Crazy Rich Asians | Book Review

Hello!

So I finished my second book for the year.

I finished reading “Crazy Rich Asians” by Kevin Kwan. I started reading this book at the same time last year as “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff… OMNIBUS” when I experimented with trying to read multiple books at the same time. 

Anyways…

Initially, I was struggling with reading the book probably because I wasn’t focused since I was reading two books at the same time and I was inconsistent on when I would read which didn’t help me with recalling details from both books. Also, since I already watched the movie, I was kind of anticipating the scenes I saw in the movie so I got impatient easily. But when I got into my reading mood, that’s when I really got into the story and I stopped being impatient.

So just to summarize the story, the book has different narrators but the book is mostly about Nick Young and Rachel Chu. They are a couple who has been together for about two years. Then, they agree to spend the summer together in Singapore because Nick will be the best man at his best friend’s wedding and he wanted to show Rachel around the country he grew up in and introduce her to his family. But what Rachel didn’t know (and what Nick failed to tell her) was that he came from a very wealthy family.

Initially, Rachel seemed to be doing fine but eventually, she feels overwhelmed and burdened by what was happening, what was being said behind her back, and Nick’s family and some of his old friends. So to prove his love for her and because he believed that she was the one for him, Nick wanted to propose to her. But his family, mostly his mother and grandmother, were against Nick marrying Rachel because she didn’t have the pedigree to be married into the Young family. They were also scandalized by what they found out about Rachel’s parents’ history.

So as I mentioned before, I struggled initially with reading the book because I had scenes and story pacing in mind based on the movie. So I was pleasantly surprised by the differences between the book and the movie because it didn’t feel like I was just reading what I saw in the movie. I think I prefer the book because the events seemed to make more sense and the characters had more depth. It actually made me want to buy and read the next two books because I want to know what happens next.

I was also not so okay with the shifting narrators initially because I was impatient and I felt like I only wanted and cared about Nick and Rachel’s story. But as I continued on, I realized that I liked the shifting narrators. It made the story more interesting because you get multiple perspectives on the events that were happening. I was also surprised at how much it helped me get immersed in the story because I can see where the different characters were coming from, how they think, and how they react and perceive the situations that they are in.

Aside from Nick and Rachel’s story, I also liked the story of what was going on in Astrid’s life. Astrid is one of Nick’s cousins and the one who was probably closest to him. On the outside, it seemed like she had a perfect life but in reality, she was going through a tough time. She thought her husband was cheating on her and that devastated her because she thought the man she loves was cheating and she was asking herself so many questions as to what pushed him to cheat. She was also worried also about how it would affect their son if they divorced. She also worried about what her family would think and how they would react.

I thought the author was really good at describing things. He was really good at giving an idea of how different these crazy rich Asians lived. I also liked that Asian words, expressions, and culture were incorporated so nicely.

So all in all, I would say that I enjoyed reading this book and I want to read more from its author.

That’s all for now, bye!

Music Sharing | July Releases

Hello!

I wanted to talk about some of the song releases that I listened to last July.

 MORE & ARSON BY J-HOPE 

Photo taken from Google Images.

These two songs are from J-Hope’s solo release. “More” is the pre-release song and I think “Arson” is the title track.

“More” was released last July 1 and I first watched the music video on July 3. While “Arson” was released on July 15 and I was able to first watch the music video on July 24.

Before the release of the music videos, especially “More”, I knew that I was going to see and hear a different side of J-Hope because of what I saw from the teasers. Despite this expectation, I was still really surprised and maybe slightly disoriented by the difference from his usual persona that I see when he’s with the members. 

Both songs seemed to have a darker, edgier, and more hardcore vibe which is the opposite of his usual persona which is more cheerful and sunny. So seeing this, I get why they also wanted to explore solo careers because they wanted to grow as artists. Seeing this side of J-Hope felt like he was letting us see this side of him that was previously hidden.

Also, after reading the English translations for the songs, we get his side of how they rose to fame. The passion they had and their plans for the future. We also learn how he felt and the struggles he had to overcome behind their achievement. 

