Bloom

i love love words!

via Day of Tikkun

Gap

i love love books and places!

It is a day after Christmas and 5 more days before the beginning of another new year. In between these two holidays, I have a considerable amount of free time in my hands, something that I am not used to having. So I use this very much appreciated and welcomed free time bonding with the entire family (I only get to spend quality time with them at this time of the year), de-cluttering my computer's bookmarked pages and enjoying the fabulous benefits of simply being at home. Also, I've been daydreaming about my gap year escape and what I would be doing once I have finally mustered the courage and decent resources to just LET GO. Below is my shortlist. :)

1. Live like a local in Luang Prabang

I read about the place just last night. The night market enthralled me. Plus, it being hailed as the "France" of Asia sealed the deal. :)

via Come Fly With Me

2. Take care of elephants in Chiang Mai

They accept volunteers at Elephant Nature Park, a rescue and rehabilitation center for these 

adorable gentle giants.

via Charlotte Lumia Photography

3. Read/Write/Feel/Just be in at least one of these magnificent places to read books

Check this site out for the longer list of every bookworm's Disneyland. I've picked out a few 

which I consider either feasibly beautiful or just plain beautiful. 

The Hearst Castle Library

California, USA

Old Market Library

Min Buri, Bangkok

Taipei Public Library

Taiwan

Shakespeare and Company

Paris, France

last four images via Life Hack

Now I am plotting the how to's and next steps to make these all come true.

Conspire with me Universe!

Amen.

Be Cinderella

always, always

via Life Hack

Happy Christmas!

via Fresh Gypsy

poetry

i love love words!

Two nights ago, I recited out of nowhere my favorite poems to Alan before saying goodnight. I just thought I missed words that rhyme, how the rhythmic pattern of words roll in my tongue that I needed to say them out loud. I have two poems that need no googling or researching, I still memorize them by heart: 

Tina's Favorite Poems

Ode on Intimations of Immortality (excerpt)

by William Wordsworth

What though the radiance which was once so bright
Be now for ever taken from my sight,

Though nothing can bring back the hour
Of splendour in the grass, of glory in the flower;
We will grieve not, rather find
Strength in what remains behind;

There is No Frigate Like A Book

by Emily Dickinson

There is no Frigate like a Book

To take us Lands away

Nor any Coursers like a Page

Of prancing Poetry

This Traverse may the poorest take

Without oppress of Toll

How frugal is the Chariot

That bears the Human Soul

Being the nag that I am, I forced him to do the same. Share his favorite piece of literature. He has one, to my surprise (I never thought he is into anything literary), only that his favorite left me laughing at the end. I cannot get over it until now.

Alan's Favorite Poem

Untitled

In the brightest day, in blackest night

No evil shall escape my sight

Let those who worship evil's might

Beware my power

Green Lantern's Light!

I received an advise from him the day after to please recognize that his favorite poem has a title and an identified author. Green Lantern's Oath by Green Lantern.

At least, the words still rhyme. ;p

define happiness

i love love my family!
(and Lola Lucing was the glue that held all of us together - I love you Lola!)

taken 3 Christmases ago

December One

i love love stories!

via pinterest

 I haven’t written for quite some time. My thoughts have been in extremes, either too noisy that I cannot identify what I am really thinking at the moment or too empty that there is nothing to share, nothing to express, just plain nothing. My lola’s death and the realization that the upper tier of my family tree is being pruned by the natural process of life have scared (and still is scaring) me so much that I am alternately driven into panic and then nothingness. I needed to transport myself in the moment, at the present and hold on to my last few threads of calmness. And so here I am, on a gloomy sky-ed Monday morning, in a coffee shop, writing. They have closed down the office today in celebration of some city holiday so while the rest of Metro Manila is scampering like hamsters in the dreaded dignity-robbing MRT, I sit back comfortably on a couch feeling like a legit writer – hot coffee on the table, dark rimmed glasses perched on my nose and a copy of Alice Monroe’s “Dear Life” resting beside my laptop for some dose of inspiration. My bladder is telling me that I need to pee, but the restroom is a considerable walk away and besides, the trip to the restroom will kill all my efforts of channelling a legit writer persona. I will dare not risk it, I paid more than a hundred bucks for that hot cup of coffee. And I need a quick bang for my buck. An immediate ROI. A written material for my online diary.

