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Wednesday, July 20, 2005

semi-ranting after the rave that was harry potter and the half-blood prince

july 16, the much awaited sixth installment of the harry potter series had been finally released. i was already in the national bookstore in robinson's pioneer at 11 am just to get a hold of a copy since i didn't get a reservation from any bookstore. thank god they had unreserved copies or else i would have desperately gone to star mall where jem thinks nobody would be buying this book. gosh! how humiliating it would've been to be seen in such a place! whew! and so i was raving so much when i got my copy effortlessly and was even more elated by the thought that i wouldn't have to go to star mall after all. hahaha!

i finished reading the book just a couple of hours ago and i am a bit disappointed on how it turned out. as compared to the previous issues, this one is the least thrilling story. i was looking forward to a darker story with more actions installed (more spells and duels). conversely, it mostly turned out to be something like "harry potter meets nancy drew and the hardy boys in sweet valley high." and i don't like the way bleep-bleep helplessly dies in the end. yes, rowling's descriptive skills and ability to stretch out paragraphs in a way that doesn't bore readers is quite commendable. however, she again failed to deliver a dramatic death scene where she could've squeezed more of her creative juices. albeit sirius black's death scene in the fifth book isn't that appealing either, it is actually better as compared to bleep-bleep's death scene. looks like she really is losing her touch. and oh! oh! oh! could it be more hanging? no!!! how open-ended could a story get?!?! uhm, can you please put me down from the gallows! ugh! perhaps the only saving glory of the book is the way she presented potter's prominent character shift. overall, the book is just so-so and could've been a lot better.

posted by cho at 7/20/2005 01:19:00 AM
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Thursday, July 14, 2005

75 relationship tips from sex & the city

i couldn't agree more with this but then again, it's easier said than done....

1. if a man wants you, nothing can keep him away. if he doesn't want you, nothing can make him stay.

2. stop making excuses for a man and his behavior.

3. if you have any doubt in your mind about a man's character, leave him alone.

4. allow your intuition or spirit to save you from heartache.

5. stop trying to change yourself for a relationship that's not meant to be.

6. don't force an attraction.

7. slower is better.

8. never live your life for a man before you find what makes you truly happy.

9. if a relationship ends because the man was not treating you as you deserve, then heck, no you can't be friends. a friend wouldn't mistreat a friend.

10. have faith in god regarding your relationship, but don't let faith make you stupid. god does things decent and in order.

11. don't settle.

12. if you feel like he is stringing you along, then he probably is.

13. if he keeps changing his mind about the relationship, take that as a big sign that he is unstable. do you really want to be with a man like that?

14. don't stay because you think it will get better. you'll be mad at yourself a year later for staying when things are not better.

15. honorable men take care of their business and aren't involved in a whole lot of mess.

16. the only person you can control in a relationship is you.

17. there only one reason a man dumps you: he doesn't want you.

18. avoid men who've got a bunch of children by a bunch of different women. he didn't marry them when he got them pregnant. why would he treat you any differently.

19. you really do have to kiss a few frogs before finding the prince.

20. always put yourself and your hapiness first.

21. always have your own set of friends separate from him.

22. maintain boundaries in how a guy treats you. if something bothers you, speak up.

23. if he doesn't call, he just isn't that interested.

24. be honest and upfront.

25. know when to cut the cord. don't be strung along.

26. don't fall for the "i'm-confused-role." remove yourself from the situation to let him figure things out; but don't wait for him, move on.

27. if you want to have a clue as to how he will treat you, watch how he treats the women in his family - not just his mom.

28. there's more than physical abuse; there's emotional and mental abuse. if he causes any of them, flee.

29. you cannot change a man's behavior. change comes from within.

30. don't let him place rules on you that he is not willling to follow himself - double-standards.

31. don't ever make him feel that he is more important than you are even if he has more education or has a better job.

32. do not make him into a quasi-god. he is a man - nothing more, nothing less.

33. demend respect and if he can't give it, he can't have you.

34. don't compete with other women but be aware that men are attracted to what they see.

35. if you think he is cheating, he probably is. confront him right away and if you feel he's lying, let him go.

36. action speaks louder than words.

37. never let a man define who you are.

38. never rely on a man for compliments, look to yourself for that.

39. never borrow someone else's man.

40. if he cheated with you, he'll cheat on you.

41. just because he says he loves you it doesn't mean that he won't hurt you and it doesn't mean that you are meant to be with him.

42. to use painful hard-won wisdom, get it right the next time.

43. know that you deserve to be the number one person in the life of the number one person in your life.

44. love is a verb.

45. learn to live up your life-long task of trying to make someone unavailable available, someone ungiving giving and someone unloving loving.

46. a man will only treat you the way you allow him to treat you.

47. all men are not dogs.

48. you should not be the one doing all the bending - compromise is a two-way street.

49. if you don't love yourself, you can't love anyone else.

50. you cannot mend someone else's broken heart.

51. you need time to heal between relationships. there is nothing cute about baggage. deal with your issues before pursuing a new relationship.

52. you should never look for someone to complete you. a relationship consists of two whole individuals. look for someone complementary, not supplementary.

53. dating is fun even if he doesn't turn out to be mr. right.

54. never give more in a relationship than what you are getting out of it.

55. never become your man's therapist.

56. when actions and words conflict, believe the actions; respond to the actions.

57. a real healthy relationship requires two people. one person can end it but it take two to make it work.

58. don't fall for the "i'm-not-the-loving-type." when a man loves you, there is nothing in this world (with reason) that he wouldn't do for you.

59. make him miss you sometimes. when a man always know where you are and you're always readily available to him, he takes it for granted.

60. give him his space. let him go out with his boys. don't pressure him to spend time with you. you can't force a man to hang out with you.

61. if you wouldn't allow your daughter to be with him, you shouldn't.

62. never let a man know everything. he will use it against you later.

63. never move into his mother's house.

64. provide financially for yourself and don't depend on anyone.

65. never co-sign for a man.

66. never believe that you have the perfect guy and that he is so innocent.

67. never spoil your man; let him spoil you.

68. never let a man mess up your credit.

69. when it's time to let go, let go.

70. good men should be treated like good men.

71. don't play games.

72. don't fully commit to a man who doesn't give you everything that you need.

73. keep him in your radar but get to know others.

74. compatibility in terms of educational attainment, values, belierfs, personal and career goals and socio-economic status are important.

75. never date a guy who wears colored contacts.

posted by cho at 7/14/2005 04:43:00 AM
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