Habits & Alibis

Cold feet.

2012-01-25T08:43:00.000-08:00

Apprehensions. Cold feet. These are the words we were looking for today, but could not really find in the scorch of the moment. I don't know what I would be if I was no longer a writer. Then again, if it's who I am, I'd be one even without a fancy business card to prove it. A fancy business card would be nice, though. I really do hope things work out, or yours truly is deeply screwed.

All my bags are packed...in theory :)

2012-01-16T08:03:00.000-08:00

I make plans...

2012-01-10T07:15:00.000-08:00

There are no right or wrong memes

2012-01-07T21:12:00.000-08:00

#itsmorefuninthephilippines is a good one for many reasons, but primarily because it's an igniter. Just look at the buzz it's sparked only hours after being launched. And look at me, jumping on the bandwagon like the rest of the country. :)

This is my humble contribution to the viral phenomenon. Failed Accounting 101? Got dumped? Wife kicked you out? Boyfriend a jerk? Boss hates you? Let's talk over a bucket, or two, or more.

Come to momma!

2011-12-30T18:59:00.000-08:00

Silent Night, The Kills

2011-12-29T00:27:00.001-08:00

Abandoned, Beautiful

2011-12-17T21:38:00.000-08:00

A deserted amusement park seems more interesting to me than one filled with kids and teens with balloons and oversized stuffed animals. The gloom of a joy that was, now that's amusing. It's the most romantic thing.

Beijing

Coney Island

Japan

Kansas

Round-up

2011-12-04T00:03:00.000-08:00

When the dog bites
When the bee stings
When I'm feeling sad
I simply remember my favorite things
And then I don't feel so bad

Last time I went to HK (Feb this year), a friend asked my to buy something Star Wars, and all I was able to find were Vader Band-Aids. I kept them. If you're nice to me maybe I'll give this to you for Christmas. :p

Hong Kong's The Peak: I got chills as usual.

Cabin L-69 at CamSur Watersports Complex

The AdCon22 delegate band that gave me a rash.

Pole dancers. I still wonder what Igan and Jojo would've done if they had been there.

Cagsawa Ruins, Albay, Philippines. That's Mayon Volcano, which legend has it,

shows its 'tip' only to virgins. Pervert! Ha.

Riding shotgun in a cab in HK.

Bali! <3

Legian Beach sunset.

Starbucks reminds me of Christmas. Because of their planner. Which I never get. #lazy #notaplanner

I take pictures of my food

2011-12-03T23:03:00.000-08:00

*HK, November 2011

2011-10-02T01:18:00.000-07:00

“Curiosity can bring guts out of hiding at times, maybe even get them going. But curiosity usually evaporates. Guts have to go for the long haul. Curiosity's like a fun friend you can't really trust. It turns you on and then it leaves you to make it on your own ― with whatever guts you can muster.” ~ Haruki Murakami

Meet ERL

2011-09-11T06:55:00.000-07:00

"All things wet will become dry." - Fortune cookie.

2011-08-28T07:39:00.000-07:00

This just goes to show how ~~often~~ seldom I change my bag. Found confetti from the 30STM concert clumped together in one of its pockets. I also found a button, a broken silver leaf, and a tissue with a heart drawn with that red colored pencil we use at the office. Haha.

Take me to jail, I don't care

2011-08-23T09:23:00.000-07:00

Jaime Campbell Bower (Unaired Game of Thrones pilot/Camelot/Twilight/Harry Potter/The Prisoner)

There is a God. Thank you.

Ready, FIGHT!

2011-08-23T06:07:00.000-07:00

Forgive my amateur Photoshop skills (I don't have the heart to spell it with a 'z'). A versus scenario transpired in Bali. This is it. Whoever deep fries peanuts the best wins. I had bonus points for being Asian and constantly exposed to sidewalk adobong mani. The nice lady on the right is from Germany. She is the recipient of my unintentional game-meets-i'm-aware-of-the-camera face. I believe I lost, because our color halftoned guru in the middle picked me to fight again in the next round. Sorry, fry again.

Blame It Not On The Sorting Hat

2011-08-21T04:01:00.000-07:00

WARNING: Rant post

I am not your hardcore ADMU alumnus. I don't have a Blue Eagles jacket. I don't own an OBF shirt. But this doesn't make me any less affected when I come across a genuine Ateneo diss. I am student no. 981216, feel my wrath. (Haha.)

During my fourth year in high school, a classmate who claimed to by psychic (didn't we all have one — a high school classmate with a third eye?) offered to read my palm. She told me I was going to be a lawyer, and that I was going to go to Ateneo for college. She, however, had nothing to do with my decision. I already wanted to study there, or UP. But as fate would have it, UP wouldn't have me. I refuse to believe that I wasn't smart enough for UP. I did pass, just not for the course I wanted. I contemplated on my second choice, but decided against it. Imagine me as a Fine Arts major. I'd have been heavily tattooed and with child by age 20. I needed structure. I needed... spanking. I figured creativity can be practiced 24 hours a day, beyond and within the walls of a classroom, anyway. And I liked the idea of studying in a school that would give me the kind of discipline that I needed. So I passed the ACET and never looked back.

A lot of people say Ateneans can be cult-like sometimes. I don't understand this, but maybe it comes from the fact that we were "brought up" by our school to believe that we are the so-called "cream of the crop"; maybe we seem the same to other people mainly because we all have that sometimes quiet, sometimes in-your-face, cocky, can-do swagger passed down from batch to batch without fail. You belong to the same community for four years, you're bound to catch the strain. That some drink blood and some O Negative, is the only difference. The cockiness does not come from wealth (I poor, but I'm happy). It comes from knowing that there is nothing that cannot be done, with the willingness and eagerness to learn.

I sound like a brochure, yes? I sound like a homily and a half, no? It's true though. But it must be stressed: when someone acts like he owns the world, it's not necessarily because he thinks he can buy it. He might just be wired to believe that the world is his for the taking.

***
Here's the deal: education was overpriced in 1990, it will be overpriced in 2025. It's up to us to make it worth our parents' hard work. It doesn't matter what school you choose to attend — it's always going to be a huge expense. Going to a school like Ateneo can be a bit like paying for a famous last name, and while that sounds really bad, I'm sure many graduates of the school would agree. But we are not all punks coasting through college just for the heck of it. A lot of us actually earned our famous last name, you know.

Moral of the story: Stop reducing people into mere products of universities, canned and labeled accordingly and sent out into the real world to "reprezent". We're all just people. Besides, ask anyone, Ateneans would be the last to judge people by where they went to school. Ergo, ipso, facto, columbo, oreo: yun na!