Inspired by this article (I can never be original) on defining moments and reflections and listening to that inner voice and all that self-help jazz, I wish to share my top 3 moments on the first day of everyone’s favorite month, December. I wish to write my top 3 moments for today (the second day of everyone’s favorite month) but it is too early to wrap up today so I will write about yesterday. (Haha!)

My Top Three December 1 Moments

one: takoyaki for breakfast

I went to the Sidcor Sunday Market early in the morning to soak in all the entrepreneurial energy and the weekend happiness of families, couples and even those on solo flight. I was holding a plateful of takoyaki balls on one hand, a carrot-melon juice on the other, a bulky backpack of gym clothes on my, errr, back (backpack remember? haha!) and the Philippine Star newspaper clipped in my arms, my skin was starting to itch from the paper and the ink. I felt like a New Yorker, the ones you see in the movies, holding an armful of brown bag (vegetables and bread sticking out of the bag) on one hand, coffee on the other, talking to somebody over the phone and expertly avoiding tripping and bumping into someone. I felt like a complete fool adult, all free and with a handful of purpose: to gobble up the takoyaki (on one hand) and drink up my health juice (on the other). ;p

two: newspaper and the bench

I parked myself on a bench to decently finish my first meal of the day in full view of the gigantic Christmas tree and middle aged women dancing Zumba. I checked my gym bag for workout prerequisites - rubber shoes, socks, a towel and a towellete, fresh set of clothes - all check. Well except for one, I forgot all of my ID's. I thought of going back home for it but that will be such a waste of taxi fare, so I just sat longer with my balls of takoyaki and health juice and read up. The headline had something to do with customs chief, Biazon. The magazine insert featured Sorsogon. My horoscope said that I will be going back to teaching (whatever that means). My favorite columnist Jim Paredes made a list of his beliefs and "unbeliefs". Lucy Torres wrote about shelter kits for victims of typhoon Yolanda. F. Sionil Jose wrote about letting go of his Nobel prize aspirations - I really hopes he gets the recognition in the near future. And so, instead of getting all sweaty in the treadmill, I just sat longer. And read up. And it was good.

Three: call 911 for lunch

Ate Bel, our trusty helper, was on a day off. And all my cousins were either sleeping or eating out because that's how helpless we are when left on our own. I called 911 and poof came Alan, ready to chop the onions and potatoes for my requested corned beef lunch. It was one of the best lunches ever.

Runner Up: Wrapping Gifts while listening to Christmas Carols 

I love the whole holiday shebang. Nothing compares to Christmas in the Philippines. I have written this before and will write it again, "when I am stressed, I close my eyes and think of Christmas", the everything turns up alright. :)

What are your top three moments of today? Or, sige na nga, yesterday? :) I would love to hear them. For the meantime, please excuse me, I need to pee. Haha!

veejay floresca

i love love art!

While it will be a thousand more years before I wed the ONE, I would love to wear something like these on that day. Or anything else for as long as the "train" is as exquisite as the ones shown below. The wedding gowns were designed by Veejay Floresca . I think he is the Christian Siriano of the Philippines. :)

via Bride and Breakfast

mango kids

i love love zach!

I officially feel guilty from having ranted too much last night that I sought a little distraction from all the negative buzz and shopped! (UPDATE: I deleted the "outburst" post already, it made me feel sick to the core.) Not for me but for my one-year old nephew and godson, cute little Zach. Mango Kids is on sale and I bought for him a red hooded jacket for half the price. We did not have clothes like these when I was a little girl. What we do then was buy cloth from the market and have our neighbor, a seamstress, transform it into a short-sando-terno. I have one for each day of the week sponsored by my lola. :)

Mango Kids

stoked

i love love words!

the most wonderful definition of stoked. 

ever.

Prepping For Monday Sermon

i love love words!

via pinterest

Equilibrium

i love love stories!

For about twenty four months now, I have been a girlfriend to a boyfriend. And while we sort of have mutually agreed to never display any form of public cheesiness especially in the curious space that is the internet (as if we are famous, haha), I hope to make an exception in this post. Only because we ate the best oysters in town served in a plate full of salt that deserve to be written about and oh the cheese - - haha! Just Kidding. Hello, 24 months is a milestone! He and I are both alike and different at the same time. How is that even possible? I do not know really how to illustrate that. But may I share what his being in my life means to me.