Honestly, if this was another artist, I might not have listened to these songs. These are not usually the type of songs that I listen to. I honestly watched the music videos and listened to the songs because I wanted to support J-Hope’s solo release. I wanted to support their solo careers as much as I supported them as a group. Plus, as a fan, I think this is also a way to learn more about them as individuals because we kind of see different sides of them so we get to see them as multi-faceted artists.

 SNEAKERS BY ITZY 

Photo taken from Google Images.

“Sneakers” is the title track to Itzy’s latest comeback. This was released on July 15 and I first watched the music video on July 24.

I’m confused about how I feel about this song. I like the song’s message and it aligns with their previous releases about confidence because the song is about not caring about what other people say or think and just going your way. I also think that the chorus part is catchy because it keeps playing in my head especially when I first heard the song.

However, I also felt like the song seems like a commercial jingle or a song whose target market is kids. It doesn’t hit the same or feel the same as their older songs which I really liked.

I hope they could find a way to incorporate their uniqueness from their older songs to their new songs because their newer releases were kind of disappointing for me considering how strong they were on their debut.

 READY FOR LOVE BY BLACKPINK 

Photo taken from Google Images.

This was released last July 29 and I first watched the music video on July 30. The music video was released in partnership with PUBG Mobile so the entire music video was set in the PUBG world using the girls’ PUBG avatar. (Sorry I’m not familiar with how you call it.)

But this was not the first time I heard it because when I learned that this song was used in their movie, I tried looking for this song. I think I found a couple of uploaded lyric videos of this song but it didn’t have the quality of their usual releases. So I hoped that they would release this song on an album someday. 

So when I learned that they will release this song, I was excited. I wish they also released a music video with the girls and not just the one with their avatars but I’m just thankful that they released this song because I love it. I hope that they’ll include this in their “Born Pink” album so that it would show up on Spotify because the last time I checked, it still wasn’t there. I want to be able to listen to this song without having to go to Youtube and use wifi or my data just to listen to it.

So that’s it. I’m going to do a separate post on the new releases that I listened to in August since August isn’t over yet.

Bye!

Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff… OMNIBUS | Book Review

Hello!

I finally finished my first book for the year last July!!!

I’m so happy because I’m finally moving forward with my goal of reading more books. 

I kind of went through a couple of techniques to try to reach my goal faster. And in the end, I learned that I’m the type of person who is better at focusing on one book at a time. It was easier for me that way to retain information on what I was reading because I noticed that I tend to forget things quickly when I tried to read two books at a time. 

Also, I got myself into the habit of reading more frequently and I’m now in the process of teaching myself to read more consistently and to read more in a day.

Anyways…

The book that I’ve recently finished is “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff… OMNIBUS” by Richard Carlson. This book is a collection of three of Richard Carlson’s books. His books which are part of this collection are: 

• "Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff… and it’s all Small Stuff"
• "Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff at Work"
• "Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff about Money"

I got this book a few years ago because my mom recommended for me to read “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff… and it’s all Small Stuff”. I don’t even remember anymore when exactly she recommended me the book but she was previously reading that book and since I’m a worrier, she told me to read it too to help me put things in perspective and not worry about everything. I initially planned to just borrow her book but one day, while I was perusing the aisles of one of the bookstores that I frequented, I saw this book and thought why not buy it since it’s a collection of three books related to not sweating the small stuff. 

After reading this book, I definitely think it was really worth buying because I learned and realized a lot of things while reading it. 

Some of my takeaways from this book are:

• I may not have the power to control everything happening in my life but I have the power to control my thoughts. So, instead of sulking and whining about the negative things that are happening, I should focus my attention on the positive things and take charge of my life by using my energy on trying to change the things that I can control or would improve my life.
• I should avoid being reactive and panicky because these would affect the clarity of my thoughts which would then affect how I decide and how I go about the situation.
• I should listen better because by doing that, I’ll understand other people better and I’ll get to learn more from them. Also, by genuinely listening to people instead of planning what I’ll say after they stop talking, I won’t stress myself out while in a conversation and I’ll actually understand what they are actually trying to communicate to me.
• I should also be kinder and avoid taking part in gossiping or talking bad about other people behind their back. 
• I should also stop doing things out of fear because it just adds unnecessary stress.
• It’s great to always have a plan but I must not forget to enjoy the present.
• I should learn to be genuinely happy for others.
• I should always strive to be kind and understanding because people respond better to kindness and understanding which would definitely help me avoid a lot of unnecessary stress.

