The Filipino Group discussion

Hello, TFG people. Happy New Year! This is our discussion and event thread for TFG's first book of the month for 2016. Everyone is invited to join the online and offline discussions of Michel Faber's The Book of Strange New Things. If you don't have a copy of the book yet, click here for the epub (thanks to Mommy Louize!) and audiobook files.

We'll have a series of online activities and a freewheeling discussion. I will post activities every Monday and Thursday (most probably at night). I will use a pointing system that can help you earn stamps for your TFG Passport. If you have been away for most of 2015, now is your time to shine. All you need to do is to read the book and to allot a few minutes of your Internet time on this thread.

So, let's begin.

Reading Plan
There is no reading plan. Read at your own pace.

Daily Shoot
This will serve as the logs of your reading experience. To post a Daily Shoot, simply mark your comment with Daily Shoot [date] (e.g. Daily Shoot 0102, Daily Shoot 0103, and so on).

-Daily Shoots may be composed of your thoughts, feelings, experiences, questions (to me or to everyone), answers to questions of fellow members, and so on.
-They should cover the parts that you have read (or anything related to the book and author).
-Since we don't have a reading plan, please place spoilery stuff inside spoiler tags.
-You may indicate chapter numbers/titles or page numbers in your Daily Shoots.
-Each Daily Shoot is worth one point and must be around 50 to 100 words for them to be valid.
-You may post only one Daily Shoot per day (duh). Further ones will be considered invalid.
-Daily Shoots can be posted on this thread from January 2 to January 22 (Manila time).

Announcements
F2F Details
Date: January 23
Place: Galileo Enoteca, No. 80 Calbayog Street cor. Malinao, Mandaluyong City (click this map)
Time: 2PM
RSVP here.

Links
Activity 1: The Strange New Things of 2015
Activity 2: A Strange New World
Activity 3: A Strange New Author
Activity 4: An Oasan Vision
Activity 5: A Universal Prayer
Activity 6: Shoot Shout Bingo!

Hi Angus, before I start... (view spoiler)[the link in the Google drive is not working. Can you check? Or can you send a copy via e-mail? thanks~ (hide spoiler)]

Hi Ella, I think I fixed the link. Can you check? Thanks! :)

Question:
May we post links to Daily Shoots instead? Like a link to our Google docs, if in case we want to keep our Shoots in one place?
Medyo it's hard keeping track of our own Shoots once we all post.
Tnx

Hi Mommy L. It would be hard for me to keep track of everyone's Daily Shoots if they are not compiled in one thread. I suggest that you organize your Shoots in your document, then copy-paste them here. :)

Daily Shoot 0102

(view spoiler)[I have started reading The Book of Strange New Things last December and right now I'm on page 395. The book is quite engaging so far; it has a soft sci-fi and apocalyptic feel to it, and at the same time it treads on the ever-sensitive issue of God and religion. If I had all the time in the world to read this continuously until its conclusion I would, but alas.

I’m at the part where (view spoiler)[Grainger pays a visit to Peter after he was shown the body of the dead USIC base doctor, Everett, and I feel a sexual tension between these two. I also think that Peter is slowly becoming “one of the Oasans,” so to speak. Not physically, but he is gradually imbibing their way of life, their mannerisms, their traditions. Could that be the same thing that happened to Kurtzberg, the first minister, and Tartaglione, the linguist? Part of the reason why I am eager to finish reading this is because I want to know what happened to them! And I also want to know if, in the end, Peter would choose to spend the rest of his life in Oasis, and if Earth will finally come to an end. It sure looks that way, from all the bad news from Bea’s missives. (hide spoiler)]

I’m also curious about how the Oasan words and names are pronounced. It’s tempting to listen to the audiobook just to be able to hear them read out, especially the parts where “s” is supposed to sound “like a ripe fruit being thumbed into two halves” and spoken by a voice that is “soft, reedy, asthmatic-sounding,” but audiobooks and I are not exactly friends. I hope one of you guys listen to the audio and learn to pronounce it!

Reading more later. Oh, and the reason why this first Daily Shoot is so long is because I misread the instructions: I thought each Shoot should be from 500 to 1000 words to merit a point. Would have written more but decided to check instructions again and saw that it's just from 50 to 100. I need new glasses. (hide spoiler)]

Daily Shoot 0102

(view spoiler)[I started the book today and only finished a chapter. It’s an interesting first chapter. I love reading Peter and Bea’s conversations, discussions of perceptions. About God, nature, and reality. And they’re a very kind couple. I love this statement of positivity that Beatrice said to Joanne: “If the plane had been scheduled to leave eight hours later, you would’ve been doing the same thing as you’re doing now - waiting, except at home.” It’s not yet clear to me what Peter’s mission is so I’m really excited to continue tonight before I sleep. :) (hide spoiler)]

Daily shoot 0103 -

(view spoiler)[I learned what the shoot means! Haha, it is an electronic mail being sent over from space~

So I started reading in the wee hours of morning and I find myself a bit disoriented with how it started because it seemed ordinary. Reading the first chapter = Station Eleven + Makoto Shinkai's Voices of a Distant Star + solemn tones of Gilead.

