"Hatred paralyzes life; love releases it. Hatred confuses life; love harmonizes it. Hatred darkens life; love illuminates it."
my haiti trip: the brain-dump.
I’ve been sitting on this post for quite some time. I’ve actually been sitting on it since the last time I posted on my tumblr, which is right below.
When I returned home from Haiti, everyone asked me how my trip was. And I gave everyone the same answer before hesitating to dive into explanation: “It was good. But it was hard.”
I went to Haiti for work. It was actually an unplanned trip. One Monday in November, I was helping tie up loose ends on a project where one of our california DPs and my colleague (another DP) would fly out later that week, and the next thing I know, the CA DP has completely dropped out of shooting and has abandoned the project. I remember my boss not offering up many solutions, and I remember stepping in and saying I would go. And 4 days later, I went.
To Haiti.
I was gone for a total of 10 days in Haiti, shooting for 9 of them. It was for TV project, a children’s episodic where each ep would total out anywhere from 20-30 minutes of edited footage. For those of you who don’t know a lick about shooting, that’s a lot of shooting for 9 days. In a foreign country. Where you don’t speak the language. So on a professional level, it was tough.
On a professional level, I have my own standards. I like to schedule based on my surroundings, comfort level. I plan according to traffic and location and budget and time. I plan according to my knowledge of talent. I go on scouts when I can. I plan the mess out of shoots in the US as best as I know how, and I still fall short sometimes. But I can tell you this — I thought I knew what “flying by the seat of my pants” in the US was — but it wasn’t fully realized until I worked in Haiti.
The kids (hosts and otherwise) we worked with were wonderful. There were only one or two who spoke English (we had 4 hosts but probably worked with anywhere from 50-100 kids over the 9 days), but we quickly realized how easy it was to direct, even when you don’t speak each other’s language. Never underestimate the power of an encouraging smile and flailing of your arms.
My colleague, Dero, was fantastic. I couldn’t think of anyone else better to travel overseas and work with other than Hubs (who also works in production.) He knew how to roll with the punches, troubleshoot, refocus, and knew how to be creative and energetic when he was running on only a little sleep. While I was scratching at my 17 mosquito bites (I was messed up externally the whole time), he was working through being sick (he was messed up internally). We were a great balance. It could’ve been bad — I could’ve been stuck with someone who refused to eat certain foods, whined, complained, or was picky about everything, but I wasn’t. If he was tired, he didn’t gripe about it. He just put his head down and did good work. And none of it went unnoticed.
So I’m at the point in the post where I should probably tell you about how this trip affected me personally. When I said Haiti was hard earlier, it was hard on me spiritually, psychologically, emotionally. When I stepped off the plane and we made our way to our car and drove to our lodging I remember looking around and wondering where the millions, billions of dollars that were poured into this country went. I didn’t understand why there was still crumbles of building everywhere. Why there were hundreds of people standing in the street, people sitting on the street corners supposedly not doing anything. Why there weren’t street lights. And why there was trash. Everywhere.
I didn’t understand a lot of things. And in my prior post I mentioned a woman trying to sell her baby. That was the hardest. And I saw some other gruesome things I won’t mention here, but if you know me well enough you can ask me next time we talk. I didn’t understand how I as another human being could consider the most trivial things actual problems in my life. I thought back to the things I complained the most about back home. I thought about what I thought was hard. And when you see half (and fully) naked babies running around in dirty street water with trash around their ankles, you kind of want to punch yourself in the stomach.
When I got home, I felt like I needed to go to therapy. A huge part of me was just angry — at myself, at America, at my job. I felt inadequate and selfish. It made me rethink what had value in my life. I’m a pretty well-rounded person, I didn’t grow up spoiled and was raised to be independent but not without humility. I’ve lived in different places, love all kinds of people and I’m not extravagant or flashy. I was forced to re-examine what I felt my purposes were versus what God’s purpose was for me. And a lot of it I still don’t know. I was actually glad I had the slowest internet speed while I was over there. The few times I logged on to any kind of social networking platform made me want to scream and throw things. For every complaint about a headache. For every moan about some book someone was jealous about. For every person who talked about the Prettiest/Shiniest New Thing and Best Movie and Most Awesome Band in the world. I wanted to throw up my hands and yell at the world, “WHO. CARES. NONE OF THIS EVEN MATTERS.”
