I found myself rearranging my nightstand and bookshelf last night. Every once in a while, as my stacks of books pile up, I sort through them and decide which ones are my favorites that get to stay on the shelves; which ones are good enough to store (in our garage); and which ones I can live without and are donated to the public library.
In the last 6 months or so I’ve read a lot of books in my free time – not surprising, since I have always loved to read. But what was surprising is the kind of books I’ve been reading.
I guess my reading list falls into 2 general categories.
“FOR FUN” books: light-reading, usually fiction, page-turners, highly entertaining, NOT a lot of learning involved.
And “FOR LEARNING” books: Not light-reading, usually NOT fiction, NOT page-turners (at least not for me), Not highly entertaining, typically a lot of learning involved.
Here was my reading list (give or take a few books) for the last 6 months (give or take a few days):
“FOR FUN” Books:
Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
Geisha, A Life by Mineko Iwasaki
Digital Fortress by Dan Brown
Deception Point by Dan Brown
Schlott’s Original Miscellany by Ben Schlott
Are You Afraid of the Dark by Sidney Sheldon
A Venetian Affair by Andrea di Robilant
The Testament by John Grisham
The Tale of Murasaki by Liza Dalby
When Will Jesus Bring the Porkchops by George Carlin
Napalm and Silly Putty by George Carlin
Eats, Shoots & Leaves by Lynne Truss
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon
Must Love Dogs by Claire Cook
Ten Big Ones by Janet Evanovich
Empress Orchid by Anchee Min
(Re-read) The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
(Re-read) Double Fudge by Judy Blume
(Re-read) Everybody and A Kite by Ray Romano
“FOR LEARNING” Books:
Good to Great by Jim Collins
Crucial Conversations by Kerry, Pattersin, et al
Blink by Malcolm Gladwell
The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff
Invitation to Lead by Paul Tokunaga
Well, it's not a bad list but it's certainly not an impressive one either. I mean, for every “FOR LEARNING” book I read, I read 4 “FOR FUN” books. (Ratio = 1:4). Not exactly intellectually stimulating material.
Back in Berkeley, my Turkish roommate who was learning English, asked me why I read, what she termed, “story books”. She said that if she had my grasp of the English language, she would read books that she could learn from and use to improve herself. I think I told her that I read “story books” to give me a break from all the learning we were doing in school.
But now that I am done with school and spend so much of my time working, keeping house, building a family, and living my life … where does that leave my intellectual growth? Yes, of course there is a great deal of learning that comes with one’s career, life, experiences, relationships, ... I’m not discounting that. And there is probably some type of learning from “FOR FUN” books too. But apart from that, I was not really expanding my knowledge nor was I really educating myself literary-wise.
Hmmm ...
As always my hubby was the sounding board for my insights and for my newly formed resolution. In order to progress my use of reading time and for my self-learning, logically I would have to improve the ratio of my “FOR LEARNING” books versus my “FOR FUN” books. Instead of 1:4, I would make an effort to change it to 1:2. (For every one “FOR LEARNING” book I read, I would read only 2 “FOR FUN” books).
My hubby then suggested that for optimal learning my ratio should actually be 1:1. I look at him like he’s crazy. 1:2 is a huge step! Besides, I rationalized that my 1:2 ratio makes sense since I take twice as long to finish a “FOR LEARNING” book anyway.
So, in keeping with my resolution, I’m now working on a list of books to get the next time we hit Barnes and Noble.
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
Monday, August 22, 2005
Weekend Bazaar
We spent last Saturday at the Orange County Marketplace in Costa Mesa. It was fun, after all it was one huge bazaar (known as a swap meet in the West Coast, flea market in the East Coast, and tiangge back home). I absolutely love bazaars - going through stall after stall, looking for bargains, and then negotiating the best price with the sellers. My sisters and I have been to every tiangge, flea market, & swap meet back home – from the Xmas bazaars at the Peninsula and Intercon, Weekend bazaars at Makati Sports Club and Forbes Park, the good old tiangge in Greenhills, Home and Gift fairs at the World Trade Center, the stalls at Tutuban and Divisoria, even our parish’s tiny annual tiangge was too good to pass up! It has been ages since I have been to one and I spent most of Saturday making up for lost time.