There's Peter and Bea and I remember the former's thoughts about how they immerse the Word of God in their interaction with people.

Conversation, genuine unforced conversation, but with the potential to become something much more significant if the moment arose when it was right to mention Jesus. Maybe that moment would come; maybe it wouldn’t. Maybe they would just say ‘God bless you’ in parting and that would be it. Not every encounter could be transformative. Some conversations were just amiable exchanges of breath.

PS:
-Whatever is Gethsmane(?) moment? Curious.
-The making love portion WOW LANG HEHEHE (hide spoiler)]

Daily Shoot 0103
(view spoiler)[ I started reading the book yesterday. Reading through the titles of the chapters, I thought they were lengthy and more than enough to tell a story. But then having read the first 2 chapters, it isn't at all like how I thought it would be. This book is intriguing and kind of weird, for the lack of better terms.

Anyhoo, I like the thoughts about God, nature, and reality. I'm curious to find out what Peter's mission is, where exactly is he going, and what does USIC stand for, if the meaning will ever be revealed. (hide spoiler)]

Daily Shoot 0103

(view spoiler)[Peter’s and Bea’s personalities complement each other. Peter seems to be more focused on his life’s mission to spread Christianity to the exclusion of the material world. Bea is more grounded. But both are devout Christians and altruistic.

Very good descriptions in the first three chapters. You feel the desperation in Bea’s actions in the airport and the tentative feelings of Peter for what he is embarking on. Their interactions with other people in the airport makes the situation more ironic. People who are jaded and broken down by their current situation. Why go so far when there are people right next to you that you can help? (hide spoiler)]

Ella, (view spoiler)[I think it refers to a moment of doubt one goes through before embarking on a mission. I'm sure Louize could explain it better. :) (hide spoiler)]

Hello, as requested by some of the members, you may put the chapter numbers/titles or page numbers in your Shoots for the benefit of others. I've updated the guidelines to include this. Thanks!

By the way, credits to Mommy Louize for the epub file. It is quite a challenge looking for an electronic copy of the book. Thanks!

Monique: Here is a clip of Peter speaking in 90% Oasan. At the 10-second mark, he will say the word "church" with an Oasan accent. ;)

Ella: Gethsemane is a garden at the foot of the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, most famous as the place where Jesus prayed and his disciples slept the night before Jesus' crucifixion. This is from Wikipedia. :D

Daily Shoot 0103: Chapters 1-3
(view spoiler)[
Peter and Beatrice sounds like a fairly new couple considering how attached they still are to each other. And it seems like religion/faith is very much central to their relationship and I wonder if that will end up as a good thing or a bad thing.

I am also quite curious to know what exactly is it that Peter has. What were his “very particular set of skills” as Liam Neeson would say that made him the chosen one? In short, I want the results of those loony Q&A tests from the “interrogators”. (hide spoiler)]

Daily Shoot 0103
Chapter 22: Alone with you by my side

ANGUS: The intonation and nuances sound like a rougher, more garbled Russian to me, and Russian is already garbled to listen to!

(view spoiler)[The distance - physical and emotional - between Peter and Bea is now as wide as a chasm and I can't help it: I hate Peter. He acknowledged that he is no longer a cynic – it was Bea who “read the fine print” and asked all the underlying questions – but how can he be SO insensitive? Isn’t his religion also a convenient excuse for his shortcomings to Bea? Or he couldn’t help becoming one of the natives, so to speak?

Peter should get his head out of the Oasan clouds. Stop acting like a god. I wouldn’t be surprised if he had sexual congress with one of the natives. Ugh.
(hide spoiler)]

Daily Shoot 0103 (Chapter 2-3)

(view spoiler)[
I’m always fascinated about stories in space so this is turning out to be an exciting read. I wonder though why Peter wanted the job badly. Especially when USIC doesn’t guarantee their safety and he’s leaving his wife behind. So his mission is an evangelical mission? Just as Miss Ronnie said, “Why go so far when there are people right next to you that you can help?” I can’t wait for them to land in the Oasis and learn more about it. And I love the chapter titles!

Ella: A Gethsemane moment is when you are in a great spiritual or mental suffering, when you are dreading what is to come. Just like at that moment, just as Angus said, when Jesus was praying at the Garden of Gethsemane. At that time, Jesus prayed to God: "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will." I read before about some cancer patients, saying that they’re having their Gethsemane moments: praying to avoid the surgery, the chemotherapy, the painful side effects, etc. Or when a loved one is dying, stuff like that.

I listened to the Oasan sound clip. Aaah. Difficult. Church lang naintindihan ko. (hide spoiler)]

Daily Shoot 0103 (Chapters 1-4)

(view spoiler)[
I feel like Peter today, feeling sick and hardly getting out of bed. I like both Peter and Beatrice. And right now, I am more affected by their long-distance relationship, more than anything. So, I enjoy reading Peter's Shoots.

