Author: elizavictoria

the girl who circumnavigated fairyland in a ship of her own making

The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making (Fairyland, #1)The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I first heard of this book on the author’s own LJ blog. She wrote this during the US crash; Valente’s husband had been laid off and they were having difficulties paying their rent and other bills. Instead of merely asking for donations, she decided to write The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland, a YA novel mentioned in her adult novel, Palimpsest. She was going to write a chapter a week, and readers could pay her whatever amount they deemed the story deserved.

I knew, after reading the fantastic first chapter online, that the serial would be published. And so I waited for the paperback, and I’m glad to finally get my hands on a copy.

I cannot even begin to tell you how much I love this book. Its world is as absurd and as original and as magical and as frightening as Wonderland or Neverland. High time this generation got their own Wendy or Alice to love, and what better girl to love than September?

It is a marvel Valente was able to create such a playful landscape with the problems of the real world looming over her family like a gray cloud. Or maybe it’s not – a writer creates the best worlds to escape to, when escape is needed.

The meat of the story: September is a girl who lives in Omaha. Her father has gone off to war and her mother has gone off to work, and she is tired of washing teacups and waiting for her mother to come home. One day the Green Wind appears in the kitchen window, and offers her a ride to Fairyland. I won’t tell you anything more. Fairyland is best explored alone, and without a map.

Read the first two chapters here.

View all my reviews

skyfall

I couldn’t care less for James Bond, but I must clarify that the only Bond film I’ve seen from start to finish is the gritty and boring Quantum of Solace. I’ve seen none of the classic 007 movies, and what little I’ve seen of Pierce Brosnan’s films I found mediocre. The darker reboot, Casino Royale (which I haven’t seen) with Daniel Craig, has received both accolades and flak, the flak mostly coming from longtime fans who felt alienated by the new take. I think the filmmakers produced the next two films like cooks preparing soup: add a little bit of this, a little bit of that, until the longtime fans shut up.

Skyfall has that balanced taste. It has wit, wry humor, some gadgets, lots of action. It’s confident enough to make fun of the franchise (“What were you expecting, an exploding pen?”) and to get rid of most of the glitter and actually explore Bond’s motives and history. It has also added a younger character (Ben Whishaw playing tech-savvy Q), which I think will attract a new generation of Bond fans.

And we must mention Javier Bardem as Silva. I want to say best Bond villain ever, but that’s unfair because I haven’t seen all of the Bond films. But he is so good in this role.

Now I’m excited to watch more 007.

wreck-it ralph

I wasn’t planning to watch this. The marketing materials for this film were all over the place but my only thought – and I know this is incredibly unfair – was, This is not a Pixar film. 

It’s not a Pixar film! In fact, Wreck-It Ralph is a Disney film. I love Pixar, okay. They tell the most honest, most inventive stories, and the only stories that come close to Pixar’s tearjerker offerings are old-school Disney films: The Lion King, Aladdin, Mulan. The last animated Disney film that I truly enjoyed was 2010’s Tangled. And before that? Nothing comes to mind. I thought Disney’s animated franchise was on its way down, and isn’t that a shame. I still have fond memories of Beauty and the Beast.

Then: Paperman.

The main film had not started yet and I was already in tears in the cinema. Paperman is a black-and-white animated short film that blends traditional animation with computer animation. The result was magical, breathtaking. Disney should make a full-length film utilizing this technique. Read more about it.

It was a good piece to set the bar for expectations, and Wreck-It Ralph, thankfully, did not disappoint. I love going into the cinema armed only with the film title and friends’ assurances. It makes the cinematic experience purer.

And how this film surprised me.

Watch this film, I tell you.

Welcome back, Disney! Christ, what took you so long?

the wedding-monthsary: almi + kim

Almi and Kim got married on Nov. 14 in Talisay, Batangas. There were debacles along the way (loud construction outside the church, tardy priest, strange homily, sudden heavy rain during the reception) but it was perfect. Love is a beautiful thing. Just ask the newlyweds, who remained in good spirits even as rainwater drenched one of the tables. For better or for worse, indeed.

Congratulations!

View in Club Balai Isabel from the bride’s quarters.

The rooms are nice! I’d like to return here. Not necessarily to get married haha.

This is everyone! Photo from Kate.

Photo from Andrea.