Back in 2007 when I was still a college senior, the cool kids from our Yearbook committee made us complete the statement: "I reached my equilibrium point when...". While I was itching to write down "I reached my equilibrium point when I passed Math 17 with flying colors --- the second time I took it", I decided it wouldn't really look cool in the sea of promising cum laudes. So I wrote down instead, "I have yet to reach my equilibrium point". Honesty has always been the best policy.

It did not really happen right away but as days progress with us being an "US", I realized I have found someone who rolled me right into my equilibrium point without asking anything in return. The hanky to my tears. The shrink to my nightmares. The Dolfenal to my PMS. He pulls me back to my sanity whenever the craziness of this world overwhelms me. He is my Mr. Big Aidan to my Carrie Bradshaw. Only we take the MRT, not the limo. I hope I make him just as happy! :)

Back to the oysters. We took a break from our usual breakfast dates and had dinner over candle light (naks!) in Taste of LA in Quezon City. I tried my best to be all dainty and fragile but the oyster in creamed spinach, bacon and cheese and the prichon and the blue marlin paired with mashed potato and asparagus brought out the natural construction worker in me. Extra rice please!! :)

Stay in love! :)

A Taste of L.A. Cafe

Roces Avenue, Brgy. Laging Handa, 

Quezon City

Gypsya

i love love patterns!

My future fabulous home will be adorned with these lovely pillows.  Pillowcases are from the beautiful collection of Gypsya. Cotton Prints, handmade, hand stitched, paper cut-like in ikat and other over the top patterns with mishmash of colors they remind me of my Moroccan dreams! 

 

Farmer's Market

i love love markets!

a before nine entry

time check: 06:14 am

Yesterday, we prepared our own breakfast! We took a break from scouting breakfast spots and decided to create our own "breakfast spot" in our Quezon City apartment. Oh, I cannot believe we haven't tried this sooner. You see, I am lousy with things which involve the hands (except for typing, haha!) - cutting, drawing, sewing, cooking, etc.; I think I am crafty in thoughts but not in deeds. :p Preparation of food and then the actual cooking intimidate me thus I'd much rather be the recipient of this beautiful process than be involved in it. But yesterday, I decided to finally get over this lousiness and weakness and face my fears. It's now or never. Do or die. Make or break. Haha! The next step after finally deciding which recipe to execute is of course, to shop for ingredients. I am tired of air conditioned groceries and pre-packed goodies thus we went to the real thing - the market! And because I live near Cubao, the obvious choice is the grandfather of all markets in Quezon City, the Farmer's Market.

My fascination with markets started with Neil Oshima's photos of all the markets in the world featured in a magazine (I can't remember if it's Rogue or Esquire). In the write up showcasing Oshima's photography, markets were described to be the microcosm of a particular country. You want to soak in all the culture of a place? Get a quick fix from its market. I have been to the souks in Dubai and I affirm this claim on markets. They are fascinating. The most alive "place" in the world. A mix of noise, smell, aroma, taste, feelings, commerce, routine and... - you can think of just about any word and for sure, it will find its perfect place in the basket of words to describe markets. Another wonderful thing about markets? They are at their best in the MORNING (except for night markets of course, haha, ang pilosospo). Products are freshest. Sellers gentler and kinder. Consumers have more bargaining power employing the buena mano magic. We woke up before 6:00 am, splashed cold water on our faces and went straight to Farmer's Market. People around me may think I am crazy jumping and clapping my hands. I was that excited. Seriously.

When the alarm sounded that Saturday morning, 5:30 am to be exact, my willpower was weakened due to the "luxury" of a soft mattress, a chilly morning comforted by a blanket, a body too tired from the five-day work week thus deserving of a longer snooze time. It is not fair to wake up this early on a Saturday, I thought. Being in the market erased all that thought, not only because of the excitement I felt with spending my morning in a place so alive even when the sun has barely risen but more so, the industry and perseverance of the people whose main source of income is anchored in the presence of a community market are infectious. This is not something a grocery and air-conditioned retailers can ever EVER replace. I think I learned a lot from my short trip to Farmer's. That Filipinos are industrious. That markets are indeed colorful. And aromatic. That we should be more vigilant with the people running this country (MOST people need to work hard for their everyday living - I think those in the senate and in the congress need this kind of field trip). You know the petition to make the public officials take public transport? Let's do another petition to make them work in wet markets, GARDEMET*! That asparagus is a pretty vegetable. :D

Hey you, good morning!

*Gar-de-met (expression): ilocano version of "God, damn it" as popularized by my dearest father. haha!