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Women in Love – by D.H. Lawrence
Book Title: WOMEN IN LOVE Author: D. H. LAWRENCE After reading this book my first reaction was, should the title have been “MEN IN LOVE” instead of “WOMEN IN LOVE”? Are you curious now? Then go check this out, read the book and you will find out what I mean. ***
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Thomas Hardy – The Return of the Native
I have been reading Classic books these months and thankfully have finished Thomas Hardy’s THE RETURN OF THE NATIVE. At times I found this book so boring that I had to skip some words. But my view changed after watching the movie adaptation featuring Catherine Zeta-Jones and Clive Owen. Hmm, shall I read The Return of the Native again? ***
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My kababayans on a cruise ship
During my recent travel to Greece on a cruise, I did not feel lonely at all especially since there were hundreds of my kababayans working onboard the Celestyal Olympia cruise ship who made me feel at home. They took care of me and even spoilt me throughout my journey. Most of all, especially since I travel solo on this trip, there is nothing like conversing with your fellow countryfolks using your local dialect on foreign land, and in this case, on a foreign sea. Maraming Salamat po sa inyong lahat mga Kabayan. Mabuhay po kayo Thank you Celestyal Olympia for the unforgettable and awesome experience from the time I checked…
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“The Dictionary of Lost Words” by Pip Williams
THE DICTIONARY OF LOST WORDS is a book by Pip Williams. It is one of the books that I enjoyed reading. To me, the plot is not really that exciting, but it helped me a lot to appreciate the value of “words”. I utterly admire the people behind the production of Dictionaries, those who started the task, especially on the Oxford English Dictionary. Hats off to the men and women who painstakingly devoted their lives to recording and compiling both spoken and written words. Kudos!
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“CIRCE” by Madeline Miller
“A golden cage is still a cage.” CIRCE, a book by Madeline Miller is an enticing tale of Circe, a goddess and a witch where we as mere mortals can empathize with some of her experiences.
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“The Song of Achilles” – Madeline Miller
Book title: The Song of Achilles Author: Madeline Miller Comment: I just love how the tale of Achilles and Patroclus is presented and immortalized in this book. It’s just so touching… There is FOREVER rin pala! Yes, there is true love; they can be found mostly in books and in movies. In this tale, Achilles and Patroclus manifest a rare and true loving relationship. An eternal kind of love that even death failed to separate them. Is it humanly possible? Unfortunately, no. It’s Mythology. xxx
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FRANKENSTEIN by Mary Shelley
FRANKENSTEIN or, The Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley is a novel published in 1818 that presents a menacing ambition as portrayed by Victor Frankenstein. It is a great book that got me hooked to the end. It is actually not that horrific or monstrous as usually portrayed in movie adaptations, and I did not realize the profundity of this book until I read it. It presents the wonderful qualities and the good side of being human. At the same time, it shows the danger and horror of having an unquenchable greed. Watch it out!
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“Atonement” by Ian McEwan
ATONEMENT by IAN McEWAN is the type of book which gives me a hard time understanding and getting myself into it at the start. For me, it was not at all a ‘light read’ book compared to those that I previously read. But I was glad I persevered as I was finally able to grasp the story at the end of the book, I realised that I actually enjoyed it. In retrospect, the story is cleverly written and certainly presents something to ponder upon. Thank you.
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OXFORD – The City of Dreaming Spires
Oxford “The City of Dreaming Spires”. The University of Oxford in Oxfordshire, England is known and believed to have been teaching as early as the year 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world. According to the 2023 Times Higher Education Rankings, the University of Oxford stays as the world’s top university for the seventh straight year. A note to myself: “I wish, hope, and pray that someday I will be able to study in Oxford (or in Cambridge) University. Joan, do not be ashamed to announce to the world and declare your seemingly foolish wishes. Remember, some of them in fact have already come true. Amen” (That’s…
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First time Cruise ship experience
Just a few days after getting my Schengen visa through Greece, or the Hellenic Republic Consulate, I decided to travel to Athens. There are low-cost airlines from the United Arab Emirates that land directly on some famous islands such as Mykonos and Santorini, but I preferred to go directly to Athens. As we all know, Athens is the country’s capital city and the most convenient destination, especially for first-time travelers to Greece, where you can arrange your onward travels to any of the touristy islands and ancient historical sites. Luckily, within a short period, I found an attractive deal that included airfare from Dubai via Emirates Airlines, with 2 nights…