I had a long conversation with Dero about this that put a few things into perspective. Sure, while my biggest concerns in Haiti were not catching malaria and cholera (y’all there were signs everywhere for this) a lot of the concerns Haitian folks have are different because, well, it’s what they grew up with. And I had to come to terms with the fact that it’s culturally the same for everyone. For the folks who gripe about traffic jams in California, it’s okay, because that’s what they know. It’s life. You’re concerned with what you know and what you’re used to. The radical difference between both worlds kept slapping me in the face and at the time it was just too difficult for me to grasp without feeling frustration. I had to bite my tongue and try my hardest not to write “Try living in Haiti” for every single (what I deemed) minuscule and worthless problem I saw someone complaining about.
My biggest regret about the trip was not being able to actually enjoy the country as much as I’d liked to. There was no exploring food. There was no exploring shops (although there weren’t many in PAP). I would’ve liked to actually do some work other than what I was hired to do, because the people there are just awesome. (I won’t speak for their politicians and the company they keep.) It’s not the kind of place where you can just go on walks and take tours, but it would’ve been nice to get to the coast. I would’ve liked to just enjoy the people more, but work days were long and I’d come back to our place and have to log and capture and organize footage into the night. Another great thing was the lack of humidity. Sure, it was hot a few days, but it only sprinkled once, which was awesome because it’s not like we had any time for makeup days.
There are still a lot of things on my mind about this trip. A lot of specifics that will continue to worm their way into my brain and heart that may or may not resurface here on the blog some day.
And yet…if the show picks up a second season (I really hope it does), I’ll be the first one volunteering to go back. But I’m definitely going to have to learn more French before I do.
Haiti, November 2011.
I was standing in the center of a once-beautiful cathedral, looking at only one portion of it, its roof completely gone.
A few moments later, a woman with sad eyes came up to me, holding her naked, sleeping child. And was trying to sell her.
"To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable."
"Now you remember this - when I go you can burn me up in the incinerator out the backyard and then bung me ashes in the garbage bin. Green one if yer like, so I get recycled."
[Flash 9 is required to listen to audio.]
Friendship isn’t necessarily constrained by the internet. On the contrary, the internet can be a gateway to special friendships. Happy birthday to one of my most special friends, Ginger.
I traveled to Houston to meet her earlier this ear, and I have a pretty good feeling we’re going to be lifelong friends.
Here’s to you and your big 3-0, Sweets. Keep it YA at heart forever. <3
happy mother’s day
I’m thinking of several people today.
- My own mother, who’s currently separated from me by an entire Pacific Ocean
- My sister, who’s separated from her son by a Pacific Ocean
- Both grandmothers on my dad and mom’s side
- Those who have lost and mourn the loss of their mothers
- Those who are new mothers
- Those whose mothers have abandoned them
- Women who play the role of mother figure
- Those who are currently pregnant and will be holding their babies very soon
- Dads who have to play the role of mom and dad in their children’s lives
- Those who eagerly yearn to be mothers and are having trouble conceiving
These are who I’m burdened for and think of specifically today. Because mothers (and mother figures) are so important to all of us. Happy mothers day.
future-pooping.
Hubs has gotten used to my blogging hobby, but, like most things I enjoy, it comes with a price. A price of getting made fun of.
Several weeks ago, this conversation transpired between me & Hubs…
Me (sitting on the couch and working on my laptop): “I’m working on my blog.”
Hubs: “So you’re blogging?”
Me: “Well, yes. For the future. I’m trying to write a few posts now so I don’t have to do them later. I won’t have time later. Y’know. Like posting for the future. Future-posting.”
Hubs, confused: “Did you say pooping?”
Me: “No. POST.”
Hubs: “It sounded like you said ‘poop.’ So you’re future-pooping?”
Me: *eye-roll*
Just yesterday, a similar conversation…
Hubs comes up the stairs into the living room. He knows I’ve been writing for a few hours. He stops at the top of the stairs and looks at me, wrinkling his face.
Hubs: “Eww. It smells like someone’s been pooping in here.”
Me: *laughter*
He walks closer and sits next to me. He sniffs. “It’s you, isn’t it. You smell like poop.”
Me: Another *eye-roll*
It’s a nice little inside joke we used to have. But I wanted to share it with you, too. =)
thank you, YA blogger friends.
(This one’s kind of a long one, sorry)
I’ve been meaning to do this for approximately 20 #FFs, but never got around to it. Now that I’ve actually got a few breathing moments to do another personal post, I figured now’s as good a time as any.
