JynxedPanda-Sphere » Hunger for Books

Cleaning Out Culinary Skills

jynxypanda — Wed, 09 May 2012 04:17:33 +0000

Don’t really have spring here so I just pretend I have spring cleaning. Even though it’s summer. So let me just be a Snow White here and clean out my closet.

Oh the things you find in junk (actually there’s still box-loads of junk and I just had a major Epiphany which I will share in my NEXT blog post) especially TONS of stuff toys. I didn’t realize I’ve amassed a collection until I saw that they were gathering dusts (and maybe cobwebs and a few spiders who knows) in my closet and I’ve decided to scrub em till they shine! Well lookie what I found!

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Sorry for messy beds background

That’s just 1/4 of the family and I’ve got some more tucked away in Narnia waiting to be found. Most of the stuff toys I have now were mostly gifts and this is one of the reasons why stuff toys aren’t really my ideal gifts… O_O where would I place all these without them gathering dust? I am thankful for each of them though and they are darn cute, you gotta admit it! I did find some… weird ones, one was so freaky that our dog kept barking at it.

But he wasn’t scared of his new toy

It creeped me out at first, I mean what is it and why doesn’t it have ears or something? See, having ears makes a difference. A lot of difference.

I’ve been reading a lot of good books lately and I hope you can check them out here. Add me up on Goodreads, am always on the search for another perfect book. I love fantasies such as The Hobbit, Harry Potter and also magical realism books such as One Hundred Years of Solitude, and also books with animals on them (Life of Pi did it for me I think). The last book sale blew a huge hole in my wallet but I died a happy bookworm. Tea Obreht’s The Tiger’s Wife is a gripping read, one of the few books that made me actually want to join a book club and discuss its meaning because there are so many twists and turns and I NEED to know what really happened. It’s also about a Balkan country which I know next to zilch about so it was a very interesting read. Full review of my read books can be found here.

As you can see, this set has all my preferences

I swear you have got to read Habibi if you’re an aspiring artist or designer because of its intricate patterns and designs on the drawings. Just for that I’ve already given this book a WHOPPING 10 but it is for mature audiences. This is the third volume of Y:The Last Man and since the bookstore only had 1 copy left… I couldn’t help but by it T_T And Free Comic Book Day is coming up on May 19 with 20% off on graphic novels… *gets shot more* Somebody help me control my book shopping tendencies. Maybe I should check in a support group.

I’ve also been bitten by the culinary bug. Well it’s actually more like my mom’s doing.

Mom: I don’t want to cook anymore, you’ve got no job yet anyway so you can cook for us.

Me: But but but I do help with the business…

Mom: No, you start today.

Me: Okay… *polishes my rusty cooking skills from 2 years ago*

I haven’t cooked really or had the desire to cook since my student exchange last 2010 but I thought what the heck and since our new helper at home actually knows how to cook, she helped me with my chopping skills and mentored me as we cooked these dishes. I was the mastermind and strategist while I learned the correct basic cooking techniques as I never received any proper training. Searching for recipes is the funnest part and I somehow became immune to the heat even while cooking. I didn’t despise it anymore as long as I can cook good food and see the happy faces of my family. Seeing the joy of somebody relishing good food is really something. Makes you feel happy like Santa. If Santa’s out there…

And now I want to introduce you to one of my inspirations (besides my mother and brother because he does cook good food), THE PIONEER WOMAN (Ree Drummond)! She was the one who saved me during my student exchange because of her step by step VISUAL recipes. I never had the patience for cooking videos because what if I missed a step and I had to rewind it back then I’d be hobbling around the kitchen frantically making a mess out of things. So when I saw her WONDERFUL WONDERFUL SITE, I became a disciple of her good cooking and inspired me to actually take good food photography (and I still fail at it, sorry ). What I love about her blog is not only the mouth-watering delectable pictures and easy to follow recipes (heck I’m even thinking of canning and making cinnamon rolls, what the fudge), but also her style of blogging. It really appeals to me. And maybe because she talks and answers herself a lot.

Oh yes she does.

Like me. Sort of.

See? Am answering myself again. Oh the beauty of solitary soliloquy! Oh where were we? Oh yeah food.

SO YEAH GO VISIT HER BLOG! Here are my “exam results” and I hope you guys… like the virtual food? TATA FOR NOW!

My first dish, Spicy Shrimp Aglio Olio (very unconventional as we decided to put Tomato, this is a no no for aglio olio BUUUUTT it kinda worked, it’s still tasty!)

Spicy Tuna Carbonara (didn’t follow Ree’s exact recipe, has Filipino touch to it)

Pasta Puttanesca (Had to substitute some items, be creative as they say! XD)

Chicken Parmigiana, my first love at her site and this was infinitely better than the one I made in France

Above: Baked Blueberry Cheesecake for Chair’s birthday!
Below: No-Bake Blueberry Cheesecake from mom’s recipe
Baked = cheesier, no bake = ice cream-ier

Fresh Strawberry Smoothie.

