Comments

Books

Around 2 or 3 years ago, my sister began to buy a lot of Young Adult books from National Bookstore. It was because of her that I developed my love for reading books (except for textbooks). The genres that I usually read are fantasy, dystopia, a little bit of romance, and horror -- basically all the genres you expect to get from YA books. From sweet stories like Flipped to chilling ones like the Girl From the Well are the range of the books that I've seen.

One specific title that I'll be focusing on would be Flipped.

Comments about the story and characters

Flipped is one of the most wholesome things I've ever read. I've always been exposed to dystopian books, so guess what Flipped was to me when I got my hands on it. It was a breath of fresh air. The plot of the book is pretty simple, yet I was still able to enjoy the story.

I think the characters were interesting. Juli Baker was born in a poor family. Her dad is an artist and her mom is a normal salary woman. Their income wasn't huge, and it affected their way of living. Their house was unpleasant to look at, and because of that, their neighbors judged them for it. Juli remained being a bright and smart girl despite her circumstances. People, however, avoided her a lot.

Bryce Lowski was her opposite. He was raised up with a silver spoon in his mouth. His father had a good job. He had all these material things and opportunities, and yet, he had a bad attitude. The story revolves around social biases, and it was fascinating to read about the problems it would result on the characters' interactions with one another.

Comments about the author

Flipped was the only book I've read that was made by Wendelyn Van Draanen. It was the only title from hers' that my sister ever bought, so I never really had a chance in reading the other stories that she has written. Because of this, I don't really have an opinion about the author.

Comments about your friends' reaction to the book

My friends haven't read about the book, so they don't really have a reaction towards it. I mean, is there supposed to be one? XD

 

Comments about the story's message

I think this book gives a positive message towards its readers. The story is all about biases people hold either because of the things they have, their abilities/disabilities, or their past. The way the main characters were able to overcome their biases are what makes this book so wholesome. It teaches you not to judge people on their outer appearances or possessions but on their character.

Comments about the book's price

I wasn't the one who bought it. My sister did. However, I tried searching online in Fully Booked, and it said that it was P400. I think the book is pricey, but that's just because I can't earn my own salary yet. However, I think the price is worth it because of the experiences the book can take you to.

Magazines

I was never the type of person to read magazines. The last time I held one was for a project. It was a magazine presenting ideas for interior design. It's entitled, "Real home Ideas."

Comments about the models

The models are always doing something in the picture. They never look at the camera to smile at you. Because they are only posing to show the comfort of the room, I think it's pretty fitting.

Comments about the design and layout

The layout is incredibly uniform and nice to look at. The pictures are framed in such a way that texts don't look out of place from the page. The design they use are minimalistic, which contributes more to the clean look the magazine gives.

Comments about the ads

The ads were all about furniture, which is to be expected from an interior designing magazine. I think the ads are placed well. I didn't even notice it was an ad until I saw the price tag below it. I completely thought it was one of the "displays."

Comments about the pictures

The angles of the shots are nice to look at. Despite the angles of the photos, they were able to show a huge part of the room.

Comments about the themes of the magazines

The theme was minimalistic. Like I said earlier, I think it's pretty neat. XD

Comments about the magazine's price

I never knew how much this magazine was because I only saw it lying around in my sister's bookcase.

Radio
 

I rarely listen to radios. If I ever did, it was only for the music. I usually last for around 10 minutes before I turn it off. However this time, I tried listening today for at least one hour. And you know what? I think I've been listening to the wrong station, because every time I listen, I get instantly bored with the music. I searched online for famous stations in the Philippines, and I found Mellow 94.7. Boy, I enjoyed it. A lot. The program was called "The Twist." Their playlist was full of pop music, which varied from new to old. It also had a segment called "Twisted Topic" where the hosts ask random questions to the listeners and they would read the audience's answer on-air. Today's question was, "What makes you a Filipino?" This was related to Liza Soberano's tweet about sinigang.

Comments on the program

I dig the program. The questions in "Twisted Topic" makes you want to engage with the hosts, and the answers being given by the audience was hilarious. I appreciated that they used the sound board mildly in the program when they were speaking. Some of the radio stations that I've listened to press the "laugh" button aggressively, and it annoys me so much. All in all, I enjoyed my stay in that program.

Comments of the commercials

What I also liked about that station was that there were few advertisements. The ads they give are so short and are widely spread out that you don't even realize you were already listening to a commercial.

Comments on the DJs and what they are saying

The DJs were great. They were pretty fun to listen to and their voices were upbeat. You get infected by their mood.

Comment about what the program is saying

The program is all about having fun. Their playlist is filled with upbeat and lively songs and the DJs are always bubbly. I think the program's message is okay.

Comments about the time you listened?

Me enjoying my stay there was a pleasant surprise. I liked the music, the hosts, the fact that the soundboard wasn't used every second the music wasn't playing, and that the ads were minimal.

Music

Music always distracts me whenever I'm working. Especially ones that have a person singing in it. That's just because I end up singing along with the lyrics in my head, which diverts me from what I'm thinking of. XD

So I only listen to it when I'm doing something creative, like writing and drawing. Otherwise, I listen to lo-fi when I'm trying to focus.

One song that keeps popping up in my mind is "Remember Me" from the movie, Coco. I just can't stop playing it.