***

Chasing Warhol: 12 hours in Singapore

2011-08-19T01:36:00.000-07:00

We arrived at Changi at 9:30 am and immediately headed to the nearest Toast Box, which as at Terminal 2. Breakfast was peppered with thoughts of "what to do" for our day in SG. Shopping was, in the beginning, out of the question. But as the day progressed, the malls grew on us -- Wheelock was my best friend. He presented me with all sorts of things I could not refuse, but had to. Haha. After a Hainanese Chicken lunch and a soy (with cream, please -- tumaas ang kilay ng barista), we proceeded to the Ritz-Carlton Millenia along Raffles Drive to chase Andy. Not Crizza's Andi -- Edie's Andy.

We found him. :)

Ritz-Carlton offers a free iPod-guided tour of the hotel's 4,200 artworks. (Not all of them are accessible to the public, though. Some are inside the suites.) Simply proceed to the front desk and they'll provide you with a tiny Shuffle that will help you navigate through the hotel.

Frank Stella installation ♥

Pose for a while by one of two Warhol artworks.

'Di maka get over. Haha.

Glass Sculpture by Dale Chihuly

Rainier Gross

Forgot who made this! Mortal sin! Sorry. But I love it.

Cross-section of Frank Stella

Bali: It's a small world after all

2011-08-19T01:10:00.000-07:00

(Back from Bali: August 16, 2011)

Four years ago I went to Bali for a press event. We were checked in at a nice hotel in Nusa Dua for three days, but sadly, we didn't have a lot of time to explore the place on our own. This second visit proves to be a much more vivid, more grounded experience of Bali. Crizza and created our own itinerary: Legian beach, Lobong Cooking Class (Rp375,000), Quicksilver Surf School (USD39) and authentic Balinese massage along Legian (Rp120,000). We flew in from Singapore via Air Asia and stayed at Tune Hotels at Double Six, Legian, which offered nice, clean, basic accommodations that cost us roughly (only) P3,000+ for 3N/4D. Now that that's out of the way... pictures!

Lobong Cooking Class

Indonesian cuisine and its many spices

At a market in Ubud

How to cook Sweet Potato Rice


Our classmates: 4 Germans, 1 Norwegian, 1 Venezuelan, and 2 Brits

Legian on foot

Outside almost every establishment are "offerings" to the Gods. By giving what you have taken away--rice, flowers, soil, etc.--you help maintain balance in the world.

Temple and a Dog

On our way to Ubud at the break of dawn

Legian Beach 4pm onwards

An umbrella and 2 seats for Rp50,000

Infinity shore

Beach vendor

Night tambayans

Local newspaper

Restaurant along Legian Beach

Restaurante Italiano. Dancing queens wearing Drakkar Noir come with your order.

Kariderya beside our hotel. Serves yummy (and inexpensive) food.

Things I ate

Salak (?) a fruit with a scaly shell that tastes like mild pineapples and has the texture of apples or pears.

San ka nakakita ng orange juice na yellow? Dito lang! As for the food, their yellow tint comes from tumeric.

Bintang Bali

Bali coffee and sweet banana before cooking class

The product of our hard work. Yum!

Lego Pilipinas, Tara Na!

2011-08-18T23:23:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, August 18, the Department of Tourism unveiled an 18x30-foot map of the Philippines made entirely of Lego! It featured our country's most famous tourist landmarks, including Bohol's Chocolate Hills, Banaue Rice Terraces, Luneta Park, and of course, SM Mall of Asia. DOT Secretary Alberto Lim was present to launch the exhibit, which will run until August 27, 2011 at MOA.

McSweeney

2011-08-18T08:45:00.000-07:00

Leonard Cohen’s Seven Immutable Laws of Business.
By Ken Krimstein

One: If it seems like it’s too heavy, it is too heavy—unless it’s your brother, in which case, he ain’t too heavy.

Two: If the rain is flowing like tears from the sky, call in sick—it’s cool.

Three: There’s nothing you can do behind your desk that can’t be more effectively accomplished with a beautiful, long-haired, chain-smoking woman lying naked next to you in bed.

Four: It really is a good idea to import tea and oranges all the way from China—especially the way the world is going these days.

Five: Scrap all the words like “maximize,” “incentivize,” “amortize,” “enhance,” “enable,” and “team-building” from your vocabulary and replace them with “sorrow.”

Six: Suits are cool, as long as you wear them without shoes or socks.

Seven: Yearning, that’s the ticket. Yearning and heartache. Yearning and heartache and longing and—well, you get it.

Lines of Star Wars Dialogue If Obi-Wan Kenobi Had Been Really, Really Depressed
By Greg Knauss

“For more than a thousand generations the Jedi were the guardians of peace and justice in the galaxy. Before the dark times. Before the Empire. Before she decided she needed to ‘find’ herself. Before I wasn’t good enough. Bitch.”

“I felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced. And don’t I know what that’s like.”

“The Force is what gives a Jedi his power. It’s an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us. It binds the gala— Oh, it’s all horseshit. God.”

“If you strike me down, I shall become more grateful than you can possibly imagine.”

“Remember, the Force will be with you, always. Except when you really need it, when a little encouragement would do you some good, just a little ‘Atta boy,’ just a little gratitude. But no. Fine.”

From my new favorite pastime: Mcsweeneys

Half-eaten, half-not

2011-08-07T04:54:00.000-07:00

The half-eaten ones look just as good as the precious untouched. Taken during lunch at Diamond Hotel.

Vote for Red

2011-08-07T04:33:00.001-07:00

There was some kind of confection uprising at the office. Look at it. So evil. So power-hungry. (Delayed post)

The Test (Chemical Brothers ft. Richard Ashcroft

2011-08-07T03:02:00.001-07:00

Open Your Eyes (Snow Patrol)

2011-08-06T20:48:00.000-07:00

Standing on the Shoulders of Giants

2011-07-31T04:43:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to share an article I wrote, initially for this blog. I was stuck with about five articles to write during Shark Week (the paper's 25th anniversary week), and I just had to unload. The article ended up in our 25th anniversary issue, which truly was a labor of love and one of the best works of the Features Team: Abby, Dandi, Kat, Camille, Don, Abe, Andi and Doddie. Happy anniversary, dear STAR. I know I have a funny way of showing it, but I love you to bits!

***
Standing on the shoulders of giants
By Chonx Tibajia The Philippine Star Updated July 28, 2011 12:00 AM

MANILA, Philippines - Earlier this month, in preparation for the STAR’s anniversary issue, I was reading about the late Max Soliven, former publisher of The Philippine STAR. It dawned on me that, though I’ve seen him many times along the STAR corridors, I’ve never actually met him. I could’ve come up to him to say “Good morning” in any one of these occasions, but not once did. I ran into him one day, during my first year as a writer and all I managed to do was hurriedly shuffle past him. We tend to think that things would be around longer, and opportunities are lost.

