So Far, So Good

I'd like to think of myself as extremely popular and many are dying to know what I have been up to. So to my gazillion followers and die-hard fans, here's what I have been up to: nothing much. Haha!

Today is a lazy Sunday and the first time this year, that I have downloaded pictures to a borrowed laptop from my brother, actually opened Microsoft word application and started typing my heart away. I miss the feeling of wanting to do something so bad - good things that I want to do so bad - write, blog, look at and appreciate pictures, take photos, indulge in tambay time in a coffee shop (Chatime tea house actually as my beloved Coffee Bean in Eton is full of lazy lover of Sundays - like me!).

When 2012 started, I was up to the challenge of coming up with 365 beautiful stories of life, my attempt to making each day count and meaningful. But I am shamefully lazy and I have a routine. A ritual of waking up at 6:30 in the morning everyday-bath-hurried breakfast-hurried brushing of teeth-MRT-office-lunch-office-apartment told 365 times does not really make for an interesting plot. So I downgraded the feat a bit to 12 stories - a wonderful story experienced and shared each month. Also, my economics degree impressed upon me that "scarcity" creates "novelty", the lesser the supply, the higher the price. Play hard to get and master the art of pakipot moves: the less of you, the more mystery - the more mystery, the more you are wanted. So 12 instead of 365 - the sole legit excuse to blog laziness. (Definition of "Tina-tamad":noun, a believer of quality over quantity or in other words di naman nagkakalayo ang 12 at 365, puwede na yun!). Seriously now, I think everyone owes himself this: at least 12 stories for himself to share, at least 12 breaks from his routine, at least 12 things to look forward to, at least 12 reasons to love life, at least 12 excuses to summon a dying blog to life. Take note of the qualifier: AT LEAST. 

JANUARY 

The Manila Ocean Park:  Photos by Alan David

My neck hurt with the extreme stress of not having done something non-routinary. The month will come to a close and yet I have not gone out of town, have not enrolled in a new class, have not met somebody new. Conceding that I will be stuck in the city, I decided to show the city some love and visited one of its non-mall attractions (I hate going to the mall!!): The Manila Ocean Park. The park has beefed up its offerings to the public and so much has changed since my sister celebrated her 18th birthday there. Isabel is by the way 20 years old now so it has been 2 years since my last visit. I particularly enjoyed the Musical Fountain Show. It brought out the kid in me ooohhing and aaaahhing to Nemo being projected on H20 Hotel and colorful dancing fountains reaching out to high heavens. I am so inspired to be on the lookout for other city attractions and Manila extravaganzas! A re-do of the Binondo food trip, a re-visit to Intramuros, PBA games, museums, art galleries, fairs, concerts and many more activities not done in malls!

FEBRUARY

Beautiful Baler. I took these photos!! My camera still works!!

Sometime in September 2010, I went for a solo trip in Baler. I could not stand quarter life drama that time that I needed to step out, to be somewhere not familiar and to have some quiet and slow time to think about the things I want to do next. It is refreshing and bordering spiritual to travel solo. I am thinking of doing it again this year. Then in 2011, my quiet and slow time in Baler was replaced with a dancing-in-the-rain and heart-thumping-concert experience through the Surf and Music Festival. In February 2012 this year, one of the most important people in my life decided to celebrate his birthday in Baler and I chose to  celebrate it with him. My third visit in Baler is the first time I went out of the Sabang Beach and actually visited other Baler attractions: the something-hundred year old Balete tree, the Baler Museum (my second time) and President Quezon's mansion. This won't be my last visit as I hope to hone my surfing skills and work on my surfer abs!

Photos by Malaya De Mesa

Aside from being the month of love and birthdays, February is also UP Fair month and I allowed Malaya to bully me to watch this year's HIMIG-sikan. Up Dharma Down, Parokya ni Edgar and Urbandub never fail the crowd year after year. But the highlight of my UP Fair night was not really the concert or the UP Food (think isaw, barbeque, sweet corn or shawarma!!) but believe it or not, it's the long ticket line and getting crushed and squeezed with eager kids while listening to a UP student-concert organizer marshalling the crowd, an arm raised high up in the air with an arnis stick, shout: "Ito ang lehitimong pila! Ito ang lehitimong pila!". The beauty of Tagalog words uttered with conviction. He could have done well with "Dito po ang tamang pila", but being a UP student that he is, smart, thouroughbred and subversive, an ordinary "Dito ang tamang pila" will simply not suffice. The university has its standards - I miss college life! 

2 out of 12 promised stories.

I owe you 10 more.

Happy Sunday!=)