My Blog Is My Pensieve

photo credit

Sometimes I wonder what got me interested in blogging. How did it all start? I love writing. I have loved writing since grade school. Back when my fascination with teen novels was in an all-time high and I tried to become an author of one. But to write about me and things that interest me? Perhaps a little back track will shed some light into it. Here goes...

On an evaluation at school, my 6th grade teacher complimented my essay writing skills and said that I'd make a good journalist someday. That may have inspired me to try but what I had then was a personal diary (you know pink with locks and all), and what you write there are personal documentations of your school girl life that you try to keep from your mom. It was a time when computer was just a once-a-week subject in school, the internet--at least in our household--was unheard of, more so a blog platform. What I also had then though was an ordinary notebook and a typewriter. I remember trying to write a story down (novel style) on my notebook and eventually typing them up. My character was always a girl with an older brother because I've always wanted one for myself.

Now on to college days. I discovered an online diary. One does not need an actual journal anymore. Instead, you type your story up on the website and keep it private with a password. Of course I was unaware of how easily online content can be hacked at the time, but for me it was fascinating. I might have posted one entry but that was it. Paying for internet rental was out of my weekly allowance budget unless necessary for school. When I think about it now, that must have been my first ever blog post.

I don't really know how I was first introduced to the term "blog", but I remember signing up for my very first Blogger account. It offered very different looking themes then and I didn't know if those can be redesigned. The whole interface of the platform was very confusing for me that I ended up having 3 blogs with about one to two posts in each.

Around 2007, I came across KC Concepcion's Multiply account. Believe it or not that actually inspired me to create a new one for myself because it looked very different from what blogs are supposed to look like. For one thing, I didn't know that you can actually incorporate pictures to help set the mood of your story. So create another one I did.

Then came the news of the late Francis Magalona's battle with Leukemia and how he documented his journey on his Multiply blog. That inspired me to do the same. No, I didn't battle a fatal illness. But I remember telling my Mom that I'll create one for myself to tell the world my story (really, what was I thinking?).

My blog compositions then were much better and it sounded like I actually had something interesting to say. However, I was what you may call a sporadic blogger. Unaware of how the whole blogging business works, I only wrote one post every few months. When it was announced that the Multiply website will be taken down, I transferred my posts to one of my old Blogger--thank God for the export/import feature. This was in 2011 when the new improved themes were already available.

gengcaperal.blogspot.com

Again I went on a hiatus. But with very valid reasons. I got engaged and got married! Then we moved to Kuala Lumpur.

The version of my blogging history may all be about the modern tools I used to write. I can't imagine writing down the events of my day in a scented notebook and in long hand anymore. But through it all, my love for the written word is present. Now, one of my blog's purpose is a Pensieve. Yes, the one owned by Professor Dumbledore.

Photo credit: Harry Potter wiki

"This? It is called a Pensieve. I sometimes find, and I am sure you know the feeling, that I simply have too many thoughts and memories crammed into my mind... One only siphons the excess thoughts from one's mind, pours them into the basin, and examines them at one's leisure. It becomes easier to spot patterns and links, you understand, when they are in this form."

--Professor Albus Dumbledore

And come to think of it, it is the Professor's version of a blog because he can invite another person to re-visit his thoughts with him. How cool would it be to own one if it were a real thing, right? But a modern day online blog is a good enough substitute. It does relieve you of those thoughts that are all crammed inside your head. And it does--at least for me--help you process ideas when they are all written down.

What does blogging do for you?

BookFest @ Malaysia 2013: I Love Reading

A habit of mine each time we go to a mall is cruising the aisles of a good bookstore. There's just something so therapeutic about the sight and the smell of piles and piles of books surrounding you. So imagine my delight upon entering Halls 4 and 5 of the KL Convention Centre for this year's BookFest @ Malaysia 2013 held from 3rd to 11th of August. More than 40,000 square feet of hundreds of booths containing books of every genre, and that's only the English Pavilion!

Now on its 8th year and deemed to be the largest book exposition in South East Asia, this year's theme was "I Love Reading". This is in line with the government's aim of encouraging Malaysians to read. 

I was only hoping to find good selections of board and picture books for Baby Bab but I was surprised to find great deals too! 

