Tuesday, June 30, 2009

so much food, so little space

Expect a miracle every day.

I'm expecting a little big one of my own and I've enlisted a friend's help in praying for it. I told her if things go favorably I'll treat her to KFC. If things go really, really favorably then I'll treat her to 7 Corners in Crowne Plaza, the best buffet I've been to thus far. I'm somewhat of an expert on buffets, lord knows I've been to enough of them.

That's where my beloved and I went for our anniversary. I made myself sick and I stayed that way throughout the whole night until morning because I ate too much. It was awesome! I definitely recommend it!

Sunday, June 14, 2009

browbeaten

It just dawned on me that I haven’t set foot out of the house without groomed brows since I was 14 years old. It was then that I first discovered the wonders that well-define brows can do for an ordinary face. It doesn’t matter if I’m going to a party or to the Mini-Stop outside my village or to P.E. class, I’d sooner go braless than brow-less.

I knew it was true love when I finally felt comfortable enough to face my fiance sans eyebrows.

Neither my face nor my brows have changed significantly over the years, not that I can tell. You’d think that after a decade of filling in the same pair of sparse brows I’d have it right down to a pat. For some reason, I don’t. There’s still a lot of trial and error involved. My tools of the trade include a small brow brush, dark brown eye-shadow, brow pencils (black, dark-brown and blonde), brow gel and a clean mascara wand. Sounds heardcore, right? But actually I hardly have time for the whole shebang. Especially when I want to look like I’m not wearing any make-up, a few swift strokes of the blonde eye pencil usually does the trick.

I’m glad heavy, brushed up brows circa 1980s are all the rage again. I think women, myself included, generally look better with thicker brows to frame their eyes.

Case in point: Drew Barrymore! I remember she wore those thin, penciled in brows for several years in the mid 90s!



Woe for those like me who must perpetually fake it. I tell you, every morning is a struggle not to look like a bad Brooke Shields wannabe.

So I’ve been contemplating a visit to the Browhaus in Serendra, since eyebrows are such a huge deal for me. But I’m scared!!! Their services are kinda pricey and after reading a bad review I’m not sure it’s worth it? Thoughts?

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Breaking Dawn Induces Migraness


A long overdue review of Stephenie Meyer's Breaking Dawn

Spoilers.


Yuck.

I love the Twilight Saga. I'm not very highbrow in my taste of literature. I read what I find absorbing, the first three books in the Twilight Saga included.

However, the fourth book, I'm almost out of words. Almost. There are times when "it sucks" just wont suffice, like when you're talking about Breaking Dawn, the last, the least (though not in volume what with its 1 million odd pages) of the series.


The plot is predictable, and that's not the worst of it. If anything, that is its charm and Stephenie Meyer should have stuck with the formula that worked so well for her in the past, instead of trying something new.

It has all the elements of cute, which makes it, well, cute. That is, until Meyer over estimates her writing prowess and attempts, in vain, to turn it into an epic of sorts. What used to be a straightforward, cute, teen vampire romance book, morphed into this baffling hybrid fantasy, action, adventure, fake passport-producing suspense, sci-fi mess which all takes place in the last 4 or so chapters.

The story lines are linear and yet it manages to be unnecessarily wordy and utterly chaotic. Every tedious line just screams "trying hard!"

Bella is unremarkably flat even for a teen romance novel protagonist. Which is pretty believable and even tolerable. That is, until she transforms into a vampire and you sort of expect something more...more activity...more dimensions. Her mind remains frustratingly shallow. Its not very pleasant, considering most of the book is written through her perspective.

Edward is both underused and misused. So for those such as I whose sole reason for reading is to get a much needed Edward Cullen fix I would say don't bother. If you must then I advice that you stop reading the book after the feathers. You'll know what I'm talking about when you get to that part. It really is such a shame, the meager times when he is in a scene he seems more like a parody of the Edward I so dearly loved from the 1st 3 books.

I don't know what Stephenie Meyer was on when she wrote the ending for Breaking Dawn but like all mind altering drugs, it took her on a different plane of existence where everything, no matter how mindless, makes absolute sense. Its just too much. When you've already suspended your disbelief enough to accommodate the existence of a vampire who looks like an underwear model, she strings together an ending like THAT! It will leave you thinking "wtf?????" Not the good kind of wtf, mind you.

Suddenly all the vampires in the world converge in Forks and they all go through vampire boot camp to prepare for a looming vampire war and each of their vampire super power more ridiculous than the next. When time comes for the good vampires to come face to face with the bad vampires, its already snowballed into to this insane spectacle that you'd half expect Gandalf et al. and maybe even the Harry Potter crew to arrive, brandishing wands. Nothing will surprised you now, or so you thought because this previously unheard of vampire breaks into a corny, impromptu speech about love and how love is all that matters and love is all around and love makes the world go 'round and love conquers all.

Oh, then Bella's measly power, which was hinted in earlier chapters, develops exponentially right on time for her to end up saving everydamnedone's damned lives. Edward can now read her mind when she lets him, they fool around, and they lived happily ever after, forever and ever.

PS. They had a freaky baby girl that she named Renesmee. What'd I tell you? Crazy!