I am curious to the extent of Peter's mission. Imagine that, an evangelistic mission on a distant planet! That's a wonderful calling for Peter and Beatrice, but a very challenging one too. My concern is how he can efficiently accomplish this without any support from common believers, other than Beatrice. The USIC team seems not a good place to look for one either.

(hide spoiler)]

Angus: You're welcome!
Ella: This can probably explain better.

Daily Shoot 0104 (Chapters 4-6)

(view spoiler)[
I don’t read a lot of sci-fi and I suppose Faber’s descriptions may be old hat to sci-fi readers but I found it fascinating to imagine the dancing rain and the atmosphere. His descriptions of Oasis weather are so palpable.

Now why would USIC which claims to be a community that “does not promote any faith or lack of faith” require a “Minister (Christian) to Indigenous Population”? Something’s got to be afoot.

I found the letters between Peter and Bea rather touching (although I think there’s TMI about Joshua haha). Faber elicits such tender feelings between husband and wife.
(hide spoiler)]

Activity 1: The Strange New Things of 2015
What are the best moments that you experienced last year? Are there ones that stood out because of their novelty or their strangeness? Please list down at least five of these moments.

You may also make Top 5 lists of your 2015 favorites (movies, songs, places, restaurants, people, etc.) except books. We'll reserve that for a later activity that we do every January.

Participation: 5 points, 2 points per additional list, maximum of 5 additional lists.

Hi Angus, I have a question about the activity: Do we have to list top 5 pop culture things that were released in 2015 or just things we experienced last year irrespective of their date of creation?

Hi Kristel, you can do either or both. So that's already two lists for you if you want to separate 2015 releases from non-2015. :)

Daily Shoot 0104 (Chapter 1)

I'm just starting with the book on audio. (view spoiler)[I agree with the other readers saying that the almost mundane slice-of-life conversation in the beginning was slightly disorienting. Weirdly enough, it kind of reminded me of High Fidelity?? Having known in advance that this is a science fiction novel, I didn't expect it, and it's an interesting commentary on how human meditation, philosophy and the desire to connect will always be universal. (hide spoiler)]

I want to participate, hahaha!

Activity 1: The Strange New Things of 2015
(view spoiler)[
1. Solo travel to Chiang Mai, Thailand. First time to be so far away and all by myself. There's a strangeness to it because it was an exhilarating experience tinged with longing. I wanted to share the happiness with someone, but since I had no one with me, I felt the happiness was wasted. It's a selfish kind of happiness.
2. Went out of the country with my college friends. It's our first trip outside the Philippines.
3. Watched my first stage play. It was a local production of The Normal Heart. We were late because someone went shopping. We missed almost a third of the play but it still turned out to be a wonderful new experience.
4. Slept in a tent pitched on a beach under a horrible weather. Not so fun, but it was a new thing.
5. Played a mobile RPG and paid actual money for it. Strange because I swore never to put money on a supposedly free game. I found it ridiculous that some people pay money for Candy Crush. I guess I'm one of them now, ha. I started playing this game since the Ubik discussion. The powers that we had made me want to play a mobile RPG. So yeah.

Top 5 2015 Albums
1. Carrie and Lowell by Sufjan Stevens - An album about Sufjan's mother, who abandoned him when he was young. Despite this, he only has love and forgiveness for her. Fourth of July is a conversation between Sufjan and his mother, Carrie.
2. Vulnicura by Bjork - The most brutally honest breakup album. It's mostly string arrangements so if you feel that Bjork is too weird, this is rather tame. But what's it about is a whole new different thing. Black Lake is a meandering and poignant diss song to her ex.
3. Currents by Tame Impala - This band still has not disappointed me. There are still hints of their previous albums' feel but it seems like they have matured musically and technically. Let It Happen is trippy, like I just did drugs.
4. Art Angels by Grimes - It's a fun album. I listen to it when I want to feel good. She's kind of all over the place, like in Flesh without Blood, but for someone who wrote and produced an album at 27, wow. There's a promise.
5. 25 by Adele - But of course! Pretty sure you've heard something from this album, hello!

Top 5 Most Played Non-2015 Albums According to Last.fm
1. The Suburbs by Arcade Fire - fave track: The Suburbs
2. Bon Iver, Bon Iver by Bon Iver - fave track: Towers
2. Lost in the Dream by The War on Drugs - fave track: Under the Pressure
4. Funeral by Arcade Fire - fave track: Rebellion (Lies)
5. Amnesiac by Radiohead - fave track: Like Spinning Plates
5. Vespertine by Bjork - fave track: Pagan Poetry

Top 5 Songs I Discovered through Music Podcasts
1. No One Wants It to Happen to You by Small Black - I like the breathy voice and the electronic elements.
2.Misguided Light by Younghusband - Sounds nostalgic. Perfect for a long, windy drive.
3. Love Songs for Robots by Patrick Watson - Robin Hilton's comment ("You make me believe in a world that I want my son to inherit") made me jump into Patrick Watson's discography.
4. Lighthouse by Grouper - Soft, dreamy music. Have a good sleep.
5. Silver by Caribou - Chill out. Something that seems to be on loop but you don't mind because it sounds kind of airy despite the reverbs.