Lasagna. We didn’t follow the recipe exactly and it came out a bit soggier than usual

After much Italia cuisine, I decided to cook healthier dishes LOLL coz I think we all became fatter afterwards :/ Chicken Couscous with Chick Peas and Harissa Paste. This recipe was from some dude in Foodily. I kinda forgot who…

Roast Herbed Chicken. VERY HERB-Y! This is Jamie Oliver’s recipe (I seriously love his shows. And his family is like the BEST FREAKING CUTEST FAMILY EVER! Check out his instagram) but I used breasts instead of a whole chicken. You need to lessen the oven time coz it cooks faster.

Striving Thrivin’

jynxypanda — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 23:20:02 +0000

*WARNING: PERSONAL POST. SO UH, IF YOU DON’T WANT TO READ MY DRABBLE, DON’T PURSUE FURTHER UH, JUST READ UPDATE POST BELOW THIS INSTEAD XD*

This is the title of my playlist in my iPhone

READ ONNNNN ▼

before my finals week in the last year of University. I only had a few weeks left before my student life ends (if ever I do pursue Graduate studies, it’s going to be different and frankly won’t be as “carefree” as a University student) and how I’ll be entering the real world. I don’t want to make a super dramatic post about finding my soul or self or identity as I struggle to find the meaning in all of this (but maybe it will turn out dramatic, I don’t know). And how I struggle with questions such as, “Holy crap what if the life that I really want wasn’t the course I chose?”, “What now? Where do I go? Do I leave or do I stay?”, “After 8pm of March 23, I’m officially not a student, so does this mean I’ll be a working girl now?” and plenty of questions such as that.

I kind of envy those who have already heard their calling early in their lives. Look at Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg. Do you think they’re successful because of talent? or hard work? No my friends, there has to be luck in this game called life. It’s when you luckily roll the correct number on that dice that you’ll win in Monopoly. Life’s a gamble and only a few can be called winners. A lot of people say that success depends on perspective, I actually agree on that a whole lot. Know the book Secret? The Secret of getting what you want? Well I’ll spoil it to you my friends, it’s actually all about the Secret of the Law of Attraction. Concentrate on positive things, and positive things will go to you. THINK ABOUT IT ALL THE TIME, BE SPECIFIC. But without luck, I don’t think you’ll be as successful too.

I just finished reading Walter Isaacson’s biography on Steve Jobs. It’s a GREAT READ especially for those Steve Jobs/Apple/Mac fans and actually those who want to know in the lives of crazy successful people. Or those with a different line of thought. After reading it, you may disagree with me and would want to rip its pages, heck you might even hate Steve for being an Asshole with a capital A. But I think it’s important to learn his mistakes and know his struggle to success. I just learned about one thing though, he was lucky. He found his passion, heck he called up the head of HEWLETT PACKARD back in the day and was hired as an intern. How gutsy can you be? If you want something that much in life, go get it. But first, you MUST WANT SOMETHING. I think that’s the problem with me, and maybe you too? Or a lot of people out there, ask first the question, WHAT DO YOU WANT. The day you can answer that is the day you can become like Steve Jobs or Bill Gates.

I wasn’t born with a great talent. I’m an adequate but I think a failing singer (well I’d like to think adequate but coming back from a sore throat, my voice has become a man’s voice with the ability to speak like Minnie Mouse. It’s crap XD). I can’t dance well to save my life but I do try. I’m not artistic enough unlike my cousin so I’m just one of the faceless anonymous in this realm. I don’t know if it’s a good thing or a bad thing. So yeah, I’m still searching for that. I have many wants, many many wants, but passion has to be something more concrete. I believe in a lot of things, but which one should is the icing on top of the cake? Hopefully I’ll be able to ask that soon because I feel like I’m just an empty shell (OKAY NOW I’M BEING DRAMATIC SHOOT, I DIDN’T WANT TO BE XD) handing out job applications, one after the other but with so many goals in my head that I don’t know where to turn to. I have a few set of “ideals” I’d like to follow. I’d want to travel and live in another country. I’d really want that but once I commit myself to a company here, would that restrain me? I am sure though that I’ll never join a company that doesn’t confirm with my beliefs and principles. NO TO SMOKING. NO TO ALCOHOL. It’s not that I’m choosy, I still have to respect myself. If you’re next asking me about my relationships… well that’s a matter I don’t want to talk spill at all. Let’s just say, the time will come when I do.

So after 700 words, I’m now going to actually just list down my playlist. Hope you get the feeling of what I was going through in the last few weeks (and up to now actually). My only problem wasn’t about graduation, it was about life. These songs were chosen because of their lyrics, their meaning and their melody. The guy who commentated on Adele’s performance at the Brit Awards 2011 summarized it PERFECTLY.

