On Repeat: June 2014

Hullo all!

A lot of people may not realize it, but I consider myself quite the musical person. While not in terms of actually being able to play an instrument (I've tried the piano and guitar, with dismal results), I do like to think I have good taste in music and I enjoy it a lot. 

Nowadays with Spotify, I'm able to constantly expand my auditory horizons too. I discover many new artists all the time and I find myself adding more and more songs to my favorites. 

So, here are the songs that are on repeat for me this month of June. 

"Tee Shirt" by Birdy

This is the #1 song that's been on repeat. Not only has this been on loop for the past three weeks, but I've also been singing and humming this whenever I'm brave enough to do so out loud. I love Birdy's voice and I've been listening to her since January so to hear this song, with lyrics that I just love, is something I definitely want to be able to sing flawlessly as well. 

"Shriek" by Wye Oak

This is one of those tracks that I mentioned discovering on Spotify. It was timely, because the night that I first heard it was a particularly good night, with interesting memories. I remember drifting to sleep with this song playing, and I had a happy, knowing smile on my face. And that night made the line of the song "this present seems invaluable" mean so much more to me.

"Let Me In" by GROUPLOVE

Anyone that knows me, knows that I have been IN LOVE with GROUPLOVE since hearing 3 of their tracks as insert songs for the Japanese drama, Sprout, in 2011. Something about their tone and vibe just makes me feel free, like I want to hop in a car and drive on the interstate with reckless abandon. Theirs is the only show I've ever wanted to see live. And this song is another of those fantastic ones.

"I Wanna Get Better" by Bleachers

This reminds me more of something that probably would have been in the soundtrack of Perks of Being a Wallflower. It has a retro vibe to it, beyond the music video. The lyrics could mean a lot more than they initially seem, but I'm going to take them for what they initially seem to me and I think that I could relate with the chorus quite a bit. 

"Boom Clap" by Charlie XCX

I wasn't expecting to like this song as much as I did. I heard it once and wasn't too blown away by it. That is, until I let myself feel the music. This song is supposed to make you feel good, and that's exactly what it does. I had this song on repeat at work (with my headphones on, of course) during a gloomy, rainy day. I was eating a fat smoked salmon bagel with hot chocolate and doing a lot of filing. BOOM CLAP, this song made me feel good!

And on that explosive note, I end this mini-list. As you may or may not have noticed, a good number of these songs can be found on the soundtrack of The Fault in Our Stars. Two months ago, I found out that Birdy, Ed Sheeran and GROUPLOVE were all going to be on the soundtrack and--pardon my French here--I freaked the fuck out. I love them all and having them all on one album is just insane to me! It really made me feel like the TFiOS OST could be the OST to my own life. It's not, for sure, but I want them all to be on my life's OST. Haha! 

Anyway, I don't have a long list of on-repeat songs simply because, well, they're on repeat so there wouldn't be a lot of them to begin with. 

Which one did you enjoy the most? :)

Tuttah,

Mishie

P.S. I didn't include Ed Sheeran's songs in this list because I don't actually like them as much as his previous songs. They're brilliant, but I haven't had them on repeat. 

Book Review: Never Have I Ever, My Life (So Far) Without a Date

Hullo all,

I forget exactly what led me to read it. I was jumping back and forth from Buzzfeed, Tumblr, Huffington Post and Thought Catalog (as you do in the wee hours of Saturday morning). But I eventually stumbled across this article. I read it out of boredom, at first. I related with the title and thought, "Meh, why not? It's 2AM and the struggle with potential insomnia is real."

The deeper I got into the article and Katie Heaney's "Lighthouse Theory," the more I realized that I felt the same way towards my other girlfriends. They were lighthouses and I was, for some reason, a Bermuda Triangle. I bought Never Have I Ever that same night.

Katie's premise is simple: she was 25 years old and despite all her crushes and "experiences" with different guys, she was still very single and nowhere near being in a relationship. And, sure, I knew that statistically-speaking she and I weren't the only two people in the globe that were 25 and single, but it was enough for me to pick it up.

Within the first couple of chapters, I was convinced that Katie was my American Doppleganger--at least in the love (or lack of love) life department. It was as if she had been living a mirror image of my own experiences. I remember thinking near the tail-end of the book, "Well, she hasn't done a chapter on online dating..." and five or so pages later, BAM, there it was. So, change the names, switch the locations, tweak it here and there, but keep the humor and the over-analytic thoughts plus the "WTF did I just do/say" actions, and viola, you've got a Never Have I Ever Volume II by Mishie Del Rosario (hmm, let me revisit this idea later).

I've already lost count of a number of things while reading this book: my wide-eyed "Oh my God that's exactly like me!" reactions, "I know how that feels like" smiles, "Aww man, I know exactly how that feels like" slow head shakes, and most of all the "Me. I'm reading about me," thoughts.   

More than the experiences that Katie recalls in the book though, the one thing that made me relate to her stories the most is her humor. Mayhaps because it is almost exactly like mine in that she (in hindsight) sees this stories and tells them in a self-deprecating, sarcastic manner--or maybe the quirky side comments she adds (I too have a tendency to get carried away with side-comments. I have way too many thoughts in my head). You just don't think that way in the process of these events unfolding, but this tongue in cheek humor that she adds in the retelling of them entertain me the most, as if I were telling my own stories to people. 

And apart from her misadventures with boys are her girlfriends that she takes along for the ride. Somewhere past the middle of the book, in her section in grad school, she gives all her girlfriends roles to play whenever she is over-analyzing and freaking out over a guy: the level-headed, logical best friend that just tells it like it is, the uber optimistic friend that is convinced it is meant to be, the friend that freaks out along with you and justifies your craziness and a couple of back-ups that may or may not actually be as invested in your love (or lack of love) life. This part elicited my wide-eyed "oh my God that's exactly like me (and my best friends)!" reaction. They know who they are, and what role they play, and they know me. 

