[FREE] My Neighbor Totoro (1998)

So, after such a depressing animation film created by Isao Takahata, let’s go for a friendly family film! Well known for it’s cuteness, the spirit name Totoro makes its debut in Miyzaki’s 1988 film, My Neighbor Totoro! Here’s a fan made trailer:

The film follows when two young daughters of a professor move to the country to be near their ailing mother, they have adventures with friendly wood spirits in postwar rural Japan.

This is a great family film of all ages and I highly recommend this film. Not only does it introduces the ever loving Totoro, but also a tale of two sisters as they venture their backyard and befriends the neighbors, the wood spirits. This heartwarming relationship between humans and spirits demonstrate how innocent kids can believe in to the point to be able to see spirits. Despite how their father and the nanny comments of the nature of spirits, this also shows how as you grow up, what you believe in dwindles with knowledge, neglecting such spirituality.

This iconic Totoro is so popular; you can see products based on this loving spirit in stores as fluffy plushie or even in films or episodes such as South Park and Toy Story 3. If you though those little soot sprites are adorable, you can see them again in Spirited Away.

Otherwise, this film has a cute developing relationship between the older sister and her neighbor as you see more image scenes in the ending. This relationship creates a more of a minor relationship that Miyazaki always creates in almost every movie.  

[FREE] Grave of the Fireflies (1988)

Well I technically lied. A little. I’m a huge fan of Miyazaki’s films but I also love Isao Takahata’s Grave of the Fireflies. This 1988 film is an adaptation of the semi-autobiographical by Akiyuki Nosaka, intended as a personal apology to the author's own sister. When I first watched the film, I was bawling like a baby.  It’s like an animated version of to Steven Spielberg's Schindler's List only set in Japan but same time period. Here’s a trailer:

This animated film was heartwretching for me as it did for Schindler's List, only shorter and setting was at the otherside of the Earth but I cried for 10 minutes after the film. Although both the critics and I did view this film as an anti-war film, Takahata stated that he intended to convey an image of the brother and sister living a failed life due to isolation from the society and invoke sympathy particularly in people in their teens and twenties.

Overall, this film was tale of the relationship between two orphaned children, Seita and his young sister Setsuko as they recalled some of their memories before moving on to the next life. Yes, they died. I cried like crazy when the film ends as the contrast between one family and the orphans’ family after the war ended. It’s like as if that family didn’t even suffer from anything while the orphans had to survive against both the war and their relatives’ neglect. 

Although not as well known to Hayao Miyazaki, both he and Takahata are indeed co-founders of Studio Ghibli. I noticed compared to Takahata, Miyzaki’s films have a lot of adventure and loosely base on novels with his own twist. Although I’m not as certain, it seems like Takahata’s works are more on a realistic level than Miyazaki. Either way, I enjoy both of their works and always look forward to their future projects. If you were deeply moved after watching Schindler's List, this film is for you to watch. There's also a live-action film for you to choose.

[FREE] Castle in the Sky (1986)

 I’m going back in proper order so here’s another movie review: Laputa: Castle in the Sky or Castle in the Sky (1986) in the English version. Yes, I am still in my Ghibli frenzy mode and will be until I have no more movies to review (which hopefully will last the rest of the school year but I highly doubt it).   Here’s your typical trailer! 

Hayao Miyazaki's fantasy adventure Castle in the Sky begins with a chase scene through a flying ship, where all the passengers are after the young girl, Sheeta . Going overboard to avoid capture, Sheeta is rescued by her powerful crystal necklace which floats her down to safety. She's recovered by Pazu , a young resourceful boy who works in a small mining town. Sharing a common desire to see Laputa, the castle in the sky, Pazu and Sheeta team up to outrun the pirates and the military. Led by hard-bitten matriarch Dola , the pirates are a rowdy yet dimwitted group of brothers who are after Laputa's treasure. Led by the greedy yet civilized Muska , the military is after Laputa's secret powers. Everyone races to get to the abandoned castle of Laputa, which has been overgrown with vines and plant life. Its only inhabitants are the animals and robots who protect a magical garden. As the different parties fight over who gets to control Laputa, it's up to Sheeta to use her ancient knowledge to save it from ultimate destruction

Summary courtesy of Fandango.

The theme is somewhat different from Nausicaäof the Valley of the Wind and Princess Mononoke but they all have something related to Mother Nature. Interestingly, the title is also metaphor for a dream or goal, most usually an unobtainable one. I agree with this because no one would think about a floating castle hidden in the hurricane clouds now would you? Also, in search for such an impossible thing would definitely suit the title. This film also centers on Sheeta as one of the main characters, but not so much as the earlier films I reviewed about. I admire Sheeta for her bravery and courage to self improvement to go on an amazing adventure as in search for a floating that could help her discover more of her family’s past.  I guess this somewhat encourages girls out there to have courage, whether you are some typical girl who takes care of her sheep in the mountains. 

              I recommend this adventure film to every one of all ages. It might be not as violent as a typical American action films such as The Dark Knight, but it has a heartwarming event that you would enjoy.  In fact, I will say this to the other previous and future Miyazaki’s films I will review on: watch them!

[FREE] Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)

        Until I run out of Studio Ghibli films to review, the reign of Ghibli remains! So for this week’s movie review, is another one of Miyazaki’s works, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984). Although this movie was created before Studio Ghibli was founded, it’s still considered to be a Ghibli film. Anyways, what’s it about? Here’s a fan-made trailer since I can’t find an original one and it’s not in English but you get the gist of it.


Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind is an animated post-apocalyptic fantasy adventure film Miyazaki’s manga of the same name. The film tells the story of Nausicaä, a young princess of the Valley of the Wind who gets involved into a struggle with Tolmekia, a kingdom who tries to use a warrior to fend off the Ohms. Nausicaä must stop the Tolmekians from killing these insects.

          One of the reasons I decided to review this film was because it’s similar to my previous review, Princess Mononoke (2001). Despite some of the differences in the animation, you’ll definitely enjoy this film just as much as Princess Mononoke. Instead of the destruction of the bond between humans and nature, this is pretty much about the aftermath of that bond between humans and insects, which are the reasons for the near extinction of the human race. Nausicaä, a young princess of small kingdom, the Valley of the Wind, demonstrates courage, integrity, and love for the insects despite the disapprovals. Her kindness towards everyone, even if one that is considered coldhearted to one who the rest of the human race despises, Nausicaä opens her arms in welcome and only wants to bring both the bond between nature and humans back into balance.

        Perhaps some of those things such as a lake full of acid or a poisonous jungle will spread and kill thousands of people might happen to us, especially what we dump everyday with our trash. This film does in a way appreciate nature and what it has to offer us. If you like Princess Mononoke, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind is a great film to follow up, with similar ideas, but different plots, and a different heroine character. Once again, it’s a family film like the rest of the films I reviewed before (except Princess Mononoke is a tiny bit gruesome with severed limbs) so all ages will definitely enjoy.

[FREE] Princess Mononoke (1997)

Since last week’s post was about Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Away (2001), might as well post another movie review on his previous works. Whenever I hear the term “epic”, then I’ll pretty much be expecting something amazing. Before I looked up the movie online, I agree that Princess Mononoke (1997) deserves that term. Even in our current time, the film still gained recognition as one of the highest grossing movies until Titanic was released in Japan. It’s also the second longest animation film to this day! And no wonder; this film is definitely worth to watch!
Here's a trailer :

Princess Mononoke is a period drama set specifically in the late Muromachi period of Japan but with numerous fantastical elements. The story concentrates on involvement of the outsider Ashitaka in the struggle between the supernatural guardians of a forest and the humans of the Iron Town who consume its resources. There can be no clear victory, and the hope is that relationship between humans and nature is cyclical.

Want to read more? Here's the link from Wikipedia

Just like Spirited Away, I absolutely recommend watching this amazing animation. This film gives viewers the relationship between man and nature that’s pretty much similar to what we have today. As we continue to advance in technology, our sense in nature also gradually decreases. Despite our petitions to preserve what’s left of Mother Nature, Mother Nature itself is steadily diminishing. The film shows how god-like animals such as the wolf gods continuously defend the Forest as Irontown continues to wage war against both Mother Nature’s creatures and humans.

Although there are some minor inappropriate graphic scenes (severing limbs), I would guess there are some age limits. Other than the plot, this film (and the rest of the Studio Ghibli’s films) has an amazing soundtrack. If you love instrumental soundtracks like me, this film has some great tunes . With both Miyazaki’s and the wonderful music from Joe Hisaishi, this film (along with the rest of the work and future works) demonstrates the true essence in animation originality.

[FREE] Spirited Away (2001)

Now that I’m back to blogging, I’m going to blog something I spent my summer rather than getting a job or working on college applications: watching movies! Rather reviewing a typical recent movie from the big screen, Spirited Away will be on the spotlight of my blog for this week.

Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Away (2001) tells the story of Chihiro, a sullen ten-year-old girl who, in the process of moving to a new neighborhood, becomes trapped in an alternate reality that is inhabited by spirits and monsters. After her parents are transformed into pigs by the witch Yubaba, Chihiro takes a job working in Yubaba's bathhouse in order to find a way to free herself and her parents and escape back to the human world. Here's the full summary from  Wikipedia

This heartwarming tale reminded of me as a child, where I would either imagine or dream myself in another world, whether it could be an adventure or in my ideal place of comfort. This film also set in a view when a child faces a change in their life, such as moving to a different city, going to a different school, and meeting new friends. In the beginning, Chihiro was brooding over the moving and dislikes change, but after this adventure, she learns that no matter where she is, her friends are always with her and overcoming the new change will be just another step in growing up. I also like how there’s a light romance between Chihiro and the male protagonist, Haku. Like most of Miyazaki’s films, there’s no happy ending that involves the two of them. Even so, I strongly encourage to watch this film, whether young or old!

