Angela's Blog

I got this book last week when Mitch and I dropped by at The Powerbooks in Megamall. The book's subtitle really got my attention "What do you do if your best friend is dying?" -- it's not because my best friend is dying or whatsoever (God forbid!) it's just that i became curious on the story itself...

"The novel is beautifully crafted, true to the two central points of view in ways that allow readers to imagine how life and death at sixteen and seventeen might look different than at any other period of development. The various subplots--betrayal by boyfriends, tension with parents, younger siblings, and teachers--add complexity without diverting attention from the nuanced portrait of intimate friendship forced to a depth that couldn't have been anticipated..."

The Story:

Julie and Samantha have been best friends since they met in a dancing class at age nine. Now, at sixteen, they are closer than sisters, at home in each other's families, sharing everything, imagining their futures together.

Julie, who has been feeling unusually fatigued and experiencing hip pain, finds, after several misdiagnoses, that she has diffuse histiocytic lymphoma, a type of cancer. She begins a course of aggressive chemotherapy and with it an inner journey that gradually distances her from family, friends, and in particular Sam--in ways none of them could have predicted.

Love is stretched for all of them beyond where it has had to reach before. There are periods of silence, odd pretenses, and conversations of unprecedented intimacy as Julie, her parents, and her best friend chart their bumpy course through shock and various tactics of accommodation to final acknowledgment that Julie is dying. Julie's own accelerated growth into an enlarged consciousness of the shape of her own life and destiny, and Sam's growth into a kind of emotional and psychological independence she'd never known before are the focus of this story, each girl narrating her own side of the story in alternating chapters.

Hello and I'm back!

For a while, i failed to update my page, its because I got so many things to complete - reports, emails, updates, etc. whew!

Una ko agad naisip is i-post ung first ever team building ng team ko -- sa Bolinao!

Oh yeah! Can't get enough of Bolinao it's because i so love the place! dito ka talaga makakakita ng white beach.. well aside sa super sikat na Boracay (pagkakaiba is konti ang tao sa Bolinao and its cheaper compare kapag nagpunta ka ng Bora). Here in Bolinao you will find the ever famous Patar Beach!

April 4:

After shift, we are so excited all packed and ready to go kaso medo nabulilyaso kasi un sasakyan na ni-rent namin is late na dumating.. (call time is 11am but they arrive 4pm... ang galing! grrrr)

We decided to stay at Punta Riviera Resort -- nagandahan kasi sila sa mga pics namin nung last time na nagpunta kami dun...

Since late na kmi nakaalis sa Manila, we arrive at the resort at 10:30pm, we are all tired but we still manage to cook our dinner, good thing JR cooked adobo for us so konti na lang yun niluto namin... nga pala bago ko makalimutan -- thanks kay JR for the Adobo and to Donell for cooking the rice! :)

After dinner, some of them went outside to to check the resort while the others preferred to stay inside the room to get some rest... (that includes me...)

April 5:

I woke up 6am (courtesy of Mami Gel!), i helped them to prepare our breakfast -- then after that we decided to hit the beach... to my dissapointment it's super low tide, that is why we opt to have picture taking na lang then take a dip sa pool after...

Around 2pm we decided to leave the resort to hit Cape Bolinao Lighthouse -- medyo mataas ung lugar so makikita mo ung most part ng beach... love it!

After Bolinao Lighthouse, we went to Bolinao Falls -- medyo naligaw-ligaw pa kami cguro 1 hour din ung byahe namin from Cape Bolinao Lighthouse to Bolinao Falls -- kakalungkot because we weren't able to check the famous Falls 2 but we were able to check Falls 1 -- according to the natives Falls 2 is better compare to Falls 1 pero dahil 5pm na kami nakarating sa Falls 1 hindi na rin nakapunta ng falls 2 its hard kasi na bumyahe pa because the place is too remote... as in...

Bolinao Falls 1

Bolinao Falls 2

I'm looking forward to visit Falls 2 soon... *wink*

Note: I am willing to accept comments and suggestions...

Thanks! :)