Author: Sumthinblue

Book nooks

Because our house is scheduled for renovation by next year, I’ve been exploring shelving options, as I’ve sequestered asked for the upstairs hallway for floor to ceiling shelves for my books.

Got lots of interesting ideas not only for the shelves, but for the house plans as well, at “Jak en Poy: Bato, Gunting, Papel, Atbp.: An Interior Design Exhibit of Sustainable Proportions,” the graduation exhibit of the PSID Advanced Class of 2011, which runs until Nov. 6 at the former Super Sale Club, SM City North EDSA.

In “Jak en Poy,” sustainable interior materials, such as stone, steel, concrete, paper, glass, wood, bamboo, rubber, plastic, clay and mud, are applied to interior design booths that evoke different moods and styles, conscious of the concept of designing for a better world.

Some booths featured bookish spaces, so naturally I took pictures to show you. Check ’em out!

Continue reading “Book nooks”

Numbers, The Chaos, and Rachel Ward


I read Numbers last year and was highly intrigued about the sequel, The Chaos, the second book in the Numbers trilogy. Being invited to join the live chat with author Rachel Ward at the Manila International Book Fair presented a golden opportunity to read the book, so I set out to finish it in time for the event.

Continue reading “Numbers, The Chaos, and Rachel Ward”

Giveaway: 10 Son of Neptune gift sets

I’m currently out of town again, attempting to catch up on my blogging backlog.

In the meantime, here’s my Son of Neptune gift set giveaway, courtesy of National Book Store, for all the Percy Jackson fans out there who are reading (or have finished reading) the book by now!

Continue reading “Giveaway: 10 Son of Neptune gift sets”

To Lola, with love

I’ve been away for a spell as the whole family flew to Bacolod to pay our last respects to my paternal grandmother, Lola Binyang, who passed away last week.

I was too young to remember the death of my paternal grandfather or my maternal grandmother, so losing both remaining grandparents in under two years is painful. Growing up with grandparents make you feel they’ll last forever (because to you they’ve always been old), and no matter how old you get, they still make you feel like a kid again, so losing a grandparent is a bit like a death toll on your own mortality.

Lola always spent part of the year with us when I was younger and she was still mobile. I remember endless summer afternoons playing cards on the bed with her — she was quite the cardshark — paris-paris (“pairs” in Ilonggo), blackjack, and even solitaire, as she’d leave a pack of cards behind to tide me over until she returned to our house the following year.

Continue reading “To Lola, with love”

Peter Pan!



Second star to the right, and straight on ’til morning! — Peter Pan is currently playing at the Meralco Theater!

Peter Pan is the first collaboration of Repertory Philippines and Stages, and the first time this particular version, by Stiles and Drewe and the late Willis Hall, is being staged in Asia. The musical is, of course, based on the timeless tale written by J.M. Barrie.

I’ve always loved Peter Pan, and I was excited to watch it on stage. Lucky I caught the press preview over a week ago (special thanks to my boss and Rep).

Continue reading “Peter Pan!”