About two months ago, I sat down with our executive editor, Amy Pamintuan. She always looks so tough, and maybe she is, but during the interview, she spoke with a childlike passion that filled that small room in the corner of our rather grim editorial section with a hope that I thought was absent among veteran journalists like herself. She spoke of changing the country, making it better. It was a revelation, perhaps more of my own misplaced optimism than her disarmingly cheery disposition.

A few days back, I was writing an article about the queen of Lifestyle, Millet Mananquil. All I know of her, I’ve heard through her staff. I know she is like a second mother to them — can you imagine working with your mom? One who checks your grammar and rightly punctuates sentences you’ve managed to wrong? The thought sends shivers up my spine. I’ve never had anyone of her caliber check my work. But everyone in her staff loves their job and her, maybe more than any writer in The STAR loves her job and her editor.

The Philippine STAR is home to many world-class journalists. We see them almost every day, but seldom get the chance to talk to them. Even in our own mangled paradise city (where the boys are green and the girls are witty), we see these journalists as the icons that they are — hardly as people who, perhaps, would like to be greeted with a smile, or added on Facebook. We shuffle past them, thinking they would pay no mind to pedestrians like us. Maybe they wouldn’t even notice our attempts at avoiding eye contact. Their lives would be no less awesome without us.

Did I mention I broke into tears while reading about Manong Max? Sobbing alone in our well-lit office, it occurred to me that I may not have the right to call him ‘Manong Max’, simply because, to me, he was Sir Max Soliven, the Publisher, the Journalist. He may have as well been Gandalf, and I, a lowly muggle. Not even in the same movie. Upon reading his last article dated November 25, 2006, talking about the catacombs of Tokyo and his beginnings as a cheeky newspaperman in the city, I imagined what it would be like to have coffee with him. I would definitely write a book about our conversation: Orange Mocha Frappuccino with Max. In an AVP for the STAR’s anniversary, Ma’am Millet mentioned that talking to Max Soliven was like reading the pages of a history book. Our generation could only hope to have known him that way.

Sometimes I find myself wishing I had been born a decade sooner. Then I would’ve been a writer by the late 80s, mentored by respected writers of that era — our editors today. And I wouldn’t be too young to hang out with them either, if they’d have me. If I am allowed to carry the lessons I’ve learned — you know, into my radical reincarnation as a writer from the late 80s — I would greet Manong Max every time I see him, and maybe dare to ask him for writing advice. It matters that we had never met him. It matters to many writers that they are not under the iron grip of such editors, whose passion and genius can sear our skin thick and prepare us for anything.

I would have loved to have already been a journalist when The STAR was just a baby. Although Ma’am Amy was hardly at the office during the paper’s formative years (having been assigned to cover Malacañang), her stories about The STAR and the people behind it give me a strange nostalgia for something I’ve never known. Betty Go-Belmonte, one of our founders and mother of our president and CEO, Miguel G. Belmonte, seemed like a kind, generous woman with a wealth of wisdom to share. Anyone who has met her has only kind words to say about how she led The STAR to success.

And here I go again with my misplaced optimism. It’s not uncommon for us to want to be part of something great. The STAR’s 25^thyear preparations made me wonder: what if I had been there from the start, what would I have contributed to the paper? Maybe it’s a sentiment writers of my generation share. Why are we here? We are not worthy. Am I writing enough? It’s never enough. I am reading enough? I don’t know enough. Does it matter?

It’s all too easy to feel small when you’re in the company of greatness. But as I read that last article by our late publisher, it occurred to me that I am here, and though some of the people who have made this living, breathing giant that is The Philippine STAR are not, our editors, leaders, and this generation’s stars are. It’s not so bad being an 80s child, writing in the year 2011 for the number one paper in the country. We are all indebted to their greatness, their wisdom. Being published with the same ink and on the same paper as the people we looked up to growing up is just as good as hanging out with them — but for the whole country to see.

See: Philstar.com

One Rainy Riot

2011-07-31T04:26:00.000-07:00

Tomo Milicevic

Jared Leto

So after our little trip to SG last year, you'd think we'd have had enough crazy (I'm still paying for that trip, by the way). But no. Jared, Shannon and Tomo (Tomo! ♥) decide to play in the Philippines and of course, we're there. We stood in the rain, in our raincoats, and played Jared Says. When Jared said 'jump', damn right we jumped. Now I can say I watched a concert in the rain and loved it.

Fiction

2011-07-27T06:15:00.000-07:00

"This is a work of fiction. Still, given an infinite number of possible words, it must be true on one of them. And if a story set in an infinite number of possible universes is true in one of them, then it must be true in all of them. So maybe it's not as fictional as we think." - Gaiman, Interworld

I haven't forgotten about you

2011-07-24T04:41:00.000-07:00

Have I not blogged because life is boring? Nah. Sorry you've been so neglected, blog. I promise I'll start posting more after our 25th anniversary. Hooray for STAR! (Will you believe me if I said coffee is all I've been drinking? Hehe. Thought so.) Ktnxbye.

An intervention is in order.

2011-07-02T08:09:00.000-07:00

Hello, my name is CHONX and I'm a soyaholic. My brother Gino discovered this brand. They only sell it at 7-Eleven. It's the best soy milk ever. Peksman. Cross my heart. Period. No erase. Those cans at the back are going to have to wait. ;-)

Jewelry = Self defense. Obviously.

2011-06-26T00:08:00.000-07:00

A peek at my accessories chest. I haven't noticed this "pattern" myself, until I took most of them out to take these pictures. So obviously, I harbor an affinity for anything that can double as something I can use should I be forced to engage in combat: spikes, studs, large stones, giant cuffs, etc.; as well as anything distressed, flawed, earthy, and best of all, macro-genic. Share lang. :p

What's your favorite smell?

2011-06-25T21:37:00.000-07:00

Yesterday at the grocery store, I noticed a huge bottle of Johnson's Baby Shampoo and added it to my overflowing cart without hesitation. When I got home, I asked myself why I even bought it when I know it makes my hair extra brittle. But I already knew the answer: IT SMELLS NICE! Johnson's Baby Shampoo is one of my favorite smells in the world. Smell triggers memories, and this particular smell reminds me of those days when I helped shampoo my then infant cousin Bob's hair, back when I used to spend summer vacation at Lola Mama's house in Pampanga. I don't remember using the shampoo myself, though. (I have zero memories of when I was 5 below). Anyway, here are my other favorite smells. Do we match?

