Thoughts on Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Okay, so I finally watched it last Saturday at the Shangrila Plaza Mall. Our bosses at work very kindly treated the team to dinner and to a movie afterwards. Good food, good company but can I also say good movie? Spoilers abound. You can skip this post if you haven't watched it yet and don't want to be spoiled.

Well, I'd say it's a good movie. I really liked the first and middle parts even if as usual they deviated from the story in the book. But after watching the past 5 films, I'd say I'm already used to not seeing the scenes that I like and then exchanged by other scenes so not in the book. That's why when I saw the Hermione-Ron-Lavender love triangle, I was so giddy because that has always been my favorite seeing as I am a Ron-Hermione shipper. I'm afraid to say that was just the redeeming factor of the movie, at least for me. How come they didn't show the burial for Dumbledore? I think that was very important and by doing that, it's like they didn't give him respect that he very much deserved. Also, I think Harry looked lame just standing there while Snape cursed Dumbledore. I know they were trying to portray Harry as someone very obedient but I just think it's so not him. He just stood there watching things as they unfold. Maybe if they followed the book where Harry was covered by the invisibility cloak and he was immobilised, I would have bought the story.

Another scene I missed was the battle between the death eaters and the Order of the Phoenix with Dumbledore's Army. Sigh. How I wish they included that as it is an integral part of the story. Oh well, I guess I can't have them all. The last book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows will be divided in two parts for the movie slated for release on 2010 and 2011. I hope this time they will really, really give justice to the book as it is the finale to a great saga that is Harry Potter. I read that the final battle will be 30 minutes long.

Even if I'm a bit disappointed with how the movie ended, my love for Harry Potter and the gang will not waiver. I know I can just read JKR's books over and over again and be transported to the wizarding world; just me and my imagination.

In search of a web host provider

Ever since I started blogging back in 2003, I have been using blogspot and xanga, which offer free blogs that are easy to use and set up. At that time, my purpose for creating a blog was to have an online journal since I spend most of my time in the office and I have grown tired of writing using my own hand. I also wanted to reach as many people as possible so I thought it would be a great medium since my site is just a click away.

In these times where blogging has become an emerging trend, many people have looked into getting their own domains. I am considering this too and luckily, I chanced upon web site hosting. It’s a great site with a wealth of information about web hosting. It features web hosting reviews which I find very useful as bloggers share their experience with different web hosting providers. We should shop around for the best provider before choosing one and compare the features that are part of the package.

The site also features the best web hosts so that one can get an idea of what to expect for a fair deal. I also suggest browsing through their blog and the topic is so timely for me as I am interested in SEO and want to explore this more to get more hits for my blog. Good luck to me!

Finding the Perfect Bed

When I was still pregnant, hubby and I were planning to buy a new bed simply because our family will get bigger and we wanted to co-sleep with the kids. It was indeed a challenge for us to find the perfect one that will fit our budget and also one that will fit the whole family.

I checked western furniture and found some really nice beds and with great designs to choose from. I particularly liked Sunrise Top King Sized Bed. The design is unique and it’s big enough for all of us. If money was not an issue, I’d really get myself one of those. The bed looks so inviting and promises a good night's sleep.

What's your smell?

I don’t have a big collection of perfumes but the ones that I got I treasure because aside from having been given to me as gifts, they’re also the ones that I adore.

Tommy Girl tops my list as it has a simple smell and not overpowering. It’s very light and I feel refreshed every time I spray it on. I also love the scent of Elizabeth Arden Green Tea and Cool Water for Women. If you’ve smelled any of the above, you would notice that they are all light scents, fresh and cool. I guess it fits my personality as I just live a simple life, free from complications. Also, if I am thinking of buying a new one, I read reviews first and one site to go to is perfume blog. Of course, perfumes don't come cheap now so it's important to get your money's worth :)

I'm thinking of buying D&G Light Blue next time. I know this is an old one but I just love the smell. I'd have to start saving up for it.

Shopping for the right credit card

Before getting a credit card, it’s best to shop around for the one that offers the best deal. I visited cash back credit cards and learned a great deal about the different features that a lot of credit card companies offer. It’s a wealth of information as I get to know more about the credit cards that are available. It’s good to know which one suit me best so that when I finally decide to get one, I already know which one will work for me.

I am gearing towards the credit card that offers Balance Transfers so that in the future I can consolidate my balances in a card that offers the best balance transfer rate. This will surely come in handy when the need arises.

Sunday Market at the Lung Center of the Phils.

Finally we were able to visit the Sunday Market at the Lung Center of the Philippines. I've read about it from my trusty Yummy magazine a few months ago and has since been itching to catch it one day.

Along with my brother-in-law, my hubby and I drove early this morning to see what the market has to offer. True enough, it was like a haven of fresh produce and seafood. I guess we were awed by what we're seeing that we didn't get to buy any. LOL! We concentrated on food and had our breakfast there. The bibingka (rice cake) was superb and for 45php, it was pretty big and came with muscovado sugar and coconut.

We roamed the market and was able to buy cute rompers for baby girl and new slippers for Jeremy. I also bought a block dress which I found cute but didn't find it to be the same when I fitted it at home hahaha! I don't know yet where to wear it but hopefully I'd figure it out soon.

We only stayed there for about 2 hours but I was soo tired :( I wanted to lie down for a bit when we got home but I still had to prepare our lunch and then go on shift an hour later.

Overall, I liked my experience at the Sunday Market. We are planning to go there again next week and this time, we'll buy veggies and seafood. I heard the Salcedo Market in Makati is also a great place to go to on Sundays. Too bad it is very far from our place so maybe next time.

Now Showing: High School Musical 3

I finally got the chance to watch the latest (and last) installment of the High Musical franchise and what can I say? It rocked big time! :D



I loved the choreography, the songs and it's good that all of the main cast got to sing their last hurrah!

The story is set to the senior year of the Wildcats with the championship game opening the movie. Of course, Wildcats won and then they prepare for their prom with the theme, Last Waltz. The Drama Club then enlists the whole class for their play aptly entitled The Senior Year. They get to play themselves as the characters of the elaborate spring musical. Each character reflects their fears and hopes for the future.

Kelsey is in-charge of music while Ryan does the choreography. To make things more exciting, representatives from the Juilliard School will be in attendance and Kelsey, Ryan, Sharpay and Troy will be observed as they are being considered for admission. Sweet!

Gabriella, on the other hand, has been accepted to Stanford University and she is in a dilemma because she doesn't want to leave Albuquerque just yet. She wants to slow down and is torn big time. So is Troy because he wants the best for Gabriella but at the same time wants to be with her. He's also confused with what he would like to do in the future.

There's also a new girl in school who applied as an assistant to Sharpay. She seemed nice but later in the end her true colors were revealed as she just wanted to take over Sharpay's role in the Drama Club.

While watching the film, I can't help but get teary-eyed as I wax nostalgic about my own senior year in high school. It was so fun and I remembered prom night too and graduation where my friends and I cried while singing the graduation song. Ah, that was one of the best years of my life!

This is a must-see movie and the thought that I won't be seeing them all again makes me sad so I'm hoping this won't be the last of the series LOL

I hope you find the time to watch it too and let me know what you think *wink*

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