When I Met God and Doubted Him

I've been having issues with myself the past weeks. I used to think I'd never get daunted by a blank page - that it would always be easy for me to write, write, write. Fuck. I was damn wrong. I didn't know what to write about. I didn't know what to talk about. All I ended up doing was spend my precious time reading and re-reading my treasures. Fuck.

Writer's block? Fuckin' wrong. I didn't think I was a writer. I was scared, definitely scared. But something, very, very deep down, kept nagging at me - write or else perish. Fucking corny.

My days start with lazy routines. I wake up late. I eat processed food for breakfast. I read a novel. I try to work. I have lunch. I try to work again. I stop working. I look out my window and marvel at my breathtaking view of the sunset. I quarantine myself. And in the end, I use up all my remaining time on FB. Anyhow, I manage to not get things done. Not at all up to my usual standards, anyway. I used to be productive. I used to work. But now, oh fuck. I don't care.

I met God. I met him so many times. And I doubted Him a million times. What or who to me is God? Was He the One I always thought He would be? I would definitely hope so. When I saw Lulu Meets God and Doubted Him at a bargain bookstore, I got intrigued by the title itself. Who wouldn't be? Who is Lulu? Why would she doubt God? How did she meet Him? Then, after meeting Him, she doubted Him? Alas, this Danielle Ganek's debut novel didn't dare address any of these questions. As a reader, I used all the metaphors I could ever dream of to make it spill out all the answers to MY questions. And I believe I found them.

Lulu Meets God and Doubts Him tells the glamorous and politically chaotic world of art AND art dealing. It was my first glimpse on the supposedly elusive world of art. It was enchanting, addicting, and not at all disappointing. I came to understand that the God the book was refererring to would mean any thing that we held dear in our hearts - our deepest desires. And if we found that god within us, we have to let go. And NEVER doubt him. But if we do, it would be a-ok.

I fell in love with The Monk Downstairs

This is a love story between a single mother and a fomer monk, who is renting the former's in-law apartment. I am so loving this simple and heartwarming story. Written by an ex-monk, Tim Farrington efficiently captures my fleeting attention through his smart and witty story-telling. He actually has a feminine voice.

This charming love story did not make me feel queasy unlike other "romance" books. It's a smart read - witty, heartwarming, and honest. Farrington succeeded in giving his readers a supposed glimpse on a seemingly perfect and serene life of an ex-monk. The usual dilemmas of lovestrucks and hopelessly romantics were given a different perspective here in terms of how the plot revealed realistic struggles present in every relationship - family, platonic, romantic, and spiritual. It did not push me to hope for "the best" for the main characters, or worse, wish for a "happy ending". Instead, it made me fall in love with the monk downstairs. Although, the ex-monk was not the typical male leads found in movies or in chick lits (READ: gorgeous, sexy, rich and great in bed!). But he was deft.

Knowing that it's a love story minus the cheesiness, I don't think the author wants me, as a reader, to just fall in love with the monk downstairs by attaching all the positive traits and adjectives that I would want to find in my man (he has them, by the way). I believe that Farrington has superbly conveyed what we want to have in this life. And that's a lot.

Buy the book!

I finished reading: One Hot Summer

Yes. I tend to read two to three books simultaneously. Well, I sometimes put down the JanSport book and read a few pages of this chick lit that I bought at a bargain bookstore. This is a book written by a Cuban-born ex-private investigator, Carolina Garcia-Aguilera. What do I feel about this book? Was it a very good read?

My response would be somewhere between yes and no. There were dull moments. I was really anxious to finish the book so I would know what would happen to the philandering Cuban-American female lawyer. Carolina Garcia-Aguilera succeeded in keeping my eyes peeled so I would know when to anticipate new twists, and prevent heart attack as a very much involved reader. It was a bit disappointing, really, especially when I was yearning for more thrills as the protagonist's relationships got nasty. However, it came to an abrupt halt. It wasn't the usual conclusion I find in some books - meaning, it wasn't conventional or stereotypical. But, but! There are more buts in this book that I get tired just reading this fancy and glamorous-in-a-Cuban-way story.

For those who like chick lit with a dose of more serious plot, this is the right book for you. Hey, I would definitely mind re-reading this story. It would kill me. Except the steamy sex scenes, which were strong and vivid enough to make me devour it again! haha!

How to live the JanSport way

What I just finished reading: The Hippie Guide to Climbing the Corporate Ladder and Other Mountains by Skip Yowell

I am not a fan of business books. But this book does not really qualify under that category. You see, I prefer devouring novels (and sometimes memoirs) than spend time learning about how to get out of the rat race and earn passive income (although i really loved Kiyosaki's book!). Anyway, this is a book that a very depressed, feeling-hopeless, and unmotivated person should read. Skip Yowell, co-founder of JanSport, talks about the adventurous journey that JanSport has been experiencing since 1969. Talk about decades of hardwork, perseverance, and fun! I didn't think I'd get teary-eyed at some parts (haha!). Seriously, this gem of a book taught me to pray for more courage, perseverance, inspiration, faith, hope, and love (c'mon! this is a HIPPIE's guide!) so I could climb more of my personal mountains. Although, while reading the book, I seriously daydreamed of waking up one day at the peak of Mt. Rainier or even Mt. Everest with Skip, Murray and Jan Lewis! (sigh, sigh) I hoped I really was a hippie at heart. Check out the book!