Top 5 2015 Movies
1. The End of the Tour - DFW will not approve, but this movie is surprisingly good.
2. Ex Machina - Intense. Wow!
3. Mad Max: Fury Road - Super fun!
4. The Martian - Kinda fun.
5. The Walk - Dizzyingly fun.

Top 5 Restaurant Check-ins at Facebook (no order)
1. Starbucks, Bugis Junction
2. B & T Mexican Chicken, San Juan
3. Somtam, Siam Center
4. Abe Restaurant, SM Megamall
5. Central Park Tower Roofdeck, Angeles City
(hide spoiler)]

Daily Shoot 0104

(view spoiler)[I know now, or at least have a sense of why this books is intriguing or weird for me. As I am reading, it seems to me that this book is a looooong version of evangelism, winning souls, something I've been (healthily) skeptic about. Aaand, only in the seventh chapter when Peter reaches the Oasis do I realize his name IS Peter, and he just had to have the same name with one of the disciples. Lightbulb moment right there, hahaha (hide spoiler)]

Daily Shoot 0104
Chapters 4-9

Bae - Before Anything Else -
(view spoiler)[a. Ingga, (view spoiler)[if you noticed the chapter titles are too long, it is because the end-statements ARE THE TITLES. Take a second look, mapapa-Eureka ka. First time to encounter this tactic. Maybe a writer's selling point to quickly bookmark the last page you have read (hide spoiler)]

b. Angus - (view spoiler)[PLEASE DO NOT UPLOAD THE AUDIO in the wee hours of morning - (view spoiler)[I have a feeling that I was listening to Kafka's Metamorphosis because of the voice. SO ALIEN, na-paranoid ako. I sleep after 3 hours, making myself forget of what I heard huhuhuh (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

c. Mel and Louize and Ronnie - (view spoiler)[thanks for the inputs, I guess maraming pinagdaanan ang mag-asawa to have that kind of moments and "Moments of Epiphany" thereafter hahaha (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

And now that I think of it...
(view spoiler)[ This is the part when I realized that Peter has underwent all sorts of things. Naging master Adik pala sya. HE WAZ DRUGZ, YO. And then he has met Bea and yun~ naniniwala na ako sa forever hahahaha. And then nagulat ako sa mga Oasan, if you guys watched Sixth Sense, ganun ang naiimagine ko huhuhu so freaky. Sometimes, I don't want to continue reading because of paranoia, but then I have to push myself because I enjoy reading some of the melancholic tidbits - especially the letters to and from Bea.

I also get to know some of the staff - highly skilled personnel silang lahat. Tapos pala, I knew Grainger, na napagkamalang lalaki pa ni Bea. I sense that there will be a tension between these two women. Also with the guys on the Oasis.

Nakakapraning ang last Pastor, he is missing GAH. Interesting rin si BG at si Moro hehehe. (hide spoiler)]

(view spoiler)[PS - Is this book a Dystopia with Soft Scifi? How do you categorize this fiction? (hide spoiler)]

Daily Shoot 0104
No chapters, just reactions :)

I've been reading everyone else's daily shoots and I am itching to confirm/deny/explain stuff - well at least as far as I understand, based on the things I've read thus far. I'm less than a hundred pages to the end, and I think the picture is more or less clear to me - unless Faber decides to pop a surprise somewhere. There's just one thing, though: Ingga and Ronnie, I know you ladies are not asking about it but let me just say, it is not all about evangelism, and USIC has its reasons for bringing a pastor to a distant planet. Read on na lang, haha. ;)

Meliza, Ronnie: Yes, the mission is evangelical but there is more than meets the eye as Monique said.

Ella: If you look at the Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication data at the copyright page, the novel is cataloged under "Man-woman relationships." It is inferred that this is not merely a science fiction/dystopian novel. It is indeed about Peter and Bea's relationship framed within science fiction elements.

Ella: (view spoiler)[ Noticed that after 5 or 6 chapters, di ko nalang nilagay sa Shoot dahil baka ma-invalidate (yknow, 50-100 words lang, 2016 na ang daldal mo parin :P) I was kind of wondering kung nauna ba nyang naisip/naisulat yung titles before writing the chapters because if he did, edi siya na ang magaling! (hide spoiler)]

Monique: (view spoiler)[ Seems to me like there's a conspiracy brewing underneath, something I do not know of yet. And that apocalyptic feel, nakakatakooot! But will read on as the plot thickens (on Chapter 12 now, this book is long, hahaha) (hide spoiler)]

Shall listen to the Oasans tomorrow, hahaha

Ingga, di naman ako strict sa word count. Iniiwasan ko lang kasi na magtroll comment ang members for the sake of posting. :D

Angus, are you familiar with Mary Doria Russell's The Sparrow? It was written in 1996 and has kind of the same premise as this book, but the group that financed the alien missionary work were the Jesuits and not a conglomerate like USIC. I'm finding the parallels and differences fascinating.