1. Johnson's Baby Shampoo 2. Ivory Classic 3. Kiehl's Ultra Facial Moisturizer (Reminds me of a trip to HK with Abby.) 4. Turpentine (Reminds of my highschool days taking up VA as an elective. I had to carry a bottle around everyday, and one day, it leaked inside my bag. Yep.) 5. Varnish (Growing up, someone in the house was always making something. It somehow always involved varnish.) 6. Pentel Pen (For some reason, I had managed to become class president a couple of times. The job somehow involved frequent use of a Pentel Pen). 7. Play-Doh (Who doesn't love the smell of Play-Doh? Ever smell non-Play-Doh clay? No? Good for you.) 8. Ginger (the best smelling ingredient in the galaxy hands down) 9. That fabric store smell (Mom used to go to the fabric store a lot. The smell made my eyes water like chopping onions did for others.)

What are your favorite smells/scents? Are they a reflection of your childhood/teenage years, too?

The phase ain't over...

2011-06-23T23:35:00.000-07:00

Pearl Jam's cover of Mother Love Bone's Chloe Dancer/Crown of Thorns

Bautista Reunion

2011-06-20T00:30:00.000-07:00

I remember taking a fashion week photo that looked somewhat like this. Haha.

At 6am, the balikbayans were up, the babies were up, the dog was up,

and I, was on a mat on the floor taking this picture.

Lola Mama's 77th Birthday :)

2011-06-20T00:17:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend, the whole family, and I mean all 100++ of us, celebrated Mama's 77th. It was gloomy outside but inside the house, it was very Hawaii Five-O-esque. The only thing missing was McGarret busting through the door in cargo pants. BUT ANYWAY, it's always a lot of fun hanging out with the cousins and the titas and titos, the oldies, the babies, and the dogs. Happy birthday, Mama! We love ya. XO.

2011-06-17T10:55:00.000-07:00

Image from Oh Happy Day!

I've been whining like a six-year old all week on Twitter which is why, for the record, I just want to make it clear that although I'm complaining, I'm not complaining. We all forget to stop and thank the universe for the little things — like the em dash, torrent and pasta — once in a while. But this doesn't mean we're any less thankful, right? So universe, please do not go Open Mouth, Insert Star on us because we, in behalf of the the entire Milky Way, appreciate you!

Happy long weekend, here's a song:

Guess what these are...

2011-06-12T06:13:00.000-07:00

And I wish...

This week :)

2011-06-12T04:08:00.001-07:00

Domestic flights of fancy

2011-06-10T21:17:00.000-07:00

Posting some inspiration before heading out to buy rugs. Keri Russel's Brooklyn home from Elle Decor.

Stuck. Again.

2011-06-08T09:28:00.000-07:00

In the dim background of mind we know what we ought to be doing but somehow we cannot start. ~ William James

Yep, that's me making the 'guilty face'. The sulk-peak cycle is something I've embraced. Peak usually comes, why, in the middle of course. Mid-week. Mid-month. Mid-year. But never when things are just starting. I'm just glad this rainy hump-Wednesday is over with and now I can start cramming a week's worth of work into the next two days. :)

29 WAYS TO STAY CREATIVE from TO-FU on Vimeo.

Eye spied

2011-06-07T00:45:00.000-07:00

Going from nowhere to I wanna know where / going from here to barely there. :)

My view

2011-06-06T22:29:00.000-07:00

Hello, this is my office today. I WISH. As everyone's errand girl, I had to take a day off work today to just regroup with all of my personalities -- homeowner chonx, bosslady (not) chonx, sleepy chonx, errand girl chonx, family party planner chonx, writer chonx, and dehydrated chonx. Anyone who has a blog knows how therapeutic it is to write and as you do, collect your thoughts, realign your objectives, and enter that inspiring zone we all need to visit once in while. Have a good day guys :)

I like rainbow brite purses and potato tots...

2011-06-06T06:35:00.000-07:00

Cause it doesn't remind me of anything

Artists are OC

2011-06-05T05:42:00.000-07:00

Whoever said people in the "creative business" thrive in chaos was only pretending to know what he was talking about. When it comes to work and work space, many artists, writers, designers, poets are painfully OC, unable to function unless the chaos around them, if there had to be any, was his or her own doing. Everything has to be her choice--if the bed is unmade, it's because an unmade bed helps her work, for some reason. This is my opinion, of course, not to be mistaken as personal preferences of New York Times illustrator and author Maira Kalman.

Rooster hair

2011-06-05T05:22:00.000-07:00

I love her new look, especially the shaved sides. But how do they make their faces look thinner?

Viva la (domestic) diva

2011-06-05T04:13:00.000-07:00

If this post makes me seem obsessed, it's because I am. Lately, I've been channeling the domestic diva persona... now if only I look as elegant doing it! "Elegance is refusal" is a famous quote by Coco Chanel. See that just makes me torn. On one hand, I've long made a choice to say "yes" to as many things in life as possible (which is probably why 'elegant' is hardly how anyone would describe me at the moment--more 'frazzled', 'hyper', or 'seemingly high'). How Miss Paltrow seems so glamorous all while being a mom, wife, actress, business woman, and now recording artist (!) is beyond me. It probably helps that she has a personal chef, butler and countless assistants (I'm working on that).

What d'you think of this?

2011-06-02T08:42:00.000-07:00

This is me slowly building up excitement. Eeep!

ALL not mine :]

2011-05-29T20:19:00.000-07:00

Photo: "Are you sure? Coz I'm still waiting."

Photo: "I like all things unreal, things that can never happen, or be mine."

Photo: "What is the point of being a member if you STILL have to pay P360 for one drink?"

Pardon my grunge phase

2011-05-26T01:49:00.000-07:00

The Moment We Found Nirvana Music: GQ.com

Graze-weather

2011-05-23T07:14:00.000-07:00

Opened the day with Tori Amos. Tori Amos! I never listen to any of her songs in full (because zzz...), but today, since it's graze-weather, I caught myself humming to 10,000 Oceans. I was also planning to stay late at the office to write (but zzz...), so I went home early and avoided the rain and some traffic. I promised myself I would catch up on RedCrayon stuff after dinner (then zzz...), so here I am instead. I know what you're thinking, I'd finish reading this (but zzz...). Hehe. So I'm gonna stop now.

*************************************************************************************

Or not.

While eating mom's deliciously spicy chicken afritada for dinner, I got a whiff of Downy from the labahan, and I swear I felt like the Bruce Banner about to transform. It's one of those "diva" things -- we all have them. One is, yes, I would like to not have to smell anything used to clean stuff while I am eating. I also do not like it when someone tries to wake me up by pulling my foot. When sitting at the back of a car, I prefer the left side. I like my Coke Zero shaken and de-fizzed before I drink it. I only eat navel oranges; ripe mangoes give me indigestion. I do not like spaghetti; pastas with white sauce are the best. If possible, I would put cayenne pepper on everything.

