2015

The first quarter of the year knocked the wind out of me

Today's the last day of the year and I'm still trying to catch my breath

2015 sped by with a sequence of highs and lows

with a lot of memories to cherish

  moments of celebration

  cries of grief

  missed connections

  tears from laughing

  sighs of relief

  answered prayers

  built walls

  new bridges

I questioned the path I am in

I stepped out of my bubble

I wore different hats

I lost, I gained

I conquered, I failed

This is the year I had to learn 

how to live with loss

how to find magic in the mundane

how to love what's left

how to stay steadfast

how to trust what isn't here yet

Through it all, God remained

beside me, behind me, ahead of me

His love—evident all around me

not bound by time or my feelings

No matter how messed up my life can get

No matter how perfect my life may seem

His love will remain

He is faithful still

So I'm pressing on

Believing for more

More of Him

more of Him

Christmas mourn

I ushered in Christmas trying to hold back tears. I didn't know grief can be strongly felt during a season of joy. My heart is grateful for that feeling of togetherness, the good food, gifts, stories and laughter exchanged—yet my heart is also breaking—because this is the first one we will celebrate without the only grandfather I grew up with. I wonder if God also felt grief when He had to let go of His Son for our undeserving sake. I wonder if Jesus mourned the loss of a glorious throne in heaven when He came down to be born in a manger. I wonder if the reason why God is close to the brokenhearted is because He knows what loss feels like. There are a lot of things that I don't know... But one thing we can hold on to is the truth that it didn't end in death—Jesus overcame the grave. There was glory waiting for Him after all the agony of the cross. I don't know if I'll ever get used to Amapo's absence during special days with our family, but I know I'll see him again one day. I'm not sure when mourning will end, but I know that if we keep pressing on, mourning will eventually turn into merry.

#ParaSaMgaNaMissColombia

Para sa mga pinanghawakan na makukuha nila ang matagal na nilang hinahangad at pinagdadasal
Para sa mga nagdiwang na dahil sa paniniwalang sa 'yo na ang korona at karangalan
Para sa mga nag-akalang nanalo ka pero pagkakamali pala
Para sa mga umasa at nasaktan
'Wag kang makalimot...
Alalahanin mo...
May Haring bumaba sa Kanyang trono para sa 'yo
May Diyos na nagpakatao para maranasan ang mga pinagdadaanan mo
Sa Kanya napunta ang korona ng tinik na dapat ay sa 'yo
Kaya okay lang, okay lang 'yan...
Masakit pero kayanin mo
Hindi mo naman kailangan ang korona ng kalawakang ito
Dahil para sa lumikha nito, ikaw ang mahalaga
Hindi lang mahalaga...
Mahal
Mahal ka Niya
Mahal na mahal.

Time

I spent time away from writing here
It's been a while
But I never stopped writing
I wrote on other blogs
I wrote on journals
I wrote on scratch papers
I wrote
To my soul's content
But there are days
Days when my hands won't write or type
When my mind can't form the words
that my heart wants to pour out
So I just stopped thinking altogether
Letting the feelings pass
Letting my thoughts dissolve
Letting time drift away
Where do they go?
Where does my time go?
Scrolling endlessly
doodling gibberish
spacing out
Where does time go?
Are you in the hands of a clock?
Are you in the battery of a watch?
Are you in the columns and rows of a calendar?
How can we grasp time?
It is passing
It is going
Every second, every minute, every day
Once it's gone
It's gone for good
A few weeks ago, I got to hear Pastor Mike give a Word about time 
The Greeks had two words for time
Kronos and kairos
Two words for time
Kronos, from which our word chronology came from,
is the time of calendars and clocks
The numbers in the seconds, minutes, hours, days, months, years
Time that can be measured
Kairos, on the other hand, means the right and opportune moment
Seasons of love and loss, joy and sorrow, giving and receiving
Time neither bound by numbers nor our concept of time
Moments that cuts through the monotony of our kronos
Moments when God gives you a glimpse of Himself—of heaven here on earth
Like that time when you saw your father wipe a tear from his laughing eyes after your brother won first place in an art competition
The time when your mother walked into your room, pizza box in hand, as you lay in bed crying over a boy
The time when you had a long night at work and a stranger gave up his bus seat for you
The time when you got to praise and worship with your family—with tears in your eyes and grief in your heart
The time when your sinful heart—broken and shattered—encountered grace and let Jesus in
These are moments that happened at just the right time
Revel in them
Sink yourself in them
Don't miss what God is doing in your life
at this moment
in time