The Lightning Thief pt.3

Continuing from the previous lit circle of The Lightning Thief...Once again, wow. I am absolutely in love with the series. I also love how Riordan shows how the gods' personality would be like such as Zeus's arrogance, Poseidon's patience, Ares's boldness. It definitely shows how the gods also have human emotions, yet still have their superiority over the mortals. I didn't include this, but during a sidetrack quest from Ares, it's amusing how it included the relationship between Ares, Aphrodite, and Hephaestus.  I really like how there were more than just the "Big Three" gods that were the main gods. I see that adding another god that suddenly shows up buying the three journeyers cheeseburgers and fries at some restaurant gives it an amusing scene to imagine. Other than that, from the third section of the book (sadly) concludes this novel. It tells the remainder of the main quest and the conclusion of the situation between Percy's father, Zeus and Hades (turns out he was also included in this problem). Despite of the prophecy given to Percy, it wasn't exactly finished. Even though it was said that Percy will succeeded the quest, there was the other half to be the fulfill and that would be the one who started, the lightning thief, which they revealed himself/herself after the quest was over, and it ends up with Percy's decision on whether or not he continues to stays at Camp Halfblood or goes home and returns back to the camp during the summer. I'm grateful that Riordan included a prophecy because if not, the novel could've stop right there and now. My thoughts now after I finished the book are: to watch the movie and compare and wait for the second novel. I think my group will probably regret reading this awesome book. They might've been just like me: way too excited on waiting to read the next book and watching the movie.     As for my quote, I have chosen this (with great difficulty). "You have no faith," Echidna told me. "You do not ... trust the gods. I cannot blame you, little coward. Better you die now. Thegods are faithless. The poison is in your heart." You bring up a good point, Echidna. One of the biggest things that Percy has to learn over the course of his quest is faith: faith in himself and faith in the gods. And, boy, does he do a good job of learning this. How does faith work? Can you just say you are going to believe in the gods and then believe in them? How does Percy gain faith in himself and in the gods?

Manga: Emerging

    I think this is the first actually blog post where I'm not mentioning from something coming from a book, history,or movie. However it is a book, to be more specific, it's a manga. If you really do not know what a manga, it's basically like a comic book, mostly read from right to left, and the art is Japanese style. For some reason, unlike most people who would read the most popular one like Naruto or Bleach, I'll be blogging about the manga series Emerging. It's not popular, doesn't have many readers, and sorry for your disappointment, nor does it have a lot of chapters to read (only has sixteen chapters so far). However, it stands out in its own unique way. It was released last year in 2009 and the author and artist is Hokazono Masaya, who has known for these genres: drama, horror, and seinen (a class of manga written for an older male audience). I didn't really pay attention to the seinen part, so I continue to read the series.
    Coming from the summary from the website I was reading, it says this: Japan is a brilliant model of Asian success and obligation. But how would this country manage a large-scale sanitary crisis? What would happen in Shinjuku, one of Tokyo's biggest districts, if a man exploded in the street during broad daylight? How would the political and sanitation authorities manage such a crisis? Please consider this question as long as you can--because it's already too late for professors Onodera and Sekiguchi! Is an emerging virus slowly spreading itself into the arteries of the Japanese capital? I was intrigued with what it has to say and decided to read it. Boy was I hooked, I have idea why, but I highly doubt many people would like reading this manga, especially if it can actually be true.
The reason why I decided to blog about this series is because this type of manga should be taken seriously, or not. It shows how there is a possibility for a new unknown virus and can happen any part of the world. To those who are interested in reading this series, here's the link:
    Also, if you finish reading this series and want a similar one, here's one called Bloody Monday. It is greatly similar to Emerging, but has terrorism involved with the situation. This is the summary: A virus deal clinched in Russia on the Christmas eve. Purpose: unknown. Two clues: a mysterious lady "Maya", one of the reasons it happened, and "Bloody Monday", the keyword for the project. Then an incident happened in far-distant city of Tokyo. Fujimaru Takagi, a second year student at Mishiro Gakuin high school, is commissioned to find out the truth by the Public Security Intelligence Agency, for his great ability as a super hacker. Now, Maya approaching to Fujimaru as his high school teacher... Honestly, I really like reading this series. It's also lucky that it's completed so I won't go crazy waiting for it to update weekly (or monthly) for new releases. It you are done with BOTH series, there is still the newly released sequel of Bloody Monday, called Bloody Monday 2.

Here are the links if you are interested:
Emerging: click here
Bloody Monday: click here
Bloody Monday 2: click here

Bánh Xèo

Once again, I am running our of ideas and my dear hero (my own mother) saved me once more. This topic will be one of Vietnamese popular dishes: Bánh xèo.   

Bánh xèo (literally "sizzling cake") are Vietnamese savoury (meaning salty, not like American ones that are usually sweet) pancakes made out of rice flour, water, (optional) chopped green onions, and turmeric powder or coconut milk  (in the Southern regions), stuffed with thin slices of fatty pork, shrimp and bean sprouts and then pan fried. Traditionally, they are served wrapped in mustard leaf, lettuce leaves, and stuffed with mint leaves, basil, fish leaf and/or other herbs, and dipped in a prepared nuoc mam (Vietnamese fish sauce thinned with water and lemon). In the Central region, the pancake is dipped in a special 'tuong' sauce which consists of liver, hoisin sauce and garlic.

Southern style Bánh xèo are larger compared to the small pan-fried versions in the Central regions. Called "banh khoai" or stuffed omelette (even though the batter doesn't include eggs), today it is one of the best known dishes from the Central region. It made with rice flour and flavoured with cumin, it is fried until deliciously crispy around the edges in pans over charcoal burners. It is filled with little mounds of pounded pork, egg, shrimps, a few bean sprouts and some mashed green beans, and then folded over. To eat it, a piece is broken off with chopsticks and wrap it in fresh mustard greens with fresh herb leaves, slices of green banana and green fig, and dip it in a sauce (called 'tuong') which consists of liver, hoisin sauce and garlic.

The fresh herbs, which include the spicy, red-tinged cumin leaf, help to reduce any oiliness in the fried dish, as does the sourness of the banana and fig, which are also digestive aids.

At home, my family prepares bánh xèo in a similiar matter. However, the sauces are just a possibility for the consumer's desire on flavor. Nuoc mam is the most commonly used sauce to dipped with and and is easier to eat with other than the tuong sauce. Most people usually claim that nuoc nam is the best use because of its light flavor. Nuoc mam is has some fishy, but zesty taste to compliment the savoury aroma of bánh xèo.

