my goodies

Waha, the title reminded me of Ciara’s song. Sharing some precious (? - LOL) snaps I took and the stories behind them. All lifted from my Tumblr.

Coffee love @ Gloria Jeans.

I actually took those coffee beans by the coffee shop’s counter. Good thing the Gloria Jeans peeps were nice and all smiles about it. Haha. Me and my HS buddies made all sorts of shapes and letters out of the beans. They currently rest peacefully inside an old film cylindrical container. Everytime I open it I get to sniff a coffee-chocolate aroma. Heavenly.

Tagalized version of Sam Milby’s name? Haha. Found this while browsing through the songbook in the karaoke booth at Timezone Gateway. My highschool friends and I were rolling with laughter. )

During the Manila Food and Beverage Expo (MAFBEX) last Father’s Day at the World Trade Center Manila, I saw a bunch of people crowded themselves around a certain stall. I peeked and saw this man while doing some live molding. He actually makes clay versions of people. Cool. I forgot how exactly it’s called, though.

Still from MAFBEX. Gelato goodness. Ordered myself a strawberry. Renz and Rina got Pistachio. Yum-O!

Some goodies we got from Mume’s officemate who came home from Japan. *drools at the Hello Kitty keychain* One day I hope I’m gonna be able to bring home a cherry blossom petal and some cute notebooks and pens or whatever cool trinket I can find (and afford LOL).

why I love my bum life

Adie told me and Ieni last Tuesday while we were strolling inside Robinson’s Galleria about this statement shirt a guy she happened to pass by which said, “Huwag tularan, batugan” (Hope I got that right, haha). We all begged to disagree because we all knew that bumming around and getting a good vacay are good for us. And she’s right when she said that it’s not that there’s no company who wants us, but we’re just not really looking for it (but as of this writing I’ve submitted to some companies, bahala na si Bro, hehe).

It’s been three bum months for me. And I love everyday of it (except the part that I have cough. Haha. I just plurked: “cough, cough go away, don’t come back any other day, little Wengky wants to be okay!”). There’s no direction but spontaneity. If I didn’t choose this I wouldn’t have realized what I have realized, experienced what I have experienced, accomplished what I have accomplished, felt what I have felt. I wouldn’t have in any other way, I guess. I wouldn’t know and I need not know because I chose this and I don’t regret. But of course, I can only speak for myself… and me, myself and I are all thankful for every bum day. And oh! Here’s my bum’s list:

1. Internet - for fangirling, Tumblelogging (where I always learn a thing or two about art or anything inspiring), blogging and interacting with friends (like on Plurk and Facebook)

2. Reading whatever - articles on the internet, newspapers, magazines, books and ebooks (I hope one day I can include “notes” in this list, haha)

3. Listening to a lot of music - I never get tired of listening to my love David Archuleta, but I make sure every now and then to refresh my playlist with old new artists and their music. It gives me ideas for songwriting.

4. Go out with friends and family - nothing beats face-to-face/personal moments with people you care about.

5. Write, write, write - Everyday I make sure that I have a new idea or that I write something. A writer’s exercise, perhaps? But I think I should read more so I could write more… no, better. Haha.

6. Watching movies.

7. Playing Squash a la Badminton - I’ve only “discovered” this last week. Haha. What I do is play Squash using Badminton “gears”. Thank God for our neighbor’s walls. Haha. I’ve been wanting to get some “working out” for ages and I’m just glad the idea came to me. Albeit I’m skinny I still need to firm my muscles and sweat unneeded carbs. Haha.

8. Anything else out-of-the-blue.

I love this feeling.

Now I think we have to rework our description and definition of a bum or a lazy person. Because what do we relate to a bum or to a lazy one? Isn’t it that because they don’t work (in the more formal sense)? But being a bum or a lazy person doesn’t mean you’re not making progress. It comes from one’s will to do something productive, and that doesn’t have to be “work” (if you know what I mean). It’s just that you’re doing something that is not bound by rules, deadlines, and expectations, but they inspire you and in many ways, improve you. It’s the way of looking at things that makes the difference.

So I say, “meron din namang puwedeng tularan sa batugan”. Woohoo!

irreplaceable

You think this is about Beyonce’s hit song? Well, read on.  Haha. It’s a cloudy Wednesday, and it’s John Lloyd Cruz’s birthday (posted my greeting for him over at my Tumblr), and I’m feeling sleepy because of the long day yesterday. But fun! I was with my college friends and it’s great to see them again and talk to them about different things. And yes, na-miss ko pang-aasar nila. Hehe. But I’ll try pouring my thoughts out as sane as I can. Haha.