Angus wrote: "Ingga, di naman ako strict sa word count. Iniiwasan ko lang kasi na magtroll comment ang members for the sake of posting. :D"

(view spoiler)[WHEW OMG all the while I thought that the Daily shoot will be on exact word count. Medyo mahirap kasi madaldal ako, and really, you guys are letting me immerse on the scifi. I guess I do can read soft(?) scifi. Is this also soft scifi? There is nation-building tho. Confused being here. (hide spoiler)]

Activity 1: The Strange New Things of 2015
(Re-posting this here so that our mod's post is first chronologically :D)

(view spoiler)[
Best Moments of 2015
(1) I learned how to drive. This is strange, because I never imagined I would be behind the wheel when I was a child, owing to my lack in height.
(2) I lost weight! Had diet delivery service for a few weeks, became more conscientious with gym time, and now I’ve achieved the weight I want.
(3) We bought a house. Lifetime dream, biggest project yet.
(4) We went to Hong Kong and spent 3 days at Disneyland Hotel. Breakfast with the Disney gang!
(5) I turned 36. Are those crow's feet I see? NVM.

Top 5 Lists
Top 5 Favorite Restaurants I Discovered in 2015
(1) Antonio’s at Tagaytay - No doubt, the best restaurant in Tagaytay, ever.
(2) Ooma Japanese Rice Bar - There's a reason the queue hasn't dwindled even after months since it first opened.
(3) Lorenzo’s Way - My next favorite Filipino food resto after Wooden Spoon.
(4) The Halal Guys - Quick but delish Mediterranean fix.
(5) Mamou, Too - Tender, fall-off-the-bone steak.

Top 5 Favorite Dishes I Tried in 2015
(1) Steak with chimichurri sauce at Antonio’s - I'm not a steak person, but this one was worth the price.
(2) Hanger steak at Ooma - Love the truffle infusion. Very tender, as well.
(3) Churros at La Lola Churreria - Best. churros. ever.
(4) Macarons from Laduree - Every morsel is to die for. Worth the moolah, promise!
(5) Grilled cheese sandwich and tomato sauce from Wildflour and Big Bad Wolf - They are equally good!

Top 5 Favorite Movies I Watched in 2015
(1) Inside Out - Best movie of 2015. Oh, the feels. If you're a mother, you'll appreciate this even more.
(2) Avengers: Age of Ultron - Fun! Husband orients me every now and then on characters and powers but hey, it's also fun to learn about them.
(3) Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation - The bike races were thrilling to watch, especially for someone who's not such an action fan.
(4) Atonement - Only saw this after reading the book, and oh, my heart. Poor Robbie. :(
(5) Birdman - Weird, cool, awesome.

Top 5 Favorite Shops I First Visited in 2015
(1) Crate & Barrel - For the Project. I love everything in it!
(2) Pottery Barn - I die just dreaming of our house with PB stuff inside it.
(3) Santi’s Delicatessen - Cheese, muesli, cold cuts, quinoa, etc etc. Love.
(4) Cav Wine Shop - When the supermarket wine shops run out of your favorite bottle of red, this is where you can find one. They'll also recommend something you'd like, if you're feeling adventurous.
(5) Wrap Shop - Beautiful wrappers and ribbons and boxes and gift tags!

Top 5 Favorite Songs I Consistently Listened to in 2015
(1) The Days by Avicii - One of my songs for TFG, too. It's in the 5th anniversary playlist!
(view spoiler)[These are the days we've been waiting for
On days like these who could ask for more?
Leave them coming 'cause we're not done yet
These are the days we won't regret
These are the days we won't forget (hide spoiler)]
(2) Flight by Lifehouse - First heard it sung live during their concert, and I love it.
(view spoiler)[And I need you now
There's too many miles on my bones
I can't carry the weight of the world
No, not on my own (hide spoiler)]
(3) Promises, Promises by Incubus - Brandon Boyd. Enough said.
(view spoiler)[I'm on the road of least resistance
I'd rather give up than give into this
So promise me only one thing, would you?
Just don't ever make me promises..
No promises, no promises (hide spoiler)]
(4) Never Seen Anything “Quite Like You” by The Script - Fantastic concert last year. You gotta hand it to these guys.
(view spoiler)[Well I've seen you in jeans with no make-up on
And I've stood there in awe as your date for the prom
I'm blessed as a man to have seen you in white
But I've never seen anything quite like you tonight
No, I've never seen anything quite like you (hide spoiler)]
(5) I Want You To Know by Zedd - Love the beat and tune, especially for dancing.
(view spoiler)[I want you to know that it's our time
You and me bleed the same light
I want you to know that I'm all yours
You and me, we're the same force (hide spoiler)]
(hide spoiler)]

Activity 1: The Strange New Things of 2015

(view spoiler)[Top 5 Novelties of 2015
1. Graduation, finally! Eto na yun, Angus. Graduate na talaga ako last year, haha
2. Impulsive out-of-the-country trip with my best friend (and hopefully not the last) - #clutch, #YOLO, this was the trip we made when Lando was in the PH.
3. F2F co-moderator (thanks, Alona!)
4. Papal Visit (Que Horror, hahaha) - wet and wild at Luneta
5. Bridesmaid for cousin's wedding - kind of my frustration that I didn't get to be a flower girl, ever.