Wow 12 I's on this paragraph alone. YUCK, ME. Haha.

Tigil na 'tong kalokohan na 'to.

How To Be Alone

2011-05-21T23:10:00.000-07:00

Excerpts from a poem by Tanya Davis

| Dance until you’re sweating. And beads of perspiration remind you of life’s best things. Down your back, like a book of blessings.

| Go to an unfamiliar city, roam the streets, they are always statues to talk to, and benches made for sitting gives strangers a shared existence if only for a minute, and these moments can be so uplifting and the conversation you get in by sitting alone on benches, might of never happened had you not been there by yourself.

| Cause if you’re happy in your head, then solitude is blessed, and alone is okay.

| You could be in an instant surrounded if you need it.

| If your heart is bleeding, make the best of it.

| There is heat in freezing, be a testament.

*************************************************************************************

Hello. Today is a miracle. For all we know, the world really was supposed to end, but for some twist of fate, did not. Maybe the earth moved by an imperceptible degree, dodging an alien missile inadvertently. Maybe the four horsemen took the wrong route and ended up in a Slovakian city where lonely middle-aged men paid to torture them. Or maybe Rapture did come and none of us were saved -- but if not being saved means getting to spend more time with my family and friends on this crazy, corrupted, amazingly blessed earth, I'll choose damnation any day. I guess what we ought to have learned here, is that everyday we are here is a fucking miracle. Let's celebrate with some Radiohead.

Only the dead stay 17 forever

2011-05-20T22:44:00.000-07:00

It occurred to me that I still haven't written a birthday post when my birthday bill courtesy of BDO came greeting me this fine Saturday morning. If there's anything I've learned from 30 years of walking this earth, it's that some things can wait. Ergo, ipso, facto, Colombo, Oreo, this very delayed post -- not that the events of that day had been particularly insignificant. On my birthday, I waived my right to a proper birthday leave and came to work...to find this!

A surprise cake from the Features Group. You know how they say, "Friends are the family we chose for ourselves" (or something like that)? Well these guys, they're like family; we didn't choose each other, at times we hate each other, but I love them to bits. (Insert ironic html heart symbol)

So what has changed since I turned thirty? Not a lot. Really, I do believe age is but a number -- if not for this pesky ticking biological clock built into my ovaries, but I digress. While my Subterranean Friends, whom I've also nicknamed The Ageless Beauties (they are older than I am but because they're guys, the pressure is on me still), have been calling me Miss Last Trip since I turned (somehow the reference to being undead seems fit), I can't help but feel like there's more to getting older than growing old and going down the "mainstream" adult route.

So yeah, I think it's very indie of me to be how I am at this age. :P Besides, not everybody has the same goals. Mine is to be a "mogul by 32". Seriously. If not a czar, maybe some kind of boss-lady/writer/poet/hellraiser-in-heels hyphenate. When we say "so much can happen in a year", we usually say it in a somber, uncertain, borderline-defeated tone. Try looking at it from a different perspective; here, wear these rose-colored RayBan sunnies and say that again:

So much can happen in a year.

And so much will happen -- good things, amazing things -- if you only take deliberate steps towards them. It's only been a month since I turned and so much has already happened, and so much more are already "booked" to happen still. Don't worry I'm not gonna put "Life is good!" on my Facebook status anytime soon, or ever. And I'm not saying that every single thing is going perfectly as planned, but for once I feel so deliciously present. It's a gift. (Wehehe)

Can I add motivational speaker to my goals now? :P Anyway, so there's my post birthday post. I am all out of words now so, I guess I'll see you later.

P.S.
My title is a Murakami quote. Borrowed it, hope he doesn't mind.

"Print Is Not Dead"

2011-05-19T00:49:00.000-07:00

How very fitting. With our paper's 25th anniversary coming up, we face the question, How much longer will the dream (?) last? Is print, as they say, really dead? Anthology Magazine says that's just silly and I agree. How can something soul-less, like a tablet, take the place of the weirdly intoxicating smell of freshly printed magazine, the flicking sound of the pages of an old book, or the dried up tears on a love letter never sent?

I'm very into the article I'm currently writing, that I'm not sure it matters if readers are too. Haha. That's bad. Scrap that. I hope, in some way, this article that will be out soon would cause an inescapable transfer of the design itch. Meanwhile, a stop-motion video from Anthology:

Mini books for maximum happiness

2011-05-11T09:09:00.000-07:00

While waiting for my friends (who were extremely late), I dropped by Fully Booked at Bonifacio Highstreet and found these! Penguin's Mini Modern Classics were available per piece.

I wanna go back :)

2011-05-07T00:13:00.000-07:00

Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia

Hedonism

2011-05-05T04:31:00.000-07:00

I feel like I've been all about eating, sleeping, videoke-ing these past few weeks. I need to take a step back and reassess my priorities. Haha. Not. All work and no play makes me one cranky librarian. Completely unrelated is this photo I took at the HK airport. Drool. My Maki Mi is still in transit. Hungry.

Coke Box

2011-05-01T21:10:00.000-07:00

How much would you like to hang out inside this box? It wouldn't hurt to be one of these vintage Cokes right now. Malamig, petite, at hugis Coca-cola.

Photo taken at my grandmother's house.

Textures of the Garden Kind

2011-05-01T20:24:00.000-07:00

Photos taken in full color at my grandmother's backyard, converted to Super BW last night while watching 500 Days of Summer. Textures and feelings, I guess they go hand in hand. Last night was rough, prickly, and grayscale.

Preoccupied, a million things on my mind

2011-04-27T10:31:00.000-07:00

Well you stole it 'cause I needed the cash
And you killed it 'cause I wanted revenge
Well you lied to me 'cause I asked you to
Baby, can we still be friends?
~ Who's Gonna Ride Your White Horses

Hence, incoherence

2011-04-06T01:44:00.001-07:00

My insides feel like sandpaper when what I really feel like feeling is sand between my toes. (Bangui, Ilocos Norte, 2007)

The cutest dirty dog in the world

2011-03-27T09:03:00.000-07:00

My condition has a name!

2011-03-27T02:34:00.000-07:00

This made me laugh so hard because I can relate. There's nothing more irritating than a random person asking you "What's wrong, love?" or telling you to smile, or telling you off for being so moody, when really you feel perfectly fine. A lot of people do suffer from this condition, and as Krisatomic says, there is no known cure. We can only hope that society grows to understand us. Stop prejudice. Don't be a bitchfacist.

From Krisatomic

De-stress...

2011-03-23T06:56:00.000-07:00

The Aurora from Terje Sorgjerd on Vimeo.

Bolaño stole books

2011-03-22T09:23:00.000-07:00

As a delayed footnote to my previous post, here's an essay by Robert Bolaño. Who Would Dare?