And when I said "great deals", I meant hard bound Nicholas Sparks books for only RM 8.00! Oh and Cecilia Ahern's There's No Place Like Here too! Are these bargains or what?!?

I  forced myself not to give in to temptation of buying these cool book adaptations of Disney films.

Great selection of classic storybooks as well. Baby Bab is not into these types of books yet since he's currently mostly interested in batting and chewing at them. But I would have loved to get these for myself. Teehee!

Of course there's the Archie's comic books for Jason (ok, and me too) at RM 5.00 each! 

A stage was set throughout the 9-day fair for several programs such as meet-the-author sessions, science show and reading sessions for the kids and cooking demonstrations among others. The highlight of all being The Star Readers' Choice Awards wherein the best local authors were recognized. 

In the Chinese pavilion

Guilty as charged! Yes, I was looking through the new Bloomsbury editions of the Harry Potter series. I was wondering why those were stacked in the "teens" section though.

Thank you Daddy Bab for being my official photographer that day. 

Our haul for this year wasn't bad at all, and I'm proud of it. We got everything we need and the best that we could find. My bookfair experience was a blast!

Until next year!

What To Expect When You're Expecting

During the seven straight years of my being a full-time career woman, I've gone through inconsistent lines of job in different and totally unrelated industries. This means learning the process from scratch every time. Unfortunately, I have this academic notion that in order for me to fully understand what I will be doing and be able to do it right, I need to go back to the very basic (read every material I can get my hands on) and a classroom training is a must (of course this is not always the case in most companies I've worked for). 

So imagine me being pregnant for the first time. The only reference I had available was my Mom who have been in this situation 24 long years prior. I'm not saying she wasn't any help at all, I couldn't ask for a better support and only Moms can give that. But as always, what I needed was something to read, something I can bookmark and go back to in the very likely event that my "pregnancy brain" takes over. So a trip to the bookstore was in order to look for the best pregnancy book, and off we went. Boy were there so much to choose from! And most of them a bit pricey, mind you. Until I came across the fourth edition of What To Expect When You're Expecting by Heidi Murkoff

Now I wasn't very impressed the first time I opened it as it was printed in two columns per page. Didn't bother to actually read a few lines before passing on judgement. I thought it more like the textbooks medical students use and would be such a bore for me to read all 586 pages. So it more or less did not make the shortlist. Not until I've made a few more scouting (both here in Malaysia and in the Philippines), saw it in a Facebook friend's album, saw the very timely movie (I'm not sure I can call it an adaptation), and gave it a short read did I decide that it's probably the best one available. Well, I was not disappointed.

A line from the foreword by Dr. Charles J. Lockwood, MD pretty much describes it the best:

"In a way, my job is a lot like your pregnancy will probably be--every day will bring a little adventure, but most of them will be fun. What To Expect When You're Expecting is like having a personal obstetrician to guide you through that adventure."

And it is!

Reading it equips every soon-to-be-mom with all the information she needs to make it through nine months of pregnancy and beyond. It is presented in such a way that it's very easy to understand with a touch of humor to make reading it enjoyable.

Not only does it guide you from the onset of conception but even before if you are only in the planning stage. It provides details on preconception preparations for both the mom and the dad, how to eat properly, what kinds of supplements are best to take, as well as pointers in choosing the right prenatal practitioner. I had half a mind planning our next baby as early as now while reading it!

Each pregnancy symptom is described. What you may be going through each month that are perfectly normal and certainly saves you the worry and unscheduled trips to the doctor (bleeding nose and gums, heartburn, nausea--name it, I think I got all in the list). And those that you need to take care not to get as it could be a symptom of a complication.

Of course, this doesn't mean that all symptoms stated in the book are applicable to every pregnant woman. As the author is always careful to remind the readers, every pregnancy is unique and when in doubt, calling and discussing your concerns with your obstetrician is still the best.

Separate chapters are also available tackling multiple pregnancies ("Twins, Triplets and More"), postpartum, managing a complicated pregnancy as well as one specially dedicated for dads (they're expectant too!). I couldn't have found a more complete reference than this.

Just like when starting a new job, reading What To Expect When You're Expecting gave me the confidence that I will not only be doing my first pregnancy right, but also when we're ready to try again for the next--in the not so near future.

Photo by MoniFoto.net, Flickr