Oh, and hey look, it happens to coincide with Christmas Eve. ;)
This year has been an interesting year in the world of blogging. A little history, if I may. I started blogging back in 2004 when I was still in college (if you’re interested, my ramblings on Xanga are still kicking around on the internet). I then moved over to Blogger, thinking I’d post more if I had more flexibility in my blog layout. Heh, I was wrong. Then I landed here, on tumblr.
And then I started my little YA cover design blog, That Cover Girl. And then my blogging world kind of exploded, and in a good way.
I’ve always read blogs, whether they were personal, tech-related, media-related, news-related. I’ll read anything I find interesting on the web, and blog posts draw me in like a moth to a flame, especially if you add in doses of your own personality and humor. But the YA blogging world is an interesting one. Mostly populated by teenagers and women ranging in ages young to “awesomer,” you’ll find a variety of thought processes and opinions all across this spectrum of avid fans of YA writing. It’s a breath of fresh air, this little community.
This post is dedicated to both two different camps of folks in this realm — the newbie bloggers who enrolled unknowingly into this rather-close-knit little Class of 2010, and the veterans who’ve helped me shaped my opinions about YA and blogging along the way. (Links will lead you to their blogs, not their Twitter user page)
@GReadsBooks, also lovingly known as “G.” She was one of those Twitter users who I’d never heard of before until a mutual Twitter friend (@CrookedCarla) blasted out a tweet saying I should head over to G’s new YA blog. So I did. I discovered shortly after that we had a lot of things in common, freakishly so. Our love of sweet things, sisters and Christmas cards and our foray into the YA realm via Twilight bonds us in some sort of weird and unique way.
@CrookedCarla & @annareadsbooks. These are funny girls, y’all. I don’t know about you, but I don’t know a lot of funny girls, so when I find one (nay, TWO) that make me laugh, it’s an instant-connection. These girls don’t even have to read YA. Carla’s profession of wanting to lick covers and Anna’s chapstick/Blistex fight with me on Twitter make them top-notch hilarious girls of the most amusing variety.
@melaniegoodman. I hope you like being called “Mel,” Mel. If not, I’m sure you’ll let me know in the near future. ;) Mel’s definitely a conversationalist, and a lot of my @replies are filled with back-and-forth topics with her that range from food to books to tech to jokes.
@makeshiftjen. I would’ve included Jen in with the “Funny Girls” category with Carla & Anna, but I’m not sure what degree of singing beauty Carla and Anna live up to. If they’re both as awesome as she is, my bad. Because Jen, you have an absolutely beautiful voice. =) Jen is one of those girls who I can talk to about anything under the moon. We keep promising ourselves that our love of sweatpants and chai tea lattes will bring us together some day. And it’ll happen, I promise.
@lindsiking. We both love to bake. I’m not quite sure what to say after this, because this is the driving force behind our twitter and blogger relationship. It’s based on sugar. And that’s pretty sweet.
@brokeandbookish, @hobbitsies, @taramq. I haven’t had a ton of conversation with these girls on Twitter, but I’m subscribed to all of their blogs, and love what they write to boot.
@stephxsu & @thestorysiren. These two are who I call my encyclopedias. They’ve read a lot, and they review a lot, and I care about these opinions. Together they’re like, the YA internet. Whenever I’m looking for a particular book and I can’t remember the name of it, I know I can go to their Goodreads accounts and look at (read: ogle) the covers of the vast amounts of books they’ve read. Which equates to a lot of ogling. But that’s besides the point.
@4everYA. Wow. It’s really hard to put into words how much I love these girls. How do you take a group of girls who post such hilariously legit stuff seriously? Yeah, well, there’s a balance, I suppose, and these girls have it. Everything they write = immediate #fistpump.
@tinamats. Salamat po, Tina, for introducing me to the beautiful tunes of Dave Barnes. I am forever indebted to you for this. I also love all of the thoughtful, introspective reviews that Tina writes. We also both love pancit and lumpia. And I don’t think there’s anything wrong with basing friendships off of mutual love of food that’s deliciously bad for you.
@brimeetsbooks & @jordynface. I will continue to stalk each of these two bloggers until they have published books. Just yesterday we discussed the notion of me bragging extravagantly if I ever got one of their (future) ARCs in my grabby hands. I love reading through their writing processes and they’re always up for conversation as well.
Last, but certainly not least, @SnarkyWench. She’s the one I’ve been friends with the longest. She’s the one I was friends with before I knew she even liked YA. She was the one who kept me in the YA world after I’d read Twilight, and suggested some other far more wonderful titles that made me never want to leave YA, ever. She helped encourage me to start That Cover Girl. I will hug your neck one day, Sweets.