The OC Marketplace was huge and sold everything from clothes and shoes, to paintings and furniture, to even yachts and mobile home trailers. The stuff for sale was ecclectic and a bit kitschy too - but a lot of fun. (I wished my sisters were here!) There were good deals and friendly salepeople. The event was incredibly well attended too, even on a hot summer day in the middle of August. There were food stalls that sold orange juleps, hot pretzels, beef brisket sandwiches, frozen bananas dipped in fudge, and fresh lemonade. Live music from different artists stationed every couple of meters from each other. It had a very county-fair-like atmosphere.
My hubby and I started off together but found that (as usual) our shopping pace and taste are actually quite different. So in order to keep our peace and sanity, we had to split up a couple of times.
At the end of the day, my hubby got cell phone cases (his is a cool looking black leather one, while mine is a very girly-looking pink and silver one – not quite my style, but the look kinda grows on you). I got a hardbound version of Amy Tan’s the Joy Luck Club for $1.35 and found my hubby a collector’s edition of Superman comics for 99 cents! How can you not love these types of bazaars? We also got some stuff for the house – little odds and ends. Contemplated buying two huge terra cotta pots on stands for our porch, but later on decided we did not want to carry them out to where we parked - half a mile away!
When we got home, I looked through the bags of things we bought and found that most of what we got (aside from the books and cell phone cases) were stuff for the house. Not surprising since most of the stalls I really lingered in were places that sold paintings, decorative mirrors and knickknacks, candles, garden accessories, wicker furniture and kitchen stuff. (My gosh, Mina, I think you are right, I am turning into a Stepford wife!). Yikes! When did this happen???
Gone are the days when shopping means going into a store and splurging on clothes and shoes and jewelry and make up. These days whenever we go to the mall, I browse a lot in stores like Crate and Barrel, Pottery Barn, Williams-Sonoma, and Sur La Table. I have been even known to pass the Women’s Department in Macys and Robinsons-May to head straight to the Home Section. I told my husband that I think I am turning into my mother! Seriously.
I recall how my family used to spend some of our Sunday afternoons at the mall. These were special times when my dad would generously allow all of us to go choose any one item we wanted to buy. Anything at all. Once my dad said those magic words, we would be off and running. We would all go off our separate ways and come back with a million and one different ideas on what was the one best thing to get. For us kids it would be either books, shoes, clothes, CDs, or occasionally toys.
But for my mom, it would undoubtably be something for the house. No fail. Either new kitchen gadgets, cook books, towels, sheets, serving platters, decorative pieces, etc, etc. It was always a wonder to me why she would never get anything for herself. I'm sure I’ve asked her a couple of times but don’t really recall what she said. Come to think of it, I don’t think she’s ever really given me a straight answer. It was just how things were. And in this case, it seems it is how things are all over again.
The OC Marketplace was huge and sold everything from clothes and shoes, to paintings and furniture, to even yachts and mobile home trailers. The stuff for sale was ecclectic and a bit kitschy too - but a lot of fun. (I wished my sisters were here!) There were good deals and friendly salepeople. The event was incredibly well attended too, even on a hot summer day in the middle of August. There were food stalls that sold orange juleps, hot pretzels, beef brisket sandwiches, frozen bananas dipped in fudge, and fresh lemonade. Live music from different artists stationed every couple of meters from each other. It had a very county-fair-like atmosphere.
My hubby and I started off together but found that (as usual) our shopping pace and taste are actually quite different. So in order to keep our peace and sanity, we had to split up a couple of times.
At the end of the day, my hubby got cell phone cases (his is a cool looking black leather one, while mine is a very girly-looking pink and silver one – not quite my style, but the look kinda grows on you). I got a hardbound version of Amy Tan’s the Joy Luck Club for $1.35 and found my hubby a collector’s edition of Superman comics for 99 cents! How can you not love these types of bazaars? We also got some stuff for the house – little odds and ends. Contemplated buying two huge terra cotta pots on stands for our porch, but later on decided we did not want to carry them out to where we parked - half a mile away!