I felt like reading the book definitely helped me reflect on things I already knew but I guess I just never really put them into consistent practice.

I definitely recommend this book especially to people like me who tend to worry a lot. This would really help you reflect on the little things that cause you unnecessary stress and how not to let them get to you.

That’s all for now. I hope to finish another book this month.

Bye!

My Financial Journey So Far...

Hello!

I’m currently in the process of learning about being smart with my finances and I wanted to share my journey here.

This journey started because I had a realization that I wasn’t ready if ever I get in a situation where my income may stop or get paused. I wasn’t saving up money and I was making a lot of purchases without planning for the future.

Because of this, I’ve made a plan for the rest of the year to prioritize setting aside money for savings and avoiding impulse purchases. I’ve also been taking steps into trying to correct my purchasing habits.

One of the first things I did was taking packed lunch to work instead of buying meals outside. This enabled me to decrease my spending on food by a lot because I’ve been having days when I don’t buy anything. I’ve also been trying to avoid spending on food delivery on weekends.

As far as buying the things I want, that’s the part that I’ve been having difficulties with. It’s still hard to control myself from buying them right away instead of delaying so that I could save up for them first. But I’m slowly learning.

This has been my journey so far with my finances. I’m still trying to learn more so that I can keep improving.

Bye!

Some of My Favorite Songs since December 2021

Hello!

I’ve been listening to a lot of good songs recently because a lot of my favorites are releasing music. So I decided to compile all of the music videos that I watched and wrote about in my journal and just put them in one post together.

These are not the only songs that I’ve loved and played on repeat this year but they are the ones released by some of my favorite artists. I might make a post about the other songs that I’ve loved next time.

POP! BY NAYEON

Photo taken from Google Images.

From the teasers I’ve watched, I knew that this song was going to be a bop. I’m so glad that it didn’t disappoint.

This song felt a bit familiar and nostalgic. It felt like a Twice song (around their earlier releases) with the cute and bubbly vibe. But there were also parts when I thought it had an Itzy vibe. I guess Nayeon really wanted to showcase her versatility and talents for her solo debut.

I think that this song is really good for performance because it showcased her dancing skills while showcasing her vocal skills. It seemed like this song used a key that was suited for her since she didn’t seem like she struggled to sing while performing.

I also liked seeing her dancing to this song with other artists on Tiktok and Instagram.

I’m looking forward to listening to the rest of her album because this song was really good and I keep putting it on repeat.

LEFT AND RIGHT BY CHARLIE PUTH FEAT. JUNGKOOK

Photo taken from Google Images.

I waited for this song since I first saw a teaser posted by Charlie Puth on Tiktok. So I was so excited to finally listen to it and watch the music video. And it was so worth the wait.

I immediately loved the song. It’s so nice to listen to and it’s so catchy. I especially love the parts when they sing “I can feel you over here, I can feel you over hear” and “Oh, no (Oh, no)” and you hear the first parts on your left ear and the second parts on your right ear when you listen to it through headsets or earphones. Those parts kept giving me the chills because it sounds like they’re singing right beside you.

I really love the song. Jungkook is also so cute in the music video. He seems so happy and playful. Also, their voices complemented each other really well.

I also like that the music video made sense. The song seems to be about trying to move on from a relationship but moving on is hard because it’s hard to forget the person. In the music video, Charlie Puth is talking to a Psychologist and Jungkook seems like an imaginary person or a part of memory since Charlie Puth seems like he’s the only one who sees Jungkook.

I really love this song and I will probably listen to it on repeat for a while.

YET TO COME (THE MOST BEAUTIFUL MOMENT) BY BTS

Photo taken from Google Images.

I watched the music video a day after its release and oh my gosh, I loved it. I love the song and the music video and I thought it was really fitting that it is the title track of their anthology album.

The song and music video felt personal and like they were letting us know how they think and feel about their journey to success. It also feels nostalgic because of the references to their older songs and music videos. I got excited every time I recognized the references.

After initially listening to it a couple of times, I thought that this song was hinting at a new chapter for them as artists since they’re currently celebrating nine years since their debut. This made me feel excited about their future releases because they’ll keep improving since they said that their best is yet to come.

