CASUAL CONSUMPTION NO. 2

It's been a long time since I've done this Casual Consumption thing. Maybe there's nothing casual in properly selecting the films you want to watch or the music you want to be obsessed with. 

Before, I'd absorb anything I fancy on the surface. Everything becomes an easy favorite. But now that I'm not having all the downtime as compared to before, I wanted to choose carefully the movies or books or things I soak myself in.

I hope it'll be worth your downtime too (in case you wanna heed my recos).

Anyway, here's the list!  

Warning: Might contain spoilers.

MOVIES

Into the Wild (2007)

I was watching a particular motivational video in Youtube when I saw clips of Emile Hirsch, first walking with his backpack on, next on top of a mountain and so on. I got curious, looked up at the credits and discovered this 2007 film.

This film is based on the true story of Christopher McCandless and his choice of living his life the unconventional way. He abandoned his former life, donated his savings, got a new name and hitchhiked his way to Alaska to be in the wild. 

This movie is said to inspire a lot of people to explore life and nature. What I personally liked about it are the main characters' musings about life. A few things were relatable since the protagonist was almost the same age as I am now. You know, youthful idealism on society and life and all those stuff. You get a lot of things to ponder on.

Even after watching the film, I was obsessed for a bit researching about the real Christopher McCandless. There were interesting answers so to speak.

And uhm, I know I can't be the only one who could see the uncanny resemblance between Emile Hirsch and Erwan Heussaff.

Copenhagen (2014)

I remember answering a Security Question for a website what's my dream city and without a snap, I typed: Copenhagen. It used to be New York but preferences change. And why not? Danes are considered the happiest people in the world, their food is said to be amazing and Scandinavian minimalist design is what everybody is pegging. 

I was unaware there's a titular movie of my dream city. And I just have to rave about this film! It has been awhile since a movie genuinely elicited Level 10 kilig feels from me then only to be heartbroken (sorta) with the ending.

This coming-of-age movie centers around angsty and immature William (Gethin Anthony) who's traveling across Europe with his best friend Jeremy and his girlfriend, Jen. They all found themselves in Copenhagen where William is also set to trace his roots and find his grandfather. But his third-wheeling paved way to complicated situations and the couple had to separate from William.

William then meets free-spirited yet wise beyond her years Effy (Frederikke Dahl Hansen), a waitress at the hotel where he's staying. Seeing that Effy speaks both English and Danish, William asks for her help to trace his grandfather and their adventure together in Copenhagen begins.

It starts all innocently and admittedly cliche. Boy meets girl and they do all the cutesy stuff like biking around, going to the amusement park, sharing conversations, basically enjoying Copenhagen in all its scenic glory while on a mission to find William's grandfather.

But as the story later unfolds, you realize life is not the romance movie we all hope for. Complex realities will kick in as it turned out that Effy is half of William's age. 

I love this movie not only for the scenic cityscape but the way it teaches you to be less naive and more realistic about life and love. It portrayed life and love in a believable way.  I learned that some people are meant to come into our lives, make an impact and share life changing experiences although sadly, only briefly.

Gethin Anthony (who played Renly Barratheon, by the way, in Game of Thrones) and Frederikke Dahl Hansen's superb acting is undeniably noticeable. They both fit the roles perfectly. It could've been borderline pedophilic and dark but they still made the movie feel light and enthralling. No wonder this film got so much acclaim.

I can't help but hope for a part two or even three just like Richard Linklater's Before Trilogy. Who knows.

Side note: after watching their interviews and stalking Gethin Anthony, I came to a conclusion that he is one of those rare creatures who looks way better with a beard and scruff on. Just saying. 

Barefoot (2014)

Rebel without a cause Jay Wheeler is on probationary, mopping floors in a mental hospital. There he meets innocent but possibly mentally-ill Daisy Kensington. Due to some circumstances, Jay decides to bring Daisy to his hometown for his brother's wedding and a possible reconciliation to his estranged family. The ever innocent Daisy charms everyone but there's something obviously off about her.

At first, I thought Barefoot is one of those overly cliched but poorly played romcom movies. Again, all the usual cutesy stuff was evident. A date in the carnival? Check. A bad boy who turned out to be from a wealthy Southern family? Check. Familiar plotlines were out there.

But as the story progresses, you'll discover there's a gripping reason behind sweet Daisy's innocence.

MUSIC

I'm loving the British indie pop duo Oh Wonder. I've been listening to them for days and their songs are endless on repeat. Last week it was "Without You" then "Dazzle" and as of writing "Livewire" is on loop. They replaced my Hozier obsession (since 2015). Finally!

BOOK/S

Done reading #GIRLBOSS by Sophia Amoruso. I've been wanting to read this for the longest time but I waited for the paperback edition. Haha. #CheapskateForeves. It's the kind of worldly wisdom we need to take notes of to make it in life and doing it the #GIRLBOSS way. 

I was glad I was able to buy a paperback copy at Fully Booked during a recent trip to Manila with my officemates, which I'm about to share next!

What are you consuming lately?