"My arrest was ignominious. It was as if the bookstore samurais had put a price on my head. They threatened to have me thrown out of the country, to give me a beating in the cellar of the Cellar Bookstore, which to me sounded like a discussion among neo-philosophers about the destruction of destruction, and in the end, after lengthy deliberations, they let me go, though not before confiscating all the books I had on me, among them The Fall, none of which I’d stolen there."

Let's turn Starbucks Intramuros into a bookshop. Who's with me? :)

Booklifters

2011-03-22T05:19:00.000-07:00

At Bibliarch Glorietta the other day, I saw a piece of bond paper plastered by the cashier. "WARNING: SHOPLIFTERS", it said. It showed mugshots of the culprits, and by no means did they look dangerous. If anything, they looked slightly dorky. One carried a graphic novel. Another, a magazine. It was the saddest sight, because I remember being young and suriving on a P120 allowance. Food at our cafeteria would cost half that, spend anymore and I would have to walk home. To buy a book, I had to starve. (Exaggeration intended.)

The first book I bought, truly devoured and compulsively annotated, was Gaarder's The Solitaire Mystery. Dictionary and thesaurus in hand (they were then my Google), I read every line and everything in between with the same kind of lust my mother has for chocolate. I hardly remember anything about the story, or if I even found it good, bad, or whatever -- all I know was I wanted more!

Then I met The Alchemist. Growing up with Crichton, King, and Koontz (my mom's paperbacks), Coelho was a monster I was not prepared to meet. I was wide-eyed and easily in love. After I was done with it, the 163-page book bled of Stabilo pink. I highlighted furiously, leaving my prints all over the scene of the crime. It was the start of my life of ruthless booklust.

I frequented Booksale Goldcrest (then at Glorietta 1) for years. I was the girl who spent an entire hour looking at everything. But hardly bought anything, unless I knew I would absolutely not be able to sleep at night, knowing a book that I could possibly fall in love with is gathering dust in a store, in a mall. I absolutely hated it when shoppers would recklessly brush books aside and bang them on the shelves. I remember having flashed the deathstare at these kids more than once. Respect, man!

From this particular Booksale, I bought my copy of Hellenga's The Sixteen Pleasures. It's about a book conservator who went to Italy to resuscitate books that have been damaged by a flood. This is where she discovered an erotic art book called Sonetti Lussuriosi di Pietro Aretino bound together with a Roman Catholic prayer book. It had R18 tendencies, but really the best parts are the ones that delved into conservation details. After this, I had to find more art-related reads.

This led me to a lot of Tracy Chevalier books like The Lady and the Unicorn and Girl with the Pearl Earring, which eventually led to a shameless purchase of the children's book, Chasing Vermeer, and Vanished Smile: The Mysterious Theft of Mona Lisa, as well as a lot of random themes and genres in between.

Looking back, I realize I was lucky to have had my P120 allowance, as well as the will to save. And thank God for Booksale! There are too few Booksales now, and the selection at some branches are just meh. I really feel for anyone who wants to but a book so bad. Seeing that WARNING: SHOPLIFTERS poster left me feeling confused. Like I wanted to champion these petty delinquents and be a female, second-class, denim-clad Robin Hood. I am tempted to rally that books should be free, but, poor writers. So what shall we do?

Kafka said, "A book must be an ice-axe to break the seas frozen inside our soul." What a cold place this world would be if our access to books were to continue to depend on our disposable income.

An article to love, and close this post by Anna Quindlen for the New York Times (1991).

Design + Geek

2011-03-22T04:17:00.000-07:00

Learn to spot the warning signs in time – you know you're becoming a design geek when:

You giggle whenever you use the colors F0CCED, EFF0FF and 44DDDD

You’re in the sun and you look around for a Drop Shadow to sit under.

You give your relatives a lecture about color spaces and profiles when you email them your vacation photos.

Seing someone use Lens Flare or Comic Sans adversely affects your blood-pressure

You maintain a grid system for your refrigerator magnets.

You organise your CD collection according to the Pantone chart.

You sit at work for eight hours straight just looking at your monitor, waiting for a spark of inspiration that doesn't come.

You're up 'til 5am because you came up with the best idea ever while brushing your teeth.

The hottest dream you ever had was "Trace contour... Find Edges... Pinch... Extrude... Smudge Stick... Motion Blur.... Sprayed Strokes..."

You know Lorem Ipsum by heart.

Your kid knows Lorem Ipsum by heart.

The preschool teacher complains your child won't color inside or outside the lines – only indicate colors on a separate sheet.

Activating your entire font collection makes your computer crash – and you're running OSX.

You deliberately butcher your perfectly cross browser compatible site in IE by placing a “Too Cool for IE” banner on it.

You spend $200 on a font for your personal website because "it's the only one where the lower-case g is just right..."

Looking at a menu makes you go "hmmm, ITC Baskerville italic" rather than "mmmm, lunch!"

And when you finally order, you go for Layer Based Slices with Grain Texture...

You use words about fonts you dislike that other normal people reserve for fascist dictators and serial killers.

Apple+Z is the first thing that goes through your mind if you drop and break something.

You actually understand this post and pass it on to your friends.

Source

Fuji

2011-03-22T04:07:00.000-07:00

Iolanthe is like Mount Fuji. From a distance she's majestic and alluring, but close to she somehow disappoints. I confide this to her suitors whenever they arrive with their roses and Spanish guitars. When she's out of earshot I tell them, "If you seduce her away from me you'll be sorry." They think I'm threatening them, but then I whisper, "I know she's gorgeous, but when you get to know her she's really just an ordinary girl." They ask why I don't leave her if this is the case. I stumble over my words. I just don't know how to explain.
~ Anthropology and a Hundred Stories, Dan Rhodes

HK Nights

2011-03-20T04:11:00.000-07:00

Photo by Aris Aquino

Earthwalkers

2011-03-18T06:49:00.000-07:00

Astronaut/Dinosaur

My kind of Barbie

2011-03-18T06:35:00.000-07:00

Mariel Clayton

Before my eyes, beyond the stars, beneath the sun

2011-03-16T10:36:00.000-07:00

Just some things I saw in the cold during yet another whirlwind of a trip. Why do trips insist on acting like drunken Tasmanian devils? On the other hand, why do I insist on taking my sweet time all the time? Or always ending up gassy, constipated or the opposite? Why must I always have thorough meals, all food groups represented? Why must I be afraid of heights, cats, and cold weather? I have to thank my friends for tolerating my bouts of inconvenience hehe. None of which were on purpose, I swear. In between these said bouts, I was (hopefully) normal, taking photos and having fun like everyone else. Sa uulitin. :)

In plain sight...