When we got home, I looked through the bags of things we bought and found that most of what we got (aside from the books and cell phone cases) were stuff for the house. Not surprising since most of the stalls I really lingered in were places that sold paintings, decorative mirrors and knickknacks, candles, garden accessories, wicker furniture and kitchen stuff. (My gosh, Mina, I think you are right, I am turning into a Stepford wife!). Yikes! When did this happen???
Gone are the days when shopping means going into a store and splurging on clothes and shoes and jewelry and make up. These days whenever we go to the mall, I browse a lot in stores like Crate and Barrel, Pottery Barn, Williams-Sonoma, and Sur La Table. I have been even known to pass the Women’s Department in Macys and Robinsons-May to head straight to the Home Section. I told my husband that I think I am turning into my mother! Seriously.
I recall how my family used to spend some of our Sunday afternoons at the mall. These were special times when my dad would generously allow all of us to go choose any one item we wanted to buy. Anything at all. Once my dad said those magic words, we would be off and running. We would all go off our separate ways and come back with a million and one different ideas on what was the one best thing to get. For us kids it would be either books, shoes, clothes, CDs, or occasionally toys.
But for my mom, it would undoubtably be something for the house. No fail. Either new kitchen gadgets, cook books, towels, sheets, serving platters, decorative pieces, etc, etc. It was always a wonder to me why she would never get anything for herself. I'm sure I’ve asked her a couple of times but don’t really recall what she said. Come to think of it, I don’t think she’s ever really given me a straight answer. It was just how things were. And in this case, it seems it is how things are all over again.
Wednesday, August 17, 2005
A belated welcome to my blog!
I was talking to my parents over the weekend and found out that they have asked their friends and our relatives to check out this blog. My husband has also advertised my blog to his family and friends. All this before I told my own friends and extended family. Now I get emails from my dad and mom asking me to update my posts more regularly as there apparently is a demand for them! :)
Isn’t that sweet? Talk about parental and spousal pride!
I’m touched … but at the same time … also quite pressured! Now that I know I have such a “huge” audience … hmmm …
But seriously, this is awesome. I mean the main reason I started my blog was so I could keep in touch with everyone from back home as well as with friends and family based all over the world. Not only that. It’s even for my friends who live here in Los Angeles. We live such crazy busy lives that sometimes we get to catch up with each other only through our blogs!
So, to my family, aunts, uncles, grandparents, titos, titas, in-laws, cousins, friends, family friends and to whoever else happens to stumble across my site: a belated WELCOME to my blog, Junarakasa's Story! I am really glad that you found some time to stop by and read what I have to say. Of course, your comments are always welcome!
P.S. For those who are curious, “Junarakasa” is what my dad used to call me when I was really young. It’s a name he coined because I was so fond of Japanese cartoons back then. Junara was one of the characters I liked, and at that time I was part of “casa” (preschool) at OB Montessori. Hence the name “Junarakasa”.
FYI, when I moved to ICA for kindergarten, my name was subsequently changed to “Junaraika”. (Un)fortunately the nickname did not extend to my years at Ateneo, Berkeley and Alliant.
Isn’t that sweet? Talk about parental and spousal pride!
I’m touched … but at the same time … also quite pressured! Now that I know I have such a “huge” audience … hmmm …
But seriously, this is awesome. I mean the main reason I started my blog was so I could keep in touch with everyone from back home as well as with friends and family based all over the world. Not only that. It’s even for my friends who live here in Los Angeles. We live such crazy busy lives that sometimes we get to catch up with each other only through our blogs!
So, to my family, aunts, uncles, grandparents, titos, titas, in-laws, cousins, friends, family friends and to whoever else happens to stumble across my site: a belated WELCOME to my blog, Junarakasa's Story! I am really glad that you found some time to stop by and read what I have to say. Of course, your comments are always welcome!
P.S. For those who are curious, “Junarakasa” is what my dad used to call me when I was really young. It’s a name he coined because I was so fond of Japanese cartoons back then. Junara was one of the characters I liked, and at that time I was part of “casa” (preschool) at OB Montessori. Hence the name “Junarakasa”.
FYI, when I moved to ICA for kindergarten, my name was subsequently changed to “Junaraika”. (Un)fortunately the nickname did not extend to my years at Ateneo, Berkeley and Alliant.