"With God, one day is as good as a thousand years, a thousand years as a day. God isn’t late with his promise as some measure lateness." (from 2 Peter 3:8-9, The Message)

"Hour by hour I place my days in your hand..." (from Psalm 31:14-18, The Message)

Almost.

Wow! It's been almost a year since I posted here.
I thought of breaking the silence so the last few posts can be bumped down. (haha)
I didn't know I can be so dramatic about love.
And waiting, and relationships.
Since then, a lot has changed.
I am not struggling anymore.
There are still struggles. I'm just not struggling.

A lot happened.
Mostly almosts.

Almost quit my job.
 Poor timelines.
 Sleepless nights.
 Overworked. Under appreciated.

Almost got impatient.
 Re: my last post about waiting.

Almost got interviewed by one of the top 10 ad agencies in the country.
 A friend recommended me.
 HR messaged my LinkedIn.
 Read the message a month after.

Almost, almost, almost. But not quite. It's not yet time.
I believe there's a time for everything.
And it's not yet time for the aforementioned things.
No. Not yet.
No, it's not rejection.
But a redirection.
God sets the time for everything.
He makes everything beautiful in its own time.
He is the Maker of time.
And He made you.
He made you for great things.
You were made to reflect His image.
His beautiful, spotless, perfect image.
He wants you to do excellent things.
He wants the world to see His glory through you.
Be ready for the time when He prompts you to do something.
Do it with faith.
Do it with excellence.
Do it for Him.

Be patient. Be vigilant.
Be ready.
Go.

His majesty awaits.

How?

"How do you handle the impatience
of wanting to be with the man you loved?"

How?

The questions that often cross my mind. It's the season. It's the season when God has placed a desire in my heart and asked for my patience.
I have this loneliness, a kind of longing.
Longing for companionship.
A relationship.
With someone who will take care of me.
Through thick and thin.
Someone who will pursue me.
Who will strive to be with me
No matter how hard that is.

How do I fill the whole that that longing brings?
Is there really a whole?

Back in college, my Marriage and Family professor told us...
Every morning, whenever we look in the mirror,
While fixing our face, combing our hair,
We need to tell ourselves,
"Today, God-willing, I'm going to meet the man of my dreams."

What if, you've already met him?
What if?
But how can you know?
How?

Every day I ask.
Every day I get an answer.
The answer is always... Wait.
To wait.
Wait.
No wonder that verb rhymes with weight.
You carry so much.
Your heart is heavy.
Your mind is full of thoughts.
You feel impatient. You feel like you're going nowhere.
You feel like you're being too complicated.
Too hard to understand,
too hard to love.

It's my season of waiting.
I want to love him now.
But I have to wait.
I need to wait.
God wants me to wait.
It's really hard.
The knowledge of God's perfect plan,
is all there is to focus on.
On this season.

"How long, Lord must I wait?
Never mind, child. Trust me."

The knowledge of His perfect plan
therefore brings me to trust in Him.
I don't know if we share the same feelings.
If he likes me as much as I like him
If he wants to be with me as much as I
But I'm holding on to Romans 8:28.
To wait.

"I must trust God in him,
trust God to do for both of us better than I know."

I won't hold on to his promises,
I will not entrust my heart to him.
Not yet. Not until the Lord says so.
Now, I will be my best. For Him.
I will wait.
As I wait,
I will seek Him in everything I do.
Give myself to knowing Him,
loving others, until he comes along with me.
I will give my feelings up to Him,
Prayerfully, I will lift up my desire for James.
And He, my Almighty Father, will take care of the rest.