Then after a couple of days, on their debut anniversary day, it was announced that they will be taking a break from group activities to focus on their personal and individual growth as people and as artists. So the song kind of felt like a see you later after that revelation. I was a bit sad when I found out but I was also happy for them that they are taking a break for themselves after working so hard non-stop for so long. 

So, I’m looking forward to the day that they’ll make a comeback together again as a group. I’m looking forward that it’ll be better than ever. I hope they will continue to make music together as a group for a long time because their songs have really brought me joy ever since I was introduced to their music.

NANANA BY GOT7

Photo taken from Google Images.

I like this song. It helped me decide that I will purchase the physical album after deliberating whether I should buy it or not.

Listening to this song reminded me of the time when Got7 was the group that I followed and supported the most. I think that this song had a similar vibe to “Look” and “Lullaby” eras because of the visuals and “Breath” and “Last Piece” era in terms of musicality.

Hearing this song, it really screamed Got7 to me because I think that they kind of have a signature style in their music and this song had that for me.

This song took me back to that time when I discovered Got7 and they were the only group that I stanned. I hope they can continue making music together for longer. I guess this proved to me that a part of me will always stay as an Aghase even if I may not follow them as closely as before.

ANYMORE BY JEON SOMI

Photo taken from Google Images.

I first heard this song on Spotify when I listened to her full album (“XOXO”). It immediately became one of my favorite songs on that album.

So last December, when I noticed that she had released a music video for this song, I watched it as soon as possible and liked it. I thought that it was able to capture the song’s lyrics and emotions well. You really feel the sadness and heartbreak while looking at Somi’s acting and while looking at the aesthetics of the video. But then there was a portion near the end of the video when you see Somi smiling, hopping, and walking around the place filled with fairy lights that made you feel that regardless of her sadness and heartbreak, she was still hoping that the person who left her still thinks about her and that someday that person will come back.

I’ve watched this music video a lot and there was a time that I played it on repeat even if it isn’t a dancing or performance type of video which are the types of videos I typically watch on repeat.

That’s all for now, bye!

P.S. I haven't included J-Hope's song and music video "More" since it just came out yesterday and I haven't been able to listen to nor watch it yet.

Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral | Movie Review

Photo taken from Google Images

Hello!

The first movie that I watched and finished this year was “Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral”. This movie came out in 2018 and is the sequel to “Heneral Luna”. This movie had been on my list of movies to watch since it came out but it took me a while to watch it because of the mixed reviews from the people around me and what I’ve read online. But I finally made up my mind and decided to watch it earlier this year.

So the movie was set after the assassination of General Antonio Luna until the Battle of Tirad Pass. It follows the life of General Gregorio del Pilar during that time.

After watching the movie, I’m not sure if I’m biased, but I prefer the movie “Heneral Luna”. But I’m not sure if this was also affected by the different mediums where I watched the movies. I watched “Heneral Luna” in the cinema while I watched this movie on Netflix using my laptop. So definitely, the mood while watching is different.

Also, in this movie, the romance between Goyo and Remedios was what kept my attention. Then there were parts where the movie lost my interest but I just pushed on because I wanted to finish it.

I also wanted to point out how they were able to kind of show how traumatized Goyo is from a previous battle. They were able to incorporate his PTSD through imagery really well. This was something that stood out to me because those scenes really gave a glimpse into what probably went on in his mind. It was also a good way to show how this brave, young General was also a vulnerable young man.

There was also a part in the film where Joven realized or mentions that Goyo was just a few years older than him. And I think it also makes the viewers feel sympathy for Goyo because at the end of the day, even if he had his faults, you kind of feel for him because he’s just a young man who was given this big responsibility of leading his fellow soldiers in trying to fight against the new colonizers.

So all in all, I think that the movie is good it just so happens that it didn’t have as much dramatic or highly emotional scenes as I hoped for coming from the first film. But then again, we’re following the life of a different person who has a different personality and life story than the main character of the first film.

I still recommend this movie because I think it’s a good way to learn more about the Philippines’ history while getting to know more about the people whose names and stories we read about in our history books.

That’s all for now, bye!

Happy Father's Day | 2022