“There’s nothing quite like the feeling when you’re listening to a song, written by someone you don’t know, who you’ve never met, yet somehow manages to describe exactly how you felt, a particular moment in your life.”

I’ll be sharing the top 10 songs here. Let these songs speak/sing for themselves and I hope you can choose one below and play it as you finish this post. Or just keep it with you. If you don’t, I hope you like any of them. Will be posting their music videos! Don’t have to play them all, or you don’t have to play them at all (well check out the last 4 songs, they’re really. FREAKIN’ AWESOME.). Thanks for reading up to this point my friend. If you have found your passion, you are one lucky person so STRIVE TOWARDS IT. BE POSITIVE, WORK AT IT.

1. Believe – All American Rejects

I don’t ever want to believe
No I don’t ever want to believe yeah
That when we die
We all leave

2. The Cave – Mumford & Sons

Cause I need freedom now
And I need to know how
To live my life as it’s meant to be
And I will hold on hope
And I won’t let you choke
On the noose around your neck
And I’ll find strength in pain
And I will change my ways
I’ll know my name as it’s called again

3. Change – Taylor Swift

Tonight we stand, get off our knees
Fight for what we’ve worked for all these years
And the battle was long, it’s the fight of our lives
But we’ll stand as champions tonight

4. Defying Gravity – Wicked Cast

I’m through accepting limits
Cause someone says the’re so
Some things I cannot change
But till I try, I’ll never know…
Tell them how I am
Defying Gravity
I’m flying high
Defying Gravity

5. No Curtain Call – Maroon 5

I have no time for fear
Or people in my ear
Head down and running so fast
Try not to dwell on the past
I’m fighting through this pain
And things I cannot change
Running right into the flame
Rather than running away

6. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da – The Beatles

Ob-la-di Ob-la-da
Life goes on, bra! – REPEAT LOADS OF TIMES

7. Marchin’ On – One Republic

For those days we felt like a mistake,
Those times when love’s what you hate
Somehow
We keep marchin on

For those nights that I couldn’t be there,
I’ve made it harder to know that you know
That somehow
We’ll keep movin on

There’s so many wars we fought
There’s so many things we’re not
But with what we have
I promise you that
We’re marchin on
We’re marchin on

For all of the plans we’ve made
There isn’t a flag I’d wave
Don’t care where we’ve been
I’d sink us to swim
We’re marchin on
We’re marchin on

For those doubts that swirl all around us
For those lives that tear at the seams
We know
We’re not what we’ve seen

Oh
For this dance we move with each other
There ain’t no other step
Than one foot
Right in front of the other
Oh

We’ll have the days we break
And we’ll have the scars to prove it
We’ll have the bombs that we saved
And we’ll have the heart
Not to lose it

8. Shake It Out – Florence + The Machine (DARNNIT THE WHOLE SONG IS FREAKIN’ BEAUTIFUL

Regrets collect like old friends
Here to relive your darkest moments
I can see no way, I can see no way
And all of the ghouls come out to play
And every demon wants his pound of flesh
But I like to keep some things to myself
I like to keep my issues strong
It’s always darkest before the dawn
And I’ve been a fool and I’ve been blind
I can never leave the past behind
I can see no way, I can see no way
I’m always dragging that horse around
And our love is pastured such a mournful sound
Tonight I’m gonna bury that horse in the ground
So I like to keep my issues strong
But it’s always darkest before the dawn
Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh woaaah
Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh woaaaah….
And given half the chance would I take any of it back
It’s a final mess but it’s left me so empty
It’s always darkest before the dawn…
And I’m damned if I do and I’m damned if I don’t
So here’s to drinks in the dark at the end of my road
And I’m ready to suffer and I’m ready to hope
It’s a shot in the dark and right at my throat
Cause looking for heaven, for the devil in me
Looking for heaven, for the devil in me
Well what the hell I’m gonna let it happen to me

9. The Times They Are A-Changing – Bob Dylan (THE WHOLE SONG. JUST LISTEN.)

ULTIMATE SONG: UNDER PRESSURE – QUEEN & DAVID BOWIE / ANNIE LENNOX & DAVID BOWIE(THE LAST PART OF THE SONG IS ONE OF THE BEST ENDINGS, EVER. IN ANY SONG. EVER. THE FREAKING MELODY. THE LYRICS. BEST. EVER. One video isn’t enough so here’s TWO!)

Pressure pushing down on me
Pressing down on you no man ask for
Under pressure – that burns a building
down
Splits a family in two
Puts people on streets
It’s the terror of knowing
What this world is about
Watching some good friends
Screaming let me out
Pray tomorrow – gets me higher
Pressure on people – people on streets
She been around
Kicked my brains round the floor
These are the days it never rains but it pours
People on streets
Insanity laughs under pressure we’re
cracking
Can’t we give ourselves one more chance
Why can’t we give love that one more
chance
Why can’t we give love
Give love give love give love give love
Give love give love give love
Love’s such an old fashioned word
And love dares you to care for
The people on the edge of the night
And love dares you to change our way of
Caring about ourselves

This is our last dance
This is our last dance
This is ourselves
Under pressure
Under pressure
Pressure

FREDDIE FREAKIN’ MERCURY, YOU ARE MISSED. SO MUCH!