Every day, every moment without "being with him"
It's a struggle.
It can be a mean cycle.
But it's part of a process.
It may be a pruning process,
or a test of faith,
or a test of patience,
or of obedience.
God only knows. His ways are higher, His thoughts are better.
I consider myself fortunate,
For the end result will always work for our good.

Wait.

Overcoming the overwhelming.

Anything I can do in my life, I can do because You love me.

A line I remembered from watching American Horror Story - Asylum. A line that I can quickly relate to my situation right now. Having been employed recently, I've been going through some ups and downs with work. There are times when I get stressed because I do not know how to do my job well. I just wanna make Him proud with every task given to me. Some days, I can't help but feel that I'm not good enough for my job. That I'm failing my bosses and the one true Boss in my life. And then I remember... It's not about me or about what I do... It's about what He's done. What He's given me. His overflowing, unfailing, and amazing grace that I don't deserve. He was there. Always looking, always smiling down on me..

When I was there in room 702, during my thesis presentation.
When I marched at the Quadrecentennial Pavillion.
When I waved at the audience as I receive my award.
When I went home and I was welcomed with congratulatory smiles and handshakes and hugs.
When I went to that job interview.
When I got hired on the spot.
When I had my 'last' vacation of bumming.
When I was on my way to a shoot for my first day at work.
When I got overwhelmed with the workload.
When I napped on the bus on the way home.

Every day, every moment of my life. He's always with me. I am never alone. I can do anything as long as I remain in Him. I can't do it on my own. But He can do it through me.

“We do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved.” (Hebrews 10:39) 

-------------------------------------------------

Another thing I've been praying about is someone... Someone very dear to me. He broke my heart some years ago but I gave him a second chance. A second chance to start anew. To start over again. I have faith in him. In us. But we have to wait. 'Til I let go of my insecurities brought on by previous heartbreak. 'Til we've completely surrendered our desires to God. I don't want to rush things. Love is waiting. I am holding on to his promise to wait for me, even if it hurts to wait... Foremost, I am holding on to His promise of amazing things to come.

I will always be praying for him, for us.. 
Great things come for those who wait on the Lord. Take heart and be courageous.

A time of fasting

The past month sped by like a cheetah. (lame simile, I know) But that's the best I can come up with right now. Though right now, coming up with similes should be the last thing I'm doing, and yet here I am, writing about it. I should be finishing my illustrations for my final thesis. Instead, here I am...taking a break... One cannot simply work continuously on an illustration, unless you have ADHD. Haha. All jokes aside, I just want to share what I've been up to this past week. Last Sunday, I was overcome by the amount of time I waste on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. Yes, I know that John Lennon said that the time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time...but still, you can't help but think of the time that's passed, passing, and will pass. How you can't get any of it back. Sometimes, I find myself on the verge of hating the concept of time... I once saw a picture of a vandalism, "time doesn't exist, clocks do." I can't help but wonder why the person who invented clocks did it... Why was it so important to know the time? The philosopher who wrote the book of Ecclesiastes said it most sensibly:

There is a time for everything,

    and a season for every activity under the heavens:

a time to be born and a time to die,

a time to plant and a time to uproot,

a time to kill and a time to heal,

a time to tear down and a time to build,

a time to weep and a time to laugh,

a time to mourn and a time to dance,

a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,

a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,

a time to search and a time to give up,

a time to keep and a time to throw away,

a time to tear and a time to mend,

a time to be silent and a time to speak,

a time to love and a time to hate,

a time for war and a time for peace.