On the table...

Looking down...

Looking up...

Through glass...

"I am Banksy."

2011-02-28T06:24:00.000-08:00

That's what he (Justin Timberlake) said. Here's Exit Through the Gift Shop's trailer:

Relax, it's just grammar

2011-02-28T01:20:00.000-08:00

My latest project is writing a stylebook for my Features chikitings. While lightning would definitely hunt me down if I claimed to be anything close to a "grammar expert", the responsibility is upon me. Also, in the absence of a physical stylebook here at our little office, we can't really use the "sabi ng stylebook" excuse; it's really about time someone wrote things down. In the process, I realized that it's hard for someone so OC to take on an ambitious — and humbling — task like this one. Many times during the process, I find myself envisioning a magnum opus of a stylebook, complete with illustrations no different from those in the special edition Maira Kalman "Elements of Style". Yes, I am taking this seriously. Too seriously, perhaps. But this particular thread in one forum gave me a much-needed "relax-it's-just-grammar" reminder:

When I came to the part about subjunctive mood and indicative mood, and the proper use of "If I were" and "If I was", this cropped up:

Panalo, 'di ba? Well, I thought it was funny. So anyway, back to work. Eto na ang pamana ko sa mga next gen supplement writers. LOL. (Crossing fingers: sana tama lahat ng pinaglalagay ko.)

Apatow babies

2011-02-27T20:51:00.000-08:00

Ah, the wonders of technology: real time photo updates from the Academy awards. Judd Apatow tweeted this from the Oscars:
Leslie Mann (the most beautiful not-hot actress in the universe) and Emma Stone. I love them.

Framin' fortune

2011-02-27T03:09:00.000-08:00

A girl finds a camera that can predict the future. She tries it; takes a photo of her front yard. The print comes out: the house is abandoned. They had moved. She takes another photo, this time of her boyfriend. The photo comes out and it's of a different man. She becomes addicted, snapping away at everything she sees. Oh, but there's a twist. There always is...

Thank you @alwinsj for the Fortune Camera (Urban Outfitters)! I promise to use the 24 shots wisely. Which reminds me, I think I'll bring a disposable camera on the 10th (not this one, though), BECAUSE SURPRISE PICTURES ARE THE BEST!

Meanwhile, I am still incredibly groggy but somehow, unable to sleep. I keep daydreaming about the clam chowder at Claw Daddy's. I'll just have to stuff myself with whatever we're having for dinner. If this doesn't knock me out, maybe I'll watch Kingdom Hospital or return to reading Krzhizhanovsky (I totally cheated. Could not spell that one from memory if my life depended on it.) Pero sa totoo lang, malamang manood lang ako ng Witches of Waverly Place. Hehe. It's on right now.

Pepepenguin

2011-02-25T03:05:00.000-08:00

I have to thank my friends for introducing me to Noli Aurillo and Joey "Pepe" Smith. I've always said I should have been born in the 70's and last night, we must've gotten on the wrong train and ended up in that wonderful era when we walked into Penguin.

Tim Burton: REJECTED!

2011-02-23T06:38:00.000-08:00

At age 18, Tim Burton submitted his book, The Giant Zlig, to Walt Disney Productions. He was politely rejected. When he graduated, he was hired by Walt Disney Animation Studios.
Source: Letters of Note

I was bored. So I took pictures.

2011-02-23T04:57:00.000-08:00

Cheese notepad

Patron Silver

Random drawing

The best oatmeal cookie on the face of the planet

"Wag mag-deny; Don't tell a lie"

2011-02-22T00:23:00.000-08:00

Pasensya na sa Rey Pumaloy quote. Lie to Me is one of my current addictions, and like a true addict, I think about it all the time. I catch myself analyzing people's expressions and mannerisms. Then I have a little notebook where I document my findings. Joke. Oo, weird ako. Anyway, here's something I found over at Daemonstv.

Lonely Girl Travels

2011-02-21T21:35:00.000-08:00

"It seemed an advantage to be traveling alone. Our responses to the world are crucially moulded by whom we are with, we temper our curiosity to fit in with the expectations of others...Being closely observed by a companion can inhibit us from observing others; we become taken up with adjusting ourselves to the companion's questions and remarks, we have to make ourselves seem more normal than is good for our curiosity." ~ Alain de Botton (The Art of Travel)

I miss this. I shall most definitely to this again within the year. :)

Meet my backlog

2011-02-21T08:32:00.000-08:00

These have been accumulated over the last two months. Sigh. Such a slow reader.

Crush a bit, little bit, roll it up, take a hit

2011-02-15T09:45:00.000-08:00

Gusto ko neto...

2011-02-14T07:31:00.000-08:00

Preen, Fall 2011

There's nothing sweet about cheese.

2011-02-13T02:38:00.000-08:00

Consider this my Valentine's Day post. I want to prove that I'm not a total scrooge. My gag reflex, however, is extremely hyperactive these days, so yeah, this would be my best effort.

A fictional Valentine card for a fictional character: Your 499 hats are just as good as your 500th because fuck yeah I love you.

Postcard borrowed from katespade.com

Sticker wallpaper

2011-02-13T02:25:00.000-08:00

This is rebellion at its finest. Riding a motorcycle? Beating the red light? Dancing on table tops? Nah. Anyone who's ever had their parents forbid them from sticking their stickers on the wall as a child will find this amusing and oddly tempting. Dorks of the world unite!

Nice wallpaper.

What, huh?

You've got to be kidding me.

via paytonturner.com

Feelin' uninspired; think I'll start a fire

2011-02-09T06:13:00.000-08:00

In our most paranoid moments, we fear that everyone is talking about us. That's become my reality. I can't hear what they're saying, but I know it's not nice. ~ Dexter Morgan, Dexter 2.4

Litanya

2011-02-08T20:59:00.000-08:00

I am not a complete idiot when it comes to music references, after all. I was listening to Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys straight and in full for the first time today. I thought the song "Bulletproof Heart" sounded strangely familiar. The who etong bandang katunog ng My Chemical Romance sa kantang ito? I thought to myself. Siret? The Who nga.

"Bulletproof Heart" feels like it belongs in The Who's Who's Next, because it really sounds like Baba O'Riley, a song that I have mistakenly labeled "Teenage Wasteland" on my iTunes. Facepalm. So I Googled: Bulletproof Heart, Teenage Wasteland, and I find an MCR interview where Way says:

Even "Baba O'Riley," my favorite Who song, is "Bulletproof Heart" in some weird ways. "Bulletproof Heart" is reminiscent of the "Baba O'Riley" riff.

Meanwhile, "Vampire Money" reminds me of Anberlin's "The Undeveloped Story", for some reason. But that's just me.

