Advanced Placement, or AP, courses are courses offered in US and Canadian high schools that allow them to study subjects at a college level and in turn, will enable them to earn college advance credits.

One of the AP subjects offered in high school is AP Literature and Composition. In this course, you read fiction, poetry, and dramatic plays. You will learn to evaluate and analyze and write essays on your analysis. By the end of the course, you will discover close reading, interpret the meaning of the text, learn the author's techniques and the effects, and then write an essay on your interpretation and analysis.

Here are common books that are frequently cited in AP Literature exams from 1970 to 2014, PDF link here. The source is not mine and was generated online from one of the US public schools offering the course. The books listed are not complete and some schools also recommend books that are not on the list. Student bloggers who have undergone the study of AP Literature have recommended reading as much literature as you can. Before the end of the school year, the students will be tested and the most common part of the test is the free open-ended question, a prompt, where you will write in paragraphs to present your ideas. 

In the Philippines, we don't have AP courses. In fact, throughout high school, the reading of foreign literature was never part of the curriculum. The only books we tackle are the books written by Filipino authors and there aren't that many Filipino classic writers. The only books we've ever read in high school are Noli Me Tangere, El Filibusterismo, and Florante at Laura. Books are still considered a luxury to be had in the Philippines. 

So, I've tried through the list presented by one US school and found out how many of the books there I have, started reading, heard about it, and want to read them.

Read books:

• Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
• The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
• Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
• Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift 

Books started but did not finish:

• The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare
• Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert
• Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen 
• Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
• Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte    

Books I'm tempted to get started:

• Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison 
• Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevski
• The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
• Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy 
• The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway
• Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
• A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen
• A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens  

There are movie adaptations of some of the books that are on my list. But, never miss out on reading the original piece if you ever have the chance.

Watch these bloggers and I hope it will inspire you to read classic literature.
 

I love watching moving vlogs and house renovation. Imagine my excitement when a big celebrity from the Philippines decided to share the renovation of her 1-bedroom condominium and then it turns out to be simple and so attainable. 

Based on the renovation video, Bela Padilla value books, her upright grand piano and beautiful things, too, but only keeps what she uses. Everything about her things screams expensive, sure, but she does not hoard. I love a celebrity that does not value things like having a celebrity closet, a room full of expensive and luxury clothes and accessories. I would love to own and live in space like hers. 

I wish they also redid the kitchen and bathroom or at least shown it on the video. But, they didn't. So, I can only imagine how it looks like, like any other condo kitchen and bathroom built in the Philippines. If you are curious, here's the video from the designer/contractor.

 I came across a video on the @Roommy_Roomtour Youtube channel and fell in love with the interior with eight_field house interior. The kitchen is to die for but the office space is the most romantic space in the house.

I imagine the house is really like a flat or condo because the owners are Japanese and Japanese housing are like that. But what they did to their space, it's really inspiring.

The wood material makes the interior earthy and outdoorsy. Living in a condo flat doesn't have to feel like living in a box or in a hospital with an interior that is mostly white. Watch the full video of the house tour here.

What do you think? It's brilliant, creative and romantic. Isn't it?

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New year, new you but I still refuse to make a bucket list for 2023. Getting a new year means a new year to lead a better life than we did last year. COVID-19 restrictions may not be strict this year but inflation hits an all-time high. Prices for commodities have increased considerably and it's now painful to enjoy the simple enjoys. What's a girl to do? Find new avenues that will not cost a fortune.

READING

There are sites you can download free ebooks. My mother subscribes to these fictional and not so well written stories but still engaging like your regular telenovela on TV. There are second-hand bookstores to get really affordable books or make a book exchange with anyone who, like you, is also a bookworm.

BLOGGING

I've parked blogging for years and somehow deleted a few more on some other platforms. But, I have always started blogging as a way to create and just write away random thoughts to escape realities sometimes, and now I am back. I've rekindled the love to write on anything that catches my attention and just throw in my thoughts and ideas on the subject.

RECREATIONAL HOBBIES

I've collected a few items to start and enrich my hobbies. Unfortunately, they have been left unused and neglected. That time is no more. If you are reading this, look around your home and look for unfinished projects. Great way to spend time creatively and not have to spend any extras, or I hope.

Leading a mindful lifestyle is not a surefire way to have a happy life. There's no formula. I haven't really read the Happiness book at all. But, if there are little things that spark joy, yes, including getting rid of useless things at home, then do that. 

I've always wanted to learn how to bake bread. Since I took that Baking and Pastries class from TESDA and learned how to make Pandesal, I've been thinking about making Sourdough. But, I never got around it.

Browsing through Youtube and watching Sourdough baking How-to videos, while they do make it look easy, showing the technical processes makes it very intimidating to make.

First, what is a starter? A starter is a live fermented culture of fresh flour and water. Tasty's Youtube channel shared a video on how to make one and what could go wrong in making it.

From what I gather, it takes 7 days to make a starter. 7 days! Patience is a virtue.

Now, for the ingredients. Basically, not just any flour will do when making a starter. I searched through Healthy Options PH for what flours they have. Here are the best ones:

1. Bob's Red Mill Unbleached Artisan Bread Flour 2.27KG for Php510.00
2. Bob's Red Mill Organic Stone Ground Dark Rye Flour 567g for Php285.00

For the tools, here's what I found in SHOPEE:

1. Chef's Classics Basics Nylon Spatula
2. Mason Ball Jars (2pcs) 32 oz for Php570.00

Make the starter when you are ready to start baking Sourdough. For newbies like me, let's ready ourselves that we might not get it right the first time. Make Youtube our best friend. We are saved from a lot of trials and errors by bakers who shared their experiences and expertise.

Age: 40
Gender: Female   
Height: 155 cm
Weight: 60 kg
Activity: Sedentary: little or no exercise

Exercise: 15-30 minutes of elevated heart rate activity.
Intense exercise: 45-120 minutes of elevated heart rate activity.
Very intense exercise: 2+ hours of elevated heart rate activity.

Maintain weight: 1,443 - 100% Calories/day

The number of Calories required to maintain your weight seems low. Please consult with a doctor when considering weight loss. Alternatively, increase your activity/exercise level rather than decrease Calorie intake in order to lose some weight.

In the past, I find being under daily calorie intake works fast. It does not mean dieting, or not eating at all. Eat healthily, count calories if you can, and then just increase your physical exercise. The exercises help lose calories and that makes you go under your daily requirement. It's not just any exercise, it has to be an "elevated heart rate" kind of exercise. Running, jump rope, biking!

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