 It got me thinking... Should I really allot a time for checking Facebook and Twitter? If the philosopher lived during our time, will he add a line saying "a time to tweet and a time to post a status"? It can be a possibility! Especially now when everyone seems to like sharing everything that's going on in their lives, their likes, dislikes, rants and whatnot. So that Sunday, I thought to myself, why are you wasting your time in front of a computer when you can do so much more. That night, I also decided that I will make time away from those networking sites. I unplugged my computer to plug in my heart, to spend some time with the Lord (and also some time with my thesis and in front of the TV). Fasting from Facebook and Twitter may seem like a small task but its effects are tremendous. Come Monday, I have lesser things to procrastinate with. I had more time to work on my thesis and to reflect about some of the problems I have in my life right now. It gave me more time to work on school requirements, to think, to pray, and to get closer to God. Fasting is usually for food but when you go online on Facebook or Twitter everyday like it's a necessity, I think it's something that can be a good start for you in learning how to fast. Fasting is something you do to enable more of your spirit to hear clearly what the Lord is saying to you. It will help you focus more on your relationship with Him. It's already Friday and I haven't logged in on Facebook for four days. I believe I can still go on without that site for a few more days and that's what I plan to do. This post will serve as my commitment to cutting time from social networking sites to give more time for my relationships (with thesis, friends, and most especially, with God). Please pray with me. :)

#TimeToMoveOn

There was a time when my friends and I liked being outside more than staying in front of the TV or the computer. We were so full of energy, always ready to run, jump and play. We knew everyone on our street 'cause we play with them almost every afternoon. A variety of games like patintero, tumbang preso, tagu-taguan, ice ice water, and piko are just some of the choices we have on what to do every time we play outside.We even have a special "code" when calling each other when we wanna play. We'd clap as loud as we can outside our friend's house to get his or her attention, then it's either they let us in their house or they join us outside. We'd play and horse around to our heart's content or until it's dinner time. Sometimes, we'd eat dinner together, at a different house each night. Reminiscing about it so much fun, but it also makes me wonder...

In every day we spent with each other's company, every game we played, every conversations we had, everything between us, there's always been a hope in me that we would be friends forever. We've been friends since our parents' became friends, and right now, I don't think we are anymore. When did it stop? When did we stop clapping? Who gave up first? How can you just stop talking to someone who's known you since you were in kindergarten? Someone who's seen you naked as you played together at the kiddie pool? Someone who knows the names of your pets? Someone who lives right next door? And most importantly, why did that have to happen? People would often answer, "oh, we grew part," but you grew up together! How can you just grow apart like that? Now you treat each other like strangers, you can only call them a friend in Facebook 'cause you don't talk in real life, and you don't even chat on Facebook. You used to have "monito, monita" with them, but now all you exchange are awkward greetings when you pass by each other in the street; not even a tiny chat to check up on each other. I can tell you it's because we attended different schools during high school. Or maybe we made new and better friends. Maybe our schedules just won't let us see each other anymore. Maybe we always had better things to do than clap outside a neighbor's house. But God only knows the real reason why we grew apart. He also knows if we still have a chance at being friends; after all, we were close friends once.

You can cherish the memories from the past. The afternoons you spent together, the games you invented and played, the time you laughed, cried, and sang together. You can keep those memories in your heart. But now's the time to move on. Time to stop dwelling on the past. God is creating new beginnings for you. In fact, you are a brand new creation. A new creation in Christ. He's introducing you to new acquaintances. He's bringing you closer to your friends now. To someone you can talk to every day. To someone who'd know all your pets' names and all your favorite things. To someone you can grow old with and not grow apart from. He brings people in and out of your life for a reason. People change. You change. They grow, and you grow. And when that happens, it's time to move on. :)

“The righteous keep moving forward, and those with clean hands become stronger and stronger.” Job 17:9 (NLT)

Decrease to increase.

Just a while ago, I found out that a couple that I admire broke off their engagement. The level of sadness I felt was as if I was the one who just got un-engaged. I thought, "they're perfect together, how can they just break up like that?!" Then after stalking the guy, (I found out that more people are consoling him since he posted about the breakup on Facebook) I realized that there are times when everything seems perfect, something will happen that can make you think otherwise. A lot of people were posting Bible verses on his page. It's really overwhelming how friends, and even strangers are there for him, posting words of encouragement and support. I'm still trying to let it sink in. A couple that seemed so perfect just broke up and it makes me feel a little less hopeful regarding relationships. 'Cause if something like that can happen to a perfect couple like them...what would happen to other less-than-perfect couples? God's plan. That's what happens. That's exactly what should happen.