Top 5 movies I watched in 2015
1. Heneral Luna - punyetaaaa
2. Inside Out
3. Avengers: Age of Ultron
4. Kingsman: The Secret Service
5. Spectre - because Q, well the new Q, will always have a place in my heart

Top 5 Most Played Albums (via Spotify)
1. x by Ed Sheeran
2. No Sound Without Silence by The Script
3. Hands All Over by Maroon 5 - made it to this spot probably because of one of the acoustic songs, Misery
4. In The Lonely Hour by Sam Smith
5. Title by Meghan Trainor - surprise, surprise

Top 5 Songs I listened to (still via Spotify)
1. XO by John Mayer - Sorry, Queen B, but I love this version more.
2. I'm a Mess by Ed Sheeran - Song title of my 2015 life. According to Spotify, I played this 11 times in 1 day.
3. Man on a Wire by The Script - one of my favorites from their latest album
4. Misery (Acoustic Version) by Maroon 5 - Tied with I'm a Mess for song title of my 2015 life. And it has to be the acoustic version for more feels.
5. Bida by Sarah Geronimo - another surprise, really. I played this mostly after watching The Breakup Playlist.

Top 5 Restaurants
1. Yabu - I've never eaten more cabbage in my life
2. 8cuts - their onion rings and milkshakes are to die for (quite literally because diabetes and heart attack, haha)
3. Sisig Sociey
4. Conti's - I thought they only had cakes for sale. Love the lasagna, Salmon Salpicao, and Mango Bravo
5. Ippudo - ramen has to be in my list (hide spoiler)]

Daily Shoot 0105 (Chapter 2-4)

(view spoiler)[I'm waiting for some story reversals that will make me appreciate Michel Faber's characterization better, but I feel that most of the characters I've encountered so far are broad stereotypes. The only character that I feel is rounded out is Bea, and that is because she seems assured of who she is, hilarious sex scene aside. Peter's compatriots in the ship and the folks in the headquarters seem like cliches so far, I hope they deepen throughout the mission. (hide spoiler)]

Kristel: I've heard of The Sparrow via Books on the Nightstand. It's probably Ann Kingman who loves it, but that's all I know. I respect her taste on books but not all of her opinions on various bookish stuff.

Ella: Yes, it is soft science fiction with lots of anthropology (world building, Oasan culture, language, etc.). If you're still in doubt, it was shortlisted for the Arthur C. Clarke Award and lost to Station Eleven.

Angus: I read it and it was one of my favorite books in 2014. I've been hesitant to pick up Faber in case there were too many echoes, but so far it has been sufficiently different. For one, The Sparrow's deals with primarily Roman Catholic religion, and this one is more Protestant (evangelical?) Christianity.

Activity 1: The Strange New Things of 2015
(view spoiler)[What are the best moments that you experienced last year? Are there ones that stood out because of their novelty or their strangeness? Please list down at least five of these moments.

Best Moment: No, it was not when I gave birth to Archer (because that hurt, lol). My best moments are my little victories, the small stuff that made my day, ganyan. Pag nakakaupo ako sa mrt, o nakakaabot as the last passenger sa van (commuter woes). Pag nakakain ko ang gusto ko, nang hindi nasusuka haha. Ung hatid/sundo ako sa tricycle-lan, ganern. Ung may 2 akong baby shower…! Ung mas lalong napamahal sa akin si Ramsey, nung nakita ko c Archer. Parents ko hindi nagkasakit, Popoy the car ay hindi din sakitin, lalo na nung jobless c Erwin. Ung may kausap ako sa madaling araw dahil nag baby blues ako. Stuff like that.

You may also make Top 5 lists of your 2015 favorites (movies, songs, places, restaurants, people, etc.) except books. We'll reserve that for a later activity that we do every January.

Top 5 Best Decisions I Made
1 Enrolling Ramsey in Kumon
2 Attending as many F2Fs as possible kahit preggylicious ako
3 Staying fit and healthy while preggy (brown rice ftw!)
4 Doubling my savings to avoid debt later (December)
5 Breastfeeding my little one, and using cloth diapers (a looooot of effort, truly)

As I look back, 2015 was not a difficult year. Challenging yes, but it was a year full of little rewards that compensated my few not-so-little setbacks. My family kept me going, my friends who counted as family, kept me sane. For that, 2015 is so worth it! (hide spoiler)]

Hello, I've updated the Announcement section of message 1 to include the F2F Details. I'll send the event invitation in a bit. Thanks!