(Photos used in this post are all via Google. Minor edits by me.)

THE SUNDAY CURRENTLY VOL. 2

I promised myself to update this blog more often and yet, all I could come up are The Sunday Currently posts. Consistency is the key guys! Hahaha. Next time, I'll try harder to be more creative with my content.

Here's for some catching up and what life was all about lately:

S M I L I N G

Because I just finished my 6-month probationary period in my day job and happily, I got regularized! That means I'm sticking and committing myself to it and I can now avail all the awesome employee benefits. Hahaha! On a serious mode though, I'm happy I'm starting to adjust with the "real world".  It's dawning on me that reality actually doesn't suck. You just have to be brave enough and accept that it's time to be more responsible now as compared to before. And that I should get rid off my high sense of entitlement simply because this world owes us nothing, it was here first. (Quote Mark Twain right there).  I know so #GrownUpTalk. Hihi :)

Have you seen The Devil Wears Prada? I keep associating myself with Andy Sachs during my whole work ordeal (especially sa start, yung mga scenes na clueless ka pa sa trabaho mo). I think I'm somewhere in the transformation scene already. IFFFF my life is a movie. Hahaha! There's so much room for improvements still but I'm slowly building my confidence in the workplace and I hope that will eventually reflect in my work output.

L I S T E N I N G

Playing currently is Weekend by Priory. I have this weird habit of liking a song and completely obsessing over it to the point that it's the ONLY song I play then leave it on endless repeat for a week until my eardrums can't take it anymore.

Last week, I was obsessing over Maroon 5's Sugar and now to this catchy song. The music vid is cool too! This is now my official payday and Oh-Yes-Biyernes-Na song! :)

E A T I N G

I've been at French Baker in SM Lanang thrice the past week with different set of friends. If the decision is up to me where to eat, it's definitely French Baker! The price is reasonable, the amount of serving is generous (good for sharing) and most importantly, super cheapskate friendly because they don't have service charge! And their free water is with lemonade and not just plain tap water. Pwede na hindi umorder ng drinks! Hahaha. There were instances nga lang that our orders were served late because it was always a full-house. But still, worth every penny you spend. I love the rose-scented macaroon and the Korean Beef Brisket.

Cheapskate tip: I got this from my co-worker that 15 minutes before closing time French Baker offers up to discount 50% on all their pastry products! I don't know if that's a common fact for some already, but worth mentioning anyway! Right, cheapskates? Haha

R E A D I N G

It was one late Friday afternoon after work that I decided to just sit in a bench somewhere in SM Lanang and finish reading The Colorless Life of Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage by Haruki Murakami. I've been free-reading this book for the longest time at NBS and finally asked begged my sister to buy me one for Christmas. I always end up loving every Murakami book. As the title suggests, it was about the "colorless" life of Tsukuru Tazaki. It was a narration of someone else's "boring life" or at least that's how I looked at it.

I realized that at some point, our lives become colorless. Life just gets monotonous. Like how the drab routine of going to work 5 or 6 times a week is a real struggle or the little uneventful moments in between our daily grind inside the office or the solitary commute going home. I'm not trying to be melodramatic and I'm not saying it in a cynical way, I'm just saying that those "colorless" moments are simply a part of life, a reality of life. Something not to be lonely about but just something to accept and live with.

Naaaaks. Lakas maka-another #GrownUpTalk Hihihi :)

On the right is my next read, The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart! It's a Christmas gift from my friend Cess (yeah, unsurprisingly what I got most for Christmas were books!). As you can see, it's a children's book and it's the first book of the series and it reminds me of Lemony Snicket (though I haven't read any of the books of the series). I mean, just by the looks of it. Haha. We'll see how my reading will pan out. I won't be underestimating the power of a children's book because sometimes the simplest wisdom are from a kid's perspective. 

W A T C H I N G 

The Royal Tenenbaums and The Grand Budapest Hotel both of which are Wes Anderson films. I fell in love with the French film Amelie and since then I've been looking for films with the same aesthetic and feels and undoubtedly, Wes Anderson is the guy to go. The Grand Budapest Hotel was recommended by my friend Jess and I watched The Royal Tenenbaums because aside from it's a Wes Anderson film too, it already piqued my interest when the movie was mentioned in John Green's novel, An Abundance of Katherines. Have you read it? Gaah, I know too much referencing!

I'm totally digging Wes Anderson and his works. My kind of whimsical. I heard The Grand Budapest Hotel is up for some Oscars Nominations, good luck!

Now as I'm in the tail end of this post, I'm a bit confused if this post is properly labeled for The Sunday Currently or should be a Casual Consumption post? Hmmmm, why make life complicated? Hahaha. 

What are you up to lately? And how's your Sunday so far? :) 

The Sunday Currently Series is originally by siddathornton!

2013 BOOK INVENTORY

Last year, I sort of measured my 2012 with this year recap post. 

Now, 2013 wasn't really THAT eventful for me in the sense that I haven't been anywhere new or nothing really THAT significant happened. It was an "okay" year. Life revolved mainly and comfortably around friends and family and time was spent shuttling between Gensan and Davao. There were little adventures here and there and in case I need some refreshing of those mini-adventures, there's always the Archive button of this blog.