Thanks for making this year a spectacular year for YA blogging, friends. <3
my haiti trip: the brain-dump.
I’ve been sitting on this post for quite some time. I’ve actually been sitting on it since the last time I posted on my tumblr, which is right below.
When I returned home from Haiti, everyone asked me how my trip was. And I gave everyone the same answer before hesitating to dive into explanation: “It was good. But it was hard.”
I went to Haiti for work. It was actually an unplanned trip. One Monday in November, I was helping tie up loose ends on a project where one of our california DPs and my colleague (another DP) would fly out later that week, and the next thing I know, the CA DP has completely dropped out of shooting and has abandoned the project. I remember my boss not offering up many solutions, and I remember stepping in and saying I would go. And 4 days later, I went.
To Haiti.
I was gone for a total of 10 days in Haiti, shooting for 9 of them. It was for TV project, a children’s episodic where each ep would total out anywhere from 20-30 minutes of edited footage. For those of you who don’t know a lick about shooting, that’s a lot of shooting for 9 days. In a foreign country. Where you don’t speak the language. So on a professional level, it was tough.
On a professional level, I have my own standards. I like to schedule based on my surroundings, comfort level. I plan according to traffic and location and budget and time. I plan according to my knowledge of talent. I go on scouts when I can. I plan the mess out of shoots in the US as best as I know how, and I still fall short sometimes. But I can tell you this — I thought I knew what “flying by the seat of my pants” in the US was — but it wasn’t fully realized until I worked in Haiti.
The kids (hosts and otherwise) we worked with were wonderful. There were only one or two who spoke English (we had 4 hosts but probably worked with anywhere from 50-100 kids over the 9 days), but we quickly realized how easy it was to direct, even when you don’t speak each other’s language. Never underestimate the power of an encouraging smile and flailing of your arms.
My colleague, Dero, was fantastic. I couldn’t think of anyone else better to travel overseas and work with other than Hubs (who also works in production.) He knew how to roll with the punches, troubleshoot, refocus, and knew how to be creative and energetic when he was running on only a little sleep. While I was scratching at my 17 mosquito bites (I was messed up externally the whole time), he was working through being sick (he was messed up internally). We were a great balance. It could’ve been bad — I could’ve been stuck with someone who refused to eat certain foods, whined, complained, or was picky about everything, but I wasn’t. If he was tired, he didn’t gripe about it. He just put his head down and did good work. And none of it went unnoticed.
So I’m at the point in the post where I should probably tell you about how this trip affected me personally. When I said Haiti was hard earlier, it was hard on me spiritually, psychologically, emotionally. When I stepped off the plane and we made our way to our car and drove to our lodging I remember looking around and wondering where the millions, billions of dollars that were poured into this country went. I didn’t understand why there was still crumbles of building everywhere. Why there were hundreds of people standing in the street, people sitting on the street corners supposedly not doing anything. Why there weren’t street lights. And why there was trash. Everywhere.
I didn’t understand a lot of things. And in my prior post I mentioned a woman trying to sell her baby. That was the hardest. And I saw some other gruesome things I won’t mention here, but if you know me well enough you can ask me next time we talk. I didn’t understand how I as another human being could consider the most trivial things actual problems in my life. I thought back to the things I complained the most about back home. I thought about what I thought was hard. And when you see half (and fully) naked babies running around in dirty street water with trash around their ankles, you kind of want to punch yourself in the stomach.
When I got home, I felt like I needed to go to therapy. A huge part of me was just angry — at myself, at America, at my job. I felt inadequate and selfish. It made me rethink what had value in my life. I’m a pretty well-rounded person, I didn’t grow up spoiled and was raised to be independent but not without humility. I’ve lived in different places, love all kinds of people and I’m not extravagant or flashy. I was forced to re-examine what I felt my purposes were versus what God’s purpose was for me. And a lot of it I still don’t know. I was actually glad I had the slowest internet speed while I was over there. The few times I logged on to any kind of social networking platform made me want to scream and throw things. For every complaint about a headache. For every moan about some book someone was jealous about. For every person who talked about the Prettiest/Shiniest New Thing and Best Movie and Most Awesome Band in the world. I wanted to throw up my hands and yell at the world, “WHO. CARES. NONE OF THIS EVEN MATTERS.”