Monday, August 15, 2005
Time Difference
Getting ready to go out …
My hubby takes a shower, brushes his teeth, and grabs the first shirt he can find.
I take a shower, brush my teeth, pick out clothes, discard, pick out second choice, discard, pick out third choice, discard, go back to first choice, pick out jewelry, shoes and bag to match, blow-dry my hair, put on moisturizer, foundation powder, eye cream, lipgloss, blush, and a spritz of cologne.
Going to bed …
My hubby brushes his teeth, changes into shorts and a shirt, gets into bed and falls asleep.
I brush my teeth, use cream to remove my make up, wash my face, apply facial cleanser and moisturizer, remove my contact lenses, change into pajamas, get a drink of water, get into bed, read a little, and then fall asleep.
Buying shoes …
My hubby parks in the first spot he finds, goes into the mall, zeroes in on the exact store and tries 2 pairs of shoes, decides which one he likes best, pays for the pair and is done.
I circle around the parking lot trying to find the best spot, walk into the mall and stop along every shop that looks interesting, try on shoes and shirts, stop by make-up counters and sometimes get “makeovers” done, look for anything on sale, browse bookstores, stop for coffee, walk into the shoe store where I was planning to get something, try about 10 pairs, decide which one I want, have second/third/fourth thoughts, get my hubby’s opinion, get the sales clerk’s opinion, eventually decide, pay for it, go home, and possibly decide to return it the next day.
Preparing dinner …
My hubby cooks rice, then opens a can of corned beef, dumps the beef into a pan with a little oil, then calls me to dinner.
I take out the frozen porkchops the night before, defrost then marinate them in Worcestershire and grill seasoning then place them in the chiller section wrapped in foil. The next day, I grill the chops on our George Foreman and look in our fridge, freezer and cupboards for side dishes. Take out fresh carrots and green beans along with frozen peas and canned corn, blanche the vegetables in hot water and add a dash of Molly McButter and season with Essence of Emril. Take out a packet of powdered egg drop soup base, mix it with boiling water, drop a beaten egg. Make the rice, wash fresh fruit for dessert, and then call my hubby to dinner.
Eating out …
My hubby usually knows what he wants even before we get to the restaurant. Or will scan the menu and predictably order either baby back ribs, roast chicken or steak.
I will look over the entire menu. Think about what I ordered here last time so I can try something different. Ask the waiter for the specials and what she recommends. Look around to see what other people ordered. Decide and then change my mind twice or thrice before the server arrives to take our orders.
Last Sunday afternoon …
My hubby studied for his CISSP certification course.
I went to Big Lots and then K-mart to see if they had outdoor benches (we need one for our porch), went to Kohls to return a shirt, got iced coffee from Coffee Bean, got home, logged on to check my email, wrote a few emails, read a few of my friends’ blogs, confirmed our hotel reservations for our Thanksgiving trip, had a handful of corn chips and some sparkling lime water, started reading Empress Orchid, took a shower, watched some tv, and talked on the phone with a friend.
The point of all this …
My hubby said that he would like to start a blog too, but unlike me, he just doesn’t have the time .…. :)
My hubby takes a shower, brushes his teeth, and grabs the first shirt he can find.
I take a shower, brush my teeth, pick out clothes, discard, pick out second choice, discard, pick out third choice, discard, go back to first choice, pick out jewelry, shoes and bag to match, blow-dry my hair, put on moisturizer, foundation powder, eye cream, lipgloss, blush, and a spritz of cologne.
Going to bed …
My hubby brushes his teeth, changes into shorts and a shirt, gets into bed and falls asleep.
I brush my teeth, use cream to remove my make up, wash my face, apply facial cleanser and moisturizer, remove my contact lenses, change into pajamas, get a drink of water, get into bed, read a little, and then fall asleep.
Buying shoes …
My hubby parks in the first spot he finds, goes into the mall, zeroes in on the exact store and tries 2 pairs of shoes, decides which one he likes best, pays for the pair and is done.