So that’s it! Thanks so much for tuning in

To There and Back Again

jynxypanda — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 07:52:41 +0000

Whenever I blog, I usually have so many ideas that I bunch them up together (check out my 2009 blogs, I usually write 2000-3000 words a post. HAHAHA ) and people probably get confused on what to comment on now.

Well I plan to change that as 2012 is my I’m-supposed-to-be-more-organized year because, I need to pick up the pace and you know, I’m gonna be in the corporate world or wherever this year. Well anyway the point is I need to lessen my weaknesses to become a better person. So I got my planner ready and now this whole, arranging posts bit. I now write a draft for every new idea I receive just so I have some posts in queue and even if I’m busy, I will still be able to post using my queued posts! hahaha!

I decided to write reviews too (i should be more bold, say my opinions more clearly and firmly because i am an insecure person ). I’ll be posting my first restaurant review soon and also add my movie/book reviews too. I talked about a book in my previous blog but haven’t really gotten reviewing it yet.

This post though will feature movies, trailers and production videos in particular. I had the fortunate opportunity to read The Hobbit in my fantasy literature class and I enjoyed it immensely! In the future, I will reach my children not only the Harry Potter series, but this as well. Actually I would read them The Hobbit first just because Tolkien’s writing is suitable for younger audiences. It’s childish in the sense that the essence of innocence is preserved and there is genuine wonder at the world of Middle Earth. Not to mention that there are many funny scenes and situations that would delight any child (and child at heart). This is a TOTAL contrast of Lord of the Rings #2-3.

So why am I blabbering about The Hobbit? BECAUSE ONE OF THE GREATEST DIRECTORS OF ALL TIME HAS DECIDED TO RETURN TO MIDDLE EARTH AND FINISH IT! (CAN I PLEASE GET A PAYDAY LOAN SO I CAN GO TO NEW ZEALAND??)

*loud applause*!!!!

The first trailer of the first half of The Hobbit] (YEAH THERE WILL BE 2 PARTS!!) has just come out and I feel like that it’ll live up to my expectations The casting is perfect and Martin is just perfect for the young Bilbo! *hums the dwarves’ songs*

But what really makes me admire Peter Jackson, is he’s freaking down-to-earth. His riches doesn’t get to his head and he knows the most important part of film-making, which is the FANDOM! Well audiences anyway so he interacts with them, talks to them, and now introduces us to production videos which are so real and so sincere, you can’t help but feel like you’re part of the team too. This is what makes a great director in my opinion. He knows his vision and he knows how to do it! Now we know how magic is made, and despite him showing almost everything of the structure, we still retain wonder and mystery whenever we watch his films and I’m sure this will be the same for The Hobbit.

Currently there are 5 production videos (vlogs if you want to call it) and I’ll be updating this post every time he uploads a new one. It’s amazing though, how movies are made?

SO DECEMBER 21, 2012 ISN’T THE END YET COZ WE NEED TO WATCH THE HOBBIT

Production Video #1

Production Video #2

Production Video #3 – one of my favorites!

Production Video #4

Production Video #5 – THE BEST YET!

Till We Have Faces

jynxypanda — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 18:52:38 +0000

Quick Site Updates! Added links, pages to my Europhotoblog, fixed Project 365 (now my instagram blog, having an iPhone can be handy dandy!), Project Filmography 2012, Project 50 Leaves 2012 (I FINALLY FINISHED 50 BOOKS LAST YEAR!! WOOT GONNA DO IT AGAIN!), added my old poem (will be making new ones soon!) and also added some Meme Questions that I got from Jess (do ask me questions! Would love to hear from you guys :D). So was able to spring clean my blog just in time for the first day of the year!

I got a story to tell though! Something happened right before the start of 2012. Remember my last post when I talked about the alien conspiracy theories and how people think that another reason why the Mayans predicted that December 21, 2012 is the end of the world is because the Mayans MET the aliens. Actually not only the Mayans but including ancient civilizations such as the Greeks (EVEN PLATO THOUGHT THERE WERE ALIENS, well the Earth is a made of grids and this is related to aliens coming here) and Egyptians (how were they able to build the pyramids with no pulleys and other forms of equipment in just a few years?) were visited by them too. Well the creepy thing is that at around 3am in our room, I saw two small dwarf-like creatures that had alien shapes with blinking eyes(????) were kinda moving at the 2 corners of the room beside the air-conditioner and on top of my cabinet. I WAS SERIOUSLY FREAKED OUT BUT I KINDA SUPPRESSED MY SCREAMS. I ran and opened the light but nothing was there O_O I decided not to look at the corners again and just sleep well. Oh gosh that was creepy and I think I hallucinated it because I haven’t been sleeping early the past nights and my brother has been bugging me with all this alien talk so maybe that’s it….