I always appreciate commuting and walking alone, because it gives me time to appreciate things around me and at the same time, to just let ideas flow in my mind while in locomotion (I remember Ogie Diaz with this word, hehe). Yesterday I thought about the essence of an individual on my way to Ortigas for the meet-up. Back in college we read about Pope John Paul II’s essay in which premise speaks of the irreplaceability of the human person. Then I remembered what Michael Cera’s character in “Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist” said about us being the pieces that need to be brought back together. Adopting these ideas and incorporating them with mine, this is what I say:

We are the pieces, completely incomplete. But we are gifted - with talents, beliefs, experiences, close relations.  There will always be something that we got that other people don’t (and maybe they won’t), and that’s what makes us special, and that’s what makes us irreplaceable not only to our own selves but also to the people we meet and to the universe in general. That’s why there would always be things that we can hold on to and things we’ll always be grateful for.

What are you grateful for? C’mon, there has to be something.

Okay, looking back to what I wrote I wonder where on the middle earth did I get those words? Maybe I’m just channeling the inspiration Paulo Coelho is giving. I’m currently reading him.

blessed

Another dose of pic-spamming and quick storytelling. Most of the texts are lifted from my Tumblr.

Last Sunday I went out with some of my college friends at SM Mall of Asia. For fun, we decided to eat somewhere we haven’t eaten before. They were craving for something Asian, so we headed to Rai Rai Ken. I ordered Chicken Teriyaki Donburi and Mango Juice. Yum-o. That was the first time I used chopsticks for a rice meal. (Practicing, perhaps? Haha.) Plus Jean and Panky shared their Ramen, which I gave two servings for myself. I think my stomach expanded a few inches. LOL.  

After that hearty lunch we strolled around the mall, and by quarter to six we headed to the “San Miguel by the Bay” area to watch the sunset. Good thing the sun was visible amidst white and gray clouds. Finally I was able to watch a “proper” sunset in Manila Bay. Been wanting that for years. Haha. Long story.

There I was, facing the sun, finding pleasure in thinking about thinking nothing. Just listening to the sound of the waves and the blowing wind. And I didn’t mind that the water smells a bit like that of rain flood, haha, anyway it still has traces of dew and salt on it. I gladly sniffed it. A piece of peace. A miracle in small things, like what Paulo Coelho talked about in “Like the Flowing River”.

* * * * *

Yesterday, I got a lot of blessings. First, I had a “date” with my Pupi (that’s how I call my dad, hehe) in the morning. He accompanied me to the Civil Service Commission office to apply for my Civil Service Eligibility. And because I was craving for Jollibee the other day, we went to Quiapo to drop by the Quiapo Church then eat. What he said about what I said meant a lot to me. I’ll hold on to that. Second, turns out in the evening, I got to see the results of the Civil Service Examination online and my name was on the list of passers! Yapooo! Thank you Lord! Then: a blessing for the fangirl in me:

Archuleta fans, including me of course, are in Zero Gravity right now. Today the much-awaited Itunes-exclusive “David Archuleta Fan Pack” hit the digital stores. It contains the fan hit “Zero Gravity”, the Vanessa Carlton cover, “A Thousand Miles”, and the video of the fans-dedicated, “Touch My Hand”. And the very kind people from Team Archie announced that they are gifting fans with the FP if they drop their emails in the Team Archie forums! I was one of those hundreds of fans who got their gifts today. And aside from that, Archuleta Philippines, gave out “Zero Gravity” singles to the first 13 fans who commented in their post. I got in at # 5!

Albeit some technical difficulties (and struggles?) which got me a bit stressed (in a fangirl context), I’m now feasting with the gifts! I’m in ArchuHeaven. Haha! Big thanks to TeamArchie and Archuleta Philippines!

Purchase your own copy on iTunes NOW or go to the Team Archie forums to make a request.

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These little things, simple moments, I treasure them a lot. I think I could actually be “rich” with them. What little blessings did you have lately?

this is how I do it

It’s the third month of my bum chapter, haha. I’m still enjoying this laid-back times, although the moments of “what now?” still occurs every now and then. That’s something you shouldn’t really run from, right? There was a point when I almost changed my mind about my career path, perhaps because of impatience and that “desire to do a lot of things”, but I remembered what I’m doing it for and I got myself back into shape.  We have different ways of how to approach and go about our lives. This is the way that I know that I can get to my dream, so this is how I’m going for it.

Whether I’m right or wrong, I wouldn’t really know, and I don’t really have to think so hard about it right? After all, I have yet to get there. At times of uncertainty, what do you trust? What do you hold on to?

DREAMS, FAITH, HOPE… YOURSELF.