PS The very creative Almi made most of the – collaterals? I don’t know what word to use – for her wedding day. Witness this madness the creativity here, starting with Day 100.

books for the holidays

Visprint’s much-loved pre-holiday promo is back!

Order a Visprint book via email from November 10 to December 10 and they’ll deliver it for free anywhere in the Philippines, with no minimum purchase required. The rest of the mechanics is here. Please read the whole thing.

A Bottle of Storm Clouds (PhP 220 or US$ 5.35), of course, is included in the list of books that you can order. :) More books this way!

Speaking of books, I’m now reading Catherynne Valente’s The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making:

Not writing anything, other than work stuff and these blog posts, but then I have just finished writing a long-ish piece. I guess my brain just wants to take a break.

switching to human nature

I’ve talked about Human Nature here before, but now I’m of the mind to start the switch to this beauty line and completely commit to HN, at least for hair and facial care. Why not? The products are affordable, locally made, effective, and kind to the environment. It doesn’t work for everyone, however; you need only look at the reviews on their site. For every ten giddy good reviews, there’s bound to be one who will say that the shampoo makes her scalp itch, or the lip balms do nothing at all to her chapped lips. But if it works for you, why not stick with it? I’ve always been wary of products with strong scents – even my nose can tell  they have harsh chemicals that pollute our waters after I rinse them off. Just take our everyday shampoo:

Did you know: Enjoying that foamy lather you get from chemical shampoos? It’s usually from chemical surfactants such as sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and sodium laureth sulfate (SLES). Sure, the lather feels nice but do you ever wonder what happens to all that foam after you rinse it off? It goes back into our rivers and oceans, where it is very toxic to the ecosystem.

In addition, SLS/SLES has been reported by the Environmental Working Group(www.ewg.org) as a moderate hazard to human health. It’s been linked to skin irritation, cancer and organ toxicity. (Source.)

Buying organic is a small step to something good, I think.

So I’ve tried the shampoo and conditioner in Lush Vanilla as well as the Natural Lip Balm and Mineral Blush, and loved them. Here are other products I liked:

Natural Intensive Hair Mask (Rosemary) – Best. Thing. Ever. Has gugo bark, coconut, and avocado. Makes my scalp all tingly and leaves my hair soft and manageable. Amazing product. I’d probably still go to the salon to straighten my hair, but for everything else (hot oil/relax/etc), I’ll just pile this on.

Purifying Facial Scrub – Has real strawberry seeds! This doesn’t foam (which surprised me at first) but it cleans thoroughly and has lessened my blackheads.

Tinted Lip Balm (Island Kiss) – This has peppermint, so leaves my lips with an icy, tingly feel. Perfect for the beach and hot days outdoors. I find that the Natural Lip Balm hydrates more, though.

Sunflower Seed Beauty Oil – Has no other ingredient but high-grade sunflower oil. Has multiple uses:

Our premium and best-selling Sunflower Beauty Oil is 100% Natural and packed with vitamins A, D & E that help moisturize and nourish your skin to give it that healthy glow —without any harmful chemicals. It’s so effective and so versatile, the uses are endless! What kind of miracles, you ask? Well for starters it…
1. Softens and lightens underarms
2. Lightens dark under eye circles
3. Lightens darks spots and pimple marks
4. Under eye moisturizer
5. Prevents and diminishes the appearance of stretch marks
6. Softens feet soles, knees and elbows
7. Removes stubborn makeup
8. Overall body moisturizer
9. Moisturizes dry hair ends
10. Softens the cuticles
11. De-frizzes hair
12. Adds shine to dull hair
13. Relieves itching and inflammation caused by insect bites
14. Nourishes and conditions eyelashes
15. Lightens dark lips
16. Soothes skin after shaving
17. Relieves itchy scalp
18. Soothes skin damaged by sunburn
19. Smoothens skin from shaving
20. Helps soothe rashes
21. Helps heal skin infections
22. Hydrates dry patches

I use this on my eye bags, elbows, and knees, but I should try putting some on my cracked soles.

Bug Shield Lotion – Haven’t used this but heard this is very effective.

If you’re buying their products, take note of the expiration date. Since these products contain natural ingredients, they usually expire a year after purchase.

Click here to order.

Also, HN didn’t pay me to write this! :)