after I finally put it down, I am now having second thoughts about her. Has Weisberger lost her writing magic or something? The story really bored me to tears. There were no exciting plot points, no interesting bits and pieces of information. The only thing that kept me from throwing away the book is its title and the name of the author. Personally, I also hate unfinished projects, so I persevered… grudgingly and disappointedly.

Chasing Harry Winston is not as spectacularly written as her first two novels, Devil Wears Prada and Everyone Worth Knowing. I can’t even understand why she entitled this novel the way she did when there was only one little reference to Harry Winston’s rings — those diamonds Salma Hayek wore during one of the Oscars. This pretty little detail is not even very important. 

Anyway, the story revolved around three bestfriends who each wanted to make significant changes in their lives. Thus, a pact was made between the three of them:

There’s Emmy, a serial monogamist, whose boyfriend of five years dumped her for some young cheerleader and now wants to do exactly the opposite of what she’s been doing all these years. She suddenly found herself the most perfect job which involved a lot of traveling all over the world and so began her “tour de whore” adventures.

There’s Leigh, a fantastic editor whose job is about to get both exciting and complicated when she was given the chance to edit one of their bestselling  authors, Jesse Chapman, whom she fell in love with eventually, making her leave both her job and her boyfriend who everyone considered to be perfect.

And then there’s Adriana, a gorgeous Brazilian born with a golden spoon in her mouth and living THE LIFE of a perfect little rich kid — glamorous parties, gorgeous men, shopping, etc. Only, she is not little anymore and must soon find someone deserving of her faithful love. Thus, began her quest for THE ONE.

After so many long narratives, with nothing exciting really happening, just a series of account after another, told by each of the three bestfriends, they all went back to their old lives and figured that it’s better to be 30 and fabulous, looking for love the old fashioned way rather than changing who they really are.

Maybe, if you have nothing better to do, you can try reading this book. But if I knew the story would be so terrible, I would have stuck with my other favorite authors (which I am already doing right now). ^_^

Happiness Now by Andrew Matthews

I’ve come to know Andrew Matthews when I first read BEING HAPPY back in college, one of his most famous books. I have all three by the way including FOLLOW YOUR HEART and MAKING FRIENDS. This particualr one, HAPPINESS NOW, is like a summary of all those three. All the principles I learned about living a healthy, happy, prosperous life, achieving the career of your dreams, obtaining peace of mind, etc. — all these things are put into several cohesive and creative nutshells for better and simpler understanding. Basically, it taught me  three things: 1. to live in the NOW by appreciating the things and blessings I have at the present moment and letting go of my fears and anxiety about the future and regrets of the past; 2. to think and believe in good things about myself and my life because I attract what I think; 3. to ask and work for what I want because life rewards efforts and not excuses. This book is an easy read. You can choose to finish it all in one sitting which would probably just take you 30 minutes (give or take) or take it one chapter or one page at a time until all its lessons become second nature to you. Happiness Now is a helpful and insightful book. For those who need a little push towards happiness, be sure to include this in your most frequent reading list.