When you think that everything's so perfect, everything's going your way. You need to stop thinking. Stop thinking about what you want and start thinking about what He wants. What He wants for you is beyond perfect, beyond what you can imagine. After all, He's our father. And fathers want what's best for their children. Realizing all that is very important for me. 'Cause all too often, I focus on what I want and it always ends with frustration. In every bad situation, we need to keep in our minds and hearts that God is working. Always cheering us on during tough times, we just need to stop and look for His hand, always ready to carry us through. We need to use the bad things that are happening to strengthen our faith. We can use the pain we are feeling to heal other people's wounds. Don't waste the pain.

Broken can be beautiful. Better things are coming. For that couple. For you. For us.
Trust Him.

The magic stays with you, they said.

October 24, 2012.

A Wednesday that dawned without a cloud in a blue blue sky.

I, along with a group of friends, went to a theme park thinking that we would have an awesome time. That perceived awesome time was spent waiting in long long long lines. We spent 2 hours in line for an awesome roller coaster, only for the ride to malfunction just when we were about to get launched into outer space! Talk about wrong timing and bad luck (not that I believe in luck). But still! Getting asked to get off the ride when you didn't even experience it is quite maddening.

After that, we stayed clear of any lines because we couldn't take anymore queuing! Some of us we're cussing out the staff of the theme park for heartlessly shattering the opportunity to experience what would've been an awesome adrenaline rush. I wish they gave us candy for consolation or something. Two hours!! No, it was almost three hours! THREE HOURS OF OUR LIFE. For three hours we anticipated a ride that would blow us away but all we got IS NOTHING. We stood in line for three hours for nothing. It took a while before we got over it. That means we wasted more minutes to cope with the stress? No, it wasn't stress. I don't know what to call it. Disappointment? Misfortune? That's it. I'm going to call it a misfortune.

After that, more misfortunes came. It started to rain really hard. We were ten in the group but only three people had umbrellas, it would've been four but I lost my umbrella in the horror house. We were supposed to play paintball but because of the rain, the field is now muddy and it would be a hassle to play there. The ticket had a stub for a soft drink, and we were all craving for something to drink after waiting for nothing. When we got the drinks, viola!, they gave us a brand of soft drink that tastes like mothballs.

Misfortunes in life are inevitable. You go through it once in a while. And that's the point...you go THROUGH them. You fall down, then you stand up, learn from it, and pick up where you left off, stronger and smarter. I feel that the best response to those misfortunes is faith. We need to trust that a higher power is working behind those misfortunes we are experiencing.  Maybe it rained hard so that some of the park goers would go home. Consequently making the queues shorter so that we can enjoy more rides. We weren't able to ride the roller coaster, maybe because the ride isn't safe for one of us. Maybe because it's not yet the right time for that. Faith may bring an ability to accept the things we cannot change. Faith can help us to move on and to stand in a long line for another ride, with the strong conviction that it will be an awesome ride.

An hour before closing time, we managed to squeeze in 3 rides. That's not bad at all. It brought a sudden rise to our spirits. Indeed, the end of something is better than its beginning. You just gotta have faith.

Feels like I slept all day.

Yup. I feel like I just woke up from a 24-hour sleep. But that's just a feeling. I probably just slept for 14 hours or something. And also, I feel like I wanna sleep now, which is strange because I usually sleep at 3am and it's only 12am. Ha.
So, I'm reading this novel by David Nicholls... I've seen some parts of the movie. I'm telling you, some books are not as fun to read when you've seen some parts of the adapted movie. But I'm still reading it. I don't want to waste such a good book. So far, I'm having fun despite the fact of, you know, seeing some parts of its movie.

SPOILER ALERT. SPOILER ALERT! Do not read if you haven't seen or read the movie or the book and you still want to see or read it.
There's a part in the story where Dex writes an 11-page letter for Em. A love letter that's not really a love letter, asking Em, his best friend to be with him... And guess what, he fails to mail that letter which would've been the start of something so beautiful and right for the two of them. AAH! Dex and Em. Em and Dex. The book probably would end sooner if that letter got sent. That part of the book lead me to thinking of all the "what ifs" and "what could've beens" and the like in my life. It's mind-boggling to think of such things. I think it made me more sentimental than necessary. It's all too bittersweet to take in. I had to write something about it. One is not meant to think of things like that if you're past seems more promising than what you have now. It is the past. Sure, you can keep those wonderful memories, but you can't keep coming back to the past. It's the past. It's past. Get over it! Better things are coming.I'm sure of it. If you don't believe me, just read the 40th verse from Hebrews chapter 11!