Activity 1: The Strange New Things of 2015

(view spoiler)[
1. I resigned from my job thus ending my love-hate relationship with it for 5 and a half years. Haha. And then realizing last month that it's been 6 months already and I'm still at home doing nothing.
2. I learned how to drive a car but I'm not that confident yet to drive long distances if I'm alone. Besides, I don't practice a lot because I'm always stuck in my room. :D
3. My first time to travel in Bicol (Albay and CamSur) was fun because I met a friend for the first time although we're both anxious at the start. Haha! I also went to Bacolod to attend a wedding and then to Iloilo again to meet another friend and her daughter.
4. I had great experiences watching Idina Menzel's concert with my siblings last June, and Sarah Kay and Phil Kaye's spoken word performance with a friend last March.
5. A friend and I started a movie blog even though I'm usually so lazy to write. And now we're 6.

I saw your Spotify list so I was influenced to check mine:

Top Albums
1. Les Misérables (Original Broadway Cast Recording) by ‎Claude-Michel Schönberg
2. Wicked (Original Broadway Cast Recording/Deluxe Edition) by Various Artists
3. Original Album Series by The Corrs
4. RENT - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack by RENT Soundtrack
5. Cloud Atlas by Tom Tykwer

Top Tracks
1. Things We Lost in the Fire by Bastille
2. On Our Way by The Royal Concept
3. 1234 by Feist
4. On Top of The World by Imagine Dragons
5. Budapest by George Ezra

Favorite HOHOL/Meet-up Places
1. Taza Mia - Robinsons Place Lipa
2. Don Day Korean Restaurant - Diliman
3. Tweedle Book Cafe - Tomas Morato
4. The Bunny Baker Cafe & Cake Studio - New Manila
5. Ludo: Board Game Bar & Cafe - Tomas Morato

Top 2015 Movies
1. Ex Machina
2. Mad Max: Fury Road
3. Inside Out
4. Creed
5. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

Top Movies I Watched but not Released in 2015
1. Almost Famous
2. Revolutionary Road
3. The Thin Red Line
4. Finding Neverland
5. A Single Man
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Activity 1: The Strange New Things of 2015

(view spoiler)[
1. I think the most momentous happy thing for me was being able to read all the TFG F2F books on schedule ahaha.
2. I started freelance writing again after a few years of falling out of the writing/publishing industry.
3. Went back again to Aklan for a big family reunion.
4. Moderated the F2F for June 2015!
5. Started new hobbies (cacti and knitting)


Favorite Albums in 2015

Rhye - Woman
Hamilton Original Cast Recording
Leon Bridges - Coming Home
Sufjan Stevens - Carrie and Lowell
Stromae - Racine Caree

Favorite Songs

Hamilton Cast - The Schuyler Sisters (Lyrics like "I've been reading Common Sense by Thomas Paine" has a special play in my heart parts.)
Leon Bridges - River
Taylor Swift - Blank Space
Stromae - Tous Les Memes
Skrillex & Diplo ft. Justin Bieber - Where Are Ü Now (Look. I'm as surprised as you are.)

Bonus: Song I Objectively Can't Say Is Great But I Can't Stop Listening To It

Fetty Wap - Trap Queen


Favorite TV Shows

The Jinx - Fucked up and fascinating true crime miniseries.
The Knick - Beautifully shot historical fiction about the rise of surgical medicine.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine - This is quite possibly my favorite show and my comfort show.
Jane the Virgin - I love the narration and the telenovela plot twists. Rogelio!
UnREAL - Emotionally raw but als quite compelling, it takes on the world of reality television and shows its grisly underbelly.
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Daily Shoot: 0105, Chapter 1
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It was kind of confusing to read the start of the novel because I felt like being thrown into the middle of a conversation I haven't started. Anyway, now I know for a fact that Peter is leaving but no idea where he is heading. Because of this lack of information, I feel compelled to read on and discover what this 'mission' is which is so dangerous that coming back home is like a miracle in itself.

Honestly, I feel like this is going to be more of an evangelical novel than sci-fi . There are a lot of references about being a good Christian and whatnot.

"Conversation, genuine unforced conversation, but with the potential to become something much more significant if the moment arose when it was right to mention Jesus. Maybe that moment would come; maybe it wouldn’t. Maybe they would just say ‘God bless you’ in parting and that would be it. Not every encounter could be transformative. Some conversations were just amiable exchanges of breath"
This line totally got me. Sorry but I have/had friends who were kind of like this. Who suddenly pops up a verse or something about God or whatever during conversations (and is totally off-topic). It turns me off. And learning that Peter and Beatrice are exactly like them makes me feel, meh. I'm just hoping that the story gets better and prove my first impressions wrong.
(hide spoiler)]

This daily shoot on the other hand feels like Kirk's Captain's Log in the USS Enterprise (Star Trek). Hehe

Daily Shoot: 0105 (Chapter 4-5)
(view spoiler)[ Oasis and its kooky atmosphere is kooky. And I have a feeling Grainger will play a bigger role in the coming chapters. Or maybe not. Haha. I am anxious to meet the natives of Oasis. And I hope they will finally reveal something,/anything about USIC and this missionary biz of Peter. Also is somemthing up back on earth? As Bea said half the people for the night shift didn't show up? Like didn't show up disappear? Or didn't show up hangover the night before? (hide spoiler)]

Activity 1 answers to follow.