SPOILERS

Comments about the singer

Through the whole movie, there were different singers of "Remember Me." The one that I liked the most was Hector's version, which was sang by Gael Garcia Bernal. I loved the solemn, and yet hopeful voice that he gave when he sang the song. Although the way he sang it was simple, it struck a chord in my heart and I was bawling my eyes out inside the cinema.

Comments about the song

When Hector was singing the song, it was simple. It was the opposite of Ernesto de la Cruz's grandiose way of singing, which was upbeat like it came out of a parade. It was grand, there were backup singers, and there were so many dazzling lights. At the beginning of the movie, it was portrayed as a narcissistic song given by a selfish person. However, by the end, it was revealed to be a heartfelt song that was meant to be a song of farewell for a loved one. The way they transformed the meaning of the song based on how it was sung was amazing.

Comments about the lyrics and message

The lyrics is about a father leaving his daughter to pursue his dreams in becoming a musician. In the song, he asks her to remember him even if he is leaving her and is going to a place that is far away. He also wanted to remind her that even if they are apart from each other, he will always have her in his heart. I think the lyrics are simple, and yet, can hit you straight in the feels. I think that's what makes the song so special.

Comments on where and how you got the song

My family and I went to the movies to watch Coco. My expectations weren't very high when I watched that film. I had no idea what the story was about, and the posters that I saw weren't very interesting. It was just dog next to a guitar.

I was wrong. I was completely wrong. I was sitting in the movie theater, expecting a bland story and next thing I knew, I was crying my heart out. And the reason I was crying was because of Hector's version of "Remember Me." That's where I discovered the song.

Comments on where you play your songs

I play my songs mostly on Youtube. I had Spotify before, but it wasn't working so well on my phone. Because of that, Youtube became my go-to place for music. The only down-side to playing music on Youtube would be that your phone can't go to sleep. The screen needs to be on the whole time you're playing music or else the song would just stop. It drains my battery pretty fast.

TV

If I were given a choice between watching a tv show that has real life people in it and one that has cartoon characters, I would straight up choose cartoons. I don't know why, but I've always been fascinated in watching cartoons. There's always this surprise I get whenever I watch kid's cartoons that have a deeper story line. One channel that I usually go to is Cartoon Network.

Comments on the TV show's story

My favorite series from CN is Steven Universe. The story is just so complex. It starts out as a simple cartoon with the characters saving the day, but by every episode, the viewers realize that there is more to the story than what meets the eye. It tackles a lot of serious topics such as identity crises, purpose, and the process of growing up. I like how the creator balances serious episodes with lighthearted ones while still making progress with the story.

Comments on the characters

The characters start with simple characteristics. However, they become fleshed out with each release of episode. You start learning more about their thoughts, who they are, and what they value the most and how it affects their choices. There are lots of character development, and that's what I love the most about the show.

Comments on the timeslot

While the show is great, the time they show the re-runs are pretty terrible. They air it at 2 pm on weekdays, a time where people are usually off to school. I used to watch it a lot in the summer, and then decided to just watch it on the internet when school started.

Comments of the commericial breaks

The commercial breaks are pretty short. It isn't as long as GMA 7 or ABS-CBN where most of the ads last for like 15 minutes before finally returning to the show. That's what I appreciate about kid's channels.

Comments on the commercials

Cartoon Network is a kid's channel, so most of its advertisements consists of toys. Games by Cartoon Network and other shows being aired in there are being advertised too. I think the commercials are fitting for its target audiences.

Movies

Since I was talking earlier about Coco, I'll just continue where I left off. :D 

SPOILER

Comments on the story

Coco has an interesting story. The concept of the film is based on the Mexican Holiday, the Day of the Dead. It's about a boy who dreams to become a musician. The only thing stopping him is his family, who has a strong hatred for music ever since their great great grandfather left the family to pursue it. Because of that, making music was strictly forbidden in the house. When he learns that he is related to his idol, Ernesto de la Cruz, a great singer of his generation, he immediately joins a talent show despite his grandmother's objections. Somewhere along the way, he ends up in the land of the dead and chasing his dead relatives around so he could get back to the living world.

The movie is basically about family and chasing your dreams. The story was easy to relate to, which was nice. I ended up crying on some parts of the film.

Comments on how it was made

Coco is a 3D animated film created for children and to celebrate the Day of the Dead. The animation was well done, especially the parts where Miguel plays his guitar. His hands were really playing the chords and it was so satisfying to look at. The colors used throughout the film were also breathtaking. There were a myriad of colors present for every frame. I loved every second I was watching it.

Comments on the characters

The characters were well-developed. At the beginning, they start out as people who only cared for their personal benefit. But as the story goes on, the characters learn to trust each other and their reaction towards one another change. They were even willing to sacrifice their own dreams just for the other to get what they want. Character development will always be a good thing for every story. That's what I liked about Coco. They didn't drop the change immediately. They eased into the development of the characters.

Comments on the lessons you get from the story

By the end of the film, you will learn that not everyone is what they seem to be on the outside. To the eyes of others they may be a hero, but in reality they aren't. The same is also true otherwise. Family is also an important thing and it shouldn't be forgotten. The overall message that Coco gives is just wholesome.

Comments on the prices of the tickets

I don't exactly remember how much the tickets were, but I think it's around P250. I think the price is worth it.

Comments on how and where you watched the film

I watched the film with my family in a mall. Good thing we paid for it instead of watching it on the TV. Coco is a great movie and I think it deserves to be paid for its content.