This was because God had something better in store for us. And he did not want them to reach the goal of their faith without us.

Whenever you feel like what you have now isn't as good as what you had in the past, just remember that the future is bright. Remember that. God knows it. He has a great plan for you. Plans for you to prosper and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11) 

I would probably write a book review once I finish the novel. That's something to look forward to.

I am not ____ enough.

Here comes my insecurity again. I've always struggled with it. I'm very insecure when it comes to my artworks. I feel so down when I see other people's great works. I feel like I will never be as good as them. That I'll never be good enough. Some days would comprise of wishing that I was as great as others and beating myself up for not being as great as others... It's becoming a cycle. I make an artwork, I stare at it for a while, then I look at other people's works and just feel so inadequate about my work. I hate it. I want it to stop. I need it to stop. I don't think there's any benefit to it. I know negative thinking has its perks but I want to stop believing in it so much.

I'm just so appalled at how insecure I can get when my Maker created me in His image. I cannot tell you, I do not know where to begin. I cannot fathom God's love for you. For me...For us! He really wants me to believe that I am enough. I am good enough. Thank You so much for giving me this message to meditate on for today. From now on, I will not give in to my enemy (insecurity). I will look at You if ever the enemy comes close. He who empowers me, amazes me, motivates me, loves me, cares for me, and forgives me. I have been equipped by His love and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit to do whatever He called me to do. Therefore the mentality of not being good enough should be eradicated from my life. It will be eradicated. He loves me and knows what's best for me and that's all that matters.

I am enough.

Strokes of the day

I've been trying to break the routine of drawing girls.

It's always been a part of me. A comfort zone, you could say.

I've got a secret.

I'm trying to stay away from it.

Hopefully, I can resist.

That feeling of my strokes being too messy.

Is it really a feeling? Or a seeing?

I'm not sure if that's good or bad.

I don't want to think about it.

I do what I do the way I always do it.

If I can change that, would it be nicer? 

Or am I taking away something that's me from them? Like a signature? Like my personality?

I'll be posting more artworks here. 

I hope you appreciate them. :)

You can see my other works in Behance.

It's only love?!

I stumbled upon Matt Cardle's single, It's Only Love. What an outrage it has caused inside me. You don't say it's only love! You don't say that love won't carry you, hold you, save you or see you through! I hate the lyrics of that song. Love is everything. God is love. He is everything. He will carry you, hold you, save you, and see you through. So you don't say it's only love... You say: it's all about love, it's all for love, it's all because of love. Because love is everything.
God is supreme, all-powerful, wonderful, He knows you and He loves you. Don't ever forget that.

Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac

October 9, 2012

The book was courtesy of a friend who likes to underline or book mark the parts of the book that she liked. I think should do that too. Haha

It was the last book I read and I'd like to share my thoughts about it before I forget them. ;) ;)

The story is narrated by Naomi, the teenage amnesiac. She forgot 4 years of her life when she "tripped/fell" down the stairs of Tom Purdue, her high school. Along with those years, she also forgot her best friend, Will and the reason why he calls her "Chief," her popular tennis player boyfriend, Ace, her parent's divorce, her mother's new family, his Dad's fiancé, even her skills in driving. Then she also meets James, "the boy with the questionable past and the even fuzzier future" (that's what was written at the back of the book).