This is a great dish and it is recommended to all to eat. It's also usually eaten with LOTS of greens and herbs, depending on how much flavor should be added. When making it, its best (recommended more like) to cook it without the greens. Remember, most Vietnamese eat fresh greens, so most cooked foods are usually eaten with a huge amount or fresh herbs, red lettuce leaves, etc. Some prefer cooked so it is an option on whether you wanted your greens to be cooked or not. I'm not sure about how it is in Vietnamese restaurants, but if you do order bánh xèo, it is usually cooked in Southern style.

This information is from Wikipedia : Bánh Xèo
And here's a recipe if you want to try making this at home: recipe

The Lightning Thief pt. 2

Continuing from the previous lit circle letter of The Lightning Thief...
      Wow. I was definitely surprised. There were so much going already that I can make a long list of events that happened. This is only the second part of the novel. So based on the little summary from the back of the book, Percy finds out his his true heritage, being a demi-god (again, means half god, half human), his mother being human and his father being the god of the sea, Poseidon. After that, being aware of his father's situation with his uncle, Zeus, he then goes on a journey with his guardian and best friend, a satyr named Grover Underwood, and another fellow demi-god named Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena, goddess of wisdom (or what is referred in this novel, but is also goddess of civilization, strength, strategy, craft, justice, and skill in Greek mythology) With the suspicion of Hades, his other uncle's involvement of the stolen master bolt, the three of them travel across the United States with only ten days to complete the quest: retrieve the master bolt before a war between the gods begin. To me, this is definitely quite a load on Peter, especially since he doesn't know much of the world of the gods. It's like seeing him as an innocent little sheep walking into wolf's lair. In either case, he still continues onward to the heart of the Underworld, which apparently is located in L.A. (Los Angeles, very amusing) despite of being attacked by his math teacher again, Medusa (yes, the Medusa), a chimera,and being sidetracked by the ever god of warfare (I prefer god of blood lust), Ares. Surprisingly, the second section of the book packs a lot of action in just a mere one hundred- twenty five pages. I couldn't believe there how Riordan was able to squeeze that much things happening on in that short amount of pages. With such a cliffhanger at the end of the second section, I'm really tempted to read what happens at the end.
       As for my quote that I have chosen, I want to make a small comment on this.
"I'm not saying hello to a pink poodle." "Percy, I said hello to the poodle. You say hi to the poodle."
Honestly, I was laughing a lot. After facing so many challenges that just keeps going at Percy, Annabeth, and Grover, meeting a pink poodle was just...unexpected. Apparently the pink poodle was just helping out the trio when they were a bit stuck on getting money to continue their quest towards L.A., where the Underworld lies...

Vietnamese Dessert

   I got bored and have no idea on what to blog...again. It's like writer's block but it's just the topics I'm stuck about. Luckily, mother to the rescue! With her amazing cooking skills, I decided to write about Vietnamese food once again! But I did a lot of the popular ones, so I decide to blog about Vietnamese desserts. Not hard since I eat them constantly and surprisingly, I'm not getting any cavities with the load of desserts I'm stuffing myself in. Anyways, make to the topic.
 
    Che is a Vietnamese sweet dessert soup/beverage/pudding, usually made from beans (e.g. kidney beans, mung beans, etc.) and sticky rice, served in a glass over ice and eaten with a spoon (pretty obvious). It's gelatinous and perfect for the summer. However, there are varieties where you can eat it when it's hot so it's also perfect for the winter, even though it's not exactly cold over in Vietnam, but in other locations that can be extremely cold. Personally, I think most ches include these ingredients:bananas, coconut milk, pearl tapioca, sweet yam or yucca root vermicelli and/or sugar. The most popular che that you will find every Vietnamese restaurant is Che Ba Mau, which translates to three color dessert. It consists of brown (or red) beans, yellow mung bean, and green jelly, sometimes served with coconut milk and ice, or just ice. Sometimes, it is known as Rainbow Drink/Dessert for its colors. Personally, along with Che Ba Mau, another favorite I have is called Che Dau Xanh, which translates to green bean dessert (buy really, it's mung beans). It's very simple to make, yet very delicious, and you can practically make it yourself at home (if you have the ingredients). Here's a link: Che Dau Xanh Recipe

     Other than that, there are other desserts such as Xôi, which is a sweet or savory Vietnamese dish made from glutinous rice and other ingredients. Although it is often served as a dessert, in many mountainous areas in Vietnam, people eat xôi as a main dish. I personally like my xôi to be savory, topped with Chinese sausage, fragrant friend onions, and dried shrimps..-drools- Xôi that are sweet are usually have a different color like it could be entirely orange or green. You see more sweet xôi rather than savory ones in markets, but there are some in Vietnamese sandwich shops. However, savory ones are usually made at home and is more easier to make than the sweet ones.
    One of the terms that can confuse people are that Vietnamese use the term bánh because it translates loosely as "cake" or "bread". Like xôi, bánh refers to a wide variety of sweet or savoury, distinct flavored cakes, buns, pastries, sandwiches, and food items from Vietnamese cuisine, which may be cooked by steaming, baking, frying, deep-frying, or boiling. Foods made from rice or wheat flour are generally called bánh, but the term may also refer to certain varieties of noodle and fish cake dishes.

These Vietnamese terms can get confusing, but you understand the words after them, you would know whether or not it is savory or sweet. Even if you do make a mistake, just eat it. There are a lot of kinds of Vietnamese desserts, so it doesn't hurt to try.