That has to be it right?

Oh and we kinda mistook a flying lantern on New Year’s eve as a U.F.O. Oh flying lanterns are the craze now! The Philippines by the way is always fun on New Year’s Eve since people LOVE to make a lot of noise and lights. Our family was treated to a free fireworks show as usual because our neighbors were kinda competing against each other on who had the best show. Well all of them were awesome! Here are some photos I took

Shower of Lights

Little Piper Boy and the Fountain of Youth

Scarlet Fever

Well back to the alien part… I’m not gonna deny that there might be other beings in the INFINITE universe. Maybe there’s an alternate reality or something and we might never know. But I am still a Catholic Christian at heart (though the Church is another matter, oh gosh) and just wanna share this amazing book by C.S. Lewis called Till We Have Faces. Religion is all about creating a way of life and this is how I choose to be and in Lewis’ book, which he claims to be his masterpiece, he tackles it in such a profound way by retelling the myth of Psyche and Cupid in the point of view of Psyche’s sister. It’s such a beautiful philosophical and theological book but requires a bit of deep reading (need to read it again! don’t worry it’s not too deep as reading Ricoeur or other German/French philosophers. Still enjoyable!). Like what a reviewer said, tt basically tackles the psychological honesty about the human sense of injustice by the gods. Who has not been tempted to say to God, “It’s not fair”?

The ending is one of the best endings I’ve read. I teared up just because of the honesty and revelation of it. It’s quite an experience reading it, nothing like I’ve felt before. LOL this is turning to be a love story by the way I’m talking about it. But seriously I loved it.

Just some favorite quotes

“I have seen something like it happen in battle. A man was coming at me, I at him, to kill. Then came a sudden great gust of wind that wrapped out cloaks over our swords and almost over our eyes, so that we could do nothing to one another but must fight the wind itself. And that ridiculous contention, so foreign to the business we were on, set us both laughing, face to face – friends for a moment – and then at once enemies again and forever.”

“I know now, Lord, why you utter no answer. You are yourself the answer. Before your face questions die away. What other answer would suffice?”

I have this in PDF (I thought that it would be boring so I didn’t bother buying it, now I NEED to get a paperback copy!) and am willing to email it to those who want it.

Now I’m going to end this post with something light. All Asian girls have to relate to this video in some way or another. THIS IS FREAKING HILARIOUS! Been playing this every night before I go to sleep just to make me smile again What made this funny for me was the guy in the video dressing up as a girl and everyone keeping a straight face about it And the way he played the girl was kind of funny too. I’m not saying all asians girl do this but it’s funny how some do (like me! I do the starting today no fast food bit and break that promise after a few days or something XD) and how it’s portrayed her. Hope nobody takes offense (I’m asian and a girl too btw)

and I GOT THE SLATE PLANNER! (My other post talked about my planner dilemma but I solved it!) Am liking it so far especially the art, quotes, and there’s even a space for a Bucket list! I have my own list in my blog but I think I’ll make a list of things to do in 2012 (sort of a new year’s resolution, but nah, no deadlines or constraints for me Check out their site to order or you can go to any Fullybooked branch near you.

Toodles peepz!

Questions
1. What’s the first thing you did after you woke up on January 1, 2012?
2. Do you think you’ll read this book? What’s the most thought-provoking book you’ve read? If you don’t really like to read, what’s the most thought-provoking thing that happened to you last?
3. LOL Do you do any of the things that Asian girls do? (Doesn’t have to be Asian really, most girls do those too!)

FINAL POTTERMORE GIVEAWAY WINNER

jynxypanda — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 06:52:04 +0000

Thank you so much for the sudden surge of new participants for my 2-Part Pottermore Account Giveaway! There’s a correction though, Annie wasn’t able to email me in 3 days time so I had to forfeit and pick another winner. David’s name was the first to come up in the raffle and he got the username, DreamWolf205! Here’s his answer:

“Harry Potter meant so much to me and still does even though the series is over. When I was young, the books were my escape from life. At that time, there was a lot of fighting going on in my home and when it would get to the point where I just couldn’t take it anymore I would slip into my room, close the door, start reading, and drift into another world where my problems didn’t matter. I remember many dreams of actually attending the school and how happy I was when I would wake up from those dreams, just looking forward to getting to continue reading and then reading the book over and over again until the new one came out. I can recall countless times to where I would stay up WAY past my bedtime reading the books, hiding a flashlight under my pillow until the hall light shut off. Harry Potter was my escape; my other reality to where I didn’t have any problems which is probably why I have such an emotional connection to the series and the characters themselves.