I had a long conversation with Dero about this that put a few things into perspective. Sure, while my biggest concerns in Haiti were not catching malaria and cholera (y’all there were signs everywhere for this) a lot of the concerns Haitian folks have are different because, well, it’s what they grew up with. And I had to come to terms with the fact that it’s culturally the same for everyone. For the folks who gripe about traffic jams in California, it’s okay, because that’s what they know. It’s life. You’re concerned with what you know and what you’re used to. The radical difference between both worlds kept slapping me in the face and at the time it was just too difficult for me to grasp without feeling frustration. I had to bite my tongue and try my hardest not to write “Try living in Haiti” for every single (what I deemed) minuscule and worthless problem I saw someone complaining about.
My biggest regret about the trip was not being able to actually enjoy the country as much as I’d liked to. There was no exploring food. There was no exploring shops (although there weren’t many in PAP). I would’ve liked to actually do some work other than what I was hired to do, because the people there are just awesome. (I won’t speak for their politicians and the company they keep.) It’s not the kind of place where you can just go on walks and take tours, but it would’ve been nice to get to the coast. I would’ve liked to just enjoy the people more, but work days were long and I’d come back to our place and have to log and capture and organize footage into the night. Another great thing was the lack of humidity. Sure, it was hot a few days, but it only sprinkled once, which was awesome because it’s not like we had any time for makeup days.
There are still a lot of things on my mind about this trip. A lot of specifics that will continue to worm their way into my brain and heart that may or may not resurface here on the blog some day.
And yet…if the show picks up a second season (I really hope it does), I’ll be the first one volunteering to go back. But I’m definitely going to have to learn more French before I do.
Haiti, November 2011.
I was standing in the center of a once-beautiful cathedral, looking at only one portion of it, its roof completely gone.
A few moments later, a woman with sad eyes came up to me, holding her naked, sleeping child. And was trying to sell her.
Friendship isn’t necessarily constrained by the internet. On the contrary, the internet can be a gateway to special friendships. Happy birthday to one of my most special friends, Ginger.
I traveled to Houston to meet her earlier this ear, and I have a pretty good feeling we’re going to be lifelong friends.
Here’s to you and your big 3-0, Sweets. Keep it YA at heart forever. <3
happy mother’s day
I’m thinking of several people today.
- My own mother, who’s currently separated from me by an entire Pacific Ocean
- My sister, who’s separated from her son by a Pacific Ocean
- Both grandmothers on my dad and mom’s side
- Those who have lost and mourn the loss of their mothers
- Those who are new mothers
- Those whose mothers have abandoned them
- Women who play the role of mother figure
- Those who are currently pregnant and will be holding their babies very soon
- Dads who have to play the role of mom and dad in their children’s lives
- Those who eagerly yearn to be mothers and are having trouble conceiving
These are who I’m burdened for and think of specifically today. Because mothers (and mother figures) are so important to all of us. Happy mothers day.
future-pooping.
Hubs has gotten used to my blogging hobby, but, like most things I enjoy, it comes with a price. A price of getting made fun of.
Several weeks ago, this conversation transpired between me & Hubs…
Me (sitting on the couch and working on my laptop): “I’m working on my blog.”
Hubs: “So you’re blogging?”
Me: “Well, yes. For the future. I’m trying to write a few posts now so I don’t have to do them later. I won’t have time later. Y’know. Like posting for the future. Future-posting.”
Hubs, confused: “Did you say pooping?”
Me: “No. POST.”
Hubs: “It sounded like you said ‘poop.’ So you’re future-pooping?”
Me: *eye-roll*
Just yesterday, a similar conversation…
Hubs comes up the stairs into the living room. He knows I’ve been writing for a few hours. He stops at the top of the stairs and looks at me, wrinkling his face.
Hubs: “Eww. It smells like someone’s been pooping in here.”
Me: *laughter*
He walks closer and sits next to me. He sniffs. “It’s you, isn’t it. You smell like poop.”
Me: Another *eye-roll*
It’s a nice little inside joke we used to have. But I wanted to share it with you, too. =)
thank you, YA blogger friends.
(This one’s kind of a long one, sorry)
I’ve been meaning to do this for approximately 20 #FFs, but never got around to it. Now that I’ve actually got a few breathing moments to do another personal post, I figured now’s as good a time as any.
Oh, and hey look, it happens to coincide with Christmas Eve. ;)
This year has been an interesting year in the world of blogging. A little history, if I may. I started blogging back in 2004 when I was still in college (if you’re interested, my ramblings on Xanga are still kicking around on the internet). I then moved over to Blogger, thinking I’d post more if I had more flexibility in my blog layout. Heh, I was wrong. Then I landed here, on tumblr.
