Consider the Lily by Elizabeth Buchan

It took me days to finish this book. The first few chapters are very dragging that even if I had already

Photo by Goodreads

read a few pages I still did not understand a thing. In fact, I finished another book before checking out on this because I did not have much of a choice but in the end, I am grateful to get back to this.

Elizabeth Buchan is very poignant at this masterpiece while showing enough knowledge at gardening. A man (Kit) and a woman (Daisy) so in love with each other but the man ended up marrying another girl (Matty) because of social responsibilities and financial dilemma. The storyline is something I often encountered but what hooked me is the realness of the situation. It is not my habit reading synopsis of books because finding it myself gives me an element of surprise and Consider the Lily gave it to me.

All along, I thought the story will revolve around how Kit and Daisy get over the humps on their way to true love and live happily ever after (which is so traditional fairy tale-like for me). Instead, it was more about Matty and how she managed adultery while unravelling  Kit’s family secret. To be honest, I hated Matty on the first part. She is an orphan with quite a fortune left to her by her parents. Always sickly and always seeking for love, she ended up buying Kit to a marriage. But boy, I must give her credit for her willpower.

I have certain fascination about stories happened in Europe and this one gave me enough taste of it being set in London with scenes in France and some other parts of the world. The vivid experience of Kit’s father, Rupert, during the Great War also added meat and action to the story.

One that got me thinking while paying for this book is why is it titled Consider the Lily. There were quite a variety of flowers mentioned on this book but roses and lilies were the most talked about with lilies as the second option. There could be a lot of interpretations but as I am writing this review, it dawned into me that it has something to do with the storyline. Daisy is the rose and Matty, the lily. Despite of Kit’s obsession with Daisy and vice versa, in the end, both agreed to go on with their lives separately. Kit chose to have a brand new start with Matty.

In our lives, there are certain things we desired badly but we cannot get them. We try. And try. But life has a funny way of showing it cannot happen. And sometimes all we just have to do is move on  and make the most of what we have.

Title: Consider the Lily

Author: Elizabeth Buchan

Publisher:  Macmillan, 1993

Birthday Beauty Rest at Puerto Galera , Oriental Mindoro

The bibliophile and the bitch, I mean, beach.

After our first adventure together at Mt Maculot, I reckoned Payee likes me to be her travel buddy (bwahahaha) and invited me to join her supposed to be solo birthday trip at Puerto Galera. In a heartbeat I agreed because aside from the fact that I am travel junkie, it was also for free!

We met at around 6 in the morning at Jam Bus Terminal to get on a Batangas Pier Bus. After sometime of waiting, finally the boat that will take to Sabang finally arrived. An hour and a half ride and the sight of tourists, and cottages and beach activities greeted us.

Mindoro Sling.

There are a lot of things to explore in Puerto—snorkeling, trekking, sailing, partying—but we passed all these in the name of sleep. Yep, we came all the way just to breath fresh air, to walk in the sand and of course, to sleep. 

What I can’t forget about this trip is that I was given a birthday present.  Not to mention, a very nice book. Ah! I am happy kid! All of a sudden, I felt guilty for not having something for her. Maybe next year J

 

The birthday girl and me. Not to mention, this is my first time to get a closer handling with a selfie stick and I must say it’s not for me. Climbing pole is way easier to grapple. But selfie stick? I am such a noob.

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Modus Pamamalimos!

Piso na lang tulog na ako. Pero di pa man nakakalayo ang jeep na sinasakyan ay naalimpungatan na ako. Dalawang batang kumakanta. Masarap pakinggan. Di ko lang naiintindihan. 

Habang kumakanta ang mga nasa edad 5 na si Nene nag-aabot naman ng sobre ang kuya niyang si Totoy. O kuya niya nga ba talaga o ka-tandem lang.

Halos lahat deadma. Si ate sa harap busy sa pag-i-FB. Si Kuya naman sa gilid ay sobrang pokus sa pagsi-COC. Papaos na si Nene pero wala pa ring naglagay sa mga sobre hanggang sa naawa si Ate na katabi ko at nagbigay ng maraming barya. Ayun solve  at bumaba na ang dalawang bata.

Bigla akong dinalaw ni Mr. Guilt. “It’s always better to give than to receive”, ika nga ng Nanay ko. Pero hanggang kailan ka pwedeng magbigay? Hanggang kailan ka magpapaloko? Biglang sumagi sa akin. Ang galing na ng namamalimos ngayon. Uniform ang Airmail  na sobre na pinapamigay para paglagyan ng pera. Improb kamu. Dati lata lata lang pinapasa eh.

Kahapon lang habang inip na inip ako sa pagpila ng jeep ay may isang mamang lumapit sa lahat ng nakapila para humingi ng tulong sa kanyang anak. Sa labas ng sobreng puti ay larawan ng anak niya (o kanino mang bata siguro) at iilang gamot na maintenance daw. Napabigay ako ng limang piso kasi nasa St. Luke’s daw ang anak niya. Pag-alis ng Mama, napaisip ako. Bakit sa St Luke’s niya dinala?