The Lightning Thief pt.1

Since I was unable to convince anyone from my previous group partners to read the book, I'll read this myself.The book I am reading is The Lightning Thief written by Rick Roirdan. This is a the first fantasy novel of the series. It tells a tale of a twelve year old boy named Percy Jackson, who was diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia and have always cause trouble and always end up getting kicked out for strange things happening around him. After discovering his true heritage and the reason behind for all the incidents involving him, a new world opens for him. Because of his father, he is being blamed by the Zeus for stealing his prized master bolt, known for blowing Kronos up into thousand pieces and it's up to him to retrieve the master bolt in order to prove his innocence and his father, Poseidon. Now as he travels west, he is a target for mythical monsters that are supposedly come from myths and encounters other mythical and godly beings. With ten days to complete his quest before an unnecessary war breaks out, he travels with a satyr named Grover Underwood and Annabeth Chase, a fellow demigod (half god, half human) and daughter of Athena.




Of course, since it is the first novel, the first section of the book is the daily life of Percy Jackson. However, it was kind of unexpected that there would be some situation for Peter in the next couple of pages of reading. Also, right from the beginning there were some great use of Greek mythology and a new variation of a creature (possibly from the a Greek creature, the chimera) has been created. I am already hooked to this book and I only read one hundred-twenty five pages. What I wonder is will Percy figure out his heritage right after that situation or would he facing more dangers before that?



At the beginning, this is how Percy thinks about when he found out he was a demigod (half mortal, half god or in simple words: half-blood).

"Being a half-blood is dangerous. It's scary. Most of the time, it gets you killed in painful, nasty ways."

Percy can't choose to be half-blood. It chooses him. His mom tries to choose a normal life for him for years, but the situation is beyond her control. Percy's destiny is wrapped up in the fact that he is half-human and half-god. When he tells us that being a half-blood is dangerous, he is talking from the perspective of someone who has just returned from a quest. We're getting his perspective on the quest after he's completed it and is able to reflect on it.

Catching Fire : Monthly Review

    Catching Fire is the second novel from The Hunger Games series written by Suzanne Collins. This science fiction novel continues the story of Katniss Everdeen, a young teenager who just survived from the annual event: the Hunger Games. However, it seems like her actions from saving her and a fellow District 12 tribute, Peeta Mellark, from the previous book, The Hunger Games, spark some rebellion among the other districts against the Capitol... Now, back in the Games once again, she and and Peeta faces new dangers, new allies, new enemies, and maybe face the biggest one yet.
    The character I'm interested in other than the main character, Katniss Everdeen, is the one of the supporting characters, Finnick. On his "introduction", my first impression of Finnick was like "did he win by seducing other tributes with his looks or something?" This twenty-four year old man shows a "sexy guy" to the the fans and viewers and is from District 4. Other than the fact that he was well known for his looks, he was one of the youngest Hunger Games victors, winning at the age of fourteen. Because he is from District 4, which was in charge of fishing, his abilities were one include fishing. His other talents include using the trident and trapping his enemies with his handmade nets. Besides his outlooks, he really is a caring person and despite the fact where he "sleeps with other people", he actually is in love with a contestant from the same district as him. Of course, the reader would assume it would be some busty girl with incredible looks.  However, the girl, name Alice, was actually had a mental disorder that was caused when she was in the games. With such a traumatic experience, she was never the same before. Other than that, not much is really known how Finnick fell in love with her. It shows he is not just some flirty guy that has no feelings of real love. I admire how he stays calm, but it shows he is human when he heard a mockingjay with the same scream as Alice's. Everyone has someone or something to care about and for him, it was the mental girl that no one would whom Finnick fell in love with. I also see how despite of his outer personality, he shows deep concern for others and trys his hardest.
    In my opinion, the weakness of the book will probably how long it took to start the next stage of the book. I was somewhat disappointed, but I will continue reading the book. Half the book was about the rough life back in Katniss's district, while the other half was when she was back in the Hunger Games. I think there has some meaning on how it Katniss's life has changed after the Hunger Games, but I don't think it was necessary to extend that far as half the book. Also, I was interested in how the Hunger Games will turn out. The results were pretty interesting, but I was somewhat disappointed, especially I was awaiting for a certain character's death. I think the character's death should remain dead, showing more of Katniss's dramatic emotional change. However, if that did happen, there would be few changes, but I would really want to see that. There weren't really a lot of deaths that would affect the characters, so there wasn't such a big emotional change for them. As for some of the characters in the story, I really so not see ANY progress or any improvement whatsoever throughout the first and the second novels. I thought there will be some use for them later in the story, but I will hope there will be in the last of the trilogy. As for the main character, I like how Collins shows the somewhat changes in her personality before and after her first experience in the Hunger Games from the first book at the beginning of the second book. However, Collins didn't have any changes in the character, Peeta's personality after the Hunger Games other than having some nightmares that barely had any affect on him. He seems all calm and doesn't show any much difference after such a traumatic experience other than finding his other talents (decorating cookies and painting).
    Other than Catching Fire, I have read the first of the trilogy, The Hunger Games. Compared to this, I actually prefer The Hunger Games probably because there were more plot than the second book. However,  I do see that the whole point of the second book was like a starter for the main plot of the trilogy. In the first novel, there was a lot of suspense and action, no wonder it will be a movie soon. The second book doesn't show much suspense and action until the second half of the book. What it did focused on more on the first half would be the development of Katniss's changed lifestyle back at home and her feelings towards to some of the close characters. In the first book, it shows what Katniss's life is like before facing such a traumatic experience. The second book shows how The Hunger Games affected Katniss both physically and mentally. I like how there was a before and after affect of the tournament. However, I am not satisfied with one of the character's before and after effect. I also see how much the Games affected her so much as to the point where she can't really let her guard down like how she was afraid that is she were to enter the game again, she cannot rely on her allies or she'll die, unlike a certain character. Catching Fire is just as terrifyingly good as the first book, but it delves even more into the history and politics of the Capitol and the Districts, and you'll discover the lengths the Capitol is willing to go to in order to crush any sign of a rebellion. As for both of the books of the series, Hunger Games series perfect for its intended audience, and a very refreshing change from all the paranormal romance garbage that's currently being cranked out of the publishing houses for young adults.

