If anyone had asked me during my high school years (or maybe even a few months ago), I would have readily replied that JD Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye best describes my coming-of-age. The jadedness! The insecurity! The bleak outlook of the future! It echoed the sentiments of my poor, misguided soul. Then I grew up, reread The Catcher in the Rye, and realized that I didn’t quite like it as much as I used to. It’s basically the ramblings of a teenager about to reach rock bottom, and I already have enough of that from myself when I mood swing. Reading stuff like that doesn’t exactly make you feel better about yourself, the way you look at the world, and how you think the rest of your life will turn out.
Just a few weeks ago, I was rummaging through my book shelf for something to read when unearthed an old book I enjoyed reading as a teenager: Betty Smith’s A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. As I travelled through the streets of Brooklyn at the turn of the century, it dawned to me that Francie Nolan, the novel’s protagonist, resembles me more than any fictional character I have ever come across, in terms of personality, interests, and character. The most obvious similarities are that she is a writer, a voracious reader, and that she dislikes the company of women and has no close female friends. But the one thing we have in common is how we can still find happiness in the simplest things despite living in an environment of despair - a trait I have never seen in any other fictional character. Francie is the kind of girl who gets drunk upon seeing the red petals of a tulip. In the same way, I find a lot of pleasure in the ordinary things people often take for granted. The best example I can give for that is drinking coffee. It’s not a very big deal for most people but no matter how crappy my day has been, I feel a little bit better knowing that there’s my evening cup of coffee to look forward to.
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is mostly the story of a teenage Francie growing up in the slums of Brooklyn, although it also delves a little into her family history. Determined to escape a life of poverty, she cherishes her education and at the same time, nurses her dreams of becoming a writer. Although she was able to graduate from elementary school, financial difficulties forced her to start working to help her mother put some bread on the table. Some of the story is also told from her mother Katie’s point of view - regrets, dreams for her children, and the hard work she does to give her family a better life than she could ever have.
The plot doesn’t sound like much, but that’s not why I love A Tree Grow in Brooklyn. The characters are so lovable and endearing, you can’t help but empathize with them and cheer for them all the way - especially if you’re a girl. It’s the perfect coming-of-age story for any woman. First of all, it covers the usual thoughts girls go through as they grow up - friendship, family, school, work. Last night was the first time I understood why Francie’s feelings about her work. Today was the start of my internship at a major real estate company based in Makati. I’m not getting paid or anything, but at the same time I felt proud that I was doing something with my life. At the same time, even mothers might be able to can relate to the story through the character of Katie.
What’s beautiful about A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is that it’s uplifting without being sappy and overly sentimental (*cough*NicholasSparks*cough*). It makes you feel good because it teaches you that no matter how hopeless things seem, you just gotta keep on fighting if you want your circumstances to improve. Oh, and it also does something very strange to me: reading this book makes me crave for food I wouldn’t normally eat (white bread with nothing on it). That’s how well Betty Smith describes poverty and hunger.
One thing I do dislike about the book is what it says about love. Near the end, Katie tells Francie that the reason why you fall in love with men is because something about them reminds you about your first love. That’s complete nonsense but then again, what did people at the early 1900s know about love?
Despite that, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is still one of my favorite books and will most likely be something I will read and reread for the rest of my life.
Today, I am unbelievably addicted to Insaniquarium.
There’s actually a little strategy involved because you have to choose the best combination of pets to include in your aquarium. There are around 20 pets, but you can only use up to three of them at a time. Each pet has a different ability. For instance, Prego the Fish gives birth to a guppy every now and then, saving you the trouble of buying a new one every time. Meryl the Mermaid makes the fishies drop coins faster. My favorite combination is Prego, Zorf the Seahorse–who automatically feeds the fish, and Stinky the Snail–who helps me catch any coins that I might have missed.
The Virtual Tank is basically a virtual aquarium. The money you earned from the three pervious modes can be used to buy guppies, carnivorous fish, exotic fish, and acquarium accessories. It works just like an actual aquarium: you feed your fish and with time, they’ll grow in size. It’s really funky because you can use your Virtual Tank as your screensaver and it’s nice to just kind of stare at it and watch your fish swim around. The best part about it is that there are no aliens! I think there’s an option that allows aliens to enter the acquarium but why in the world would I want to do that? 
I really must be getting old. For some reason I no longer have the energy to keep up with my friends; they can stay up all night and still make it for their 8:30 classes the next day but I have to beg off at 8 p.m. even though I don’t have to get up til around 9 the next morning. Hell, sometimes even 1 a.m. is way too late for me already. Maybe I just need to get more sleep, or vitamins or something.
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