J.K. Rowling of course did the world a great favor by writing this series, but also did me a great favor by making my childhood bearable and not allowing the anger to consume me. Pottermore is just another gift from her that I would love to experience and honestly if you chose me I would be incredibly grateful.”

I completely agree with you that I slip away into the world of Harry Potter whenever I read the books. We are so grateful for J.K. Rowling for creating the best magical world for us!

And now for the second account… with an additional of 4 more contestants, we had a sizable pool and if it were me, I wish I signed up for 11 accounts so I can give it to you all! Your stories inspire me so much! Now… Randomizer chose….

CHAD!!

CONGRATULATIONS!! YOU ARE NOW THE PROUD OWNER OF HAZELERISED!! Please reply in 3 days or I will have to forfeit your winning! Here is his Pottermore experience

“Hi fellow Potterhead. I wanted to enter your competition for the Pottermore account because during the Magical Quill Challenge I was taking my board exams and that’s just so frustrating. But here’s my entry:

My Most Harry Potter Experience was when I got to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and experience the most amazing and magical things. I bought a lot of stuff including Polyjuice Potion, Slytherin Scarf, Parchment Set and loads more. It was such an awesome place and I was so sad to leave. I even got to see BuckBeak!
What does Harry Potter mean in your life?
Harry Potter means so much to me. See, my parents died when I was 9 and 2 weeks before they died my dad gave me Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone as a gift. My mom was an avid reader of Harry Potter and she said she had already completed the whole set. She wanted me to enjoy the magical adventures and to start collecting my own set and so I did. Harry Potter makes me feel happy and makes me feel that my parents are right here by my side, guiding me through challenges and complications. J.K. Rowling is an extraordinary author. She’s amazing and she helped me realize the beauty of Love and Friendship. ”

You know you made me totally jealous when you told me you went to the WWOH already :O But I was extremely touched by your story and what Harry Potter really means to you. I hope that you will use this account well and make sure that the Harry Potter experience lives on!

I hope Plamen and Ana wouldn’t mind me sharing their stories, I just really want to share this.

From Plamen

“The competion might be over, however i’ll post just in case.

First of all i’d like to say that giving these PM acc with no benefit is great, very generous of you. I think that every HP fan deserves an account and everyone has a unique, speacial story. Here’s mine:

For my personally HP was the first novel i’ve read for fun at the age of 8 (i learned to read when i was 4 but it was hardly “reading” in the full sense). Till then all i have been reading was scientific books, you know, encyclopedias and other stuff like that. I could tell you about Einstein and World War, however i was completely oblivious to reading for fun. The HP turned out to be an amazing story, that sometimes makes you laugh or cry, but most inportantly it was a magic fairytale for old and young. That was my first book and soon i found myself telling my classmates about it, living in a very small town there wasn’t any other fans i could talk to about it. So i decided to create some. I was taking my book with my everywere on the playground, at school, because i wanted to tell as more children i could. Soon i had my friends hooked about the book and we were playing all sorts of hp games imitating the book, imagining that we’re wizards and so one. When we were 11-12 years old we found a HP RPG forum, so we created our own characters, it was the first RPG forum and the second HP forum in my country. It became the most successful online forum. It was six years ago and back then that thing was huge, i mean noone even knew what RPG was let alone RPG about HP. It was like discovering Pottermore. There, in the forum i met wonderful people i learned to write amazing stories full of imagination and i was having fun. The forum helped me a lot with my writing abilities and all that thanks to HP books, because of which i started reading. So for me, it all started with HP : ) !”

And this is Ana’s story

“My name is Ana, I’m 17 years old and Harry Potter changed my life
Without the book, I probably wouldn’t be able to write this at all because I’m not a native English speaker. All of the big moments in my life were caused by HP. My love for reading started at the age of 6 while reading the first book with my mum. Here are just a couple of the major things Harry changed in my life:
1) Because I loved HP so much, I thought I should read another book, and thus became the book-worm and aspiring writer I am today.
2) I taught myself English when I was 8 years old so I could read the books in the original language. A couple of years later,I thought I’d give another language a go since I learnt English so quickly.I know fluently speak 5 languages.
3) I got my excellent education because of Harry – Since the book is based in the UK I really wanted to study there, so I worked really hard and got a scholarship for a very good school there, where I stayed for a year.
4) I met the most amazing people while obsessing over HP. They truly make my life worth living

I honestly don’t know where I’d be without the books, but I’m sure I wouldn’t have had such a great life without them.
And if I could, I would have gotten Pottermore myself (believe me, I tried everything), but I had a bad family situation over the summer and as much as I love Harry, I had to put my family first.”

For the others, my message to you is October isn’t that far off already. You will be able to experience the magical world of Pottermore soon! Add me SilverWitch31 and if you’re a Gryffindor, MEESAGE ME!!