Catching Fire pt.3

Continuing to the third part of Catching Fire...
    At last! The 75th Hunger Games starts! But will the result be the same as the first book, leaving both Katniss and Peeta winning the game again? This question will probably remained until I finished the book.There were some unexpected events such as teaming up with the other previous victors. There was also the fact that Katniss got more protective towards Peeta rather more than what I expected. Katniss has become more cautious of the people who team with her more than the last book. She actually expected betrayal from her new teammates and thought about how she was going to kill them. She has really become one of the previous victors, unlike Peeta, who only has nightmares and pretty much isn't cautious as Katniss. I personally think that Peeta isn't as aware of survival facts and I think he's more innocent compared to Katniss during the Hunger Games. I'm starting to really mixing up the roles like Peeta is the "damsel in distress" while Katniss is like his "knight and shining armor". I feel that Peeta doesn't seem to changed whatsoever during the book, which is very unlike most other books I have read before. I also think that the start of the rebellion is only on stage one of the event and will continue on the next and last book: Mockingjay. I will definitely wait for the book, which will release in August 2010. To my partners, you already know the fact that Peeta...DIED -celebrates- until he revives....made me really disappointed. I never expected the author to actually grant my wish for him to die (this sounds very mean) but I loved reading that part! That was also my favorite part of the entire book! Ok, I think I went a little to far with my wish for Peeta's death...
My question: Are you going to wait for the last book, Mockingjay?

Catching Fire pt. 1 and 2

    Catching Fire, written by Suzanne Collins continues the trilogy of Katniss Everdeen, a young teenager who just survived from the annual event: the Hunger Games. However, it seems like her actions from saving her and a fellow District 12 tribute, Peeta Mellark, from the previous book, The Hunger Games, spark some rebellion among the other districts against the Capitol...
    So far, from what I read, is just basically like the first book, Katniss's daily life in her home district, District 12, with some new changes such as how she doesn't see much of her hunting partner and best friend, Gale, and her new home with her mother and younger sister, Prim. I also noticed how much did Collins wrote a lot about the events from the first book. I honestly think there was a bit too much. I do understand for those who haven't read the first book, but still, there were some unnecessary amounts of previous events into the second book. I have a feeling the second book is mainly going to cover the first book mixing in with the new events. I'm actually surprised with Katniss's indecisive actions towards the threat coming from President Snow about Gale. This shows a strong bond between Katniss and Gale. I mean, she needs to declare her love towards Peeta instead the other way around to save Gale's life and possibly, his family's lives as well. Even though both Gale and Katniss's physical appearances are very similar that they could consider to be brother/sister or relative, they show a strong  bond towards each other. In some way, it seems like they are siblings, but they don't have much of those emotions, but more like so close, there might be a future relationship among them, if there wasn't the fact that Katniss has to publicly love Peeta for the Capitol. So here's my question: Do you think there is a future love relationship between Katniss and Gale, or the 'fake' relationship between Katniss and Peeta becoming real?

From the second part of the Catching Fire,  
I honestly can't believe that those handful of berries resulting the spark of a future rebellion against the Capitol. I mean, the rebellion could have acted up a lot sooner than now, but I guess it's aprt of the plot. And if there was a rebellion going one, not much a plot is going on and not much of a book to read either. As for the future relationship between Katniss and Gale, there is still a chance for one, but for some reason, I don't think there might be. As for her 'star crossed lover', I don't see much of a development between them, other than the fact that Katniss rely on Peeta during those nightmares she gets. I honestly hope the relationship will not go further than that, but I highly doubt it, probably because the author might just created Gale as an older brother model rather than Katniss's love interest.  I think the author is just using Gale as a love triangle formation between him, Katniss, and Peeta, to "spice up" the romance, adding more problems for our dear main character. I also love the fact that the author decided to have some of the new characters introduced themselves by teasing Katniss. It's pretty amusing and it shows her other side, being more feminine than she already is. At the beginning, being "innocent" doesn't exactly add up to her and her tomboyish side, up until some minor teasing. I can understand how Katniss right now is facing: going through another Hunger Game even though she is suppose to be done with, competing against other victors, who are could possibly be more experienced in killing than her, displaying her 'affections' towards Peeta because of their engagement, and the very thought of a rebellion caused by her berries adds up a lot of different emotions mixing up tremendously. I still can't believe the game still hasn't started! Maybe the game doesn't end by the time I finish reading the rest of the novel....

Monthly Review: The Hunger Games

      The Hunger Games is a science fiction tale of a young teenage girl living in a post-apocalyptic world, taking on an annual tournament called The Hunger Games. To survive and win the tournament, she must kill twenty four other contestants, including her new friend from her own hometown. Suzanne Collins's thrilling trilogy tells of how a girl alone will become greater than what she seems and does what she can to survive: kill or be killed....