Daily Shoot 0105 (I just finished Chapter 4.)

(view spoiler)[At chapter 4, I started thinking of Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card. I’m eager to meet the indigenous people of Oasis. I got curious too why Peter's mission is "urgent". And it seems that there are no time dilation problems in this story, contrary to the story Peter told, which I think is good. Less complicated.

Elaine: (view spoiler)[But maybe Peter and Bea are not exactly like your friends who turn you off. Theirs are “genuine unforced conversation”, “Maybe that moment would come; maybe it wouldn’t.” Baka hindi masyadong halata yung style nila compared to your friends na halata mo kasi off-topic. Hehe! (hide spoiler)]

I was just imagining(visualizing?) earlier the dancing of the rain, the presence of the air, and the rustling atmosphere in the Oasis. Hehe! (Feel na feel, kaya ang bagal magbasa. Haha!) Okay, I think I should read faster now so I could read others’ Shoots and not get spoiled. (hide spoiler)]

Kristel: HAMILTON! Loved the Schuyler sisters, Helpless, and Satisfied which reminds me, I have yet to resume part II.

Meliza: Here's Wren McDonald's interpretation of an Oasan rain.

Angus : Wow, naimagine ko parang Van Gogh Starry Night dahil limited ang aking imagination hahaha

Maria: KUMON! Missed mental math. Go Ramsey!

Daily Shoot 0105
(view spoiler)[ Finished just one chapter today (Chapter 12). It's glaringly obvious now that USIC is migrating to this other planet in a galaxy far, far away. Peter doesn't seem to get it despite hints, or is probably in denial. He is slowly being sucked into the USIC mentality as well: sticking to his job, having difficulty feeling, like turning into robots. Also, the reason for bringing Peter while not including Bea remain undisclosed. Faaaast forwaaaaard please. (hide spoiler)]

Daily Shoot 0105
No chapters again!

(view spoiler)[I told my husband about this book and one thing stuck to him: what happened to Kurtzberg and Tartaglione. (If you've already encountered these names, you already know what happened to them.) He mentioned one of Orson Scott Card's Ender books where characters had the same fate as Kurtzberg's and Tartaglione's, also in an alien land. I mention this because of Kristel's reference to another book with parallel ideas. (hide spoiler)]

Daily Shoot 0105
Chapter 10 and half-way Chapter 11

(view spoiler)[Ring-a-ding-ding to Krutzberg and Tartaglione, Monique. I have a feeling that they are not just MIA, (view spoiler)[but are actually dead and some alien feeling in me is shouting that these Oasans ate them. (hide spoiler)] Is it my paranoia? Or maybe this is more of our instinct that we feel alien towards those na hindi natin kauri? Anyways I shall find out as I go along.

In addition, I feel the same as Peter when I was younger; little did I know that I was being eaten by the system by immersing too much. Peter is so curious about USIC, that either he was plainly curious, or have the fear of being too attached to them. Unti-unti kasi makakain rin sya, yung kung ano ang ginagawa ng iba eh magagawa na rin nya nang hindi inaasahan.

Then I revisited the Maldives part (Chapter 9?) and then na-sad ako with what happened... does this book also depicts an End Of The World? Just like Station Eleven? Baka susunod n'eto mga natural calamities na.

The Oasans are DEFO FREAKY, LIKE SIXTH SENSE ALIEN FREAKY. (hide spoiler)]

(view spoiler)[PS - lalo akong natakot maging old maid. Kasi tignan mo yung mga dalubhasa sa Oasis, magagaling man sila, but they seem to have NO attachment to the Earth, unlike Peter. Si Peter nagiging clingy kasi LDR sila ni Bea, pero si Grainger? Parang chill-pogi lang. Parang walang magulang, walang anak, walang asawa. HUHU #sadlyf (hide spoiler)]

Daily Shoot 0105

This is one of those books that I just started reading without having any idea what it is about. I'm just halfway through the first chapter, so I can't see yet exactly what makes this sci-fi, but I'm excited to continue because from the beginning, there were mentions of (view spoiler)[religion, and Peter seems to be a man of both science (probably? I don't know what USIC stands for) and faith. I am looking forward to reading more about Peter and his flight to Orlando, (hide spoiler)] the whys especially, because I haven't reached that part in the exposition that explains things more clearly to me, haha.

However, from what little I've read, I found the first few pages poignant already. I meant in particular the conversation between Peter and Bea about how our perceptions of things matter, because they are things I always try to live by daily, especially when things get hard. This led me to think that perhaps this is their way of trying to see the positive side to their present situation, because clearly the thought of separation depresses them both.
(view spoiler)[
Quotes I liked:

The world looks nicer with man-made lights -- as someone who is perpetually in love with city lights, I wholeheartedly agree!

...[R]eality was not objective, but always waiting to be reshaped and redefined by one's attitude.
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...[L]ife was only as grim and confining as you perceived it to be.

@Elaine: Just like you, I am very much reminded of the captain's logs in Star Trek! I hope my logs don't turn out to be that of a redshirt HAHA (hide spoiler)]