For those who just want to see what Pottermore looks like, message me also for the password for this private blog post regarding the tour/guide on pottermore. Have to do this because I don’t want to violate any rules D:

Take care and all and till the next Post!! POTTERHEADS UNITE!!

AND OUR FIRST POTTERMORE ACCOUNT WINNER IS….

jynxypanda — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 03:37:56 +0000

AND WE HAVE A WINNNER!!

Annie just won the first of the 2 Pottermore accounts that I was giving away. A total of 8 of you joined and I would like to say thank you for sharing your stories. I really now believe that Potterheads are the best people in the world because they let Harry live on. J. K. Rowling is simply AMAZING!

Her comment was listed as first in Randomizer and I would like to welcome you to this wonderful experience! You will get an individual email from me regarding the account details. Again CONGRATS!!

Here is her comment

“What does Harry Potter mean in my life? I don’t even know if I can answer that porperly.
Most importantly, Harry has taught me a lot about friendshp. He has made me cry, he has made me laugh and everything between that. He gave me a way to escape my life for at least a few hours, when I was having trouble a few years ago.
One of the first memories I have is my mum, my brother and me, sitting in the livingroom on christmas eve, while my mother read the first Harry Potter book to us. I was only five, but I loved those moments so much, that, a few years later, I decided I was old enough to read the third book on my own.

Not only Harry himself, but also the fandom, all the Potterheads, have made my life so much better. I’m a huge fan of several books and series, but this fandom is not only a fandom, it’s a family. A gigantic, chaotic, not always harmonic family. I’ve never met a Potterhead that was not lovely and simply adorable, a lot of them are my closest friends now. For me, the Harry Potter fandom stands for support and tolerance and excitement and passion. I don’t know where I would be without all of the Wizard Rock Groups, Starkids, Snape Lovers, Hufflepuffs etc, etc.

I love those books for making me the person I am today, with all the quirks I have.

Oh my god, this is so freakin long, I’m sorry A pottermore account would be beyond awesome, since I wasn’t able to get in, because I was a counselor in a camp for kids at that time And again sorry for the long story ”

If Annie doesn’t reply in 3 days, I may have to give this to somebody else SO PLEASE REPLY BACK ANNIE! The rest are still in the winning for the 2nd email! And yes guys, you can still join, just comment your “Most Harry Potter experience” in this post.

If you already have a Pottermore account, do add me! I’m SilverWitch31. And if you’re a Gyrffindor or new to Pottermore, just comment and message because I have loads of tips and tricks to tell you.

I will expound my Pottermore experience in a different post. For those who just want to see what Pottermore looks like, message me also for the password for this private blog post regarding the tour/guide on pottermore. Have to do this because I don’t want to violate any rules D:

SO GO AND JOIN GUYS!!

Protected: ALL ABOUT POTTERMORE! see latest post to get access

jynxypanda — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 14:32:33 +0000

POTTERMORE!!

jynxypanda — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 13:35:16 +0000

Hi guuyyss!! Anybody here who registered early for Pottermore? It’s already the 4th day but the clue has yet to come out!

I’m SilverWitch31 and DreamWolf205

Potter Hangover

jynxypanda — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 06:54:18 +0000

I have no idea what to say nor do I have an explanation for my absence. Sure it’s because it’s my last year in university (maybe…? :D), internship, meeting with new friends (three of my French classmates are currently enrolled for 9 months in my university! :D), and all sorts of things. It’s just something that every blogger has experienced. Blogger’s block. No-explanation-I-just-wanted-to-get-away-from-it-disappearance. Heck I didn’t even blog on my birthday which is a FIRST!! I almost always blog on my birthday but it’s come and gone and I actually had a very unique birthday this year.

Last June was a whirlwind of sorts. Actually it was a hurricane. It was kinda insane because feelings just kept getting thrash. Sometimes I was in such a high and felt that I could do anything. I was literally on top of the world. But things came crashing down and I felt so drained and thankful at the same time. Let’s just say I was insane coz I don’t wanna talk about it

And now this month concluded the decade long wait for the movie franchise of my beloved book series, Harry Potter. I may be turning readers away and you’re all probably groaning “Not another Harry Potter blog!” but I’m a fan of the series. Not a crazy fan I assure you but a person who devoted a decade to this fandom yes. I can’t believe that it’s finally over, there’s actually NOTHING left to look forward to in terms of storyline (well maybe except POTTERMORE!! Anybody else excited about this? LET’S MEET UP THERE!) except for watching/reading them all over again and in my Post-Harry-Potter depression,

I have been watching behind the scenes, bloopers, interviews with the cast and of course Rowling (I ADORE HER!! I actually have 3 interview books about her that I bought when I was 11 XD) and tumblring Harry Potter things so don’t be shocked if my Tumblr suddenly became Potter-fied.

I’m officially on a Potter hangover.