So I came up instead with this "Book Inventory" post, in which I try to share to you an accurate list of books I've read last year. I must say that 2013 happily got me back to reading. 

Anddd, I may be a book lover but firstly, I'm a CHEAPSKATE! So I have to give a big shout out to my friends who lent me their books, free of charge. Haha. God bless awesome friends with awesome books. :)

THE LIST:

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (borrowed from the university library)

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (borrowed from Angela)

The Catcher in the Rye by J. D Salinger (borrowed from Melvin)

Persuasion by Jane Austen (Bought at NBS only for Php 99!)

Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert (borrowed from Kezia)

Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami (borrowed from Toni)

Looking for Alaska by John Green (borrowed from Toni)

Field Guide to Happiness for Women by Barbara Kipfer (borrowed from Ate Stacy)

How To Be Good by Nick Hornby (a Booksale find)

Can You Keep A Secret by Sophie Kinsella (borrowed from Kezia)

Shopaholic Takes Manhattan by Sophie Kinsella (borrowed form Kezia)

The Carrie Diaries by Candace Bushnell (borrowed both from Pat)

Summer and the City by Candace Bushnell (borrowed both from Pat)

 Let It Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle (Kris Kringle gift from Kent)

 

That's the full list of books I've really finished reading. There were a lot of attempts to read more, mostly books loaned out from the library, but I hate paying for fines so I return them with only half of them read. Sad.

But anyway, there will be more time for reading this year. At the moment, I've already finished reading Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote (a present from my highschool BFF). I'm trying to speed-read Man Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus by John Gray (borrowed from Irish) because it will be passed around my blockmates. Plus! I have in my hands Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett which I borrowed from a dear friend. Hopefully, it'll be my first ever Neil Gaiman read (plus a Terry Pratchett at that).

I wish for more awesome books to read.

And I mean not Tax and Law books for school! Haha. Joke. :)

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CHRISTMAS BOOK WISHLIST!

 I'm not sure if Santa trawls over the internet now to have an idea what are on the wishlists of people who are neither naughty or nice this year. But I just feel like sharing to the world (I hope North Pole has an internet connection) what books and coffee table books that catch my fancy and would love to have this Christmas (hehe). I just really want to update my Goodreads more often. :)

1. John Green Box Set

 2. Parisian Chic: A Style Guide by Ines de la Fressange

3. DECORATE by Holly Becker & Joanna Copestick

4. Any book by Haruki Murakami

5. The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin

And speaking of Christmas, Santa and wishes, here's a video I found at Patty Laurel's blog. 

I got teary eyed sa inggit! Haha. The reactions are priceless. AMAZING.

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GOODBYE JULY

Jeez, we are now down on the last day of July. Time is flying so fast...faster than a G6. Haha.

Anyhoo,  since I am now on my last college year, I have fewer units and that means less subjects.
I have tons of free time and well, I'd just like to share some things that helped me kill time and fight boredom...

MOVIE:

Wicker Park

I like this movie because its plot is unusual. It reminded me of "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind". This movie made me realize that movie plots actually happen in real life, ONLY we don't have live cameras rolling in real life so we never know. Don't you think? Okay, weird thoughts. Haha.

I was so smitten with the classic kissing scene at the airport with Coldplay's "The Scientist" playing at the background. Awesome.

TV SERIES:

Game of Thrones

I know this series is very well-loved and it was only this month that I finally had the chance to see it. After three consecutive sleepless days and deep eye bags to deal with, I finished Season 1 til Season 3! I was so attached to the series that I even dreamed of The Hound hounding me. Haha. Too bad they killed Robb Stark and Talisa. They were my favorite couple in the series and they had a nice love story. Oh well, Game of Thrones is not for the hopeless romantics.

Anyhoo, let's see what happens in Season 4! I wonder who'll be the next dead Stark...(Gasp!)

BOOKS:

"One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

I've always  been intrigued about the works of Garbriel Garcia Marquez and that's no wonder since he's a Nobel Prize Winner. With luck, I stumbled upon this book at the school library so I took the chance to read this classic. The whole plot reminded me of Jose Rizal's "Noli Me Tangere" and "El Filibusterismo" --- the books we were all required to read back in highschool.

I find this book a nice read. I mean it's a classic right? It's very deep and perhaps it could pass for an adult read. But it made me ponder on some real things and thoughts about life.

"Norwegian Wood" by Haruki Murakami

My friend Toni lent me this book and I loooove it! 

I wanted to quote EVERY LINE of the characters. This is the kind of book that you just want to read all over again right after you just finished it. It is so "relatable" because the characters are just about my age and college students as well. So some of their thoughts were my thoughts too.It's both a heavy and light read. There were serious things tackled too like suicide and all. How I love the character of MIDORI! :)

I spent the whole of last weekend just reading and re-reading this book. Perfect for the bed-weather!

Time wasted for reading is a time well wasted indeed.

How about you? What are you up to?

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