30 April 2014

Reading List - Book 1 to 4

Here are some books I enjoyed from January to April this year. I made a goal to read 30 books this year, a lofty goal but not an impossible one. In 2013, I only got to read seven and I hated myself for the low stat. This year I've been making slow progress but I've never been more intentional to disconnect from social media to open a book and get lost in its pages than this season of my life.

My biggest inspiration to read more and curate my own online library is Cat Juan. Her lifestyle blog has a section devoted entirely to books. I always easily get bored reading long book reviews but Cat's are short and simple, yet very insightful. I used to list down all the books that I read using Microsoft Excel. I find that so passé now so I decided to make it more visual and more current. The first four books for 2014 will be:


Book No. 1 - The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time (Mark Haddon) - Packed with childlike but genius illustrations, diagrams and maps, I enjoyed reading this book immensely.  The book has equal parts of being funny, being mysterious and being tender that had me smiling and crying as I turned each page. I would never forget Asperger syndrome again and how beautiful and painful it was to be in Christopher Boone's shoes. 

Book No. 2 - Strangers on the 16:02 (Priya Basil) - Meant to be a short story, I devoured this book in one sitting. Set in London, the story revolved mainly as the title suggested it, in the tube or train. For a short story to be able to build up its characters as strong as Priya Basil did, I am impressed. It left me wanting for more.

Book No.3  - The Language of Flowers (Vanessa Diffenbaugh) - Just in time for spring this year, I  purchased this bestseller on Kindle. A story of an orphan girl whose only connection to the world was through flowers and their meanings, this book was a pleasure to read. I love flowers and the idea that each flower has a meaning excited me. More than the discovery of the language of flowers, this book will take you to a journey of giving happiness a chance by forgiving---yourself first and foremost, then all the rest who at one point, wronged you or let you down. The world, no matter how flawed its people are, is full of beauty that we can only fully enjoy without the baggage of resentment and hate on our shoulders.

Book No.4 - Becoming Your Husband's Bestfriend (Lisa & David Frisbie) - This was a birthday gift from last year that I got to finally wrap my head around with to read. Narrated from a Christian perspective by Christian marriage counsellors, this isn't a self help book that merely instructs you the steps to better your marriage. This book consists of real stories of real married couples who have gone through real life marital issues---criticisms, infidelity, gossiping, pride, and bitterness. Their stories have had a huge real life turn-around because the wives decided to take the first step, in humility and grace. This, in turn, impacted their husbands' hearts, brought about the miraculous changes and saved the marriage. Divorce was never an option. 

My marriage might not be in any of those dire situations but it's good to safeguard it as early and as young as now. I have personally grown in the area of respecting and building up my husband by reading it. My biggest takeaway however will be this: Becoming a godly woman is its own reward.

How about you? What are you reading lately? 

18 April 2014

Spring at Trinity College

Trinity College, the Harvard of Dublin is a home to some of the most abundant pink and white blossoms at spring time that I've ever seen. Perhaps the trees, just like all the rest of Trinity, are ancient so they harbour some kind of elegance and fullness in the way they blossom. R and I witnessed these blossoms last year and they were lovely so I thought I'd drop by again to see them in the month of April. 

The timing of my visit could never been any perfect. I paid my visit one afternoon of mid-April in my jeans and sneakers. The trees were already full and fat with blossoms of different shades of white and pink. It's a sight to behold I tell you. Even the tourists lounging around couldn't help but snap a photo or just simply admire their beauties from the bench or the ground. 

I've always looked like a tourist anyway so I did not shy away from taking these photos from my iPhone 4s. Well folks, how can you not love spring? I'm crazy about it. :)


I had a book with me that day but I was totally distracted by these. It's a beautiful kind of distraction and I was glad to give up my reading in return to these temporal blossoms. I didn't regret the choice. 

Hopefully, next year will be another full and fat blossoming in this college. I will certainly pay my annual spring visit. I wouldn't miss it for the world. :)

08 April 2014

Thoughts on Spring and Slow Sunday Afternoon


It's already my second spring in Ireland and yet, I am still in awe of it, still amazed by it. In fact, I am loving it more than ever. If love is sweeter the second time around, then that will probably explain best how I feel towards spring. It is undeniably my favourite season of all seasons. I am most alive when days are longer, the chill is milder, the chance of a blue sky is higher and blooms are literally sprouting everywhere. Not to mention that I can already wear sandals and flats. :)

Last weekend was a series of partying that we decided to slow down after church on Sunday and call it our own. The sun was out and bright, the perfect kind for park-hopping. It is the cheapest form of R&R one gets to enjoy in this side of the world where parks are abundant. By foot, we visited two parks, snapped some photos via our iPhones, chilled and took things slow. After enduring a painfully cold winter (figuratively and literally), the coming of spring time is a sweet symphony to our souls.

Sometimes we need days like this, to just lie down on green grass, to breathe in and marvel in the beauty of the season and to be fully in it, to close our eyes and whisper a silent prayer of thanksgiving to the Great God who has it all figured out including our future, to have a hushed soft talk on the verses where we feel God is speaking to us, and to dream and plan a little.  The effect on us is always refreshingly good. Always.

On another note, it's been three weeks since R started on his new job and so far, he's been very happy. Which makes me happy that he is happy. I'm still on a hunt for a job and still praying for direction.  A medical procedure is on the way but we have hope that it's nothing too serious. Our mothers celebrated another year in their lives on the 5th of April.  And lastly, there are some beautiful plans being cooked up for summer. 

I know in my heart that better days are ahead. That's what spring does to me, it keeps my hope up. Hope you feel the same way too. And in case you have forgotten, God loves you! Very very much. If you have some doubts on God's existence, hope this one will shed a light. Cheers!

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All photos taken via iPhone4s/5s