The movies really don’t do the book justice but they are in a totally different medium. They deserve a life of their own that’s why when my friends were disturbed at the abnormally high rating which they felt the film didn’t deserve at all, but which my biased self approved because the directors, producers, actors and actresses also devoted a decade of their lives here. They actually had the opportunity to become one with the characters, give their own take of Harry, Hermione and Ron and everyone else. And in the last movie, they gave it their all. Maggie Smith, Helena Bonham Carter, Ralph Fiennes, Dan, Emma, Rupert, Matthew, Tom (feeling close eh XD) and of course, Alan Rickman LIVED their parts and I am overcome with emotion with the Snape scene. Sure they botched the battle of hogwarts, sure they kinda left something out in the King’s Cross Station scene but that Snape scene was everything. Alan Rickman you are AWESOME!

I’m still in an emotional mess because of Harry Potter, I still tear up when I find out things that I never knew (like how the Hogwarts’ motto is Never Tickle a Sleeping Dragon XD). I don’t wish to see another Harry Potter installment. J. K. Rowling finished the series beautifully (okay the Epilogue was actually the worst scene in both movies and books it just made me laugh out loudXD) and I wouldn’t want anything more from it. I would like to see a BBC series though, one that would definitely portray the books FAITHFULLY. Time then wouldn’t be a constraint. It’s just so hard to picture another set doing these roles. Heck I bet you just can’t picture another Harry except for Dan right?

Howell, actually I still have something to look forward to, SAVING UP FOR MY TRIP TO FLORIDA!! Harry Potter Theme Park HERE I COME!!

Life won’t be the same but I believe that it’ll only get better. And anyway, I can still dress up and pretend. JK/Jo Rowling did encourage imagination. What would we do without a little imagination?

All is well.

P.S. I won’t be able to visit my visitors anymore until I fix things D: I haven’t been able to visit you guys at all the past months and I feel terrible -_- I don’t mind now if I lose all my followers :((

P.S.S. I’m still alive in Tumblr. Do follow me here!

A Tear Drop

jynxypanda — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 16:21:17 +0000

Guess how i’m writing this post? Hahaa

Well am using iPhone!! Haha tis awesome really how technology works. I am soo happy that you guys have visited and commented once again! I really shall visit you guys when next week comes because life would be more free then. A bit then i go to my internship duties!

And before anything else… PLS WELCOME MY TWO NEW HOSTEES, ALYSSA AND TARYN!! Pls do visit them!!

I really wanted to share a book with you guys. I picked up this book in The Shakespeare and Company bookstore in Paris, France (every wall had a book crammed in, even the sides of stairs were not spared. It was the dream place of every bookworm!) even if saw this book here in the phils, the cover drew me to grab and sniff the pages, flip through them and just hold on tight and never let go. Im a judge a book by a cover type of person (because covers are part of books too though harry potter is my totem for breaking this rule of mine back then) and i fell in love with this edition. I wasn’t sure of the plot yet but i bought it anyway along with another book. After reading it tonight, i couldn’t help shed a tear. Scratch that tears.

It was wonderfully told in the point of view of a german girl living with a german family during the second world war. I have a bias towards holocaust novels and i love them for some reason. Maybe because i felt humanity in their pages. Of how humanity is capable of such goodness and extreme atrocity, what a wonderful and dreadful paradox! I loved Number by the stars and the Diary of Anne Frank but this book i shall remember up to my grave because of such compelling charactwrs. I cried at the hopelessness and futility of it all. And i remembered the fall of tearsdrops ive been shedding the past few days. Maybe it was because of academcs, of the intense pain of enduring that “cleanig” session in the derma a while ago which involves needles (yes it hurt like hell), and of whatever shallow or whatever reasons, i’ve been tearing up.

But then i contemplate and i try to still see some goodness in life. After all we’re here and we can’t do anything about it. There must be a reason why everything was made like this right? Sorry for such thoughts but I need to reflect a lot especially since my Philosophy final orals is next week and our professor wants insights, not just some parroting students. It’s a good thing too he let us watch Wit (HBO, 2001), a very um.. witty and remarkable tv film with the awesome Emma Thompson! I really loved how they explored death and the life of a person while the settings are only in the hospital or the university. It really does make you think…

I really do indeed recommend reading The Book Thief and watching Wit! Please do because these are such gems and am sure it’ll add something to your thoughts and reflection. Thanks so much for bearing this post. OH YEAH!! Pls do add me in Shelfari or Mubi if anybody has an account and follow me by clicking on the icons on my social slider on the left! Mubi is a site for movie lovers and they can share lists and… stuff haha. I still have a lot to fix actually around here O_O will get to it next week!

Questions:
1. Have you taken up or do you want to take a Philosophy class?
2. Have you read or watch them? If ever did you like it?
3. Share a thought for the day! (even… hey there are violent flying Asian carps invading America! or something like that… but yeah i did watch that in National Geographic yesterday XD)