      In my opinion, The Hunger Games is intended for young adults, ranging from ages 11-16. However, I think if you are a pretty advanced reader, I would think around fourth-fifth grade is when you can read the book with not many problems on the vocabulary. There is also the fact there are some slow readers that have trouble of the vocabulary and would take a longer amount of time to finish the book, so this shows the ranges vary to other readers' views. I would describe it as an 'average' book, can be difficult, can be easy. It is a science fiction, so for those who love fiction and some twist of science, this book is definitely for you. However, it has more fiction in itself and new technology, mutations, and some other varieties tying with science. The novel creates suspense, contains philosophy,adventure,and romance. The combination of these beings you in the book, knowing exactly what the main character is thinking, feeling, and acting. I for one, did not expect there would be any romance because of its suspense and adventure, to think there would be romance seems surprising. For those who think there would be some intense romance bond between the characters within the story, I'm disappointed to say, the romance is pretty bleak. I like the fact there is somewhat a love triangle between, a best friend, the main character, and her 'star-crossed lover.' I hope there might be more complexity among the love triangle, such as new character in the next book to strained them.The combination of suspense and adventure of this novel grabs the reader's attention, so much that they might even finish the book in less than a day! I personally recommend this book to everyone so much that I can guarantee, with finishing up The Hunger Games, you'll be yearning for more to read.

     Of course, the character is the main character, Katniss Everdeen. Katniss is a sixteen year old girl who is given birth from her father, a coal miner, and her mother,a daughter from a middle class family. She attends a secondary school somewhere in Appalachia, known in the book as District 12 the mining sector. She has a quiet nature, prefers to stay away from the gossip group. Katniss appears to be slender with black hair, gray eyes and olive skin and can be her best friend and hunting partner, Gale's sister because of their similarities.She is well known among the district for her ability to provide highly prized and illegal game to the community and supporting her family when they are at a brink from death from starvation. She is also an remarkable archer, gatherer, and trapper, coming from her father. She is very protective to her little twelve year old sister, Prim and would do anything to ensure her sister. Unfortunately, she cannot save Prim from the reaping, but volunteer in her place in the Hunger Games. Katniss resents her mother because due to her father's death from a mine explosion, her mother's depression affected her parenting, resulting to them in brink of starvation. She also resents the Capitol for their treatment towards her district, developing a strong political sense. What I admire about Katniss is how she faces her problems head on without regrets. The problems she faced that she had a hard time deciding was on her life and her family. This shows that she is still human, having mistakes and doesn't always do what she wanted or planned to do. I can see how Gale and Peeta fell in love with her, but she is pretty dense when it comes to love, so the romance was somewhat a disappointment.

     Collins's style in writing is very active, drawing the reader into the story itself. I also think it seems somewhat like J.K. Rowling's writing style. Both shows both the main character's emotions and actions, but Collin's main character, Katniss, is narrating the story instead of third person point of view. Collin's style in writing deals with the situations from both suspense and romance,so it shows a mixture of emotions for Katniss. J,K Rowlng's style is like that, for both have a lot of descriptions on the scenery is like, giving off a visionary for the reader and to in a somewhat drawing trance of the their fictional world. Every word, every sentence, every dialogue propels the story forward and all we can do is hold on. Just enough back story is layered with some unusual technology that we do not have to day such as mockingjays or force fields. With a touch of science, it displays a somewhat difference with J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter. With the vague descriptions of how the survival game is intact, I enjoy how the exact it will be if you were in in a tournament like Katniss was in. I assume Collins's well written survival game is probably well researched and what the characters' future actions could be like with the similarities of the real survival game. Also, I admire Collin's creation of her fictional post-apocalyptic world. However, I do wonder whether or not Collins's ideas were in a somewhat based on Rowling's Harry Potter, but I still love reading this book. There are other people who might have done a similar plot line like Rowling's, but there are some originality qualities to it to make their plot unique in its special way. If I have to pick between these two fantastic authors, I think I won't able to because of their remarkably similar writing style.

Hunger Games pt.3

For the final part of The Hunger Games,
I didn't annotate much on the third section because due to the plot reaching its climax, it's pretty pointless and its better not to stop time to time to keep track of what's going on.
I really do admire Katniss's strong will despite of all the events she is going through. With her outgoing personality, I'm pretty surprised at how she didn't really breakdown during the game such as seeing her new comrade Rue being killed in front of her and the times where Peeta was close to death and her inability to help ease his pain. What I dislike is how practically useless Peeta really is. I know I sound really mean and I can see how the author is thinking about; most girls in the novels have a weak but a somewhat strong personality, but Katniss shows how girls can truly be. And with one strong character, there should be a main character that happens to have that weak persona. And who is that character? Peeta. He's describe as what a usual female character is like in a novel. I thought 'maybe Peeta will change during the Game and not depending on Katniss's aid'. Wrong. He remains like that and the only thing he really does are his declarations of love towards Katniss. Also, I wonder why did Collins created the character, Gale? Maybe another love interest for Katniss or maybe he might have another role in the next book. He wasn't mentioned a lot other than what Katniss thinks of him, and he only played a minor role. Other than that, I think I'll read the next book: Catching Fire.
My questions are: How do you like the ending? Do you think Katniss will end up with Peeta for real, not for the audience? Are you satisfied with just reading only the first book or will continue reading the next book? Overall, do you think that this is a good end and you are done with the series?