I circle around the parking lot trying to find the best spot, walk into the mall and stop along every shop that looks interesting, try on shoes and shirts, stop by make-up counters and sometimes get “makeovers” done, look for anything on sale, browse bookstores, stop for coffee, walk into the shoe store where I was planning to get something, try about 10 pairs, decide which one I want, have second/third/fourth thoughts, get my hubby’s opinion, get the sales clerk’s opinion, eventually decide, pay for it, go home, and possibly decide to return it the next day.
Preparing dinner …
My hubby cooks rice, then opens a can of corned beef, dumps the beef into a pan with a little oil, then calls me to dinner.
I take out the frozen porkchops the night before, defrost then marinate them in Worcestershire and grill seasoning then place them in the chiller section wrapped in foil. The next day, I grill the chops on our George Foreman and look in our fridge, freezer and cupboards for side dishes. Take out fresh carrots and green beans along with frozen peas and canned corn, blanche the vegetables in hot water and add a dash of Molly McButter and season with Essence of Emril. Take out a packet of powdered egg drop soup base, mix it with boiling water, drop a beaten egg. Make the rice, wash fresh fruit for dessert, and then call my hubby to dinner.
Eating out …
My hubby usually knows what he wants even before we get to the restaurant. Or will scan the menu and predictably order either baby back ribs, roast chicken or steak.
I will look over the entire menu. Think about what I ordered here last time so I can try something different. Ask the waiter for the specials and what she recommends. Look around to see what other people ordered. Decide and then change my mind twice or thrice before the server arrives to take our orders.
Last Sunday afternoon …
My hubby studied for his CISSP certification course.
I went to Big Lots and then K-mart to see if they had outdoor benches (we need one for our porch), went to Kohls to return a shirt, got iced coffee from Coffee Bean, got home, logged on to check my email, wrote a few emails, read a few of my friends’ blogs, confirmed our hotel reservations for our Thanksgiving trip, had a handful of corn chips and some sparkling lime water, started reading Empress Orchid, took a shower, watched some tv, and talked on the phone with a friend.
The point of all this …
My hubby said that he would like to start a blog too, but unlike me, he just doesn’t have the time .…. :)
Thursday, August 11, 2005
Dental Work
I can think of a hundred and one (make that a thousand and one) things I would rather do than spend an afternoon in a dental chair having my teeth drilled. And yet, today, I found myself doing just that.
Let me explain how I got there. Last Monday, my hubby and I were debating about what to have for dinner (you should know we take these debates very seriously). I was looking forward to reading Must Love Dogs and didn’t want to bother with cooking so my vote was for frozen pizza. No judgments, please! I am not some horrible wife who serves frozen dinners all the time. Once in a while maybe – and besides, in my defense, Freschetta’s brick oven pizzas, especially the one with 5 cheeses, can almost pass for restaurant quality.
Hubby, on the other hand, wanted something home-cooked. However, since I was eventually going to end up doing the “home cooking”, I argued the merits of thin-crust pizza and even magnanimously offered to compromise and pick a pie with his choice of toppings. And so pepperoni, olives and green peppers it was! I considered pizza for dinner a small victory.
My victory lasted till the next day, since I had the leftovers for lunch. Personally, I think pizza is better a day old - straight out of the fridge - cold, tough and chewy. Unfortunately the slice I had was a little too tough and I ended up losing the filling in one of my back molars. So I guess my dinner-choice-victory actually landed me in the dentist chair. The moral here is obvious … (fill in the blank with what you think it is). FYI, it’s NOT that you have to give in to your husbands’ every dinner request.
So there I was sitting in the dental chair, with my dentist shaking her head. Not a good sign. First, the molar where I lost the filling could not be “re-filled”. Turns out the bone matter was very thin and could not hold the filling - what I needed was to have a crown attached. What’s worse, the tooth right before the molar also had a huge cavity and that needed filling too. Just great! It’s amazing, I can walk into my dentist’s on any given day and she will always find something to work on! No fail!
While waiting for my crown, I realize that this marks yet another significant time in my life. Looking back at my dental/life history, it started with regular visits to Dr. Ang in Greenhills. She was my first dentist, where I got fluoride treatments and had my teeth cleaned. Ironically, I would always get candy after a visit with her. Then when I was a teenager, I switched to Dr. Sunglao in Bel-Air, who also gave me fluoride treatments, and marked my entry into young adulthood by filling my cavities! Getting those silver-black fillings really made me feel like a teenager. All my friends had them. It was as close as I could get to wearing braces which all the cool kids wore but I was “unlucky” enough not to need! I must have gone to a weird school cause where I went, braces defined coolness!