It is a highly enjoyable book that I've found myself reading anywhere: in bed, on the train, on the bus and during lunch (okay, maybe not during lunch where I might tempt someone to ask me what the book is about and why I like it). 

The only thing that I was unsure what to feel about was the Epilogue. I suppose I didn't really know how she would end it. Obviously her life continues, and I couldn't really see how she would end it properly apart from eventually finding a long term relationship. Part of me thought that it sounded like a cop-out. Katie made it sound that she had just learned to accept herself for who she was, a single learn who just did not know how to get herself into a relationship. It might have had more impact if I didn't already think that way about her all throughout the book. 

I thought of myself, about being too similar to her. I had always been that way: an overthinker that knew what I was expecting and what I wanted, even if it did not seem realistic to other people that have actually been successful in dating people for longer than a couple of dates. I don't know, I just felt that there could have been a different way to do it. But then again, maybe that's also be being idealistic, not real. Maybe there really isn't a way to properly end it because there isn't much to end--her trying to find a date still continues. 

Did I make sense?

But there's the rub: while most people will stop right there--simply enjoying the book, putting it down after and shelving it maybe permanently--I will do the usual me when it comes to anything that hits close to home, I analyze. I think. I over think. Guh.

By the way, this is where the review ends and the bonus (?) material begins. 

Soooo, I'm like Katie Heaney. 25 years old, now working my way up the ladder, had my fair share of struggles with guys (see below GIF that illustrates perfectly my struggle with crushes).

I have accepted that part of me, but now what? Just because I've come to terms with my past, doesn't mean that I am willing to continue on this way for the rest of my life. Okay, not the rest of my life--until further notice. The dilemma is, though, that I perfectly happy with the way I am, thank you very much (except the over-analytic part of myself. I'd like an adjustment with that very much thanks). 

I am single, but having someone would be nice. Not necessary, but nice. I don't need someone, but would I say 'no' if I were asked "do you want a boyfriend?" I honestly doubt it. I have survived by myself for 25 years, you know, having a partner-in-crime doesn't sound like a bad idea to me. Besides, not to brag, but I feel like the cumulative experiences of my friends has taught, armed and maybe even molded me into being what I imagine to be an effing good girlfriend. I also know this for a fact because I have none of the signs from this totally legit list. 

That doesn't mean to say that I'm desperate and will just say 'yes' to anyone right away. I have some dignity, I know that I'm a catch. But we'll see. No amount of planing, hoping, wishing and wondering will make any of it come true. So, we'll see. Either way I know when the time comes, by entourage of girlfriends will be there to back me up (or confuse me even more) along the way.

Now let me revisit this Never Have I Ever Volume II idea. 

Tuttah,

Mishie

PHL Part 3: Reading Terminal Market

Hullo all!

By far, though, my favorite part of this trip to Philly was Reading Terminal Market.

Yes, yes. Leave it to me to make anything that has to do with food on top of the list.

Some shelter from the rain--eeek!

The first thing that washed over me when we went inside was a feeling of overwhelming awe. The place was huge! I wish my camera could capture it!

Bizarre Foods America is currently one of my favorite shows. I can appreciate it so much more now that I'm actually living in the U.S.

Reminds me of Honeydukes (I say this as if I've been there before. Spoiler alert: I have not)!

Fun fact (?): I never really understood why Easter is celebrated with the symbol of the rabbit. Back at home, the mention of the word "Easter" to me meant the time to visit fourteen (seven, if I'm lucky) churches has arrived and I have to drive and park in tight spaces again. Not as exciting as chocolate-covered bunnies.

<3

The search for the best Philly Cheesesteak (I kept saying "Chilly Feesesteak" by the way *headdesk*) has begun!

The Flying Monkey!

Signage, signage! I just loooved the signage in this place!!!

This man had such a booming voice that made me think of what Santa would sound like. He is also pretty much what I imagine Santa doing on his off-season--selling cookies.

Gotta be honest. When I saw the lobsters in the tank, I thought "awww" and "yuuum" at the same time.

A big part of Reading Terminal Market houses Amish-owned stores. This little boy was helping out his dad for the day! So cute!

Aaaah, cute!

Yikes, they caught me!

Scented candles. These have been a waterloo of mine in recent months. I just loooove searching for a candle with the perfect scent. Karen and I must have spent half an hour at this stand sniffing through each one!

Just look at all those lovely pastel colors! I love looking at them all!

I ended up walking away with two scents: Sweet Pea (for my mom!) and Love Spell (because I fell for it)! And I'm realizing more than ever that, as much as I love food, I'm not fond at all of pastry-scented candles!

Lilies are my all time favorite flowers--especially white ones because I'm such a white person. :)))

And because I was getting so overwhelmed with finding the perfect Chilly Feesesteak (lol) stall, I just opted for ice cream!

I got Dark Chocolate Chip and Butterscotch Vanilla--BEST THING EVER.

Cool story, bro.

I love the idea for this book! I browsed through the inside and there are actually whole passages from Alice in Wonderland that are in between the recipes! All cookbooks should be like this from now on! Imagine an illustrated Harry Potter series of cookbooks!!!!

Speaking of Harry Potter--does anyone care to come to Witch Camp with me?

Troll head wind chimes! I love it!

I got exhausted after this stall--we had spent over two hours inside Reading Terminal Market! And that was just through one, very meticulous run through the place!

I'm definitely coming back here to get my Philly Cheesesteak and maybe that ice cream again too!

Tuttah,

Mishie

Read more of my mini-adventures in Philadelphia!

PHL Part 1 | PHL Part 2