I don't know why but I really liked the book. Or maybe I know why and I'm just not ready to tell you yet. Or maybe you'll know why after reading this book review. Sometimes, I feel like I can relate to Naomi, but I can't pinpoint which parts I can relate to. Weird, I know. I'm not sure if it's just me or it has something to do with Gabrielle Zevin's way of writing. It felt like I can feel what Naomi was feeling. In a way, sort of, I guess. Reading that novel made me realize that I don't completely imagine the face of the characters. I just imagine a face when needed, e.g. when the character is crying or smiling, or when their face is being described. Weird, I know. I guess I just imagine them as a whole person; I imagine the personality, not the physical appearance. Wow! (Sudden realization!) I should really apply that in the real world, seeing what's inside, what's significant; instead of outside appearance. Seeing or looking? Should one look for what's inside or see what's inside? Hmm. So many thoughts to ponder... Okay, now back to the book. I really liked Will, Naomi's best friend. He's just so...passionate, and geeky. He's a very likable character. He inspired me to make my own mixes for every important event in my life or maybe for a friend?

"Too much to say with none of the right words to say it. I'd rather just pick the perfect song to do the work for me."

That's what Will said about making mixes. Maybe in the near future, I'll be posting mixes in this sweet blog o'mine. Okay, so at the beginning of the third/second paragraph, I told you I'm not sure why I can relate to Naomi, but I think I know now... I think it's because the book was written in the first person which makes it easy to feel, think, or even act like the character. That's pretty amazing, isn't it? Another realization. I'm realizing a lot of things as I write. That's pretty amazing for me. BACK TO THE BOOK! Another thing I liked about it are the songs/mixes within the book. The mixes that Will made for Naomi so that she might remember some of the things she forgot. Music can have that effect on you... There's this song...every time I hear it, I remember the first time I watched it on MTV - the moment, the feeling, the weather that day, the arrangement of the furniture in the room, everything (sort of). The things that you don't normally remember unless you're subjected to the song. Kinda like nostalgia, I guess? Hahaha. I'm rambling now.

I highly recommend that you read the book. You'll not only enjoy Zevin's "sensitive, joyful...heart-bruising love story;" you'll also get acquainted with songs that you might like or even love...or not.

Here's a fun photo of the book (those stars and flowers are meant to encourage you to read the book. I hope it works)

For the love of school and food

Creativities made a video blog about three restaurants in Dapitan-UST area. Watch as we review these awesome places and feast your eyes on the sumptuous meals that we tried! :)

We really enjoyed making the video and I hope you enjoy it too! I highly encourage you to go on a food trip with your friends especially during stressful times. Eating good food is a great way to de-stress.

Also, watch out for our next episode as we take you on a food trip in P. Noval street!

Two Saturdays in One

Manix Abrera - the genius behind Kiko Machine Komix

exhibitors in THE Clothing

The official poster for the festival

Me with MALL's works :)

Me and @RosyBleu

Me with some artworks at Pen Pen's

Last Saturday (September 30, 2012), I attended the first Bloom Arts Festival in Cubao X. 70+ artists contributed their blood, sweat, and tears (figuratively, I hope). Artworks were displayed in selected shops and restaurants in Cubao's art haven. There were also special merchandise around for everyone, Bookay-Ukay, Designers of Asia, Moonleaf and others set up booths to sell their products. Some artists were also selling prints of their artworks, some were giving away stickers. A raffle promo was held during the event where lucky attendees won prints and artworks from some artists who exhibited their work. I got to meet artists whose works serve as an inspiration for me, like Tokwa Peñaflorida and Manix Abrera. I got to tell them how much of a fan I am. Haha! I love doing that - fangirling. I feel when someone has a positive effect on you, you have to tell them to pass on the good vibes all around. Quoting what a newspaper article said about the event, "art blooms all over Cubao X." It was a great event for artists and art enthusiasts. I felt great about the art scene here, it just goes to show that we have a ton of talented artists here in our country. I hope art will bloom even more 'cause I've always believed that art can make our country, if not the world, a better place. I hope they make it an annual event so that more artists can be showcased and the art scene here in the Philippines can grow into a big beautiful garden!

The awesome stage setup

The view from our seats!