This time, I have a new dentist (Dr. Reyes) and am getting a new procedure too. I think I am now officially in the beginning of my mid-life! After all, I got my very first crown today!
I used to hear my parents and aunts and uncles talk about getting “crowns”, root canals, caps, bridges, and eventually dentures! Back then it sounded like something really old people got. And now, here I am getting one myself! Boy, talk about feeling old.
Not only did getting the crown age me – it also set me back $750.00! Yes – you read right. Seven hundred and fifty dollars - and that's after my discount! No wonder they call it a “crown”! Gosh. Getting my tooth filled cost $170.00 (that seemed reasonable) but the crown – sheesh! I actually felt bad having the crown on my second to the last molar – all the way back in my mouth. For that price, I may have to practice smiling with my mouth wide open and give people a glimpse!
Let me explain how I got there. Last Monday, my hubby and I were debating about what to have for dinner (you should know we take these debates very seriously). I was looking forward to reading Must Love Dogs and didn’t want to bother with cooking so my vote was for frozen pizza. No judgments, please! I am not some horrible wife who serves frozen dinners all the time. Once in a while maybe – and besides, in my defense, Freschetta’s brick oven pizzas, especially the one with 5 cheeses, can almost pass for restaurant quality.
Hubby, on the other hand, wanted something home-cooked. However, since I was eventually going to end up doing the “home cooking”, I argued the merits of thin-crust pizza and even magnanimously offered to compromise and pick a pie with his choice of toppings. And so pepperoni, olives and green peppers it was! I considered pizza for dinner a small victory.
My victory lasted till the next day, since I had the leftovers for lunch. Personally, I think pizza is better a day old - straight out of the fridge - cold, tough and chewy. Unfortunately the slice I had was a little too tough and I ended up losing the filling in one of my back molars. So I guess my dinner-choice-victory actually landed me in the dentist chair. The moral here is obvious … (fill in the blank with what you think it is). FYI, it’s NOT that you have to give in to your husbands’ every dinner request.
So there I was sitting in the dental chair, with my dentist shaking her head. Not a good sign. First, the molar where I lost the filling could not be “re-filled”. Turns out the bone matter was very thin and could not hold the filling - what I needed was to have a crown attached. What’s worse, the tooth right before the molar also had a huge cavity and that needed filling too. Just great! It’s amazing, I can walk into my dentist’s on any given day and she will always find something to work on! No fail!
While waiting for my crown, I realize that this marks yet another significant time in my life. Looking back at my dental/life history, it started with regular visits to Dr. Ang in Greenhills. She was my first dentist, where I got fluoride treatments and had my teeth cleaned. Ironically, I would always get candy after a visit with her. Then when I was a teenager, I switched to Dr. Sunglao in Bel-Air, who also gave me fluoride treatments, and marked my entry into young adulthood by filling my cavities! Getting those silver-black fillings really made me feel like a teenager. All my friends had them. It was as close as I could get to wearing braces which all the cool kids wore but I was “unlucky” enough not to need! I must have gone to a weird school cause where I went, braces defined coolness!
This time, I have a new dentist (Dr. Reyes) and am getting a new procedure too. I think I am now officially in the beginning of my mid-life! After all, I got my very first crown today!
I used to hear my parents and aunts and uncles talk about getting “crowns”, root canals, caps, bridges, and eventually dentures! Back then it sounded like something really old people got. And now, here I am getting one myself! Boy, talk about feeling old.
Not only did getting the crown age me – it also set me back $750.00! Yes – you read right. Seven hundred and fifty dollars - and that's after my discount! No wonder they call it a “crown”! Gosh. Getting my tooth filled cost $170.00 (that seemed reasonable) but the crown – sheesh! I actually felt bad having the crown on my second to the last molar – all the way back in my mouth. For that price, I may have to practice smiling with my mouth wide open and give people a glimpse!
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