I really like "S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W", but I will stop liking it the moment it's featured in One Tree Hill or Pretty Little Liars. It just has that cheesy teenage drama soundtrack potential.

Finally, "Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na)", despite its title, has the best lyrics. Case in point: Remember when you were a madman/thought you were Batman/and hit the party with a gas can. Or Cut my hair/gag and bore me. Nobody writes this way anymore! Haha.

If Aerosmith is my Beatles, then My Chemical Romance, would be this generation's Aerosmith. IN MY HUMBLE OPINION. Because I really can't think of any other "now" band that can rock an arena like they do.

***
In other news, I tried listening to new bands like Sparkadia, The Decemberists, and Noah and The Whale. If hipsters love these bands, then I'm definitely NOT hipster. Though I like Neon Trees. That's it. Someone educate me.

If I could enrage a few people a bit more, Noah and the Whale's "Two Bodies, One Heart" sounds like Peter's dracula song in Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Basta, parang Muppets. I liked some of The Decemberists' songs like "The Crane Wife 3".

***********BREAKING NEWS***********************************************************

Someone publicly reminded me just now how I grew up not liking Pearl Jam. Hehe. So note that all of the above opinions are coming from someone who does not like Pearl Jam. My sanity (and taste level) are debatable. Ktnxbye.

Up to no good...

2011-02-07T23:04:00.000-08:00

Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea

2011-02-07T19:38:00.000-08:00

This Google face is making me retarded. I can't stop playing with it.

Speaking of... via The Penguin Blog

2011-02-07T04:49:00.001-08:00

Hello, I know there's someone out there who can understand and who's feeling the same way as me. I'm 29 and I've laid it all on the line, but I know now that it wasn't meant to be... Sorry, I just had to finish the verse. This Monday is whack as crack. Restlessness really is the mother of all infantile mistakes. Restlessness and Flanax, that is. Blame it all on the blue pill.

Woke up in a pretty good mood, but towards the end of the day I started getting sleepy, restless and irritated by absolutely everything. I think it's what normal girls call PMS. Once again I've come to that point in the month where nothing thrills me. Not the first long, almost lascivious drag taken after two days of nothing. Not the sweet, thick, tequilalicious goodness of the Strawberry Slush at M Café. Not the novelty of being able to come home while the sun is still up. Not even the possibility of a date.

*I can't believe I'm blogging about PMS, but I'm halfway through the post so what the hell. Shall we return to romanticizing misery? Let's.

This time last year, I was feeling exactly this way. Extremely excited and motivated one day, and forlorn the next; desperate for something exciting and different to come my way. That feeling led to a lot of rash decisions that I've had to live with in the months that followed. This year, I'm thinking this could happen again. Really, boredom is my worst enemy. So, what to do?

I was on my phone a couple of minutes ago, contemplating about booking another flight to Hong Kong and going all off-the-beaten track on the place, stag of course. But my better judgment and massive headache prompted me to put my phone down and sleep instead.

I have a project in mind that I would like to purse with a friend, but I haven't gotten around to working on that just yet. I have a gargantuan (hate the word) self-assigned project for work that I'm mildly excited about, but I feel like I'm not worthy of it. Hehe. Hiding out in the province for a week has also crossed my mind, but I don't think I'd be allowed to do that.

This is boring you, I know. Even I'm bored now. And I don't even have a point. I guess I just had to write and let "it", whatever this toxic "it" is, out. Thank you for reading. It has been moderately therapeutic.

Song for the day:

Ped Xing

2011-02-06T07:11:00.000-08:00

"Lately I've been believing that music predates speech."

2011-02-06T06:12:00.000-08:00

Shady characters

2011-02-06T05:53:00.000-08:00

This is just... Triple G: Grunge, Glam and Goth! (Kell on Earth)

Eye Candy Wednesday :)

2011-02-01T23:28:00.000-08:00

Miu Miu Womens' Tales: The Powder Room by Zoe Cassavetes

Naiinggit ako. Gusto ko gumawa nito.

HIM - Rebel Yell

2011-01-28T07:25:00.000-08:00

I don't even mind that they have a cheesy band emblem. Or that their "fans" are mostly girls. Or that they released an album called Love Metal. Or that they claim to actually fall under the "love metal" genre, which they invented, of course. Pulp? Are you there? Yoohooooooooooooooooo.

2011-01-28T06:50:00.000-08:00

They will see us waving from such great heights; come down now, they'll say.

Miss Didagia

2011-01-25T05:35:00.000-08:00

Delivery receipt from Shakey's. Utang na loob!

Damn bleeps!

2011-01-25T05:16:00.000-08:00

Video of Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na) has been removed because the owner of this blog can't figure out how to deactivate autoplay. Bow.

Surrender to randomness

2011-01-23T06:47:00.001-08:00

I have a friend who asks The Book of Love for love advice. I know someone who randomly plays eenie-meenie-minie-mo with the pages of the Holy Bible. I sometimes see coincidence as signs that are loaded with meaning and instruction. Is anything truly random? Or is everything hooked by a string, to the hands of a thousand-fingered puppeteer in the sky? This is turning out to be a really bad intro to a silly thing I made. Hehe. So I played along with my brother Renz's Facebook post. I made album covers using random words and photos. Not a bad way to spend the time while waiting for YouSendIt to upload my work.

The rules were:
1. Go to Wikipedia and click random. The title of the first article that comes up will be the name of your band.
2. Go to quotespage.com and click random. The last 5 words of the last quote on the page will be the name of your album.
3. Go to Flickr and click see last 7 days. The third photo will be your album cover.
4. Photoshop the elements together.

Here's mine. Makes me wonder, what if this really is how bands these days do it?

Make (up) your own story

2011-01-22T02:24:00.000-08:00

When you look at this picture, what do you see? What kind of girl would have taken this picture? Or was it shot by a man? It can't actually be cocaine and heroin in those shakers, right? There's a story behind every picture. Go on, choose your own adventure.
via Bohemian Musings

I Put a Spell on You (She and Him)

2011-01-18T08:59:00.001-08:00

Reminds me of that scene from Yes Man...

Hey, did you ever meet my friend Ian?
He's a coumputer hacker.
He helped me erase your Myspace page,
And your band's Myspace page,
And your Facebook page.
Happy networking asshole.

Haha.

Long John Peter

2011-01-18T08:04:00.000-08:00

From this episode of makabagbag-damdaming Family Guy:

Lois: Chris, honey, what's wrong?
Chris: Anna took a dump on me.
Lois: What?!
Chris: Yeah, she broke up with me.
Lois: Oh, she dumped you. That's what you meant to say.
Chris: What's the difference?
Lois: Well, what you said first was... well, I mean, when two grown-ups love each other very much, sometimes they show it by... never mind.