Feeling ko nayari na naman ako. Ilang beses ko nang sinabi sa sarili ko di ako magpapayari. Peksman! Minsan kasi may lumapit sa aking babae. Humihingi ng P20 pamasahe daw pauwing Cubao. Di ko din naman ma-imagine paglakarin siya mula Makati hanggang Cubao kaya napaabot na ako sabay alis. Nung bumalik ako, andun pa rin yung babae, nanghihingi ulit ng bente sa halos lahat ng dumaan. Tinitigan ko siya at napailing sabay sabing, “Nice one ate”.

Kasabay ng pagbulusok ng teknolohiya ay ang pag-level up din ng taktika sa pamamalimos. Nung bata ako, kahit magkano lang pwede na sa lata. Hanggang sa pag nagbigay ng piso halos ibabato sayo pabalik. Kung magbigay ka din ng pagkain, gusto pera nalang. Ngayon pag nagbigay ka ng pera, sila pa ang nagsasabi ng minimum. Hanep!

Yung iba naman, may talaga pag rumaket. May megaphone na, may death certificate pa. Familiar? Na try niyo na ba mabigyan ng sobre sa bus bilang tulong daw sa pagpapalibing sa tatay, nanay, anak, kapatid o kung sino mang Poncio Pilato? Tapos nakangiti na kapag kolektahan na ng sobre. Pasalamat speech sabay baba at aakyat na naman sa ibang bus.

Nasubukan na ito ni Porito, officemate ko. Si Kuya humihingi ng tulong para sa tatay niyang namatay. May death certificate pa bilang patunay. Makalipas ang mahigit isang buwan, si Kuya na naman ang nakita niyang humingi ng tulong para sa tatay niyang namatay. Yung totoo, ilan ba talaga tatay mo Kuya?

Usapang modus limos na rin lang, banggitin ko na rin yung mga batang namamalimos sa daan at sa mga overpass. Kawawa na nakakaasar. At lalong maasar ka kapag narinig mo ang sa wari ko’y magulang na pinapagalitan ang anak dahil ‘yun lang daw ang koleksyon niya. Wow ate, child labor na nga, nagagalit pa!

Kung may bata, syempre may pang matanda din.  Araw-araw nagtataka ako paano nakakauwi yung matandang Mama at nakakabalik. Para bagang may duty hours lang. Minsan isang gabi, di ko alam kung sobra lang akong pagod pero may nakita akong lalaking naka itim kaharap nung Mama. Di ko alam kung binabraso niya ng barya o anuman pero mukhang may hatiang naganap. Nakow!

Maaaring tayo ang biktima nila. Maaaring biktima lang din sila…

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Along the Streets of Catbalogan, Samar

   Clockwise: Pasayan (deep fried shrimp with flour); 
Mais con yelo and puto; Locals having street 
foods for merienda; Mango Shake)

Writing about my recent excursions and experiences did not seem to enthrall me these past few months but my mother urged me to it. She said this could be my best repository to the things I did at a certain age. Something to look back 20 to 30 years from now.So let me tell you about my short visit at the quiet city of Catbalogan, Samar. 

I certainly won't forget this place for its food.

This place may not be the as familiar as Palawan, Boracay , Bohol, and other tourist spots but the people and the food here are gems. This laid back city celebrates the feast of St. Bartolome every 24th of August with weeklong anticipation. Colorful street dancing draws attention to both locals and guests. The deafening drum beats and enthusiastic dancers are just too hard to resist.

Days prior the feast day, battle of the bands, beauty pageants, and sports keep the people busy and sweaty. This is culminated by a street party where the local government unit turns streets into an enormous dance floor with high caliber DJs tuning in turning up the night into something unforgettable. Jumping to the remixes here also means getting drenched as water splashes from a firemen’s hose.

If you are a fast food fanatic, then this place might not be for you. As of this writing, the only familiar fast food chain I came across with is Jollibee. Moreover, this is compensated with local carenderias and pizza parlors. At 25-30 pesos you will be enjoying a decent and delicious merienda already. Catbalogan’s street foods are also very good. In Manila, I have enough of kwek2x and balot but here, I committed gluttony for its seafood inspired street foods starting from a fried shrimp mixed with flour, baduya  (made from tahong mixed with flour), shanghai rolls with tahong as fillings. All these dipped with spiced vinegar.

Either early in the morning or late in the afternoon, it is very cool to stroll the streets and sea sides of Catbalogan with a bike.

The Problem With Pixie Cut

After 3 months of trying to grow it back, I finally face defeat. And that means getting to the nearest David's Salon for a quick fix. Oh well, any hair cutters can do my hair. I am  even up for that P50 haircut just anywhere along the street but pixie cuts for me are really that crucial you have to go to someone whom you trust to do it nicely. 

I have my pixie for two years now and as I said before, I am never going back. Then I saw this really cool hairstyle and decided to give it a try. To achieve it, I have to grow my hair. So for 3 months I did the conquest. But to no avail. Having my hair at the borderline of a pixie and a bob makes me really uncomfortable. I feel like wearing a headband to pacify my crazy hairstrands or gel them up like a cow just licked them but I will for sure look hilarious.

Growing a pixie can be uncomfortable if you don't know what to do with it like me. Moreso, maybe I just like how short they are I keep coming back. 



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