And then I started my little YA cover design blog, That Cover Girl. And then my blogging world kind of exploded, and in a good way.
I’ve always read blogs, whether they were personal, tech-related, media-related, news-related. I’ll read anything I find interesting on the web, and blog posts draw me in like a moth to a flame, especially if you add in doses of your own personality and humor. But the YA blogging world is an interesting one. Mostly populated by teenagers and women ranging in ages young to “awesomer,” you’ll find a variety of thought processes and opinions all across this spectrum of avid fans of YA writing. It’s a breath of fresh air, this little community.
This post is dedicated to both two different camps of folks in this realm — the newbie bloggers who enrolled unknowingly into this rather-close-knit little Class of 2010, and the veterans who’ve helped me shaped my opinions about YA and blogging along the way. (Links will lead you to their blogs, not their Twitter user page)
@GReadsBooks, also lovingly known as “G.” She was one of those Twitter users who I’d never heard of before until a mutual Twitter friend (@CrookedCarla) blasted out a tweet saying I should head over to G’s new YA blog. So I did. I discovered shortly after that we had a lot of things in common, freakishly so. Our love of sweet things, sisters and Christmas cards and our foray into the YA realm via Twilight bonds us in some sort of weird and unique way.
@CrookedCarla & @annareadsbooks. These are funny girls, y’all. I don’t know about you, but I don’t know a lot of funny girls, so when I find one (nay, TWO) that make me laugh, it’s an instant-connection. These girls don’t even have to read YA. Carla’s profession of wanting to lick covers and Anna’s chapstick/Blistex fight with me on Twitter make them top-notch hilarious girls of the most amusing variety.
@melaniegoodman. I hope you like being called “Mel,” Mel. If not, I’m sure you’ll let me know in the near future. ;) Mel’s definitely a conversationalist, and a lot of my @replies are filled with back-and-forth topics with her that range from food to books to tech to jokes.
@makeshiftjen. I would’ve included Jen in with the “Funny Girls” category with Carla & Anna, but I’m not sure what degree of singing beauty Carla and Anna live up to. If they’re both as awesome as she is, my bad. Because Jen, you have an absolutely beautiful voice. =) Jen is one of those girls who I can talk to about anything under the moon. We keep promising ourselves that our love of sweatpants and chai tea lattes will bring us together some day. And it’ll happen, I promise.
@lindsiking. We both love to bake. I’m not quite sure what to say after this, because this is the driving force behind our twitter and blogger relationship. It’s based on sugar. And that’s pretty sweet.
@brokeandbookish, @hobbitsies, @taramq. I haven’t had a ton of conversation with these girls on Twitter, but I’m subscribed to all of their blogs, and love what they write to boot.
@stephxsu & @thestorysiren. These two are who I call my encyclopedias. They’ve read a lot, and they review a lot, and I care about these opinions. Together they’re like, the YA internet. Whenever I’m looking for a particular book and I can’t remember the name of it, I know I can go to their Goodreads accounts and look at (read: ogle) the covers of the vast amounts of books they’ve read. Which equates to a lot of ogling. But that’s besides the point.
@4everYA. Wow. It’s really hard to put into words how much I love these girls. How do you take a group of girls who post such hilariously legit stuff seriously? Yeah, well, there’s a balance, I suppose, and these girls have it. Everything they write = immediate #fistpump.
@tinamats. Salamat po, Tina, for introducing me to the beautiful tunes of Dave Barnes. I am forever indebted to you for this. I also love all of the thoughtful, introspective reviews that Tina writes. We also both love pancit and lumpia. And I don’t think there’s anything wrong with basing friendships off of mutual love of food that’s deliciously bad for you.
@brimeetsbooks & @jordynface. I will continue to stalk each of these two bloggers until they have published books. Just yesterday we discussed the notion of me bragging extravagantly if I ever got one of their (future) ARCs in my grabby hands. I love reading through their writing processes and they’re always up for conversation as well.
Last, but certainly not least, @SnarkyWench. She’s the one I’ve been friends with the longest. She’s the one I was friends with before I knew she even liked YA. She was the one who kept me in the YA world after I’d read Twilight, and suggested some other far more wonderful titles that made me never want to leave YA, ever. She helped encourage me to start That Cover Girl. I will hug your neck one day, Sweets.
Thanks for making this year a spectacular year for YA blogging, friends. <3