*OMG it's LATE O__O

Hunger Games pt.2

Continuing from The Hunger Games,
How I annotated the second section of the book was the major events that are taking place in the chapter, so when I do come back to reading, I would remember what I read so far. I also recorded my reactions towards the events where I think I was pretty surprised with, especially with Katniss's unexpected actions.
The parts of the book I like was how clever of Katniss to ridden herself of tracker jackers by cutting their hollow nest directly below the group of candidates that were hunting her. I can tell Katniss has a good heart, despite of being one of the contestants, Rue, she was only a twelve year old, like her younger sister who was to be the actual candidate, Prim; Katniss treated her as if she was Rue was Prim. There was the time when she was going to be killed because of Peeta, but when she found Peeta slowly dying from a wound caused by a boy candidate named Cato, she treated his wound, despite of how disgusting it was or how she always stay clear from critical wounds the miners her mother would take care of.
What I was confused about was this: Why did Peeta join the group of candidates in hunting the other stray ones? Is this to hunt down Katniss? Is it because she had an eleven on her score with the Gamemakers that was the reason for his envy? How about Rue, why did she trust Katniss so much, that she willingly accepted Katniss's invitation in teaming up with her to defeat the career candidates? Was Katniss that trustworthy in your opinion?
Other than that here's more questions: What do you think about Peeta's actions? Is it wise for Katniss to trust Rue and Peeta again despite of his betrayal?

Italian Desserts

I feel like talking about food again, but this time, it's going to be desserts. Yum! So, this dessert topic will be: famous Italian desserts.

One of them I'm writing about is tiramisu, which I think its delicious (maybe its because of the fragrant coffee flavor) and you find it anywhere, for me, it's at Tomatina! Anyways, tiramisu is an Italian dessert consisting of layers of sponge cake or soaked with coffee and brandy or liqueur layered with mascarpone cheese and topped with grated chocolate.  It can also be made of savoiardi (otherwise known as lady finger biscuits) dipped in espresso or strong coffee or rum, layered with a whipped mixture of egg yolks, mascarpone cheese, sugar, and topped with cocoa.The recipe has been adapted into cakes, puddings, and other varieties of dessert.This famous dessert may have originated in Siena where it was first made for the benefit of Duke Cosimo de Medici.

 Have you ever tasted fruitcake? Surprisingly, if you ate or heard of it, there's another name for it: panettone and it is orginated in Italy. For those who never heard of it or haven't tried it before, it is a cake made with chopped candied fruit and/or dried fruit, nuts, and spices. They are often served in celebration of weddings and Christmas. Also, the phrase is used metaphorically in two ways: To describe one of weak or frail characteristics that do not uphold the expectations of others; and to describe one as "off one's rocker" or as one who has "lost one's marbles".

Another common dessert, ice cream, has another name or version called gelato. Gelato is an Italian variant of ice cream made from milk and sugar, combined with other flavorings. The ingredients are super-cooled while stirring to break up ice crystals as they form. Milk, cream, various sugars, flavoring including fruit and nut purees are usually the main ingredients.

I haven't tried it before but heard of a famous dessert called cannoli. Cannoli is a dessert that consists of deep fried pasta shells filled with a sweet ricotta cheese mixture. Candied fruit and chocolate pieces can be mixed with the filling and the ends are dipped in chopped pistachios. The Cannoli is the most famous of the Sicilian desserts and can be found in virtually every Italian pasticceria. At one time Cannoli were a gift given amongst friends during Carnevale, but have since gained worldwide recognition and numerous delicious variations.

Not much is known but it is a pretty famous dessert: Torta di Pere. The Torta di Pere is consists of ladyfingers brushed with pear syrup, sliced poached pears, mascarpone cheese & sweet marsala, and topped with toasted sliced almonds.

Overall, I have tried most of these desserts. The ones I haven't are one I have heard about is quite famous, just not around my area, but I bet it is elsewhere. I highly recommend to try these desserts and maybe comment me about them? I bet there are other famous Italian desserts, but the ones I listed are what I hear or ate before are the ones in my opinion. Just don't take my words for granted.

The Hunter Games pt. 1

Well, my group is reading The Hunger Games by New York Times bestselling author, Suzanne Collins. Before I read the book, based on the panel, its about a girl taking care of her mother and sister, who took her sister's place in the Games. Apparently, it also contains parts of suspense, philosophy, adventure, and romance.
Up to where I am reading, I say it is basically describes how the main character, Katniss Everdeen, and her daily routines in her hometown, District 12, a poor town filled with coal miners. As it goes on, she talks about her relations to the people around the Seam and this 'special' event called the Hunger Games, hence the title of the book. As I read the book, I was curious of how the Capitol shows it superiority by funding this hunter game. I at first assumed might involve hunting as a special event until I realize this: it is a hunting game, BUT you are not just killing the animals, you are to survive and kill the contestants from each district to win the game. Once this hit my on the head, I thought the game might involve cannibalism, but I have yet to know, since I'm just reading the events before the game started.
I really like the description of the main character's memories and her personality, as if you can vision her almost the same as the author might have. So far, it shows her reactions toward the major events such as her sister being picked for the Games and the other contestant in her district, Peeta, admits falling in love with her. Unfortunately, the first section ends there, so there is a bit of suspense stopping there. The one question for my partners is this:

* How will the other contestants react towards Peeta's confession? Will he be the first target once the game starts?