Last night (October 6, 2012) was the first ever concert I attended in Araneta Coliseum! And it couldn't be better to have Foster the People be the first band that I watch live in that arena. I can't remember the name of the opening act but they sure got me pumped up for Mark Foster's wild dancing, beautiful singing, and his band mates' wonderful playing. The first song they played was Miss You. I can't get over Mark's electrified dancing while playing the piano, it's like some wild spirit has taken over his body. I love it. I keep looking back on that moment because I really felt his passion for what he's doing. FOSTER THE PEOPLE IS SO MUCH BETTER LIVE. The songs come alive with more personality than the recordings. And you have to see the band dance! They are truly passionate and you have to watch them live to see and feel that. During that concert, I released the stress I was feeling regarding school, and my insecurities. I head banged, jumped, danced, and sang my way out of those negative feelings and it worked!! Big thanks to Midas Promotions and Dayly Entertainment for bringing the band here in Manila, and especially to Foster the People for giving me an awesome first concert! And bigger thanks to God for the blessings, for being the motivation and for giving me the strength in finishing schoolwork so I can attend the concert. I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW AWESOME OUR GOD IS! You just have to experience that for yourself, and I pray that you will. :)

Little texts

littletexts.tumblr.com
- a blog dedicated to the words that we all love. From books, from movies, from songs, and even your own personal writings!

I love to read, and during my reading session in that blog here are some of my favorites/texts that struck a chord in me/the ones I can relate to/the ones I wish I had written/what I feel right now/what I want to get through my thick head

I love you, and you'll never catch up because I've gotten a headstart and my heart is racing at lightspeed.

How long am I going to beat my head against the wall, getting all excited, getting my hopes up every time he looks at me? I'm like a bad joke. I get stepped on, I come back for more. I get shoved aside, I come back again. What the hell am I doing waiting for him? I have to get it through my think head that it's just not going to happen.

 The past beats inside me like a second heart.

Do you know what it's like to be turned inside out in every way you can be and have the worst parts of yourself exposed to anyone who happens to be looking? Maybe you do - after all, it happens to us a little bit all the time. I guess lots of people would look at you and run. But to have someone who won't run - someone who won't use your shame against you - that takes someone special.

CARSEM

    Something positive can come out of negative thinking. I've experienced it. All day and all night, all I thought about was the possible criticisms that my illustration will get from my thesis adviser. But after submitting my artwork, I only got one negative feedback! I was so creatively thinking up the negative comments that my adviser will be telling me. I was ready to face the harsh truth that I have to do the illustration over. After all the negative thinking, I was pleasantly surprised by how opposite things turned out. I feel like that was a healthy paranoia. Which reminds me of what transpired in a seminar today. 

  Today, we had our career seminar. It's a talk for graduating students. There were several speakers for every department in our college. As for the Advertising Department, we had the pleasure of listening to Rizza Garcia and Dennis Nierra's insights and advice regarding the advertising industry, our passion, the battle we are currently facing a.k.a. thesis, and many more. I really liked the advice and the tips they gave us for every possible stage in our advertising life.

   Rizza approached it like a child would do, with doodles and handwritten words in her presentation, she presented the perks of being an art director. With funny lines like, "makikilala mo ang pinakapoging lalaki sa balat ng langit at lupa" and "gusto ko lang magdrawing (kahit di ako magaling magdrawing)." She shared the projects she's worked on in the past 2 years of her job as an art director for a famous ad agency. She told us the story on how she found her passion and she gave us a great advice for our own passions: keep the dream alive. And that's what I plan to do!

   On the other hand, Dennis approached it like a game. Starting his presentation with a question: WHAT IF? What if we can go through life like it's just a game? Go to school like we're on a race? Answer an exam with limited life? Then, he gave us an overview of the current and future stages that we might face as an advertising student. Right now, I'm on Stage 19: Thesis boss battle. BOSS BATTLE! For each stage, he gave us advice on how to fight every boss villains. Haha! And my favorite tip from him is probably what I've mentioned on the first paragraph of this post: Have healthy paranoia.

  Before the two aforementioned speakers gave us their talk, a guidance councilor from another college, Ms. Stephanie Lu, also gave us advice for the period after our graduation: applying for jobs, looking for employers, preparing for interviews, etc. And she gave us the sweetest message that day: "you are a masterpiece." So are you! You are God's masterpiece. Use what He gave You to glorify Him and to help others live a better life. :)